American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

463. Apocalypse!

The Lamplighter sat dejectedly on the floor. Even though Alex had earlier suggested he rest in a chair, now he felt too drained to move.

Having wandered aimlessly in this world for three or four decades, this was the first time the Lamplighter truly faced his own life. Perhaps it was the indulgence he had during his time with The Seven that made it difficult for him to consider his true feelings.

Now that he had left the Vought Group and no longer had his father's interference, he finally had the time to reflect on his actions over the years.

He didn't know what was right or wrong, or how to discern them. To put it another way, he knew what was morally right or wrong, but he never cared about it before. Back then, all he wanted was to be the most outstanding figure in other people's eyes.

The perfect son in his father's eyes, the superhero in the public's eyes, the idol in his fans' eyes, and the most valuable tool in the Vought Group's eyes.

It turned out that all of his goals had been so trivial.

Now, looking back, it seemed truly laughable.

He had worked so hard all this time just to become someone in other people's "eyes." When had he given up on his own dreams and goals? Was his whole life meant to be lived for others?

"Defeating the Vought Group is not as easy as you imagine," the Lamplighter said, breaking the silence, his head lowered. "The Seven are just the first obstacle you can see. Inside the group, there are countless other threats."

"I understand, which is why I'm seeking out more power like yours," Alex replied calmly.

"It's difficult." The Lamplighter rubbed his temples and gave a bitter smile. "The kids brainwashed by Vought won't understand you, and as for the ordinary superhumans, their combat abilities won't help you much either."

The Lamplighter wasn't wrong about this. In this world, superhumans had developed to this point, and aside from the babies injected with Compound V, the rest were the offspring of superhumans, who carried the superpower genes.

These superhumans' children would generally inherit their parents' abilities and be controlled by the Vought Group alongside their parents. When their parents grew old, these children would continue working for the Vought Group under their parents' former titles.

These individuals, although powerful, could not assist in the fight against Vought. Instead, they would become obstacles.

"For ordinary superhumans, joining the Vought Group is their goal. Money, power, everything they want is at their fingertips. Simply put, the Vought Group is the place where they can fulfill their dreams," the Lamplighter said bitterly. "Under such circumstances, when you try to destroy the Vought Group, how many people do you think will stand by your side, and how many will stand against you?"

"Indeed, I've already disturbed their 'interests,'" Alex folded his arms. "After all, the Vought Group has set the rules, and breaking those rules will inevitably lead to resistance."

"So you should understand, resisting the Vought Group is almost impossible. Even you can't escape. They have countless ways to take you down," the Lamplighter said, pointing to the door.

"Many superhumans are locked up here, and I'm sure you've seen their files. There's one called Cindy—if she wants to, she can snap her fingers and blow me into pieces.

And that's just those locked up here. Can you imagine the ruthless little punks at Godolkin University, or the next generation of superheroes? They will stop at nothing to kill both of us.

Not for any other reason, but just because the Vought Group has told them we're the enemies. That's enough for them. They'll use all their resources to take us down, and I haven't even included The Seven in this."

"If it weren't such a hassle, I wouldn't have bothered coming all this way, right?" Alex chuckled indifferently.

Seeing Alex still able to smile in this situation, the Lamplighter couldn't help but feel that this guy was either a madman or someone extremely confident in his own combat abilities.

But thinking about it now didn't matter. The Lamplighter only wanted to live for himself. He no longer wanted to be the dog of the Vought Group. He wanted to find the true meaning of his life.

"You promised me that after this is over, you'll take me away from this world and show me those parallel universes, right?" The Lamplighter fixed his gaze on Alex, his expression serious.

"Yes, I promise you. I'll take you away," Alex replied.

Originally, the Lamplighter was born in pollution. If Alex took him out, he wasn't sure whether he would become a carrier of pollution and spread those ideas.

But now, the Lamplighter had already been tainted by him. In this case, the Lamplighter's soul had been thoroughly cleansed, and he would no longer become a source of pollution.

Even if he were to spread it, the only pollution he would spread would be his own.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Good."

The Lamplighter nodded heavily.

"I'll do everything I can to help you, but I can't guarantee how successful this will be, since my power is far from the level of Homelander."

"About that…" When the Lamplighter mentioned this, Alex stood up thoughtfully, staring intently at the Lamplighter's face, deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" The Lamplighter raised an eyebrow, curious.

For some reason, as he looked at Alex's gaze, he felt like the other was thinking something strange, almost as if he were being treated like a lab rat.

"Don't worry, I just want to do a little experiment on you. Don't worry, there won't be any side effects, and you won't even feel any pain."

Alex took a stack of cards out of his pocket and began to search through them carefully.

"Got it, here it is."

Before long, a card featuring a bald man in a blue battle robe with strange patterns painted on his face appeared in Alex's hand.

The man on the card had gray skin and four horses of different colors beneath him. He was raising both hands, seemingly preparing to launch a world-shattering, destructive war.

"What is that?" The Lamplighter instinctively felt a suffocating pressure as he gazed at the card.

It was as if a lamb had encountered a wolf pack. The oppressive force from this seemingly higher being made his heartbeat quicken.

"This is a superhuman with a long history, who calls himself 'Apocalypse.'"

Alex silently observed the intricate design on the card and began to explain.

"As one of the oldest mutants in history, Apocalypse possesses incredibly powerful abilities. He also has a variety of abilities, but the most interesting one is his ability to enhance the powers of other mutants."

"Enhance" is not entirely accurate. It's an energy transfer ability, allowing him to transmit his own energy to others, greatly enhancing their mutant abilities."

As he spoke, Alex smiled kindly at the Lamplighter.

However, to the Lamplighter, that smile felt as terrifying as the grimace of a devil. He struggled to get up, looking at Alex in shock.

"W-what are you going to do?!"

"I told you not to worry. I just want to see if Apocalypse's ability can help enhance you, since your combat ability is a bit too weak right now," Alex said, smiling slightly.

"No need. I feel fine as I am. If you want to experiment, there are over twenty people in the cell who can line up for you to try it on," the Lamplighter immediately shook his head.

Ever since he learned that his powers came from Compound V, the Lamplighter had developed a strong aversion to science and experiments.

So when he heard that Alex wanted to use him for an experiment, he immediately recoiled, as if someone had stepped on his tail.

"You should know, I don't want to waste this energy on ordinary people. Don't worry, you won't feel any pain," Alex said as he slowly raised his hand.

"Really don't need it, really don't need it... Ahhh!!"

Before the Lamplighter could finish speaking, a sharp, searing pain surged through his bones.

The pain was so intense it felt as if someone was scraping his marrow with a blade. The agony overwhelmed him, and he lost his voice, collapsing to the ground.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt, it won't hurt," Alex said, suddenly thrusting his hand forward. The energy inside his body merged with the Lamplighter's in a way invisible to the naked eye, wildly transforming his body.

"It's not… not hurting?!" The Lamplighter screamed in pain.

His body erupted with glowing light, and it felt as though lava was flowing beneath his skin. His bones and veins became visible under his skin.

His fists clenched and trembled as he felt something surging inside him. Before he realized what was happening, a bluish-green flame ignited from his fists.

This was just the beginning. Soon, more and more flames spread across his body, enveloping him in a blazing inferno, transforming him into a fiery humanoid creature.

"Ahhh!!"

Opening his eyes, the Lamplighter felt an overwhelming power coursing through his body.

Before, he needed an open flame to activate his powers, but now fire seemed to be his plaything, summoned at will with a wave of his hand.

And not only that, the flames and intense heat no longer harmed him. Now, he was like the embodiment of fire, and he even considered trying to swim in molten lava.

Watching the completely transformed Lamplighter, Alex showed a faint smile.

He had originally been unsure whether his energy would be compatible with this world, but it seemed he had overthought it. After receiving Alex's energy, the Lamplighter's combat abilities had been enhanced by several times.

It wasn't just his physical strength and bone density; even his control over fire and his cells had undergone a tremendous change.

Thanks to Apocalypse's energy transfer, the Angel could even transform angelic wings into steel, so reshaping his powers didn't seem like a big deal.

"How does it feel?" Alex asked.

"Huff... huff..."

The Lamplighter breathed heavily, still recovering from the pain that had only just begun to subside. After a moment, he quietly extinguished the flames around him.

Collapsed on the ground, he looked up and flipped Alex the bird.

"I&%￥&￥!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Alex said nonchalantly, smiling, before pointing to the clothes hanging on the wall nearby.

"Change into those clothes. We've got something big to do next."

.....

📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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464. Action Plan.
465. Butcher's Operation.
466. Stormfront's Attack!!
467. Storm and Tempest.
468. The Death of Stormfront!

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