Bab 197: Chapter 195: Vought’s Downfall
"What kind of man do you think your father is?" Jon asked Homelander after they returned to the Seven's meeting room.
Only Jon, Homelander, and Ryan, Homelander's son, were in the meeting room. Despite Rebecca's fierce objections to taking Ryan out, she was powerless against Homelander's authority, ultimately having no choice but to let Ryan leave with them.
"I... I don't know. I've never actually met him. I've only seen some of his work," Homelander said nervously.
"So, from what you've seen, what kind of person do you think Soldier Boy is?" Jon pressed.
Homelander hesitated, then said, "He's a powerful man. A great man."
Jon shook his head. "First of all, he's called Soldier Boy—so, he's a soldier. A military man."
"Yes, he fought for the honor of his country," Homelander replied.
But Jon knew the truth: Soldier Boy was far from being a soldier. He was a coward. Superheroes on a battlefield were a joke—they didn't understand real warfare; they treated it as a game.
The first time Payback fought on the battlefield, they were utterly humiliated because they didn't understand the brutal reality of war.
From that point on, Soldier Boy lost his courage to fight, and all the so-called 'battles' involving him that followed were just lies—propaganda designed to maintain his popularity.
However, Jon couldn't tell Homelander this. He needed to help Homelander and Soldier Boy reunite, only to later exploit it to bring Vought and Homelander down.
"So..." Homelander seemed unsure of why Jon was saying all this.
"So, Soldier Boy is a tough guy. At least, deep down, he sees himself as one. If he finds out he has a son, he would want his son to be even tougher than him, right? You have to be the epitome of strength, Homelander!" Jon patted Homelander's shoulder.
Homelander frowned. "Are you saying I'm not strong enough?"
"Of course not. There's no one stronger than you," Jon said, shaking his head. "But your father is someone who's experienced war. To him, being strong isn't just about physical strength; it's about mental fortitude. You need to show him confidence and unwavering resolve."
"Remember this: no matter what happens, you must not cry. Don't shed a single tear in front of him, or he'll be disappointed. Remember that." Jon emphasized.
Homelander took a deep breath. "I understand. I imagined a father-son reunion would be emotional, but I won't cry. I won't disappoint him."
Homelander then looked at Jon. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go find him!"
"No, there's something else," Jon interrupted. "Think about it—given the chaos your father has already caused, if you acknowledge him as your father, what impact will that have on the public?"
"I don't care," Homelander said without hesitation. "He's my father. I can't let something like that matter. Besides, I won't let the news leak."
"You might not care, but there's someone who does," Jon said calmly. "Stan Edgar, Vought's CEO. He definitely wouldn't want something like that to happen because it would harm Vought's reputation. I bet he's already mobilized his people to try to eliminate Soldier Boy. He won't sit by and do nothing. Even if you two reunite, Edgar will find a way to kill Soldier Boy."
Homelander frowned, clearly swayed by Jon's words. His eyes glinted with a dangerous light.
"Then he has to die," Homelander said coldly.
"Killing him isn't necessary," Jon replied. "It's quite difficult to kill someone as high-ranking as Edgar. But he must be removed from power, and you should take over Vought."
Homelander raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Jon continued, "Don't you think it's ridiculous that a mere human is controlling us? We are the stronger ones—we are superhumans. Why should a regular human dictate our actions? Vought's profits are largely generated by us."
"Vought should belong to us. And you, as the greatest among us, should be the one to take control of Vought," Jon urged.
"But how am I supposed to do that?" Homelander asked.
"The funny thing is, I used to be an assassin, so I've trained myself in stealth and infiltration. Infiltrating Vought is no big deal for me. If I could steal Soldier Boy's files, finding dirt on Edgar was even easier," Jon said, pulling out a thick stack of documents. "Here's everything you need."
In truth, Alessa had stolen the files for him, but Jon couldn't explain Alessa's existence to Homelander, nor did he care to.
Homelander took the documents, flipping through them quickly. "I've had enough of that old bastard. He's done for," he muttered.
***
The next day, Homelander gave an interview.
Facing the camera, Homelander spoke confidently, "Today, as the leader of the Seven, I'm here to make a public accusation."
"I am exposing Vought CEO Stan Edgar for his crimes. Extortion, perjury, obstruction of justice—Vought International must be held to the highest ethical and legal standards, just as we superheroes are."
He then went on to detail all of Edgar's wrongdoings, based on the files Jon had given him.
With this, Homelander would replace Edgar and take full control of Vought.
From the beginning, Jon knew killing Homelander, Stormfront, or Soldier Boy wasn't the real challenge. The hardest task was bringing Vought down, root and branch. Edgar was a master of manipulating public opinion—without that skill, he could never have kept the scandal-ridden Seven afloat for so long. Jon enjoyed playing with these powerful figures, but his ultimate goal was always to tear them down completely.
To bring down Vought, Jon had to replace Edgar. Only then could the company be destabilized. And who better to take Edgar's place than a reckless powerhouse like Homelander?
***
Stan Edgar was being escorted by two guards, his expression grim. Homelander appeared before him.
"You've made a terrible mistake," Edgar said to Homelander.
"Why? Because I took your place?" Homelander smirked.
"You're just a halfwit. You don't know the first thing about running a company. Vought will crumble under your leadership," Edgar said.
------------
(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see more chapters ahead.
patreon.com/TheMightyZeus
------------
Bab 198: Chapter 196: The Council of the Seven
The Seven were now down to only five members.
Homelander, Jon (Phoenix), Queen Maeve, Starlight, and Shockwave were all that remained. Black Noir had been killed—by Jon's hand, though the rest of the team believed it was because Noir had tried to abandon Homelander. None of them knew that Jon had been the one to finish him off.
The five superheroes were gathered in the meeting room, their eyes fixed on the TV screen showing Stan Edgar's arrest.
"What did you do?" Queen Maeve demanded, her eyes locked on Homelander.
But before Homelander could speak, Jon intervened. "What we should have done a long time ago."
Maeve and Starlight turned to Jon, visibly shocked. They had initially believed that although Jon was a bit rough around the edges, he was also someone who resisted Homelander's tyranny. But now, it seemed he had chosen to join him instead.
"Let's not pretend," Jon said, turning his attention to Homelander, "that it made any sense for a mere human to be in control of Vought—a superhero company. We're simply putting things back on the right track, making sure our company is led by superhumans."
Homelander nodded and grinned. "Exactly. Now that Edgar is out, those who once relied on his protection are left exposed."
"Come on, Jon. We have something important to do. We need to go meet that person," Homelander said.
He shot a glance at Maeve and Starlight before turning and walking out of the room.
Jon began to leave as well, but Starlight stepped beside him and whispered, "I was wrong about you."
"Sorry to disappoint," Jon replied flatly, adding, "But if I were you, I'd be very careful about what I say right now. Remember, Homelander has super-hearing."
With that, Jon left.
"Remember exactly what I told you. Memorize your lines. You've acted in so many movies; this should be easy for you," Jon cautioned as they flew side-by-side through the sky. Homelander held Ryan in his arms, and their destination was a secluded mansion in Vermont—the residence of the TNT Twins.
"And don't forget, whatever happens, do not shed a single tear. You need to show your father you're tougher than he ever was."
"I know," Homelander nodded. "I'll remember."
Flying together, Jon and Homelander easily outpaced any traditional mode of transportation.
In front of a mansion far removed from the city, two figures descended from the sky. As Jon and Homelander landed, the mansion's door suddenly opened, and an older brother-sister pair stepped out.
Despite their age, their outfits were oddly inappropriate—youthful and flashy, ill-suited for people of their years.
The brother wore a partially unbuttoned robe that bared his chest, while the sister sported a tight, provocative leather outfit.
"Well, well, look who it is—the rising star Phoenix and the legendary Homelander!" the brother said. "I'm a huge fan!"
"Oh, give it a rest, Tommy," the sister said sarcastically. "You're laying it on way too thick."
The brother shot his sister a look before turning back to Jon and Homelander. "Sorry about my sister; she's got a sharp tongue."
"Are you the TNT Twins?" Homelander asked bluntly.
"That's right. It's an honor that you know of us!" Tommy replied enthusiastically. "To have celebrities like you at our little party—what a privilege!"
Homelander frowned. "A... party?"
Tommy gave a sly smile and nodded.
Homelander was about to question further when Jon patted his shoulder. "No need to ask. Let's just go in and take a look for ourselves."
Homelander nodded, and they followed the twins inside.
Homelander was immediately taken aback by what he saw inside—pulsing music, dozens of men and women naked in a chaotic state of indulgence.
"What the hell is this?" Homelander muttered, bewildered.
"A swinger's party," Jon smirked, patting Homelander on the shoulder. "Didn't you read the intel? This whole thing was initiated by your father. What a genius your old man must be."
Homelander shook his head, disgusted. His own actions might be questionable, but he had no interest in this kind of chaos. "I can't meet my father in a place like this. It's too... undignified. Should I just kill everyone here, including those twins outside? My father will kill them anyway."
"No, no, no!" Jon quickly stopped Homelander's sudden murderous intent. "Today is the day you meet your father. You don't want a bloodbath—it's undignified. Just tell everyone to leave."
Jon added, "Oh, and keep the twins here. Tie them up. When your father arrives, kill them in front of him—let him see how much of a badass you are."
Homelander nodded. "You're right. That's a good idea."
He floated slightly off the ground, surveying the room filled with speakers blasting loud music. Without warning, Homelander unleashed his heat vision, obliterating all the equipment. The music came to a screeching halt, and chaos ensued.
"Quiet!" Homelander bellowed, and silence fell across the room.
"Party's over! Everyone, get the hell out, except the TNT Twins!" Homelander ordered.
Though there were quite a few superhumans present, none dared defy Homelander. They hurriedly left.
The twins, visibly confused, approached Homelander. "What... what is going on?!"
Homelander grabbed them by their throats without a word, his eyes starting to glow ominously.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there!" Jon stepped forward, placing a hand on Homelander's shoulder. "You're forgetting—these two are for your father's eyes. You need to show him how you deal with traitors."
------------
(A/N: If you want to see more chapters, go to my Patreon to see more chapters ahead.
patreon.com/TheMightyZeus
------------
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
TheMightyZeus
TheMightyZeus
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Status Power Mingguan
200+ Peringkat
Power 
5 Power
stone 
Komentar Paragraf