Chapter 180: Stepping Up

Jon knew that his nearly fatal attack on Stormfront was bound to provoke Homelander into action. There was no doubt that Homelander would be furious, and this would likely lead him to lethal measures.

Whether it was to give Homelander a justification to take out Phoenix, or to salvage the tarnished reputation of the Seven, they would definitely pull out all the stops. They would paint Phoenix as a dangerous super-criminal, and the media would be their weapon to furiously smear his name.

Jon could already see it happening: by morning, Phoenix's reputation would be completely flipped. Once seen as a hero, he would now be branded as a villain—a criminal who had killed a member of the Seven. His notoriety would reach new, unspeakable levels of infamy.

"However, I need your help to steal a document, one that could completely ruin Stormfront," Jon told Alessa.

"What exactly are you planning?" Alessa inquired, her curiosity piqued.

With a cunning smile, Jon replied, "With this document, I can finally step up by completely destroying Stormfront's reputation."

***

"What threat is America facing?"

"There is absolutely no threat to America. With superheroes on guard, America will sail smoothly through each day," the person on the video confidently proclaimed.

"But what if these superheroes start killing each other? What would happen to the American people then?" the interviewer pressed.

"Killing each other? That won't happen. Under my leadership, the Seven have always been in harmony. We've never experienced any internal conflicts," he reassured.

"And what about the conflict between Stormfront and Phoenix?" the interviewer asked, pushing further.

"..." There was a pause.

"Do you really think that scoundrel who calls himself Phoenix is a superhero? No, the Seven have never recognized him. That bastard isn't even American. We've been focused on investigating the Gravity Psychopath recently, so we overlooked him. But I assure you, we won't make that mistake again."

"But according to our investigations, we couldn't find any information on Phoenix. We used all our resources, but nothing came up. It's as if he doesn't exist in this world."

"To erase one's information so completely, do you know what kind of person does that? That's right, a terrorist! Phoenix's true identity is that of a supervillain, no different from that Gravity Psychopath. Who knows what his motive is for pretending to be a hero?!"

"So, how is Stormfront now?" the interviewer changed the subject.

"She is currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment. Fortunately, she's recovering quickly. I believe it won't be long before she returns to the Seven!" he answered optimistically.

The interview video with Homelander abruptly ended with a click, the screen freezing on his bright and handsome face.

In front of the laptop, a bearded man with a stern expression silently smoked a cigarette. This man was William Butcher, a member of The Boys and also the initiator. Driven by a personal vendetta—Homelander had raped his wife—Butcher swore to kill Homelander by any means necessary.

"Just wait, you scumbag! It's either you or me!" Butcher declared, pressing the cigarette butt onto Homelander's face on the laptop screen.

"Hey, that's my laptop!"

At that moment, Hughie Campbell, the protagonist of "The Boys" series and a member of The Boys after his girlfriend was killed by A-Train, walked into the room.

Butcher, without turning around, asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"

"I told Annie your plan. She said she would figure something out." Hughie responded.

Butcher spun around to face him and said sternly, "I didn't ask you to consult with her!"

"But you need a way to find that person, don't you?" Hughie retorted. "Now that the Seven are definitely on his tail, if you want to find him quickly, you'll have to go through one of them."

Butcher paused, taking a deep breath, then admitted, "You're right, Hughie! Now get the fuck out of here."

"Sure, just don't **** on my laptop~!" Hughie joked before leaving the room.

Once Hughie was gone, Butcher turned back to the laptop, closed the interview video with Homelander, and opened another video.

This video showed Phoenix in combat with Stormfront, climaxing with Phoenix landing a devastating blow that punched through Stormfront as she attempted to flee.

Butcher clicked the pause button at the moment Phoenix's fist pierced Stormfront.

"Good job, kid!" Butcher muttered with a slight smile.

They had recently learned from Starlight that Stormfront wasn't actually undergoing rehabilitation as had been publicly claimed, but was nearly crippled and likely to be disabled for life.

Could the man who effortlessly defeated Stormfront also be capable of killing Homelander? Butcher's smile widened with anticipation, pondering the possibilities.

***

In an underground archive room filled with cabinets of dense files, a ghostly girl silently sneaked in.

The patrolling personnel did not notice her arrival. Alessa could have quietly taken the files and left, but when she saw a patrol officer, she couldn't help but smile coldly.

She waved her hand silently, and the lights in the archive room flickered. Before the officer could react, a terrifying monster appeared before him.

It was a tall monster in tattered clothes, covered in blood, dragging a horrifying long heavy sword, and most notably, wearing a metal pyramid sort of mask, exuding an intense sense of oppression.

The Pyramid Head slowly approached the officer, who stood frozen, flashlight in hand, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"OM...G aaaah...! ahhhhhhhhhhhh———!"

The officer turned and fled desperately, the sound of the dragging sword echoing behind him. He glanced back, only to see Pyramid Head approaching.

Terrified, the officer ran even faster, but the sound of the dragging sword grew closer despite Pyramid Head merely walking.

In no time, Pyramid Head reached him and, with a swift motion, sliced the officer in half at the waist.

***

In the depths of an underground archive, filled with cabinets stacked with dense files, Alessa with ghostly figure slipped through the shadows unnoticed. The room, dimly lit and sprawling with secrets, was patrolled intermittently by security personnel who remained oblivious to her ethereal presence.

Alessa might have easily taken the files she needed and left without incident, but upon spotting a patrol officer, a cold smile crept across her face. With a silent wave of her hand, the lights in the room flickered ominously.

Before the officer could react to the disturbance, a terrifying figure materialized in front of him. It was a monstrous entity clad in tattered clothes soaked with blood, dragging a long, heavy sword that clanged against the concrete floor. Its most striking feature was the metal pyramid-shaped mask it wore, creating an overwhelming aura of dread.

The figure, known as Pyramid Head, advanced slowly towards the officer, who stood petrified, his flashlight trembling in his grip, unable to process the horror unfolding before him.

"OM...G aaaah...! ahhhhhhhhhhhh———!" the officer screamed in terror.

Panicked, he turned and fled desperately down the narrow archive aisles. The ominous sound of the sword dragging on the floor echoed through the room, a haunting reminder of the peril behind him. He dared a glance back only to see Pyramid Head steadily approaching, unfazed by the officer's frantic pace.

Despite merely walking, Pyramid Head closed the distance with unsettling speed. In an inevitable and swift motion, the monstrous figure raised its sword and, with a gruesome swing, cleaved the officer in half at the waist.