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This is how it all started.
Because Starlight wasn't subjected to cyberbullying, the public relations department responded promptly, which meant that Starlight today wasn't sidelined as she was in the original story; she was temporarily awaiting further instructions from above.
She was assigned to her patrol route for daily routine patrols.
More specifically, under the company's arrangement, it was to combat criminals and showcase her charisma as a Superhero.
Along the way, she'd take photos with passersby, strike a few poses, and once the public relations department promoted it, Starlight's work would be considered done.
For most people who joined The Seven, including the former Deep, they only needed to follow the company's orders.
There was no need to do anything extra at all.
But who was Starlight?
She wasn't like the other members of The Seven; Starlight's passion hadn't faded, and her heart was set on becoming a Superhero and fighting evil, so how could she obediently follow the company's arrangements?
Of course, as a newcomer, Starlight certainly couldn't openly oppose the company, and she even had to pretend to be a good girl and listen to what the company said.
But with that in mind, it didn't seem excessive for Starlight to pay a little attention to any notable criminal incidents around her, did it?
Then, as expected, Starlight discovered a confinement incident in this Chinatown.
According to Starlight, through her observations, she found that a certain shop in this Chinatown was very suspicious.
There were only two staff members in this grocery store, and with the boss, only three people in total, yet when one of them bought noodles, he bought enough for six people.
Starlight initially thought that perhaps the shop owner's acquaintances had visited, and she didn't plan to interfere, until she overheard a conversation between two of them.
Through their conversation, Starlight learned that they had a person locked up there, saying that the situation was tense these days, and security had suddenly become very strict, so they were ordered from above to transfer the confined person at night.
Starlight immediately took note of it and then, after getting off work, found Kevin to come here with her to rescue the person.
"Why me?"
Kevin stared at Starlight with dead eyes.
Starlight said as a matter of course:
"You're my idol now, and we're friends, I know you definitely won't stand by and do nothing about this."
"…Thank you!"
"You're welcome!"
I wasn't really thanking you! You brat!!
Kevin really wanted to curse, but he couldn't just turn around and go home, doing nothing.
It would be a minor thing if Starlight thought he was a bad person; in fact, if Starlight truly thought that, Kevin would even say thank you.
The problem was, if Kevin hadn't guessed wrong, the imprisonment incident Starlight encountered should be related to Kimiko, the 'Wolf Girl' from the original plot.
Kimiko Miyashiro, originally a member of the terrorist group Flash Army, though she was forced… later, for some reason, she was trafficked to America and forced to inject Compound V, becoming a Supe.
In the original plot, Kimiko first appeared in the basement of a Chinatown grocery store.
So, if there were no surprises, what Starlight discovered must be related to Kimiko.
Kimiko was injected with Compound V because Homelander wanted to create Supe terrorists.
Homelander wanted to use this to make Congress feel endangered, to make them believe that only Superheroes could protect them, thereby realizing Madelyn's plan to integrate Superheroes into the military.
Kimiko was one of his test subjects…
However, in the original story, before Homelander could even release Kimiko, Hughie and his group got there first, and Kimiko became a member of the protagonist's team from then on.
Originally, saving Kimiko should have been Hughie's job, but now it was Starlight and Kevin themselves.
Kevin calmly pondered and analyzed, realizing that this might actually be his own fault.
Clearly, the human traffickers Kevin killed at sea earlier were the 'professional team' specifically for Homelander to abduct people for experiments.
Because Kevin killed them, Vought and the government began cracking down on these human traffickers, forcing these human trafficking gangs to transfer Kimiko.
And because Kevin was involved in Starlight's affairs, not letting her be sidelined, Starlight patrolled here and discovered these human traffickers, thus connecting everything.
So… I screwed myself over?
Having sorted out the cause and effect of the matter, Kevin slapped his forehead.
Precisely because this matter was related to Kevin, Kevin thought of coming along with Starlight, first, to prevent this girl from offending Homelander at this time.
On the other hand, he also wanted to see if he could gain new skill points.
In the end, did he still fall for it…
"Look, someone went in!"
Kevin felt a pang of melancholy, but Starlight was full of enthusiasm; she patted Kevin's shoulder, calling him back from his daze, and pointed to the grocery store ahead.
Kevin looked over, an East Asian man with an Asian face was carrying a stack of noodle boxes and entering the grocery store.
Judging by the amount of noodles in his hands, there were at least Seven people inside the grocery store, including him.
Excluding the confined Kimiko, the remaining six people might all be related to Compound V.
Which means they are related to Homelander and A-Train.
Kevin actually didn't want to confront Homelander so early; this was inconsistent with his long-standing policy of lying low.
But thinking that because of himself, Kimiko might be transferred by these people, and who knows where she would be transferred to.
Although this would disrupt the original plot, Kevin would gain a lot of skill points.
But since saving people would also earn a lot of skill points, instead of letting it go, it's better to get involved.
After all…
A certain Superhero next to him was very excited; if he didn't get involved, Heaven knows what would happen later under Starlight's reckless actions.
With his involvement, he could at least have some control over what was going to happen next.
"Let's go, we're going in!"
Seeing that person had already entered and confirming that everyone was inside the grocery store, Starlight pulled Kevin, ready to go in together.
Kevin was still trying to make a final struggle:
"By the way, why don't we call the police?"
"We're Superheroes! Why should we call the police?"
Due to Vought's involvement, Superheroes have law enforcement power and a certain degree of immunity from prosecution for killing, so there's no need to call the police; they themselves are considered police.
"Then tell Vought?"
Kevin continued to ask.
But as soon as Vought was mentioned, the excitement on Starlight's face instantly disappeared.
"Tell Vought? They'll just tell us not to get involved in such things, and then arrange similar scripts for us to perform on screen! Deep, we're Superheroes, not actors!"
But we are actors now…
Kevin really wanted to complain.
Starlight, however, grew impatient:
"Are you coming? If not, I'm going in alone!"
"…Fine, I'll go with you."
Lest you lose the fight in there and enact a real-life erotic scene.
Although Kevin didn't think Starlight would lose to a few ordinary people.
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