Chapter 8

The cool air in the evening and the fresh smell of the sea.

Starlight would have loved to stroll here, relax after work, do interviews, and take photos.

Unfortunately, she was on her first mission as a superhero, which made her nervous.

This made her even more nervous because she was doing it with one of the Seven whom she admired as a teenager.

Of course, it wasn't Homelander as he was occupied elsewhere.

Instead, she had been paired with the Deep, who had suddenly vanished without a trace.

However, she couldn't complain because this was her first significant assignment and her big debut.

Starlight noticed Deep emerging from the water in his usual guise. It looked like he didn't seem particularly thrilled. 

He sighed and stood beside her without bothering to nod when he finally got there.

"Oh, look at that, a crime on the water! Damn, they've really pissed me off!"

Deep exclaimed as the awkward silence was broken.

"They only put me on dockside assignments... or on rivers... lakes... dams."

Starlight forced a crooked smile, unsure of what to say.

This was not what she had expected.

"Narrow-minded idiots, I have such potential! And they only put me on camera dives and showing off biceps on Instagram."

The Deep huffed.

"It's so humiliating... And you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. What's going on with Homelander?"

"Nothing."

She replied, puzzled by why Deep was interested.

"Come on, spill it. It can't be just that you got Homelander's backing for nothing."

Deep smirked, and that smirk didn't sit well with her.

"It wasn't just for your pretty face, was it?"

"He saw potential in me."

She frowned as the lamps began to flicker from the strain.

It was natural for her to get energy from nearby electrical devices when feeling stressed.

This meant that many lamps burned out during those times.

"Hey, come on! I was just joking."

Deep raised his hands and stepped back a few paces.

"It's just unusual for Homelander."

"Unusual in what way?"

Starlight calmed down, staring intently at him.

"Well, he never wastes his time on newbies, ask A-Train."

He explained.

"And here's a girl, and a pretty one at that. So, I was curious about your relationship. Just out of curiosity!"

"We're not in any special relationship."

She frowned, puzzled at how such an idea could even cross his mind.

"He just trained me to use my powers."

"Okay, now it's clear."

He smirked, but Starlight noticed there was no understanding in his eyes.

"Want to show me what he taught you?"

"I'd be happy to."

Starlight replied with anticipation, spotting the jeep arriving at the hangar.

"Haha, got it."

He smiled and moved to the edge.

"I'll go around back, and you go in from the front. Ready, set, go!"

With that, the Deep dramatically dove into the water, performing a backflip.

Starlight rolled her eyes at his show-off and headed for the stairs.

She ran to the hangar in just under two minutes, arriving just as things were heating up.

The Deep had already taken down two guys, but it looked more dramatic than effective.

Meanwhile, two others were drawing their guns, and these were the ones Starlight targeted.

Starlight's eyes glowed with a bright yellow light, quickly intensifying. It was much faster than if it had been a hand blast.

A precise golden beam to the chest sent one of the attackers flying a few meters, leaving him unconscious, and the other met a similar fate.

After finishing this, she looked at Deep, who had just finished toying with his enemies.

"Over here, quick!"

Ashley suddenly appeared with a film crew.

"Great job, very impressive!"

"Wh-what?"

Starlight was bewildered, staring at the scene.

"Smile for the camera."

She didn't understand what was happening and looked at Deep, who was smiling and talking to the cameraman.

Deep smiled, winked, and gave her the thumbs up as if he could feel her gaze.

She realized that everything had been planned from the beginning.

"Smile, Starlight. Come on!"

She took a deep breath and smiled at the camera.

She still had the skills she had in childhood and in teen beauty competitions, so it was easy for her to meet the requirements.

However, she thought all this would be behind her after joining the Seven.

It seemed like she was wrong.

...

[Homelander's POV]

Arthur Robinson, a tall black man in an expensive suit. He might not look like it, but he was a significant figure in the military industry.

The head of Lockheed, the American defense conglomerate that manufactures ballistic missiles and ammunition, among other military hardware.

It was as much fun to talk to people like him as swimming in a filthy pool.

I didn't like anything about this event.

There were guests at the reception, and I had to give a speech about patriotism and other nonsense.

One consolation was that I wasn't the only one suffering, trying to butter up influential figures.

Maeve and Noir were also involved but were equally dissatisfied with the situation.

Translucent was the only one who wasn't there, either drinking or spying on someone else.

That annoying exhibitionist with stalker tendencies.

"Alright, let's cut the bullshit."

Arthur Robinson interrupted me mid-sentence, drawing the attention of his like-minded associates.

"Why are you here? Why should the government pay for you and your cronies to fly around and annoy our soldiers?"

Arthur's condescending tone really irritated me.

What does he even understand about what he's talking about? What does he know about the products his corporation manufactures?

The fact is, he understands nothing. This guy is just like Madelyn but promotes weapons instead of supers.

"Do you want honesty, Arthur?"

I said it with a disarming smile.

"That's exactly what I want."

He smirked while anticipating my words.

I glanced briefly at Madelyn, who stood at the bar with another general.

Our eyes met, and I saw the concern on her face as her smile slowly faded.

One glance was enough for her to realize that I had something in mind, but she couldn't do anything to stop me.

"Arthur, you stand before me and speak confidently as if everything is under control. However, you don't see that you're sitting in the mud with your bare ass, holding a crooked stick."

I smirked openly, watching his surprised reaction to my words.

"You'd better apologize..."

"Apologize for honesty? Not a chance."

I replied disdainfully, giving him a contemptuous look.

"Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on your weapons, yet they somehow don't shoot lasers."

"Our army is the best in the world in many ways, thanks to our technology and..."

"And how is that working out in Afghanistan?"

I sneered, surveying the attendees.

"You've already lost. Your strategies aren't working, and everyone has realized that."

"And what will people like you change?"

"Everything, Arthur. We all understand that perfectly well."

I smirked, winking at Madelyn, who was closely observing our conversation from a distance.

"A military contract is simply inevitable."

"That's never going to happen."

Arthur frowned.

"Oh really? Do you know the oldest lie in America, Arthur?"

I smiled and once again scanned the people gathered around me.

"That power is never criminal."

With the same smile, I casually walked towards the exit, leaving behind the disgruntled Arthur.

What a pleasant feeling.

"What did you just do?"

Madelyn immediately asked me while she was catching me up in the hallway.

"What should have been done a long time ago."

"Homelander, do you even understand what this means for us? We might not see that military contract for another ten years because of your words!"

She hissed through her teeth.

"Really? Well, that's just perfect."

I smiled, feeling not a bit of concern about it.

"Let Black Noir handle it next time. He likes to keep his mouth shut. I refuse to do so."

"Are you trying to get revenge on me?"

She sighed while beginning to massage her temples.

"It's just a matter of perspective."

I replied, looking intently into her eyes.

"Sometimes you have to settle for less when trying to take something that doesn't belong to you."

"Homelander..."

"Tell Stan that if he even thinks about touching my son... this unpleasant incident will seem like the least of the problems that have ever happened to Vought."

I approached her, who stood frozen and afraid.

"Am I clear?"

"I... understand."

"Excellent. Don't get bored, Madelyn."

I smiled at her and quickly left the event.

My actions might seem reckless, but they clearly showed how costly my grievances could be.

It's important to remind them that I'm no longer their errand boy.

They must remember that once and for all to avoid making foolish mistakes again.

...

[3rd POV]

It was uncomfortable and terrifying.

Hughie breathed deeply and frequently, trying to calm himself.

He looked at the iron door behind him, which was the main reason for his uneasy state.

He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, trying to suppress the itch.

Why did he agree to Butcher's proposal?

Why did he even think about putting a damn listening device in Vought Tower?

Hughie knew the answer but couldn't stop thinking about it.

The situation was utterly dire.

A whole Translucent in an iron cage under voltage. This super had seen their faces and knew his name.

As if that weren't enough, it turned out that Butcher wasn't even a federal agent but just some psychopath.

There was also this French guy who could make a damn bullet for a rifle in a few hours and was probably selling illegal weapons.

He got caught up in this deranged company and could only panic over the hopeless situation.

One thing was clear that no one intended to keep the Translucent alive.

Since that was the case, it was necessary to find out something about A-Train and that day when he killed Robin. But without any evidence, the truth may never be revealed.

That was the only thing within the boy's skill set.

He could at least try, even if it didn't work. He opened the iron door and saw an empty iron cage in front of him.

He filled a glass with water first.

He placed the glass in front of the cage and stepped back, looking at the empty cage.

"So, you don't want to."

Hughie muttered and was about to take the glass back.

"Wait. I want to drink."

Translucent said, and Hughie could see the invisible man drinking the water.

"Listen... I need to ask you about A-Train."

Hughie began.

"When he... ran through a girl... recently. Robin Ward. I want to know why? Where was he going? What was he doing?"

"And is she your sister? Girlfriend?"

Translucent asked while sitting in the cage.

"Girlfriend."

"So that's what you need!"

"Please, listen. These guys... they want to kill you. Tell me something, and I..."

"What? Stop them? They catch every word you say! You're the big boss here."

Translucent replied sarcastically.

"Fine. You don't want to? Well, whatever. I tried!"

Hughie turned towards the exit, clearly understanding that he wouldn't get anything from him.

"Kid, I read people perfectly."

A naked man appeared before him without any noticeable differences from any other naked man.

"You're terrified and fully aware that you've wandered into this sea of shit past the boys. And you'd better run before you sink to the bottom."

"First, we'll kill you."

Hughie frowned, looking him straight in the eyes.

He might be a coward and terrified right now, but running away in this situation was not an option.

He would finish what he started if he did it.

If that meant killing Translucent, Hughie would do it without hesitation if it would lead him to A-Train.

"I'm invulnerable. I have impenetrable skin, and I'm a goddamn superhero. Forgot that?"

Translucent smiled.

"We take down gangs, terrorists. We save the world every day! And who are you? A rag doll stuffed with guts and meat. Homelander will find me, and he'll slit you from throat to balls. And I'll go home, sipping cocktails. Because I am who I am, and you are who you are."

"Well, good luck. I tried."

Hughie smiled and still went out the door while slamming it shut.

"Run without looking back, Hughie."

Translucent smirked, looking at the ceiling.

He was absolutely certain that they were already searching for him.

He would soon leave this place and then tear those jerks apart with his own hands.