“I’ve always looked forward to fresh blood joining the Seven, but this might be a little too fresh.”
Queen Maeve walked through Vought International’s halls with Bruce by her side.
Her smile was warm and approachable, effortlessly winning favor—a testament to the charisma of a veteran Vought superhero.
She led Bruce to an observation room and gestured toward the display.
“Take a look at this. We’ve got two Worldview-4 satellites in Earth’s orbit. They can read a fleeing vehicle’s license plate from over 600 kilometers up.”
Bruce gazed curiously at the screen. The city stretched out in intricate detail.
Zooming out revealed the satellite’s coverage spanned the entire country.
Hovering near Bruce, Kathoom, the Owl, remained invisible to everyone but him.
“They can monitor a city yet conveniently ignore atrocities like what A-Train does,” Bruce muttered to Kathoom. “Knowing a company like this is watching me every second… it’s suffocating.”
His tone made it clear he disapproved of surveillance.
“Do you think people shouldn’t be monitored?” Kathoom asked.
“Of course not!” Bruce replied. “Everyone has the right to protect their privacy. Vought’s all-encompassing surveillance is criminal.”
“But Batman does it too,” Kathoom remarked suddenly. “Future-you monitors all of Gotham.”
“You’re insane! That’s completely different!”
Bruce snapped before swiftly changing the subject. He noticed Kathoom acting oddly.
“Kathoom,” Bruce asked, “why do you seem like you’re waiting for something to happen?”
“Well—” Kathoom’s tone was drawn out, teasing. “I’m just curious if there’ll be some sparks between you and Queen Maeve.”
“You’re expecting the wrong thing,” Bruce retorted confidently. “Nothing is going to happen.”
Right then, Queen Maeve called out to him.
“Something wrong?” she asked with a smile. “You looked like you were daydreaming.”
“Not at all.” Bruce quickly shook his head. “I just can’t believe this is real. It feels like a dream.”
His face was full of awe. “I used to stand in front of the mirror pretending I was where I am now. I never imagined it would actually come true!”
Queen Maeve’s smile faltered briefly at his earnest expression before she quickly composed herself.
“Everyone feels the same way,” she said smoothly. “When I first got here, I couldn’t believe it either—I even slapped myself a couple of times to make sure it wasn’t a dream.”
Bruce chuckled along with her.
Then he asked, “By the way, Queen Maeve…”
“Just call me Maeve.”
“Maeve… sis?” Bruce said, with a grin. “When can I start fighting crime?”
“That’s still a while away.”
Maeve shook her head with a smile. “You’re still young. You won’t be given any dangerous missions just yet. Your main task for now is engaging with your fans.”
In other words, he was to play the mascot.
Bruce frowned. “But the criminals—”
“Don’t worry about that,” Maeve said. “We have Homelander. You know how powerful he is, don’t you?”
She chuckled. “I bet a boy your age has a poster of Homelander in his room, right?”
It was meant as a joke, but Bruce’s response caught her off guard.
“Nope!”
His expression was bashful yet firm. “Actually, the poster in my room is of you.”
Maeve froze.
“I put it in the most visible spot so I can see it first thing every morning.”
Bruce clenched his fists to emphasize his sincerity. “Queen Maeve, I’ve always been your fan.”
Maeve stared at Bruce’s innocent face, suddenly feeling a dryness in her throat.
She swallowed involuntarily.
“Bruce.”
“Yeah?”
“Stay away from me.”
Her abrupt comment left Bruce startled and uneasy.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked nervously.
“No, it’s not your fault,” Maeve quickly explained. “It’s just… you look too tempting, and you’re standing too close…”
She trailed off, struggling with herself.
Maeve’s face showed a flicker of conflict. For a moment, it seemed like she wanted to reveal something real to Bruce—something about how the world wasn’t as bright as he imagined.
But in the end, she opted for a more subtle warning.
“Bruce,” she said, “you got over ten million votes in this election, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Bruce nodded.
“That means you already have over ten million fans.”
Maeve smiled faintly. “That’s your power. No matter what happens in this company, always remember you have those ten million fans behind you.”
“Maeve, sis, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying,” Bruce replied. “Could you be more straightforward?”
“I couldn’t be more straightforward,” Maeve said, shaking her head. “Just remember—there’s only one person in this company with more fans than you, and that’s Homelander. He’s the only person you can’t afford to cross.”
With that, she ended the conversation.
“Alright, that’s all for today. I have other things to do. Looking forward to working with you on missions.”
Maeve left hurriedly, as if Bruce were some kind of dangerous beast.
As her figure disappeared, Bruce and Kathoom were left alone.
“It seems not everyone in the Seven lacks a moral compass,” Bruce remarked suddenly.
Kathoom sighed in agreement.
The Owl unhooked a small camera from his chest. “I thought I might capture something explosive.”
“No worries. There’s always something to film,” Bruce replied, pulling out his phone. “By the way, didn’t The Deep just take Starlight into the command center?”
—
In the command center, Starlight stood frozen, her body stiff and trembling.
Her entire worldview was crumbling.
She had just delivered a speech about joining the Seven, filled with hope for the future.
The Deep had brought her here for a tour, their conversation lighthearted and promising—until he dropped his pants in front of her.
“Don’t overthink it. This is just about how much you want to be part of the Seven,” he said, taking a confident step closer.
“You said you were my fan earlier, right? This is a chance to get even closer.”
“What are you saying?”
Starlight’s eyes lit up with a white glow, energy crackling at her fingertips, ready to be unleashed.
“Whoa, whoa, calm down!” The Deep grinned nervously. “I know you’re strong, but here’s the thing—”
His expression turned menacing.
“I’m the second-in-command of the Seven. I can decide whether you stay or go.”
Starlight’s energy flickered, her resolve shaken.
“That’s more like it.”
The Deep sat on the command table, spreading his legs shamelessly.
“You know how it works. We’re a team—we help each other.
“Don’t be naive, little girl. Be smart.”
Starlight clenched her eyes shut, a storm of humiliation and rage brewing inside her.
In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to blast The Deep into oblivion.
“Come on now, don’t test my patience.”
The Deep’s voice dripped with entitlement.
Torn between her dream and her dignity, Starlight was forced to make an impossible choice.
The Deep smirked arrogantly, his confidence unchecked.
But before he could take things further—
The command center doors swung open.
Bruce Wayne strode in, holding up his phone.
“Hey everyone! We’ve just arrived at the legendary command center. Let me show you some of the details!”
He panned the camera around the room, capturing everything, including The Deep.
The Deep’s mind went blank, blood rushing to his head as a loud ringing filled his ears.
“What the hell are you doing?!” he roared. “Are you live-streaming?!”
“Huh?” Bruce feigned surprise. “The Deep, why aren’t you wearing pants? Oh no, I caught it all on camera!”
“Are you live-streaming?!” The Deep demanded, his voice trembling.
“No, no,” Bruce replied innocently. “I’m just filming for my fans to upload later.”
The Deep let out a breath of relief, extending a hand.
“Give me the phone.”
“Uh, am I interrupting something?” Bruce asked, but he showed no intention of handing over his phone.
“No, no!”
Seizing the opportunity, Starlight darted behind Bruce, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Bruce, help me!”
The Deep, still pantless, rushed toward Bruce.
“Sorry, The Deep, but I can’t give you this video,” Bruce said, his demeanor shifting.
“You little punk! I’ll make sure you’re both kicked out of the Seven!”
Bruce’s face darkened.
“The Deep, didn’t you only get around a million votes in the election? Barely seven figures, right?”
“So what?” The Deep snarled.
“Nothing much. Just remember to speak respectfully to me,” Bruce said coldly. “Think carefully—how many fans do you have compared to me?”
Slap!
Suddenly, Bruce smacked The Deep across the face.
The Deep froze, utterly stunned.
“Did you just hit me?” he asked in disbelief.
“If I want to hit you, I’ll hit you,” Bruce replied nonchalantly. “Do I need to schedule it?”
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