"Did I really become a superhero that day?" Hughie stared at his left arm, where faint needle marks still lingered. He remembered the first thing he did after waking up was calling Frankie to ask what had happened that night. Frankie praised him enthusiastically, claiming Hughie had impressed him greatly. Yet for Hughie, those experiences felt infinitely unfamiliar.
"It seems that mysterious man was right—the effects fade, and with them, the memories."
Hughie raised his left hand toward the skylight. Sunlight filtered through his fingers and illuminated his face, causing him to squint involuntarily. That overwhelming sense of power, though fleeting, remained unforgettable. "Life isn't over yet. The mission must continue."
Although Billy's whereabouts were still unknown, Hughie hadn't stopped moving forward. He planned to follow Billy's example—gather every clue about Compound V and expose Vought Corporation's crimes to the public.
After washing up, Hughie walked down a dim corridor and entered their hideout.
Not long ago, when they'd been hunted and forced into hiding, Frankie used his underworld connections to find a hidden basement. Normally, Frankie returned to his old trade, dealing in illegal weapons. Honestly, without Frankie earning money by modifying or repairing guns, the rest of them would have starved.
As for Kimiko and M.M., the former worked as Frankie's bodyguard and seemed quite content. Perhaps for her, this quiet, ordinary life was exactly what she longed for.
M.M. was managing alright too. Since he used to serve as an army medic, he had some surgical experience and could help treat injured gang members' wounds.
Come to think of it, apparently only Hughie lacked any real skills.
Every day he woke up aimlessly wandering around the basement, appearing utterly idle.
"Was it really me who saved you guys?" Hughie leaned on the table beside Frankie, who was assembling a rifle, and asked.
Frankie glanced at him. "You've asked this seven times already. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would've believed it—you were the one who came to rescue us that night."
"Sigh, too bad I can't remember. I bet I made a super cool entrance," Hughie shrugged, smiling as he stepped outside the basement. Behind him loomed the grand building—Vought Tower.
That's right. Their hideout lay directly beneath Vought Tower.
Actually, Frankie and the others didn't know that Hughie still secretly communicated with Starlight. Following their prior arrangement, they boarded a city bus and sat together. "Did you break the SIM card inside that disposable phone? You know I'm being hunted by the CIA now—they say they tap phone calls."
Only after hearing Starlight had snapped the chip did Hughie relax slightly. "By the way, could you get me a sample of *that* from Vought?"
"No way. Ever since CEO Edgar took over, security around *that stuff* has tightened drastically. Even I can't approach the core lab anymore, let alone obtain a sample," Starlight shook her head softly.
"I heard after Madelyn died, someone named Jervis replaced her. What kind of guy is he? Any chance we could turn him?" Hughie pulled his cap lower while instinctively scanning the surroundings for suspicious individuals.
At the mention of Xia Shang, Starlight's expression immediately turned cold. She suppressed her anger tightly and spat out, "He's just a bastard. Compared to him, even Homelander looks like a decent person."
"Well then, no hope there," Hughie replied. He pulled out a file he'd obtained through every means possible. "This is information about an experimental researcher. Maybe you can get *that* from him."
As the two plotted to acquire Compound V...
On the other side, Edgar approved Homelander's request, allowing Ashley to return to Vought Company.
For certain reasons, Xia Shang hadn't moved into Madelyn's office. After all, he couldn't stand Homelander constantly lingering in front of Madelyn's door eight hundred times a day. Every time Xia Shang passed by, he saw Homelander staring at the wooden door with melancholy eyes. But today, Homelander actually entered the office. He looked around; some furniture had already disappeared, and on Madelyn's usual desk, a thick layer of dust had gathered.
Trying hard to suppress his grief, Homelander opened the nearby fridge and retrieved a baby bottle.
He twisted off the lid and greedily sniffed its contents. Carefully extending his tongue, he tasted Madelyn's leftover breast milk before gulping it down in large swallows.
Just then, Ashley, having received notification, rushed straight to Vought Tower and forcefully pushed open the office door.
Seeing Ashley barging in, Homelander quickly turned away, wiping the milk stain from his mouth.
"Ashley, it's great to see you back," Homelander pretended nothing had happened, casually inspecting the office.
"Thanks. This place definitely needs renovation—it's covered in dust! Feels like I've traveled back to 2003." Ashley was extremely excited about returning to Vought but understood it was Homelander's doing.
While she expressed gratitude to Homelander...
Elsewhere,
Inside the eighty-seventh floor executive office, Edgar summoned Xia Shang once again.
"Regarding the video footage of Madelyn, you handled it exceptionally well. Today I called you here because we need to address the current issues within the Seven. With A-Train's death and Trainwreck remaining in a coma, our team has lost two members overnight," Edgar picked up a document and handed it to Xia Shang. "Market feedback clearly indicates the Seven urgently require fresh blood."
"Absolutely, Mr. Edgar. However, selecting new superheroes should fall under Ashley's responsibility. Since she just rejoined Vought, I shouldn't take over her duties," Xia Shang, now Deputy Vice President, spoke more freely than before.
"She may enter now."
Edgar lifted his phone to his ear and said.
Immediately, Stormfront—a figure clad in black combat gear—entered the office and approached Edgar.
"Let me introduce you. This is the newest member of the Seven, Stormfront."
"I'm Jervis. Hello, it's a pleasure to welcome you to the Seven," Xia Shang extended his right hand politely.
However, Stormfront sneered directly, "Sorry, I never shake hands with Asians—I can't guarantee how clean your hands might be."
Instantly, Xia Shang's face darkened. He withdrew his hand and looked at Edgar. "It seems this new recruit lacks basic manners. Perhaps Ashley should handle recruitment matters instead. I have other business to attend to, Mr. Edgar. My apologies."
Without another word, he turned sharply and exited the CEO's office.
End of Chapter