Chapter 118: 118: The Nazi B!tch!
"Did I really become a superhero that day?" Hughie muttered, staring at the faint needle mark on his left arm. He remembered waking up and immediately calling Frenchie and the others to ask what the hell had happened.
Frenchie had gone on and on about how badass Hughie was that night, saying he’d earned serious respect. But to Hughie, the whole thing felt completely alien.
"Looks like that mysterious guy was right. Once the stuff wears off, you lose the memories."
Hughie raised his left hand toward the skylight. Sunlight slipped through his fingers and hit his face, making him squint. That feeling of raw power had only lasted a short time, but it was impossible to forget. "Life isn’t over. The mission continues."
Even though Butcher’s whereabouts were still unknown, Hughie hadn’t stopped moving. His plan was the same as Butcher’s — gather every scrap of dirt on Compound V and expose Vought’s crimes to the world.
After washing up, Hughie walked through the dark hallway to the hidden basement where the group was holed up.
When they were being hunted with nowhere to go, Frenchie had used his criminal contacts to find this secret underground spot.
These days, Frenchie was back to his old business — dealing guns. Honestly, if he wasn’t making money by modifying and repairing firearms for gangsters, they’d all be starving.
Kimiko was doing fine. She acted as Frenchie’s bodyguard and actually seemed pretty content. Maybe this quiet, simple life was exactly what she had always wanted.
Mother’s Milk was managing too. Thanks to his experience as an Army medic, he had decent surgical skills and made money patching up gunshot wounds for local criminals.
That left Hughie as the only one without any useful skills to contribute. He mostly just wandered around the basement every day looking bored as hell.
"Was it really me who saved you guys?" Hughie asked, leaning on the table next to Frenchie while he assembled a gun.
Frenchie glanced at him. "That’s the seventh time you’ve asked. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe the guy who came to rescue us that night was you."
"Damn, too bad I can’t remember. I bet I looked fucking cool doing it," Hughie said with a shrug and a laugh as he walked out of the basement. Towering behind him in the distance was Vought Tower.
That’s right — they were hiding literally right under Vought’s nose.
What Frenchie and the others didn’t know was that Hughie was still secretly in contact with Starlight. Following their usual routine, he got on a bus and sat next to her.
"Did you break the SIM card in that burner phone? You know I’m wanted by the CIA. They’re probably tapping everything," Hughie whispered.
After Starlight confirmed she’d snapped the card, Hughie finally relaxed. "By the way, can you get me a sample of that stuff from Vought?"
"No way. Ever since Edgar got serious again and took over as CEO, security around it has been insane. Even I can’t get close to the main lab, let alone steal a sample," Starlight shook her head and replied quietly.
"I heard after Madeline died, some guy named Greevs took her place. What’s he like? Any chance we can turn him?" Hughie asked, pulling his cap lower while subtly scanning their surroundings for anyone suspicious.
The moment Starlight heard Ivan’s name, her face turned cold. She barely held back her anger. "He’s a complete piece of shit. Compared to him, Homelander looks like a fucking saint."
"Guess we can’t count on him then." Hughie pulled out a folder he’d worked hard to get. "This is the file on a research scientist. Maybe you can get the stuff from him."
While the two of them plotted ways to steal Compound V...
...
Edgar had approved Homelander’s request and brought Ashley back to Vought.
For certain reasons, Ivan had chosen not to move into Madeline’s old office.
He couldn’t stand the sight of Homelander standing in front of that door like a lost puppy eight hundred times a day, staring at it with those sad fucking eyes.
This time, though, Homelander went inside. He looked around. Some of the furniture was already gone, and a thick layer of dust covered Madeline’s old desk.
Fighting back his grief, Homelander opened the mini-fridge and took out a bottle of breast milk.
He unscrewed the cap, inhaled the scent greedily, then carefully stuck out his tongue to lick it. A moment later, he started gulping it down.
Right then, Ashley — who had rushed over the second she got the call — pushed open the office door.
Caught in the act, Homelander quickly turned his back and wiped the milk from his lips.
"Ashley, so good to see you back," Homelander said casually, pretending nothing had happened as he inspected the room.
"Thank you. This place definitely needs a remodel. It’s covered in dust. Feels like I time-traveled back to 2003," Ashley replied, clearly excited to be back at Vought. She knew she owed it all to Homelander.
While she was thanking him...
...
In the CEO’s office on the 87th floor, Edgar had called Ivan in again.
"You handled that video of Madeline very well," Edgar said. "The reason I called you here is to address the current issues with The Seven. We’ve lost Translucent permanently and A-Train is still unconscious. That’s two members down." Edgar slid a file across the desk to Ivan. "From the market feedback, it’s clear The Seven desperately needs fresh blood."
"That’s correct, Mr. Edgar. But the selection process for new supes should be handled by Ashley. She just returned to Vought. It wouldn’t be right for me to steal her responsibilities," Ivan said. As acting vice president, he spoke with a bit more casual confidence than before.
"Come in."
Edgar raised his phone to his ear.
Moments later, Stormfront walked into the office wearing her black tactical suit and stopped beside Edgar.
"Let me introduce you. This is Stormfront, the newest member of The Seven."
"I’m Ivan Greevs. Nice to meet you. Welcome to The Seven," Ivan said, extending his right hand.
Stormfront sneered and ignored it. "Sorry, I don’t shake hands with Frenchmen. I can never be sure where those hands have been."
Ivan’s expression turned ice-cold in an instant. He pulled his hand back and looked at Edgar. "Looks like your new member lacks basic manners. Better let Ashley deal with her. I have other matters to attend to. My apologies, Mr. Edgar."
Without waiting for a reply, Ivan turned and walked out of the CEO’s office.
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69
