Though Starlight's body couldn't store electrical energy permanently, requiring only one recharge per month represented a substantial improvement over her previous limitations.
Most significantly, she would now retain the ability to utilize her powers in environments devoid of electrical sources—a stark contrast to her former helplessness in such situations.
The only caveat: this advantage persisted only until her stored energy reserves were depleted.
Upon hearing Richard's explanation, Starlight immediately responded, "Being able to maintain absorbed electrical energy for an entire month is already extraordinary compared to before."
After speaking, she rose from the examination table, approached Richard, and initiated a kiss.
Following their prolonged embrace, Richard gently separated himself and suggested, "Let's return to the apartment."
"Alright," Starlight nodded without hesitation.
Under Richard's watchful gaze, she retrieved her white and gold uniform—reminiscent of a one-piece swimsuit—from the floor.
As she gathered her clothing, Richard encircled her waist and activated his teleportation.
In an instant, they materialized in the luxury apartment on the 96th floor, having departed the laboratory where they'd spent the past three days.
Upon their arrival, Richard addressed her: "You should rest properly. I'll see you later."
Though Starlight's physique remained undeniably attractive, and she certainly wouldn't object to engaging in more intimate activities, Richard currently harbored different priorities.
With the transformation experiment recently concluded, he intended to organize the resulting data and insights.
Additionally, Starlight—having just undergone significant physiological modifications—required time to recuperate and adjust to her enhanced capabilities.
"Understood," Starlight replied, recognizing his present focus lay elsewhere.
She then proceeded toward the bathroom.
After watching her disappear into the adjoining room, Richard teleported back to his own apartment.
He entered his study, retrieved a tablet computer from his dimensional storage, and began systematically recording and analyzing the transformation experiment's data.
The initial documentation process required merely thirty minutes.
Yet when Richard finally emerged from his study, three to four hours had elapsed.
Beyond cataloging Starlight's transformation results, he had also formulated preliminary enhancement protocols for Sharon Carter and Black Widow Natasha Romanoff.
Though neither woman was presently accessible, Richard maintained comprehensive knowledge of their physiological parameters.
Only after completing these theoretical frameworks did he leave the study for the bathroom.
Following a rejuvenating hot bath that thoroughly relaxed both body and mind, he returned to the bedroom wrapped in a towel and reclined on the bed.
The process of establishing an artificial mana reservoir and compatible biological adaptations within Starlight had demanded considerable energy expenditure.
While Starlight—the transformation's recipient—certainly required adequate rest, Richard himself needed proper recuperation as well.
...
The following day, noon.
Richard slept until midday before awakening.
Given his enhanced physical constitution, three days without sleep posed no significant challenge—he could theoretically remain awake for three months without adverse effects.
Nevertheless, he had slumbered for nearly twenty hours.
This extended rest stemmed not from physical or mental exhaustion but rather from psychological decompression following the world challenge's completion.
With no pressing matters demanding attention, he had allowed himself this indulgence.
After attending to his hygiene and selecting fresh attire from his closet, Richard teleported from his apartment to the Seven's exclusive dining facility.
As usual, no other team members were present—only staff occupied the space.
Beyond Richard, neither Homelander nor Stormfront particularly enjoyed the cafeteria atmosphere.
Their aversion had only intensified following the introduction of Chinese culinary staff.
Though they disliked the current arrangement, Richard found it entirely satisfactory.
After inquiring about available ingredients, Richard ordered five traditional Chinese dishes.
He then waited patiently as the kitchen prepared his meal.
During this interval, he contemplated his next steps.
The world challenge was complete, and Starlight's transformation had been successfully executed.
With the exception of eliminating Homelander, Stormfront, and several others, he had accomplished everything necessary.
A few more days, then departure.
Richard reached this decision with characteristic efficiency.
Within thirty minutes, the server delivered his complete order.
Surveying the five authentic Chinese dishes before him, Richard began his lunch with evident satisfaction.
He finished the meal quickly.
After concluding his repast, he teleported directly from the cafeteria to Starlight's apartment.
...
Time advanced inexorably.
Five days passed with remarkable swiftness.
During this period, Richard visited Ryan—Homelander's son.
Though merely an adolescent who remained unaware of his latent abilities, Richard recognized that Ryan's future potential would surpass even Homelander's formidable power.
Moreover, based on Becca's parenting approach, Ryan seemed unlikely to develop his father's sociopathic tendencies.
Despite identifying Ryan as potentially this world's strongest future superhuman, Richard refrained from taking preemptive action against him.
He wasn't so ruthless as to terminate a child who had committed no transgressions.
Beyond visiting Ryan, Richard also sought out Hughie.
As anticipated, Hughie's life had quickly normalized following Butcher and Frenchie's deaths.
Originally just an electronics salesman, Hughie lacked the connections and resources necessary to reconstitute the Boys.
Mother's Milk, despite possessing certain network advantages, harbored no interest in rebuilding their vigilante operation.
Out of respect for their former friendship, he had arranged modest funerals for Butcher and Frenchie, fulfilling his obligations as their comrade.
Though Richard's tenure in this reality had been relatively brief, his presence had unquestionably diverted both the Seven and the Boys onto trajectories significantly different from those depicted in the television series he recalled.
Richard had initially planned to eliminate Homelander, Stormfront, Victoria Neuman, Edgar, and others before returning to the Marvel Universe—a comprehensive conclusion to this world challenge.
At Starlight's request, however, he slightly modified this strategy.
Beyond his original targets, he also intended to neutralize terrorists who had acquired abilities through Compound V.
Some of these enhanced terrorists had emerged through Richard's own machinations, while others resulted from Homelander's previous directives.
Homelander had instructed A-Train to deliver Compound V to terrorist organizations globally long before Richard adopted the same approach.
Despite the substantial quantity of Compound V distributed, relatively few terrorists had successfully developed superhuman capabilities.
Unlike Temporary Compound V, standard Compound V administered to adults carried a mortality rate exceeding 90%. Only an exceptional few survived the process with powers intact.
Consequently, even with these enhanced terrorists added to his elimination roster, Richard's target list remained manageable.
This proved accurate.
Within a single day, he had apprehended every enhanced terrorist.
After neutralizing these threats, he wasted no time commencing the elimination of Homelander, Stormfront, Victoria Neuman, Edgar, and their associates.
Whether dispatching enhanced terrorists or eliminating Homelander's faction, Richard operated with absolute secrecy—sharing his activities exclusively with Starlight.
Having eliminated Homelander and Stormfront merely two days prior with maximum discretion, the public remained unaware of their absence.
Following these targeted operations, Richard initiated his final objective in this reality:
The complete eradication of Compound V.
This comprehensive approach targeted existing supplies of both standard and Temporary Compound V, all research data and manufacturing formulas, and every individual possessing production knowledge.
Though Richard could theoretically eliminate every current superhuman, new enhanced individuals would inevitably emerge if Compound V remained accessible.
Logical prevention demanded addressing the source directly.
Destroying existing Compound V supplies required minimal effort.
Erasing manufacturing knowledge from the minds of those familiar with the process proved equally straightforward.
The most challenging aspect involved completely purging all documentation related to Compound V production.
Though somewhat laborious, this task required merely two days.
Upon completion, Richard became the sole entity in this reality possessing Compound V, its temporary variant, and comprehensive manufacturing knowledge.
While he personally had no need for Compound V to enhance his capabilities, the substance represented an invaluable scientific achievement.
Objectively evaluated, Compound V significantly surpassed the Super Soldier Serum administered to Captain America.
The Super Soldier Serum had merely optimized Steve Rogers' physical attributes to peak human potential without transcending fundamental human limitations.
Compound V, by contrast, conferred genuinely superhuman abilities.
Admittedly, without favorable genetic compatibility, the powers granted by Compound V occasionally manifested in problematic forms.
Nevertheless, this variability didn't diminish Compound V's fundamental value.
In essence, while Compound V's lower outcomes might fall below the Super Soldier Serum's baseline results, its upper potential far exceeded the serum's ceiling.
Whether a recipient experienced the lower or upper range of possible enhancements often correlated with ethnic and geographic variables that Richard found distastefully arbitrary.
...
Seven Tower, 96th floor. Starlight's apartment.
Following several hours of intimate connection with Starlight, Richard addressed her: "Tomorrow I'll formally resign from the Seven and officially transfer captaincy to you."
"Are you leaving so soon?" Starlight asked, her flushed expression betraying reluctance.
"My departure was inevitable," Richard replied. "I've accomplished everything necessary."
"What follows now depends entirely on you."
"Alright," Starlight responded, regarding him intently. "But you must return when circumstances permit."
Though Richard had never explicitly revealed his extradimensional origin, Starlight had intuited certain aspects of his situation during their time together.
"We'll see what happens," Richard replied noncommittally.
The following morning, Richard convened his final meeting as Seven captain in the 99th floor conference room.
With Homelander and Stormfront's eliminations, only Starlight, Queen Maeve, A-Train, and Black Noir remained active team members.
Richard directly informed Queen Maeve and the others of his decision to appoint Starlight as the team's new captain.
While accepting this arrangement without objection, their expressions registered evident confusion.
After notifying the remaining members, Richard dismissed them from the conference room.
Under Starlight's watchful gaze, he teleported from the conference chamber, materializing at an altitude of several thousand meters.
He opened the system interface.
[Do you want to return to the original universe now?]
Without hesitation, Richard selected "Yes."
Immediately following his choice, a spherical distortion resembling a miniature black hole manifested before him, exerting tremendous gravitational force.
Richard offered no resistance, allowing himself to be drawn into the anomaly.
As with his previous interdimensional transition, he was instantly "expelled" from the black sphere.
In a moment too brief to register, he transitioned from The Boys universe back to his own.
Specifically, he materialized within Silver Manor's study.
Having facilitated his return to the Marvel Universe, the dark sphere rapidly dissipated—as though it had never existed.
Finally back!
Surveying the unchanged study, Richard experienced profound relief.
Though he had spent approximately three months in The Boys universe, the differential temporal flow meant only half a day had elapsed within the Marvel timeline.
For Emma Frost and Clarice Ferguson, his absence had constituted merely hours.
For Richard, however, the experience felt fundamentally transformative.
He couldn't determine whether it represented psychological projection, but upon returning to the Marvel Universe, he experienced profound unreality—as though his time in The Boys universe had been merely an elaborate dream.
Without delay, he accessed his dimensional storage, retrieving samples of both standard Compound V and its temporary variant.
Examining these physical objects in his hands, the sense of unreality finally dissipated.
Though uncertain about the psychological mechanism at work, he chose not to dwell on it. Returning the Compound V samples to his dimensional storage, he opened his attribute panel to assess his current template integration.
[First Template: Sephiroth (Fusion Degree 75%)]
[Second Template: Superboy-Prime (Fusion Degree 17%)]
[Third Template: Virgil (Fusion Degree 80%)]
Beyond the Superboy-Prime template increasing from 7% to 17% integration, the Sephiroth and Vergil templates remained unchanged.
This outcome wasn't surprising.
During his three-month residence in The Boys universe, he hadn't undertaken any dedicated training regimen.
Moreover, even with appropriate training, further integrating the Sephiroth and Vergil templates would prove increasingly difficult.
Substantial advancement with these templates would require either specific task rewards or years—potentially decades—of incremental progress.
After closing the attribute panel, Richard immediately extended his telepathic awareness, locating Emma Frost, Clarice, and his other associates.
...