Beneath the clouds, a black figure flew at high speed, trailing white vapor.
Wade was contemplating how to persuade and turn that woman with the off-the-charts desire for control.
Mena's daring in letting him into her residence meant she surely had something to rely on, perhaps a device or drug capable of counteracting superpowers.
But this was exactly what Wade wanted. Only by shattering her pride and self-confidence in an environment where Mena felt safe and in total control could he make her his own.
Three minutes later, the Scarsdale villa district.
Wade hovered mid-air outside House No. 58, slowly descending and tapping on the balcony glass.
Knock, knock—tap, tap, tap—
The door opened, and Mena walked over barefoot, wearing a white silk nightgown.
A knowing smile curled at the corners of her lips as she stepped aside to let him in. "Only remembered me because you're in trouble?"
Wade walked straight into the house, sniffing the faint scent of perfume lingering in the air, and joked, "Quite the opposite. I'm here to give you a gift."
"Oh?" Mena closed the door. Seeing him empty-handed, she teased playfully, "My poor little thing, when did you learn to talk so big?"
Wade took the initiative to embrace her, burying his face in her shoulder. "Talk about it later."
Mena stroked his hair with satisfaction, whispering soothing words as she guided him into the bedroom.
Over the next few hours, Wade obediently cooperated with Mena's "housekeeping," allowing her to display her pathological care and desire for control.
When Wade felt the timing was right, he took a small metal box out of his coat pocket.
Mena's gaze was drawn to the small box as she lazily wiped away sweat. "Sweetheart, is this your so-called gift?"
Wade opened the box, revealing three crystal-clear vials of different colored serums inside.
"A little... invention," he said in a calm tone. "It can grant someone superpowers for a short period of time."
"The white one allows you to generate phantom clones, control insects, and fly."
"The blue one makes your skin as hard as steel and can even... turn you into a bear."
"The red one grants you the strength and speed to tear anything apart, turning you into a legendary Werewolf."
"Haha... You really love to joke. Even Vought Corporation hasn't announced products like these." Mena lay on top of him, giggling behind her hand. "It's not some kind of obedience potion you're trying to trick me into drinking, is it?"
"You're overthinking it."
The smile completely vanished from Mena's face, her thumb pressing hard against the ruby necklace on her chest. "Do you think I'm some brainless woman? Trying to use drugs to control me?"
A misting device on the ceiling began to release a white mist.
Sizzle—
Wade glanced at the mist and smiled, lightly patting her face. "If I wanted to harm you, would I really need to go through all this trouble?"
With a casual wave of his hand, the mist gathered into a white current and seeped out through the crack in the door.
Mena struggled to sit up. Seeing how he treated it as nothing, she was filled with uncertainty. "You... what you just said... is it really the truth?"
Wade closed his eyes and turned his head to sleep. "Believe it or not."
Mena stared at the three crystal-clear vials with a scrutinizing gaze, her previous laziness completely gone.
"Superpowers for a short time?" She let out a scoff, her voice trembling slightly. "My sweetheart, do you know what you're saying? Vought Corporation has invested countless funds and spent decades just to develop a stable compound v."
Mena crawled over and looked into Wade's eyes, her questions hitting like rapid-fire as she tried to press him. "You, a kid who just came out of the Red River Institute... suddenly telling me you developed this? After just a few days of classes at university?"
Wade's expression remained calm as he shook the blue serum in his hand. "Don't believe it? Seeing is believing." He pricked the needle into his own arm and pushed the plunger.
Under Mena's watchful eye, the skin on Wade's arm took on a cold metallic luster, appearing with a texture similar to iron and steel.
Ding, ding—
He flicked it with his finger, his nail colliding with his skin to produce crisp metallic sounds. "The duration is about an hour. Of course, there are individual differences."
Mena's breathing became noticeably rapid as she suppressed the storm in her heart. "Epidermal hardening? Maybe it's an ability you already had... If you're so capable, let's see it withstand this!"
Before she finished speaking, she pulled a strangely shaped small pistol from a hidden compartment in the nightstand and pulled the trigger at Wade's arm.
Bang—
A beam of blue energy struck his arm. Instead of the expected penetration or charring, it splashed in all directions like waves hitting a reef, leaving only a tiny, imperceptible white mark on the surface of his skin that quickly dissipated.
Wade smiled and crooked his finger. "Got any bigger toys? Bring them all out and try."
This strike completely shattered Mena's psychological defenses. Fear and greed battled fiercely in her eyes.
Her hand trembled uncontrollably as she looked at the syringe as if looking at Pandora's box.
Mena was so excited her eyes reddened slightly. "Where was this serum stolen from? Or did some laboratory defector give it to you?"
Wade waved the syringe in front of her. "Why does there have to be a source? Why couldn't it be me?"
"Think about it. Madelyn Stillwell, an ordinary woman without superpowers—why is she so high and mighty that even Homelander has to maintain a surface level of respect for her?"
"It's because of the behemoth that is Vought Corporation! And you, are you content to forever be a dog under her, responsible for watching over 'problem children'? No matter how well you manage Red River, in the eyes of those big shots up there, you're still just an insignificant high-level jailer."
"But now, the opportunity is right in front of you." Wade dangled the syringe. "With this, you no longer need to depend on Vought. We can have our own commercial empire—an empire where you set the rules."
Mena's chest heaved violently. These words seeped into her heart like poison.
The thirst for power and long-repressed ambition overwhelmed the dams of reason and the fear of the unknown.
Shadows of Vought's upper management, Madelyn's ugly face, and future visions of controlling power flashed alternately in her mind.
Mena snatched the syringe and, without the slightest hesitation, plunged the needle into a vein in her arm, pushing the plunger to inject all of the blue serum.
"Urgh—!"
The moment the serum entered her body, Mena let out a suppressed low growl. A blue light spread rapidly along her veins, soon replaced by an explosive burning sensation.
She felt her muscle fibers groaning, reorganizing, and expanding. A sense of power surged through her entire body like a tide.
Mena subconsciously clenched her fist, and with a "rip," the thick cotton bedsheet was actually torn apart with a casual pull.
She looked at her hands in disbelief; her skin was taking on a cold metallic sheen. She reached out to touch the solid wood nightstand, and her fingertips carved deep furrows into it as easily as a hot knife through butter.
"Concentrate. Imagine the form of a bear," Wade guided calmly and patiently from the side.
Mena did as she was told. Then, amidst a series of tooth-aching bone-cracking sounds, her figure suddenly shot up and expanded. Her nightgown was torn open, and golden-brown fur rapidly covered her body... Looking at the half-human, half-bear monster in the mirror radiating a fierce aura, she felt that surging power and senses that were several times sharper. All her previous doubts and fears were replaced by a near-frenzied excitement: "This feeling is incredible!"
Mena transformed back into human form. Ignoring her naked body, she lunged at Wade, her eyes burning with a heat that was almost ready to ignite. "Wade, my little genius! What types have you developed? Can they be mass-produced? When do we register our own company?"
Wade let her vent until she calmed down slightly, then pressed a miniature flash drive into her hand.
"Don't rush, one step at a time." His fingertips traced across Mena's smooth back. "First, take the data on this flash drive and find twelve unrelated biotech companies. Order them each to produce a different gene sample. Remember, don't use the same delivery address for any of them. Prepare enough for an initial batch of a hundred finished products."
Mena looked up and asked, "And then? Not going to tell me more?"
"You don't need to know the details, and don't go looking for extra trouble." He pressed down on Mena's head, a cold light flickering in his eyes. "Once you've prepared this 'first pot of gold,' I will naturally clear away the biggest obstacle, Vought Corporation, and open up channels with the military high command."
Mena snuggled obediently against his chest, blinking her large eyes. "Understood. I'll get it done."
Wade cradled the back of his head and looked at the ceiling. "When the time comes, you'll step forward as the company 'founder,' and I'll be behind the scenes responsible for formula upgrades... Our advantages are: providing directional superpower serums that are more stable and controllable than Vought's, and exclusive contracts and channels for the military."
"Sweetheart, just how much were you hiding back at the institute?" Mena pulled hard on his cheeks, feeling that the man before her was strangely unfamiliar. "Are you really only eighteen?"
"The real deal." Wade held Mena's hand and tilted her chin up. "In the future, you could become a figure on par with the CEO of Vought Corporation, perhaps even the most dazzling new star in the business world."
Hearing this, Mena kissed him several times on the face, then asked with a look of suspicion, "You'd really be this good to me?"
"Good? You should know better than I what kind of people are in Vought Corporation... That seat isn't easy to sit in at all."
"Aren't you afraid I'll betray you when the time comes?"
Wade tapped the tip of her nose. "If they discover these serums and start looking into competitors... the first one targeted won't be me."
"I just love a challenge, something exciting!" Mena licked her lips and grabbed his wrist. "Quality control is important. I need to verify the actual efficacy first..."
"Uh... I have class tomorrow." Wade lifted the quilt, making a move to run.
"You started a fire, and now you want to walk away?" Mena yanked him back, her eyes scanning him up and down. "What's pulling an all-nighter to a Supe... Since you're asking me to be your partner, then show me your sincerity!"
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