Alien invasion? Luckily, I'm Superman.

After signing the agreement, Hughie clutched the $45000 check from the Water Corporation, his knuckles turning white. He tried to maintain a calm facade as he walked out of the building, only letting out a long sigh of relief when he sat in the passenger seat of Butcher's beat-up car.

"I did it!" Hughie's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, his face flushed with success. "What's next? When will the Vought Group go under?"

He seemed to see the dawn of victory.

Butcher started the car, staring straight ahead, his voice as cold and hard as iron: "Sorry, Hughie. Your job is done."

"What?" Hughie's excitement froze instantly, as if he'd been doused with ice water. "Butcher, what do you mean?"

He looked at Butcher in disbelief, then glanced at Su Mo, who remained silent in the back seat. Su Mo didn't speak, but simply shook his head slightly, his meaning clear: the road ahead was too dangerous, and Hughie shouldn't continue.

"Listen, kid," Butcher's tone left no room for argument, "your mission as a 'Federal Agent' is over. Take this money, find a safe place, and live your life. What happens next is none of your business."

These words were like a dull knife, cutting into Hughie, leaving him both disappointed and angry.

"You just dumped me like that? Who do you think you are?!" Hughie's face flushed red, and he pulled out a crisp new check. "Walter's money? I don't care! I helped you for justice!"

A roar exploded in the cramped carriage. He ripped the check to shreds with both hands, slammed it into Butcher's face, then flung open the door and plunged into the New York evening crowds without looking back.

The engine roared away. In the rearview mirror, Hughie's figure grew smaller and smaller.

"Haha," Su Mo's laughter broke the silence in the car, "Butcher, I didn't realize you had any conscience? Afraid that kid will become the next you, a puppet of hatred?"

He saw through the tenderness beneath Butcher's cold words.

Butcher brushed the shards of check off his face, a cold, unsmiling smile playing on his lips. "Hmph! Enough talk. This is just the beginning."

He slammed on the gas, and the car merged into the traffic.

In the distance, Hughie stood on the street corner, watching Butcher's car disappear into the traffic. His anger was blown away by the cold wind, leaving only frustration and a trace of panic.

"Damn butcher... he should at least take me back." He muttered, feeling his empty pockets, and resignedly walked towards the subway station.

-

Late at night, the incandescent bulbs of the convenience store emitted a low hum. Hughie leaned against the counter, staring listlessly at the door. The fatigue from work mixed with the excitement of the afternoon, making him drowsy.

jingle--

The welcoming bell rang crisply. Hughie instinctively looked up: "Welcome."

The entrance was empty.

A chill ran down his spine. Every hair on his body stood on end, and his heart pounded. It was the Invisible Man!

"Wow wow~"

A mocking, metallic voice suddenly rang out, just a few steps in front of him. Then, a small, familiar black device was slammed onto the cash register with an invisible force.

Listening device!

Hughie's pupils contracted sharply, and his blood seemed to freeze. How did it end up in his hands? Had it been discovered?

"You must be curious how I found this little toy, right?" The invisible man's voice, filled with the schadenfreude of a cat playing with a mouse, hovered around the checkout counter. "Hehe...it's a secret. But, Hughie," the voice suddenly drew closer, tinged with cold malice, "you saw me in the bathroom at Vought Headquarters, didn't you? That won't do...you know too much."

Hughie tried to back away, but his legs felt like lead. Only one thought occupied his mind: It's over!

The Invisible Man's inner monologue: Damn it, if I hadn't been hiding under the table to peek at the starlight, I would never have found this thing! Although Homelander, that madman, will eventually find out, what if he finds out that this was done right under my nose? Absolutely not! Just thinking about that scene sends chills down my spine.

As the thought flashed through his mind, an unseen but incredibly strong hand suddenly grabbed Hughie by the neck, lifted him up like a chick, and slammed him hard against the shelf behind him!

"Ugh!"

Hughie's screams mingled with the deafening crash of shelves collapsing and merchandise scattering to the ground. He fell heavily to the floor, his back and arms burning with pain, and his vision blurred with stars.

"Shit! Fuck!"

He curled up, trying to get up, but the excruciating pain distorted his movements.

"Stubborn to the end?" the invisible man sneered. Hughie felt a weight on his chest as an invisible foot stomped down hard, grinding against him! His ribs groaned under the strain, and air was forced out of his lungs.

"ah--!"

Hughie's heart-wrenching screams echoed through the empty convenience store.

Just as his consciousness was fading, the foot pressing on his chest suddenly loosened its grip. Immediately afterward, a piercing, inhuman scream exploded above Hughie's head!

"Awooo—!!!"

The invisible man's silhouette twisted violently in the air for a fleeting moment, and then a large, bony hand appeared, gripping the invisible man's shoulder tightly! The fingers were like iron clamps, containing terrifying power.

Crack! The sickening sound of bone breaking rang out clearly.

The Invisible Man screamed and staggered to the left, forced to release Hughie. His twisted figure revealed the outline of his sunken shoulders.

Butcher's figure flashed out from the shadows of the doorway like a ghost, yanking Hughie up from the ground in a rough but effective motion: "Can you still breathe?"

Su Mo stood where the invisible man had just been, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, locking onto the invisible man who was struggling in pain and trying to crawl away.

Su Mo pushed off with his feet, leaping over the scattered goods in two steps to catch up with the invisible man. He didn't use his full strength; his right fist, held back, swung out with lightning speed, striking the invisible man precisely in the back.

Bang! A muffled thud. The invisible man's body, now revealed, flew through the air like a tattered sack, crashing heavily to the ground several meters away, face up, completely still.

"Oh no!" Su Mo's expression changed, and he quickly knelt down to check. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a faint pulse and breathing. "Still alive."

He hoisted the unconscious, invisible man onto his shoulder like a sandbag.

Butcher supported Hughie, who was still gasping for breath. The three of them glanced at the convenience store, which had been smashed to pieces.

"Hopefully the boss bought insurance." Butcher spat, helped Hughie up, and followed Su Mo, who was carrying the "spoils of war," quickly disappearing into the night.

……

In the abandoned warehouse, the dim light bulbs flickered. Hughie leaned against a cold metal box, rubbing his aching chest; each breath pulled at his wound.

"What do we do now?"

His voice was hoarse.

Butcher, who was binding the unconscious invisible man like a dumpling with thick hemp rope, didn't even look up when he heard this, and said in a flat tone, "He saw our faces. We have to get rid of him."

He kicked the invisible man on the ground. "This beast in human skin deserves to die a hundred times over. The Seven? Hmph, a bunch of executioners stained with the blood of innocent people."

He turned to Su Mo, his eyes sharp. "You have a way to take him down, right? Even though you've been hiding it, it doesn't matter anymore, now's the perfect time."

Su Mo nodded silently. He hadn't killed him before for fear of accidentally injuring anyone. Now, the man bound in front of him had confessed to those heinous crimes after Butcher's brief "interrogation."

He couldn't bring himself to kill an innocent person; but to execute a demon? He felt no guilt whatsoever.

He walked to the invisible man and crouched down. There were no unnecessary movements, no hesitation. One hand steadily supported the back of his head, the other pressed against his chin.

Click.

A crisp, short, and chilling sound of bone cracking pierced the silent warehouse. The distorted figure went limp and fell silent.

The Invisible Man, Death.