CHAPTER 22: The Clash of Titans

The city stretched out beneath him, a sea of lights glittering in the darkness. But he wasn't interested in the view. He had a destination, a purpose. His son was out there, and he was going to find him. He pushed himself faster, the air whistling past his ears as he flew towards the location shown in the video.

As he soared through the night, his thoughts were a maelstrom of emotions. Rage at Vought for keeping his son from him. Anger at Becca for hiding him away. But above all, there was a burning determination—a need to reclaim what was his, to bring his son home. No one would stand in his way. Not Vought, not Becca, not anyone.

The night sky stretched out in a blanket of deep blue, dotted with stars that shimmered like diamonds. I stood outside the house, my eyes scanning the horizon, my senses alert. The air was thick with tension, a foreboding sense that something terrible was approaching.

"Stay inside, and do not come out, no matter what happens," I instructed Becca, Ryan and Butcher firmly. Butcher's eyes were wide with worry, but he nodded, Ryan's small hand gripping his mother's tightly. Becca's face was pale, but she managed a brave smile.

I turned my gaze back to the sky. I could feel him now—Homelander—hurtling through the night like a missile locked onto its target. I needed to act fast.

Before stepping away, I mentally summoned my system panel. A translucent screen flickered into view before my eyes, displaying my current abilities.

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SYSTEM STATUS]

Current Ability: Superman (Basic)

•Strength: 90%

•Speed: 89%

•Flight: 88%

•Durability: 92%

•Heat Vision: 91%

•Solar Absorption: 90%

•Mental Ability: 93%

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Everything was nearly maxed out, and I could feel the raw power coursing through my veins. This was going to be a tough fight, but I had to protect them for my future plans. I mentally dismissed the panel and launched myself into the air, the ground beneath me vanishing in a blur as I soared higher.

Within moments, I saw him—a streak of red and blue cutting through the darkness, heading straight for us. I flew up to intercept him, my body tense, ready for the confrontation. As we closed the distance, I could see his face twist into a sneer of irritation.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Homelander barked, his voice filled with contempt.

I hovered in the air, meeting his gaze with a cold stare. "Do I have to answer to you wherever I go?" I replied, my tone flat and unyielding. His sneer deepened into a scowl, his eyes narrowing with fury.

"Fuck off, asshole!" he snarled, and before I could react, he lunged at me, his fist cocked back. His speed was blinding, a blur of motion that caught me off guard. His punch connected with my chest like a sledgehammer, and I felt the breath rush out of me as I was sent flying backward.

The world around me became a chaotic blur of motion and sound. I crashed through the treetops below, branches snapping like twigs under my impact as my nice clothes got torn with it. I hit the ground hard, the earth beneath me giving way as I plowed through, leaving a trail of destruction in my wake.

Pain shot through my body, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself to my feet, he really caught me off-guard. I didn't have much time to think anymore. Homelander was already on top of me, descending from the sky with a ferocious speed. I rolled to the side just in time, narrowly avoiding his fists as they smashed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dirt and debris.

He was relentless, moving with a fury and aggression that left no room for hesitation. I had to be smarter, quicker. I summoned the system panel again in my mind, confirming that most of my abilities were still at 90%. I needed to use my high mental ability to strategize, to outmaneuver him.

Homelander charged at me again, his fists swinging with deadly precision. I ducked and dodged, moving with a speed that matched his own. I could see the frustration building in his eyes as he struggled to land a blow. I countered with a quick jab to his ribs, then a powerful uppercut to his jaw that sent him stumbling back.

He shook it off quickly, his rage intensifying. He fired his heat vision at me, red beams of energy searing through the air. I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the beams as they scorched the ground where I had stood. I retaliated with my own heat vision, the red beams clashing in mid-air, sending sparks flying in all directions.

The force of our combined energy created a shockwave that rippled through the forest, trees swaying and leaves swirling in the gust. I pushed harder, focusing all my strength into my heat vision, and slowly began to overpower him. His beams faltered, and I seized the opportunity, darting to the side and launching myself at him with all my speed.

I grabbed him by his cape, yanking him backwards. He swung wildly, but I was faster, ducking under his punch and delivering a powerful blow to his gut. He doubled over, gasping for air, and I took advantage of his momentary vulnerability. I grabbed his cape again and spun him around, using his momentum to hurl him into the trees.

The trees splintered under the impact, a shower of barks and leaves raining down around us. Homelander let out a roar of rage, pushing himself up from the ground with a snarl. I didn't give him a chance to recover. I flew at him again, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him into the air.

"You think you're unstoppable," I said through gritted teeth, my voice cold and steady. "But you're just a bully with too much power."

He struggled in my grip, his eyes blazing with fury. I slammed him back down to the ground, the earth trembling beneath us as he hit with a resounding crash. He lay there for a moment, dazed and disoriented, but I knew better than to let my guard down.

He was back on his feet in an instant, launching himself at me with a wild fury. I dodged to the side, grabbing his cape and swinging him around like a ragdoll. I slammed him into the ground again and again, the earth shaking with each impact.

He tried to fight back, but I was relentless. I punched him in the face, then the stomach, then lifted him into the air again. I could see the fear creeping into his eyes now, the realization that he was outmatched, that he might actually lose this fight.

Dragging his face across the ground then I threw him back down to the ground, watching as he hit the earth with a resounding crash. He lay there for a moment, gasping for air, his face bloodied and bruised. I hovered above him, my fists clenched, ready to finish this once and for all.

But then he did something I didn't expect. He turned and fled, flying away as fast as he could as if he wasn't injured or even bruised, disappearing into the night sky. I then confirmed something, Homelander is a fuckin' coward.