Chapter 50 Homelander’s Slap in the Face
Should The Deep return?
Homelander’s attitude was negative, but he was clearly not the Homelander from the later stages.
Only two days had passed, and Edgar sent a message.
"Come to my office."
Lucas originally planned to ignore him, but Edgar, knowing Lucas’s temperament, told Homelander to go get Guardian.
Homelander came running over eagerly.
He felt a strange sense of satisfaction, like being sent to stand in the corner by a teacher with his brother.
Starlight’s newly bought simple combat suit was tossed back into the washing machine.
"Let’s go, Edgar’s lackey."
Lucas was not very happy.
Homelander had interrupted his good time twice in a row.
He used his fastest speed, adrenaline surging, even unleashing double his usual speed.
Viltrumite is a miraculous species.
When their bloodline fuses with humans, their combat power is no longer fixed.
Humans possess a mysterious physiological mechanism called ’longevity with the heavens’.
In plain terms, it’s adrenaline.
This substance maximizes a person’s potential under extreme conditions, manifesting as a temporary surge in combat power.
Since Viltrumite is a warrior race, their bodies record every change, and once they become stronger, it solidifies at that peak state.
Consequently, Lucas’s speed left Homelander far behind.
Homelander huffed and puffed as he caught up, only to find Lucas already waiting at the vending machine with two bottles of Pepsi.
"When did your speed get so fast?"
Homelander looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Just now."
Lucas indicated that this was nothing.
Omni-Man Nolan can escape a black hole’s event horizon; now that is badass, alright?
"Let’s go."
The two entered the elevator one after the other.
Office.
Edgar still had his stone-faced expression.
Lucas had always suspected that Edgar had also taken compound v, and his superpower was the inability to feel fear.
He was facing two Supes at the same time.
His heart rate didn’t change at all, remaining steady as usual.
"Sit."
Lucas sat down carelessly, propping his legs up on Edgar’s desk.
Homelander kept his legs together, hands on his lap, sitting as properly as a little girl.
Edgar stared at Lucas’s posture for a long time.
"Every time I think you might settle down for a while, you always manage to give me some novel shock." Edgar crossed his hands, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
He actually found Homelander much more pleasing to the eye now.
Homelander is truly sick; he can’t control himself.
But Guardian is purely despicable!
"Let’s talk about business first." Lucas drank his cola.
Homelander’s bottle remained in his hand, untouched.
"If you’re not drinking it, give it here. Don’t waste it!"
Lucas snatched the cola, but Homelander super-sped and snatched it back.
"I didn’t say I wasn’t drinking it!"
He opened the can and drank it immediately.
Edgar ignored their actions, simply issuing a warning.
"Don’t interfere with the Church of the Collective."
Homelander frowned. "The Deep has already seriously affected our reputation, and you still want to..."
"I said, don’t interfere."
Edgar’s tone had no fluctuations; this matter was not up for negotiation.
Homelander stood up and crushed the cola can.
"Why? I was the one who kicked him out. If he’s allowed back, what does that make me? A laughingstock?"
Edgar stared straight at Homelander, his gaze carrying an inherent sense of oppression.
Homelander stood there with his neck stiff for a moment, then nudged Lucas with his hand.
Brother, say something!
Am I the only one performing here?
"Ahem!"
Lucas gave a tactical cough. "Why must The Deep return?"
Edgar looked at the two of them with surprise.
Are Homelander and Guardian that close?
He suppressed his inner confusion and explained:
"The Church of the Collective has some history with Vought’s founder. Do you know what kind of company Vought was initially?"
Lucas said nothing.
Homelander also sat back in his chair, trying to act arrogant like Lucas, but he only dared to cross his legs.
"A pharmaceutical company."
Edgar said, "Vought’s founder, Frederick Vought, originally founded a pharmaceutical enterprise. Supes, the hero industry, the entertainment empire—those were all later developments."
"In essence, Vought was never a company for Supes; it was a pharmaceutical company that just went down a different path halfway through."
Edgar stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and turned his back to them.
"...But now, since we’ve paved our way on a different path, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and keep going. There is no turning back."
He turned around, his gaze falling on Homelander.
"The relationship between the Church of the Collective and Frederick Vought is a matter at the board level. They offered us a price we couldn’t refuse."
Homelander’s fists clenched.
He had been so confident in the conference room about warning the Church of the Collective, only to be warned by Edgar instead?
Isn’t this slapping him in the face repeatedly?
"In short, letting The Deep return to The Seven is a decision, not a negotiation."
Edgar said.
Homelander’s expression turned very ugly.
...
[Homelander — Emotional fluctuation: Shame, humiliation, anger, anxiety (losing face in front of Guardian)]
[Evolution Points gained: +12,847]
...
"Any other questions?"
"...No, none!"
Homelander squeezed the words out through his teeth.
"Then that’s it."
Edgar nodded and sat back in his chair.
"You leave, Guardian stays."
Homelander glanced at Lucas and walked out indignantly.
"You know he can see the situation here and hear our conversation, right?"
Lucas said.
"I want him to hear it!" Edgar said. "The Church of the Collective is nothing, but they have a few friends in Congress who can help Vought push some policies. As long as The Deep stays alive during this period, that’s enough."
"Just staying alive is enough?"
"Yes, he can stand at the venue, attend events, give speeches, and his image will be presentable. We don’t care about anything else. You’re a smart man; you know what I mean."
Lucas nodded. Edgar was a smart man.
He could handle Homelander, and now he was figuring out how to stroke Guardian’s fur.
Interesting!
Lucas walked out. Homelander’s expression was gloomy as he stared at his own reflection on the wall.
"I was right before, wasn’t I?"
"Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can kick you, the captain."
Homelander puffed out his cheeks, breathing heavily.
He had heard the entire conversation between Edgar and Guardian.
But he could not tolerate the compromise.
As long as The Deep returned to the team, his image and approval rating would drop.
"What can I do? Kill The Deep, or continue assassinating the head of the Church of the Collective?"
Homelander roared in anger.
Lucas wiped the spit from his face, looking disgusted.
"Hey, just talk normally. Why are you shouting so loudly?!"
"Sorry, I just... I can’t control myself!"
Homelander clenched his fists repeatedly, pacing in the elevator.
The two waited for a while.
The elevator door didn’t open for a long time.
"Fuck! Press the elevator button! How unprofessional!" Lucas cursed loudly, poking the elevator button until it exploded.
The elevator’s red alarm light went off.
Homelander: "..."