BOOM!
A figure leaped from a hundred-ter-tall skyscraper. The impact was so powerful that the concrete street shattered, and a massive cloud of dust rose into the air.
Holander's eyelids lowered. He looked at Queen Maeve, who had just landed, and the joy on his face began to fade.
At the sa ti, a gasp went through the crowd.
As the dust settled, the military and police received an order and began to part, opening a path. Queen Maeve stood in the center. To her left was A-Train. To her right was Butcher. Starlight, Golden Boy, Hughie, and the others were fanned out behind them.
Maeve and her allies were, after all, famous superheroes, and they commanded a great deal of respect. And she and A-Train were monsters in their own right. Even the gangsters following Holander didn't dare to charge them.
A man in an immaculate suit, his hair perfectly coiffed, stepped out of a Cadillac on the side of the street. He looked up at Holander in the sky, and at the roiling, disorderly mob below him.
"Holander," the Vice President said. "I think we need to talk. This world cannot be conquered by violence alone."
His eyes were filled with a calm confidence, a look that made Holander's face turn ugly. Holander loved to wear that expression himself, but he hated seeing it on anyone else.
He slowly descended from the sky, drifting past Maeve and the others, and landed in front of the Vice President. Holander looked down at this ordinary man, his eyes glowing faintly red. His X-ray vision passed through the man's tailored suit and saw the bulletproof vest underneath.
Holander shook his head, a look of contempt on his face. He leaned in, his voice a low whisper. "Don't you know? A bulletproof vest can't save you…"
In that mont, the killing intent of a superhuman was completely undisguised. Vice President Ross struggled to maintain his composure, but the frantic pounding of his heart was impossible to hide. Holander took another step forward, his voice now a mocking drawl, loud enough for his supporters to hear clearly. "See? I co to you, to talk, and all you do is run away…"
Ross knew this was bad, but he couldn't control his fear. Fortunately, at that mont, another voice spoke.
"Hey, Holander. How about a little personal space?"
The young man's voice was clear. He placed a hand on Holander's shoulder. It was Golden Boy, the number one student from Vought's hero academy, the rising star poised to take a spot in The Seven. He could turn into a man of fire, control flas, and fly. He was one of the very few Supes whose "showmanship" could even co close to Holander's.
WHOOSH!
A-Train simultaneously appeared in front of the Vice President. Though his face was full of fear, he still spoke. "Holander, you've been bewitched by that Asian. You've gone too far this ti…"
Queen Maeve now also ca to stand behind Holander. "Holander. We have to stop this, right now. We have to put this country back on the right track."
Their voices made Holander's face darken. He had always hated being criticized, being controlled. And now, when he felt he had finally awakened and found his true calling—to be the strongest hero, who would own and protect the world—these weaklings still thought they could speak to him as equals? No… they weren't even speaking to him as equals. They were trying to lecture him.
The thought made Holander laugh. "Ha. So you people really think you're my equals now."
He turned, casually shrugging off Golden Boy's hand. The young hero was stunned by the ease with which Holander had broken his grip. Before he could react, Holander had grabbed him by the shoulder and thrown him backward.
CRASH!
Golden Boy was sent flying into a nearby building. Holander turned, his brutal aura now fully unleashed. He looked at Maeve, then at A-Train, and finally at Butcher.
"I," he said, his voice a low, cold growl, "am the only… superhero."
In that mont, Ross felt as if he were being suffocated by an imnse death threat. He could no longer maintain his calm. "Get him!" he scread. "Get him now!"
He was screaming not at Maeve or A-Train, but at Butcher.
And in that mont, Butcher's face split into a brutal smile that was an exact copy of Holander's.
"Hah. Superheroes. They really are…"
BZZZZZT!
Searing heat-vision suddenly erupted from Butcher's eyes. Holander, caught completely by surprise, was hit full-on and sent flying by the powerful blast.
Butcher then leaped dozens of ters into the air, raised his hands, and brought them crashing down on Holander.
BOOM!
Holander was hamred through the air and into another building. The entire scene erupted into chaos. Even Bobby was confused. Holander… just got sent flying?
Holander shook his head as he stood up from the third-floor office he had just crashed into. He wasn't injured, but the chest of his suit had been burned away. He looked at the charging Butcher and finally realized that his opponent had powers that were nearly identical to his own.
POP!
A white tear gas canister exploded at the front of the police line. Bobby and the others instantly knew what to do.
"THE COPS ARE ATTACKING!" they scread.
Ross, back on his feet, was grabbing a gaphone, his voice hoarse. "HOLD YOUR FIRE! DO NOT FIRE ON ANYONE BUT HOLANDER!"
But it was too late. Kalpa, holding a gun and a high-explosive grenade, just laughed and tossed the grenade into the crowd.
BOOM!
As flesh and blood flew, Kaito Shirogane, not to be outdone, threw several of his own grenades, like a shower of deadly rain, into the lines of police and military.
George, who had just escaped into an alley, heard the massive explosions and the gunfire and knew what had happened. He trembled, looking out at the white smoke, the bright flashes of fire, and the horrific screams.
A massive, chaotic slaughter had just begun.
Ross's scalp was tingling. He didn't understand. He had given strict orders that there was to be no engagent. The front-line police and military shouldn't even have had lethal weapons. He scanned his own people, and finally saw him: the Asian man Butcher had brought, now holding a long rifle, firing wildly into the crowd of gangsters.
"STOP!" he roared, ordering his bodyguards to take Kalpa out.
But Kalpa just laughed, turned, and sprayed a full magazine of bullets in the Vice President's direction.
Reincarnators are demons, he thought. The very way the Nexus generated Singularities ensured that this group would always chase the greatest possible chaos to get the greatest possible reward. He was ecstatic.
His clip was empty. He dropped the rifle and looked across the battlefield for his real target, "rcenary Tao." But the man was gone. He scanned the chaos, but there was no sign of him.
"Are you looking for ?" a voice whispered from behind him.
SPLAT!
Kaito grabbed Kalpa's right arm and instantly broke it backward, the angle so severe that the bone and muscle were completely torn. Kalpa's face barely changed. Another hand grabbed his jaw, and with an imnse force, shattered it.
Kaito's expression was leisurely. For a creature who could constantly switch bodies, perhaps only his [Death-Taint] was a suitable opponent.
"Kalpa. Is this your grand plan? Butcher and Golden Boy? I'm disappointed. You didn't even bring Soldier Boy."
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