American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

The pollution disappeared?

Alex found himself at a loss regarding the current situation. He was absolutely certain that he hadn't sensed it wrong earlier—pollution had indeed emerged from Emma.

But the problem was that, in the brief moment it took for him to answer a phone call, all traces of that pollution had vanished. It was as if it had all been a figment of Alex's imagination, and the pollution had never appeared at all.

"This is a first…"

Alex had prepared himself for anything while studying pollution, knowing full well that the unexpected was to be expected. There was no reason to be overly surprised.

Yet, this situation felt oddly unreal, even to him.

"Are you still there?"

Emma's voice from the phone brought Alex back to his senses.

"Ah, yes, I'm here. Where are you? I'll come find you," Alex said, clearing his throat.

Emma, hearing his response, felt slightly reassured. She looked around, scanning for landmarks, before saying, "I'm on Moore Avenue, near a car wash."

"Okay, stay where you are. I'm on my way," Alex replied softly from the shadows.

Though he was only 50 meters away from Emma, the role he was playing demanded he pretend to be coming from a distance. The villa wasn't exactly nearby; even by taxi, it would take a few minutes.

Roughly ten minutes later, Alex finally stepped out of the alley.

As he emerged from the shadows, his appearance shifted seamlessly from that of a sharply dressed man to a young teen. The transformation was as smooth as changing clothes, flowing effortlessly.

Quickly making his way to Emma's side, Alex noticed she was still visibly unsettled, so much so that she didn't even register his presence.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Alex asked, feigning ignorance.

Emma, lost in thought, flinched at the sound of Alex's voice. She turned sharply, and upon realizing it was him, her emotions surged.

Before Alex could react, Emma threw herself into his arms, catching him completely off guard.

Alex remembered all too well that her clothes were ones she had scavenged from a trash bin—now rubbing against his.

Suppressing the urge to push her away, Alex asked, "What's going on? What happened?"

Emma wanted to explain, but for a moment, she didn't know where to begin.

The situation surrounding Lyle's death was far too complex. Emma didn't want to involve Alex, an innocent and ordinary person, as it would undoubtedly put his life in danger.

Still reeling from the night's events, Emma hadn't yet fully processed everything that had happened. It had all been so sudden. She could hardly believe that just minutes after their lively conversation, Lyle had lost his life.

Now that some time had passed, Emma felt a growing sense of dread. She realized that the situation was far more terrifying than she had initially thought.

Vought International's superheroes. The unknown superhuman who had killed Lyle. Every piece of this puzzle represented a force far beyond her ability to contend with.

Luckily, she hadn't acted impulsively and called the police. If she had involved herself in this mess, even as a superhuman, she doubted she'd be able to ensure her own safety.

Emma didn't want to spend the rest of her life hiding like an ant. Even with her ability to shrink, she doubted she could escape the notice of someone like Homelander. Against someone of his caliber, there was simply no way to run.

What frightened Emma even more was how overly friendly Lyle had been toward her.

If this had happened earlier, Emma wouldn't have thought much of it. Meeting a celebrity of Lyle's stature at a party would've been enough to cloud her judgment with joy, leaving no room to question his behavior.

But now, with the dust settled and Lyle dead at the hands of that man, Emma's mind began to replay the night's events. In retrospect, something felt off.

She was just an ordinary girl—her looks were average, her figure unremarkable, and her fame nonexistent. She wasn't even a social media influencer. Even in terms of superpowers, there were plenty of people far stronger than her.

Given all this, what could she possibly offer that would make someone of Lyle's caliber show her such enthusiasm?

Not only had he eagerly exchanged contact information with her, but he'd even invited her to visit his studio. At the time, caught up in the moment, Emma hadn't questioned it. But now, the more she thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed.

As Emma replayed everything she knew about Lyle in her mind, she couldn't understand what someone as famous as the king of survival entertainment could want from her.

Wait… survival entertainment…

Could it be?

The "ingredients" that man mentioned… could they have been…

Emma's pupils dilated in shock as the horrifying realization hit her. She abruptly pushed Alex away, trembling violently as if she had just experienced an unimaginable fright.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Alex asked, observing her reaction and suspecting that she might have pieced together the truth.

This was precisely why Alex hadn't revealed Lyle's crimes of cannibalism outright, even though Emma had been nearby and had likely witnessed everything herself.

Sometimes, the conclusions we draw for ourselves can be far more impactful than hearing them from someone else.

Perhaps what Alex did was cruel to Emma, but allowing her to glimpse the "truth" of this world could greatly aid her future.

After all, once she is admitted to Godolkin University, she will witness even more tragic events and might get entangled in greater chaos.

Yes, when Alex saw the name "Little Cricket" on the caller ID and learned that her name was Emma, he immediately recognized her identity.

Emma Meyer, one of the main characters in The Boys spinoff series, Gen V.

These hormone-driven young adults, raised under the influence of Vought International and their superheroes, will face the harsh realities of the world for the first time.

From the moment they step into Godolkin University, Vought's sole institution for young superheroes, they will endure various physical and mental trials.

As their moral boundaries are repeatedly tested, these youths will rebuild their values from the ground up. They will learn that light and darkness are not inherently opposed, and the line between justice and evil is not so clear.

Rather than let Emma face even greater chaos in the future, Alex thought it better to start her growth now.

Not to mention, judging by the disappearance of the "pollution" earlier, Emma seemed to have considerable potential. At the very least, she was worth Alex keeping an eye on.

Alex stayed with Emma for a while longer. When her mother called to tell her to come home, Emma didn't share anything about what had happened that night with Alex.

To Emma, this was the best way to protect Alex.

What Emma didn't realize, however, was that Alex had known the truth all along—and that he was the one who had killed Lyle.

The party was over, but things were just beginning.

The disappearance of a high-profile "hero" like Lyle was a matter of serious concern for Vought International.

As Alex had predicted, news of Lyle's disappearance eventually leaked and sparked widespread controversy.

The catalyst was Lyle's agent, who had planned to meet him early to go over his script for an upcoming talk show. After trying every means of contact and failing, the agent went to Lyle's residence.

After knocking multiple times without a response, the agent broke into Lyle's house.

What he saw horrified him—a partially eaten arm still lying on the dining table.

Without hesitation, the terrified agent reported the matter to Vought International.

Upon hearing the news, Vice President Madelyn Stillwell was deeply alarmed. She immediately sent Homelander and a public relations team to the scene.

When they discovered human organs and fingers in Lyle's refrigerator, everyone knew they had a serious problem.

A superpowered individual who had developed a taste for human flesh was now missing.

If Lyle was dead, that would be one thing. But if he were alive and in the hands of someone with malicious intent, this would spell a massive scandal for Vought International.

Madelyn gave Homelander explicit orders: since Lyle was already missing, it would be best if he never reappeared. Only by doing so could they protect the company's reputation.

At the same time, Vought's PR team launched into action.

They began spreading news that Lyle had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and initiated a public campaign to mourn this "great adventurer" in advance.

Regardless of how the situation evolved, their goal was to control the narrative. By creating the impression that Lyle was either dying or already dead, they could minimize the fallout.

To divert public attention and suppress unwelcome rumors, Vought International also made another major announcement:

They revealed the newest member of The Seven—Starlight.

Nothing could command global attention more effectively than The Seven, the world's most powerful and high-profile superhero team.

When the news broke, it instantly dominated headlines.

Everyone began digging into the life story of the lucky girl who had joined The Seven, analyzing why she had been chosen.

Alex, too, followed these developments in silence.

As he watched the TV screen, focusing on the girl in the white suit, Alex folded his arms and fell into deep thought.

Recently, he had been pondering the origins of "pollution" and what it truly was. The events involving Emma had given him a crucial lead.

Since that night, Alex had been observing ordinary people around him.

Like a ghost, he moved across the globe, silently watching those drowning in despair, studying their every move. But after all this time, he had gained no new insights.

Frustrated, he turned his attention back to superpowered individuals.

Staring at Starlight, who beamed naively at the cameras, Alex made a decision.

It was time to embark on a journey to test a new possibility.

.....

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453. Infiltrating Vought International!

454. Coercion.

455. Surprise.

456. The Expert.

457. Helping Each Other.