The problems in The Boys world were severe — and they were far from being limited to Homelander alone.
Even back when Homelander was still an infant, Vought had already begun its superhuman research. It was hard to imagine how many people and families they had ruined over the years.
What made matters worse was the unmistakable shadow of the American government behind Vought.
Clark sighed. "I never realized how complicated the worlds could be. Every universe has its own problems — and it's not something we can solve just by catching a few criminals."
As the two spoke, a brilliant golden beam suddenly descended from the sky.
They exchanged a glance, instantly recognizing the sign — the Quiz Game was about to begin.
But to their surprise, the golden pillar didn't fall on Superman or Dr. Banner. Instead, it landed squarely on Homelander's head.
Inside the cell, Homelander stopped shouting. The rage and madness on his face melted into arrogant laughter.
"Hahaha… You bastards just wait! I'll be back to snap every single one of your necks!"
Having seen the previous round of the Quiz Game, Homelander already understood what was happening.
It was just answering questions and winning rewards, wasn't it?
He was brimming with confidence. With the right reward, he could regain his freedom — and perhaps become even stronger.
Clark and Dr. Banner's faces both darkened. "This just got a lot more complicated."
Neither of them had expected the Quiz Game to choose Homelander. But there was nothing they could do; they could only watch helplessly as he was transported away.
Before leaving, Homelander even grinned at Clark and made a throat-slitting gesture.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a vast, boundless space.
[Player: Homelander. Player: Tony Stark. Player: Natasha Romanoff. Player: Erik Lehnsherr. Player: Bruce Banner. All players are now in position]
[The Quiz Game will now begin. Players, please prepare yourselves]
"Great… Homelander? Hey, why is he here? Is this some kind of villain boss party?"
Tony had actually been pleased when he was chosen — it had been a long time since he last joined the Quiz Game. But the moment he saw Homelander standing in the opposite light pillar, his mood soured instantly.
Still, there was someone even more surprised than him.
Natasha stared in shock. "Tony… you're alive? Wait, what is this place?"
"Nat, that's a little hurtful. Are you saying I should already be dead?" Tony arched a brow at her, then paused. "No… you don't look quite like the Natasha I know."
Natasha shook her head. "No, Tony… you should be dead. You died at the hands of your own creation."
Tony processed her words. "Alright, alright… sounds like the me in your world wasn't as lucky. I get it. Obviously, we're from different worlds. Maybe you've heard of the parallel universe theory?"
Erik raised an eyebrow. "So Charles and Logan aren't here? Tony Stark… I've heard of you."
"Good — at least this time I'm not the only veteran player," Tony replied with a shrug, before glancing at a dark-haired young man. "Bruce Banner? Don't be nervous. I know you — well, not you you, but the version of you from another parallel universe. If you're a scientist there too, you should understand what I mean. And honestly, you're a lot better looking than the Banner I know. Hopefully he's not watching this live feed."
The young, handsome Bruce Banner looked bewildered. "Are you saying this is… a parallel universe?"
"No, think of it more like an alien experiment… okay, I'm kidding. You all heard the announcement, right? This is a game. The Quiz Game…"
Realizing that both Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner were newcomers from a parallel universe that hadn't yet experienced the Quiz Game, Tony took the initiative to give them a quick rundown of the basics.
He certainly didn't want to give Homelander any advantages. But since he couldn't stop him from hearing the basics anyway, it was better to help the two new players so they could keep Homelander in check during the answering phase.
Homelander stood with arms folded, watching coldly. He wasn't in a hurry. Even bound in the golden light, it was far better than the prison cell he had just left.
He'd already seen Billy Butcher, Annie, and the others in the Eternal Space last round. He knew enough of the rules — answer correctly, win mysterious rewards. This was his golden ticket to freedom.
Erik was intrigued and started a conversation. "You left quite an impression on us, Homelander."
Magneto had also seen the last round of the Quiz Game. Other than Billy Butcher, whose appearance reminded him somewhat of Wolverine, Homelander had stood out the most — for his raw power and his unhinged personality.
Homelander glanced between Erik and Tony.
"You're not with them?"
"I'm not from their world," Erik replied with a shrug.
By now, Tony had finished his quick explanation. Natasha and Bruce still looked puzzled, clearly having more questions.
"Don't worry," Tony told them. "Once the game starts, you'll catch on quickly." Then, curious, he asked Natasha, "So… what happened in your world?"
Natasha's brows rose as she prepared to answer.
But before she could speak, a loud voice boomed overhead:
[This game mode will be Gladiator Arena. Players will compete individually, earning points by answering questions. In the end, only one winner will receive the mysterious reward! Losers will face corresponding punishments!]
This round's rules were different — the five players would be pitted against each other, vying for first place. It was a harsher setup.
But Tony actually breathed a sigh of relief. With only one winner, it would be much harder for Homelander to claim victory.
As a veteran player, Tony was confident.
After the brief rule announcement, the Quiz Game wasted no time and presented the first question:
[Among the following, who instantly killed Thanos after he had put on the Infinity Gauntlet and acquired five Infinity Stones?]
[A: Captain Marvel
B: Thor
C: Ultron
D: Wanda Maximoff]
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