Become a Homelander and a Marvel superstar

Ryan suddenly opened his eyes and gasped for breath.

The ceiling was natural wood color, the mattress beneath me was very soft, and I was covered with a checkered flannel quilt.

This is not his house.

He sat up, rubbing his throbbing temples, and looked around.

This is an American-style bedroom, with bookshelves crammed with hardcover books and several exquisite promotional posters on the walls.

Ryan walked closer to the wall and looked up at the posters.

The people on the poster are dressed in strange costumes, but none of them are the superheroes he knows.

In the very center is a man in a red and blue uniform, holding a round shield in red, white and blue, with the Stars and Stripes in the background.

Beside him was a person completely encased in red and gold metallic armor, with glowing palms and fire-breathing feet, flying in mid-air.

Further to the right, there was a blond, burly man wielding a large axe, and a big guy covered in green skin.

Who are these people? Is it a new superhero movie from Vought International?

After being taken in by his father, he learned to recognize all the heroes under Vought's banner from a young age, from the Seven to the third-rate local team "The Repayers," but none of them were the ones mentioned above.

The guy with the shield looked like a knock-off of Soldier Boy, but with a much more respectable look in his eyes.

The sizzling sound of meat being fried came from outside the door, along with a rich aroma of butter and roasted meat.

Ryan's stomach growled.

He swallowed hard, tiptoed to the door, grasped the doorknob, and turned it open a crack.

Outside is an open kitchen, where a tall figure stands in front of the stove, wearing a white apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" printed on it, flipping a steak in a frying pan with a spatula.

Despite wearing an apron, the blue uniform underneath and the gold eagle shoulder pads were still eye-catching.

Ryan's muscles tensed, and his heart pounded.

John!

The events that occurred in the Oval Office of the White House flashed through my mind.

John's here! He caught me.

Fear gripped Ryan instantly.

We can't stay here!

He turned and rushed toward the living room's floor-to-ceiling window, bending his knees and instinctively gathering his strength, preparing to smash through the glass and soar into the sky.

He leaped with all his might.

Thirty centimeters off the ground.

"Clatter".

He fell heavily back to the floor, his knees aching from the impact.

What happened?

Ryan scrambled to his feet in a panic and jumped again, but he still only reached the height of an average boy.

He held his breath, trying to project a hot gaze into his eyes, but nothing happened except for a stinging sensation in his eyeballs.

"Be careful, child. But you do resemble your father in some ways."

A gentle, mellow voice came from above.

Ryan looked up in terror and scrambled backward, using both hands and feet, until his back was pressed against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.

Ah Zu came over carrying two steaming plates, a warm smile on his face.

He placed the plate on the long table in the restaurant, turned to look at Ryan huddled in the corner, but did not approach him. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"John! What...what did you do to me?" Ryan slowly stood up, leaning against the wall, his hand stealthily reaching for the brass ashtray on the coffee table beside him. "Where's Butcher?!"

"Come sit down, the steak won't taste good if it gets cold. I cooked it medium-rare, I hope it suits your taste." Azu gestured towards the empty seat opposite him.

Ryan remained motionless, gripping the ashtray tightly: "Answer my question! Or I'll..."

"You hit me with an ashtray?" Azu chuckled, picking up a napkin and spreading it across his collar with elegant composure. "Ryan, you're a smart kid. Even if you had superpowers, that blow wouldn't have hurt me in the slightest. Besides, you're a perfectly normal boy now."

Ryan bit his lip. He knew his situation, but he didn't want to give in.

"First of all, Butcher ran away, faster than a rabbit, without even glancing back at you." Azu picked up his knife and fork, cut off a piece of steak, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and swallowed. "As for your superpowers, that's thanks to that Japanese girl's radiation shockwave."

"Last and most importantly, I am not your father, John."

Ryan gritted his teeth, clearly not believing a word he said: "No! You are him!"

"If you look closely, you'll see that I'm younger and much more handsome than him," Azu said calmly. "My name is Anthony Starr. By blood, I'm John's father, which makes me your grandfather."

Ryan's tense expression froze on his face.

"Grandpa?" Ryan blurted out, his face full of absurdity. "Nonsense! My grandpa was Soldier Boy! I've seen him!"

Ah Zu frowned slightly, a look of disgust on his face: "Don't lump me in with that filthy-mouthed, old-woman-loving trash, Benjamin. What kind of grandfather is he? Have you ever seen a grandfather beat his own grandson or son?"

"Don't be silly, Ryan. You're a smart boy, use your brain. Have you ever seen that old guy fly? Have you ever seen lasers shoot from his eyes?"

Ryan was speechless for a moment.

"The Vought Corporation is best at making up lies, son. The power you and John possess comes from my genes."

Azu stood up and slowly walked to Ryan, who instinctively shrank back.

"The Vought Corporation needed a compliant puppet, so they stole my genetic sample, bred John, and then fabricated the lie of the Soldier Boy to cover up my existence."

Like a kind elder, Azu reached out and gently patted Ryan's tense and stiff shoulder.

"You've been through a lot of terrible things, Ryan. I know it all." Azu sighed, his expression revealing just the right amount of sorrow. "You were locked up in that fake family, Butcher used you as a weapon against John, and John... he didn't know how to be a father at all. The adults imposed their hatred and ambition on you, but no one ever asked you what you wanted."

Ryan felt a lump in his throat and stared blankly at Azu.

Since his mother Becca died, he has been like a ball, being kicked back and forth between Butcher and John.

Butcher's gaze always held calculation and coldness, while John made him feel suffocated and terrified.

Although the man before her bore a striking resemblance to John, his gentle demeanor and bearing were entirely different from the capricious John.

"Are you hungry? Come and get something to eat." Azu gently pulled Ryan's arm. "No matter how those people fight outside, here, you're just my grandson. True family isn't maintained by threats and manipulation, but by unconditional protection. Even if you don't have superpowers now, you're still a member of the Starr family."

Ryan lowered his head and let Azu lead him to the dining table and sit him down in a chair.

On the porcelain plate in front of me was a medium-rare filet mignon, accompanied by roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Ryan's stomach growled loudly; he was indeed starving.

"Eat up." Azu returned to the seat opposite him, picked up his knife and fork, and said, "There's nothing a hot meal can't solve. If there is, then two meals will do."