While Charles and Becca Butcher were deep in pleasant conversation downstairs, Bruce Wayne was upstairs, resting a hand on young Peter's shoulder and asking in a low, serious voice, "Tell me, kid—what's your mission?"
Peter scratched his head. "Mr. Wayne, my mission is to rescue Ryan. He's the boy downstairs…"
He had absolute trust in Batman. Without hiding anything, he laid out the full details of his assignment.
[Mission Name: Lost Lamb
Objective: Rescue the innocent Ryan from the soft confinement of Vought International.
Time Limit: 72 hours.
Reward: 30 points, (Special) Mystery Box ×5
Penalty: None
Note: Player will be transported away once the mission is complete]
"Uh, I've got less than two days left now, Mr. Wayne... I really hate to trouble you, but I hope you can help Ryan.
He's had a rough life—he and his mom have been trapped in that apartment his whole childhood. Before I showed up, he didn't have a single friend."
Peter looked at Bruce with hopeful eyes, insisting again that this wasn't just about the mission. He truly wanted to help his new and pitiful friend.
Bruce didn't respond right away. He just watched Peter quietly, neither agreeing nor refusing. His sharp, unreadable gaze made Peter feel uneasy, and he began to wonder if he'd said something wrong to upset the Batman.
He opened his mouth to say more—but then Bruce raised a hand and lightly ruffled his hair.
"Charles was right. We're a team. We'll help you."
Then, in a softer voice, he added, "Besides, it's the right thing to do. Tell me everything else you know, Peter."
Hearing that, Peter beamed with joy. Getting acknowledgment from the usually cold and strict Batman made him incredibly happy.
Encouraged, he launched into a more detailed account of the intel he'd gathered.
He hadn't been in this world for very long. Whether it was luck or part of the scenario's design, he'd landed just outside the home of Becca and her son Ryan. That had made it easy to approach the mission target without alerting any of the people keeping an eye on them from the outside.
Because he appeared to be just a child, Becca didn't turn him away when he knocked on the door asking for help. It didn't take long for Peter to confirm that Ryan was indeed the one he'd been sent to save.
Despite his lack of experience, Peter was naturally cheerful and easygoing. He quickly bonded with Ryan, who was around his age, and learned that the boy had been raised entirely by his mother, Becca Butcher.
Over the years, the mother and son had virtually no contact with the outside world. Ryan had never had a real friend, so he was ecstatic when Peter showed up.
The apartment was well-furnished and full of warmth on the surface—but to Peter, it felt more like a prison.
Becca, of course, didn't reveal anything to him directly. But based on the mission description, Peter had a good idea of what was really going on.
Vought International was clearly the bad guys here—just like those villainous organizations the quiz game had previously exposed.
After getting settled, Peter began snooping around, using the family's internet and television to research Vought.
At first, he assumed this kind of shady organization would be secretive, like Hydra in the Marvel Universe—something hidden in the shadows. But what he found totally defied his expectations.
He didn't even have to dig. Vought International was all over social media and news feeds.
It wasn't just known—it was a top-tier public-facing enterprise in the age of information.
The more he looked, the weirder it got. Vought had started out as a pharmaceutical company, but somewhere along the way, it had pivoted into entertainment.
Well… "entertainment" wasn't quite the right word.
Vought's so-called "celebrities" were all superpowered individuals.
The company had rounded up these superheroes—people with actual superpowers—and turned them into a kind of PR-friendly Justice League. They fought crime, upheld peace, and protected the innocent, all while being marketed like pop idols to inflate the company's stock price. Saving the world and making money—it was a win-win.
But Peter wasn't buying it.
From the way the mission was worded, he could tell things weren't so simple. Vought's glossy image had to be a front. There was no way a company holding a child and his mother captive was truly on the side of justice.
Now, he shared everything he'd learned—and all his suspicions—with Bruce.
As Peter spoke, Bruce silently inserted a USB drive into the study computer.
The drive housed an AI program. Since this world was part of the digital age too, the AI would make intelligence-gathering significantly easier.
Sure enough, within minutes, Bruce's wrist-mounted holographic projector was displaying a detailed summary—far more complete than Peter's findings.
Vought had created a team called The Seven, an ensemble that closely resembled a boy band or idol group from a corporate entertainment brand. The most powerful and visible of them were the group's leader, Homelander, and his rumored girlfriend, Queen Maeve.
When Bruce saw their profiles and abilities, his eyes narrowed in surprise.
Homelander had an invulnerable body, super strength, super speed, enhanced hearing, flight, x-ray vision—and could shoot devastating laser beams from his eyes.
It was uncanny. He was practically another Superman.
Then there was Queen Maeve. From her costume to her abilities, she bore a striking resemblance to a certain other Justice League member—Wonder Woman, minus the flight and magic gear.
The Seven also included others, like The Deep, who felt like a knockoff Aquaman, and A-Train, a budget version of The Flash.
Peter stared wide-eyed at Homelander's image floating in the hologram—this grinning, golden-haired man who looked every bit the hero.
"He looks just like Superman! Why would someone like him take orders from Vought?" Peter asked eagerly. "Mr. Wayne, maybe we can work with them! If we tell them the truth about Vought, they might help!"
Superman had always stood for truth and justice. So Peter naturally assumed that someone with the same powers and heroic persona—like Homelander—must also be one of the good guys.
If Vought was corrupt, then surely Homelander was just being used or manipulated, right?
"The truth?" Bruce gave him a side glance. "Look again, Peter."
He tapped the projection, switching to the next screen.
___
🎉 Big Shoutout to Vvv Vvv!🎉
A heartfelt thank you to Vvv Vvv for joining my Patreon and supporting this translation journey! 🙏✨
Your generosity truly makes a difference and helps bring chapters out faster for everyone. 🚀
Welcome to the VIP family, Vvv Vvv—you're awesome! 💎🙌