In the chaos, Solomon's arm accidentally pressed the remote in the corner of the couch. With a soft click, the previously dark television suddenly lit up.
The sound from the television instantly shattered the intimate atmosphere in the room, ringing out clearly.
"Let me ask you something. Why could Jesus walk on water? Why can Homelander fly? Why can A-Train run so fast?"
The voice was all too familiar. Solomon's hand froze as he reached toward Maeve's back, and the heat coursing through him instantly faded.
He instinctively glanced at the television out of the corner of his eye, and his pupils abruptly contracted.
Ezekiel!
Wasn't he supposed to be dead?!
Wasn't this footage from the Faith Expo?
It was as though thunder had exploded in his mind. Solomon suddenly remembered the critically important matter he had completely forgotten.
Hughie was going to see Ezekiel today. He would threaten him with a private video of Ezekiel getting intimate with several men, forcing him to reveal the whereabouts of Compound V!
But he had already killed Ezekiel!
Solomon had instinctively assumed Vought International would send someone else to host the Faith Expo, but he had completely forgotten about Shapeshifting Person.
If Hughie really went foolishly threatening "Ezekiel," he would be completely screwed!
The current Ezekiel was actually Shapeshifting Person in disguise. Why would he care about some intimate video?
Once Hughie showed him the video and asked about Compound V, Shapeshifting Person would definitely turn on him on the spot and seize him.
When that happened, Hughie's identity would be exposed, and everyone's movements in the protagonist group would be uncovered. Not one of them would escape!
If he remembered correctly, Homelander seemed to be there too. If Shapeshifting Person called Homelander over, the whole protagonist group might be wiped out today!
No!
They absolutely could not die!
He still needed the protagonist group to help him advance the plot and draw out the other hidden Supes who appeared later.
Lamplighter, and the secret research facility he was in.
And Soldier Boy, the powerful being who could stand against Homelander.
Most importantly, Homelander's son-Ryan!
He could not beat Homelander at his current stage, but Ryan was different. He could beat Ryan!
Ryan was the only natural-born Supe, with limitless potential. He possessed every ability Homelander had, and might even surpass Homelander in the future!
Defeating Ryan would be equivalent to defeating a little Homelander. It would undoubtedly lay the most crucial groundwork for defeating the real Homelander in the future!
If the protagonist group died, where would he find Ryan?
Surely he couldn't just go straight to Vought International's CEO, Stan Edgar?
That would be suicide. He didn't want his head blown up on the spot!
Besides, he did not want Hughie to throw his life away for nothing.
Solomon reluctantly pulled away from Maeve's warm, soft lips, reached out, and pushed her away.
"Wait, Maeve! I just remembered something urgent. I need to make a call right now."
Maeve was utterly stunned. The flush on her face had yet to fade, and her eyes were filled with shock and anger.
They had already gotten this far, their clothes were already half off, and the mood couldn't have been more intense, yet he was saying he had something to do and had to leave?!
What a fucking mood killer!
In an instant, her fondness for Solomon and that hint of drunken attraction vanished completely, even plummeting, and anger surged up inside her.
She abruptly knitted her brows, sat upright, and pointed toward the door, her tone cold and impatient.
"Get out!"
Looking at her furious expression, Solomon gave a sheepish smile, not daring to offer much explanation.
Every second mattered now. He could not afford a delay.
He hurriedly nodded, turned, and ran toward the door, practically fleeing Maeve's house.
After leaving the room, he ran briskly all the way to another street. Only after confirming he was far enough away that Maeve definitely could not hear him did he take out his phone and quickly dial Hughie's number.
Meanwhile, Hughie was standing backstage at the Faith Expo, looking at Homelander in front of him. His heart pounded wildly, his palms were slick with cold sweat, and he was so nervous he could barely breathe.
Holding a glass of orange juice, Homelander wore a gentle smile as he slowly offered it to Hughie.
"Hughie, right?"
Homelander sounded very friendly, as though he really were just greeting an ordinary friend.
"You're Starlight's friend. She's the one who got you in here, right?"
Just then, the phone in Hughie's pocket suddenly vibrated, but how could he dare answer it?
The unpredictable Homelander stood right in front of him. The slightest mistake could expose him. All he could do was quickly reject the call, then switch off his phone and clutch it tightly in his palm, forcing himself to remain composed.
"Yes!"
Homelander caught his movement rejecting the call out of the corner of his eye. His smile unchanged, he extended a hand.
"Nice to meet you, friend. Why didn't you answer?"
Hughie stiffened all over in fright. He hurriedly shook his head and forced a smile, feigning composure as he said:
"N-nothing. Just a spam call. It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Homelander!"
On Solomon's end, the call had just been rejected, and a busy tone beeped in his ear. His heart sank, and he immediately dialed again, but this time, all he heard was a cold automated message:
"The phone you have dialed is switched off."
Shit!
Hughie was already inside!
Homelander might already be right beside him!
Damn it!
The television broadcast he had seen at Maeve's house hadn't been live at all. It was footage from hours earlier!
There was no time to lose. Solomon dared not delay. He immediately hung up and quickly dialed Butcher's number.
This time, the call connected almost immediately, and Butcher's amused voice came through the receiver:
"Oi, Shen. What do you need?"
Solomon wasted no words and got straight to the point:
"Were you planning to go after Ezekiel today?!"
At those words, Butcher's heart immediately tightened, and an ominous feeling rose within him.
Whenever Solomon called, there was never any good news.
"Yeah. Mother's Milk should've told you before. Ezekiel runs Samaritan's Embrace. We were planning to get the whereabouts of Compound V out of him. What's wrong? You're not about to give me more fucking bad news, are you?"
Solomon cursed inwardly. It was exactly as he had thought! He took a deep breath, suppressed his agitation, and spoke quickly:
"Fuck! I just got word that Ezekiel is already dead! The Ezekiel at today's Faith Expo is another Supe in disguise!"
Butcher's expression changed drastically in an instant, and he roared into the phone:
"Fuck! Why the fuck didn't you tell me sooner?! I've already sent Hughie to ask Ezekiel about Compound V!"
Before you continue