Chapter 453: 453. Infiltrating Vought International!
For most people, infiltrating Vought International would be an impossible feat.
This wasn't just because of their incredibly robust security department but also because Vought was the home base of The Seven.
Every day, at least one member of The Seven would remain stationed at headquarters, and Homelander was almost always present. With his abilities, an ordinary person had virtually no chance of sneaking in.
However, for Alex, this wasn't much of a challenge.
Using Mystique's shapeshifting ability to infiltrate Vought might fool someone like Butcher, but Alex knew it wasn't a reliable plan in practice.
First, Vought already had superpowered individuals with abilities similar to Mystique's. Naturally, the company had extensively researched such powers.
While altering one's appearance might seem impressive, it didn't mean internal traits or behaviors could be perfectly mimicked. If the impersonator didn't fully understand the habits and behaviors of the person they were copying, they could easily be exposed.
So, Alex opted for a more convenient approach.
Taking out the cards for Mystique and Professor X from his pocket, Alex activated both abilities simultaneously.
One ability was used to handle surveillance, allowing him to walk in using another person's body openly. The other subtly altered the perceptions of those around him, making them unable to "see" him.
Professor X's telepathic powers were exceptionally strong. Even in The Boys universe, this mutation-derived ability proved highly adaptable.
By simply altering people's minds, Alex could make them perceive him as nothing more than thin air.
Strangely, this universe didn't excel in the study of telepathy or psychic abilities. Most superpowered individuals with mind control powers displayed underwhelming combat performance.
For example, the so-called most powerful telepath in this universe, Mindstorm from Payback, couldn't control people if they were prepared for him.
Against someone like Soldier Boy or Homelander, Mindstorm might succeed in a surprise attack. But if either got the first move, he was as good as dead.
Alex stepped forward, transforming into a staff member, and walked directly through Vought's main entrance. Under the influence of his telepathic abilities, no one paid him any attention.
People instinctively diverted their gazes from him, even the superpowered employees working there.
It was Alex's first time inside Vought International, and he found himself fascinated. This was his first chance to "visit" such a large company.
The places he'd been to before were either half-destroyed or complete ruins. Even when he had the rare opportunity to visit Stark Industries, it had to be in a zombie-infested universe.
With severed limbs strewn everywhere and blood splattered across the walls, even the most lavishly designed Stark Tower couldn't pique Alex's interest under such circumstances.
Vought's interior, however, was vast and meticulously organized. Each department occupied its own dedicated floor, and the internal hierarchy was strictly enforced. Departments were prohibited from interacting with one another, and employees were not allowed to visit floors outside their designated zones.
Even Homelander had never accessed the higher floors of Vought, a deliberate limitation meant to serve as foreshadowing for his ambitions later on. In Vought, ascending floors wasn't just about elevation—it symbolized power.
Calculating the time, Alex guessed it was still early. Starlight should still be at her press conference. Before she arrived, he had some time to explore.
Moving around Vought required an electromagnetic access card, but this wasn't a problem for Alex. Finding a blind spot in the surveillance, he switched Mystique's card for Shadowcat's. With this, he could phase through walls and access any floor he wanted.
Switching between various mutant abilities, Alex roamed Vought Tower freely, observing everything without restriction.
As he passed through a corridor, Alex suddenly heard a commotion from a nearby room.
Curious, he phased through the wall. Thanks to his telepathic powers, the people inside remained completely oblivious to his presence.
Upon entering, Alex realized the people inside were none other than A-Train and Vought's infamous "fall guy or girl in this case," Ashley Barrett.
"I swear I didn't mean it! You have to believe me!" A-Train said urgently. "The guy was just standing in the middle of the street. I tried to stop, but it was too late!"
"Do you think telling me that changes anything? You turned a random pedestrian into a pile of mush—right in front of her boyfriend! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused this time?"
"What do you want me to do? It already happened! We need to find a way to fix this, or at least keep the situation from blowing up any further."
"So, you do understand we can't afford this blowing up right now?" Ashley snapped, glaring at A-Train. "I'm still dealing with the whole Lyle situation! On top of that, I'm prepping for Starlight's induction into The Seven. Do you have any idea how busy I am?"
"I get it, I get it! I promise, this won't happen again!" A-Train pleaded.
Faced with this ordinary corporate woman, A-Train, despite being a superhuman, had to humble himself completely.
This kind of scene might be rare in other superhero worlds, but here, it was entirely commonplace.
Under the decades-long influence of Vought International, the superhumans had been brainwashed into becoming the company's most fervent supporters.
To them, everything they had was given by Vought. Without the company's backing, they would be nothing. They'd instantly lose their fans, their wealth, and their fame.
Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. In this world, there were almost no "supervillains" because the sheer number of superheroes was overwhelming. For anyone discovering their superpowers, their first thought was either to join a talent show or to attend Godolkin University to become a hero.
After all, becoming a beloved superhero meant money, women, and power were all within reach.
In this environment, no powerful superhuman would willingly choose to be a supervillain. And those with weaker abilities? They knew their limitations well.
Unless they were utterly foolish, they understood how terrifying it would be to have someone like Homelander knocking on their door.
As such, in this world, 99% of so-called "supervillains" were fabricated by Vought. These scripts were designed to manipulate public opinion or generate profits.
The most famous example was the "fallen hero turned villain" storyline of Eagle the Archer. Every bit of chaos he caused was scripted, and his supposed betrayal was nothing more than a publicity stunt to elevate two other heroes and promote their on-screen romance.
This demonstrated just how influential Vought was. In such a setting, even someone as powerful as A-Train dared not act out against Ashley Barrett.
After all, she was a Vought executive. If he didn't stay on her good side, she could sideline him or utterly ruin his reputation at any moment.
Listening quietly from the sidelines, Alex quickly pieced things together.
The original storyline had clearly begun. A-Train, under the influence of Compound V, experienced an extreme adrenaline rush and accidentally ran straight through Hughie's girlfriend, turning her into a pile of gore in the middle of the street.
This event would eventually push Hughie into Butcher's camp, leading him down a path of rebellion against superheroes.
Sighing softly, Alex shook his head and turned to leave the meeting room.
The time was almost up, and he had more important things to do.
Making his way upward, Alex arrived at The Seven's headquarters, which doubled as their office and meeting room.
Inside was an enormous V-shaped table, flanked by seven chairs, each representing the current members of The Seven.
At the center sat the chair for the most powerful member, Homelander. The others were arranged in order: Queen Maeve, Translucent, A-Train, Black Noir, The Deep, and the newest addition, Starlight, who had replaced Lamplighter.
When Alex entered the room, he found that The Deep had already brought Starlight in.
As a senior member of the team, The Deep had been tasked with showing Starlight around Vought and The Seven's headquarters, helping her familiarize herself with the place.
"Wow," Starlight murmured, her eyes wide as she gazed at the massive global satellite screen on the wall of the meeting room. The girl, who had grown up in a small town, was overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all.
"I used to look in the mirror and imagine what it would feel like to stand here. I still can't believe this is real."
"Yeah," The Deep said with a sigh, clearly nostalgic. "You know, on my first day here, I thought I'd been scammed. Everyone who first steps in here feels the same way you do."
"Thank you," Starlight said earnestly.
"Don't worry about it. You'll get used to it. We're a team now, and we'll support each other."
The Deep walked over to stand behind Homelander's chair and continued speaking.
"We talked about you before, you know. I bet someone that, as a kid, you probably had a Homelander poster on your wall."
"What? No!" Starlight said, clearly embarrassed.
"Homelander… he's just so perfect. Like a saint, almost untouchable. Actually… I had your poster on my wall."
"Really?!" The Deep raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Talking about this for the first time in front of her childhood idol, Starlight felt shy, her cheeks heating up with embarrassment.
"Y-Yeah. I had this kind of… schoolgirl crush on you. I hope that doesn't sound weird."
"Oh, not at all! I think that's fantastic."
"Really? But I…" Starlight trailed off, turning her head in embarrassment.
But the next moment, her expression froze, and her mind went blank.
Because standing in front of her, The Deep had, at some point, taken off his pants.
.....
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454. Coercion.
455. Surprise.
456. The Expert.
457. Helping Each Other.
458. The Translucent's Breakdown.