In The Seven’s conference room.
The Deep sized up the young man sitting across from them.
His full name was Hughie Campbell.
He was a mundane electronics store clerk, the boyfriend of the girl A-Train had run over and killed, and the “wimp” A-Train kept talking about.
It was no wonder A-Train called him that.
The moment The Deep laid eyes on Hughie, he agreed with A-Train’s assessment.
Despite being 188 centimeters tall, his scrawny frame and timid, hesitant look made him look like a total pushover, a weakling.
He wore a blue striped shirt—the universal uniform of tech nerds worldwide.
When The Deep merely glanced at him, Hughie shuddered all over, quickly averted his gaze, and pressed his knees tightly together.
This drew a burst of loud laughter from A-Train.
“Bro!
Don’t be nervous.
We’re not bad guys.”
Just as Hughie’s tension eased slightly, A-Train added, “But we are gay!”
Instantly, the boy’s legs clamped shut again.
*Hahaha!* A-Train roared with laughter at his own twisted sense of humor.
Slapping The Deep on the shoulder, A-Train laughed loudly.
“Bro, look at this little lady.
Pretty cute, right?”
The Deep shook his head.
He had only come today to get a look at Hughie, the protagonist of *The Boys*, and the stereotype held up.
This protagonist was the most unmanly lead he had ever seen in any show.
*You and Starlight should really swap genders.*
Facing a protagonist completely devoid of charisma, The Deep lost interest in observing him further.
He merely patted A-Train’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “I’m gonna go take a dump, bro.”
He then left the conference room.
Smiling, A-Train nodded and continued discussing the settlement terms with Hughie.
Hughie’s extreme nervousness wasn’t just due to the pressure of being in the presence of two Supes like A-Train and The Deep.
It was because he had finally taken the plunge and accepted Billy Butcher’s task: to plant a bug in The Seven’s conference room, collect evidence of their crimes, and bring down Vought International in one fell swoop.
That was the real reason he had come back to Vought to settle with A-Train.
But at the critical moment, the cowardice in his bones flared up again, making him extremely timid and distracted.
Rubbing his face, Hughie told A-Train he needed to use the restroom.
A-Train didn’t suspect a thing and pointed him toward the washrooms.
Entering the washroom, Hughie pried out the bug he had prepared in his phone case.
He stared dazed at the microchip-like transmitter, but his hand slipped.
The bug fell and rolled out of the stall.
Hughie hurried out of the stall, retrieved the bug, and looked up to see a beautiful blonde woman.
Both of them spoke almost in unison: “You?”
The blonde was indeed Starlight, and Hughie was the random stranger who had comforted her when she was feeling down earlier that morning.
Meeting twice in a single day could only be described as fate.
Hughie clearly had a crush on her, and the two chatted warmly until a toilet flushed.
The Deep stepped out from another stall.
Upon seeing him, both of them froze.
Hughie was quite afraid of him and instinctively shrank behind Starlight.
The Deep walked over to the sink, washed his hands, and looked at them.
He pointed at Hughie behind Starlight and asked, “Your boyfriend?”
Hughie was dumbfounded.
They had just met today; how did they suddenly become a couple?
To his surprise, Starlight actually nodded.
“That’s right.
He is my boyfriend.”
To get rid of The Deep’s persistent advances, Starlight had no choice but to commit to the lie.
Hughie, standing behind Starlight, was thrilled.
He assumed Starlight had fallen in love with him at first sight and began to fantasize about a new romance.
Yet, from beginning to end, neither The Deep nor Starlight paid any attention to the man hiding behind her.
Hughie was merely the rope in their tug-of-war.
The Deep looked at Starlight with amusement.
Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “Starlight, I don’t think he’s a good choice.
Just a few days ago, his girlfriend was run over and killed by A-Train.
It’s only been a few days, and he’s already jumping into a new relationship?
Perhaps you should think twice about his character.”
Only then did Starlight realize Hughie was the “wimp” A-Train had mocked, the electronics store clerk who had come to Vought today to settle.
But who cared about Hughie’s identity?
He was just in the right place at the right time.
Even if he were a stray dog, Starlight would have used him as a shield.
A strange sense of secret delight welled up in Starlight’s heart: *You’re jealous, The Deep.*
A smug smile played on her lips.
She puffed out her chest and said defiantly, “So what?
I like him.”
The Deep didn’t say anything more.
He had no desire to meddle in whatever drama lay between Starlight and Hughie.
His interaction with her was simply like teasing a kitten with a feather wand.
“OK!
OK!” The Deep held his hands up in understanding.
“It’s your choice.
Just don’t regret it.
I’m going to find Queen Maeve for some training now.
Take care of yourself.”
The Deep’s response was completely unexpected, and it actually made Starlight a little angry.
*Who said you could give up so easily?*
After The Deep left, Hughie was about to speak, but Starlight cut him off.
“I’m sorry, Hughie.
I used you just now.”
Gesturing in the direction The Deep had gone, she said apologetically, “That guy is chasing me.
I wanted to shake him off, so…
you know…”
The smile on Hughie’s face instantly froze.
“I…
I see,” he stammered awkwardly.
“Well, I’m glad I could help you shake him off.
If you ever need me to pretend to be your boyfriend again, I’d be happy to help.”
Starlight gave a polite, noncommittal smile.
Her mind was a tangled mess, like a ball of knotted yarn.
She didn’t even know what she wanted anymore.
She should have felt relieved after getting rid of his pestering, but seeing him walk away so casually left her feeling completely hollow.
Maybe she wanted him to pursue her relentlessly while she kept turning him down.
The more she refused, the more persistent he would be, their connection tightening with each rejection, giving her a sense of satisfaction.
But instead, he had walked away without the slightest hesitation or effort to linger, even mentioning he was going to train with Queen Maeve.
*He’s definitely doing it to make me jealous.
Just like I used Hughie, he’s using Queen Maeve to get back at me.*
*What a cheap trick!* Starlight sneered in her head.
She completely ignored Hughie’s attempt to converse.
Planning how she would teach that clever-aleck fish a lesson, she walked out of the washroom on her own.
Ignored multiple times, Hughie watched Starlight’s departing figure with a sense of profound loss, as if his soul had left with her.
Inhaling the faint, lingering scent of her perfume in the air, Hughie wore an infatuated expression before opening his eyes with a look of fierce determination.
He made up his mind.
He would fight these Supes to the bitter end and rescue Princess Starlight from the claws of the dragon, The Deep.
Clenching the bug in his hand, Hughie marched back toward the conference room with determined steps.
After everyone had gone, the air shimmered and warped, revealing a figure.
It was Translucent.
A smirk played on his lips.
He had been lurking there the entire time, taking in everything—including the bug the boy had dropped earlier.
*Interesting.
Someone actually dares to scheme against The Seven.*
The air warped again as Translucent vanished back into the surroundings.
Everything returned to normal, as if he had never been there.
Following Hughie’s footsteps, he slipped into the conference room and watched with his own eyes as Hughie planted the bug under the conference table.
Determined to find the mastermind behind this, Translucent didn’t leave after Hughie signed the settlement.
Instead, he followed Hughie all the way back to his electronics store.