You're Just Leaving Like This?

The Seven meeting room.

"Hey, Dark Star.

First day with the company—how's it feel?"

"Any trouble?"

In the meeting room, Ashley, the PR director and assistant to The Seven, spotted Ron walking in. Her face lit up with a sycophantic grin as she hurried over, extending a hand to shake his.

Ron's expression was blank. He ignored her, glanced at Starlight, and took his seat.

Ashley, the Seven's assistant, had a face that didn't match her pleasant name. She was snobbish, cowardly, bullied the weak and feared the strong, and had a messy personal life.

He didn't want any physical contact with someone like that.

Sitting nearby, Starlight quietly envied him.

When she'd arrived at the meeting room, Ashley had exchanged a few casual pleasantries with her, nowhere near the warmth she showed Ron.

"You two—tomorrow night, you'll have your first operation."

Ignored, Ashley coughed awkwardly, pretending nothing had happened. Though Ron was new to the company, his status was special; Vice President Madelyn had specifically emphasized that.

"The company has sent me and a colleague to brief you on what to watch out for..."

Queen Maeve and Black Noir were already familiar with all this. Ron and Starlight were different—two rookies needing advance training.

"Great..."

Even though Ron treated her like a stranger, stinging and angering her, the thought of her first mission with The Seven made Starlight's face light up with surprise and excitement.

"Vought's operations aren't what you imagine."

Ron crossed his arms and said coldly.

Soon, this girl from a small town in Iowa would lose her naivety and glimpse the dark side of Vought.

"What do you mean?"

Confused, Starlight pressed for an answer but got none.

Ashley led in someone from the Crime Analysis Department, who began explaining the next night's plan.

After more than ten minutes, as she listened, Starlight fell into confusion and doubt.

The company had designed a route for each of them, with senior members guiding them to fight crime.

Along those routes, at specific points, based on company intel, crime was highly likely to occur. Walking the path would guarantee a chance to "show off their skills."

"Sorry to interrupt—are these intel accurate?"

She hesitated, then couldn't help asking.

"Our department specializes in processing satellite data, combined with certain sources. We've analyzed and verified it—the locations you'll pass tomorrow night have over a ninety percent probability of crime."

The Crime Analysis staffer spoke confidently, adding with a dismissive tone.

"Even the NYPD's intel isn't as good as ours."

"Why... don't we inform the police for a joint operation? If multiple crimes happen at once... we might not make it in time."

Hearing the confirmed answer, Starlight asked hesitantly.

"Starlight, don't you get it? Superheroes and the police are competitors?"

Ashley exchanged a look with the employee, as if she'd heard a hilarious joke, and sneered.

"Do you want your debut to be outshone by the cops?

That night, the police deploy a ton of manpower to stop and solve several crimes at once, while you and Dark Star each handle just one?"

"Come on, the public would think you're worse than the police. How would they ever like you?"

With that, she left the route plans behind and walked out. Before leaving, seeing Starlight's naivety, she gave a stern order.

"Starlight, this is a company order, not a suggestion. Tomorrow night, you will follow it."

The meeting room was left with only Ron and Starlight.

Starlight sat in her seat, lost in confusion. But wasn't this treating ordinary people's lives like a game?

Weren't superheroes and police both supposed to protect citizens?

If they could cooperate, why were they competitors?

"That's how Vought's superheroes work."

Ron stood up with a sneer, called out to the bewildered Starlight, and headed for the door, motioning for her to follow.

"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere."

"Where? A hotel? A motel?

Or your place?"

In a foul mood, Starlight looked up, remembering yesterday's events, and couldn't help snapping angrily.

She thought Ron was about to pull the same stunt somewhere else.

"A place where you can see what many Vought superheroes are really like behind closed doors."

Tossing out that line, Ron left without waiting to see if she'd follow.

He was confident that Starlight, having just glimpsed a dark corner of Vought and sensed something wrong, wouldn't stay behind.

"Superheroes' real selves behind closed doors? Wait for me."

Thinking of Deep and Maeve, who were nothing like their TV personas, Starlight hesitated for only two seconds before hurrying after him.

"Where are we going?"

That night, in front of a deserted alley, a tightly shut iron door.

"Knock on the door."

Ron gestured.

He was bringing Starlight to a private club Vought International used to secretly arrange entertainment for superheroes off the record, aiming to shatter her naive illusions.

"What is this place? Why aren't we going through the front entrance?"

Glancing around, she could faintly hear music coming from inside—it seemed like the back door of a nightclub or bar. Dressed in casual clothes, her golden hair tied up, she looked much better. She stepped forward and knocked on the iron door, then turned back to ask curiously.

"This club is open to only a select few. No sign, no front entrance, no windows."

"Why?"

"Because everything inside can't stand the light."

Someone inside opened the peephole, saw Ron's face, compared it to their records, and quickly swung the iron door open, welcoming Ron and Starlight in like honored guests.

"Welcome, Mr. Dark Star."

Starlight, feeling awkward, followed the expressionless Ron inside.

A dozen minutes later.

"Superheroes? These are the superheroes I've worshipped for over twenty years?"

The scene shifted. In the alley, Starlight walked out as if in a daze, her eyes vacant, muttering to herself.

She looked completely broken, her worldview having undergone a baptism.

Ron had simply taken her on a quick tour of the club, done nothing else—and that alone had shattered over two decades of her admiration and longing for superheroes.

Inside, she'd seen many familiar faces: Termite, Ghost, Captain Parallel... and even Ezekiel, the superhero touted as a representative figure by devout believers.

But they were nothing like their spotlight or TV personas.

Arms wrapped around women left and right, Everything inside was utterly depraved, filthy and vile beyond imagination. People snorted "white powder," reveled without restraint, and made no attempt to hide it—it was sickening.

"Superhero abilities, in some ways, let them go all out."

Stepping out of the nightclub and breathing in some fresh air, Ron—who was also visiting this place for the first time—glanced back and couldn't help but comment.

"In a sense, these people are still talents."

With that, he glanced at the nearly ten thousand Ability Points he'd gained and prepared to leave.

"Yesterday you shattered my illusions about you, and today you've shattered my illusions about every superhero in the world."

Leaning against the wall, recalling the scenes inside, all that disgusting filth, Starlight felt like throwing up but couldn't, her face pale.

"You're just going to leave like that?"

"What else?"