Chapter 51 : Gods Bring Destruction

"It seems you really are panicking."

At the entrance to the cockpit, Russell stood face to face with the visibly agitated Homelander, his expression blank but his eyes burning with a dangerous crimson light, like molten lava ready to erupt. Their gazes collided, sending sparks flying in the air.

"Laser eyes?" Maeve was stunned to see Russell's eyes glowing with the same energy as Homelander's—identical in every way.

"No one can challenge me!"

Homelander's brow twitched, his face tightening into a colder expression to mask the flash of surprise. He lowered his voice, furious.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Saving a plane I wouldn't even bother with using some unknown biological force field and having the same laser vision as me—do you think that gives you the right to challenge me? To challenge the most powerful superhuman in the world?!"

He stepped forward, ready to strike.

"What's he doing? Is Homelander trying to intimidate Infinity Man?"

"I saw it! When he killed the terrorist, his heat vision damaged the plane—that's why we started falling!"

"He looks furious. Totally embarrassed."

"He's blaming Infinity Man instead of reflecting on his own mistake? No way!"

Though the passengers couldn't hear the exact words between the two, they could clearly see Homelander's glowing red eyes as he moved to attack Russell. The passengers, still preparing to disembark, instantly erupted in unrest. There was no way they'd allow their savior to be punished or blamed.

"What the hell are you doing, Homelander?"

"Hey! Back off!"

Someone even threw an empty milk carton at Homelander.

Smack!

The carton hit his chest. Homelander instinctively turned in the direction it had come from, his eyes blazing with red fury. The sheer intensity of his glare made the man who'd thrown it collapse in fear, his legs buckling.

Others, seeing Homelander's fierce expression—so unlike his TV persona—began to step back, alarmed.

"He's not gonna hurt us, is he?"

"I—I didn't mean…"

Snapped out of his rage, Homelander hurriedly extinguished his laser eyes and raised both hands, his smile forced and awkward as he addressed the passengers.

"Haha, come on now. Don't get the wrong idea—I was just joking around with Infinity!"

Homelander's psyche was deeply twisted—moody, ruthless, but desperate for affection and attention. He didn't dare expose his brutal nature in public, fearing the loss of his fanbase.

Smack!

He tried to place a friendly hand on Russell's shoulder to show they were on good terms, but Russell brusquely knocked it away without hesitation.

"If you're not ready to fight, then don't bare your fangs like a dog with more bark than bite."

With that cold remark, he turned and walked away.

That exchange made it abundantly clear that things weren't as Homelander claimed.

Passengers gathered at the cockpit door all sided with Infinity, the one who had saved them. They whispered among themselves, casting wary glances at Homelander as they disembarked.

"Homelander isn't as perfect as the media says…"

"Is he jealous? Infinity Man stole his thunder?"

"INFINITY! INFINITY!"

As the passengers followed Russell out of the aircraft, the stadium erupted once more in thunderous cheers. Crowds surged toward the baseball field, lifting Russell high above their heads. Amid the roaring crowd and excited chatter, Homelander clenched his teeth. For the first time in his life, he trembled with fury—but didn't dare lash out.

The once-beloved face of Vought had become a mere sideshow—overshadowed, outshined.

A few young fans tried to approach him for photos, only to be stopped by airplane passengers who relayed what they'd seen with hushed, cautious tones. Doubt instantly clouded the young fans' expressions.

"When Infinity brought the out-of-control Boeing 737 safely down in the middle of the baseball stadium, it was as if the world held its breath."

—A new superhero known as Infinity prevented a "second 9/11."

In news footage, a massive passenger jet trailed black smoke as it dove from the sky—only for the camera to catch the silhouette of a white-caped figure rising defiantly into the heavens.

Across the globe, newscasters with different faces, speaking different languages, all reported the same incredible story. A Boeing 737 hijacked by terrorists was saved, and over a hundred lives were spared. Some anchors were so emotional their voices trembled:

"A rising superhero—Infinity —has just prevented a disaster potentially more devastating than the Twin Towers attack!"

.....

If you want to read 30 advanced chapters before they get Thanos-snapped, check out my p@treon.com/INTRAX (Replace @ with 'a')