Chapter 9: I’m Here
"Let's hear it," Azu said, turning toward the screen, not in a rush. After all, at his speed, it wouldn't take long to reach the airport.
The young, beautiful head of the Department of Homeland Security spoke clearly, "A Boeing passenger plane has been hijacked. There's a senator on board."
"The terrorists began negotiating with Homeland Security when they took the plane, but something went wrong midway through the talks, and communications were cut off."
"Then the crash happened."
"Homeland Security has confirmed that the terrorists are in possession of an extremely dangerous weapon. To ensure the safety of the citizens and rescue Senator Hope and his family, they've asked for our assistance."
"At the moment, the rescue operation at the airport has been taken over by the security department. The officer in charge is Colonel Yuri."
Homelander nodded, "Understood."
"We're on our way."
Standing up, Azu glanced at Black Noir and The Deep.
"Let's go."
---
At the international airport.
The sound of sirens, car engines, shouting, and water hoses filled the air.
Police, firefighters, and the military were already on site.
Under the command of Homeland Security, the rescue operation was underway.
Colonel Yuri, a sharp and capable man in his forties, stood with his hands behind his back, studying the airport map on a large screen.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept past the tent, nearly lifting it off the ground.
Someone had entered.
A blonde man in a blue suit with a star-spangled cape flowing behind him.
Homelander!
Colonel Yuri's spirits lifted.
He strode forward, extending his hand, "Seeing you here puts me at ease, Homelander."
Azu smiled and firmly shook the colonel's rough, powerful hand.
After the handshake, Yuri returned to the screen and began, "We've just sent out a drone for reconnaissance."
"The Boeing plane didn't crash but plowed into the terminal, trapping over a thousand passengers and staff inside."
"Additionally, the terrorists are holding Senator Hope's family hostage, using them as leverage."
Azu interrupted, "Is there a guy named Eddie Or among the terrorists?"
Colonel Yuri blinked in surprise, wondering why Homelander was focused on one of the hijackers.
Still, he had his team pull up the information, and they quickly found a match.
Seconds later, a photo appeared on the screen.
A man in his thirties with a grim expression, bearing distinct Middle Eastern features.
He wore an eyepatch.
His left ear was missing, and the left side of his face was scarred from burns.
Noting the man's features, Azu turned and headed toward the exit of the tent.
Colonel Yuri hurried after him, "Homelander, I haven't finished explaining."
"Tell them," Azu said, pointing at Black Noir and The Deep, before taking off into the sky with a whoosh.
Yuri, flustered, said, "He's not just going to storm in, is he?"
"If he does that, the senator's family will be in danger!"
The Deep's lips twitched slightly, and he muttered under his breath, "Who knows what he's thinking."
---
In the night sky, Azu floated high above, accompanied by the breeze.
He looked down at the airport.
From this height, he could see that the terminal had been pierced by the Boeing plane, causing parts of the building to collapse.
Several small fires burned inside. The firefighters outside were using water cannons to put them out, but their efforts weren't very effective.
They were only able to control the flames, preventing them from spreading deeper into the terminal.
"If I rush in, will I scare the target away?"
Azu crossed his arms, carefully considering the question.
As for whether the senator's family would be endangered, he didn't care in the slightest.
He didn't even know the senator—if they died, so be it.
"The area's too large for me to monitor every corner."
"And with thousands of people trapped inside, the target could easily blend in with the crowd."
"Still, there's always a way."
"I could blow up the terminal and bury everyone inside—that would complete the mission."
"But that's a bit too ruthless."
"No need to go that far... yet."
At that moment, he noticed The Deep and Black Noir exiting the tent, seemingly preparing for action.
Sure enough, his earpiece crackled to life with The Deep's voice.
"Homelander, we're about to start the hostage rescue."
"Colonel Yuri's priority is the safety of Senator Hope's family."
"The terrorists have taken strategic positions in the intact parts of the terminal, and Noir is going in to take them out."
"I'll be infiltrating through the sewage network. Honestly, if Translucent were here, he'd be a better fit for this mission."
After a pause, The Deep cautiously asked.
"Do you have any instructions?"
Azu chuckled, "No."
"Just go ahead and do your thing."
"If necessary, I'll back you up."
With that, Azu flew toward the terminal, watching as Black Noir moved stealthily through the shadows, approaching the building and scaling the heights.
With his blade, Noir swiftly took out the enemies positioned at the vantage points.
Within moments, all the terrorists holding strategic positions in the terminal were eliminated.
---
Inside the sprawling terminal.
In the Boeing plane now lodged in the main hall.
A man missing his left ear, his face scarred from burns, looked up. "Still no response from Homeland Security?"
"Not yet, Captain Eddie," one of the terrorists replied.
At that moment, a blonde girl with blue eyes, seated in the business class section, shouted, "You'd better let us go."
"Otherwise, when Homelander gets here, none of you will escape!"
Next to her, a nervous middle-aged man with a bulging waistline whispered anxiously, "Rita, don't talk to them."
Eddie Or, the disfigured leader, stood up and sneered, "Girl, you should listen to your father."
"Shut your pretty little mouth, or do you want me to put something else in it?"
The blonde girl angrily snapped her mouth shut.
But Eddie noticed that his men looked uneasy.
"What's wrong?"
"You're scared of this Homelander?"
"Don't worry, we've got the 'Holy Blood.'"
"We can use it to fight him."
As soon as he finished speaking...
A voice called out from the entrance to the plane, "Captain Eddie, something's happening in the hall."
Rifle in hand, Eddie hurried to the boarding door.
Looking out, he saw the rubble at the far end of the hall, the collapsed section of the terminal.
Two beams of deep red light were moving through the debris.
Wherever the light passed, the rubble was sliced cleanly apart.
The light traced a path for a moment before...
Boom.
The rubble collapsed, revealing a massive opening, allowing blinding light from the outside to flood in.
Then...
A figure appeared in the light.
A star-spangled cape billowing behind him.
Like a god, he floated into the hall through the opening.
Suspended in mid-air.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"Why?"
"It's simple."
"Because I'm here!"
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