American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

481. Fear!!

"Stop!"

Just as Homelander's killing intent flared and he was about to say some "heartfelt" words to Starlight, the door to the Seven's meeting room suddenly opened, and a low shout rang out.

Hearing that familiar voice, Homelander immediately recognized the identity of the person who entered.

His hand, like an iron clamp, was still tightly gripping Starlight's neck. Although he didn't release her, the red glow gathering in his eyes slowly faded.

"Edgar."

Homelander coldly turned his head, not paying attention to Starlight's desperate attempts to pry his hand away. His face darkened as he looked at the elderly black man walking into the room.

"Put Starlight down. She's not a spy sent by the enemy," Edgar said, unshaken by Homelander's expression. He spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, Homelander's grip didn't loosen but tightened a little. He coldly glared at the man. Homelander was very clear that it was Edgar who had destroyed Madeline.

"Don't look at me like that. Starlight's joining the Seven was approved by me and the entire board. Before that, we investigated her entire background. She has no chance of being an enemy spy."

Edgar paused before continuing, "Of course, her position is still up for discussion, but that's no reason for you to harm your own teammate."

"I'm eliminating this menace for the sake of Vought Corporation," Homelander said in a low voice.

"You're just trying to vent your anger by killing her."

Edgar remained calm, his gaze still fixed on Homelander, as though he was trying to see right through him.

"Right now, Vought is facing a great enemy, and I don't have time to coddle you. What you're doing now is not helping Vought, but aiding our enemies. If you kill Starlight, you will truly be alone."

Homelander's expression kept changing. His other hand trembled slightly, but eventually, he sighed, loosening his grip and letting Starlight fall to the ground.

As the pressure on her neck lifted, Starlight collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. It was the first time she had felt that death was so close.

Seeing Homelander finally release Starlight, Edgar also quietly relaxed. He then turned to look at another person in the room.

"Boss?" Ashley swallowed nervously.

"Leave," Edgar said.

Upon hearing this, Ashley felt as though she had been granted amnesty. Without a word, she grabbed her documents and phone and ran out, as though some terrifying force was chasing her.

With no one else in the room, Edgar slowly walked to the meeting table and pulled out a chair to sit.

"I know that the events of the past few days have been a huge blow to you, and it's the same for Vought Corporation. What I've been dealing with is far more complicated than what you've had to handle."

Homelander didn't respond. It seemed like he was sulking as he grabbed a chair to sit as well. However, he didn't sit next to Edgar. There was an empty chair between them.

"The enemy's attack is faster and more terrifying than we expected. The exposure of Compound V and the experimental base has overwhelmed us. What we didn't anticipate was that they even developed a stronger individual."

"You should have let me go with them," Homelander said coldly.

"That's just your personal opinion," Edgar shook his head slightly.

"We still can't be sure about the enemy's exact strength. If Maeve and the others can resolve this matter, then the outcome will be good, and I will have enough time to deal with the pressure from the Congress. But if Maeve and the others can't handle it, then the problem becomes much more serious."

After a pause, Edgar continued.

"You are now Vought's greatest trump card and its biggest hope. I can't just recklessly send you out; this is the most critical matter.

I examined the tracker on Black Noir. By the time Maeve and the others arrived, the Sage Grove Center had already been destroyed. This means they've gotten what they wanted, and the data inside is now exposed, potentially ready to be leaked by the media at any time.

In this situation, since the enemy chose to stay behind and provoke us, it means they have enough confidence to fight you."

Glancing at Starlight, who was still lying on the floor, struggling to recover, Edgar spoke quietly, "Although that man didn't attack Starlight, I have reason to believe he has abilities similar to hers—and stronger."

Homelander blinked rapidly. Although his expression remained resolute, anyone could see that he was beginning to panic.

In fact, when Ashley was recounting the failures of the Seven members earlier, Homelander had felt deeply unsettled. Or perhaps it was the first time he had experienced fear of the unknown.

Faster than A-Train, stronger than Maeve, more skilled than Black Noir—this man had defeated them all in their areas of expertise.

Since childhood, Homelander had been hailed as the strongest being in the world, the most invincible existence. He had been worshiped by everyone, and over time, even he had come to believe this himself.

But now, when he thought of someone who could crush him in his most proficient fields, an overwhelming fear from the deepest part of his heart surged uncontrollably.

Just the thought of someone being stronger than him in every way caused Homelander's body to tremble slightly, and his nose even started to feel a bit sore.

At this moment, what he was thinking about wasn't whether the other person could kill him. Instead, he was thinking about how the other person would take everything from him. He would no longer be the strongest person in the world, no longer the beloved figure of the people.

Every time he thought about this, a suffocating sense of oppression overwhelmed him.

It seemed that Edgar had noticed Homelander's strange state, but instead of comforting him, he pulled out a tablet from his pocket and placed it in front of him.

Noticing Edgar's action, Homelander's brow furrowed in confusion, but it also made him shift his attention from his complicated emotions to the tablet's screen.

Edgar tapped the screen, and the video on the tablet was projected onto the meeting room's large display, starting to play.

The screen lit up, showing what appeared to be a surveillance camera. Based on the surroundings, it seemed to be a mansion.

"This is the home of an old friend of mine. He used to collaborate with Vought back in the last century, filming movies and promoting our superhero cause," Edgar said quietly, watching the scene on the screen.

Homelander didn't respond. He knew the important part hadn't come yet, so he fixed his gaze on the screen, making sure he didn't miss anything.

Soon, the scene on the large screen changed. A group of people appeared, moving forward while talking, seemingly oblivious to the surveillance cameras around them—or perhaps they were doing it on purpose.

The man at the head of the group was very muscular, wearing an old-style battle suit and holding a mighty eagle-shaped shield made from a special metal. He exuded a distinct aura.

Seeing this man, Homelander's eyes immediately widened.

"Soldier Boy?!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

A chill ran up his spine, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"You grew up watching his movies, and you know every detail of his past. And now, he's one of our biggest challenges," Edgar said, his expression darkening as he watched the video. After all, the plan to eliminate Soldier Boy had involved him too. At the time, he had thought the man was already dead.

Now, Edgar was shocked to find that the Russians hadn't killed Soldier Boy, and instead, they had let him escape. This left Edgar thoroughly unsettled.

He didn't care about the success or failure of Vought Corporation—after all, he had already made more than enough money over the years. Even if Vought Corporation didn't survive this crisis, it didn't matter to Edgar. He could always retire and live a peaceful life.

But now, Soldier Boy's appearance had completely disrupted his plans. Edgar knew very well that, given Soldier Boy's personality, the first thing he would do upon returning would be to seek revenge on those from his past.

The Crimson Countess, Black Noir, the TNT Twins, Mindstorm—everyone was on his kill list, and Edgar's name was certainly on that list as well.

Even if Soldier Boy hadn't figured things out at first, he would eventually learn everything. With his methods, a little bit of torture would make his former teammates spill the details.

At that point, Edgar would always be in danger, hunted by the world's most famous former superhero.

This was something Edgar could not accept. So he raised his head and spoke.

"I have reason to believe that Soldier Boy is working with the person causing us trouble. Moreover, his return will definitely have a huge impact on your position."

Homelander didn't need Edgar's reminder. He had already considered this. The coldness he felt wasn't fear of Soldier Boy's combat ability, but fear of his almost legendary status.

Before the Seven, led by Homelander, became the most powerful superhero team in the world, Soldier Boy had been the world's legend. His name back then was even more famous than Homelander's current one.

Even after Vought Corporation had declared him dead, Soldier Boy's fame had never faded. In fact, it had only grown, and he had almost a cult-like following across the entire United States.

Homelander couldn't imagine what would happen if Soldier Boy returned. He would become a laughingstock.

In less than half an hour, Homelander had endured two major psychological blows: first, a powerful unknown threat had emerged, and now, Soldier Boy, who could take all his fame, had returned.

This left Homelander feeling numb.

On the big screen.

Noticing the surveillance cameras, Soldier Boy smiled faintly. He leisurely walked up and raised his hand, giving the camera the middle finger.

Staring at this scene, Homelander could no longer sit still.

"This must not be made public. I have to kill him before he appears in front of the public!"

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
482. We Need a Soldier!
483. The Prelude to Battle...
484. The Hero Appears.
485. Gathering at Vought Tower!!!
486. Ready to Explode!