𝟬𝟬𝟳 An Act of Betrayal

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
CHAPTER SEVEN 
[  𝗦𝟬𝟭 𝗘𝟬𝟳 : 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆  ]


                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          




     Juliet expected her day to play out a certain way when she woke up the next morning, but it was completely thrown off schedule when she received a single text message asking her to meet in The Seven's meeting room. She certainly did not know who would be waiting behind the steel doors, but every fiber in her body prayed that it would bring her a positive outcome. A part of her thought this was Stillwell's way of apologizing for her harsh words, but Juliet knew the woman better than that. 
     All photographs and comic book covers framed and hung on the walls transformed into a blur as she urged her walk to the meeting room, not wanting to keep this mystery person waiting. Juliet stopped in front of the large steel doors that protected the room from outsiders and didn't have to wait a second before the doors opened for her. 
     "Oh, Stronghold, lovely for you to join us."
     Juliet felt the presence of her brother behind her, and she didn't have the chance to react before he placed his gloved hand on her lower back to push her further into the room. She recoiled at the touch and looked back at him, only to find him smiling to hide the malice in his expression. She averted her gaze on the large table in front of her and noticed that the other members of The Seven were there too. 
     "Is something wrong?"
     "Just wanted to see your smiling faces," Homelander answered. He removed his hand from her back to gesture at one of the empty chairs.  "Why don't you take a seat? Just don't make yourself too comfortable!"
     Juliet had no option but to obey and march up to the empty chair beside Starlight, who was playing with the end of her skirt out of nervousness. Maeve sat in her typical spot, on Starlight's other side, and looked bored out of her mind as she rocked from side to side in her chair. A-Train and Black Noir were on the other side of the table, the latter looking completely uninterested in the entire situation.