Far away, someone was watching the exchange. For the first time in his life, Stan Edgar watched with great interest. The "Leviathan" wasn't just an instrument of destruction; based on what he was seeing, he was much, much more.
Picking up his phone, Stan called his assistant. "Prepare me a car. I'm going out."
Down in the slums, Aldrich was leaning against a wall, becoming homeless again. He looked down at the plastic box he'd taken from the hatchery. The human infant inside was sleeping soundly.
"What do I do now, Jonathan?" Aldrich asked. He liked the sound of the guard's name. "Do I kill people for money? Or do I just hunt Supes and start eating?"
He looked at the baby sleeping soundly.
"I'm really sorry for what I will do to you," Aldrich said. "But it's just luck. Of all the others who didn't make a sound, you had to be the one to open your eyes?. You had to unleash those beautiful blue beams. You couldn't just keep quiet for a few more minutes?"
"It was bad luck," Aldrich said, his voice flat. "For both of us. Know that there is no merit in this hunt. I will not enjoy this, but I can promise you a quick death. You won't feel a thing."
The air in the Seven's meeting room was heavy. Queen Maeve, Black Noir, and Starlight. Even The Deep was in his chair, trying to look invisible. He'd tried to run, but Vought had him by the gills.
Between Homelander wanting him dead and Starlight telling the world he mouth assulted her on her first day, he was a hollow man. He was only still here because Vought was currently on fire and didn't have time to replace him yet.
A-Train walked in last. He took one look at the somber mood and felt the sudden urge to get the fuck out of here.
"What's going on?"
"I've missed you guys."
The voice came from right behind him. Homelander was there. His hand dropped onto A-Train's shoulder gently, but A-Train's knees buckled from sheer terror.
"I just wanted to see your smiling faces," Homelander said.
He patted A-Train as he looked at the Seven, his team. The people who had watched him get dragged into the dark and just tucked tail and ran. Except for Noir. Noir was always there.
"Take a seat, buddy," Homelander said, shoving A-Train toward a chair. "Truth be told, we're overdue for a heart-to-heart. Maybe a little tough love."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maeve asked.
"It means that lately, some of you have been a little out of sorts. Erratic. Unreliable. Not you, Noir, you've been great. But the rest of you? To say that I'm disappointed... well, you've got to keep your eyes on the ball, guys. The enemies are storming the gates. I mean, we're not even the Seven for God's sake. We're the Six. But now... now I at least know why."
Homelander turned the flat screens on, flashing a picture of Hughie Campbell across every monitor in the room.
"...Wh... Is this a joke? Why is Hughie up there?"
"I don't understand. Who is this guy?" Maeve asked.
"This guy is Hughie Campbell. He and Starlight are 'going steady.' He's also one of the guys who killed Translucent."
"Wait, what?"
"As well as blackmailing Mesmer, Ezekiel, Popclaw... God knows who else."
"Popclaw?" A-Train repeated.
"No, that is insane," Starlight stammered, shaking her head. "He's not"
"Starlight," Homelander cut her off. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words..."
"I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't... I mean, why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense."
"Good question," Homelander said, his eyes slowly drifting over to A-Train. "A question for you, A-Train."
"What?"
"Oh boy," Homelander sighed, a mock-pitying grin stretching across his face. "That little head of yours is still scrambled, huh? Still a bit of a blur?"
With another click, he showed the full picture: A-Train shaking hands with Hughie.
"Oh shit. I know this guy."
"You smashed through his girlfriend, so I sure hope so. Robin, or something? You actually did him a favor, really. You gave him an upgrade to Starlight."
"I remember now," A-Train said, turning on Starlight. "He was outside Popclaw's. He was all over my face. You're fucking this guy?"
"Okay, slow down. I don't know what's going on right now, but Hughie is not capable of anything like this."
"This is true, actually," Homelander said, nodding. "That's very true. He is just a man, and by the looks of it, he's not even that much of a man. But hear me out. What if he got help? Say, someone got him in to see Ezekiel? Someone almost got rid of the Deep?"
"No"
"Keep those hands by your sides, missy. Sit down. I know you want to turn the whole Deep thing into some 'All the Single Ladies' power moment, but really, what you did is every criminal's wet dream. We lost Translucent, and soon the Deep. The Seven are now down by two. I can't help but notice it all started when you joined us... which makes me wonder. Which one of us is next?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Enough! We are a different fucking breed. We shine with the golden light of providence, but you? You've been helping these fucking mud-people go against us."
"No"
"Shut your fucking mouth, young lady!" Homelander leaned over her, his face inches from hers.
"If you were in my position, what would you have done?"
Homelander turned his head slowly. "You got something to add, Maeve?"
"She didn't know," Maeve stated firmly.
"Well, she stinks of adrenaline. Her heart's beating like a little rabbit."
"The only thing she's guilty of is being an idiot," Maeve snapped, standing her ground. "The guy's clearly been pumping her for information. So back off. Leave her alone."
Homelander stared at Maeve for a long, quiet second. "Wow. Starlight, you must be something special. I can't remember the last time Maeve gave a shit about... well, cared at all, really."
He walked over to Maeve and whispered, "And if I say no?"
"Come on," Maeve whispered back. "I got this. It's you and me, remember?"
Homelander sighed. "Fine. Don't say I never do anything for you. You want her? You got her."
He pressed another button. New pictures flashed across the screens: Butcher, M.M., Frenchie, and Aldrich.
"These three," he said, pointing at Butcher, M.M., and Frenchie. "These are his accomplices. These four are the beginning. And then..."
He clicked the final slide. High-resolution images of Aldrich filled the wall.
"...then we have the elephant in the room."