Chapter 7 : The people of the motherland were beaten and cried by me!

Queen Maeve was stunned, her face illuminated by the dazzling glow of the heat ray, which made her shocked expression almost comical.

The sheer audacity of someone daring to challenge Homelander was beyond her comprehension. She never thought it was possible-this guy actually had the same abilities as Homelander!

And this guy is Joker-no, Jonny Blaze!

Watching the two titans clash evenly, Queen Maeve's mind raced with a bold idea.

Jonny Blaze's power and his teleportation ability were strange and formidable. Coupled with the heat ray, he was already on par with Homelander in strength.

In a moment of clarity, Maeve, who had been drowning in despair, suddenly felt like she'd grabbed hold of a lifeline. A glimmer of hope rose in her chest.

Maybe he could save her-and her ex-girlfriend's-life!

Her eyes, once filled with despair, slowly flickered back to life as she looked at Jonny Blaze with renewed hope.

Suddenly, with a sharp "whoosh," Jonny, who had been locked in a standoff with Homelander's heat ray, vanished from Maeve's sight.

In the blink of an eye, Jonny reappeared behind Homelander, his fist clenched tightly. With a mighty punch, he slammed his fist into the back of Homelander's head.

"Boom!"

The punch, delivered with full force, sent the unprepared Homelander sprawling to the ground, sliding across the floor.

Matching Homelander's heat ray wouldn't have been enough- Homelander's defenses were stronger. Jonny had never planned to win through sheer heat ray strength. His greatest advantage was his raw power, which had already been witnessed by Maeve!

Homelander, groggy from the blow, slowly pushed himself up from his knees, shaking his head. The pain, along with the embarrassment of being knocked down, ignited a furious rage.

"You're dead! You'll die! Everyone will die!"

But Jonny Blaze wasn't intimidated by Homelander's hysterical fury. He snickered, unfazed by the outburst, and in a flash, appeared right in front of him, landing a punch square on his face.

Homelander stumbled back, still disoriented, while Jonny pressed his attack relentlessly. Fists flew, left and right, raining down on Homelander with the force of a thunderstorm.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Each punch landed with a deafening thud. Homelander tried to fight back, but every attempt was met with an even stronger barrage from Jonny. Gradually, Homelander's anger melted away, and with it, his ability to resist.

For the first time, Homelander felt pain. For the first time, he was badly wounded. And for the first time, he experienced true fear-the fear of death.

The unshakable confidence that he was invincible shattered. Panic set in. He was afraid-truly afraid.

Hot tears streamed from his eyes, and the terror in his gaze was unmistakable. Homelander, in all his might, was pleading for mercy.

Jonny Blaze, surprised, paused mid-punch.

Homelander... was crying?

Was he really beaten to tears by Jonny Blaze?

Homelander's mental instability was well known. Raised in a lab, devoid of love or care, he had become a violent, cruel man-child, unused to being challenged or hurt. But still, this seemed extreme. Was this the same Homelander that had everyone so terrified?

Jonny glanced over at Queen Maeve, remembering how moments ago,she had been paralyzed by fear of Homelander, despairing as she claimed, "Everyone bows to him- you will be no exception."

Yet now, the once-invincible Homelander was crying in front of him, begging for mercy.

Jonny couldn't help but laugh. He wiped the blood from his hands on Homelander's cape, then smeared his face dry of blood and tears with a look of disdain.

"You can go."

Rather than react with fury, Homelander seemed almost relieved, visibly grateful to be spared. Without a word, he flew off with a sonic boom.

Queen Maeve stood there, speechless. Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what had just happened.

But Jonny Blaze understood something crucial-Homelander wasn't going to let this go.

Homelander would come for her, eventually. As long as Maeve was alive, there would be someone who knew what had happened here.

Homelander would find a way to silence her.

Slowly, Queen Maeve walked over to Jonny Blaze. Kneeling down on one knee, she hesitated, then said, "I-"

"Wait," Jonny interrupted, pulling out his phone and switching to the recording mode. "Okay, go ahead."

Her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anger, Maeve said through clenched teeth, "I am Queen Maeve. I-I pledge my loyalty to you."

Satisfied, Jonny put away the phone. "I accept your allegiance. Remember, my name is Jonny Blaze -the omniscient and omnipotent."

The name meant nothing to her, and she had no clue about his origins. But one thing was clear-he had bested Homelander and could protect her and her ex-girlfriend, Elena.

Leaving the demolished factory behind, Jonny gave Maeve the address of his hotel and then activated his system interface.

[Character Panel]

• Host: Jonny Blaze

• Points: 63

• Abilities:

• Dimensional Teleportation (The Incredibles)

• Super Strength (Jessica Jones, Queen Maeve)

• Super Soldier Serum enhancement (Isaiah Bradley)

• Super Endurance (Jessica Jones)

• Super Jump (Jessica Jones)

• Super Defense (Jessica Jones, Queen Maeve)

• Heat Ray (Homelander)

• Equipment: Super Soldier Serum

• Detection Range: 100 meters (upgradable)

Jonny noted the new ability: Heat Ray, now added to his arsenal. Jessica Jones' durability had merged with Queen Maeve's super defense, creating a powerful layer of protection.

"Who's next?" Jonny muttered, closing the panel, already thinking about his next target.