Assassination

The words hit like a boulder hurled into a still lake, sending shockwaves through the room.

Had anyone else said it, the others would have taken it as a joke.

But the words had come from Homelander.

And Homelander would never make an ill-timed joke on an occasion like this.

Still, everyone present had once been a figure of renown. To them, those words were deeply galling.

An opponent they might not defeat even if they joined forces?

Could such a monster really exist?

"Are you serious?" asked a man in his sixties, astonished.

The old man had grown stout, yet he still wore a yellow uniform that appeared to be made of some special material. It was clearly too tight for his current build, making him look especially bulky.

This pudgy old man was also a member of The Boys.

Bee Man.

Bee Man, Hawkeye, Federal Captain, Mecha Man, and Queen Maeve all turned toward Homelander, waiting for him to explain.

Queen Maeve had thought Homelander meant someone like B-Class Brawler, but it was now clear he had someone else in mind.

"She's a terrifyingly powerful woman," Homelander said gravely. "Her appearance and build don't match her age at all. Most of the time, she looks like a Girl of thirteen or fourteen."

A Girl of thirteen or fourteen?

Everyone's curiosity was piqued.

"Don't let her appearance fool you. I don't know her real age, but she obviously isn't a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old Young Girl."

Everyone looked toward Federal Captain and Queen Maeve. Did the Girl share their ageless appearance?

"Then where is she now?" Hawkeye asked.

Homelander smiled. "No need to be impatient. You'll see her soon enough."

"Is she here?" Stoker, brilliant as ever, was the first to catch Homelander's meaning.

"Yes, she's here." Homelander nodded. "But