Somewhere I Belong
The 77th floor of the headquarters of Vought International.
3 PM.
"Swish..."
Edgar is holding a pen, signing a licensing agreement for a Superman brand.
Just as he was about to make the final stroke, a loud slamming sound came from the doorway.
It sounds like an earthquake.
"As expected, like father, like son."
Edgar knew without even guessing who it was. He rubbed his forehead and put down his pen with a hint of helplessness.
He vaguely remembered slamming the door like that the last time...
Oh no, they broke in through the window; it was Homelander.
This father and son are truly cut from the same cloth; they have an exceptional talent for causing trouble, and their manner of visiting others is always remarkably civilized.
Thump!
Not long after, a man with a cigar in his mouth and a shield in his hand stood in front of the golden nanmu wood table with an extremely gloomy expression.
The palm-colored armor's shoulder plates were stained with dried blood, and on his forehead, there was a dark red scab, clearly from a wound that had just dried.
"You signed the papers regarding the Nicaragua incident back then, didn't you?"
The Soldier Boy stared intently at Edgar, his eyes brimming with undisguised ferocity and murderous intent.
Edgar leaned back calmly in his chair, his hands resting lightly on the leather armrests, looking calmly into the eyes of the Soldier Boy, without the slightest hint of panic.
"I think we have a gentleman's agreement, right? I've mentioned this to you before."
Listen, the Soldier Boy took two steps forward.
"I know."
He continued, his gaze pressing closer.
"But you only signed the document; the real matchmaker was someone else..."
Edgar did not respond.
Seeing Edgar feigning death only fueled the Soldier Boy's anger.
He suddenly remembered what the other person had said to him on their deathbed when he was dealing with the Mindstorm.
(To avoid padding the plot, it's set up that the Soldier Boy takes revenge on the Mindstorm based on Edgar's information, and hears Edgar's revelations before he dies.)
He said, "Ben, who do you think betrayed you?"
Edgar's colony A-Train was just a puppet with a signed license; the one who truly pushed you into that cage of white-haired pigs was Clara.
Who is Clara?
She was the Liberty he once loved most.
"She changed the patrol changing time."
The Soldier Boy's voice grew deeper, and a faint red light shone from his chest.
"She personally sent the ambush coordinates to the Nicaragua guerrillas, and then asked each member of the squad to sign a confidentiality agreement."
Gunpowder, the Crimson Countess, the Gemini... it was all her doing.
At this point, the Soldier Boy's Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
For a fleeting moment, the ferocity in his eyes faded, replaced by a hint of bewilderment, but that bewilderment vanished in an instant.
"I believed her for forty years."
"In the iron cage of Siberia, after being swept away by Gatling guns every day, I would huddle in a corner and think."
"I thought that one day when I've made it big, I'll take her fishing on the coast of Maine. That's the thought that kept me going for thirty-eight years."
"Heh, in the end, she sent me there herself."
As the Soldier Boy spoke, the orange light emanating from the gaps in his uniform grew stronger, casting a warm orange glow on the walls of the entire office.
The temperature is also constantly rising.
"So, Edgar, tell me."
He stared into Edgar's eyes and asked, enunciating each word clearly.
Where is she now?
Edgar leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped over his stomach, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
" Liberty? Why are you suddenly asking about her?"
"Don't fucking play dumb with me!"
The Soldier Boy slammed his fist on the desk.
The next second, a spiderweb-like pattern of cracks appeared on the three-inch-thick wooden tabletop from the point of impact, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
" The Mindstorm told me everything before it died."
" Clara might still be alive, or even hiding within your Vought."
"The truth is, none of us know where the Liberty is."
Edgar's expression was very serious; he didn't even furrow his brow.
He slowly leaned back in his chair, took off his thin-rimmed glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
" Mindstorm has been living in seclusion on a ranch in Montana for thirty years, with no contact with the outside world."
How did he know the whereabouts of the Liberty?
" The Liberty would contact him every few years using an encrypted email address."
Edgar, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the table.
"You just said that Mindstorm told you these things before he died. Have you ever considered that he might have been lying to you?"
"You killed your other old teammates, one after another."
Edgar's voice was steady.
"From the Duchess to the Gemini, from the TNT Twins to himself, he knew you were there specifically to kill him, and he knew he wasn't going to survive."
As he spoke, Edgar leaned forward slightly, interlaced his fingers on the table, and fixed his gaze firmly into the Soldier Boy's eyes.
What is the thing a person most wants to do before they die? Repent? Atone for their sins? Or seek revenge?
(Actually, while I was writing this, I suddenly remembered the meme "Rollo Tomasi ".)
"I told you that the Liberty was the mastermind so that you'd waste all your energy on this matter."
"I don't believe it. To be honest, my trust in you Vought is only slightly more than zero."
"I need to prove it."
"Coincidentally, I happen to have a file here."
Edgar then pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk and took out a yellowed file folder.
The corners of the folder were worn and frayed, and the cover had an early Vought logo printed on it.
Then he opened the file and slowly pushed it in front of the Soldier Boy.
After the Payback Squad disbanded, she rejected the brand transformation plan offered by Vought and voluntarily requested to retire.
The last time I received a report on her whereabouts was twenty years ago.
She rented a cabin outside Fairbanks, Alaska, and lived alone.
After that, she cut off all contact with Vought, moved away from her original address, and left no forwarding address.
After a three-year investigation, Vought Security finally marked her as 'long-term missing' in their records.
Inside the file was a printed report of his whereabouts.
The date was winter twenty years ago, and the last line of the status bar was written in black pen:
The target has left the known address; tracing has been interrupted.
Tucked inside the file was a photograph of the snowy landscape outside Fairbanks.
The door of an old wooden house was tightly closed, and a string of wind chimes hung on the porch.
The Soldier Boy looked down at the photograph.
Why is she hiding?
The Soldier Boy's voice suddenly deepened, and the orange light on his chest dimmed slightly.
"Finished watching?"
Edgar closed the file and put it back in the drawer.
After she left Vought, I had no contact with her whatsoever.
Regarding her motives and whereabouts—I have no answers to these questions.
"Furthermore, even if Liberty were still alive, even if she were standing right now in some corner of the Vought Tower..."
Going to her now is tantamount to throwing yourself into a military court.
Upon hearing Edgar's words, the Soldier Boy's eyes suddenly turned fierce.
He suddenly looked up at Edgar.
"What do you mean?"
Edgar picked up the overturned authorization document from the table and gently brushed away the coffee stains splattered on it with his fingers.
"Your current identity is neither the captain of the Payback Squad nor a World War II hero."
He raised his eyes and calmly met his gaze.
"You are still the number one target on the United States Federal Government's secret wanted list... on charges of treason."
Upon hearing these words, the Soldier Boy's chest tightened.
"Say that again, you fucking idiot?"
The Soldier Boy's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, his face contorted with rage, filled with suppressed fury.
"After your capture, the military and Vought jointly signed an internal memorandum classifying your disappearance as 'suspected treason.'"
"This memorandum was later upgraded to a formal charge of treason, placed in the highest category, and has not been revoked to this day."
"I fucking didn't commit treason!"
The Soldier Boy took a step forward, and an immense sense of oppression washed over him.
"I was sold out by you guys! Then I was imprisoned by the Russia for thirty-eight years! And you're calling me a traitor?"
Orange-red energy emanated from him once again, and the temperature in the entire office instantly soared.
Edgar sat calmly in his chair, without even moving an inch.
Anger and loss of control are nothing more than this when faced with one's weakness.
The Soldier Boy could smash up this office, he could kill him, but no matter how arrogant he was, he wouldn't dare to really go against the entire United States. military.
A "pseudo-hero" who has wasted half his life cares most about his reputation and his vanity.
Especially in their own country.
"Of course I know."
Edgar's voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of empathy.
"But the military doesn't know... or rather, they pretend not to know."
They held onto that file for almost forty years, never making it public, nor ever destroying it.
The reason is simple.
Keeping it around is like putting a noose around Vought's neck; they can publicly accuse you whenever they want and drag the whole Vought down with them.
"So, in some ways, I'm even more anxious about this than you are."
Edgar watched as the light on the Soldier Boy's chest grew brighter and brighter, continuing his speech at a leisurely pace, even casually picking up a cup of coffee and taking a sip.
"And I... am the only one who can get them to untie that rope."
The head of the Ministry of Department of Defense's Office of Superman Affairs is one of my people. With just one phone call from me, your treason record will be completely removed from the system.
From now on, you won't need to worry about being tracked by Federal Bureau of Investigation satellites when you fly over any state.
You can make public appearances in any city, and you can even regain your rank and medals.
"Isn't this something we agreed on beforehand?"
The Soldier Boy squinted, the light on his chest remaining unchanged.
"Our agreement has a condition: you cannot cause any trouble before I carry out my operation... Do you remember your Carnage yesterday?"
"If we spread the word that Soldier Boy has returned, won't their suspicions about the terrorist organization turn against you?"
The Soldier Boy stared at him grimly.
"So, you're fucking threatening me?"
"No, I'm just telling you a fact."
"You can choose not to believe my story about the missing Liberty, or you can turn the Vought Tower upside down right now and go find her yourself."
But if you do that, the Department of Defense will receive a copy of your treason file tomorrow morning, along with all the evidence of your Carnage of nearly fifty retired Superman in Nevada.
As he spoke, Edgar straightened his suit and walked up to the Soldier Boy, his gaze sharp.
"You will spend the rest of your life in the underground solitary confinement cell of Leavenworth Military Prison."
"Condition."
The Soldier Boy gritted his teeth and said.
Although the Soldier Boy really wanted to smash the head of this A-Train in front of him to pieces with his shield, he held back.
Because everything Edgar said was true.
"You just need to remain silent for a while."
Edgar looked at him, his tone returning to its usual business negotiation style.
"Once this period is over, I will use Vought's global resources to help you track down the whereabouts of the Liberty."
If she is still alive, we will find her. Then, how you want to question her is your business.
He pointed to the files on the table.
"Furthermore, as promised, I will remove your treason record."
"You'd better make sure you can do it, or, like I said last time, I wouldn't mind turning the entire Vought Tower into ruins."
Yes, it will.
Watching the Soldier Boy's departing figure, Edgar straightened the buttons on his sleeves and then sat back down in his seat.
There was something he hadn't told him: all the Boys Squad members he had brought back had been rescued by Starlight.
As for why he didn't stop it, or rather, let it happen?
The reason is actually quite simple.
While all the members of the Boys Squad were unconscious, he took the opportunity to implant the same tracking devices as the Seven into their bodies.
Since the other the Seven are out of control, let's send Queen Maeve out to gather intelligence first.
As for Black Noir...
Edgar narrowed his eyes.
It seems that some Mind Stone controller has targeted Black Noir, forcibly putting him into a state of "selective" amnesia.
Currently, Black Noir can only be controlled by a psychic Superman within the group and cannot be used for missions for the time being.
I desperately need manpower.
Thinking it over, Edgar reached out, picked up a tissue from the table, and slowly wiped the sawdust off his fingertips.
Then he picked up the phone on the table and dialed the security command center.
"The costume fitting shoot scheduled for this afternoon in Area B has been cancelled, and Storm's first public appearance has been postponed."
But before her appearance, her confidentiality level was raised to the highest level; no one was allowed to contact her without my personal approval.
After he finished speaking, he paused, then continued:
"Anyone attempting to force their way into the training area should immediately activate the red alert and evacuate all personnel."
At the same time, the Department of Defense's Superman Affairs Liaison Office was notified that it should be prepared to release the treason files at any time should changes occur.
Edgar's gaze was fixed on the view outside the window, his eyes completely expressionless.
"In addition."
" The War Preparation Plan will immediately be expanded. All available resources must be utilized, including those old guys."
"If bribery doesn't work, then intimidation will do. Gather all the Mind Stone manipulators together."
I want to see it myself.
(The great battle is coming soon, it'll only be a few chapters away. The original trio will appear in the next chapter, along with your favorite Private Angel, Torpedo, and Bombsight.)