Homelander's Fatal Weakness

"I know, but... God, my boyfriend has the power of a nuclear bomb."

But unlike Ron, who remained calm, Starlight was extremely excited. She set down her coffee cup, looped her arms around his neck, sat in his lap, and gazed excitedly at his handsome profile.

Strength represented excellence. Who wouldn't like someone exceptional? Especially women—they needed strong men to give them a sense of security.

"Ever since Soldier Boy sacrificed himself, Homelander emerged out of nowhere. No hero's abilities have ever come close to his, but you did it."

"My boyfriend is one of the two strongest superheroes in the world."

"You're making it impossible for me to eat."

Ignoring Starlight's praise, Ron chuckled.

"Ron, after breakfast, can we stay a little while longer before going to the company?"

"What for?"

he asked curiously.

"After breakfast, don't you want a little dessert?"

A blush spread across Starlight's face as she whispered in his ear, making it tingle.

"Damn it, damn it!"

In his room, Homelander stood with his hands behind his back, staring out at the city with a face as dark as stormwater.

Though fury burned in his heart, he chose not to vent it by smashing things. That would only make him look more helpless and weak. More importantly, there wasn't much that could withstand one of his outbursts.

"Vought, I never thought you really created another me."

He tried his best to suppress his rage and ground out through gritted teeth.

By all reason, if someone created a beast, they could not possibly lack the means to control it.

That Edgar on the eighty-second floor had never once panicked, felt afraid, or had his heartbeat quicken when faced with the anger of the strongest superhuman on Earth, no matter how many times Homelander had deliberately glared at him or flown into a rage.

Vought definitely had some contingency they could use against him!

He had suspected that Vought might use Compound V to clone or replicate another him.

"But that old man clearly told me I was his greatest success, an irreplaceable miracle!"

Homelander had always believed he was unique. Vought's contingency was probably some underhanded method with severe limitations, something that could not see the light of day.

But his final shred of hope had been personally shattered by that kid called Ron. When even his full-force attacks could not hurt Ron in the slightest, his years of pride had crumbled.

"Sir, sir."

The door was knocked on twice in quick succession before opening, and Ashley barged in excitedly with a laptop in hand.

"Ashley—don't you even know to wait after knocking?"

Homelander was in a towering rage, on the verge of losing control. He turned back and asked in a sinister voice, nearly unable to restrain the urge to use his laser vision.

"Sorry, sir, but you have to see this.

Your popularity has skyrocketed. Everyone is talking about you now."

Ashley was somewhat frightened, but she understood what Homelander cared about most. Mustering her courage, she stepped forward.

"My popularity has skyrocketed?"

Sure enough, the moment Homelander heard about popularity, his anger vanished. He snatched the laptop away and, as he looked, his expression turned to stunned disbelief.

His popularity had exploded?

In just one day, he had gained nearly ten million followers, and the number was still climbing rapidly. Every refresh brought new figures, exciting enough to make one tremble—but why?

Whether men or women, people instinctively respected and worshipped the strong. It was something written into their genes since the savage prehistoric age.

No matter how powerful Homelander's theoretical physical stats were, he had performed no differently from other superheroes, always beating up petty thieves and robbers. What was the difference?

Besides, the persona Vought had built for him was far too boring.

It was as if he were the Son of Jesus, detached from worldly matters. But he was not a god, and only old-fashioned people liked that.

But things were different now. He had displayed truly godlike power, stunning the entire world. Looking back at his image of being "sunny and humble, fighting crime," it suddenly felt entirely different.

He possessed power above all others, yet had a spirit as golden as gold—humble and kind, protecting the weak among the public.

Unaware of his true nature, many of the deceived and manipulated public had come to worship and adore him.

Knock, knock!

The door was knocked on again. Madelyn stood outside with Maeve.

"Madelyn, are you here to tell me about my increase in followers too?

I already know."

Closing the laptop, Homelander smiled broadly, looking slightly pleased with himself. At that moment, none of the gloom and fury from before could be seen on his face.

Thinking of so many people talking about him and watching him at every moment, he even cast aside the fact that he was not unique.

"Congratulations, Homelander."

After offering her congratulations, Madelyn's slightly excited expression turned serious.

"However, I need to talk about something else."

In the corridor, she led Homelander and Maeve briskly toward The Seven's operations conference room.

As they walked, she quickly explained the situation.

"Exclusive information from the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Seven minutes ago, Transoceanic Flight 37, flying from Paris to Chicago, was hijacked in midair. There are more than two hundred hostages aboard, men, women, young, and old."

"You should know that the company has recently been trying to enter the Department of Defense, making Vought's superheroes part of the national defense system.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

If Vought could enter the Department of Defense, it would gain endless benefits. Not only that, Vought International's status would immediately become something else entirely, undergoing a qualitative transformation.

It was as if she could already see Vought entering the Department of Defense, with her own worth and status rising along with it as vice president. Her voice brimmed with joy and excitement.

"If we can react before the government does, resolve this situation, and save more than two hundred passengers, this will most likely become an opportunity to get the bill passed and gain a foothold in the Department of Defense!"

"Most likely?"

The good-mooded Homelander sneered inwardly.

He did not like uncertain things.

Compared to saving those people, he vaguely had a better idea.

"For example, the 'Son of God,' who could have saved everyone's lives, receives the news a step too late and is unable to reach them in time. Filled with grief, he watches more than two hundred passengers die.

The government's obstruction and suspicion, their long delay in passing the bill, causes this tragedy!"

"The outraged public protests against the government and sends the 'Son of God' into the Department of Defense!"

However, he could not do it openly.

Homelander glanced at Maeve beside him. He knew exactly what kind of personality Maeve had.

He had not given up on the woman he had truly liked, the one he had come one step short of having.

"Madelyn, you seem very happy?"

In Madelyn's office, Ron sat on the sofa and asked.

"I'm waiting for news. News that could bring Vought hundreds of billions of dollars in profit every year."

Behind her desk, Madelyn chuckled.

"Oh?"

His expression shifted slightly as he remembered something.

"Is that happening?"

Ron's gaze deepened.

Recently, Vought had been trying to get a bill passed to enter the Department of Defense.

The news she meant should be that Homelander and Maeve would successfully rescue the passenger plane hijacked by terrorists ahead of time, using it to gain a foothold in national defense.

But Homelander would not follow her arrangements. In his own distinctive fashion, he would take matters into his own hands and make it happen.

"This is Homelander's fatal weakness, enough to drive him into a corner."

"Even if others had this leverage, they would not dare threaten him too much, afraid of pushing him into destroying the world. But I don't need to worry about that."

He smiled faintly.