In a warmly decorated bedroom in Iowa, Annie knelt by her bed with her hands clasped together, her eyes closed in devout prayer.
"Almighty Lord, please guide me. Let me use your gifts to do true good."
"Please let me... pass the Seven's assessment, so I can protect more innocent people."
Her voice was soft yet firm, and the air was filled with the pure, faithful aura unique to a young girl.
Just then, an indescribable, warm, and holy golden light enveloped the entire room without warning.
The light was not blinding; rather, it was incredibly gentle.
Annie opened her eyes in astonishment.
A figure slowly emerged from the brightest center of the light.
He wore a simple white robe, floating quietly in mid-air barefoot.
Behind his head, a divine halo made of countless specks of light slowly rotated, casting a reassuring glow.
He looked like an angel stepping straight out of an ancient Bible.
"Annie, I have heard your devotion."
The voice did not travel through the air; instead, it echoed directly in the depths of her soul, ringing like a temple bell.
Completely stunned by this miracle, Annie opened her mouth but could not make a sound.
Ian was in no rush to recruit her. He simply raised his hand calmly and gently tapped his fingertip against the center of her brow.
Boom—!
Countless chaotic, dark, and bloody scenes rushed into Annie's mind like a burst dam.
She saw the well-dressed men and women in Vought International's executive boardroom, discussing the pricing of superhumans as if they were selling livestock.
She saw infants injected with Compound V in dark laboratories, mutating and dying in agony.
She saw A-Train hiding in a corner, his face twisted hideously as he injected a blue liquid into his thigh with a syringe.
She saw Homelander's flawless face wearing a cold smile as he used his heat vision to turn an out-of-control airplane—along with the hundreds of passengers on board—into fireworks in the sky.
Scene after scene of the cold, cruel truth shattered the faith Annie had built over the past twenty years.
"No... this isn't true... The heroes..."
She slumped to the floor, tears falling uncontrollably as her vision blurred.
Ian watched her quietly.
The next moment, the space behind him distorted slightly.
Twelve massive wings formed from the purest light energy slowly unfurled.
Holy and majestic, yet without the slightest hint of oppression.
That divine aura—originating from the God-Slaying World and belonging to the Archangel Michael—instantly purified all the sorrow and despair in the room.
Bathed in this radiance, the trembling and agony deep within Annie's soul were miraculously soothed.
She looked up with teary eyes, gazing blankly at the 'divine messenger' before her.
"Are you... an angel sent by the Lord?"
Ian neither confirmed nor denied it.
"A hellish plague is about to descend upon this world."
"And the 'heroes' of the mortal realm have long since rotted in the mire of their own desires."
"The world needs true light. It needs a soul with a pure, loving heart to sow the seeds of hope."
He reached out his hand.
A sphere of light infused with Michael's divine power slowly condensed in his palm, radiating the light and heat of the sun.
"This is... the Lord's blessing."
"Accept it, and you shall gain the power to purify evil and judge sin."
"Or, reject it, and continue your heroic dream wrapped in lies."
Annie stared at the light.
An intense struggle raged within her heart.
On one side was the dream she and her mother had yearned for since she was a child—joining the Seven and becoming a hero adored by the masses.
On the other side was the bloody truth revealed by the 'angel' before her, along with an unimaginably heavy responsibility.
After a long while, she wiped away her tears, her eyes regaining their resolve.
She slowly reached out and grasped the 'blessing' that seemed to possess a life of its own.
"I... am willing."
The moment the sphere of light merged into her body, an unimaginably vast surge of holy light energy erupted!
"Ahhhhh—!!!"
Annie let out a cry of pain as her body was completely swallowed by the blinding white light.
The clothes on her back tore open instantly as a pair of massive wings, made of pure light energy, violently unfurled!
Her original superpower, which was previously only good for illumination and concussive blasts, was thoroughly purified and elevated by this wash of divine power.
It transformed from a feeble flicker into a blazing sun capable of cleansing all the filth in the world!
...
The next day.
A blockbuster news story shocked the entire world like a nuclear explosion.
The Huaxia government held a global press conference, making a high-profile announcement:
"In recognition of Miss Annie's outstanding contributions to world peace and human justice."
"After careful deliberation, we have decided to grant her citizenship as a 'Special Talent'."
"We also welcome her as the final member, 'Archangel Starlight', officially joining the Huaxia Justice League!"
The news sent the globe into an uproar.
The American media instantly went into a frenzy, using the most vehement language to denounce this as "the most shameless and despicable talent poaching of the new century!"
Meanwhile, on the Huaxia internet, countless netizens plunged into an unprecedented carnival.
"Holy crap! Holy crap! The tables have turned! They used to steal our talents, but today it's finally our turn to poach theirs!"
"Archangel Starlight! What a name! What prestige! Ten thousand times better than that bullshit A-Train or Lamplighter!"
...
Vought Tower, top floor.
Homelander watched the news broadcast with an expressionless face.
On the screen, Annie stood with her holy wings of light spread wide, surrounded by the five members of the Huaxia Justice League, accepting the cheers of the entire world.
She looked so holy, like a true angel walking among mortals.
She was supposed to be his—the designated new member of the Seven.
That damn Asian man, once again!
Using the method he despised the most, he had viciously slapped him in the face in front of the whole world!
Crack!
The alloy remote control in his hand was silently crushed into powder.
An unprecedented sense of humiliation, coupled with a volcanic eruption of rage, instantly washed away all his reason.
He lunged toward the massive floor-to-ceiling mirror, glaring fixedly at his own face in the reflection.
But he noticed that right in the center of his forehead, several minuscule, pinprick-sized red blisters had appeared.
"Damn it!"
Irritated, he reached up with his fingernail, wanting to forcefully scratch away the blemish.
But a piercing, agonizing pain shot through his forehead!
Just then, Madelyn's call came through.
"Homelander, great news! We've arranged a 'bank robbery' hero show. The location and script are all set."
"This is the perfect opportunity for you to rebuild your reputation and completely overshadow those clowns in Huaxia!"
Homelander hung up the phone.
He looked up and slowly revealed a cold, cruel, and utterly twisted smile to his reflection.
He needed to vent. He needed blood.
And a group of so-called 'criminals' were the perfect targets.
Boom—!!!
He didn't even use the door. Turning into a streak of light, he smashed straight through the thick bulletproof glass behind him.
Amidst the shower of flying glass shards, he sped toward the bank chosen as his 'stage'.