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After a short stare-down with Homelander, Kevin suddenly smiled and replied, "I never had such a thought, Captain."
"What if you did have such a thought? Be bold, Deep. I wasn't The Seven's Captain from the beginning, right?"
Homelander walked over, turned to Kevin, and said kindly, then lightly patted Ashley's shoulder and asked, "By the way, where did Starlight go today?"
Homelander's action instantly made Ashley nervous. Her voice trembled as she cautiously replied, "I…I'm not sure. I've already sent someone to look for her."
"I wasn't asking you."
Homelander glanced at Ashley, and she immediately shut her mouth.
A few seconds later, he turned to Kevin: "As her on-screen boyfriend, you should know where she went, right?"
"Even as a couple, it's impossible to know your significant other's location at all times. What's more, we're just colleagues, Captain, you've come to the wrong person."
"But you two are partners now, aren't you? I believe you should bear some responsibility for her disappearance at this moment."
"So I plan to take over her work. Isn't that taking responsibility?"
Homelander seemed to be deliberately making trouble for Kevin. At such a time, Kevin couldn't show weakness.
In front of Homelander, he didn't give an inch.
The atmosphere in the tent was somewhat solidified. Homelander raised an eyebrow and stared at Kevin.
Their gazes clashed in the air. After a long while, Homelander finally shifted his gaze and nodded, "If you think you can handle her job, then suit yourself. But Ashley, find Starlight as soon as possible. I don't want anything to go wrong on such an important occasion today."
"Yes, I understand."
The verbal confrontation between Kevin and Homelander ended, and Ashley, who had been silent, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately followed Homelander's instructions and went to contact Vought staff to find Starlight.
Homelander left after speaking, with no intention of staying longer.
After he left, Kevin also didn't make things difficult for Ashley, who was looking for Starlight. After some thought, he also left the tent that served as the backstage.
Today's Faith Expo included a speech by Homelander.
After all, he was the 'Holy Son' created by Vought. It didn't matter if the other members of The Seven weren't there, but Homelander had to be.
He had to represent Vought and deliver a speech that would be acceptable to Congress and the senators.
However, his speech wasn't scheduled for now; there was still a long time until then.
Yet, he came here early to meet Kevin.
Kevin knew very well that Homelander came to see him.
Or rather, he chose to come here at this time to put Kevin in his place and assert his authority as Captain.
This behavior was, to be honest, a bit childish—no, it was very childish.
It was like a child deliberately causing trouble after being scolded by an adult, refusing to admit defeat.
But it had to be admitted, this behavior was truly annoying.
"Homelander isn't that easy to deal with, right?"
Just as Kevin walked out of the tent, feeling a bit annoyed, a familiar voice came from beside him.
Kevin looked over and saw Maeve, dressed in her hero costume, sitting on a bench outside the tent, looking up in his direction.
"Maeve, why are you here too?"
Unlike Homelander, Maeve herself didn't have a particular faith, so she didn't necessarily have to be here today.
But she still came.
"Anyway, I have nothing else to do."
She said this, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Kevin also followed her gaze. He saw the audience and fans preparing to enter the expo.
They were coming to see their 'idols' today.
As for how many people truly had faith, who knew.
Kevin watched them, then after a while, he said to Maeve as if making small talk, "I thought you wouldn't come to join the fun."
"It used to be that way."
Maeve replied softly, retracting her gaze from the crowd and turning to Kevin: "But now I have a different idea."
"What idea? It can't be to make a cameo in my movie, can it?"
Kevin joked, and Maeve laughed as she responded, "If you want, it's not impossible."
Compared to their last meeting, Maeve seemed much friendlier and easier to talk to this time.
Perhaps it was because of what Kevin did that her impression of him had changed.
But no matter what, Maeve's reason for being here today shouldn't be to joke with Kevin.
Sure enough, after two lighthearted remarks, Maeve's tone became serious. She completely disregarded the possibility of Homelander eavesdropping nearby and asked Kevin, "You want to compete with Homelander?"
"Actually, I don't, but the problem is Homelander won't believe that I don't."
Kevin spoke truthfully, sitting beside Maeve, one seat away from her: "If possible, I'd also like us all to play 'colleague games' peacefully until I retire, but clearly, he's already made me a thorn in his side."
"He's just that kind of person. As long as you threaten him, no matter how you act, he'll be hostile towards you, unless…"
Maeve suddenly laughed at this point. She turned and looked Kevin up and down before saying, "You're a woman."
Two tigers cannot share one mountain, unless one is male and the other is female, right?
Although Kevin found it amusing, he also knew that Maeve was speaking the truth.
Stormfront in Season 2 should have been similar in strength to Homelander, perhaps weaker, but there wouldn't have been a huge difference.
Plus, she mastered the trick of gaining followers through modern media, threatening Homelander in both fame and fan count.
And what was the result?
After one night in bed, the two were as close as one person.
Rummaging through the plot in his memory, Kevin also said with amusement, "Then it seems my conflict with him is inevitable."
"Then do you have any way to deal with him?"
"Well, not yet, actually. Perhaps you could offer me some help?"
In front of Maeve, Kevin still lied.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Maeve. Kevin knew that no one in this world hated Homelander more than Maeve.
Homelander ruined her life, forcing her to refuse social interaction and to refuse making friends with anyone.
She even broke up with her girlfriend because of it, and never saw her again.
Kevin believed that when it came to dealing with Homelander, Maeve was just as, if not more, radical than him.
But he couldn't reveal his method of dealing with Homelander here.
Because Kevin knew very well that Homelander might be observing this place using his usual X-ray vision and super hearing that he used to peep on Madelyn.
He said he had a conflict with Homelander; Homelander wouldn't care about that, as it was already a fact.
Even if he got close to Maeve, Homelander probably wouldn't care, because in Homelander's eyes, Kevin was still The Deep, who only liked fish.
But if Kevin said he had a way to deal with Homelander, then Homelander would probably truly be unable to sit still.
Hearing Kevin's words, Maeve's lips curved, but she didn't answer Kevin's question directly. She merely said ambiguously, "Perhaps, but I actually think what you're doing now is pretty good."
As she spoke, she held up her phone and waved it in front of Kevin.
From this angle, even if Homelander really used his X-ray vision to peek here, he definitely wouldn't be able to see the content on the phone.
And at that moment, the content on Maeve's phone was a news article.
The news headline was "A-Train Cheats in Race? Shockwave Bravely Questions!"
This was exactly what Kevin had asked Shockwave to promote online, and it had already sparked a wave of discussion. In places they couldn't see, A-Train was in a frenzy over this matter.
Maeve seemed to have guessed that this was something Kevin had instructed Shockwave to do, but she didn't say it outright. She merely pointed out the news to tell Kevin that she had already guessed.
Kevin wasn't sure of Maeve's intention and was about to ask.
Maeve's gaze, however, suddenly fell behind Kevin.
She quickly put away her phone and asked in surprise, "…Starlight."
"Hmm?"
Kevin froze slightly at the sound, immediately turning to look back.
Indeed, he saw Annie, dressed in casual clothes, standing right behind Kevin.
Her eyes held little color, and her expression was slightly blank. She stood there calmly looking at Maeve.
Maeve immediately understood. Her gaze swept between Kevin and Starlight, and she said with a smile to Kevin, "Then let's stop here today. I won't disturb you two. We'll talk again if we get a chance."
After speaking, without waiting for Kevin's response, she hurriedly left.
Watching Maeve walk away until her figure disappeared, Kevin finally turned to Annie and walked towards her: "You…came back so quickly?"
Kevin didn't remember where Annie's home was, but he thought that in just one night, it shouldn't be possible to fly there and then fly back.
Kevin found it strange why Annie was here, but Annie suddenly spoke: "Kevin…"
"Hmm?"
"Can you stay with me for a while? Drink some alcohol with me."
"…Drink? Annie, you should remember today…"
"To hell with the Faith Expo! To hell with the speech! I just want to drink now!"
Annie suddenly blurted out a curse.
Kevin was startled by Annie's profanity.
To be honest, he had never seen such a volatile side of Annie before.
However, Annie's outburst made Kevin no longer refuse anything; or rather, refusing at this point would have been a bit too heartless.
Thinking about these things, Kevin sighed and finally decided to openly skip work with Annie.
"Alright, where to?"
"To your place."
"…Huh?"
To my place?
Madam, you're not joking, are you?
Kevin looked at Annie in astonishment, wanting to confirm if she was joking.
But clearly, Annie was very serious at the moment.
She wasn't joking.
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