[Seven Tower, Command Hall]
Ashley turned off the television and took two steps back in a daze. A voice kept repeating in her head.
'I'm going to lose my job!'
'I'm about to lose my job!'
'What do we do now? Power armor is going to replace superheroes. The company might even go bankrupt.'
Clearly, she wasn't the only one worried.
Electro Man held his head and dropped into a chair, "Are we going to be unemployed?"
"From what that colonel said, they won't need us to deal with superpowered criminals anymore. As long as the police wear armor, they can handle it."
Ice Princess looked at Ashley, "Where's Homelander? Isn't he in the Tower?"
Ashley didn't even have the strength to answer. She was already thinking about whether she could get a job at Olga Company after losing this one.
It was Maeve who spoke instead, "It's not that simple."
"Power armor is impressive, sure. But it can't be cheap, right?"
"Even if they roll it out to the police system, I doubt every officer will get a set."
"One set per precinct would already be generous. Most likely, only one station in an entire district would get one."
Ice Princess said, "Even so, it's still a big blow to us."
"I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
At that moment, a voice rang out, "What are you panicking for?"
Hearing that voice, everyone in the command hall looked up and saw Homelander walking in.
Alex had his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "Power armor?"
"You don't really think that kind of thing can replace us, do you?"
He looked at Maeve, "Can it hurt you?"
Then he turned to Electro, "Can it withstand an electromagnetic pulse?"
Finally, his gaze fell on Ice Princess, "Can it guarantee it won't freeze over?"
Alex walked to the window, his back to the group, and shook his head with a smile.
"Trust me. These tin cans can't replace us."
"As long as I'm here, I won't let that happen."
Hearing Alex's words, everyone perked up. Ashley eagerly asked, "Homelander, should we resume hero activities immediately?"
"No," Alex said something they didn't quite understand, "Let the bullet fly a little longer."
"They just announced the end of the superhero era. If we immediately resume activities, it'll look like we're nervous and afraid of being replaced."
Maeve asked, "Then what do we do next?"
"Nothing," Alex turned around, "Go shopping. Go on dates."
"Do whatever you want."
"The less we care, the more confident and powerful we appear."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ashley's phone rang. She glanced at it, and her face changed.
"Olga Company just announced that in one week, they'll hold a power armor technology demonstration at the top floor of Empire Hall in Manhattan."
Ashley looked up at Alex, "They've publicly invited Vought and you to attend the demonstration next week."
Maeve stood up, "That's a challenge!"
Alex chuckled, "Quite bold of them. Isn't Olga's CEO afraid I might twist his head off?"
Everyone instantly looked at him.
Alex waved his hand, "Relax. I'm just joking."
Then he looked at Ashley, "Have PR respond. Tell them I'll attend."
"At that time, I'll personally test the strength of their armor. Let's see if they have the courage to agree."
———
That afternoon, after being polished by the PR department, Alex's response was released and immediately stirred up a storm in the city.
Now everyone knew there would be a showdown in Manhattan in a week. Was the armor superior, or was Homelander still unbeatable?
The answer would come soon enough.
Because of Homelander's strong response, by the time the stock market closed that day, Vought's shares not only didn't fall, they even rose slightly.
———
Several days passed in a blink.
During these days, Colonel Yuri was extremely busy.
With the Seven on strike, and other superheroes dissatisfied with his earlier remarks, even though they hadn't stopped working entirely, they were clearly less enthusiastic than before.
As a result, many cases fell onto Yuri's shoulders.
So in recent days, the colonel's figure could be seen almost everywhere in the city. He was up early and home late, rushing around putting out fires.
That evening, when Alex came to visit Lin Aida and had just stepped out of his car, he heard a whoosh overhead.
Colonel Yuri, wearing black armor, flew past in the sky.
Alex smiled, bought a bouquet of flowers, and went to Lin Aida's apartment.
"Good evening."
"How's your cold?"
After being invited inside, Alex acted as if he were in his own home. He took the wilted bouquet of irises from the living room and tossed it into the trash, then replaced it with the fresh flowers he had just bought.
"Much better..Actually, I have to thank you for the medicine last time."
Lin Aida was no longer as reserved as before. She seemed to be gradually getting used to Alex's presence.
That was exactly what Alex wanted.
"Mr. John, would you like some orange juice?"
"I bought a lot of fresh oranges today."
As Lin Aida tapped her way into the kitchen with her white cane, a sharp blast of electric guitar suddenly erupted from outside.
The sudden noise almost made Alex crush the glass in his hand.
Lin Aida quickly dropped her cane and covered her ears.
Afraid that his treasure might bump into something, Alex hurried over to steady her.
The girl said helplessly, "Mr. Kevin is playing his guitar again."
Alex glanced toward the door, "Does he do this every day?"
Lin Aida nodded gently.
"I'll call the police."
"No, no."
Lin Aida forced a smile, "It's useless. The police can only give a verbal warning for something like this."
"And…"
She shrank slightly and didn't finish her sentence.
Alex guessed she had been retaliated against before.
He stood up.
Leaning close to her ear, he said, "I'll go have a word with him."
Lin Aida was startled, "No, don't. I can endure it. It's just a small matter. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
Alex said seriously, "I'll be fine. I'll reason with him."
Then he gently pressed her back down, stepped into the hallway, and carefully closed the door.
Only then did Alex look at the apartment across the hall.
Lights flashed inside. They were having a party. Several long haired men were playing guitars like madmen and pounding on a drum set.
Two women sat to the side drinking and screaming.
Clearly, they were having a great time.
Suddenly, the front door shattered into pieces. Fragments flew everywhere, scaring the two women into ducking behind the sofa.
The owner of the apartment, Kevin, froze. He saw a brown haired man in a jacket and glasses patting his shoulder as he walked in.
"The party's over."
Alex looked at the people in the room, his smile bright and friendly as he spoke.
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