Chapter 36: Bibi Labu Killed Someone
The second Ezekiel exploded, Hughie's mind went blank.
The white stone platform by the pool was stained red, and the pool water bubbled up with a layer of murky foam.
Shredded fabric clung to the ground, as if it had just been tossed into a meat grinder.
Hughie was standing too close. Blood and water splashed into his face. He instinctively closed his eyes.
But the filth did not land on Li Xing. A transparent curtain of water rose before him, like someone pulling open a clean glass door.
Blood droplets hit it, slid slowly down the water's surface, and finally gathered into a thin stream that flowed back into the pool. Not even the tips of Li Xing's shoes were stained.
Hughie was different. His face, shirt, pants, and hair were all red. Various fragments of the hero stuck to him.
He looked down at his chest, his lips trembling. "You..." He wanted to curse, wanted to throw up. In the end, he couldn't say anything.
Li Xing raised his hand, the water curtain dispersed, and fell back into the pool. He glanced at the remains on the ground, then at the baptismal pool. "Not a bad ability."
Hughie looked up sharply. Li Xing added, "Just poorly developed."
Hughie's throat tightened. "You just killed him." "Yeah." "You killed Ezekiel." "Are you a broken record?"
Hughie's stomach churned. Although he had killed Translucent and seen Popclaw drained dry, and knew that these Superhumans from Vought weren't good people.
Seeing someone inflated like a balloon and then explode right in front of him still made his whole body run cold.
Li Xing, however, was expressionless, as if he had just stepped on a bug. He even walked over to the long table, picked up an unfinished cupcake, looked at it, and put it back down.
"This place is such a rip-off." Hughie's voice trembled. "What?"
"Diamond Club, and the desserts use artificial cream. To be blunt, a ten-thousand-dollar ticket and they don't even use real dairy cream—too stingy."
Li Xing looked back at him. "No wonder Jesus doesn't come here."
Hughie's mouth twitched. This guy was sick. Seriously sick.
Li Xing crouched down and picked up the cross brooch that Ezekiel had dropped on the ground. The back of the brooch was engraved with a Vought serial number. He wiped the blood off with his thumb.
"Mercy Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit."
Hughie snapped back to reality. Right. compound v. What Ezekiel just mentioned was the real big deal. Vought screened infants. The ones who survived became superheroes. The ones who died didn't even have names.
Hughie's breathing became ragged. "I have to tell Butcher."
Li Xing tossed the brooch to him. Hughie scrambled to catch it. "What is this?" "Ezekiel's internal access badge," Li Xing said.
"With this, it will be easier for you to investigate Mercy Hospital."
Hughie stared at the brooch, his expression shifting. He didn't know what Li Xing was really trying to do. Save them? Threaten them? Help them find compound v? And then kill someone just like that.
This guy was like a glass of water mixed with bleach—it looked transparent, but drinking it would burn a hole through your stomach.
Just then, Hughie suddenly saw the pile of remains that used to be Ezekiel move. It was actually just the water current pushing the shredded cloth, but his nerves were already stretched to the limit.
"Ah!" Hughie screamed. The sound exploded in the empty hall.
Li Xing turned his head. Paused for two seconds. Then he took out his phone, opened the camera, and pointed it at Hughie. The next second.
Li Xing mimicked Hughie's voice and screamed along with him. "Ah!" Hughie froze.
Li Xing shoved the camera into his face, his voice rising. "Hughie killed someone!" "He killed Ezekiel!" "Oh my god!"
"A seemingly harmless, ordinary young man has brutally murdered a well-known religious Superhuman at the Diamond Club!"
Hughie stood frozen in place. "No, man."
Li Xing kept filming. "The murderer is covered in blood, emotionally unstable, and the evidence at the scene is conclusive."
"No, man." Hughie finally found his voice. "You're framing me right in front of my face?"
Li Xing put the phone down. "Don't be nervous. I'm just helping you desensitize."
Hughie pointed at his blood-soaked body. "Do I look desensitized to you now?"
Li Xing looked at him seriously for two seconds. "Like a murderer who just killed someone."
Hughie almost fainted. He reached out to grab the phone. Li Xing gently raised a hand.
A hand made of water reached out from the pool and pressed down on Hughie's shoulder. The force wasn't great, but Hughie couldn't move. The transparent hand was ice-cold against his wet clothes.
Hughie's breath hitched. Li Xing shook the phone. "Relax, I didn't post it. I'm just keeping it as a souvenir."
"If you ever badmouth me to Butcher in the future, I'll edit this."
Hughie's eyes widened. "Edit it?" "Yeah," Li Xing said.
"Put your scream at the beginning. The crime scene in the middle. And my voiceover at the end."
"I've even thought of the title.'Shocking! Starlight's Boyfriend Bloodbaths Religious Superhuman.'"
Hughie fell silent. He felt like he was completely being toyed with by Li Xing.
Footsteps came from the side door near the ceiling. Bibi Labu crawled out from the kitchen, holding a chicken leg in its mouth. It saw the scene in the hall and stopped in its tracks. The chicken leg dropped to the floor.
"What the fuck..." It stared at Hughie. "Are you attending a baptism or a slaughterhouse training course? So that's what a baptism means."
Before Hughie could speak, Li Xing pointed to the ground. "Ezekiel is dead."
Bibi Labu glanced at the pile of remains. "I can see that. Dead as can be."
Bibi Labu looked at Li Xing. "Did you do it?" Li Xing shook his head. "No."
Hughie looked at him sharply. Bibi Labu also looked at him. Li Xing raised his hand and pointed at Bibi Labu. "You did it."
The air went quiet for a second. The chicken grease on the corner of Bibi Labu's mouth froze. "Huh?" "Me... me?"
Li Xing turned to Hughie and said, "Actually, these abilities have always been Bibi Labu's superpowers."
Hughie was stunned. "What?" Li Xing's expression was calm. "Water control, ice formation, water mist, fluid manipulation. It's all him."
Bibi Labu's eyes nearly popped out. "You motherf— I wasn't even at the scene, can you come up with a better excuse?"
Li Xing glanced at it. Bibi Labu swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Hughie looked at Bibi Labu. Bibi Labu stood by the blood, still wearing the "Do Not Disturb" sign around its neck, chicken grease on its mouth, its eyes filled with "I want to call the police but I might be a suspect myself."
Hughie swallowed hard. "But it's a dog." Bibi Labuexploded. "You're the dog! I'm a Beagle!"
Li Xing nodded. "See, obvious emotional volatility. Common symptom for Superhumans."
Hughie's mind was a mess. It wasn't like he hadn't seen absurd abilities before. Telescopic arms. Invisible skin. Laser eyes. The Deep could talk to fish. A Beagle that could talk, smoke cigars, and control water didn't seem completely unacceptable.
After all, the world was already messed up enough. One more super-powered dog wouldn't change much.
Hughie spoke with difficulty. "So... you're just his cover?" Li Xing smiled. "Smart."
Bibi Labu nearly choked. Where is the smart part? Even if I thought with my ass, I'd know this is impossible. If that compound v hit me, wouldn't I have died ages ago? Does this kid actually believe it?
It immediately stepped forward. "No, Hughie, listen to me explain—"
The water at Li Xing's feet moved. A droplet of water shot up and landed in Bibi Labu's mouth. Bibi Labu choked on the spot. "Cough, cough, cough!"
Li Xing looked at Hughie. "It doesn't like exposing its identity. Super-powered animals are very dangerous in Vought's system."
Hughie's expression changed. That made sense. Vought would even use infants for screening. If they knew about an animal that could control water, they would definitely capture and dissect it.
Hughie's gaze toward Bibi Labu became complicated. There was shock. There was sympathy. Bibi Labuunderstood. Its fur stood on end. It was over. It had become a primary target for assassination.
If someone like Butcher heard this news, his first reaction definitely wouldn't be to protect the animal. He would first prepare a lot of chocolate and grapes.
Li Xing patted Hughie on the shoulder. "Go back and tell Butcher. Mercy Hospital. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. And, don't touch my dog."
Bibi Labu glared at him. "You call this protecting me?" Li Xing looked down. "Your value has gone up now." Bibi Labu gritted its teeth. "Thanks a lot."
Hughie gripped the brooch in his palm, saying nothing. Li Xing's smile faded slightly. "Alright, we're partners now."
Hughie was stunned. Li Xing turned and walked toward the side door of the hall. The blood on the ground followed him, like someone dragging a red line.
A few seconds later, all traces at the scene that could point to him were swept away by the water current and drained into the sewer. Only Hughie remained, covered in blood. And the brooch in his hand.
As Bibi Labu passed by Hughie, it barked. "You'd best not trust him too much." Hughie looked at it, completely failing to understand what Bibi Labu was saying.
"Li Xing, what is your dog doing?" Bibi Labu sighed. "Forget it. With your IQ, just being alive is an insult to life sciences. I can only say that fetal preservation technology has developed too well."
Outside the door. Li Xing stood at the end of the corridor and lit a cigarette. A cigarette after the deed, better than a god.
Chapter 37: Starlight's Speech
The night pressed down over the stadium.
The lights were still on in the front arena.
In the back, someone was dead.
But for now, no one knew this.
Hughie washed his face three times with cold water in the restroom, but he still felt like he smelled of something.
The smell of blood.
The smell of water.
And that scent Li Xing had, the kind that made you want to call the police, though you wouldn't know which department to call.
He crouched in the stall, holding his phone, his voice trembling.
"Butcher."
"Speak."
"Mercy Hospital, Midtown, NICU."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a second.
Hughie glanced at the cross brooch in his hand.
"Ezekiel said so."
"Vought is injecting babies with compound v there."
Butcher's breathing grew heavier.
"Are you sure?"
"I heard it with my own ears."
"Where is he?"
Hughie closed his eyes.
The sound of that "bang" flashed through his mind again.
"He's dead."
Butcher was silent.
Then he laughed.
"Did you do it?"
"No."
"Then who did?"
At the end of the hallway, Li Xing was puffing on a cigarette, head bowed, teasing Bibi Labu.
Bibi Labu looked utterly lifeless, like he'd just been forced to sign a lifetime contract of indentured servitude.
Hughie said in a low voice.
"You don't want to know."
Butcher didn't press further.
"You guys be careful."
"Hughie."
"Yeah?"
"Good job."
The call ended.
Hughie stood there, stunned.
This was the first time Butcher had said something like that.
Butcher usually only insulted people, calling them assholes or idiots.
But this time, he had actually broken precedent and offered praise.
Hughie should have been happy.
But he only wanted to throw up.
...
Midtown.
Mercy Hospital.
Two black vans were parked outside the emergency entrance.
Butcher sat in the passenger seat, a cigarette in his mouth, his eyes fixed on the side door of the hospital.
MM checked his magazine.
"This place has Vought security."
Butcher said.
"Of course it does."
"They're injecting babies with their miracle drug here; it would be weird if they didn't have people watching."
MM frowned.
"We can't just go in guns blazing."
"There are children in there."
Butcher glanced at him.
"I know."
"That's why we're going in to get the stuff."
"Whoever gets in the way, gets hurt."
MM didn't say anything.
The two of them got out of the car.
A night-shift nurse was looking down at some forms in the lobby.
Butcher put on a white lab coat, with the temporary ID he'd just stolen hanging on his chest.
MM pushed a medical waste cart, his face as grim as if he were actually here for a shift.
They entered through the side door.
The elevator went up.
The number climbed to the seventh floor.
The NICU.
There were two security guards at the end of the hall.
One was scrolling through his phone.
One was leaning against the wall, yawning.
Butcher walked over, smiling politely.
"Good evening, brothers."
The guard looked up.
"You're not allowed here—"
Bang.
Butcher punched him in the throat.
"I'm allowing myself."
MM simultaneously shoved the cart, knocking the other one over.
Both of their movements were clean.
No gunshots.
No screaming.
MM swore under his breath.
"You call this not going in guns blazing?"
Butcher dragged the security guards into the utility closet.
"I was being gentle."
They pushed open the ward door.
It was very quiet inside.
Rows of incubators glowed with blue light.
Babies lay inside.
Their tiny fingers were curled.
Some were sleeping.
Some had their eyes open, unaware of what was happening to them.
MM stopped in his tracks.
The sight made his stomach sink.
This scene was far more terrifying than a battlefield.
Butcher didn't speak either.
Beside the incubators, several IV tubes were connected to clear liquid.
The liquid had a very faint blue tint.
compound v.
MM took out his phone to take pictures.
Butcher took a sample from the refrigerator and placed it in a metal box.
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the corridor.
MM raised his gun.
The footsteps got closer and closer.
The doorknob turned.
A doctor walked in.
He saw the two of them, and his expression stiffened.
"Who are you?"
Butcher tucked the metal box into his jacket and smiled at him.
"Pediatric volunteers."
The doctor opened his mouth to scream.
MM stepped forward and brought his gun butt down.
The doctor collapsed.
Butcher looked at the room full of incubators.
His smile was gone.
"Vought bastards."
...
Stadium main stage.
Starlight stood at the backstage entrance.
Outside, applause came in waves.
Her name lit up on the screen.
[Starlight: Youth Faith Sharing]
Donna stood behind her, adjusting her shoulder armor.
"Smile."
Starlight didn't move.
Donna lowered her voice.
"Annie, don't be like this."
"Tonight is chaotic enough as it is."
"You just need to read the teleprompter, and it'll be over."
Starlight looked at herself in the mirror.
Her makeup was clean, her suit was bright, but this wasn't what she wanted.
She suddenly asked.
"Mom, do you know what I've been through lately?"
Donna's hand paused.
"Now is not the time for this."
Starlight turned around.
"Then when is?"
Donna looked toward the door, confirming no one was listening.
"We can talk later."
Starlight smiled.
"Later?"
"I'm in The Seven, living like I'm in prison every day, and you tell me to hold on."
"Now I can't even tell the truth."
Donna frowned.
"I'm protecting you."
"Do you know how much I sacrificed for today?"
"I sold the house, scrimped and saved, took you to every audition, every event, every damn children's hero pageant."
"I've waited twenty-three years."
Starlight looked at her.
"And so what?"
Donna froze.
Starlight's voice was very soft.
"So I have to become the person you want me to be?"
"Must I stand on stage and say things I don't believe?"
"Must I thank God, thank Vought, thank every lie that pushed me up here?"
Donna's face darkened.
"Annie, everything you have now, I fought for you."
Starlight said.
"Then I'll give it all back to you."
The host's voice rang out outside.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome—Starlight!"
Applause exploded.
Donna grabbed her wrist.
"Don't ruin yourself."
Annie walked onto the stage.
The lights fell upon her.
The audience was packed.
Li Xing sat in the front row, holding a cup of freshly bought hot cocoa.
Bibi Labu lay on the chair, munching on a biscuit.
"She doesn't look right."
Li Xing said.
"That's a good thing."
Bibi Labu looked up.
"You call that a good thing?"
Li Xing watched Starlight on stage.
"When a person starts acting 'off,' it only means she's still alive."
Starlight stood behind the podium.
The teleprompter lit up.
[My young friends, I was once lost too, but God guided me...]
She looked at it for two seconds.
She spoke.
"Hello, everyone."
The applause slowly died down.
"I was supposed to say that I've known since I was a child that I was chosen by God."
"I was supposed to say that as long as you are pious enough, you will definitely find your direction."
The teleprompter continued to scroll.
She didn't look at it.
"But that's a lie."
The whole room went quiet.
On stage.
Starlight took a deep breath.
"Every word I'm saying here, every syllable, is on the teleprompter."
"These are all lies."
The audience began to stir.
Starlight continued.
"I'm lost too, and I'm afraid too."
"I don't know all the answers; I can't guide you."
"Homelander can't, Vought can't, and I can't either."
She paused.
"God can't make choices for you either."
"You know, when Jesus wrote the Bible, He was only thirty."
As these words fell.
The faces of several pastors in the front row turned green.
Donna stood backstage, leaning against the wall, her breathing ragged.
Starlight picked up the microphone and stepped out from behind the podium.
"You ask if homosexuality is a sin."
"You ask if premarital sex is a sin."
"You ask if a person must live the way you approve of."
She looked at those young faces in the audience.
"I don't know what God thinks."
"But I know that people love, people make mistakes, people get scared, and people are forced to lie."
"If faith is only left with making others shut up, then it's not faith."
"That's control."
The venue remained silent.
Starlight gripped the microphone, trying to give herself some courage.
"There's one more thing."
Starlight looked into the camera.
"The first day I joined The Seven, The Deep used his little dick to make me give him oral sex."
She paused.
The whole room was deathly silent.
Girl, you really do say anything.
Donna covered her mouth.
Hughie stood at the side door, his clothes not yet fully dry, clapping wildly.
Very loudly.
Alone.
All by himself.
Starlight lowered her head.
The lights shone on her.
This time, she didn't look like a Vought billboard.
She looked like a person.
Backstage, Donna looked at her daughter, her face pale.
She wanted to rush out.
But her legs didn't move.
Because she knew.
At this moment, Annie was no longer the child she could pull back.
...
Outside Mercy Hospital.
Butcher and MM rushed into the car.
The car door closed.
Butcher held up the blue vial, watching the liquid sloshing gently inside.
"Got it."
At the same time.
The 81st floor of Vought Tower.
Madelyn Stillwell stood in her office.
Watching Starlight publicly accuse The Deep.
Her phone kept vibrating.
The Board of Directors, the PR Department, the legal department.
Madelyn Stillwell didn't answer.
The Homelander situation from this morning hadn't been resolved yet, and now, tonight, Starlight had done this.
In the small group that is The Seven, there are actually three people who won't listen.
Chapter 38: Is This Right?
Inside the backstage corridor.
The lights were turning off one by one.
The applause outside hadn't completely faded, and the voice of the host trying to salvage the situation still lingered over the stadium.
Starlight stood beside the emergency exit.
She hadn't changed her clothes.
Her white and gold suit was still glowing, with a bit of dust on the edge of the shoulder guard.
She looked down at her hands.
Just now on stage, she had spoken out about The Deep's incident.
The moment she said it, she thought she would tremble, break down, and be torn apart by the gaze of the entire audience.
But after she actually finished, she only felt quiet.
A very strange kind of quiet.
Like something that had been pressing on her chest for a long time had finally cracked open.
Footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
Starlight looked up.
Hughie was standing there.
His hair was still wet, his clothes weren't completely dry, and he was holding his coat in his arms.
He looked even more disheveled than he had in the venue just now.
Starlight's expression sank instantly.
"Where did you go?"
Hughie stopped.
"I..."
Starlight took a step forward.
"Diamond Club?"
Hughie didn't speak.
Starlight looked at the coat in his hands, then saw a smudge of dark red on his collar that hadn't been washed off.
Her voice dropped.
"You went to find Ezekiel."
Hughie's throat moved.
"Yes."
Starlight gave a small laugh.
It wasn't out of happiness.
"I didn't expect you to be this kind of hypocritical person too."
Hughie looked up.
"Annie, it's not like that."
"Then what is it like?"
Starlight stared at him.
"Do you think I'm easy to fool, too?"
This sentence was heavier than an insult.
Hughie's face went pale instantly.
He didn't rush to explain.
Because what Starlight said wasn't entirely wrong.
He had indeed kept things from her.
He had indeed used her identity.
Even if the reason sounded righteous, it couldn't cover up the fact that the thing itself was rotten.
Hughie set the coat aside and let his hands hang down.
"My girlfriend died."
Starlight was stunned.
Hughie looked at the ground, his voice a bit raspy.
"Her name was Robin."
"We were standing on the side of the street."
"She was still holding my hand, talking just a second ago."
"The next second, A-Train ran right through her."
Starlight didn't move; she did remember that incident.
The cold wind in the corridor blew in, and the safety door swayed slightly.
Hughie continued.
"I was only left with her two hands."
"After that day, people from Vought came to find me."
"They gave me a check."
"They made me sign a non-disclosure agreement."
"They said it was an accident."
He laughed when he said this.
Starlight looked at him, not speaking.
Everyone was a pitiful person.
Hughie had lost his beloved, while she had been deceived by Vought.
Hughie reached into his pocket and took out that cross brooch.
The brooch had been washed by him.
There was still a bit of unwashed red in the crevices.
"Ezekiel is dead."
Starlight's pupils constricted.
"What?"
"Just now."
"Right at the Diamond Club."
Starlight took half a step back.
"Who did it?"
Hughie was silent.
Starlight looked at his expression and suddenly understood.
"Li Xing?"
Hughie didn't admit it.
Nor did he deny it.
This was the answer.
Starlight's face became even uglier.
"He killed Ezekiel?"
"Ezekiel wanted to kill me first."
Hughie said.
"He choked me against the pool edge and almost snapped my neck."
Starlight subconsciously looked at his neck.
There was indeed a faint circle of finger marks there.
Hughie spoke very slowly.
"Annie, I lied to you."
"I'm very sorry."
"You can be angry."
"You should also be angry."
Starlight looked at him.
The next second, Starlight stepped forward and hugged him.
Hughie was stunned for a moment, then carefully hugged her back.
Her suit was a bit cold.
But she herself was trembling.
Hughie said softly.
"You were very brave on stage just now."
Starlight pressed her forehead against his shoulder.
"I'm not brave at all right now."
"It's okay."
Hughie said.
"I'm not brave most of the time either."
Starlight asked in a muffled voice.
"Then how did you survive until now?"
Hughie thought for a moment.
"Luck."
"And running fast."
"And being pushed along by a lot of lunatics."
The two hugged quietly for a while.
Two people chilled to the bone by Vought briefly borrowed a little warmth from each other.
In the shadows of the corner.
Li Xing leaned against the corner of the wall, spinning a lighter in his hand.
It looked at the two people hugging in the distance.
"Aren't you going to interrupt?"
Li Xing looked at it.
"Why would I go?"
Bibi Labu thought for a moment.
"According to your usual level of jerkiness, you should walk over, applaud, and say 'Kiss, kiss'."
Li Xing nodded.
"That makes sense."
He had just taken a step.
Bibi Labu hurriedly bit his pant leg.
"I was just saying that."
"Don't actually go."
"Leave some space for the young couple."
Li Xing looked down at it.
"You've been kind lately."
Bibi Labu let go.
"It's not kindness."
"It's because I want to go home, I'm a bit stuffed."
Li Xing smiled.
"Let's go."
"Nothing left to see."
Bibi Labu perked up immediately upon hearing this.
Li Xing walked out the side door of the stadium.
The night wind blew over.
There were siren sounds in the distance.
Reporter cars were blocking the main entrance, with flashes connecting into a sea of light.
The PR Department of Vought was running around frantically.
Deleting videos, issuing press releases, making phone calls.
No one knew that Ezekiel had already died backstage.
And no one knew that the samples from Mercy Hospitalhad already been obtained by The Boys.
Li Xing stood on the steps and lit a cigarette.
His phone rang.
Caller ID.
Maeve.
Li Xing answered.
The other end of the line was very noisy.
There was the sound of glasses clinking, music, and Maeve's lowered breathing.
"Where are you?"
Li Xing exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Just came out of a scam convention."
Maeve was silent for two seconds.
"You've been quite troublesome tonight."
"Not bad."
Li Xing said.
"Homelander is more consistent."
Maeve sneered.
"He's crazy."
"You're not much better."
Li Xing listened to her voice.
It was hoarser than usual.
Deeper than usual.
He didn't have to ask to know.
It was Elena again.
Every time Maeve finished fighting with her ex-girlfriend, her voice was like this.
Like she had been drinking, or like she hadn't woken up.
Li Xing leaned against the railing.
"Where are you?"
"The usual place."
"Come have a couple of drinks."
Li Xing glanced at Bibi Labu.
Bibi Labu immediately looked up.
"Going to be an emotional trash can for the heartbroken queen again?"
"I'm serious, does The Seven not have a budget for psychological counseling?"
Maeve on the other end heard it.
"Bring that barking dog along too."
Bibi Labu stiffened.
"She heard that?"
Li Xing said.
"Her ears work better than your brain."
Maeve said on the phone.
"Half an hour."
"If you're late, you're paying."
The phone hung up.
Li Xing put away his phone.
Bibi Labu looked up.
"What's wrong with her again?"
Li Xing walked toward the street.
"Ex-girlfriend."
Bibi Labu understood.
"Classic dungeon."
"A high-combat-power hero controlled by a silence combo from an ex, physical defense maxed out, emotional resistance zero."
Li Xing hailed a car.
The car door opened.
He sat inside.
Bibi Labu jumped into the backseat and laid down directly.
The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror.
Then looked at Li Xing's face.
His expression changed.
"Are you..."
Li Xing raised his eyes.
"No."
The driver shut his mouth.
The car drove into the night.
The stadium lights were left behind.
A few minutes later.
Li Xing arrived at the agreed-upon pub.
In the corner, Maeve was sitting alone.
There were already three empty glasses on the table.
She looked at her reflection outside the window.
The makeup on the person in the glass was a bit smudged.
Doesn't look like a queen.
Nor does it look like a hero.
More like a person who has held on for too long.
The bartender walked over.
"Do you want more?"
Maeve pushed the glass over.
"Fill it up."
The doorbell at the entrance rang.
Li Xing walked in.
His black trench coat carried the chill of the night.
Bibi Labu followed behind and jumped onto a bar stool familiarly.
"Boss."
Bibi Labu raised a paw.
"Give me a glass of water."
The bartender was stunned.
Bibi Labu added.
"With ice."
Li Xing walked over to sit opposite Maeve.
"A glass of water with ice, for the dog."
Li Xing looked at her for two seconds.
"Cried?"
Maeve looked up, her eyes dim.
Li Xing nodded.
"Looks like you did cry."
Maeve picked up the glass and drained it in one gulp.
The bottom of the glass slammed onto the table.
"Elena doesn't want to see me."
Li Xing's fingers paused.
Bibi Labu stopped chewing the ice too.
Maeve looked at him.
Smiled a little.
"She doesn't even want to say a word to me."
"I'm really very sad."
The music in the pub changed to a slow song.
Have to say, the atmosphere was spot on.
Maeve lowered her head, looking at the wine in the glass.
"Tell me."
"Am I especially pathetic?"
Li Xing didn't answer immediately.
He just put the cigarette case on the table and pushed it over.
Maeve pulled one out.
Lit it.
Smoke rose.
Li Xing then spoke.
"No."
Maeve looked up.
Li Xing said.
"She just needs some time and space."
"She actually still cares about you."
"Generally speaking, when young couples have conflicts, having sex once will fix it."
Maeve was stunned.
Bibi Labu turned its head slowly.
"Bro."
"Is your direction of comfort correct?"
Chapter 39: Black Noir
Maeve stared at Li Xing.
The cigarette in her hand had burned down a bit, and the ash fell onto the rim of her glass.
After Li Xing said, "When a young couple has a conflict, having sex once will fix it," the table fell silent for three seconds.
"Is that how you usually comfort people?"
Li Xing nodded.
"The effectiveness varies from person to person."
Bibi Labu lay prone beside them, his paws clutching a glass of ice water.
"It mostly depends on whether the other person has the ability to kill you."
Maeve stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray.
"Then you're in luck today."
Li Xing looked at the empty glass in front of her.
"Indeed."
"In your current state, you'd probably miss your swing."
Maeve looked up.
"Want to find out?"
Li Xing pushed his own glass away.
"Not really."
Behind the bar, the bartender was wiping down glasses.
Seeing their table, his hands shook slightly.
Two members of The Seven plus a dog that kept barking.
He shouldn't have taken this shift tonight.
Maeve ordered another drink.
The bartender hesitated.
Li Xing raised his hand to stop him.
"That's enough."
Maeve looked at him.
"I want to drink."
"If you want to drink, do it when you get home."
Maeve leaned back in her chair, her gaze drifting to the window.
A press van passed by outside.
The flashing lights on its roof swept across the glass, casting alternating light and shadow over her face.
Maeve suddenly rested her forehead against the table.
She wasn't crying.
But her shoulders slumped.
"I used to think that as long as I was strong enough, I could protect the people I wanted to protect."
"But then I realized, being strong is useless."
"Homelander is stronger than me."
"Vought is more calculating than me."
"I can't even protect myself."
Li Xing looked at her.
The tavern's lighting was dim.
There were water rings on the table.
Maeve's hand rested on the rim of her glass, her fingertips pressing against the patterns in the glass.
At this moment, Maeve looked nothing like the invincible Queen Maeve on the posters.
She was just someone who had drunk too much.
Li Xing reached out and took the empty glass from in front of her.
"Let's go."
Maeve looked up.
"Where to?"
"Taking you back."
"I'm not going back to Vought."
"If you want to sleep with me, just say so."
Maeve looked at him.
"You really know how to take care of people."
Li Xing stood up.
"You have no idea what I've been through these past three years."
Bibi Labu jumped down from the barstool, picking up his mini cigar box in his mouth.
"Just don't let her throw up on me."
Maeve pushed herself up from the table.
As she took her first step, she swayed.
Li Xing reached out to steady her arm.
Maeve didn't push him away.
She just whispered.
"Don't tell anyone."
"Tell them what?"
"That I'm like this."
Li Xing glanced at her.
"You got drunk."
"And then?"
"And then you insulted me."
"What else?"
"Nothing else."
Maeve was silent for a moment.
"Thanks."
Li Xing said.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
"I haven't charged you yet."
Maeve let out a laugh.
"Piss off."
The three of them left the tavern.
As the night breeze hit her, Maeve's drunkenness became even more apparent.
Her steps were steady.
But her eyes had already begun to glaze over.
This was the trouble with Superhumans.
Ordinary people would fall over when drunk.
If Maeve got drunk, she might snap a utility pole in half on the spot.
When the taxi driver saw a dead-drunk Maeve, his first instinct was to hit the gas.
Li Xing tapped on the car window.
The driver rolled it down a crack.
"I'm off duty."
Li Xing said.
"Your sign is on."
"My car is broken."
"You just drove it here."
The driver looked at Maeve, then at Bibi Labu.
Bibi Labu raised a paw.
"Brother, stop struggling."
"If you pick up members of The Seven tonight, your resume is already legendary."
"How about this, your Brother Bibi Labu will show you some respect and let you take a photo with me."
The driver's expression was complicated.
"Why does it keep barking?"
Li Xing opened the car door.
"He needs to be put in his place."
The car drove into Manhattan.
The giant screens along the streets were still broadcasting highlights of the Faith Expo.
Homelander bursting through the dome.
Starlight standing on stage, exposing the Deep.
The host's face was completely frozen in shock.
Vought's PR statements rolled by rapidly.
[Vought International takes tonight's events very seriously]
[The Deep has not yet responded]
[Homelander's unscripted speech sparks nationwide debate]
Maeve leaned against the car window.
She looked at Starlight on the screen.
"She's braver than me."
Li Xing said.
"She just hasn't been worn down yet."
Maeve closed her eyes.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"What would wear you down?"
Li Xing thought for a moment.
"If I had to choose, I'd prefer to be worn down by a hot, young, and beautiful 20-year-old girl with D-cups, preferably squeezing me awake every morning."
"Then I want a female dog."
Maeve didn't open her eyes.
"How disgusting."
The car stopped outside the Vought apartments.
Security here was tight.
The two security guards at the entrance immediately stood at attention when they saw Maeve.
When they saw Li Xing, their expressions stiffened.
When they saw Bibi Labu, they looked like they were questioning their life choices.
Li Xing helped Maeve into the elevator.
The guards didn't stop them.
Nobody wanted to argue protocol with two members of The Seven in the middle of the night.
The elevator went up.
Maeve leaned against the wall.
She suddenly said,
"Li Xing."
"Yeah."
"Don't let Homelander find out about Elena."
Li Xing looked at her.
Maeve opened her eyes.
Beneath the slight drunkenness was a very sober fear.
"He will destroy her."
The elevator numbers ticked up.
Li Xing said,
"I know."
Maeve looked at Li Xing.
After a long moment, she let out a soft laugh.
"You're really not a good person."
"You just realized?"
"You're quite useful sometimes."
"That sounds like you're describing a wrench."
The elevator doors opened.
Li Xing escorted Maeve into her apartment.
The apartment was huge.
And very empty.
Trophies, posters, and custom gowns were all neatly arranged.
It lacked any sense of being lived in.
Maeve sat on the sofa, leaning down to take off her boots.
Halfway through, she gave up.
Li Xing placed a glass of water on the coffee table.
"Drink some water."
Maeve looked up.
"No."
Li Xing yanked her boots off and tossed them aside.
Maeve didn't move.
She was already on the verge of falling asleep.
"Li Xing."
"What is it now?"
"Don't die too early."
Li Xing paused.
"I'll try my best."
Maeve closed her eyes.
"I still owe you a drink."
"You owe me a lot."
Maeve didn't reply.
Her breathing gradually slowed and deepened.
Li Xing stood there for a few seconds.
Then he dimmed the living room lights.
Bibi Labu jumped down from the sofa and whispered,
"Let's go."
"If we stay any longer, I'm afraid she'll tear the building down out of sheer embarrassment when she wakes up."
Li Xing closed the door.
2:40 AM.
He returned to his rented apartment.
The lights in the apartment were off.
Outside the window, the city was still brightly lit.
Li Xing took off his trench coat and casually tossed it over the back of a chair.
Too much had happened today.
Ezekiel was dead.
Starlight had exposed the Deep.
Butcher had obtained compound v.
Vought's building hadn't collapsed yet, but its foundations were already beginning to creak.
Bibi Labu curled up under the blanket on the sofa.
"I'm going to sleep first, I'm exhausted."
Li Xing was just about to take a shower.
When the TV suddenly turned itself on.
It wasn't the remote.
It was an emergency news broadcast.
On the screen, the female anchor's face was tense.
[Breaking News.]
[Ezekiel, the prominent Superhuman under Vought International and religious leader of Capes for Christ, was found dead tonight backstage at the Faith Expo's Diamond Club.]
Bibi Labu sat up abruptly.
"Holy shit, that was fast."
The screen cut to the exterior of the arena.
Police cars had cordoned off the scene.
Reporters were crowded behind the police tape.
The news ticker scrolled across the bottom.
[A large amount of blood was found at the scene.]
[Police have not yet released the cause of death.]
Li Xing stood in front of the TV.
The next second,
the screen cut.
Madelyn Stillwell appeared on screen.
She was wearing a black suit, her makeup flawless and her voice steady.
"Vought International will fully cooperate with the investigation."
"We will not let anyone who harms our heroes go free."
She paused.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, looking directly at someone.
"No matter who they are."
Bibi Labu swallowed hard.
"Is she talking about you?"
Li Xing picked up the cigarette pack from the table.
"She might be talking about you too."
Bibi Labu's fur bristled.
"Don't play that shit with me."
On the TV, a reporter suddenly asked loudly,
"Ms. Stillwell, is Ezekiel's death related to the scandal at tonight's Faith Expo? Was he really gay?"
"Has Homelander joined the investigation?"
"Was Satan Li Xing spotted at the Diamond Club tonight?"
The room fell silent.
Madelyn didn't answer.
She simply turned and walked away.
The camera caught the person standing behind her at the very end.
A tall figure clad in a black tactical suit.
Black Noir.
Chapter 40 Ability Testing
The TV was still on.
The news channel cut to a commercial.
A group of people in white coats smiled at the camera, with Vought Children's Hospital in the background.
The subtitles read: "Protecting every miracle."
Bibi Labu sat on the sofa, staring at the screen.
"If giving babies injections is what they call protecting."
"Then they are very good at protecting."
Li Xing stood by the window with a cigarette between his fingers.
The street below was very quiet.
The wind snuck in through the window crack, making the curtains sway gently.
On the TV, the commercial ended.
The news cut back to outside the stadium.
The black figure that the camera had last frozen on was still being screenshotted by netizens, scrolling in the comment section below.
[Black Noir has appeared.]
[Satan is also at the scene tonight, right? And he even humiliated Ezekiel in public.]
[I bet a dollar, Ezekiel was killed by Satan.]
Bibi Labu saw the last one and immediately looked up.
"Someone suspects you."
Li Xing took a drag of his cigarette.
"He's not being precise."
"What's not precise about it?"
"There's no evidence."
Bibi Labu rolled his eyes.
"Your legal awareness is a bit late."
Just then.
The lights in the room flickered.
It wasn't a power outage.
Someone had touched the circuit.
Bibi Labu's ears perked up.
"They're here."
Li Xing didn't turn around.
"Yeah."
Outside the window, a black shadow hung upside down on the wall.
The next second.
The window lock was pried open by a thin blade.
The window slid open silently.
Black Noir flipped into the room.
Black suit, black mask.
Swords hung on his back.
When he landed, there was no sound.
Bibi Labu curled into the blanket, only showing half of his dog head.
"Damn it."
"Breaking in at 2:40 AM to visit."
"Does no one in The Seven know how to knock?"
Black Noir stood in the center of the living room.
He didn't look at the dog.
He looked at Li Xing.
Li Xing turned around.
The two stared at each other.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
Li Xing flicked the ash into a cup.
"Did Madelyn Stillwell send you?"
Black Noir shook his head.
"Homelander?"
Black Noir shook his head again.
Bibi Labu poked his head out of the blanket.
"It can't be that you missed him yourself, can it?"
Black Noir paused for a moment, then nodded.
Bibi Labu was stunned.
Holy crap, how can you understand me?
Li Xing also took a look at him.
This answer was a bit absurd.
But given it was Black Noir, it wasn't that absurd.
After all, this guy even has to rely on nodding to express missing someone.
Li Xing walked to the fridge.
"Want something to drink?"
Black Noir pointed to the pink juice next to the special milk in the fridge.
Li Xing took out a bottle of juice and tossed it over.
Black Noir caught it without rushing to drink.
He just placed the drink on the table.
Then he took a small notebook out of his suit's side pocket.
And a pen.
Bibi Labu stared at the notebook.
"Here it comes."
"The most powerful chat software in The Boys world."
Black Noir opened the first page.
Started writing.
A few seconds later, he turned the notebook toward Li Xing.
[Tomorrow at 9 AM, Vought Tower, The Sevenpromotional video shoot, you need to be there.]
Li Xing took a look.
"What are we filming?"
Black Noir lowered his head and wrote.
[Family, unity, repairing The Seven's image after the Faith Expo crisis.]
[Also introducing the new The Seven, as the current image of The Seven has somewhat collapsed.]
Bibi Labu looked disgusted.
"Translate that."
"There's been too much crap these past few days; they urgently need seven people to come out and share the heat."
Li Xing nodded.
"Got it."
Black Noir continued writing.
[Everyone will be there. By the way, The Deep will temporarily leave The Seven because of Starlight's incident.]
Bibi Labu was amused.
"He's already being kicked out?"
"His little thing might be more famous than he is now."
"It would be great to film a documentary for his little thing."
Li Xing looked at Black Noir.
"What does the company say about Ezekiel?"
Black Noir lowered his head.
This time, he wrote a little slower.
[The company knows it was you.]
Bibi Labu shrank his neck.
"It's over."
"Now we're both going to be turned into limited-edition Vought merchandise."
Li Xing's expression didn't change.
"And then?"
Black Noir wrote.
[They won't make it public.]
[Ezekiel is dead, he can be replaced.]
[The Faith Expo is more important, Homelander's public opinion is more important, compound v is more important.]
[Madelyn Stillwell is very angry, but the Board of Directors believes that a religious leader is not worth a direct war with you.]
Li Xing smiled.
"Sounds like my value has gone up again."
Bibi Labu said.
"Or maybe they just think you're a psycho that's hard to deal with for now."
Black Noir nodded.
Bibi Labu glared at him.
"Why are you nodding? You can actually understand me, can't you?"
Black Noir nodded again and turned the notebook to the next page.
[They are looking for your weakness.]
The room went quiet for a moment.
Li Xing extinguished the cigarette with his hand.
"Did they find it?"
Black Noir didn't answer immediately.
He lowered his head and wrote.
[No.]
[Fire test plan, freezing test plan, high-voltage electricity test plan, vacuum isolation plan, dehydration environment plan.]
[They think you are related to water.]
[They are preparing to start with "limiting external water sources."]
Bibi Labu sat up straight.
"No way."
"Can you not be so diligent at a time like this?"
"Stop being such a try-hard."
Li Xing looked at those lines.
Vought isn't stupid.
They have seen too many Superhumans.
Any seemingly invincible ability has trigger conditions, endurance limits, and physiological dependencies.
Li Xing's ability not having a cost doesn't mean it has no boundaries.
At least for now, he hasn't really tested how long he can last in a completely waterless environment.
Black Noir wrote again.
[They are also looking for the dog.]
Bibi Labu was stunned.
"Looking for who?"
Black Noir held the notebook up, aiming it at Bibi Labu.
[You.]
Bibi Labu slowly turned his head to look at Li Xing.
Li Xing looked at the ceiling.
Bibi Labu exploded.
"Why are you looking at the ceiling?"
"You made me out to be a Superhuman dog, now the evil forces are here, what do I do?"
Black Noir continued writing.
[Hughie told Butcher that the dog might have water control abilities.]
[Vought intercepted some communications.]
[The research department applied for capture.]
[Target: Live specimen.]
Bibi Labu opened his mouth and then closed it.
Finally, he managed to blurt out.
"Boss, am I going to die?"
Li Xing couldn't help but chuckle.
Bibi Labu jumped off the sofa and barked at him.
"You're still laughing!"
"I told you that kid Hughie has a low IQ!"
"You dare to say it, and he actually believes it. He's an adult, can't he have some independent thinking ability?"
"Now it's great, I've been upgraded from a beagle to a strategic resource."
Black Noir watched him.
Then he lowered his head and wrote a sentence.
[They have prepared tranquilizer guns, nets, and shock collars.]
Bibi Labu shut up immediately.
A few seconds later, he crawled to Li Xing's feet.
"Bro."
"My tone was bad just now."
"I apologize."
"We are brothers from different fathers and mothers."
Li Xing looked down.
"Didn't you say you wanted independent doghood?"
Bibi Labu hugged his pant leg.
"Doghood can be independent."
"A dog's life cannot be independent."
Black Noir watched this scene.
His eyes curved slightly.
Although the mask covered his face.
The sense of amusement was obvious.
Li Xing saw it.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Black Noir lowered his head.
Writing.
[You are good to me.]
Li Xing raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Black Noir nodded.
Bibi Labu whispered.
"Did you misunderstand the word 'good'?"
Li Xing recalled.
What he had done to Black Noir over the past three years.
Every time he went downstairs to buy snacks, he would share some with him.
He never refused when Black Noir wanted to chat, and he let him win when they played chess.
Once, during a commercial shoot, he casually blocked a host's stupid question about "Why don't you speak?" for him.
Another time, Black Noir was drawing small animals and was laughed at by The Deep.
Li Xing replaced The Deep's coffee with his own urine.
That was about it.
Black Noir turned to a new page.
Wrote.
[Homelander needs me.]
[You also need me.]
[You two are the only ones I am close to now.]
After this sentence was written.
The room was quiet.
Thinking about Black Noir's future, Li Xing couldn't help but feel a bit of unease.
Bibi Labu didn't make any snarky comments either.
Li Xing looked at the words on the notebook.
For the first time, he felt that Black Noir's handwriting was quite earnest.
Li Xing was silent for two seconds.
"That puts a lot of pressure on me."
Black Noir tilted his head and continued writing.
[No need to be responsible.]
[I will help you kill people.]
Bibi Labu slowly looked up.
"What a simple expression of affection."
"Others say 'I love you.'"
"He says 'I'll help you kill people.'"
"Is this what top-tier workplace relationships are like?"
Li Xing pushed the notebook back.
"No need."
Black Noir didn't move.
Li Xing looked at him.
"Thank you for telling me all this."
Black Noir nodded.
Li Xing added.
"Also."
"Whoever wants to catch the dog, tell me."
Bibi Labu looked up, moved.
"I knew we were the best."
Li Xing added.
"I'll send Bibi Labu directly over."
Bibi Labu's emotion got stuck.
"How dare you say that."
Black Noir put away the notebook.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Before leaving, he stopped again.
He took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
Li Xing opened it.
On it was a drawing of a cartoon dog.
A beagle.
With a cigar in its mouth.
Next to it was a little person made of water.
It was drawn quite childishly.
But it was better than The Deep's career planning.
Bibi Labu leaned in to look.
"Is this me?"
Black Noir nodded.
Bibi Labu looked at it for a long time.
"How should I put it."
"It has artistic value."
"But not much."
Black Noir looked at Li Xing again.
Li Xing folded the drawing and put it in the drawer.
"Thanks."
Black Noir's eyes curved slightly.
The next second.
He flipped out the window.
The black shadow slid down the wall and quickly disappeared into the night.
Only the sound of the TV remained in the room.
Bibi Labu lay back on the sofa.
But he didn't sleep.
"Is Vought really going to catch me?"
"Yeah."
"Will they neuter me?"
Li Xing looked at him.
Bibi Labu swallowed hard.
"I'm not scared."
"I just think scientific research ethics need a bottom line."
"A dog's life is also a life."
Li Xing walked to the kitchen and turned on the faucet.
The water flowed out.
He reached out and caught it.
His palm became transparent bit by bit.
His skin dissolved.
His flesh disappeared.
Only a blob of clear water remained, flowing through his fingers.
Bibi Labu watched him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Li Xing didn't answer.
He turned off the water.
His palm condensed back to its original state.
Vought was looking for his weakness.
Then he should look for it too.
The Hydro-Man is very strong.
Physical immunity, liquefaction and reconstruction, controlling external water sources, and even moving water in the human body.
But there is no ability in the world that truly has no boundaries.
What if he was thrown into a completely dry, sealed space?
What if he was continuously evaporated by high heat?
If his consciousness was anesthetized, could he maintain liquefaction?
If his body was scattered too far, where would his core consciousness be?
He hadn't thought about these questions before.
Because no one forced him to think about them.
Now it's different.
Vought would force him.
Homelander might force him in the future too.
Li Xing lowered his head, looking at the bit of water in the cup.
The surface of the water reflected his eyes.
Very calm.
"Bibi Labu."
"What?"
"After we finish filming the short film tomorrow, we'll find a place."
"To do what?"
Li Xing said.
"To test whether I can actually die."
Bibi Labu was stunned for two seconds.
"Bro."
"Are you Superhumans always this morbid when developing your abilities?"