The Boys: Ultimate Multiversal Lifeform

Chapter 195: Do you even deserve to negotiate with Vought?



At the same time.

Inside the Vice President’s office at Vought Tower, Ivan Greevs was flipping through the production plan for the new superhero movie.

The plot was ripped straight from current events. A foreign extremist terror group steals and reverse-engineers Compound V, then starts mass-producing their own supes in a bid to take over the world. Mixed in are the usual soap-opera grudges inside the Seven, plus heavy emphasis on how completely unhinged the terrorists are.

Of course the ending is pure feel-good family fun.

The Seven put aside their differences, team up, crush the terror cell, and save the good people of America.

"Anything you want to add?" Ivan looked up at Lange, head of the integrated planning department.

Lange nodded. "Homelander is the executive producer on this. He came to me this morning wanting more screen time for Queen Maeve."

"More for Maeve? What kind of more?" Ivan asked, curious.

Homelander volunteering to give someone else more lines? That didn’t track. The guy usually stole scenes, he didn’t hand them out.

"He wants us to bring Elena onto the set and turn the two of them into the new face of freedom for the modern age." Lange’s mouth twisted into a bitter little smile.

Ivan got it immediately. "You’re saying Homelander wants to wave the rainbow flag in the movie?"

The rainbow flag had a few meanings, but the most famous one was gay pride. It also stood for the whole LGBT movement currently sweeping America and the rest of the world. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender. The four letters.

They preached freedom. Sometimes you saw them marching with banners.

"You sure limiting it to just the lesbians won’t piss off the other three groups?"

Lange could only shake his head. "That’s why this topic is radioactive. You either do all of it or none of it."

"Forget it. It’s not a huge problem. Worst case we just paint Maeve as a big LGBT supporter and trailblazer. That’ll boost her numbers too." Ivan understood Homelander’s real play. The whole point was using Elena to keep Maeve on a tighter leash.

"In my opinion you should split the story and give every supe their own franchise film. And because of certain... complications, Stormfront can’t appear on screen. So I suggest you start with The Deep. The guy’s on fire right now."

Ivan smiled.

Stirring shit was the fastest way to farm Fantasy Points. Might as well go big. Once the movie dropped, The Deep’s public support would blow past Homelander’s. Edgar would strip the team-leader title, and the only real candidate left would be The Deep.

Whether Homelander, in a full rage, would then murder The Deep?

Ivan couldn’t care less.

"The Deep... The Deep..." Lange looked uncomfortable.

"Mr Greevs, his topic is even more sensitive than the rainbow flag." Lange was carefully pointing out that The Deep’s recent behavior was politically radioactive. If the protests hadn’t spiked his popularity so hard, Edgar never would have looked the other way and let it continue.

"Sensitive is exactly why it has juice. Who are we? The biggest superhero company on the planet. Vought International. Our tentacles reach into every industry. Stop worrying about whether the movie can even get released. I need you to be bolder. From now on the number-one goal of every superhero film is to make the audience feel good and then feel fucking explosive.

We’re not shooting art-house cinema. And remember, this is a franchise. So the first Deep movie can be called ’The Deep 1: Ocean Warrior.’"

Ivan finished speaking, picked up the coffee beside him, and took a sip.

No matter how you sliced it, there was a massive gap between the main world and the instances. Fantasy Points could only be harvested from the main world. Killing the golden goose was pure stupidity. Once he scraped together ten thousand points and swapped main worlds, the Boys might still come in handy.

"Understood, Monsieur Greevs. We’ll contact The Deep right away and aim to have a sample cut ready within three months."

Three months was ridiculously short for a full movie.

But a big chunk of The Deep’s effects wouldn’t need post-production, so that shaved off a mountain of time.

"Heh~ Make it fast. Best to drop it while the heat’s still there."

Ivan handed the production plan across the desk. Lange took it and started to stand.

"Mr Greevs, a Miss Carol is here to see you." Ashley knocked while cradling a black folder.

"Send her in."

A plain-looking middle-aged woman walked into the office a moment later. She smiled, greeted Ivan, and sat when he gestured to the chair by the desk.

"What can I do for you?" Ivan’s brow furrowed slightly. Her face rang zero bells.

The woman set down her orange soda, straightened her collar, and said, "Let me introduce myself. I’m Carol from the Church of the Collective. Our leader Alastair has been friends with Mr. Edgar for years."

"Sorry, can we skip to the point?" The second he heard Church of the Collective, Ivan already had a decent idea why she was here.

His bluntness made Carol blink, then she smiled again. "I hear Homelander’s recent public relations nightmare is getting worse by the day. If you’re willing to accept one small condition from our church, we’d be happy to help Vought make the whole mess disappear."

"Church of the Collective... From what I’ve heard you mostly collect washed-up superheroes and help them with their little mental problems. So how exactly do you plan on fixing a public opinion crisis? With your level of influence, solving this is pure fantasy unless..."

Ivan leaned back in his chair and studied her.

A flicker of something off crossed Carol’s face.

"Unless you people were the ones who pushed the Paige family to sue Vought in the first place. Suddenly a lot of things line up."

"Do you have any proof we did that?" Carol shot back on reflex.

Ivan just smiled.

"No proof. But does Homelander ever need proof when he decides to handle something? Honestly, I didn’t think you had the balls to fuck with Homelander. Impressive. So spit it out. I’m curious what condition you’re offering."

Seeing no point in keeping up the act, Carol laid the church’s demand on the table.

"Remove A-Train from the Seven and put the superhero Eagle the Archer in his place."

"You want to plant one of your own people inside the Seven. Sounds like your leader’s friendship with Mr. Edgar isn’t nearly as solid as you claimed. Do yourselves a favor and drop this childish idea. And let’s be real, what the hell is the Church of the Collective that you think you can negotiate terms with Vought?"

Carol’s expression went ice-cold in a flash. She gave Ivan a long, hard look, tossed out a "just wait," and walked out of the office.

[Congratulations, player has slightly altered the original plot, gained 30 Fantasy Points]

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