Black Noir's gaze was like metal drawn to a magnet, his faintly glowing eyes fixed firmly on that sheet of paper.
Despite the countless questions in his mind, he remained habitually calm, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"Queen Maeve said you asked her to pass this on to Homelander?" Soldier Boy asked.
Black Noir nodded, a flash of guilt crossing his face.
Soldier Boy grinned. "Well, too bad. He never got it. Once I found it, I confiscated it on the spot."
That bastard look of his was practically begging for a beating, but Black Noir dared not show the slightest displeasure.
"Don't get mad, Black Noir. You'd practically driven Homelander crazy back then. This thing wouldn't have helped at all." Soldier Boy tapped the ash off his cigar. "Luckily, things are different now. That dumb kid will probably forgive you."
"Really?" Black Noir asked hoarsely, overcome with delighted surprise.
Soldier Boy frowned. "No shit. Why would I lie to you? But you'd better apologize to him yourself, and you need to give him this video yourself, too."
Black Noir, who had been beaming just a moment earlier, now scrunched up his face in distress.
"I've already hurt John once. Going to him now would make him suffer a second time..."
"Fuck you. Just go when I tell you to. What's with all the bullshit?"
Cut off by the coarse abuse, Black Noir immediately shut his mouth, not daring to make a sound.
Soldier Boy sighed, his tone softening somewhat. "Come with me. He's been run ragged over this Pete business these past two days. He's probably scaring people in the conference room right now."
The Seven's private conference room.
The atmosphere had become unbearably oppressive. Outside the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, the sun shone brightly, but a pall