Outside the Pentagon, countless American soldiers stood ready, with tanks and armored vehicles gathered in the plaza in front of the building.
Fully armed soldiers and officials inside the Pentagon stared in disbelief at Eric, who was clad in a pitch-black uniform and a dark cape that flapped in the wind.
His oppressive figure, illuminated by the lights, resembled a deity slowly descending from the heavens.
General Swanwick stood among the American soldiers, looking up at Eric, whose cape flapped in the night wind, his eyes filled with shock.
"Are you Kal-El or Kyle Miser?"
General Swanwick asked Eric.
At this moment, Eric was enveloped by an indescribable aura, and his entire demeanor was distinctly different from when he was Eric Kent.
The aura of coldness and solemnity, radiating an 'approach-at-your-own-risk' vibe, made him difficult to look at directly.
His uniform perfectly accentuated his physique, and combined with his ascetic and highly sculpted features, he hovered in the air like a statue, an embodiment of a Greek god.
Many female officials in the Pentagon even wondered if all aliens possessed such captivating appearances?!
The female officials even began to question whether the government's compromise plan with aliens needed to be re-discussed.
Clark stood in front of the television, watching Eric with his cape flapping in the air, immediately understanding what he intended to do.
Was Eric trying to surrender to Earth and General Zod on his behalf?
No!
Clark's heart immediately fell into disarray!
He hadn't expected Eric to sacrifice himself for his safety, to save billions of people on Earth in his stead.
Guilt and self-reproach flooded his heart in an instant.
He hadn't expected Eric to go to such lengths for him!
Clark had always thought that while Eric's affection for him was deep, it wasn't to the point of disregarding everything, but seeing Eric surrender in his place, he instantly realized he was completely wrong!
He knew how proud a person Eric was!
Had he never truly understood Eric's feelings for him?
"No, Eric is my brother, I can't let him take my place!"
Clark stood up in a panic, about to walk out.
But Eric's voice came from the television, "I am Kyle Miser, you can also call me Homelander."
"Alright, then—Keir, what do you want?"
General Swanwick took a deep breath and asked Eric.
"You shouldn't ask me, but yourselves."
Eric's voice carried a chilling, ice-cold indifference that made the soldiers below tremble uncontrollably.
Even the reporters on the periphery, photographing Eric, saw his Greek-sculpted face, combined with his chilling yet mysterious voice, and their hands holding the cameras became unsteady with excitement.
It wasn't entirely fear; it was also the trembling excitement of discovering another side of the world.
"Us?"
General Swanwick looked at the clearly formidable Eric and said, "We hope that matters between you aliens are best resolved among yourselves, without dragging Earth into a whirlpool of war."
"You are wrong, General, the war has already begun!"
Eric looked down at him, his expression unchanged, and said, "And it's a war that cannot be stopped!"
"So your purpose in coming here is to warn us? Keir?"
"Believe what you will. However—this is enough, General, stop your foolish games. I belong to you; there's no need for further negotiations, no need to search for Kal-El. Just hand me over to General Zod!"
General Swanwick calmed his breathing and asked Eric, "Are you surrendering to us?"
"Not to you!"
Eric looked coldly at General Swanwick, "If I wanted to, I could erase you from the face of the Earth at any moment. I will not surrender to Zod, nor will I surrender to you. I am temporarily compromising with humanity."
"Why? You are clearly an alien?"
General Swanwick continued to ask him.
"Am I?"
Eric's X-ray vision glanced at him, "I am an alien, and also an Earthling, but some people are pure aliens, merely wearing a human disguise!"
Kent Farm.
Clark heard Eric say to stop searching for Kal-El, and he reached out and gripped the doorframe, understanding Eric's meaning.
It was simply to tell him not to reveal himself!
The doorframe creaked as he squeezed it, and the conflicting emotions of anguish and torment made it almost impossible for Clark to breathe.
The scene of Eric, clad in his black uniform and cape, speaking with the military representatives at the Pentagon, was now broadcast into countless homes via television.
For the first time, Americans saw Homelander's appearance at their dinner tables.
The American people, overwhelmed with shock, didn't even bother to eat their dinners, their eyes fixed on the television without blinking.
People, realizing the existence of superhumans for the first time, felt a mix of fear and bewilderment.
Was this god-like being, descending from the heavens, a devil or an angel?!
At the Pentagon, after hearing Eric's pointed remarks, General Swanwick's expression subtly changed.
Fortunately, Eric no longer bothered with him, descending from the sky and walking over to him.
Seeing Eric willing to cooperate, General Swanwick let out a long sigh of relief and led Eric into the Pentagon.
Reporters tried to rush over for interviews but were all blocked by soldiers.
Inside the Pentagon.
Eric looked at the handcuffs on his hands, his brows furrowing.
He was now experiencing firsthand the incompetence and foolishness of these bureaucrats.
If it weren't for future plans, he would even want to level this building.
A thought even crossed his mind for a moment, to eliminate all these bureaucrats.
Eric had no doubt now that these bureaucrats would hand him over to Zod.
In the corridor, countless Pentagon officials and clerks, either standing at their doorways or by windows, watched Homelander, accompanied by fully armed soldiers and wearing handcuffs, slowly pass by.
Entering a spacious, empty room with white walls and floors, Eric sat down expressionlessly.
Outside the interrogation room, General Swanwick looked at Eric inside the room, somewhat speechless.
"You must be crazy, putting handcuffs on him!"
General Swanwick said to the surrounding officers.
"Because they are afraid; the existence of something beyond their foresight makes them afraid, causing them to desperately seek a sense of security!"
Eric stood up and gently pulled his hands apart.
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