Chapter 12 : Super Soldier Serum of Infinite Matryoshka

Bearded Billy had a file on his person, a piece of evidence that he had spent years compiling on Superman-type crimes and the cover-up orchestrated by Vought, twisting the truth to serve their narrative.

This file was what Billy had prepared for Huey, hoping it would open his eyes to the darkness hidden under the guise of heroism. He wanted Huey to understand the truth about Vought and the so-called superheroes, to motivate him to rise up and fight against them.

Starlight glanced at the file, her expression gradually turning grave and furious as she read the shocking contents.

"Jonny Blaze was right," Starlight muttered. "I was so naive. These so-called superheroes are just scumbags hiding behind the veneer of nobility and justice!"

She looked at Jonny Blaze with a mix of confusion and resolve. "I—I don't want to join The Seven."

"Whatever," Jonny responded indifferently.

Starlight was taken aback by his lack of reaction. After all, there had been a conditional deal between them. He—he gave up that easily?

Inexplicably, Starlight felt a sense of unease.

Jonny Blaze didn't care because the deal was only a small part of his plan. His real objective was to watch Starlight mature, to see her shed her naivety after facing the dark reality of the world. He wanted her to be more effective for his own purposes in the future.

His gaze drifted over to the unconscious forms of Billy and Huey, finally settling on Billy. This guy had been through the worst of it: cuckolded by Homelander and then forced to care for a child that wasn't his. If anyone had reason to hate Homelander and the Superman class, it was Billy.

But how could Billy possibly defeat them unless he became one of them?

Jonny Blaze pulled out a vial of super soldier serum from his system, aiming it at Billy's neck. Without hesitation, he injected it.

"Ugh—" Billy groaned as his body began to spasm and convulse uncontrollably.

"What did you do to him?" Starlight asked in a low voice, worried.

Jonny Blaze's focus remained on Billy, ignoring her question. If this worked, it would confirm that the success rate of re-injecting super soldier serum was 100%. That would make it easier for him to build his own army of super soldiers in the future. And with Billy, now enhanced, he would have someone capable of standing up to The Seven and Vought, securing his own interests.

After all, Jonny knew he wouldn't be in this world forever, and the resources he wanted couldn't be exploited in a short time.

As time passed, Huey stirred and woke up. "I'm not dead?"

Relieved, Huey looked around for Billy and found him nearby, though something was clearly wrong. Billy appeared to be in pain, but his body seemed larger, stronger. His clothes, once well-fitting, were now stretched tight over bulging muscles.

"What did you do to him?" Huey asked, alarmed.

Jonny Blaze remained silent, while Starlight couldn't find the words. Billy, however, began to wake.

The serum had worked.

"Are you okay?" Huey asked, helping Billy to his feet but frowning at the surprising weight of his friend.

Billy exhaled deeply, his mind racing as he took stock of the changes in his body. The strength coursing through him felt both foreign and familiar. His muscles were now larger, and his perspective had shifted slightly as if he had grown taller.

"You—you turned me into a Superman?" Billy glared at Jonny with a mix of horror and disbelief.

Jonny smirked. "Congratulations, you're now one of them."

"This is impossible!" Billy shouted. "Superman-class people aren't made; they're born! How could you make me one of them?"

Huey, still in shock, echoed Billy's disbelief. "This can't be happening! The only exception is Homelander—he's an alien raised on Earth!"

Jonny's voice was calm. "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Billy clenched his fists in frustration, his anger boiling over. "I don't believe it!" he growled, lunging at Jonny.

"Zzzzt—" Starlight fired off a bolt of energy, her first real attack.

But this time, Billy barely flinched. The lightning, which had previously been enough to stun him, only slowed him down momentarily. His eyes burned with unyielding fury, his muscles tensed, and he continued advancing toward Jonny, undeterred.

Starlight, shocked by Billy's resilience, increased the intensity of her attack, but it was no use. The lightning eventually dissipated, her energy drained, but Billy kept moving.

It wasn't that Billy was stronger than Starlight; it was that her power depended on how much stored electricity she had access to. Starlight was essentially a battery—without sufficient charge, her attacks would only last so long.

But Billy... Billy had something else driving him. His anger, his sheer willpower, and now his enhanced body made him nearly unstoppable.

"Bravery drives a man to challenge the strong," Jonny mused. "Cowardice drives him to attack the weak. Billy is clearly a brave man."

Billy had always been willing to take on the seemingly invincible, even when he was just a regular man. Now, with his newfound strength, he had become something more.

"Ding!"

"Combat detected. Drop reward: Super Defense (Starlight)."

"Ding!"

"Combat detected. Drop reward: Super Soldier Serum (Billy Butcher)."

Jonny blinked, surprised. The fight had triggered a drop reward—another super soldier serum? Could it be that fighting new super soldiers would yield more serums? Was this some kind of infinite nesting doll scenario?

This meant Jonny could mass-produce super soldiers, each one potentially dropping more serums during battle. The possibilities were staggering.

The thought of an army of super soldiers under his command made Jonny Blaze grin.

All of them, future employees of his Nadutong Express Delivery Service.

And soon, every courier would be a super soldier.

Now, who wouldn't be afraid of that?