Standing before him was none other than the original Homelander.
Blonde hair immaculately slicked back, the same chilling, fake smile, hands clasped behind his back, the dark blue uniform adorned with the American flag—it was him, as if ripped straight from the comic, alive and imposing.
"Surprised?"
Homelander caught Adrian's stunned expression and shrugged. "Most of the time, I thought I'd be the one surprised. After all, I'm looking at a clone of myself." His smile was cold, almost inhuman.
"That… is surprising."
Adrian's lips curved faintly, a hint of amusement. "It's been a long time since I've encountered anything this interesting."
Homelander stepped forward, hands now in front, eyes scanning Adrian with precision.
"You, Adrian Kent, are not only using my powers but my name. You've hijacked my identity, tried to replicate the essence of what I am. You are a copy, a hollow imitation."
He didn't attack immediately. He circled Adrian, eyes sharp.
"You're not Homelander. I am. You hold gold and silver, trembling to protect it, never thinking how to use it. Weak. Pathetic. You'll never be me. I do whatever I want."
Adrian didn't flinch. The smirk on his face only grew.
"Your heart is racing, Kent," Homelander taunted. "Fear? Anger? If it's anger, I might spare your life—perhaps make you my servant. You know, even heroes like me are never alone."
Adrian's gaze sharpened. "I'll correct you. No one loves you. Madelyn, Storm, Maeve—they fear you. Me? Someone does love me." His smile turned faintly malicious. "I have a mother. You don't. That's the difference."
Homelander's expression darkened instantly, teeth gritted. Heat Vision flared from his eyes, blasting toward Adrian.
Adrian's feet lifted as he dodged. The laser sliced furniture in half before embedding into the wall.
With a roar, Homelander leaped, punching through the ceiling like a missile. Debris rained down around him.
Two hundred meters above the ground, he struck, but Adrian met the punch with his own fist. The air exploded around them in turbulence. Adrian countered, right arm gathering all his strength, and struck Homelander squarely in the head.
Homelander crashed through reinforced concrete, into the roof, leaving a massive crater. Adrian pursued, fists raining down, sending Homelander crashing repeatedly through walls, furniture, pipes, and debris.
Finally, amidst the ruins, Adrian stood over him, voice calm.
"You're not Homelander."
Moonlight flickered across Adrian's eyes. "Once night falls, I see through the darkness. No disguise can escape me."
Stepping over rubble, he approached the battered figure.
"You were angry, and I saw your true form. This was just entertainment for me."
The figure stirred, transforming—suddenly a small boy in a striped shirt, eyes flickering with intelligence beyond his age.
"I can see your dark heart, what you fear, Adrian Kent," the child said.
Adrian tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "Is that so?"
"You may appear a child, but I see the truth. Are you a demon from hell?"
The boy's true form revealed cracked gray-white skin, pointed ears, and a uniform resembling a sorcerer's—an otherworldly, infernal presence.
"I am the Devourer of Heaven!"
Red light flashed in his eyes. "Underestimating me brings sadness, Adrian Kent."
Adrian's brow furrowed. This wasn't Hecate's faction. Powerful, chaotic magic radiated from the boy, capable of mind control and probing the darkest hearts. His reputation preceded him: splitting moons, controlling Superman and Shazam, only ever defeated by Starman, and sealed within the Black Diamond.
"You escaped the Black Diamond?" Adrian asked.
"Thanks to you," the boy said with a laugh. "The Injustice Society's warehouse held me. You destroyed their ranks but didn't seize all spoils. I ended up in the hands of a little girl—Dragon King's daughter. We struck a deal: she uses me, I use her. By the way… I sent her stepmother to hell."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "You also killed Martin's youngest daughter?"
"Of course. Her father crossed me once—through a previous host. I must show my worth to my masters."
The boy stepped closer, voice cold yet playful. "I see the darkness in every heart. Including yours—not Homelander, something darker."
Adrian smirked faintly. "You like to toy with hearts? Come closer. Take a good look at mine."
"You are darker… and more dangerous than anyone," the boy whispered, intrigued. "Once I devour you, my power will be limitless, and this world will be mine."
"Then you'll be disappointed."
In a flash, Adrian's Star Scepter appeared. A blinding beam shot forth, striking the Devourer of Heaven.
Boom! The room erupted in light. Black energy coiled around the Scepter, dimming it slightly. Adrian's Heat Vision followed, slicing the figure in half. Blood spilled, organs strewn across the floor.
The body revealed itself: a fully armed American soldier, lifeless.
"Possessing a human host, then fleeing when threatened," Adrian mused, eyes cold. The Scepter's power had suffered backlash, limiting its full potential temporarily.
Scanning the room, Adrian saw five soldiers buried beneath debris, likely Amanda's team. Controlled by the Devourer, their fates were grim.
Adrian shook his head, walking away. Even unburied, their control by this entity would have ended badly.
He looked at the darkening sky, activated Super Speed, and vanished.
Minutes later, from a buried ruin, Amanda's voice crackled over the radio:
"Falcon Team, respond! Falcon Team, respond!"
Bang! Amanda slammed her hand on the table. "All contacts lost! Just a simple retrieval, and disaster strikes? Did I miscalculate, or are they incompetent? Deadshot, check the site!"
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