Free Web NovelChapter 47: Chapter 47: Homelander’s Anxiety
Chapter 47: Homelander’s Anxiety
A dimly lit basement in Brooklyn, New York. The smell of cigarette smoke, motor oil, and the mustiness of old newspapers blended together. Butcher leaned against the wall. An unlit cigarette dangled from his mouth, his arms crossed over his chest, staring silently at the few pages of paper layout on the table.
"I still think we should consider recruiting Soldier Boy," Hughie said, sitting on a folding chair across from the pool table, gesturing frantically with his hands. "I mean, he saved my girlfriend right in front of my eyes. He could’ve easily walked away. When A-Train was charging right at her, he went at him with a can of oil. That wasn’t a publicity stunt, Butcher, it was completely real. He might actually be a real superhero."
"A real superhero?" Butcher took the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it between his fingers. "Listen to yourself, Hughie. Soldier Boy is Homelander’s dad. Biological dad. The whole fucking country knows it. And Homelander—you mean to tell me we’re gonna recruit Homelander’s own biological father to take down Homelander?" He jammed the cigarette back into his mouth and sneered. "Sure, why don’t you go ask him yourself if he’s willing to beat the shite out of his own son for a few rats in the gutter like us. I’ll wait right here for your good news."
After all, Butcher’s situation now was entirely different from the original timeline. Back then, Butcher had crossed paths with Soldier Boy first before finding out about the father-son dynamic, and Soldier Boy had intended to deliver the killing blow even after knowing Homelander was his flesh and blood. But now things were completely different; Soldier Boy cared deeply about Homelander, and the whole country knew it. ƒrēewebnovel.com
"Alright," Hughie’s voice dropped. "I just don’t think Soldier Boy is a bad guy. Look at how Vought International treated him today... hunted down by his own company, betrayed by his old teammates. Anyone would hate Vought for that. Maybe the company really will change under his influence."
Butcher stared at Hughie as if looking at a naive child who had just stepped straight out of a fairy tale book.
"You think those goddamn superheroes can change? Christ, fuck, you really are so fucking simple. Don’t go thinking Soldier Boy is some kind of saint just because he saved your girlfriend. The truth is, there isn’t a single good one among the Supes. Every Supe, because they have power, is forced to do terrible things. It’s not that they choose to be evil; it’s the power itself that makes them evil. That’s goddamn human nature. So, there shouldn’t be any Supes in this world. Not a single one! Besides, why don’t you go ask Mother’s Milk? His family died a brutal death at Soldier Boy’s hands!"
"You’re too extreme, Butcher..." Hughie looked up, wanting to argue, but ultimately just sighed.
Robin was still alive. Every morning she would still come to the store to bring him coffee, still teasing him for adding an extra spoonful of sugar to his tea. He should be relieved, he should be grateful, and he should just forget about Supes and A-Train entirely. But he hadn’t. Hughie had still taken Butcher’s business card, he was still sitting in this basement, and he was still staring blankly at a pile of Vought’s incriminating files. He didn’t even know why he had come. Maybe it was because he subtly felt that some of what Butcher said about Supes was right, but not all of it...
"Maybe that female Supe is a victim," Frenchie said, leaning against the edge of the pool table. "Vought’s files say she went out of control after being injected with Compound V. She didn’t want to turn into that. She’s just a lab rat."
"A lab rat is still a dangerous lab rat," Butcher waved his hand impatiently. "Feeling sorry for a Supe who can rip steel plates apart with her bare hands? Frenchie, are you high out of your goddamn mind?"
They hadn’t found Kimiko yet. Mother’s Milk sat in the corner. He hadn’t said a word, his eyes filled with pure hatred. He was squarely on Butcher’s side; after all, Soldier Boy was directly responsible for his family’s deaths, even if it had been accidental...
Butcher looked coldly at everyone and said, "Listen up, mates. As long as we find a chance to leak the truth about Compound V to the public, along with what happened today, Vought will take another massive hit. The friction between Soldier Boy and Vought’s top brass is a godsend. Those bastards are fracturing from the inside, so we’ll smash their shell from the outside. It’s that simple. Before long, Vought will be completely finished."
What Butcher didn’t know was that Benjamin was already execution-ready on the exact plan he was trying to hatch. Right as he spoke, the servers in Vought’s PR department were pushing a draft of an upcoming public announcement to Ashley’s tablet. The truth about Compound V was going to be revealed by Vought itself.
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Vought Tower, the press briefing room.
Forty minutes remained before the official start of the press conference, but the three hundred media seats were already packed to capacity. Reporters who couldn’t squeeze inside lined the corridors, layers of cameras and tripods choked the entrance hall, and temporary live broadcast relay equipment had even been rigged to the ceiling.
Not just New York, not just America—media outlets around the globe were focused on this conference. Soldier Boy and Homelander being ambushed in Pennsylvania by Supes dispatched by Vought’s former CEO, and the unvarnished truth behind superheroes. Every single one of these was a front-page blockbuster on its own, and Vought’s press conference today was going to answer all of them in one fell swoop.
Standing in the green room backstage, Ashley repeatedly adjusted the angle of her collar in the mirror. Less than a week ago, she was just a low-level manager ordered around by Madelyn. Now... clad in a sharply tailored dark gray suit, she was about to face the world’s lenses as the newly appointed CEO of Vought International.
Taking a deep breath, Ashley suppressed the final trace of a tremble from her lips. Benjamin sat in another chair, his shield propped against the armrest, holding a cup of iced coffee. Homelander stood right beside him.
When the lights flared to life, Ashley was the first to walk out toward the main podium.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Ashley Barrett, the new CEO of Vought International." Her voice echoed throughout the briefing room via the surround-sound speakers. A blinding wave of camera flashes erupted as scores of reporters began snapping photos.
Ashley paused, then continued, "Before today’s press conference officially begins, on behalf of Vought, I want to offer a formal apology to the American public and to everyone across the globe who has ever placed their trust in Vought." A low murmur rippled through the crowd below.
"Stan Edgar and the former board of directors systematically concealed information, deceived, and betrayed Vought’s heroes, employees, and the public for decades. The following is a verified list of their offenses." She opened the file before her and began reading it point by point.
"First, Edgar and his previous management team, without informing anyone, sold Soldier Boy out to a foreign power, resulting in forty years of illegal detention and inhumane torture. Second, after Mr. Soldier Boy endured immense hardships to return to America, former Senior Vice President Madelyn Stillwell and Stan Edgar demanded that The Seven illegally hunt him down, an order that Homelander refused. Third, Edgar and Madelyn manipulated the media, using illegal means to doctor public approval ratings, intentionally slandering multiple members of The Seven, including Soldier Boy and Homelander. Fourth, Edgar and Madelyn mobilized more than thirty Supe mercenaries and the remaining members of Payback in a deliberate attempt to erase this World War II hero from the face of the earth."
She flipped to the final page, her voice suddenly dropping into a slower, heavier register. "Every single offense listed above is backed by an ironclad chain of evidence. All evidence will be turned over to the FBI today. Vought International hereby pledges to fully cooperate with the investigation, disclose all records, and provide comprehensive compensation to all victims!" The room fell into a temporary hush before an explosive clamor broke out anew.
"Now, Mr. Soldier Boy and Homelander will take questions."
The first female reporter called upon practically scrambled to get her words out: "Mr. Soldier Boy! Stan Edgar sold you out to the Russians... what kind of torture did you endure during that time?" Pulling the microphone closer, Benjamin fell silent for a brief moment before methodically answering her regarding the horrors he underwent in Russia. Even though these details had already been laid bare on his livestream, there was no harm in reiterating them here.
A second reporter quickly pressed, "Mr. Soldier Boy, do you possess the gift of eternal youth? After all, so many years have passed, yet you look exactly the same as you did forty years ago."
Soldier Boy nodded. "Damn right. I’ve got eternal youth, ever since I became the first fucking superhero."
Standing beside him, Homelander cast his gaze over to Benjamin, a flash of envy flickering deep within his eyes. Though he had already guessed that Soldier Boy possessed an immortal physiology, hearing it directly from his father’s mouth hit differently.
However, Homelander began to worry again. He might not have an immortal physiology himself... If a few decades passed, would he end up aging and leaving Benjamin behind? The thought instantly made Homelander sour all over again.
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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).
