章 68: Chapter 68: Era of War Suits? No, Just a Bunch of Rats
Inside the CEO's office on the 88th floor of the Seven Tower, Edgar looked away from his computer screen as Starlight was sent flying across the live broadcast. A wave of chat comments flooded the feed.
'Whoever said this girl could replace Homelander—seriously? She couldn't even hold his cape!'
'Hilarious! She's just a pretty face dressed like that to entertain the villains?'
'Stop it, she's a girl! At least give her credit for trying!'
'Well, she's not much of a fighter, but hey, she looks great on camera. Oops, I'm out of tissues.'
'What the heck is on my screen!'
Reading these comments, Edgar took off his glasses, rubbing his temples in frustration.
"This doesn't add up…"
"Homelander removed her from the spotlight—wasn't that because he saw her as a threat?"
"So why can't she handle even a low-tier criminal with hardened skin?"
Frowning, Edgar muttered, "Could it be that what he feared wasn't her power, but something else?"
Back on-screen, Starlight managed to get up and launched a counterattack, landing a solid kick to push Ironhide back.
Just as they braced for a second round, a low, rumbling sound echoed through the sky.
A shadow suddenly dropped from above, landing with a powerful impact that shook nearby police cars.
'Whoa, is Homelander here to clean up the mess?'
'Nice! Homelander to the rescue!'
'Come on, can't the villains catch a break?'
The chat comments went wild.
But from the smoke emerged not Homelander, but a figure clad in sleek black armor. The mask glowed blue, with energy cores on the suit flickering in a way that exuded futuristic tech.
'What's that?'
'Not Homelander, huh?'
'Is this another villain? Are they ganging up on poor Starlight?'
In the broadcast, Starlight looked uncertain as she held one hand out toward Ironhide and another toward the unknown armored figure.
Seeing the situation, Ironhide picked up a discarded gun, aiming it between Starlight and the newcomer.
Then, the black-armored figure pointed at Ironhide and declared, "Codename 'Ironhide,' Class 3 Wanted Criminal. I'm arresting you for armed robbery, assaulting law enforcement, and more. Drop your weapon and surrender now."
"Go to hell!"
Ironhide didn't hesitate, firing multiple shots at the figure, who calmly raised an arm to shield himself. Sparks flared against the armor, but the bullets bounced harmlessly away.
When Ironhide's clip was empty, the armored man raised his left wrist, where a compartment opened up with a sudden hiss, launching a net made of metal alloy that instantly ensnared Ironhide.
Electric currents crackled through the net, and Ironhide was shocked into spasms, unable to break free.
The armored figure walked over, delivering a powerful punch that floored Ironhide. The armored man pinned him down, and a jackhammer-like device emerged from his wrist, pounding repeatedly into Ironhide with heavy, resounding blows.
The concrete beneath them cracked, spreading fractures across the pavement.
Ironhide barely managed a few grunts before he went limp, unconscious.
The armored man then lifted Ironhide and tossed him toward the police. "You can arrest him now."
The officers quickly secured Ironhide but watched the armored man warily.
Then, he tapped a spot on his helmet, causing the faceplate to retract, revealing a square-jawed, imposing face.
"I'm Colonel Yuri from Homeland Security. I'm not your enemy."
---
Chinatown.
In Lin Aida's apartment, Homelander narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed Colonel Yuri on the screen.
"Well, well, this just got interesting."
"When did Homeland get their hands on this kind of tech?"
On the broadcast, a reporter was already interviewing Yuri.
"Colonel, could you tell us more about this suit you're wearing?"
Colonel Yuri nodded, facing the camera. "This is a new innovation from Olga Corporation."
"The full name is the 'Intelligent Combat Suit for Field Soldiers,' but I prefer to call it 'Titan.'"
"With the Titan suit, the days of relying on the Seven and Vought to solve our problems are over."
"Soon, Olga will provide this suit technology to the entire federal government."
"Our officers will be able to wear similar suits in their line of duty, no longer powerless in the face of superpowered criminals."
"They won't need to bow to any so-called 'superhuman' anymore."
"Certain individuals may as well start considering early retirement."
Watching this, Homelander scoffed.
"Olga Corporation…"
"The same company that gave A-Train his suit."
"Robbers trying to clean up their act and go legit?"
He chuckled softly. "Looks like my little vacation was well-timed. See? Take a break, and all the rats come crawling out on their own."
Meanwhile, across the city.
Inside the corporate headquarters of Olga Weaponry Development, a group of executives gathered around a screen in the CEO's office, cheering.
Glasses filled with wine raised high, they toasted their CEO, a tall, gaunt man with pallid skin and a neatly tied ponytail named Arnold.
"Congratulations, Arnold."
"Your plan was a success—launching our battle suit tech just as the Seven go inactive, with military officials championing our product."
"I can already feel Vought's stock taking a nosedive to its lowest point in history."
"To think, I expected the Department of Defense wouldn't be ready for us until next quarter."
"But here we are. They've given us the green light to demonstrate our tech next week."
"Looks like we'll be getting those defense contracts sooner than we thought."
Arnold raised his glass with a smirk. "Not just the Department of Defense, gentlemen."
"Our Titan tech will be deployed throughout law enforcement as well."
"Soon, we'll extend our reach into the industrial and agricultural sectors, pushing forward with our strategic expansion."
"This year, I intend to kick Vought out, leaving their superheroes unemployed!"
The board members erupted in laughter, their faces bright with visions of a prosperous future.
"Vought's really in a rough spot. After clawing their way to the top, now it's all falling apart. If Homelander hadn't gone rogue and if Vought had managed to keep him under control…"
"We'd be looking at a much longer timeline to beat them."
"But now, with our Titan suit demonstration scheduled in Manhattan next week, no one can stop our rise."
"Gentlemen, with such cause for celebration, won't you join me in a toast?"
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