NOVEL NEXT Let The Games Begin
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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[▪︎General Pov▪︎]
In a dark room illuminated by several red rectangular lights, scientists or researchers moved to and fro all around the room.
It was filled with lots of large futuristic scientific pieces of equipment beyond the technological scale of the present world, the researchers diligently and patiently tended to the machinery doing what they were assigned to do.
At the center of this large dark room stood a silver cylindrical chamber that's vertically placed on the circular platform, its shielded frontal shell revealing nothing about the contents of the chamber.
As the researchers went about their day-to-day activities in this dark and slightly creepy laboratory, the entrance slid open with Mr. Edgar who was dressed in his usual professional apparel entering with an Old Doctor Vogelbaum.
"Again, I'm very sorry about Doctor Frederick's case. We never knew he was such a character, if we knew about it earlier we woul---"
"It's okay, he has been dealt with so it's no longer an issue. I just hope that his situation won't happen again."
Mr. Edgar said as they walked side by side past the scientists who just glanced at them and ignored them, dutifully continuing with their duties.
"Of course, it won't happen again, you know me well enough to understand that this is the last time something of this sort is ever going to happen again."
Doctor Vogelbaum confidently replied.
"Yes I know, just wanted to be assured."
Edgar said with a faint smile as they stopped in front of the platform that has the covered silver tube-like chamber on top of it.
"How is 'it'?"
Edgar asked as they both looked at the chamber with weird faces.
"Scans indicate that the vitals and everything else is clear so I'd say it's normal."
Vogelbaum responded in a weird tone.
"....How sure are you that nothing's going to happen when we release it? After what 'he' did, what's the probability 'it' won't just follow 'his' footsteps?"
Edgar asked in a cautious manner that showed how surprisingly skeptical he was about the whole situation.
"Well I'm not the one who designed it but I'm the one who's been taking care of it so all I can say is that everything's going to be fine. After all, Virgil created it. You know how he is about control so yeah, everything's going to be fine."
Vogelbaum calmly assured in a confident tone.
Upon hearing Virgil's name, Edgar's anxiety simmered down so he just looked at the chamber silently.
"I want to see it."
He said.
Vogelbaum nodded and instructed the scientists to show the contents of the chamber. The scientists immediately worked on the machines and within seconds, the silver covering retracted and revealed someone inside.
It was a naked muscular man who looked exactly the same as a twenty-year-old Homelander silently floating in a bluish green fluid with a futuristic respirator strapped on his face.
The duo silently admired the sleeping figure who has been inside the chamber for more than ten years with the scientists stopping whatever they were doing to also admire this marvelous creation.
"Amazing isn't it?"
Vogelbaum asked as he continued to admire the figure before him.
"Indeed it is. It's scary how one man can plan and do all this with a limited amount of technology, it's almost as if... sigh, let me not go into that. When can you release him?"
Edgar asked.
"Anytime you want, you just need to give him an order using a secret phrase and he'll do whatever you want him to do."
Vogelbaum replied without looking at him.
"I see, then he has a lot of work to do."
Edgar said with a faint smile.
"Indeed he does."
•☆•☆•
"You're sure this is going to work?"
Starlight asked in an unsure tone as Frenchie fiddled with a highly advanced laptop with a 'V' logo on its back.
They were all in a small caravan that has its inside coated with a type of foil-like material that absorbs sound from the inside and prevents it from going out.
"It will work... probably. The problem is whether Homelander will buy It or not?"
Frenchie said in his seat and continued what he was doing as the crew which now has Queen Maeve dressed in her suit, Starlight, and an anxious Becca among them.
"And..... done, take this and put it in your ear like thi--"
"I know how to use an earpiece Frenchie."
Starlight deadpanned at Frenchie who gave her an earpiece and tried to explain how she should wear it.
Frenchie just shrugged in response as she wore it and opened an application after typing it one last time.
"So I just need to act like I'm being threatened then Homelander will think it's Stormfront?"
She asked as Frenchie distributed headphones to the rest of the crew in a skeptical tone.
"Yes...I've already explained it like ten minutes ago. Are you by chance, undermining my prowess?"
Frenchie questioned with raised eyebrows.
"Uhm I-I... let's just start."
She coughed as everyone looked at her.
"Good, I'm calling so everyone be silent. Our headphones have been muted but a little precaution will be nice."
Frenchie said and after he saw everyone nod their heads, he pressed the enter key.
"...Hello?"
The whole room became silent when they heard Homelander's voice with Butcher and Maeve's eyes glimmering with hate.
"It's me Stormfront, something has happened."
Starlight said but they all heard her voice clearly as Stormfront who was being choked.
"What's going on."
Homelander asked in a neutral tone.
".....They know our plan now, Noir is currently squeezing my neck with his blade on my stomach, he made me call you otherwise he would've killed me."
Starlight replied.
"I see, so Edgar couldn't mind his business. Not surprising, he always did have a way of doing these kinds of things."
Homelander replied nonchalantly.
"He... wants to see you, he said he wants to have a one-on-one chat with you."
Starlight said nervously since the reaction she was expecting from him wasn't what he was showing.
"Is that so? Hmm, but why should I?"
Homelander asked.
"....Noir will kill me"
Starlight said, her nervousness increasing since it wasn't going according to plan.
"And so?..."
Homelander asked in a bored tone that made the crew's eyes widen in surprise since they thought Homelander at least cared for his followers.
"I-I.. I."
Seeing Starlight nervously stutter, Queen Maeve left her seat, took the earpiece from Starlight, and wore it.
"Don't you want your army anymore!? Do you think someone will be able to get you your followers if I'm dead!? It's just a meeting, come and see the black bastard and let's move on with what we are doing, or am I that insignificant to you!?"
Maeve raged in a tone and manner that made Homelander keep quiet.
"... I will be there in a moment."
Homelander said after a while in a neutral tone and cut the call, making everyone Maeve and the rest of the crew release a breath of relief.
"That was one hell of an acting."
Mother's Milk praised with the rest of the crew smiling in agreement.
"I've been acting for more than thirty years, it's the least I can do."
She shrugged in response with a faint smile.
<Whoom!>
Suddenly, they all heard a large sound in the air above them, it sounded like something was flying right past their heads towards a particular location.
"That's our cue Boys, let's go."
Butcher said and started the caravan.
The next moment, the carvana left the shed and drove away at high speed on the forest road and after a few minutes arrived at Homelander's lake house.
The moment the car stopped, the crew got out of the car and dashed towards the house but they stopped when they saw coming out of it.
"..Honey!"
"Mom!"
They both shouted as they saw each other and embraced each other after Ryan flew into her arms.
Both of them started crying and they enjoyed their embrace with Becca giving him love-filled kisses on his forehead occasionally.
"Becca we need to leave now."
Butcher said as the crew vigilantly looked around searching for any sign of Homelander.
"Yeah..let's go."
She said as she held Ryan's hand and moved towards the caravan.
<Boom!>
The caravan suddenly exploded, making the crew stop in their places to block with Butcher shielding Becca and Ryan with his body.
"Well well well, look what we have here. Maeve, I never thought you will have it in you to defy me, I guess all that women empowerment is doing you good.
Hmmm, I'm not surprised to see you here Butcher, I expected it. But I'm kinda insulted that you guys thought we will buy that, well i guess I can make it even with your dead bodies."
Homelander said with a mocking smile as he descended onto the ground together with a smiling Stormfront, a frowning Lamplighter who was on the back of a stoic-faced white skinned teenager.
"Defy you? Oh please, you were never my boss."
Maeve hissed with visible hate as she and the crew got into battle positions with Butcher who told Becca to leave the place.
"Haha, that's Maeve alright. It's going to be a lot of fun breaking you but first him."
Homelander darkly remarked with a crazed grin on his face and suddenly used his [Heat Vision] on Butcher, sending him flying a few distances away with smoke coming out of his chest.
"Butcher no!"
Becca yelled as she quickly moved towards his body but stopped with widened eyes as Butcher slowly got up with a smug look on his face that made Homelander and his people frown with Maeve and the crew smiling.
"Not today Pal, the game ain't started yet."
Butcher said in a crazed tone as he stood on his feet with the chest portion of his shirt burnt, revealing his unharmed chest.
"Let the games begin."