Chapter 157: Chapter 147: Be Good and Listen
Victoria's face turned pale as she watched Homelander approach her daughter, Zoe. Instinctively, she stepped forward, but before she could take another step, Homelander turned his head, his deep eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Don't move, dear Victoria."
Despite the smile on his face, Victoria trembled uncontrollably. She hesitated, withdrawing her foot, and instead raised her hands in a placating gesture, forcing a smile.
"Please, don't hurt her, Homelander," she pleaded. Then, turning to her daughter, she urged, "Zoe, go to your room. Mommy has something to discuss with her friend."
Homelander chuckled softly, his hand resting lightly on Zoe's head.
"Listen to yourself, Victoria. What kind of nonsense are you saying?"
"We're friends. Why would I ever harm your daughter?"
"And besides, she's adorable—practically an angel."
With that, he effortlessly scooped Zoe into his arms, flashing a charming smile.
"You're just as beautiful as your mother, sweetheart."
Zoe, ever polite, responded, "Thank you, Uncle John."
Watching Homelander hold her daughter, Victoria's legs nearly gave out. She had to grab onto the table for support, barely managing to stay upright.
"I admit, I haven't done enough," she said, voice trembling.
"But I swear, it wasn't intentional, sir. I've just been so busy lately. I promise—I'll start gathering information for you first thing tomorrow."
"I swear, this time, I'll put all my effort into it. Just… please, let Zoe go back to bed."
But Homelander made no move to put the girl down. Instead, he held her close and walked toward Victoria.
"It's still early. And tomorrow's the weekend, right? Zoe doesn't have school."
"Isn't that right, Zoe?"
The little girl nodded cheerfully. "That's right! No school for me tomorrow."
"I was going to fly a kite! Mommy promised to spend the afternoon with me."
"Really? That sounds wonderful."
Homelander lightly pinched her cheek.
"Uncle John is great at flying kites too. How about I join you tomorrow?"
Victoria's expression turned even paler. She shot her daughter a desperate look, silently urging her to refuse.
But Zoe's eyes lit up instead. "Really? Mommy, can Uncle John come with us?"
Victoria quickly interjected, "Zoe, don't be silly."
"Uncle John is a very busy man. He doesn't have time for kites."
She turned back to Homelander, her voice almost pleading.
"Sir, I'll get to work tomorrow—no, I'll start making calls right now. I have contacts. Maybe they'll have something useful."
Homelander, satisfied that he had frightened her enough, finally set Zoe down. He gave her a gentle push toward the hallway.
"Go to bed, Zoe."
"And close the door behind you. Your mom and I need to talk for a bit."
Zoe nodded and glanced at her mother. Victoria managed to force a reassuring smile.
"Listen to your uncle. Close the door."
Once Zoe was gone, Homelander settled onto the couch, his gaze sweeping over Victoria.
She was a striking woman, likely of mixed Indian descent—her features were exotic, unique. Young, yet exuding a mature charm.
Right now, in her professional attire—tight pencil skirt, sheer black stockings—she looked particularly enticing. Fear made her even more delicate and vulnerable, her large eyes shimmering under the warm glow of the room's lighting.
Homelander suddenly spoke.
"Turn off the lights."
Victoria trembled but obeyed, flipping the switch.
He gestured. "Come here. Sit with me. Let's have a little chat."
The once-powerful congresswoman, known for her unwavering authority, now moved like a timid kitten. She hesitated only briefly before stepping forward, lowering herself onto his lap as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Homelander smirked, clearly pleased.
His large hand rested on her thigh, fingers tracing the fine silk of her stockings.
"You're divorced?"
Victoria nodded stiffly. "For a few years now."
"Raising a child alone must be tough."
She forced a smile. "Zoe is well-behaved. She makes it easier."
She suddenly shuddered.
Homelander grinned. "And what about Zoe's mother? Is she well-behaved too?"
Her body trembled harder now. A storm of emotions twisted inside her, making it difficult to think straight.
But her instincts responded before her mind did.
"I will listen to you, sir."
"Will you, now?"
"Then, next—"
"Not a sound."
"You wouldn't want to wake Zoe, would you?"
Homelander's voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried a chilling weight.
That night, Zoe slept soundly.
The next morning, when she woke up, her mother was still in bed.
Peeking into the bedroom, she found Victoria fast asleep, completely motionless.
"Guess Mommy pulled another all-nighter working again."
Zoe shook her head and decided not to wake her, heading to the kitchen alone to find something to eat.
---
Weekend
At the crime analysis division, Homelander strolled in alone.
His little sidekick, Annika, was on shift today. The department was empty, giving her the freedom to sprawl lazily on her chair, feet kicked up on the desk.
Dressed in shorts, she had her legs crossed while listening to music with her eyes closed, a bag of chips in her lap. Occasionally, she'd grab a few pieces and munch absentmindedly.
Homelander approached, taking his time to admire her long, toned legs.
Say what you will about Western women, but they had a natural advantage in that department. Long, slender, well-proportioned. Their love for exercise gave them a healthy, effortless allure.
He tore his gaze away and plucked an earbud from Annika's ear.
She jolted upright instantly.
"You bastard, Jack! Do you even know who my boss is now?"
"Dare to touch me, and you're dead!"
Then she turned—and upon recognizing him, she froze.
Hands fumbling awkwardly, she stammered, "B-Boss…"
Quickly, she shoved the bag of chips forward. "Want some?"
Homelander chuckled, amused by her habit of offering snacks to superheroes.
"No, thanks. You enjoy them."
"Tell me, can we access the federal surveillance network?"
Annika hesitated before shrugging. "Piece of cake, boss."
"The feds only gave us clearance for New York, but if I wanted to, I could tap into any city in the country."
She turned away, leaning over her desk as she began typing rapidly on her keyboard.
Homelander, standing behind her, found himself staring at the curve of her hips.
For a moment, he considered giving her a playful smack—but, remembering his boss status, he shifted his stance instead, maintaining a respectable image.
Within minutes, Annika straightened up, grabbing another chip.
"Alright, boss. Which surveillance footage do you need?"
"No need, I got it from here."
With his newfound "Information Domain" ability, Homelander could essentially function as the world's greatest hacker.
Without touching the keyboard, he placed his hands on the desk.
Tiny streams of digital energy pulsed from his fingertips, linking into the surveillance network.
Instantly, an avalanche of data flooded his mind.
For an ordinary human, this kind of information overload would have been brain-melting.
But for Homelander—whose "Quantum Sub-Brains" functioned beyond the capacity of the most advanced supercomputers—processing this data was effortless.
With a single thought, he filtered through billions of video feeds.
New York streets, private apartments, every street corner across the nation—no longer hidden from his gaze.
And if he wanted, he could even access every citizen's phone camera, watching the world through their own eyes.
At this moment, Homelander was everywhere.
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