Chapter 30.
"How did it go? Was everything smooth?"
Billy asked as Hughie got into the car. It was already evening, and Billy had been waiting for him inside.
"It went pretty smoothly. I managed to place the device you gave me under the desk in their conference room," Hughie answered, still a little nervous. He took a few deep breaths before finally relaxing enough to speak clearly.
"Good job, Hughie."
Billy gave him a rare nod of approval—this was the first time he had truly acknowledged Hughie's efforts.
"So now everything's fine, right? You and the FBI will collect evidence of their crimes, bring them to justice, and finally give my girlfriend the peace she deserves?"
Hughie's tone had calmed. Everything he'd done, he did for her. He still believed that Billy was working with the FBI.
"Yes. From now on, you've got nothing to worry about. Leave it to me."
Billy answered with a calm smile, hiding the manipulative truth behind his words. Deceiving someone like Hughie was nothing new to him.
He'd never cared about Hughie's girlfriend—this was all just a means to an end. All he wanted was to use Hughie to place the bug in the Seven's office.
Billy's true goal was to uncover criminal evidence against the Seven and expose it to the public—ultimately bringing down the Seven and the Vought Company that backed them.
But this mission wasn't driven purely by justice. Billy had a deeply personal reason, his wife had gone missing years ago, and all signs pointed to her disappearance being linked to Homelander, the leader of the Seven.
Billy would do anything to uncover the truth about what happened to her.
Eventually, Billy dropped Hughie off at his workplace and drove away, thinking this would be the end of their relationship. Neither of them expected how tangled their fates would become later.
Meanwhile, in Madeleine's office…
She had spent the whole day in thought before finally giving in. Picking up the phone, she dialed a number.
"Hello, Ms. Madeleine. Do you have good news for me?"
A calm male voice answered—it was the politician she had spoken to the night before.
"Your Excellency, our senior leadership has discussed the matter. We understand that your city is in urgent need of its own superhero. On humanitarian grounds, we've agreed to lower the price to 230 million. Does that sound acceptable to you?"
Madeleine took a deep breath and spoke with a calm, professional tone—though her words clearly signaled that they had compromised. She had no choice. If the secret of Compound V were to be exposed, it would cause devastating consequences for the Water Company.
"230 million? That's a reasonable offer. Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation,"
The politician didn't hesitate. The Vought Company had already made a major concession, pressing further would be pushing his luck.
"Very well then. I wish you a smooth flight tonight,"
Madeleine said, her voice carrying a subtle, ominous tone. But the politician on the other end didn't pick up on it, thinking she was simply offering well wishes for his travel. They said their goodbyes and ended the call.
Outside the office, a mysterious figure stood staring at a portrait on –the wall, lost in thought.
Elsewhere…
Li Yue had a long, exhausting day. For the first time, he truly experienced the life of an internet celebrity.
The entire day was spent shooting his promotional video.
But without any acting experience, Li Yue struggled at first. When not in front of the camera, he could act naturally. But the moment the lens was pointed at him, even someone as thick-skinned as him felt completely lost.
After countless takes and hours of effort, he finally finished filming the video.
It left him mentally drained—more so than fighting villains. It was the first time he'd truly understood what it meant to film a "one-shot" scene over and over, sometimes hundreds of times.
However, after returning home, he remembered that tomorrow, he'd be performing alongside Homelander. He'd also be getting closer to strengthening his own powers. That thought alone refueled his motivation.
Earlier that day, he had quietly tested his strength in a secluded corner. Even though his current power was only one-tenth of Homelander's, it was enough to shock him.
To him, this was just the beginning.
And he was ready for what came next.
Li Yue's current strength and physical abilities could no longer be measured by normal standards. Practically anything he touched could be lifted with ease. When he transformed his right hand into an Adamantite alloy blade and tried to cut himself, not even a scratch appeared—his body was simply too resilient.
He had also tested his x-ray vision. Just like in the series, Li Yue could see through nearly every object and metal, including lead. However, since he hadn't yet come across any zinc-based material, he wasn't sure if he shared Superman's one limitation—being unable to see through zinc.
As for heat vision, it became clear to Li Yue that he was still far from matching Superman's level. His thermal beams were thin and precise, and while their temperature was indeed high, they required a few seconds to charge up. Unlike Homelander, who could instantly vaporize enemies with a glance, Li Yue still needed time to build up his attack.
But he had gained one of the most iconic superpowers—flight. Though he didn't fully understand the science behind it, Li Yue had successfully tested the ability. He could float a few meters above the ground effortlessly and had a strong feeling that, if he really pushed himself, he could easily break the sound barrier—perhaps even reach several times its speed.
Unfortunately, due to a tracking chip implanted by the Vought Company, he couldn't test it freely. The chip was supposedly for his own safety, but in reality, it was meant to monitor him. Removing it without authorization would get him in serious trouble. So for now, his dream of flying freely would have to wait.
Still, as long as he continued gaining strength and approached the full power of Superman, none of these setbacks really mattered.
That night…
A private jet cruised smoothly through the night sky. Inside sat the politician who had been negotiating with Madeleine earlier. With him was his young son—a bright, energetic boy –who adored the superheroes of the Vought Company. His absolute favorite? The captain of the Seven—Homelander.
"Dad, look! What's that outside?" The little boy, bored from the flight, had been gazing out the window and suddenly shouted in excitement.
"What is it, baby?" The politician leaned closer, smiling fondly at his son.
"It looks like a superhero outside! Is he here to say goodbye to us?" The boy beamed, remembering how his father once bragged about being friends with the heroes, even bringing home signed photos.
But the father's smile froze as he turned to look.
A shadowy figure was flying just outside the plane, keeping pace effortlessly. Then, the figure turned toward them—and the politician saw the unmistakable face of Homelander.
Something felt off.
Before he could react, the hero's eyes glowed red—and two deadly beams of heat vision tore through the fuselage.
BOOM!!!
The jet exploded in a fireball, disintegrating mid-air. No bodies were recovered.
Floating amidst the debris was a lone figure. His scarlet eyes gradually dimmed, and a sinister smile crept across his face.
Meanwhile, back on the ground…
Hughie, now on night shift at his store, noticed the door suddenly swing open.
"What the hell?"
He frowned. "The wind? No way. No wind could blow this heavy door open."
Confused, he stepped forward to check—but then, something on the counter began to levitate into the air. His heart sank.
"W-What is this…?"
Hughie suddenly realized something was terribly wrong.
A voice rang out in front of him—angry, cold, and invisible.
"You thought we wouldn't find this? Who sent you? Huh?"
The bug he had secretly planted in the Seven's office floated into view, held by invisible hands.
Hughie instantly knew who it was—Translucent. A member of the Seven. And he was here… for him.
Panic overtook him. He knew resisting would be useless. What could a powerless human like him do against a super?
The invisible man grabbed him by the collar, yanked him over the counter, and slammed him to the ground. Then came a flurry of brutal kicks and punches—Hughie had no chance to fight back.
"Who was the guy in the car with you? What's his name? Where does he live? Did he tell you to do this? Tell me the truth, or you'll die painfully!"
Translucent paused his beating to interrogate Hughie.
"He's just a driver… I don't know him! Please! Don't kill me!" Hughie was shaking in terror, but even in that moment, he chose not to reveal Billy's identity.
"You think I'm an idiot?! Why else would you plant a bug?! Huh?!"
the invisible man roared. He ripped the monitor off the wall and raised it high—ready to smash it down on Hughie.
And in that terrifying moment, Hughie could only brace for impact.
"Please, don't... don't kill me! I really don't know who he is!"
Hughie kept begging for his life, trembling in fear. But his desperate pleas fell on deaf ears—the Transparent Man was already raising the monitor high, ready to smash it down.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the shop—a car burst through the wall, slamming directly into the invisible attacker and throwing him across the room. The force knocked the display from his hands and saved Hughie at the last second.
"Heh, so this is the coward who doesn't even dare show his face?"
The driver stepped out of the car—it was Billy. He had arrived just in time, ramming his vehicle into the Translucent without hesitation.
"Hughie, get the hell out of here!" Billy shouted as he opened the door and stormed toward the downed supe.
Translucent wasn't down for long, though. Being a superhuman, getting hit by a car didn't hurt him much. With inhuman speed, he sprang to his feet like a beast and launched himself at Billy.
Hughie, still shaken, scrambled to his feet and prepared to run. But when he looked back… he froze.
Billy was losing. Badly.
As a normal human, Billy couldn't see his invisible opponent's movements. Within seconds, he was overwhelmed—punched, kicked, and thrown across the room. Blood spewed from his mouth as the Translucent beat him mercilessly.
Hughie hesitated. He was terrified. But watching Billy suffer sparked something in him.
He couldn't run away this time.
Billy, bleeding and gasping, had one last trick. He spat blood from his mouth toward the Transparent Man. The droplets landed on the invisible body, revealing a faint outline. For a brief moment, Billy could track him—and landed a few hits!
But the advantage didn't last long.
The Transparent Man's body was tougher than diamond. No matter how many blows Billy landed, they couldn't do any real damage. Soon, he was once again being overpowered.
Hughie clenched his fists. He made –a decision.
No more running!!
Just as the Translucent knocked Billy down and stood over him, like every classic villain, he started monologuing.
"Who are you?! Who sent you?! You think you can mess with us and walk away?!" he shouted, standing tall in his arrogance.
That gave Hughie the chance he needed.
He remembered something—a small detail from a TV show. The Translucent had once been a guest on it, and he'd explained his powers. He wasn't truly invisible. His skin was carbonized into a special light-bending material that distorted visibility.
But that carbonized skin had a weakness—electricity.
Hughie scanned the room quickly—and spotted it, a power cable the Translucent had severed earlier during the fight.
He crept up behind him, grabbing the wire. His plan? Deliver a dose of electroshock therapy.
But there was a problem—the wire wasn't long enough to reach the Translucent body. Hughie's heart pounded. He was just inches away and he needed a little more reach to save Billy—and himself.
Fortunately, at that critical moment, Billy, lying on the ground, spotted an opening. With a sudden burst of strength, he kicked the Translucent hard. The force caused the invisible supe to stumble backward—right into the live wire Hughie was holding!
"AAAAAHHHHH!!" A scream tore through the room—a mix of agony and something like a pig being slaughtered. Translucent convulsed violently as electricity surged through his body.
Then—silence.
No movement. No sound. He collapsed, unconscious… or dead.
"Come on, help me drag him to the car!" Billy barked, snapping Hughie out of his shock. "We've gotta get rid of the body! If the rest of The Seven find out, we're screwed!"
Hughie stood frozen.
"W-Wait… we can call the FBI! We can tell them what happened. You saw it—he attacked us first! We were just defending ourselves!"
Billy turned to look at him. His voice was calm. Too calm.
"Sorry, I lied. I'm not with the FBI anymore."
Hughie's face went pale. "What… what did you just say?"
"If this gets out, we're not heroes. We're just two guys who killed a superhero."
Hughie exploded. "Are you freaking kidding me?! You're telling me now?! I electrocuted a damn superhero! I'm a freakin' murderer now?!"
"Yes. But nobody knows yet. As long as we get rid of the body, you're safe. Otherwise... you know what happens if The Seven find us."
Billy's voice was steady, like this wasn't his first time doing something like this.
Hughie, on the other hand, felt like his whole world had flipped upside down.
Still… he had no choice. He was in too deep now.
So, together, they lifted the charred, seemingly lifeless body of the Translucent into the car's trunk. Hughie kept glancing at him, heart pounding.
They'd only driven a few blocks when suddenly—
BANG! THUD!
CRASH!!
The trunk shook violently. Muffled shouts and bangs echoed from inside.
Billy slammed the brakes. Hughie's eyes went wide in terror.
"No way… he's still alive?!"
....
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