The banquet hall, the main stage.
On the big screen, footage of Translucent standing tall and proud in his suit played on a loop, interspersed with group photos of The Seven and heartwarming scenes of him participating in various charity events.
Homelander stood behind the podium, his gaze slowly sweeping across the audience. He said in a deep voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, and my brothers and sisters... today, we gather here to bid farewell to a true hero."
He looked up, fighting back tears. "Just two weeks ago, a group of depraved terrorists took the life of our dearest comrade-in-arms, Translucent, using the most cruel methods."
Homelander raised his fist with a face full of indignation, his voice gradually rising. "Those terrorists didn't even dare to face me head-on; they only dared to use despicable sneak attacks to strike down a hero who protected this city!"
"My brother, he fulfilled his oath to protect everyone until his final moment... Before his last mission, he was still talking to me, saying, 'When the mission is over, we'll go get tacos together.'"
Homelander raised his hand to wipe away a tear from the corner of his eye. Sobs could be heard from the audience.
'He's really enjoying this performance!' Wade held Jill, his expression sorrowful as he sniffled. He glanced at the camera. 'Why hasn't Hughie made his move yet? Release the video I gave him! Is there a delay?'
He looked at Damon, the Speaker of the House, who was still chatting with Madelyn in the front row. He knew this white-haired old man was completely under Madelyn's thumb; otherwise, he wouldn't have submitted the "Supe Security Act" to Congress earlier.
'An enemy's friend is an enemy. He deserves to die!' With a slight thought, Wade sensed the slow flow of blood within Damon's body. He wanted to detonate Damon's abnormally large heart on the spot to cause a little chaos and stall for time.
Homelander waved his arms and shouted in a deep voice, "But those cowards! Those executioners... they not only took my brother's life, but recently, they've even used despicable means to try and tarnish his reputation and that of our company!"
He tapped the podium and roared, "Do they think this can shake our convictions? Do they think this can make us back down? No, it only makes us more determined! It makes every hero realize more clearly what kind of bottomless thugs we are facing!"
Homelander's emotions became increasingly intense, his arms raised high as he prepared to continue his speech... Screech!
All the screens, including the massive live broadcast screen, instantly went black.
Homelander's passionate voice came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a piercing noise of electrical static.
Vibrations and ringtones echoed one after another in the banquet hall. Guests picked up their phones, letting out gasps and whispering among themselves.
Buzz—
Then, a picture suddenly lit up on the screen. It was Translucent!
In the video, Translucent was kneeling naked on a concrete floor, shivering uncontrollably.
Tears and snot streaming down his face, he wailed incoherently at the camera, "I confess! I, Alex Hussel, code name Translucent, have done many dirty things for Vought Corporation..."
"Those illegal immigrants, those homeless people... they weren't voluntary donors at all. They were test subjects. Different versions of compound v were built on their lives."
"Orders came from above... they said those pieces of trash at the bottom were the most suitable for testing the long-term side effects of the drugs."
"In the Middle East, North Africa, South America... we cultivate super-powered terrorists ourselves, providing them with compound v and aiding anti-government forces. Then, in the name of peace, we charge local governments exorbitant fees for clearing them out! Over and over again, like harvesting crops..." His voice cracked, filled with a desperate ruthlessness. "Those rescued personnel and families displaced by war... were all meticulously planned by us!"
Translucent began to kowtow. "I am guilty, we are all guilty... Vought is a hypocritical company. They've deceived everyone! I was just a tool for them to make money!"
The "confession video" hit everyone present like a heavy hammer, leaving them dazed. Suppressed gasps and whispers filled the hall.
Madelyn's face turned pale. She stood up and ran to the staff managing the video broadcast, shouting sharply, "What are you doing? You didn't even know we were being hacked! Cut the live feed and the video playback now!"
The stunned staff members scrambled to pull the power from the big screen.
The head of the live broadcast held up his phone and said tremulously, "Ma-Ma'am, our phones were just hacked. They're playing the video simultaneously... and those hackers have already released this footage across the entire internet. We can't take it down at all."
Madelyn gripped her phone tightly and said through gritted teeth, "Do your job. I'm going to contact Public Relations and the Technical Department." With that, she left the banquet hall.
On the stage, Homelander observed the chaos below and quickly adjusted his expression.
Clap, clap, clap—
"Everyone, please listen to me!" He clapped his hands forcefully, his face full of shock and anger. "This is blatant framing and slander! Vought Corporation has always been dedicated to protecting the country and bringing safety and hope to everyone!"
"This is a terrorist conspiracy! They not only brutally murdered my good brother and comrade-in-arms, but they also forced him to record these lies before he died! Their goal is to smear us and destroy the stability we maintain together. We must not let them succeed!"
He was impassioned, and most of the guests were swayed by his emotions, beginning to clap along. The situation reversed in an instant.
Homelander looked at the crowd as order was restored. He clenched his fist and said loudly, "What does this show? It shows that terrorists have blatantly infiltrated our country! They use these underhanded tactics only because... they are afraid... afraid that we will fight for the people and the government!"
Thunderous applause rang out, but it didn't last long.
Below the stage, the phones of politicians and celebrities chimed one after another. They looked down, and their expressions changed instantly.
On everyone's phone screens, a video—sometimes blurry, sometimes clear—played on a loop: Homelander in a jolting cabin, crimson Heat Vision firing from his eyes, passengers screaming as they were torn apart.
The scenes of flying flesh and blood exposed the true nature of the massacre.
Shock! Uproar! Panic!
The hands that were just clapping froze in mid-air. Politicians and celebrities gaped in horror. People instinctively moved away from the stage, knocking over glasses and tables.
Homelander stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the guests who had suddenly fallen silent with terrified expressions, somewhat confused.
Ashley rushed onto the stage and tremulously handed him a phone, whispering, "You, you should see this... Let's go down first. It's best to let PR handle it."
Homelander stared blankly at the video on the screen, his pupils shrinking. He couldn't say a word.
Madelyn held a microphone and said calmly, "Everyone, please stay calm. Hackers are attacking our network! These videos are all fake."
Homelander took the phone and looked at the "masterpiece" he had created with his own hands. Anger and panic intertwined on his face.
He tried his best to suppress his emotions and roared, "This is a complete frame-up! Look at the image quality, the blurriness. This isn't me at all!"
"I was with Maeve at the time. We hadn't even found the plane before it crashed. How could I have been on it? This is a despicable conspiracy against me and Vought!"
Below the stage, Maeve looked down at her phone. Seeing her indifferent self in the video, her face was filled with reminiscence and sorrow.
She remembered that during the plane crash, many passengers were filming them. She thought everything had exploded with the plane, leaving no evidence.
The pleading voices and faces of the passengers surfaced in her mind. The sensation of the two little girls suddenly exploding in her arms felt as if it were happening right now... Maeve felt a piercing pain in her chest, and two lines of hot tears flowed from her eyes.
At this moment, on the stage, Homelander found that no matter how he explained, the reaction of the crowd remained unchanged... Gazes of doubt and fear pierced him like physical objects. He could already foresee a dark future where his prestige and image collapsed.
Ashley stood aside and whispered, "Sir, PR will handle it. Look..."
Homelander opened his mouth, his face beginning to show impatience and irritability. He then stepped off the stage and left the room in a huff.
Madelyn and Simon were arguing in low voices near the door. With a dark expression, Homelander strode toward the exit of the banquet hall, walking straight past them.
Bang! Splat, splat—Thud—Crash!
Simon's body suddenly exploded without warning. Flesh and bone fragments sprayed out like a rainstorm, drenching the caught-off-guard Homelander and Madelyn.
Such an entirely unexpected attack occurring in Vought Tower left the two of them momentarily dazed.
Madelyn screamed helplessly, her breathing ragged. "H-huh... Speaker Simon... how could this happen..."
"Who? Who was it?" Homelander stood frozen, holding Madelyn in disbelief. Warm blood trickled down his cheeks and uniform. He muttered obsessively, "I see. I understand now! The terrorists are among these people!"
He steadied Madelyn, his eyes glowing red. "Wait here, I'm going to drag them out!"
Madelyn hurried after him, grabbing his arm and whispering, "Listen to me, don't go."
"All those videos have been uploaded to the internet by hackers. We have to find a way to fix this. We can't afford to offend everyone here!"
"Am I supposed to do nothing? This old man died right next to me! It affects my reputation, my popularity! Do you have any idea!"
"Go ahead then. Use force and confirm everything! Let them all know exactly what kind of person you are!"
Homelander released his clenched fist and said through gritted teeth, "Then what do you suggest?"
Madelyn pulled up his cape to wipe the blood from her face, her expression full of malice. "Don't forget... this... is our territory!"
Inside the banquet hall, the situation had completely spiraled out of control. Guests scrambled for cover, and screams and arguments were heard everywhere.
Ashley reacted extremely quickly, methodically directing the busy security personnel. "Quickly, take them to a safe place!"
Wade held Jill and followed Klara, evacuating through another exit of the banquet hall along with the crowd. 'Hmph, I'd like to see how they're going to clean up this mess.'
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