Chapter Three: Terror at the Supermarket, Azu’s First Triumph

Walmart Supermarket.

After Martha learned that Peter was a single father, she enthusiastically began helping him select baby supplies. Martha placed Homelander in the stroller, squeezed in next to Clark. The more robust Homelander immediately shoved Clark aside, clutching a Tyrannosaurus Rex toy and pounding it against Clark. Because Martha was busy explaining to Peter which brand of formula was better suited for infants under one year old, she didn't notice that Homelander was bullying her son.

"Packaging, taste, nutrition, and cost-effectiveness are all things you need to consider," Martha said, placing two cans of formula into Peter's cart. "You can try these two brands; they’re the ones Clark has always used."

Peter really wanted to tell her that he intended to raise Homelander in a free-range manner and that such fussiness wasn't necessary. However, thinking that might make him seem like a deadbeat, he wisely remained silent.

Finally, having finished selecting their items, the two joined the line at the checkout counter. Peter held Homelander, while Martha pushed the stroller and chatted with him, completely unaware that a crisis had already arrived.

Two minutes later.

At the end of the checkout line, a man walked in. He wore dark Ray-Ban sunglasses and a V-neck T-shirt. The man in sunglasses scanned the crowd in the supermarket and pulled a Glock pistol from his clothes. He then raised the gun straight into the air and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

As the gunshot rang out, everyone in the supermarket went silent for a second. Once they realized what was happening, the crowd exploded into chaos. Screams, agitation, and panic erupted instantly throughout the store. The man in sunglasses seemed to enjoy the terrified atmosphere; he aimed his gun at a target and fired, shattering a door to pieces.

Peter was also stunned by the gunshot. He knew that "zero-dollar shopping" was prevalent in American supermarkets, but he hadn't expected to encounter it so soon. Before he could react, he was swept away by the panicked crowd. Peter held Homelander tightly, trying to get out of the supermarket quickly. But he soon realized there was more than one gunman; another shooter hidden in the crowd began firing at the people.

These gunmen did not seem interested in robbery, as they began firing indiscriminately into the crowd. On the other side, Martha, cradling Clark, ran in sheer terror, nearly tripping over a body lying face down. Looking at the corpse on the ground, a wave of nausea rose in her throat. Although she covered her mouth immediately, she couldn't suppress a whimper.

Yet her crying was not alone; the sounds of people weeping echoed throughout the supermarket. Some hid in the aisles, while others tried to bolt for the doors, only to be shot down instantly. Then, a gaunt man began walking slowly toward her. He was also wearing sunglasses, and his khaki pants were stained with something that could have been food or machine oil.

He raised his pistol, and with a "bang," a bullet flew just over Martha's head. Just as she was about to let out a cry, a hand suddenly covered her mouth. To her terrified eyes, Peter appeared from behind her, clutching Homelander.

"Shh!" Peter made a gesture for her to be quiet. He was holding a stainless-steel two-pronged fork. Martha recognized it; it was for barbecuing.

Peter and Martha hid behind a shelf, and by now, both Clark and Homelander were being uncharacteristically quiet. Martha was so nervous she dared not even breathe. Just as the gunman walked past and Martha thought he hadn't noticed them, he suddenly whipped around and aimed his pistol directly at her.

Just as Martha thought she was about to be shot, Peter—who had moved toward the gunman at some point—plunged the two-pronged fork deep into the man’s neck. The gunman, caught off guard, turned his head toward Peter in shock. Peter responded with a clumsy twist. The fork protruded from the other side of his neck, acting like a lever. Blood gushed from the wound like a bubbling fountain, soaking the gunman's neck and the collar of his T-shirt.

"Thud!" The gunman collapsed heavily to the floor.

After taking down the shooter, Peter’s heart hammered wildly. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary "iron-willed worker," and he had only ever seen murder on television. Yet, to save his own life, fueled by a surge of adrenaline, he had actually killed the gunman! Could he have a talent for being an assassin?

While his mind raced with chaotic thoughts, his hands moved quickly, reaching for the fallen gun.

"Bang!" The other gunman spotted Peter trying to retrieve the weapon and fired; the bullet grazed his body. Peter couldn't risk picking up the gun and scrambled behind the shelf as fast as he could.

On the other side, Martha stared in astonishment at Peter, who had just taken down a gunman. She hadn't expected him to be so brave! Her own heart pounding, she saw Homelander, whom Peter had set down earlier, and immediately scooped him up.

The other gunman, enraged, raised his pistol and fired repeatedly at the shelf where Peter was hiding. The bullets shattered the items on the shelves.

"Come out, you bastard!"

Stung by the debris raining down from the shelves, Martha huddled close, using her own body to shield the two babies from harm.

"Patrick!" Martha shouted toward Peter. "If I die, can you take Clark out of here?" She was already preparing for the worst.

"It hasn't come to that yet!" Peter frowned. He suddenly noticed that the Homelander in Martha's arms had a faint red glow in his eyes. He remembered that Homelander was supposed to have heat vision.

With that thought, he immediately took Homelander from Martha.

"Good, Homelander. Think about something that makes you angry, trigger your talent, you can do it," Peter said, ignoring the bullets whizzing overhead. "Hurry up and fire those laser eyes!"

Homelander tilted his head, making "goo-goo" noises, and even handed him the T-Rex toy. But the red glow in his eyes showed no sign of strengthening.

"I need you to fire those damn... laser eyes!" Peter almost cursed out loud. The kid had clearly awakened his superpower earlier that day—why wasn't it working now? Looking at the T-Rex in his hand, he hardened his heart and twisted the head off the toy.

Seeing his beloved T-Rex decapitated, Homelander immediately pouted. The red glow in his eyes began to intensify. With the dangerous energy building up, it seemed the powerful laser was about to fire.

In front of Martha's stunned and shocked eyes, Peter charged out holding Homelander.

"Stop! I surrender!"

Hearing Peter’s voice, the gunman stopped firing. Seeing Peter emerge holding a baby, the gunman assumed he had found a human shield and looked at this "scumbag" with contempt.

"You piece of trash, you coming out here to die?"

"No! I'm here to kill you!"

He pinched Homelander’s soft little bottom, and with a wail, Homelander finally burst into tears.

"Zzzzt!"

A crimson laser beam shot instantly from Homelander's eyes. The powerful beam swept across, moving rapidly as Peter twisted, aiming the baby's head.

"Slash!"

The horizontal laser cut the gunman in two instantly. With a "thud," the man's upper body toppled onto a shelf filled with seashell ornaments and beach-themed snow globes. As the items hit the floor, they shattered into pieces.

Breathing in the heavy scent of blood and witnessing everything before her, Martha wanted to say something, but she found that her mouth could not be controlled by her brain at all.