The Boys: Viltrumite Bloodline Panel

Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.

~ J.C. Watts

____

Hughie subconsciously took a few steps back and reached for the phone in his pocket.

Hillel noticed the little movement.

"Relax, Hughie. I’m not here to cause trouble."

"Then what are you here for..."

"I know a lot, including the things you and your little friends are doing in the shadows..." Hillel sat down on the sofa, posture casual.

Hughie fought the urge to wet his pants.

It seemed that besides Translucent, he had already had run-ins with other supes, otherwise he wouldn’t be this nervous.

But it was hard to say.

In the early stages, Hughie was afraid of everyone.

Robin didn’t understand a thing. She ran over carrying two glasses of water and a T-shirt.

"Thanks. Your girlfriend will make a good wife someday."

Hillel said.

"What exactly are you here for?"

Hughie lowered his voice, not wanting Robin to hear.

"If you’re trying to find Butcher through me..."

"I have no interest in Butcher, kid. He can’t even find his own wife, why the hell would I look for him? I have something I’d like your help with," Hillel said.

"Help?"

Hughie’s face was pure disbelief.

One of the most powerful supes in America ran all the way to a run-down apartment in Brooklyn to ask an unemployed loser for help?

"Sit down. Don’t just stand there. I’m not here to collect a debt, and you don’t want Robin to know what you’re doing, do you?"

Hughie hesitated for a moment, then finally sat down.

"Um... I saw the news. The things you did... were great!!"

Robin went to fetch a plate of fried eggs, heated them up in the microwave, and drizzled some sauce on them.

In short, this female fan was overly enthusiastic.

"Robin, could you..." Hughie wanted her to leave.

"No need. She can listen in."

Hillel put down his glass and got straight to the point.

"You both know about the incident on Little St. James Island."

Robin answered eagerly. "Of course I do! I watched the whole thing, and I’ve rewatched the replays several times. I cried for so long... those children are just too pitiful..."

Hughie nodded.

He didn’t cry.

Well, he shed a few little pearls.

Forget it, no point in pretending. He cried more like a girl than Robin did.

"Those rescued victims need long-term medical and psychological treatment. I’m personally donating a sum of money—not much, just 300 million dollars—to be used for relief efforts."

"Vought has found a professional financial team to manage these funds in real-time, including audits, investments, and donations."

"But, well, there aren’t many decent people in America, and Commissioner Smith is prevalent, so I need a supervisor."

Hughie was stunned.

"A supervisor?"

"Yes. Someone with a kind heart, a sense of responsibility, and who won’t get chummy with Vought’s top brass."

"Someone who, as an ordinary person, dares to stand up to power."

"How about that? Does it sound familiar?"

Hughie’s first reaction was that The Guardian was joking.

But Hillel’s demeanor didn’t seem like he was lying.

The Guardian was dealing with millions of dollars every minute, occasionally even handling deals worth hundreds of millions.

He wouldn’t fly all the way here just to play a prank on him.

"You... you mean me?"

"Yes."

"Let me supervise the distribution of these funds?"

"Yes."

"Aren’t you afraid I’ll embezzle the public funds?"

"You’re just supervising, kid. Besides, would you divert money meant for the victims to your little group?"

Hughie shook his head. Certainly not.

Marvin and Frenchie were both somewhat moral people.

Butcher... hard to say, but he probably wouldn’t do something like that either.

"This is 300 million dollars, sir!" Hughie stood up. "This kind of thing should be done by a professional regulatory agency! The SEC, the FBI, or some independent audit committee... what’s the point of coming to an unemployed wanderer like me?"

"As for a professional team, I have an audit group from PwC, an asset management department from Goldman Sachs, and two former SEC officials as advisors..."

"Then why come to me?"

"Because corruption is inevitable, and Commissioner Smith is always around."

Hillel said, "With 300 million dollars sitting there, those accountants are experts in investment and calculation, and I’m too lazy to micromanage. If left for too long, there will definitely be problems. Vought... heh, they were involved in the incident on the island this time. Do you think I should trust them?"

"You represent a third party. You only need to put in a little effort to monitor the flow of funds in real-time, and you can help me solve the supervision problem. This is a great opportunity to exercise justice."

The reason Hillel chose Hughie for this task was because he was one of the few people with a conscience in the entire show.

A steadfast, saintly character.

Hughie’s expression was extremely complicated.

If he had any doubts before, he was now convinced that The Guardian was truly a breath of fresh air among supes.

A truly good person!!

"I still don’t understand. Why do you trust me?"

"You’ve saved us, and you know what I’ve done. How do you know I won’t take bribes?"

Hillel smiled. "Because you’re with Butcher. As for Butcher, I know a little bit—or rather, a lot—about him. He has an extreme hatred for supes, and that kind of hatred can be utilized."

"Think about it, Hughie! If you discover any signs of corruption during the supervision process, even if it’s just a one-cent discrepancy, you can go ahead and expose it."

"For Butcher, that’s a perfect opportunity to smear Vought, isn’t it?"

"Conversely, your starting point is good, because for those victims, it ensures their life-saving money isn’t embezzled by Commissioner Smith."

"I can ensure my reputation remains untarnished, you can do something for justice, and the recipients can be saved!"

"It’s a win-win-win situation!"

Hughie’s pupils dilated slightly. He understood.

The Guardian wasn’t simply trusting his character. He was utilizing his position.

Butcher was a bastard who hated supes. He would never help cover up a supe scandal.

This could also be considered a kind of mutual interest.

But... if you look at it that way, The Guardian’s ability to think things through was just too impressive!

"But..."

Hillel changed the subject.

"I also have one request."

"What?"

"Every time you find any signs of corruption, tell me first and let me handle it."

"Don’t go straight for the big move. That won’t do anyone any good."

"If I let such corrupt behavior slide, feel free to expose it. I won’t stop you."

Hillel spread his hands, the benevolent father figure exuding absolute confidence.

He could send any corrupt individual to take a hot bath inside the sun.

Hughie stood there, his brain doing backflips.

Thinking...

Thinking finished...

No loopholes.

The conditions Hillel proposed were very sincere. For him, this was a chance to get close to Vought and the superheroes.

What would Butcher say?

"Boy! This is a golden opportunity! Even if The Guardian wanted to shove two steel balls into your orifice, you’d still have to clench them and go to work!"

"Clenching steel balls is absolutely out of the question!"

Hughie said subconsciously.

Hillel: "???"

Robin: "?????"

___

Man, I live in the countryside, and it’s been raining nonstop this week. I haven’t seen the sun, and it’s kinda getting depressing. There was a snake inside my shoe yesterday. I called my neighbour, and he called people who were able to capture it. Now today, when the rain stopped for a few minutes, I went to the rooftop to see the situation..

I found another snake😭🥲, which was half the size of the previous one but looked the same... It’s been 10 hours. What do I do? I’m afraid there might be a third inside my room or something I just haven’t seen.

Oh, yeah, read two weeks ahead at P@t!♥