“Hey, relax.”
Seeing that Queen Maeve wouldn’t take it, Alex took another drag on his own.
In his previous life, as a corporate drone, he had been quite the seasoned smoker.
“It’s just small talk.”
In the original work, Queen Maeve counted as one of the few characters in the whole show who could be considered a normal person.
You had to understand that The Boys, as a TV series, was built on contrast, packed with all sorts of colorful characters.
Even perverse lunatics like Homelander were hardly in short supply.
To be called a normal person in such an environment showed just how rare a quality that was.
Not only that.
Deep down, Queen Maeve truly held justice in her heart.
It was only because of the environment she found herself in that she had no recourse, forced to drift with the current and give up on herself.
And if he wanted to build a faction of his own.
Everything else aside, Queen Maeve was absolutely an excellent candidate.
Only someone like her, with genuine justice and ideals in her heart, would act like a true superhero, constantly upholding justice and helping him earn Hero Points.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
Queen Maeve didn’t relax in the slightest at his words; she knew Homelander all too well.
This was the sort of guy who could be wearing a fake smile one second and dealing you a fatal blow the next.
Alex also knew that the psychological scars Homelander had inflicted on Queen Maeve were not something he could erase with just a few words.
He didn’t have any memory-manipulation powers, after all.
To turn Queen Maeve into one of his own people, he could only take it slow—gradually, day by day, improving her opinion of him.
“Nothing.”
Finishing the cigarette, Alex gave Queen Maeve a smile.
“Thanks for the smoke—it was just a little weak.”
With that, Alex gave a wave of his hand, a gesture that served as both greeting and farewell to Queen Maeve.
Queen Maeve stood where she was, watching Alex’s gradually retreating figure, the confusion in her eyes growing ever thicker.
“This guy…
has he really gone insane?”
Judging by Alex’s behavior just now, Queen Maeve really found it hard to comprehend.
This was completely unlike the Homelander she knew.
Not only had he smoked, he had actually said thank you.
It was simply astonishing—it even felt like living in a dream.
“Or is it me who’s gone mad?”
Queen Maeve rubbed her forehead, stubbed out the cigarette in her hand against the trash can, and quietly took her leave as well.
It was decided—tonight she was going to have a good, stiff drink.
Maybe it would help her “sober up” a little.
After parting with Queen Maeve, Alex went straight to find Ashley.
Having left his office not long ago and still shaken to the core, Ashley felt her heart lurch the moment she saw Alex appear before her.
Subconsciously, she even started to wonder whether she had accidentally let her inner thoughts slip at some point.
“M-Mr.
Homelander, I’ve just notified Starlight, the new member of The Seven you confirmed…
Once the company’s PR finishes the public announcement, we can immediately—”
Ashley assumed Alex had come to ask her about the new recruit, so the moment she saw him she hurriedly began explaining.
“Ashley, go call Doppelganger and have him come see me tonight.”
“Dopp…
Doppelganger?”
Ashley was taken aback, unsure how the topic had suddenly jumped to that guy.
‘Could it be that this guy wants to play some kind of perverted game with Doppelganger?’
“Before tonight—I trust you can manage that, right?”
Alex winked at her and said with a smile.
Ashley looked at the Alex before her, at the smile on his face that seemed radiant yet was actually chilling to the bone, and shivered involuntarily.
“Y-Yes, sir, I’ll have him come see you.”
“Good.
Now go get me a phone.”
Alex nodded in satisfaction and said to Ashley.
“Please wait a moment, sir.”
Naturally, Ashley didn’t dare disobey Alex’s request.
After asking Alex to wait, she hurried off at a trot to prepare a phone for him.
In less than five minutes.
When Ashley came running up to Alex, panting for breath, a phone that looked quite new had already appeared in her hand.
“Sir, here’s your phone.”
“I’ve already saved my number in it, along with Ms.
Madelyn’s and the rest of The Seven’s.”
“I’ve also downloaded all the popular phone apps on the market for you.”
“Of course, if there’s anything you need, or if it’s too much trouble, you can just call me directly…”
Ashley spoke in a rushed tone, watching Alex’s expression as she talked, terrified that he might be displeased.
“Very good.
Well done, Ashley.”
Alex remarked offhandedly, “If anything comes up, remember to contact me.”
“Sir, may I ask…
are you going out?”
The praised Ashley showed not a trace of joy on her face; on the contrary, her expression grew more tense, more cautious by the moment.
“Of course.
I’m planning to go out for a stroll.
Care to come along?”
“No, no, I still have work to do, sorry…”
Alex chuckled, paying no mind to Ashley’s refusal, and turned to leave alone.
Watching Alex go, Ashley’s expression grew ever more miserable.
She subconsciously clutched at her hair, her heart brimming with confusion.
‘That bastard—what on earth has gotten into him today?’
‘Doesn’t he realize that acting like this could scare someone to death?’
Of course, this whole string of thoughts she only dared keep bottled up inside.
Stepping out of Vought Tower, Alex gazed at the bustling streets before him, his heart full of wonder.
Come to think of it, apart from in movies, this was his first time abroad.
While he had the chance, he wanted to properly experience this so-called superpower and take in the scenery of New York.
With a single thought, Alex shot up from the ground in an instant, turning into an afterimage that vanished into the sky.
Compared to that flamboyant takeoff pose from the original work, he now appeared far more normal.
Soaring through the sky, watching the unfamiliar scenery rush past before him, Alex’s heart was filled with novelty and exhilaration.
He’d assumed his first flight might come with some discomfort.
But after actually experiencing it, Alex found that worry to be entirely unnecessary.
It was the first time for his soul, but the muscle memory of his body was already carved into his very bones.
Everything came so effortlessly, as though he had already flown this way thousands upon thousands of times.
“What a mesmerizing power.”
Alex’s figure pierced through the clouds like a sharp arrow; gazing at the vast, boundless sky around him, he murmured to himself.
In this moment.
In this sky where not another soul could be seen, his existence was practically that of a god.
“It seems I’m adapting even better than Landy.
After all, Landy only got those so-called godly notions several seasons in—unlike me.”
“It’s barely been any time at all, and I already have thoughts like these.”