Antony ignored her shock and casually squeezed his way inside the van. His tall frame instantly made the cramped space feel even smaller.
"So…" Skye still hadn't processed what was happening. "You—Homelander. Antony Starr. CEO of Vought International. You came to my dump… why? Slumming it for fun?"
"I came for you, Skye," Antony said bluntly. "I read your Rising Tide manifesto."
He recited calmly, word for word:
We will rise. We will expose those who hide the truth.
"Not bad," he added. "Very passionate."
Skye let out a dry laugh. "So what, you're here to arrest me? Or fine me? Because I'm broke, just so you know."
"I'm here to offer you a bigger stage."
Antony straightened, his X-ray vision sweeping the van effortlessly.
"You're talented, Skye. With this pile of scrap and stolen bandwidth, you've already made S.H.I.E.L.D. nervous. That makes you a genius."
"But you're alone."
His tone darkened.
"And they're an empire. An empire built on lies and secrets. You can't beat that on your own."
"This isn't your problem," Skye snapped, gripping her seat. "You're on their side. You're just a government mascot."
"A mascot?"
Antony smiled.
He placed his palm lightly on her 17-inch laptop.
ZZZT—
Before Skye could react, the laptop—and every hard drive inside—collapsed into a compressed slab of metal.
"Oh, shit! My computer!" she screamed. "You asshole! Everything I had—!"
"Everything you had… what?" Antony cut in coldly. "Evidence?"
His smile vanished.
"Skye, you have no idea who you're playing against."
His voice shifted—lower, heavier, every word deliberate.
"Let me tell you something," he said quietly. "You're right."
Skye froze.
"What do you think I am?" he scoffed. "A corporate clown wrapped in a flag? A government lapdog?"
He let out a bitter chuckle.
"That's what they think too."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.," he continued. "Nick Fury. They don't trust me. They fear me."
"They fear me… the same way they fear you."
"They've sent people after me. Pulling my hair. Scraping my skin. Trying to collect my DNA."
"They want to study me, Skye."
"They want to find my weakness. Put a collar on me. Lock me in a cage."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"They're afraid of me. Just like they're afraid of you."
Skye's breathing grew shallow.
"You think S.H.I.E.L.D. is your ally?" Antony sneered. "They're parasites. The biggest lie this country ever told itself."
"They spy on everyone. On you. On me. On the President."
"And you," he added casually, "haven't you been searching for your past?"
That hit her like lightning.
"How—how do you know that?" she whispered.
"I know far more than you think," Antony said smoothly, leaning into her personal space.
"I know you grew up an orphan. I know you drifted from place to place. I know why you're so desperate to uncover the truth."
"Because you're searching for your own truth."
Skye's eyes burned.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. knows," Antony said softly, delivering the kill shot. "They have your file. They know who your parents were. They know why you were abandoned."
"But they'll never tell you."
"Because to them… you're just another potential threat."
"A superhuman that needs monitoring."
"No…" Skye shook her head. "That's not possible."
"Oh, it is," Antony said, crouching down to meet her gaze.
"You and I are the same, Skye."
"Discarded. Used. Feared."
"They exploit us—and prepare to destroy us."
"And I," he smiled slowly, "am done playing their game."
He extended his hand.
"Join me."
"Vought can give you the fastest servers on the planet. Military satellites. Global access."
"A real stage."
"You want the truth?"
"I'll help you find it."
"You help me."
"Together… we burn S.H.I.E.L.D. to the ground. Every lie. Every secret. Dragged into the light."
Skye stared at his hand.
Hatred burned in her chest.
Curiosity screamed in her head.
And this man—this walking nuclear weapon—was handing her the detonator.
"Why?" she demanded suddenly. "Why do you care? You're Homelander. A billionaire. You already have everything."
Antony stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Because," he said quietly, "the world deserves the truth."
She hesitated.
Three seconds.
"…Fuck it. I'm in."
"But not for you. Not for Vought."
"I'm doing this for the truth."
"Of course," Antony said with a perfect smile. "We're the good guys."
He popped open a bottle of Vought Energy Drink.
And in his heart, he finished the sentence:
Because I decide what justice looks like.
Ding!
Special Popularity Points +10,000
-----
72 Hours Later
Vought International – Los Angeles Division.
Skye was escorted into an office more luxurious than every place she'd lived in combined.
Antony pressed a button on the desk.
The wall slid open.
Skye stopped breathing.
An entire command center revealed itself—towering servers, hundreds of displays, a holographic data table humming with power.
"Your van was charming," Antony said lightly. "Very retro."
"But this…"
"This is Vought's global data core. Quantum-encrypted."
"In here," he said calmly, "you're a god."
Skye stepped forward without realizing it, reverent.
Within 72 hours, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence networks began to collapse.
A new entity appeared online.
RISING TIDE 2.0
And the secrets of the world started to spill.
--------------
T/N:
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