Chapter 98: Is Compound V useful to the Viltrumite?
Two plates of compound v.
Divided into temporary and permanent, forty vials each, Lucas took them away casually.
The temporary compound v has defects; 3-5 injections will endanger one’s life.
In the original show, Butcher kept injecting temporary compound v, resulting in a tumor. What was even more absurd was that later, when Butcher injected compound v again, the tumor gained superpowers.
Butcher was originally a Homelander template, but ended up becoming a super tumor.
The head of the experimental department was nervous the whole time, fearing that the Guardian would use this stuff like firecrackers.
The compound v that Vought sells to the military is at a bargain price of 5 million dollars.
But selling it elsewhere would cost 20 million dollars.
Using it as firecrackers would be a bit too extravagant.
The reason Lucas took the compound v was that he thought of a possibility.
Two months later, if he’s lucky, he might be transported back to the "Invincible" world.
The technology there is much more heaven-defying than the The Boys universe.
Teleportation portals, genetic laboratories, space-time tunnels; they are countless generations more advanced than Vought’s lousy pharmaceutical factory.
Perhaps, he could borrow their hands to thoroughly improve these two incomplete batches of compound v.
Wouldn’t it be delightful to mass-produce Supes then?
He just didn’t know if this stuff could follow him when he was transported over.
"There’s no harm in trying."
Lucas weighed the small bottle in his pocket and returned to the apartment.
...
In the apartment living room.
Lucas picked up a small blue bottle, held it up to the light, and squinted to examine it.
He suddenly remembered.
Would compound v have any strengthening effect on his own body?
Maeve was curled up on the sofa munching on a lollipop, while Annie was watching TV, eating a slice of pizza.
The two women were getting used to each other’s presence.
It was a bit explosive.
Both of them saw the iconic blue bottle in Lucas’s hand at a glance.
"Snap!"
Maeve bit the candy in half.
"Guardian..." She looked shocked, "If I’m not mistaken, that thing looks like compound v. Are you hooked on it too?"
What did she mean by "hooked on it too"?
"I plan to give myself an injection," Lucas said matter-of-factly.
"Are you crazy?"
Maeve sat up straight, "Didn’t you become a Supe by injecting compound v in the first place? A second injection will only briefly enhance your superpowers; it’s mostly for the mental pleasure!"
"If you’re lacking that, I can make a sacrifice. My mouth has been feeling a bit bland lately."
"Annie can do it too."
Annie was nodding, but was suddenly caught off guard by Maeve’s words.
"I didn’t say that. Don’t make promises for me."
Maeve raised an eyebrow, "Then you want to watch him switch from a sex addiction to a drug addiction?"
"I... this... can I have a threesome?"
Lucas ignored their conversation directly.
"I’m not an experimental subject created by compound v. I’m just curious if this thing has any use for me!"
Maeve stared at his face for a long time and realized this guy wasn’t joking, so she got up and pressed her hand on his.
"Seriously, are you an experimental subject or not?"
Lucas spread his hands, looking sincere.
"No."
"Strictly speaking, I should be considered an alien."
"Haven’t you guys read many comics?"
Lucas spoke nonsense with a straight face, "A Superman descends from space to Earth, is picked up and raised by a pair of ordinary farm parents, and then becomes the savior who saves the world!"
"I am that kind of Supe."
"I come from a powerful alien race, which is why I was born with this crushing strength. I’m not the same species as you guys who rely on injections."
Maeve’s mouth twitched.
"The crushing strength is definitely true; both of us have experienced that!"
She clicked her tongue, "It’s just that your ability to make up lies is really not very good."
Annie nodded along, wearing a serious expression.
"You might as well say you’re the product of some mysterious research institute, a super soldier they secretly manufactured."
"At least that sounds more plausible than being an alien."
Lucas: "..."
Fine!
No one believes the truth; the world is just that absurd.
"Believe it or not!"
He shrugged, used his Heat Vision to cut the skin on his arm, stuck the needle into his arm, and pushed all the blue liquid in.
The two women subconsciously held their breath.
And then...
Nothing happened.
Lucas stood where he was, not even burping.
compound v is said to be able to tear apart the human body and reshape genes, but injecting it into Lucas’s body was more like pouring a cup of saline into the ocean.
This was similar to giving human medicine in light doses to a beast-drug warrior.
No reaction at all.
Absolute genetic stability is like this.
"Tsk, what a waste."
Lucas rubbed his arm without any sign of disappointment.
It was within reason and expectation.
For a Viltrumite, compound v is indeed no different from saline.
Maeve and Annie looked at each other.
No way.
Really no reaction at all?
...
Just as Lucas intended to continue the night of sleeping together, his phone rang again.
It was Ashley.
"Sir, I know you want to use your Heat Vision to blow my head off, but there is indeed an urgent matter at hand. A-Train is in trouble again... He didn’t take drugs, his heart has failed!"
...
Vought Medical Center.
A-Train lay on the hospital bed, his face pale, and the waveform on the ECG monitor was messier than Lucas’s emotional life.
His heart had long been failing. Recently, because he stopped taking drugs, he managed to hold on for a while, but he had performed several investigation missions for Lucas, which aggravated the burden on his heart. He didn’t mention it even once.
"Guardian..."
A-Train said weakly, "Am... am I done for..."
"Yeah, you’re about to kick the bucket."
Lucas nodded: "But there’s still a chance."
He turned to look at Ashley.
"Call Blue Hawk over for me."
"Blue Hawk?"
Ashley was stunned and quickly pulled up his information, "A superhero in the Trenton sector, just a third-rate character, his abilities aren’t considered strong..."
However, as she continued to investigate deeper, she found that Blue Hawk wasn’t that simple; this person could be described as having a notorious record.
In Trenton, Blue Hawk had long been cruelly beating and abusing residents in minority communities, especially Black people, in the name of law enforcement.
His methods were so ruthless that they were shocking.
"I didn’t expect... he was actually this bold." Ashley gasped.
Racism!
This was blatant, open racism.
An hour later.
Blue Hawk arrived on a Vought private jet.
This was a muscular white man. When he entered, he flashed a professional smile at Lucas.
"Boss, his respect for you is all fake."
Cate touched Blue Hawk’s shoulder and figured out what he was thinking.
To Blue Hawk, Lucas was just an Asian who had gotten lucky.
Was he even worth him making such a long trip?
"Mr. Guardian, what do you need me for?"
Lucas was not surprised.