485. Gathering at Vought Tower!!!
At Vought Tower, the atmosphere was like a pot about to boil over. Nobody knew what they should do.
Even Holander, seated in the Seven's conference room, looked frazzled. Across from him, however, Edgar remained as composed as ever, just like always.
Looking around the room, Ashley clutched her tablet and spoke in a trembling voice.
"The number of protesters gathering outside keeps increasing, and so of them are superpowered individuals. If this continues, it's likely to escalate into violent conflict. If the supers get involved, things will spiral out of control."
"What's the word from the Senate?" Edgar asked, tilting his head toward Ashley.
"Nothing yet. It's likely they don't plan to step in. The senator is running for president next year. Stepping in now would affect his campaign and his votes," Ashley replied after glancing at her tablet.
"That's to be expected," Edgar nodded.
"'Expected'?!" Holander growled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "If it wasn't for you making attend that damned press conference, we wouldn't be in this ss!"
"It was the best course of action," Edgar replied calmly.
"The 'best'? Ha!"
Holander pointed angrily at Starlight, who was sitting quietly in the corner, and shouted.
"These useless idiots—what are they even good for? Huh? If they couldn't even secure the data, how did the Sage Grove story get leaked to the dia? Those who once supported us are now protesting outside our building!"
"Our adversaries have always been lurking in the shadows. That much is undeniable. If they could uncover Sage Grove, it's only natural they'd find our other facilities," Edgar said, lifting his gaze to Holander.
Then, in a cold, asured tone filled with latent fury, he continued: "Besides, Sage Grove wasn't that big of a deal. But you secretly distributed Compound V to terrorists and rogue factions around the world, and now that's been exposed.
"If you had been more discreet, it wouldn't have been so bad. But we don't have the ti or resources to clean up after you. This ss is entirely your doing. So I suggest you watch your tone."
Hearing this, the veins on Holander's forehead bulged, and his lips moved as if he wanted to retort, but ultimately, he stayed silent.
Distributing Compound V had indeed been his personal decision. At the ti, he had been helping Madelyn achieve her goals.
Back then, Vought's strategy was to infiltrate the military and centers of power. To do so, they needed to convince the U.S. military to accept supes into their ranks. This would transform Vought from a comrcial entity into a military-industrial powerhouse.
Once in control, Vought International could deploy its superpowered operatives anywhere in the world, from the Eurasian Alps to the Four Seas and Seven Continents.
The company would have the ability to incite wars at will, using them as a ans to amass wealth and hinder the developnt of other nations.
To help Madelyn achieve this, Holander not only assassinated those opposing the plan but also actively spread Compound V to groups worldwide.
His intention was that if global factions and terrorist organizations had superpowered individuals, the U.S. would have no choice but to counter them with Vought's supes, integrating them into the military.
What Holander hadn't expected was that his supposedly covert actions were well-known to Vought's upper managent and even to their enemies in the shadows. Now, the whole thing had been exposed.
Although the dia hadn't explicitly nad Holander as the culprit, anyone could deduce that it wasn't Madelyn who had orchestrated this.
Madelyn had been powerful, but achieving this level of infiltration and manipulation was far beyond her capabilities. The scandal not only tarnished Holander but also revealed the corruption within Vought itself.
Now, countries worldwide were pressuring Vought International, and anti-Vought sentint was sweeping through the U.S. This wasn't limited to ordinary citizens—so supes had also taken to the streets in protest.
The tide had turned against Vought. Like a fallen wall being pushed by everyone, the company was now trapped in a quagmire with no way out. With everyone targeting them, no one was willing to extend a helping hand.
Vought's only recourse was to use the blackmail material they had on their superheroes. Other than Starlight—who was stuck with no way out—their allies were mostly heroes coerced into loyalty through leverage.
Of course, there were exceptions, such as Supersonic, who was so thoroughly brainwashed by Vought that he still believed he was on the side of justice.
Starlight and Supersonic had grown up together and known each other since childhood. When Starlight first debuted, Vought even used their connection to generate publicity. She desperately wanted him to leave Vought.
But unfortunately, at this mont, she couldn't even leave the conference room herself, let alone pass on critical information. She couldn't even contact Hughie.
"So what do we do now? Just sit here while they cause a scene downstairs? Everyone's waiting for Vought to issue a response. We can't hide in here forever," Holander said, turning his gaze to Edgar.
Upon hearing this, Edgar's gaze shifted to the floor-to-ceiling windows outside.
"Those people don't matter. Even if violence breaks out, it's not a problem. In fact, it might even be better—at least the incident will reach a temporary conclusion due to casualties. This will give us ti to turn the situation around."
"You don't care about the lives of ordinary people at all? Those are innocent people!" Starlight exclaid, her worldview shattered once again by Edgar's words.
"When they chose to stand outside Vought Tower with their signs, they ceased to be innocent. That was their choice. Besides, Termite and the others are just maintaining order. If violence erupts, it will be because 'they' struck first."
Edgar turned to Starlight, his expression calm as he continued.
"We are rely acting in self-defense. Don't forget, there are also superpowered individuals among the protesters. If casualties occur, the bla lies with them."
"But those superpowered individuals were created by you. You didn't even care if they wanted to beco superpowered or not," Starlight retorted.
Before Edgar could respond, Holander interjected harshly, pointing at Starlight.
"Shut your mouth, you little bitch!"
Holander then turned his attention back to Edgar, narrowing his eyes as he questioned.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I'm waiting for the one who will truly incite the 'violence' to arrive," Edgar replied in an even tone, as if discussing an ordinary matter.
Holander caught on quickly and imdiately understood what Edgar ant.
"Soldier Boy?"
Edgar nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying Holander's assumption. He glanced at his phone before continuing.
"Given the current situation, he is our greatest threat. Once we deal with Soldier Boy and the forces behind him, even if Vought Group collapses, we'll still be able to establish a new organization.
"The company itself isn't important. What matters is Compound V. Superhumans are no longer mythical beings or God's chosen ones—they're products that can be manufactured.
"The seeds have already been sown. Regardless of Vought's future, the world has changed. It's inevitable and irreversible. Talent won't go to waste; there will always be a new 'Vought' to take over.
"The only issue now is that the world hasn't fully accepted this reality."
Edgar's long-winded explanation didn't sway Holander. He stepped closer to Edgar, staring him down as he said coldly,
"You're just afraid that Soldier Boy will co for you, aren't you?"
"That depends on how you see it." Edgar t Holander's gaze without flinching, his deanor unshaken.
The two locked eyes for a long ti. Holander's expression flickered subtly—despite his power, he couldn't discern what this man was truly thinking.
At that mont, the noise outside abruptly quieted down. The once rowdy protesters suddenly fell silent, as though a cold wave had swept through, leaving an eerie stillness in the air.
Starlight, standing closest to the window, noticed it first. She quickly got up and moved to the floor-to-ceiling glass, looking down.
Thanks to her superhuman vision, she could clearly see the crowd below growing silent and slowly parting, leaving a pathway in the center.
Down this human corridor, a group of people marched toward Vought Tower.
Leading the way was a man clad in a deep blue battle suit, wielding a mighty eagle-shaped shield. His presence alone had rendered the entire crowd speechless.
It was none other than Soldier Boy—the most iconic hero in Arican history before Holander, and the strongest being of his era.
"He's here."
Without even looking, Edgar already knew what was happening outside. He turned to Holander, allowing a faint smile to cross his face.
Seeing Edgar smile for the first ti in his presence, Holander's tightly clenched fists trembled. In the end, he straightened his posture and said,
"Once this is dealt with, I'll have a proper conversation with you."
With that, Holander wasted no more ti. He glanced at Starlight, signaling her to follow, then strode out of the eting room.
Behind him, Starlight hesitated for a mont, looking between Edgar and Ashley. Shaking her head, she eventually followed Holander and left the room.
Once they were gone, Edgar sighed softly.
After a mont of silent contemplation, he pushed himself up from the table and turned to Ashley, who stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
"How's the plane preparation coming along?" Edgar asked.
"The helipad on top of Vought Tower is ready. We can take off at any ti," Ashley replied quickly.
Hearing this, Edgar began to move.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
.....
30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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486. Ready to Explode!
487. Chaos!!
488. Holander vs. Soldier Boy!!!
489. Chaos and Darkness!!
490. Reimbursent!!
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