"Homelander's tragedy happened because the United States hasn't regulated superheroes strictly enough!"
"Those low-quality heroes with shady pasts—we must reject them, and we will never hire them!"
"Heroes who break the law are guilty just like civilians! They must face legal punishment!"
"We can't change the tragedies of the past, but those old wounds keep warning us!"
"I swear—so long as I'm still standing here for even one day, I will never allow evil to happen again, no matter who the opponent is!"
Jovian hovered in the air, arms cutting through the space as he spoke with blazing intensity.
"Freeman! Freeman! Freeman!!!"
Rescue crews, doctors in white coats, cops…
One after another, people across the country were infected by Jovian's momentum, shouting his hero name at the top of their lungs!
The old gods were dead—now the new one would rise!
"So what exactly are you trying to do?"
At Vought Tower, Stillwell pressed a hand to her forehead while gripping a remote with the other. She shut off the broadcast that was blaring headline after headline—FREEMAN DEFEATS HOMELANDER, FREEMAN IS THE TRUE DEFENDER OF JUSTICE—and turned to look at the man behind her.
The same man who had been delivering a grand, righteous speech to reporters ten minutes ago was now sitting in her office like he owned the place.
"I'm taking over Vought. I can guarantee your interests, but you need to understand this isn't simple charity. The next election is coming, and you will support me running for President of the United States."
Jovian looked at Stillwell and said it flatly.
"You're fucking insane!"
Stillwell snapped back. In her eyes, Jovian was a lunatic—a full-blown psycho.
"Watch your language."
Jovian stared at her. His eyes lit up with a scorching crimson glow.
"Oh—shit!"
Stillwell's heart dropped. Only then did she truly remember: the man sitting across from her desk had just killed Homelander—the strongest superpowered being in the world—ten minutes ago.
The man in front of her was not only unhinged, he was unstoppable. He could end her life whenever he felt like it.
The whole thing felt so unreal that Stillwell hadn't even had time to recalibrate. For a moment, she didn't know where she stood.
"I'm sorry. I mean… your plan sounds a little too crazy. Running for President—ha. I don't think even Mr. Edgar would dare to imagine that."
Fear crawled up her spine. She dragged out Edgar's name on purpose, hoping the man who always seemed untouchable would put at least a little pressure on Jovian.
"I would…"
"And I'm ninety percent sure I can win this election."
Jovian was calm, almost casual. He had a complete roadmap in his head—one that could secure every last vote.
"What?!"
Stillwell's eyes widened. A ninety percent chance to win? That was absurd. No candidate in any election had ever had that kind of confidence about the highest office in the country.
"I can do it. But I need you to cooperate."
Jovian smiled at her.
"How do you want us to cooperate?" Stillwell asked, confused.
"Simple…"
"Reveal Compound V, and what it does. Make everyone in this world understand one thing: if they have Compound V, they can become the next superman too."
Jovian said it with an even, steady face.
"Impossible."
Stillwell rejected him immediately. Reveal Compound V? That was a fairy tale. Pure delusion.
"Do you know what happens if you reveal Compound V?"
"Do you know what that would do to Vought?!"
"It would be a fatal blow! I will not let you destroy this company."
Stillwell forced herself to raise her voice—summoning what little courage she could.
"Listen."
Jovian shook his head helplessly. Shallow. That was all he could think—Stillwell was shallow, completely incapable of seeing the bigger picture.
"Right now, this entire country—hell, the whole world—is scared shitless. They're terrified another caped psycho with glowing red eyes is going to show up and start slaughtering people. They're terrified the gun in their hands won't protect them. They're terrified that the airliner incident over Chicago is going to happen right above their heads!"
"If this country is crazy and free enough that a bunch of boys can get a real M16 as a birthday present, then why the fuck can't we legalize superpowers?!"
"Every person who votes for me—I promise they get a bag of Compound V as a reward for backing me. Just imagine it. When that happens, who the fuck is left to compete with me? Who the fuck is left to oppose me? Tell me!"
Jovian's eyes burned, molten and red, as he demanded an answer.
"What the fuck…"
"You're trying to create a world full of superhumans?!"
Stillwell finally understood what the man in front of her was really plotting.
"No. I'm not trying to create a world full of superhumans. I'm guiding all baseline humans toward evolution. According to Darwin's theory of evolution, every living thing is chasing evolution. And I will help every human on Earth complete that evolution!"
"I will become the father of all new humans—the beacon. I am the Freeborn!"
Jovian's plan had never been about being some petty President. His scope was enormous. His true goal had always been to become the one and only true progenitor of the omniverse—the real Freeborn.
He would become the origin of superpowered humanity, the visionary who carried the banner of human evolution.
From culture, from history, from power, from will—he would be the first.
With the help of countless followers, Jovian's banner and glory would blaze across the entire omniverse.
And this world—the world of Vought, of capes and lies—was simply the testing ground Jovian had chosen.
"Oh my god…"
"That's insane. That idea is completely insane…"
Stillwell pressed her fingertips to her temples. While Vought was still thinking about profit margins, Jovian was thinking about changing the human species itself.
Madman on the left… saint on the right?
Maybe every saint looks insane to everyone else. They're disruptive by nature—like they won't stop until they flip the whole world upside down.
"I need to think."
Stillwell shook her head. She didn't dare gamble. She didn't dare drag the entire company into Jovian's all-or-nothing bet. If they won, the Vought empire would stand forever. If they lost, they'd be obliterated.
"I'm not asking for your opinion."
"I'm informing you, that's all, my dear Ms. Stillwell."
"Your opinion has never mattered to me."
Jovian's voice went cold.
"Without me helping you convince Mr. Edgar, you'll never get the Compound V formula."
Stillwell felt humiliated. Her tone dropped into a hard, resentful low.
Jovian said nothing.
He simply placed a USB drive on the desk in front of her.
"I hope you don't disappoint me."
With that, Jovian turned and walked out.
"?!"
Stillwell stared at the USB drive, her expression dark and uncertain. In the end, she plugged it in. She wanted to see what kind of trick Jovian was playing.
The moment the files opened, her eyes went wide.
Inside was the Compound V formula.
"Fuck! Mr. Edgar surrendered first?! Then what the hell am I holding out for?!"
Stillwell shook her head. Today had been one shock after another.