Chapter 110: The Treasures of the Human World
In the sky, the Chitauri were pouring out like falling dumplings. While still in the air, they launched attacks toward the ground, creating a series of explosions.
Seeing this, Tony was about to charge straight in, but at that moment, Sean flew over and shouted.
"Tony! Put on some rhythmic music, just like the time you beat up what's-his-name."
The panic in his heart was completely dispersed by these words, and Tony gave a bitter smile.
"Jarvis, play the music!"
In an instant, the speakers Sean had asked him to set up earlier all played the same song.
"Stupid Li Bai!"
As the music started, Sean also began to sway, occasionally firing a blast of Heat Vision to the beat, feeling very happy.
"Tony, if your kill count reaches one-tenth of mine this time, I'll take you to a good place! Consider it a reward for this music show!"
After saying that, Sean charged straight into the sky, his Heat Vision continuously sweeping across all the Chitauri, annihilating them all.
A rain of fire fell from the sky, and for a while, the speed at which the Chitauri appeared couldn't even keep up with the speed at which Sean was killing them.
Seeing this situation, both ordinary people and the Avengers felt a lot more relieved.
But Sean felt it was a bit of a buzzkill; he couldn't use his Heat Vision anymore because he was killing them too fast—it wasn't satisfying enough!
Just then, the Chitauri's Leviathan also flew down.
Sean felt a surge of joy and charged straight toward it, throwing a punch at its head.
This punch hammered the head, a fusion of machine and flesh, into its own mouth, caving in half of it. It flipped in the air, lost all signs of life, and plummeted straight toward the ground.
"Tsk, the physical toughness is pretty good; I thought it would be smashed to pieces instantly."
After killing it, Sean didn't bother with the soldiers inside. He had to keep them busy too; otherwise, it would be boring if he was the only one fighting here.
The Avengers below also began to fight. Barton stood at the top of the building. Since there was plenty of preparation time for this battle, he had a large pile of arrows reserved by his side, fearing he might run out.
Steve changed into his uniform and fought a mobile battle through the corridors; compared to raw strength, he was still a bit lacking.
Dr. Banner also transformed directly into the Hulk and charged toward a Leviathan, keeping Sean's words in mind: smash recklessly!
Tony looked at Natasha beside him, his expression looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Natasha ignored him as the Nano Suit instantly materialized on her body.
The suit was entirely black, covering her whole body, with only a large white spider on the back. It looked very cool, making Tony's eyes burn with envy.
"Hmph, after today is over, I'll make one for myself."
The place Sean mentioned taking him to earlier was probably where the Nano Suit was made; only such a place could be called a "good place."
Inside the Nano Suit, Natasha silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Presumably, only they knew how difficult it had been for her to get this suit. In the future, she would have to be a bit nicer to Sif and couldn't walk all over her every day.
Speaking of Sif, she was currently fighting alongside Thor and Max.
As an Asgardian warrior, she naturally wouldn't miss this war. Moreover, she truly needed a battle to recall her former heroic spirit; otherwise, her mind would be filled with all sorts of messy combat techniques, leaving her in a state of painful pleasure.
Thor looked at the young Black man beside him and patted his shoulder. "Watch me!"
Thor raised Mjolnir, and dark clouds appeared in the sky. A bolt of lightning shot from the hammer, instantly killing dozens of Chitauri above.
"Did you understand?"
Max was a bit nervous. He hadn't expected Sean to value him so much that he would find Thor to be his teacher. He definitely had to study hard.
"I only understood the general idea. You probably gather electric charges through the dark clouds first to increase the initial lightning power. Since lightning is alternating current, you used the current to link them all together, causing multiple instances of damage. I'm not sure if that's right; please advise."
Thor's brow furrowed. Why couldn't he understand a single word? Was that what he had just done?
"Uh, exactly. Being able to think of so much is indeed beyond my expectations. You have great comprehension!"
Hearing the God of Thunder's praise, Max was slightly excited. He couldn't help but wonder: was it possible that he really was a genius?
Thor felt a bit awkward and quickly said, "Cough, let's hurry and kill the enemies. If you run out of power, just give me a shout."
After saying that, he swung his hammer and flew off. He really didn't like playing with people who had "brains."
Max also took advantage of the lingering dark clouds and quickly found a tall building to experiment with the moves he had just learned. He absolutely couldn't lose face; he had to let people see him again!
There was one more person who didn't participate in the battle directly: Sheriff George.
He knew that a few families were unwilling to leave, so he piloted the Brave Guardian nearby, ready to pick them up at any time once the battle started.
Later, after seeing the fires caused by the explosions, he went to help put them out. Like a hardworking little bee, he didn't want to rest for a moment; he was truly the most suitable candidate.
The battle was in full swing, and the audience was watching with great satisfaction.
They were especially relieved when they discovered that the group of aliens couldn't even break through a single block.
Only Pierce felt a bit pained; after all, this was all HYDRA's property.
The others were fine; after killing the Chitauri, they could basically leave an intact corpse. He particularly liked the man with the bow and arrows. Unlike Sean, who either melted them with Heat Vision until nothing remained or blew them apart with a single punch, making them impossible to find.
Sean was in the sky, taking out one Chitauri per punch, having a grand time without any restraint. His Heat Vision swept across the ground several times, causing damage that was probably higher than that of the Chitauri.
There was just one problem: the Chitauri's troop types were too monotonous. Aside from the Leviathans, which were somewhat interesting, the rest of the trash was very boring. When they saw Sean coming, they would actually run away?
If a swarm of ants pounced on Sean, he would be interested in throwing a punch. But if a swarm of ants scattered and fled, he had no interest in stepping on them one by one.
This resulted in Sean feeling a bit bored less than twenty minutes after the battle began.
"Sigh, it's not as long-lasting as the joy they bring. As expected, the pleasure that Carnage can bring is still quite lacking."
"Does this mean that I am indeed a good person after all?"
Sean smiled slightly, feeling happy that there was one more good person in this World.
When Sean's attention was no longer focused on the Chitauri, he began to hear more news in his ears.
"Ah! Help! Can someone come save me? Homelander!"
Sean heard many similar cries for help; they were all from a bunch of trash who refused to evacuate, and he couldn't be bothered with them.
Only for this particular voice did he fly over to take a look.
Because this was the greatest treasure of the human World and couldn't be allowed to suffer even the slightest harm.
Chapter 111: I Control My Flesh with My Soul, All for a Grand Game
Inside a skyscraper, the outer walls of several middle floors had been destroyed by the shockwaves of battle, making the scenes inside visible from the outside.
A little girl was shivering in a room, crying out for her mother.
Sean wasn't the only one who heard her voice; several Chitauri did as well.
They also spotted the girl and, following the logic of picking off the easy targets first, they rushed toward her.
The girl saw the aliens coming her way and was so terrified that she crawled straight under the bed. The room door had been locked from the outside by her family, so she couldn't escape.
Lying under the bed and looking out, she prayed in her heart for a hero to hear her cries for help. Anyone would do—just come quickly!
After a while, a pair of legs appeared in the room. The girl felt a surge of joy and slowly crawled out, because these were definitely not alien legs.
"Homelander!"
As if she had found her pillar of support, the girl threw herself directly into Sean's arms.
Sean patted her head and said with a hint of sternness, "What is your name? Where are the adults in your family? Why didn't you evacuate with the others?"
"I... my name is Kate. Daddy didn't believe them, so he didn't take us away. Mommy seems to be at home, but when I call her, she doesn't answer."
Perhaps because she felt safe next to Sean, Kate calmly explained her situation without crying again.
Sean glanced into the inner room and saw a woman fainted in the living room. Her face wasn't visible, but she had a good figure.
"Your mother is in the living room. I'll take you both to a safe place."
"Mm!"
Kate's behavior was good; she didn't throw a tantrum, which gave Sean a favorable impression of her.
Entering the living room, Kate rushed to her mother's side and shook her.
"Mommy! Wake up, quickly!"
"Ka...te? Are you okay?"
Seeing that her mother was fine, Kate's last bit of worry vanished. She pointed to the side and said:
"I'm fine. Big Brother Homelander came to save us!"
Eleanor only then noticed someone else was there and quickly stood up to express her gratitude.
"Thank you, Homelander."
Her tone was somewhat nervous and flustered, as if she didn't particularly want to see Homelander.
Noticing Sean staring at her, Eleanor's eyes darted around, not daring to meet his gaze at all, looking extremely guilty.
Sean almost laughed at the sight and understood a little; this woman probably wasn't a good person either.
However, in the current situation, Sean couldn't be bothered with some petty villain; keeping things interesting was what mattered most.
"Alright, I'll send you out—"
Sean suddenly turned his head. A gaze from the front-left was fixed on him. Though no sound came, he could feel someone calling him.
"You two go downstairs first. I'll have someone else come over."
Sean contacted George, sent him the location, and then flew toward the target direction, already guessing who it was.
Sure enough, as soon as he arrived, Sean saw a bald woman standing on a rooftop, looking at him with curiosity. This person was none other than the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One.
The surrounding space began to shift, isolating the two of them from the outside World like a mirror.
Sean didn't care about the changes around him. He landed directly in front of her and questioned, "Who are you?"
The Ancient One held her hands behind her back, her expression very calm. She had wanted to have a chat with this Homelander for a long time.
"It is just us here; there is no need to hide anything. You are not surprised by my existence, are you?"
The Ancient One smiled slightly and continued, "I bear you no ill will. I am simply a bit curious. I wonder if you could answer a few small questions of mine?"
No ill will? Sean's expression was a bit bewildered. I've spent all my Affection Points, and you tell me you have no ill will?
"Heh, I could, but since I've already spent what I spent, it wouldn't be right to the girls if we didn't have a fight."
The Ancient One narrowed her eyes, sensing a strong desire for battle emanating from him. However, she didn't quite understand what his last sentence meant. What did he mean by'spent what I spent'?
Before she could ask, a fist rapidly struck toward her.
This level of power made her feel a sense of crisis; it would be bad to be hit.
A multitude of golden magic circles instantly appeared between the fist and her. The sound of layers shattering rang in her ears, and by the time it finally hit her, not much force remained.
"What astonishing power!" the Ancient One praised.
As she spoke, the Ancient One swung her left hand to press against Sean's arm, while her right hand turned into a palm and struck him squarely on the chest.
A transparent figure was ejected from Sean's body, floating in the air.
Feeling the vibration transmitted through her palm, the Ancient One became even more curious. This simply didn't feel like a human body.
But when she saw Sean's soul, a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
Homelander's soul looked very much like him, but if one looked closely, some differences could still be seen; there was a slight sense of discrepancy in his features.
The Ancient One didn't care much about that. The key was that the feeling this soul gave her just wasn't right.
Although it didn't have the aura of other dimensions, there was always a sense of dissonance compared to this World. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and she was somewhat undecided.
As for Sean, who had become a soul form, he felt a sensation he had never experienced before. It felt quite good, somewhat like an unborn fetus being wrapped up by this World.
The Ancient One also noticed that while Homelander's soul had a bit of dissonance just now, that dissonance was now being quickly eliminated by the World, as if it were accepting him.
Once the feeling of comfort faded, Sean also noticed something was off—for instance, his soul seemed excessively strong as well.
Heat Vision erupted from Sean's soul form, directly blasting the defenseless Ancient One away.
The Ancient One flew back and crashed into the Mirror Dimension, causing cracks to appear all around. Sean took this opportunity to return to his body.
"Phew! It still feels better to have a body." Sean brushed his hands over his head, tidying his hairstyle.
Although the soul state felt good at first, after just a few minutes, he felt a sense of loneliness that was somewhat uncomfortable.
The Ancient One also stood in the sky with a solemn expression, looking at Sean with some hesitation.
This Homelander's soul was definitely not human. No matter how powerful a human was, their soul would be extremely fragile and would not possess the strength of their physical body.
But Homelander didn't have the aura of a dimensional demon, and even that last bit of dissonance had been accepted by the World. She had no reason to take action.
Furthermore, provoking a powerful enemy for Kamar-Taj was not her style, and it was currently the period for the succession of the Sorcerer Supreme, so it was best to avoid accidents.
Besides, the Ancient One hadn't intended to fight from the start. It was just that Sean didn't want the girls' efforts to go to waste and wanted to have a fight to test his strength regardless.
But the Ancient One only wanted to avoid disturbing the normalcy of the World; it wasn't that she feared battle.
The Ancient One stood in the void, magic circles appearing on her hands as she asked:
"You are very strange. What exactly is your purpose in doing all this?"
Sean also slowly rose into the air, meeting her gaze at eye level, the corners of his mouth turning up.
"I control my flesh with my soul, all for a grand game."
"I enjoy everything here and do not wish for anything to ruin this game. Sorcerer Supreme, essentially, we are the same kind of people."
What the generations of Sorcerers Supreme protected had never been the Earth, but Kamar-Taj.
As long as it wasn't a disaster that affected the Sanctums, no matter how severe it was, she wouldn't intervene.
In this regard, she was very similar to Sean. As long as he wasn't provoked, Sean was usually quite gentle.
Chapter 112: The Ancient One's Gaze Is a Bit Off.
To be honest, Sean's monologue gave the Ancient One a sense of crisis.
She wasn't worried about herself, but rather feared that the next Sorcerer Supreme would be unable to contend with him.
The Ancient One's hands formed a seal and swept across her chest; the eye of agamotto opened, revealing a green gem.
Sean's brow furrowed. Was she playing for such high stakes?
He extended his left hand, and within a moment, the Mind Stone scepter flew into Sean's grasp.
Since he dared to come looking for trouble with the Ancient One, he certainly had a backup plan.
There was a ring on the scepter—it was the Ten Rings that Sean had placed there in advance.
Through the Ten Rings, he could summon the Mind Stone scepter at any time, even if they were within the Mirror Dimension.
However, Sean discovered that the Ancient One was not preparing to strike. Instead, her body was glowing with green light, and she stood motionless on the spot.
Was she... reading the script?
Sean remembered the ability of the Time Stone; it could view many future possibilities. That was how Doctor Strange had fooled Iron Man.
Sean did not attack, holding the Mind Stone scepter in a defensive posture.
He knew that if the Ancient One judged him to be a threat to Kamar-Taj from the future timelines, then today would truly be a battle to the death.
It didn't take long. In less than a minute, the green light on the Ancient One's body vanished. Her expression... was even stranger than before. Especially the way she looked at Sean; it was like looking at some kind of trash, filled with extreme distaste.
The Ancient One closed the eye of agamotto and sighed silently. She really shouldn't have looked at this person's timeline; it was full of restricted content. How unlucky!
She had lived for hundreds of years and had never seen someone whose timelines were unified to such an extent!
No matter which timeline it was, no matter what changes his family went through, and no matter if he was a truly good person or a truly bad person, the final result was surprisingly consistent: throwing parties!
At first, the Ancient One thought there would be a timeline where Homelander destroyed the World; after all, no matter how she looked at him, he didn't seem like a good person.
But the results were always unexpected. Every time Homelander gave birth to the idea of destroying the World, there was always a woman, or a family, or perhaps a group of people who would stand up and use love to influence him.
How should she put it? It was as if he was favored by this World and simply could not do evil.
You want to do something bad? No problem, go wild!
You want to destroy the World? That won't do—arrange for them to meet him! Don't like them? Switch to a new batch!
The Ancient One now only wanted to stay far away from him, as long as he didn't go and corrupt the female sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
"You... leave."
Sean still wasn't clear on the situation. The Ancient One's eyes clearly showed she detested him, so why didn't she make a move?
Seeing that he didn't move, the Ancient One understood his thoughts. She rubbed her bald head and sighed. "Today, I will act as if you never came. We have also never met. How about that?"
With a wave of her hand, she dispelled the Mirror Dimension and pointed toward the horizon. "If you don't head over there soon, they might not be able to hold out."
Sean was stunned. He looked back and found that the number of Chitauri had increased significantly. It was likely that the portal was getting larger, allowing more soldiers to enter, and the others couldn't handle them.
Although he didn't know what the Ancient One had seen that made her decide not to fight, Sean wouldn't ask. If he asked, she certainly wouldn't say, and if she did, he might not believe her. So, let it be.
Without saying another word to the Ancient One, Sean turned and flew toward the center of the portal.
Seeing him leave, the Ancient One breathed a sigh of relief. Kamar-Taj must absolutely not get involved with him; it would become unclean!
Just as she was about to leave, a big green fellow jumped up.
"Who are you looking for now?"
The Banner from the future World was also a bit surprised to see the Ancient One. After thinking carefully, he clapped his hands excitedly and said:
"Bald, dressed like a sorcerer—you're the Skyfather level powerhouse Sean mentioned! I'm looking for Dr. Strange."
The Ancient One helplessly slapped her forehead. Things were getting more and more troublesome.
"You've come five years too early. He isn't here."
Banner noticed the eye of agamotto at this moment and pointed to it. "We came to get this."
The Ancient One was somewhat angry. If Sean hadn't come over, she might have had the leisure to explain things to this big green fellow, but now, she just wanted to hit someone!
On the other side, the struggling Avengers had long noticed something was wrong. When they wanted to close the portal, Dr. Erik said the scepter had flown away and he couldn't close it.
Hearing this, their hearts sank halfway. If Sean hadn't rushed back, they really would have thought Lokihad controlled him and it was all an act.
After Sean arrived, the Chitauri filling the sky turned into fireballs and fell. Even the Leviathans were sliced directly in half.
The pressure on the others was successfully reduced. Sean shouted to them, "You guys keep playing, I'm going to check out something else."
Because Sean had discovered a few more people, and this time, he was slightly excited.
Deep in an alley, the future Tony, Steve, and Ant-Man Scott were quietly leaning against a wall, waiting for someone.
Scott, standing on Tony's shoulder, asked, "When is he coming over?"
Tony checked his watch. "It should be soon. Sean said that if we came, he would definitely find us."
Scott asked with some confusion, "But if he finds out, won't it disrupt the timeline?"
"No, because he knew five years ago that we would be coming."
Steve, standing nearby, also had a worried expression. Although Sean had told them some things, no one could guarantee that was everything. No one knew what kind of burden he was still silently carrying.
Before long, Sean landed in front of them.
"Tsk, you guys really did come."
Tony and Steve glanced at each other, both seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes. He really hadn't changed a bit.
"We're here to..."
Sean threw the scepter directly over. "Don't have too much interaction with the people here."
Sean's expression was calm, but his heart was soaring with joy.
Seeing them come meant that everything in the future was proceeding according to his thoughts. Although there might be some deviations in small matters, the general direction was correct.
This was probably the happiest thing today.
Scott looked around and said somewhat awkwardly, "Uh, we want the Tesseract too."
Sean didn't speak, knowing what his future self would do.
Sure enough, just as Scott was about to continue, the two beside him stopped him.
"If I weren't sure that Sean hadn't followed us, I would definitely think you were him."
The Tony from five years in the future was much more composed, lacking his previous flamboyance and looking more and more like his father, Howard.
Before coming, Sean had indeed reminded the two of them that there was another point in time with a Tesseract and recommended they go there.
Tony and Steve were both tempted by that point in time, but they hadn't made up their minds. They didn't expect to be seen through directly by the past Sean.
"We understand."
Scott was a bit puzzled. What do you understand? I want to know too. Am I not an Avenger?
After a while, Banner also returned, but he looked a bit Strange.
In such a serious atmosphere, Banner actually made them laugh.
"Hello, Sean. That Skyfather level powerhouse you mentioned doesn't seem very friendly. I was beaten up as soon as I went over there. Hiss~"
Banner's body was black and blue, and he bared his teeth in pain, looking quite comical.
"Cough, did you get the gem?" Tony asked, suppressing a laugh.
Banner nodded while clutching his cheek.
"That's good. You and Scott go back first."
Without waiting for them to ask, Tony and Steve glanced at each other and vanished before the others.
"Then we'll be going too."
Banner and Scott also quickly vanished before Sean.
And less than a second after they left, the Mind Stone scepter appeared not far from Sean, along with the back of a man.
Chapter 113: The Vampire's Blood Pantry is Almost Full
A Ten Rings flew over and brought the scepter back. Sean couldn't suppress the joy in his heart either, and he flew into the sky to kill another batch of Chitauri.
As expected, this portal should have been opened; the Chitauri were indeed his lucky stars!
No, that's not right; Thanos is his true lucky star. If he meets him in the future, he can go a bit easier on him.
The battle was nearing its end because fewer and fewer Chitauri were coming out of the portal, and some were even running back.
Sean also felt he had enjoyed himself enough today; it was about time to wrap it up.
But before ending, Sean prepared to fulfill his previous promise: to help the Superheroes expand their influence!
He quickly landed at the building where Millis was. "Are you ready?"
Millis's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded.
Using the Ten Rings to control the camera and holding Millis with one arm, he brought her to the center of the battlefield.
"Who do you want to interview first?"
"Anyone is fine, I'll follow your lead."
Millis bit her lip lightly, trying her best to remain normal and not let the large hand on her waist affect her.
Sean's filming skills were much better than hers; he could film as much as he wanted, and there certainly wouldn't be any R-rated footage.
Looking around casually, he noticed Max not far away looking over, his expression full of anticipation.
Hmm... alright then, you're first.
"Yo, say hello to everyone!"
Max's heart jolted, and he almost lost control of the electric current.
"I... I, my name is Ma... Max, I'm a Super... hero."
Sigh, Sean sighed silently. Forget it, he was in a good mood today.
"Max, at a time like this, it's better to say your hero name first."
"Ah! I... haven't thought of one."
Max's expression was visibly flustered, as the electric current around him had diminished significantly.
As a professional reporter, Millis naturally wouldn't let the scene stay awkward.
"How about letting the audience vote and pick one for you? What do you think?"
"Am I worthy?"
"Of course!" Sean said decisively. "Have you calculated how many Chitauri you've killed this time?"
Max was stunned and looked at the ground. "Everything below was killed by me, but I'm not sure how many there are."
The camera followed in real-time, capturing the scene on the street.
"You've already done great by achieving this. And have you noticed that there's one thing you've done better than anyone else?"
"Me?" Max looked at himself, his expression very confused.
Millis, standing nearby, had long since noticed this as well. She looked at Sean as if seeking credit and said, "It's that his collateral damage to the surroundings is the smallest, right?"
Sean nodded and praised, "You've done this better than any of us! So, don't belittle yourself or put yourself down anymore; you are a Superhero!"
Two lines of hot tears flowed from Max's eyes, moved beyond words.
He never dreamed that the first person to acknowledge him would actually be his most admired hero, Homelander!
"Also, I've thought of a hero name for you. Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes! No matter what you say, that will be my hero name from now on. I will remember it for the rest of my life!" Max said with unwavering determination.
Sean smiled slightly, very satisfied with his performance. If all future heroes were as easy to bluff as him, that would be wonderful.
"Let's call you Lightning, plus your own name, Lightning Max!"
"This way, you won't have to worry about no one remembering you anymore."
Max was completely stunned. He hadn't expected Homelander to remember such a small thing. He was moved to tears, resolving to spend his life repaying Homelander's kindness for recognizing his worth.
Although Fury was the one who had been busy working behind the scenes, Sean was always the one who appeared at the right time.
Sometimes, it's not that the more you give, the more you get.
Afterward, Millis asked a few more routine questions, then lightly pulled Sean, signaling that they could leave.
The two flew to another high-rise building where Barton and Natasha were fighting.
As soon as Sean approached, the Chitauri in the vicinity all fled, having no desire to fight at all.
"Uh, it seems even Aliens have brains," Natasha joked.
This was good, as it gave them a bit of a breather; after all, no one could be as relaxed as Sean.
Seeing her, Millis's eyes lit up.
"Wow, this Superhero is actually a woman. The way you fight is so cool."
Natasha saw Sean bringing her and naturally understood everything; he was bolstering his little girlfriend's image again.
The facial part of her Battle Suit retracted, revealing flowing brown shoulder-length hair. With her Angel-like face and the black skintight Battle Suit, she instantly drew all eyes, completely making everyone forget that Barton was standing right next to her.
"Hello, you can call me Black Widow."
Natasha turned slightly, revealing the large white spider on her back. However, this movement... caused many parents to cover their children's eyes, and then, after a thought, cover their husbands' eyes as well.
This move also choked back the words Millis was about to ask; she felt that anything she asked now would seem inappropriate.
"Hehe." Millis chuckled. She hadn't expected to be slightly overwhelmed by only the second person. She quickly looked to the side and asked:
"Hello, would you like to say hi to the audience?"
Barton looked at the lens with a cold expression.
It was only when Natasha reminded him that Cooper would see it too that he managed a smile.
Cooper is his eldest son, who is over eight years old this year.
"Barton, Hawkeye."
Millis followed up: "Mr. Barton, the audience has many questions for you. There's a lot of discussion on Facebook, and you're currently seventh on the Trending List."
"Me?" Barton didn't quite understand; what was there to ask about him?
"Yes, many people are speculating what your superpower is. Of course, some are saying the bow in your hand must be some kind of divine artifact, which is why it's so accurate!"
Barton smiled awkwardly. "I don't have superpowers. Although the bow is custom-made, it's just an ordinary bow."
Sean chimed in, "This man is the only ordinary person among us. Impressive, right?"
"My god, so an ordinary person can become a Superhero too?" Millis cooperated with a look of surprise.
"Of course, he's the best example. I also believe there are many people like him in the World. Heroes will never be in short supply!"
Sean gave the audience in front of their screens great confidence, making them feel they also had hope of becoming Superheroes.
Max was an ordinary person at first too; he was just lucky enough to be hit by lightning to gain superpowers. It was just luck.
But Barton was just an ordinary guy; he just trained a bit longer and harder. What was so special about that? Anyone could do it.
As for the matter of talent, they simply ignored it; after all, no one would admit they weren't good enough.
Giving ordinary people a bit of hope and making them feel they could also become Superheroes was also beneficial for enhancing Sean's positive influence.
Stop secretly cursing people on Facebook every day; the Vampire's blood pantry is almost full.
Chapter 114: Does Anyone Want Pizza?
"Thor! How are things on your end?"
Sean took Millis and flew to the ground; the rest of them were all here, except for Tony.
Of course, he didn't need to be interviewed; appearing on the news every day, his exposure was no less than Sean's.
Thor recalled Mjolnir and looked at the sky. "These Chitauri seem to be preparing to retreat. Should we go after them?"
This suggestion was immediately rejected by Sif, who was standing nearby.
"We don't even know what part of the Universe is out there. If you get lost in there, even Heimdall won't be able to find you."
Thor thought about it and realized she was right, letting out a few laughs to ease the awkwardness.
"Stop joking around, look at the camera."
Sean adjusted the camera. "These two are the legendary Thor the God of Thunder and the female warrior Sif, both from Asgard."
"The person still fighting not far behind is also a legend—Captain... America!"
"And the most unexpected one, Hul...k? Hulk, come back!"
The moment Hulk saw the camera, he prepared to leave; the power of this thing was more painful than firearms.
Millis was also a bit nervous. This green monster was highly controversial; people outside were practically going crazy with insults, asking why another monster had appeared in New York and if it had been brought by the aliens.
Even though Hulk later killed many Chitauri, they didn't change their attitude, still believing this was just the nature of a monster—turning on its masters.
Furthermore, among all those who participated in the battle, Hulk caused the most severe damage to buildings, even more than Tony, who used thermal weapons indiscriminately.
Of course, among everyone, he was also the one who killed the most Leviathans besides Sean, but this information was irrelevant to the viewers.
They felt that even without this monster, the remaining heroes could have dealt with the aliens.
This was indeed a fact; even if it were just Sean alone, he could have handled it—because he was the one who had strongly insisted on bringing the aliens in!
At this moment, the Chitauri in the sky were indeed preparing to retreat. Although their numbers were few, they fled quickly, leaving behind "gifts" as they left.
Tony also flew over the crowd, his tone somewhat agitated. "Stop them! The power of these bombs could level everything below!"
In the sky, dense clusters of bombs emitted beeping sounds—the countdown to explosion.
Those who could fly took to the air, using all their strength to blow up the bombs. Max and Thor also destroyed a portion with lightning.
Sean held Millis and whispered in her ear, "Look, fireworks."
Heat Vision erupted from his eyes, a red beam shooting straight into the clouds, followed by a series of explosions wherever it passed.
Millis hugged Sean's neck, her heart beating fast. She estimated that few people could watch such a grand fireworks display from such a close distance.
Taking advantage of the fact that the camera wasn't filming them, once Sean finished, Millis kissed him deeply and passionately.
Only a few scattered bombs fell to the ground, destroying a few things and starting fires.
Hulk took a look, pushed off with his left foot, and clapped his hands forward violently.
"Hulk smash!"
A gale swept through, and the wind pressure extinguished all the flames in front of him.
Hulk gave a cold snort and strode away proudly.
But just then, dozens of cats and dogs ran out of the building that had just been on fire, heading straight for Hulk, not afraid at all.
Puppies circled around his feet, and kittens climbed onto him, rubbing him with their furry heads.
Hulk didn't even dare to move. He was well aware of his own destructive power; even the slightest movement would be unbearable for them.
Just like a long time ago, when Betty and Banner were in a hotel, she didn't mind even though she had a boyfriend and was even somewhat proactive, yet Banner managed to hold back.
One could imagine how great Hulk's destructive power was.
Hulk, standing there with no other choice, could only give the body back to Banner.
The entire process was recorded by the camera. When they saw Hulk putting out the fire, the people didn't react much.
But seeing the small animals surrounding the big green guy, his dazed and cute expression actually changed many people's opinions of him, making them feel that Hulk was quite caring.
Finally, when Hulk turned back into a human, they were all stunned. They had always thought this thing was just a green monster and never imagined he was actually a person.
Only after knowing Hulk was human did they stop looking at him through biased lenses; instead, they wanted to know how he became like that and if they could learn to do the same.
Even if not the whole body, a partial transformation would be fine!
Sean looked up at the portal in the sky, his expression unusually solemn.
The Chitauri weren't running away; they were preparing to fly their Interstellar Carrier straight in.
If they were allowed to fly it in, New York certainly wouldn't be able to withstand it.
He brought Millis to the top of Stark Tower; it was about time to close the portal.
Dr. Erik walked over and pointed to the Tesseract in the middle of the machine. "You can shut it down with the Mind Stone."
Sean took the scepter in his hand, walked to the machine, and said with a smile:
"The Battle of New York is coming to an end. Millis, since you led everyone in the countdown to start it, you should be the one to end it."
The camera floated in mid-air, aimed at the two of them. Millis stood beside Sean and took a deep breath.
"Dear viewers, I believe everyone has seen the brilliant performances of all the Superheroes. I'm sure the figure of at least one hero has moved you. Please continue to support them in the future and cooperate with their work!"
"Now, let's count down together. 3... 2... 1!"
The Mind Stone made contact with the Tesseract. The beam of light in the sky slowly vanished, and the portal disappeared from the horizon along with it.
Looking at the clear sky, ordinary people still felt like they hadn't seen enough, but the Avengers were much more relaxed.
Only after truly fighting did they realize how exhausting this battle was; even Thor had overused his electricity.
Not only did he have to electrocute the Chitauri, but he also had to help charge Max and Tony. Those two completely treated him as an infinite power source, calling out to him every now and then; it felt like half his stamina had been drained by them.
Tony's Energy-storing armor was originally intended to deal with Max, but he hadn't expected the unexpected bonus of Thor.
After this battle, Tony intended to further strengthen this energy-storing performance; it would surely be of great use in the future.
"Uh, does anyone want pizza?"
At the top of Stark Tower, the damage wasn't severe. The Chitauri knew this was the location where the portal was opened, so they had avoided it.
Everyone leaned back on the sofas, eating the pizza Tony had ordered in advance, sipping on wine, and enjoying the taste of victory.
"Thor, do you want to get some pizza for your sister too? Haha!"
Loki was off to the side, staring at Tony with a resentful gaze.
The others laughed happily; as victors, they could afford to be so unscrupulous.
The elevator chimed as people from S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived to retrieve the Tesseract and the scepter.
Thor looked anxious when he saw this. "Sean!"
Sean raised his hand, signaling him not to be nervous.
"Ahem. Leave the Tesseract. You can take the scepter."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents were stunned and looked at each other. Sylvette said nervously, "Mr. Brooke, this is..."
"Leave it. Whoever wants to take it can come find me. Understand?"
"U-Understand!"
Sylvette and the others didn't dare defy Homelander. After packing up the scepter, they hurried away.
Natasha teased with a smile, "Sean, you don't seem very friendly to our colleagues. They work very hard in logistics."
"Mm-hmm, you'll find out later."
"No way, again? Sean, stop making us guess riddles, okay?"
Seeing their newly relaxed moods tighten up again, Sean felt satisfied.
No wonder some people like spoilers; this feeling is indeed quite good.
Chapter 115: Christine's Christmas Gift
Reconstruction efforts in New York were also intensifying because Christmas was just around the corner.
Thor returned to Asgard with Loki the very next day, as repairing the Bifrost Bridge was more important than anything else.
Even though Sean told him that Jane was already on her way, he didn't stay another day and left anyway.
Sif went back with him as well; she wanted to take a breather and wait until the Bifrost Bridge was repaired before bringing her sisters over. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to handle it.
Sean didn't try to keep her, knowing that she had indeed endured a lot.
There was no other way; currently, the people around him were all ordinary humans, and even Hess's physical fitness couldn't compare to Sif's.
So sometimes, when Sean returned from outside, he would pull Sif aside for another round to soothe his mood.
The pressure she bore was indeed heavier than that of the others.
The Battle of New York was over, but people's discussions about the event hadn't stopped.
Needless to say, the most popular Superhero was Homelander Sean; the discussion level around him was always number one and almost never dropped.
Especially since there were two beautiful female heroes this time, everyone was wondering who would be the best match for Homelander.
This topic completely occupied the high ground due to the involvement of a large number of female fans. Of course, most female fans shared the same sentiment: they aren't worthy of him.
There were plenty of discussions on other topics as well, such as the resurrection of Captain America, the ordinary Superhero Hawkeye, the monster Hulk, and so on.
Hulk, in particular, had completely polarized reviews.
Hulk's performance that day won high praise from the Animal Protection Association, and the association president even stated that Hulk is also an animal and that they should protect him as well.
Now, when Banner walked down the street, although people still pointed and stared, children would also approach him and ask him to turn into Hulk so they could see.
Banner was certainly unwilling, but Sean told him to transform once in a while, as it would be good for his future.
When Hulk came out, he was directly dazed; this was the first time he had emerged without a fight.
Although there were still some fearful looks in the distance, he was surrounded by the innocent and kind smiles of children. For the first time, Hulk felt the warmth of human hearts, and he felt... it wasn't bad!
Amidst these joyful discussions, Christmas slowly approached.
There were still some traces of damage on the streets, but the corpses of the Chitauri had all been cleared away. People walked confidently on the streets, looking forward to the arrival of Christmas Eve.
At this time, a Facebook post from Homelander added more fuel to the already lively Christmas Eve.
[I have prepared ten thousand Superhero action figures, which will be randomly given to the residents of New York on Christmas Eve as my thank-you gift to everyone!
I have also prepared another ten thousand gifts for a lucky draw. Thank you all for your support of the Avengers!]
It was accompanied by a photo of Sean sitting on the ground, surrounded by a circle of Superhero action figures.
This message instantly ignited everyone's passion. Currently, there truly weren't many Superhero action figures—except for Captain America, of course, as he had no copyright.
There were action figures for Iron Man and Homelander as well. Pepper and Hess naturally wouldn't miss such a great opportunity to make money, and they also knew they couldn't tarnish their man's reputation, so they paid great attention to quality and detail. This resulted in a scarce supply, making them highly sought after but hard to find.
The families who had evacuated from New York City were overjoyed.
They had only stayed away for a week, and not only did they receive huge compensation, but their damaged property was also directly compensated at the cost of new replacements. Now they could even get Superhero action figures. They were truly making a killing.
However, some families still hadn't evacuated, resulting in deaths and injuries.
But this time, no one blamed the Superheroes. Others had arranged the evacuation so far in advance; if you didn't leave, who else could you blame!
There was a lot of discussion in the outside world, but Sean didn't care. He now needed the women to cooperate with his work. He had spent all his Affection Points during the fight with the Ancient One and needed to replenish some.
While replenishing Affection Points, Sean was also arranging the schedule for Christmas Eve.
He didn't need to go to Millis's place, as she had a program to participate in that night and couldn't find the time.
Over the past few days, all the Superheroes had participated in the Hero Meetup for Sean's sake. Even Thor, who was in a hurry to leave, had recorded an interview in advance.
The massive traffic directly made Millis the most famous host in America, bar none.
Sean also felt very gratified about this, occasionally taking time to help her practice her hosting skills, which felt quite good.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Christmas Eve arrived.
Hess and Sif worked together to help Sean put on his Christmas costume.
"The Vampire personnel have already been distributed throughout New York. They will help you deliver the remaining gifts, so you can just enjoy yourself," Hess said while helping Sean straighten his collar.
"I'll probably still come back to sleep tonight, so don't go to bed too early, you two."
Sean certainly wouldn't deliver all ten thousand gifts himself; that would be too troublesome. He would just deliver a dozen or so tonight.
Sif's face was a bit red, but her eyes were clearly full of anticipation.
Hess stepped forward and kissed Sean, whispering, "Waiting for you to come back."
...
Around four in the afternoon, Sean entered Christine's home through the window.
Hearing the noise, she came out of her room and threw herself into Sean's arms.
"You're here so early. I haven't even started preparing dinner yet."
Sean tweaked her nose. "Hmph, it's better to come early. That way, people outside won't know when I started my activities."
"Otherwise, if I'm outside delivering gifts and then suddenly stop for two hours once I get to your place, observant people will notice."
"Hey, you've thought of everything."
Sean took two gifts out of his bag, held them in his hands, and looked into her eyes tenderly.
"Merry Christmas, Christine."
The corners of Christine's mouth curled into a smile, and she was deeply moved.
"Isn't there... only one?"
"The one for New York residents is just one. The other one is something I bought for you. If you don't like it, you can give it back to me."
As Sean spoke, he moved his right hand behind him, pretending to take it back.
"Ah, I want both!"
Christine quickly clutched both gifts in her arms, fearing Sean would take them back. She looked at him and said somewhat shyly:
"I... I only prepared one gift for you. What should I do?"
"Is that so? Let me see it. If I'm not satisfied, I might take back the gift I bought. I bought that with my bonus from this time; it's very precious."
"Then let me ask first, you didn't use your X-ray Vision, did you?" Christine asked, pulling at her collar.
Sean shook his head, then looked at her outfit today. The corners of his mouth turned up as he understood something.
Christine certainly knew he was coming today, so she definitely wouldn't just be wearing a plain, long down jacket.
If the purpose of this down jacket wasn't for warmth, then it was to hide something.
Sean also noticed that her makeup was very exquisite, and she even had tear diamonds applied at the corners of her eyes. She was very beautiful.
Sure enough, seeing Sean shake his head, Christine breathed a sigh of relief. After turning around to put the gifts down, she returned to him and pulled down the zipper of her down jacket, revealing a colorful ribbon on top.
"Then... then you can open your gift now."
Sean grabbed the ribbon, feeling expectant. "Then, shall I begin?"
"Mm!"
Christine closed her eyes, very nervous, not knowing if he would like this gift.
Chapter 116: Gwen Stacy Wants Sean to Come Late
I don't know where Christine learned this trick, but it certainly maxed out Sean's anticipation.
Especially the moment the zipper slowly slid down, revealing glimpses of what was underneath.
Soon, the down jacket slipped to the floor. As for the contents of the gift, whew~ Sean was very satisfied!
Although it was just a reindeer outfit, everything that should be there was there, and what shouldn't be was also teasingly visible.
The most crucial part was the white stockings underneath, which actually had Sean's name printed on them; it was clear she had put a lot of thought into it.
Christine even took a pair of reindeer ears out of the down jacket's pocket and put them on, asking with a blushing face: "Do you like it?"
Sean suppressed the excitement in his heart slightly and stepped forward to hug her.
"Ahem, I'm not sure yet. I'll only know if I like it after I've used it."
He hooked his right arm under her legs and lifted her up horizontally, preparing to place her on the sofa; there probably wasn't enough time to go to the bedroom.
"Wait!" Christine exclaimed.
"What's wrong?"
Christine lowered her voice and murmured: "There's still... a tail in the back, put me down gently~"
...
It was almost six o'clock by the time he left Christine's home.
Honestly, if he hadn't seen the photo Lisha sent halfway through, Sean might not have been able to make up his mind and pull himself away.
Just by looking at it, Sean knew he had to visit her last; otherwise, he might not be able to get out later.
He flew off towards Gwen's home.
When he entered her room, there was no one inside, so he ran to the side to take a look.
Gwen was in the kitchen helping her mother prepare dinner when she suddenly had a premonition and looked up.
A bright red Santa Claus was flying in the air, looking at her through the window with a mischievous grin.
"Oh!"
"Hmm? Gwen, what's wrong? Did you burn your hand?" Helen turned around, looking worried.
Gwen took the opportunity to pinch her index finger with her right hand, her expression looking slightly painful. "I was a bit careless. I'm going upstairs to put on some medicine."
After saying that, Gwen hurried upstairs, her mind completely filled with Sean, not even noticing what her mother said at the end.
As soon as she reached her room, the red Santa Claus picked her up.
"Did you burn your hand? Let me see."
Gwen had to quickly cover her mouth to keep from smiling too happily. She gave him a forceful pat and said shyly: "You... you came too early. Dinner hasn't started yet."
"Coming early is better. That way I can stay here a while longer without being discovered."
Gwen felt a warmth in her heart. She helped him straighten his crooked beard, then instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and offered herself up.
"I know you're very busy tonight, I... be quick~"
Because time was tight, Gwen didn't make Sean take off the oversized Santa suit; instead, she crawled inside. Wearing this outfit for two people wasn't a problem at all.
A long while later...
Gwen oriented herself inside the clothes, turned around, and poked her head out from Sean's chest.
Lying against his neck, panting heavily, she kept saying, "Oh, My God."
"Do you... want to... come back... again later?"
Sean kissed her forehead and said dotingly: "I haven't even delivered a single gift yet, and I've already spent... over an hour here with you."
"What! Over an hour?"
Gwen quickly checked the time and realized it was already 7:30.
She hurried to back away, knowing her mother was still downstairs preparing dinner and she couldn't stay too long.
"Ah! Sss~"
Perhaps Gwen had backed away too abruptly and got stuck.
Sean undid the buttons to let her out, but Gwen bit her lip and didn't move.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to change?" Sean said, hands behind his head, looking her over with a smile.
Gwen glared at him and didn't answer. Knowing it wasn't the time to continue, she took a few minutes to recover and slowly backed out.
She quickly found her own Christmas outfit from the closet and put it on.
"Hmm? Why didn't you change into this outfit earlier?" Sean asked with some regret.
"I didn't expect you to come so early. If you came later, there wouldn't be anyone home. Dad has been taking the Guardian out on patrol every day lately, spending more time out than at home, and Mom is going out to a concert with friends later."
Gwen was fixing her hair when Sean hugged her from behind.
"Then won't you be all alone tonight?"
"After nine o'clock tonight, I have to patrol for a colleague who went home, right near 34th Street."
After saying this, Gwen gave him a seductive look.
"That's what I meant by asking you to come later."
Sean's hands kept exploring, and after thinking carefully for a moment, he asked: "Is this the outfit you'll be wearing under your uniform?"
"Yes!"
"Ahem, then, remember to wait for me."
Leaving behind a figurine, Sean departed; he felt it would be better to give the other gift later, as it would have a much better effect.
After he left, Gwen hurried downstairs. Before going down, she used lipstick to decorate her index finger to make it look more like a burn.
Then, managing her expression, she walked into the kitchen to continue helping without leaving a trace.
"Did you put on burn ointment?" Helen asked.
"Yeah, it's fine now." Gwen opened her slightly red hand and said indifferently.
Helen's expression was a bit strange. When she carried the dishes out of the kitchen, she said meaningfully: "The medicine cabinet is downstairs, and next time, don't put it on the wrong hand."
...
"Homelander!"
Kate saw the Santa Claus flying outside the window and happily rushed over to open it.
"Ho ho! Merry Christmas, little Kate, this is your Christmas gift."
"Thank you, Homelander!"
Sean took a casual look and noticed a bow and arrow nearby, so he asked: "Kate, are you a fan of Hawkeye? Do you want me to swap this for one of his figurines?"
Kate shook her little head, her tone firm.
"I'm your fan! It's just that I don't think I have a way to gain superpowers like you, so I want to be like Hawkeye and become a Superhero as an ordinary person!"
"Is that so? Then I'll be looking forward to it."
"Yeah! I will work hard!"
Kate also smiled happily, but she glanced at the bedroom door, and her expression instantly became sorrowful.
"What's wrong?" Sean asked.
"My dad passed away in the disaster, and Mom has been very strange lately. Today is Christmas Eve, and she still hasn't come back yet."
Although Kate was not very old, she could clearly sense that her mother had something on her mind, and it was certainly serious.
"Oh, is that why you sent me a private message?"
"You saw it!"
Kate was quite happy; she hadn't expected that the message she left for Homelander on Facebookwould actually be read by him.
Sean nodded naturally, although it was Hess who had told him.
At this moment, there was a noise from the living room door; it was Kate's mother, Eleanor, returning.
Seeing her, Sean remembered that she was the woman who had been very guilty before.
"Kate! Mommy's home, let's prepare for Christmas..."
Eleanor pushed open the room door and saw the Santa Claus dressed as Homelander in the room. She froze instantly, standing in the doorway, not knowing what the situation was.
Sean smacked his lips. He hadn't originally wanted to meddle in other people's business at this wonderful time, but her outfit today was... quite good-looking.
"Ahem, Kate, I'm going to go talk to your mother. Stay in the room, okay?"
He winked at Kate, and she understood.
"Yeah! Okay."
Sean turned around, looked at the nervous Eleanor outside the door, and said: "Madam, we need to have a talk."
"I... I have nothing... Never mind, alright."
Eleanor stopped struggling and decided to just tell him everything.
Watching them walk out together, Kate felt a bit happy. She believed that Homelander would definitely be able to solve her mother's trouble and make her happy again.
Chapter 117: Eleanor Bishop Wants Compensation.
As soon as they entered the bedroom, Eleanor could not control her tears; she covered her mouth, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to cry.
She knew that Homelander must have discovered something; otherwise, how could he possibly ask to have a private conversation with a woman who had just lost her husband?
Therefore, Eleanor did not want to wait for Sean Brooke to question her; she intended to voluntarily confess everything, hoping that he might show some leniency, given that she was the family member of a victim.
But just at this moment, Sean Brooke sat down beside her and reached out to press her onto his shoulder.
The sudden warmth left Eleanor at a loss, and she forgot what she was going to say.
"Ho... Homelander! What are you doing!" Eleanor struggled, trying to pull away.
"I'm sorry!"
"What?" Eleanor stopped moving, unable to believe what she had just heard.
Sean Brooke sighed. "I know that your husband has passed away, dying in this Battle of New York that I led. I am very sorry!"
"Thi... This is not your fault."
A wave of relief washed over Eleanor. Could it be that Homelander hadn't discovered anything and was simply expressing his apologies?
But the problem was, did expressing apologies require holding her and using his hands to convey it?
However, Eleanor would not interrupt any of Sean Brooke's actions; as long as she could get through today, she would do anything.
Kate was still young, and she absolutely could not let anything happen to herself.
For the sake of Kate, Eleanor even became slightly more proactive.
But her further actions did not receive any response from Sean Brooke; instead, he pushed her away slightly.
Sean Brooke stood up immediately, draped his Santa Claus jacket over her, and did not continue any further.
Although he could have taken her right then and there, if he did, that would make him the proactive party.
That would not do; it would completely violate Sean Brooke's bottom line: do not be proactive, do not refuse, do not take responsibility.
"You should be a bit warmer now."
Sean Brooke's words made Eleanor blush. So, he had only done that because he saw she was wearing so little; she had thought her charm was still as potent as ever.
"Yes, much better."
"That's good. In that case, we can talk about serious matters now," Sean Brooke said somewhat coldly.
His cold words caused Eleanor's expression to change, and she completely lost her composure.
"Are you not planning to confess voluntarily? I might be able to help you think of a way out; consider it my compensation."
Eleanor's face changed, and without a shred of luck left, she tremblingly told him everything.
"My husband, Derek Bishop, owed Kingpin a lot of money and did quite a few... bad things for him. He approached me a while ago, asking me to help him rebuild his own criminal empire."
Eleanor briefly mentioned some other details, then got up, walked to the cabinet, took out some criminal evidence she had recorded, and handed it to Sean Brooke.
Sean Brooke casually glanced at a few pages; he couldn't be bothered to read the dense text, as he didn't actually want to arrest her.
"I will hand this over to professionals and try my best to speak on your behalf." He then made a motion as if he were ready to leave.
Seeing him stand up, Eleanor became anxious instantly. She knew what she had done, and she knew what her husband had done; she guessed that saying anything would be useless.
She immediately knelt in front of Sean Brooke and said excitedly: "Homelander! Kate, Kate is still young; she cannot lose her mother after having already lost her father!"
Sean Brooke was stunned and sat back down on the edge of the bed in a daze, looking as if he had been persuaded.
"That's right. I caused Kate to lose her father; am I now going to make her lose her mother too?"
A glimmer of hope flashed in Eleanor's heart. She grabbed his hand and pleaded: "Kate is only 10 years old, exactly the age where she needs family companionship. I swear I will cut off all ties with Kingpin and absolutely will not interfere in anything ever again!"
Sean Brooke looked conflicted. "I will definitely go and deal with the Kingpin you mentioned, but as for you, I..."
His hesitant tone did not disappoint Eleanor; instead, it increased the hope in her heart.
She stood up immediately, placed her hands on Sean Brooke's shoulders, walked forward slowly, and gently shifted her body onto his lap.
She pressed her finger against his lips and said, while tearing up: "I beg you, for the sake of Kate's late father, I want this compensation. Is that okay?"
Sean Brooke let out a heavy sigh and released the documents in his hand, causing the papers to scatter all over the floor.
"Alright..."
Eleanor broke into a tearful smile; the dark clouds in her heart were finally dispersed by the light.
This matter had been like a great mountain pressing down on her head, making it hard for her to breathe. She had been living in fear every day, terrified that she would wake up the next morning and find a car from the orphanage there to take Kate away.
Now it was fine; Homelander had promised not to pursue this matter any further, and she could finally sleep with peace of mind.
Just as she was about to get off, she felt a pair of large hands press against her back.
Before she could react, she felt a great mountain press down on her back, making her somewhat... unable to breathe.
Eleanor's eyes were still somewhat dazed, not knowing what was happening, but Sean Brooke moved so quickly; having finally seized the opportunity, how could he possibly let it go?
As Sean Brooke continued to deepen the encounter, she instantly reacted and understood what Sean Brooke had misunderstood. She shouted excitedly: "Wait! Wait! The compensation I meant was not... mmm... this~"
...
After coming out, Sean Brooke first returned to the Hess Family Residence to change into a new Santa Claus outfit, as this one was not very clean.
She had indeed prepared several sets of clothes, knowing that this situation would arise.
Seeing that it was still early, Sean Brooke randomly picked a few passersby to distribute gifts to and took a few photos, asking them to post them on Facebook, which counted as an announcement that he had already begun.
Once Sean Brooke disappeared into the horizon again, Hess, having received the signal, also arranged for them to slowly distribute gifts, just leaving them at the door and walking away without letting anyone see them.
Soon, Sean Brooke arrived above a hotel.
The lights on the top floor were almost all dark, with only one room lit.
Moreover, in the lit room, there was a woman leaning on the windowsill, waving at him excitedly.
When Daisy saw Sean Brooke approaching, she immediately stepped back a few paces to give him space to land, and incidentally adjusted her slipping neckline.
"Merry Christmas, Daisy."
"Merry Christmas, Sean!"
Daisy stood in place, twisting her fingers, not knowing what she should do.
Although they had gotten along very well last time, they hadn't really been in touch since, not even by phone; she had relied purely on leaving comments for Sean Brooke on Facebook to keep a sliver of connection.
This time, she had only come because Jane Foster wanted to see Thor and had brought her along. However, that scumbag had left without staying even a day. Unlike Sean Brooke, she had only left the address on Facebook, and she hadn't expected him to actually come.
Sean Brooke spread his arms and said with a smile: "Won't you give Santa Claus a hug?"
Daisy smiled faintly and slowly stepped forward, still feeling a bit embarrassed as she said: "Is this a custom of yours? Hugging Santa Claus?"
"Hmm... I don't know, but all those little kids rush to hug me when they see me, so I thought you might like it too."
"I like it!"
Daisy smiled very happily and, without further hesitation, rushed forward.
Even though Sean Brooke was wearing a thick Santa Claus outfit, he could still feel the softness in front of him.
Daisy also recalled once again that scent that intoxicated her so deeply; she felt as if she had drunk a bottle of red wine, with her face flushed and her body soft.