"Superman…"
"He's Superman!"
"He saved us!!"
A single child's cry in the crowd ignited everything.
"SUPERMAN!!!"
"SUPERMAN!!!"
"SUPERMAN!!!"
The cheers erupted like an avalanche.
Stiles could practically feel his system interface being flooded by numbers—endless, overwhelming, explosive.
Global popularity value surging exponentially…
Ding! Popularity +2,450!
Ding! Popularity +3,832!
Ding! Popularity +1,109!
…
Current Popularity: 2,215,232!
Template enhancement in progress…
→ Steel Body reinforced!
→ Super Speed reinforced!
→ Heat Vision reinforced!
…
Mission complete!
Reward acquired: Homelander Exclusive Suit!
The Avengers descended and landed nearby.
Captain America looked at him, his expression complicated—but filled with gratitude.
"…Superman, sir?"
Stiles didn't answer.
Instead, he walked toward the massive life-support pod.
Under the gaze of the entire world, he reached out—and tore the container open with his bare hands.
HISSS—!
Inside, over a hundred human children, barely twelve or thirteen years old, stumbled out groggily, rubbing their eyes.
"W-Where's my mom…?"
A little girl asked timidly.
The whole of New York went silent.
Tony Stark snapped his helmet open with a clang, mouth hanging open, completely speechless.
Captain America's shield slipped from his hand and hit the ground.
Thor widened his eyes, whispering,
"By Odin…"
The next second—
BOOM!!!
A roar beyond description exploded from every corner of the city!
Screaming.
Crying.
Shouting.
Ding! Popularity increasing explosively!
Ding! Popularity +3,011!
Ding! Popularity +4,840!
Ding! Popularity +5,526!
…
New York Popularity Index: FANATICAL!
United States Popularity Index: REVERENCE!
Global Popularity Rank: Emerging Star!
Stiles felt it clearly—
His strength, speed, and durability multiplied severalfold in an instant.
The plain blue fabric over his chest began to glow gold.
Moments later, a majestic golden eagle emblem materialized out of thin air, perfectly mirroring the golden epaulets on his shoulders.
"HERO!!"
"SUPERMAN!"
"HERO!!!"
"SUPERMAN—HERO!!!"
The crowd began shouting hero—and the name that symbolized hope in countless comic books.
Homelander stood there, bathed in deafening cheers.
He spread his arms, savoring every second.
Then he raised one hand.
Miraculously, New York slowly fell quiet.
Every face turned upward.
Waiting.
He cleared his throat and smiled at the nearest news helicopter camera.
"Thank you," he said warmly,
"but…"
He lifted one finger and gently shook his head, golden hair unmoving in the wind.
"I'm not Superman."
A pause.
A deliberate one.
"I am… Homelander."
"And you…"
His smile softened—neighborly, gentle, as if the alien-slaughtering god from moments ago had never existed.
"…are the real heroes."
Homelander.
The name rang across Grand Central Plaza.
Through microphones and cameras, it spread across the globe in less than a heartbeat.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
"HOMELANDER!!!"
"HOMELANDER!!"
"HOMELANDER—!!!"
The name carried power.
After surviving an alien invasion, humanity needed a symbol.
And at this exact moment—
Stiles gave them the perfect one.
He stood in the storm of cheers, arms open, his expression holy and humble—
Flawless.
"…Damn it," Tony muttered behind him, opening his faceplate.
"This guy totally stole the spotlight, didn't he?"
"Tony," Steve frowned—yet couldn't deny it.
This man…
Reminded him uncomfortably of himself during the WWII propaganda tours.
------
Much later, when the interviews finally ended—
"…So," Tony broke the silence while struggling out of his battered armor,
"anyone else starving? I know a shawarma place nearby. Not sure if it's still open."
Bruce Banner, now back to normal, sat weakly nearby and let out a tired chuckle.
Ten minutes later, Earth's Mightiest Heroes learned what it meant to eat in silence.
They sat together, quietly eating… shawarma.
"So," Tony finally couldn't take it anymore, swallowing a bite,
"Homelander? Seriously? You come up with that, or was it your agent?"
Stiles offered a perfect smile.
"Just a codename, Mr. Stark. Like Iron Man.
People need symbols."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Wow. Sounds like a press release. I like it."
"Tony," Steve said, lowering his wrap.
"Now's not the time."
He turned to Thor.
"Thor… the Tesseract."
Thor nodded, wiping his mouth.
"Yes. The Tesseract. My father, Odin, placed it on Earth centuries ago for safekeeping.
Now, it must return to Asgard."
"Whoa, thunder boy," Tony cut in.
"That thing nearly wiped out my city. You're just taking it? No paperwork?"
"It does not belong here," Thor replied gravely.
"He's right," Steve said calmly.
"Letting it leave Earth is safer than keeping it with S.H.I.E.L.D."
Black Widow and Hawkeye ate quietly.
Banner agreed.
"Alright, Popsicle Captain," Tony shrugged.
"Your call."
-----
Next came Loki.
The so-called God of Mischief was currently enjoying special treatment—
a custom Asgardian muzzle that kept his silver tongue firmly shut.
After being "planted into the floor" by Stiles and then pulled out again by Hulk for a round of "puny god" mockery, Loki now sat slumped on the ground—
Glaring venomously at everyone present.