A/N: I’m competing with the big shots!
You guys made my day…
again!
***
The next day.
Jack stepped out of his house and walked to school, but as he kept walking, his eyes caught something causing him to pause in surprise.
On a billboard across the street, the words ‘Omni Consumer Products’ rolled through, but it wasn’t the words that caused his surprise.
Instead, it was the picture of a figure above the words—Homelander.
‘Homelander’s working for OCP…?’ Jack thought as he stared at the massive billboard in shock.
Homelander was like the goose who lays golden eggs for Vought, but now this famous leader and strongest of The Seven was depicted on an OCP billboard—the rival of Vought.
Jack tore his gaze from the billboard and continued walking to school.
Though Homelander changing organizations to OCP was shocking, it didn’t affect Jack’s life much.
***
At the top floor of the Vought tower.
Edgar, sitting behind the massive brown table, stared at a file with furrowed brows.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door.
“Enter,” he said, finally removing his gaze from the file, watching as Madelyn entered his office.
“Good morning, Edgar,” Madelyn greeted with a smile, but Edgar didn’t reciprocate the greeting.
Instead, he closed the file he was holding.
“Madelyn, what is this?” he asked as he tossed a file on his table.
The file slid and came to a halt at the edge of the table, which Madelyn proceeded to pick up.
“Homelander cooperating with OCP and having now become their face. Madelyn, tell me, is this how you control your heroes?”
The moment Homelander’s picture together with the OCP signboard had appeared in New York, she had already been notified.
“I don’t think Homelander would leave just like this,” she said, closing the file and staring at Edgar with conviction.
“Heh.” A cold chuckle slipped from Edgar’s lips as he stared at Madelyn.
“I don’t pay you to analyze his emotional state, Madelyn. OCP has eyes on our assets. Fix this breach of contract and bring him back to our table. Otherwise, I will find someone who can manage this department.”
Before Madelyn could reply, Edgar coldly cut her off.
“You’re dismissed,” he said.
Madelyn clutched the file she was holding tighter and nodded before leaving the office.
***
In a secret facility in Mexico.
A metallic door rose up, and a thick white mist burst out from behind, rolling across the floor as a figure emerged.
Red bodysuit, American cape, and an eagle shoulder pad—Homelander.
At the edge of the white mist, calmly watching him, was a bald middle-aged man wearing a black pristine suit.
The man smiled as he looked at Homelander.
“So, how is it? The upgrade—don’t you feel more powerful?”
Homelander stared at his hand, clenching and unclenching his fist multiple times before he looked up and stared at the middle-aged man.
“Yeah. I do,” he said, his lips curling up in an arrogant smile.
“That’s good to hear. Your upgrade wasn’t cheap,” the man said as he pointed at Homelander.
“Inside your body is liquid titanium and carbon nanotube, which increases your strength and durability.” He pointed at Homelander’s eyes.
“Inside your eyes is a tactical targeting system that improves your eyesight, gives you 360-degree vision, and helps you lock onto your target if you want to fire a laser.”
He pointed at his head next.
“And we’ve installed a chip that helps in calculation and making plans in mere seconds. All in all, you’ve become a hundred times stronger,” the man finished his sentence with a smile.
Right now, the killing intent that had been concealed was slowly leaking out.
‘Superboy…’ he thought, his eyes filled with rage.
‘You’ll soon kneel before me as I gouge out your fucking eyes…
slowly.’
“But don’t forget, this isn’t for free,” the man said, snapping Homelander back to reality.
“Like the contract said, you’re to take The Seven out of New York during their annual presentation. Let Vought be without The Seven for a few hours.”
Homelander stared at him for a while before he spoke in a low tone, “I don’t care what you do with Vought. Don’t kill Madelyn.”
The man smiled.
“Of course we won’t. We just want to wipe out Vought from New York.”
***
Homelander switching organizations was like a bomb dropped not only in New York but the world at large, making Vought’s famous Seven turn to six.
But all this had nothing to do with Jack.
As the bell rang for lunch break, he placed his books into his bag and left the class.
He had led and shown Gwen through the entire school and was thus free.
After walking into the library, he walked towards the secluded place where Eve was already waiting.
Dropping his bag, he sat down in the seat opposite hers, and the two began.
Eve soon found herself shocked as the Jack who had mostly been corrected by her before was now discussing first-year college chemistry, and they were scratching the surface level of college second year.
As the two were immersed in studying, Jack tilted his head just in time as a recognizable voice came from behind him.
“Jack?”
***
One more chapter to go!