“Not interested.”
“What a shame.”
As he spoke, Alex turned to look at Doppelganger beside him.
Doppelganger rose to his feet, a little flustered.
“I—I’ll go take a walk over there…”
“No need to trouble yourself.”
Alex lightly raised his hand and pressed gently on the necks of Golden Geisha and Doppelganger, and the two of them instantly slumped into unconsciousness.
“What exactly did you call me here for?”
Queen Maeve had figured it out—making her look after that retired superhero wasn’t Homelander’s whole purpose.
“Maeve, you’re different from Noir and the rest of them.”
Alex pulled out a pack of cigarettes, gave it a shake in front of Maeve, then offered one over.
“I don’t see how I’m any different.
I’m one of The Seven, just like them….”
“Oh, come on, Maeve.”
Alex said with a touch of amusement, “They’d never have any real intention of saving people, and they’re not idealists like you.”
“What does any of this have to do with right now?”
“I just think that someone like you is a little more worthy of trust than the others.”
“Perhaps, down the line, we’ll have the chance to cooperate more.”
Alex didn’t go into much detail; today’s remarks were only meant to leave a faint impression in her mind.
Maeve’s brow furrowed tightly.
She found she couldn’t understand a word of what this Homelander was saying.
“There’s no need for any cooperation.”
Maeve tossed away the cigarette butt in her hand and scooped up the unconscious Golden Geisha in one motion.
“I’m taking this person with me.”
“Many thanks.”
“Take her wherever you like—just make sure she stays by your side.”
Maeve gave Alex a long, deep look, then turned without a word and walked straight out.
With all this settled, Alex had made ample preparations for the original compound.
From here on, all he needed to do was proceed according to plan.
Yanking Doppelganger up in one pull, Alex flew straight toward Vought Tower.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Alex slept until the sun was high in the sky before finally waking on the soft, luxurious double bed of the tower apartment.
On his first night in the world of The Boys, Alex had slept exceptionally well.
No acclimatization troubles, no sense of unease.
Everything felt utterly natural.
After a quick wash-up, Alex made his way to the lounge and pressed the button on the desk.
Soon enough, Ashley came clicking over in her high heels.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Anything on the schedule today?”
“Nothing for now today.”
Ashley flipped through the folder in her hands and shook her head.
“Then arrange something.
Bring Doppelganger in and stage a kidnapping scene.”
“The kind where the situation looks a bit threatening, and then broadcast it live.”
Listening to Alex, Ashley’s heart tightened, and she ventured tentatively, “Sir, this matter needs to be cleared with the PR department first…”
“Then go clear it.
If you can’t make the call yourself, get Madelyn over here.”
“Get a move on.
And remember to bring me in some breakfast.”
Ashley nodded meekly and walked off with a glum face.
Breakfast arrived quickly, nothing particularly special about it.
Eggs, toast, bacon, and milk.
By the time Madelyn came into the lounge, Alex had just finished eating and was wiping his mouth.
Madelyn’s gaze drifted indifferently over the untouched glass of milk on the table, and she spoke with an unchanged expression.
“Ashley says you want to launch a shoot today?”
“Mm, is there a problem?”
Alex nodded and lit a cigarette.
“You know, a shoot isn’t such a simple thing.
It needs to be planned out in advance…”
“Madelyn.”
Alex cut her off, looking at her calmly.
“Are you refusing me?”
Madelyn had lost count of how many times she’d been alone with Homelander.
But this time, faced with that calm gaze fixed upon her—a gaze in which no other emotion could be read—Madelyn felt, for some reason, a flicker of panic in her heart.
“John.”
“I can understand.
You want to win more people’s support, you want to create more for the company…”
Before Madelyn could finish, a mouthful of smoke blown into her face made her choke.
“Answer my question, Madelyn.”
“You know my patience has never been very good.”
Wisps of smoke curled upward, and Alex’s face grew ever more hazy.
“John, what’s happened?
You seem awfully anxious.”
“If something’s making you unhappy, or there’s something troubling you, you can tell me, just like before.”
“Lie your head down on my lap, and let me soothe you.”
Amid Madelyn’s voice, a crimson glow lit up within the smoke.
Two utterly opposing colors set each other off, crystal clear in that very moment.
Madelyn, who had meant to appeal to him with feeling and reason, trying to make Alex relive the past, was thrown into shock the instant she saw those two streaks of red light within the smoke, instinctively recoiling.
“No, John.”
“What—what are you doing?
Stop it now…”
“Zzzt.”
The crimson laser burst forth, piercing through the smoke and striking dead straight onto the floor right in front of Madelyn.
“My patience is limited.”
“I don’t like to repeat myself.
Don’t try to challenge me.”
“Understood?”
Alex looked at Madelyn and said it flatly, without warmth.
Madelyn no longer dared, as she had before, to try and change Alex’s mind.
She raised both hands nervously, her expression taut.
“OK, OK.”
“I understand what you mean.
I’ll go talk to the PR department about it.”
“I want to see results today.
Pick a remote location with hardly anyone around.”
Seeing that Madelyn was frightened, Alex calmly added his other conditions.
“Yes, understood.”
Madelyn nodded.
“Then I’ll go right now.”
With that, she didn’t want to linger there a moment longer; she hurried off, heading outside without another word.
The instant she stepped out of the lounge, Madelyn’s legs went weak and she nearly fell.
Back when she’d watched as a bystander, it had never seemed like much.
But now, facing Homelander’s laser eyes herself, she finally understood just how terrifying the oppressive force truly was.
Bracing herself against the wall beside her, Madelyn’s figure vanished down the corridor.
A trace of a smile played at the corner of Alex’s mouth as his X-ray vision tracked Madelyn’s every move.
“Just as I thought—when she hits a problem, the first thing she does is run to Edgar.”
Watching Madelyn’s figure appear on the 82nd floor, Alex stood up and stretched.
Barring any surprises.
The demand he’d put forward would, in the end, still be agreed to.
And once today was over and he had the original compound in hand, he would no longer have to give the slightest consideration to Vought Corporation.
By then, he could carry out his plan out in the open, earning Hero Points in great quantities and further boosting his own power.