It can only be you, Stormfront! (Extra Chapter)

"This is Sage Grove Psychiatric Hospital; you can also call it Sage Grove."

Stepping out of a car, Stormfront curled her lip in disgust and clicked her tongue. "Same old tricks. Do you even remember how many of these labs you've built, Edgar?"

Edgar reached out to lead the way. "This way. 137 laboratories of various levels, scattered across the globe. I remember the name, the project, and the current progress of every single one."

"It's my job, and I've always done it well."

"Yes, well enough to let a black man run—"

"Ms. Vought!"

Edgar cut her off. "Watch that door. Inside is a test subject Maeve delivered just this morning. His drug's effects are wearing off."

Stormfront asked with curiosity, "What's his superpower?"

"A gene-suppressing toxin release. It can effectively suppress the active factors of Compound V within a person's body."

After a pause, Edgar added, "It works through skin contact or aerosolized breath, but it isn't permanent, and the effectiveness diminishes against Maeve—or rather, those of you with a Steel Body."

"Trash ability!"

Stormfront's interest waned instantly.

She waved her hand to clear the increasingly thick scent of chemicals in the air and urged him impatiently, "Where is the person you prepared?"

"We're here."

Edgar pushed the door open, and Stormfront followed close behind.

Inside the room, besides three researchers, there was someone whose presence caught Stormfront completely off guard.

"Lamplighter? I thought you retired... Oh, I see."

Stormfront looked at Lamplighter's work uniform with a smirk, realizing, "So your retirement just meant changing your outfit and getting shipped here to do grunt work."

"Please, spare me your sharp commentary, Ms. Vought."

Edgar stopped Stormfront's blunt mockery and issued an order: "Begin."

Hearing the command, the lead researcher in a sterile lab suit nodded. "Understood, Mr. Edgar."

"Per your instructions, we have prepared five living samples. This is Number One..."

As he spoke, the other two researchers worked together to push a vertical, coffin-like instrument out from the inner isolation chamber.

The man restrained behind the high-strength reinforced glass had his eyes tightly shut, his consciousness in a deep coma.

However, his skin was flushed with a faint, stress-induced red, and the muscles in his limbs were taut. Even without consciousness, his body remained in a posture ready to explode into a sprint at any moment.

The lead researcher stepped forward to pull up the floating data panel and reported calmly, "Sample ID: G-73. Ability classified as a speed-specialized superhuman with no enhanced physique, no energy attacks, and no Self-Healing."

"After testing with the temporary Compound V24, his speed threshold saw a breakthrough, but..."

Suddenly, just as the lab staff was giving their steady, orderly introduction, Edgar's personal phone—which only received calls for urgent matters—rang.

He nodded calmly, signaling, "Continue the briefing for Ms. Vought."

He then walked to the side to answer the call.

But after hearing only a few words, the composure on his face vanished instantly.

"Why are you only notifying me now!"

"Sir."

"We have no authority to inquire about Top Secret Lab No. 1. We were just following the routine two-hour security patrol protocol. It wasn't until the shift team arrived on-site just now that we confirmed..."

The security officer's voice on the other end began to tremble. "Every researcher, security guard, and caretaker on duty inside the base... none survived."

"The state of their bodies... it's... it's horrific!"

"Did you find—"

Just as Edgar was about to ask if they had discovered who destroyed the lab, an answer automatically surfaced in his mind.

Homelander!

Once the security officer confirmed his suspicion, the air pressure around him plummeted to freezing.

Regret?

Yes, Edgar felt regret.

But what he regretted was not the loss of that top-secret lab, now slaughtered clean.

It was that he shouldn't have used a piece of sweet meat to tease a wild beast that had been starving for decades and could not be controlled.

The move to sow discord had been a mistake!

He should have been warned sooner. From the moment Homelander killed Madelyn and began challenging his authority, this half-caged beast had already been on the verge of losing control.

Yet he had ignored this danger signal, even becoming arrogant enough to believe he could still use political maneuvering and human nature to continue grinding down the beast's fangs.

It was a catastrophic error.

A chill seeped into the depths of Edgar's heart.

"This beast has already personally severed two chains..."

Madelyn!

She was tenderness, indulgence, and a false sense of intimacy; she was the reliance he had craved his entire life, and the only emotional anchor left to him.

The laboratory!

It was his origin, his womb, the place where he was chiseled and shaped; it was the shackle he was never meant to break free from, and the anchor that defined his humanity.

"So, what does he have left now?"

Edgar, who had always believed in operating from the shadows and was exceptionally skilled at using others to do his dirty work—creating crises only to reap the rewards—suddenly realized something.

Homelander only had Ryan!

Perhaps, he also had half of him!

Clara Vought could never replace Madelyn; she would likely even have the opposite effect.

Therefore, the plan had to be terminated immediately...

From the moment Edgar received the call to the moment this series of thoughts crystallized, it had taken him only a fleeting moment to see the situation with perfect clarity.

His ability to execute was just as outstanding as his judgment.

But just as he prepared to turn back and call a halt to everything, his gaze quietly fell upon Stormfront.

A strange look flickered in his eyes.

Why call it off?

The original plan was to keep Ryan and Homelander separated, leaving enough of a gap for Stormfront to create an opportunity.

But now, things had taken a peculiar turn; he had inadvertently pushed Homelander toward absolute, unadulterated madness.

Fortunately, he had realized it in time.

It was never too late to mend the fence.

The plan would remain the same, but the final outcome and the fundamental objective would have to change.

Edgar looked at Stormfront with an even darker expression; Ryan had to stay by Homelander's side.

The false symbols of the past had already proven that they could not restrain a beast that had been starving for so long.

Because what is fake will always be fake.

Then... what about the representation of true blood?

Even if he were a god among men, if he had a weakness, he could still be controlled by humanity.

"Edgar, are you sure these pathetic losers can cause that kid any trouble?"

Stormfront looked back, clearly dissatisfied. "That's his son! And have you confirmed what abilities he's inherited?"

"Ms. Vought, I think you should have some faith in me."

Edgar had already hidden his strange expression. He walked back as if nothing had happened and explained further, "We must wait for Homelander to be present to obtain information on Ryan's superpowers; otherwise, I won't be able to calm him down if he throws a tantrum."

"You told me he flew off."

"So I don't know where he went, but my people have been keeping a close watch inside the company."

At this, Edgar chuckled softly. "When he returns, he will receive my demands. And I guarantee, he will certainly agree to my two not-so-excessive requests."

"Satisfied, Ms. Vought?"

Stormfront shrugged, her mood improving as well.

Finally, she said, "I've been thinking—just to be safe, that superpowered individual who came in earlier might also come in handy."