Five minutes later, Edgar—his expression betraying profound astonishment—was returned to Vought Tower's executive office through Richard's teleportation.
Though Richard had demonstrated only a fraction of his abilities, the display had utterly stunned Vought's CEO.
Powerful! As powerful as a god!
Edgar had encountered countless superhumans, fully aware that every powered individual in this world owed their abilities to Compound V injections. Yet he never imagined anyone could possess such overwhelming capabilities.
Despite witnessing the demonstration firsthand, Edgar struggled to accept that he wasn't hallucinating.
During his power showcase, Richard had harmed no one—merely exhibiting his control over gravity, magnetic fields, fire, lightning, wind, and ice for Edgar's benefit. Additionally, he had created a crater in the forest resembling a meteorite impact site, spanning ten kilometers in diameter.
After observing Richard's abilities, Edgar's immediate conclusion was that he stood in the presence of an incarnate deity. No other explanation seemed plausible.
Though intensely curious about Richard's true origins, the superhuman offered no illumination regarding his background. Following his brief demonstration, Richard simply teleported Edgar back to the executive office.
Without providing further instructions, Richard calmly teleported away under Edgar's watchful gaze.
The moment Richard vanished, the desk phone rang, immediately capturing Edgar's attention. Without hesitation, he answered.
After listening to the caller's report, Edgar replied, "I understand. Inform Madelyn that I'll personally select someone to fill the Deep's vacancy."
With that, he disconnected the call.
Though Edgar rarely involved himself directly in the Seven's affairs—or even Vought's day-to-day operations—he remained the corporation's ultimate authority. Before witnessing Richard's capabilities, Edgar had dismissed him as merely another upstart superhuman overestimating his importance.
Now, however, Edgar recognized that joining the Seven actually represented a condescension on Richard's part. With the extraordinary powers Richard had demonstrated, becoming a member of the Seven seemed trivial—he could as easily have declared himself President of the United States.
After ending the call, Edgar retrieved his personal phone and dialed his adoptive daughter, Victoria Neuman.
In a downtown café, Richard sat at a sidewalk table, casually sipping his coffee.
Though he had just strong-armed Edgar into accepting his demands, Richard harbored no concerns about potential reprisals. Even if Edgar harbored secret countermeasures, Richard remained unconcerned.
Against absolute power, conspiracies and schemes proved futile. Unless Edgar could somehow locate a being of comparable strength to oppose him, the CEO had no viable options. Richard could have demanded Edgar's entire fortune, and the executive would have complied with equal inevitability.
For Richard, joining the Seven was now a foregone conclusion. The only remaining question was how Edgar would orchestrate his entry.
Lamplighter's "departure" had already entered public knowledge, creating widespread awareness that someone would fill his vacancy. Though Vought hadn't officially announced Lamplighter's replacement, informed observers could reasonably predict the successor.
Several months earlier, Vought had initiated selection proceedings for the Seven's newest member. After extensive public voting, the process had nearly concluded, awaiting only the final announcement.
According to the original timeline, at Vought's shareholder meeting in several days, Starlight—winner of the "Highest Popularity Award"—would officially join the Seven. That occasion would also mark Starlight and the Deep's first formal meeting.
Though uncertain how Edgar would arrange his induction into the Seven, Richard expected—barring unforeseen complications—that Edgar would present him at the upcoming shareholder meeting, allowing him to join alongside Starlight.
As for explaining the Deep's sudden death, Vought's public relations department would undoubtedly fabricate a convincing narrative.
After finishing his coffee, Richard extracted a twenty-dollar bill from his system space and placed it on the table, preparing to locate five-star accommodations.
Though this universe differed from the Marvel Universe, Richard had confirmed that the currencies shared identical appearances. The only distinction lay in the serial numbers, which weren't officially registered in this world's United States Treasury database.
This discrepancy posed no practical concern. Neither ordinary citizens nor even bank employees would notice anomalies in the currency's serial numbers. Both universes employed identical design principles and production standards for their currency.
Unless someone specifically investigated whether the serial numbers appeared in official registration sequences, no one would discover Richard's use of "counterfeit" money from another universe.
Though Richard could freely access the currency stored in his system space, he remained limited to cash transactions. His identification and bank cards wouldn't function in this world.
This limitation presented no significant obstacle.
Approaching the roadside, Richard hailed a taxi. Opening the rear door, he instructed the driver, "Take me to the nearest five-star hotel."
"Right away, sir!" replied the forty-something driver with distinctive Indian features.
Within ten minutes, they reached the destination. Glancing at the upscale establishment, Richard withdrew fifty dollars from his system space, handed it to the driver, then exited the vehicle and proceeded directly into the hotel.
Though his identification and financial credentials remained inaccessible in this universe, Richard completed the check-in process effortlessly. With minimal telepathic influence, the uniformed receptionist—her blonde hair styled in prominent waves—processed his registration with a broad smile, presenting the presidential suite's key card with both hands.
Along with the room key, she discreetly provided a small note bearing a phone number and name.
Caitlin.
After briefly examining the note, Richard proceeded toward the elevators without comment, key card in hand.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, a week had elapsed.
During this period, Richard returned to Vought Tower for another meeting with Edgar. More precisely, he met with Edgar, Vought's CEO; Madelyn Stillwell, the Vice President; Ashley Barrett, the Assistant VP and Head of Talent Relations; and the Director of Public Relations.
Though Edgar introduced Richard to Madelyn and the others, he made no mention of the coercion he had endured, instead presenting Richard as a distant relative. Richard offered no objection to this fabricated connection.
Despite harboring suspicions regarding both the Deep's sudden death and Richard's integration into the Seven, Madelyn and her colleagues proceeded with Richard's promotion and marketing at Edgar's insistent direction.
Vought International truly excelled at commercializing "superheroism." Though Richard lacked established public recognition or previous appearances, Vought's sophisticated marketing machine transformed him from complete anonymity into the newest superhero sensation—"Silver Angel"—within days.
Richard had personally selected this codename. Rejecting all superhero monikers proposed by Vought's marketing team, he instead chose "Silver Angel"—a designation bestowed upon him by devoted fans in the Marvel Universe. Though not particularly imposing, Vought's public relations department honored his preference.
Beyond the codename, Richard flatly rejected the superhero uniform designed by Vought's PR and marketing divisions. He acknowledged the professionalism behind their designs but preferred Sephiroth's distinctive attire.
In front of Edgar, Madelyn, and the others, Richard activated his mana, instantaneously transforming his casual clothing into Sephiroth's characteristic black coat with silver pauldrons. This metamorphosis visibly stunned Edgar, Madelyn, Ashley, and the others present.
Though this universe's "superheroes" wore costumes aligned with their public personas, all such outfits consisted of conventional materials. None had witnessed garments conjured directly through mystical energy. Even within the Marvel Universe, such displays remained relatively uncommon.
While Vought actively promoted Richard as the "Silver Angel," they simultaneously orchestrated a narrative around the Deep's "retirement." Rather than announcing his inexplicable death within Vought Tower—a revelation that would undoubtedly damage public confidence—Vought's PR department constructed a plausible rationale for his departure.
The Deep, "Lord of the Seven Seas," had allegedly chosen to withdraw temporarily from the Seven to focus his energies on combating increasingly severe ocean pollution. Though somewhat contrived, this explanation aligned with the Deep's established public image and environmental advocacy, conveniently satisfying America's current environmental sensibilities.
The Deep's abrupt exit from the Seven surprised not only the general public but also Homelander, Queen Maeve, Translucent, and A-Train. However, upon learning that a replacement would soon fill the vacancy, they quickly dismissed the matter.
Though the Deep held official membership within the Seven, their interpersonal relationships hardly matched public perception. From certain perspectives, they functioned more as competitors than colleagues.
Given relatively stable population demographics, public attention and support represented finite resources. Increased popularity for one hero necessarily diminished support for others. No superhero could achieve universal adoration—even God Himself couldn't accomplish such unanimity.
Beyond public support, internal competition flourished among Seven members within Vought's corporate structure. With limited promotional resources, the corporation couldn't allocate equal marketing efforts to each member. Securing optimal publicity required not only public enthusiasm but also support from Vought's executive leadership.
In this regard, Homelander maintained indisputable primacy within the Seven. Unlike his teammates, Homelander represented Vought's custom-designed superhero. Even before his birth, Vought had meticulously arranged his entire trajectory—from the fictionalization of his biography to positioning him as America's preeminent superhero.
During Richard's initial visit to Vought Tower, Homelander had been absent. However, when the PR department began shooting promotional materials for his debut, Richard finally encountered the flagship superhero.
Whether from apprehension regarding Richard or other motivations, Madelyn personally escorted Homelander to the studio. Ostensibly, she visited to monitor the marketing department's progress. Richard, however, recognized her true intent—Homelander's presence represented a deliberate demonstration of power.
Though Madelyn merely served as Vought's Vice President, hierarchically subordinate to CEO Edgar, she understood one crucial fact: Richard stood beyond her sphere of influence. Moreover, Edgar rarely intervened directly in Seven operations, yet had exercised presidential authority to install Richard in the Deep's position—triggering Madelyn's instinctive sense of vulnerability.
Formally, she remained Edgar's subordinate. Yet Madelyn harbored significant ambition. Supplanting Edgar as Vought's CEO had long represented a personal objective. Though challenging, she considered it achievable—provided Homelander maintained his devotion to her.
Absent Richard's arrival, Madelyn would have proceeded with her original strategy, gradually expanding her influence within the corporation until strategically positioned to replace Edgar with Homelander's backing.
Richard's unexpected emergence, however, triggered acute concern. Though uncertain of Richard's capabilities, she understood Edgar intimately. Simply put, had Richard been as inconsequential as the Deep, Edgar would never have facilitated his admission to the Seven.
Without substantial power, Richard couldn't meaningfully impact the Seven's dynamics, much less threaten Homelander's leadership position. Though Richard's precise abilities remained unclear, Madelyn believed that regardless of his status as Edgar's potential operative, he could never rival Homelander.
Consequently, when the PR department conducted Richard's promotional photoshoot, Madelyn deliberately brought Homelander to the studio, intending to let him deliver Richard a subtle warning.
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