As Homelander In Multiverse

Two weeks had passed.

During this time, the Department of Defense had completely revamped Azu's office. It was now fully furnished, and the staff was in place.

Meanwhile, Azu had learned from the "Ice Princess" and the Elementalist that Stormfront and Butcher had teamed up. The two were still tracking the situation, but there hadn't been any breakthroughs yet.

On the other hand, both Frenchie and Mother's Milk had been captured, along with freelance journalist Dodge Wilson. Dodge's confession confirmed that Butcher was responsible for killing Blue Hawk. As a result, the police had issued a nationwide warrant for Butcher's arrest.

Azu planned to keep the captured individuals for now, hoping to use them as bait to lure Butcher out. However, if Butcher was anything like his counterpart from the TV series, it was unlikely he'd risk rescuing his friends.

---

That evening, Azu visited the music store where Lin Aida worked, intending to wait for her to finish her shift so they could head home together.

After their shared experience of traversing to the DC Universe, Lin Aida had grown to trust him more, and their relationship had strengthened considerably.

However, the mysterious "Cosmic Gate" hadn't reappeared since, leaving Azu disappointed.

Following the Manhattan incident, New York's crime rate had dropped significantly, and superpowered villains had become less active. Even the previously troublesome "Dark Night Council" had gone quiet.

This created a peculiar problem: without disasters or emergencies, Lin Aida's "Cosmic Gate" remained dormant, and Azu felt increasingly idle.

He had mused more than once: If only Lin Aida could control the gate at will instead of it appearing randomly.

---

Entering the music store, Azu immediately spotted Lin Aida tuning a guitar.

Despite being visually impaired, she had an extraordinary talent for adjusting musical instruments. Azu approached her quietly but couldn't escape her keen senses.

"Mr. John, you're off work already?" Lin Aida asked with a smile.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait. This guitar needs to be ready for a customer tonight, so I'll be a bit late," she explained as her hands skillfully adjusted the strings.

Azu shrugged. "No problem, I'll wait."

Glancing around, he noticed the staff seemed downcast.

"Your colleagues look like they've had better days," he remarked, picking up a flute before putting it back down.

Lin Aida sighed softly. "Business hasn't been good. Mr. Allen plans to sell the music store."

"Mr. Allen is a kind man," she continued. "He treats his employees well and even gave someone like me, with visual impairments, a chance to work. Everyone's worried about what will happen under a new boss. Finding a decent job isn't easy these days."

At that moment, a familiar voice interrupted them.

It was Dolly, the woman they'd previously encountered at the concert hall.

"Why worry, Lin? If you lose this job, you can always become a blind masseuse," Dolly sneered.

"I've seen plenty of blind folks doing well in Chinatown, some even pretending to be blind for business. You're the real deal; you'd make a killing."

"And if that doesn't work out, you've got your neighbor, Mr. Plumber. Sewer work might not be glamorous, but it pays well."

Lin Aida paused her work, clearly irritated. "Dolly, I have no intention of becoming a masseuse. And as for Mr. John, why shouldn't his job be respected? Without plumbers, who would fix clogged sewers—your precious Steven?"

Dolly snorted. "Steven would never stoop to such degrading work!" Tossing her hair, she walked away.

Lin Aida fumed. "She's gone too far this time! Mocking me is one thing, but dragging my friend into it? Unbelievable."

She turned to Azu apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mr. John. Because of me, you got caught in her crossfire."

Azu chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I'm not bothered."

"And besides," he added with a cryptic smile, "I think she'll get what's coming to her soon enough."

---

Meanwhile, in the manager's office, Allen Davis, the fifty-something store owner, was grappling with the store's financial woes. Business had been bad, and the offers he'd received to sell the store were far from ideal.

His phone rang suddenly.

"Hello, who's this?" he asked listlessly.

As the conversation continued, Allen's expression shifted from weariness to excitement. By the end of the call, he was practically beaming.

"Alright, absolutely. No problem at all, ma'am!"

Hanging up, he rushed out to gather his employees.

"Everyone, I've got great news!" Allen announced. "A lady has agreed to buy the store and wants me to continue managing it. You can all keep your jobs—and on top of that, your salaries will increase by 20%!"

Cheers erupted among the staff, Lin Aida included.

"However…" Allen coughed awkwardly, turning to Dolly. "Dolly, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

Dolly froze in shock. "What? Why?"

"The new owner was quite insistent. If I want her money, I need to let you go. I'm sorry, but my hands are tied."

"Please, Mr. Allen!" Dolly pleaded. "I need this job!"

But Allen was resolute. In the end, Dolly left the store in tears, clutching her final paycheck.

---

By evening, the music store had quieted down, leaving only Azu and Lin Aida.

Azu had ordered takeout for dinner, and they ate together before Lin Aida finally finished her work around 9 PM.

Helping her pack up, Azu walked with her to the front door. As Lin Aida pushed it open, a burst of radiant light illuminated their faces.

The Cosmic Gate had returned!

After a month of inactivity, Lin Aida's mysterious portal had reappeared.

Oblivious, Lin Aida was about to step through when Azu grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he said. "Do you have any cash on you?"

She paused, puzzled. "No. Why?"

Realization dawned on her, and she gasped softly. "Is it… is the 'gate' open again?"

Azu nodded. "Exactly."

"What should we do?" she asked, a trace of worry in her voice.

Azu grinned. "Don't worry. I've got you."

Taking her hand firmly, he enveloped her in his protective bio-field and led her through the portal.

---

The transition was instantaneous.

A cool night breeze greeted them, followed by the hum of traffic, chatter from a bustling crowd, and the distant roar of engines.

They found themselves stepping out of a coffee shop onto a busy street.

Behind them, someone grumbled, "Stop blocking the way!"

Above, a streak of light soared across the night sky, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of jet propulsion.

Azu glanced up and spotted a figure flying toward a distant skyscraper.

Around him, pedestrians whipped out their phones, exclaiming excitedly.

"Look! It's Iron Man!"

"He's heading for Stark Tower!"

Azu's lips curved into a smile.

Marvel Universe. I'm here.

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