The Second Round Table Meeting

Homelander stared at the conspicuous line of words, his face dark with anger.

"Do you know who this is meant for?" Homelander asked.

Madelyn was still hesitating when Homelander answered his own question.

"Me."

Killing Translucent might have been nothing more than a warning. The enemy's real target was Homelander himself.

Madelyn said in surprise, "You mean this is aimed at you?"

Homelander closed the briefcase and tapped its silver metal shell twice.

"What metal can't my X-ray vision see through? Zinc. And what's this briefcase made of?" Homelander asked coldly. "Zinc."

Whoever had killed Translucent knew Homelander very well.

He—or they—had deliberately packed Translucent's severed remains into a zinc briefcase, then thrown it deep into the harbor so The Deep would deliver the message to Homelander.

You're next.

A blatant provocation.

No one had ever dared provoke Homelander like this, because everyone knew there was only one possible outcome.

Death.

But now someone had appeared who wasn't afraid to die.

Since this person had managed to kill Translucent, his strength was not to be underestimated.

Perhaps the enemy hiding in the shadows really could pose a threat to Homelander.

Homelander looked at Madelyn. "You're hiding something from me."

He stepped forward and placed a hand on Madelyn's shoulder.

"Madelyn, you don't have to keep protecting me. The enemy has openly challenged me. How can I stay out of this? There are things you need to tell me."

Too many strange things had happened lately. A-Train, Queen Maeve, The Deep, Starlight...

Apart from Black Noir, none of them were acting normally.

Now Translucent was dead, too. Homelander had a growing sense that if this continued, The Seven would eventually fall apart.

Madelyn's expression wavered. Translucent's death was probably the work of an Esper, but the supervillains under the control of San Andreas's criminal powers should never have dared do this.

Those Evil powers knew perfectly well that they existed only because Vought International wanted to maintain a balance. If they truly angered that giant, none of them could stand against it.

So they couldn't have killed Translucent, much less followed it with a provocation like this.

In that case, could it be...

Had the Espers outside Vought International's control struck back at the company over the last hunt?

Of course, that was only one possibility.

But it was a real one.

After thinking it over, Madelyn finally told Homelander the true purpose behind the superhero selection contest, as well as the hunt that followed—and the three targets who had escaped it.

Homelander narrowed his eyes.

Interesting. Things were getting more and more interesting.

It had been a long time since he had stretched his muscles. It seemed the time had come to act personally and restore order before everything descended into chaos.

Of course, he would have to take it one step at a time.

Homelander recalled a maxim he had read in a book, one that came from an ancient civilization in the East.

He thought it made a great deal of sense.

To deal with threats from outside, first put your own house in order.

He would start by restoring order within The Seven.

This was Starlight's second Round Table Meeting since joining The Seven.

Unlike last time, only six people were present.

Translucent was missing.

Starlight glanced at The Deep. This was the first time she had seen him since their last mission together.

The Deep looked deeply uneasy. She couldn't tell whether he was afraid to face her or whether something else was bothering him.

Homelander, who had called the meeting, stood with his back to them before the floor-to-ceiling window, staring outside without a word.

Everyone but Translucent had arrived long ago. But with Homelander silent, none of them dared speak.

Anyone could see that Homelander was in a foul mood.

A strange silence settled over the room.

At last, Homelander turned around.

He looked around the room, then spoke slowly. "Guys, it's been a long time since we had a heart-to-heart. Maybe today we should have a good talk—and I should give some of you a little tough love."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Queen Maeve asked.

Queen Maeve had once been involved with Homelander, so she feared him less than the others did.

"It means some of you haven't been acting quite right lately."

Homelander paced around the conference table as he spoke pointedly. "Inconsistent. Lazy. Stirring up trouble."

"Black Noir, I'm not talking about you. You've always done excellent work. But the rest of you have been a real disappointment."

Homelander stopped beside The Deep and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Some people, for instance, just love running upstairs to tell tales. Isn't that right, The Deep?"

The Deep looked terrified. He knew what Homelander was hinting at.

It had to be the plane crash that killed the mayor of Baltimore. He had told Madelyn what caused it, and Homelander was unhappy about that.

"Homelander, it's not what you think..."

"I don't need an explanation," Homelander cut in. "But as a member of The Seven, you should know your place. I don't have to teach you what you can and can't say, do I?"

The Deep nodded repeatedly.

Seeing how nervous he was, Homelander knew the warning had worked.

He moved on to A-Train.

"A-Train, winning the Showdown of the Century couldn't have been easy."

A-Train's heart tightened. Did he know about Compound V?

Homelander had always known A-Train was using Compound V in secret and had simply looked the other way. Still, this was a good chance to give him a friendly reminder.

"Some things need to be done in moderation. You've worked hard to secure your place in The Seven. You should value it."

A-Train lowered his head and said nothing, privately relieved.

Thank God he wasn't talking about me stealing Compound V from the House of Evolution.

If anyone found out about that, I'd be in serious trouble.

"As for you, Maeve..." Homelander gave Queen Maeve a meaningful look. He still had feelings for her, and his tone softened.

"I hope you'll sort out that mess with your ex-girlfriend. Don't let it affect your work."

Queen Maeve was bisexual. Lately, she had become entangled with her ex-girlfriend again for reasons no one knew. Once, it had even led to an absurd scene where she refused to film her own documentary.

Queen Maeve snorted and said nothing.

Homelander didn't mind. He walked behind Starlight and began to clap.

"Guys, here comes the main event," Homelander said with a smile.

There was nothing friendly about it.

"Let's see what our good friend Starlight has been up to."