Chapter 33

[Homelander's POV]

The results of my prediction were visible within a couple of hours just as expected.

The discussions revolved around the strength and capabilities of female supes, and they denied any influence of gender on a person's power. 

I generously squeezed out a few compliments and praised Stormfront for her resilience. I even had to compare her to Maeve which was a gross exaggeration.

Hopefully, Maeve won't hold that against me.

Next, we heard about a movie called "Dawn of the Seven" but hadn't read the script yet.

Madelyn insisted on focusing fans on something new and exciting instead of the controversy.

We'll see what this exciting thing is once we read the script that will be provided to us soon.

That's when A-Train, who seems to have recovered will be present.

However, I don't think I'll be happy with the initial script that was accepted by management.

The emphasis on Stormfront being female during the interviews was too suspicious.

"And what are we waiting for?"

The culprit of these thoughts interrupted.

"For them to assign us a simple task that we can quickly handle and then go our separate ways."

I answered her, continuing to look at the city through the panoramic window in the conference room.

It didn't end with just interviews and official articles on news sites.

Now, a solid "connection" between our alter egos is needed so that we cannot be attacked without affecting the other.

This was a temporary solution to stop the uproar of those thousands of activists who shouted the loudest on the internet.

This same scheme will then be used by almost all members of the Seven to weaken the effect.

Otherwise, they might start perceiving us as a couple.

I wouldn't particularly like that given the high probability that I might have to remove Stormfront from the team.

She's too suspicious.

"And what, you just stand there and wait to swoop in at the right moment?"

She asked, rocking in her chair and looking at my back.

"That's a stupid question, Stormfront."

I smirked, finally turning to face her.

"If you haven't knocked all your brains out after my slap, you should understand that there will never be enough heroes for everyone. There are only a few dozen in the entire city, and they also need to remind people of their existence."

"And what's the point of that?"

She awkwardly smiled under my gaze, but she was actually completely calm.

This made me think of Edgar because she had a mature experience that a twenty-six-year-old girl shouldn't have. 

It wasn't just overconfidence and maximalism, and the observance she demonstrated spoke otherwise.

That's why she aroused serious suspicion in me. I needed to background check her and understand who I had accepted into the team.

"The point is, the members of the Seven aren't some mediocre supes who constantly need to be in front of the cameras to avoid being forgotten. On the contrary, we need to appear less frequently so as not to wear out our appearance and to get the deserved awe from the people lucky enough to see us."

"But it doesn't work like that."

She frowned, apparently not understanding my reasoning.

"We need to do everything we can to stay memorable."

"Do you often walk through Times Square?"

I asked, and she nodded without hesitation.

"How many screens there advertise Vought products? The answer is simple—half of them. That half is filled with members of our team advertising something. Not to mention the products, various cutting-edge technologies, and even games. Like A-Train advertising Apple products."

"Apple-Train?"

Stormfront chuckled.

"Exactly. The name may be ridiculous, but it managed to attract attention."

I laughed.

"That's why such frequent appearances are unnecessary for us since the whole world already knows us. It's like trying to promote the President of the United States—his fame is guaranteed without any extra effort."

"Interesting comparison."

Stormfront said, expressing slight skepticism with just her tone.

I merely smirked at her words and turned back to the window.

It was an interesting comparison, considering that the Seven had outlasted three presidents.

A better analogy would be to compare our team to the Queen of England who has been in her position for decades.

It's almost pitiful to think of the prince who remains titled yet old.

While I thought about these minor topics, the search for a suitable incident finally concluded.

The balcony on our floor was perfectly designed specifically for such rapid deployments.

It also allowed me to see how proficient Stormfront was with her abilities, and lightning from her hands propelled her body, enabling her to fly.

It reminded me of how Starlight learned to use her powers for flight.

Unlike Starlight, Stormfront didn't need to be near electrical appliances since she generated lightning herself.

She had mastered flying quite well, almost matching my speed within the city.

It only took us a short time to get to the bank, which had been robbed for obvious reasons. Just a few minutes ago, five masked men took control of a small branch.

However, a question arises: Why were we informed so quickly, even before the police could arrive?

The answer is quite simple and brilliant.

Vought had individual contracts with banks for advertising.

This approach allowed Vought to respond promptly to such incidents since the alarm signal reached their service simultaneously with the police.

All I had to do was assess the situation and act.

"Don't stop, old man!"

As soon as we landed, Stormfront didn't waste any time.

She burst into the bank and started zapping four of the robbers with her lightning, knocking them back a few meters.

However, the fifth one was hiding behind a column and emerged with a gun pointed at her.

Stormfront froze for a moment at the robber's audacity.

I also smirked at this.

The majority of supes were at least bulletproof, even Starlight despite her innocent and fragile appearance.

I merely shook my head and followed her while landing gracefully at the entrance.

However, the man grinned, dropped the gun, and made a motion as if he were pushing something heavy out of his chest instead of the expected gunfire.

I was momentarily confused, but it vanished when I saw a transparent projectile moving at the speed of light hit Stormfront.

It would be too exaggerated to say I was shocked.

Stormfront's body was pushed through the bank's wall and stopped at the building next to it.

My initial astonishment quickly turned to focus as I noticed the second shot being prepared.

I lifted off the ground by a mere centimeter to instantly position myself directly in front of him.

I punched him in the face, sending his face smashing onto the ground, and his head easily went through the surface and stuck after ten centimeters.

I could even see the bent rebar, but it was probably only visible to my eyes.

It was clear that the criminal had lost consciousness but hadn't received truly critical injuries.

He was still alive because his beating was strong, but he wouldn't be my problem anymore by then.

"Homelander!!"

Someone among the bank patrons shouted, starting a round of applause that quickly spread.

"You're the best!!!"

With a smile, I had to wave to the unintended audience of my heroics. However, I remained alert to the four remaining criminals.

This vigilance allowed me to stop an attempt to raise a gun, and a simple laser beam through the perpetrator's hand sufficed.

I avoided targeting the gun directly with my heat vision to prevent any surprises from the bullets inside.

Then, the unexpected happened again.

Instead of pulling back his hand, this criminal roared and charged at me, seemingly unaware of the burns forming on his face beneath his mask.

I easily caught his punch aimed at my face. Then, I seized his other fist, effectively restricting his movements.

It became evident that he was also a super by the burns on his face healing right before my eyes, leaving only the melted parts of his rubber mask.

It looked like his enhanced regeneration had quickly regenerated after Stormfront's lightning hits.

However, he lacked any significant strength that explained his attempt to grab the gun—likely to take hostages or kill a few people.

It's hard to understand the logic of terrorists especially when they plan for your arrival.

"AAAH!!!"

He screamed in my face and tried to kick me.

However, I broke his leg with a kick and the other one. I couldn't stand how his scream changed into a pathetic cry.

It's hard to beat a super with regeneration without particular gas. I had to do what was necessary.

I let go of his hands with a sigh, and he fell to the ground while whining over his broken legs.

The people around me fell silent, watching me warily.

A few were already recording my actions on their smartphones, likely planning to upload the video to the internet later.

Just what I needed.

"Citizens, there's no need to panic. This individual is a supervillain and will recover in a matter of minutes. There's no need to feel any sympathy for someone like him."

I declared with a confident tone, noticing the hesitant nods and understanding in the eyes of the people around me.

Thankfully, there were no children present, and their cries wouldn't have helped my case.

"Did I miss something?"

Stormfront finally asked while reentering the bank after all the action had finished.

It was hard to blame her, given that everything happened in under two minutes.

However, she still failed to anticipate the situation that could have avoided the collateral damage of a broken wall and floor.

She didn't look good either when she collided with two walls as a result of her own miscalculations.

Smirking at her question, I grabbed the whining supervillain by his jacket and dragged him toward the exit.

"Don't delay, sweetheart."

I chuckled as I walked past her, not even bothering to look back to see the arrogant Stormfront's outraged expression.

I could feel her scorching glare on my back without turning around.

It was quite an eventful day.

There were two supervillains in my city who were normally only seen in their own territories.

That's very bad news.

If there are two of them here, there may be more lurking around.

What a day.

These idiots really ruined my mood.

...

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