In the conference room on the top floor of Vought Tower, Madelyn sat at the head of the long table.
In front of her were the current mbers of The Seven: Holander, Queen Maeve, The Deep, Translucent, and Black Noir.
Madelyn turned her tablet around and pushed it across the table.
On the screen, footage played of Soldier Boy beating A-Train.
"Within three days, I want The Seven to bring Soldier Boy back to Vought Tower. Dead or alive, though alive would be preferable, of course."
Across the table, Holander replied, "I’m not going."
The other four all turned to look at Holander at the sa ti.
Queen Maeve frowned slightly.
The conference room was silent for a full three seconds.
Translucent, seated nearby after rushing back from a fan et-and-greet in Tis Square, shifted awkwardly in his chair.
The Deep lowered his head and stared at the glass of water on the table, no one knew what he was thinking.
Queen Maeve stood with her arms crossed, her expression hidden behind her mask. She looked at Holander, then at Soldier Boy on the screen.
Holander’s refusal left her puzzled. Could he be afraid?
The more Maeve thought about it, the more possible it seed.
This was Soldier Boy, after all.
Madelyn paused. "Holander?"
Holander finally raised his eyes.
In those blue irises, so blue they barely seed human, the frozen image on the screen was reflected. Benjamin’s face. Soldier Boy’s face.
There was no anger in his expression, nor any of his usual emotion.
"I said I’m not going."
Holander stood, planted both hands on the tabletop, and leaned forward slightly.
"Madelyn, I want access to every file on Soldier Boy. Until I figure out why he’s still alive, why he looks exactly the sa as he did forty years ago, until I know the truth, The Seven don’t touch him!"
"He attacked A-Train. In public. In front of a crowd. Our stock opened three points down today!"
"Then let A-Train win back his own dignity."
Holander shrugged, the corner of his mouth pulling into a smile with no warmth at all.
"Oh, right. I forgot. He’s on the dical floor with a brace on his knee, crying like a twelve-year-old girl."
Translucent opened his mouth as if to say sothing, but Holander shot him a single sharp look, and he imdiately swallowed his words.
He knew exactly what that expression ant.
You did not interrupt Holander when he was in a bad mood.
Madelyn slowly rose to her feet. Her heels clicked crisply against the marble floor as she walked over to Holander.
"Listen, Holander. Leaving aside the fact that he’s very likely just a criminal impersonating Soldier Boy, even if he really is Soldier Boy, he still injured A-Train."
"Then let A-Train deal with him himself."
"You all leave."
Madelyn dismissed the others, leaving only Holander in the room.
After Queen Maeve and the rest had gone, Madelyn reached out and touched Holander’s face, preparing to use the old thod...
But Holander was not captivated like he usually was.
"I’m going to check the archives. Wait for my word, and until I know the whole truth, you are not to touch him!"
With that, he turned and left.
He did not spare so much as a glance for Madelyn, who had been about to undress.
The conference room door slamd shut the mont he left.
Madelyn stood where she was, staring in the direction Holander had gone.
Her right hand clenched unconsciously, and her face looked ugly.
This was one of the few tis Holander had defied her.
...
The forty-third basent level of Vought Tower, Archives Managent Center.
The corridor lights were as pale and sterile as an operating room. There was an identity verification terminal every three ters and a security post every fifteen steps. Every guard was equipped with standard gear capable of suppressing Class C Supes.
This was one of the highest-security areas in all of Vought International, second only to the core R&D laboratory for Compound V.
Holander’s boots struck the epoxy floor of the corridor, every step carrying tightly restrained anger.
He had already gone through three departnts.
The Archives Departnt, the Historical Records Room, and the Board Secretary’s Office.
Every ti, the answer ca with the sa professional smile.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Holander, but you’ll need written authorization from Ms. Madelyn to access files of this level."
Or,
"I’m sorry, the files are currently being digitized and temporarily cannot be accessed."
Or, more directly,
"That file does not exist."
Does not exist?
Holander stopped in front of the final window and placed his fist on the counter.
From the point where his fist touched it, a ring of spiderweb cracks spread across the bulletproof glass counter.
The clerk inside jerked backward in terror, his chair toppling over with a loud crash.
"Soldier Boy."
Holander’s voice passed through the cracked glass, every word forced out through clenched teeth.
"World War II hero. Core mber of the original The Seven. A founding contributor to Vought. And you’re telling his file does not exist? Or is it because there’s so unspeakable secret in that file? I am Holander. I do whatever I want. I want Soldier Boy’s file. Now! Tell !"
The young man on the floor adjusted his glasses with trembling hands. His voice shook so badly it was almost inaudible. He knew what he was about to say might get him killed.
"Mr. Holander, the records... the system shows that all of Soldier Boy’s files have been archived as top secret. Access requires joint authorization from at least three mbers of the Board of Directors..."
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