Dull thuds echoed one after another.
"My car?"
"My car?"
Herman swung the augmented human by the legs like a sledgehammer, slamming him into the concrete again and again. The augmented human's skull smashed against the pavement, bricks shattered, dust filled the air, and his head split open repeatedly.
But…
This one's Centipede Serum was very different from the original. It carried the self-healing traits of the Extremis Virus—wounds would melt into a lava-like liquid before regenerating at high speed.
"Enough!"
The augmented human bellowed in rage.
Herman paused for a moment.
Just as the augmented human tried to launch a desperate counterattack—
"I don't care what you think! I care what I think… and I think it's not enough!" Herman roared, swinging him side to side and smashing him down with renewed fury.
Smashing him against the road wasn't satisfying enough. Herman dragged him into the wreckage of a car, pounding him until his body was riddled with wounds.
The Centipede Serum fought to keep him together.
The augmented human struggled desperately to resist, but every thought in his small head was laid bare before Herman.
Every attempt at resistance was instantly suppressed. Against trash like this, Herman didn't even need to ignite his Divinity.
His rampage tore apart the surroundings a second time. The street was wrecked, fire hydrants burst and sprayed water in all directions, turning the ground into filthy mud.
"We're the same! We should join forces! Why side with those ordinary humans? We're the gods meant to rule this world!"
Now caked in mud, the augmented human looked like a drenched chicken.
He howled his accusation at Herman.
Even with his powerful Healing Factor, there were limits. Overuse left him in agony.
"Thinking a cheap virus could make you a god… Time to shatter that dream."
Herman sneered, slamming him to the ground. He pinned the augmented human's head under his boot.
"Don't push me!"
The augmented human roared, his face driven into the mud.
Herman probed his mind. He could see clearly—this man feared death more than anything. There was no need to worry about him doing something reckless.
"The virus in you is… surprisingly stable?"
Herman frowned, surprised the augmented human hadn't lost control. In his memory, the Centipede Serum was unstable. Yet now it had somehow fused with Extremis traits, letting this man maintain control for far longer than expected.
And Extremis was hardly stable to begin with.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
Herman gripped the augmented human's throat, lifting him into the air. Telekinesis bound his limbs, cutting off any chance of struggle.
"What did you do to me?! Let me go! I'll tell you everything!" the augmented human shouted, terror filling his eyes as events spiraled far beyond his control.
No matter how he strained, he couldn't move an inch. It was as if invisible chains held him fast.
Facing Herman… he was terrified.
"Sorry. I prefer the truth I see for myself."
Herman invaded his mind directly, pulling the answers from him as the augmented human groaned in pain.
Just as Herman expected, history had shifted. The scientists and merchants behind Extremis had already fallen under Hydra's control.
This so-called stable Centipede Serum was the product of that altered history. But it wasn't perfect—the serum pushed users toward extreme emotional states.
Just like this man: arrogant before, and now that arrogance had been magnified many times over.
"Side effects of the Super Soldier Serum," Herman muttered. He knew exactly where it came from—Hydra had spliced the Super Soldier formula into the mix.
And not only did it carry those flaws, the serum's stability also depended on regular injections of stabilizers. Without them, the subjects would still spiral out of control.
"Hydra sent you to steal S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets, yet here you are amusing yourself?" Herman lifted the augmented human into the air.
"What have you done to me!?"
The augmented human's face twisted in disbelief. Remembering Herman's earlier words, he realized his memories had been invaded.
In this world… someone could read minds?! The augmented human finally understood that the horrors here went far beyond anything he had imagined.
But now, it was far too late.
"Oh, that's not important. Let's talk about compensation. Oh, wait—you don't have any money." Herman curled his lip in mock disappointment.
He had already seen the augmented human's memories. He knew the man didn't even own a phone.
"You wouldn't dare go against them! Even with your strength, you'll never stand against Hydra!"
The augmented human shouted desperately, staring into Herman's increasingly dangerous eyes, as if trying to scare him off.
"Hiss~ I'm really so scared."
Herman gave him a kind smile, then suddenly drove his fist forward, smashing it into the augmented human's chest.
"You've got no money, so you'll have to pay me with your life!"
Boom!
The devastating punch tore through the air with a thunderous crack, carrying power that exceeded human limits as it crashed into the augmented human's chest.
Pfft—
The augmented human's torso collapsed inward, his back bursting open. A torrent of blood and shredded organs sprayed from the wound, splattering dozens of meters away and soaking the collapsed billboard behind him bright red.
Fast. Precise. Ruthless.
He never had a chance to resist.
Instant kill.
You… you…
Herman hurled the augmented human's body to the ground.
His final sight was Herman's calm, fathomless eyes. Just for a car… what kind of monster had he provoked?
"Ridiculous. Me, afraid of Hydra?"
Herman wiped the entrails from his face. The flesh still radiated scorching heat, but it couldn't harm him.
...
Not far away, the bloody scene played out before Coulson's eyes. He was helping direct the evacuation, occasionally glancing back—only to shudder at what he saw.
So it was true.
The Director had been right.
Herman was the real Homelander.
Just look at the way he handled things.
So brutal.
In that moment, Coulson finally understood.
No wonder several female agents at S.H.I.E.L.D., along with Nick Fury, were so invested in The Boys. Their suspicions had been correct.
That show wasn't fantasy at all.
It was a documentary.
A true account.