Chapter 12
The flight took only about ten minutes.
However, I ended up without any clothes during that time because I couldn't withstand the pressure.
The shirt and pants tore easily, but that didn't bother me. I entered my apartment at a more acceptable speed, nearly naked.
It wasn't hard to get dressed, and I quickly flew to New Jersey.
It took me twenty minutes before I reached the deserted beach.
After a smooth landing in front of the one who called me, I surveyed the area for anything suspicious.
Nothing seemed out of place except for the suitcase lying on the sand. Specifically, the fact that I couldn't see through it.
"What's in the suitcase, Deep?"
I asked Deep, sitting on the sand, who hadn't noticed my arrival.
"Homelander!"
He jumped up, clearly relieved at my swift arrival.
"I... Hitch told me he found a suspicious suitcase, so I pulled it out."
"Who's Hitch?"
"Uh... a sea lion I talk to."
Deep admitted with embarrassment.
"Interesting. So Hitch found the suitcase deep underwater?"
I didn't let on that I was taken aback.
"Yes, that's right."
Deep nodded, relieved that he wasn't being mocked for his ability.
"But what does this have to do with what you told me on the phone? You said you found something important and that it wasn't for the phone."
I replied, growing irritated as I realized this trip might have been unnecessary.
"So, where is it?"
"Uh... it's here."
Deep pressed his lips together and opened the suitcase wide.
"Jesus Christ."
I couldn't hold back when seeing the gruesome scene of human parts.
As soon as I looked inside, I saw clear bits that looked like broken glass but were bigger and covered in blood and flesh.
On the inside side of the suitcase, a message written in Translucent's blood read: "You're next."
"How did they manage this? He's supposed to be invincible!"
Deep nearly shouted, on the verge of hysteria.
I stared in astonishment at what remained of one of the most effective Supes.
It was unclear who could have held such a grudge against him to commit such a heinous act.
Translucent had no record of serious misconduct aside from voyeurism.
"The Seven" all had flaws, but none of them were so bad that they should have been killed.
Well, except for A-Train. I had a feeling this was all connected, and I didn't like it one bit.
I took a deep breath and caught a distinct scent I could recognize almost anywhere.
"They put a bomb in him."
I muttered, answering Deep's question.
"What kind of psycho could do this?"
Deep asked.
"A smart psycho."
I replied emotionlessly while closing the zinc suitcase, the only material I couldn't see through.
"And what now?"
Deep asked, confused.
It was reasonable for him to ask that question since he had likely never dealt with anything like this before.
I had to act as an airborne courier, carrying two packages simultaneously. It was a tedious task especially with Deep screaming in fear.
It seemed flying wasn't his thing... maybe I should've slowed down.
However, I wasn't going to delay this any longer, so I dropped off the package with those responsible for our security who constantly monitored us.
"Why did you call Homelander?"
Madelyn asked irritably as she entered the conference room.
"Oh, just wanted to ask you directly: Where is Translucent right now?"
I replied with the same tone.
"He's in New Jersey."
She rolled her eyes as if I had asked something stupid.
"Drinking and hiding from us, as usual. You know him."
"Really? Then what's this?"
I kicked the suitcase to draw her attention to it.
"A suitcase."
She scoffed, looking at me irritably.
"Deep, if you would be so kind."
I smiled at him and he obediently opened the suitcase.
"Oh my God!"
Madelyn exclaimed, her voice rising as she turned away while trying to steady her breathing.
"I hope you understand that this is your screw-up."
I said, giving her a hard look.
"If you had acted promptly, none of this would have happened."
"Are you trying to blame me for this?"
Madelyn frowned while clenching her fingers into a fist.
"Come on, I just want you to handle it. Nothing more."
I gestured toward the remains of the Supe.
"That's your job. Find the people who did this. This isn't some second-rate hero for it to go neglected. And then inform me if it's not too much trouble."
"It won't be,"
She muttered through gritted teeth, glancing sharply at Deep before leaving the room.
It might seem like I didn't care about Translucent's death, but that wasn't true.
I felt relieved that I didn't have to deal with him myself.
This Supe had one of the cleanest reputations, but he knew too much as he loved to spy on everyone.
That's why he had enough dirt on the company and many heroes, including the entire "Seven."
This voyeur only thought about himself and his own hide, and I didn't want a team member like that.
He was unpredictable, but I didn't care.
"She was really pissed off."
Deep commented on Madelyn's behavior, now less sure that he should have called Homelander instead of Madelyn.
"That's an understatement, buddy. But trust me, she won't do anything."
I smiled at him, patting him on the shoulder.
"And now, I gotta go."
Before Deep could recover from the painful pat on the shoulder, I disappeared from view, flying outside, leaving him alone.
I flew straight up at the fastest speed where there were no bugs or birds.
In this short time, the sky had become a place where I could think.
A place to ponder what to do in various situations.
I was flying leisurely toward Ryan and Rebecca again, contemplating who could have done this.
These thoughts led me to the conclusion that I had too little information.
It was unclear who had a grudge against Translucent when he disappeared and who it could be.
The only thing clear was that it was definitely a group of people who made it very clear that no amount of money would interest them.
This was something personal.
The first name that came to mind was Hughie, the guy whose girlfriend was turned into meat by A-Train.
The death of the Transparent seemed too symbolic.
It might also be one of the hundreds or thousands of people who "The Seven" members have hurt.
There were even support groups for people impacted by superhero actions, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Homelander followed several of these groups just to laugh at the stupidity of people who often blamed themselves for what happened.
In the end, there were no leads except for the guy who recently lost his girlfriend.
It seems to me that I should keep an eye on him, just for form's sake.
I paused for a few seconds and then turned around, flying back to the Vought Tower.
"Hello, Ashley,"
I smiled at her who flinched from my sudden appearance as she was just leaving Madelyn's office.
"H-Homelander."
She stammered helplessly.
"Could you help me with a minor issue?"
I asked with a smile, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, of course."
Ashley replied with a crooked smile.
"Very well,"
I nodded at her.
"Please find me the address of someone named Hughie Campbell."
"Who?"
She asked sincerely which irritated me.
This is another proof that ordinary people are not considered important here.
...
[3rd POV]
"Yes, Dad. What happened?"
Hughie answered the call, diverting his gaze from the team gathered around them.
The bulky, muscular guy everyone calls Mother's Milk or MM.
The Frenchie, a weapon expert, as it turned out.
Butcher, literally The Butcher, who had unhesitatingly blown up Translucent inside an iron box like an egg in a microwave.
They all watched him with interest as nothing exciting had happened during this time.
"Yeah, I'm glad to hear from you too."
Hughie said uncertainly, unable to understand why he hadn't been kicked out yet.
"You won't believe who came to visit us."
Hugh said joyfully.
"Homelander!"
He shouted, and everyone present perked up.
Hughie pursed his lips as he saw Butcher silently signaling him to turn on the speakerphone.
Looking at Butcher watching him attentively and seriously, Hughie sighed and turned on the speakerphone.
"Dad, just don't tell me you hired a cosplayer."
Hughie mentally prayed for it to be just that.
"Of course not, I'm very real, Hughie."
The words sent a shiver down his spine.
He knew it wasn't just his because Frenchie and MM looked shocked, while Butcher just frowned.
"He's real! He even signed your comic book and T-shirt!"
Hugh continued with excitement.
Hughie's mouth went dry, and he immediately grabbed a bottle of water, gulping down the warm liquid greedily until he felt sick.
He didn't start to take deep breaths to calm his racing heart until the bottle was empty.
"Hughie! Can you hear me?"
Meanwhile, Hugh continued.
"Answer!"
Butcher tried to bring him back to his senses with a painful slap, but Hughie just stared at him.
"Hughie! It seems you're connection was losing."
Hugh said with frustration.
"Maybe we should call back?"
"No need."
Homelander's sounded.
"I just wanted to apologize for what my colleague did. I understand that support is very important in such times. There's a great risk of falling under the influence of less-than-reputable individuals without it."
"Really?"
Hugh replied in surprise.
"Hughie... has indeed been acting strangely lately."
The Boys tried not to breathe too loudly, fearing being overheard.
They were fortunate that the forty-year-old man wasn't very tech-savvy and never hung up the phone himself.
They had to make use of the opportunity that presented itself.
"And how has he been acting?"
Homelander asked with interest.
"Recently, he packed his things and left with some guy, and before that, he tore down all the posters from the walls in his room."
Butcher gritted his teeth in fury at the thought that they might be found out because of this.
Frenchie clutched his head, anxiously awaiting what would come next.
M.M. was tense and considered abandoning their fight against the Supes, not wanting to put his wife and children at risk.
Meanwhile, Hughie had just come to his senses, listening in shock to his father's words.
"Did you not remember the face of this suspicious person?"
"No, my eyesight isn't great, as you can see."
Hughie could swear that his father had adjusted the glasses on his nose at that moment even though he couldn't see it.
"I wouldn't be able to recognize his car either."
"That's a shame. It would have been very helpful."
Homelander replied, and they heard the sound of footsteps moving away.
"Thank you for your hospitality. See you soon, Mr. Campbell."
"See you soon."
Hugh replied, followed by the sound of the door closing.
They instinctively listened to the sounds coming from the phone's speaker for a few minutes until they heard the sounds of a humorous TV show.
They breathed a sigh of relief, and Hughie finally hung up the phone.
"You can't go back. You'll stay with me for now."
Butcher decided, frowning and looking at Hughie.
Hughie could only nod at their unofficial leader's words.
There was no way he could go back now.
The possibility that Homelander had connected the day of Translucent's disappearance with Hughie's visit to the Vought Tower was too great.
He could only hope that nothing would happen to his father.