481. Fear!!
"Stop!"
Just as Holander's killing intent flared and he was about to say so "heartfelt" words to Starlight, the door to the Seven's eting room suddenly opened, and a low shout rang out.
Hearing that familiar voice, Holander imdiately recognized the identity of the person who entered.
His hand, like an iron clamp, was still tightly gripping Starlight's neck. Although he didn't release her, the red glow gathering in his eyes slowly faded.
"Edgar."
Holander coldly turned his head, not paying attention to Starlight's desperate attempts to pry his hand away. His face darkened as he looked at the elderly black man walking into the room.
"Put Starlight down. She's not a spy sent by the enemy," Edgar said, unshaken by Holander's expression. He spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, Holander's grip didn't loosen but tightened a little. He coldly glared at the man. Holander was very clear that it was Edgar who had destroyed Madeline.
"Don't look at like that. Starlight's joining the Seven was approved by and the entire board. Before that, we investigated her entire background. She has no chance of being an enemy spy."
Edgar paused before continuing, "Of course, her position is still up for discussion, but that's no reason for you to harm your own teammate."
"I'm eliminating this nace for the sake of Vought Corporation," Holander said in a low voice.
"You're just trying to vent your anger by killing her."
Edgar remained calm, his gaze still fixed on Holander, as though he was trying to see right through him.
"Right now, Vought is facing a great enemy, and I don't have ti to coddle you. What you're doing now is not helping Vought, but aiding our enemies. If you kill Starlight, you will truly be alone."
Holander's expression kept changing. His other hand trembled slightly, but eventually, he sighed, loosening his grip and letting Starlight fall to the ground.
As the pressure on her neck lifted, Starlight collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air. It was the first ti she had felt that death was so close.
Seeing Holander finally release Starlight, Edgar also quietly relaxed. He then turned to look at another person in the room.
"Boss?" Ashley swallowed nervously.
"Leave," Edgar said.
Upon hearing this, Ashley felt as though she had been granted amnesty. Without a word, she grabbed her docunts and phone and ran out, as though so terrifying force was chasing her.
With no one else in the room, Edgar slowly walked to the eting table and pulled out a chair to sit.
"I know that the events of the past few days have been a huge blow to you, and it's the sa for Vought Corporation. What I've been dealing with is far more complicated than what you've had to handle."
Holander didn't respond. It seed like he was sulking as he grabbed a chair to sit as well. However, he didn't sit next to Edgar. There was an empty chair between them.
"The enemy's attack is faster and more terrifying than we expected. The exposure of Compound V and the experintal base has overwheld us. What we didn't anticipate was that they even developed a stronger individual."
"You should have let go with them," Holander said coldly.
"That's just your personal opinion," Edgar shook his head slightly.
"We still can't be sure about the enemy's exact strength. If Maeve and the others can resolve this matter, then the outco will be good, and I will have enough ti to deal with the pressure from the Congress. But if Maeve and the others can't handle it, then the problem becos much more serious."
After a pause, Edgar continued.
"You are now Vought's greatest trump card and its biggest hope. I can't just recklessly send you out; this is the most critical matter.
I examined the tracker on Black Noir. By the ti Maeve and the others arrived, the Sage Grove Center had already been destroyed. This ans they've gotten what they wanted, and the data inside is now exposed, potentially ready to be leaked by the dia at any ti.
In this situation, since the enemy chose to stay behind and provoke us, it ans they have enough confidence to fight you."
Glancing at Starlight, who was still lying on the floor, struggling to recover, Edgar spoke quietly, "Although that man didn't attack Starlight, I have reason to believe he has abilities similar to hers—and stronger."
Holander blinked rapidly. Although his expression remained resolute, anyone could see that he was beginning to panic.
In fact, when Ashley was recounting the failures of the Seven mbers earlier, Holander had felt deeply unsettled. Or perhaps it was the first ti he had experienced fear of the unknown.
Faster than A-Train, stronger than Maeve, more skilled than Black Noir—this man had defeated them all in their areas of expertise.
Since childhood, Holander had been hailed as the strongest being in the world, the most invincible existence. He had been worshiped by everyone, and over ti, even he had co to believe this himself.
But now, when he thought of soone who could crush him in his most proficient fields, an overwhelming fear from the deepest part of his heart surged uncontrollably.
Just the thought of soone being stronger than him in every way caused Holander's body to tremble slightly, and his nose even started to feel a bit sore.
At this mont, what he was thinking about wasn't whether the other person could kill him. Instead, he was thinking about how the other person would take everything from him. He would no longer be the strongest person in the world, no longer the beloved figure of the people.
Every ti he thought about this, a suffocating sense of oppression overwheld him.
It seed that Edgar had noticed Holander's strange state, but instead of comforting him, he pulled out a tablet from his pocket and placed it in front of him.
Noticing Edgar's action, Holander's brow furrowed in confusion, but it also made him shift his attention from his complicated emotions to the tablet's screen.
Edgar tapped the screen, and the video on the tablet was projected onto the eting room's large display, starting to play.
The screen lit up, showing what appeared to be a surveillance cara. Based on the surroundings, it seed to be a mansion.
"This is the ho of an old friend of mine. He used to collaborate with Vought back in the last century, filming movies and promoting our superhero cause," Edgar said quietly, watching the scene on the screen.
Holander didn't respond. He knew the important part hadn't co yet, so he fixed his gaze on the screen, making sure he didn't miss anything.
Soon, the scene on the large screen changed. A group of people appeared, moving forward while talking, seemingly oblivious to the surveillance caras around them—or perhaps they were doing it on purpose.
The man at the head of the group was very muscular, wearing an old-style battle suit and holding a mighty eagle-shaped shield made from a special tal. He exuded a distinct aura.
Seeing this man, Holander's eyes imdiately widened.
"Soldier Boy?!"
A chill ran up his spine, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"You grew up watching his movies, and you know every detail of his past. And now, he's one of our biggest challenges," Edgar said, his expression darkening as he watched the video. After all, the plan to eliminate Soldier Boy had involved him too. At the ti, he had thought the man was already dead.
Now, Edgar was shocked to find that the Russians hadn't killed Soldier Boy, and instead, they had let him escape. This left Edgar thoroughly unsettled.
He didn't care about the success or failure of Vought Corporation—after all, he had already made more than enough money over the years. Even if Vought Corporation didn't survive this crisis, it didn't matter to Edgar. He could always retire and live a peaceful life.
But now, Soldier Boy's appearance had completely disrupted his plans. Edgar knew very well that, given Soldier Boy's personality, the first thing he would do upon returning would be to seek revenge on those from his past.
The Crimson Countess, Black Noir, the TNT Twins, Mindstorm—everyone was on his kill list, and Edgar's na was certainly on that list as well.
Even if Soldier Boy hadn't figured things out at first, he would eventually learn everything. With his thods, a little bit of torture would make his forr teammates spill the details.
At that point, Edgar would always be in danger, hunted by the world's most famous forr superhero.
This was sothing Edgar could not accept. So he raised his head and spoke.
"I have reason to believe that Soldier Boy is working with the person causing us trouble. Moreover, his return will definitely have a huge impact on your position."
Holander didn't need Edgar's reminder. He had already considered this. The coldness he felt wasn't fear of Soldier Boy's combat ability, but fear of his almost legendary status.
Before the Seven, led by Holander, beca the most powerful superhero team in the world, Soldier Boy had been the world's legend. His na back then was even more famous than Holander's current one.
Even after Vought Corporation had declared him dead, Soldier Boy's fa had never faded. In fact, it had only grown, and he had almost a cult-like following across the entire United States.
Holander couldn't imagine what would happen if Soldier Boy returned. He would beco a laughingstock.
In less than half an hour, Holander had endured two major psychological blows: first, a powerful unknown threat had erged, and now, Soldier Boy, who could take all his fa, had returned.
This left Holander feeling numb.
On the big screen.
Noticing the surveillance caras, Soldier Boy smiled faintly. He leisurely walked up and raised his hand, giving the cara the middle finger.
Staring at this scene, Holander could no longer sit still.
"This must not be made public. I have to kill him before he appears in front of the public!"
.....
30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
482. We Need a Soldier!
483. The Prelude to Battle...
484. The Hero Appears.
485. Gathering at Vought Tower!!!
486. Ready to Explode!
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