Meanwhile, the battle between the Homelander and Reynolds continued. Of course, the so-called "battle" was just how the Homelander perceived it; Reynolds didn't feel he was fighting the Homelander at all. To him, he was simply evading the Homelander's relentless attacks.
However, from the Homelander's perspective, Reynolds' evasive maneuvers seemed more like he was toying with him. Reynolds had already demonstrated a terrifying level of speed, and coupled with his flight capabilities, his agility was unquestionable.
The Homelander began to realize that he might not actually have the ability to land a solid hit on Reynolds. This realization fueled his fury even more! After all, he was the most powerful superhero under Vought International. How could he, the Homelander, find himself utterly powerless against Reynolds?
Before encountering Robert's energy blast, the Homelander had always seen himself as second to none—or, more accurately, he considered himself above even the heavens! Someone as egotistical as the Homelander could not accept being outclassed by what he saw as a failed experiment.
The situation became even more unbearable when the Homelander overheard details about Reynolds' origins from the surrounding commotion. He now knew that Reynolds had once been nothing more than a speedster—a type of superhero he could have crushed with one hand in the past.
Consumed with rage, the Homelander acted again, abandoning what little rationality he had left. His sole objective now was to kill Reynolds on the spot.
A loud hum filled the air as the clash within Vought International escalated, its scope growing larger and more destructive. In response, a massive energy barrier suddenly formed around the Vought International headquarters, generated by a powerful energy source underground.
This energy barrier was one of Vought's technological advancements. While Vought's research had not yet reached the level of portable energy systems like Tony Stark's suits, they had achieved results that were, quite literally, brute force. Thanks to the influx of alien technology acquired in recent years, Earth's energy systems had stepped onto an interstellar trajectory. Now, a massive underground energy source was continuously powering the barrier, creating a shield around Vought's headquarters.
Under normal circumstances, this barrier was meant to be activated in defense against external threats. But now, the Vought executives had no choice but to deploy it to contain the chaos between the Homelander and Reynolds.
After all, if the energy barrier wasn't activated, it wouldn't be long before the Avengers noticed the situation. If the Avengers intervened, not only would Vought lose confidence in the Homelander's ability to defeat them in a head-on confrontation, but there was also the risk that the Avengers might take advantage of the chaos to uncover damning evidence against Vought. If such evidence were exposed, Vought's carefully cultivated public image would collapse instantly.
Should the company's secrets become public, Vought wouldn't just lose its standing against the Avengers—it would struggle to survive at all. The presence of the Avengers would make any attempts at covert operations, even a figurative resurrection, impossible. Vought would ultimately be reduced to a sacrificial pawn, losing years of research and their ultimate dream of becoming true gods.
With no better options, Vought's leadership quickly reached a consensus. They activated the energy barrier, isolating the entire area around their headquarters. The effect was akin to the protective dome surrounding Wakanda during times of war—completely cutting off the events inside from the outside world.
Inside Vought's building, neither the Homelander nor Reynolds noticed the activation of the energy barrier. The Homelander, now entirely consumed by rage, unleashed his true speed, surpassing the sound barrier in an instant as he hurtled toward Reynolds with full force.
To Reynolds, however, the Homelander's movements were still perfectly visible. Despite this, Reynolds showed no intention of engaging in combat. Instead, his thoughts were preoccupied with confusion. Why hadn't Vought sent anyone to put a stop to this farce?
As the Homelander's rampage continued, numerous employees had already fallen victim, and parts of the building had been reduced to rubble. If this went on, the entire Vought headquarters would be reduced to ruins.
"Could it be that Vought is using their headquarters as collateral to test my capabilities? Or do they simply lack the means to stop this?"
These questions flickered through Reynolds' mind as he evaded yet another attack, disappearing from his position just as the Homelander's fist smashed into the structure behind him.
With a deafening crash, that floor of the building collapsed entirely, taking portions of the upper levels down with it. The structural damage sent massive shockwaves throughout the lower sections of the building. Fortunately, the Vought headquarters was sturdily built. Despite the extensive damage, the building held firm, resisting total collapse.
The problem was, this was only the beginning of the Homelander's assault. Furious at missing his target yet again, the Homelander adjusted his trajectory and launched another attack toward Reynolds.
"If Vought truly can't intervene, does that mean I could achieve freedom if I simply leave their headquarters?" Reynolds wondered as he continued to dodge the Homelander's relentless attacks. Memories of his past began to surface.
Reynolds hadn't been a good person to begin with. He was a drug addict—a loner whose life choices had left him disconnected from society. People like him were the perfect targets for Vought's experiments, as their disappearances would raise no alarms.
Before Vought captured him, Reynolds had resolved to turn his life around, quitting his destructive habits to embrace a new, healthier lifestyle. But just as he was about to change his life, Vought abducted him, turning him into one of their countless test subjects.
To control him, Vought brainwashed Reynolds, making him addicted to a drug that only they could supply. This ensured he remained under their complete control, with no chance of escape.
However, like all things, Vought's methods had limitations. While they could control a person's body and even manipulate their consciousness, they couldn't permanently suppress someone's spirit. Just as the Homelander had moments of losing control, Reynolds experienced a sudden, fleeting moment of clarity after repeated exposure to Vought's mind-altering drugs.
In that moment, Reynolds remembered everything—his resolve to change his life, the misery he had endured under Vought's experiments, and his bleak, hopeless existence. Determined not to live the rest of his life under Vought's thumb, he chose to end it all by consuming every experimental gene serum he could find in the lab.
Reynolds had seen the results of similar experiments before. Subjects who took multiple gene serums at once always died quickly, leaving no remains for Vought to study. That was the outcome Reynolds had hoped for.
But fate had other plans. Instead of dying, Reynolds found himself not only alive but stronger than ever. His body felt extraordinarily capable—so much so that even the Homelander seemed laughable in comparison.
Despite his newfound power, Reynolds had no desire to stay at Vought. Realizing that Vought might not be able to contain the chaos, he decided to seize the chance to escape and claim his freedom.
Acting on this decision, Reynolds evaded the Homelander's next strike, disappearing in a flash and flying toward the edge of Vought's headquarters.
His speed now far exceeded that of the Homelander—perhaps by two or three times. In mere moments, he reached the perimeter of the building, only to stop short in disappointment when he encountered the energy barrier encasing the area.
"Stop right there, you bastard!" shouted the Homelander as he closed the distance. His eyes glowed with intense heat vision, which he fired at the still-distracted Reynolds.
The beams struck Reynolds in the back, sending him hurtling into the energy barrier, which rippled from the impact.
"I finally hit him!" For the first time since the fight began, the Homelander managed to land a direct attack on Reynolds. He was ecstatic, especially as he noticed Reynolds' clothing had been entirely incinerated by his heat vision. To the Homelander, this was the beginning of Reynolds' demise.
Reynolds, however, wasn't so easily deterred. Staring at the faint ripples in the energy barrier, he muttered, "This barrier… doesn't seem indestructible."
Dodging another of the Homelander's strikes, Reynolds launched a powerful punch at the barrier.
With a thunderous boom, the entire barrier trembled. But almost immediately, energy surged from the underground generator, restoring the barrier to its original, impenetrable state.
"How is this possible?" Deep within Vought's underground facility, the executives watched the battle unfold through surveillance footage, their faces filled with disbelief.
Unlike the chaotic interior of the building, where their monitoring devices had been destroyed, the open area outside allowed them to observe the confrontation without interference.
Until now, the executives had assumed Reynolds could never rival the Homelander. They had been waiting for the Homelander to kill him so they could focus on calming their strongest hero down. But the footage revealed something shocking: Reynolds was far more powerful than the Homelander in every aspect.
Even without displaying energy-based attacks, Reynolds had superior speed, strength, and perhaps even durability. After all, he had taken the Homelander's heat vision head-on without sustaining any visible injuries.
"Does this mean Reynolds could match the Avengers' equivalent of Superman?" one executive murmured, excitement flickering in their voice as they watched Reynolds on the screen.
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