Free Web NovelChapter 49: 49: The Deep’s On TV
A man has to be a man. He has to confront chaos. He has to confront the unknown. He has to be the one who voluntarily faces the dragon. That’s what being a man is.
~ Jordan Peterson
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"Yes, sir! I accepted a gig. A TV show called Supernatural. It has a dual-protagonist setup and I’m playing one of them. But the producers haven’t found the other lead yet. If you’re interested..."
"Not interested." freewebnovel.cσ๓
Hillel cut him off sharply.
Supernatural? Interesting!
Let the other lead be Soldier Boy.
Speaking of which, is Soldier Boy still making bank in Moscow lately?
Isn’t this just adding more chaos?
Vought is already dealing with trouble inside and out, and he’s over there sleeping in Moscow!
Marathon shrank back, suspecting this was part of The Guardian’s game.
Hillel turned to Ashley.
"Marathon and Shockwave, are they clean in private? Any history of drug use? Any other bad habits?"
Although they had talked about it last time, Marathon was a bit cleaner than A-Train.
But all these supes were questionable.
If someone could be like Maeve and only smoke a little weed now and then, they’d basically count as a well-adjusted good person.
Marathon’s expression changed. Just as he was about to speak—
"Sir, you can ask me directly..."
Buzz.
Homelander’s eyes lit up with red light.
"I’ve found you exceptionally annoying since you walked in. If you can’t keep your mouth shut, I’ll weld it shut for you myself!"
Homelander was pissed.
He didn’t like Marathon to begin with!
And the guy was still making noise here!!
[Marathon — Emotional Outburst: Fear, Humiliation, Resentment (Towards Homelander)]
[Ability Points Gained: +4,211]
Hillel glanced at Homelander, not expecting this god-tier assist.
"Alright, stop scaring him."
Homelander shrugged. "He asked for it."
Ashley hesitated and looked at Marathon.
Truth be told, she hadn’t just taken kickbacks from Shockwave. She hadn’t missed out on Marathon either.
Eating from both sides wasn’t shameful.
But now with the person right here, money already taken, and she still had to badmouth him?
"Speak. Homelander and I will back you up. You’re the safest ordinary person on Earth right now. No need to be afraid."
Ashley swallowed and exchanged a glance with Marathon.
Alright, chud, don’t blame me. Both big shots are sitting right here!
Marathon looked pale and desperate.
Ashley opened her tablet and pulled up two files.
"Marathon, according to Vought’s records, he ranks mid-to-lower among speedsters. He has a history of drug use and inappropriate interest in baby oil as well as loli hentai manga. To be honest, sir, I don’t think the Marathon you selected is suitable to join The Seven!"
"Bingo!"
Homelander clapped like a mischievous kid.
He laughed while pointing at Hillel.
"I told you Marathon wasn’t suitable!"
Hillel ignored him and signaled Ashley to keep going.
Marathon raised his hand to argue. "That wasn’t me! My account got hacked before!"
Nobody paid him any attention.
Homelander even looked disgusted.
"Of course, sir, I’m not questioning your decision. Because even the Shockwave I recommended isn’t a good person either. He also has an extensive history of drug use, an unclean private life, and he’s a famous bi... bisexual in the circle. It’s said he has a lot of tricks."
"Under Vought there isn’t a speedster with a clean record yet."
Hillel nodded. Compared to these guys A-Train really was a bit better.
If the other party could slowly turn things around, then customizing a "misunderstood bad boy" persona for him wasn’t impossible.
After all, the internet was very tolerant of these things.
The actor who played Iron Man in his past life was a classic example. From a drug addict loser to the greatest of all time.
"Then leave the spot vacant for now. Better nothing than trash."
He looked at Marathon.
"You can go now."
Marathon wanted to say something, but Homelander was already fuming.
Laser eyes were intimidating!
Marathon closed the door and left. A suppressed roar came from the hallway.
"Fuck!!"
[Marathon — Emotional Outburst: Humiliation, Anger, Fear, Despair]
[Ability Points Gained: +6,845]
"Pedophile." Homelander’s tone dripped with disgust. "Is trash like that even worthy of joining The Seven?"
"In a company as big as Vought, can’t we find a few supes as clean as me?"
Hillel rubbed his forehead. Even being a bit lustful like me would count as a perfectly decent person, right?
Maeve hummed, not wanting to speak. Says the person who kissed me while being in a relationship with Annie, Hmph!
Homelander shook his head. "Yeah.. The quality of supes needs serious improvement. I remember you had two assistants. What were their names... Cate and Jordan?"
"They went back to prepare for finals. They have exams coming up."
Homelander spread his hands helplessly.
The Seven was still incomplete. What kind of Seven was this?
"Why don’t you just join and fill The Deep or A-Train’s spot? Bro, we can fight side by side!" Homelander tapped Hillel’s chest.
Hillel glanced at him. "Sure. How can I refuse, right? Just let me be the captain."
Homelander shut up.
The atmosphere in the room started to loosen up.
Ashley was about to breathe a sigh of relief when her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen and her face changed.
"What’s wrong?" Maeve asked.
"The Deep... he’s on TV."
Ashley turned the phone around.
On the screen The Deep wore a white casual suit, sitting in a bright studio with the spokesperson from the Church of the Collective across from him.
The Deep was doing a confession event.
His expression looked rehearsed: repentant, sincere, pained, and even faintly reborn.
"I am deeply sorry for my past behavior."
The Deep faced the camera, eyes slightly red. "I hurt Starlight. I hurt a lot of people. But with the help of the Church of the Collective, I have found my true self."
"The fuck is he up to now?!!" Homelander was fuming again today.
What really triggered him was The Deep’s next line.
"As for returning to The Seven, I wouldn’t dare ask. I only hope Mr. Guardian can give me a chance to prove that I’ve changed."
The screen cut to the comments and barrage.
[@xQc: Has The Deep really changed? Haha, we can see those crocodile tears, buddy!]
[@KimKardashian: He has done a lot for our country as well as the environment, and he’s so handsome!! I guess he just lost his composure in the moment. These things happen, and The Guardian clearly saved Starlight before he could have done anything, so isn’t it too much!?]
[@ThePeakLover: This b*tch Kim just wants his supe dick and attention, what a clown. Where is the feminism now?]
[@MilkLover: So it was The Guardian who kicked him out? I thought it was Homelander!]
[@Clavicular: So that means The Guardian is the big boss of The Seven, right? See? I told you’ll that he mogs Homelander!]
[@Ironmouse: Um, guys, what’s the Church of the Collective?]
[@IShowMeat: Woof! Woof! Woof!...]
After watching, Hillel handed the phone back to Ashley.
"Church of the Collective. What kind of organization is that?"
He looked at Homelander. "Bro, didn’t you say only you could control The Seven? How come I feel like any random asshole can kick you around?"
Homelander looked at Hillel and didn’t speak.
"I think... their target might be you, sir," Ashley said.
"How dare they? Is my hand blade not sharp enough?"
Hillel tilted his head in bewilderment.
"Brother, look, you’re getting worked up again!" Homelander quickly stopped him.
"They’re just a bunch of clowns." Homelander flicked his cape. "Ashley, go warn the Church of the Collective. If they dare use The Guardian to stir up trouble for The Deep, I’ll have Vought sue their asses. Is a sex offender worthy of staying in The Seven?"
"Also, go find a few more superhero representatives in environmental and animal protection fields. I don’t believe that in a country as big as America we can’t find suitable candidates."
Homelander’s expression was arrogant.
[Homelander — Emotional Fluctuation: Disgust (The Deep), Desire for Control (The Seven), Desire for Performance (Displaying decisiveness before The Guardian)]
[Ability Points Gained: +7,823]
Hillel raised an eyebrow.
Something didn’t seem right. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Oh, well. Whatever!
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