Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 514 Bad Luck and a Tumultuous Fate

Homelander didn't understand what Clark was saying, nor did he really want to.

But the information revealed in the other person's words caught his attention, so he found Clark as soon as the interview ended.

"You really didn't tell anyone about the locomotive incident?"

Clark watched as Locomotive and Shockwave warmed up below the stage; their match was about to begin.

"No, every time I see him using performance-enhancing drugs, it's not on the field. Since there's no competition, there's no issue of fairness, and I don't need to gossip about his past."

"How did you know he used performance-enhancing drugs?"

"His blood contains a strange blue component."

Homelander looked at Clark's face and couldn't tell from his expression whether he was lying.

“If you tell anyone else about him, Walter will be in big trouble, and so will the Group of Eight,” he said. “I’m telling you again, you really didn’t.”

"No—but why is there so much trouble?"

"This involves the group of eight, and any stain on their record would be a huge problem."

Homelander casually brushed off the other person's question and judged in his mind that Clark was not lying.

In fact, Clark did not lie, because the person who leaked the information was not him, but the Invisible Man.

At this moment, Locomotive and Shockwave appeared on the track, one expressionless and the other eager to try.

The referee also checked the starting pistol in his hand; the competition was about to begin.

Just then, all of their phones suddenly rang at the same time.

Clark opened the communication interface with some doubt, but the message on it was shocking: "A cult member's hideout has been discovered three kilometers outside the stadium. The location information has been sent. The team of eight (including A-Train, but Superman, please return to Vought Headquarters immediately) is to proceed to the destination immediately to stop them from harming citizens."

The train driver, who was convinced that he was going to lose today, was in a state of panic. He didn't know if the group of eight would be changed after today, or what his fans would think of him. As he thought about it, he suddenly regretted it.

"Why am I scared by that Superman guy? I'll take a chance and try injecting the serum; he might not be able to stop me."

"No, no, his speed is very likely on par with Homelander's."

He didn't have the specific data from Clark's physical exam, but he didn't need to know. Everyone in the group of eight could see Homelander's attitude towards Clark—it was a comprehensive fear and rejection.

This means that the two sides are evenly matched in every aspect—at least that's what everyone else thinks.

"Locomotive! Locomotive!"

Just then, his assistant suddenly ran onto the field and shouted to him, "Mission! Emergency mission!"

"An emergency mission? Now?"

The thought flashed through the locomotive's mind for a moment, followed by a surge of ecstatic joy. He laughed wildly to himself, "Perfect timing!"

Meanwhile, the young Shockwave looked bewildered.

"An emergency mission? Now?"

"Yes, now."

The locomotive looked at his phone, his expression turning serious, then regretful, and then resolute.

All the cameras in the arena were pointed at him, and he took the initiative to walk up to Shockwave and shake his hand.

"It seems that some citizens need me. I have to go and face those vicious cult terrorists."

"I really wanted to have a match with you, but things happened so suddenly, I have to go." "You! You can't leave!"

Shockwave grabbed the train engine, feeling a bit dizzy – he had originally planned to use this competition to make a name for himself, using the train engine, a veteran hero of the seven-man group, as a stepping stone to enter the eight-man group. Seeing that the initial plan was going smoothly, now only a few steps were left, and under the spotlight, a huge amount of wealth and fame was about to roll in.

As a result, they were killed here by a group of terrorists.

He cannot accept it.

"The competition has already started, but we're not finished yet!"

"I know the game has already started."

The sound of the locomotive steadily traveled from the loudspeakers to every corner of the field, its intonation rich with emotion: "But some people need heroes, some people are waiting for me! Every second of hesitation could mean the death of another person."

His eyes were bloodshot from the shockwave. He didn't actually think that saving a few more citizens was more important than his own future, but he couldn't say that publicly.

"Therefore, I abstain."

The locomotive sighed: "You won, Shockwave. Congratulations on your victory today."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly sped off from the field and disappeared from the stadium.

Cameras also captured Homelander, Superman, and Queen Maeve in the audience rushing off the field together.

In just five minutes, a massive crowd and reporters with cameras surged out of the stadium gates.

Only Shockwave remained, standing alone on the runway.

"I won." He stood there, stunned, staring at the suddenly empty stadium, his mind still struggling to process the reality before him: "Did I win?"

"That guy with Shockwave lost terribly today!"

Outside the stadium, Superman, Homelander, Queen Maeve, and A-Train gathered at their destination in just over ten seconds.

Superman arrived first, followed by Homelander, then A-Train, and finally Maeve.

"My approval rating will definitely skyrocket tomorrow. That bastard Shockwave did so much, trying to use me as a stepping stone, but it's all for nothing. He deserves to be a second-tier hero for life. Go eat my taillights! What a loser!"

As he finished cursing, the train engine couldn't help but smirk: "Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll spare those cult terrorists a full-blown fight later."

Why did you come along too?

Homelander ignored the locomotive and turned directly to Clark, asking, "The company's orders are for you to return to headquarters first. There are instructions for you."

"Since we're so close, let's finish dealing with this first."

Clark replied, "I'm a hero too. There's no reason for me to ignore the disaster in front of me and run back to the company first. I need to deal with those cultists first."

Homelander's face immediately darkened again. He really didn't want Clark to be there, not only because he was afraid of being overshadowed, but also because the matter they were dealing with this time was unusual.

Because after Walter sent the mass alert, he also received another private message.

"The mysterious person from two days ago was discovered in the Shining Glory PLA Regiment. During the firefight, we found out who it was and dealt with him cleanly."

"Keep it secret, interrogate, silence them."

Homelander glanced at Clark in front of him, closed his lead-zinc coated phone, and looked rather grim.

"With someone like that on site, how can you possibly accomplish these three things?"

(End of this chapter)