章 39: Chapter 55: The Thing Inside You Will Explode
"Alright, everyone, please don't be swayed by some of the rumors online…"
Homelander's words were cut off by the crowd below. They waved banners demanding, "We want the Invisible Man to appear before us!" and shouted, "We don't want any explanations. We just want to see the Invisible Man!"
Seeing the situation escalating, Madeleine feared Homelander might lose control of his emotions. She called Ashley to take over the situation temporarily.
"We can't let this continue. Tell the crowd that the Invisible Man was on a secret mission, and he will be available to see them once the mission is complete."
"But…" Ashley didn't understand how Madeleine planned to make a dead man reappear.
"Don't waste time. I'll handle the rest." Madeleine stood up, grabbed her phone, and dialed a number.
Half an hour later, Cyrus received a summons to the Vice President's office.
"Please have a seat," Madeleine invited Cyrus as he entered.
After Cyrus was seated, Madeleine continued, "Regarding your three solutions, I am quite pleased. Although the first solution didn't work as well as hoped, I understand it wasn't your fault. Therefore, I will assign you to oversee the implementation of the third solution."
"You mean… finding a superhuman with shape-shifting abilities?"
"No, I have already found someone for you." At that moment, the real Madeleine emerged from a side room.
Cyrus looked at the bizarre scene with disbelief, scrutinizing both women. "It's astonishingly accurate. I doubt I could tell who is real and who is fake."
"That's exactly the effect we wanted."
The Madeleine standing in front of the desk smiled.
Meanwhile, the other Madeleine began to twist and morph, eventually revealing her true form—a slightly pudgy man.
"Nice to meet you, sir," Doppelgänger said with a smile.
"With his help, this should be a relatively easy task."
As they left the Vice President's office, Cyrus told Doppelgänger, "I usually prefer to discuss matters over a meal. There's a nice three-star restaurant in New York. I can book a private room."
"Don't worry, I'll be there on time."
Seeing Doppelgänger's awkward demeanor, Cyrus felt an impulse to strangle him. It seemed Doppelgänger, like the previous Rubber Man, was bisexual. Cyrus neither approved nor disapproved of such preferences, as long as they didn't trouble him—he could pretend he didn't see it.
To him, Doppelgänger's utility outweighed his personal preferences.
By evening, Cyrus was already seated in the private room, waiting for Doppelgänger to arrive.
"Sorry, did I make you wait?" Doppelgänger arrived precisely on time, pushing open the door.
"The timing is perfect. Please, have a seat," Cyrus said, glancing at his watch.
They remained silent until the dishes were served. Then Cyrus began, "For the upcoming PR arrangements, I need to know the specifics of your superpower, such as whether there is a time limit on your transformation and if you can maintain it indefinitely or only for a set period."
"It can only last for a certain period, approximately within twenty-four hours. After the time expires, if I don't choose to transform into someone else, I can still revert to the previously chosen form." Doppelgänger explained his abilities to Cyrus.
"Good ability. Later, I will give you the Invisible Man's account. You will need to go live and answer some questions from the audience."
"Remember, keep the live broadcast under three minutes. The more questions you answer, the higher the risk of exposure. I assume you're adept at disguising yourself, having been with Madeleine for so long."
Doppelgänger looked shocked by Cyrus's words. "How do you know?"
"I know more than you think. If possible, I'd like to obtain all the dirt Madeleine has on hand. Don't tell me you didn't back it up. A smart person always leaves a safety net." Cyrus put down his fork and knife, his gaze steady.
"What are you planning to do? Aren't you afraid that Madeleine will have Homelander kill you if she finds out?"
Doppelgänger stood up in alarm, realizing something was wrong and preparing to leave.
"Don't be hasty. Look at your pants."
At Cyrus's reminder, Doppelgänger glanced down, only to see a thin, snake-like creature coiling around his leg. In the next moment, the creature pierced through his skin and began to crawl toward his heart.
The excruciating pain was nothing compared to the terror Doppelgänger felt.
He quickly stripped off his shirt and saw a long, narrow object, less than two centimeters wide, moving beneath his skin towards his heart.
"Hurry, make it stop. I'll give you all the dirt on Madeleine, all of it." Doppelgänger's voice trembled, with the threat of death making it hard for him to remain composed.
"When you're on the brink of death, you truly understand the value of life. Congratulations on making the right choice."
Under the light in the private room, Cyrus took a sip from his glass and then approached Doppelgänger. He extended his hand, and then released it.
The glass shattered into countless pieces.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, the thing inside you is going to explode. Just like this." Cyrus made an exploding gesture with his right hand.
At the same time, several fine steel needles pierced through Doppelgänger's abdomen.
"Fuck." Doppelgänger bent over in pain, half-kneeling before Cyrus.
"Alright, I was just joking. As long as you do as I say, I'll ensure your safety." Cyrus retracted the steel needles and helped Doppelgänger to his feet. Doppelgänger's abilities were quite useful, whether for gathering intelligence or setting up traps.
"I'll do what you ask. Just get this damn thing out of me." Doppelgänger gasped heavily, clearly shaken by the ordeal. He knew Cyrus was serious; refusing him would mean death.
"Sorry, but that thing has already fused with your flesh and blood. Not even the best hospitals could detect it." Cyrus, ever the gentleman, picked up Doppelgänger's clothes and handed them to him.
(End of Chapter)
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