American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 317 Become the President of the United States, Maeve!

Chapter 317 Become the President of the United States, Maeve!

Queen Maeve eventually softened, and she held the weeping Starlight in her arms, comforting her until she fell asleep.

She's long past the age of believing in superheroes; now, all she wants is to protect this sanctuary, Starlight, and everyone here. But the Terminator's attack has left her somewhat disheartened.

If even Queen Maeve of the Seven couldn't defeat the new Terminator, then besides that bastard Homelander, Maeve couldn't think of anyone else who could save the other ordinary people in this world.

But Homelander, saving lives? How could these two words be connected?

"I don't trust you." Maeve hugged Starlight and said softly, "I don't care what your intentions are, I just want you to leave as soon as possible, as far away from us as possible."

Clark's face showed a sad expression, which made Maeve's heart clench. The boy's expression was so similar to Starlight's just now. But she had to harden her heart and drive the three away.

After seeing Rune again, Queen Maeve knew perfectly well that the one who killed Storm was not Starlight.

"Look at you, you look like a porcupine with its bristles standing on end, trying to warn a tiger not to attack you," Rune continued with a sneer. "But little do you know, your vigilance is nothing but a laughable one-man show in front of a tiger."

"Your shelter doesn't have anything we need. What you have, we have; what you don't have, we also have. Your smugness is truly laughable."

"Then why don't you leave?"

Clark glared at Maeve and said, "Of course, it's to save everyone!"

Queen Maeve was caught off guard by the boy's counterattack. She hadn't expected Clark to retaliate. Clark continued, "I don't know what you're thinking, but in my opinion, your shelter lacks sufficient military strength and is constantly being defeated by those robots."

"Of course you should ask your good friend," Maeve said with a sneer, pointing at Rune. "Your good friend killed a powerful superhuman within our sanctuary."

"She deserved it." Rune said expressionlessly. "I killed a racist Nazi. Besides, even if she were alive, she wouldn't have made any difference on the battlefield."

This made Clark feel much better. He knew Rune's character; in all these years, Rune hadn't lied to him. Although he still believed that killing ideologies was more important than killing specific individuals, if it was Rune, Clark was willing to trust his cousin's judgment.

Clark wouldn't have thought that way if he knew that Rune was slaughtering ordinary people in the square of the Marvel Universe.

"But she also saved many people—"

"She must have killed far more." Rune stared coldly at Maeve. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I know that entrusting the guarding of the sanctuary to a racist Nazi is an absolutely terrible idea. My companions were killed simply because they weren't Aryans. What about the other wanderers who came seeking refuge? Did you even care about their lives?"

Queen Maeve paused for a moment.

"Moreover, Clark and I have different goals." Rune adjusted his posture slightly, leaning back in his chair. Shadows shrouded half of his face, making the man appear even more imposing in Queen Maeve's eyes.

"I've come to make a deal with you. I know you no longer believe in heroes, nor in unwarranted kindness, so let's barter—"

"Speak," Queen Maeve sighed. This Terminator attack had dealt an unprecedented blow to the Sanctuary. Forty percent of the soldiers were dead, and the civilian casualties were even more severe. And this was only the loss of manpower; the losses of watchtowers, walls, and weapons were even more incalculable.

The shelter can't withstand any more damage.

"Listen to my conditions first," Rune said indifferently. "We will help you kill the mastermind behind Doomsday, eliminate all Terminators, and anyone who orchestrated Doomsday will be brought to justice. You will become the ruler of this wasteland, or perhaps the Führer or whatever you wish to call yourself—"

Queen Maeve's eyes widened at these conditions. She had thought Rune would only offer some kind of barter, but she didn't expect him to play his trump card.

She swallowed hard, then looked at Rune, her eyes filled with suspicion and anticipation. She questioned Rune's confidence in eliminating the Terminators, yet also hoped that what Rune said was true. She asked, "Why should I believe you?"

"You don't need to trust us," Rune said coldly. "We don't require advance payment. But if you break your promise afterwards—"

Queen Maeve gave a bitter smile. They couldn't even defeat that group of Terminators, so what could they do against a man who dared to say such crazy things as wiping out all the Terminators?

"I'm not stupid. Tell me, what do we need to give up?"

"Compound No. 5, I only need enough Compound No. 5," Rune said.

Hearing this, Queen Maeve finally breathed a sigh of relief. At least the other party's purpose was clear, and the deal did indeed have a rationale. Out of goodwill, Maeve reminded her, "Since you know about Compound Five, you should also know its drawbacks, right?"

Ignoring Clark's questioning gaze, Rune nodded. So what if it's addictive and its effects are unstable, potentially fatal? Leave it to Banner and Reed; they'll modify it in a few days to create a drug with no side effects and excellent efficacy.

Queen Maeve, having reached a deal, then threw a grand banquet to entertain Rune, Raven, Clark, and the other soldiers.

The biggest beneficiary of this deal is Maeve. She practically got something for nothing. Even if Rune fails, she doesn't have to pay anything. But if Rune succeeds, Maeve will naturally become the leader of the country.

Of course, although it was called a banquet, the dishes were actually just wild vegetables, ordinary vegetables, and canned goods. As the greatest contributor to the resistance against the Terminators, Clark was actually a little reserved when attending the banquet, not because he thought the food was bad, but because he felt that such extravagance was inappropriate in this apocalyptic world.

After hearing Clark's explanation, Queen Maeve's last bit of prejudice against Superman disappeared.

If he were Homelander, he would probably be furious that the dishes were too simple and unworthy of him. For the first time, she wanted to visit the world of Rune and Clark, not for any other reason than to meet the heroes of that world and see if they were as brave, fearless, and willing to sacrifice as she had dreamed of them as a child.

As for Rune...

Rune was giving Raven and Starlight a special treat. When Starlight tasted the icy, ice cream-like custard cherry pie, she almost cried. She hadn't eaten anything so delicious since Judgment Day.