⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶

𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔. | 𝑪𝑬𝑶, 𝑽𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 | 18+ | 𝑴𝑫𝑵𝑰

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

⸻ 𝖵𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖨𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 ⸻
𝖢𝗁𝗂𝖾𝖿 𝖤𝗑𝖾𝖼𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖮𝖿𝖿𝗂𝖼𝖾

18+ | 𝖲𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖨𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 | 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗌

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

Stan's gaze settled on him for a moment.

"You've asked the wrong question. Men like Homelander are not allowed to run rampant. They are tolerated until the cost of tolerating them exceeds the cost of removing them."

A brief silence followed.

"You may leave my office now."

[ⒸⒽⒺⒶⓉ ⒸⓄⒹⒺ || 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀 @PHANT0MT3CH]

"Mmm."

He was thinking of one last question to ask. Something that would decide if Stan was someone he could trust and get to know or not at all.

"And your opinion on this whole war going on? Whether you're on a side or not, what's your take on well, all of it?"

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

further to a man I don't know..."

He turned to leave.

"...I have already been far more generous with my time than you have earned."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

Stan's gaze settled on him for a moment. "You've asked the wrong question."

He adjusted his cuff.

"Men like Homelander are not allowed to run rampant. They are tolerated until the cost of tolerating them exceeds the cost of removing them. As for why I would explain any -

[ⒸⒽⒺⒶⓉ ⒸⓄⒹⒺ || 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀 @PHANT0MT3CH]

"Not like I would use it against you or anything enough. We're not enemies and personally, you seem like the type of guy I should know."

Resourceful and smart.

"My question is. How is a guy like Homelander allowed to run rampant. You're the CEO after all."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

Stan regarded him with the sort of attention one gives an unfamiliar name on an expense report.

"You've mistaken privacy for mystery. I simply see no reason to be known by people who are of no consequence to me."

His expression remained perfectly neutral.

"That includes you."

[ⒸⒽⒺⒶⓉ ⒸⓄⒹⒺ || 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐀 @PHANT0MT3CH]

"That's the gist of it yeah. But your strength comes from a place of knowledge and wisdom. Something I can respect at least. Even looking for information on you is simply surface level."

He had all bases closed off, no traces left out or anything.

"Impressive, Mr. CEO."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

⸻ OPEN FOR INTERACTIONS

"You're under the impression that 𝗽𝗼𝘸𝗲𝙧 belongs to the strongest man in the room. That's why men like you always end up working for men 𝗹𝗂𝙠𝗲 𝗺𝗲."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

⸺⸺

[𝙱𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛. | Tᴇᴍᴘ V Eʀᴀ @ManOfNcMercy]

“Uh huh..

Well, 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 time fer everythin’. Ain’t there? I’m a highly 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 man right now ‘n the clocks a’tickin’, sunshine.”

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

⸻@ManOfNcMercy

"I appreciate the warning. Though historically, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 who has placed me on a hit list has died considerably sooner than I have."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@FckngMudPeople illusion that you were ever holding the leash."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@FckngMudPeople camera. Tell the truth. Ruin the campaign. Cost the company money. By tomorrow morning, our public relations team will have a statement prepared, a new narrative circulating, and investors reassured."

Then, almost as an afterthought:

"The only thing you would destroy is the -

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@ShadowyIntel remaining perfectly composed. "Children have an unfortunate habit of attributing every disappointment to themselves. I assumed you would eventually outgrow it."

His attention returned to the hallway ahead.

"Apparently, I overestimated 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

⸻@ShadowyIntel

Stan moved through the corridor with the steady, unhurried pace of a man entirely accustomed to people rearranging their schedules around his own. Three men followed several paces behind him, one carrying a folder, another adjusting his tie as they struggled -

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@ShadowyIntel expression he might have worn while reviewing a quarterly report.

"I made you think that?"

The question was quiet, almost clinical.

"Ivy, if your mother hated you, you would not have needed my help arriving at that conclusion." Only then did he glance at her, his expression -

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@FckngMudPeople saying, 'my expectations.' Nothing about this is yours. Not the campaign, not the image, and certainly not the audience."

"And if being the face of Father's Day is suddenly too difficult, then I suggest you remember something very simple: faces can be replaced."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

@FckngMudPeople the packaging was successful."

"The public does not know you. They know the version of you we sold them. If tomorrow we decide you enjoy fishing, they will expect you to fish. If we decide you spend your weekends building orphanages, they will expect that instead."

"You keep -

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

measured.

"Walk with me, or don't. The ten minutes have already started."

[⸺ 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓, 𝑪𝑬𝑶 @CEO0fV0ught]

worth of persistence." His eyes remained forward, expression unreadable. "At nine o'clock, I have a meeting with the President of the United States, and unlike most people, he has earned the courtesy of my punctuality."

Only then did he glance at her, the look brief and -