◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon of which 10 Chapters are free. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
"This... this is so cool!"
Jessica was as excited as a child with a new toy.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
She was flashing around the office frantically.
"It seems you have a hidden spatial talent in your genes, and the Serum activated it," Homelander explained. "Next, you can try to develop this ability..."
Jessica suddenly zipped and flashed right in front of Homelander.
Their noses were almost touching.
Homelander could even see the fine fuzz on her face and her eyelashes trembling from nervousness.
Jessica was also startled. She had never been in a relationship; the only things that had ever been this close to someone else's face were her fists.
The air suddenly fell silent.
Looking at Homelander, who was right in front of her, her heart rate accelerated again.
Raging hormones led her to make a bold move she would never have dared to do normally.
"Mwah—!"
She gave Homelander's lips a gentle peck.
The sound was clear and loud.
Then, before Homelander could even react.
"Swoosh swoosh swoosh—!"
Jessica's figure flashed repeatedly, leaving behind only the slightly swaying office door and the faint scent of perfume lingering in the air.
"Notification! Gained special popularity value + 15,000 (from Jessica Jones)"
"Heh..."
Homelander touched the damp feeling on his lips and laughed softly.
"Very good, no wasted effort..."
...That day, a knock sounded on the office door.
Steve Rogers walked in, followed by Bucky Barnes.
Bucky had changed into clean casual clothes, gotten a haircut, and shaved his beard, looking much refreshed.
"Anthony." Steve walked up to the desk and placed a signed contract on it. "Bucky has signed it."
"Excellent."
Homelander picked up the contract and glanced at it.
In the signature field, written in bold, flowing script, was—James Buchanan Barnes.
As Homelander's finger touched the signature, the system notification rang out again.
"Ding! Detected that special character 'Winter Soldier' Bucky Barnes has officially joined the Host's faction!"
"Gained special popularity value + 30,000!"
"Reward: Cellular Vitality Enhancement (Enhances the vitality of all the Host's cells, significantly slows down cellular aging, and increases the natural lifespan limit)."
Homelander's eyes lit up.
Lifespan!
After all, even Anthony's strong physique couldn't prevent a midlife crisis. Who would complain about a longer life?
"Well done, Bucky."
Homelander put down the contract, looking at the century-old veteran before him in high spirits.
"Welcome to the Vought family."
"From now on, use your abilities to kill those damned Terrorists and alien freaks. The more you kill, the lighter the blood on your hands will become."
"This is the only way, Bucky." Steve pressed his shoulder. "We're in this together."
Bucky nodded, his tone firm: "Thank you, I will do my best."
"From now on, you are no longer the Winter Soldier; you are Vought's hero.
"Your codename from now on will be... Silver Hand Bucky."
"Silver Hand..." Bucky repeated softly, glancing at his left arm, and nodded. "It sounds better than Winter Soldier."
"But... my mind..." Bucky suddenly trailed off.
"I know what you're worried about... those Russian words..."
Just then, a knock sounded on the office door, and Wanda walked in.
She was wearing a casual hooded sweatshirt, looking like the girl next door.
"This is Wanda. You can think of her as Vought's Chief Psychiatrist... although her methods are a bit unconventional," Homelander introduced.
"Hello, Mr. Barnes." Wanda nodded politely.
"Her?" Bucky sounded doubtful.
Homelander looked at Wanda.
"Wanda, help out our new friend."
"Understood, Anthony."
Wanda walked up to Bucky, and a scarlet glow lit up her fingertips.
In fact, Homelander could have instantly erased those commands using the Mind Stone, but he temporarily didn't want too many people knowing about the Infinity Stones.
"Sit still, relax."
Wanda walked behind Bucky, slowly moving her hands closer to his temples.
"It might feel a little uncomfortable, like having a nightmare."
"I've been having nightmares for seventy years," Bucky closed his eyes.
Scarlet Chaos Energy drilled into Bucky's brain like threads.
In Wanda's vision, Bucky's consciousness was like a tangled mass of gray, and deep within it, there was a black stele covered in Russian commands.
"Longing, Rusted, Seventeen..."
"Found them." The red light in Wanda's eyes intensified. "These things... shouldn't exist."
She suddenly pulled her hands outwards!
"Urgh!!"
Bucky let out a pained growl, his muscles tensed, and his metal arm crushed the corner of the solid wood desk into powder.
Steve nervously tried to step forward, but Homelander stopped him.
"This is a necessary process. Rebirth is always accompanied by pain."
One minute later.
Wanda withdrew her hands and nodded at Homelander.
"It is done."
Bucky slowly opened his eyes, breathing heavily, his clothes soaked in sweat.
Steve looked at him anxiously: "Bucky? How do you feel?"
"That voice... is gone."
He tried to recall the trigger words, but the lingering sense of dread was completely gone.
"I... am free."
Bucky looked at Wanda, then at Homelander, showing his first genuinely carefree smile in decades.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. This is all part of the employee benefits," Homelander replied with a genuine smile, listening to the system notification.
Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Bucky Barnes)
Gained special popularity value + 10,000! (From Steve Rogers)
Having resolved Bucky's hidden danger, Homelander tapped the desk and got down to business.
"Alright, now that personal matters are settled, let's talk about official business."
Homelander looked at Steve.
"Captain, I need you to form a new team."
"A new team?" Steve was surprised.
"The Seven now not only have to handle high-end global deterrence but also deal with increasing commercial activities and movie filming."
"We need an elite squad that is more mobile, more tactical, and specifically handles particular threats and counter-terrorism missions."
"I've already thought of the name."
Homelander pointed at Steve, then at Bucky.
"It will be called—the Howling Commandos."
Steve's eyes suddenly brightened.
The Howling Commandos.
That was the most glorious time of his life, the designation under which he, Bucky, and his old comrades fought side-by-side.
"Are you serious?" Steve's voice trembled slightly.
"Of course. The name is old, but the structure is new."
"Bucky will be your first team member."
"Is this... appropriate?"
"It couldn't be more appropriate." Homelander stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to the others.
"This is a legacy, Steve. Retro is the new trend."