Edgar was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "Homelander, you can't just plant a mole by my side like that."
Homelander chuckled, nodding towards Starlight, the young girl curiously looking around.
"She's not the mole," Edgar said, shaking his head.
Homelander shrugged slightly, leaning in close enough to whisper into Edgar's ear.
"I'm sure you know I was the one who kicked her out. But now, here you are, bringing her back in."
"So let's cut the act, shall we? No more pretending you're innocent."
Edgar's eyes flickered briefly, then he looked up and smiled. "You've won."
"Alright."
"A deal."
"We're quite good at those, aren't we?"
"Fine, tell me your friend's name, and I'll have her shadow me, learning everything there is to know about running a company."
"Even though I have no idea what you're planning, I trust you, Homelander."
Homelander gently patted the man's shoulder. "Pleasure doing business."
He then clapped his hands loudly, grinning. "Welcome, Annie!"
"No, wait—should I call you Starlight instead?"
Starlight looked nervous but managed a sweet smile. "Thank you, Homelander."
"Oh! Could I get your autograph?"
Homelander raised an eyebrow. "Where would you like me to sign?"
Quickly, Starlight pulled out a small notebook, flipping to a blank page before handing it to Homelander.
Smiling, he scribbled his name across the page. Afterward, he called for Ashley, instructing his assistant to show Starlight around and familiarize her with the place.
"Well then, I'll be off," Edgar said, waving casually. "Your friend is welcome to visit me on the 88th floor whenever she's ready."
The Deep, seizing the opportunity, stepped forward hastily. "Mr. Edgar, I—"
Edgar glanced at him and smiled politely. "I hear Homelander has some assessments for you. Do your best, Deep."
"But I—"
Before The Deep could finish, Edgar had already exited the command room, leaving him standing awkwardly, glancing at Homelander with visible discomfort.
Watching the snitch squirm, Homelander's smile broadened as he approached him, placing a light hand on The Deep's shoulder.
"You and Edgar seem to be getting along quite well, huh?"
The Deep shuddered and quickly stammered, "Boss, let me explain! Edgar called me in for a talk—you know I have to listen to him, so—"
"It's fine."
Homelander's voice was calm as he kept his hand resting on The Deep's shoulder. "Really, Deep, it's no big deal."
"By the way, Edgar mentioned the assessments just now. Why don't we go ahead and handle that today?"
The Deep forced a shaky smile. "Sure, whatever you say, boss."
"But, um... shouldn't we call in the others for this?"
"Or maybe... we could live-stream it? I'm sure it'd get great ratings."
Homelander's grin turned icy. "No, no. Like I said before, we're done with reality shows. Streaming and all that... those days are behind us."
"Got it?"
The Deep's smile faltered. "Got it."
"Alright then," Homelander clapped his hands together. "I'll meet you at the docks."
He turned and shot The Deep a bright smile over his shoulder. "You won't run away, will you?"
Without waiting for a reply, Homelander strode out of the command room.
---
The wind at the docks was strong.
Homelander had arrived early and waited 25 minutes before The Deep finally showed up, clearly reluctant.
"So, buddy, ready for this?" Homelander called out, arms wide open.
The Deep's face twisted in discomfort. "Boss, I'm feeling a bit off today... maybe we could reschedule?"
Homelander placed one hand on his hip, beckoning him closer with the other.
When The Deep got within earshot, Homelander leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Run."
The Deep blinked, staring at Homelander.
The golden-haired man smiled brightly, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
Suddenly understanding, The Deep bolted for the pier, diving into the water with the grace of a dolphin.
The moment he hit the water, he accelerated like a submarine, darting forward at breakneck speed, moving through the depths like a torpedo.
In seconds, he had vanished from sight.
Homelander chuckled softly, then, with a boom, shot into the sky, pausing for a moment before diving toward the ocean like a jet.
Skimming the surface, Homelander quickly locked onto his target hiding beneath the waves.
The Deep.
Without hesitation, Homelander plunged into the water, cutting through the sea with ease as he sped toward The Deep.
Spotting his target's back, Homelander's eyes glowed bright red, twin laser beams slicing through the water, heading straight for him.
But The Deep, ever cautious in his element, swerved out of the way, narrowly avoiding the searing beams. He twisted and turned in the water, dodging the barrage of laser fire with remarkable agility.
After a few moments, Homelander stopped his attack, still smiling. Seeing that The Deep was still squirming around, he didn't feel the need to finish things just yet.
At that moment, new information flashed across Homelander's vision.
[Your Laser Vision+1 proficiency has been maxed out.]
[Upgraded to Laser Vision+2.]
[Laser Vision+2: Cutting power +110%, Penetration +50%, Overall Damage +85%. Now includes an optional 'Explosion' effect, which can be toggled on or off at will.]
[You've unlocked the derived skill: Insight.]
[Insight: Provides basic information about the target.]
His Laser Vision had just leveled up.
And he'd gained a new skill!
Feeling pleased, Homelander tested his newfound Insight on The Deep.
Suddenly, a few pieces of data appeared before his eyes.
[Name: The Deep]
[Life Level: 4 (Superhuman)]
[Status: Panicked]
That was it?
Homelander raised an eyebrow at the sparse information. There wasn't even a mention of The Deep's abilities.
Looks like Insight would need leveling up to reveal more.
Just then, Homelander noticed something. A school of fish was rapidly swimming toward him, and The Deep was directing them with a gesture.
Seriously?
Did he think these sea creatures were going to stop him?
Homelander couldn't help but chuckle and shook his head. He surged forward, blasting through the water, colliding head-on with the swarm of marine life.
In an instant, countless fish were obliterated, reduced to nothing.
The Deep, who could understand the cries of sea creatures, winced as his ears were filled with the dying screams of his allies.
He clutched his head, his face twisted in anguish, before looking up to see Homelander charging at him again. Desperate, The Deep raised his hands and thrust them forward with all his might.
The water roared as a massive underwater current formed, surging toward Homelander like a cannon blast.
But Homelander didn't even blink as he plowed through the torrent, scattering it like dust, his eyes glowing red once more as twin beams of searing light shot forward.
The Deep scrambled upward, narrowly dodging the red lasers that grazed past his feet.
But this time, the beams didn't just fizzle out.
They expanded.
The crimson light swelled, and in the next moment, an underwater explosion detonated, sending a massive red fireball bursting through the ocean.
The force of the blast created a violent upward current, catching The Deep and launching him out of the water, tossing him into the air.
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