Annie held up the light yellow skirt and walked through the long corridor of the gallery.
Buddy followed her feet, making a dull thumping sound when her paws stepped on the wooden floor.
"Seriously, Annie."
Buddy shook his big head,
"When this thing is over, we must go back to New York immediately. I can't stay any longer. I can't eat enough every day!!"
"Just bear with it, Buddy. When this is done, we will go home."
There is a Video Camera in the corner of the lounge.
A gallery assistant stood nervously beside the machine and gestured to Annie.
The red light comes on.
The face of a fifteen-year-old girl appeared on screens around the world.
She has dazzling blond hair and a clean and outstanding temperament.
In the Europe art circle in the past few years, everyone calls her the most dazzling Starlight.
Annie pulled out a wooden chair and sat down in front of the camera.
Buddy came over very consciously and put the huge dog's head on her knees, quietly acting as a furry background.
"Good evening, my name is Annie."
The girl's voice was very soft, not as arrogant as Reggie before, nor as careless as Tommy.
She looked at the camera and put her hands on Buddy's back naturally.
"There were a lot of people outside looking at my paintings just now. They praised the sunshine in my paintings and the warm colors."
Annie lowered his gaze and gently followed Buddy's long golden hair.
"But actually, what I hated most was glowing."
"I was born with Superpower. I can shine, but this ability does not bring me any happiness."
Annie's tone was very calm, and a hint of darkness flashed across his eyes, and it passed away in a flash.
"After my mother discovered that I had this ability, she thought I was a cash cow. She didn't care if I liked it or not. She put heavy makeup on me every day, put on those breathtaking sequined skirts, and pushed me to the stage of various children's beauty pageants."
"As long as I can shine on stage, she can get sponsor money. If I get tired or the light is not bright enough, I will be greeted backstage with endless scolding."
In front of the screen, countless people listened quietly.
This does not sound like the origin story of Superheroes at all, but a childhood tragedy of being treated as a commodity to extract value.
"Later, she sold me to Vought International for more money in exchange for a high-value business contract."
Annie raised his head and looked at the camera with his clear eyes.
"I was so scared that day that I was shaking all over. I thought I could only be a monster who makes money in this life."
Annie smiled slightly, and there was an extra layer of luster under his eyes.
"Then, Lynn Director came over."
"He made that woman completely disappear from my life."
"Then, brother John walked up to me."
Annie Stretch out a hand, palm upward.
"He held my hand and told me, don't be afraid, my light is beautiful, like the stars in the sky."
Following Annie's movements, a soft golden halo bloomed from her palm.
Not irritating and non-destructive.
Just like the first ray of sunlight that penetrates the window lattice in the morning, it is clean and warm, illuminating this dark lounge.
Buddy, who was lying on her lap, yawned comfortably and rubbed the light with his eyes closed.
This light is transmitted through the screen to the eyes of billions of people around the world.
"Lynn took me back to Long Island's home. There, no one forced me to participate in beauty pageants, and no one forced me to be a hero and fight bad guys."
Annie looked at the light in his hand, and his voice gradually became more proud.
"Later, a security guard came to the house who wore black clothes all day long and never spoke. His name was Black Noir."
"Everyone thought he was a scavenger who only knew how to kill people, but in fact, it was he who took the paintbrush and taught me little by little how to mix colors and how to leave shadows on the canvas. He taught a girl who was almost turned into a tool to become a painter."
Annie looked directly at the camera, with only determination in his eyes.
"Some people on the Internet say that we are man-made monsters."
"But if you rescue a girl who is treated as a cash cow, teach her how to laugh, teach her to draw with the light in her hands... if the person who does these things is a monster."
Annie took a deep breath.
"Then I hope there are more monsters like this in this world."
"Those who hide behind the screen and use their keyboards to smear brother John and Lynn Director, you have no idea what true salvation is."
After saying this, Annie stood up.
She didn't pause much, just bowed slightly to the camera and lifted up her skirt.
"I've finished my words, goodbye."
The red light goes out.
Quietness returned to the lounge.
Annie took a long breath, and the tight back finally relaxed.
Buddy got up from the ground, shook the hair on his body, leaned over and pushed his big head against Annie's palm.
"That's very well said, Annie."
Buddy muttered,
"But when are we going back to New York? I swear I just smelled someone eating snails outside. They were actually eating snails! I can't stay in this place for a second."
Annie was amused by it and chuckled, reaching out to rub the golden retriever's broad head.
"Let's go."
She pushed open the wooden door of the lounge, took Buddy with her, and walked lightly to the brightly lit hall outside.
The sound of the cello gradually faded from the screen, and the global live broadcast signal switched back to the devastated ruins of the university.
Eddie pushed the camera steady again and pointed it at Lynn standing in front.
"Everyone just saw it."
Lynn's voice was very smooth, following the wind and entering the microphone.
"They are Supe, but they are individuals first."
"They will be speechless trying to sing a song well, they will stay up all night to clear an old game, they will travel all over the world to protect animals, and they will worry about not being able to adjust the colors in front of the drawing board."
Lynn paused and glanced at the rubble beneath his feet.
"Vought International has indeed done a lot of bad things and created some downright monsters on this assembly line, but the world is a big place, and you can't think that the entire granary is broken just because of a piece of moldy bread."
He looked directly into the camera, his tone serious and candid.
"Don't generalize because of fear. Like everyone else, they are working hard and living seriously. They also have family and friends they want to protect."
The cold wind blew over the ruins, picking up a few fallen leaves.
John stood half a step behind Lynn, listening quietly.
The breeze blew his torn cloak.
These days, when he was facing all kinds of abuse and criticism, he felt that the wind was chilling him to the very bones.
But now, the biting chill is gone.
He looked at Lynn's back and listened to those words.
The suffocating feeling of being abandoned by the whole world and being isolated and helpless is like the morning fog that has been exposed to the scorching sun, dissipating completely.
John lowered his eyes, and the lines on his face softened little by little.
There was a brief silence on the ruins.
Eddie, who was squatting behind the machine, looked at the monitor screen, then raised his head and looked at the blond man.
The timid Eddie borrowed the courage from somewhere, and boldly poked half of his head out from behind the tripod.
"That..."
Eddie swallowed,
"Mr. Homelander, the whole world is watching now, don't you want to say something?"
Upon hearing this question, Lynn turned sideways and gave up his seat directly in front of the camera.
John walked up to Video Camera, and Azure's eyes were looking directly at the camera.
He pondered quietly for a moment.
Then, John smiled slightly:
"Thank you."