"Boiling Midnight" was the name the media gave to the Chimera incident from two days ago.
Hearing that the Department of Defense was going to sue him, Alex let out an "Oh," shrugged, and said, "So, do I get the Department of Defense to apologize to Mr. Wilson?"
Ashley looked helpless, "Sir, the Department of Defense is serious this time."
"Look, this is your court summons."
"The Federal Supreme Court requires you to attend a hearing initiated by the Department of Defense this Friday at 2 p.m."
The assistant took out a letter and handed it to Alex.
Alex glanced at it. The envelope indeed bore the words "Federal Supreme Court."
He gave a short laugh, tore open the envelope, took out the summons inside, skimmed through it, and put it back into the envelope.
Ashley cautiously probed, "Sir, will you attend?"
"Hmm, depends on my mood," Alex gave Ashley an utterly despairing answer.
Very soon, the matter spread across the internet.
["Another hearing. I bet Homelander won't show up this time either!"]
["This incident is completely different from last time. It's much worse. Homelander didn't step forward to stop the 'Boiling Midnight' incident. He doesn't deserve to be a superhero."]
["Maybe Homelander had no choice."]
["What 'no choice'? Where did this paid troll come from? You're still trying to defend him?"]
["Exactly. How much do you get paid per post? Count me in. Take me with you and let me make some money."]
["Calm down and think about it. What good does this do us? Are you trying to force Homelander into becoming a villain?"]
["Did water get into your brain? Force him into becoming a villain? He didn't step up when disaster struck. That's no different from being a villain. Don't forget, he's a superhero. What is a hero? It's definitely not someone who refuses to stop a disaster."]
Online, discussion about whether Homelander would attend the hearing remained at a fever pitch.
Even the media and all kinds of talk shows spent the entire week focusing on Homelander's appearance at the hearing.
The whole city was in an uproar.
Instead, no one paid any attention to where those residents who had returned to normal had gone.
———
Just like that. Time quickly arrived at Friday.
[Friday Noon]
The square outside the Federal Supreme Court was already packed with people. They had made effigies of Homelander and set them on fire in protest.
Others held up banners accusing Homelander of doing nothing during the "Boiling Midnight" incident.
Of course, there were also people supporting Homelander, but they were few in number, only a small minority.
Wilson stood by a courthouse window, looking outside.
The chants rolled in.
"Homelander, get out!"
"Homelander, get out!"
A smile appeared at the corner of Wilson's mouth.
Beside him, an official said, "We'll broadcast this hearing live across the city."
"Whether Homelander shows up or not, he'll not only lose face this time, he'll lose a lot of it."
Wilson chuckled, "We also have to keep Homelander from flying into a rage out of humiliation."
He looked toward Ryan, who was eating an ice cream not far away, "Luckily, we have a 'secret weapon.'"
Just then, Dr. Kyle walked over.
Wilson immediately went up to him, "How is it, Doctor? Are those residents doing all right?"
Dr. Kyle nodded, "They're relatively stable for now, but their genes have already undergone irreversible mutations."
"For now, let's call these people 'mutants.'"
"There are too many uncertainties with these mutants. All I can say is, Mr. Secretary, they might never turn into Chimeras again for the rest of their lives, or they might become monsters again in their sleep."
Wilson said gravely, "If that's the case, we can't let them come back. We can't let them return to this city?"
Dr. Kyle sighed, "I'm afraid that's our only option. Besides, there are so many of them that it'll probably be very difficult for me to find a way to restore them."
"If you'll allow me to seek help from the international community and gather biologists from around the world, we might find a solution."
"No! Absolutely not!"
Wilson said heavily, "If we do that, it may not be long before we have to face an army of Chimeras, a monster army from other countries!"
At that moment, a court staff member came over, "Mr. Secretary, the hearing is about to begin."
Wilson patted Dr. Kyle on the shoulder, "Let's leave that for now. Come on, let's attend the hearing."
Just then, a wave of soft exclamations rose from outside the square.
Wilson looked up and saw a figure slowly descending above the courthouse.
A bright red cape fluttered like flames, and the black suit reflected the afternoon sunlight.
The golden-haired man landed in the square in front of the courthouse, and the gathered residents immediately began shouting.
"You're a coward!"
"Get out of this country, murderer!"
"You call yourself a hero? You don't deserve it!"
Wilson gave a short laugh and said softly, "He actually dared to come."
"Let's go. Let's hear how Homelander plans to defend himself."
———
[Inside the Courtroom]
When Alex walked in, camera flashes went off without stopping. Reporters from various media outlets desperately snapped photos of him.
He was a "walking headline," the "king of traffic" this week.
The contents of today's hearing would dominate the headlines for the next week, perhaps even the next month.
The coming week would be a carnival for the news industry.
"Order!"
"Order!"
On the bench, the Chief Justice struck the gavel repeatedly before the room finally quieted down.
Under the guidance of a court bailiff, Alex also made his way to the defendant's seat.
He wore a smile and looked around. After spotting Wilson, he even gave him a wink.
A moment later, the Chief Justice looked around the courtroom, cleared his throat, and said, "I hereby declare the hearing regarding Homelander's refusal to fulfill his duties as a superhero during the 'Boiling Midnight' incident officially open."
"The prosecution may begin."
Beside Wilson, an official from the Department of Defense stood up.
"Your Honor, members of the jury and everyone attending this hearing, first, please allow me to introduce myself."
"I am Gilbert Scott, Chief Secretary of the Office of the Secretary of Defense."
"I will now speak on behalf of the Department of Defense."
"We believe that during the 'Boiling Midnight' incident two days ago, Homelander, as the leader of the Seven, failed to fulfill his duties as a superhero."
"Not only did he fail to step forward at the first opportunity to stop the disaster, he openly refused the request made by Secretary of Defense Mr. Wilson."
"Everyone, please listen to the following recording."
At the man's instruction, the court played an audio recording, ["That's thoughtful of you, Homelander."]
["But now isn't the time to worry about my health."]
["If you turn on the television, you'll see that a disaster is unfolding in New York."]
["If you look out the window, you'll see that several city blocks are already covered by thick fog."]
["Of course, you may not have noticed any of this. That's fine. I've already told you."]
["So when are you going to take action, Homelander?"]