⚡ chapter 2⚡

The Seven were seated in the meeting room, waiting for instructions from Stan, who had called an urgent meeting related to the appearance of the foreign hero named Yocajú. That idiot had refused to join the Seven a year ago and was replaced by the speedy hero A-Train. According to the videos circulating on the internet, courtesy of sailors who had almost shipwrecked, the hero Yocajú had once again made international headlines.

Maeve found that strange name amusing until she later learned that it belonged to some indigenous god or something like that, and the people had named him that way.

Although he wasn't the strongest of the superhumans, he was theoretically the most powerful and the second strongest hero in physical terms, with the first spot belonging to Homelander.

And speaking of Homelander, the most powerful hero showcased by Vought America hated Yocajú. Not to mention that he demonstrated his hatred every time he went out in public. The reason? It was simple—popularity. Attention, respect, and public adoration. Even though Homelander was like a god on earth to people, Yocajú seemed to be more active in his place.

Moreover, unlike Homelander, who never left the United States for political reasons and Vought's rules, Yocajú didn't have that limitation. He went wherever help was needed, and wherever he went, things improved for the better. All of Latin America had entered a state of excessive welfare and progress with the appearance of this foreign hero, possibly Mexican, but nothing was known about him. This only fueled the fire for fans who believed that Yocajú was some kind of deity, and Homelander hated that.

A-Train didn't care who Yocajú was or his sense of justice. As far as he was concerned, thanks to Yocajú's refusal to join the Seven, he had the opportunity to be part of the big leagues in the industry. Now, if necessary, he didn't want to encounter that maniac because, as far as A-Train was concerned, that guy was scarier than Homelander himself. Super strength, super speed, super endurance, super flight, and control over matter and energy. It was even said that he was some sort of mind reader who could predict your thoughts. That kind of thing creeped the speedster out.

Deep secretly admired the foreign hero, Yocajú. Named by the country of Peru as Yocajú, a lord of the skies and creation. A superhuman who could fly like Homelander and manipulate matter and energy, he even had some sort of clairvoyance or something like that. Deep would definitely like to meet him someday to learn more about the guy since he was a lover of marine life like Yocajú.

Translucent didn't give a damn about the foreign hero of the Mexicans. As far as he was concerned, he had made all those Mexicans and people from other countries return to their homelands and stop coming here like pests. Although the country had fallen into a crisis due to a lack of labor and common workers, to the point of offering housing and secure citizenship to those interested, he didn't care about any of that. He was an actor, not a politician. He thought the country would come back stronger and that African Americans would take the place of those lowlifes. On the other hand, he hoped the law would lock up that idiot who was lowering the Seven's popularity. If popularity dropped, sales dropped, which meant less money, and that would be bad for his business as a superhero. It had been five years since A-Train had been brought into the Seven to meet the inclusion quota and boost numbers using the speedy hero as a minority poster boy. Obviously, it hadn't worked, thanks to Yocajú. Even because of that idiot Yocajú, they now had to patrol at least ten times a month in some part of New York to stay connected with the public, as the statisticians had said, and he hoped that would work because people were already getting on his nerves.

The Potter wasn't interested in the hero. He wasn't interested in anything these days. After what had happened a few months ago, his life had entered a bottomless abyss he wanted to escape from, scream, and turn himself in to the authorities to confess his crimes. But he knew the company would rather see him dead than confess the atrocities he had committed throughout his life, and by extension, the rest of his teammates.

Noctambulo always seemed to be in meditation, silent and waiting for orders. He was just sitting there, reading a small book that appeared to be of Japanese origin. He was the oldest of them all, by far the strangest, if not the most normal. He was an enigma to everyone except Vought.

Stan Edgar entered the Seven's meeting room and took the seat that belonged to him during these types of conversations in which he had to be involved. Today, they would have an opportunity to accomplish the objective they had desired for the past five years since they had recognized the relevance Yocajú had gained in the world, capable of overshadowing Homelander's presence by doing what a hero should do—help people. Something other heroes didn't do, at least not the ones they had. He wouldn't say the same for many idiots caught up in this vigilante trend that was being heavily cracked down on by the authorities. That wasn't supposed to be the purpose of the superhumans they had created—going around beating people up like lawless gangsters, at least not without their permission, and that included Yocajú, whoever that kid who had left the United States was. He was certain it had something to do with that kid's identity. They had created a large batch of superhumans in the birthing facilities of the nineties, many abortions in that year had reduced the birth rate of future superhuman children by 60%. Of the 40% who survived birth, only 15% had abilities with the potential to become hero material. The rest were just failed products.

—Guys, we have a mission prepared for you —Stan said as he presented a document that was slid over to Homelander, who began to evaluate it. —As you know, in recent years, your popularity has been undermined by a certain individual who has caused a stir in the world. Banned in 164 countries, 34 in his favor where he operates almost daily. Due to this foreigner, unknown to the world, the masses have started questioning each one of you —Edgar said, directing his gaze toward Homelander.

He could barely contain his fury. That unknown hero who had appeared out of nowhere had started to be compared to and denigrated, making him inferior to that weakling. So what if he could make it rain? Homelander swore he would make it rain with the blood of that idiot who dared to take his place, the position he had been created for, the attention that belonged to him.

—What are we supposed to do? —A-Train asked, feeling that he wouldn't like what Edgar was about to say.

—Congress requested the assistance of the Seven this Friday, the 25th —Edgar clarified. A-Train didn't like that, but Homelander did. —The hero Yocajú has been summoned by the state for violating the decree that prohibited entry into U.S. waters. In the event of his appearance, it is necessary for the most powerful heroes in the United States to be present for security reasons. After all, this individual is an unregistered superhuman by the Superhuman Regulation Commission —Edgar explained, displaying a not-so-faked look of distaste at Homelander's expression of astonishment and delight.

—So he'll be there, huh? —Homelander said to himself as he stood up with renewed enthusiasm from his seat and walked over to the window overlooking New York. Billboards of the Seven and Homelander were displayed everywhere, but they didn't have the same impact abroad as before. In fact, some news billboards showed viral videos of those sailors who had filmed the Latin hero, Yocajú. The world's most powerful heroes hadn't been relevant for a long time. The world belonged to Yocajú, and to his dismay, Homelander recognized that. —For five years, that bastard Yocajú, or whatever that idiot's name is, has been trivializing and tarnishing our reputation by calling himself a hero. The worst part is that he's brainwashed those Hispanic people and turned them against this god-given great nation, which only wants the world's safety and well-being in the name of peace. Now, the world's most powerful nation fears that its backyard has an alliance with the Chinese because they found a lab rat that provided them with mediocre technology, and national defense fears that the mariachi army will implement exoskeletons to amplify the power of their forces. What has this country become? —Homelander said, almost as if giving a speech. He had already made up his mind, and from the way Edgar looked at him, it seemed like he didn't care what he did as long as it didn't harm Vought's reputation. On Friday, he would finish off that damn Yocajú, and then things would return to the way they were before.

—How much did they offer us? — Translucent asked.

—1.5 for each of you, dividends not included. 5.3 if any conflict arises that puts the congressmen in danger— Edgar replied.

—Do we know if he will attend? What guarantees that?— Maeve asked.

—Yocajú has always been somewhat partial with the press. The defamation campaign against him will be so intense that the media community will force him to attend— Edgar explained, casually inspecting his nails. —Spain is willing to do us the favor, France too. The other countries are staying on the sidelines; they want to see what benefits they can get from this scandal— he concluded. That, and the fact that the other countries were a bit concerned about Mexico, which had the exoskeleton technology in their hands, and Brazil, the main investors in that technology. Therefore, they were the two powerhouse countries working together to try to incorporate that technology into their armies. However, this was impossible because it had been banned by NATO, which prohibited the technology for military use. The creator also agreed.

—But won't that put us in an uncomfortable position?— A-Train asked curiously, not believing that the people who adored that guy would just sit back and do nothing. They hadn't had a good reputation in recent years, and he had only been in this for a year but already had a full understanding of the situation. The box office numbers said it all. Failure after failure had caused a deficit in the industry. All because people began to question.

While they were attending parties and posing for magazine photos, Yocajú was lifting debris from a mine deep in the Amazon, freeing miners from the earth. While they were making movies and appearing on shows, he was making it rain in the driest farming areas of Guatemala. When Homelander was flying over Washington, D.C., to carry the Super Bowl torch, Yocajú was dragging trains of missing children across South America, taking them to shelters. While they were filming action sequences for the next franchise movie, Yocajú was fighting drug cartels without even having to kill them in the process. Compared to them, Yocajú was a perfect replica of a comic book hero.

He was the hero compared to each of them, and that intimidated A-Train. People began to ask questions, and they didn't like people asking questions, but they couldn't avoid it. Why didn't Homelander act on 9/11? they asked. Where were the planet's most powerful heroes when a school was hijacked? Why couldn't they stop the Long Island accident? The foreign hero had literally dragged a plane from a Mexican airline that had begun to fall due to engine failure. Why didn't Homelander do that? Charlatans, the world called them. And that had left Homelander out of control for the past five years, A-Train would later realize. No one was safe, and he didn't want to be around when those two heroes met.

—The position they take won't matter. We'll organize a charity convention and put the most needy on our side. Popularity stats will go up, and with a few donations, things will go back to the way they used to be. People today always want something new, a new story, a new scandal. A trend, something to talk about. They'll come back to admire you, and the Seven will return to the top— Edgar assured them as he stood up from his seat.

—As it should be— Homelander agreed. —Don't worry, we'll be there, all of us— he emphasized the last words with gravity, directing his gaze toward A-Train.

—Yes— they all nodded calmly. After all, Homelander would finally return to normal.

The private jet had landed after about three hours of travel, leaving the jet at John F. Kennedy International Airport. They walked toward the private station together, talking about the day's trivialities.

—Juanita is happy that we can attend your cousin's birthday— she said, smiling nostalgically. She didn't have good memories of this country, but she was happy that her family would reunite once again.

—Yeah, and I still wonder why they didn't just fly to Mexico— Daniel questioned.

—Don't say that, Daniel. You know your aunt, your grandmother, and the others are already settled here. Even though they love our homeland, they have already established their families here— she said, which was true. His aunt Juanita had married an American. He was a reserved and calm person, and Daniel had secretly investigated his email and part of his personal data, discovering that, yes, his aunt's husband was a very decent, almost saintly person, which made Daniel feel bad for invading Henry's privacy. His grandmother, María Ramírez Suárez, and two other uncles, José and Dylan Ramírez Suárez, too.

—Grandma has been too attached to Damian. She hasn't returned home in 3 months— Daniel said, remembering Juanita's youngest child, a healthy boy who was born a few months ago. His uncles were studying at Harvard University, pursuing their doctorates in physics and biotechnology.

—That's just how she is, you know that, Daniel— she said, directing her gaze toward her son. —What happened to that girl, the Italian one?—

—Mom—

—I know—

—We were just friends, you know that, right?—

—Uh-huh, I don't think friends sleep together. Where is she, anyway?—

—She went back to Italy. She was just visiting Cancún— Daniel sighed resignedly; however, it wasn't something that affected him much.

—That's a shame— his mother lamented. —I liked her very much; you would have made a great couple— she insisted.

—I'm only 22 years old, Mom—

—So what? It's good to have kids at a young age; when they're grown up, you're still young— she said, although in her case, she could never have children. Mother and son had already come to terms with the fact that she was his adoptive mother and all that. It didn't matter to him anyway; he loved the care and love this woman had given him, as within the few memories he had left of his old life, he had never been able to enjoy the warmth of a mother. He was very grateful to this woman.

They continued talking more about trivialities and the company, like the fact that they were interested in opening a renewable energy research group. As they walked toward the car that was waiting for them, they were surprised to find that a large group of people belonging to the press had taken over the place.

—Mr. Suárez, over here, please, Mr. Suárez— We'd like to ask you some questions It's for Channel 4 news Please, Mr. Suárez.

The press was making a mess inside, while the security guards could barely take control of the situation. And as Daniel tried to find a way out, some officers called him over to escort him to the exit. Later, he would investigate who had leaked the information about his arrival and then suspend them or fire them in the worst case. There was no doubt that the U.S. National Defense had done everything possible to get to him for one simple reason: exoskeleton technology.

—Mr. Suárez, ma'am. Please follow me this way. My superiors would like a few minutes with you if you're willing— the agent said, waiting for a response.

—No problem, please lead the way— Daniel didn't object. After all, it was better to be close to the people who could kill you, or at least try. In any case, it would be better to get rid of these people sooner, even in the middle of the party. They both left the airport and got into a black car, where they found themselves with two relevant figures in U.S. politics: Mark Johnson Esper as Secretary of Defense, along with Mr. David J. Berger as Deputy Commander of the United States Marine Corps.