Free Web NovelChapter 63: Chapter 63: The Church of the Collective
Chapter 63: The Church of the Collective
Before long, the blinding camera flashes and the noisy, chaotic questions from the reporters finally ground to a halt. The public relations team and clean-up crews sent by Ashley quickly took over the scene, expertly cordoning it off with caution tape and packing the mangled remains into black body bags.
Benjamin casually tossed his blood-stained shield into the trunk of the Vought cruiser, pulled open the door, and slid into the back seat. Starlight quickly climbed in after him, sitting right by his side. The interior of the car was dead silent, save for the heavy rhythm of Benjamin drawing on his cigar.
"Um..." Starlight began, breaking the silence cautiously. Turning her head, her beautiful large eyes locked onto Benjamin with absolute sincerity. "Thank you so, so much for today."
"If you hadn’t made it in time, not just those cops, I probably would’ve been run through by those ice spikes too. You saved my life."
"Just doing my job," Benjamin said, blowing out a cloud of blue smoke.
Starlight instinctively leaned a bit closer to him. "Are you free tonight...? Can I buy you dinner? Just... just dinner, the two of us."
Benjamin raised an eyebrow, finally throwing a glance her way. "Your treat?"
"Yes, my treat! Anywhere you want to go!" Starlight nodded eagerly, her eyes glowing with an increasing, fangirl-like adoration. "You have no idea how much I despise my past self. How could I have been so blind to look up to a pathetic coward like The Deep? Compared to him, you’re the definition of a perfect superhero!"
Starlight seemed to have opened a floodgate, rambling on with endless praise. "Soldier Boy, you’re way more handsome than The Deep, your power is incredible, and you fight so efficiently! Plus, you actually have a sense of justice. You protected those cops..."
"Alright, pull the plug on that," Benjamin interrupted, rubbing his temples in mild irritation at the mention of The Deep. "Fuck, if you’re gonna praise me, go ahead, but don’t you dare compare me to that goddamn freak who likes to fuck fish, alright?"
Starlight froze, then couldn’t help but burst into a laugh. "Fine, I take it back." She rested her chin in her hand, her deep blue eyes staring intently at Benjamin. "But... starting today, you’re my idol, Soldier Boy. And you’ll always be, now and forever." freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Lose the bedroom eyes, Annie." Leaning back against the seat, Benjamin teased her, "You make it sound like you’re trying to sleep with me the second dinner’s over. What, you done being America’s Sweetheart? Trying to become a stepmom to my son Homelander?"
Benjamin meant it entirely as a joke.
Yet, Starlight actually froze for a genuine second, a deep blush creeping across her cheeks. Biting her lip, she didn’t deflect. Instead, she boldly met Benjamin’s gaze. "If you don’t mind having me around... I absolutely would."
??
"Yeah, yeah, we’ll sort out dinner later," Benjamin waved off the conversation, subtly steering it away since there was still a driver up front. "First, we go back to Vought HQ. I’ve got a bone to pick with that idiot The Deep."
"What do you want with The Deep?" Starlight asked, bewildered.
"What else?" Benjamin sneered. "Find that pussy and beat the shit out of him."
Though Starlight’s jaw dropped at the response, a faint trace of anticipation secretly surfaced in her heart.
---<>---
Half an hour later, inside Benjamin’s office at Vought headquarters.
Benjamin and Starlight were sitting on the sofa when the office door was cautiously pushed open. Clad in his skin-tight, green-scaled suit, The Deep poked his head inside. He had just returned from outside, and the moment he set foot in the building, Ashley notified him that Soldier Boy was looking for him.
"S-Sir, you wanted to see me?" The Deep squeezed out a sycophantic smile.
Benjamin didn’t waste a single breath. Vaulting up from the sofa, he snagged The Deep tightly by the collar. His other fist was already hoisted high in the air, on the absolute verge of delivering a beating. Starlight simply sat back, enjoying the show.
"Sir! Wait!" The Deep squealed frantically. "I have a reason! I didn’t go support Starlight today because of an incredibly critical reason!"
Benjamin stayed his hand, glaring at him with freezing eyes. "If your reason is that you snuck off to some aquarium to throw a party with a pod of dolphins or some sexy octopus, I’m not just gonna beat you today—I am going to slice every single one of your goddamn fish into sashimi and serve it to the entire corporate staff."
Starlight leaked a small smile, licking her lips. Taking in the threat, The Deep shuddered violently. "No! Absolutely not, sir!"
"Sir, do you remember... back when you first took over the company and kicked me out of The Seven?"
Benjamin settled back onto the sofa, sparking up another cigarette, gesturing with his eyes for him to keep talking.
"Well... during that stretch right after I got sacked, when I was completely devastated, a highly mysterious organization tracked me down. They call themselves the Church of the Collective." The Deep swallowed hard, his words spilling out at a frantic pace. "Their leader told me that if I joined them and made a massive financial donation, they could mobilize their astronomical social resources and other capabilities to pull strings and maneuver me right back into The Seven."
Benjamin furrowed his brow slightly. He recalled that in the original timeline, The Deep had indeed been subjected to their brainwashing, getting completely high, talking to his own gills, and bursting into song.
The Deep let out an awkward chuckle. "But sir, you know how it went—you called me and brought me right back with a single phone call. So I figured that Church of the Collective was just a scam cult out to drain my wallet, and I completely blew them off."
---<>---
A/N: Don’t forget to send Power Stones for more Chapters!!
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).
