Let Homelander Measure His Strength

Lu Heng landed on the rooftop of an abandoned apartment building and pulled out his phone.

#GuardianVsATrain# was the number-one trending topic in the United States, beating out the presidential debate and the Super Bowl hype.

Videos from every angle had racked up over a hundred million views across all platforms.

A hundred million views in one hour!

The most-liked comment read:

@New York Observer: I've watched it fifty times. A-Train was sprinting at full speed, and he slapped him away with one hand. One hand! Do you understand what that means? Homelander is only one level faster than A-Train. If Guardian could stop A-Train's charge with one hand, then the gap between him and Homelander might not be as big as we think.

The comment had twenty thousand replies, and the whole thread was a mess.

It was all power-scaling debates, with some people even bringing in comic book characters.

The result was a flame war that set the entire comment section ablaze.

No matter what world you were in, mention power scaling and the comment section was as good as ruined.

Lu Heng scrolled twice, then closed the app.

He wasn't sure if this @New York Observer account was clueless, but one thing was certain: the gap between him and Homelander really wasn't that big.

If he had to call a winner...

They were about even.

In close combat, he might even have a slight advantage.

Viltrumites were a warrior race by nature. Their past battles were automatically turned into experience and stored in their genes.

Homelander had only received a little psychological training growing up, and even that came with a debuff. When it came to close-quarters combat, he had practically no technique to speak of. He just relied on overwhelming strength.

But this wasn't the time to get cocky.

Vought had reacted faster than he'd expected.

As expected.

His phone buzzed.

A text message from an unknown number.

[Mr. Guardian, I'm Madelyn Stillwell, vice president of Vought International. I'd like to meet with you to discuss what happened today, as well as your future.]

[Tomorrow at two p.m., on the seventy-second floor of Vought Tower. If you're willing.]

As expected of Vought. They'd managed to track down his number.

Should he go?

Lu Heng barely hesitated.

Of course he was going!

He needed Vought's platform.

It was for the money, the fame, and the key NPCs in that tower.

There were at least ten key characters in that building alone.

If he wanted to farm ability points efficiently, he had to get close to them and take part in their fates.

The next day, at two p.m.

Vought Tower.

Dressed in a Viltrumite Soldier's uniform, Lu Heng walked in through the main entrance.

Dozens of people in the lobby turned to look at him at once.

A security guard reached for his radio, but after one glare from Lu Heng, he didn't dare move.

The receptionist put on a strained professional smile.

"Mr. Guardian? This way, please. Ms. Stillwell is waiting for you on the seventy-second floor."

In the elevator, Lu Heng watched the floor numbers tick upward.

Vought Tower.

The Seven's headquarters.

And the most important location in the entire series, The Boys.

The doors opened.

Madelyn stood by the elevator, dressed in a perfectly tailored gray skirt suit. Her hair was immaculate, her makeup flawless, and a carefully measured smile played on her lips.

A textbook Vought executive—and the object of Homelander's secret affection.

"Mr. Guardian." She held out her hand. "Thank you for coming!"

Lu Heng shook her hand.

She led him down the hall and into a huge conference room.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched the Manhattan skyline.

Coffee, fruit, and an expensive-looking dessert had been laid out on the table.

Madelyn sat across from him, folding her hands on the table.

"I'll get straight to the point." Her smile faded, turning more formal. "We've conducted a thorough internal investigation into what happened yesterday."

"After finishing his community run, A-Train was subjected to remote mind control by a superhuman criminal. It sent him on a rampage while he was out of his mind."

"Fortunately, you stepped in in time and prevented a tragedy."

Lu Heng nearly laughed when he heard that.

Mind control.

Vought's PR department never disappointed.

They'd dressed up A-Train's drug-fueled rampage as a case of a "victim controlled by a villain," instantly turning A-Train into a wounded hero.

Vought was absolutely not to blame. The superhuman criminal was.

And whether this criminal even existed was another question. Vought's prisons and underground labs had plenty of specimens.

On top of that, this story gave Lu Heng the perfect role.

"This incident made us realize we're facing a serious problem," Madelyn continued, her tone growing grave.

"Superhuman crime is becoming increasingly rampant. Ordinary people aren't the only ones suffering; even members of The Seven could become targets. We need a... more specialized response."

She looked at Lu Heng without the slightest embarrassment over her lies.

Capitalists really did have thick skin.

"You're that response."

Lu Heng raised an eyebrow.

"Vought's senior leadership unanimously agrees that your strength and approach are unlike those of traditional superheroes. You don't put on a show. You don't perform. You get things done." She opened the tablet in front of her and showed him a document.

"We'd like to invite you to join a brand-new initiative: a superhero operating independently of The Seven, tasked with punishing high-level superhuman threats."

"You'd report directly to Vought's top executives."

"You wouldn't be bound by The Seven's day-to-day operations."

"You'd have the authority to act independently."

"And... compensation and resources that surpass The Seven's."

Madelyn slid the tablet toward Lu Heng.

A contract was displayed on the screen.

<Vought International, Special Advisor for Superhuman Threat Response—Guardian>

Lu Heng glanced over the key terms.

Annual salary: $12 million.

Private apartment (Central City, Manhattan).

Dedicated team (agent, PR, support).

Media exposure priority: S-rank (equal to The Seven).

Operational authority: A-rank (second only to Homelander).

Contract term: three years, renewable.

Penalty clause.

That section was blank.

Interesting.

They hadn't filled in the penalty, which meant Edgar didn't intend to bind him with contract terms.

Edgar was likely behind all of this. Based on Madelyn's performance in the original series, she wouldn't have come up with a plan this sophisticated.

Brilliant!

With one move, he'd not only fixed A-Train's public image, but also deftly defused the conflict between Guardian and Vought.

If you wanted to fight for justice, then Vought would give you the chance—so long as you joined their platform.

Vought's greatest PR asset wasn't the corporate drones in their cubicles. It was the man on the top floor, pulling the strings behind the scenes.

"Your video went viral. I don't believe that was an accident. We need to improve our image, and you need exposure and resources!"

Seeing that Lu Heng still hadn't signed, Madelyn cut straight to the point.

"We each get what we want!"

"So the public story is..." Lu Heng closed the tablet.

Capitalists were greedy, sure, but they weren't stupid.

"Vought has always been concerned about superhuman crime, and your arrival has shown us a solution," Madelyn replied at once. "The A-Train incident proved how serious this threat is, so Vought has decided to create a dedicated enforcer position."

"You're a hero, and a guardian... You protect ordinary people, and you protect superheroes from being exploited by criminal forces."

She paused.

"We're giving you the chance to serve as a judge!"

Lu Heng fell silent for a moment, then readily agreed.

"As for the contract... I can sign it..."

Madelyn's mouth twitched. An almost imperceptible sneer flashed in her eyes.

So much for upholding justice. He was just a merchant waiting to see what he could get. What was he pretending to be, some paragon of virtue?

"But I have two conditions." Lu Heng held up two fingers.

"Go ahead."

"First, I want to take part in The Seven's internal activities, whether it's meetings, mission briefings, or media announcements."

"I may not belong to The Seven, but I need to know what they're doing... My job is to respond to superhuman threats, after all, so I need to know what Vought's superhumans are up to."

Madelyn's smile didn't change, but Lu Heng noticed her heartbeat quicken.

"Of course. I'll arrange it."

"Second."

"Is Homelander away on business? He hasn't shown his face in a long time. I want to meet him."

He wanted to meet Homelander? Was he really that bold?

Madelyn's fingers trembled. She wanted Homelander to tear the man in front of her to pieces, but Edgar was the one who held the power of life and death.

If she screwed this up, not even Homelander could save her.

"...Of course!" She quickly regained her composure. "As it happens, he'd like to meet you too!"

He'd like to kill me, more like.

Lu Heng stood up and picked up the contract.

"Then we're all set."

He opened the door and walked out.

Madelyn stayed seated. Only after Lu Heng's back disappeared at the end of the hall did she slowly lean back in her chair.

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

Then she picked up the phone.

"Mr. Edgar, he signed."

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

"As expected, he's a clever man. Did he make any additional demands?"

"Yes. He wants to attend all of The Seven's internal activities, and..."

Madelyn paused.

"He wants to meet Homelander."

Another two seconds of silence.

"Let Homelander size up his strength, but don't let things get out of hand. I like to have a backup plan."