The third reporter stood up with trembling hands. His question was for Holander.
"Mr. Holander... now that you know everything your father went through, how do you feel?"
Holander took the microphone and said, "I fucking hate the people who did this to him. I hate Edgar. I hate everything Vought used to be..."
He looked into the cara and continued, "But more than that, I’m proud of him. Because my father crawled out of hell and ca back to Arica. He endured all that torture... but it didn’t break him. He is the strongest superhero in the world, and he is my father. After everything that’s happened, my father and I will completely change the corruption and filth inside Vought. Together, we will build a real superhero company!"
The more Holander spoke, the more fired up he beca. When he finished, everyone below burst into applause, and brilliant light poured down over him.
Holander felt like he was in perfect form.
...
Soon, the fourth reporter stood up.
"CEO Ashley, you ntioned that Vought needs to transform, as well as the truth about superheroes. Could you explain that in detail?"
Ashley nodded, turned to a new page in the file before her, and took a deep breath.
Because what ca next was the real bombshell of this press conference.
"Before I explain Vought’s future direction, I need to confess to the public a truth that has been hidden for nearly a century. A secret Stan Edgar and Madelyn Stillwell refused to reveal even to their dying day..."
"Vought International began as a pharmaceutical company. In the early twentieth century, its founder, Frederick Vought, developed a compound designated V. That is Compound V. Its function is to permanently rewrite human genes, granting ordinary people abilities beyond natural limits. Every superhero you know gained their powers from it. Supes were not born with their powers. They were not blessed by a miracle, and it had nothing to do with God. Every Supe is a product made in a laboratory."
She turned the page, her gaze sweeping over the breathless faces below.
At that mont, the atmosphere completely changed. Everyone was stunned.
Supes... were just humans who had been injected?
...
"In addition, throughout his decades in power, Stan Edgar worked with Madelyn Stillwell to secretly push forward a massive illegal injection program across the globe. Thousands of ordinary people were injected with Compound V without their knowledge. Among the victims were children, pregnant won, veterans, and the holess. Edgar and Madelyn treated them as test subjects. To this day, many superheroes still don’t know that their so-called ’talent’ was actually just a numbered experintal record in Edgar’s lab..."
The press room was so quiet that the airflow from the vents overhead could be heard.
"What’s worse," Ashley’s voice suddenly grew colder, "Edgar and Madelyn did not rely carry out secret injections on innocent people. They also built a global black-market network for Compound V. They sold Compound V at high prices to criminal organizations, terrorist groups, and private ard forces, deliberately creating large numbers of ’supervillains.’ The existence of these supervillains beca Vought’s excuse to keep expanding its Supe affairs. Edgar created the disasters first, then sent superheroes to solve them, gaining enormous profits and public influence in the process. It was a complete closed loop. And those victims who lost control after being injected never knew, even at death, that they were only pawns in a business plan."
"All of this was carried out under Edgar’s orders, without the knowledge of the vast majority of Vought’s Board of Directors. Before today, Vought’s middle managent, including myself, as well as all Supes, knew nothing about these cris..."
Hearing this, Holander’s expression remained calm.
Although he felt a little guilty, Benjamin had told him that he needed to properly deal with the rotten things he had done and truly change.
And these matters would be pushed onto the dead Edgar and Madelyn. Although, to be fair, Holander had done those things with Edgar’s tacit approval in the first place...
Ashley opened the final page of the file.
"Today, Vought will hand over all evidence of Edgar and Madelyn’s cris, including their private communications, financial records, black-market transaction ledgers, and secret experintal files, to the FBI in stages."
"At the sa ti, Vought announces that, effective imdiately, the production, sale, and injection of Compound V will be completely stopped. Permanently."
"We will then dispatch superheroes to shut down every Compound V production line and black-market warehouse under Edgar’s na."
"From this mont on, no one in this world will ever again be turned into a Supe by Compound V."
"The only business lines Vought will retain are Supe affairs managent and the operation of The Seven."
"Our goal is simple: to make sure superheroes are no longer products created in laboratories, but true protectors trusted by the public. Real superheroes!"
Another stir ran through the press room. Imdiately after, thunderous applause erupted from everyone present.
...
...
In front of the television.
Every mber of The Boys was stunned.
Butcher muttered to himself, "The thing we were fucking planning to do... Soldier Boy and Holander actually did it first? Then what’s the point of any of this?"
He still had a huge pile of evidence, just waiting to work with CIA Deputy Director Susan Rayner to bring Vought down...
"How about we all just go ho and find our mums?"
Frenchie glanced at the others and asked.
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