Chapter 73
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Everywhere, social media and television were showing only two stories.
The first story showed the massacre at the hearing. The reports called it an attack by a Supe terrorist.
The broadcast kept returning to the hearing footage. Each channel used the same description: a Supe terrorist had attacked the hearing and caused the massacre.
The second story showed a person entering Vought Tower and displaying powers similar to Homelander's. The footage made it clear that the person was Adam.
The reports placed the two stories beside each other. One showed the massacre. The other showed Adam using Homelander's power.
Inside a metro train, a passenger watched one of the videos on his phone. A distant shot showed a person landing on the ground before the recording cut to another angle. In the new view, the same person was walking forward. His eyes suddenly turned red. Three soldiers stood ahead of him. Red beams from the person's eyes struck them before the video cut again. A card appeared on the screen, displaying the three soldiers' names and marking all of them as dead, then stayed long enough to treat the deaths as proof of the person's danger.
The passenger continued watching. The next card showed Adam's photograph and read, "The most dangerous leader behind this Supe terrorist is Adam." The Boys' photograph appeared beside Adam's. A frame linked both photographs to Translucent's murder and the threat to public safety. It identified them as the people who stole Compound V. The report then showed Adam attacking Vought Tower while the other Supes were away and taking Compound V, leaving trainee Supes critically injured. The report repeated that Adam had attacked while Homelander and the other members of the Seven were away. The footage showed the damaged area and the missing Compound V, while the trainee Supes remained unable to continue fighting after the attack. The passenger watched the entire segment. Then he opened another video. The title on the second video read, "The New Supe Terrorist: Adam." He watched it until the end and opened another video. This time, Homelander was standing at a press conference.
He looked angry and concerned as he faced the cameras.
"What did you think? Just because I wasn't there, you could attack my home? You could attack my home?"
"We won't let you get away with this. We aren't alone. Everyone is standing with us."
Homelander moved to the side and brought Stormfront forward. The cameras remained focused on the two members of the Seven as Stormfront stepped into the center of the frame. Homelander stood behind her while she faced the public.
Stormfront's eyes were already wet. She looked toward the cameras and let the tears fall.
"Whenever I came to the tower, Daniel always asked about my well-being. We had formed a bond. But this merciless Supe terrorist killed him just because of his own arrogance."
Her voice broke as she continued speaking for the cameras.
The passenger kept staring at the screen.
At the hideout, The Boys were watching the same news report. Annie sat beside Adam, while Butcher and the other members of the group watched the television.
The rest of the group was there with them. The report continued playing while they watched the accusations against Adam and The Boys.
Butcher looked toward Adam.
"Congratulations. You're a star now."
Adam kept looking at the news. He smiled.
He had expected Vought to do something like this. He had not expected them to react so quickly or push their narrative across so many platforms so fast.
Adam still had to respect the speed of it. Vought had already connected enough influencers and television networks to spread its message immediately. Ordinary people would only hear what Vought wanted them to hear.
The same accusation was already appearing everywhere. Vought had pushed one version of the story so quickly that it had become the only version most people were seeing.
Adam released a slow breath.
"At least this is happening in the age of the internet," he thought. "If this had happened in the eighties or the nineties, I would not even have had a chance to tell people my side."
He had already played some of his own cards for this situation. He had not expected Vought to move on such a large scale or build its story so quickly.
He had prepared for Vought to attack his name, but he had not expected the company to turn the attack into a public story this fast. They had not waited for the news to settle before adding new footage and repeating the same accusations.
Adam did not feel afraid.
"Power decides what happens here," he thought. "And I am the one with it."
Batman was not here to stop him. No one here could counter Superman's powers. There was no Kryptonite here to weaken him.
Adam looked back at the television.
Mother's Milk spoke with concern.
"Our situation is getting worse."
Butcher's expression became serious.
"Fuck this. We're never going to get them punished through the courts. We never will."
Hughie looked even more upset.
"Then what are you thinking? How are we supposed to punish them?"
Butcher looked at the television.
"By doing it ourselves. First, we take down the Seven. They're Vought's greatest strength."
Annie turned toward Butcher and shouted, "You're going to take down the Seven? Then how are you any different from them?"
Adam stayed silent and listened to them.
Butcher smiled at Annie.
"What have you seen that tells you there's any difference between us and them? You were in the Seven, and we've had to tell you more than half of what you know."