The Deep's True Colors

"Hello, everyone. I'm Starlight, from Iowa. I've had superpowers since I was born. My family was proud of me, and they took me to junior superhero competitions all over the country from the time I was little. I did well, but winning never made me happy."

"That's because my dream has always been to become a real superhero, not some so-called star of the future. After every competition, reporters would ask me, 'Why do you want to be a superhero?' And every time, I'd answer, 'To save the world.' They'd laugh and say I was adorable. Maybe 'saving the world' sounded a little unrealistic coming from a child..."

Starlight paused.

There was a glint of determination in her eyes.

"But I want to say this: saving the world has never been a joke to me. If I wasn't doing it to save the world, why would I become a superhero?"

"Today, I can finally stand here. I finally have a platform big enough to pursue the dream I've always had. For that, I want to thank Vought International for believing in me, my parents for always encouraging me, and everyone who has supported me."

"From now on, I won't let any of you down. Just watch."

Starlight finished her debut speech, and the applause went on and on.

After the event, Ashley, the vice president's assistant, led Starlight backstage. As soon as she entered, Starlight saw a handsome man in a superhero uniform.

She knew him well, though until now she had only seen him on television.

Now he stood right in front of her, smiling.

The handsome man was The Deep, a member of The Seven known as the "Lord of the Seven Seas."

Starlight covered her mouth in surprise.

Ashley patted her shoulder. "I'm sure he needs no introduction. The Deep will show you the conference room and help you get familiar with the place."

The Deep led Starlight through the conference room doors.

This was where The Seven held their meetings and made major decisions.

The enormous room covered three to four hundred square meters. It was so vast that two intricately carved white marble pillars stood inside it, serving both as decoration and as supports for the space.

Large electronic screens covered one wall. On them, Starlight could see a live nighttime view of San Andreas, the orbital paths of satellites, and all kinds of constantly updating data.

"Wow," Starlight breathed.

"Impressive, isn't it?" The Deep said with a smile.

Starlight nodded.

A huge oval table stood at the center of the room.

Seven chairs surrounded it.

Starlight pointed to one of them. "That's his seat, right?"

The Deep knew whom she meant.

Homelander, the leader and undisputed heart of The Seven.

Homelander was an idol not only to the public, but to nearly every superhero as well.

Every superhero with ambitions for the future dreamed of one day becoming like him.

The Deep didn't answer. "You've got a chair of your own, too."

He walked over to the chair Starlight had pointed out and patted it lightly. "Come on. Have a seat."

Then he noticed tears glistening in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" The Deep asked.

Starlight took a moment to steady herself, then turned toward the window.

"Nothing. I just realized I've dreamed of being here countless times, and now it's right in front of me..."

The Deep smiled. "I felt the same way on my first day here."

Then he changed the subject. "I bet you have a Homelander poster in your bedroom."

He ran a hand over Homelander's chair, his expression unreadable.

"Actually, I don't. I..." Starlight paused before continuing softly. "I have a poster of you in my bedroom."

"Oh?" The answer caught The Deep by surprise. He looked up at her.

Only then did he give her a proper look.

Starlight had beautiful golden curls. She was petite, but her figure was shapely.

Starlight looked out the window. The city glittered with lights, and its nighttime skyline was beautiful.

She went on, "Homelander always felt too distant to me. He's like Jesus—sacred, someone you could never reach. But you felt real. Ever since I was little, I've had the kind of crush on you a schoolgirl has on her favorite star..."

Starlight turned back, curious to see how The Deep would react.

But at the sight before her, her face filled with disbelief and panic.

In an instant, something she had believed in with all her heart came crashing down.

The Deep had pulled his pants down to his knees.

Seeing her expression, The Deep looked puzzled. "What's wrong? Didn't you just say you had a crush on me?"

"If you're that into me, why don't we do something fun..."

Starlight covered her mouth and kept backing away.

The color of her eyes began to change.

Several electronic screens in the conference room suddenly flickered, then burst apart, scattering glass across the floor.

Realizing something was wrong, The Deep hurriedly pulled up his pants.

He raised both hands above his head to show Starlight he meant her no harm.

When she didn't attack him at once, he breathed a little easier.

Then he slowly approached her, trying to keep his voice calm. "You know, you're still new here. Your place isn't secure yet. But as The Seven's second-in-command, I can help you out. On one condition..."

Starlight knew what he meant.

The man she had once adored wore a superhero's uniform, but underneath it he was a monster.

A blinding light erupted from Starlight.

A wave of light struck The Deep.

He flew backward and slammed into the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.

The entire pane shattered, spraying into the night sky like a shower of flowers.

The Deep flew out of the building dozens of meters above the ground, then plunged toward the street below.

I only just noticed that a passage was deleted from this chapter. You know which one. It doesn't affect the story much, though, and I hope it hasn't spoiled your reading experience.

(End of chapter)