As void energy spread throughout Vought Tower, it began corroding everything in its path. The superhumans caught in the blast were infected to varying degrees.
A-Train, already completely corrupted, remained largely unaffected—he'd been twisted by void energy for days, building resistance to further contamination.
But the others suffered massive psychological impact.
Under the void's influence, their hidden dark impulses rapidly magnified. Homelander's mind flooded with forbidden fantasies—massacring civilians in broad daylight, executing Vought executives who dared give him orders.
Despite his overwhelming power, corporate politics still constrained him. He couldn't simply do whatever he pleased, not without consequences.
Though he basked in public adoration, he despised the fanatical ordinary people who worshipped him. These insects couldn't survive a second in his presence, yet he had to pander to their expectations and maintain his pristine reputation.
The Vought executives were even worse. Ordinary humans issuing commands to him, trying to control his every action. Why should someone with godlike power answer to mere ants?
Beside him, The Deep's corruption manifested differently. His fantasies involved endless streams of beautiful sea life creature at his disposal, with the formerly intimidating Homelander groveling as his personal slave.
Each member of The Seven experienced unique visions—the restless thoughts they'd always suppressed now growing like cancer in their minds, reshaping their core beliefs under void energy's malevolent influence.
"I hope you enjoy my little gift!"
Marcus observed The Seven's corruption from his distant vantage point, satisfaction evident in his voice.
These so-called superheroes were nothing but privileged garbage with access to tremendous power. Perhaps only the newly recruited Starlight retained any innocence, but she couldn't resist Vought's corporate machine or Homelander's overwhelming force.
Marcus gestured subtly, directing the remaining razor butterflies to withdraw from Vought Tower in streams of blue light.
In this world, he intended to play the villain—at least to Vought's manufactured heroes.
The butterflies' departure went unnoticed by The Seven. The superhumans were too consumed by their growing darkness to care about external threats. They focused entirely on internal revelations.
They were The Seven! Each possessed power beyond human comprehension. They could claim so much more, yet they remained leashed to Vought's corporate interests.
Yes, the company had granted their abilities, but they were the ones wielding superhuman power now. They were the superhumans—Vought's executives were just ordinary people.
How could masters of such force accept subordination to inferior beings?
"Homelander, tell me what happened here."
An older woman approached, her voice urgent with concern.
The moment Homelander saw her, his grim expression softened into a gentle smile.
"Nothing serious. Someone used a drone to blow up that useless Translucent, then tried to attack me. I destroyed it."
Relief flooded the woman's features. She stepped forward, caressing Homelander's face tenderly.
"Thank God you're safe. But we must find whoever attacked Vought. Targeting our company and killing our people cannot be tolerated."
The terrorist attack on Vought Tower dominated news coverage within hours. Media reports emphasized the corporation's commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Every superhuman under Vought's banner mobilized, vowing to capture whoever had dared assault their headquarters.
This broadcast reached Hughie and Billy in their safe house hideout.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect that explosion to be so effective. But I have no idea who's responsible," Billy laughed with dark satisfaction.
Initially, he'd suspected Hughie, who had equally suspected Billy of secretly providing explosives.
After confirming neither was involved, Billy realized another player was targeting The Seven—someone far more capable than their small operation. While they could only gather evidence to expose The Seven's crimes, this mysterious figure had directly assaulted Vought itself.
"But is it really okay for them to do this?" Hughie frowned, unable to share Billy's enthusiasm.
He wanted A-Train to pay for Robin's death, but not at the cost of innocent lives. In his view, some members of The Seven might still be decent people who didn't deserve to be endangered.
"What did you say?" Billy's expression darkened as he fixed Hughie with an intense stare. "You don't still have faith in those Vought bastards, do you? They're all scum who abuse their powers!"
Hughie recoiled from Billy's sudden fury, confused by the explosive reaction.
"You think these packaged superhumans are saints? You think you're fighting for justice, you coward? You think you're the only one hurt by these monsters?"
Billy slammed his hands on the table with thunderous force.
Like Hughie, he'd been victimized by superhumans—specifically by The Seven's leader, the seemingly virtuous Homelander.
That bastard had raped Billy's wife. Afterward, she'd left him and vanished completely from his life.
As a former CIA operative, Billy had received no departmental support. Everyone advised him to forget his wife and move on.
But she'd been his beloved partner. How could he forget? He wanted revenge—to destroy Homelander completely, strip him of everything, and watch him suffer.
Seeing Billy's savage expression, Hughie nearly collapsed in terror.
"It's still wrong to disregard innocent lives," Hughie whispered, maintaining his belief that all life held value, even superhuman life.
"Disregard for life? Want me to show you what those bastards really do?"
Billy studied Hughie with disgust. He'd never expected his supposed partner—someone who claimed he'd sacrifice everything for revenge—to be such a bleeding heart.
No matter what atrocities the enemy committed, Hughie somehow believed they shouldn't be harmed in return.