Starlight's Meet-and-Greet

Madelyn stared at the report that had just been delivered, her face turning ashen.

Things were finally getting worse, little by little, just as she had feared.

Of the twelve members of Fear Nova, whom Vought International had painstakingly cultivated as a hidden asset, one had been gravely wounded and three had been lost in the operation to capture Psychic Powers users.

Reliable information confirmed that Blood Bat, ranked ninth, had been killed.

Kelp Man, ranked seventh, and Earth Dragon, ranked eleventh, were both missing. Further information was needed to confirm their fates.

Madelyn knew neither was likely to return.

More shocking still, Hundred-Ghost Machine Operator, ranked sixth, had been wounded so badly he was at death's door.

By the time he made it back to the base through sheer force of will, he barely had a breath left in him.

He had then lost consciousness and remained in a coma.

Madelyn could have accepted a few mishaps among Fear Nova's bottom six.

But seeing the sixth-ranked Hundred-Ghost Machine Operator wounded so badly took her completely by surprise.

Though they were all members of Fear Nova, there were still enormous differences in their strength.

An unbridgeable gulf separated the top six from the bottom six.

Anyone capable of defeating a member of Fear Nova's top six was a force that could no longer be underestimated.

Of course, the plan had still been a success overall.

Of the seventeen targets, eleven had been captured, three had died, and three had escaped.

Madelyn looked at the three names in the report.

Luke, Mitarai Fubuki, and Serizawa Masao.

Those were the three who had defeated Fear Nova, the organization's pride.

The records showed that Luke had tied with Starlight for first place in the physical assessment during the selection competition. Two Fear Nova members had been assigned specifically to capture him, yet the attempt had still failed.

Mitarai Fubuki had placed third in the women's division.

The fact that a Girl had defeated Blood Bat came as something of a surprise to Madelyn.

But Serizawa Masao was the one Madelyn found truly troublesome.

He had placed only seventh in the physical assessment.

Yet he had defeated Hundred-Ghost Machine Operator, a member of Fear Nova's top six.

Madelyn closed the report. There was no need to make another move against the three of them for now. Putting them on a priority watch list would suffice.

In any case, the operation had achieved its objective.

Eleven test subjects were enough for the researchers at the base to produce a detailed examination report.

What concerned Madelyn most was not how powerful these newly emerged Psychic Powers users were.

No matter how strong they became, even if they grew powerful enough to rival Homelander, Madelyn had ways to deal with them.

What truly concerned her—and every member of the organization's senior leadership—was why these Psychic Powers users, who appeared nowhere in their files, had emerged in the first place.

That was the real hidden threat to Vought International's current dominance.

The preliminary test results would take some time. For now, Madelyn had another important matter to handle.

Tomorrow, Starlight would officially join The Seven. To welcome her, the organization had decided to hold a special meet-and-greet at its headquarters.

Madelyn would give the opening address. She would also announce Vought International's revenue for the quarter and showcase several projects that had yielded handsome returns over the past few months, hoping the event would attract more outside investment.

Every arrangement Madelyn made served a clear purpose. Welcoming Starlight was secondary; attracting investors was her real goal.

Her top priority now was to prepare a thoroughly persuasive speech.

Madelyn made a habit of doing everything as perfectly as she could. It was one reason she had climbed to the lofty position of vice president at Vought International despite being seen as a weak woman.

A luxury executive limousine pulled up in the plaza outside Vought International's headquarters amid a roar of voices.

A man in a black suit hurried forward and opened the rear door.

The moment Starlight set one foot on the ground, a wave of cheers washed over her.

She had never expected such a warm welcome. Tens of thousands of spectators packed the plaza in front of headquarters.

For a moment, Starlight could hardly take it in.

Ashley, Vice President Madelyn's assistant, stepped forward and took her hand. "Come on, our superhero."

"We're almost late."

Starlight finally came to her senses. "They're all here for me?" she asked, scarcely able to believe it.

"Who else would they be here for, darling?" Ashley said with a bright smile.

She led Starlight along a dedicated walkway the organization had built for the occasion.

A red carpet stretching hundreds of meters led straight to the doors of Vought International's headquarters.

Barriers held the crowd back on either side. People eagerly reached out and waved to Starlight.

"Starlight! Starlight! Starlight! Starlight!"

They chanted her name.

Starlight was deeply moved.

Perhaps this was what being a superhero meant.

When Starlight entered the venue, Vought International's vice president, Madelyn, had just begun her opening address.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there has never been a better time to invest in the superhero industry. Compared with last quarter, Vought International's net earnings have risen seventeen percent. Homelander vs. Queen Maeve, which premiered last month, broke the all-time opening-week box office record and went on to gross 3.6 billion dollars. And next week, Invisible Force 2, our new film starring Translucent, will hit theaters..."

"Just yesterday, we signed a strategic partnership agreement with Chiyoda Company, one of the world's leading toy manufacturers. Soon, Chiyoda Company will release a new line of superhero figures for us, available in limited quantities through our online store."

"We'll also be giving away one thousand exclusive figures of Starlight, the newest member of The Seven. Stay tuned!"

Madelyn extended a hand toward the audience in invitation.

"Please welcome the newest member of The Seven: Starlight!"

Though the meet-and-greet had supposedly been held for Starlight, her name had not been mentioned until the very end of the speech.

The crowd followed Madelyn's gesture, their eyes settling on a Girl who looked a little uneasy.

This petite yet alluring Girl was Starlight, the new member of The Seven they had been waiting to see.

Starlight took a deep breath, stood, and walked briskly toward the stage.

Today would be the start of a whole new life for her.