Azu Complains

The two walked in one after the other, separated by about thirty seconds, appearing as if they had arrived separately.

The members of The Seven were already seated.

The Deep saw Lu Heng and immediately put on a smiling face: "Hey! Guardian! I saw your video online, that slap was really..."

He caught a glimpse of A-Train out of the corner of his eye and forcibly swallowed the second half of his sentence.

"...really spectacular."

A-Train sat in the corner. As a speedster, his recovery speed was fast; there was almost no trace of any injury on his face.

Yet, his involuntary demeanor made it clear he had a guilty conscience.

When Lu Heng walked in, his shoulders visibly flinched.

It was a conditioned reflex.

Maeve sat by the window, holding a mug. Lu Heng's super-smell detected that it was pure whiskey.

Drinking whiskey at three in the afternoon—the mental state of this queen was truly concerning.

Homelander walked in last and took his seat at the head of the table.

The moment he sat down, everyone else's breathing slowed in unison.

Black Noir noticed the abnormality in Homelander's uniform, but he kept his mind blank, signaling the Donald Duck toy on the table not to speak out of turn.

Queen Maeve and the other superheroes were not stupid; they could feel the vibrations coming from outside.

The two must have clashed briefly. The fact that Lu Heng was still alive and able to walk in meant that things were exactly as the outside world rumored.

Next, Madelyn joined the meeting remotely via video, briefly introducing Lu Heng's identity and role.

Special Consultant for Superhuman Threats.

Independent of The Seven.

Responsible for sanctioning high-level superhuman crimes.

To put it bluntly, he was a hunting dog kept beside The Seven; nominally a watchdog, but everyone knew this hound could bite.

The meeting content was unremarkable.

Commercial scheduling, brand endorsements, and a few crime-sanctioning scripts that needed to be completed.

Lu Heng listened quietly the entire time, observing the state of everyone present.

The Deep, having the lowest status, appeared anxious and sycophantic, while A-Train looked suppressed.

He knew he had caused a massive disaster; his secret was out, and it had even alarmed the big boss.

Queen Maeve was the most checked-out, wearing an expression that suggested she didn't care what happened.

Translucent, that bastard, was playing it cool, thinking no one could see him.

As for Homelander—

He performed perfectly throughout, appearing approachable, humorous, and authoritative.

But the fists beneath his gloves had not unclenched once since he walked through the door.

Forty minutes later, the meeting ended.

Everyone left one after another.

Lu Heng stood up to walk out, and as he passed Maeve, her pace slowed by a beat.

"What was the result of your clash? It looks like not only are you not dead, you aren't even injured."

She didn't look at Lu Heng, her tone casual, as if she were speaking to the air.

"A draw, I suppose. I couldn't do anything to him, and he couldn't move me."

Queen Maeve took a sip of her drink. "Then you'd better be careful. Homelander isn't a kind soul; don't be a thorn in his side."

With that, Queen Maeve walked straight away.

This woman, was she offering a warning out of goodwill?

[Key Character: Queen Maeve]
[Emotional Change: Indifferent → Slightly Favorable]
[Ability Points Gained: +876]

At the same moment.

On the seventy-second floor, in Madelyn's office.

The door was kicked open.

Homelander walked in, his expression shifting between light and shadow, no longer able to maintain his standardized smile.

He slammed a fist onto Madelyn's desk, splitting the solid wood surface right down the middle. A coffee cup on the desk tipped over, spilling a milky-white liquid across the surface.

Homelander glanced at it instinctively, then pulled his attention back.

"You've created another one!"

Madelyn remained seated in her chair, having long anticipated this scene.

"He is not our..."

"Shut up!" Homelander leaned down, bracing his hands on the shattered desk, his face inches from Madelyn's.

"Invulnerable, super strength, flight, and my heat vision couldn't pierce him... and you're telling me he wasn't created by you?"

"He truly isn't in the Compound V database; I told you that before."

"Then where the hell did he pop out from!"

"We are still investigating."

"Investigating?" Homelander let out a laugh, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "Do you know what he did to me in the hallway?"

Madelyn's expression shifted slightly.

"He punched me! Just one punch..."

Homelander slowly straightened up, pulling back his cape to reveal the bruise and the unhealed bloody scratch on his chest.

Madelyn's pupils constricted sharply.

From the moment she had met Homelander until now, she had never seen a single injury on him.

Never!

"One punch!" Homelander held up a finger, waving it in front of Madelyn. "Just one!"

The office fell into a deathly silence.

Madelyn was terrified.

She was worried that Homelander would lose control and go on a rampage, but she was also struck with dread at Lu Heng's capabilities.

That guy wasn't just blowing smoke!

He could actually go toe-to-toe with Homelander!

"So, tell me now..." Homelander retracted his finger, his smile vanishing completely.

"What exactly is he?"

"Is he a tool you created to keep me in check?"

"Or... a better replacement for me?"

As Homelander finished his last sentence, a flash of red light flickered in his eyes.

His heat vision was ready to fire.

Madelyn did not back down. Forcing herself to suppress her fear, she walked around the shattered desk to stand before him.

She reached out and pressed her hand against his chest, gently stroking the bruised area, as tenderly as a mother tending to her child.

"Listen to me."

Homelander's eyes dimmed, and his breathing grew heavy.

Madelyn dared not look up; if she had stared directly into his eyes, she would have seen something glistening in their depths.

He looked just like a child afraid of being abandoned by his mother.

"You are not a replacement. No one can replace your role in The Seven!"

"You are Homelander, and you are the greatest hero in this country."

"Guardian is nothing, but you—you are the god in the heart of every person in America!"

Seeing Homelander's emotions stabilize, Madelyn breathed a sigh of relief and continued to persuade him.

"Edgar only let him join to handle the PR crisis regarding the A-Train incident. He's just a pawn, to be discarded once he's served his purpose!"

Homelander stared at her, his expression aggrieved.

"But he hurt me!"

"That's only temporary!" Madelyn's fingers smoothed out his cape. "Once we uncover his origins and find his weaknesses, everything will return to normal!"

"You are still the strongest!"

"Always!"

Homelander let out a long breath, seemingly slowly convinced.

"You must be quick and find out everything."

"If this guy really wasn't created by you, then perhaps he was sent by some anti-Vought organization!"

"If you ask me, Edgar is too reckless. How could he put someone like that near The Seven..."

Madelyn's face changed, and she reached out to cover Homelander's mouth.

In such close proximity, Homelander could smell the scent on Madelyn.

That scent, carrying a hint of maternal warmth.

It was truly intoxicating!

If he could, Homelander would only ever want to drown in that gentle embrace forever.

"Alright, it wouldn't look good if someone saw us." Madelyn patted Homelander on the back.

Homelander rose with great reluctance. "Then what do you need me to do? Just let him point fingers and boss The Seven around?"

"It won't come to that. We won't let him interfere too much; the Guardian is not to be trusted."

"In the meantime, you can keep a close eye on him and report the situation to me at any time."

Homelander acted as if he had been entrusted with a grand mission.

"No problem. With me around, he won't be able to stir up any trouble!"

The door closed.

Madelyn stood where she was, her heart beginning to race.

Having just one Homelander before was already a massive headache, and now there were two of the damn things!

Two!

She picked up the phone.

"Mr. Edgar... there's a situation."

"The Guardian's strength far exceeds our estimates."

"Homelander's heat vision had no effect on him, and during their close-quarters skirmish, the Guardian even managed to inflict visible injuries on Homelander."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"Continue your observations!" Edgar's voice remained devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Since we have confirmed his strength, adopt a conciliatory strategy. Do not attempt to escalate the conflict!"

"Sir, Homelander has already..."

"I said, do not escalate the conflict."

"Let them maintain the status quo. Two beasts wary of each other are far safer than one beast reigning supreme."

The call ended.

Madelyn gripped the receiver, not knowing what to say.

What right did they have to play at balancing two beasts against each other?

Not to mention, the Guardian was different from Homelander; he was not a superhuman who could be controlled so easily.