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Bare-handed head explosion!
For the two remaining men, the scene was beyond terrifying. They were shaking uncontrollably, trembling so hard that they could barely stay upright. With a strangled scream, they bolted from the building, racing into a deserted alley.
Ahead of them, lights and passing shadows danced along the street corner, promising freedom and safety.
They were just about to make a break for it when, suddenly, both of their shoulders felt a heavy weight.
They looked up, horrified, to find the man in the checkered shirt and baseball cap somehow beside them, his arms casually slung over their shoulders like they were old friends.
"Where are you off to?" Homelander smiled, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather. "Weren't you going to throw me in the trash?"
He tilted his head toward a nearby dumpster.
The two men were trembling so hard that their teeth chattered.
The one with the earring stammered, "I'm sorry! I-I was wrong! Please, please don't kill me!"
The other one chimed in, "I-I'm not even with them! Sir, please let me go!"
Homelander gave a small chuckle. Without another word, he gripped their necks, giving each a small, dismissive shake, and then casually tossed them both into the air.
The two men flew up, then plummeted down in awkward, twisted poses, landing right in the dumpster.
Homelander dusted off his hands, as if he'd just taken out the trash. Exiting the alley, he pulled out his phone and called Ashley.
"Clean up the trash for me, will you?"
A few days passed.
Within that short time, the city saw a shocking rise in superhuman crime rates. With the Seven temporarily halting all heroic activity, it was as if the city's superpowered criminals had found newfound courage. They grew bolder, their crimes becoming more audacious and violent, overwhelming the local police.
Every day, requests for help flooded the Seven Tower, piling up like mountains of unanswered pleas. But Ashley, under strict orders from Homelander, dared not act. She even took the extra measure of temporarily shutting down the emergency hotline.
Today, the wardrobe department finally completed two new suits for Homelander. As he tried them on in the command center, the doors opened, and Vought's CEO, Edgar, stepped in.
Homelander turned, showing off the sleek black suit. "What do you think?"
Edgar smiled. "Suits you perfectly."
He then shifted his tone. "Got a minute to talk?"
Homelander shook his head. "Not now. I'm about to head out."
With that, he walked away, leaving Edgar standing there, his smile slipping into a scowl. Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed a number. "Send Starlight to my office."
Minutes later, Starlight arrived.
Edgar wasted no time, getting straight to the point. "Just as I feared, it's happening. When the Seven stop working for any reason, superhuman crime rates skyrocket."
"In just the last few days, we've seen over fifty superpowered crimes across the city. Criminals who've kept low profiles are now out for revenge, and if this continues, our company's brand image will suffer immensely. It's time for action, Starlight."
"Our reserve for the Seven—you—need to take the stage."
Starlight's face lit up. "I'm ready anytime."
Just then, Edgar's phone rang. After a quick exchange, he turned back to her, saying, "Perfect timing. The superpowered criminal, Ironhide, who robbed the Flower Bank a few days ago, has reappeared at the Federal Reserve."
"Go and stop him, Starlight."
"Oh, and wear the new suit we had designed for you. I want you to show the world Vought's energy."
Starlight froze, then shook her head. "No. That suit is way too revealing. I won't wear it."
Edgar shot her a stern look. "Then you're free to go home, child."
"This isn't a game."
"If you want to keep being a hero, you'll follow my orders. Think it over."
Starlight stood rooted to the spot, struggling with her emotions. After a moment, she finally said, "Understood."
---
Chinatown.
Wearing a casual jacket, Homelander stepped out of a taxi. He noticed a TV display in a nearby store window, where a live broadcast of the Federal Reserve robbery played on every screen.
An iron-skinned man was rampaging through police cars, scattering officers as he went.
A reporter appeared on-screen, speaking passionately, "It's been nearly a week! The Seven have been inactive for almost a week now!"
"In this time, superhuman crime has spiked to numbers we haven't seen in a year!"
"Isn't it time for certain departments to rethink their priorities? Is it more important to protect public property, or to stop superhuman crime?"
Homelander smirked at the irony and picked up his pace, arriving soon at Lin Aida's apartment.
"Thank you so much, Mr. John."
Lin Aida sat on the sofa, sneezing. She had come down with the flu, feeling too weak to go out for medicine, so she'd called Homelander for help.
Which suited him perfectly—he'd been looking for an excuse to get closer to her. So, ignoring Edgar's request, he'd come straight to Chinatown.
After making sure she took her medication, Homelander flipped on the TV. The Federal Reserve incident was still unfolding.
Listening to the news, Lin Aida remarked, "It's all the Bureau's fault. If they hadn't gone after Homelander, none of this would be happening."
At that moment, the TV anchor announced, "Breaking news: Vought has finally issued a response!"
"They've deployed their 'Seven Reserves,' a backup team trained to support the Seven in times like this."
"Currently, it's a team of one."
"That member… is Starlight!"
The camera shifted to a helicopter, and in moments, a figure leapt gracefully from the cabin, landing on the ground below.
Starlight had arrived.
"Well, well… a new look," Homelander commented with a whistle, slipping effortlessly into the role of "John the Plumber."
On screen, Starlight's long, wavy blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she wore her new, more revealing costume. It featured a plunging neckline and a high-cut slit, leaving little to the imagination.
Instantly, the criminal Ironhide froze, his eyes bulging as he gawked at her like a deer in headlights.
The announcer's voice filled the room again, "Folks, Starlight is on-site. Let's watch closely as this new hero steps up. Can she take the place of the Seven? Can she take the place of Homelander?"
Starlight, with a stern expression, stepped forward. Ironhide, meanwhile, dropped the officer he was holding and made a crude gesture at her.
Suddenly, Starlight's eyes glowed as she thrust a hand forward. A brilliant flash of light burst forth, sending Ironhide flying back. He crashed through four or five police cars before finally skidding to a halt.
The crowd around cheered.
"Did you see that, folks? Starlight just hit him with some kind of energy blast, knocking him straight out of the police blockade!"
But as the dust settled, Ironhide shook his head, dusting himself off as he climbed to his feet, completely unscathed.
He pointed at Starlight, running a thumb across his throat in a mocking gesture before charging toward her.
Starlight unleashed another flash and shockwave, but this time, Ironhide was ready. Raising his arms, he blocked the attack.
She kept pushing, but Ironhide soon found an opening. He kicked a police car, sending it hurtling toward her.
Starlight's eyes glowed again, though the light was noticeably dimmer this time.
With effort, she thrust her hands forward, creating a shimmering force field that barely managed to deflect the car.
But in that brief moment, Ironhide closed the gap and landed a crushing punch, sending her flying!
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