Ivan Greevs could deliver everything Homelander promised, and more. As head of Talent and Public Relations, promoting a mid-level employee was child's play for him.
At the same time, Frenchie and Butcher's crew started arguing again.
If Ivan hadn't stepped in and told Mesmer to keep reading Kimiko, they probably would've kept bickering for hours.
Mesmer handed Ivan his business card, then grabbed the girl's hand again and activated his power.
This time he saw more. Eyes squeezed shut, he murmured, "Beach house. Terrorists kick in the door, kill her parents, kidnap her and her brother. They force the kids to fight as soldiers. She just wants to go home and save her little brother."
The whole room went dead quiet after hearing the girl's fucked-up backstory.
Finally Butcher pulled on his coat and headed for the door. "We've got enough to convince Susan now."
Before leaving he warned Mesmer: if the supe breathed a word about them, Butcher would cut off both his hands and shove them up his own ass.
Mesmer didn't look scared at all. In his eyes these guys were the good ones, and good guys only made empty threats... right?
Ivan didn't stick around either. He had what he came for.
...
Back at Vought Tower.
Ivan didn't call Mesmer right away. He went straight to Homelander instead.
"Got some chatter from downstairs. There's a guy named Mesmer claiming he has dirt on Vought. Technically not my department, but I happened to be there. He says a shady group approached him this morning, made him use his powers to read a girl's mind. He overheard them mention Vought."
"Read her mind?" Homelander looked genuinely curious.
"He's a supe. Power's mind reading," Ivan explained.
By doing this, Ivan had just burned every bridge behind Mesmer.
The poor bastard had no choice but to crawl to him now.
At the same time, he'd use the guy's info to drag Butcher and his crew into the open.
Homelander already knew exactly why Butcher hated his guts, but even he had no clue what happened to Becca. He figured Vought probably had her quietly killed to bury the scandal.
Right now, Homelander still didn't know he had a son.
That particular piece of information stayed locked away with only a handful of people. Ivan couldn't reach it directly, so this was the next best way to smoke the kid out.
"Does he have photos?" Homelander asked. He suspected the group who approached Mesmer was the same crew digging into Compound V.
"Not yet. But he wants twenty grand for them."
"Give it to him." Homelander didn't even blink. "I want those pictures in three days."
"No problem. I'll handle it right away."
Ivan left the meeting room, plowed through the rest of his work, and only called the number on Mesmer's card in the afternoon.
Mesmer had just left his daughter. The second he touched her he learned the brutal truth: she didn't want him there at all.
He was still drowning in that depression, wondering whether he should sell the intel to Vought, when his phone started ringing.
Buzz buzz~!
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mesmer, I know you've been wanting to get back inside Vought. If you're interested, let's talk in person."
Ivan hung up and texted him the address of a coffee shop.
Two hours later, a nervous-as-hell Mesmer walked into a little place called Hero Time on the corner.
He spotted Ivan sitting there wearing a completely ordinary face, calmly sipping his coffee.
"Mr. Mesmer. Can I get you something to drink?"
Mesmer shook his head. He wasn't in the mood for fucking coffee. "Was that shit you said on the phone real? You can actually get me back into Vought?"
"Not only can I get you back in, I'll throw in the twenty grand too."
"If you're just fucking with me, congratulations. You win." In Mesmer's eyes Ivan was now just another con artist. The thought of rushing across town for this bullshit made his blood boil. He shot up from the chair, ready to storm out.
"Hold on. There's a price, of course," Ivan said lazily.
Mesmer stopped and turned around. "What the hell do you want from me?"
"Photos of those guys from this morning, plus you doing a few jobs for me. Your mind-reading trick is pretty damn useful." Ivan didn't bother with games. "Straight up."
Mesmer still had no idea how this guy knew about Butcher's crew, because Ivan was using another face, but he nodded anyway. "I can get you the photos. But I need to know exactly what kind of jobs you're talking about."
"You've got mind-reading powers. Doesn't that make you a walking intelligence goldmine?"
The way Ivan said it made Mesmer realize the man was probably some Vought big shot.
"Sorry, but I don't want to get tossed aside by Vought again," Mesmer said. He wanted back in, sure, but he refused to be anyone's disposable tool this time.
Ivan set his coffee cup down and smiled. "You might not believe this, but I've seen your daughter..... She's really cute."
"Fuck you! You sick piece of shit!" Mesmer's veins bulged on his forehead. His pale face turned beet red in a heartbeat. He cocked his fist and swung straight at Ivan's face.
"Too slow." Ivan just tilted his head and dodged the punch effortlessly.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I meant I can help you get custody of your daughter back. Even blood relatives become strangers after years apart. You don't want to stay a stranger to her, do you?" Ivan had hit the exact nerve. Mesmer went quiet and dropped back into his chair without a word.
A full cup of coffee's worth of silence passed.
Then Mesmer finally spoke. "A lot of people know my face. I can't exactly go sneaking around for you."
"Don't worry. I'll set you up with plastic surgery and a full body makeover. In this day and age it's easy to become a new person." If Ivan was going to use him, he'd make sure the guy was properly equipped.
"I hope you keep your word."
Mesmer stuck out his right hand for a handshake.
Ivan didn't move. Mesmer awkwardly pulled his hand back. His little trick had been seen through instantly.
"Relax. One week from now I'll have a lawyer start working on getting you custody of your daughter."
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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69