The video ended, and the screen went dark.
The conference room fell so silent that a pin could have dropped.
Ellis said nothing. His hands had curled into fists without him realizing it.
His eyes grew hot, and his vision blurred.
He brushed a hand across the corner of his eye. The moisture on his fingertips shocked even him.
As a politician, he had long since stopped believing in genuine feeling. Being moved was cheap and useless.
But that man—the savior of all humanity—had said, without reservation, that he would "support him with everything he had" and that "he would become a true hero," even as he faced an expedition he might not survive.
A voice inside Ellis told him:
I, Matthew Ellis, am the leader Homelander chose for Earth! If I back down now, how can I live up to the weight of his trust?
"He's entrusted humanity's future to me..." Ellis lifted his head with resolve. Only one thought remained in his mind.
I can't let Homelander down. I absolutely can't!
"Draft an executive order immediately!" Ellis instructed his aide.
"The Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI will act together!" His gaze swept over every official in the room.
"Anyone who dares move funds will be arrested on the spot for treason! No warrant required!"
The Secretary of the Treasury opened his mouth, still trying to object. "But Mr. President, Congress..."
"Fuck Congress!" Ellis cut him off, showing an iron fist no one had seen from him before. "From this second on, anyone who opposes this new policy can put their resignation on my desk! If they don't know how to write one, the FBI will go to their homes and help them!"
"Carry out the order! There's nothing to discuss!"
Seeing