You'll understand when you're my age

Soldier Boy paused and asked silently, Old Popsicle, where is Starlight right now?

[Current status: registering for The Seven's selection competition.]

[Additional notice, current Fate Deviation: 17%.]

"Fate Deviation?" Soldier Boy was puzzled.

[The host's intervention has caused the plot of The Boys to deviate.]

Soldier Boy propped up his chin and sank into thought, unsure whether this was good or bad. In the original timeline, Stormfront had yet to appear, The Seven would not expand, and the laboratory had not suffered a massacre.

Now all of these things had happened ahead of time. He was a little worried that the butterfly effect would change the future beyond recognition, at which point his advantage of knowing everything would disappear.

At that thought, Soldier Boy's heart grew a little heavy. He walked to the window and looked down over New York.

Outside the window lay a bustling, colorful world, where anything could happen amid the tangled web of worldly cause and effect.

A gust of wind swept past, cool against Soldier Boy's face. His brow suddenly relaxed, and his worries vanished.

"What is it?" Stormfront moved close and asked softly.

"Nothing. Just thinking about a few things." Soldier Boy's eyes shone.

He firmly believed there was nothing he could not do.

So what if the plot deviated? So what if his advantage of knowing everything disappeared?

He was destined to rule this world, and the unknown often brought pleasant surprises.

Soldier Boy smiled. Now this was interesting. If everything followed the original show to the letter, his trip here would have been far too dull.

Ohio.

A notification confirming successful registration popped up.

[Registration complete. Number: 01938.]

Annie nearly jumped with excitement, while her mother, Donna, hugged her outright. "Honey, you're definitely going to make it!"

Annie smiled and nodded, full of hope for the future.

What she did not know was that, behind the scenes at Vought Headquarters that very evening, a staff member had just filed her profile among the candidates to be screened when a call came in.

"This is Soldier Boy, leader of The Seven."

Listening to what was said over the phone, the staff member looked completely bewildered and kept nodding.

Finally, she numbly marked the file in red and added a note: admit directly to the team.

"Fuck, she's already been handpicked? Who the hell is this girl?"

The staff member slumped heavily back in her chair. "Dark days have come to Vought."

The fallout from the news about Soldier Boy and Vought had yet to subside when another bombshell hit the water, instantly stirring up enormous waves.

[The Seven officially announces that nationwide open auditions begin today. In addition, Vought International is planning a new superhero team initiative.]

An enormous poster of Homelander appeared on-screen before switching to Soldier Boy.

"Soldier Boy?"

The viewers were collectively stunned.

The television host's face flushed with excitement. "According to the latest news, legendary hero Soldier Boy has officially returned and will serve as deputy leader of The Seven."

Next, the television showed Soldier Boy standing in the middle of a crowd, his expression defiant as he barely restrained his anger while dealing with reporters.

Annie sat in the waiting room, holding her phone, a little dazed.

Soldier Boy was different from what she had imagined. He was too crude, even a little unlike a hero, yet he possessed an indescribable charm.

"01938, please come in."

Starlight snapped to attention, took several deep breaths, and walked into the recording studio-the turning point of her fate.

Elsewhere, Soldier Boy looked into the reporters' cameras and said calmly, "You've all been asking why I disappeared for forty years."

Every reporter fell silent, waiting for news that would shake their entire industry.

"All I can say is, you'll understand when you're my age," Soldier Boy casually made up.

Then, before the reporters could ask any more questions, he left.

Madelyn's grip on her water glass kept tightening.

Before Soldier Boy went on, she had prepared a PR script. As long as he read it out, he could quell the public controversy surrounding Vought.

And what happened? That bastard had agreed readily enough, only to change his mind at the last minute.

Three days later, at Vought International's headquarters.

"Hey, why are you paying attention to that girl?" Homelander walked into The Seven's Private Conference Room beside Soldier Boy.

Queen Maeve, The Deep, Translucent, and A-Train were all there.

A-Train looked rather comical, though. His leg was encased in a thick cast, and the former fastest supe sat in a wheelchair, looking utterly miserable.

"That chick's my type. Bringing her onto the team gives me something nice to look at." Soldier Boy's voice was neither loud nor soft, but everyone heard him.

Everyone turned to look.

"Good morning, gentlemen." The Deep was positively radiant.

Just today, The Deep had learned that he would appear on television alongside the new team member that evening.

He would no longer be the lowest-ranking member of The Seven, and he had already planned how to enjoy bullying the female recruit.

For instance, that evening, he could use showing the newcomer around The Seven's Meeting Room as an opportunity to tell a few little lies, coaxing and threatening her...

"Heh heh heh." The Deep could not help chuckling under his breath.

Maeve rolled her eyes at The Deep. "Soldier Boy, why did you call us here?"

"We're holding a welcome party for the new member," Soldier Boy answered.

The conference room's glass chandelier cut the sunlight into patches that fell across the floor, the table, and everyone's incredulous faces.

"A welcome party?" The Deep was dumbfounded.

A meeting just for that?

Homelander was displeased. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He distinctly remembered how The Deep had recently reported the traces discovered at Waynes Manor to Madelyn.

The Deep instantly tensed, abandoned his casual posture, and sat ramrod straight in his chair. "No, that's not what I meant."

Homelander gave him a long look, his eyes plainly saying: This isn't over.

"Mr. Soldier Boy," A-Train greeted him.

His smile was strained. For some reason, his leg always seemed to hurt when he smiled.

In fact, he also had super healing. His broken leg had healed long ago, and he could walk freely; he simply could not use his super speed for a month.

Keeping the cast on had been The Female's suggestion, intended to reduce Soldier Boy's hostility toward him.

Soldier Boy nodded.

Homelander glanced a few times at the cast on A-Train's leg and immediately saw that he was pretending.

Nothing could hide from X-ray Vision.

"If your leg's healed, get rid of the cast. Are you trying to undermine team harmony?" Homelander said with a smile.

A-Train was a little frightened. Why did this father and son keep targeting him?

He did not dare argue and could only keep nodding.

Homelander withdrew his gaze in displeasure. Maeve was the only normal person in The Seven. He used to think A-Train was pretty decent, too.

Ever since Soldier Boy had beaten A-Train, Homelander's impression of him had changed. He now thought A-Train was very abnormal, too.

If you're normal, why would my father beat you?

"Today's meeting isn't just about the welcome party. It also concerns The Seven's future development." With his hands behind his back, Homelander walked to the head of the table.

He looked at the chair, his expression freezing, a little displeased, because this seat that had belonged to him would have to go to Soldier Boy from now on.

Noticing his odd behavior, Soldier Boy frowned. "Hurry up and sit down to cover it. Your cape can't even hide your fat ass."

Instead of taking offense at the scolding, Homelander let out a long breath and sat at the head of the table.

Soldier Boy sat beside him.

The other members of The Seven were stunned. Was this really the same tyrant? He could still smile after being scolded?

But what happened next shocked them even more.

"Vought will establish a second Seven," Homelander said calmly.