Like that one day, Ethan continued his usual routine of keeping an eye on Homelander.
Since Homelander was supposed to be the lead actor in the movie Ethan planned to make, he figured it was better to make the public understand the man's real personality instead of relying on Vought's carefully manufactured image.
Unfortunately, that decision quickly became a mistake.
Using his camera, Ethan witnessed several things he wished he hadn't.
One recording showed Homelander privately drinking milk in a disturbingly intimate way completely at odds with the heroic image Vought sold to the public.
Another captured the deeply unhealthy dynamic between Homelander and Stillwell — even without hearing every word, the interactions were enough to make Ethan uncomfortable.
Ethan slowly lowered the camera. "...What the hell did I just watch?"
For the first time since he had started following Homelander, he genuinely regretted being curious. "Nope," he muttered while putting the camera away.
"I'm making an action movie, not a psychological horror film." He looked toward Vought Tower and shook his head. "That man has far more issues than I thought."
Later that evening, Ethan received a message from Annie.
Are you free tomorrow?
He looked at the message for a moment before replying.
Yeah.
He didn't have anything important planned anyway. After spending so much time dealing with movie planning, Homelander, and everything else, he felt he deserved a break. Besides, spending the day with a beautiful woman sounded far better than continuing to watch Homelander's bizarre private life.
The next morning, Ethan was getting ready to leave when Aqua noticed he had actually put some effort into his appearance.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"A date."
Aqua's smile stiffened for the briefest moment before she forced out a laugh. "So that's why you're dressed up. You look like a virgin getting ready for his first date. As expected of a man."
Ethan ignored the comment and continued putting on his shoes.
Aqua folded her arms. "Well, if you begged me, I might generously grant you the honor of going on a first-class date with the great Goddess Aqua."
Ethan picked up his phone and slipped it into his pocket. "I'll pass."
Aqua clicked her tongue. "Hmph. Your loss."
She watched him walk toward the door. The thought of Ethan spending the day with another woman bothered her more than she cared to admit. Rather than acknowledge the feeling, she convinced herself it was simply annoyance.
"Honestly," she muttered, "that girl must have terrible taste if she's going out with you."
Ethan heard her. He didn't bother replying. He simply opened the door and left.
Aqua stood there staring at the closed door for several seconds before puffing out her cheeks in frustration. "...Stupid god."
Kimiko watched Ethan leave and then looked toward Aqua, who was still staring at the closed door with puffed-up cheeks.
She didn't understand what had just happened. After looking between the door and Aqua a few more times, she simply picked up the television remote and changed the channel to a Japanese program.
Whatever was going on between those two was beyond her.
Meanwhile, Ethan arrived at the mall, where Annie was already waiting in ordinary clothes instead of her Starlight costume. Seeing her dressed like a normal young woman instead of a celebrity was a refreshing change.
As soon as he walked over, he smiled. "So, what is this? Got tired of work and decided you needed some positive energy in your life?"
Annie laughed. "Why does that sound like something from a really cheesy TV commercial?"
Ethan shrugged. "It's not a commercial. It's life advice. I can tell from the bags under your eyes and the look on your face that work's been wearing you down. Also..." He looked at her for a second. "...I have a feeling a fish has been causing you trouble lately."
Annie burst into laughter. "The fish?"
"Yeah."
She immediately thought of The Deep. The comparison was so accurate that she couldn't stop herself from laughing.
Ethan pointed at her with a satisfied smile. "See? That's better. Laugh more. Don't let stress keep piling up. If something annoys you too much, punch it in the face."
Annie raised an eyebrow. "And if punching it doesn't solve the problem?"
"Then call me."
She looked at him curiously. "And you'll solve it?"
"Did you forget what I do? Solving other people's problems is basically my job. If you ever run into trouble, just give me a call."
Annie gently nudged him with her elbow. "You sound like a really shady businessman trying to sell a lifetime warranty."
Ethan thought about it for a moment. "When you put it that way... yeah, I kind of do."
That answer made Annie laugh again, and the two of them continued walking through the mall while eating ice cream.
"You know I'm one of the co-hosts for Believe Expo this weekend, right?" Annie asked.
"I saw it on the news. Looks like they're keeping you pretty busy."
Annie nodded. "They are." She took another bite of her ice cream before glancing at him. "So... would you be interested in coming?"
"To Believe Expo?"
"Yeah." She tried to sound casual, but there was a genuine reason behind the invitation.
Believe Expo meant long hours of smiling for cameras, giving speeches, and standing beside people she didn't particularly enjoy working with.
Having Ethan around would make the weekend a little easier — talking to him always seemed to lighten her mood, and no matter how stressful her day had been, he somehow found a way to make her laugh without even trying.
Ethan thought about it for a few seconds. "You're inviting me to a giant religious convention?"
Annie smiled. "I'm inviting you because I think I'd enjoy having someone there who treats me like Annie instead of Starlight."
Ethan chuckled. "Well, when you put it like that... I'll come."
Annie's smile became noticeably brighter. "Thanks."
"Just don't blame me if I accidentally cause trouble."
She nudged him with her shoulder. "Did you forget I'm Starlight? If you cause trouble I'll just lock you up."
"If it's getting locked up by a beautiful woman, I'm always ready," Ethan said.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
The Patreon version is already updated with 46 advanced chapters. If you'd like to read ahead of the public release schedule, you can join here:
👉 patreon.com/JamesA211