Chương 46

Billy Butcher stood outside Grace Mallory's place. He had come because Raynor was dead, and the government contact he had trusted was gone. Mallory had once created the Boys, but she had also made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him. Mallory looked shocked when she opened the door. Mallory looked at him without speaking. Butcher had not come to her for comfort, and she already knew that his visit would bring trouble back to her door.

"I told you not to come here," Mallory said. Butcher did not move.

"The Deputy Director is dead. They dragged her into this mess too. They made her part of the fight, and then they killed her. Are you still going to refuse to help me?" Mallory did not answer immediately; she looked away while considering the danger he had brought to her, then released a tired breath.

"Fine. Do one thing for me. A Supe terrorist has entered the United States. Bring him to me, and I may learn what you want to know." Mallory held his gaze.

"I cannot promise more than that. I will not involve myself until you have him." Butcher smiled. Mallory had finally given him the lead he needed.

"Consider it done." At a Vought publicity event, Ashley was arranging interviews for the women of the Seven. Vought had ordered the event as part of its women-empowerment campaign. The goal was simple: make the public see how powerful the Seven's women were. Every camera had to leave with the same message, and Ashley kept reminding the staff that the event was about control as much as it was about praise. The three women stood together when the interview began.

The first questions were easy, and the women stayed in position for the cameras. Maeve's phone vibrated before the round ended. She checked it and said she had to leave before walking away without explaining the call. That left Stormfront and Starlight in front of the reporters. Starlight kept her posture steady, even though she was already watching Stormfront with concern. The questions began with the usual praise. Stormfront answered each one without hesitation.

She did not wait for Ashley to guide her, and she did not soften her replies for the cameras. Ashley tried to signal her to keep the answers short, but Stormfront barely looked in her direction. She spoke as if the event belonged to her instead of Vought. A reporter leaned toward her.

"Do girls make better heroes than boys?" Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Stormfront looked at him.

"Why does it matter whether heroes have a dick or a vag?" The room went quiet. Stormfront did not look embarrassed by the silence. She faced the cameras as if the surprise belonged to the people who had asked the question. She continued before anyone could stop her.

"I think chicks and dicks are in it together. We should be competent at our jobs." Her answer rejected the whole comparison instead of choosing one side. That was not the safe statement Ashley had prepared, and everyone near the cameras understood it. Ashley stared at her from the side of the stage. Starlight also looked surprised. A few reporters exchanged uncertain looks, while others kept their microphones raised because Stormfront had finally given them something real to use.

The event had been designed to make the Seven look polished, but Stormfront was answering as if nobody had given her talking points. She then complained that Vought's costume did not even give her proper pockets and revealed far more than it should. She made the complaint directly to the cameras, treating the clothing as another part of the system she was willing to criticize, which only made the reporters more uncomfortable.

The interview was still moving when A-Train appeared behind them, and sweat gathered on Starlight's face. She kept smiling for the cameras while fearing that his words would tell Homelander she had helped the Boys and that Adam had saved him. Before A-Train could speak, Starlight stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. The embrace looked natural to the cameras, while her hands held him tightly enough to stop him from taking another step.

"You're okay," she said. A-Train hugged her back and said, "I'm fine. You didn't expect me to recover, did you?" He said nothing else. He did not need to. His eyes stayed on Starlight, and the way he held himself told her that he had enough information to expose her in front of Homelander. He knew she was trying to protect herself, and he let that knowledge remain between them while the reporters watched. Starlight remained tense through the rest of the interview.

She kept smiling for the cameras, but worry and sweat remained visible. When the interview ended, the event turned into a party. Starlight immediately began looking for A-Train. She could not relax while he was somewhere in the same room, carrying a secret that could destroy her position in the Seven. She found him moving through the room while eating from a plate. She had checked the faces around her more than once before seeing him, and each second had made her more anxious.

He looked relaxed, which only made the information he carried feel more dangerous to her. She caught his arm and pulled him away from the crowd. She waited until the music and nearby voices covered them before turning him toward her. Her voice was sharp.

"You know you're alive today because of Adam." A-Train looked at her with surprise, but he stayed quiet. He seemed to measure her words before answering, and that silence made Starlight more nervous than an argument would have.

"I know you won't tell anyone about the incident," Starlight said. A-Train finally turned toward her. He glanced once toward the party before bringing his attention back to her.

"Why do you think that?" Starlight smiled. She had already understood that fear was the reason he would remain quiet, and she wanted him to understand that she knew it.

"Because you're scared."