Free Web NovelChapter 49: Chapter 49: A-Train Returns
The contents of Vought’s press conference swept across every screen in the world within twenty-four hours.
"Superheroes were made with drugs."
That sentence became the headline across every major media outlet, printed in bold, oversized font, paired with a photo of Ashley, Homelander, and Soldier Boy seated together on the press conference stage.
CNN brought in three genetic ethics experts and a retired FDA official for a full two-hour special.
A Fox News host opened with the words "the biggest scam of the century," then spent forty minutes tearing into the late Edgar.
On social media, Compound V sat at the top of Twitter’s trending list for an entire day, outstripping the presidential election and the World Cup draw.
In the streets, in neighborhoods, and all over the internet, nearly everyone was talking about the same thing.
"Damn Vought. They lied to us for that long? Holy shit, those superheroes were all drugged up? My God, this is insane!"
"Vought is fucking evil. First they framed an old hero and sold Soldier Boy to the Russians to be tortured for forty years, then they mass-produced superheroes to trick us into buying merch. That limited-edition Homelander poster set in my room cost me two hundred bucks, and now you’re telling me he was made in a lab with drugs?"
"But the superheroes are victims too. They didn’t know. Especially Homelander. Did you see his face at the press conference? He looked genuinely shocked. Almost... sad. Maybe he went through all kinds of experiments and injections, and that’s why he’s so powerful."
"Poor Homelander. Poor superheroes."
"Honestly, those parents are even worse. Selling their own kids to Vought for money so they could be injected..."
"But doesn’t that mean the world is full of supervillains now? Will Homelander protect us?"
"Of course he will. He’s our superhero!"
"With Soldier Boy and Homelander, father and son, there’s no way they won’t be able to manage Vought properly. I believe in them!"
"Come on. For all we know, they’re secretly working on Compound V behind the scenes too and just making dead Edgar take the blame. Anyone can talk PR. Vought changed its skin, but it’s still Vought."
Similar discussions were happening in every state, every city, and in front of every screen.
Of course, Vought’s stock price inevitably dropped.
It was not cut in half, but a twenty to thirty percent fall was enough to terrify any publicly listed company.
The shareholders could not sit still, and investors blew up Vought’s finance department with calls.
A few minor shareholders even publicly called for an emergency shareholders’ meeting.
But the people who truly cared about the stock price were neither Benjamin nor Homelander.
To them, they were them, and Vought was Vought.
Besides, they did not belong to Vought. Unless Vought belonged to them.
Benjamin sat in his office with his feet propped on the desk, holding a glass of iced cola.
A tablet lay open on the desk, showing Vought’s real-time stock chart. The red line was sliding steadily downward.
He glanced at it, lifted his cola, and took a sip.
Then he went back to reading a file The Legend had sent him about Crimson Countess and the liquidation of the estates left behind by the other Supes who had once surrounded and attacked him.
...
In the hallway, Ashley hurried past in high heels, clutching three stacks of files. Half her hair had come loose, and dark circles hung beneath her eyes.
She cared about the stock price falling, but she cared even more about whether Vought could survive.
After all, she was Vought’s new CEO now.
"The PR department’s media statement is already on its seventh draft!"
She burst into her office and shouted at two assistants who had matching dark circles under their eyes. freёweɓnovel.com
"CNN’s follow-up report wants a detailed breakdown of the Compound V victims. Did we send it? Fuck, I’m drowning here!"
One assistant silently pushed a cup of long-cold coffee toward her.
She picked it up, gulped down a large mouthful, and went right back to typing.
Lately, she had been sleeping less than four hours a day.
Not because anyone was forcing her, but because she could not stop.
Her life had never mattered as much as it did now.
Soldier Boy and Homelander had given her all of this, and she had to be worthy of the position.
Besides, Edgar and Madelyn were dead, the previous Board of Directors had been cleared out, and every mid-level executive in Vought who had survived the purge was watching her.
She absolutely could not afford to make a mistake.
...
On the other side of the same floor, in The Seven’s conference room.
Stormfront stood by her seat, looking around.
Her features were sharp and defined, carrying a natural heroic air.
"So this is The Seven’s current lineup?"
Stormfront glanced over the people around the long table.
Maeve, Starlight, The Deep, and of course, Homelander.
"A-Train isn’t here yet," Starlight said.
She was a little curious about Stormfront. There was an easy, casual confidence about her that felt somewhat similar to Soldier Boy.
Just then, the conference room door opened, and A-Train walked in.
He had lost some weight after spending so long in the hospital. The teeth Benjamin had knocked out had already been replaced, but a faint scar still lingered at the corner of his mouth.
He stood beside the long table for a moment, then pulled out a chair and sat down without saying a word.
Stormfront looked at A-Train, a flash of disgust passing through her eyes.
If A-Train had not been a superhero, if he had only been an ordinary person, Stormfront would have killed him the moment she saw him.
Soon, Benjamin walked in through the door, his shield hanging from his left arm.
As soon as Benjamin entered, everyone except Stormfront sat up straight. Homelander’s posture was especially perfect.
Stormfront, meanwhile, gave Benjamin a flirtatious look.
Benjamin walked to the head seat and sat down, his gaze settling on the recently returned A-Train for a long while.
"You recovered?"
"Yes, sir," A-Train said quietly.
"How’s your heart?"
"The doctor said it needs long-term observation." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
A-Train lowered his head and looked at his hands.
"I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t listen to you last time."
"You didn’t," Benjamin said. "But you’re the one who almost died. So that lesson worked better than anything I could’ve said, right?"
"Yes."
"Good."
Benjamin sat at the head of the table.
"I’ll say this one last time. No one in The Seven is allowed to touch any Compound V booster shots again. Hand over everything you’ve hidden before, and it’ll all be destroyed together. Especially you, A-Train. If I ever fucking find out you got your hands on any dose of Compound V through any channel again, I’ll consider replacing you with Shockwave. This is your last chance."
"Yes, sir."
A-Train nodded.
Nearby, The Deep could not help laughing at A-Train’s misery.
"It’s not just Compound V. The same goes for any form of drugs. Gambling and drugs are not allowed anywhere among our company’s Supes."
Benjamin began emphasizing the company’s discipline for managing Supes. Homelander did not care much about any of it. After all, aside from his fondness for milk, he basically had no bad habits, and drinking milk did not count as one.
He actually liked the rule. Homelander hated drug use himself. The only reason he had tolerated A-Train before was because A-Train had always been doing work for him.
After Benjamin finished stressing the rules, he gestured for Homelander to speak.
Homelander was still the captain of The Seven, after all, and Benjamin did not want to steal too much of the spotlight.
Benjamin’s role was more about managing Homelander and Ashley. Homelander would manage The Seven, while Ashley managed the company.
Homelander nodded and said, "Everyone, the current official members of The Seven are Homelander, Maeve, Starlight, The Deep, A-Train, and Stormfront."
He read the names one by one, pausing briefly when he reached Stormfront.
"There is still one vacancy. Black Noir is dead, and Translucent is dead too. But Translucent’s death will not be made public for now. Deep, Maeve, has there been any progress in the investigation into Translucent?"
Maeve shook her head. They still had not found anything.
"Then keep investigating," Homelander said. "As for the public, we’ll say Translucent is carrying out a classified mission and won’t be appearing in public for the time being. Once we find the killer and get more information, we’ll decide what to do next."
