Back in the New Patriarch Office at Vought Tower, the room was silent.
Antony sat alone on the sofa, his fingers tapping absentmindedly against the armrest.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan's night skyline glittered brilliantly. Countless lights formed a flowing river of gold stretching across the city.
Those lights were Antony's most valuable assets.
The source of his power.
Ego. The Celestials.
In his memories from a previous life, this had merely been a storyline from the second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—a cosmic family drama about a long-lost father and son.
But now…
Standing in this world himself, facing the reality of a living planet that had existed for millions—perhaps billions—of years, the pressure felt very real.
In the movie of his previous life, Ego had ultimately been defeated by a group of ridiculous misfits.
But that didn't mean he was weak.
Ego belonged to the top tier of power in the Marvel universe—a being capable of crushing entire interstellar fleets with a mere gesture.
Antony had absolute confidence in his own strength.
But against an ancient predator like a Celestial, the proper response was still maximum respect.
"Right now… I need to make this fire burn even hotter."
Antony rose to his feet, a faint crimson glow flashing briefly through his eyes.
At the same time, it was time to accelerate another plan.
The Interstellar Homeland Initiative.
Earth was too fragile.
He needed a backup plan—humanity couldn't keep all its eggs in one basket. Populations had to spread beyond the planet.
As the old saying went:
Preserve the people, and land can always be reclaimed.
-----
Washington D.C.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — The White House
A sharp sonic boom tore through the air.
BOOM—
A red-and-blue figure descended from the sky, landing steadily in the center of the White House's South Lawn.
The impact was powerful enough to send ripples through the surrounding grass, yet the ground beneath his feet remained completely intact.
It was a perfect demonstration of force dispersion.
The alarms hadn't even sounded yet.
White House security had already recognized who it was.
Their tense expressions immediately relaxed.
Some even smiled with admiration.
No weapons were raised.
No identification checks were needed.
The head of the Secret Service detail jogged forward and snapped into a crisp salute.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Homelander! Here to see the President? He's in his office."
"Good afternoon, Agent Johnson."
Antony returned the salute with a polite smile. As a frequent visitor to the White House, he knew most of the familiar faces here.
"No need to announce me. I'll head in myself. It's urgent."
"Of course, sir! That's your privilege."
Antony strode through the White House corridors.
Staff members and cabinet officials he passed along the way all paused respectfully.
In their eyes was nothing but reverence.
In this building…
He looked far more like the master of the nation than the President himself.
…
He pushed open the door to the Oval Office.
President Matthew Ellis stood by the window, holding a cup of coffee while gazing at the Washington Monument outside.
His face was filled with unmistakable satisfaction.
Recently, his approval ratings had skyrocketed thanks to the government's deep partnership with Vought.
To Ellis, working with Vought had become the greatest political investment of the century.
He had even begun drafting next year's campaign slogan:
"Together with Homelander, Make America Great Again."
"Well look who it is!"
Ellis turned around and spread his arms as if greeting an old friend.
"Our national hero! Our guardian angel—Homelander!"
"Looks like you're in a good mood, Matthew."
After a brief hug, Antony walked over and sat down on the sofa.
His expression was so calm it almost felt unsettling.
"Of course I am!" Ellis laughed as he sat down opposite him and crossed his legs.
"World peace, skyrocketing approval ratings—why wouldn't I be happy?"
"So tell me, what brings you here this early in the day? Got good news? Maybe you want me to cameo in your next movie?"
"If only it were that simple, Matthew."
Antony grinned slightly.
"I'm here to tell you something."
"The Earth is about to end."
"COUGH—COUGH—!!"
Ellis instantly sprayed coffee across the room.
"What the hell?! What did you just say?!"
He wiped coffee from the corner of his mouth and stared at Antony in shock.
"The Earth… is ending again?"
"Don't joke about things like that, Antony. It's not April Fools."
"I never joke about matters like this, Mr. President."
"Right now, as we speak, a Celestial seed from an alien god is awakening beneath the soil of Missouri."
"It will grow like cancer cells."
"It will consume the soil."
"Consume cities."
"And eventually…"
"…consume the entire Earth."
"Turning it into part of itself."
Silence fell.
Ellis said nothing.
His face visibly drained of color.
The confident expression from earlier vanished instantly.
He reached for a cigar, his hands trembling as he lit it.
After taking a long drag, he collapsed back onto the couch and stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Chitauri… Dark Elves… Ultron…"
"And now some goddamn Celestial?"
"Does this planet have some kind of death wish?"
"And why the hell does it all happen during my presidency?!"
Ellis covered his face with his palm.
"Am I cursed?"
"Am I destined to be the most unlucky President in American history?"
"Don't be so pessimistic, Matthew."
Antony stood up and calmly poured himself a glass of water.
"Look at it this way."
"Roosevelt only had to win World War II."
"But you?"
"You're winning interstellar wars."
"Great presidents are born in times of crisis."
"Think about it from another angle."
"You'll become the President who led humanity through the most apocalyptic disasters in history."
"When you leave office, the history books won't say you were unlucky."
"They'll write—"
Matthew Ellis.
The man who stood firm through four world-ending crises.
The greatest President in American history.
The Guardian of Humanity.
"The greatest President… the guardian of humanity…"
Ellis felt his blood surge with excitement.
The earlier despair vanished instantly.
He leaned forward eagerly.
"So what's the plan this time?"
"Jets? Tanks? Deploy all the aircraft carriers?"
"Those pieces of scrap metal belong in museums from now on," Antony said dismissively with a wave of his hand.
"I'll handle this one."
"But the point is, Matthew…"
"We can't keep living like this."
"Getting attacked. Fighting back. Then waiting to get attacked again."
"This cycle has to end."
Antony's gaze burned intensely.
"The universe is a dark forest."
"If you don't strike first…"
"…someone else will."
"If humanity wants true security, we must step out into the universe."
"Step out?" Ellis blinked. "Go where?"
"To the stars."
Antony spread his arms wide, as though embracing the entire galaxy.
"I have a plan."
"A grand plan."
"What kind of plan?"
"The Earth Expeditionary Force Initiative."
Antony's voice lowered, filled with irresistible conviction.
"Humanity must go beyond Earth."
"We need a second home."
"A third home."
"We must push our defensive line deep into the Milky Way Galaxy."
"Expedition…" Ellis gave a helpless laugh. "But our technology…"
"Technology is Vought's problem."
Antony spoke with complete confidence.
"As long as you cooperate with me, Mr. President."
He stepped closer to Ellis and leaned slightly forward.
His voice carried an almost hypnotic temptation.
"I promise you."
"You won't just be the President of the United States."
"In the future…"
"You might become the first man in human history to hold the title of—"
The Galactic President.
--------------
T/N:
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