Marvel: God of Spotlight, The Homelander

Homelander finally caught on at this moment.

Dreamwalking.

Wanda’s quest for her children? The name immediately popped into Homelander’s mind.

The source of this spell seemed to be... the Darkhold?

Holy crap! Homelander cursed inwardly.

Where did that kid Strange get his hands on the Darkhold?

What were the consequences of the Darkhold again? It seemed like it would corrupt the user’s mind and turn them into a living vessel? What else?

Homelander shook his head; he couldn’t recall the specific details.

Forget it! Homelander sneered inwardly.

Who cares about some Darkhold or evil god.

I am about to collect all six Infinity Stones.

Once those six stones are in my hands, who could withstand a snap of my fingers?

"What’s wrong, Teacher?" Strange noticed Homelander’s Strange expression and asked.

Homelander didn’t explain, but instead asked back: "Strange, do you remember what I told you before?"

Strange was stunned: "You mean?"

"Sometimes, to save others, you have to dirty your own hands." Homelander smiled and continued.

"We are Superheroes, doing things every day that others dare not do."

"But rules are dead, while people are alive. If that so-called rule prevents you from saving my Wanda, then that rule is bullshit!"

Homelander let go, his gaze full of encouragement and trust.

"As long as your result is correct, I will shoulder all other criticisms and troubles for you! Go ahead and do it, Strange. Don’t let those outdated dogmas bind your greatness."

Hearing this, Strange’s heart was deeply moved.

He had always been carrying immense psychological pressure.

And now, Homelander’s words were like a sharp knife, severing the shackles in his heart.

That’s right! If even the God of Mankind, who has saved the World multiple times, thinks so, why should he be confined by those rigid rules?

"I understand, Teacher Homelander!" A new light shone in Strange’s eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

Having received Homelander’s affirmation, he felt very encouraged.

Notification! Special popularity value gained +10000! (From Stephen Strange)

"Very good." Homelander smiled with satisfaction. "When can you start? Now?"

Strange shook his head and said: "Reversing this kind of high-level rune is an extremely complex project; I need some time."

"No problem, go at your own pace. If you need any help, feel free to contact me at any time."

After speaking, Homelander didn’t waste any more time; he raised his hand and drew a spark circle.

It was almost time to go give Nebula special training, and he could also harvest a fresh wave of her popularity along the way.

The sparks vanished, leaving only Strange behind.

He then turned and slowly walked towards the hidden door leading to the Underground Room.

As he walked, he recalled that night a few weeks ago.

Christine’s death had always been an unhealed scar in his heart.

Whenever the night was deep and quiet, the pain of losing his beloved would repeatedly assault his heart; he believed it was all his fault.

He longed to undo everything and bring Christine back.

This obsession reached its peak that night.

So, that night, he let his astral form leave his physical body, attempting to calm his heart through astral projection.

But at the very moment his soul left his body, a voice seduced him.

That voice seemed to know his pain and promised to give him everything he wanted.

Strange floated in the direction of the voice.

He discovered that he had arrived at the ruins of a dilapidated temple.

On a stone platform in the center of the temple, a book was floating quietly.

Strange could not control his desire and reached out to touch the book.

In an instant, countless pieces of knowledge flooded into his mind.

Forbidden spells, dark rituals.

Yet in it, he saw hope, and he saw the possibility of resurrecting Christine.

All impossibilities became possible within this book.

As long as he opened it.

But at the same time, he also felt the evil contained in that power.

Strange immediately forcibly severed the astral connection, and his consciousness returned to his physical body.

But he was surprised to find that the book had come back with him.

It was lying quietly on the floor of the meditation room.

Strange was very hesitant and restrained regarding it; he knew it was a dangerous bomb.

He only used the coordinates left in the book to find the ruins of the legendary Cagliostro Library, and then never opened it again.

He was afraid that once he fell into it, he would never be able to turn back.

But now.

Strange stopped in front of the door to the Underground Room.

Homelander’s affirmation shattered the last trace of hesitation in his heart.

"Sometimes, to save others, you have to dirty your own hands."

This sentence became his perfect get-out-of-jail-free card and psychological comfort.

Under the glow of the dark red light.

Strange opened the thick pages of the book.

Three days later.

New York, Vought press conference venue.

At this moment, the huge holographic projection on the wall was scrolling through the frenzied scenes of people around the World campaigning for the heroes.

"Everyone." Ashley’s exciting voice reached the ears of every hero present and the global audience. "Combining the enthusiastic voting of the global public over the past three weeks and the final evaluation by President Homelander, the seven-person roster representing Earth in the Cosmic Gladiator Tournament has been officially finalized."

The hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final result.

Ashley opened the folder and read out the names on it aloud.

"First, without a doubt... our leader, President of Vought, Guardian of Earth, God of Mankind, and Captain of this expedition team—Homelander!"

A burst of warm applause rang out in the hall, and Homelander smiled and waved in acknowledgment.

"Second. The symbol of freedom and will, World War II hero, Captain America—Steve Rogers!"

When Steve heard his name, he didn’t show much expression, just stood even straighter and nodded slightly to Homelander in acknowledgment.

"Third. Earth’s smartest mind, billionaire, playboy, Iron Man—Tony Stark!"

Hearing his name, a proud smile appeared on the corner of Tony’s mouth, signaling to the people that the money hadn’t been spent in vain.

"Fourth. The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and also the youngest Superhero this time, Peter Parker!"

"Yes!"

Peter was so excited that he jumped straight up from his chair and did a backflip on the spot.

He then realized that this might not be mature enough, so he quickly coughed twice and sat back down in his seat.

"Listen, Pajama Baby." Tony teased him from the side, "If you encounter those slimy, foul-smelling aliens, don’t you dare vomit inside your helmet; it’ll be a real pain to clean up."

Peter was so excited his face turned red, and he waved his fist vigorously.

"I absolutely won’t, Mr. Stark! I can’t wait to use that secret weapon you made for me! Thank you so very much!"

"Thank Homelander; it was his idea!"

***************************

Thoughts on where the plot is heading? Let me know in the comments! If you’re enjoying the ride, please leave a quick review and toss a few Power Stones my way. Every bit of support means the world! 🙌