It wasn’t until Neuman’s pupils began to lose focus, right when she was on the verge of suffocating, that Benjamin finally let go, as casually as if he were tossing out trash.

"Thud!"

Neuman hit the floor hard.

She looked like a dying fish, clutching her throat as she greedily sucked in air, her full, perky chest heaving nonstop.

Tears and snot ran together, leaving her utterly pathetic.

In those beautiful wide eyes, only hollow despair remained.

Her Superpowers, her pride, her trump card.

In front of this man, they were nothing but a joke.

She was supposed to be one of the top Supes...

Yet before Soldier Boy, she was barely any different from an ordinary person.

So this was the terrifying power of the strongest Supe of the last century?

Neuman’s eyes turned pitiful. She knelt there on the floor, staring up at Benjamin.

"I... I’ll do it..."

Neuman slumped to the ground, giving up every last shred of dignity and resistance.

Her lips trembled as she muttered.

"I’ll do anything for you... I was wrong... Please don’t hurt Zoe..."

Looking at Neuman trembling on the floor, Benjamin gave a contemptuous snort. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Quit looking like somebody shot your parents."

It was not just because Neuman had gone after Homelander.

The main issue was that Neuman really was not a good person. She had killed plenty of people for Edgar, for Vought.

According to her, it had always been to protect her daughter. But in reality, aside from helping Edgar, Neuman had mostly done it for herself.

She was a polished little egoist who happened to love her daughter.

Benjamin dragged over a chair, sat down, and stared down at Neuman.

"I may have butchered your adoptive father, but you need to get your fucking head straight... Neuman."

"That money-grubbing old bastard Edgar never once saw you as his real daughter."

Every word hit where it hurt.

"He was using your Superpowers. If you were just some ordinary woman who couldn’t even twist open a bottle cap, you’d be worth less than dog shit to him. Got it?"

Watching Neuman’s expression, Benjamin went on.

"And don’t rush to argue. I’m pretty damn sure you know that better than anyone."

Neuman froze.

She instinctively opened her mouth to argue, only to find that her throat seemed blocked.

Because, with despair, she realized Soldier Boy was right about everything.

Edgar had raised her only to turn her into a sharp dagger planted in the political world.

That so-called father-daughter bond was nothing more than a cheap chain meant to keep that dagger leashed.

Even if Edgar had raised her...

So what?

Edgar was dead.

And right now, all she wanted was to survive by any means necessary, and keep her daughter safe.

"What do you need me to do?"

Neuman raised her head. The cold composure of a politician returned to her eyes, now mixed with submission and awe toward Soldier Boy’s power. After all, the man in front of her was practically a god.

"Simple. Go back to your old job. Keep being Vought’s mole. Legitimately, of course. I don’t need you killing people for no damn reason. I just need you to support the new Vought, the new Homelander, and me. That’s enough."

Benjamin lightly tapped the coffee table and spoke slowly.

"My son is about to face a fucking hearing, all because he killed two pieces of shit who nearly raped a pregnant woman..."

"I want you to use every resource you have to help him make this go away. Understand?"

"I understand, sir. I’ll do anything for you," Neuman said quietly.

The matter itself would not be that hard to settle, but that did not mean Soldier Boy was unwilling to make things easier for Homelander.

Mostly because his precious dumbass son really had changed.

Just a few dozen minutes ago.

Benjamin had watched Homelander’s nationwide live broadcast from the square on TV.

That weak-ass son of his, the one who only ever knew how to plaster on a fake smile in front of the cameras and cry the second things got rough.

He had actually dared to tear the mask off in front of the whole world and flip off those high-and-mighty politicians.

That speech was almost the same as Homelander’s in the original series.

But it was even more interesting.

Very interesting.

The corner of Benjamin’s mouth curved in the faintest hint of a smile.

Maybe that spineless son of his had finally grown the backbone of a man. Maybe he really was moving closer to becoming a superhero...

Even if he still had a long way to go.

But Benjamin believed that before long, Homelander would absolutely be able to do it... to become a true superhero.