After the two parted ways at the restaurant, The Deep strolled down a sparsely populated, dim street, filled with infinite longing for the future.
As the night deepened and the sea breeze carried a chill, a dark shadow lunged out from the shadows of an alleyway.
Bang!
"Ugh!" The Deep was kicked over, let out a scream of pain as he caught off guard, and rolled several times on the ground. A few pedestrians on the road were scared away by the commotion.
The Deep scrambled to his feet in a disheveled state, only to see a figure wearing a white curved mask and a black bodysuit slowly approaching.
"You... how dare you ambush me!" Shocked and furious, he immediately assumed a fighting stance.
The masked man twisted his arm and let out a muffled grunt. "To think The Seven would have a piece of trash like you; seeing is indeed believing." Before his voice even faded, his body moved, closing in once more.
The Deep responded in a panic, throwing a punch, but it was easily parried by the opponent. Immediately after, he took two heavy blows to the abdomen, causing him to curl up like a shrimp.
Wait... wait! We can talk!" The Deep held his hands up in front of him, but before he could say more, attacks fell like a torrential storm on his most sensitive area—the gills on his flanks.
"Talk? What is there to talk about with scum like you?" Wade kicked him over and stepped on his chest.
The Deep suddenly felt it hard to breathe and gasped with difficulty, "Why... why are you doing this to me? Do I have a grudge against you?"
The masked man continued to punch and kick him. "Do you remember the female intern you harassed at Vought Tower? She's my sister... you animal, you scum!"
The Deep curled his body, clutching his head, and shouted with a guilty conscience, "I don't know... ah!"
The masked man kicked the gills on his side several times. "Can't remember? Do you need me to help you recall how you cornered her in the breakroom, threatened her into submission, and told her she'd be packing if she didn't comply?"
"Scum like you, who do whatever they want just because they have a little fame and power, don't deserve to die just once!"
Fear spread through The Deep's heart as he realized this mysterious Supe was truly here for revenge. Not only did he know his weaknesses, but he was also willing to strike with lethal force.
With tears and snot streaming down his face, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'm... I'm sorry! I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I was possessed at the time... I, I can compensate! A public apology, money, anything! Please don't kill me!"
The masked man pressed his foot onto his neck and growled sharply, "I'm afraid she isn't the only victim of someone like you, is she? Speak! How many others have you ruined!"
To save his life, The Deep began to spill his guts, confessing the dark history of his 'achievements' like beans falling from a jar.
From using his superhero status to sexually harass and coerce female fans and male interns to various improper 'casting couch' deals, the estimated number of people involved was roughly over two hundred, including both men and women.
He raised his head submissively and said in a cold voice, "I, I don't remember clearly... it should be around that many."
The masked man's breathing became heavy as he raised his hand to strike. "You piece of human garbage!"
"It's... it's my fault! I'm not human!" The Deep slapped himself frantically. "Which one is your sister? Can you tell me her name? I'll apologize to her publicly tomorrow! Just please give me a chance to reform!"
The masked man threw him aside. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you think I'd expose her to the public eye, giving you a chance to retaliate in private or cause her secondary trauma?"
The Deep struggled to climb up and asked tentatively, "Then... then what do you suggest? I'll do anything! As long as you can vent your anger!"
The masked man fell silent for a moment, then took out a DSLR camera and pointed it at him. "Everything you just admitted, all the crimes regarding sexual assault and harassment against everyone—say it clearly into the camera from start to finish. Then, apologize solemnly."
"This is the only way you can atone. With this, I can at least give my sister an explanation. If you dare to tell a single lie or omit anything..."
He raised his foot and stomped down on the hard concrete beside him!
Boom!
With him as the center, the ground instantly cracked into a spiderweb-like crater nearly five meters in diameter, sending stone fragments flying.
The Deep turned pale with fright. If that foot had landed on his gills... he would be dead or at least severely injured.
"I'll record it! I'll record it right now! I promise, word for word!" The Deep scrambled to a kneeling position and began a heartfelt confession toward the lens in Wade's hand.
He listed the types and approximate numbers of the many victims he had harassed, his words earnest and his expression full of regret. Finally, he wept bitterly toward the camera, begging for forgiveness from everyone he had hurt.
A few minutes later, the masked man put away the camera and looked coldly at the limp Deep. "Remember, your reputation for the rest of your life is temporarily stored with me. If I find out you dare to use your status to hurt anyone else again, or if a single word of today's events leaks out... next time, this crater will appear on your body. Now, get lost!"
As if receiving a grand pardon, The Deep scrambled toward the bright streets in the distance and fled in a panic.
The masked man walked back into the alley, watching the direction where The Deep had disappeared. He slowly took off his mask, revealing the face of a middle-aged white man with blond hair and blue eyes.
Wade put away the camera and muttered softly, "With this apology video in hand, combined with the one from the restaurant earlier... they're like two nooses. When the time comes, if I tell him to go east, would he dare go west?"
He then packed away his extra clothes, hid his luggage, and followed stealthily while invisible. 'I have to keep an eye on him for a while. If he reports this to Vought to redeem himself, it'll be trouble. If it really comes down to it, I'll just take him down and implant a suggestion in his subconscious, though it won't last very long.'
Wade flew through the air, following behind the sprinting Deep until they reached a seaside hotel.
Inside the room, a bruised and swollen Deep lay on the sofa clutching an ice pack, watching the news on the Vought International channel. "How am I so unlucky to be hunted down like that? If I'd known, I would have enjoyed myself more back then..."
When Homelander appeared on the screen giving a speech, he immediately sat up straight, his eyes a mix of reverence and jealousy.
The Deep faced the screen, mimicking Homelander's smile and gestures, muttering to himself, "Yes, my fellow citizens, we carry a mission... Hmph, whatever! I can do that too..."
After getting bored of the news, he kept scrolling through his phone, looking at social media posts about other members of The Seven. His expression grew increasingly gloomy. "All of them are just people who don't know quality when they see it. Just wait until I..."
Wade stood aside observing silently. Seeing him make a call, he immediately focused his attention, ready to act at any moment.
The Deep gave a couple of awkward laughs and spoke in a low voice, "Hey, A-Train, it's me, The Deep! How've you been?...Haha, yeah, your performance today was absolutely amazing."
"Listen, can you, can you talk to the PR department and ask them to bring me along for the next event? Any event will do!"
"What? You're busy? Hey, we're brothers! Back during your debut show at the harbor, I was the one who cleaned up your mess..."
Before he could finish, the call was hung up. The Deep's face turned livid, and he slammed his phone into the sofa, growling under his breath, "All of them are bastards! Snobs! Only Vincent is good to me..."
He pulled the bottle of compound v out of his pocket and looked at the shark poster on the wall, saying through gritted teeth, "Just you all wait! I'm going to be the King of the Seven Seas..."
Wade stepped out onto the balcony and flew straight out with a smile. 'If he finds out that Vincent, the investor and fellow enthusiast... doesn't exist at all and has suddenly vanished into thin air, he'll probably have a total breakdown, right?'
He had learned enough about The Deep—from his abilities to his history of frequent workplace sexual harassment, combined with his inner inferiority, outer narcissism, and hypocritical, self-serving personality... he was simply the perfect model for a spy.
While The Deep was constructing that illusory dream of 'Atlantis,' Wade only had to pull the reins in his hand, and he would be dragged back to a much more miserable reality.
Wade flew into the clouds and headed toward New York. "Time to go prepare for tomorrow's meeting with Mena. I wonder what Edgar wants to talk about..."
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