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"Hey everyone, we're back!"
"Today… oh my god, Superman's actually here!"
"Wait, no way—he just picked up the entire Statue of Liberty like it's nothing. What's he doing?"
"Ohh, I see… looks like the experiment's about to start."
"What kind of insane experiment could possibly attract Superman himself?"
"Let's wait and see!"
Right now, almost the whole world was watching. It wasn't just hype—this really was a global spectacle.
Suddenly, the massive screens set up around the statue's base lit up. On the screen appeared a strange-looking figure—chubby, with four metallic tentacles floating behind his back.
That figure now had the attention of the entire world.
"Hoo…"
Taking a deep breath, even Doctor Otto couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
He never imagined that when Superman promised to make him the center of attention, it would be this over-the-top.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone watching at home—good evening!"
"Today is a huge moment for me. First, I want to thank my wife, who's supported me through everything for over a decade."
As he spoke, Doctor Otto gave a loving glance to his wife Rose standing next to him.
"Second, I want to thank Wakanda for backing and sponsoring this experiment."
"But most of all, I need to thank Mr. Superman himself. Honestly, without his help, this groundbreaking experiment—one that might change the future of all humankind—wouldn't have been possible."
As he said this, Doctor Otto looked toward the sky and waved at Peter, who was still effortlessly holding up the Statue of Liberty.
The camera cut to Peter at just the right moment.
He wasn't trying to act all aloof or mysterious either—one hand holding up the 200-ton statue, the other waving and smiling at the camera.
Though thanks to his bio-field, the audience probably couldn't make out his smile clearly.
"Superman! Superman!…"
But there was no doubt—at this moment, Peter was the biggest star in the world.
"No wonder that homeland guy who can level cities is scared of online hate. This kind of attention… it's a weird feeling."
"I can be Superman, I can be Homelander, but I absolutely won't be tied down by anything."
Even as he soaked in the cheers from the crowd, Peter reminded himself—he wasn't Superman, and he wasn't Homelander either.
Or maybe… he could be both. Just depended on his mood.
"Alright everyone, stay tuned—it's time to witness a moment that'll go down in history!"
The camera cut back to Doctor Otto, who now stood tall and declared firmly—the experiment was about to begin.
Once all the necessary devices were in place, the aircraft lifted off again and hovered high above.
Now, the spotlighted platform was down to just Doctor Otto, his wife, and a few essential technicians.
The entire area instantly fell into silence.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment Otto had promised—the one that would change the future and make history.
"Earth, please fasten your seat belts—we're about to take off!"
Standing before a new experimental setup—almost twice as big as the last one—Otto couldn't help the excited smile creeping across his face.
The next moment, one of his metal tentacles reached into a sealed container and pulled out a chunk of tritium—much bigger than the one Osborne Industries had provided last time, about the size of a pigeon egg.
With Wakanda's current tech, producing tritium was no longer a big deal.
The tentacle moved smoothly and precisely, placing the tritium at the center of the experiment device.
Then, without hesitation, Doctor Otto pressed the laser ignition button.
What happened next looked almost exactly like the last experiment—only this time, there'd be no early exits from the audience, and no surprise accidents either.
BZZZZZZ…
Several intense laser beams fired directly at the tritium.
In a flash, a blinding light—like a mini star—exploded outward.
The tritium expanded instantly, growing several times larger and filling nearly the entire chamber.
It was like a brand-new star had just ignited in the distance. Its intense glow outshone every light on the island and lit up the entire night sky.
It was like day and night had swapped places—suddenly, the night looked just like midday.
"What the heck is that?! Is that the sun? It's so bright!"
Countless people shielded their eyes from the blinding light and cried out in shock.
"Haha, good thing I came prepared!"
Someone pulled out a pair of sunglasses they'd clearly been waiting to use.
"Wait, is this guy actually gonna pull it off this time? What kind of materials is he even using?"
Tony put on the shades Happy had ready for him and looked at the massive screen, eyes reflecting the blinding glow of the "star" shining there. There was a hint of awe and curiosity in his gaze.
"Mr. Osborn, I heard you once funded his experiments?"
In the military crowd, several high-ranking officers—each practically carrying a star on their shoulders—were staring intently at the miniature sun that had replaced the Statue of Liberty with its blazing light.
"General, yeah… that's true," Norman Osborn replied, looking a little awkward. He also had a really bad feeling creeping up inside him.
"Sorry, Mr. Osborn. I think you already know why I brought that up," the general who'd previously signed a partnership deal with Oscorp said. His voice sounded polite, but there wasn't a trace of apology on his face.
"General, please—give me another chance. The advanced weapons we're developing for the military… they're almost ready for mass production!"
Norman's face flickered with a flash of anger, but all he could do now was swallow his pride and plead.
"I'm sorry. You've probably heard the news by now—Tony Stark's back."
"And he's brought with him some kind of super weapon that no one's ever seen before…"
In the end, the military had decided to pull out of the deal unilaterally, and the general couldn't help but tell Norman the real reason.
"Tony Stark…" Norman's face darkened. That guy again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to announce—our experiment was a success!"
As the blazing star lit up the skies above New York, Dr. Otto stood before the world, beaming with pride.
"Is that… a mini sun? It doesn't look all that stable, though."
"Yeah, seriously, is this thing really safe? It's not gonna blow up like last time, right?"
"F*ck, do we still have time to run? I'm not trying to become barbecue in the middle of New York…"
Everyone on-site could tell—this thing wasn't looking very stable. It was flaring up like a solar storm.
Even regular people in the city started having the same thought: maybe it was time to get the hell out of New York.
That tiny sun up there… it just looked way too unstable. Like it could explode at any second, turning the city into a giant crater. Nobody wanted to get a taste of Little Boy's "warmth."
"I know a lot of you are worried about how stable this mini sun is," Otto said confidently, "which is exactly why I invited Superman here today."
"Next, with the whole world watching, we're going to test this 'sun's' stability."
It was like he'd already seen this coming. Otto didn't even flinch. He calmly led his wife and the rest of his team—along with any unnecessary equipment—back onto the aircraft.
As the aircraft rose into the sky…
A massive shadow suddenly loomed over everyone nearby.
It was Superman—one hand holding the statue, the other lifting the still-blazing mini sun. He slowly rose into the air, then gently placed the Statue of Liberty back on its original pedestal.
"Make sure she's steady," Peter's voice echoed out to everyone below.
"Oh, and FYI—none of you are getting any sleep for the next few nights…"
With that bizarre line, Peter shot up into the sky like a rocket.
Everyone craned their necks, watching the shining star climb higher and higher.
In less than a minute, it had broken through the atmosphere—now glowing like the brightest star in the night sky.
Its light made New York's night just a little bit brighter.
"….."