Bab 18: Chapter 18: Starlight’s Special Recruitment
Maeve, Black Noir, The Deep, and... well, Homelander only counted three.
"Put your clothes on and come back, Translucent," Homelander said, eyes closed.
An embarrassed voice came from the empty space. "Yes, boss."
A moment later, Translucent returned, fully dressed this time.
Maeve spoke first, "So, why did you call us?"
Homelander tapped a button on his phone, and the large screen in the command room lit up, displaying two figures.
"Ice Princess."
"Electro."
"They're the new members I've chosen for The Seven. I'll be meeting with them soon to test their abilities personally."
The Deep, ever the sycophant, immediately chimed in, "Whoever you pick must be the best. I totally agree, boss."
Homelander didn't miss a beat. "I wasn't asking for your opinion, I was informing you."
The Deep's smile froze awkwardly as he straightened his posture, embarrassed but quickly nodding in agreement.
Maeve shrugged, "If it's just an announcement, you could've sent us a text."
Homelander shook his head. "That's not the only reason I called you all here."
He stood, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared out the window. "I'm about to restructure The Seven. Survival of the fittest."
"Which means anyone who doesn't meet the standard... I'll have to ask them to leave."
The Deep and Translucent exchanged nervous glances. Black Noir remained motionless, as always.
Maeve frowned slightly, "And by 'restructure,' you mean...?"
"I mean giving The Seven a rebirth."
Homelander turned to face them, a smirk tugging at his lips. "The new Seven won't be making movies, doing press releases, going on tours, or endorsing products. No more events."
"We'll go back to the basics—back to being superheroes. Back to what it means to be a hero."
Everyone was confused, except for Black Noir, who wore a mask that gave nothing away.
"You've all forgotten that you're supposed to be superheroes."
"You've gotten used to doing what the company wants."
"You've grown comfortable with rehearsing lines and playing for the cameras."
"Well, I've had enough."
"That's right—enough."
"No more clowns, no more puppets on Vought's strings."
"We're going back to our roots. Vought needs to do what they were always supposed to do—serve us, the heroes—not treat us like idols and celebrities!"
Homelander's grin widened. "Starting today, I'll be assessing each of you."
"I'm building a real superhero team—one that follows my orders. Not a bunch of fame-chasing super-powered celebrities."
He turned to Maeve. "Of course, Maeve won't need to be assessed. I trust her abilities."
The Deep raised his hand hesitantly. "B-Boss, what will the assessments be like?"
"Don't worry," Homelander said coolly, "I'll be testing each of you in your strongest areas."
He pointed at The Deep. "For you, we'll spar underwater."
Next, he pointed to Black Noir. "You, I'll see on the battlefield."
Finally, he turned to Translucent. "And for you, we'll play a little game of hide-and-seek."
"The exact time and location of your assessments will be communicated by Ashley."
Homelander leaned forward, resting his hands on the table, his voice lowering. "Just remember one thing—I'm dead serious."
"If any of you think I'm joking... well, let's hope you can still laugh in the end."
"Dismissed."
"Oh, and one more thing."
He looked directly at Translucent. "If I hear about you sneaking into the women's restroom again, believe me, I'll skin you alive."
"That's not a metaphor."
Translucent's forehead broke out in a sweat. "Got it, boss."
Homelander waved them off.
Aside from Maeve, the others left the room quickly.
In the hallway, Translucent muttered, "Is he insane? Making the company serve us?"
"What makes him think Vought would ever go for that?"
The Deep shot him a warning look. "You'd better keep your mouth shut."
With that, The Deep hurried off.
Once back in his room, he quickly picked up his phone and dialed a number.
After a few moments, he spoke, "Mr. Edgar, it's The Deep. I have something to report."
---
Back in the command room of The Seven's tower.
Maeve stood up, arms spread. "So... is this some new company initiative?"
"A secret reality show?"
Homelander smiled. "It's my plan, dear Maeve. Don't you want to be a real hero again? Just like you once dreamed?"
"What I'm doing is freeing us from these shackles. I'm making us real heroes again. Isn't that what you want?"
Maeve narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
Homelander stepped closer to her. "If you're free tonight, we could have a heart-to-heart. You'll see I'm not kidding."
Maeve shrugged. "We'll see."
She walked toward the door, then stopped and glanced back. "Thanks for giving me a pass. You know, I do need this job."
Homelander smiled and nodded.
---
"Annie, over here!"
Donna waved anxiously, calling her daughter over. Annie, in her white and yellow superhero costume, quickened her pace.
"What's going on, Mom?" Annie had a youthful, sharp-featured face, her bright eyes full of innocence.
Donna, looking flustered, replied, "There's been a mistake. You need to go in there and talk to them."
Starlight blinked, confused. "A mistake? About what?"
"They've eliminated you."
Donna pointed at the nearby office. "I overheard the committee—they said you've been cut, Annie."
Starlight was in disbelief. "That can't be right. Last round, they said I was a top contender for the finals."
"I know, which is why I think something must've gone wrong."
"Just go in and see if there's anything we can fix."
Donna hurriedly pushed her daughter toward the office. Inside, several committee members were in discussion. Upon seeing Donna and Annie enter, one of them spoke up quickly.
"Apologies, but you're not supposed to be here."
Donna rushed forward, cutting him off. "This is my daughter, Starlight. She did so well—why would you eliminate her?"
The committee members exchanged awkward glances.
Starlight's heart sank. "So... it's true? I've been cut?"
One of the members coughed lightly. "We're sorry, Miss Annie."
"You were outstanding, really."
"But..."
Donna's voice rose in frustration, "What did she do wrong? Tell us, and we'll fix it! We'll fix it!"
"Mom." Starlight tugged at her mother's arm, embarrassed by her outburst.
The committee member could only offer a quiet, "I'm really sorry."
"Now, if you'll excuse us."
Outside the office, Donna still couldn't accept it.
Meanwhile, Starlight tried to console her. "It's okay, Mom. I can try again next year."
Donna shook her head. "You won't get another chance this good."
Just then, a group of men in black suits approached. The one leading them spoke, "Excuse me, are you Miss Annie?"
Annie looked up. "I am."
The man nodded. "I'm with Vought. I'm pleased to inform you that you've been specially recruited to join The Seven."
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