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Under The Group's arrangements, a few drug dealers who didn't even have guns were easily dealt with by Kevin and Starlight working together.
There's no need to spend too many words describing it.
After a simple joint operation concluded, Ashley appeared at the scene at just the right time with a photographer.
She had the camera focus on Starlight, letting Starlight show her happy smile from her first mission, and even had her strike some victorious poses.
Starlight clearly didn't know this would happen; she stared at the camera in astonishment for a long time, unable to snap out of it.
After a good while, she turned her head to look at Kevin.
Kevin, who already knew the truth of the matter, was smiling in front of the camera, showing off his muscles; after the show was over, Kevin found the sullen Starlight.
"How does it feel to be on your first mission?"
"Unbelievable!"
Starlight shouted without thinking.
Fortunately, it was currently the Superheroes' off-duty hours, and the camera crew and Ashley were still in the car discussing how to edit, so they didn't hear Starlight's shout.
Kevin shrugged, tossed a bottle of water to Starlight, and comforted her:
"It's like this at the company; everything is arranged. You need to get used to it."
"I... I never thought it would be like this before I came. Is all of this... just a script?"
Starlight had an expression of doubting life itself.
For a young girl who had dreamed of becoming a Superhero since childhood, such a revelation was indeed a significant blow to her.
"At least the drug dealers were real."
Kevin shrugged; he advised Starlight not to overthink it and changed the subject, saying:
"Forget it, don't think about those annoying things. It's late. Do you want me to take you home?"
"Yes!"
Starlight answered almost without hesitation.
Kevin was stunned:
"...I thought you'd refuse. To be honest, I was just being polite just now..."
"I took you seriously! And I have a lot of complaints to vent right now; I want someone to listen to me vent!"
Perhaps it was Kevin's kindness towards Starlight that made Starlight consider Kevin a friend.
Now Starlight was very upset, so she wanted someone to complain to, and Kevin was undoubtedly the best listener she could find at the moment.
Shrugging, Kevin, who thought he really had nothing else to do, didn't retract his previous words. He continued:
"Alright, then let me be your escort tonight."
With 'work' finished, there was no need for the two of them to stay at the scene.
After greeting Ashley and the others, the two changed into their casual clothes, and Kevin took Starlight home.
Along the way, Starlight indeed complained a lot to Kevin. She found it hard to believe that the Superheroes' activities had always been scripts arranged by the company.
She even suspected whether the good deeds done by Homelander and Queen Maeve were also scripts arranged by the company.
But for The Deep, or Kevin, she didn't have much suspicion.
Instead, she trusted him even more.
Kevin had just been reprimanded by the company's senior management two days ago for 'rescuing someone without authorization,' which made Starlight feel that she hadn't misjudged him.
She even felt that Kevin was the only Superhero in The Seven who was true to himself.
Facing Starlight's evaluation, Kevin didn't argue.
As the saying goes, time reveals a person's heart. Currently, Starlight's impression of Kevin is positive because she has only known Kevin for a short time. Given more time, Starlight will realize that Kevin is no different from the others.
They are all just vulgar individuals driven by profit.
They are not like noble heroes such as Starlight.
"...Phew, thank you for listening to me for so long. I'm almost home, so you can drop me off here."
As they neared Starlight's home, Starlight turned to Kevin and thanked him.
Kevin smiled and said:
"You're welcome. Anyway, usually it's others talking and me listening. If you want to complain about anything else in the future, you can always come to me. Of course, I'll charge extra if it's too long."
"Oh, I hope you'll give me a discount then, considering we're friends."
"Hmm?"
"What? Aren't we friends now?"
Hearing Kevin's confusion, Starlight asked back in surprise.
Kevin stared at Starlight for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said:
"Yes, we are friends. See you tomorrow, friend."
Becoming friends with Starlight apparently doesn't affect anything. Rather, if it did have an effect, that would be even better, as Kevin could then effortlessly acquire new skill points.
Kevin and Starlight were about to say goodbye, but just as he was about to leave, they heard a cry for help.
"No... please don't... Oh God..."
It was a woman's cry for help.
Although Kevin and Starlight were not sensory Supes and didn't possess Homelander's Supe hearing, at such a close distance, they could hear the cry for help clearly.
Their expressions changed in that instant.
Starlight ran without hesitation towards the source of the cry for help.
Kevin, on the other hand, slowly followed behind, and incidentally... dialed Ashley's number.
"Hello? Ashley? Please send a reporter from the PR department. Yes, we've encountered trouble."
...
Modern society is the easiest society to leave evidence, but at the same time, it is also the easiest society to leave evidence that can be misunderstood.
Sometimes, a good deed, when taken out of context by someone with ulterior motives, can turn into a bad deed.
Starlight saving someone after getting off work late at night, if you call it a good deed, it certainly is a good deed.
But if it's truncated, only showing a video of Starlight hitting someone, then a good deed can also turn into a bad deed.
To prevent Starlight from falling into the brief public opinion storm in the original work, Kevin decided to contact the company first and have them prepare public relations.
As for Kevin...
After helping Starlight contact the company's PR and confirming that Starlight had already dealt with those thugs, he turned and left.
He had no intention of helping Starlight handle this matter. Starlight was already looking at him through rose-tinted glasses; if he were to act heroically with her again this time, God knows what Starlight would think.
It would be better to go back and get a good night's rest. If he thought about it carefully, Kevin hadn't really had a good rest since transmigrating to this world.
What?
You mean changing the plot to gain new skill points?
Hasn't Kevin already changed the plot! He called the company's PR. With the company's PR, Starlight wouldn't be blamed by the company for this incident, unlike in the original plot.
She wouldn't even have to wear that revealing outfit that looked like a nightclub hostess's.
Such a plot change should at least earn one or two skill points, and Kevin didn't have to stay by Starlight's side.
After making the call, Kevin prepared to go home in a cheerful mood.
He hoped that nothing bad would happen on his way home, and that he would return home smoothly and have a peaceful night.
But unfortunately, in America, a place rampant with criminals, Kevin's wish was a luxury.
Unsurprisingly, he encountered a crime on the way.
It was a very ordinary robbery; two black men, armed with guns, aimed at an innocent young man, preparing to commit the crime.
Kevin didn't really want to get involved.
After all, he had almost offended Homelander by acting heroically on the ocean just recently, and Kevin was very worried that such a situation would happen again.
He even thought about whether he should just call the police and then leave.
Until Kevin saw the appearance of the unlucky victim who was being robbed.
Hughie Campbell!?
Why the hell are you here!!
At that moment, The Deep couldn't help but curse inwardly.
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