As Jon predicted, Vought was in turmoil. The Super Seven faced a major popularity crisis, and in their attempt to recover from the backlash brought by Stormfront's exposure, Vought had brought Phoenix Warrior—the hero who killed her—into the team. For Jon, as long as he didn't cross any extreme boundaries, Vought would always cover his tracks.
The officers at the police station received a large sum of hush money, and the guy Jon beat up, Officer Rock, was immediately suspended.
The media painted him as a corrupt cop, exposing all of his bribe records. Vought even hired a private investigator to dig up his history of drug use. Rock lost his job and his reputation, with no hope of getting anything decent again in his life.
The worst fate befell John Crough's father, the deputy chief, who had allowed his son's reprehensible actions to continue unpunished for years. All of John's past misdeeds were exposed in a single night, including the incident where he ran over an innocent girl. The deputy chief was suspended, his son dead, and his career in ruins.
Jon's actions, meanwhile, were spun as acts of justice—albeit with poor judgment in execution. He needed only to apologize publicly the next day, and not only would nothing happen to him, but his popularity would actually grow.
After handling the aftermath, Jon returned to his temporary residence that evening, intending to freshen up and get some sleep.
He picked up his toothbrush and cup at the bathroom mirror. After applying toothpaste, he started brushing his teeth while staring at his reflection.
After about thirty seconds, just as Jon was about to take a sip of water to rinse his mouth, he froze. His eyes were locked on the mirror.
Because in the reflection, someone else had suddenly appeared behind him.
Jon turned around, a smile on his face, toothpaste still foaming in his mouth, which made his words come out garbled. "Hey, isn't this my best buddy, my favorite superhero, Homelander~!"
Jon moved forward, as if to embrace Homelander. "What brings you here?"
However, Homelander looked furious and shoved Jon away forcefully. As a result, Jon's toothpaste splattered out, landing on Homelander's suit.
"Oh, sorry! Let me get you some tissue," Jon said, turning to search the bathroom for tissues. Finding none, he grabbed the empty toilet paper bin beside the toilet and held it out to Homelander. "Well, sorry, I'm out of tissue here, so maybe you can make do with this?"
Homelander's face turned crimson with rage. His eyes flashed red, and he unleashed his heat vision, instantly incinerating the bin.
"Whoa, no need to get so worked up, buddy!" Jon said, completely unfazed, shrugging as he continued with a mocking tone. "I was just joking around!"
Homelander stepped forward, his eyes still glowing menacingly. "Cut the crap, you scum. I'm here to warn you!"
"Wow! A personal warning from the great Homelander? I must be honored," Jon laughed.
"Don't play dumb. Today, your little stunt at the police station, you handled it perfectly, and with Vought covering for you, chances are nothing will happen tomorrow. But you overlooked one thing—me!" Homelander's voice dripped with venom.
Homelander's lips curled into a cold smile. "Imagine if I used my influence to find a witness from the police station, someone to describe your actions to the public. I'm sure people wouldn't like some of the words you used—like 'scum.'"
Jon's face grew darker. Homelander was right. If he used his influence against Jon, it would be hard to win. He was just a newcomer after all, and even someone as beloved as Starlight couldn't match Homelander's popularity.
Jon turned back to the sink, rinsing his mouth with water and washing off the remaining toothpaste. He then turned back to face Homelander.
His tone lightened. "Homelander, my friend, do you really think I'm like you—someone who wants everyone to love him? Do you think I care about popularity?"
Homelander's expression shifted slightly, but Jon continued.
"Let me tell you the truth. The reason I joined the Super Seven is to use my position to get some things done. But if you try to get in my way, you'll end up just like Stormfront did—just like this."
Jon's palm suddenly ignited with a small flame, and he gently pressed his hand against Homelander's chest.
In an instant, Homelander felt an intense burning sensation, and he instinctively stepped back in shock. More than the pain, it was fear that overwhelmed him.
It had been a long time since Homelander had felt pain so acutely. And suddenly, the realization hit him—this guy had been able to kill Stormfront. If he could do that, perhaps he could kill Homelander too.
A horrifying truth dawned upon Homelander: he wasn't invincible. His body wasn't indestructible. And the man standing before him had the power to kill him—perhaps effortlessly.
Homelander stepped back twice, then glanced down at his chest in terror. His uniform had been scorched away, exposing the skin beneath, which bore a clear burn mark in the shape of a handprint.
For someone who had always believed himself to be invulnerable, for someone convinced that he was invincible, realizing that he could die brought a fear far greater than most could comprehend.
And now, that very fear was directed at Jon.
Homelander looked at Jon with wide, terrified eyes, backing away even further.
"From now on, I am going to use my position within the Super Seven to accomplish some things. All you have to do is turn a blind eye, keep playing the superhero, and enjoy your meaningless fame. Got it?" Jon moved closer, his voice dripping with threat.
Homelander was sweating heavily, and Jon could already imagine how the next few days would go for him—sleepless nights filled with dread.
Homelander's face twisted in frustration as he took a few more steps back, finally retreating to the window. Without another word, he flew out of it, disappearing without a trace.