Chapter 43

[Homelander's POV]

I opened my eyes to see a white, smooth ceiling.

Lying on the couch, I stared up without blinking, like some sort of cold robot to any discomfort.

I miss the feeling of my eyes stinging a little, and now it's as if I have glass instead of eyes.

"Sir, you haven't answered my question."

The man sitting on the chair repeated insistently who was writing something.

I couldn't even look at whatever he had written on the paper.

I never understood doctors' handwriting, and this person introduced himself as a doctor.

There was no point in trying.

"I am in pain. I regret and deeply want to apologize to the families of those I have caused such grief."

I replied in an entirely lifeless and bored voice, giving the man a glance that lasted only a second.

"That's very good. It speaks to you as an incredibly sensitive person."

He smiled, and I had only seen his name and nothing else.

"A product."

"Pardon?"

"As a sensitive product."

I kindly repeat this for those with hearing issues.

"That's why you're here. To check if the product is broken and if it can still be used."

"And what do you think about that?"

"I'm waiting for your verdict. It doesn't matter what I think. What you write in your report is far more important. It's important to you personally."

"Personal for me?"

With a heavy sigh, I sat up and looked into the eyes of this clueless "expert."

I could completely erase the doctor from my eyes if I wanted to.

It seemed he was affected by his gaze.

"If I'm dragged around to various doctors trying to fix what's already working fine... I will be dissatisfied. Do you understand ?"

"I suppose so."

He adjusted his glasses with trembling hands and nodded subtly.

"That's excellent, doc."

I smiled at him and didn't argue with him anymore.

I leaned back on the couch again, staring at the ceiling. I longed to bury myself in the ground and go into hibernation.

How did I endure all this pressure?

I'm trying to accept my position as the strongest being on Earth—for now, at least.

The doctor had left long ago, not even bothering to say goodbye.

I continued to gaze at what was happening above and saw everything the tower's employees were doing.

It was an entertaining sight, like watching ants at work.

"You shouldn't have scared the one who wanted to help you."

An old man entered, surveying me from head to toe.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? And the wet stain on his pants was much more noticeable."

Stan Edgar smiled, adjusting his tie.

"This meeting will certainly be memorable for him."

"Get straight to the point. Enough with the empty talk."

"You're right. I came here to tell you that you need to end this farce."

"Farce?"

"No one is holding you here. On the contrary, everyone would be more at ease if you went out and walked around the tower. Ignorance scares more than knowledge."

Stan observed me intently, analyzing every movement on my face.

"In such a difficult time for Vought, it's important not to spread rumors. Otherwise, people might believe you're truly to blame for what happened."

"And aren't I?"

I stood abruptly and took a few steps toward him, meeting his gaze directly.

However, there was no fear in his eyes, only boredom and... disappointment.

"I thought you had become a more decisive person, but it seems I was mistaken."

He removed his expensive glasses and began to clean them with a cloth.

"You wouldn't have done something like this in front of cameras. Obviously, you're not to blame. If it were... the conversation would be different."

"It's good to hear that. I hope the press isn't waiting outside?"

"You know perfectly well that the answer is no. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, and neither should you. Try to stay low-profile and avoid watching news about yourself too much. It could only worsen the situation."

"I'll try."

"And please, calm your team down. I wouldn't want the situation to escalate due to their possible actions."

"Is Madelyn not handling it?"

"I didn't say that."

"So she's not suited for it?"

"You've significantly undermined her authority in the eyes of your team."

Stan subtly confirmed my words.

"Now, you are their leader, fully, after all these years."

"As if I wasn't before."

I scoffed in response.

"But you never took responsibility for them. It's nice to see you changing for the better."

As I watched Stan walk out, the thought that I had been thoroughly outplayed this time lingered.

It needed to be corrected urgently.

"Stan, one more thing."

I called after him and stopped him as he was about to leave the room.

"Are you absolutely sure you're not involved in what happened?"

A silence dropped in that could only be described as truly oppressive.

Stan's back tensed as if he felt the heat of burning eyes.

However, why "as if" when the heat was real?

"If that were the case, I wouldn't have come here in person."

He replied without turning to me, then calmly continued on his way.

"That's true."

I muttered to his back, stopping to shine my eyes.

"But you know something for sure."

Unfortunately, not everything was so simple.

Stan wasn't involved which means the organizer of this whole mess needs to be found.

There was definitely an organizer because everything aligned too perfectly for it to be a coincidence that I was there.

This might be clearer after having a follow-up conversation with Stan in private.

But for now, I have a tough conversation with the team ahead of me and then with Becka and Ryan.

I wish I could figure out what all of this is for, and maybe it will become clearer later.

I headed towards the meeting room as usual while noticing the frequent glances directed at me.

They already knew everything.

The whole world saw how I cut down a crowd of hundreds with my heat vision.

It was probably shown on every news channel.

The employees here used to look at me with admiration or respect, but now they only see anxiety and fear.

Nevertheless, the best they could do was avoid eye contact, and the worst they could do was run away to hide.

"From idol to monster, it's just one wrong step."

I declared to the empty room, collapsing into a chair in the middle of the table.

For a while, I just rocked back and forth in the chair to occupy myself.

The Seven would only gather in an hour, giving me some time to think about my speech.

However, nothing came to mind, and I just fidgeted around.

This time, I decided to follow Stan Edgar's advice and not look into what was being said about me in the news.

I already knew about it, but it was better to steer clear of my mental well-being.

I'm afraid I haven't recovered from... the shock.

The door opened, allowing two men inside, but one of them could be described as such with some reservation.

The door closed behind them, leaving them alone with me.

They were visibly nervous, and it was obvious to the naked eye. They probably imagined me burning through them with my heat vision.

"Hello, sir. We were told you were here."

Adam Bourke took the lead.

"As you can see, I am."

I greeted both with a friendly smile.

"We've brought the revised script."

Seth stepped forward, placing a folder in front of me. He carried himself with dignity, but his trembling legs betrayed his fear.

The same applies to Adam.

"Wonderful. Did you take our comments into account?"

"Yes, of course. Now, the main character will be Starlight, so the audience can relate to her. It was a great idea that we've implemented!"

Adam announced it with enthusiasm, already accustomed to motioning with his hands.

"So many new scenes!"

"I believe it."

I nodded, glancing through a couple of dozen pages.

It took at least four minutes, and the scriptwriters awaited my verdict with bated breath.

I must admit, it turned out to be quite good.

They certainly know how to write, and there is very little me in it.

That was pleasing.

"I believe everyone will approve of the script."

"Did you like it?"

Adam asked, clearly eager to hear the final verdict.

"Yes, I liked it. When can you start filming?"

"We can start tomorrow. The sets are ready."

"Excellent. Get to work."

"Yes, sir!"

With eyes shining with excitement, Adam stood at attention with a salute.

Seth looked at this with a sense of resignation.

"At ease, Adam. You may go."

I smiled, finding his performance quite amusing.

"Wait, sir. I... we wanted to say that we don't believe what's being said in the news."

Adam said it earnestly, dropping the pretense.

"You simply couldn't have done such a thing under any circumstances."

Seth supported him, standing next to him.

"And what exactly are they saying in the news?"

They both exchanged glances, apparently thinking that I had spent all my time watching the news about myself.

Admittedly, the temptation was there.

"They say you cold-bloodedly killed a hundred people. And... there's a video. But we think it's fake! With today's technology, who can say otherwise?"

"Then my words might surprise you."

I smirked at them, leaning in slightly.

"It's all true, completely. You weren't deceived."

"But... how could this happen? Why?"

"A supervillain telepath, extremely powerful. He managed to control that whole crowd, and then me. I barely managed to break free from his control."

"So you caught him?"

Adam spoke with hope.

"That would clear you of all accusations!"

Hearing his words, I felt frustrated by my impulsive actions.

What would it have cost me to simply take out the bastard?

It would have solved all the problems.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't take that risk. He's dead."

"That's unfortunate."

"Agreed. I think we'll end the conversation here. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, sir."

They both complied without protest, leaving the room.

I still needed to decide on what speech to give to the team.

An uplifting and patriotic one, or hopelessly pessimistic?

A tough choice.

I'll figure it out as I go.

...

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