Soldier Boy let out a long breath, his tense body relaxing. With a thought, he dispersed the power already gathered for his Chest Beam.
Thank goodness... Homelander hadn't done it. He really had changed.
Soldier Boy met Homelander's gaze and saw a child's helplessness in those blue eyes.
It was like a child facing a problem he couldn't solve, looking to a parent for help.
It was his turn to step in.
He stood up and strode toward the front, his presence wild and defiant, his eyes utterly casual. Not a trace of his earlier seriousness remained.
As long as Homelander hadn't fallen apart, nothing could put pressure on Soldier Boy now.
With Homelander retracting his Heat Vision, the atmosphere in the hall had only just eased a little. Seeing that World War II veteran step onto the stage made everyone tense again, with the urgent feeling of one crisis following on the heels of another.
They hadn't forgotten that, in the video, all of The Seven, Soldier Boy included, had stood by without anyone trying to stop Homelander.
Strictly speaking, Soldier Boy was an accomplice too.
Under everyone's gaze, Soldier Boy kept feeling something was missing, so he rummaged in his pocket for a while, pulled out a cigar, and lit it.
His leisurely manner made everyone below the stage squirm.
Fuck, what the hell was he trying to do?
As for Ashley, halfway through the video, she had already slipped out of the venue amid the chaos. Crouching in a deserted corner, she frantically made calls.
Vought's public relations resources were mobilized beyond capacity, and vast amounts of cash were poured into the market.
The moment footage leaked from the venue surfaced on the Internet, it was ruthlessly suppressed.
"Fuck, God bless Vought." Having done everything she could,