Starlight Made a Middle Finger Gesture at You

Hughie Campbell, formerly a clerk at a New York video store, has jumped ship to join The Boys, serving as a team member and their moral compass.

The turning point of his fate began with a tragedy.

A member of The Seven, the superhero A-Train, accidentally struck and killed his girlfriend.

Filled with grief and rage, Hughie was pulled by Billy Butcher into the leaky, precarious boat of opposing Vought International and Homelander to seek justice for his girlfriend and himself.

Why say he was seeking justice for himself as well?

Because A-Train, the superhero, was the very idol Hughie had worshipped since childhood, but the hypocrisy of A-Train and the inaction of Vought International had thoroughly enraged him.

During this period, he had suffered, agonized, and even attempted to kill (Translucent was killed by Hughie).

Yet, the kindness deep in his heart pulled him back time and again, preventing him from becoming a ruthless avenger like Billy Butcher.

It was precisely because of this hard-won kindness that he gained the favor of a beautiful lady.

This true love, which transcended their respective factions, was the only faint hope he had left while being framed as a wanted criminal by Vought International.

His love with Starlight was exceptionally precious, and it was worth his every effort to cherish and protect.

But Hughie was deeply worried, because in the process of falling in love with him, Starlight had also been dragged into the fray, becoming a super-powered spy lurking within The Seven to assist The Boys in dealing with Homelander and bringing down Vought.

Hughie worried that she would be discovered by Homelander, and then...

He dared not continue that train of thought; he couldn't even imagine what would happen if he lost Starlight.

"Hughie, you're spacing out!"

Starlight, still youthful with fair, delicate skin, pouted in dissatisfaction.

Hughie snapped back to reality and apologized, "Sorry, babe. I'm just, um... I've been under a lot of pressure lately, lost my appetite. I think I've dropped three kilos."

Hughie didn't tell Starlight about his hidden anxieties because he didn't want to add to her burden.

After all, Starlight's situation was far more dangerous than his, and her pressure was much greater.

"Oh~~"

Starlight hummed with a knowing nasal tone and said, "That's what happens when you lose too much protein."

"What?"

Hughie didn't quite catch the drift.

Starlight shrugged, "Given the current situation where I'm not by your side, I understand you might have..."

As she spoke, she made a "rhythmic up-and-down motion with a hollow palm" gesture in the middle of the dining table.

She continued, "Physical needs, but please, take care of your health."

When your girlfriend makes a lewd gesture at you, how should you respond?

Hughie blushed, seemingly caught off guard, and began to deflect, "Stop it. I asked you out this time because there are two... wait, you... you... what are you laughing at!"

"Hehe."

Starlight raised an eyebrow, first pointing at the watch on her wrist, then leisurely picking up the straw from her drink and slowly, very slowly, placing it into her mouth.

As the drink dripped from the straw, a loud gulping sound echoed in the small restaurant booth.

"Mr. Hughie, please hurry up with your work report."

Starlight placed the straw back into the cup and said once more with profound meaning, "I happen to need to lose weight 'intensely' lately, and I'm lacking enough 'vigorous' exercise. Get it?"

With two consecutive stressed words, Hughie nodded frantically.

Afterward, he indeed sped up the pace of his report.

"We went to North Carolina and found Valerie, who was in the lead Mallory gave us, at a residential home. According to her, 48 years ago, the second-rate hero Liberty brutally beat her brother to death."

"Just because of a baseless excuse that 'he was a criminal,' but Ms. Valerie also said..."

As he recalled and recounted the story, the distractions in Hughie's mind dissipated somewhat.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his tone deepened along with it.

"Back then, she was just a little girl, hiding in a car and witnessing everything. In the pouring rain, Liberty beat her brother Myron to death with her bare hands, and even after the murder, she revealed her true thoughts without any pretense."

"What were they?"

Starlight's attention was fully captured.

Hughie said in a low voice, "Liberty hated Black people, hated minorities. She was a damn racist."

"That wasn't a superhero punishing a criminal at all; it was pure, unadulterated racial slaughter."

He paused, remembering the fear that hadn't faded from the old woman even after nearly fifty years, his tone growing heavier: "And the most crucial clue..."

"Valerie confirmed that the Liberty of back then is the Stormfront of today."

"She has never aged; her appearance hasn't changed in fifty years. And the death of CIA Deputy Director Susan was precisely because she was investigating Liberty—that is, Stormfront."

"Behind all of this, Vought is trying to destroy the evidence!"

"Susan touched upon Liberty's past, so she was killed by a head explosion right in front of me and Mother's Milk! Annie, we need you to continue investigating Stormfront inside Vought. We need to attack from both sides."

Starlight was nearly stunned after hearing everything.

The story was certainly bizarre enough, and certainly Walter-esque.

Stormfront's superpower was clearly plasma electricity, so how did she suddenly gain the ability of immortality?

Did Compound V have this effect as well?

While her mind wandered through these random thoughts, Starlight nodded and accepted the mission: "Fine, I will quietly investigate Stormfront from the inside."

Hughie held her hand: "Be careful."

Starlight shook her head and squeezed Hughie's hand back: "Don't forget that I'm a superhero. You guys are the ones who need to be careful; that Headpopper hiding in the shadows hasn't shown their face yet."

Hughie let out a breath and sighed: "Yeah, there isn't a single lead."

"Forget it, let's not talk about that. Oh right, there's one more thing. Billy brought his lover back this time, but..."

Following that, Hughie recounted the story of Billy and Becca to Starlight.

Finally, he said: "This matter was actually requested by Becca. Could you..."

Before Hughie could finish, Starlight had already smartly provided the answer: "Don't worry, I will keep an eye out for news about Ryan, and when the timing is right, I'll notify you to take him away."

Hughie smiled happily.

This was the reason he fell in love with Starlight.

It wasn't just her adherence to her bottom line in choosing good over evil, nor was it the light she kept from extinguishing even while standing in the darkness.

It was that she was always so understanding... under-standing... wait???

Hughie's brain short-circuited, suddenly veering off into a thought that was racing ahead at breakneck speed.

Now that everything had been said, was it time to help Starlight lose some weight!

Suddenly, the restaurant, which had been quiet just a moment ago, erupted into a clamor.

The people who had been eating with their heads down and chatting in low voices all looked up in an instant, the commotion sweeping through the entire restaurant like a tidal wave.

Hughie and Starlight followed the gazes of the crowd.

They saw that everyone's eyes were focused on the television hanging on the wall.

On the screen, a beautiful female anchor was highlighting a child sitting next to Homelander.

The two of them exchanged a glance and whispered in unison: "Ryan!!"