Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman

Merry Christmas!

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A-Train clapped his hands over his ears in a panic.

"I didn't hear anything!"

He exclaimed, "I just had some ringing in my ears!"

"It's too late for that, Mr. A-Train," Bruce said with a sly smile. "Now, there's no turning back for you.

"We're going to work together to overthrow the current system at Vought!"

"I don't want to hear this! Stop saying these things to me!"

A-Train desperately covered his ears, shaking his head furiously. "I don't want to hear any of this!"

Bruce didn't press further. Instead, he took a seat on the sofa, watching A-Train's frantic performance with an amused expression.

The die was cast.

As A-Train caught the look on Bruce's face—the one that said he had him completely in the palm of his hand—he couldn't help but wonder how a thirteen-year-old could have such a devious mind.

Was he born evil?

Slowly, A-Train let his hands drop from his ears.

"Why are you telling me this…"

His voice was drained of energy as he slumped forward. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell Homelander? Or the higher-ups at Vought?"

"By all means, go ahead!"

Bruce gestured toward the door, inviting him to leave.

"Tell them. Tell them that a thirteen-year-old kid is plotting to overthrow Vought.

"I'd love to see whether they believe you—an over-the-hill, drugged-up hero—or me, an innocent kid with barely any worldly experience."

A-Train's eyes practically shot sparks.

A kid? What kind of kid acts like this?

"Think it over carefully, Mr. A-Train. Deny it all you want, but the truth is, we're already in this together."

Bruce stood up, clearly done with the conversation.

He figured A-Train just needed some time. He'd eventually realize he had no other choice.

"I'll be waiting for your good news, A-Train."

---

Vought International

When Bruce stepped into the building, everyone greeted him with enthusiasm.

From the heights of power, all you ever saw were smiling faces.

"Good morning, Bruce."

Starlight, dressed in her white uniform, joined him in the elevator. Today marked their first official Seven meeting since joining the group.

"I'm a little nervous!"

Clutching her chest, Starlight admitted, "We're about to meet Homelander. Just thinking about it, I can already feel his oppressive aura."

"It's natural," Bruce said with a nod. "After all, he's the strongest."

The elevator doors opened, and they walked into the command hall. Most of the team hadn't arrived yet; only The Deep was already there, sitting awkwardly at one end of the table.

The moment he saw Bruce and Starlight, his expression grew visibly strained.

Starlight, clearly uncomfortable with The Deep, instinctively kept her distance. Bruce, however, showed no such reservations and sat down right next to him.

Immediately, The Deep became visibly uneasy, fidgeting in his seat.

After an extended internal struggle, he finally decided to speak.

"G-Good morning, Bruce."

Bruce acted as if he'd just noticed someone sitting beside him. Turning his head, he glanced over at The Deep with an air of vague curiosity.

"And you are?"

The Deep froze, staring at Bruce in disbelief. Did he just ask who I am?

What kind of game was this?

"I'm The Deep…" he stammered. "We met yesterday!"

"Oh—"

Bruce drew out the sound, as if suddenly enlightened.

Then he smirked, his tone turning mocking. "You know, with clothes on, you're almost unrecognizable."

"Pfft—"

Starlight, unable to hold back, burst out laughing on the other side of the room.

Quickly catching herself, she apologized and composed her expression, pretending as though she hadn't heard anything.

The Deep's face turned a furious shade of red as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to put some distance between himself and Bruce.

This kid's mouth is vicious.

Does he really not care about giving me even a shred of dignity?

He was The Deep, after all—a seasoned hero, once a household name.

But as he studied Bruce's expression, it became painfully clear that the boy had no intention of respecting him whatsoever.

In fact, The Deep could sense it plainly now—the way Bruce looked at him was as if he were trash.

The other members of The Seven gradually trickled in: A-Train, Black Noir, and Queen Maeve.

Homelander was the last to arrive.

When he entered the hall, he spread his arms wide and flashed his signature radiant smile.

"Well, what do we have here? Two new faces!"

He exclaimed warmly, "And not just any new faces—two superstars in the making!"

Striding over to Bruce and Starlight, he placed his hands on the backs of their chairs, leaning in slightly.

"I can feel your youthful energy. I just know you're going to bring something fresh to The Seven!"

"Thank you, Mr. Homelander!" Starlight said, bowing her head in gratitude.

Even in his presence, she felt an almost suffocating pressure.

Homelander's mere presence exuded dominance.

Bruce, however, remained calm and composed, discreetly studying Homelander.

Everything about him matched the public image: a flawless saint, seemingly invincible.

But sheer strength alone wasn't enough to defeat him.

Bruce's conviction only deepened—Homelander was the world's greatest menace.

As Homelander returned to his seat, all eyes were on him. Like a celestial body, he naturally drew everyone into his orbit.

"Let's get started."

Homelander began his speech, his tone commanding yet charismatic.

"The proposal for The Seven to integrate into the military system has reached a critical stage…"

"They need to see more of you," Homelander said, addressing the group with a calm smile. "Show your value to the public."

Then, he pointed to A-Train.

"Look at A-Train here—he's done a fantastic job."

Turning to A-Train, Homelander's smile widened. "That fire incident brought a lot of exposure, didn't it? A-Train, you're the real hero!"

"I—Homelander, I…"

A-Train barely got a word out before Homelander extended a hand, gently resting it on A-Train's head.

Bam!

Before anyone could blink, A-Train's head was slammed hard against the round table.

The sickening sound of his skull hitting the wood echoed in the room.

"Oops, slipped," Homelander said, withdrawing his hand, his expression indifferent, as though nothing had happened.

A-Train groaned in pain, but no one paid him any attention.

The incident happened so fast that Starlight froze, unable to react. By the time she realized what had transpired, everyone else wore the same familiar, indifferent expressions.

Her heart raced.

Fear. Shock. Despair. And—betrayal.

For the first time, Starlight fully grasped what Bruce had meant yesterday when he said, Vought devours people whole without leaving a trace.

Whether it was The Deep or Homelander, they were all cut from the same cloth.

Is this the team I dreamed of joining as a child?

Just as Starlight struggled with her disillusionment, Homelander, having completed his display of dominance over A-Train, suddenly turned his gaze in her direction. She stiffened, sitting upright instantly.

But Homelander wasn't looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Bruce, seated next to her.

"What do you think, Bruce?" Homelander's tone was emotionless, yet his words carried a deadly weight.

How should Bruce evaluate what had just happened?

Was the scene impactful enough? Did his methods need improvement?

And—

Did it serve as an effective warning to the others?

Clearly, Homelander's intention in bullying A-Train so publicly was to send a message:

Don't get any ideas.

But Bruce's response completely caught Homelander off guard.

"Not bad," Bruce said. "Mr. A-Train's performance at the fire scene did indeed attract a lot of attention."

It was as if Bruce had entirely misunderstood Homelander's meaning, answering an entirely different question instead.

Homelander laughed, though it was clear his attempt to intimidate Bruce had failed.

Too bad—he had planned to let Bruce off the hook this time, given his tens of millions of followers.

Sitting on Homelander's other side, Queen Maeve's expression grew tense.

She threw Bruce a series of warning glances.

Didn't I tell you yesterday? Don't provoke Homelander!

Homelander rose slowly, approaching Bruce.

"So, you think what I did to A-Train was…excessive?"

"That's hard to say."

But as Homelander reached him, Bruce raised his head and smiled.

"These things are best left to Vought Leaks' readers to judge."

"Vought Leaks?"

Homelander froze, his steps faltering as he stared at Bruce with suspicion. "What's Vought Leaks?"

"Oh, I must've forgotten to mention it."

Bruce's smile grew brighter.

"My fans are incredibly passionate—they care about me so much that they want to know everything I do.

"So, they decided to create a media outlet, exclusively reporting on my daily activities.

"Occasionally, I share some tidbits about life at Vought with them. When those stories go live, they attract even more fans.

"It seems some people are very interested in the behind-the-scenes lives of superheroes.

"So, the media outlet expanded to cover some of The Seven's 'beautiful moments,' and they named the site Vought Leaks.

"They've invested heavily in promoting the site. Right now, Vought Leaks has close to ten million users—and the number's still growing."

Bruce delivered this bombshell so casually that even Homelander, usually unshakable, felt a headache coming on.

Homelander wasn't stupid; he could hear the subtext.

That so-called fan-created media outlet? Clearly, it's your doing, Bruce.

"You have a website?" Homelander asked incredulously. "Dedicated to reporting on The Seven's internal affairs—with over ten million followers? And I've never heard of it?"

For someone who obsessively Googled himself daily, the fact that Vought Leaks had flown under his radar was incomprehensible.

Bruce didn't confirm or deny ownership of the site.

He merely explained with a smile, "Probably an issue with the algorithm. Vought Leaks doesn't push content to supes."

"And Vought allows this?"

Homelander's curiosity temporarily outweighed his aggression. If the site were real, Bruce could easily use it to damage his image—a risk Homelander couldn't afford.

"The company wanted to intervene," Bruce said, "but the site's founders became friendly with the executives. They've turned a blind eye since I'm just sharing my day-to-day."

At this point, Bruce dropped the pretense, speaking openly.

Friendly with executives?

Homelander felt his head spin. How could a 13-year-old befriend Vought's top brass?

The answer was simple, and Homelander realized it instantly.

Because Bruce is a billionaire.

If even he found the money tempting, what about those greedy executives?

As the pieces clicked, Homelander regarded Bruce with newfound admiration. This kid…he really knows how to play the game.

"Ha ha ha!"

Homelander suddenly broke into hearty laughter, clapping Bruce on the shoulder warmly.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" he said regretfully. "If you had, A-Train wouldn't have accidentally hit his head, right?"

Homelander turned to A-Train, his tone now jovial.

"Isn't that right, A-Train?"

"Yes, yes! My fault entirely!" A-Train nodded quickly, his face full of forced enthusiasm.

Satisfied, Homelander glanced back at Bruce.

"So, what does Vought Leaks say about me?"

"Only good things!" Bruce replied with a grin. "You come across as a big brother figure!"

"Exactly! That's the spirit!"

Homelander laughed again, patting Bruce on the shoulder once more. Had Bruce been standing, he might've been swept into a bear hug.

The tense atmosphere evaporated in an instant.

Returning to his seat, Homelander abandoned all thoughts of reprimanding Bruce.

Who would dare?

With Vought Leaks in play, Bruce was now Homelander's treasured ally—a brother from another mother!

As Homelander walked back, The Deep turned his head toward Bruce.

Their eyes met briefly, conveying an unspoken exchange.

The Deep's gaze pleaded: My…videos won't end up on Vought Leaks, will they?

Bruce's glare was icy: You? On Vought Leaks? Dream on. Get lost.

The Deep's eyes lit up. "Oh! Got it!"

Bruce had initially wanted to integrate peacefully with The Seven as a regular hero.

But after being bullied, he decided to drop the act.

He was a billionaire.

With an endless supply of cash from this world, Bruce never hesitated to spend. When he invested, even God would be baffled.

Though Vought had its share of loyalists, Bruce made friends at every level of the corporate ladder.

If someone was too principled to take a bribe, Bruce had other tricks up his sleeve.

Magic, for instance.

For now, Homelander was all smiles.

He didn't sweat the small stuff, focusing on the bigger picture.

Sure, Vought Leaks gave Bruce leverage for now.

But one day, Homelander was confident it would belong to him.

Bruce, you're just weaving a crown for me.

With that thought, Homelander was brimming with satisfaction. Bruce, you're the best brother I could ever have!

---

I, WiseTL, in my infinite grace and generosity, have bestowed upon you an extra 2 chapters as my holiday gift. 🎁 Consider it a glimpse of my benevolence—cherish it well.

May your festivities be as golden as my treasury and as plentiful as my updates. Farewell, mortals, until the next chapter. 😉

Now, bow in gratitude. 🌟