Chapter 120: Homelander's Confidant, Mercenary Tao
"Federal News reports that in the recent large-scale conflict and stampede in the Clinton Street district, the death toll has now risen to 73. This includes one federal government official, seven police officers, and dozens of B45 gang members and civilians."
"The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but the Federal Prosecutor's Office has already signed an order restricting the activities of the B45 gang and is filing criminal charges against its leader, Bobby Oakes. This move has sparked widespread opposition online."
"Gangs including the [Latin Kings] have declared that the B45 are not the kind of people to do such a thing, and that the police fired first in an attempt to assassinate Bobby. It is reported that a high-ranking B45 member, Ance, was hit by a sniper and is currently in critical condition."
"There are also back-alley rumors that [A-Train] and [Translucent] of The Seven were spotted at the scene, but neither of them made an appearance. In a related incident, an anonymous witness claims to have seen [A-Train] crash into an office building and collapse with serious injuries during the chaos…"
"Translucent…"
Click.
The television was turned off. Homelander's expression was so dark it seemed to drip with venom. He had rushed to the scene that day and had found nothing. All he knew was that A-Train had ultimately escaped with Translucent. A-Train had suffered a penetrating burn wound to his shoulder which had triggered a heart attack; he was still in intensive care. Translucent had been impaled by a throwing knife and was also undergoing treatment.
It was an unimaginably terrible series of events. Vought-America was in a state of crisis. Massive amounts of money were being spent on damage control, trying to contain the negative fallout. Although on the surface Vought was not involved, the fact that A-Train had been seen at the riot and had done nothing to stop it was having a massive negative impact on The Seven's reputation.
The Deep kept his head down, not daring to breathe. He felt he shouldn't have come back today; he should have requested a mission overseas. Starlight's expression was also strange, and she said nothing.
Only Queen Maeve, who was both powerful and had a history with Homelander, was not particularly afraid of him.
"Is that really what we should be worried about right now?" she asked, her own confusion undisguised. "And besides… the operations department said you received the distress call and went to the scene immediately. Why didn't you control the situation?"
Homelander's dark gaze shifted. He glanced at Maeve, then quickly looked away, turning his anger on the others.
"Members of The Seven were seriously injured by some nameless nobody who appeared out of nowhere. If this gets out, how are we supposed to win the people's trust?! Who would entrust their safety to heroes who can't even protect themselves?"
When he said the word "heroes," his voice was thick with sarcasm.
"The Seven... it seems we've been dragged into some kind of ridiculous conspiracy that has nothing to do with our real work. Hmph. Black Noir. You're with me."
Homelander stood up and left, calling only for the most reliable member of the team, [Black Noir].
[Black Noir] was a superhero completely covered in black armor. He never spoke in public, but he was incredibly strong, and he handled his missions with a cold, swift, and abnormal efficiency. He could withstand high-powered explosions at close range and possessed a combat style similar to that of a ninja, making him one of the top fighters in The Seven.
Starlight's face was pale. She could feel that Homelander's final glare had been directed at her.
Homelander led Black Noir to his office. Noir was silent. He was used to Homelander ordering him to kill various targets. He obeyed the strong.
Black Noir had once been able to speak. But years ago, when he had been on a team with the original superhero, [Soldier Boy], he had been subjected to his leader's horrific violence. His skull had been smashed, his brain nearly destroyed. His powerful regenerative abilities had saved him from death, but his cerebral cortex had never fully healed. He had lost the ability to speak and could now only talk to the cartoon animal friends in his imagination.
For this reason, he was extremely subservient to Homelander, who shared the same genes as Soldier Boy and was, in a sense, his test-tube son. He knew that it was impossible to reason with this tyrant. If he angered him, he would likely be killed.
The door to the office swung open. Black Noir instantly put his hand on the hilt of the blade on his back. But Homelander was faster. He caught Noir's hand, pushed him inside, and closed the door.
An Asian man with a powerful build and handsome, martial features was sitting on Homelander's desk, an easy smile on his face.
"Yo, Homelander," the man said. "Is this the team member you trust the most? I thought you'd introduce me to Queen Maeve. After all, you two used to…"
Homelander's expression turned cold. He didn't like people talking to him like that. But to Black Noir's surprise, he didn't get angry. Instead, he just pointed to the chair in front of his desk, signaling for Noir to sit.
"Noir," Homelander said, his voice strange as he said the next words. "This is… my new supporter. We have some... operations... that will require your assistance."
Kaito just smiled and nodded, giving Homelander the exact respect he craved.
Black Noir looked at Kaito. Kaito, in turn, spoke. "We all know that Homelander is, at present, the strongest known hero in the world."
An involuntary flicker of pleasure crossed Homelander's face. Black Noir also nodded. In that moment, he felt that these two men were the truly smart ones, the ones who knew who the strongest was and how to respect him. That was how you made the world a better place.
Kaito's lips curled. If he was going to unleash an unprecedented level of chaos and reap all the rewards, then he would need a sufficiently powerful representative to stand against the US government, which currently maintained order. And as it happened, in his plan to kill the other members of The Seven, this man's support was the most crucial element.
Ever since he had realized the new [Translucent] was a Reincarnator, he had been planning this step. The members of The Seven might have powerful abilities, but every single one of them had a glaring character flaw.
A-Train was anxious, a drug addict, and now had a heart condition.
Queen Maeve was a closeted lesbian, and because of her own ideals and her lover's, she was already estranged from Vought and The Seven.
And Homelander… while he possessed immense power, he was also desperately needy. As a test-tube baby who had never experienced love, he was pathologically obsessed with the support and adoration of others. He was a child with the power to destroy the world, who could fly into a murderous rage at any moment.
Vought had used every trick in the book to control him, ultimately shaping him into his current persona. Public approval ratings were the leash they used to control Homelander.
Kaito, by turning the B45 gang into a media sensation that had captured the entire nation's attention, had made himself a powerful opinion leader for the 1.4 million gang members across the country. And that power was enough to sway, and even change, Homelander's own beliefs.
He understood Homelander better than Vought ever had.
"The strongest hero deserves to be treated according to his station, doesn't he?" Kaito continued. "Noir, no offense, I know you're strong. A-Train and Queen Maeve are excellent heroes. But compared to Homelander… all of you are a tier below."
Black Noir remained silent, but he nodded. He wouldn't argue with the truth.
Homelander's pleasure was now obvious. This was confirmed by the system notification Kaito received.
[Your actions have earned the praise of Homelander. Your reputation with Homelander has increased. Current: Friendly (88/100)]
Before, Homelander had only agreed to work with this man because he had promised that 1.4 million gang members would become his adoring fans. But now, Homelander was beginning to realize that this… this clever Asian man… was the smartest person in the world. He even recalled some study he'd read that said Asians had higher IQs, which only reinforced his belief.
Kaito continued to methodically unleash the beast that Vought had so carefully chained.
"Homelander shouldn't be a wild animal, chained by Vought and their so-called public opinion polls…"
"Homelander should be himself!"
"He is the strongest! So he should be the one who makes the rules!"
The smile on Kaito's face was now completely genuine. In a way, he and Homelander were indeed similar. Both of them, in their own environments, had been forced to suppress their own power and their own true natures to conform to the values and rules of mainstream society.
But one eventually gets tired of such things. The joy Kaito had felt upon entering the Infinite Space was, undeniably, because he had finally been able to unleash his true self.
Homelander closed his eyes, unable to hide the smile on his face. He suddenly threw an arm around Kaito and Black Noir.
"I know," he said. "You two are the only ones who truly understand me. You're the best of the best. Second only to me, of course."
"The era of The Seven is over. We… we will begin a new era!"
Black Noir didn't know how to respond, but fortunately, he was used to being silent.
Kaito just nodded. "Of course. A new era… heh."
Kaito's smile was cruel, but Homelander didn't find it repulsive. On the contrary, he was delighted. My people should be cruel.
Powerful. Cruel. A maker of rules… every word struck a chord deep within Homelander's soul. In that moment, he felt this Asian man, "Mercenary Tao," was even more appealing than Stillwell.
Kaito, for his part, had just gotten a sense of Homelander's power. It was definitely far beyond the first strength limit-break. He was much, much stronger than the werewolf he had fought. When Homelander had put his arm around him, Kaito hadn't even had time to resist.
He thought of the lineage item still sitting in his inventory. He hadn't found a suitable buyer for it yet. But now, he thought he had just found the perfect trade.
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Guys We cross the 1100 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 1200 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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