We Need to Be Honest with Each Other (5,000 Words)

At noon...

The news made A-Train frown. Shockwave, the guy who had always wanted to take him down, had challenged him again—with the company's tacit approval—to compete for the title of the fastest man in the world.

"F*ck!"

A-Train was furious. He knew that if Shockwave beat him and became the fastest man in the world, the company's next move would be to hand over some of his resources to Shockwave. After that, Shockwave would surely take his place as a member of The Seven. The Seven never needed the second-best; they only needed the best. If you weren't the fastest, you were out.

Maybe Compound V is the only thing that can help me now.

After turning it over in his mind, A-Train couldn't think of any way to hold on to his position except to keep using Compound V. Even though it left his body in a frenzied state and made him hard to control, even though using it had already led to Hughie's girlfriend being smashed to pieces...

For the rest of the day, all of Vought was busy with the contest between A-Train and Shockwave, as well as the publicity campaign for Jupiter's debut as the brand-new superhero Free Man...

It wasn't until the afternoon, at Jupiter's call, that the members of The Seven finally gathered in their office to hold an induction ceremony for their newest member, Starlight.

"Everyone, we've all been busy lately. Homelander especially—not only has he been helping with the company's many affairs, but he's also been coordinating with the media and providing handsome, powerful photos for cities across the country. But we absolutely can't neglect our beautiful new recruit..."

Jupiter was still occupying the seat of honor. Like the leader of The Seven, he began addressing the room.

"Haha..."

"Stop teasing me about the photo shoots. It's ridiculous for a superhero to stand there like some entertainer while people take a bunch of pictures."

Homelander seemed to be in a good mood. At Jupiter's words, he gave a light laugh and poked fun at himself.

"If anyone could make five hundred million just by standing still while people took a few pictures, I think they'd be so excited they wouldn't sleep for half a month. So even if you're an entertainer, an actor, you're still the most expensive one in the world."

Jupiter shook his head and continued to heap praise on him.

"Hahaha..."

Homelander smiled without replying, seemingly accepting Jupiter's words.

"Hm?"

A-Train had just come through the door. He raised an eyebrow at Homelander and Jupiter, who were chatting and laughing together.

"Hey! Maeve, when did those two get so close?"

A-Train lowered his voice and asked Queen Maeve.

"I don't know."

Queen Maeve shrugged. Who knew why those two monsters had suddenly made up?

"..."

Black Noir sat in his seat without saying a word.

"Anyway, let's give Starlight a round of applause."

After taking the conversation on a detour, Jupiter brought it back to Starlight.

"Thank you, everyone! I'm truly grateful!"

"You're all my idols. I never dreamed I'd be chosen to join The Seven..."

"I... Anyway, I'm really grateful you gave me this opportunity."

Starlight looked around at the superheroes she usually saw only on TV. She stumbled over her words, but everything she said came from the heart. There was no pretense in it—only sincerity.

"Congratulations!"

Queen Maeve was the first to stand and shake Starlight's hand.

"Congratulations!"

A-Train was next, standing closest to Starlight.

"Learn all you can from Free Man. He's a role model for you. And I believe in you!"

Next came the spirited Homelander. He seemed both perfunctory and in a hurry.

"You have somewhere to be?"

Queen Maeve asked Homelander, who seemed in a rush.

"I still have two photo shoots to finish. I've already spent the whole morning with the photography crew, but they say you can never take too many pictures of me."

Homelander turned to Queen Maeve and explained with a helpless look, a hint of pride in his voice.

"So, sorry, everyone. I'll be going first..."

With that, Homelander turned and left the meeting room.

"Then I'd better get ready for the competition too. Anyway, good luck!"

When A-Train saw Homelander leave, he immediately found an excuse to slip away too.

"Good luck to you too! Don't lose!"

Kind-hearted Starlight encouraged A-Train.

"Of course! I'm the fastest."

At that, A-Train put on his goggles and vanished from the room in an instant.

"Then I'll be off too. Enjoy your time alone together~"

Queen Maeve left without a fuss. She had plenty of never-ending messes of her own to deal with.

"..."

Black Noir gave a thumbs-up, seemingly his own unique way of expressing goodwill, then left The Seven's office too.

"They're always so busy!"

Watching the members of The Seven scatter off to their own business almost as soon as they'd arrived, Jupiter flashed over to Starlight and cupped her face in his hands.

"I-I know..."

Starlight looked at Jupiter, so close to her. Her heart was pounding.

"Come on, let's go for a ride..."

Before Starlight could say anything more, Jupiter wrapped an arm around her slender waist and flew into the sky through the open window of The Seven's office once again.

"Haha..."

Homelander lifted his head. His X-ray vision seemed to catch Jupiter and Starlight in the act. He shook his head lightly, as though he thought Jupiter was still too green.

That was right. Jupiter only liked them young, unlike Homelander...

Jupiter and Starlight flew through the air for a long time. He didn't bring her back down until night had fallen.

The two went to one of their favorite restaurants for dinner, staying out until late into the night.

"Get some rest when you get home~"

Jupiter gently brushed Starlight's golden hair aside and smiled.

"Okay!"

Starlight blushed. She nodded lightly, turned around, and went into her house without a word.

She ran to her room and wrapped herself up in her blanket. Through a gap in the curtains, she watched Jupiter rise into the sky and disappear into the night.

"Click!"

Just as Starlight was gazing into the night sky, the dark room suddenly lit up.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

A mature woman's voice, tinged with amusement, reached her ears.

"Mom~"

Starlight looked at the mature woman behind her, her gaze carrying a hint of reproach.

After dropping Starlight off and saying goodbye, Jupiter had turned into a streak of lightning and flown skyward. He still had other things to do.

In the basement of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city.

"Did that bastard agree?"

Billy Butcher asked Frenchie and Hughie, who had stayed behind, after returning from a busy day.

"Not yet. You have to admit, aside from his lousy superpowers, he lives up to his place on The Seven in every other way. For example, he's got a stubborn will."

Frenchie stroked his chin and joked.

"Hey! It's been a whole day. Nobody's come to rescue you. Admit it! The Seven have forgotten about you. For all you know, they're already looking for someone to take your place! Working with us is your best option."

Billy Butcher looked at The Deep, who was lying inside the cage, and spoke in a low voice.

"Go to hell!"

The Deep lay in the cage, cursing Billy Butcher. He would never work with the man who had put him through such hell. More importantly, The Deep was sure Free Man, who had given him the mission, would investigate in person when he realized The Deep hadn't returned. Then it would be the end of these bastards.

"Looks like you won't take the easy way. Don't blame me for what happens next."

Billy Butcher sighed. In front of The Deep, he pulled a still-flopping salmon out of the backpack behind him.

"What are you going to do?"

The Deep glared at Billy Butcher, enraged.

"As you can see, I'm going to eat it raw in front of you."

Billy Butcher gently stroked the fish and smiled at The Deep.

"F*ck! How can you be so cruel? How can you eat a live fish raw?"

The Deep hadn't expected Billy Butcher to be so cruel.

"Hahaha..."

Billy Butcher burst out laughing at that.

"Sorry, Mr. Fish. If you're in pain, tell the superhero in the cage~"

Billy Butcher was deliberately provoking The Deep. The best way to make someone submit was to anger them, then show them they were powerless to change what was happening.

"Go to hell!"

The Deep was furious—truly furious. The fish was begging him for help, but he couldn't do anything. He didn't even have the strength to get out of the cage.

"You'll get what's coming to you!"

"You'll be punished by heaven!"

"Free Man won't let you get away with this!"

The Deep kept cursing Billy Butcher.

"Ugh..."

Billy Butcher sighed helplessly.

"You brought this on yourself!"

As he spoke, Billy Butcher picked up the kitchen knife beside him and killed the salmon with a single blow. Bright red blood sprayed out, splattering The Deep's face inside the cage...

"Ah!!!"

The Deep roared in fury, seeming to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Hey! Does he really think the fish are his kind?"

Frenchie asked, watching The Deep scream.

"If you could talk to dogs, you might think of them as your kind too."

Billy Butcher smiled faintly at Frenchie's remark.

"You really are a bastard."

Frenchie's face immediately fell when he realized Billy Butcher had managed to insult him in a roundabout way.

"Whoosh!"

"Boom!"

Just as the two were chatting, The Deep was breaking down, and Hughie was starting to find it hard to watch, a loud rumble reached their ears.

"Beep beep beep..."

The next second, countless car alarms sounded outside the abandoned factory.

"Motherf*cker!"

Billy Butcher's face fell at once. He knew that sound of a landing all too well.

"Oh no!"

Seeing Butcher panic, Frenchie realized the danger outside too.

"Shh..."

Billy Butcher looked alarmed. He lightly pressed a finger to his lips.

"Everyone, stay calm. Don't make a sound. He won't find us."

Billy Butcher lowered his voice and spoke softly to the people in front of him. He switched off the lights, plunging everyone into darkness. They could only make out one another by the faint glow of the machinery still running in the room.

"I know!"

Frenchie felt his heart pounding in his chest. He swore he had never been so nervous in his life.

"I..."

Hughie started to say something.

"Shh..."

"Don't make a sound!"

Billy Butcher was both irritated and anxious. He was afraid Hughie's voice would alert the monster outside.

As the three held their breath, not daring to make a sound, the room and the street fell silent.

"I told you, it's fine!"

Billy Butcher wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile.

"I'm here! I'm right here!"

Just as the three were beginning to think they were safe, The Deep, who had been lying in the cage, suddenly shouted.

"WTF!?"

At The Deep's shout, Billy Butcher's face twisted with anger. He grabbed a glass off the table and flung it at The Deep.

"Smash!"

The glass passed through the bars of the cage and hit The Deep on the head.

"Motherf..."

The Deep didn't finish speaking. Dark red blood trickled from his forehead, then his eyes rolled back and he slumped unconscious inside the cage.

"Go! Get him out of the cage. We need to move immediately. This place has been exposed. It's not safe anymore."

Billy Butcher knew their hideout had been compromised. Given what he knew about that being, it wouldn't take long for him to find them. Staying here would be like waiting for death, so whether or not it was safe outside, they had to move at once.

"Okay."

Frenchie was wary of the Deep faking unconsciousness. He picked up the stun gun from the table to defend himself, then crept toward the Deep's cage one step at a time, trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible.

Frenchie was close to the Deep now. He could see the bright red blood steadily streaming from the Deep's forehead inside the cage, but even so, he still intended to give him a few shocks with the stun gun, just in case he suddenly woke up and disrupted their relocation.

"Bzzzt..."

The stun gun in Frenchie's hand switched on, blue sparks jumping across it.

"Sweetheart, don't wake up. This'll be over soon."

As he spoke, Frenchie thrust the stun gun toward the Deep.

Boom!

The instant Frenchie jabbed the stun gun at the Deep, the ceiling above them shattered. A figure dropped from above and landed in front of the Deep's cage, separating the Deep and Frenchie, who'd been about to shock him, from Billy Butcher, Hughie, and the others.

"F*ck!"

Seeing the figure behind him, Frenchie immediately raised the stun gun and attacked the newcomer.

"Adults shouldn't go waving children's toys around."

The white-clad figure swiftly grabbed Frenchie's wrist—the one holding the stun gun—and squeezed.

"Ah..."

Feeling the force on his wrist, Frenchie's face changed. He let out a pained howl and dropped the stun gun.

"You like this toy so much? Then I'll give it back to you."

The white-clad figure caught the stun gun with his other hand and pressed it against Frenchie.

"Bzzzt..."

As the crackling current struck Frenchie, the petty crook performed a shocking dance right in front of the white-clad figure before collapsing to the floor, foaming at the mouth.

"Did you crank up the power?"

The white-clad figure frowned at Frenchie, who'd been shocked unconscious. He glanced at the civilian stun gun in his hand. This model shouldn't have been that powerful.

"Don't move!"

As the white-clad figure marveled at how deranged these people were to have raised the stun gun's power to torture-level, the bearded Billy Butcher pulled out a pistol.

"What!? Are you kidding me? You're threatening me with a pistol?"

The white-clad figure looked at Billy Butcher's gun, unimpressed. Hilarious. Unless the pistol was made of Vibranium and could fire at near-light speed, getting shot wouldn't even register.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

Billy Butcher didn't hesitate. He fired straight at...the Deep in the cage behind the white-clad figure!

That's right. Billy Butcher had never thought his bullets could hurt a monster. The Deep had been his target all along. No matter what, taking out one of the Seven before he died would make his life worthwhile. It was just a shame he'd never get to see that damn Homelander held accountable for his crimes.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

After a cloud of gun smoke, Billy Butcher tossed aside his pistol and raised both hands high.

"You think bullets can hit anyone while I'm here?"

Just as Billy Butcher started to smile, the white-clad figure stepped in front of him and opened his palm. Inside lay a handful of bullets crushed into lumps of metal.

Of course, the white-clad figure had never cared whether the stupid fish in the cage got shot and killed. But if the idiot behind him really got killed by bullets right in front of him, the white-clad figure would lose face.

"WTF? You're not Homelander. Who are you...?"

Only after the white-clad figure stood before him and tossed the bullets into his face did Billy Butcher realize the man in front of him wasn't Homelander.

"You don't even know who I am?"

The white-clad figure grabbed Billy Butcher by the throat and lifted him high off the ground.

"F*ck! You should at least know what your savior looks like!"

The white-clad figure pulled Billy Butcher closer and roared, pointing at the bearded man's nose.

"Um..."

"Free Man! It's Free Man!"

Using the light from the lighter in his hand, Hughie saw the white-clad figure's face and spoke, visibly tense.

"We've met once at Vought Tower. I think there must be some misunderstanding between us."

"F*ck! What the hell could we possibly have misunderstood!? Now find me a chair, brew the best red tea in this moldy place, and tell me what brilliant plans your brains—less useful than a fish's seven-second memory—have come up with to deal with Vought and Homelander."

The white-clad figure let go of Billy Butcher's neck. Billy dropped from the air and landed in a heap. Then the figure insulted Billy Butcher and Hughie before giving them an order.

"What?"

Billy Butcher rubbed his neck and stared at the white-clad figure in disbelief.

"Don't make me repeat myself. And turn on those damn lights! You've got public utility wires and still can't be bothered to turn on the lights? Who the hell are you saving on electricity for? Let's talk where we can see each other."

The white-clad figure pointed at Hughie's nose.

"Sure."

Hughie immediately turned on the lights...

In an instant, the whole room was "bright"—in every sense of the word!