The Boys: I Became The Soldier Boy

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: The Death of Edgar

Chapter 43: The Death of Edgar

Homelander watched as Benjamin prepared to deliver the killing blow. He initially wanted to tell him to hold on, but he quickly thought better of it. Once his father took control of Vought, what information couldn’t he get? And even if Edgar refused to talk, there were others who knew—like Dr. Vogelbaum. Besides, this old bastard Edgar was still trying to negotiate until his absolute last breath, still thinking that everything in life could be bartered with chips and clauses. Truly fucking pathetic.

Benjamin tightened his grip. The sickening crunch of a fracturing skull shattered the quiet of the office.

The faces of the mid-level executives turned as white as printer paper. Ashley clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, but she stayed put, her eyes locked onto Edgar’s corpse. Before long, Edgar’s body slumped out of his chair, his suit rumpling, his tie skewing to one side as his elbow knocked over the whiskey glass.

Homelander stood near the doorway, watching Edgar’s corpse as the red glow in his eyes slowly receded.

Before long, the authorities arrived. The NYPD had rushed to Vought Tower at breakneck speed after receiving the emergency call from Edgar himself, over a dozen officers in tactical vests filing out of the elevator. When they shoved open the office door, Edgar was slumped on the floor, already stone cold.

The lead officer stared at the corpse on the floor, then looked up at Benjamin and Homelander, his mouth hanging open, entirely at a loss for words.

Ashley knew it was her time to shine. She stepped forward smoothly, adjusted the collar of her blazer, and met the officers with her most flawless corporate smile. "Officers, I’m incredibly sorry you had to make a wasted trip. Mr. Edgar just committed suicide by slamming his head against the wall."

She pointed toward a barely noticeable dent on the wall beside the desk. "He simply couldn’t face the reality of impending prison time. Overcome by extreme remorse and terror, he chose to end his own life. None of us could stop him in time. It’s... it’s just a terrible tragedy," Ashley continued, her voice dripping with artificial grief.

The officer looked at her, looked at Benjamin and Homelander, and then looked down at Edgar’s caved-in skull. He opened his mouth to say something... but thought better of it. Edgar had it coming anyway. Ultimately, he just waved his hand, instructing his men to take photos, log the scene, and bag the body.

Ashley stood at the office threshold, watching the forensics team hoist Edgar’s corpse onto a gurney and wheel it away. While she maintained a facade of professional poise, the rapid heaving of her chest gave her away. From a low-level lackey ordered around by Madelyn, to usurping Madelyn’s position overnight, to now standing on the precipice of becoming Vought’s public-facing CEO—she had played her cards perfectly at every single turn. She had backed Soldier Boy, and she had backed Homelander.

And now, Stan Edgar’s corpse was being zipped into a body bag and wheeled into the elevator... The ceiling of the entire Vought International empire, from this exact second, belonged completely to her! On paper, at least. But Ashley was still dizzy with pure ecstasy.

Out in the corridor, Benjamin leaned back against the wall, resting his shield by his boots. Homelander stood right beside him, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Maeve and Starlight lingered at the opposite end of the hallway, Maeve murmuring something to Starlight in a low voice. "We can actually be real superheroes now, right, Maeve?" Starlight whispered.

Maeve nodded, a genuine spark igniting in her eyes as well. She had been checked out and cynical for far too long, but right now, she felt like she could finally become a real superhero. Maeve felt exactly the way she had years ago when she first walked through Vought’s doors.

Glancing down the crowded hallway, Homelander suddenly spoke up. "Dad."

"Yeah?"

"You told me to stop making that goddamn sappy face earlier."

"What about it? If you’ve got something to say, spit it the fuck out." freewebnøvel.com

"You were being pretty sappy yourself," the corner of Homelander’s mouth peeled back into a genuine smile. "You’re the one who hugged me first."

Benjamin fell silent for a brief second before firing back, "That’s because your bitch ass looked like you were about to cry, and I couldn’t fucking stand looking at it." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I wasn’t crying."

"Your eyes were bloodshot."

"That was the backlash from my Heat Vision."

"Right. Sure. Heat Vision."

Benjamin gave him a playful shove, not using much force, before turning to head toward the elevators. "Let’s move. We’re getting barbecue tonight, and your wallet’s taking the hit. The rest of you, fall in."

Homelander fell into step behind him with a light pace.

The Deep scratched his smooth head, piping up, "Sir, can we come along too?" Seeing Maeve and Starlight immediately follow, The Deep was completely dumbfounded. Homelander was actually treating people to dinner. Holy shit, he had never experienced that in his entire life.

"Uh, just so you know, I don’t do seafood," The Deep added quickly, scrambling to catch up with the rest of them.

---<>---

A/N: Want to know what happens next? You can read up to 20 Chapters ahead on my p@tr~on:

[email protected]/ForgottenDaoist (@ = a, link is in my profile).