Bryman Audio-Visual
Hughie absentmindedly wiped the screen of the plasma TV until a news interview with Homelander switched on, which finally caught his attention.
The man in the picture looked solemn, with a hint of just the right amount of grief in his eyes.
"It's a pity for my colleague, my friend, my brother..."
"A-Train left us forever last night."
Hughie shuddered, staring incredulously at the black-and-white photo of A-Train displayed in the upper right corner of the screen.
Homelander turned around, seemingly composing himself. After a long pause, he said again, "He was a great comrade. A true hero."
"I suggest that everyone present, watching on television, and anyone who has received his help, now observe three minutes of silence in his memory."
The television screen suddenly switched to a distant view, showing a square packed with people—at least ten thousand at first glance.
People held A-Train merchandise, flags, banners, and other support items in their hands. As the chanting faded, the commotion at the scene was gradually replaced by silence. Some people even silently wiped away tears.
The fact that such a solemn, dignified, and grand farewell ceremony could be organized overnight clearly showed that Vought's public relations department had put tremendous thought and effort into it.
Upon witnessing this scene at Bryman Audio-Visual, Hughie's fists trembled with rage.
Just yesterday, he'd watched helplessly as A-Train crashed into his beloved girlfriend like a high-dose addict, leaving her splattered across the pavement. As a result, at the funeral scheduled for the afternoon, only her hands would be buried.
Hughie had nearly been driven to despair by Vought's bland official press conference. Then that bastard from the legal department brought a check and a confidentiality agreement, but made no mention of an apology.
Such cold-blooded behavior enraged even the usually timid and honest Hughie.
"He tragically sacrificed his life while bravely fighting terrorists..."
"Good riddance! So satisfying! Damn you, you bastard..."
As Homelander delivered his impassioned speech, Hughie gave a satisfying fist pump.
"Are you crazy, Hughie?!"
The middle-aged boss's voice came from the doorway. Hughie shuddered and turned around to see his boss, who'd just entered, glaring at him with a displeased expression.
"Oh, sorry, Gary. I just killed a nasty mosquito, so I couldn't help myself."
Gary, his face full of disbelief, walked coldly toward the counter.
"By the way, Gary, I have to attend Robin's funeral this afternoon, so I think I'll have to ask for half a day off..."
"Go ahead. It's what you should do," Gary said without looking up. "But you have to be back tonight. I have to leave early, so you have to close tonight."
"Of course I will. I mean, thank you, Gary."
With the news of A-Train's death, no one cared about a record store employee who'd just lost his girlfriend.
After two days of development, on the third day, Vought finally removed the trending topic of widespread mourning from the internet and replaced it with a new title.
The Seven Are Reunited!
Two talented new members will soon join the Seven, filling the gaps left by the retirement of the Lamplighter and the death of A-Train!
Superheroes never stop—let's cheer for the energetic new Seven!
Trending topics quickly filled the somber atmosphere that had been diluted by time, and numerous posts revealing details emerged online.
Even photos of Starlight's dressing room had been leaked.
Of course, the temporary worker was fired by Vought in less than two hours. Surprisingly efficient.
Everything was for publicity and hype. Under the overwhelming news and public opinion offensive, even the angry A-Train fans were gradually brainwashed and wanted to see what was so interesting or mysterious about the so-called new heroes.
As a result, when they clicked on the webpage out of curiosity...
Holy crap! Those pecs!
Holy crap! Those thighs!
Holy crap! That uniform is so white!
Holy crap! My new husband's muscles are huge!
Wow, it smells so good!
The A-Train fans had completely moved on.
Vought Tower
The Seven Command Center
"Besides Starlight, there's someone else who's going to join, but I don't know anything about it?"
Homelander frowned as he looked at the promotional poster in his hand. In the middle of the poster, a man and a woman standing back-to-back were covered by black shadows, and above them, the words "Coming Soon" were decorated with starlight and lightning.
"Maeve, do you know?"
"No one informed me about this. How would I know something you don't even know?"
Queen Maeve, dressed in a high-quality replica of Wonder Woman's leather armor, shrugged her shoulders, looking completely unconcerned.
As the strongest member of the Seven after Homelander, and the only female superhero, she never worried about being replaced by newcomers.
Homelander looked to the other side, where Black Noir, dressed in black tactical armor, sat quietly in his seat, habitually remaining silent.
"Isn't it too hasty for the company to bring in two new members at once?"
Another member of the Seven, dressed in green fish scale armor, expressed his concern—the Deep, Vought's answer to Aquaman.
Although he could also communicate with marine life, the Deep was nowhere near as powerful as the DC original.
His power had diminished significantly, and his strength and popularity had consistently ranked at the bottom among the Seven members.
Like A-Train, who'd just had his farewell ceremony, the two had basically been vying for the last two spots—the most unstable positions.
Homelander tapped the table impatiently. "Can't anyone provide any useful information?"
"Once the new people join, I really need to consider replacing a bunch of useless trash."
The voice of Homelander was merciless, and the air in the command hall fell silent.
Those who knew his personality knew that he would absolutely follow through on threats like this. Homelander was not joking with them at this moment.
"Um... I might have some inside information, boss."
A figure in a tight-fitting translucent suit raised his hand. The material allowed you to see directly through to the chair beneath, as if the person wearing it was an invisible ghost.
Translucent.
"Speak. I need you to demonstrate your worth."
Homelander raised his hand, signaling the other to continue.