Free Web NovelChapter 65: Chapter 65: Ryan’s Discomfort, Homelander’s Change
Chapter 65: Ryan’s Discomfort, Homelander’s Change
Beside him, Homelander looked at the blushing Starlight and then at his completely unfazed father, instantly catching on. But Homelander didn’t mind; after all, who wouldn’t like a young, beautiful female colleague with a killer body? As long as his old man was happy. He also thought of Maeve, though unfortunately, things with her hadn’t been going very smoothly lately...
Starlight obviously knew that the upcoming family dinner wasn’t something an outsider like her should intrude upon. She bit her lip and let out a soft smile. "I’ll just wait for you then." With that, Starlight tactfully turned and left.
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"Grandpa!"
Watching Starlight walk away, Ryan finally poked his head out from Homelander’s arms and called out to Benjamin in a crisp voice. Having just witnessed the outside world from the sky, he now felt a deep sense of closeness to the dad who had flown him around and his cool grandfather. But outsiders were a different story. Aside from his parents and his grandfather, he barely knew how to interact with anyone else; if it weren’t for his dad and grandpa, he would have spent his entire life having seen almost no one but his mother.
Benjamin stepped forward, casually ruffling the little brat’s blond hair a couple of times before asking, "You brought the kid out, aren’t you afraid Becca’s gonna lose her fucking mind?"
"Who gives a shit about her." At the mention of Becca, a flash of disgust and irritation flickered deep within Homelander’s eyes. "She’s just a liar full of shit. Ryan can’t be ruined by her."
Hearing Homelander talk about his mother like that, Ryan felt a bit unhappy again. Even though he had been very angry just a moment ago, his anger had completely evaporated now—kids were always like that, quick to get mad and quick to get over it.
"So, are you planning to send Ryan back after we eat?" Benjamin asked casually.
Ryan perked up his ears.
Homelander hesitated for a moment... To be honest, he wished he could just take Ryan straight back to Vought Tower right now and never deal with that annoying woman again. But catching a glimpse of Ryan in his arms—who was excited but still clearly anxious—he let out a sigh. "Let’s see what Ryan wants. He’s had enough scares for one day..."
Only then did Ryan breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that even though his dad and mom didn’t get along, his dad still respected his and his mother’s feelings.
Before long, the three generations of father, son, and grandson arrived once again at that familiar Asian barbecue joint. However, whether it was because someone had promoted the place or because the Asian owner’s culinary skills were genuinely top-notch, compared to the deserted scene from their previous visit, the barbecue spot was packed tonight.
The moment the two men clad in superhero uniforms walked into the establishment with a child, the rowdy restaurant fell completely silent. Every single gaze locked onto them like a synchronized spotlight. freēwēbnovel.com
"Holy shit... is that Homelander? And the one in deep green next to him... is that Soldier Boy?!"
"Oh my God! Living superheroes coming to a roadside joint?!"
"Wait... look at the kid Homelander’s holding! Blond hair, blue eyes, he looks exactly like his carbon copy!"
"Jesus, are three generations of them out together for a late-night snack? What kind of legendary sight is this!"
The crowd whispered furiously, a wave of pure excitement rapidly spreading through the air.
The three found a random corner table and sat down, just finishing ordering two massive platters of grilled beef, grilled shrimp, various skewers, and a few dozen beers. As they ate, the fanatical crowd could no longer restrain themselves. Quite a few young people stood right up, phones hoisted in their hands, their faces flushed with excitement as they kept peering over.
A few daring babes even bypassed the crowd entirely, sashaying right up to Homelander’s table. "M-Mr. Homelander! Can... can we get a picture together? I absolutely love you!"
Confronted by these adoring fans, Homelander—who always managed his public image with extreme care and desperately craved universal adoration—was naturally not about to refuse. He immediately pasted on that perfect corporate smile, nodding in agreement, and even flashed a thumbs-up to cooperate.
But this started a chain reaction; once the first broke the ice, a second followed. Not only Homelander, but even Benjamin, who was sitting beside him smoking a cigar, was instantly surrounded by a sea of outstretched pens, paper, and phones.
"Mr. Soldier Boy! Sign this, please! I grew up listening to your stories!"
Benjamin’s brow furrowed tightly, his face visibly darkening. Unlike Homelander, he utterly detested this kind of socialization that completely stripped away his private space. A perfectly fine hidden gem of a restaurant had been thoroughly transformed into a massive fan meet-and-greet... If this barbecue joint hadn’t blown up, he could have quietly enjoyed a few drinks, but now it felt like a goddamn wet market.
Before long, more and more people swarmed over, layer upon layer, packing around their table until it was completely sealed off. Camera flashes clicked and popped endlessly.
Seated at the table, Ryan had initially been happily munching away on his grilled beef. But, confronted by the frantic crowding, screaming, and blinding flashes from dozens of complete strangers, Ryan—who had grown up in an isolated community since infancy and had never experienced a spectacle like this—quickly spiraled into pure panic. The beef slipped from Ryan’s hand, clattering onto the table. He clamped his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
Bang!
Benjamin slammed his palm onto the table. His towering, muscular frame vaulted upward as he barked, "Can you bunch of goddamn idiots back the fuck off?! If you’re here to eat barbecue, then you sit the fuck down in your own seats and eat! If you genuinely want a picture or an autograph, can’t you goddamn line up properly? What the fuck are you all crowding around for?"
Benjamin pointed at the trembling Ryan. "Fuck, can’t you see how much my grandson is struggling right now?!"
Following Benjamin’s roar, scores of fans flinched and stumbled backward, forcibly clearing out a massive open space. Yet, a fair number of fans secretly thought the protective Soldier Boy looked incredibly badass just now!
Homelander also quickly noticed Ryan’s distress. A wave of self-reproach hit him as he hurriedly scooped Ryan into his arms, gently patting his back. "It’s okay, Ryan. It’s okay, Daddy’s here."
Under Homelander’s soothing, Ryan’s ragged breathing gradually leveled back to normal. Homelander rose to his feet, his face turning cold as he extended an arm to block the fans attempting to close in again. "Sorry, everyone. That’s enough for tonight. Please make way."
He cradled Ryan in his arms and, under the disappointed gazes of the crowd, strode out of the barbecue restaurant. Benjamin didn’t care to stick around either; tossing a hundred-dollar bill onto the table, he followed him out the door. But because of his fury moments ago, the crowd automatically parted along the way, none of them daring to block his path.
Reaching a quiet street corner.
"Sigh... what a goddamn buzzkill." Cradling Ryan, Homelander let out a distressed sigh. His old man had finally been free, his son was by his side, and he had wanted nothing more than to enjoy some quality time with his family, only for it to be completely ruined.
However, deep down inside, Homelander was intensely conflicted. On one hand, his heart ached for his terrified son, but on the other, facing those fanatical devotees had felt intoxicating, yielding a massive sense of validation. Which was probably why... he had accidentally overlooked Ryan just now.
"Dad..." Ryan, who had kept his face buried tightly in Homelander’s chest the entire time, finally spoke up in a small, pleading voice. "I want to... I want to go home. The people here are so scary."
Homelander froze. Looking down at his son’s terrified little face, his mind was caught in a knot. He desperately wanted to refuse and drag him straight to Vought Tower... but he ultimately lifted his eyes to look at Benjamin, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Dad... I guess I’ll take Ryan back first?"
"Go ahead. The little brat got a hell of a scare today, get him back early." Benjamin waved his hand.
Ryan quickly cheered up.
Watching Homelander cradle Ryan as he slowly ascended into the night sky and flew away, Benjamin’s eyes shifted slightly. To be fair, if this were the Homelander from the original timeline, after unleashing Ryan to witness the wonders of the outside world, there was absolutely zero chance he would ever return the boy to that "prison," let alone care about his son’s desire to go back.
Buzz, buzz—
Right then, the cell phone inside Benjamin’s pocket vibrated a couple of times. He pulled it out to check. Several unread messages from Stormfront had popped up consecutively on the screen. Tapping them open, they were entirely selfies of Stormfront wearing an exceptionally revealing, skimpy version of her suit, posing provocatively in front of a mirror.
The text beneath carried an incredibly suggestive note: Hey, old man. I’m pretty much healed up. Want to come over to my place tonight and punish me hard?
Naturally, alongside that was a hotel address from Starlight. Ignoring Stormfront’s solicitations entirely without a reply, Benjamin strode purposefully toward the hotel where Starlight was waiting...
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