What's wrong with Superman's brother wanting to be Homelander?

Chapter 56: The Mafia

In Stranger Things, Vekner doesn't actually possess superpowers; he's just more mentally sensitive than the average person.

It was the Mind Flayer, or the shadow particles in the Abyss, that gave him the abilities of telepathy, mental manipulation, and telekinesis.

Similarly, Lucas, having gained recognition from a higher level of will authority, naturally acquired these abilities as well.

Furthermore, thanks to his own stronger mental power, the power and effect of his use far surpasses that of Viktor.

Even Deathstroke, who had successfully fused with the Super Soldier Serum, could not withstand it.

Just as Slade was on the verge of going insane from being tormented by these past memories, Lucas promptly deactivated the "mental prison" he had cast.

Feeling the gentle breeze stirring around him and the swaying grass and trees, Slade was like a drowning person struggling in icy water, finally grasping at the last straw.

He placed his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, and desperately inhaling the fresh air around him.

At that moment, he felt as if he had finally come back to life.

It took him a long time to gradually recover from those images that he could never face.

"Your method is far more effective than that lowly wall who only knows how to hide behind the screen and press the detonation button. That bloated office idiot thinks nanotech bombs will put her at ease!"

Slade glanced at Lucas with lingering fear, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably.

He still remembers what Amanda Waller said when she found him at Arkham Asylum—

Either rot here, or work for me.

In fact, both of them were rotten to the core, to the point that he constantly wanted to kick that woman's fat buttocks, which were like millstones and looked like they were carrying half a sack of wheat, into eight pieces.

But the boy's methods made it hard for him not to feel genuine fear.

"I know how to talk to her to temporarily give up the investigation, but Amanda Waller has always been an extremely arrogant and opinionated person, and I can't be sure if she will really give up in secret."

But I want to say that if she remains stubbornly obstinate, she will definitely pay a heavy price for her arrogance and pride; she will never know what kind of being she is facing.

Slade spoke first, giving Lucas a deep look as he said it.

In addition to the super speed, super strength, and steel-like body, there's now an ability similar to mental illusions...

This level of superhuman ability is not something Waller's bunch of idiotic pets chained with bombs can pull off.

"I believe Mr. Slade is a smart man," Lucas said casually.

"We became friends after a fight, how about we grab a drink?"

Slade extended a typical Western-style reconciliation invitation, but he quickly realized that the tall and burly "murderer" was actually just a teenage high school student.

According to the law, minors are prohibited from drinking alcohol.

But Slade didn't think he could be blamed, since no one could associate such a powerful being with his age.

Moreover, he didn't believe the other party would abide by those established rules.

Most importantly, he was genuinely afraid of methods that could plunge someone into a nightmare, and a few glasses of whiskey were often more effective than any polite words.

"I don't like the taste of alcohol," Lucas said. "If you want a drink, I can recommend the Coyote Bar in town. It's an old-school pub, and the taste is pretty authentic."

"I'll definitely give it a try," Slade nodded.

"There's one more thing, are you familiar with the Gotham gangs?" Lucas suddenly asked.

While reading and examining Slade's memories, he discovered that Slade had been active in Gotham recently.

He seemed to be heading to Gotham to make a quick buck to sustain his research on Kryptonite.

"Of course I'm familiar with them; I've been dealing with them almost every day lately," Slade said noncommittally.

"How dare those street thugs mess with you?" He looked puzzled.

"No, it's just that I'm short of money lately, and I hope someone can step up and offer some support," Lucas said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Slade's eye twitched slightly: "Then I can introduce you to a few wealthy families. With your abilities, you can succeed very easily."

"for example?"

"For example, the Red Mask Gang or the Maroney family, which is also in the East District, are both old-established gangs in Gotham with considerable wealth."

Lucas asked, "Could you elaborate?"

He had only heard of the Joker and the Penguin, and was not familiar with the two companies Slade mentioned.

In addition, he was interested in Slade's last words, and since he had chosen to make a move, he was bound to make a big profit.

Slade's eyes revealed a calmness and shrewdness unique to mercenaries:

"The Red Mask Gang is a group of street thugs who rely on firepower to commit violence, and their total assets are around tens of millions."

The truly wealthy are the Maroni family.

That's the old-school Gotham Mafia, a legitimate, long-established power, second only to Falcone.

Having cultivated a deep presence in Gotham for decades, he's involved in dockside smuggling, casinos, loan sharking, underground boxing, drugs… he's got his hands on almost everything.

Slade lit a cigarette for himself:

"The current head of the Maroney family is Sal Maroney, a shrewd man with over three hundred henchmen working for him. His network of connections in both the underworld and legitimate society spans the entire Gotham City. Police officers, prosecutors, and congressmen are all his protectors, whom he has funded with money."

All the black market industries combined generate hundreds of millions of US dollars in revenue annually.

Most importantly, as an old-school mobster, Maroney highly values ​​cash flow and has plenty of money on hand; even a single hair from his pocket is more substantial than the entire fortunes of those street gangs.

"And inside are just a group of ordinary people."

At this point, Slade turned to look at Lucas:

"This is perfect for you. These gangs are extremely conscious of their lives and know how to weigh the pros and cons. If you show half of your strength, they'll obediently pay you to maintain stability and won't dare to fight you to the death."

"The Maroney family?"

Lucas muttered a couple of sentences to himself.

Let's start with this.

"Do you know their hideout?" Lucas asked.

"You should know that if you want to go, I'm willing to lead the way," Slade replied.

"Okay." Lucas glanced at Slade. "Then wait for my news. I'll let you know a day in advance. After it's done, I'll remember your contribution."

"Deal," Slade nodded, feeling inexplicably relieved for some reason.

now.

Gotham, East Side.

The private club of the Maroni family.

Inside, the lights were lavish, and the heavy soundproof doors isolated the city's sinful clamor from the outside.

Under the warm yellow crystal chandelier.

A group of young blonde beauties, around eighteen or nineteen years old, tall and fair-skinned, dressed in light gauze dresses, are showing off their advantages.

Sal Maroni nestled in a large leather sofa, a cigar between his fingers, looking languid and fully enjoying the extravagance of being the overlord of the East End.

He could never have imagined that an unimaginable storm was brewing.