Chapter 48: "Homelander's Here—We're Saved!"

As the newest member parachuted into the Seven, Infinity stirred up some discussion online. Vought spared no effort in promoting its own board member, launching a massive PR campaign.

However, he didn't manage to win over many fans.

In this world where superheroes double as celebrities, Russell had two fatal flaws—no film or TV appearances, and no notable achievements as a superhero.

Even talent-show nobodies with minor fame could be promoted more easily. At least they had some clips of singing, dancing, or rapping to play during promotions.

"...Although we've sent jets to intercept, NORAD is hesitant to act recklessly. As of now, they're at a loss."

"Imagine this: if we solve something even the military can't handle, how do you think the public will see us?"

Madelyn, the key driving force behind this legislative push, was visibly excited. Her voice grew louder as she waved her arms passionately.

There was no doubt—this was the perfect opportunity for Vought to pry open the mouths of stubborn politicians. If they succeeded, even if the government refused, public pressure would be impossible to ignore.

If Vought made its way into the national defense system, their superstar team—the Seven—would get the first and biggest share of the pie.

Even Deep and Black Noir couldn't help but feel stirred.

Homelander, on the other hand, didn't care much about the perks. But watching Madelyn's flushed, glowing face—still beautiful with age—sparked a different kind of interest.

He smirked, his lustful gaze briefly restrained. With hands behind his back, he rose slowly and nonchalantly swept his eyes around the room.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it."

"When true catastrophe strikes—when the sky itself is falling—the people need strong arms to hold it up. To shield them from the crushing weight. That kind of power? Not everyone has it—especially not those who think putting on a cape makes them a hero."

His scornful gaze briefly landed on someone before he strode out, exuding full confidence—as though he would fly straight to the Atlantic and handle those terrorists himself.

Maeve hesitated, then stood to follow.

She wanted to save those innocent passengers and avoid another tragedy. But she couldn't fly. Her only option was to rely on the Homelander she despised.

"Was he... was he mocking someone?" Firecracker frowned. Homelander's tone had clearly been sarcastic, and just before leaving, he'd glanced in their direction. She turned to see Russell's handsome face just a few steps away.

Firecracker fell silent—instantly understanding.

"Infinity , he wasn't talking about you... definitely not you..." she blurted, panicking.

Madelyn nervously swallowed and glanced at Russell, worried that he might be angered—and take it out on her, since she was the one closest to Homelander.

Homelander was still dreaming of perfectly solving the hijacking, hoping to impress Madelyn enough to earn a little "reward."

He had no idea she was already cursing him in her heart the moment he left the room—calling him a brainless, tactless man-child.

He never once thought about the deeper reasons behind her desperate push for the legislation.

"The law is just a means. Rising through the company ranks is the real goal."

Even if the bill passed spectacularly, if she angered a board member like Russell, how could she ever hope for promotion?

Deep and Starlight kept their heads low, trying their best to become invisible.

Unlike Homelander, they didn't dare cross someone with such a mysterious background. Stuck in the middle, they wished they could suddenly go deaf.

"Heh..."

Russell curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile and stood up slowly. He didn't take Homelander's words seriously at all. The others dared not meet his gaze as he left.

Before learning that Russell was a Vought board member, Homelander had shown traces of unease and hostility—fearful of being replaced. But after finding out, his attitude immediately shifted.

Though still furious—resentful even—that someone parachuted into the Seven and stole his authority, humiliating him in front of his teammates, Homelander's contempt had returned.

Now he just saw Russell as a bug—untouchable only because of his status.

"Compound V is like a lottery. True 'winners' are extremely rare. Most people end up with useless powers—like Firecracker. Some even mutate into freaks."

"Among the vast pool of Supes, those who truly hit the 'super jackpot'—with godlike powers—are even rarer."

Russell could roughly guess what Homelander was thinking—and probably others too.

Take the Vought family for example. It had only a few dozen members. Even if every one of them were injected with Compound V at birth, how many would actually gain decent powers?

Let alone someone strong enough to threaten Homelander—that probability was lower than a random person winning a super-lottery.

That's how it should've been. Unfortunately for Homelander, Russell wasn't from the Vought family. And his powers didn't come from Compound V at all.

"Russell, where are you going?" Firecracker looked back at the people still too afraid to lift their heads in the conference room and ran after him. "I think... you should stay and direct things from here. No matter what Homelander thinks, you're still in charge."

"You could easily tell the media later that you coordinated the entire rescue as a Vought executive."

Her expression was grim as she offered this advice.

As Russell's woman, Firecracker was deeply irritated by Homelander's passive-aggressive jabs.

After that night, she'd made sure to ask for Russell's name. She didn't want another awkward scene like that.

"That's just a petty trick," Russell said as he walked down the hallway, shaking his head. "The public doesn't admire executives barking orders from behind a desk."

"They praise the heroes who are on the ground, saving lives with their own hands."

Firecracker was clever, sure—but her schemes only worked on small-time players. Those little underhanded tactics were more suited to petty rivalries between women.

She was thinking from Russell's perspective—but she didn't understand his capabilities at all.

"But... but..." Firecracker couldn't think of a better idea.

"Didn't you ask where I was going?" Russell stopped, glancing at her with a smirk.

"As a Vought executive, I'm heading out to clean up the mess a certain overconfident man-child is about to make."

Given the situation with the hijacking, as long as Homelander remained the arrogant, selfish brat he was, the result wouldn't change.

"A mess?"

Firecracker was still confused about what mess he was talking about.

The next second, a fierce gust of wind swept past—and Russell vanished.

High above the ocean, a hijacked passenger plane was mid-flight when the cabin door suddenly burst open from the outside. The sudden loss of air pressure sucked one hijacker out instantly.

Two figures stormed in.

One was a sharp, fierce woman who swiftly snapped a hijacker's neck. The other stood coolly, arms behind his back, blasting laser beams from his eyes to pierce another hijacker's chest.

"Thank God! It's Homelander!"

"Yeah! Homelander's here we're saved!"

Homelander's fame was so great that even random guys in the Middle Eastern desert could see his photo and pronounce his name in perfect English.

The moment the passengers saw that familiar cape, they erupted in cheers. Some were so excited they whipped out their phones to capture the moment—wanting to immortalize their encounter with the legendary Homelander.

.....

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