A few days later, Hughie watched A-Train's bullshit interview on TV.
"Fuck you, she was three meters away from the middle of the damn road and she wasn't even crossing!" Hughie exploded, face red with rage as A-Train kept lying through his teeth.
His dad, Simon, tried to calm him down. "Yeah, they all know the truth. That's why they paid Robin's family a fat stack of cash."
"It's just a traffic accident, son. Unless you've got solid proof that speed freak killed her on purpose, this is the best outcome you're gonna get."
Compared to hot-headed Hughie, his old man had clearly been beaten down by life for years.
But Hughie couldn't swallow a single word of it. He stared at A-Train's smug face on the screen, eyes burning with pure revenge.
Later, Fast showed up trying to get Hughie to sign an NDA.
Hughie told him to shove it.
...
One week later, Vought held its annual shareholder meeting right on schedule.
Outside Vought Tower, news crews from all over the world and tens of thousands of screaming supe fans packed the area. After Ivan finished handing out orders to his team, he followed Ashley to welcome the newest member of The Seven: Starlight.
She had ordered a custom white-and-gold costume with a flowing cape just for today.
The second she stepped out of the car, the whole crowd lost their minds and erupted in cheers.
"Welcome to New York!"
Starlight looked around, eyes wide with shock and pure joy. She'd actually done it. She was now a real member of The Seven. Just a regular girl from Des Moines, Iowa, and now this. She soaked in every scream, every camera flash, loving every second of it.
"I'm Ashley Barrett, head of Talent and Public Relations," Ashley said, stepping forward and shaking her hand.
With the roar of the crowd in her ears, Starlight felt like she was dreaming. This exact moment was something she had only ever seen in her head before.
"These people… they're all here for me?" Starlight whispered, leaning toward Ashley.
Ashley grinned without missing a beat. "Sweetie, who the hell else would they be here for?"
Ivan Greevs walked up beside them in a sharp black suit. At nearly six foot three with a solid, muscular build and sharp features, he looked like a well-dressed, rich hitman ready to break legs.
"I'm Ivan Greevs, deputy head of Security. I'll be showing you and your mom around Vought Tower and getting you ready for the main event."
"Nice to meet you. Thanks for doing this," Starlight said with a bright, genuine smile.
Ivan led the two women inside. They did a quick loop around the first floor before he brought them to the massive shareholder meeting hall. Plenty of important-looking people nodded and greeted him along the way.
Ivan returned the smiles casually, then handed a card to Starlight's mother. "This is your seat number. Go ahead and sit tight. Starlight needs to head backstage for a quick touch-up."
After that, he guided Starlight toward the second floor.
"Don't be too nervous. Just treat it like your own house," Ivan said with a small smile, noticing how tense she looked.
"I'm good now. Really," Starlight replied, taking a deep breath and smiling back.
"So, what do you think of superheroes?" Ivan asked suddenly.
Starlight answered without hesitation. "They're amazing. They fight evil, do charity work, and they're true heroes to everyone."
Ivan stopped walking and turned to face her, his lips curving into a knowing, slightly dark smile.
"What if I told you they're nothing like what you imagine? Think about it. When an ordinary person suddenly gets god-like power, what do you think happens? Trust me, human nature is rotten at the core. Laws and morals are the only things that keep the evil in check. Most supes don't give a shit about either."
"I… don't really understand what you mean," Starlight said, looking genuinely confused.
Of course she didn't. She'd been brainwashed by the Vought fairy tale her whole life.
"No need to understand right now. Just remember this: in Vought, only the board members decide who stays in The Seven. As long as you prove you've got real commercial value, you won't have to worry about getting kicked out."
Starlight saw the handsome man with a little French accent, giving the most diabolical warning in an almost casual edge as he kept on walking.
Ivan secretly wanted to see it for himself. After everything he'd just told her, would Starlight still bend over and take it when The Deep tried to blackmail her with that sex tape? If she caved, she was nothing but worthless mud that couldn't be shaped.
Starlight clearly understood he was feeding her the ugly unspoken rules of Vought.
"Ehm.. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll buy you a coffee sometime," she said.
"Sounds good. Here's my card." Ivan pulled one out and handed it to her.
When they reached the makeup room, he stopped. "Go on in. I'm looking forward to your big moment out there."
"Thank you." Starlight nodded and stepped inside.
Thanks to his new position as deputy head of Security, Ivan got a seat in the second row of the main hall. The first row was reserved for the real big shots — board members, VPs, and the President herself.
Sitting right next to him was his direct superior, head of Security Erich Shack.
The lights in the entire hall dimmed. A single spotlight hit the stage.
The shareholder meeting had officially begun.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Vought International's annual shareholder meeting."
Madeline Stillwell stood at the podium as host.
"There's no doubt about it — this is the best time to be in the superhero business. Our net revenue is up fourteen percent…"
Down in the audience, Ivan stared at the invisible panel only he could see. The fusion progress for Ultimate Control jumped from 99% to a clean 100%.
"Finally," he muttered, the corner of his mouth curling up.
For a split second, fish-scale-like metallic plates rippled across the backs of his hands where they rested on his lap, then vanished completely. Nobody noticed a thing.
Madeline wrapped up her speech soon after. The moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
"And now, please welcome The Seven! A-Train, the crown jewel of Vought, The Deep, Translucent, Black Noir, and the most powerful superhero on the planet — Homelander!"
Obviously, not everyone came in person, but as each name was called, the massive screen behind the stage flashed a giant portrait of the corresponding supe.
"I have a very special surprise for all of you," Madeline said, her voice rising with excitement. "The King of the Seven Seas himself is here in person. Please welcome The Deep!"
Under a bright spotlight, The Deep strutted onto the stage looking shiny and smug.
"King of the Seven Seas," Ivan muttered with a mocking little smirk. He seriously doubted the idiot would even beat him in a fight once he was out of the water. The Deep's powers held zero appeal for him anyway.
The Deep waved at the cheering crowd, then gave Madeline a quick hug.
He stepped up to the microphone and flashed his best fake-humble smile. "Thank you. Thank you all so much for your support."
Ivan leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, watching the performance with cold amusement.
___
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69