A dark and windy night, deep within the forest.
Wade led the group of four, following the faint, pungent odor through layer after layer of shrubs until they reached the edge of a steep cliff.
The valley under the moonlight looked like a hidden paradise. Over a dozen simple yet tidy wooden cabins were scattered about, and a central bonfire crackled, supporting several large pots from which the fragrant scent of steaming stew wafted on the breeze.
A few Mexican women were gathered around the fire, chatting and laughing while mending clothes; in a clearing in the distance, several men were repairing farm tools with a rhythmic, light metallic clinking; children could even be seen chasing and playing, their laughter echoing through the valley.
"The—these people are supposed to be a criminal gang?" Jordan Li whispered, his face full of confusion. "Are they illegal immigrants from Mexico?"
"No, it's a drug den!" Andre narrowed his eyes, pointing toward several hidden sheds at the edge of the valley. "Look over there; they're refining chemicals and privately manufacturing blue crystal."
Under the sheds, stacks of snakeskin bags were stored, filled to the brim with pale blue crystals.
In Wade's vision, the blood of everyone in the camp flowed with a faint blue component: 'Some are humans, but most are Supes... where did they get compound v?'
Whoosh—Bang!
Suddenly, a gust of wind pressure whistled in as Homelander descended, his eyes glowing red.
The roar of helicopters tore through the night sky as three Vought gunships circled above the woods, their searchlight beams illuminating the entire valley as bright as day.
"Run! Those butchers are back!" a woman on lookout let out a piercing sonic howl.
The warm atmosphere of the village was instantly shattered. Mothers scooped up their children and rushed back into the houses, while the elderly stumbled in search of cover.
But even more people picked up rifles and machine guns, and the bodies of over thirty people began to mutate as they scrambled to flee the valley.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
For a moment, gunfire erupted from all sides.
Under the lights, Queen Maeve and Black Noir descended from the sky.
"In the name of law and justice, you damn criminals will face judgment!" Homelander's sonorous voice echoed through the valley.
A woman who had been feeding her child suddenly dropped to the ground, transforming into a wild boar and charging at Queen Maeve with a howl; the young man who was just baking bread turned bright red all over; the old man bandaging a wound dropped to all fours, his tongue snapping out like a long whip.
"I—I surrender, please don't hurt my child," a woman screamed, her arms turning into vines to protect herself.
"Wait, did they get it wrong?" Luke rushed out of the bushes, about to leap down the cliff to intervene.
The massacre began abruptly.
Homelander's Heat Vision instantly pierced the Vine Woman's chest, and the children behind her were torn apart or sliced in half.
In just over ten seconds, the drug den where people had been cooking over fires was littered with remains.
Meanwhile, in the forest, over thirty Supe drug dealers came running toward them, drawing Wade's group of five into the battlefield.
Andre pulled out a large bag of coins he carried and formed a barrier, blocking several fleeing drug dealers.
Jordan Li switched to his male form and sent one flying with a punch.
"They... don't mean any harm... they just want to run away!" Kate trembled all over; all she could sense mentally was fear and despair.
Wade manipulated the air currents to form a wind wall, protecting everyone. He neither blocked nor attacked, thinking: 'Is this another one of Vought's self-directed plays?'
The old woman who had been mending clothes suddenly turned into a spiked monster and lunged; only then did he use an Air Bullet to knock her back.
Amidst the chaos, he saw Homelander with his arm around Queen Maeve's waist, leisurely floating in mid-air, while Black Noir stood watch in a tree.
The three seemed to be enjoying the farce, showing no intention of stepping in.
"A stage needs supporting actors..." Homelander's whisper drifted on the wind. "Let's watch the scenery for a bit."
Over a dozen fierce-looking drug dealers, in their despair, erupted with various strange abilities and lunged frantically at Wade's group.
"Get lost, or I'll kill you!" They rushed forward with distorted faces, having completely lost their reason.
The group of five fell into a bitter struggle.
Jordan Li switched forms back and forth, weaving through the crowd; Andre's metal barrier poured out, leaving anyone it touched dead or injured; Kate was overwhelmed by the tidal wave of negative emotions and crouched on the ground, clutching her head.
Only Luke was still bravely holding them back, his dazzling flames flickering among the frenzied drug dealers.
Just then, an exceptionally burly drug dealer with rock-textured skin charged toward Kate and the other two who were holding their ground.
"Don't even think about it!" Luke growled, his body igniting with flames once more as he tried to stop the man.
The Rock-man, already seeing red, let out a wild roar, his arms turning into massive stone hammers as he smashed them down toward Luke.
Luke raised his arms to block but was sent flying into the bushes by the terrifying force, his flames instantly extinguished.
'The forest is so big, they could flee anywhere. Why are they specifically coming after us?' Seeing this, Wade immediately acted, brandishing dense Air Blades and compressed Air Bullets that slammed into the stone skin, sending countless shards flying, yet failing to cause a fatal wound.
He felt like his attacks were just giving the guy a light massage: 'How is this guy so strong? Does this even make sense?'
The blinding incandescent lights also swung over, and the other physically deformed Supe drug dealers swarmed in as if receiving an order.
At the critical moment, a red and blue figure suddenly flashed into view.
Homelander easily caught the pot-sized stone fist with one hand, a smile on his lips and a red glow flashing in his eyes.
Sizzle—
The Rock-man's body was completely severed under the continuous impact of the Heat Vision, leaving only his lower limbs standing rigidly in place before he crashed down.
Squelch—Crack!
"Enough, you damn criminals!" Maeve nimbly swung her longsword, severing the heads and limbs of the drug dealers one after another; Black Noir remained silent, two katanas in hand, wordlessly harvesting lives.
Within seconds, the drug dealers who had been cooking and laughing together just moments ago were reduced to a pile of remains.
Under the light of three bright searchlights, Homelander floated in the blood-soaked and charred-smelling air, slowly turning around.
He landed in front of the disheveled group of five, clapping his hands: "Well done, kids. Stepping up like that took courage... but remember, some games aren't meant for people at your level."
His gaze swept over the five of them as he pointed toward the lake: "Forget everything you saw tonight and go back to enjoying your camping trip!"
With that, Homelander ignored them and flew back toward the valley, with Queen Maeve and Black Noir following closely behind.
Wade looked up into the sky; the helicopters were circling away, with several cameras and accompanying film crews clearly mounted on them.
Kate and the other three had witnessed The Seven "enforcing the law" with such thunderous methods, which still brought a massive shock.
She held her forehead and murmured, "The emotions of those people were so chaotic... they were truly terrified..."
"Did... did we just... forget to say thank you?" Jordan Li changed back to her female form, bowing and panting. "After all, Homelander... he saved us."
"Yes, yeah." Luke struggled to stand up from the bushes, clutching his numb arm. "If he hadn't stepped in when he did, we might have..."
"We actually got a chance to get involved in a secret operation by The Seven. Talk about luck!" Andre laughed, reaching out to magnetically pull back his scattered coins.
In their hearts, Homelander was a radiant guardian of justice; the cruel actions just now were merely necessary measures against "criminals," nothing to worry about.
Wade was still immersed in the battle where Homelander, Queen Maeve, and Black Noir had easily wiped out the drug dealers, unable to pull himself away for a moment: 'Too monstrous. The gap is huge! If I ran into them, wouldn't I end up the same way?'
He immediately set aside his dismissive attitude toward The Seven, realizing that not every member was like Translucent... a marketing-driven superhero idol with a single, poorly developed ability.
"What are you dazing off for, Wade?" Jordan Li nudged him and started walking. "Let's go, this place is disgusting."
Wade knew Vought Corporation's secrets best. Following their lead, he let out a yawn: "It is time to go back and rest. We have to head back to school early tomorrow morning!"
He deliberately floated to the front of the group, looking at the small blood-stained bundle the Rock-man had specifically hidden in the bushes during the chaotic fight.
'Interesting. What exactly is it? Something worth him fighting so hard for?' Wade's fingers twitched, driving an air current to suck it into his hand and stuff it into his pocket.
The group chatted and laughed as they made their way back, still immersed in the excitement of their adventure.
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