Dreams Save Us [The Boys]

[The Desecrated One]

"Hey, you fucking idiot, I'm talking to you."



I let out a sigh as I rubbed my temples for what seemed like the hundredth time today. The migraine that had been plaguing me all day was only worsening and the asshole in front of me wasn't helping matters.



"And I'm ignoring you." I said dryly, continuing towards the lunch line. "Fuck off."



"Ohhhhhh," he chuckled snidely. "He's ignoring me. Well you–"



Without waiting for him to finish, I pulled my headphones out and cranked his music all the way up. Sure, my head was killing me but there was only so much one could take before it became too much. I flicked my eyes at the other teen, seeing him reach out to grab the cords before I slapped the hand away with enough force to shove him back a bit. "Fuck off asshole. Go bother your girlfriend or something."



He nodded before scoffing, taking a step forwards, most likely to start a fight. Finally having enough, I turned to the teacher who was monitoring the cafeteria. "Mr. Batel, can you make Shane leave me alone?"



"Mr. Warren, back of the line. Now!" The older man snapped. "Don't make me call your supervisor."



"Mutherfucker." He snapped before I turned away, ignoring the prick. Just before he left, I felt Shane's hand fall on my shoulder, "I could fucking kill you you little shit stain and nobody could say anything. It'd be easy too."



Shane was what one would call a super. A nasty little entitled fuck who felt he was untouchable because his parents had decided to juice him up with compound V as a fucking baby. It was a shame he was such an unbearable prick because he had some good powers. He could turn his body into a sort of metal material. Basically Colossus. Coupled with his size, he was probably headed straight to Godolkin university in a couple months.



As for me, I was just trying to make it through high school. Again. Being reborn with your memories sounds like it'd make you destined for the good life, right? I mean, hell, you start young and learn all the things you want to. Languages, singing, acting, instruments, coding, weird shit that kids can soak up like a sponge. Well, I did all that. And yeah, I stayed healthy and work out, I can speak like 7 languages and sure, I can sing and act. But what you don't think about is how depressing all this shit can be. Your social norms are skewed because of your maturity level so friendships are out the window, you're so much smarter than everyone around you as a kid that you're looked at like a little prodigy. That's strike two on the no friends thing. And finally, when you're aware of shit that you shouldn't be, like say, the superhero community being fucking evil pieces of shit, well your likes aren't the same anymore.



All of that comes together to form the picture perfect example of the weird outcast in high school. Thank fuck it was senior year. A month and I could get the fuck out of here and away from Manhattan. The further the better. I grabbed my food and sat down at the table nearest the door. Specifically away from the other seniors. Not like anyone's worth talking to anyways. Every guy worships the ground that Shane walks on and every girl has basically fucked him by this point.



It's a miracle he hadn't killed anyone yet. But that was probably due to the fact that there were literal armed soldiers following the fucking guy everywhere at school. Vought didn't suck around that was for sure. I'd never seen them restrain him yet so he knew what was up.



"Hey, what's your mom's number?" he asked, dropping his tray on the table and taking a seat across from me. A second later, his three friends and about half the cheerleaders sat down beside him.



I made a show of pulling a headphone out. "What did you say?" I asked.



"I said–"



"Oh wait, I just remembered I don't care." I said, putting the headphone back in. I didn't miss the slight giggle from a few of the girls before I finished my lunch quickly. Before I could stand, his hand shot out, ripping the headphones from my ears and away from my phone.



"When I'm talking to you, you fucking pay attention!" He snarled.



I blew out a sigh before standing up, grabbing the tray and giving him a bright smile. "Have a good day, Shane."



I gave a slight wince as my head throbbed. It was getting worse and the ibuprofen wasn't doing shit to help. I felt my jacket get grabbed as I was pulled backwards off my feet and shoved back into the seat. I glanced over to see it was Kyle. Smart fucker. Using his lackeys as muscle since he couldn't touch another student without severe consequences.



"So, listen, Eric." He started, leaning forward a bit as his body shifted to metal. "I need a favor from you. And you're gonna do it for me like a good boy, ya got me?"



"Oh yeah?" I said with a lazy blink. "Why's that?"



He chuckled, his powers turning off, "I respect it, ya know. The fact that you don't flinch. There's not even a little bit of fear in you. It's hardcore. But real talk time. Your mom has some serious connections to Vought and I need those for when I go big. So I'm not fucking around. I need her number."



I looked at him blankly before looking around at the rest of the table. I hung my head before a chuckle broke through my lips, surprising even me, before it turned into a full on laugh. "Are you serious? Fuck off man. For one, my mom hasn't been connected to Vought for over 15 years. And second, I really think your just using this as an excuse to try and fuck her. So, sorry, you'll just have to hoof it through Godolkin like every other wannabe superhero."



Pushing myself back, I turned to walk away before I grit my teeth, stumbling a bit as I clutched my head with a sharp gasp. The pain had turned so intense that I was having a hard time seeing straight.



"You alright over there, bud?" Shane asked with a sort of condescending tone.



I took deep breaths before pressing forwards towards the exit to the courtyard. With every step, I felt the pain get sharper and more excruciating. It was like daggers were being stabbed into every inch of my brain. As I pushed the door open, I fell to my knees, a wave of nausea hitting me.



"Shane, what did you do to him?" I vaguely heard Taylor, his girlfriend, ask him.



"I didn't do shit. He's been clutching his head all fucking day." he said before shrugging. "Who fucking cares."



"Mr. Roth, are you okay?" I heard a muted voice behind me.



"Hey, look! The tables are moving!"



"What's going on?"



"Get the Vought team!"



"It's not me."



My ears were ringing as I took fast shaky breaths, the pressure rising. Fast footsteps sounded behind me.



"Clear the area!"



And then, I couldn't take it anymore. The pain was too much. And with a scream of agony, I felt the pressure leave me, as if the pain had never been there in the first place. And every window around me exploded.

---

I sat in the office with 6 Vought soldiers surrounding me holding rifles, cattle prods, and what looked like a speaker of some sort. One of them looked down at me. "How are you feeling kid?"



I shrugged, "Better, I suppose. The pain is gone." I said quietly, getting a nod from them. I glanced towards one of them before they tapped my leg.



"Eyes on the floor, man."

"Right, sorry." I said apologetically. "Um. . . nobody's hurt, right?"



"No. There's a lot of broken windows but beyond that, nobody got hurt." The woman said to my right.



I nodded, "I. . . I thought this shit didn't happen!" I exclaimed. "Powers activate at birth, right? So why am I suddenly getting powers at 18?"



"It's not unheard of but it is rare. Every now and then a couple teens will wake up and awaken their latent abilities. It's typically much more dangerous at first because at the teenage phase of your life, your body has begun to physically mature making the power much stronger. But there is a benefit." The woman said. I glanced at her feet.



"Oh yeah?" I started, "What would that be?"



"Since you're older and more in tune with your body, once you've got the on and off switch figured out, controlling your abilities becomes quite easy." she informed me. I had seen this woman before. Shane's supervisor and caseworker Ms. Li. I don't know why she chose this job. The woman was beyond sexy and probably could have done whatever she wanted in life. I glanced up at her before I blinked in confusion. And promptly tore my gaze away from her with a blush.



"Ah, so x-ray vision." she said with a click of her tongue before the sound of writing filled the air. "It's not super uncommon among users with heat vision. Just take a moment to relax and you should be able to turn it off."



"And why do I need to keep my head down?"



"When you emitted the telekinetic field, your eyes were seen glowing and a lot of the areas were on fire or scorched. Like I said, we suspect you may have heat vision. The x-ray vision is only further evidence." She explained.



I nodded before I heard the door open. "Oh, Eric. Are you okay? What happened?"



My mother. Emily Roth. She used to do a lot of work with Vought about 20 years ago. Although she must have not been around the supers too much because she didn't look stressed or scared at all when talking about them. In fact, she liked to talk about the wild parties she got up to when she was younger. Not that I ever cared to hear them.



"I'm fine mom." I sighed.



"Your son displayed superhuman abilities about 45 minutes ago in the cafeteria. Thankfully no one was hurt." Ms. Li said. "We have some things to discuss with you but beyond that, we'd like to make sure he has a grasp on his abilities before he resumes school."



"Or we could just graduate me now." I muttered. "It's only a month and a half."



"Nonsense." My mom said with a smile. What the hell had her so pleased? "And don't you worry about a thing. I know just what to do about this all."



"You do?" Ms. Li asked.



My mom nodded, "Yes. Come on Eric. And thank you all for your help with handling this all."



With the pleasantries dispensed, we headed to the car. I let out a sigh. I had been so relieved that my mom hadn't been one of those types of people to take a payout from Vought and give her baby compound V. It seems I was wrong. As we got into the car and headed out of the school, she let out a sigh before nodding.



"What?" I finally asked after driving in silence for about 10 minutes.



"It's nothing. It's just a question that I got answered today." She said before making another turn.



I glanced up with a hum, wondering where the hell we were going. "Soooo," I started, not recognizing the street, "Where the hell are we going?"



"We're going to see your father." she finally said.



My head whipped towards her, "I'm sorry, what? I don't think I heard you right."



"You did. Now stop being so dramatic." She chided lightly, pulling into a parking lot of a building I very much recognized and didn't want to be inside of.



"My father. I thought I didn't have a father. You always said it didn't matter. Why the sudden change?" I asked, throwing my hands into the air.



She parked before getting out of the car and walking towards the entrance, ignoring the question. Finally, I'd had enough. "Will you fucking say something!"



She stopped, turning towards me with a stern expression, "Watch your mouth young man. And it'll be easier to just show you."



I ran a hand down my face with a groan, "Fine! If it will end whatever stupidity this all is." I muttered before following her.

---

I looked up at the building that was the bane of this world. Vought Tower. The headquarters of the main problem of possibly the most corrupt heroes there ever were or will be. She whistled, catching my attention. "Come on."



I shook my head with a muttered 'fuck' before walking up behind her. Entering the skyscraper of doom, we headed through the security detail before I stepped forward, holding my hands up after putting my phone on the conveyor and walking through the metal detector. A second later they let me through. I turned in time to see one of the guards nod at my mom before gesturing her forwards as she put some sort of card away.



What the hell was that? An ID card? I glanced at the purse before debating on trying to use my newly acquired x-ray vision. A second later I decided against it. Better not. I wasn't sure of my level of control yet.



As we headed forwards, I followed her as she strode through the building as if she was familiar with it and considering her past, she probably was. Stepping into an elevator, she pushed a button for floor 99. "Uh, where the hell are we going?"



"Like I said, we're going to talk to your father."



"And a thought has occurred. Does he even know he's my father?" I asked nervously.



My mom had the decency to look a little sheepish. "Well, no. But there's a very good reason for that which I'll explain soon."



Gee, I wonder why. Not like you could say 'Hey son, your dad is a scientist who shot you up with superpower drugs as a newborn.' This was about to be a disaster. The elevator finally chimed after an agonizingly long ride up and we stepped out. And I paused, because right in front of me was Maeve herself. If there were any heroes here that I even gave a little respect to, she was the sum total.



She paused before putting on a smile and waving. I could clock it as fake but the alcohol in her hand was enough for me to give a short nod before following my mom. "Why couldn't you call the guy?"



"He's not. . ." She shook her head, "Shhh, no more questions."



I let out a groan of annoyance before we stopped at a statue of the Seven. Oh dear god. I recognized the doors from the show. And apparently my mom recognized it as well, because she strolled into that room with no consideration for whatever meeting was going on with the Seven. Or the fact that it was Stan Edgar leading said meeting.



"I don't think I need to tell any of you twice. With the rising popularity of–" Edgar paused, tilting his head towards us before clearing his throat, "Hello, may I help you?"



"Uh, yes. Sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak with Homelander. It's rather important."



I paused before whipping my head at her in shock. No. No fucking way. I must be misunderstanding.



"My apologies but it will have to wait a bit. He and the rest of the Seven are currently busy at the–" Edgar said before she cut him off.



"Yeah, no. It really can't wait. John! Do you remember me?" She turned towards the man himself who simply raised a brow at her.

He slowly shook his head before shrugging. "You look vaguely familiar." He paused before leaning forwards, "Actually, no. You look very familiar. Where have we met?"

At that moment, Maeve strolled into the meeting before walking over and taking her seat, the heavy metal doors closing behind her. "Alright, what did I miss?"



"It's me. Emily Roth." She said with a smile that made me shudder as she eyed Homelander. Ugh.



His eyes widened. "Holy shit! Emily Roth. How long has it been?" he said excitedly, standing up as he rushed over to her. I looked away from them, my thoughts racing with the implications that were all but confirmed for me. I think I was about to be sick.



Maeve raised a brow as the bottle of alcohol on the table began to shake a bit before the windows cracked around them. Edgar and the other members of the Seven looked around before their eyes settled on me as I took a deep breath. I felt like I was about to puke.



"Hun, are you all right?" My mom asked.



I took deep shuddering breath before I blinked the burning feeling away from my eyes, bringing my hand up to my mouth as I felt the overwhelming urge to throw up.



"I-I need. . . I need some, uh, some air." I said, turning around to leave the room before seeing the door closed. I shook my head before I shot my hand forward, sticking my hand into the crack of the door, the metal bending around my hand as I forced it open with ease. Quickly leaving the room, I rushed through the hallways, my breathing felt harsh like I wasn't getting enough oxygen.



"Who is that?"



"His eyes are glowing!"



"Stay clear! He's a supe!"



"Someone get one of the Seven."



"What's wrong with him?"



"Clear the area!"



Cars honking, people shouting, dogs barking, birds, people, papers rustling, footsteps that sounded like thunder, I could hear everything. And see through everything around me. And I quickly realized I was having a panic attack around the same time every door, wall, and picture frame around me warped and crumpled.



"He's your son."



And like that, whatever semblance of control I had vanished as a violent wave tore through the air. And the hallway walls as well. A noise that was a mix of a sob and a growl of frustration ripped out of my throat. Why was this happening to me? I didn't want to be involved.



I wasn't sure how long I sat there but it was a few minutes at least before I wiped my eyes, slowly calming down. Hanging my head, I shakily and slowly got to my feet before opening my eyes. The damage looked worse than it probably was but nobody was dead, so that was fine in my eyes. There was also no longer a hallway anymore. Just a wide open space.



"Hey, kid! Are you calm!"



I looked behind me at the hall, seeing A-Train looking at me. I nodded, "Yeah," I called out hoarsely. "I'm okay. Is everyone else–"



"They're good. I checked already. It's fine." he said with a nod. I nodded before heading back towards the room.

---

"I just. . ." Homelander stammered, a bit confused, "Why didn't you ever call me before?"



"His powers activated today." My mom explained. "When we met you told me you were sterile. That you couldn't have children. So it never even crossed my mind at the time. But when they activated, I knew. His blonde hair, his blue eyes, I mean, you look so similar from back then. Today was just. . . the confirmation." she shrugged.



He blew out a breath before we glanced at one another before he looked away in shock. That continued for a while before someone came into the room. "Mr. Edgar, we have the results. It's a 100 percent match. Homelander is indeed his father."



Murmurs filled the room at the man's words. Looking around, I locked eyes with a few people and I couldn't help but notice Homelander's shocked expression as he looked at me. And Madelyn Stillwell looked absolutely baffled. "This is–"



"Sudden." Homelander said in shock. "I didn't think… You always said that I couldn't–"



"We'd run numerous tests. As far as we knew, you couldn't." Edgar said. "This is unprecedented."



"What do we do?" Stillwell asked. "With his powers activating, who knows how strong he is. Or what powers he has."



"I'll contact the data team. The tests will need to be done." The scientist started.



"Good idea! I'll start working on some suit designs. This will be a huge hit with Homelander's numbers." A woman who I assumed was a costume designer chimed in.



"I've already–"



As the room dissolved into chatter and excitement about what the next step into marketing would be, I finally stood up. "Hey!" I snapped, cutting everyone off. "Who said I wanted to be a superhero?"



The chatter instantly died down. Stillwell gave a tiny scoff with a bright smile, "Well of course you do. Why wouldn't you? And you can use this time to bond with your father and get to know one another."



"Uh, no? I'm only 18 and still in high school. I've got a month left before graduating and I want to deal with that first. I've got enough on my plate with all of this added onto it. College being a big one." I threw my hands up in disbelief at the woman. "And even if I did want to be a hero, you're jumping to conclusions. And don't you think you're assuming too much?"



"What do you mean?" she asked.



"You can't just drop something like that on me. Much less Homelander. This is a lot to take in and you trying to dictate what he and I should do or feel is bullshit. Back off." I said. I needed to switch tactics. There was no avoiding the plot of The Boys anymore. I needed to run damage control.



"We aren't–" Stillwell said before Homelander spoke up.



"He's right." He said, shaking his head. "This is a lot right now and I need a minute." He turned towards my mom, handing her a piece of paper. "Here's my number. We'll talk later when everything is more. . . calm."



And with that he left the room. Huh, a lot less volatile than I thought. I looked at my mom. "Come on. Let's go for now."



She nodded before shaking Edgar's hand. I glanced back at the man before giving an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about the door. And the hallway."



"Nonsense. We've had accidents happen before. Don't even worry about it."



I nodded and then we left.

---

3 DAYS LATER



The bell rang above me, signalling it was time for lunch. Thank god. Grabbing my stuff, I stood up with a groan before dragging my feet to the cafeteria. It had been a hectic week for sure and I doubted it was going to get any easier.



After we had left Vought, we'd headed home and I'd worked on figuring out the trigger for the powers that I knew I had. Telekinesis, x-ray vision, super senses, and superstrength. As far as I knew, that's what I had but Ms. Li had all but confirmed that I had heat vision, which raised more questions. Did I have ice breath? Could I read minds? What about superspeed? And the biggest one I had so far being 'How strong was I compared to Homelander?'



All of that aside, I was more concerned with trying not to accidentally kill my classmates. Stepping to the lunch line, I was greeted with about a million stares from everyone. "Oh for fuck's sake." I muttered, putting my headphones on and tuning the rest of the world out. Ms. Li was also over on the side watching me. No doubt keeping tabs on me for Vought and by proxy Edgar and Stillwell. I wasn't stupid. The most likely option was that I was like Ryan. No compound V. And that made me very important in their eyes.



Was I going to turn out bad? Would I be good? Was Ryan's or my lifestyle the better way to raise someone? That was their question, I was sure of it.



An arm wrapped around itself around my shoulders. "Hey, bud! How's it goin'? When you just vanished a few days ago, everyone was wondering where you went."



I glanced up at Shane. Right about now, I hated having superhearing. Even with this damn music as loud as I could get it, I heard the guy clear as day. I let out a sigh. "I had to go to Vought Tower and discuss some things with some people. Nothing to write home about."



Shane nodded before clicking his tongue. "Right. Sure, whatever. So you and I have a unique opportunity here. I have powers, you have powers. I kinda wanna see who's the stronger one. Don't you?"



I paused before taking my headphones out and looked around at the suddenly dead quiet cafeteria. I shook my head. "Shane, that's a bad idea. I have no clue what all my powers are yet and I don't know the limits. If you're significantly stronger than me or vice versa and we hit one another, it could be bad. Likewise on the collateral it could cause."



"Woah woah, I never said anything about hitting each other." he said loudly, slightly glancing at Ms. Li. "No, I'm thinking more along the lines of a. . . competition. Ya know, see how we stack up against one another's physicals. The winner gets a reward of course."



"Really?" I asked. "And what could you offer me that I want from you?"



"I'll give you my car." He immediately responded.



I gave him a look of disbelief. "You'd give up your Porsche just to get a meeting with my mom for a free ride into Godolkin?"



"You bet your ass I would." He nodded before leaning into my ear, whispering, "People like me, we're destined for greatness. And now so are you. When we want something in this world, we take it. That's what it means to be a supe." he stepped back before holding his arms up, "So, do we have a competition or what!"



Everyone in the cafeteria started murmuring before Taylor shouted out. "Do it!"



In seconds a chant had started that had become increasingly louder. And then, the one person I didn't want to see appeared. "Go ahead, Eric. Accept. It's always good to have a little competition with your fellow man."



My gaze shifted over as the chanting ceased immediately. Shane's eyes widened. "Homelander?"



"Hey everyone." he said with a wave before nodding at me with a smile. Not a malicious smile or even a cruel one. No, a genuine smile like he was excited to watch me compete. I suppose that made sense with how he interacted with Ryan. I caught sight of Maeve in the back of the room as well beside Ms. Li, chatting with a few students.



I internally groaned before nodding and raising my hands, "Alright alright." I let out a sigh, "Where are we doing this?"



"Outside on the field. We'll do some tests for speed, strength, accuracy, and then a test of power." Shane said with a grin before turning to Taylor. I could hear his whisper clear as day. "Make sure we've got recordings. Whether I win or lose doesn't matter. It'll still serve as entry data to Godolkin."



I blew my hair out of my face. Here we go.

---

Homelander held up a clipboard and a piece of paper. "Okay, the first thing we'll start with is a 400 meter dash. Or rather, one full lap around the track. Maeve and I will record the times and then tally the scores. Sound good?"



Shane grinned with a nod before Homelander smiled. "Great. Shane was it? We'll start with you."



I looked around at every bleacher in the area. Looks like 'dad' didn't want to spare any viewers. Ugh. Every single seat was filled with the faculty and students and then some. Fuck, were those reporters? Phones and cameras galore filled the air and it was all because of this stupid contest. I wasn't dumb. The school had been paid off. The teachers that were normally so quick to step in with Shane's antics were suddenly on the side with wide grins cheering on the event.



I stepped off to the side, having changed into my gym clothes and stood beside Maeve. She spared a glance at me before letting out a breath. "So, how are you feeling kid?"



"A little overwhelmed." I said with a sigh. I seemed to be doing that a lot the last few days. "I'd rather not be doing this shit if I'm being honest."



She nodded, taking a sip out a red cup that I could actually smell was alcohol or at least spiked with some. "Better get used to it. This is probably your new norm now. Especially since you're his son."



I clenched my jaw in frustration. I was all too aware of that fact.'



"33.7 seconds!" Homelander yelled out, getting a round of cheers and applause. As Shane waved with a smile, the coach stepped up beside me and Maeve.

"Now, listen here, Eric. I don't know why you never wanted to join any sports, especially with your physique but I'm gonna give you some pointers. Start with an explosive sprint right out of the gate. Keep a steady pace until the last stretch and then give everything you've got. And keep your arms relaxed. Your form is everything."



I nodded before walking towards the starting point. Homelander and Maeve had actually brought those concrete road blocker things to use as a take off. Shane patted me on the shoulder before heading over to Taylor, "Good luck man!"



That was genuinely surprising to me because I could tell he wasn't being a dick. He was honestly excited for this. "Uh, yeah. Thanks." I said awkwardly.



Homelander gave me a small nod, muttering under his breath. "Hey, you can hear me, right?"



I gave a tiny nod.



"Good. Listen, I know you've only had your powers for a few days but win or lose, I'm not gonna be disappointed, son. This is a learning moment for you to see where you stack up. Good luck. You've got this. Oh and your mom's up there on the fifth row of bleachers 2."



. . . I genuinely hate how genuine he's being. Because that was actually a nice thing to hear. I glanced up, seeing my mom cheering for me. I smiled before giving a tiny nod. "Thanks." I said quietly. As I got into the starting position, the coach held up the starter pistol, aimed up. And then fired.



I felt the concrete crack behind me as I kicked off. And I won't lie. The feeling was. . . exhilarating. I rounded the track almost immediately and then, to my shock, I was across the finish line.



And then I tripped. Probably would have hit the ground had Homelander not caught me. "Thanks." I said, standing up.



"No problem."



Maeve looked down at the paper and timer before writing it down. "1.16 seconds!"



I blinked in shock at the time before muttering to myself in wonder. 400 meters in 1.16 seconds? But that's. . . 342 meters per second. I almost broke the sound barrier!"



I looked over to see Shane looking at me with a wide eyed look before he broke out into cheers as well. I felt an infectious smile take hold before I cheered too. As long as nobody was getting hurt, I supposed there was nothing wrong with this.

---

The strength test was a tie as there was nothing heavy enough for us to compare. When we were both able to lift a car, Maeve called it a draw. Accuracy was actually a loss on my part. Figures. Shane loved sports and even though he wasn't allowed to participate officially, he still went to every practice for football, basketball, and baseball. Made sense in my mind.



And then the power test. Basically a glorified show off moment for both of us. Shane ran through a bunch of busted up cars, some of the concrete road blockers, and then ran through some basic boxing combos before he let Maeve throw a punch at him. And I'll say this. It was shocking to watch him wince in pain while in his metal form. I'd seen the guy take cars hitting him full speed and not flinch. But Maeve's punch and not even that hard of a hit mind you was enough to have him reeling. It made me wonder how strong Maeve was. And think about just how strong Homelander was.



"Your turn bud." Homelander said with an excited smile. "I've set an old bus up over there and cleared the area behind it. Just focus on it and do what comes naturally."



I nodded looking at the rusty school bus. Just before I started walking over to the center of the field, he stopped me. "I do find it helps to think about something that makes you mad. As a focus point, you know what I mean?"



I glanced at him, "Is that how you use your heat vision?"



"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll be right here in case anything goes wrong. You've got this."



Okay. I can do this. But would it be heat vision? Or was it just telekinesis that started the fires? Either way, I was about to find out. Stepping into the field, the crowd fell into silence, waiting for me to do something. I looked at the bus and focused on it. What could I do? I took a deep breath before settling a focused look on the vehicle. Seconds passed before turning into minutes. Nothing happened. Until the feeling returned. The slight tingling in my eyes, the strange pressure feeling around my body, all of it came together before I let out a snarl and clenched my hands.



The bus lifted before crumpling into a ball instantly. And then it began to melt, the rusty metal turning into a molten metal as it turned white hot from whatever heat I was emitting. Cheers sounded around me at the display. I calmed down a bit before letting my hands fall back to my sides. The pressure died around me but I could still feel the tingling in my eyes. Focusing on that feeling gave way to what I had initially thought would happen. Beams shot out of my eyes and struck the balled up scrap metal and crushed it. Not cut. Crushed. Strange.



Killing the beams, I stopped and turned around to the applause. Homelander was cheering from the sidelines beside Maeve who was giving a sort of slow clap. It seemed like she'd have rather been anywhere else, if I was being honest.



My mom rushed down ,wrapping me in a hug with excitement. I let out a chuckle before giving a nod. "I guess it was a little cool."

---

I ended up winning the competition due to the power showing which I sorta felt was unfair. My powers were flashy while Shane's weren't. He did look a little upset when I walked over to him but it was clear he wasn't going to make a scene with everyone watching, espescially Homelander.



"Dude, calm down. I don't want your car." I said, causing him to shift a bit. I held out a piece of paper to him, "Here. Now will you stop bugging me about it?"



He eyed the paper as he took it, reading the form with scrutiny, "What's this?"



"You wanted a ticket to Godolkin, there you go." I said. "Homelander himself gave you a signed acceptance letter. Happy?"



He cleared his throat as he shifted a bit before holding his hand out. "We're good. Thanks."



"Uh huh." I said, shaking his hand. "Now can you stop bugging me in school? We've got three weeks left and I'd rather go through it in peace."



"Of course. Have a good one dude." he said before rushing over to Taylor, picking her up in a spinning hug before kissing her with excitement.



Hopefully, that was the end of that. I turned around only to have a microphone shoved into my face with a camera and crew. "Excuse me, Eric, do you have a minute?"



Before I could even answer, the woman was already pushing through with her questions. "Today you and your classmate Shane Warren faced off in a competition of powers. While this isn't very unheard of for a lot of superheroes, it was of notice that Homelander and Maeve showed up to oversee the event. Do you have any thoughts on why they specifically would have shown up?"



"Uhhh, I mean. . . Yeah? He's–"



"So you do! Excellent. Do you have some sort of connection with either of them? When Homelander didn't show up for his BBQ Bash, many wondered why he had not appeared. Not even an hour later, he was recorded here at this school. Care to comment?"



I blinked at the reporter's words. "He skipped the BBQ Bash for me?" I muttered. I had honestly forgotten about the event. That was actually a sorta big deal in this universe. Thousands of people from across the US came to it. Seeing as he was the poster boy, it baffled me that he would have skipped it. But then again. . . he neglected everything else for Ryan too.



"What do you mean by 'skipped it for you' specifically? Did Shane Warren not play a point in this decision?"



I took a step back, my eyes widening a bit. "No! No, I mean, uhhhhh." I scrambled to think of something that wouldn't incriminate a connection to the star spangle supe.



"So Mr. Warren did NOT play a part is what you're saying?" she pressed forward. "What exactly is your connection to Homelander? Are you related? Is that why your powers are exactly the same?"



"My powers aren't the same." I said, looking for a way out of this conversation.



"Earlier you demonstrated speed, strength, and heat vision. Did you inherit his powers?" She asked rapidly, not giving me a moment to breathe.



"No!" I snapped, finally having enough of this. "Look, my powers aren't exactly the same, okay? I don't even know everything I can do yet. I just got them a few days ago and sure, I guess I got most of my powers from him but like you said, I have telekinesis. He doesn't have that. And my lasers aren't. . . heat based? Or I don't think they are." I muttered.



Like a shark that smelled blood, she zoned in on a specific phrase I had said. "What did you mean by you got most of your powers from him?"



I blinked, "What?"



"A moment ago you said you got most of your powers from him. Are you telling me that you are Homelander's son!"



I looked around for anything to help me but I was genuinely cornered. Do I say no comment? Would that be worse than denying it? What the fuck was I supposed to do? I guess it was time to deny deny deny. "I don't know where you got that from. I just got a little tongue tied there for a moment. But, uh, no. You're reading too much into things."



"But you said that you got your powers from him. What other way is there to take that?" she said. Damn, she was locked in on that fucking statement.



"I–" I was interrupted by a very loud whooshing sound before all of a sudden I found A-Train standing in front of me.



"What up, party people!" He said with a big smile. "Now I'm a little upset that I missed everything. Can you believe that? The fastest man alive and I'm late. How ridiculous."



"Is that Lisa Bennet?" I heard Deep say from behind me as he walked past me. "How have you been? Last time we spoke was at Ocean World when–"



"Kid, get the fuck away from the camera." A voice said in my ear. I turned to see a slightly shimmering naked man. Ah, Translucent. I let out a sigh of relief before walking away from the area as quickly as possible.



Maeve fell into stride beside me. "I suggest you head home unless you want to be hounded by reporters for the rest of the day."



I nodded before heading towards my mom. Homelander was off to the side who gave me an indiscreet wink. Ah, so it was him. Well, in this instance, I was actually glad for it.



With the excitement done for the day, I headed home.

---

3 WEEKS LATER



"What a fucking week." I muttered, collapsing face first into the couch, throwing the graduation gown to the side.



"I imagine so." Homelander said from the side, "Saw you at your graduation. I'm proud of you, sport."



God damn it. Of course he was here. It had been almost a whole week since I'd seen the guy and by this point I was becoming numb to seeing him. The worst part about it all? I could smell my mom's shampoo on him as well as the faint smell of sex, telling me that they'd been intimate and then showered. Fucking super senses.



"Thanks. But, uh, word of advice. You should put a little cologne on." I said, my voice muffled through the couch cushion. He let out a chuckle, taking a seat in the recliner beside me.



"Yeah, I remember going through that. It is a rather annoying power in the beginning. But certain foods do taste better because of it. Mainly ice cream. Nobody else can smell that though, just us." Homelander said. He glanced at my hair that had come undone from the hastily tied bun I'd thrown it into. "You ever considered a hair cut?"



I turned to face him, my hair still covering most of my face. Hair cuts were one thing I never really bothered with, so my hair was a little past my shoulders and stopping right at my upper back. "Not really. I like having longer hair. Well, near my shoulders. I admit it's a little longer than I like right now, though." I let out a sigh before sitting up, "So. . . what brings you around today? Besides the graduation, I mean. I figured Vought would have you doing some PR shit with that whole liberal thing going on."



He waved it off, "Nah. Madelyn's got that covered and I'm really only needed for the big stuff when it comes to those things. But, uh. . ." he trailed off before clearing his throat. "I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat? You ever been to Voughtland?"



I took a breath. Actually, that didn't sound too bad. I suppose I should at least get to know the guy if I was gonna be around him. All I knew about him was what the show provided. "No, can't say that I have. But. . ." Although, something made me pause. "Can I even fly?"



"Of course you can." He said dismissively. "You're my son. And even if you can't fly like me, you can lift yourself with your telekinesis. Boom, flight."



I actually had wanted to learn how to fly since last week, but I felt it was too dangerous to do it alone. And as much as I'd rather not be around him, I wondered if I could keep some of his more violent tendencies in check. "Sure. Let's go. But let's practice with flight real quick. I'd rather not crash through a building."



At his elated smile, he quickly stood up, "Great! It's really easy, I swear. Once you've got the hang of it, it'll be like riding a bike."



"I'll take your word for it." I shrugged before turning, "Mom! I'll be back later. Me and. . . John. . . can I call you that?" He nodded. It felt weird to say, "Are going out."



"Alright, have fun you two!" She called from her office.



As we left the house, he nudged my shoulder, "Ya know, you can call me dad too." he said gently.



I nodded, "We'll get there." I said firmly. "Not right now, but eventually. I wanna get to know you first."



He nodded, accepting the answer. I wondered how long I could hold on to that card. I should probably save it for a moment that I'd need it. Time to try flying.

---

"I, uh, feel like there are better ways to go about this." I said nervously, looking off the roof at the ground.



"Well, they say experience is the best teacher." Homelander said, standing beside me.



"So they do." I muttered, looking across the street at some of the neighborhood kids who had gathered in the street. I was able to make out their phones as they pointed them up at us.



"Hey, look! Eric is standing beside Homelander!"



"What do you think they're doing?"



"I heard Eric got powers. Maybe they're testing to see if he can fly?"



"Jump, Eric! Do a backflip! But when you die, I want your bike!"



Homelander chuckled, "I like that one."



"That's Izzy. Little 12 year old monster." I rolled my eyes. "Fine, if I die you can have my bike!"



She gave a thumbs up before I looked back down. After a second, I shook my head. "Just give me a push. Or I'm never gonna jump."



Homelander gave a nod, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You got it."



And then I was falling. And promptly hit the ground. I sighed, pushing myself to my feet at the sound of laughter. "Ow." I said.



"Oh, you're fine. I doubt that hurt." Homelander laughed.



"My pride is hurt." I muttered, brushing my clothes off. "Alright, let's try that again."



The kids had gathered their parents by this point and even I was getting a couple chuckles out of it but but the tenth time, I had felt something. "Woah, wait." I said, catching his attention. "That was weird."



"What is it?"



I hummed, narrowing my eyes. "I wonder. . ." Taking a step back, I quickly lunged forward before I found myself hovering in the air. I blinked before my face lit up in excitement. "Yes! Hell yeah!"



"Great. Now that you've figured it out, it should be easy to move in any direction. Just kind of will yourself forward." he said, directing me. Horrible directions if I was honest but he was trying.



Another heroes words came to the front of my mind. "It's kind of like how you walk, you don't think about balancing anymore. But when you were a baby, you did. You're a baby flyer right now and focus to stay upright. With us we can freely move our bodies through physical space. We can create our own leverage."



I nodded to myself before slowly moving forward. And then sideways and upside down and backwards. I remarked to myself that using the powers were actually quite easy. A lot easier than I thought they would be. "Huh."



"Told you. It's easy, right? It'll take a couple days of practice but since you're a teenager, you'll easily be able to handle it." He said.



I nodded before looking back at the group of kids. Actually, did I even need a bike anymore? Ya know what, forget it. Quickly landing, I whistled at the kid. "Izzy, come here."



Her face lit up with a grin. Guess she realized what I was about to do. Quickly flying over to the garage and landing, I opened it up before grabbing the bike. "Here ya go. Not like I'll need it anymore. Have fun kid."



"Hell yeah!" she eeked out in excitement, getting on the bike and taking off.



I looked back at Homelander. "You ready?"



"Let's head out." he said before flying up with his take off pose.



I looked down before bending my knees a bit and jumping for a boost. About 150 feet in the air, and I was soaring. I could get used to this. With a grin firmly set on my face, we took off.

---

"I'm sure you'll win soon enough. It's just natural that you're not as good as your old man." Homelander bragged, having won the race here.



"Give it a bit, old man and I'll be flying circles around you." I snarked back.



"Oh you think so?" he elbowed me in the arm teasingly. "We'll see."



As we entered the restaurant, I looked around at the fancy building. While it wasn't five star dining or anything, it was far from fast food. You definitely needed a bit of money to eat here. So basically Five Guys.



"Welcome to Planet Vought. Have a super day!" I heard the PA system say above me.



We got a quick greeting before taking our seats at a table. As the waitress gave us our menus, Homelander leaned over to me. "Wait until you try the big homie with bacon. It's so good. And they have the, uh, mocha noir shake. It's my favorite."



I glanced at the menu and yeah, true to his words, it did look like one of the best options. There was the Majestic Maeve steak as well but I wasn't looking for anything too dinnery at the moment. "Sure, that sounds good to me."



"Great." He went to say something before a girl around my age stepped up beside us with her phone out.



"Homelander?" she smiled nervously.



"Heyyy." he smiled at her.



"Can I get a selfie?"



"Ask the boss." he said, gesturing to me.



I shrugged, "Selfie away. It doesn't bother me."



She grinned at me before Homelander stood up, putting an arm behind her and grinned at the camera. In a matter of seconds, the table was surrounded with people wanting to meet Homelander and get a photo.



I blinked before letting out a wince, the noise becoming a little overstimulating. Super senses were definitely a pain in the ass. Perfumes, clothes, grease from the food, the noise from the people, it all turned into a little much.



"Hey, you okay?" Homelander asked, leaning down beside me.



I waved it off with a grimace, "It's a little much, but like you said. Experience is the best teacher. I'll be fine, I just need a second to get used to it is all."



"You sure?" He asked seriously.



I nodded. "Yeah. Take your selfies. It's fine. I'll be good in a second."



"If you say so, sport." he said before standing back up hesitantly before resuming the signings and selfies.



I took a deep breath and focused. How did Superman deal with it?



"The world's too big mom."



"Then make it small. Focus on my voice, pretend like it's an island. And go towards it."



I needed to ground myself. Closing my eyes, I let everything around me wash over me. First, the smells. The smells of perfume were overpowering. The grease as well. I let a low breath out before noticing a plant in the corner of the room. A deep inhale, the scents of soil and clean strong mint. It was calming.



The sounds were a little harder but I needed a pattern, a rhythm. Something steady. I tilted my head, letting the world around me fade away as the steady paced beating sounded in my ears. And I realized that it was my own heart. Calming, consistent, constant. It was all I needed.



And then I was grounded again. I leaned back with a slight huff. It figures. There was always an upside and downside to things in life. Super powers being one of those things.



As the crowd kept going and going and going, I felt myself getting a little annoyed. Finally, I was out of patience. I let out a sharp whistle, catching everyone's attention. I clapped my hands, "Sorry to put an end to the meet and greet, people, but we would like to get some food."



The murmurs and sighs were there, but it was easy to ignore. A few minutes later, the crowd had dispersed and it was just me and Homelander again. He gave me an impressed nod. "Look at you, commanding the crowd. I love to see it. I also see you got it under control. Good job."



I nodded with a shrug, "It took a second, but I think I'm getting the hang of this whole powers thing."



"I'm glad. Do you think you got any more powers besides telekinesis?" he asked, placing our orders.



I clicked my tongue, "Honestly, as cool as it would be to have some extras, I sure hope not. Surprise powers seem like a quick way for a fatal accident. I consider myself lucky that both times my powers were on the fritz, everyone around me was a safe distance back."



"It can be dangerous. But accidents can and do happen. Just be aware of that. If something happens that you couldn't prevent because of a surprise power, it isn't your fault." He reassured me.



I personally think that it was a little bit of bullshit but I could also see where he was coming from. With a nod ending the conversation, the waitress brought our food. And holy shit, he was right. This food was fantastic.



"Told ya." He said, slapping my shoulder. "The food here is the best. I'm surprised you've never had it before. Your mother makes enough and does stocks from what she's told me. Surely you haven't been struggling for money with that house, right?"



"Eh, we're upper middle class so no, we're fairly well off. But I personally prefer to stay in shape and eating healthy is more of my speed. That's not to say I won't eat a pizza or go to fast food places, but strict eating and consistent working out lets me keep my physique."



"You one of those gym rats?" he asked.



"I go about four times a week and do some cardio and mma on the side. That's about it. I try to keep healthy." I said, sipping the shake. Not a bad shake.



As we ate, Homelander finally leaned back, shooting me a look that said he wanted to ask me something. After a second I turned to look at him. "Shoot. You look like you want to ask me something."



He cleared his throat. "Have you, uh, given any thought on whether you want to be a super hero?"



I looked off to the side with a hum. "I have. But if I said no, would you be disappointed?"



"If I'm being honest, a little. I'd love for you to come try it out. It's a great feeling, saving lives and if I'm being real with you here, it scores you major points with the ladies," He said under his breath towards me, leaning in. "So, whatdya say?"



I hummed. This was it. I didn't need to say yes, but I was involved no matter what. Would it not be better to stay in the thick of it so I could better deal with the problems as they showed up? After a few moments of silence, I nodded, "Alright. But on a few conditions."



"Sure." He nodded hastily, "Name it."



"I want to design my own suit and pick my own name."



"Okay. Easy. Done." He nodded.



"If there's something I don't want to do because it makes me uncomfortable or I just generally don't feel like doing, I won't have to do it."



"Alright."



"And finally, how much do I get paid for this?" I asked.



"You thinking about the money?" He asked surprised.



"No. Not at all." I shook my head, "I don't care about fame or money or any of that, but if I'm going to be doing this as a job, I need to be able to go out and buy things, ya know? Clothes, groceries, simple stuff."



He gave a small scoff, "You won't have anything to worry about in that department."



I nodded. "Alright then." I paused, "Does Vought offer tuition? Like for college stuff besides Godolkin?"



"Of course." He said casually, "What are you looking to do?"



"Animation, graphic design, and voice work." I said, finishing my food.



"You want to make video games. Am I correct in that assumption?"



"Bingo. Animation in general but directing, acting, making the games and shows itself? It's something that I've thought about a lot." I said.



"Then you've come to the right place. Vought has an extensive college course on acting and game designing. You've got nothing to worry about."



I smiled. "Cool. So. . . when do we do this whole 'hero' thing? I imagine there's going to be a bunch of paperwork?"



"A bit. But don't you worry about that."

---

3 DAYS LATER



"Welcome, Eric. It's good to have you with us. Your father tells us that you've agreed to join the Vought team." Edgar said with a warm smile.



I nodded, "Yeah. We had a long talk about it, going over some things and my conditions for joining."



"Of course. Things we can get to soon enough. We do have a few questions." Edgar stated.



I glanced over at the other people in the room. Madelyne Stillwell, an older white woman with glasses, a bald black man sitting beside a white man with a dark beard, and Homelander himself. A second later, I spotted Ashley walk by, handing something to Stillwell.



"Uh, alright? Go ahead." I said.



"First and foremost, you will be outed to the public as Homelander's son. Do you have any problems with this?" Edgar said.



And for the first time, I saw Homelander sit quietly even though it was clear he wanted to say something. I shrugged, "Not really. Wasn't that half the point? Like I said, we already talked about that. And besides, that reporter woman was seconds from getting it out of me."



"Ah, yes. Mrs. Teel is an exceptional reporter, if not a little pushy. But I understand, I just needed to ask. Formalities and all that."



I nodded. Stillwell spoke up. "Secondly, you've requested college courses. What for?"



"Eric wants to be a part of the video game and movie industry." Homelander interrupted proudly, "He's already won some school awards for several plays and was most voted to succeed in his class."



She grinned brightly, "Wow! Well I suppose that works out great for us then."



"So great." Ashley chimed in, parroting the words.



I nodded awkwardly, my eyes narrowing at the man in the corner behind me. The very naked man. "Uh huh, well before anything else I'd like it if you would put some clothes on please."



They all turned, looking at where I was looking. Homelander rolled his eyes. "Or he can get the fuck out. Beat it." he snapped in annoyance.



"Uh, right. Sorry." Translucent said, still not turning visible as he left the office.



"You could just see him?" Homelander asked.



"Yeah, couldn't you?" I asked in confusion.



"I just have to sorta look for him. If I'm distracted he can slip in without me noticing." he said dismissively. "But back to what you were saying."



Edgar nodded, "Right. So, finally, we'd like to get a full physical done. Test your power's limits and so and so forth. Is that alright with you?"



I nodded, "Sure. I don't mind."



"Excellent. Then I believe Madelyne here has some things to say as well." Edgar said before looking at the blonde. "You have the floor."



"On the topic of your heroic entrance, this is Mary, Evan, and Seth and they have some brilliant ideas on how to maximize the effect of your debut." She said, nodding at them.



"Right." Seth started after some nods back and forth. "So, big city boy and unexpected child prodigy goes through senior year, just days away from graduation. The weight of adult life and expectations befalls him, leading to a moment of stress that awakens his powers unexpectedly one day in school."



"Alone and confused, isolated from his peers with these new found abilities, he doesn't know what to do until, unexpectedly, his mother makes a call. A call that will change his destiny forever." Evan says excitedly.



I glanced over at Homelander who was wearing a small smile before looking back at them. Oh boy.



"With nobody understanding his plight, he is outside and retreating into himself, when suddenly, a shadow appears above him. Homelander! With his heritage revealed he joins his father and under the wing of his tutelage, he learns to fight for justice! Honor! Truth! And he becomes. . ."



Mary flipped a board, revealing a very familiar looking costume, "HOMEBOY!" Evan and Seth shout in excited unison.



I blinked at the picture silently before a chuckle escaped my lips. I look over at Homelander. "You didn't tell them yet, did you?"



"No, I thought it'd be funny to see what they came up with." he said with a smirk of his own.



"What's funny?" Madelyne asked.



"My first condition for accepting this was that I pick my own name and design my own suit. And I'm glad I can. No offense." I said to Mary, Seth, and Evan. "The pitch is fine. The suit and name are awful. Homeboy? Really?"



"I designed Homelander's suit. This isn't my first rodeo." Mary said with indignance.



"Then your last rodeo must have ended with some head trauma. Come on, guys. If this was for a twelve year old, I'd understand. But I'm 18." I scoffed in annoyance.



Edgar chuckled. "I take it you already have a design drawn up? While we can allow you to design your own suit and name, it does need to resemble your father's suit."



"Of course. He already told me that too." I said, taking out my notebook and flipping to the page and handing it to Edgar.



He hummed, eyeing the design. Mary strode over alongside Madelyne before they paused. "That's. . . actually pretty good."



The suit was more or less Captain Marvel's suit with a few adjustments. The shoulders and upper chest were red with a turtleneck collar that extended into a red cape. The golden V with a star in the center of the chest also extended to Vs on the shoulders, mimicking the eagles from Homelander's suit but without the actual extensions. The gloves and boots were roughly the same as Homelander's and with a red belt that had a golden buckle to the side rather than the front, it showed a stark difference in the suits while keeping the tone roughly the same.



"I want to design video games. I'd better be good at concept art." I said with a grin.



"And the name?" Stillwell asked.



"Valor." I finished.



Mary cleared her throat. "I. . . suppose that it is quite good. Even the name."



"Can we scale the blue?" I asked. "Minorly, of course. Just barely noticeable."



"Easily." Edgar said with a smile. "Before we continue, what were the other conditions?"



"Only one thing. If something makes me uncomfortable, I don't want to do it. This isn't about fame and money for me. I want to help people. So I don't want to do something stupid like. . . like a photoshoot in my underwear or something like that."



"I do understand where you're coming from." Edgar said with a nod, "But you do understand that there will be photoshoots and promotional material, correct? We do have to market your brand."



I nodded. "I get that. Just. . . I want a heads up on some things first."



"Of course." Edgar said before standing. "If that's all, we'll have the paperwork drawn up and go from there."



"And he gets full rights to the suit and his name. He did design them afterall." Homelander quickly added in.



Stillwell smiled, "Well of course he does. Why wouldn't he?"



"Cool." I said, standing as well. "I suppose we'll talk later then."

---

"Sir, we have the results back from the physical." One of the lab scientists said.



"And?" Edgar asked, pouring a drink as he looked up at the man.



"It's as we thought. Our hypothesis regarding Ryan and Amelia Butcher were correct. Seeing as Eric's bloodwork did indeed confirm our suspicions as a natural born supe, his raw power is much higher than Homelander's."



Edgar nodded, giving him his attention. "Go on."



"Eric Roth demonstrated a speed on par with A-Train on instant takeoff while running and, when given enough time to get up to speed, surpassing both A-Train's and Homelander's top running speed by two times. His flying speed is also twice that of Homelander's at mach 37."



"And his physical strength levels?" Edgar asked calmly.



"From what we can gather, it is also around 2 or 3 times that of his as well. His telekinesis is an unaccounted variable though."



"How so?"



"When lifting things, Eric subconsciously wraps the item or person he is carrying in a bubble of telekinetic force, not only protecting it, but stopping it from crumbling under it's own weight. We've also found that his telekinesis carries the same weight limit as his own physical strength which he can add onto his physical capabilities, further extending his strength."



Edgar hummed. This was very interesting as well as important news. "And his heat vision?"



"Fully kinetic. No heat. We think this is once again a side effect of his telekinesis but we can't be sure. But we also found that he can channel a heating effect into the lasers with focus, turning them into the same type of beams as Homelander's or can simply induce heat into whatever he's looking at, even if there is a barrier in front of said item." the man said with amazement and a little anxiety.



"Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" Edgar asked calmly, cutting his steak.



"Sir, we believe with the data compiled from his physical that Eric Roth could firmly kill Homelander right now if he wished with very little difficulty. And his powers will only continue to grow as he gets older."



Edgar took a deep breath before a smile fell onto his face. "Thank you Dr. Henry. I take it you've already deleted said files?"



"Yes sir."



"Good. See to it that Mr. Roth isn't too influenced by his father."

---

Just an idea floating around in my head lately and I felt like I needed to get in on paper. Let me know if you enjoyed.
***
So, someone suggested I post to this site. I'm not sure exactly how to use this site or if I am doing it right so please correct me if need be. Thanks.

 

[The Desecrated One]

"Shut up!" The man snarled, backhanding the woman with his pistol. Yelping out a sob, she huddled into herself beside the other hostages.



"How's that money coming along?" One of the robbers shouted out, checking his ammunition before peeking out the windows. "We don't have much time before the cops show up. So if you could hurry, that'd be great!"



"I'm working on it!" Another shouted. A second later, he ran out of the vault with bags overflowing with cash. "That's everything! Come on!"



"Pack it in boys, we–" the man grunted, being knocked to the ground from an extremely fast blur. The other two robbers were quickly dismantled as well.



"I don't think so!" Maeve's voice sounded from the center of the room.



With the hero in sight, the last robber scrambled to grab a child huddled against her mother with the rest of the hostages. "Back up!" he snarled, aiming his pistol at her head. "Or these walls will be getting a new coat of paint."



A low growl sounded from her before she backed up. The man walked backwards out of the building and into the street, roughly holding the child by the back of the neck before waving the gun at pedestrians.



"Get out of my way!" he snarled before whipping around back towards the bank and Maeve who had followed him out. "Back off and stay there! If I so much as see you move!" the words were left unsaid.



Maeve scoffed in frustration at the situation. As the civilians looked around in shock at the scene, a shadow appeared above the man, the sound of a cape lightly billowing in the wind.



"Let the girl go!" A firm voice said from above.



The man looked up with a wince, before aiming the gun up at him. "Who are you?"



With a glare he descended with a slight blue glow in his eyes. His glare softened as he looked at the child. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. You're safe."


"You promise?" she said in a scared tone.

---

"I–" I couldn't do it anymore. I broke out in a laugh. Groans sounded around the room. "I'm sorry everyone. I just can't. Can we actually get a kid in here to act this part? Nothing against you Steven but every time I hear you talk, it's making me laugh, man."



Koy blew out a sigh before a chuckle sounded from him with a nod. "We've rehearsed it for a couple days now and your entrance is solid. Stay right there and let's run through the action scene real fast. Are you ready?"



I gave a nod before floating back up and waited for the cue. A second later, Koy let out a huff before aiming the fake gun prop up at me. "And. . . Go!"



With a tilt of my head, I narrowed my eyes and the gun was ripped out of his hands before I rushed forward faster than any normal human could react and grabbed his arm. "I'm Valor. And you're done."



With a very light shove, I sent Koy slightly off his feet and onto the mat behind him. A second later, Koy nodded as I helped him back up, pulling him to his feet. "I think we're good. Everything felt solid minus that little interruption there and I think I can safely say that besides you cracking up at Steven in a wig, you'll do fine in the actual moment."



"Cool." I said with a grin. "If we're good for the day, I'm gonna head out. It's getting late. Is that alright?"



Koy looked up from the test footage before giving a nod at me. "Yeah, you can head out. Nice job, Eric. Nice job, Maeve."



With the rehearsal over, I grabbed one of the water bottles off to the side and headed for the door. As I let out a yawn, I heard Maeve shout out.



"Hey, Eric. Wait up."



I stopped and raised a brow at her as she strode over to me. I was honestly wondering what she wanted. For the last 2 weeks, she'd made every effort to avoid me. I mean, I knew why. If I had Homelander stalking me and making me do things that I didn't want to do, I wouldn't want another one breathing down my neck. It didn't bother me any and I was all too happy to make sure she had a little peace from my so-called father.



"What's up?"



"You want to go get something to eat? I'll pay." she said nonchalantly.



I furrowed my brows in confusion although I tried not to show it. Judging from her expression I wasn't too successful. "Why? I thought you didn't really want to hang around me?"



She shifted a bit before shrugging. "I'm 37, kid. I'm old enough to be your mom. And every time a super teen shows up, they're always trying to fuck me or get in my business. I just didn't want to hang around a teen for the last 2 weeks. Ya get me?"



I knew the real reason but I would say this, she was a hell of an actor. The reason was bullshit but I wasn't gonna say anything. With a shrug, I ushered towards the door. "I think that trying to have sex with my father's ex is in bad taste. But I get it. You've got your own stuff going on and didn't want to be bothered by me. It's cool."



She smiled, her face lighting up. "Glad you understand. So?"



"Sure. Lead the way." I said.



As we walked, I remarked on the most likely reason she was suddenly being my friend. Protection against Homelander. If anyone could help her in her mind, it was probably me. Damn.



As she walked beside me, she cast a quick glance at me. "Hey, any idea where your father is?"



"Stillwell's got him all the way in California doing some stupid bullshit with that asshole Ezekiel." I muttered a bit hotly before huffing. Maeve nodded before we exited the building. "Anywhere you wanna go? I can fly us there."



She gave a snort, "Nice try kid. But I'm not interested in letting you cop a feel on me."



I stammered a bit, shifting. "W-well, no. I, uh, wouldn't. . ." I shook my head. "I'd just lift you with my Telekinesis. But if you'd rather go somewhere else nearby, I ain't complaining."



Maeve hummed before finally nodding. "You know the pizza place near McCarren?"



"Spade's?" I asked.



"Yeah, that one." she said. "Take us there."



"Will do." I said before looking at her outfit. "You want to change or are you going as Maeve?"



"As Maeve," she said. With a nod I quickly did my hair up in a messy bun before wrapping her in a telekinetic field, flying up with her beside me. Within 20 seconds we'd cleared the top of the buildings before I slowed to a stop, taking in the sight of Manhattan illuminated by the late evening glow.



I let out a breath as I took it all in with a small smile. If that was what Spider-man saw everyday, I get why he wanted to be Spider-man. That view was something else. Tearing my gaze away from the sunset, I lowered us down in front of the restaurant before heading inside.



Thankfully, there didn't seem to be many people in there besides a couple families with their kids. The little girls in the restaurant lit up at the sight of Maeve who gave a smile back before waving.



"Hi." I started, looking at the hostess. "Just us."



She nodded with an excited grin. "Of course. Right this way."



As we were seated and handed the menu, I took a seat before slightly waving my hand and pulling Maeve's chair out for her psychically. The few kids ran over before asking for a photo with Maeve. As she was doing that, I perused the menu.



"Anything you don't want on the pizza?" I asked.



"No ham. How do you feel about hawaiian?" she asked.



I shrugged. "It's fine. I'm gonna get some bread sticks on the side." At her nod, I handed the menu to the waitress who had come back with a notebook in hand.



"So, what can I get you to drink?"



"Mountain dew." I said.



"Coke." Maeve spoke up.



"And are we ready to order?"



I nodded before she took the order and gave a nod, leaving the table after setting the drinks down. As the parents pulled their kids back, Maeve and I were left alone. I leaned back with a breath. "So. What did you wanna talk about?"



She took a sip before starting, "How do you feel about being in a movie with me?"



I blinked in surprise. Well, this wasn't going where I thought it was going to go. "Uhhhh, a movie? What movie? And why?"



"New movie in the works." She said, looking around lazily.



I nodded, "And what's it called?"



She scratched the back of her head with a wince, ". . . The Queen of Ashes."



My eyes widened. As far as I could tell, most of the Seven's movies were parodies of actual hero movies and stories. Not this one though. Everyone knew about the movie. Maeve's only standalone film. And it had been in development hell for 5 years. I doubt it even had a script.



The waitress laid the pizza and the breadsticks down before walking away. I grabbed a piece before looking at her. "Does that movie even have a script? Last I heard was that even that Bourke guy wouldn't touch that movie."



"It does." She said, "But it's a mess. And with everyone else's movies coming out, I am actually free to finally figure this script out."



I raised a brow at her words. "You're allowed to change the script?"



She nodded. "Yep. I can direct it, change it, burn it, do whatever I want with it. I'll get a set budget later but since nobody wanted it, I asked if I could take it. Edgar agreed and so I have it."



And so she can use this as an excuse to be around me consistently without drawing Homelander's attention. Smart. I nodded, "And you want me to. . .what? Write it? Act in it?"



"Sure, if you've got ideas. And it'll be good for you. Get your sense of acting on the big screen so to speak." She said, tearing into her pizza.



I ate my pizza in silence, considering my options. Being near Maeve meant more time near Homelander, that was just a given. But being near her meant I was definitely in the thick of a lot of horrible events. Namely the plane crash. If I could get there before Homelander, I could stop the pilot from being killed and by proxy, everyone else.



After a second, I nodded. "Alright. Sure, why the hell not."



She grinned. "Cool."



As the night progressed, Maeve and I talked about random stuff. I considered confiding in her about a few things that I knew, mainly about Homelander. I ultimately decided against it, deciding to keep my cards close to my chest.



By the time we left, a couple of hours had passed and as we were about to take off, I paused. Maeve turned to look at me. "What?"



"Shhh." I said, tilting my head.



"--at's all the money, I swear!"



"I know there's a safe back there. Open it and give me the fucking rest!"



I narrowed my eyes before walking towards the sounds. Maeve fell into step beside me before I paused at a building. Turning my xray vision on, I was able to see through the walls and directly at the crime happening inside. A man holding what looked to be an AR-15 along with another man holding a handgun.



"There's a robbery inside." I said. "The man with the AR has no bullets and the second one has a pistol. It has 15 bullets. Pistol's near the front door. AR has the cashier in the backroom."



Maeve nodded before taking off in a run and within 10 seconds, I watched her burst through the doors, grabbing the man with a pistol before shoving him harshly against the wall while ripping the pistol from his grasp. The man with the AR instantly threw the gun down before shaking his head.

"I give up! I swear! Just don't hurt me!"



I smirked as she quickly tied them up. It was pretty cool to watch. As soon as the police had arrived, Maeve headed back towards me with a small smile. "That was pretty awesome." I grinned.



"Yeah, it was." She said with a smirk. "Alright. Take me back to the tower."



I nodded and we took off.

---

3 DAYS LATER



Homelander's lip twitched before he let out a hum. Across the cafeteria was his son, Eric. His son. It still made him elated with joy whenever he thought about it. They'd been getting to know one another for the last month and although he still hadn't called him dad yet, he knew it was only a matter of time.



Eric was everything he wanted in a son. Strong, handsome, smart, quick with a word, and powerful. It was like looking at himself when he was just starting out. And while he'd have liked to spend more time with him, he was a busy kid. College classes, spending time with his mom, rehearsing for his first save when the time came, and attending meetings.



On the other hand, he had also been busy. With Lamplighter off of the Seven he had quickly suggested that his son join. Everyone had been overjoyed with the idea. Except Eric himself. When he had asked his son why not, admittedly a little hurt by the rejection, he had given a very good reason.



"If I join the Seven right after my debut, that will only harm you and I in the long run. People will want to see us as a duo. If the Seven is constantly there, it'll detract from the effect that us as a father-son duo will have on our appearance."



He'd even said that what little time he did have to spend with him would be even further cut in half due to marketing campaigns which he'd be forced to show up in. Homelander hadn't liked it but his son had a point. But when he'd heard him talk to Edgar and Stillwell about cutting down on his meetings and rehearsals, he'd thought that it'd mean they'd have even more time together. And it did. Like a lot more time. But what he hadn't realized is that he'd taken on a task.



For Maeve.



So there he was, watching his son talk with Maeve about some stupid fucking script that everybody knew was a fucking lost cause. His expression twisted into a glare as he watched Maeve lean over Eric's shoulder as she ran her hands along his arms, whispering into his ear. A second later they shared a laugh at some stupid fucking joke regarding some robbery that they had apparently stopped together after having dinner. When the fuck had that even happened, he wondered.



As she got up and left him there alone, she headed towards the room Homelander was in before opening the door. At the sight of him, she stilled. "Hey, Homelander."



He looked at her silently before turning to face her, "Do you think I'm fucking stupid, Maeve?"



She furrowed her brows in confusion, "What? No. Why would you even ask that?"



"I see the way you're hanging off my son. Caressing his shoulders, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, stringing him along. How long have you been fucking my son?"



She snorted before schooling her features at his sharp look. "Eric is just helping me with the script to Queen of Ashes. I'm not fucking your son."



"Really?" He said with disbelief. "And the late night dinner? The supposed robbery you two stopped together late at night? What else am I supposed to think?"



"There is nothing happening." She scoffed with a laugh, "Eric came to me and said he wanted some practice with a real script. So, seeing as how my movie was in development hell, I asked Edgar and he said I could do whatever I wanted with it. So, we went to that pizza place, uh. . ."



"Spade's." Homelander supplied.



"Yeah, Spade's." She said, throwing a hand up, "And then we had pizza while I explained to him that he could use this for practice for when he really gets into movies and video games. And the robbery? He overheard it happening as we were leaving."



"So the dinners are just you two. . ." he waved his hands dismissively, "rehearsing? Swapping ideas? That's it?"



"That's it. Nothing more." she assuaged his worries. "Eric's a kid. And in his own words, it would be in bad taste to fuck his dad's ex."



He paused before shifting a bit, "He, uh, he called me dad?"



Maeve, seeing an opportunity, pressed forward. "Yeah. Why wouldn't he? He loves you."



"He told you that?" He asked with a hopeful expression, trying to keep his face neutral.



She nodded, "I can read it on his face. He talks about you a lot."



"Well. . ." he glanced back at the wall, seeing Eric talk to one of the assistants. "Why hasn't he told me that? Or called me dad yet?"



"John." Maeve said softly, "He's an 18 year old boy. He's probably just embarrassed to say it aloud. Doesn't want to call his masculinity into question, you know?"



Homelander considered her words before slowly nodding. "Yeah. I get it now. Thanks Maeve."



She nodded before she opened the door to leave. Just as she was about to step out of the room, Homelander spoke up. "Oh, and Maeve?"



"Yeah?" she asked, looking back at him.



"Don't lead my son on." he said firmly, his face turning neutral.



She gave a smile that said 'obviously' before leaving.

---

"Oh, and Maeve?"



"Yeah?"



"Don't lead my son on."



Hmmm. There was the Homelander I recognized. Although he was doing it in support of me. Sorta. I'd probably have to play the dad card soon at any rate. I rolled my eyes before Maeve came back to the table and sat down. I glanced up at her. "You look rattled. What happened?"



"Ugh, just some stupid corporate shit. Nothing you need to worry about."

"If you say so." I said before rereading a part of the script. "Jesus Christ, who wrote this shit?"



"Behold, the legendary Adam Bourke. Isn't he so talented?" She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.



"My 12 year old neighbor writes fanfiction better than this. Look at this shit. 'Curse you Maeve! You will rue the day that you rose up against your superiors.'"



"Yep and then I was supposed to slam the cop door on his face and go, 'Who says women can't be better than men?"



My head hit the table as I groaned out. "Forget it. The dialogue needs to be completely rehashed. And the premise is dogshit. Nobody talks like this in real life!" I exclaimed at the script.

"And now you know why it was scrapped. Nobody wants to touch this movie." she said, pouring a glass of scotch. I eyed it for a moment, a moment too long if Maeve's expression was anything to go by. Wisely keeping my thoughts to myself, I leaned back in my seat, running a hand down my face.



"The title suggests a tragic story or at least the premise of a tragedy. This reads more like. . . a bad parody of Terminal Beauty 2."



Maeve winced with a chuckle, taking a drink. "Yep."



"Good evening Eric. Maeve." Edgar said, walking up to our table.



"Mr. Edgar." I nodded, "Did you need something?"



"Oh, no. Nothing so serious. I was just stopping by to ask how you're feeling about your first upcoming save." he said with a smile. "And to possibly get your opinion on something."



"I'd like to get it over with so I can actually go out and do some real saves." I replied. "It's a little annoying not being able to wear the suit and help. I don't think people really grasp how much I hear on a daily basis just walking through Manhattan. It's a lot, let me tell you that."



Stan smiled. "I imagine so, being able to hear a mile out in any direction."



"A mile?" I said with a scoff. "More like 5. But enough about that. You wanted to ask me something?"



"Yes. With the upcoming pick of the newly appointed hero that will join the Seven, I was wondering if you had any opinions on who we should select." Edgar said, handing me a tablet with some names of heroes on them.


Scrolling through them, I was shocked to not find Starlight amongst them. "Are these the ones you've settled on?"



"Yes. Is there none that catches your eye?" He asked.



I shook my head before flicking through them. Nope. No Starlight. "Is their hero entry videos on here?"



"Yes. Just slide it to the side and you should see them. But we have all but decided to go with one of these six. But the rest are there if you wish to see them."



I slid it to the side, searching through them all. Beside each one, they had photos and rankings on the entries on likelihood of being picked. Over a hundred had submitted videos but I was looking for Starlight. And yet. . . I couldn't for the life of me find her. "Is this it?"



"Were you looking for someone specific?"



"Maybe." I said with a thoughtful look on my face. "Was there like a deadline or a limited applicant number?"



"There were." He said, an interested smirk on his face. "The deadline was last week and there were limited entry spots."



I leaned forwards before swiping the information to the side and began running through the heroes files with a focused look. A few seconds in and I found her profile. Annie January, aka, Starlight. "Her."



Edgar looked over my shoulder with a raised brow, "Starlight? Really? She is near your age, being 23. Does your choice have any ulterior motives?" he said with a teasing look.



I knew better. He may have phrased it as a joke but I was sure he was being serious. I shook my head. "No, I just genuinely think that she's a good person. Not like this asshole." I muttered, looking at a top contender. "Who even thought the Martian was a good choice?"



Maeve chuckled. "It's a good question. Not like he'd even be allowed on. Too much bad publicity."



"Quite." Edgar said. "But regardless, Starlight didn't even attempt to file an entry."



I grunted at that. Odd. My presence changed a bit then. Looks like Homelander shirked his duties a bit. Probably a result of him skipping the BBQ Bash. I saw a phone number on her profile. "Is this information up to date?"



"It is." He said with a knowing look, like he knew what I was about to do. Either way, I couldn't afford such a big change. Not before the show even started. I needed Starlight to be on the Seven if only because she was a decent person. Pulling my phone out, I dialed the number before turning to the tablet and pulling up some information regarding the entries.



After a few rings, a woman answered the phone. "Hello?"



"Uh, yes, is this the residence of Annie January?" I asked, tapping my fingers against the table.



"It is. This is her mother speaking."



"This is Eric Roth speaking, May I talk to her?"



"Uh, sure. One second. You're on speaker."



I waited for a moment before a voice that was familiar finally answered. "Uh, hi? I don't think I know an Eric Roth."



"That's because you don't." I said nonchalantly. "I'm calling because I was reviewing the entries for possible applications to the Seven and I didn't see yours present. I was just calling to ask if this was something you'd be interested in or–"



I held the phone away from my ear as excited screams sounded from the other end before they immediately ceased. "Uh, sorry about that. Yes! Yes, that is something I'd definitely be interested in."



I nodded, looking at Edgar. "Great. I'll send the details to the emailI we have on file here shortly. Have a good day."



After I hung up, Edgar gave a pointed smile. "That was handled excellently. Normally we don't do this but seeing as how you're vouching for her, we can make an exception just this once. I'll forward the information to you on how to go about this."



I paused, "Oh. Uh, should I get Stillwell or Ashley to–"



"Oh no." He said with a nod. "You are vouching for her so you will handle it. Alone. Make no mistake, this is not a punishment. This will be a regular occurrence for you as you come of age and it's a good experience for you in adult life. You'll meet her today and record her speech and demonstration of her abilities. After which point, you'll send it through the proper channels. And after that, you will call her personally to inform her that she has gotten the job."



"You've already decided on her?" I asked in confusion.



"Indeed. I came to ask you your opinion. And I got it. If you believe so strongly that she deserves it that you went out of your way to call her, then I believe in your choice. Enjoy your morning."




"Uh, you too." I said before glancing at Maeve. My eyes widened before I quickly spoke up. "Hey, one more thing if you don't mind. Can I change this script around? Like. . . all of it?"



He laughed, "Of course. That movie was never going to be made where it was at. If you want to change it, then do so. Have a good day, Eric."



I glanced at the tablet before blowing my hair off to the side. "This is gonna be a long day, isn't it?"



"Oh yeah." Maeve said with a snort as she swirled her drink. "Have fun with that."

---

The wind whipped past my ears as I flew across the United States. It was a definite surprise when I learned just how fast I could fly. Mach 70. That was ridiculous in my mind. And people wondered why Homelander was so scary.



Slowing down, I floated down to a highway exit and approached one of the cars. "Excuse me, but I am in Iowa, right?"



The man's eyes were wide with surprise before his. . . daughter? Spoke up. She looked around my age. "Yeah. Where are you headed?"



"Des Moines. I've got a meeting with someone and I can't afford to be late." I explained.



"Des Moines is about an hour that way." She said, pointing back the way I had come.



"Damn, I overshot." I muttered before nodding to her. "Thank you so much. You have a good one."



As I took a step back to take off, she shouted out. "Wait! Uh, do you mind if I get a picture?"



I blinked in surprise. "Oh, uh, yeah sure."



"Sweet!" she said before rushing out and around the truck. Quickly getting her phone out and posing, I gave a smile as she leaned into my chest. A flash of the camera and she grinned. "Thanks man. Which hero are you?"



"I haven't debuted yet." I said. "But my father is introducing me in two days. So no posting that until then. You got me?" I chuckled.



"I promise." She said before looking me up and down. "Who's your father?"



Taking a step back and giving her a wink, I did Homelander's signature take off. Her eyes widened in shock and then I was gone.



And within 4 seconds I was flying over Des Moines, Iowa. Slowing down to a crawl, I took my phone and called the number for Starlight's residence.



"Hello?"



"Hey, it's me, Eric. Can you tell your daughter to shoot a light blast into the sky? I'm hovering over Des Moines right now."



"Of course, one moment."



And then, like a flare, I saw the blast. Quickly making my way there, I swiftly landed in the front yard where Starlight was waving her arms. "H-Hi! I'm Starlight." she said, holding her hand out.


"Hey. I'm Eric Roth." I said, shaking her hand. "Pleasure to meet you. Now, I know that this whole thing has been a tad unprofessional but I wouldn't have called if I didn't think you could do it."



"Wait, you called? Just you?" Her mother asked in confusion. "This is on behalf of Vought, though, right?"



"Technically, yes. But also no. I'm not really representing Vought here." I said, pulling my phone out with a smile. "Mr. Edgar approached me regarding my opinion on the applicants for the spot on the Seven and needless to say, I was quite surprised when I didn't see your name among them."



"Wait." Starlight started. "So you're not representing Vought, but your opinion was important to Stan Edgar? Can I ask why?"



"Well. . ." I looked around before lowering my voice, "It's sorta confidential right now so I can't really talk about it. But seeing as how I'm debuting at the same time as the announcement of the choice applicant, when your dad is the leader of the Seven people tend to listen to your opinion."



They both blinked at that in confusion before it slowly dawned on them what I was saying. "Wait. . . Your dad is–"



"Mm mmm, nope." I said, cutting her off. "Confidential. Now, you have a speech to go through and I need to do some paperwork. You ready?"



She nodded excitedly before her mother looked at me. "Could you give us a moment? The camera is set up already in the backyard if you'd like to make some adjustments."



"Of course. Take as long as you'd like." I said before heading to the back.



As I stepped into the back yard, I listened to their conversation. "Annie, if what he's saying is true and he really is Homelander's son, then this could be the big break for us!" she whispered.



"I know, Mom!" She whispered back excitedly.



"He specifically sought you out for a reason. If he's swaying the choice then you're already halfway there." She paused. "You should ask him out."



"What? No. Don't you think he'd see right through that?" Starlight countered.



"Maybe. But he looks close to your age.And don't you think he's handsome?"



"I'm not saying he's not but–" She cut herself off, "Do you think he has super hearing?"



I glanced at the window, seeing them out of the corner of my eye through the window before I turned away, trying to cover my grin, albeit unsuccessfully.



"Great, mom. He heard us." She said.



"Then why are we still whispering?" She whispered.



"So. Are you ready?" I called out. Starlight nodded with embarrasement before coming to the back yard.

---

I reviewed the footage and her speech, seeing that it was mostly the same as the show's version. "Thank you, Starlight. I'll get this pushed through and once they review it, some–"



I paused as my phone rang out. "Excuse me for a second." I said, stepping away and answering. "What's up?"



"Eric. Where are you right now?" Stillwell asked calmly.



"I'm in Des Moines, Iowa. I was just getting the speech recordings for–"



"Starlight, yes, I'm aware." She cut me off. "I will say that you have a remarkable eye for marketing. And after hearing Edgar's choice or rather your choice, we've decided to forgo the need for the speech. I wasn't too pleased with the sudden change of plans. We had decided to go with Silver Star but thankfully we hadn't made any calls yet."



"That was your choice? So. . . what? You don't need the speech anymore? Because Edgar said–"



"I know what he said. But since you're there, just let her know that she got the job and then head back. We have two days to get you ready for your debut and then your premier save. And we can't afford to waste anymore time with the semantics of Starlight either. You've really put us in a tight spot, Eric."



"I got it." I said with an annoyed sigh. "I'll be on my way shortly. Just–" The phone went dead as she hung up on me. I let out an annoyed growl under my breath. What a fucking bitch.



I turned around with a huff before looking at Starlight. I could also see the downtrodden look on her face. She must have assumed the choice was decided while I was here. "Well, annoying as it is, I guess we don't need your entry anymore."



"They already made a choice? Without waiting?" Starlight's mother asked in shock.



"Yeah." I nodded before running a hand down my face. "Sorry to waste your time like this."



"No, it's fine. Thank you for coming out and even giving me the opportunity." Starlight said sadly, doing her best to remain professional.



I raised a brow, stepping past her to take off. "Don't look so sad. I said we didn't need the entry anymore, not that you didn't get it."



She stood up straight, her attention focused on me. "Wait, are you saying–"



"Oh yeah, the decision was made this morning. This was all formality but with the time table being so close and all, I was told to come get your entry as quickly as possible. Congratulations, Starlight. You got the job."



"I got it?" She said before her mother and her burst into excited screams before they quickly schooled their emotions. "Um, thank you, Eric for the opportunity."



I laughed at their reactions before nodding. "Someone will call you shortly. It's going to be quick too. As in everything will happen within 3 days so be ready. You have a good one."



And with that, I was flying back to New York.

---

As I descended on the top of the building, I quickly got into the elevator before taking it to the 82nd floor. With the video in hand, I started to head for Edgar's office before I heard the telltale sign of A-Train's speed appear at the building. That was another thing I needed to be ready for. At any time now, Robin's death should be approaching. I just needed to be there before anything else.



Edgar thanked me as I handed the video of Starlight's entry to him. "Speedy work Eric. It's appreciated to work with someone as professional as yourself. A breath of fresh air in this stale office."



"What? People not doing their jobs around here?" I joked.



He let out a sigh, "No, nothing of that sort but there are a lot of people dragging their feet lately. I won't name names, but as I said, it is refreshing."



I hummed before I went still, the words carrying through the building up to my ears.



"Ew, A-Train you're covered in blood! What the fuck!"



"I know, I just ran through someone by accident."



I didn't bother listening to the rest because of the absolute rage I felt at not only him by myself as well. I hadn't considered it would be today. It was so out of the blue, I didn't even consider. . . Fuck!



I quickly stood up from the chair to Edgar's surprise. "What is it?"



"A-Train just killed someone. I can hear him talking."



"Well, it is an unfortunate part of the job. Many criminals aren't compliant and it leads to–"



"It wasn't a criminal." I snapped, heading for the door. "It was a civilian."



Quickly stalking through the halls, I made it to Madelyne's office where I found Homelander and herself. "Son! You're back. What can I do for you?"



"Where's A-Train?" I asked coldly.



Stillwell's mouth snapped shut before she cleared her throat. "Ah, well, you don't need to concern yourself with that right now. It's being handled."



"Handled?" I scoffed in shock, "Really. I just heard you talking to him. He fucking killed someone by running through them."



"And he's being punished accordingly." She said firmly.



"Don't fucking patronize me." I said lowly, "He's fast enough to see what's going on around him. If he ran through someone it's because he didn't care to move. He should be in a cell."



"Son, these things happen sometimes. It's not his fault. With powers like ours, ordinary people don't have the level of durability needed to survive things like this." Homelander explained dismissively.



I let out a deep breath as I tried to stay calm but it just wasn't working. "I want him off the Seven."



Stillwell scoffed in amusement, "That's not happ–"



"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you." I snapped before turning to Homelander. Looks like the dad card was being used today. "Dad, you can't just let him do this without consequences! He just killed someone who didn't do anything wrong."



Homelander shifted a bit, his expression softening before glancing at Stillwell. He sighed. "I hear you son. I do. But we can't just boot him. The Seven holds a lot of trust from the public. To just kick him out would be to shake that faith. But I understand your anger, I'm angry too. What would you suggest?"



I guess that was as good as I was getting. "Make him apologize to the family and pay restitution, have him do community service, and suspend him for a while. Make it clear it's a punishment to the public. We need to hold each other accountable. With powers like ours, we have to always be aware of what's going on around us or shit like this can happen."



"I completely agree." Edgar's voice sounded from behind me.



"Mr. Edgar." Stillwell said, "I see where you're coming from. But A-Train is scheduled for his upcoming race in 2 weeks. We can't just cancel it. We've already sold tickets and our teams have everything already in place."



"I didn't say cancel it. But Eric is correct. A-Train needs to hold some accountability. Don't you agree, Homelander?" Edgar said, turning to Homelander.



"Of course I agree." Homelander shrugged. "It's an excellent idea, son. We'll inform him of it once he's back."



I nodded with a huff of frustration. Shaking my head, I left the room. "I hope he loses that fucking race." I snapped, leaving the room.

---

3 DAYS LATER



"Welcome, Starlight!"



The crowd went wild with cheers as she stepped onto the stage with a bright smile. I watched as she ran through a speech that seemed slightly rehearsed. A hand fell on my shoulder. I turned to look, seeing Homelander.

"Are you ready for your big day son?"



"I'm a little nervous." I said with a shaky smile. "Stage fright and all. I mean, the whole world's basically watching."



"You'll be fine." He reassured me. "I remember my debut. I was exactly your age. 18 years old, wet behind the ears, teenager who didn't know what the world had in store for him. It was a confusing time for me for sure. But just like you, I became a superhero and doors opened up for me. And now, they'll open up for you too. One day when I'm gone, you'll be the one having this same conversation with your son."



Goddamn it. Why couldn't he be a fucking asshole all the time? I gave a small smile, "Thanks, dad. That helps me feel a bit better."



"No problem son. Now, when I step out there and introduce you, get ready for your whole life to change." He gave me a pat on the shoulder before heading out.



My mom stood behind me before laying a comforting hand on my shoulder as she sniffled. "I am so proud of the man you've become, sweety. And I'm so glad that I got to see you here at this moment beside your father."



"Thanks mom." I smiled softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.



"You'll be the hero that everyone will look up to now. The hero that when they look up at the sky and feel safe, it'll be you that looks back down at them. I love you." she said, squeezing me tightly. I didn't have much of a relationship with my mother in my last life so I'm so thankful for the one I have with this woman. She may not have been the shining beacon of morality that Martha Kent or Aunt May was but she tried her best with what she had. And that had been enough for me.



"Hey, how's everyone doing tonight!" Homelander said loudly, giving a genuine grin. It was so easy to see that he really wasn't acting this time. "Now I know that we're all here to give a warm welcome to Starlight and welcome her into the Seven."



A round of cheers sounded at his words before he raised his hands, "But I figured while we were here, I could take this time to introduce someone very special to me. About a month ago, I thought that this was just going to be another year. Go to some meetings, save all of you, act in a couple movies, yada yada yada. But what I didn't know was that my life was going to change so much in such a short amount of time.



"I received a phone call from an old friend and she had some big news for me. And to say it caught me off guard would be putting it mildly. She introduced me to someone and we've been getting to know one another for the last month and now, I'm so proud of him and his decision to join me and keep all of you safe. Let me introduce to you all, my son, Valor!"



"Good Luck!" My mom said excitedly.



I blew out a breath before walking out onto the stage. Flashes of cameras and deafening cheers sounded around me as I waved. The suit was very cool if I did say so and my hair was brushed back with some sort of gel that kept it back but not in a firm way. I looked the part of a hero, hopefully I could fulfill the role.



The crowd died down before a single reporter spoke up. The same reporter from the contest. "Valor! What made you decide to join up with Vought?"



I gave a smile, "A couple weeks ago my dad and I were eating at Vought Land. While we were there we had a big discussion about what I wanted to do with my life. And during that discussion, I thought really hard about it all. I'd just gotten my powers, my father had just entered my life, college was around the corner, I was getting ready to, uh, to become an adult. And so we talked about it and I thought to myself. With powers like mine, you can't just sit back and not do anything when the world is falling apart.



"With great power comes great responsibility. I truly believe that a single person can make a difference. And with people out there who don't have my powers that are risking their lives everyday, well I feel like I have no right to be doing any less than them."



At my words, someone else spoke up in the back. "Things are a lot more complicated than back when your father first started out his hero career, not just in New York but the rest of the world as well. How are you getting ready for this all?"



I chuckled before laying a hand on Homelander's shoulder. "I may be young and inexperienced but I have the best person around to prepare me. My dad has been working with me extensively to help me hone my abilities and become the best hero I can be. And he's not alone. I have the others as well to help me along the way. Maeve. Black Noir. And the rest of the Seven. I look forward to helping!"



Cheers erupted before I stepped back as Stillwell came onto the stage, taking the microphone and standing beside Homelander.



Walking off stage, I was greeted by Ashley and Edgar. "Well, I think that went well all things considered."



"That speech was fucking fantastic. I felt it in my soul. Good work Eric. Oops, I mean Valor." Ashley finished.



I nodded, "Thanks. I'm gonna head up to the tower real quick before I head out. I wanted to talk to Starlight about a few things. Have a good night guys."



"The same to you." Edgar said before I rushed out.

---

Come on, come on. I couldn't save Robin but I could stop this bullshit. As I came to the 99th floor, I quickly headed through the halls, intent on making it to the Seven room. The sound of breaking glass clued me in as I looked through the walls at the scene unfolding.



"I mean, that's not what you really want, right? Or we come together as a team. You and me, we just roll with the punches for, like, three minutes. Maybe. It's not a big deal. Then you know what happens? All your dreams come true."



Starlight's eyes began to glisten with angry tears before she began to slowly kneel as Deep went to pull his pants down. My face twisted into anger before the heavy metal doors crumpled and flew off of their tracks to the sides of me. Starlight and Deep flinched at the deafening boom.



"Uh, Valor, hey! W-w-what's going on man?" Deep stammered.



My eyes were radiating heat with a low blue glow as I glared at the fucking prick. "Annie, you can go. You, get the fuck out of here, now! Mr. Edgar will be hearing about this."



"Wait, uh, nothing was happening. I-she-we were–"



"Shut up." I snapped. "You're lucky I don't drag you to jail. Go! Now!"



Without waiting another moment, Deep ran out the doors to who knows where. My hands shook as I took some deep breaths to calm down. I glanced at Annie. "Are you alright?"



She nodded, nervously swallowing with a shaky nod. "Y-Yeah. I'm, um. . . I'm gonna go to the bathroom."



I nodded. "Don't ever let anyone coerce you into that shit. The only person you need to concern yourself with is Stan Edgar."



She nodded before shakily exiting the room. As she left, I quickly scanned the hallways before seeing Translucent. In the women's restroom. Oh my fucking god. I refused to accept this shit as the norm. Not if I had anything to say about it. Quickly walking over to the restrooms, I could hear Annie throwing up. Maeve was also in the bathroom, washing her hands.



As I came to the entrance, Annie and Maeve turned to look at me with confusion. My eyes narrowed in anger. "You can leave on your own, or I can fucking drag you out of here. Make a choice."



Annie blinked in confusion. "What–"



"Easy man, I'm going." Translucent said, appearing as he turned visible. "You know your father doesn't care that I do this shit."



"Well I'm not my father, am I?" I said, stepping into his personal space. "Don't let me catch you doing this shit again. Are we clear?"



"Crystal, man." he said before vanishing as he walked away.



I let out a deep breath before nodding at Maeve and Annie. "Have a nice night guys."



"Yep." Maeve said.

---

As soon as Homelander had seen the doors crumpled in the hallway the day before, he'd known it had been his son. When he'd heard the reason for it, he hadn't been too happy. He needed to have a talk with him to stop breaking the door when he was upset, although it was a little funny. He smiled calmly as he saw Deep enter the room.



"Oh, well I heard we were having a meeting." Deep said, "So, uh, I'll just leave you to it."



"Well we're having a meeting right now, aren't we, Deep? You and me. Come on in." Homelander said.



"Uh, sure. Yeah." Deep said hesitantly before taking a seat at the table. "So, uh, is there anything I can do for you, Homelander?"

"You can help me understand something, Deep." he chuckled, "'Cause, uh. . . maybe I'm stupid. Am I stupid Deep?"



Deep scoffed, "What? No. N-no of course not. You're-you're very smart."



"Right." Homelander said, standing up from his chair and walking behind Deep. "So what kind of razor sharp fish-instinct made you run to Stillwell and tell her what you think you saw down there?"



"I-I-I, uh, don't–" he stammered for a moment, struggling to muster up a response as Homelander laid his hands on his shoulders. "I-I didn't. . .see anything down there. Yeah, Nothing at all, as a matter of fact."



Homelander chuckled before letting go of his shoulders and walking away from Deep. "That's what I thought. And I trust we never have to have this conversation again?"



"No. Of course not." Deep stammered, his pulse racing.



"Good." Homelander said as he turned to look away from him and out of the windows. Deep got up to leave before Homelander spoke one more time. "Oh, and Deep?"



"Yes, Homelander?" he said nervously.



"So far, you, A-Train, and Translucent are making my son question his image of me. He's urging me to hand out punishments to you three for your behaviors. You wouldn't want me to look bad in front of my son, now would you? That wouldn't be good for anyone involved, would it?"



"No, sir. Not at all." Deep said.



He nodded with a chuckle, "That's what I thought. Now. . ." his face fell neutral, "Go fuck Shamoo in his blowhole."



As he heard Deep leave, a small smile graced his face.

---

Edgar smiled as he chatted on the phone. "He's doing phenomenally. Who would have thought that the answer would have just fallen right into our laps this whole time without us doing anything."



"And his morals?"



"Quite good, actually. Maybe a little too good. He has already threatened to arrest Deep, Translucent, and A-Train."



"Wouldn't be a huge loss." A chuckle sounded from the phone.



Edgar scoffed in amusement. "Victoria." he admonished.



"Oh, come on. You know as well as I do that besides Homelander, those three are the most problematic."



"Hmmmm. You may have a point." Edgar said. "Regardless, Maeve was able to secure his attention on a side project."



"What would that be?"



"Queen of Ashes." Edgar said, looking at the tv as it displayed Eric on tv posing for some photos, having just completed his first save.



"Oh god, nobody can save that film." Victoria said with a groan. "8 directors have tried and failed to fix that script." She paused. "He's a nice looking kid. That's him on channel 6 right? Valor, I think he called himself."



"Yes, that is him. Eric Roth." Edgar said. "And he's adamant on helping Maeve with the movie. He even asked if he could have free reign over it."



"Well, let me know how it goes. Maybe he'll really be able to do it."



"Will do. How's Zoe?" He asked, watching the tv as Eric answered his phone.



"She's good. She wishes you'd visit more but hey, what can you do?"



He smiled, "Well, I–" Edgar paused as he watched Eric's face fall into a panic before taking off at blinding speeds.



A moment of silence passed before Victoria spoke, "What the hell did I just see?"



"I don't know. I'll call you back later."

---

No, no, no. I must have misheard. My eyes narrowed in slight panic as I flew to the Hospital. Quickly landing, I accidentally left a crack in the road in my haste. Ignoring it, I rushed into the hospital straight to the front desk.



The woman's eyes widened in shock at me. Probably due to the suit but that was in the back of my mind. "Emily Roth. Which room is she in?" I asked frantically.



"Uh, are you–"



"I'm her son." I snapped.



She hastily nodded before typing. "Right. She's in room 221."



I nodded before rushing past her and down the hall. In seconds I was up the stairs and to the hallway with her room number.



As I entered the room, I saw her. She looked fine but. . . I turned towards the doctor. "Joseph, what happened?"



A dark skinned man, Doctor Joseph Rogers, had been my mother and I's primary doctor for years. He strode forward with a clipboard. "Hello Eric. Your mother," he shook his head, letting out a sigh. "She suffered an Ischemic stroke."



"What. . . what does that mean? She'll be fine right? People have strokes all the time." I said, glancing at her.



"An ischemic stroke is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain. Depending on how fast the response was is what guarantees the survival rate." he explained softly.



I turned, examining her brain, but it wasn't like I was a brain surgeon. I didn't know what I was looking for. "But she'll be fine, right? I just talked to her this morning."



He let out a sigh. "I'll be honest with you, son. Her chances aren't looking that great. At any point in the next two weeks, she could slip away."



"But I just saw her. She was healthy!" I growled in frustration. "Talking, laughing, making jokes for fucks sake! How does someone go from that to-to days to live in a couplefucking hours!"



He shook his head, "These things can just happen. It's not anyone's fault Eric. Especially not yours. I need you to know that."



I looked down at her before slowly taking a seat in the room and hanging my head in my hands. What the fuck was I supposed to do now?



"I'm sorry, Eric."

---

2 DAYS LATER



"Look, Translucent's probably just lurking around a gynecologist office or something."



"For two days? Come on." Homelander said as he and Maeve walked through the gunfire. "I don't get it. Why is no one concerned about this?"



"Because if people learn that one of the Seven is missing, they panic. Besides, you can't fucking stand Translucent."



"Give 'em hell, Homelander!" A cop yelled out from behind cover.

"Yeah, you bet pal!" He shouted out before turning back to Maeve. "Of course, but if something's happened to him, that's a direct attack on the Seven, which is a direct attack on me. I can't afford to look weak right now, especially to Eric as he is now."



"What? Why? What's going on with Eric?" Maeve asked, genuinely curious.



"His mother had a stroke a couple days ago." Homelander said. "The doctor said she could go at any time in the next few weeks. He hasn't left the Hospital since Monday. Poor kid."



Maeve hummed at that before a cop stepped forward, "Maeve. Homelander."



"Captain, you guys are the real heroes. We're just glad we can help, right?"



"That's right." Maeve said before Homelander spoke up.



"Where's your shooter?"



"Shooter's on 31." the captain said.



"Alright. Sit tight." Homelander said before taking off and flying into the building.



Maeve gave an annoyed smile before inquiring about an elevator. As she headed through the building, her thoughts drifted to Eric and how his mother was dying. If she was being honest, it was probably for the best as morbid as it was. One less person for Homelander to use against him. She paused as the reality of that dark thought settled on her. "Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me?" She muttered to herself.

---

THE NEXT DAY



A soft knock sounded on the door, rousing me from my sleep. I looked up, tiredly, at the visitor. Homelander came into the room, setting some flowers down on the table with the others from close family friends.



"Hey, son. How are you holding up?"



I looked down, pursing my lips before shaking my head. "For the longest time my mom was all I had. My grandparents died when I was 4 so I don't even remember them that much. To think that. . . this could be it? It's–" I grit my teeth in frustration.



"It feels unfair." Homelander supplied. "Like there's nothing you can do about it and no matter how much power you have, this is the one thing that you can't force." he sighed, sitting down beside me.



I nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much." I said quietly.



He nodded, "I get it. It's not the same circumstances, not by a long shot, but the feeling is roughly the same. The only advice I can offer you is to push through it."



I chuckled dryly as I wiped my eyes. "That's some shitty advice."



"I know." He said, glancing at her. "How long?"



"They think it got worse. What was 2 weeks is 3 days. Not much else to say about it." I muttered quietly.



Homelander blew out a breath before putting a hand on my knee, giving it a pat as he stood up. "A-Train's race is happening in a couple of hours. Do you. . . want to go with me? I know you'd rather be here with your mother, but it might do you some good, ya know?"



I went to refuse before something made me pause. A-Train's race. He used compound v. Compound V that he got from Popclaw. I pursed my lips as I thought about the drug. Could it. . . It gave powers. Maybe it could heal? Maybe. I hadn't thought about this in years and now I wanted to kick myself for it.



"Yeah." I said after a moment. "I'll go. For a bit."



Homelander smiled with a nod. "I'll see you in a bit."



"Yeah." I said quietly as he left. Compound V was my best bet. It was all I had left.

---

I could sell it to Popclaw if I didn't know what it was, just that I could see it in supers, which wasn't a lie. I really could see it in the supers around me. Like a small murky chemical mixture in their blood. I could also smell it. It was definitely a weird smell compared to normal people.



I let out a sigh as I floated down into the stands to a large cheering audience. I gave a subdued wave and a nod before heading inside the stands. If I remember correctly, A-Train still had some in his bag before the race. Hopefully he hadn't used it yet. As I walked through the halls, I noticed Starlight talking to a little girl dressed as her. Or rather her old outfit. When had the new outfit happened? Probably when I was with my mom in her room, ignoring the world for the last few days.



"Look at you!" Starlight squealed at the little girl excitedly. "You really dress the part."



"It's your old uniform, but I'm saving up for the new one!" She said excitedly.



Starlight's smile became slightly strained for a moment before she leaned down to pose for a photo, covering her exposed cleavage.



"Hey, Starlight! Show us your tits!" A man called out from the crowd.



"Damn, baby, you look fine A F!" Another one called out as he and his buddies whooped and jeered at her.



Starlight looked stunned before her face twisted into a glare. As she went to take a step forward, Ashley quickly stepped in the way. "Hey, hey, hey. You do not need to press your luck right now, okay?"



"Kick my ass, Starlight!"



My face twisted into a glare as I let my eyes light up a bit, the menacing blue glow quite prevalent as I stepped into view, silencing the men as well as the rest of the crowd. I looked at security, "Escort these 4 men out. Before I do it myself." I growled quietly.



"What? W-wait, come on! We didn't mean anything by it!" they called out as the security guards strode forward, grabbing them. I narrowed my eyes before I telekinetically ripped their id badges from their necks to my hand. Striding up to Ashley, I handed them to her.



"Make sure they are banned from all future events. Thanks." I said, continuing past them before giving Starlight and the little girl a kind smile. "Enjoy the event."



Starlight quickly looked at Ashley, "Give me a minute." She said before falling into step beside me. "I heard about your mom, Eric. How is she?"



"Not good, Annie. They say she's got a few days left." I said softly.



"I'm so sorry." she said, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."



I gave a nod, "Thanks." I muttered as we walked through the halls littered with fans and photographers. "I'm headed for the locker room so I'll get out of your hair."



"Ah, so am I. I just gotta grab something real quick." She said with a shrug.



I grunted as I walked up to the door before a voice called out. "Annie? Annie! Uh, hey, hi."



We both stopped and looked over as I opened the door to the locker room. "Hughie? From the bench the other day?"



I turned to look at him, letting the door close. So this was Hughie, huh? He looked exactly like I remembered. But then again, so did everyone else. And he was 2 inches taller than me. How 'bout that.



"You're, uh. . . You're Starlight. How did I not realize that?" Hughie said.



"It's actually kinda comforting that you didn't." Annie said with a smile.



"Fuckin' hell, Hughie, you know Starlight?" A voice that I'm pretty sure was Butcher sounded in Hughie's ear.



"Well, uh, Hughie, it was. . . It was really nice to see you but I should get going." Starlight said with a smile.



"No, Hughie, we need more time."



"Can I, uh, buy you an overpriced beer?" Hughie quickly asked. "You know, if you've-you've got time."



Annie glanced at me. I shrugged, looking at Hughie. "Offer some overpriced Nachos. She'll say yes, then."



Hughie looked at her with a hopeful look. She smiled at Hughie, "Okay."



"Lead the way." Hughie said before Starlight walked towards the snack vendor.



I turned and walked into the locker room, noticing the panicked expression of Hughie. As the door closed behind me, I locked eyes with a man hanging from a rope that extended from the vent. Frenchie.



I shook my head with a sigh. "Dude, really? Just–" I rolled my eyes before reaching into my pocket and tossing him a pass. "Stop crawling through the vents like a fucking weirdo."



He blinked before looking down at the pass. A second later, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Apologies, mon ami. And thank you. You know, it's just, I'm a big fan and all and didn't have the money for it this time."



I waved him off as I walked past him, looking through the bags before coming to A-Train's locker. "Fuck." I muttered through grit teeth at seeing nothing. With a huff, I turned to leave. "Just crawl back through the vent and then use the front door like a normal person."



And with that I left. Looks like Popclaw was the way to go. I needed to be quick. Rushing out the doors and out into the stands, I looked up before taking off to Vought Tower. I needed to find A-Train's address. And quickly.

---

The woman leaned back as she turned away from the display with disgust. She very much remembered what was about to happen. Poor fuck. She'd known what she was getting into when she'd joined with Butcher but it still pissed her off sometimes. It was necessary to stop these people. Because she wasn't lucky. She didn't get DC or Marvel or a normal world. No. She got dropped in the fucking Boys.



"I am gonna sit right here until the cops come." Popclaw moaned out as she grinded against the man's face. "You're not a cat burglar. You're a filthy pig. Say it! You're a filthy pig who likes to eat ass! Say it!"



"I'm a filthy pig who likes to eat ass." The man moaned.



Hughie glanced at the screen at the display with confusion before something caught his eye on the other screen. "Uh, guys? Who the fuck is that?"



"Holy shit." Frenchie started. "That's fucking Valor. I just saw him at the race. Why is he here?"



"Who?" She asked, immediately leaning forward. This wasn't a part of the show. She knew that for a fact.



"Homelander's son." MM said in surprise. "Didn't you watch the news, Laura? He's been pretty big the last week."



"Yeah." Butcher said. "Another fucking problem we'll have to worry about."



Butcher leaned in as a caped individual strode into the room before Popclaw found herself lifted off the man by an invisible force. The man immediately shot up in a panic. "Uh, I wasn't–"



"Shut up." He snapped. "Get your clothes on and beat it."



With as much speed as he could muster, the man was out the door with his clothes. As Popclaw slowly came down from her high, she swallowed nervously. "W-what do you want?



Valor glared at her before she dropped. Suddenly, the red satchel on the table flew to his hand. With a snarl, he ripped it open. "This shit. Right here, I know for a fact that A-Train had some. Is this all you had?"



She hastily nodded. "Y-yeah. I'm out. That's-that's all I had."



Valor looked around the room as if searching for something.



Laura leaned forward, "What's he doing?"



"He's using his X-ray vision." Butcher said. "Searching for more of this V."



A second later, he whipped around back towards Popclaw. "I know that it does something to people with powers. A boost of some kind. Every super around me has this shit in their veins except me. Can it boost normal people?"



"You. . ." she paused, taken aback. "You mean you don't know what it is?"



"I don't give a shit about whatever it is or why everyone's got it. I just want to know if it can boost normal people." He snapped. Laura took note of his desperation.



Popclaw's face fell into a somber expression. "I'm sorry about your mom, kid. But giving her that is only gonna make it worse."



"Can it heal someone!" he growled, taking a menacing step forward.



She shrugged helplessly, "It could."



"Where does A-Train get it? Tell me, now."



She looked off to the side, "It's not going to–"



His eyes lit up with an ominous blue. She let out a sigh. "I don't know, okay? I just know he runs it to the noodle shop up on division. That's all I can tell you."



He turned to leave, ignoring her. As he left the view of the camera, Laura looked at the rest of the Boys. "What the fuck is he talking about?"



Hughie nodded, "Valor's mom is in the hospital right now. The reason's undisclosed but some people in the waiting room recorded him rushing in."



MM nodded. "teenage kid trying to save his mom. The anger makes sense."



"Well." Frenchie said, pointing out at the screen showing the outside of the street. "Looks like he was too late."



Looking over showed them Valor with a pained look on his face with a phone in his hand, tears in his eyes before he took off.



"Damn." Hughie said quietly.



Laura hummed. "We should keep a close eye on him."



"Why? Another one of your hunches?" MM asked.



She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. Whatever happens next, I have no doubt he's going to be apart of it." She glanced at Butcher. "Get Raynor to run a background check on him."



Butcher scoffed, "Whatever you say, Laura."

---

That brings chapter 2 to a close. And yes, the mother was to progress the plot forward to bring about changes in the show. The big one so far being Popclaw's not being blackmailed.



Let me know what you think and as always enjoy.



Oh, and there are 3 people that have knowledge of the show, aka, isekai'd. Just letting everyone know so we aren't thinking that more and more will keep coming in.



One is Eric. He has powers. Obviously.



Second is Laura. She has no powers.



Third is Amelia who will be introduced later. She has Powers.

 

[The Desecrated One]

"Alright, everyone. It's all over!" Homelander called out as he closed the door. "You're all safe. You're all gonna be fine."



The passengers of the plane breathed a sigh of relief before starting to applaud, whistling and cheering. "Thank you, Homelander!" A woman cried out.



"Oh, no, no." Homelander laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "Come on now. You guys!" he said with a smile, looking around as he clapped, "You guys made it!"



As the passengers cheered for Maeve and Homelander, Maeve looked at the door to the cockpit with concern. She glanced at Homelander as he came up beside her. "Captain?" she called with uncertainty.



As she opened the door, she froze at one of the men brandishing a pistol at the back of the pilot's head. Maeve put her hands up, trying to defuse the situation. "Stop! Stop."



"Woah, woah ,woah, easy, fella. Take it easy." Homelander said as the man looked at him for a half second. "There you go. Just relax."



Despite their words, the man looked back and pulled the trigger. The pilot jerked forward as the bullet tore through his head, splattering blood and brain on the window before the bullet pierced the window, shattering it.



Without wasting a second, Homelander's heat vision arced through the cockpit, cutting the terrorist in half and the plane's controls with it. Instantly, an alarm started blaring around them as the plane began to slowly dip downwards into a dive.



Maeve rushed forwards, grabbing the headset from the dead pilot. "ATC!" She called out frantically. She shook her head, looking at Homelander, "It's dead! Can you fly a plane!" She yelled over the wind.



He shook his head with a shrug, "Wouldn't matter if I did!" he called back, pointing at the eviscerated half melted controls.



"What do we do!" She asked.



Homelander bobbed his head a bit, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face before turning around to leave. As he headed back into the cabin of the plane, he looked around at the panicked expressions of the people.



"Alright, everyone. Remain calm, stay in your seats. Everything's under control." He said with a fake smile before turning back to Maeve.



"You gotta go out there. Lift the plane up." Maeve said with desperation.



"Lift the plane? How?" he stammered in disbelief. "There's nothing to stand on. It's fucking air."



"I don't know! Fly at it! Ram it straight!" She cried in frustration.



Homelander cringed as he shook his head, "No. That kind of sleep, the plane goes ass over tit, or I'll punch straight through the hull, or. . ."



He was cut off as the plane steeped into a sharper dive, causing multiple passengers to fly up out of their seats and into the ceiling.



"Woah! Woah, that was a big one! Everything's fine! Don't worry about it." Homelander yelled back before turning back towards Maeve.



Maeve swallowed nervously as she began nodding to herself. "Okay, okay. You take everyone one by one. You fly 'em to the ground."



"And what? Come back 123 times?" He chuckled. "Maeve, think. We're done here."



She looked at his cold expression with anguish and heartbreak. "Please." She pleaded.



Not sparing her a second glance, he began heading to the back of the plane, pushing through the aisle. "Everything's fine. You're okay."



"Wait, you're leaving us?" A woman asked in panicked confusion.



"No, no, no, no. I'm just seeing something down the back." He said, assuring her.



"Oh my god, you're leaving!" Another woman said in fear. "He's leaving us!"



"I said I'm not–" Homelander started before the plane lurched to the side, cutting him off as the passengers screamed in fright. As it steadied a bit, a younger girl clutching a doll looked at him with hope.



"Homelander. Are you going to save us?"



He leaned down to her, "Oh, sweetheart, of course I'm going to save you. You betcha. I'm going to save everyone here, don't worry about it." he said before finally stepping into the back room.



Maeve looked around at the people with tears in her eyes before Homelander shouted at her. "Maeve!" she glanced at him as he raised his eyebrows before turning away and hitting the door open, causing another lurch as the plane dipped forward for a fourth time.



Maeve eyed the two little girls before flicking her gaze towards the door. And just as she went to grab them, the plane began to slow as a horrible creaking sound echoed throughout the plane.



Maeve and Homelander looked around in confusion before, ever so slowly, the plane evened out. Second by second, the winds died down as the plane came to a dead stop. Everyone looked around in confusion before a knocking sounded on the window.



Maeve, Homelander, and every passenger looked towards the window. There, smirking through the window was Eric.



"It's times like these that I think to myself, 'What would you do without me?'"



Maeve let out a shuttered breath as she slowly dropped to her knees in relief. Homelander let out a laugh before waving at his son. Not one to look a win in the mouth, he quickly ran damage control.



"See? I told you I wasn't leaving. I just had to flag down my son! Give it up for Valor, everyone!"



Maeve let her head hang a bit as she quietly choked out what sounded like a mix between a laugh and a sob. A few seconds later, her expression twisted into something darker, her hair concealing the absolute anger on her face that she was leveling at Homelander.



The crowd cheered for the heroes before the plane slowly started to move, descending towards the water. Homelander was quick to fly out beside his son. "Hey, sport! Finally decided to get out of your slump?"



Eric leveled a look at him that could have been mistaken for a glare if he hadn't said his next words. "Listen. I know you want to have a moment right now, but I really need to keep my focus up right now."



"Is this heavy?" Homelander asked in confusion.



"No." Eric said, shaking his head. "It's light as a feather. And that's the problem. Look at the outside of it. It's crumpled. If I squeeze ever so slightly, this plane will implode into a metal ball. I don't trust myself to get this back to the shore line safely, so I need you to fly back to get some evac helicopters and maybe the national guard. And I need Maeve to get the rafts from the plane and start getting people onto them."



Homelander smiled. "Good plan, son. I'll tell Maeve and then I'll take off. Sit tight." he said with a giddy expression. "Oh, this is so exciting. Our first team up!"



With a smile, Eric waited as Maeve grabbed the rafts before putting them into the water. As soon as Homelander took off, he watched carefully as everyone got down from the plane before Maeve gave him a nod.

---

"That's everyone!" she yelled up at me from a raft.



I let out a relieved sigh. "I suppose this is a bad time to tell everyone that whatever belongings that they haven't grabbed are about to be trashed."



Bringing the plane a safe distance away, I set it down gently on the water. With everyone safe and the plane floating a ways away, I quickly flew over to Maeve. "Can we talk for a second?"



She nodded, her eyes slightly red as I took her hand, wrapping a telekinetic aura around her before floating up. "We're not leaving!" I called out, assuring everyone. "We'll be right over here."



At their nods, I flew us away from the rafts out of earshot. Quickly looking around to make sure Homelander was a ways away, I glanced at her with a look. Now was a good time to give Maeve some reassurance. ""Are you okay?"



She looked away from me with a clenched jaw. ". . . It's been a stressful morning."



I let out a nod with a shake of my head. "I heard what my father said. About you two leaving when you couldn't do anything else. I'll have a talk with him."



Her head whipped towards me with a panicked expression, "Eric, you can't do that!"



"Why not?" I asked with disbelief. "He was going to just leave. If I hadn't been here, what would have happened?"



"But you were here." She said, squeezing my shoulders with a small shake. "Just take the win and let it go. Let me talk to him about this. You just focus on yourself for now. I know it's only been a week since your mom died and you've got a lot going on with upcoming events. Don't add onto your responsibilities."



"The world won't put itself on pause just because I'm grieving. Saving people and making sure they're safe is my responsibility. That includes you, Maeve." I said firmly, giving her hand a firm squeeze. "Nothing will happen to me. And nothing will happen to you. I'm not super angry with him. A little pissed and disappointed, sure. But I'm not livid. I'm going to ask him to stop using his heat vision so much. If he had grabbed the man instead of using his lasers, you could have piloted the plane while he flew down to get a pilot who would have been able to land it."



She looked unsure before he gave her a reassuring look. "Relax, Maeve. Everything's okay. Everyone's safe. We did it."



She nodded before I flew us back to the rafts and set her down in one as we waited for the rescue teams.

---

"Again, the amazing rescue of Trans-Oceanic Flight 37 at the hands of Maeve, Homelander, and his son Valor is a breath of fresh air as we stand on scene of the survivors dismounting on shore. Every passenger has been confirmed alive and healthy with only minor injuries."



I watched from below as I heard Homelander above me on the cliffside beside the news anchor. "This was too close."



"Homelander, do you have a comment?"



"I said this was too close. We arrived 5 minutes before the plane began going down. If we had been a minute later, these survivors–" Homelander paused, "No. These heroes wouldn't be with us today. Maeve and I arrived in time to stop the terrorists but not before they had brutally killed the pilots. Things were looking bleak, but my son arrived just in time to catch the plane himself."



The crewman aimed the camera towards me as I gave a slight nod before they aimed it back on Homelander.



"123 men, women, and children. Only saved because we were just barely there. Had we been informed earlier, we could have saved those poor pilots. Excuse me" he choked, turning away as tears fell from his eyes. "But. If they let us into the military, nothing like this will ever happen again. That is my solemn promise to you. Right, Maeve?"



She gave a blank nod before Homelander nodded as well, his jaw clenched. "Talk to your congressman. Talk to them. They'll listen to the people. And together, together we can make sure nothing like this ever happens to our great nation, ever again! God bless you all! God bless America."



I let out a huff as I turned back towards the survivors, helping them off the rafts. If I kept listening to that shit I think I'd genuinely lose my mind.

---

2 DAYS LATER



I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying to alleviate the headache I was having to no success. I glanced up at the tv as a video played on the screen of me from the night of the plane save.



"Valor, with your most recent save of Trans-Oceanic Flight 37, people were beginning to wonder when you would return. With your mother's death only a week ago, was it guilt at neglecting your duties that made it easier for you to decide to help your father today?" The reporter asked."



Homelander scoffed as he stepped into the room. "I fucking that that reporter. He's always asking shit like that. Unfortunately, we can't do much besides ban him from events."



I nodded blankly. "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you about something important."



"Me too." he said, pulling a seat out at the 7 table before sitting down across from it.



I took the chair before he ushered me first. "Go ahead."



I inhaled through my nose, considering the best way to go about this. Finally, I leaned forward. "I'd like you to stop using your heat vision so much."



He rolled his tongue around before blowing out a breath. "You saw what happened in the plane." he said. It was a comment, not a question.



I nodded. "I did And before you say anything I just want to say that yeah, I'm a little pissed about it. If you hadn't used the lasers, that could have been smoother."



He nodded with a sigh before waving his hand in the air. "I hear you." he rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, I'll try and reign in the heat vision."



"Thank you." I said with a relieved sigh. Hopefully that would change some things. I doubted it, but hopefully.



"Now. I have something important to ask you. A-train!" he called out.



I turned, looking at him as he walked into the room. He gave me a blank look before looking back at Homelander. I shrugged, "What's all this?"



Homelander set an empty vial down. "Do you know what this is?" I let out a sigh. Popclaw snitched. Homelander nodded, "Yeah. So you do."



A-train spoke up, a glare directed at me. "What the hell, man. You can't just go barging into people's homes threatening people!"



Homelander held his hand up, causing A-train to go silent. He turned to look at me. "Where did you hear about this and why were you looking for Compound V?" A second of silence had him shoot me a small glare, "Eric! Answer me.



I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "I have fucking super hearing and x-ray vision! I could see this asshole juicing up! Why the fuck would I be trying to get some of this on that specific day, huh!"



I snarled, standing up as I slid the chair away from me. "My mom was fucking dying and that shit boosts superpowers. I thought it could heal her so fucking sue me. I saw a possible chance and I took it. Sorry your girlfriend got all pissy about me trying to steal your drugs."



The room was quiet before Homelander let out a sigh before setting the vial down as I went to leave the room. "Eric, you're not in trouble, man!" he called out, causing me to pause. "I just–" he looked off to the side, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. This stuff, it's very dangerous and supers aren't supposed to be using it." he said with a small glare directed at A-train. "I understand you were trying to save your mom. But next time you have a question about this stuff, please don't hesitate to talk to me about it. I'm just looking out for you, bud."



I was quiet as I stood at the doorway for a moment. After a few seconds, I nodded. "Okay." I said quietly before leaving. I needed to be more careful. I didn't think Popclaw would tell A-train. That was a lesson learned.

---

"Fuck off." I laughed in Stillwell's face.



"Eric, be reasonable. Starlight's fans have already begun shipping you with her and we have seen a noticeable uprise with marketing. The Believe Expo has sold more highly than any other year combined because we've sold it that you two will be present together. You're the teenage heartthrob to her girl next door. That sells."



I rolled my eyes. "I don't give a shit about marketing, Madelyne. And please. Girl next door? You have her wearing a superhero suit that looks like it came off one of the shoots of Super Sluts."



Annie bobbed her head off to the side at my words. "Ain't that the truth." she muttered quietly.



"What's it gonna take for you to do this?" Stillwell asked. I eyed Starlight off to the side before my eyes narrowed at Ezekiel who was sitting on the couch behind me.



"Fine, I'll do it. On one condition." I said.



"Name it." She said, listening.



"Annie gets to wear her own costume again. None of this sex sells bullshit." I countered.



She grunted as she leaned back. After a moment to think about it, she nodded. "Deal."


Ezekiel nodded as he got to his feet. "Sweet. I'll head down there now and get my talking points ready."



As he was walking out the door, I spoke up. "I may not be as intimidating as my father, but if you bring up my mother at all in any of those points, I can promise you that it won't end well. Understand?" I said menacingly.



He held his hands up before nodding. "It's cool, man. I won't mention your mom."



I huffed in annoyance. Guess this was what my day was going to be. Stillwell glanced over at me, eyeing me up and down. "And from now on, when you're in this building, you need to be in your super suit. Oversized t-shirts, old leather jackets, and dusty jeans are not presentable as a hero. And stop using everyone's real names. It's Starlight when on the job, Valor."



I opened my mouth to argue but found I really couldn't. Not on this point. With an irritated sigh, I conceded, "Fine. Is that all?"



Her expression softened just a bit, "Eric, I know you're going through a tough time right now, but these rules are for a reason." she finished softly before looking at Starlight. "Make sure you walk through with him what he needs to know and what not to say."



Starlight nodded before following me out the doors.

---

"I like the outfit. Y'know the other one had a–" Hughie flinched from a balloon hitting him in the face with a laugh. "Oh my god. The other one had kind of a like, y'know, a Nicki Minaj thing going on."



"Oh, yeah." Starlight smiled. "The other one sucks. I was only going to get to wear this one because it was family friendly. Thankfully, Eric spoke up on my behalf this morning. So now I get to use this outfit again."



"Eric?" Hughie questioned.



"She means me." I said, bored out of my mind. I wasn't too religious in my last life and even now, I wasn't one to go to church. While attending a youth group every now and then was fine, this seemed a little much.



"Your name's Eric?" Hughie asked.



"You can call me Eric or Valor. Either or. I don't mind." I said, glancing at Hughie and Annie as they fell back into conversation. I gave the occasional smile and wave before Annie's face lit up at the sight of her mother.



"Mom! Hi." she said excitedly before pulling her into a hug. "How was your flight?"



"Oh, it was a nightmare. I think we sat on the runway for 45 minutes. And then there was the stuff with Flight 37. But a xanax and a couple of Pinot Grigio later and here I am." she looked at me with a sympathetic look. "Oh, Eric, honey. How have you been? I heard about your mother. I'm so sorry."



I nodded with a somber smile. "I'm still calling out to her when I get home at night so. . . Yeah." I finished with a tight nod. "But thank you for asking."



She glanced over at Hughie before her eyes widened. "Oh, hi. Do you want an autograph? H-Honey, give him an autograph."



Hughie shook his head, "Oh, uh, n-no. I– We know each other."



"I'll leave you alone for a bit, Annie. I'm gonna go get a root beer." I said, wandering away from the group.



The crowds gave me smiles as I weaved through the people, taking care not to bump into anyone. As I stopped by the food table, I grabbed a plate and a drink before my foot bumped the table leg, causing me to drop the food and drink.



As the contents of my meal stopped midair, I gave a smile. Telekinesis rocked. With my meal firmly in my hands, I found a chair and brought my phone out, killing time. About half an hour passed before I stood up to go find Starlight.



"I-I-I'm sorry. Did you just call God a C-word?"



"Yeah. He's got a hard on for mass-murder and giving kids cancer. And his big old answer to the existential clusterfuck that is humanity is to nail his own bleeding son to a plank. That is a cunt move. Come on, even you gotta agree with me. We should lob a fucking nuke at him and get it over and done with. You know what I'm saying?"



I immediately choked on my drink, drawing attention as I quickly went to suppress my laughter at Butcher.



"See? Even that guy gets it." Butcher said before MM pulled him away along with a woman I didn't recognize. As I wiped my mouth, I shook my head in amusement. I forgot how funny some of the stuff Butcher said was.

---

"What are you doing here?" Madelyne said as she turned to face Homelander.



"Skipping work now?" Homelander said with a raised brow.



"I am taking Teddy to the pediatrician." She said with a huff.



"Maybe reschedule it."



"I've already rescheduled three times. What is the emergency?" She said with irritation.



"My speech." Homelander said, holding up a piece of paper.



"Your speech?" she said in disbelief.



"Yes. My speech. It reads like corporate fսcking mayonnaise." he threw his hands up, "We're talking Believe here. These are my people."



"But you're not just talking to them." Madelyne argued. "Every dove and Democrat in Congress is going to be watching you on CNN. You need to appear moderate. . . Humble."



"No!" Homelander said in frustration. "You. . . There is an opportunity here. People are scared. They don't trust Washington or the coastal elite, and they hate foreigners. What they want is a little John Wayne frontier justice. And that is what I do. Don't forget. . . it was me that saved that Flight 37 thing. I turned that into a win. For us."



"You're really gonna talk to me about 'saving' Flight 37?" she laughed with contempt.



"Well, why wouldn't I?"



"Let's not sit here and pretend that your son isn't the only reason that the plane was saved. I saw the cockpit photos." she rolled her eyes.



"Fine, whatever. My son saved it and since he's a reflection of me, I saved it too. We were both there." Homelander argued.



"Look, can I please just talk to you later? The speech is perfect. Trust me."



"Trust you. Okay. That's what you always say. You're not even fսcking listening to me. You're so full of shit! You say you want my input, but you don't." he spat.



"Yes, I do."



"No, you don't. And you never did." Homelander sneered.



"I do. But can we please just talk later?" she huffed with mounting frustration.



"Why? You gonna run off and play 'strong single mom?' Please... That baby is an accessory.



"Is that what you think of your son?" she snapped back.



"No. It's not even close. Eric's of my blood. Not whatever that fucking thing is."



She turned to face him with slight anger. "We need boundaries."



And with that, she turned away from him, leaving. Homelander narrowed his eyes in a menacing glare at the drooling infant as it smiled at him.



"Nothing like Eric at all." he muttered before taking off.

---

"Psalm! 58:10! 'The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance and he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.'" Homelander cried out as he floated above the crowd as they adorned him with cheers.



I rolled my eyes. I was fucking done here. What a fucking waist of time. Stepping away from the crowd, I looked up before taking off. After what felt like hours surrounded by all those people, I finally felt like I could breathe. As I flew back home, I stepped inside before closing the door behind me.



". . . I'm home." I called out quietly before heading to the living room and collapsing on the couch. I glanced at the photos on the wall, my gaze settling on the one of my mom and I at graduation.



I shook my head before turning away and slowly falling into unconsciousness.

---

I blinked blearily, glancing at my phone going off on the foot rest. Slowly sitting up, I leaned over, grabbing it. The time was 3:12 am.



No caller ID



I sighed before flicking answer. "Hello?"



"Oh, thank fuck! Eric! Eric, can you hear me! It's me, Taylor!"



I stood up in confusion. "Taylor? You still have my number? Why are you calling?"



"I need your help." She said in a rushed tone. "Shane's tearing shit up and breaking things. He's fighting people. I tried calming him down but he's not listening and I'm too scared to get close to him. I think he's high on something!"



I gave a low growl of annoyance. "Alright, where are you? I'm on my way."



"I'm in Las Vegas. There's a giant glowing needle building thing with a Vought symbol on the side." She cried, her voice breaking. "Please hurry."



"Stay on the phone and talk to me, Taylor. I won't be able to respond but I'll be able to hear you." I rushed outside before taking off deliberately wrapping a telekinetic aura around the phone and taking off towards Nevada.



"The last month and a half has been shit and-and. . ." She broke out into sobs. "I just wanna go home. I caught Shane cheating, he's been doing whatever he feels like, and it's like he doesn't even care about us at all."



My jaw was clenched tight as I listened to her break down in tears. Within three minutes I was in Nevada from Manhattan. I came to a quick stop, entering gps directions. "I'm in Nevada now, and I'm getting directions. I'll be there soon, okay?"



She let out a shaky breath. "Okay. We're in the casino, Luxury V."



As soon as I had the directions, I was there in seconds. I looked around at the flashing lights of casinos and bars, the nightlife of Las Vegas alive and thriving. It didn't take me very long to find the building before I landed at the front door.



There was a crowd gathered around the entrance as people rushed out of the building in a panic, cops surrounding the area. As soon as I touched down, someone shouted out.



"It's Valor!"



Immediately the crowd cleared an area before the crowd erupted in cheers. "Thank god!"



"Please do something!"



"He's tearing the place up!"



I stepped past the crowd and up to the cops. Off to the side, I saw Taylor immediately run up to me, tears in her eyes as she hugged me before pulling back. "Please, you have to do something, Eric!"



I nodded before the cops stepped to the side and let me go through the doors. "There's still a lot of people in there. We don't know how many."



I nodded before a whistle caught my attention. "Valor!"



I turned to look and saw an armed squad getting ready to move out. I narrowed my eyes at them. Vought's detainment unit. "End this quickly."



I nodded before stepping inside. And was greeted to the sounds of screaming, things breaking, and crying. I let out a deep breath before flying over the machines and towards the sounds.



A slot machine flew through the air, heading towards my general vicinity before I caught it and lowered it to the ground. I noticed a couple of civilians cowering behind tables before I caught their eyes. I flicked my head to the direction of the doors. "Hurry, go."



They nodded before scrambling for the exit. Scanning the area revealed a couple dozen or so more men and women hiding in various places. And there in the center of the room was Shane. His metal form was up and he was screaming in anger at a man in his grip.



"Shane!" I yelled out.



He stopped before leveling a glare at me, a dark chuckle on his lips. "Well, well, well. Look who it is. If it isn't Eric Roth. No, wait. It's Valor now isn't it? Mr. Famous."



"Let the man go, Shane." I said gently.



"Who? This fucking prick?" He snarled, yanking him up and giving him a bit of a shake. I could hear the man's bones and tendons creaking as he yelped in pain. "He's been cheating me all fucking night! He's lying but I know it. Nobody's that fucking lucky!"



"Shane." I threw my hands up in confusion. "What the fuck are you doing here man? You were headed to Godolkin. My father gave you an acceptance letter. What happened?"



He let out a nasty laugh, "I was in. Crimefighting 101. I mean, I had all the fucking footage needed. I was ready for the big leagues. But no. Some fucking freshman who could set himself on fire came in and took my spot. They kicked me out for this fucking prick. Stuck me in 'Performing Arts.'"



I let out a sigh. "Shane, I understand your frustrated but–"



"You understand? You UNDERSTAND!" He growled. "You got your powers and then your fucking dad just buys you a way in straight to the top because he's fucking Homelander. You got the golden ticket. Won the lottery. Once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't say you understand!"



My mouth snapped shut. "Alright. Poor choice of words. But, Shane, what are you doing man? You're tearing this place to shit, hurting people, and destroying whatever chances you have left all for what? Taylor called me to–"



"Fuck Taylor! That little skank can go fuck herself for all I care. I'm off to better things. Better women. A better life!"



His metal had a slight sheen to it that I'd never seen before. Something about him was off. My eyes buzzed as I examined him with X-ray vision. And then I saw it. I assumed cocaine but I couldn't tell exactly. But a drug no doubt. More than normal. It was affecting his heart. "Shane, you need to calm down. The drugs in your system are affecting your body."



Before he could respond, I let out a cry of pain as I buckled forwards, agony shooting through me at the horrible noise sounding throughout the room before the Vought strike team rushed into the room. I glanced up as I held my ears.



Shane for the most part snorted at the sound before chucking the man in his arms across the room. I quickly shot my hand out, catching him before he could hit the wall and lowered him to the ground. As Shane rushed the private soldiers, I looked at the speaker device in one of their hands before blue lasers shot out of my eyes, striking it. The man cried out, no doubt due to the fact that I just broke his hand, but I couldn't care less. I was able to focus again.



Just as he was about to kill one of them, I rushed forward, tackling him while spinning midair and maneuvering behind him. "Calm down, man. Calm down."



He thrashed in my grip but it was like I was holding a kitten in my hands. No amount of screaming or rage was going to break my grip as I wrapped my arms around him, holding him down.



"It's gonna be okay, man!" I said. "Everything's going to be okay!"



One of the men rushed forward with a shock taser before I let out a growl of annoyance before psychically lifting the men and moving them back towards the door. Shane let out a scream that echoed throughout the building before his movements slowly started to diminish. After a few minutes, his body slowly started to shift back to normal as he fell unconscious.



I slowly lowered him to the ground, tilting him on to his side. Running a hand down my face, I slowly stood up before checking his organs. They were slower but nothing that showed signs of dying. I nodded to myself before I leveled a dark glare on the team.



"Did I ask you for help?"



"W-well, no. But–" The stammered.



"But nothing. If I hadn't been able to think clearly 'cause of that stupid speaker or he'd decided to just kill that man instead of throwing him, then what? Next time you want to help, do me a favor. Don't." I said before leaning down and picking Shane's form up and carrying him to the entrance.



There was a medical truck from Vought but I was honestly hesitant to give him over to them. They must have seen it because the paramedic stepped forwards. "We're the only ones with the capabilities necessary to treat him."



I nodded before setting him down on the stretcher. Leaning close to the man, I whispered in his ear. "If I hear something has been done to him or he for some reason is missing or dead, I will hold you four personally responsible. Do we understand one another?"



"Perfectly." he said before they headed towards the Vought building.



Turning back, I was ambushed by flashes of cameras and reporters swarming me.



"Valor! Valor! Can you comment on–"



"Valor, over here! What is the nature of–"



I tuned them out before walking over to Taylor who was now sitting in a cop car. "You can uncuff her."



"But she–" I raised a brow at the man before he seceded, "Of course, sir."



Taylor looked up at me with glassy eyes as she sniffled. "Is he okay?"



I nodded. "I think so. I managed to restrain him until he passed out and his heart and everything looked okay."



She nodded, her lip quivering as the cop took the handcuffs off. "Thank you so much, Eric."



I nodded with a sigh. "I'm just glad I woke up. Do you have a place to stay?"



She shook her head. "No. I'll have to call my parents to come get me."



I looked off to the side, considering some things. "I thought you hated your parents?"



"It's not like I have any other choice." She said, looking around hopelessly. "Shane spent all of our money! I don't even have anywhere to stay until they get here. If they even come." she muttered.



I clicked my tongue before looking at her. "I have a spare room. And even if you say no, I'll still give you a lift back to Manhattan, Taylor."



She looked me in the eye before dropping her gaze. A second later, she gave a tiny nod. "Thank you."



"Wrap your arms around me." I said, leaning down to pick her up. As I slowly flew upwards, her grip tightened as she shut her eyes in nervousness. "I promise I won't drop you."



She nodded shakily before I wrapped a telekinetic barrier around her, taking off at high speeds.

---

THE NEXT DAY



I let out a sigh before standing up from my bed, stretching with a yawn before heading to the bathroom. Opening the door, I–



"Dude! Fucking knock!" Taylor yelled out as I quickly spun around, closing the door.



"Shit, sorry! I forgot you were here." I called back through the door as I facepalmed.



"Don't you have x-ray vision and superhearing and shit? How did you not know I was in here?" she grumbled.



"I have been awake for less than 15 seconds. And I'm not a creep. I'm not using that shit 24/7." I countered as I looked at the kitchen. "I'm gonna make some breakfast. You want some?"



". . . Yes, please." she said through the door after a second.



I nodded, heading into the kitchen before grabbing some ingredients and getting started. Nothing too fancy, just some loaded omelets with some toast on the side. After a few minutes, I heard the water stop before she left the bathroom.



She looked at the plate before taking it with a smile. "Thanks."



I nodded before taking a seat on the coach across from her. As we ate in silence, I flicked the tv on before rolling my eyes at the news. Looks like Starlight did her whole speech thing about the Deep last night. I wondered how that would turn out after I had stopped it. Guess it didn't matter too much in the end.



"Jesus." Taylor muttered. "Isn't that like your teammate?"



"Sorta. I'm not in the Seven. I just work beside them occasionally." I explained.



"Did you know about that?" She asked with wide eyes.



"Considering I'm the one who stopped it, yeah. I knew." I said, leaning back on the couch.



"Who was it?" she asked.


"The Deep." I answered with a shrug. "Shocker, most heroes are assholes." I said with a scoff.



"I found that out the hard way." She went quiet before looking up at me. "I'm sorry."



I let out a sound of annoyed boredom, "For which part? The bullying in high school or my mom's death?"



"Both." She said quietly. "But mainly the bullying."



"You ditched me freshman year when your boobs came in and you got hot. Boo fucking hoo. If I held grudges I'd be the scariest fucking person on the planet next to my dad." I waved her off.



"It was still shitty." She exclaimed in irritation. "Why aren't you pissed at me? I was literally your only friend!"



"Life's too short for me to care about that, T. And I expected it eventually. I was the smart weirdo nobody liked. It didn't surprise me when you stopped hanging out with me. Your braces came off and you got contacts. Joined the cheer team. Started hanging with the in-crowd. If anything, my mom was more upset than I was." I said with another yawn as I stood and headed for the showers. "If you want to stay here, you can. With my mom. . . not here anymore, I haven't been doing the chores too much. Do that and we'll call it your rent."



She nodded quietly, changing the channel.

---

2 WEEKS LATER



"Samaritan's Embrace, led by Ezekiel but bankrolled by Vought, has been shipping Compound V to 53 hospitals across the country since 1971 and gift wrapping it. . ." MM paused as Kimiko ran up to the nearby table and grabbed a bunch of pens and markers before running off. MM let out a huff before continuing. ". . .gift wrapping it as polio vaccine."



Butcher stepped forward, looking at the map with major cities highlighted. "Are you telling me God's not reaching up the twats of American girls and blessing babies?"



"Butcher, can you leave God out of this?" MM said with exasperation.



Hughie blinked in confusion. "H-Hold on, hold on. So, no hero was born? None of them? They're all just kids dosed with the blue shit. I mean, even–"



"Even fucking Starlight." Butcher cut him off. "Except for one."



"Valor." Laura said, glancing at the screen off to the side.



"Do you think. . . do you think they know, like, what really happened to 'em?" Hughie asked.



Butcher rubbed his chin before looking up at MM, "What about Homelander?"



"Homelander's a black hole." MM shook his head. "Never had any public records and never will. However, every single other supe, barring Valor, juiced-up lab rats. My God!" MM said in irritation as Kimiko ran back over and knocked some files on to the floor. She leveled a blank stare at him as he held his hands up in frustration.



"I'm trying to give a tremendous fucking TED Talk here, and this–" he gestured to her before turning, "Frenchie, can you control her, please?"



"I do not control her." Frenchie scoffed.



"Do you see what I'm dealing with?" MM said to Butcher in disbelief.



"Well, spot on, M.M." Butcher started. "We got Vought for child endangerment, drug trafficking, and possibly the largest fraud in American fucking history. Raynor's gonna love it." he smirked.



Laura leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingers along the desk as she looked at the files splayed out across the screen, turning her attention away from the others. Butcher and MM had found the secrets of compound V as they should have along with the laser baby. Everything was still on course, par for one big exception due to Valor. Popclaw.



With Popclaw's survival and them having never blackmailed her, she was unsure of how the next few weeks would play out, especially since Homelander was never informed by A-train on who to look for. And even if they went to Mesmer to figure out Kimiko's true identity, he wouldn't think to tell Homelander because it had been A-train initially to tell Mesmer they were looking for a group.



She let out a hum, her eyes never leaving the words.



Eric Roth has demonstrated telekinesis on par with his physical strength. The lasers that he can emit from his eyes that we once thought were heat based have proven to be, by default, purely kinetic. He has shown a high level of control with them, able to lower the output power to that of a light shove from a nonsuper. Additionally, while being kinetic by base, he has shown the ability to use heat vision.



His X-ray vision also has been able to perceive more sight-based stimuli as well. Observation has shown him aware of Translucent at all times. His normal senses are also higher than his father's as well. We are unaware of how much stronger without further testing. When exposed to the frequency that disables other super-abled individuals, he was quick to shrug it off with what looked like mild discomfort.



His flight has shown he possesses leverage as well at all times, allowing him to carry heavy objects mid-air unlike his father. We believe this is a result of his tactile telekinesis. Another power we have attributed to his telekinesis is heat manipulation. Eric demonstrated extreme control of this ability, heating a gun barrel to its melting point while keeping the handle just hot enough to not cause permanent damage. We do not know the extent of this ability.



Super speed, both flight and running, was 2.7 times that of Homelander and was demonstrated safely in a controlled environment and we have documentation from Eric himself that he is able to safely fly at speeds around Mach 70. He believes by wrapping himself in a telekinetic aura that he can go even faster by reducing friction. Our scientists have agreed on this theory as most probable. His super strength is 3.2 times that of Homelander with complete confirmation. This can be bolstered by his telekinesis which we need further testing to find the limits. Durability was at least 1.5 times that of Homelander with limited data at time of physical test.



Other possible undiscovered powers we believe he may possess provided by our compiled data include:

-Ice manipulation - We believe he can utilize the opposite effects of his heat based power.

-Sound manipulation - His voice was heard 3 floors down when agitated with his father. Alternatively, at the onset of his powers awakening, he shattered his highschool's windows with a shout.

-Some form of telepathy - He is very in tune with others' emotions around him subconsciously. We are unsure if this is his personality or a power and have been keeping tabs on it.

-Concussive blasts similar to Crimson Countess due to his lasers.

-EMP manipulation - When Eric utilizes his telekinesis, it has been noted that multiple electronics begin to fail around him or turn on. We cannot confirm the cause of this phenomenon.



Mental state - Eric Roth has been observed by our psychiatrists to be an extremely well adjusted young man and has EXTREMELY HIGH morals. While prone to minor angry outbursts, he is extremely aware of people around him at all times and is deeply concerned for the safety of others. He has a heavy aversion to killing and violence in general and prefers to talk things out first before resorting to force. The recommended course of action is to limit his interactions with specific heroes, specifically A-train, The Deep, Translucent (Formerly), and above all else Homelander himself. AVOID MENTIONING HIS MOTHER!!!



Final Note - Eric Roth is the most powerful super ever recorded and is highly dangerous. We believe this is due to not only being Homelander's son but also due to being a natural born super. With no compound V in his system, we lack any countermeasures should he decide to act in the same vein as his father. Blood manipulation proved a complete failure as well. Eric is unaware of his own level of power and believes he is still weaker than his father. This must remain the case.



"Jesus Christ." Laura muttered as she ran a hand down her face. What the hell were they supposed to do? Homelander was bad enough but now this new kid shows up and just throws the rules out the window.



"Just ignore the file for the time being. We can figure that out later." Butcher said from behind her.



"Yeah," she scoffed. "The file."



MM stayed silent before shaking his head. "What the fuck are we supposed to do about this kid?"



She looked at the tv, seeing some footage from a few days ago at the Believe Expo showcasing Valor flying off. Finally she nodded to herself. "I think I have an idea on how to handle Valor."



"You do?" Hughie raised a brow. "And how are you gonna manage that?"



"Don't worry, Hughie. I think I know exactly what to do when the time comes." she said, her eyes never leaving the screen as a smirk slowly fell on her face.



"I sure hope so. Because who fucking knows what depraved shit that kid's gettin' up to." Butcher shook his head.

---

"Oh my fucking GOD!!!" Taylor screamed in rage as she shook the controller with unrestrained fury. "Fucking kill yourself you fucking piece of garbage! This is why we're fucking losing you goddamn waste of skin! Your mom should have fucking swallowed you!"



I let out a grin as I held back my laughter to the best of my ability which wasn't too successful. I glanced up from my phone at Taylor who was sitting on the floor in front of the tv. She was currently on a losing streak that had started 40 minutes ago and it didn't seem to be letting up.



"You know what? I just–" She grit her teeth before finally turning and mowing her own teammates down. "Fuck you! You're all fucking trash!"

You have suffered a matchmaking penalty for team killing. 60 minutes.



She shook with anger before calmly setting the controller down and flopping back onto the floor. I locked eyes with her before she sneered in mock disgust.



"What the fuck is wrong with your face?"



I shrugged, my smile never leaving. "Nothing, Taylor. I see you still rage at Dark Ops 6 Storm. Maybe you should play a different game?"



"Maybe you should suck my dick." She snapped back before rolling onto her stomach, lying face first on the floor, groaning in sorrow at her performance.



I let out a sigh as I looked down at her. Shane was out and Vought had swept the whole thing away due to him having not killed anyone but apparently he was on thin ice. What hurt Taylor's feelings more than anything was that when she had tried to call him, he had cussed her out. Blamed her for everything having gone wrong before hanging up and ghosting her. All things considered, I think she was handling things pretty well.



She'd called the hotel they had been staying at and begged them to hold on to her belongings until she could get them. They'd relented, albeit barely. I had flown back and grabbed her things after she'd asked me to go get them. And as much as she claimed to hate her parents, she had been more than happy to see them after the stress she'd been going through.



Lately, I'd had a few people over that I hadn't interacted with since graduating. It was nice, in a way. Nobody was being assholes when over here and that was pretty cool. Except Lily. She hadn't openly insulted me but had completely ignored me and gone to the room with Taylor which was fine with me.



I hadn't been too busy lately though. Edgar had actually told me to take the month off and just focus on writing the script for Maeve's movie. I'd lounged around for the last two weeks and I was a little concerned that Homelander hadn't called me once. Standing up, I let out a sigh as I stretched.



She glanced up at me, her blonde hair getting caught under her as she tried to right herself. "You headin' out?"



"Yeah. I figured that I should go check in with everyone. Besides the patrols every other day, I haven't really spoken to my dad or Maeve. I figured I should see what's happening." I said, taking my shirt off as I walked over to my room and grabbed my suit.



Taylor's eyes roamed over me as I closed the door before changing and walking back into the living room. I tossed her my wallet. "Feel free to order some food. I don't know how long I'll be."



She nodded before blowing the hair out of her face. As I walked out the front door, I paused just before closing it. "Thanks, Eric. For everything." I heard her quietly say.



I smiled gently, "No problem. See you later."

---

"Keep those hands down by your sides, missy. Sit down."



My eyes widened as I heard the argument from below. God damn it! Quickly forgoing the elevator, I rushed for the stairwell before flying up the center and towards the 99th floor.



"Now... I know that you want to make this whole Deep thing an "All the single ladies" moment. Power, right? But really, what you've done is pulled off every criminal's wet dream. I mean, The Seven is down by two. I just can't help noticing that it all started when you came along, which makes me wonder, which one of us is next, hmm?"



"You bitch." A-train said in anger.



"I didn't do anything–"



"Enough!" Homelander snapped. "We're a different fucking breed. We shine with the golden light of providence, but you, you've been helping these fucking mud people to go against us."


"No." Starlight said, her voice unsteady.



"Shut your fucking mouth, young lady." he said before letting out a breath. "If you were in my position. . . what would you do to you?"



"Homelander, that's enough." Maeve said.



I glared as I psychically forced the doors open, "Knock it off!" I snapped, stepping into the room and getting everyone's attention.



"Eric, not now!" Homelander said, waving his hand dismissively.



"No, I think now is the perfect time since I've got everyone here." I said firmly, before shaking my head. "What the fuck is going on? A-train is a drug addict, I heard rumors that Noir gutted a woman a couple weeks ago, Deep tried to rape Starlight, Translucent was a fucking creep, Maeve is an alcoholic, and you wanted to leave Flight 37 to it's fate after destroying the controls. And now your all threatening Starlight except Maeve for some fucking reason. What the fuck is going on!" I growled, my eyes lighting up in anger.



Everyone leaned back before Homelander glanced at me blankly. After a few seconds, he let out a deep breath. "You're right. The last two months have been a. . . well, a bad introduction to this all and I think with everyone's emotions running high a breather is needed. Please, take a seat son."



I clenched my fists before stalking over and taking a seat before Maeve and Homelander stepped closer to one another and exchanged a few words regarding Starlight.



"Don't say I never did anything for you." Homelander whispered, winking at her before turning around.



"All right, you want her, you got her. She's your responsibility now. I just hope you're right about her. For both your sakes." he said before glancing at Starlight. "And don't think that just because you've got my son's favor that your off the hook. Class dismissed." he said with a clap.



As everyone left the room, I stood up before walking up to Homelander. "Will you talk to me? You've been pretty quiet for the last two weeks. You wanna let me in on what's going on?"



Homelander looked out the window before clicking his tongue, "I've been doing some thinking lately. Some things have come up and it's kept me pretty busy. Important things. I just need to get it squared away, that's all."



I looked at him with consideration. Was he talking about Ryan? I had to assume so but I couldn't be sure. "And you're sure you're good? You've been a lot more angry lately and it's kinda concerning."



He nodded. "Relax, son. It's fine. I promise. I know we haven't really hung out lately and part of that is my fault. But you don't need to worry. I'm taking care of it. You just focus on your schooling."



I gave a hesitant nod. I was fairly certain this was about Becca and Ryan. "If you say so."



He nodded, continuing to stare out the window. As I left, he called out one more time. "And Eric? I'm sorry that your impressions of the hero life hasn't been the greatest so far. Really, I am. I'll try and do better for you. I love you, son."



I nodded at him, "I love you too, dad. I'll see you later."



And with that I left the room. I swear I could hear his heart rate slow down as he relaxed. I was pretty sure I played that smoothly. Only time would tell.

---

"Remind me why you didn't choose to be a cook again?" I asked as I inhaled the food.



Taylor grinned as she sat back in the recliner. "Thanks. That's a big compliment coming from the guy who can fly to any restaurant in the world any time he wants."



"Huh, I suppose I can do that. But nothing beats a home cooked meal. Especially not that rich asshole food." I snorted, "They drizzle some hershey's chocolate on a plate and call it fine dining before charging you 3000 dollars."



"Yeah, what's up with that?" she laughed.



I threw my hands in the air. "Fuck if I know. All I know is, you could open a restaurant with your skills."



She gave a small smile before taking a bite. I flicked through some channels before stopping on channel 4. "You wanna watch some V-flix?"



"Real smooth there, Casanova." she drawled.



"I meant actually watch a show?" I deadpanned at her. "Because I don't think that anything worthwhile is goi–"



"We have some major breaking news. Superheroes are not born but made. With a single exception."



I paused before Taylor's gaze shot towards me before I turned the tv up. This is not supposed to happen for a while. What the fuck was going on?



"Created by a chemical serum, Compound V, produced and administered by Vought International, the company that has been the corporate face of superheroes for decades, heroes gain their powers from an injection shortly after birth.



"These photos and files may be disturbing to some, provided by an anonymous source, showcase multiple instances of proof regarding several supers."



Taylor and I watched several images and files fly across the screen of hospitals and doctors injecting infants with compound V. After a minute or so, my picture appeared on screen.



"The superhero Valor has been documented by a team of Vought scientists to be the only living natural born super. More data is coming in as we speak and–"



I stared blankly at the screen before Taylor muted it. "Eric, are you okay?"



Finally, I regained enough of my sense to say what was on my mind. "What the fuck."

---

Behold! Laura's influence over the story, Muhahahahahahaha.



Anyways, I wanna say thanks for the overwhelming support I've received on this story. I was honestly shocked by the feedback. It must be the timing due to season 5's release but I'm not complaining.



I hope everyone's liking it so far. Let me know your thoughts and enjoy!

 

[The Desecrated One]

2 WEEKS AFTER COMPOUND V WAS MADE PUBLIC



"Soup's hot." Laura shouted as she tossed the bags onto the table, closing the door behind her. Hughie, MM, and Frenchie walked over, grabbing the burgers and tacos out of the bags.



Laura glanced at Kimiko before handing a separate bag to her. "You're Japanese, right? I got you this. That's okay, right? I'm not trying to be racist or anything."



Kimiko simply smiled before nodding, taking the asian takeout food while giving her a thumbs up. MM let out a sigh as he took a bite before looking at Laura. "So, what's the word on our statuses?"



"I'm handling it. If you all hadn't gone to Mesmer like a bunch of fucktards, we wouldn't be in this mess and I wouldn't have had to use our get out of jail free card so soon." she said as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And now I'm the only one of us not fucking burned. Luckily, I've got your notoriety down to a crawl. With my contact on it, all of your names should be cleared by spring of next year."



"Any news about Butcher?" Hughie asked, balling up the burger paper.



"Fuck Butcher." she grunted, grabbing the last burrito. "He can figure his own shit out. I told him to leave the shit with Stillwell alone and what did he do? Went and blew her the fuck up."



"And Vought?" Frenchie questioned. "Has the reveal of Compound V done any damage?"



Hughie looked back over at her at the Frenchman's words. "Yeah. Surely something's going on, right? This isn't something they can just sweep under the rug."



"Vought's still working on their military deal but it's frozen right now. Most of their shareholders have pulled out and now they're being forced to run damage control. Everything is at a standstill and that's for the best at the moment."



Kimiko looked down at the burrito in Laura's hands before holding up the orange chicken. Laura paused before she could take a bite and glanced at it for a second before shrugging, trading. As she began eating, she flicked the tv on, showing Valor. "You want to know why everyone's standing still right now, there's your answer."



"Valor? What the fuck for?" MM asked in confusion.



Laura bobbed her head side to side, chewing her food before turning the tv up.



"Being hailed as the start of a new generation, Valor has certainly taken the fight to the streets, especially lately with his latest arrests. Do you have anything to say on the matter?"



Maeve gave a smile, "Not really, no. All I can say is that he is making us all very proud and I'm sure his mother would be as well. Normally, when something of this caliber arises, we need to handle the situation delicately, ya know? We don't want to cause a panic every time a person with powers chooses to go full criminal. Not Valor though. As soon as he sees something wrong, he doesn't hesitate to step in. It's inspiring really. It reminds me of my younger days in the Seven."



"Some are calling Valor's approach to crimefighting cowardly due to his completely nonlethal approach, others are calling it brave and just. What are your thoughts?"



"I think that Valor represents the best of us, I really do. So often in our lives we see the quick approach to things, including crimefighting. When people in our line of work come across dangerous situations, we need to prioritize people's safety while assessing the threat at hand. And more often than not, being nonlethal isn't an option for a lot of us. The fact that Valor handles things the way he does and so successfully, might I add, well. . . It gives me hope for the next generation of heroes to learn from us. And not just our victories, but our failures as well." Maeve said with a grin as she looked up.



Laura threw the remote down. "That's the reason. The kid's got every fucking supe scared to so much as look at someone the wrong way. He doesn't give 2 fucks about your image. If he catches you committing a crime, your fucked."



"That's good, right?" Hughie said. "So, he's like Annie. Doing everything for the right reasons."



"Ah, mon ami. It could be construed as such if one doesn't look too hard. But what happens when, say, one of those supes decides that nothing much matters now that their image is ruined?" Frenchie said.



"Correct." Laura said. "So far, Valor's been on top of his shit for the last few weeks, busting supes left and right. But if he picks the wrong one, exposes too much, well then there's a real chance we have a supe fight in the middle of a populated area. And besides, how do we know this shit isn't staged?"



"We could ask Annie?" Hughie suggested. "She's around him quite a bit. I'm sure she'd know."



Laura shook her head, "No. I've got a better idea. Don't worry, though. Just keep laying low and I'll confirm if he's the real deal in time." she said, throwing her jacket on and heading out the door.

---

Stan smiled as he looked at the list of supers that Eric had detained lately. It was definitely a number. 23 supers in the last few weeks was all it took. All it took to make everyone fall in line. Fascinating. Truly, a testament to how heroes should act.



Real heroes. A figure to be worshiped. No amount of fame, movies, money, depraved sex, nothing. None of it phased Eric. It was almost suspicious how quickly he would forgo the fame if need be. In the past month, he had left 7 photoshoots, 4 interviews, 9 fake saves, and 12 meetings of relative importance to his marketing all in the name of preventing something dangerous that he could hear happening around him. It was impressive. And it was actually having the unintended effect of making him more popular.



Stan let out a chuckle as he shook his head. He would be a problem. One that he could solve in time. Perhaps a deal could be made down the road. Right now, though, he was more on the path of stopping rampant crime and lately, had turned his attention to that of supers.



"How is your Laura doing?" Stan asked coyly.



Victoria's groan sounded over the phone. "It's been. . . challenging. And she's not my–" she let out a deep sigh of frustration, "It's been 9 years, dad."



"And yet, I hear about her quite a bit from you lately. Should Sameer be worried? I know I am, especially with her releasing Compound V into the public's eye. How she got the proof is beyond me. Do you have any theories?" He asked, clipping the end of a cigar and lighting it..



"No. None. I don't even know how she got the files if I'm being honest." Victoria sighed.



"Feeling nostalgic, are you?" Stan chuckled, taking a few puffs.



Victoria scoffed, "How about we move away from the topic of my ex. It's bad enough she's blackmailing the fuck out of me."



"Yes, while I feel for you, that is a bed made entirely upon your own." Stan said, setting the cigar down. "She hasn't threatened Zoe, has she?"



"No. She wouldn't do that." Victoria said quietly. A beat passed before she switched topics. "How's Valor? Can he kill his father yet?"



Stan scoffed, "He could do that the day he walked into this building. Getting him to do it is another situation entirely. The young man is a paragon of justice. And I mean that in the literal sense, not the self-serving bullshit we pedal to the people."



"Oh come on. You can't convince him? Why the hell not. Surely he's got to see how bad he is by this point?"



"Surprisingly, no. Homelander seems to put forth quite an effort when Eric is involved. And even if Eric has seen the way his father is, and I would put money on him knowing, he believes in the good in others."



"Fuck." Victoria groaned. "I'd like to believe in that, really, I would. But not for Homelander."



"You're preaching to the choir, my dear. But simply put, unless Homelander himself pushes him over the edge, he will not kill him."



"Could we frame him?"



"With the death of his mother, the only close friend that Eric has is a young woman named Taylor Umbra. An aspiring tailor who is in college for fashion and design. And going after her would be paramount to suicide. We aren't fully aware of Eric's limit on his senses and we aren't going to risk it. We made those mistakes with Homelander and I don't intend to make them again. No." Stan said as he leaned back. "Helping him stay on the path he's on should prove far safer and more reliable in the long run. I believe simply letting nature run its course will prove far more effective. Soon enough, Homelander will become bored with his son or slip up and do something unforgivable. It's inevitable."



"I sure as shit hope so. I'll talk to you later."

---

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Maeve asked with a cringe.



I looked down at my clothes with a grin. "You like it?"



"No. You know that you have a talkshow event about some upcoming movies and video games in 20 minutes, right? You can't go on stage wearing that." She said.



"I totally can." I said, swinging the massive odachi in an arc. At the current moment, I was dressed up as Sephiroth. "Taylor and I are headed to Vought-Con with some friends later today and I'm just being prepared."



"Nerds." She snorted, swirling her drink.



"Pbbbffft, whatever you say, boomer. Be boring. I'm gonna go rock my shit with my super ultra cool sword that Black Noir had for some reason." I said, sheathing the thing with my telekinesis.



"Well, fuck you too, you little bastard." She chuckled. "And for your information, I'm gen x."



"Whatever. Go pay taxes." I said before rushing down the hall towards the starting area with a laugh. As I approached the area, I was stopped by Mary and Edgar.



"Well, I must say that this is a strange outfit." Edgar said, looking at the black trench coat. "Getting to Vought-Con are we?"



I nodded with a grin. "Yeah, my friend helped me make it. We're headed to a party later tonight with a couple friends after."



Mary looked at my costume with disdain. "Well, the makeup room is right over here, so let's get you changed. Not much we can do about the cheap spray dye."



"Or I just go out now." I said, speed blitzing around her before she could react and stepped on stage. "Hey, everyone! How are we doing tonight!" I said as I took a seat.



"Valor, how nice to see you!" the talk show host said. "I'm loving the outfit. Which, uh, which one is that again?"



"That would be Sephiroth, right?"



I looked over at Adam Bourke to the side. "Yeah. Who doesn't love Final Fantasy?"



As we sat down, the interview began before the topic shifted to the upcoming movie scene and newer video games. "So, Valor. I hear that you are striving to become an actor and director of movies and games as a career choice, besides the superheroing of course. Can we get confirmation on that?"



I nodded. "I sure am. Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to help develop movies and video games. Voice acting specifically. Video games, anime, cartoons, movies. I love seeing things come to life and the acting is a big part of it."



The host smiled, "Excellent. We do have some big questions for you as well regarding some rumors about upcoming projects."



"I'll try and answer to the best of my ability." I said, leaning back.



"We'll start with the first one. There's a rumor that you will be a dlc character in Vought Rising? Thoughts?"



I chuckled, "I personally think the game isn't that great but I know it has a big following. And to answer your question, yes. I'll be releasing next month. The game's not too big anymore, so it'll be a sorta stealth drop. Just be on the lookout for it."



Some cheers and claps sounded from the audience before he pressed forward. "People have been begging to see you join the VCU since your debut earlier this year. Rumor has it that you will be featured in Dawn of the Seven."



"Nope." I said, popping the word. "I am not set to feature in any of Adam's movies here."



"Not for lack of trying." Adam said with a chuckle. "Valor is busy with a lot of college stuff going on and has slipped in some voice acting work here and there, but as for any high budget movies of the VCU, it's still a no go."



"I see. Well, ever since the Seven's changes going on and your rising popularity as the only natural born superhero, people have begun wondering if you are joining the Seven soon and if you are, will that affect your choices in any acting decisions moving forward?"



"My father and I have discussed this very thing and we have decided it best for me not to join the Seven at the current moment. That could change, but at the moment, uh, nothing is headed in that direction. Next question."



"In the movie Black Noir Insurrection, there was a scene with a file that detailed a blonde-haired boy with blue eyes on heavy government lock down. Is that you?"



I laughed, "I think so? I wasn't sure but I did have the same thoughts. It could just as easily have been someone else but I'm pretty sure that it was a subtle set up for me to possibly join the VCU."



As the interview continued and slowly came to a close, the man nodded before looking at me. "One more question before the interview ends. There has been a lot of talk lately about you and Queen Maeve sighted together with a script in hand. Word is that this unknown project will be your introduction to the VCU."



I nodded, "Yes and no. This is a standalone film, separate from the main movie timeline set in the distant future. So, no I will not be in the movie as an introduction to the VCU but I will be in it."



"Can we get some details?"



"Sure." I nodded. "While we only just finished wrapping up the script itself and are about to start filming, the movie will be connected to the VCU as guessed. I'm sure you've all heard about it before. I know that it was going through development hell for the last few years so Maeve and I took it up on ourselves to rewrite the whole thing."



"Wait, are you telling me that this movie is Queen of Ashes?" he asked in shock.



"Yep." I said, stunning him and Adam as well. "We're set to shoot starting in December. But that looks like that's all the time we have for today. You guys have a good one."

---

1 MONTH AFTER COMPOUND V



Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Focus. I slowly opened my eyes before tilting my head forward, my eyes narrowing on the glass of water before ever so slowly, it began to freeze. After a moment, the glass itself began giving off a cold mist similar to that of liquid nitrogen.



"Yes!" Taylor cried out. "It only took you a month and a half but you did it."



I flopped back onto the floor. "That shouldn't have been as hard as it was."



"Maybe not, but it's easier than using your breath and lasers, right?" she asked, picking the glass up with tongs before setting it into the sink.



"I suppose so. I think I'll just have to keep practicing with the ice manipulation. Changing my breath's temperature is too wide spread. I have no accuracy. Whatever is in my way gets frozen regardless if I'm intending for it or not. The lasers are too dangerous, whether it's heat or ice. Heat cuts, Ice flash freezes. Too dangerous unless used in specific circumstances." I said with annoyance. "I don't get why this is so hard compared to heating things up."



"Well, telekinesis is motion, right? You're doing the opposite. Ceasing motion. It would stand to reason that it's harder to do than making friction." Taylor said, taking a seat on the couch. "Any luck on your hand blast theory?"



I let out a sound of disappointment. "No." I muttered. "Ever since I saw the energy flow on my arms, I know I can do something with it. But I don't know what. I'm also way too nervous to practice it. What if it's not a projectile. What if it's just me exploding like a bomb? No, I'll figure it out later, where I'm a safe distance from people."



She smiled before her phone chimed. Glancing at it, she hummed. I raised a brow. "Lily?"



"Lily." She confirmed.



"If you want to hang out with her, go for it. I'm not stopping you." I said.



"Everytime she comes over, she's basically spitting in your face. I get that her sister was killed by a super, but that doesn't give her the right to treat you like shit, Eric." She said with a huff. "She didn't like you before but at least she'd talk to you, insults or otherwise. Now she thinks you'll go off the deep end and kill her for talking shit."



"She's just worried about you. Same reason she avoided Shane." I said as I stood up and grabbed the frozen glass before breathing on it, slowly heating it up and melting the ice. "And she has good reasons. People with powers are dangerous. She doesn't trust me. I'm the second strongest person alive on this planet. Fuck, I can basically throw a building with one hand, Taylor. That's scary."



She scoffed. "I watched you wrestle my mom's dog to the ground a few days ago and you didn't hurt it at all. The fact that you're constantly training your powers proves to me that you take great care not to hurt people around you."



I bobbed my head, "She's just proving me right."



"And what would that be?" she asked.



"People are more worried about what I can do than I am. And that's realistic. Every time I'm out there, flying around, I have the people depending on me. Trusting me. And that trust is tested whenever I'm out there stopping criminals. And that's the thing about trust. Easy to break, hard to get back." I shrugged, sipping the water.



"Is that why you don't kill people?" she asked with genuine curiosity.



"I don't kill people because it's the right thing to do. I believe everyone can turn their lives around. If they work at it, put in the effort, try and better themselves. And even if that person is the most horrible monster imaginable, if there's even the smallest chance for them to change, they should have the chance to try."



Taylor shook her head with a sigh. "I love that you believe in the best in people. I do. But I think you're wrong. Some people won't change. They refuse to. Everyone from murderers to rapists to thieves. At a certain point, people shouldn't get any more chances to fuck up."



"We all fail. We all make mistakes. It's what makes us human. Whatever we've got going on in our lives, we can always choose to be better, to do what's right." I said, sitting down on the recliner beside her. "Everyone needs a little help sometimes, Taylor. Maybe the second chance won't work. Maybe the third or the fourth or the fifth. But what if the sixth is the one?"



Taylor scoffed. "I'm glad you're the one with the powers, Eric. You do make me feel safe when you say stuff like that. But this life isn't a disney movie. In real life, people aren't so quick to change. That way of thinking is just a pipe dream."



I chuckled at that. "A dream, huh? Then I'll keep dreaming of a better tomorrow."



She snorted, chucking the couch cushion into my face. "Don't say corny shit like that. It makes you sound lame."

---

"Why are you ducking me like you owe me money?" I asked him as I leaned against the door frame. "Every time I invite you over for dinner or to just hang out, you don't show up. What's going on, man?"



Homelander glanced back at me with an excited grin before rushing over and pulling me into a hug. "I'm really sorry about the last few weeks, but with Madelyne's death, the release of compound V, and the press bullshit, it's been a bit stressful. But I found some exciting news out and while now isn't the time, I promise, soon. I'm going to be absent for a bit, and I don't know when or how often I'll be gone so I'm trusting you with something. I'm entrusting you with the leadership of the Seven when I'm not there. Think you can do that for me, sport?"



"I mean, I can. But what's going on?" I asked. Oh yeah, this was about Ryan. All doubts were off the table.



"In time. I promise." he said.



I nodded, "Can I pick the new members?" I asked. He paused for a second before shrugging.



"Sure, I don't see why not. I'll see you later." he said, ruffling my hair before taking off down the hall.

---

As I walked through the halls of Vought Tower, I glanced up at one of the screens on the wall. Starlight was singing at Translucent's funeral a few days ago. I had had to appear and pay my respects even though I hadn't really known the guy. I hadn't seen anything terrible from Translucent besides being a pervy creep, but who could say. And with everything going on, the publicity shit was the last thing on my mind. I was quite popular due to my up-in-your-face approach to arresting supers who broke the law. But it also had some unintended effects of making it seem like I was targeting people to bolster my own numbers.



I had rolled my eyes when asked about that in an interview. People were torn on how to handle me. On one hand, I was outing several famous heroes and receiving mixed results. On the other, I was now known as the righteous hero. The non-violent hero. The wholesome hero. The one with morals. That last one had gotten me some heat from a lot of the other supes.



Nobody liked having their approach to the job questioned or compared to others' methods. Especially the new guy. So when the public had shown a noticeable disapproval of killing lately, I knew it was because of my actions. And all I had to say about that was 'good.'



People shouldn't have to live in fear when a hero shows up and uses their powers. I'd heard that even Starlight had blinded someone as a child. And while I knew that Starlight was a good person, that was not okay. I refused to accept any collateral as an acceptable outcome, my public image be damned.



Just as I passed Madelyne's old office, I caught sight of Ashley. She had been called back by Homelander to replace Stillwell and now she was remodeling the office. Her eyes widened before she called out, "Uh, Eric! Or, no wait, uh, Valor? Sir?"



"You can call me Eric or Valor. I don't mind either." I said, pausing as she strode up to me, a tablet in hand. "What's up, Ashley?"



"I was told by your father to just defer to you for the foreseeable future unless he's here. I just wanted to run some things by you." She said.



I shrugged before turning towards her, giving her my full attention. "Sure, go ahead."



"When your father called me back and recommended me for this job, I was ecstatic. So I want to hit the ground running, as it were. So, with that being said, I think I found a perfect candidate to replace Translucent." she said with excitement.



"Really?" I asked. "That was quick."



"He's in the gym right now." she grinned.



"Well then, let's go meet him." I said with a smile.



It didn't take long but as we entered the large room, I saw him training with a javelin and throwing knives. Pretty acrobatic too. I was impressed. Definitely on the more street level side of heroing.



"Blindspot, right?"



"A differently abled member of the seven." Ashley said with excitement. "We're gonna poll through the roof with millennials. Inclusion is a big priority for them right now."



I nodded with a smile as I watched Blindspot perform some acrobatic flips. "Wow, he's good. I'm seeing some Kali, a little capoeira, and a lot of tae kwon do." I said before leaning towards Ashley, "I leaned more into a muay thai base with judo and brazilian jiu jitsu. But I'm impressed."



"Now all we need is an ethnic or female or, fingers crossed, or ethnic female to replace the Deep and we're golden."



Blindspot tilted his head before heading over to us. "Wow, Valor, you're. . ." he smiled before holding his hand out. "It's an honor, sir."



"Valor is fine. It feels weird to be called sir by someone older than me." I laughed getting a chuckle from Blindspot. "So, do you want to join the Seven?"



He let out a breath before straightening. "More than anything. To stand by such great heroes and be able to call myself one of the greats has been a dream of mine for so long. To be given this opportunity. . . It's an honor."



My mind drifted to what had happened to this poor guy originally. And I'd be damned if I'd let it happen here. After all, I was technically in charge of the Seven for now. I grinned. "Well, nothing's set in stone yet, but I'm technically in charge of the Seven for the foreseeable future and if everything lines up well enough and Edgar agrees, I think we may have just found our newest member. We'll be in touch."



Blindspot shook my hand before turning and grabbing his stuff. As Ashley discussed some numbers with me, I glanced at him before pausing. "One sec, Ashley. Hey, Blindspot, come here real quick."



He jogged over to us. "What's up?"



"Your powers. They're superhearing right?" I asked.



"Yeah," he nodded, "Who needs super eyes when you've got super ears?" he grinned.



I nodded, "Did you teach yourself to see like that?"



"I did. I lost my sight at a young age and trained myself to use my abilities like this." he said. "Admittedly, it only took me a couple weeks. But it was a pain, for sure."



"Could you teach me to do that?" I asked with some excitement.



"Sure," he said happily. "Here's my number. We can talk later."



"Cool. I won't keep you any longer. Have a good one, dude." I said as he turned to leave. "Well, it looks like we're up to 6. Now we only need one more."

---

1 DAY LATER



"Hi. You know who we are. But let's meet another hero." Maeve said as she stared into the camera. "This is Lance Corporal Dan Miller."



"Dan and the other brave marines of the Second Battalion are help keeping you safe from the Super Villain threat." I said with a soft smile as I laid a hand on the man beside me.



"We're proud to fly alongside them. And now, we could use your support." Maeve said.



"That's right, Maeve. With our new campaign, Saving the World." I said with a firm nod. "Over the last few weeks, we've–" I paused, looking over to Ashley who was trying to talk to someone approaching us with a camera in her hand. A someone I had forgotten about. Fuck. I lightly sneered. "Cut!" I called out before striding over.



"Hello." I said tightly. "Can we help you?"



"Oh my god, hi!" She said cheerfully, "My nana's your father's biggest fan. I'm Stormfront."



"Interesting naming sense there." I muttered to myself.



"From Seattle, right?" Maeve asked.



Stormfront bobbed side to side with an exaggerated smile, "Uhh, Portland, actually, your, uh, highness." she glanced over at me before stepping into my space. "Wow, you're eyes are really fucking blue up close!"



I took a small step back, clearing my throat. "I would hope I don't have to explain personal space to you. Especially in our line of work."



She grinned cheekily at that. "Mmmm, I don't mind. Get as close as you'd like."



I grunted, my smile falling. "Right. Well, we've still got some things to shoot and the day's not getting any younger. Let's get back to it."



"Oh, totally, they just wanted me to meet your dad." Stormfront said. "But since you've been named temporary captain of the Seven, Oh my gosh, wow!" She whisper chanted into the phone before turning back to me. "They said to defer to you for the time being."



I let out a low sigh before turning back towards her, "I assume you're talking about Edgar."



"Bingo." She said, shooting finger guns at me. "I'm the new girl."



"Wait." Maeve squinted in confusion. "What are you talking about?"



"Oh, hi! I'm in the Seven." she said with a wide smile. "Replacing Translucent. God rest his soul." She said with fake sorrow into her phone.



"I think you mean you're replacing the Deep." I said with annoyance.



"Uh, nooooo? They specifically said Translucent." she shrugged.



"Well, they are wrong." I said tightly. "Because somebody had already been selected to replace Translucent. And personally," I said in a low tone, stepping into her space as my eyes lit up with a glare, "You are the last person I want in the Seven."



She blinked with a confused smile. "You know we're Live right now, right?"



"I am well aware of that. I'm not one to talk shit about you behind your back. So let it be known that I am not a fan of you. And I'm sure you can guess why." I turned towards Maeve. "I'll be back. Just hang out for now."



And before anybody could say anything else, I took off into the sky, heading for Vought Tower.

---

As I quickly landed and entered the building. Heading for the stairs, I quickly flew up the middle until I got to Edgar's floor and made my way to his office. I paused, spotting Blindspot looking a little upset. "Hey, what's going on?"



He shook his head with a shrug, "I just got told they redacted the invite. Apparently they wanted to go a different direction."



I let out a mirthless chuckle before nodding, "Sit tight. I'm fixing this."



He nodded before I headed for Edgar's office, passing his secretary, Samantha. "Uh, Valor! Mr. Edgar's not really receiving visitors at the moment." she called out, quickly standing and following after me.



"I know and I'm sorry for not calling ahead but this is important." I said before walking up to the glass door and giving it a gentle knock. He gave me a nod before I entered.



"Mr. Edgar, I'm sorry. I tried–"



"That's all right, Samantha." he said, waving her off before she left the office. I glanced at the tv on the wall, showing Victoria Neuman.



"Sorry about barging in like this, but I felt we needed to discuss some things."



"Morning, Valor." he said politely.



"Eric is fine." I said before taking a seat. "Do you know why I'm here right now?" I asked calmly.



"I imagine it has to do with Stormfront joining the Seven." he said with a polite smile. "Did you wish to be consulted on who joins the Seven?"



"No. It's your decision at the end of the day. But I have an issue with Stormfront in particular and the overriding of my decision to welcome Blindspot." I said calmly.



Edgar leaned back with a sigh, "Yes, it is unfortunate. With only the one spot remaining, we had to make a choice and Stormfront was the one that fit our agenda in the long run."



My polite smile dropped, "I would seriously hope that's not the case. Employing a literal nazi and saying that she's a good fit for Vought's agenda doesn't really roll off the tongue. That sort of tends to leave a bitter taste, wouldn't you agree?"



Edgar, for his part, didn't once miss a beat. He turned his head before reaching down and pouring a glass of alcohol with a faint smell of malt and smoke. Scotch if I had to guess. With two glasses poured, he offered one to me. "It's scotch. Won't you have a drink with me?"



I eyed it before leaning forward and taking it. "I generally try not to drink. Superpowers and alcohol can be a dangerous combo, especially mine."



"I respect that." he said, taking a sip. "I find your character quite admirable, Eric. Really, I do. And while you are young in the ways of the world, especially the business world, you have shown remarkable patience when dealing with others. Tell me, what do you know of Frederick Vought?"



"I know he founded Vought. I know he got his doctorate from Munich and was so ahead of his time in genetics that Hitler himself appointed him chief physician in one of the concentration camps where he began human testing on Compound V. Eventually, he left Nazi Germany in 1944 where Roosevelt pardoned him in exchange for super soldiers.



"I also know that Soldier Boy was not the first super, as much as Vought likes to promote, and that it was actually his wife, Clara Vought. Otherwise known as Liberty and now known as Stormfront." I said with a slight sneer as I rolled my eyes.



Stan's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Well, well, color me surprised. And not much surprises me these days. Bravo, Eric. You have done your research thoroughly."



"Yeah, so you can imagine my hesitance to want to work with such a person." I took a small sip, cringing at the flavor before setting it down. I let out a breath. "But even if she serves a specific purpose, there are 2 spots on the Seven without Deep and Translucent. Why remove Blindspot?"



Edgar raised a brow, "Are you not taking that other spot? I was under the impression that you were."



"No." I said, shaking my head. "My father is apparently taking a leave of absence for a bit and asked me to step in for him for the foreseeable future and lead the Seven. My position is temporary, albeit for an unallotted amount of time."



"I see." Edgar said before finishing his glass and leaning forward. "Well in that case, I will make a deal with you."



". . . Go on." I said, giving him my attention.



"You seem the type of person to give everyone an honest shot should they deserve it, am I right? That's why you wish for Blindspot to get his dues?"



I nodded, "That's right."



"Then in that case, I propose thus. Blindspot will take that extra spot and join the Seven. But, for now, Stormfront will remain on the Seven. You will watch her, keep her in line and even should your father return to resume his duties, you will still remain to keep an eye on her. To. . ." he waved his hands in the air, "keep her in line, should she try to overstep."



"And the whole nazi thing?" I asked. "I won't tolerate that racist bullshit."



"Then don't." Edgar said with a shrug. "But you are not to tell the public or anyone else for that matter of her past. She has a purpose to serve for now and we would be hard pressed to utilize her once that information is out in the open."



"Is this really all still about the military deal?" I asked in disbelief.



"That is precisely what this is all about." he said with a nod.



"You can't honestly think that putting superheroes in the military is a good idea, can you? They barely follow rules as is, god forbid you stick them overseas. The only reason everyone has calmed down in the last 2 weeks is because I've scared them into submission with the threat of arrest."



Edgar grinned, "That is precisely what we are aiming for. Vought and the government have a deal in the works and I can't say much about it, but you are involved. Rather heavily in some areas, might I add in regards to supervision. You don't know the full extent of your influence on the world yet, but it is rather big and you are making waves in Washington."



I exhaled, looking out the window for a minute of silence before picking the glass up and swirling it. "I don't like it. Really, I don't. I can see it all over her face. She hasn't changed a bit. . . but I'll agree to those terms, if only to keep her in line. For now" I added.



Edgar grinned, "Excellent. You are becoming a fine man, Eric. You've got your own convictions and morals and even when you're thrown a curveball, you manage to gracefully roll with it. It's admirable. I'll have the paperwork written up regarding Blindspot. You have a good rest of your day."



"You too. Thanks." I said before standing and looking down at the glass. Taking another sip, I cringed again. "I don't think Scotch is for me." I said before handing him the glass.



He let out a laugh. "You're young. You haven't developed the taste for the finer things. In time, Eric."



With that all said and done, I stood up and left the room before stopping by Blindspot at the elevator. He was wearing a set of headphones blasting some sort of pop music. "Sorry, I was trying not to eavesdrop. What did he say?"



"You've got the spot still. There was a miscommunication regarding my spot on the Seven. Once we resolved it, everything worked itself out." I said with a reassuring smile.



"Ohhh, thank god. I was so nervous with everything and after you said I could join but then it got rescinded I was–"



I raised a hand with a nod, cutting him off. "Like I said, don't worry about it man. It's all good. Welcome to the Seven. Blindspot. And regarding any of the other members, if anyone's giving you any trouble, and I mean anyone, come talk to me and I'll sort it out."



"Will do, Valor. Thank you."



"Anytime." I said before heading out the door.

---

"The whole picture – It's Vought! It's a fucking coup from the inside!" Raynor said, shaking her head.



Laura had chosen a different spot and had the Boys and Kimiko a ways down the street from her and Raynor as she discussed things. She wasn't going to chance anything, not with her having released Compound V to the public in the way she had. She had needed to take precautions and choosing a smaller and more compact area had been imperative to keeping Raynor safe.



So instead of the underpass where the Boys had originally met Raynor, now it was only her and Raynor in a parking lot of a rundown warehouse while they stayed on standby in the van a couple blocks away in eyesight and spoke on the phone.



Laura shook her head with irritation. "It's always someth–"



"Laura, fucking abort! Get out of there! We've got an armored truck ripping through the street a mile out." MM's voice sounded. "We gotta go! Go with Raynor and meet up with us later."



Laura grit her teeth as he hung up before turning to look at Raynor. "Come on, we need–" she paused as Raynor's nose started to bleed. Her eyes widened in horror before she took a rushed step forward. "Nadia, don't–" she screamed before Raynor's head exploded in blood and gore, coating Laura as her corpse fell forward into Laura's arms.



Laura's knees gave out as she shakily lowered her body to the ground, her ears ringing as she looked down at Raynor's body with glassy eyes. The sounds of clicking heels sounded behind her, slowly drawing her back to the situation at hand. "Hello, Laura."



Laura's eyes twitched as her face slowly contorted into rage before she stood up and whipped around, pulling out her pistol and shooting Victoria directly in the chest. Victoria stumbled as she was knocked to the ground before Laura emptied the rest of the bullets into her chest with a snarl.



Victoria groaned before letting out a breath before slowly getting to her feet, dusting herself off with a chuckle. "What kind of pistol is that? Knocked me on my ass."



Laura's eyes never left her as tears fell from her face. Victoria looked at her before her smile slowly faded from her face before she pursed her lips. "Laura, you–"



Laura shook her head before turning away from her with a shaky breath. "Shut the fuck up. You're all the fucking same." she whispered, her voice cracking as she glanced at Raynor's body.



"Don't act all high and mighty, Laura. You were just as much a part of this as I was!" Victoria snapped.



Laura shook her head, "No. I'm nothing like you. You chose to stay, to help that fucking psychopath and start killing people. You chose to be a fucking monster."



"And what you chose is any better?" Victoria said with a bitter tone. "You were the top! Nobody was stronger than you! Not me, not Homelander, nobody! And instead, you went and found a way to get rid of your powers. You could make whatever you imagined, manipulate the atoms around us, make hard light! And instead, you chose to give it all up. And for what? To save some random fucking people who, by the way, are all dead now."



Laura whirled around on her, stepping into her space close enough that their mouths were inches apart. "I chose to keep my fucking humanity. There's no such thing as superheroes. Not really. All I was was a fucking nobody with a little too much power."



"You weren't a nobody to me." Victoria said softly.



"Sure I wasn't. You showed me what you thought of me when you met Sameer. All those years in Red River together, watching each other's backs, didn't mean shit when you got a little ahead in life. You got your perfect husband, a perfect daughter, a perfect life. And somewhere along the way, you realized that you didn't need me anymore. So don't pretend to care." she snapped.



"My father offered you your powers back!" Victoria argued.



"Yeah, with so many goddamn strings attached that I could make a fucking noose with them. And you didn't say a fucking thing in my defence." Laura snapped in rebuttal before shaking her head. "The only reason you haven't popped my head is because it'll fucking ruin you! So go off, be everything that you really are. And pretend to be what you aren't. And maybe, just maybe, you won't completely fuck your kid up if you haven't already."



Without waiting for another word, Laura spit on the ground before turning and picking Raynor's body up, gently setting her in the back seat of her car before getting in the driver's seat.



"And what about your stories! All those drawings of that S symbol " Victoria called out. "What about all those ideas and dreams of saving the world, huh? You didn't just get rid of your powers, you gave up!"



"Dreams are just that, dreams." Laura said, starting the car. "In the real world, people die." she said, gesturing to herself, "The good guys don't win, the bad guy will inevitably kill everyone who fucking matters and nothing will ever change because of people like you."



As she turned to pull out of the parking lot, she looked back at Victoria, "And regarding that symbol, forget about it. It doesn't mean anything, Victoria. You showed me that 8 years ago and you just gave me a harsh reminder."



"Then why keep this up?" she asked in frustration.



"Because." Laura said darkly. "I can still drag all of you fuckers to hell with me!" she snarled as she peeled out of the parking lot.

---

"Hey, Ryan. How about we go play catch?" Homelander asked with some excitement.



Ryan looked over at his mom for confirmation. "Is it okay if we go out and play, mom?"



"Ahh, it's fine. Nothing to worry about. Come on. I'll show you how to throw a fastball." Homelander said dismissively before ushering Ryan out the door. As he glanced back, he looked at the other child in the room. "And, uh, Amelia, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you either. We can draw together in a bit and you can show me some of those artistic skills of yours."



She nodded shyly, hunching her shoulders a bit before he left the room. She didn't know who this was, but he had claimed to be her father. And judging from her mom's reaction, that seemed to be the case. But the nervous energy she was picking up from Becca was more than enough to become wary of the caped stranger.



He looked like Superman, or rather, a blonde haired version that decided to mix Captain America's suit with his own. It looked bright and cheerful, welcoming even but she wasn't so sure. And she wouldn't be so quick to trust a man calling himself her father. Not when he acted so much like her original one.



The fake smile, the dismissive nature of her mom, the overbearing presence that seemed to make everybody they encountered on edge. It all screamed abuse. Amelia picked up her sketchbook before going back to her room and crawling under the bed and began drawing once more.



"Honey, are you okay?" Becca asked gently. A tiny nod was all she got in response before Becca let out a small sigh before standing up. "Well, when you'd like to talk about things, I'm here."



Another tiny nod and Becca left the room, heading for the kitchen as she watched Homelander and her son play catch with narrowed eyes full of concern. What the hell was she supposed to do? Her attention was drawn as she heard Homelander say something of interest.



"You know, Ryan. You have a brother."



Ryan paused, blinking in shock, "I do?"



"You do. He's smart, strong, and is already on his way to becoming an amazing man. I think he'd love to meet you. Would you like to meet him?" Homelander asked with a grin as he palmed the baseball. "He's turning 19 in February."



A brother? Homelander never had any kids. And even if he had had some recently, they wouldn't be 19. That meant. . . there was someone else like Ryan and Amelia.



"What's he like?" Ryan asked, quickly forgetting about the baseball game.



"Well, I'm glad you asked. He's a lot like you, in fact. He's very smart and always giving himself homework. I think he can speak a few different languages. And," Homelander paused for dramatic flair, "He's becoming an actor and director. He's already taking college courses for it."



"Cool!" Ryan said excitedly. "I wanna meet him."



"I'm sure I can get a hold of him later. We can make a dinner out of it. We can have your mom cook something super good and then you and your sister can meet him. How's that sound?"



"Okay." Ryan said before resuming the game. Just as the topic of his powers came up, Becca stepped outside to call Ryan back in.

---

"Open the door." Becca growled, getting out of her car. "Open the fucking door!"



"Please get back inside the car." The man said from inside the booth.



"I want to talk to Dr. Park." Becca said, striding over to the glass.



"Go back inside the car." He said once more.



"Goddamn it, Dr. Park! Now!" She yelled, hitting the glass in frustrated anger.



A second later, the phone rang beside the door operator before he picked it up. A second later, he opened the glass and handed her the phone.



"Hey, Becca."

"What the fuck is going on?" she said through grit teeth.



"I understand this is upsetting."



"I was told I would never have to see him ever again. That he would never know about Ryan or me. That was the deal." She said, her eyes glassy.



"Homelander is quite upset that this information was concealed from him. Corporate has made a decision not to antagonize him further."



Becca let out a shuddering breath, "You need to make him leave. Because if you don't, I'm gonna take Ryan and I'm gonna run, and you'll never fucking find us ever again."



"I think we both know that that's not possible."



Becca was quiet for a moment before her lip started quivering as she glanced at the monitor displaying Homelander wandering through her house. "You have to protect us. You have. . . You have to move us, please." she said as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.



"I'm sorry. Now that he knows, there's just no putting the toothpaste back in the tube." Dr. Park said, "You should probably be getting back. Piano lessons are almost done. Just keep him calm. Our best guess. . . He'll get bored and move on."



"You-you don't know that." Becca stuttered. "You don't." she said, hanging the phone up.



Just before she turned to leave, the man held a small card out to her against the glass. She looked at it in confusion before hesitantly reading the written note.



Don't say anything. When Eric eventually shows up, trust him. He's a good person and is stronger than Homelander. He can keep you safe.



She looked at the man before he quickly lit the paper on fire before dropping it on the floor and stomping the embers out. "Have a good day, Mrs. Butcher."



She got back in her car with her thoughts racing a million miles away. Who was Eric? With no other options left, she headed back to pick up Ryan from his piano lesson.

---

Elena and Maeve sat together on the hospital bed, smiling at one another before Elena picked up the praying toy.



"Do I get to keep this?" Elena asked with a soft smile as she fiddled with the small ceramic figure.



"Maybe." Maeve said teasingly, munching on her cup of pudding, "What will you trade me for it?"



"I will let you take me out to dinner." Elena said with a flirty smile as she handed the toy back, her smile quickly falling at Maeve's lack of reaction. "Right. I forgot. We'll need to order in, keep it low-pro."



Maeve simply gave a quick glance before looking back up at the tv, nervously fiddling with the toy



"Maeve, what are you doing here if nothing has changed?" Elena asked in frustration.



"Oh, Christ. The last thing that woman needs is another nose job." Maeve laughed at the tv, deflecting the question.



"Okay. We've done this dance, thanks." Elena shook her head in irritation.



"Elena–"



"It's time to go." Elena said, cutting her off.



Maeve stood up from the bed before staying quiet for a moment. Finally, she llet out a breath, "Homelander and I went to this Oscar party for 12 Years a Slave. There was this producer, he swapped place cards so he could sit next to me. And he chatted me up all night.



"Two days later, there's a fire in his office. They found his head in one room. . . and his torso in another." Maeve finished.



"What are you saying?" Elena asked in hushed confusion.



"I don't want him to do that to you." Maeve said with a quiet disparity.



"Who?" Elena asked with concern. At her lack of an answer, her eyes narrowed, "Homelander? You think Homelander did that?"



"The things. . . that I've watched him do. . . the things that he made me do. . . If he ever finds out about you. . ." Maeve trailed off.



"Why are you telling me this now?"



"I don't want you to hate me anymore." Maeve said with a sorrowful expression. "And now–" she scoffed in despair, "Now there's a very real possibility of me getting out of this safely and I don't know how to go forward without just telling the kid outright what a horrible monster his dad is."



Elena blinked in confusion. ". . . You're talking about Valor."



Maeve nodded. "I overheard some of the scientists talking a couple months ago when we all first met him. He's strong, Elena. The strongest super ever recorded. He could do it. He could stop his father. But how do I convince a kid to kill his own father?"



Elena gave no answer, simply pulling Maeve into a hug. As they sit there in silence, Elena rubbed her back ,"We'll figure this out."

---

"Run!" Someone shrieked in terror as an explosion rocked the city square, lighting up the night.



Everyone was running for their lives as I tore through the bus hurtling towards me. I narrowed my eyes as I flew through the air with a snarl, rearing back and letting a devastating punch land on the man who had shifted into some sort of clay like material with the consistency of titanium.



"Fuck you, you little annoyin' fuck!" He screamed in rage before tearing a lightpost out of the ground before swinging at me. I zoomed forwards, blasting him in the chest with my beams before spinning and grabbing a woman who had gotten a little too close to the fight and zipping her away and rushing back.



"No one is protecting you, this time, Malchemical! You're under arrest for the murder of those 2 women!" I snarled, uppercutting him into the air before going to follow up with a kick before he turned to gas.



He let out a desperate cry, "I didn't do that on purpose! It was an accident! I would never hurt anyone like that on purpose."



I shook my head with rage. Shoving your dick into a woman's head was not a fucking accident. My eyes glowed blue as I maneuvered myself below him before letting out a deep breath, chilling it as cold as I could. And within seconds, he realized what was happening. Before anything else could transpire, he shifted back to solid before I flew over him, wrapping him in a headlock and set my arm on fire.



"Go ahead!" I said menacingly. "Turn to gas. I'd love to see what happens to you when you touch an open flame."



He struggled in desperation, but still remaining solid. Looks like my guess had been right on the money. As his struggling ceased as he fell into unconsciousness, I picked him up before flying to Vought and bursting through the doors and zipping to the portable cell they'd prepared.



"What a fucking joke." I scoffed as I turned away from him before coming face to face with Starlight, Stormfront, and A-train. Their eyes were wide as I dusted myself off. I gave a glare at A-train and Stormfront. "I hope you both got a good look, because from now on, if I catch either of you stepping out of line, I will arrest you. I'm done with this bullshit."



And with my piece said, I stalked off towards the exit. I needed a shower.

---

Dang. That latest episode was crazy!!! As always, thanks so much for the feedback. I love hearing your thoughts and answering your questions. A little bit of Laura's backstory for you all. And Amelia's powers will be revealed soon.



Enjoy and let me know what you all think.

 

[The Desecrated One]

Taylor mindlessly sipped her workout shake as I let out a slow even breath. Slowly, ever so slowly, I lowered myself down towards the ground. I was currently doing a one handed pushup from a handstand position. Letting my body slowly lower towards the ground, I shifted into a planche.



Taylor tilted her head at me as I brought my knees together and through my arms, finally ending in an L-sit. We were at the gym, and while weightlifting had become somewhat pointless without specialized training like pulling a train or something to that effect, I still found cardio and calisthenics still gave me quite a workout.



Standing up, I let out a breath before stretching. Taylor raised a brow, "Ya know, I'm not complaining about the view, really I'm not, but does any of this actually do anything for you? 'Cause, you can throw cars down streets."



"You're right. Weight lifting is a bit redundant at a normal gym, but cardio, yoga, and calisthenics do still help me stay in shape." I said before heading towards the changing rooms. As we passed someone somewhat struggling on the bench, he gave me a look. I tilted my head, psychically racking the weight for him. Getting a quick thumbs up, I quickly changed before meeting back up with Taylor.



"It is a sorta downside to superstrength. But I have noticed something though." I started.



"Oh? And what would that be?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.



"I'm not losing any muscle. Like, at all. With me doing little to no weight training, I should be getting more lean and yet–"



"You're just gaining muscle." She said, poking my arm. "It's noticeable too. It's been, what, 3 months since you got your powers? You've definitely put some muscle on dude." she said. "Muscles atrophy without proper exercise. If you've got a healing power, maybe yours can't?"



I hummed at that. That was a pretty good theory all things considered. "Maybe. I haven't felt pain since they activated so I wouldn't know. But–"



My phone began ringing from my pocket, playing Maeve's animated theme song. I'd gotten a good laugh at her reaction when she'd heard it. "Hey, Maeve. What's up?"



"That's Maeve?" Taylor asked excitedly.



I nodded before Maeve spoke. "We've got some stupid meeting in a couple hours regarding a movie. Since you're filling in for Homelander, you've got to be here. Don't miss it."



"I won't." I said, eyeing Taylor who looked ecstatic. "T, you look like you're about to explode."



She shifted a bit before voicing her question. "Do you think you could introduce me? I've been a fan of hers since I was little."



"Who's that? Your girlfriend?" Maeve asked.



"She is a girl that is a friend." I said blankly, getting a laugh from her.



"Wait, wait. Is this that Taylor girl that you're always going on about? Uh, your 'roommate?'"



"I'm not always going on about her." I muttered, walking ahead of Taylor, "We live together and hang out with the same people. She just comes up in passing."



"Sure, tell her I'll meet her. I'd love to hear some gossip about you." Maeve teased.



"Well now I just don't want to introduce you two." I said before Taylor snatched the phone from behind me.



"Hi, I'm Taylor!" She said with a bright grin.



"Hey, kid. What's goin' on?"



"I'd love to meet you sometime." she squeaked. "When Eric told me that most of the heroes were assholes but you weren't I was really happy. Your autobiography helped me get through a lot of shitty times with my parents."



"Well, tell you what. Next time I've got a second and Eric and I are discussing some things, I'll invite you. You can give us some ideas about a few things regarding the Queen of Ashes movie."



Taylor blinked in shock before whipping her head back at me. "You're writing Queen of Ashes?"



"We are writing Queen of Ashes." I corrected. "And yeah."



She spun back around, leaving me seemingly ignored. I rolled my eyes before getting in the passenger door. Taylor and Maeve chatted about a few things but just as she was about to get in the car herself, she looked at the phone. "Oh, hang on. Eric, you're getting a call."



"Just answer it." I said, bored out of my mind as I waited for her to get in.



"Hello?"



"Uh, hi. I did call the right number, right? Did Eric get his phone switched? Who's this?""



I furrowed my brows at the familiar voice of my father.



"No, this is his phone." She said, "I'm Taylor."



"That's my boy!" Homelander said with excitement. "Already got a girlfriend. I'm so proud."



"Wait. Is this Homelander?" she said in shock.



"In the flesh. Or. . . the voice? I didn't interrupt you guys, did I? You kinda sound out of breath."



I leaned over, holding my hand out for the phone. She gave a mischievous grin before taking a step out of reach. "No, not really. Eric's currently indisposed after our little workout. But don't– Heeeey!" she cried out as the phone flew from her hands and back to mine.



"What's up, dad?" I said, leaning back into the seat as she climbed into the car.



"I can call back later if you and the lucky lady want to continue." he said with a cheeky tone.



"We're leaving the gym. And she's not my girlfriend." I said with a roll of my eyes.



Taylor gave a cocky grin before leaning over, "That's not what you were saying five minutes ago?" she moaned out.



"You know he has superhearing, right? He can hear the car running through the phone." I said with a deadpan.



She snorted. "Can he hear you being a little bitch?"



"Probably." I snarked back before turning back to the phone call at the sound of his chucking. "What's up?"

"Get showered and dressed up. Then fly to this location. I'm going to introduce you to some very important people."



"I have a meeting to discuss some sort of movie in an hour." I said with a raised brow. "I don't think I'm supposed to miss it."



"Eh, forget it. There's always going to be a movie about something. This is more important. I'll see you in half an hour." And with that, he hung up.



For fuck's sake. I let my head lean back against the headrest as I blew out a sigh. Maybe I should take up drinking.



Taylor gave me a questioning glance. "So, what was that all about?"



I huffed before opening the door at the stop sign. "I gotta bounce. Apparently I'm meeting some important people. Don't wait up. See ya later."



"Later, bro." she said, driving off as I looked up to the sky. Quickly taking off into the air, I landed home within a couple of seconds before showering and getting changed. I had a suspicion he meant my hero suit but it was too early for that. Although I'd bring it along just in case. Some jeans and a t-shirt combo that said I was officially done with the day before it even started was the choice and then I was ready to face the world. Like an 18 year old who was way too stressed about stupid shit. Hell yeah.

---

"Breakfast is served." Becca said with a smile as she set a plate of pancakes down. "Do you want one or two, kids?"



"Just one." Homelander said with a smile to Becca's chagrin.



Amelia looked at the exchange with silent judgement. She'd been around the man for less than three days and she was already unsure if she wanted to even get to know him. He'd so far only been focused on Ryan, unfortunately. And as bad as it sounded, she would rather he focus on someone else than her. She held up a hand with 2 fingers.



"You want maple syrup?" Becca asked.



"Um–" Ryan started before Homelander interrupted.



"Yes, please." he said with a sly smirk.



As she poured the syrup on the plates, Amelia shook her head no. Just as Becca sat down, Homelander spoke up. "Oh, don't forget to set a plate aside. My son's on his way."



"My brother?" Ryan asked.



"Yep." Homelander said. "He should be arriving. . . right. . . about. . . now." he said before a whooshing sound could be heard.



Amelia narrowed her eyes, huddling into herself at the new uninvited arrival. Becca looked uneasy as well if her nervous purple energy was anything to go by. Ryan, however, was giving off a sort of golden excitement. Homelander also had this color.



A soft knock sounded at the door. As Becca went to open the door, Homelander called out. "You can come in, bud. It's fine."



Contrary to his words, he didn't and waited for Becca to open the door first. Becca looked at the new stranger who had long blonde hair down that rested on his shoulders and warm blue eyes



"Good morning." He said with a kind smile.

---

"Good morning." Becca said, a nervous smile on her face. I didn't let my expression show but I could read this woman like an open book. Nervousness, tension, fear, anxiety. It was palpable. She stepped to the side, giving me the okay to enter.



"Hey, dad." I said, looking around at the cozy home. And at the table, I was immediately taken aback. Because, not just Ryan sat at the table beside Homelander, but another child sat there as well. A small dirty-blonde haired girl who was giving me a suspicious look.



"Hey, son!" he grinned. "Take a seat." he gestured to the one unoccupied seat at the table. It wasn't hard to see he was being an asshole. The seat was clearly Becca's if her untouched breakfast was anything to go by.



Becca looked down as I walked over, setting my bag down by the coat rack before passing the seat and floating into a crossed leg position, like a levitating buddhist monk. "This is fine."



Homelander shrugged, "Suit yourself. Now–" he clapped his hands with excitement. "I know it's out of left field and even though we just met a few months ago, I want you to meet your brother and sister. This handsome young stud is Ryan."



I leaned over, offering him a fistbump. "What's up, Ryan. Nice to meet you."



"I'm doing good. It's nice to meet you." Ryan said with a smile.



"And this lovely young lady is Amelia. She doesn't talk so be patient with her." He said with the slightest tone of dismissal. It was clear to me he was more excited about Ryan. Made sense. It's how he was in the show as well.


I lifted my hands as I spoke, signing my words. "Hi, Amelia. Nice to meet you."



Her eyes widened alongside Becca's as she hesitantly brought her hands up. "You can do sign?"



"I can." I said, "I know a few languages and figured that ASL would be useful to know."



She gave a shy smile. "It's nice to meet you. And I can talk, it's just. . ." she paused for a second. "Mom calls it something that I don't remember."



"Selective mutism?" I offered just as Becca went to speak. She nodded quickly.



"Yeah. That. It's just easier for me to do this."



This time I signed without saying anything. "Don't feel pressured to talk to me if you don't want to. I know that he can be a bit overwhelming, if you catch my drift."



She let out a small giggle before I gave her a nod. I didn't miss Homelander's slight roll of the eyes before I spoke up. "So, I know everyone else's names, but you don't seem to know mine." I turned towards Becca. "Becca, was it?"



"Yes." She said hesitantly, taking my hand.



"Nice to meet you all. I'm Eric. Eric Roth."



Becca's eye widened by just a fraction of a centimeter before she schooled her features. Had it been anyone else, I doubt they would have caught it but I could see the realization of something. Although I didn't know what.



She gave a smile before sitting at the table. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Eric. Please, help yourself."



I gave her a nod, "Thanks. I'll just snag a piece of bacon or two. I just got back from the gym and I'm not looking to eat a whole breakfast."



As we settled into a silence that seemed one part tense and the other part calm, Homelander sipped a glass of milk before nodding with a smile. "This is nice."



Becca gave a curt nod before smiling at Ryan as he spoke up.



"Um, Mama? Quiero Raisin Bran, por favor?"



"Si." Becca responded before reaching for the cereal.



"What is that?" Homelander asked with narrowed eyes.



"On Monday mornings we have breakfast in Espanol." Becca supplied, heading for the kitchen.



"That's good practice." I chimed in. "My mom tried to keep up with me when I was learning other languages. She learned Spanish but stopped at German. She said it got too hard for her to keep track of everything."



"What languages can you speak?" Becca asked.



I rubbed my jaw as I thought about it. "Let's see. I know English, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Russian, French, ASL, and I'm currently learning Italian."



Ryan's eyes widened. "Woah! Can you say something in French?"



"Bien sûr. Je m'appelle Eric. Enchanté, Ryan." I said.



"Cool. What did you say?" He asked.



"I said, 'Sure. My name's Eric. Nice to meet you Ryan.'" I translated.



Homelander let out a breath before turning to Ryan. "Say, Ryan. Do you wanna stay in here and learn Spanish? Or do you wanna come outside and have some fun with your old man?"



"I think that he needs to–" Becca began nervously before Ryan spoke up.



"Mom, is it okay if I go with him?"



"Yeah, of course it's okay, right, mom?" Homelander said before opening the door and looking over at Ryan, "Come on."



"Sure." Becca said tightly as they walked out the door.



"There ya go, champ." Homelander smiled before closing the door behind them as they left.



I looked over at her before glancing through the walls to make sure Homelander was turned away as I sat down in the chair. I lifted my hands, signing at her.



"Say the word and I will make him leave for the day. I'm not blind. I can see he's being an asshole." She went to glance back before I quickly added, "Don't worry, he's still occupied with Ryan for the moment."



She pursed her lips before glancing at Amelia before glancing out the door. "Can you please make sure Ryan is okay? I'll figure something out for now but I can't be hovering around him constantly. He doesn't listen to me."



I nodded with a small sigh. "I'll make sure nothing gets out of hand. And I'll have a talk with him. Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything bad happen."



She nodded before I headed out the door. I shot a glance at Amelia. "We can hang out later if you want. For now I'm gonna be outside. And, uh, here's my number if you need to call me." I said to Becca.



"I don't have a cellphone." Becca said. I clicked my tongue before giving a slight nod.



"I'll fix that next time I visit." I said before leaving the house.



As I headed outside, I could hear Ryan and Homelander above me on the roof. "Dad, please. Please don't make me jump."



"Aww," Homelander gave a heart touching smile. "You called me dad."



I quickly flew up as I saw his hand on Ryan's shoulder. It was obvious he was about to push him off the roof. "Yo, Dad. Maybe we should take a different approach with Ryan."



"What do you mean?" Ryan asked alongside Homelander's questioning gaze.



"Well," I said, bobbing my head side to side as I positioned myself in front of Ryan so he couldn't be pushed off. "I just got my powers a few months ago, right? And I couldn't fly at first. Me and Dad flew to the top of my roof, just like you two did. And we did it by. . . trial by fire so to speak."



"What do you mean?" Ryan asked.



"I was going to jump off the roof." I said with a chuckle. "Only, I was too scared. Like you are right now. And that's understandable."



"So, he asked me to push him off the roof." Homelander laughed.



Ryan whipped his head back and forth between us, "Really? But. . .why?"



"Well, I had a few abilities that had me suspecting I could fly and I was right. But, I'm also older than you are so while it did freak me out, I was more prepared for something like that. So I don't think teaching you the way I did it is the right way to go about it. Not to mention I hit the ground like 12 times before I figured it out."



Ryan giggled. "12 times? Did it hurt?"



"Only my pride." I muttered with some embarrassment. "All the neighbor kids were watching me so there were some laughs to be had. What I'm saying is, I have a better idea that isn't so scary."



"Okay." Ryan let out a sigh of relief, "Let's do that instead."



Homelander shrugged before holding an arm out, "Sure. If you think you've got a way, I'm all ears."



"Great. Let's head down. I think you'll get the hang of it in no time."

---

Amelia followed Becca outside at the sight of Eric, Homelander, and Ryan flying down from the roof. Becca strode forwards as Ryan looked a little relieved before Eric strode over with a ladder that he grabbed from a nearby shed.



"Okay. So, just climb up here, Ryan." Eric said with a gentle tone. "I'm standing right here, so no matter what even if you fall, I'll catch you."



Ryan still looked unsure, but climbed regardless. Becca bit her lip as she bounced on her heels in nervousness. And while it was obviously against her mom's wishes, Amelia wanted to see what they were doing.



As soon as Ryan was about five feet in the air, Eric floated up beside him. "Okay. So, I have telekinesis. Do you know what that is?"



Ryan shook his head. "No. What is it?"



"It means I can move things with my mind. So, I'm gonna stay right beside you and we're going to ease you into it. That way, you'll become more accustomed to heights and overcome the fear of falling. Grab my arm."



Ryan did so before Eric smiled. "Right now, I've got a sort of bubble around you. So, that feeling of falling and being midair will be muted. Now, whenever you're ready, take a step forward. And your mom's right there so you'll be fine."



Ryan let out a deep breath before giving a shaky nod, a dingy purple and yellow energy of fear and nervousness wafting off of him. Homelander slightly rolled his eyes at the gentle approach but was still watching with anticipation. As soon as Ryan stepped off, his grip tightened on Eric's arm and slightly flailed before slowly calming down at the feeling of staying in the air.



Ryan let out a nervous chuckle as he looked down. Amelia's eyes widened in wonder at the display of real superpowers. Seeing how someone felt at any given moment didn't really rank up there in terms of people like Spider-man for her. So to see real powers was exciting.



"Okay, I'm gonna float away now." Eric said calmly. "I'm not going to let the bubble go until you're ready. And if you fall, we'll try a few more times."



Ryan nodded before he found himself hovering in the air. A few seconds later, Ryan nodded at Eric to let him go. And he instantly dropped to the ground before Eric caught him again. "Don't sweat it bud." Eric said. "Remember, it took me 12 tries of falling off a roof. You can do it."



So for the next few minutes, Ryan let himself fall before, finally, everyone watched him slowly float to the ground rather than plummet. "Woah! Did you do that?" Ryan asked.



Eric shook his head, a bright blue of excitement surrounding him. "Nope. You did that all on your own. Good job, man!" he said, giving him a high five. "Now all you need is to keep practicing. But, uh, from a safe distance from others. Powers can still be dangerous. Always be aware of that."



As Homelander grinned, giving Ryan a congratulatory hug, Eric's phone rang out before he picked it up, his eyes widened. "Shit!"



"What is it?" Homelander asked.

"Nothing I can't handle!" Eric called out as the wind around them whipped through the area as he was suddenly wearing a supersuit before he floated into the air. "I'll be back later! Good job, Ryan! Amelia, we'll practice as well later. And Becca, I'll get you a phone!"



And with that, Amelia watched in wonder as he flew off in a sonic boom, disappearing in a single instant. "Woah." she let out a tiny whisper.



Homelander smirked. "I know. Eric's pretty impressive."



Her mind drifted to the images of superheroes like Superman and Thor. She realized right then and there, that she wanted that too. To be strong. Strong enough to keep her and her family safe. And to fly.

---

"Get his hands!" Butcher yelled out before Kimiko tackled her brother. And just as he went to launch a psychic blast at the boys, Kimiko shoved his hand off center, causing him to strike the police helicopter.



Laura winced as it crumpled, spinning out of control as it headed straight at the water. A sonic boom sounded before the helicopter immediately suspended above the water. Everyone's eyes widened as they looked over at the caped individual staring at them with narrowed eyes as he held the helicopter up.



"It's fucking Valor!" MM called out.



"We gotta fucking go!" Butcher called out, rushing for the boat controls as Valor locked eyes with Laura who stared back at him with a suspicious look. He held her gaze for a second before tearing it away and looking back up at the police chopper.



"Are you all right in there?" he called out.



Some groans sounded, "We're alive."



"Hold tight. I'm taking you to shore." he said, leveling a glare at Laura and them before taking off with the helicopter towards the shoreline.



Laura grunted as Butcher turned the boat around. "We've got 5 minutes. We need to get the fuck out of here, now!"



MM blew out a breath before glancing at her, "You better get those adamantium rounds on hand."



Laura brought out her pistol. "I'm already ahead of it."



"What's adamantium?" Hughie asked.



"Special metal from an old contact of Laura's." Frenchie said with a shake of his head. "I've never seen anything like it. Unbreakable metal as far as we can tell. No super has ever broken any of it."



"It's also super fuckin' rare." Butcher said with annoyance.



Hughie glanced at her with an unsure look. "What contact?"

"A dead supe." she said bluntly. "Made a whole bunch of special materials for me before she bit the bullet."



"What was her name?" Hughie asked.



". . . she didn't have one." Laura said quietly before loading the gun.

---

The police officers groaned as I slowly helped them out of the destroyed 'copter. As I laid them down in the sand, I used the radio to call for an ambulance, quickly telling them their injuries and their locations.



"You two are gonna be fine. Some cracked ribs, a broken bone or two, and minor concussions. Nothing life threatening. Stay here and try not to move. An ambulance is on the way." I said firmly.



"Thanks, Valor." One of the men groaned out.

"No problem. I'm going after them." I said, lifting off the ground.



"Catch them, Valor!" The other one said with narrowed eyes. "Don't let that terrorist escape."



"I won't. Count on it." I said before taking off.



As I flew back towards the area I'd caught the helicopter, my mind drifted to the familiar words I'd heard. Adamantium. No. I must've heard wrong. Clearing my head, I quickly flew forward before I caught sight of a dead, beached whale with its guts hanging out. And leaning against it distraught and heartbroken was none other than Deep. I let out a sigh before shaking my head. Jesus. Even though he was a bit of an ass, I felt a little bad. If anyone could change their ways, Deep was near the top of the list. Or so I hoped.



Quickly landing, I walked over to Deep. "Deep." I called out to him, causing him to turn towards me.



Some footsteps sounded from behind me as well, causing me to glance back and see the Seven, excluding my father. I could also see Blindspot. Good. Deep walked over to me, embracing me in a hug.



"Valor, Hey."



"What happened, man?" I asked.



"They killed her. They fucking killed her, man." he said with a depressed tone, "I was just trying to help out. Ya know, I got some intel on the boat and we tried to cut 'em off and then they rammed right into her."



I patted his back as he sobbed into my shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I was just gonna, like, try to stop them. I mean, fuck, I tried to cut them off–" He rambled as I pulled back.



"It'll be alright man. Did you see which way they went?" I asked him firmly.



He shook his head, "No, sorry. I was too busy worrying about Lucy, but I think they went off into the storm drains. Can't be too far."



Starlight let out an angry huff as I looked towards the drainage tunnels, seeing the 6 of them from the boat, scattered. This was very familiar to me. So I had a pretty good idea what was about to happen next regarding Stormfront. Yeah, like I was gonna let that happen.



"Uh, who invited you, exactly?" Starklight started.



"Not now!" I interjected loudly, cutting her off. "Save the argument for later. We have more important matters to attend to. If you can't do that, then leave." I snapped before turning towards Deep.



"I want a perimeter of sharks circling the coast. If they can get another boat then I want you on it as quickly as possible. A-train. You head up to the maintenance exit, keep circling it. If they find a way out of the drains, you apprehend them. Noir, you go with him for back up. Stormfront, I want you in the air providing an aerial response. Blindspot, Starlight, you two are with me. And Maeve, head up above us. If the supe is powerful enough to take a helicopter down, I don't want to chance an impromptu exit up through the street. Let's move people!" I barked.



As soon as everyone moved out, I stayed behind for a second. I glanced at Deep with a sigh, "Listen, man. You're heart's in the right place, I can see it. But you've gotta think these things through a bit more."



Deep nodded. "I got you, bro. Okay."



I gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Get that perimeter up for now. I'm counting on you to cut off a water escape. Good luck."



"I won't let you down, Valor!" He called out before heading for the water.



I nodded with a deep breath as I headed into the drains. I sure hoped so.

---

Starlight's eyes widened before she blasted Hughie off his feet. A second later, Blindspot came into view, putting Starlight at ease as compared to the others. "Sweet, you caught one."



Starlight shifted a bit as he walked up before he glanced at Hughie as he coughed, rolling over to look up at him. "His movements, heartbeat, chemicals in his body, they're all over the place. More than normal for someone scared. So's yours." he said as he looked at her. "Do you know this guy?"



"He's my ex." Starlight muttered.



Blindspot's eyebrows shot up, "Shit, really? That's fucked up. Well, there were more than one from what Valor said and this guy's clearly not the super."



"No, he's not." Valor's voice carried throughout the tunnel as he stepped into the light. "Hey, Hughie. Long time no see. Haven't seen you since the Believe expo."



"H-Hey, Valor." Hughie stammered, nervously.



"Good job, Blindspot. You head that way and search for the others. I'll handle this." I said, pointing at the opposite direction of Butcher's group who I could hear hiding down the side of the tunnel beside me. He gave a nod before taking off. I tilted my head before flicking my fingers, lifting Hughie up off the ground once Blindspot was gone before I looked at Starlight. "Do it."



She looked at me with a hesitant uneasy look. I shot a stern look at her. "He's a part of the group that just crashed a police helicopter. No one is killing him but he is getting arrested." I said firmly, pulling a pair of handcuffs from my belt and handing them to her. "Cuff him. I'm not my father. I believe in due process."



I could see the moment of relief enter her face before she took the handcuffs.



"Oi, Cunt!"



Starlight glanced at me with a shocked expression before I turned to look at him and Laura. "William Butcher, right? You're Becca's husband." I said calmly before he let out a scoff. "She's–"



"You talk a lot, kid. Maybe this will shut you the fuck up." the woman from the boat grunted before they turned to the side and let a Japanese man through. I narrowed my eyes as he flicked his hands sideways, causing the ground to start to collapse under me. And before I could do anything else, he ripped his hands downward.



My eyes widened as I heard the bus falling through the ceiling directly over me. And over Hughie and Starlight. Fuck! I turned, pushing them to the side and out of the way before the bus crashed down on top of me, forcing me to the ground. I felt the tunnels rumble around me before I looked around, slowly moving the rubble away from me, careful not to cause a sink hole in the city. What a fucking idiot.



A few seconds later, I slowly climbed through the rubble, coming face to face with Butcher and his crew. He looked at me with wide eyes before I heard the voices.



"Bitch, if you hurt any of these fucking people, the only person dying today will be you."



"Oh, calm down, your highness. As long as they don't get in my way, they'll be fine."



Climbing out of the rubble, Starlight went to say something before I ignored her, flying up out of the hole and into the sky. Stormfront was in the middle of chasing them down through the apartment complex. With speed matching A-train's, I rushed through the building evacuating it, ignoring Kimiko and her brother in favor of the civilians. As soon as the last person was out, I flew up towards the roof.



"Aww, can't do your magic little hand thingy anymore? How come?"



He let out a shriek of pain as he sobbed. I could see Maeve rushing away from Kimiko as she shouted at Stormfront, "Hey! He said no killing!"



"Open your eyes. Look at me. I like to see the light go out. Fucking yellow bastar–"



I ripped Stormfront off of him with a growl, throwing her into the air as I blasted her in the chest with my lasers, driving her down through the building and into the street, creating a crater in the road. I glanced at Maeve. "You stay here, I'll handle her."



Maeve gave a thumbs up before I flew down towards Stormfront who was slowly standing up and dusting herself off with a wince as she held her chest. I slowly floated down, staying above her in the sky as I leveled a glowing glare at her, my cape billowing behind me. Needless to say, she didn't move.

---

"I think this calls for a celebration, don't you all!" Stormfront said with excitement as she strolled the building with people applauding. Edgar gave a lazy blink at her antics as she smirked at Maeve who simply sent a sneer back at her. He rolled his eyes as he glanced at her.



I was staring at the window not sparing her a glance as I thought about the last few hours' events. Edgar was reporting on the damages of the attack from Kimiko's brother as I stood quietly.



I nodded at him before Stormfront stepped in front of the cameras, the news anchor recording her as she gave a report on the supe terrorist. "Thankfully, we were able to apprehend the supe terrorist with no casualties and very minor injuries. The property damages were to the street and several buildings are unfortunate but I think we can all safely say that that matters little in the face of the real adversity we all overcame today. Give it up for the real heroes!" she clapped, getting another round of cheers as Maeve and the rest of the Seven provided aid to the people who had lost their home to Stormfront's little flip out.



She glanced over at me as I spoke to one of the Vought officers who was responsible for the detainment of the supers I had been detaining and arresting.



"How's Kenshiro?" I asked.



The man shook his head, handing me a tablet with a video feed and a list of his injuries. It was worse than it had been originally. He seemed to have multiple contusions, electric burns, and knife wounds littering his body. Multiple broken bones, barring his hands. And his neck was swollen from Stormfront choking him and attempting to snap his neck.



"He's stable. For now. We have a lot of monitors hooked up to him keeping track of his vitals. But he's healing as far as we can tell. Hard to say if he'll make a full recovery." the man explained.



"Can he talk?" I asked.



"Talk?" he scoffed. "It's a miracle he can breathe."



I nodded. "I'll check in later. Keep me posted." I said before he left.



"Why are you wasting your breath? He's just a supe terrorist. It doesn't matter if he lives or dies." Stormfront said from behind me.



My eyes narrowed into a glare as I spun around, heat forming in my pupils. "Do you know what you were today? You weren't a hero. You weren't a soldier. You were a criminal!"



My outburst instantly hushed the crowd as all the cameras turned on us.



She scoffed in amused disbelief. "What? Are you kidding me? I stopped the guy, in case you didn't notice. And if it hadn't been for you–"



"If it hadn't been for me you'd have gone too far!" I snarled.



She snorted as she rolled her eyes. "This whole arrest over killing people thing has got to stop. You're just drawing out fights and potential danger when a quick laser from your eyes would do the trick."



"My father thought that too on flight 37." I said coldly. "And he destroyed those controls because he was careless with his powers. Like you are." I said icily.



She rolled her eyes in irritation. "That was one time and you handled it. It's easier my way."



"It has nothing to do with 'easy.' It's about doing what's right because it's right and that's the only reason you need."



"Seemed right to me." she mocked. "Maybe you need a crash course on how to do your job. You should just leave it to the pros from now on. Us older heroes know what we're doing. Because, maybe, if you had killed the guy from the get go, these people would still have their homes right now!" she said, inciting the crowd's anger towards me.



I could feel my anger rising with her as the crowd began to jeer at me in agreement with her. I nodded as I let out a dry chuckle. "Be a hero? Like you?"



"Yeah, like me." she said with a cheeky smirk.



My eyes began to glow, causing the crowd to go silent with gasps. "You're a lot of things, Clara. But you're no fucking hero. You're a lab experiment. Everything special about you came out of a bottle. I know what you are. You might have these people fooled. You might have my father fooled. Maybe even the rest of the world. But not me. I fucking see you. And I'm begging you to give me a reason to arrest you, you nazi bitch!" I snarled, turning away from her, my cape billowing behind me.



She was quiet as I stalked away from her. I spoke up towards the crowd. "Let's get something straight, right now. I don't give a fuck if you like me or not. I don't care if you hate me. You can curse me in the streets, throw fucking tomatoes at me, spit in my face, all that shit. But I will still save you no matter your opinion of me. Stay safe everybody." I said before stepping out of the door and taking off.

---

2 DAYS LATER



"Is the supervillain threat real?" Maria Menounos asked.



"Hundred percent." Homelander said. "Very real. But The Seven will protect you."



"That's right. Always listen to Maeve." He said. "She always tells the truth."



"And we're grateful every day." Maria Menounos said with a smile, "On a related subject, Compound V. Did any of you know about it before the news broke?"



"No. Absolutely not. Madelyn Stillwell, she lied to all of us." Homelander said with a sad sigh, "Turns out she was a monster. We're-we're just as hurt and upset and confused as everyone else."



"And what about you, Valor?" she started. "As the only super ever recorded that is of natural birth, does that make you feel like you have any sort of standard to live up to?"



I glanced at her with a sigh. "It does. It often feels like I'm being held to a higher standard and not only because of the whole V thing. It's not my father's fault by any means, but it does feel like I have some big shoes to fill. And I'm doing my best to do what I think is right. Even if that means I'm coming to terms with interacting with less than stellar people." I muttered with irritation.



"Let's talk #HeroesSoWhite. The numbers are rather startling. 92% of heroes are Caucasian. African American, six percent. Latin and Asian, each one percent. Why doesn't Vought want diversity?" Maria said.



"Wow. These are real hardballs, Maria Menounos." Homelander gave a hollow chuckle, "But check your facts. Let's, uh, take The Seven, for example. We've got A-Train. He's a black man. We got Black Noir. He, um… Well, he doesn't identify with any race, really, so... they're covered." he chuckled



He paused before smirking, "And... we have a gay hero."



"Really? Who in The Seven is gay?" Maria asked.



I narrowed my eyes at him, an ever so slight glow present. The cameras all faced upwards as the microphones went away from the studio as I sent out a small bubble of telekinetic force. Maria looked around in confusion before I leaned in towards Homelander, "Knock it the fuck off." I said quietly. "I don't know why you're being such a fucking asshole lately, but cut it out."



Maria sat back in shock before all the cameras and microphones returned back to their normal places before I gave a bright smile. "That was weird, huh? Camera troubles am I right? What were you saying, Maria?"



"We were just talking about how Maeve here is a strong, proud lesbian." Homelander said with a bright smile. I dropped my smile in favor of a glare. "And she has a Hispanic girlfriend. Elena. And I, for one, am so proud of her."

---

It had been hours. Fucking hours! I couldn't get a single moment to sit down with the interviews, the press conferences, the crimes, and now, people were reporting hundreds of super terrorists across the globe.



I know for a fact that this was not in the show. I looked like death warmed over by the time I could get home for the night. And I had a sneaking suspicion that Homelander was responsible for it due to my little outburst towards him regarding Maeve in the interview this morning. I glanced at the clock as I walked into my house, my senses assaulted by the sounds and smells of sex.



12:12 AM



I let out a sigh as I walked to my room, stripping out of my suit and heading towards the shower. Without so much as a glance, I ignored the moaning coming from Taylor's room before closing the bathroom door behind me. The water was on max heat as I stood there, considering how I was supposed to do this. So far, Homelander had actually done what I asked. He had refrained from using his lasers. Surprisingly.



But that didn't matter much at the moment. So much shit was happening in such a short amount of time. Stormfront had hijacked the media and was on her way to scaring the shit out of every American she could with her supervillain bullshit agenda, Homelander's whole thing with Ryan, Amelia, and Becca, Butcher and Hughie's shit, and this goddamn military deal. And for some reason, Homelander and Stormfront were apparently already fucking. When that had happened was anyone's guess. And Blindspot's position in the Seven didn't last long at all. He was already gone within 2 days of Homelander's return. At least he was alive. And with him gone, I was done with the stupid deal regarding Stormfront.



I let out a deep breath as I felt the tension drain from my body. Well, they could be assholes all they wanted and try to push for this killing nonsense. I wouldn't budge. I didn't need to kill to save people. Do good and good will follow. It was hard sometimes. Whenever she talked I just wanted to say fuck it and take her down. It would be easy too but when I took a second to breathe, to calm down, the more I thought about it the more I realized that it wasn't the answer. Vought would just swoop in and replace her. No.



No, I needed to find a way to permanently shut her down. How had they done it in the show? Somehow, it had been outed she was a nazi, but I didn't remember how. And without proof, they would just continue to call me an opinionated bigot like they were doing now. I turned the water off before drying off and getting dressed.



As I once again passed Taylor's door, I paused when I smelled it. Compound V. Or something similar. What the hell? I stepped back, slowly looking into the room. "Taylor!" I called out, making her sit up in shock.



"Jesus, dude. Can't you fucking knock?" she said in irritation as she covered herself. Lily peaked out from behind the covers with a sneer as she eyed me.



I stared at her with narrowed eyes before Taylor's face twisted into anger. An irrational amount of anger for this moment. "Dude! What the fuck do you want?"



As the seconds passed, Lily looked less and less confident as she shifted uneasily. "Where'd you get it, Lily?" I asked, turning the light on, ignoring Taylor's state of undress.



"Get what?" Taylor asked, looking between us, her mood shifting to match Lily's.



"Lily has compound V in her blood. I can smell it." I said, turning to look at Taylor before noticing her pupils were blown out and dilated. I gave her a quick scan, noticing that she had some sort of chemical in her body. Lily also had it in her body but while it seemed to excrete it more than process it, I could see that she was also affected by the effects of the whatever Lily was doing. I also felt minor tinges of arousal shoot through my body despite my complete lack of care at the moment. Something to note.



Lily sat back as I watched in a matter of seconds the chemical normalize in her body before her eyes returned to normal. She let out a scoff. "I don't know what you're talking about."



Taylor blinked a bit as she slowly began to sway on her feet before a sense of exhaustion seemed to hit her. I quickly caught her, setting her down on a nearby chair. "I. . . I don't feel very good."



"God damn it." I bit out before rushing to the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water. Lily had stood up in concern by this point.



"Tay, what's wrong?" she asked with slight panic.



"She's dehydrated." I said. "She's also lacking a lot of salt as well as other vital minerals in her body. How long have you been having sex for?"



"Not too long." Taylor said breathily.



"It's midnight, guys." I said, gently tilting her head back and helping her drink. "So if you know when you started, I need to know."



"2 and a half hours." Lily said with a shaky breath, her eyes glassy. "I didn't. . . I didn't realize–"



"It's okay, Lily." Taylor said calmly. "I'm not hurt. I just need some food and water." She grinned as she let out a quiet chuckle. "Although I think we could have gone a few more rounds."



"Yeah," I said, pulling her eyelids down as I looked for any signs of damage. "That's the problem."



Lily looked like she was about to break down by this point. "I didn't know that I-that it would–"



"I picked Taylor up before bringing her to the couch, ushering Lily to follow. As soon as we were all sitting down, I gave her a stern glance. "Talk to me, Lily. I need to know where you got this stuff, but more importantly, I need to know what your powers are."



She looked down in shame. "It's not anything special. I thought that when I first took it, I would get stronger. Strong enough to hit back if need be. But I didn't. Not really. I'm pretty durable and I can. . . feel what others are feeling and change it, enhance it, or block it all together."



"So you used it for sex?" I asked patiently.



She nodded quietly. I let out a sigh. "Where did you get it from?"



"Just. . . a drug dealer." she shrugged. Her heart beat didn't change. She was telling the truth.



"Drug dealers are able to get compound V? That. . . that has to be wrong." I started in confusion.



"It's not compound V." Lily said. "It's been going around the streets for the last few weeks but nobody's talking about it."



"Why?" I asked in confusion.



Lily stood up, walking over to her bag before pulling out a pill. "It's not the stuff the heroes have. It's temporary. Lasts about half a day. Nothing harmful but it's a real kick. People are calling it Chemical X. The powers are unique for everyone but it's always safe for the user and controllable. Jill took one and she got cat powers. Tony took one and he got small fire powers from his hands. This is all over the streets, Eric. It's not dangerous. I could eat a handful of these things and I'd be fine."



I blinked in shock at this. "Oh my god." I whispered at the potential problems this was about to raise. "Oh my fucking god!" I said aloud as I stood up. "I. . . I need to go public with this. This is a level of danger that-that-that I can't just fucking ignore!"



I looked at Taylor. "Did you know about this?"



Taylor was quiet for a second before giving a small nod. "I wasn't taking any. It's just. . . we were using it for sex."



"So you've done this before?" I asked with a tone that left no room for discussion.



She nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. It's normally not so bad. But we got so into it and she likes to–"



"I don't care about what you were using it for." I said, cutting her off. "I care that I'm dealing with superheroes whose first response to supe terrorists is killing them and now teenagers all over the city, maybe the country are about to start using a drug that gives them powers. Fuck!" I said, rushing for my suit.



"Eric, it's not that bad!" Lily said with desperation. "Nobody's using these like that."



"But what happens when they do? I could barely differentiate the smell just now. I thought you had really taken compound V. No, I need this public. The government needs to know. Forget Vought, this is a national problem in the making." As I went to step out the door with the 2 pills in hand, I paused. "Please promise me you won't use this stuff anymore."



"I–" Lily started before Taylor laid a hand on her wrist, gently squeezing it. "I promise."



And with that said, I took off. I needed a news channel. No. I stopped to think about this. If Lily was right about this, that it had been on the street for weeks, then the FDA and CIA probably already knew. And they were hiding it. I needed to make sure that this was broadcast correctly without any chance of interference. And I knew just who to talk to.

---

THE NEXT DAY, 5:12 AM



Victoria smacked her lips as she slowly woke up to the sound of her door opening and footsteps. She gave a tired smile as she groggily sat up, blindly reaching for the lamp on her nightstand. "Hey, Zo. Can you–"



She froze as the silhouette of a cape caught her attention. Quickly scootching backwards, she reached for the lamp and flicked it on. She let out an audible sigh of relief at it not being Homelander. Although, she was still uneasy, seeing as how Valor was staring her down in her bed.



"My apologies," he started quietly. "I would normally never do this but we need to discuss some important things and I couldn't risk having anyone follow me."



She eyed him up and down before nodding. "Okaaaayy? Uh–"



"I'll give you a second to get dressed." He said before exiting the room.



Neuman waited until the door was closed before she quickly stood up, rushing for her phone before shooting a text to Edgar.



'Valor is in my house! WTF is going on at Vought!'



'Interesting. Do try and find out what it is he wants. He's lost a lot of patience with Vought and the heroes here as a whole due to the whole Stormfront thing, including his father. Try and garnish as much info as you can. And he won't hurt you. He won't even hurt Stormfront. You should be safe.'



'Easy for you to say.' she muttered to herself before quickly getting dressed, throwing on some sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt, and exiting the room. As she walked into the living room, she saw him looking at something in his hands. Fuck, it was uncanny how much he could resemble his father when he wasn't being friendly. And a little terrifying.



"So. . ." she started.

---

"What did you want to talk to me about that you broke into my home?"



I glanced over at her, furrowing my brows as I pursed my lips at her choice of clothing. "I like your shirt." I said, biting back a laugh at the mickey mouse logo with a pizza stain.



"Oh, fuck off. I have an 8 year old daughter." She said with a scoff.



"Right. Sorry." I said before my smile fell as I stepped over and placed a pill on the counter contained in a small bag. "Do you know what this is?"



Victoria walked up to it, picking it up as she examined it. After a moment, she shook her head. "No. Should I?"



Eric narrowed his eyes as he scanned her. Not once did her heart beat change. She really was clueless. Which meant that Vought was too. "Shit." I said before shaking my head.



"What?" Victoria asked.



"So, if even a congresswoman doesn't know about it then we've got some real problems." I said, a tight breath escaping me as I clicked my tongue. "This is called Chemical X. The latest drug to hit the streets. I've been out all night tracking it down and gathering as much intel as I could."



Victoria narrowed her eyes in confusion, looking at the pill. "I don't get it. What's it do? And why's it so important that you needed to talk to me about it?"



"Chemical X. Otherwise known by its street name, Even Ground, gives the recipient temporary powers for around 6 hours." I said with a serious tone.



Victoria stilled as her gaze whipped to mine. "Are you serious?"



"Completely. It's not related to compound V either. Whatever it is, whoever is making it," I shrugged in irritation, "It's completely safe to the user. You could eat a whole bottle of this stuff and you'd be fine. No overdose, no side effects. And the powers are always controllable and temporary."



"None?" She asked. "It doesn't extend the time?"



"No." I shook my head. "Six hours of complete power. Everyone is bulletproof at the minimum, although the strength levels are debatable. In the last 5 hours, I've seen lava powers, flight, lasers, emotional control, cat physiology, and a lot of other shit."



"What do you want me to do about it?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "And why not bring it to Vought?"



"This is bigger than Vought." I said. "Vought only cares about shit when it lines their pockets. And now, we've got Stormfront in the limelight who's trying to push the public into a fear response over supe terrorists. This needs to be made public. The country has to know what this is. Every superhero approaches things with an almost always lethal approach to crime."



"And if people see teenagers flashing powers in public, they're going to cry super terrorist and call in Homelander." she whispered in realization before she looked up at me. "It'll be a bloodbath in the middle of the streets."



"Exactly." I said. "I can't waste time on this. This needs to be outed today. Do what you need to do and I'll handle the rest. Even if the public isn't too fond of me right now, this is more important." I said, pocketing the pill once more. "Once it's made public, the FDA will be forced to acknowledge the drug."



"Do they even know about it?" She asked.



"If they do, they aren't saying anything about it." I huffed as I looked at her for the last time. "Here's my number. Call me when you're ready." I said before I turned to leave. And immediately paused as I caught sight of a metal plaque on the wall. I paused, walking up to it.



". . . Where did you get this?" I asked with a tone that left no room for argument, picking it up off the wall.



"An old girlfriend made it for me as a gift." Victoria said with heavy confusion. "Why?"



I looked down at it with a chilling realization. I wasn't alone. I wondered if I was alone growing up, thinking to myself that maybe Amelia's birth and that woman with Butcher was just the result of an alternate universe. But now, with the early reveal of Compound V, the sudden appearance of a drug called Chemical X, and the framed metal logo of Superman I was holding, I knew. There were others. Others influencing the world's events around me and I was just the unlucky asshole who'd gotten the big powers.



Victoria looked at me as I sat in silence, thinking things through. Eventually, I shook my head before rehanging the frame. "What's her name?"



"Excuse me?" Victoria asked.



"You're ex. The one who made that S. What's her name?" I asked.



Victoria narrowed her eyes with suspicion before finally speaking. "Laura."



I hummed before heading out the door. "I'll be waiting."

---

"Chemical X is dangerous, it's volatile, and if left unchecked, could cause massive problems for the people of the United States and maybe more if we don't get on top of it. So to anyone watching this that has been aware of this drug or even using it, I say this. Stop. For the safety of your loved ones and for yourselves, please cease in using it. That's all I have to say. Thank you ,Congresswoman Neuman, for this opportunity to address the public."



As I went to step off stage, I was greeted to the sounds of hundreds of people shouting words at me. As I kept moving, getting ready to take off, I paused as I heard the words echo from somewhere in the ocean of voices. Inaudible to anyone else, but not to me.



"You will never be Superman!"



I stopped, looking out at the crowd, looking for who said it. After a moment, I let out a small chuckle before giving a bright smile as the crowd quieted down. "I know that. But I can still make the best choices that I can."



And with that being said, I took off.

---

Dang, I am constantly surprised by the amount of support this fic is getting. It makes me overjoyed to know people like it that much. I've also gotten quite a lot of questions regarding Eric and the story.

Let's start with the big one. If Eric decides to kill anyone anytime soon, it will be the absolute LAST option. For now, he is still on his no kill rule, naturally.



Second, I might introduce a variant of Super Duper. I'm not sure yet.



And as for Amelia's powers. Those will be revealed in the next chapter. For now, enjoy and let me know what you guys think!

 

[The Desecrated One]

"No, Lily! I'm pissed at you!" Taylor growled into the phone, shoving past some people as she left the store.



"Why?" Lily asked in confusion and a little hurt by her tone.



"Gee, why do you think? It's not like you coerced me into sex with fucking superpowers." Taylor spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm.



"You didn't seem mad when Eric caught us. I thought–"



"I played that off because he would have fucking arrested you! I had to sit there and lie to him, saying we'd done that before and that I knew about whatever that fucking pill was because I knew that he wouldn't be okay with it! And then I nearly–" Taylor snarled as she threw the groceries in the back before slamming the door and starting the car. "You told me you had something to show me and then said you had powers. I, like a fucking idiot, believed you and trusted you to be responsible and safe with them. Not immediately abuse them to fuck me. Jesus fucking Christ, it's like I'm talking to Shane right now!"



"I–" Lily cut herself off before she continued quietly. "I thought that you. . . that we were–"



"Lily, have I ever shown interest in you like that?" she said, pulling out of the parking lot. "I have never viewed us in any sort of regard like that. You're lucky I'm even talking to you right now." she snapped.



Lily sniffled before starting, "I didn't mean to. . . do that to you."



"You can say rape." Lily said harshly. "That's what that was."



"No!" Lily defended, "Tay, I would never hurt you. I just didn't think that–"



"Right." Taylor nodded, "You didn't think. And what made you think that I would even want to be in a relationship any time soon? It's only been a month and a half since Shane."



A scoff sounded through the phone, "Is that why you're hanging off Eric anytime I come over? Or why anytime we're around, you always bring him up? Oh, look at Eric, isn't he so fucking heroic? He's saving the world and shit. Blah fucking blah."



Lily nodded as she let out a harsh laugh, "Ya know what, no! I get it, you're fucking sister got killed by a super, okay? But that doesn't mean every fucking person with powers acts that way!"



"Oh, what? Like Shane?" Lily snapped. "Please. Eric's the same as all the rest. He's just not letting you see it because he wants to fuck you."



"Oh, really? You mean acting like how you did?" Taylor called her out. "You got powers and the first thing you fucking did was come over and use them on me. Just to fuck me."



"I am nothing like them. I don't kill people and fucking laugh about it! So I made a mistake, I'm sorry Taylor. But if you think for even a second that Eric isn't doing it too, then you're more naive than I thought. Look at Shane. He got a single toe in and all of a sudden he's fucking other women, doing drugs, and hurting people. Wow. What a real stand up guy. Real super hero that one. You sure know how to pick up, T."



Taylor let out a small growl as she grit her teeth. "I'm gonna shut up before I say something that I will seriously regret later. As for us, this is on pause. I need space and you need to take some time to yourself and look at how you're acting and treating other people. Goodbye, Lily!" she snapped before hanging up.



Letting out a shaky breath as she clenched the steering wheel, she headed back home.

---

Taylor blew out a breath as she brought the groceries inside before seeing Eric's suit laying on the end of the couch. Picking it up revealed some burns along the edges of the cape and quite a few stains of smoke, soot, possibly blood, and definitely vomit. She cringed before tossing it into the laundry room before letting out a hum, heading to Emily's old study. Eric had turned it into a sort of detective's office complete with case files and everything. As she opened the door, she saw Eric passed out at the desk, multiple files strewn around the room.



She glanced at the clock, seeing it was around noon. Rolling her eyes, she walked over to the window before yanking the curtains open, letting sunlight rush into the room. He let out a groan as he turned his head the other way.



"Dude. You stink and it's past noon. Wake up, take a shower, and go get something to eat. And what the hell happened to your suit? I've seen you stand in fire before and nothing ever happens to it. How does that work by the way? I've seen Homelander's suit get totalled before but never yours."



Eric let out a low pathetic sound before slowly floating, causing Taylor to roll her eyes once more, muttering, "Lazy ass."



"I've been running rampant all of yesterday after the public exposure of Chem X. Let's just say, there's never been as many superheroes injured before this week as there are right now. And it's only getting worse. It's a miracle I've kept so many heroes from killing them and vice versa. My suit is just the result of more than one fight."



"And the vomit?" Taylor asked with a disgusted tone.



"Caught a little kid who fell out a window." he shrugged before leaving the study.



"Do I even wanna know how that happened?" Taylor asked.



"No." he said without pause. "You really don't."



Taylor was quiet as she leaned against the bathroom door after Eric had entered. A second later, she glanced at his suit laying in a pile on the ground. "Can I ask a weird question?"



"I mean, sure, but expect a weird answer." he said, the sounds of the shower turning on.



"Your suit's design. It's bright and flashy. Fits Homelander's color scheme and everything. Even looks a little similar."



"Okay?" Eric said, a little unsure of where this was going. "What about it?"



"Well, it's very well designed. Like, extremely well. The colors, the stream lining, even the way everything highlights one another. But there's something off. Two things, actually. So, I wanted to ask, is your suit's design originally for a woman? Because the way the lining accents the body, it looks more like it should be on a woman's curves."



Taylor waited, the sounds of the water filling the hall. After a few seconds, Eric spoke up. "Yeah."



Taylor grinned. "Called it. And as for the other thing, I can't place it, but something looks off about it."



"It's not supposed to have a cape." Eric said, the water turning off. "And turn the red belt into a red sash with a golden medallion buckle."



Taylor narrowed her eyes before they widened. "Yeah! Yeah, that looks a lot better!"



He stepped out of the bathroom, brushing his hair while yanking the brush through it with a force that made Taylor wanna snatch the brush from him.



"Why do you treat your hair like that?" she muttered aghast before pausing, narrowing her eyes at him. "That's bad for your hair to keep doing that." She said before turning to the outfit. "But back to the suit. Why not make one more tailored for a man. It looks good but it's definitely not cementing itself as you." She paused before her face lit up. "Oh! What about that guy you used to draw all the time? The one with the S. His suit looks like it would compliment you!"



He said nothing as he glanced to the side before shaking his head. "No, I don't think I could wear that suit."



"What! You totally could. You'd need a hair cut and maybe a slightly different color scheme and suit design, maybe make it gold? But I could make it for you. I am going into the fashion industry after all." She said with excitement.



Eric blew out a breath as he looked at his totalled suit. "Well, regardless of how I choose to wear a suit, I think I can safely say this one is trashed. Cape's useless. So I guess. . ."



Taylor watched as he threw the suit top into the wash before grabbing the boots and gloves. After about 10 minutes, she could see the makings of a barely passable outfit laid out on the couch. Emphasis on the barely.

---

"You want me to pick up anything on my way back later for dinner?" He asked as he stopped at the door.



"Hmmmmmm," she puckered her lips in thought. "Can you get one of those pizzas from that place in Italy?"



"The one in Naples?" he asked.



"Yeah, that one. That was sooo good." she moaned. "I've been craving garlic lately. And could you get me some materials to make a suit for you? I think it'll be fun."



He shrugged before nodding. "Will do. See ya later, T."



Taylor waved him out the door before he took off for the day. He'd thrown a jacket over the suit top while wearing some blue cargo pants with a dark red belt he'd had laying around. It surprisingly didn't look too bad if one were to make it with the same type of materials as the original suit. With a shrug, she grabbed a notebook before sketching the suit design up. It looked a million times better in her mind. And it didn't have that gaudy cape with stars on it, thank god.



She hoped the materials that Eric brought her would be enough to make a proper suit, because whatever drugs that Vought was on was some strong shit. What were they thinking? Any competent fashion designer should have been able to see that his suit's design was for a woman. Ugh.



As she absent mindedly sketched up some other minor designs, her mind shifted to the S. Eric had drawn it a lot when they were kids. He'd drawn a few other logos too. A skull, a shield with a star in the center, a bat, an eagle-esque W, some weird green and white circle logo, and most often, a spider. She didn't know why, but the spider and the S were the big ones he always drew. But whenever Homelander was brought up, it always looped back to that S.



She'd seen it enough times to draw it off memory alone. Hell, she was surprised he'd never put it on a shirt. It was pretty cool, but maybe that was childhood bias talking. As she began coloring it, her phone went off. She looked at it, seeing it was her mom.



"Hey, mom, what's up?"



"Hi honey. What are you up to?"



"Just chilling." she said, chewing on the end of her pencil as she leaned back into the cushions. "Why?"



"We were wondering if we could stop by. Is Eric there?" she asked.



'No. He headed out for the day." she said, tossing the book down on the end table before grabbing the VS5 controller and flicking it on. "But I guess. I don't see why not."



"Alrighty, we'll be there soon." and with that, they hung up.



As she killed time playing some video games, about an hour later, she turned her head at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. She glanced out before her eyes widened in shock, her game quickly forgotten. "Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me." she muttered to herself, grinding her teeth in agitation. Quickly whipping her phone out, she sent a text to Eric.

---

I listened mindlessly to Edgar talk about a few things regarding movie sales and other random stuff that I couldn't be bothered to care about. Beside me sat Maeve and Starlight who looked about as done with this shit as I was. I honestly was more concerned with Chemical X and how it was affecting the country. So far, I'd made quite a bit of progress tracking down some sources of potential manufacturing points. Nothing I was going to share with Vought though.



My phone chimed with a cute little jingle that Taylor had chosen after she'd been visibly mortified that my notifications had been a blaster sound from Star Wars. Unfortunately, Maeve recognized the noise by this point as she elbowed me teasingly.



Without even sparing Edgar a glance, I pulled my phone out to check what she had sent me. And promptly stood up. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." I growled as I went to walk out of the room.



"Valor, this is rather important." Edgar said.



I rolled my eyes. "It's a marketing thing and I couldn't care less. Your little nazi over there already has me at negative points according to ashley, whatever the fuck that means. Maeve, you wanna come? I know you wanted to meet her."



"Yep." she said, popping the word as she stood up without so much as a word.



Edgar sighed before giving a tight smile at Stormfront's snort. As we headed for the roof with my bag in hand, Maeve looked over at me. "What did she send you that has you so upset?"



I wordlessly handed her the phone. She glanced down at the message.



'Come back. Shane's here. My parents brought him.'



"This is that kid you had the contest with, right? Her ex?" Maeve asked.



"Yeah." I said as I laid a hand on Maeve's shoulder before taking off and flying over the city and back towards my house. "He's also the supe I arrested in Vegas about two months ago."



"Well, this should be fun." Maeve said before we landed.



I tilted my head as I heard the conversation inside.



"No, Shane! Get the fuck out! And you two! What the fuck is the matter with you? I told you what happened with him and you went behind my back and brought him here? I thought we were doing good but you're back on the same bullshit!"



"Babe, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking straight when we were in Vegas. I was–"



"Shut the fuck up! There is nothing you can say right now that makes any of what you did okay. The only reason you're here is because your sad and lonely because you fucked up your career!"


"Taylor, Shane really is sorry. He's been talking to us and told us how everything went down before Eric showed up. And he's deeply ashamed of how he conducted himself and he just wants to make amends and get a second chance."



"Second chance? A second chance! Are you fucking kidding me, right now? There is–"



I opened the door before stepping inside and set my bag off to the side, my brows furrowed as I examined the sight before me. "Mr and Mrs. Pearse. Shane." I said tightly with a curt nod. "Wanna explain what's going on?"



Maeve stepped inside, looking at the house with a hum. "Nice place you got here."



Taylor's eyes widened ever so slightly and if not for the situation at hand, I had no doubt that she'd have been jumping for joy at meeting her. Shane let out a low breath, "This doesn't concern you, Roth."



"Well," I clicked my tongue, "It's in my house and Taylor's living with me, sooooo, I think it does. And especially considering what happened last time we saw each other, I'd think it's a good idea for me to be here."



Shane narrowed his eyes in anger before glancing at Taylor, "So, what? You break up with me and then you turn around and fuck Eric?"



"I didn't break up with you, Shane. You told me to fuck off when I called you, blamed me for everything, then you fucking ghosted me!" she seethed. "So, no. You don't get another chance. This is over."



"Shane, could you give us a moment?" Taylor's mom said gently.



He nodded before stepping outside, casting me a look of scrutiny. Her parents glanced at me with an expectant look. "Unless Taylor asks me to step out, I'm not going anywhere. Last time Shane and I saw each other, I had to physically restrain him from killing people at a casino 'cause he was coked out of his mind."



Taylor narrowed her eyes at her parents before she shook her head. "Whatever you wanna say to me, you can say in front of Eric."



Her father grunted, "Fine. If you say so." he turned to me. "Are you dating my daughter?"



"Nope." I simply said, leaning against the wall.



"Uh huh. And are you planning on trying to start a relationship with her?"



I glanced at Taylor who was visibly pissed off at the situation. "I don't think that's on anyone's mind at the current moment."



He nodded before looking at Taylor. "So, you're not dating Shane anymore. You're not dating Eric. You dropped out of med school. And now you're crashing on your friend's couch. What exactly is the plan, Taylor?"



"The plan? The plan is for me to live my fucking life without toxic people in it! And I'm in college."



"Yeah, for fashion. I remember." He drawled in annoyance. "Can't wait to see how that goes. And how are you paying for all that and your rent?"



"I'm not making her pay rent." I spoke up. "You knew this." I said with a slightly annoyed tone. "So don't try and use that in some twisted way and insinuate that I'll blackmail her for sex or something equally slimy, because I won't." I slightly snapped.



Taylor's mom let out a sigh before clearing her throat. "Can we all please take a breath to calm down? Eric, honey, we're not insinuating that. We're just trying to do what's best for our daughter."



"No, you're trying to do what's best for you." Taylor said with irritation. "I never needed Shane's money. And I don't need it now. You didn't see how he was treating me. I didn't feel safe. And the fact he got let out with a slap on the wrist is fucking horrible. So no, mom, I'm not taking Shane back. He can go find a different girlfriend. And the only reason you want me to date him is for his money."



"Well, that sounds pretty final to me." Maeve finally spoke up. "I think it best you leave."



Taylor's father scoffed. "Do you really think that Eric isn't using you? You ditched him in once you got to high school for Shane. People don't just forgive that."



I raised a brow at that. I'm sensing some projection here. Taylor glared at the man. "I think it's time for you to go. And take Shane with you. We're never getting back together."



He rolled his eyes before standing and walking towards the door, shoulder checking me. Obviously I rolled with it lest he break his arm. Taylor's mom gave me an apologetic look before giving her daughter a sorrowful nod as she gently stepped past me, following her husband out the door. Taylor was quiet as she watched all three of them leave the driveway before letting out a frustrated scream into a couch cushion.



Maeve patted her on the back. "Yeah, I know the feeling. My dad sucks too. When I was a kid he had me do three mall appearances and a photo shoot for Teen Vogue all to the cash for my braces, which he then blew at the five-dollar table at Circus Circus."



Taylor shook her head with a mirthless chuckle. "I thought things were getting better since I moved out. But of course they're still doing this." Taylor said incredulously. "I don't know why I expected anything different."



Maeve blew out a breath. "Family sucks."



I looked around awkwardly before reaching down and grabbing the bag I'd brought along and tossed it into her lap. "Merry Christmas."



"What's this?" she asked, unzipping the duffel bag.



I watched quietly before her eyes widened in wonder and excitement.



"Is this the materials your guys' suits are made of?" she asked.



"Yep." I said. "Go nuts."



Maeve narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Why'd you buy those for her? You planning a cosplay?"



"Wait, you bought these?" she asked.



"Yeah, we have to if the suit department isn't making them for us. Any abundance of fabrics, metals, twine, etc. You name it and we have to pay for it. And judging by the type of fabrics and whatever else you've got in that bag, you're probably holding around 15,000 dollars." Maeve nodded.



Taylor's eyes widened before she leveled a look of disbelief at me. "Eric, what the fuck! You could have said no! I would've totally understood. This-This is too much." she stuttered.



I waved her off. "At the risk of sounding like a rich asshole, I'll say this. That was cheap for me."



She blinked before looking between Maeve and I. "How much money do you guys get doing all this?"



I bobbed my head side to side. "Let's see. It's hard to put a number on it, but let's start with a statistic. Copyright infringement costs Vought about 1.4 billion I wanna say?" Maeve nodded. "Yeah, around 1.4 a year alone. Now the Seven get about 0.75 percent of their marketing and merchandise. My father, Maeve, and Black Noir get 1 percent. So do I. So just going off that single 1.4 billion, I make close to 14 million a year. That's not including the actual profiting I make when I'm doing signings."



"Or acting, or directing, or guest appearances." Maeve listed off. "I'm a billionaire kid."



Taylor's mouth fell open in shock at the information before turning to me. "And how much do you have?"



"I haven't checked lately." I said. "But besides my car that I got so you'd have something to drive around in and some groceries, I don't spend my money, like, ever. I know I'm already in the million range. But I never really cared about all that stuff." I shrugged. "So make the suit you wanna make, T. The money doesn't matter to me."



Taylor shook her head before looking at some of the contents of the bag. ". . . Is this–"



"The metal I use for my bracers." Maeve said. "It's a pain in the ass to work with but you should have it handled as long as you're careful."



"Right." She nodded.



As Maeve and Taylor devolved into girl talk, I looked out the window, my mind drifting to Becca and her kids. "Maeve, you gonna chill out here for a while?"



"Yeah, why? You got somewhere to be?"



"Something like that. I'll be back in a couple hours." I said as I went into my room, changing out of the outfit and into some normal clothes before grabbing the phone I'd bought Becca. "I'll make sure I pick up that pizza from Naples on the way back."



Taylor nodded dismissively as she gushed about some sort of leather. I rolled my eyes as I left the house.

---

Flying over the trees, I immediately paused at the sight of the wall around the small town. What the hell? Had that always been here? Shaking my head, I landed in the front lawn before I gave a gentle knock.



"Wait, Amelia, don't–"



The door opened to reveal little Amelia looking at me with a smile.



And Becca directly behind her in a towel with wide eyes. I quickly turned around. "I'll just. . . wait out here for you to get dressed."



I heard a sound that vaguely sounded like gratitude before the door closed. Butcher was a lucky man. That's all I had to say about that. A few minutes later, Becca opened the door fully clothed. "Hey, uh, Eric. You wanna come in?"



I shrugged before stepping inside. "Where's Ryan?"



"At piano lessons." Amelia signed.



I grunted before handing Becca a small box. "What's this?" she asked.



"A new cell phone." I said. "My number's on the inside of the box in case you need to call."



She nodded appreciatively. "So. . . can I ask why you're here?"



"Well," I looked around. "I figured that Ryan was getting a good grasp on his powers so far so Amelia should learn to as well."



She looked uneasy at that before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but I really don't feel comfortable with that. It's bad enough that Ryan has his. . . father," she said the word with difficulty, "hovering around him and teaching him to use them. I don't need my daughter to follow alongside him."



I let out a sigh before pulling my phone out and scrolling to the photos of my school from when mine had activated. "Here. Look at this."



She hesitantly took my phone, looking at the photos with uncertainty. "What am I looking at? The damages?"



"Yeah," I nodded. "That's what I did a few months back when my powers activated. Thankfully, I was far enough away from anyone that I didn't hurt anyone. Powers are dangerous, Becca. And left unchecked and untrained, they will prove lethal to anyone around Amelia here. I'm not trying to turn your daughter into a superhero. Believe me, that's the furthest thing from my mind. But she should at least learn to turn them on and off for safety's sake."



Becca looked at the photos again before handing me my phone back. "Fine. But nothing dangerous, alright!" she slightly snapped. "She's only 8."



"You have my word. Nothing dangerous. I'm only here to help." I said with a gentle tone before looking at Amelia. "What do you say, kid? You wanna learn how to use your powers?"

She looked up at me with wide eyed wonder before nodding. As we stepped outside, Becca stopped me for a quick second. "Can I use your phone for a quick second? I need to set this up and–"



Without waiting for her explanation, I handed it to her. "Just let me know if I get a text from anyone." And then we walked out the back door.

---

For around ten minutes, I struggled to get her to loosen up around me. While she looked somewhat excited to learn how to use her powers, she still looked nervous around me. After a moment, a thought came to me. If I was wrong I would just brush it off as me being weird. But if I was right, then maybe she'd feel more at ease beside me.



"Can I ask you a question?" I said gently. She gave a hesitant nod before I took a seat on the grass across from her. "Are you a fan of Wonder Woman?"



Her eyes went wide as she looked at me in shock. I grinned. "I personally liked Superman more, ya know. Spider-man was also pretty cool to me."



"You're like me!" she signed in wonder.



I nodded with a small laugh. "I suppose so. I think I was 20 when I went out. Hunting trip with my dad and a few friends. I got shot. Nothing malicious of course. It was just bad luck. It's made me more aware of gun safety to say the least."



She gave a small sad smile before shakily lifting her hands. "I was 13. My. . ." her fingers slightly shook as she paused, struggling to sign the words.



I gently took her hand. "Amelia. You don't need to feel obligated to share that with me. I just want you to know you're not alone."



She gave a small smile, her eyes glassy with unfallen tears before she ran her sleeve across her face with a sniffle.



"Now, you want to try using your powers?" I asked. With a sniffle, she gave an determined nod. And so we got to it. For almost an hour we practiced until finally–



"I did it!" Amelia cried in joy as her hands let out a light golden glow. I grinned at her words. I think it was the first thing she'd said at all around me. "Mom! Come look!" she yelled excitedly, hopping up and down.



Becca came out the door as she looked at her daughter with a smile. "Good job, baby! I'm proud of you."



She turned to face me with a toothy grin. "What does it do?"



I hummed as I kneeled down beside her. "Well, let's find out. Becca, make sure you're a safe distance away. I don't want you getting hurt."



Becca nodded before going back inside. I gently lifted her arm at the target I'd set up at the end of the yard. "Alright, so we've figured out how to call it forward, time to find out the limits of what it can do."



After a few seconds of coaching her, she let out a small bolt of golden light, her tiny hand smoking with a sort of light trail. The target crumpled, sizzling with small burns. I could tell it wouldn't be immediately lethal to a normal human as long as it didn't hit them in the head. But it would definitely break bones.



"That's great!" I said with a smile. "Now, I want you to try and ease up on it. Lessen your concentration slowly. We want to find a lower output."



And so, over the next half hour, we practiced and practiced until she could reliably use her powers to a nonlethal degree. And then we practiced utilizing a stronger output that could destroy a building. Needless to say, she got the hang of it pretty quickly. Becca gave us a little leeway once she had the control necessary to go up and down on the power level of the blast. I also was surprised to say that she could do a beam, a bolt, and a sort of a ball.



I attributed her powers to that of Starfire mixed with Fetch Walker from Infamous. As we wrapped it up and headed towards Becca, she turned towards me, looking a little downtrodden. "What's the matter?"



"I. . . I. . ." She lifted her hands in frustration at not being able to get the words out, signing. "I wanted to learn how to fly."



"Oh. Well, I suppose we can try it. If I can fly and so can Ryan and Homelander, then you should be able to too. Let me go get the ladder and we–"



"No!" she signed harshly. "I don't want the slow way. I want to learn like you did."



Becca looked over at me with an uneasy look. "How did you learn?"



I shifted a bit before kneeling down, "Amelia, I jumped off my roof to get the hang of it. It took me almost 12 times to get the hang of it. It's not something that I–"



"Then take me to the roof. I'm not scared!"



I snapped my mouth shut before glancing at Becca. Before she could say anything else, Amelia cut her off. "If he doesn't help me, I'll just figure it out on my own. Starting with the second story window!"



Becca let out a sigh before nodding. "Okay, okay. But he will catch you until you get it. Got it?"



Amelia nodded before looking at me. I looked at Becca before clicking my tongue. "Okay. Let's do this."



And so I floated her to the roof and left her there before floating down beside Becca. "If you don't get it, I'll be– Jesus!" I muttered, throwing my hand out as she jumped right at us without hesitation.



She quickly plummeted towards the ground before I caught her telekinetically. Becca narrowed her eyes before glancing at me. "What's that rainbow effect? You never did that before."



I glanced at her as I lifted Amelia back to the roof slowly. "It's just light bending around my telekinesis. It happens sometimes when I need to be quick or forceful. It's nothing special."



As soon as her feet hit the roof, she turned around and took a deep breath before jumping towards the sky. And fell again. 6 times. 6 times she fell before she finally stopped midair.



She let out a gasp before I slowly flew up beside her. She looked at me excitedly before I put a hand on her wrist, gently steadying her. "How do I move?"



"It's like walking, right?" I said. "You have to focus to stay upright because you've never done it before. It'll take you a little bit to get the hang of it but you shouldn't have too much trouble. Here, come down with me. Just slowly ease up on the tension in your body. Emphasis on the slowly part. I won't let you fall."



About 5 minutes was all it took for her to get the hang of it. She had trouble slowing down but it wasn't problematic. As we landed, she happily ran up and hugged Becca. Becca gave her a tight squeeze before looking at me. "Thank you, Eric. I mean it."



"I'm just glad I could help." I said before Becca turned to look at her daughter.



"Run inside for a minute, hun. I need to talk to Eric for a minute." Becca said before Amelia ran inside.



"I don't know what you said to her to get her to open up like that with her but it worked. She won't talk to her tutors like that and some days not even me." Becca said with a sad smile.



"I was just. . . honest." I said, glancing at the house. I was quiet for a moment before I gave her a glare. "Say the word, Becca. And I will fly all three of you out of here. I just saw the gate today when I flew in here. I was under the impression you were here willingly. Not whatever the fuck this all is."



Becca looked at me wide eyed. "But Vought, the cameras–"



"I don't care about the cameras or what Vought says, I don't care what my father says, none of 'em. I will not sit by and watch a woman and her children be held hostage just so Vought can make a quick buck. Say the word and I can fly you all to a different country."



Becca pursed her lips before she slowly shook her head. "I can't." she whispered with misty eyes.



I looked around before bringing my phone out and typing a message, holding it up to her.



Is it Butcher?



She nodded. I ran a hand down my face before nodding. "You have my number. Call me if need be. I mean it, Becca. Tell Amelia I'll visit later. Unfortunately I've got a lot going on and I can't afford to stay absent too long."



"Why? What's going on?"



"There's a new drug going around on the streets. It gives people powers for 6 hours. Fights have been breaking out all over the country and the nation's up in arms. It's been. . . stressful, to say the least."



As I turned to take off, I cast Becca a final glance. "If my father brings a woman dressed in black with a cape named Stormfront, don't trust her. She's a nazi. And I mean that literally. She's from world war 2 and is an actual nazi."



She nodded. And with this done, I took to the skies.

---

1 DAY LATER



"Fuck you!" The teenager screamed, ripping her arms down as lightning rained down from above, striking me and several cars in the area. I narrowed my eyes before rushing her down and grabbing her in a choke hold. Her fingers clawed at my face as she slowly went limp in my arms.



"That's it. There you go. Don't fight it." I said softly before she passed out.



Shaking my head in frustration, I picked the woman up before taking her to the ambulance. Thankfully, standard anesthetic seemed to mostly work on anyone taking Chem X. I looked back at the road filled with rubble and destroyed cars. Great.

---

2 DAYS LATER



"We are the gods now." He said, tilting his head at me as him and his 3 friends rushed me down. Fire struck me in the chest before I lasered a bus in half that was flying at my face. The girl slashed at me with claws before a laser struck me in the shoulder. I rolled my eyes before speed blitzing them, hitting them just hard enough to knock them down. As they lay on the ground, I flew upwards, grabbing a handful of rebar pipes and wrapping around them, restraining them successfully.



"Why are you all so mad at me?" I muttered. "It's like you all have a vendetta with me."

---

4 DAYS LATER



"Valor!" The man uttered in fear.



"Stop! I'm not gonna hurt you! I'm not–" He took off, running well over mach 3, causing me to take off and chase him. "Just stop! I just wanna talk!"



He rushed through the streets, weaving through cars before making it to the countryside out on the highway. In seconds, I caught up to him, grabbing his arms before flying up and carrying him off the street.



"I guess this is super hero life." I groaned. "Complete with the Spider-man treatment and all."

---

3 DAYS LATER



I felt the wall behind me concave as I tumbled through it, landing in the Walmart and sliding to a stop as I righted myself. Seconds later, an older man with a graying beard and arms like balloons, eyed me with a glare. "It was your father, ya know. He killed my boy for simply seeing him be a fucking monster. And then that stupid company paid us off, threatened that if we ever breathed a word of it to anyone, they'd send him back to finish the job. But now. . . now I can get on some even ground, so to speak!"



He snarled before trying to blast me in the chest with a concussive wave. Quickly pulling the rocks up out of the ground as a makeshift shield, I used the smoke from the resulting collision to get behind him and grab his arm, throwing him over my shoulder and putting him in an arm lock as I let out an exhausted breath.



"I feel for you," I grunted as he struggled against me with no avail, "I do. But look around. You're hurting people. Innocent people who had nothing to do with his death. I know you're hurting, but don't be a monster in your quest for revenge."



"You seem like a good kid. But I've lived too long and I've got too little time left to worry about the people getting in my. . . in my way." he said breathlessly.



I could hear his heart beginning to beat erratically. "Please! If you keep this up, your heart will give out. Don't spit on your son's memory by dying like this!" I pleaded.



He shook his head with a glare. "This is all I've got left." And with that, I was blown backwards into a shelf, the people running away from the fight.



A few minutes later, I stood there quietly, looking at the prone form of the old man. "God damn it." I muttered to myself.

---

2 DAYS LATER



"Ohhhhhh!" Homelander mocked as the psychic blast rushed past him, kicking up sand in the African village. Taking a step forward, his eyes lit up as the lasers rushed forward. Just as I landed behind the man, the lasers tore through his body and struck me in the back as I wrapped the boy behind him in a hug, shielding his body with mine. I admittedly didn't feel any pain of any kind, but the force knocked me forwards and off my feet, carrying me and the boy into the dirt. "Terrific."



I looked up as Homelander took off, not sparing anyone a second glance. I turned to look at the kid as I tiredly got to my feet. He was holding his shoulder as blood pooled around his hand. Shit. It looks like the lasers just barely glanced him. Nothing too dangerous, but it would definitely scar. Quickly tearing off my cape, I tied it around his arm tightly, keeping as much pressure on the wound. Someone ran over with a rusty med kit, quickly handing my some supplies. A few minutes later of dressing the wound and I stood up. "Are you alright?"



I couldn't understand what he said but I got the gist from his thumbs up. A bit bruised and a tightly wrapped shoulder but overall fine. "Does anyone speak English here?" I asked tiredly.



At someone's nod, I gave them some advice to keep the burn clean and change the bandages often. I wished I could have done more.



I nodded as I looked over at the man laying dead on the dirt road. This one hadn't been a user of chem X and had actually been on Compound V.



I shook my head silently before I telekinetically pulled a sheet to my hand and laid it over the man. I could barely keep my eyes open because of how tired I was. And I wasn't really sure of when I took off into the sky but I was very aware of the moment I felt myself falling. Maybe it was time to head home for some sleep. It'd been three days of nonstop fighting V and X users.



"Help! Somebody help us! He's got powers!"



I let my head hang as I gave a desolate sigh. Soon. Sleep soon. But not now.

---

1 DAY LATER



"When are you going to stop torturing me?" Maeve asked.



"Don't know what you're talking about." Homelander said dismissively.



Maeve looked down, her voice on the verge of cracking. "If I promise to never see her again, will you stop?"



Homelander blinked before a smile graced his features. "But, Maeve. . . you're in love. It's beautiful. Elena's good for you. And I'm not gonna let you throw that away. Not now, not ever."



"Enough!" I snarled, my hand snaking through the air as I grabbed Homelander's collar and pulled him upwards, every thing in the area around me getting blown back as I floated in the air, my eyes blazing with a blue menacing light. "I'm sick of the bull shit! You're gonna leave Maeve and Elena alone and then you're gonna go do literally anything else! Because I'm sick of this shit! I haven't slept in 4 days and you're just adding to my ever growing list of bullshit that I can't stomach right now!"



He winced as he tried to break my grip, "Eric, son, let go of me." he said tightly.



"Say it!" I snarled, getting in his face.



"Fine," he said with a huff. "You got it. Now will you let go of me?"



I shoved him back into his chair, my feet touching the dirt as I looked around at the actors and camera crew who were watching the exchange with deadly silence. "The day's done! Resume tomorrow!" I said with agitation as I stalked away from the area.

---

Homelander straightened his suit out with a huff. He'd let that one slide. It was easy to see that Eric was dead-exhausted just from the way he was swaying when he stood still too long, not to mention the bags under his eyes. He needed to sleep and then maybe they could have a conversation about what just happened. If he tried to now, he'd no doubt end up in a fight with his son.



"Can I have a word?" Ashley said, coming up beside him with a tablet in hand.



"What is it?"



"In-in private. Sir, please. It's urgent." She said nervously.



Letting out a sigh, he stood up before glancing back at the crew. "Just set everything back up. Shoot around Maeve." he said before following her back to his trailer.



Ashley held up the tablet, showing him a video.



As he watched the footage of him fly down and laser the African man from yesterday, he shrugged in dismissal before pausing as the video neared to an end. The camera panned over to none other than Eric who had a large burn line across his suits back, shielding a kid who had been directly behind him. Eric stood up, looking at the kid who had a bleeding shoulder from the lasers. The video finished as Eric explained how to treat the wound before flying off.



Homelander scoffed with another shake of his head. "So, what, they're all starving but one of them's got a fucking cell phone? What's the big deal?"



"Uh, you know, I really wish you had cleared this with me before you went over there." Ashley said shakily.



"Oh, Jesus Christ. I don't have to clear shit with you, Ashley." Homelander said, "I saw a chance for an easy win, and I took it. I don't see what the big deal is. The kid's fine."



"There's been some, uh, some blowback."



"Blowback?" Homelander looked at her with confusion. "So, what, they're mad?" he shook his head with annoyance. "All right, fine, fine, fine. So, what, I-I'm down a-a point? Point and a half? Two?"



Ashley cleared her throat, "No, nine and a half." she said quietly.



"Nine and a half? Nine... nine and a half?" he stammered in disbelief.



Ashley quickly switched the video to live footage outside Vought tower. Gathered was a crowd of people chanting in protest.



"Homelander kills! Homelander doesn't care!"



"What, th-they're fucking protesting. . . me?" he looked at it again in disbelief and shock. "Oh, my God, th-they're pro–they're protesting me!"



"They've been at the Tower all afternoon." Ashley said.



"Why didn't you fucking say something?" He growled. "Goddamn it. Don't these fucking ingrates realize I killed that asshole for them. What do they think "Saving America" fucking means, anyway? And why is this one different anyways? I've killed people plenty of times."



"Legal is prepping an apology and–"



"No, no, no, no. Apology?" Homelander scoffed. "No. You schedule a press conference and I'll clean it up myself."



"Uh, well, Mr. Edgar. . . and Legal would like your official position to be "no comment" at this time." Ashley said with a shuddering breath." Please, no press until the crisis team has an actionable strategy. Okay?"



Homelander rolled his eyes in irritation, before spinning around and heading towards his trailer."



"Bad day?" Stormfront said from his side, coming up to him.



"Everyone's fucking protesting me!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "Because I killed some super terrorist and burned a kid. Eric stopped it and the kid's fine. I don't see what the big deal is!"



"Well, your son, as annoying as he can be at times, has a good heart and cares for everyone. And just because he and I don't get along, doesn't mean I can't see where he's coming from. So he's been running himself ragged, flying around the country and stopping all those people on Chem X. And then he saved a kid from getting accidentally killed by his father. And now people are seeing he's pissed at you. That sends a pretty bad message."



"But he's not mad at me. Not really. He just hasn't gotten any sleep for a few days. As soon as he's rested up, he'll probably apologize to me for that little scuffle and we'll be right as rain." Homelander threw his hands in the air. "It's not even that big of a deal."



"You're right. It's not. But the people don't see it that way." She said, "All you need to do is convince them. And it can't be the way Vought wants you to do it. You can't do it as a superhero. It needs to be as a dad."



"Why?" he asked with confusion.



Stormfront pulled out her phone before pulling up some videos.



"Valor has got the right idea. If the superheroes are going to be careless with their powers, then maybe they shouldn't kill the bad guys."



"Homelander's a shitty father from what I'm seeing! For the last few days, all we've seen is Valor stopping all these assholes on X without help. And he's done it with no casualties. Homelander has no excuse."



She swiped through the videos showing people in support of Valor and badmouthing Homelander. When she got to the memes, it showed Valor as the face of the Seven rather than Homelander on quite a lot of them.



"My son's not even on the Seven." He shrugged. "He literally turned it down."



"You're missing the point." She said, pocketing her phone. "People aren't seeing your fuckup as a failure of hero-ing. They're seeing it as you failing as a father. People want to see you two together. People love the father son duo. And right now?" She clicked her tongue, "Right now, your kinda fucking up."



"So. . ." he looked off to the side, considering her words. "Then what do you suggest?"



She smirked as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, it shouldn't be too hard to fix all of this."

---

1 DAY LATER



I gave a light groan as the smell of onion, eggs, and bacon hit me. Ugh. Slowly standing up, I stretched with a yawn. Stepping out of my room, I was greeted to the sight of Taylor cooking breakfast, casting me a side eye glance as she put two plates on the counter.



"Morning, sunshine. You slept like the dead."



"It's been a rough week." I said as I went to step past her to grab my plate. She stepped in front of me, putting a hand on my chest. "Taylor–"



"You're not eating anything until you go take a shower and brush your teeth." she said with an expectant look. "You fucking reek, dude. And I took the liberty of throwing out your suit. Or what was left of it anyway. I don't think I've ever seen your suit get damaged like that."



"I hadn't slept in 4 or 5 days. I wouldn't be surprised if my powers were less accurate at the time. But fine. I'll go take a shower."



"Good," she said with a smile before cringing. "And brush your teeth."



I nodded before heading for the bathroom and getting in the shower. As I quickly finished my shower, let the water wash over me, steam filling the bathroom, I paused as I looked down at my hair. "What the fuck!"



"You talking about your hair?" she called through the door as I got out.



"What the hell happened?" I asked, looking at myself in the mirror.



"Yeah, that video of your dad lasering that guy in Africa? When you shielded that kid, he burned off a good chunk of your hair along your upper back. Nobody's saying anything because you've been running all over saving people. People were just concerned because you looked tired as hell."



"God damn it." I muttered, pulling on some shorts. "I'll need a haircut." I said, opening the door.



Taylor grinned at me excitedly. "Can I cut it?"



At my skeptical look, her eyes went wide as she clasped her hands together. "Oh, please, Eric! I've never asked you for anything before."



"Food, clothes, soap, perfume, blankets, ma–"



"Okay, okay. I meant that I've never asked you about your hair before." she said, begging. "You never cut your hair. It's like my only chance!"



I eyed her before letting out a sigh. "Do not fuck my hair up."



I swear stars appeared in her eyes as she eeked in joy. Here, finish your breakfast and I'll go get my things."



"Uh huh." I said, going into the kitchen and grabbing my food. As I ate my dinner, I switched the tv on before settling on the news. Huh. So Deep got married? I think I somewhat recall that, although I couldn't be certain.



"Alright, come take a seat." Taylor said from the kitchen. I stood up, walking over before glancing at the suitcase she'd placed on the counter. "What's that?"



"It's my barber kit." she said with a smile before pulling a chair up and patting it. "Sit."



"Hm." I grunted, taking a seat. As she began to style and cut my hair, my mind began to drift. I couldn't really recall what I'd said all that great, but I know I'd gotten physical with Homelander. I'd need to smooth that over.



"So, any exciting projects coming up?" Taylor asked.



"Besides Queen of Ashes, no not really. Although, they keep trying to get me to do this campy romance movie or show. I don't remember which." I said with a roll of my eyes.



Taylor's hands tightened around my head as she forced me to look forward. "You should do it. I'd love to make fun of you in a movie or tv show." she laughed as she snipped some locks.



"Maybe. But they won't let me see the script unless I agree first. That tells me it's bad."



"Who's the director?"



"Some French lady. I don't know her name but I guess it's based on her books. Something about a pilot and a nurse from some fictional war and they have magic or something? It just–"



Taylor spun me around in a surprising show of force, grabbing my shoulders. "Is the show called 'Mon Beau Ciel!'"



"Uhhhhh, I think so?" I shrugged noncommittally. "It looked boring so I didn't pay too much attention."



"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she whispered as she quickly brought her phone out before holding up a photo. "Is this what it looked like?"



I glanced at the cover of the book and lo and behold, yeah, that was what the show was. "Yep. That's it. She wanted me to play a guy named Pierre."



"That's the main character!" she said in excitement. "It's getting an adaptation? Oh my fucking god!"



"Can we finish my haircut before you run off?" I asked with a raised brow. She sheepishly cleared her throat before gently continuing the hair cut.



"What's the big deal anyways?" I asked. "It just sounded like another chickflick."



"Eric, Mon Beau Ciel is one of the second highest selling book series in the word right up right behind Harry Potter. Is the woman asking you named Eloise Dupont?"



"Yeah, that's her name. I take it she's the author?" At her nod, I asked another question. "And what's it about?" I asked as she handed me her phone to scroll through the photos. I raised my brow at some of the erotic art.



"The pilot, Pierre, he's been in a violent war for the last few years over the–"



For a whole hour, I listened to her talk about this book series, filling me in on the man. It sounded pretty good if I was being honest. It was also a book not for children if Taylor's expressions were anything to go by.



As she paused to finish the haircut, I looked at the fancasts. And I was genuinely surprised to see me as Pierre. Yeesh. It seemed like Homelander was actually the popular choice in 2002 when he was around my age.



"You think I should do it?" I asked. "I mean, I haven't given my answer yet. I've been pretty busy so I still have to go in and talk to her."



"Yes! A million times yes!" she said, brushing the hair off my neck before finishing up. "Just don't fuck it up. It's a coin flip, dude. It'll probably be one of the most watched shows or movies, depending on which it is. And its anticipation is high. We're talking Game of Thrones high."



I blew out a breath. "I wanted to do video games, but… I suppose this wouldn't be too bad of a start." I said as I stood up, going to the mirror to examine my new hair cut. "Not bad, T."



She smirked. "I want to do all things fashion. That includes hair. Now, I made you a new suit, seeing as how your old one is destroyed. Come on."



I stepped into the basement before my eyes widened in surprise at the design.




"I'm digging the jacket. It's sort of Aviator-esque and the fingerless gloves are a nice touch too." I said, tightening the gloves. "You've outdone yourself T."



"Thank you, thank you." she bowed. "I know, I'm awesome. You can hold your applause." After a second she grinned, "Or don't. I won't complain."



I gave a clap. "Well, I guess you weren't kidding. This does suit me a lot better." I said as I looked in the mirror. It looked somewhat similar to my old one but not quite. First off, it had a jacket and not a cape. The coloring was different in other areas than before and the gloves and boots were more comfortable and stylish as well. I actually loved it. Coupled with my new haircut, I looked more professional. And even if other people didn't like it, I did.



"This has been amazing, but I do have to take off." I said, as I headed towards the front door. "Are you good?"



"I'm good. Just don't forget to mention me to any big fashion designers you might meet." She said before I nodded and headed out.

---

"Fantastique!" she said with excitement. "Can I ask what made you change your mind?"



"Um, a friend of mine told me it was a book series as she was giving me a haircut. Said that it was an amazing story and that I'd kick myself if I missed the chance."



"Ah ha," she grinned, standing up as she leaned forward a bit, exposing a bit of her cleavage. "So you haven't read my books. I figured when you asked to see the script. Just so you know, this show isn't for children. It is very. . . adult oriented." she said, stepping into my space while biting her lip.



I nodded slowly, "Mhmm. I have been made aware. I am also aware that I am the top pick for a fancast of Pierre. Did that factor in at all? Because my biggest awards in acting are from some highschool plays. Are you sure that's what you want?"



"I have heard your recordings on some voicework you've done. It is more than enough to play Pierre. You also have the," she ran her hand down my chest slowly, "physique."



I cleared my throat as I stepped back a bit. "Well, I'll keep in touch and. . ." I trailed off as I watched Black Noir zoom past the door in a hurry. "And, uh, we can start shooting whenever. You have a good day, Ms. Dupont." I said, holding my hand out.



"Please, call me Eloise." she said, stepping past me and wrapping me in a hug, sliding her hands inside my jacket. "I look forward to working with you." she said as she ground against me before pulling away with a sly smirk.



I cleared my throat as she left the room, passing Starlight. "Who was that? She's gorgeous!"



"That's Eloise Dumont." I said, wiping the lipstick off my cheeks. "The–"



"That's the author of Mon Beau Ciel?" Annie said in bewilderment. "I didn't know she looked like that!" she exclaimed before looking at me. "Were you two. . . making out?"



"Nope." I said, straightening my clothes. "That'd be her being overly friendly. But it's whatever. I'll see you later, Annie." I said before following after Noir. As I passed the camera crews and other assistants and managers, I stopped at seeing Maeve and who I assumed was Elena talking to Seth, Evan, and Ashley.



"Okay, now, Queen Maeve, a goddess, but our Empress of the Otherworld struggles inside." Seth said with excitement.



"Questions of identity rock her to her core. Until she meets–" Evan started, gesturing towards the other woman.



"Elena." Seth finished. "The connection is immediate, all-consuming. A sweet sapphic love blossoms, raising Maeve's consciousness and revealing her own inner truth."



Evan started. "She's gay, and it's okay. It's–"



"Powerful. She's more than just a superhero now. She is a symbol. Representation matters."



"She's #BraveMaeve." Evan said excitedly.



I listened as they spoke about all the photo shoots and interviews and marketing that they would do with Elena and Maeve before Elena cut in.



"You know Maeve is bi, right?" Elena said with an irritated look.



Ashley bobbed her head with a smile. "Yeah, you know what? I just feel like lesbian is a bit of an easier sell. A bit more cut-and-dry."



"Now, for Elena. . ." Evan started.



Elena's eyes widened in confusion. "Me?"



"You're going to love it, yeah." Evan said.



"Why am I a part of this shit?" Elena asked, looking at Maeve who remained silent.



"We are going with a polished, tailored look." Evan said, holding up a poster with a rough drawing of Elena wearing a tux.



Elena gave a tight smile, "That looks like menswear."



"Pew research shows that two feminine women in a relationship sends a problematic message." Seth nodded sagely.



"Yeah, this isn't Penthouse Forum." Evan scoffed.



"Americans are more accepting of gays when they're in a clear-cut gender role relationship." Seth listed off the statistics. "Like Ellen and Portia."



Elena let out a shaky sigh, "Okay. Let's get one thing straight. I have no interest in being in a public relationship."



"Oh, you will be compensated." Ashley said quickly.



"I am not for sale." Elena snapped back.



"Maeve, Elena, if you don't wanna do that shit, you don't have to." I said, striding past.



Ashley spoke up quickly, "Actually, your father–"



"My father can worry more about his nazi girlfriend and less about his ex. If he has a problem with it, he can take it up with me. Maeve, you two are good to leave."



Maeve gave a tight smirk as she stood up. "Thank fucking God. Let's go."



"Maeve, wait, this is a big deal for–" Ashley started before she went quiet as Maeve flipped her off.



I left the building, taking to the skies before quickly finding Noir. As I followed him from a distance, I watched him finally make it to a small suburban neighborhood.



For almost an entire hour, I watched Black Noir stay positioned on a roof top, not once moving even as firetrucks showed up announcing a gas leak. When they finally left, I saw Noir make a move, entering a house across the street. I narrowed my eyes, gently hovering just above the roof before looking into it with X-ray vision. And promptly saw Butcher, Hughie, MM, the woman from the boat, and an old lady with a dog.



Hmmmm.

---

Everyone flinched as the explosion shook the house. They all looked up in shock before Laura cursed under her breath, debating on what to do as she swirled the bullet and the pill in her pocket. With a shake of her head, she loaded her pistol with the adamantium round.



"Is that the adamantium?" Hughie asked, getting a nod from her. "What about the X?"



"Noir's too strong for the X. They only put you around Kimiko with an extra ability or two unless you're lucky to get a busted power." She whispered before they left the taffy room. "These bullets will go through. It's our best bet. Come on."



As they slowly went towards the door, a smoke grenade rolled down the vent. "MM!" Butcher cried. "Come on, everybody, out!"



As they left the room, Butcher and Laura quickly rushed in with their guns drawn. "Out the side door, move!"



As they rushed through into the room, Butcher paused before looking at Hughie. "Get them out of here." He said before closing the door on them and jamming it with a chair.



Butcher! Butcher, what are you doing! Don't– Don't do this!" Hughie's voice called out, muffled through the door.



"Alright, you fucker!" Butcher called out, stepping into the living room, "Where are you?"



A moment later, Noir stepped out from the side, tiny metal shards littering his body. Butcher leaned down, picking up the fireplace poker. "So, you wanna take me on do ya'? Think you got the bollocks? Well, come on then. . . cunt."



As Noir took a step forwards, the door behind Butcher burst open in a shower of splinters before Laura slid into the opening as she lifted her gun and fired. The bullet tore through Noir, causing him to jerk back before another one tore through his intestine, causing him to buckle. Before she could get another shot off, a knife flew into her shoulder, causing her to drop the gun with a cry of pain.



As Hughie and MM quickly rushed out as well, shooting at Noir, he tilted his head at them before backhanding billy into the wall, kicking MM backwards into the hall beside Laura, and slowly approached Hughie with a knife drawn.



Butcher blinked blearily as Laura got up, delivering a roundhouse kick into Noir's jaw, causing him to flinch ever so slightly before he grabbed her by the neck and choke slammed her over his shoulder. She gasped for air as he went to bring the knife down into her throat.



"You kill them–" Butcher said, causing him to pause his murder attempt. "And you can kiss your fucking career goodbye."



Butcher slowly stood up as Noir turned his focus on him. "I got photos of Vought's dirty little secret. . . My wife's son. . . Homelander's son. Now, you lay one fucking finger on any of us, and those photos go out of the cloud and into Ronan Farrow's inbox. And then the whole world will know that Homelander is nothing but a filthy fucking rapist and Vought has been hiding his little laser-eyed bastard. Now, you cunts went to a lot of trouble to keep that a secret. I reckon you might want to keep it that way. "



Without waiting for even a second more, Noir rushed him. Laura's eyes widened. "No!" She screamed just as the wall exploded causing them all to flinch.



Everyone slowly lowered their arms as they looked at the sight before them. Valor was holding Noir up by the collar as he glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"



Noir struggled against his grip but he may as well have been a toddler against a fully grown man. Just as Valor raised his fist to hit him, a phone rang out. Valor paused as he slowly looked down at Noir's pocket. Reaching down, Noir answered it, holding it up to his ear. A second later, he held the phone out to Valor.



With narrowed eyes, he set Noir down before taking the phone from him. "Don't move." he said sternly before raising the phone up to his ear. Laura watched the exchange with bated breath.



"Eric, may I ask what you are doing there?"



"Stopping Noir from committing murder, if you couldn't tell," he said.



"This is a sensitive matter that needs to be handled with care. A matter that doesn't concern you."



"I think it does. Blowing up houses and flicking knives into people seems like it concerns me quite a bit."



"Well, in any case, please put William Butcher on the phone please."



Valor scoffed in irritation before holding the phone out to Butcher. "It's for you."



Butcher took the phone from him before holding it up to his ear. "Mr. Butcher."



"Oh, hello, cunt."



"How can I be sure you actually have the proof of which you speak?"



"You can't. Roll the dice, cunt. I reckon he'd be more popular than Meghan and Harry's little sprog." Butcher said.



"Here's my first and final offer. That information never sees the light of day, and I'll call off Black Noir."



"All right. You got yourself a deal. Want to shake on it?"



"Put Valor back on."



"Oi, Missus wants a word." He said, holding the phone out to Valor.



"You can give Noir his phone back and tell him he can go, but before you leave, let Laura know that her offer is still on the table. I'll even sweeten the deal and guarantee a full pardon for her and everyone in that room. And that should she take the deal, we can discuss letting Becca and your siblings go free. No strings attached."

---

I narrowed my eyes before the call ended. I handed the phone back to Noir. "You can go now."



Without another word, Noir turned and left the house, leaving me alone with the Boys. I looked at the woman with a hum.



"What?" she snapped as she held her shoulder.



"Are you Laura?" I asked.



"Yeah, what about it?"



"I don't know what he was talking about, but he wanted me to tell you that an offer is still on the table and he'll let everyone here go with full pardon. He also said that should you accept, he'll let Becca and her kids go free, no strings attached."



Laura was quiet at that as they all looked at one another. I grunted. "I don't know what that means, but I know this all sucks. I'm not Superman. And I sure as hell am not Batman but I'm trying. That's all I can do. That's all any of us can do. But killing people like those police officers, letting people die so you can get away, that won't fly. Next time I see you do something like that, any of you," I said, looking at Hughie, "I will arrest you. Keep that in mind."



And with that, I went to leave through the open wall. Laura grunted as she pushed herself to her feet. "Superman doesn't work and you're just an idiot kid for thinking so. In the real world, people die. And nobody in a fucking cape can change that. Especially not some idealistic kid in a Captain Marvel suit." She hissed in pain as she clutched her shoulder.



"I don't believe that." I said as I turned to look back at her.



"If you really believed in doing the right thing, you'd get rid of Vought, starting by killing that fucking blonde prick!" She snarled.



"I don't wanna kill anyone." I shook my head. "I believe in rehabilitation and due process."



"Even for Stormfront?" she shot back.



"Yes. I may hate the woman, but yes, even her."



She let out a mirthless chuckle. "That's because they haven't done anything to you yet. But they will. And when they do, we'll see what you're saying then. When you have no choice."



"It's not my place to decide who lives and who dies." I said as I slowly floated up, getting ready to take off. Just as I looked up, Laura spoke.



"Then wear the S." I paused. "Wear the suit. You wanna act like him, then wear it. I know you've got more than enough money to make the suit. Wear the crest. Stop being Valor and be Superman."



I stayed still for a moment before taking off without a word.

---

"What did he mean?" Hughie said he held an ice pack against his head. "Valor? He said you had an offer. What did that mean?" MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko all looked over at them.



Butcher cast a side glance at Laura before turning away, "It's your call luv."



Laura let out a sigh before putting an adamantium bullet on the table. "I used to be a supe."



"What do you mean by used to?" MM asked.



"I mean used to. I lost my powers evacuating some people at a nuclear power plant when it was in the middle of a meltdown. I was able to keep them safe at the time with my powers, enough to get them out but even then I could see that the radiation had seeped into their bodies. I guessed I'd bought them a couple years at the max. I was right.



"Well, it turns out that if you dose a super with high enough amounts of radiation, and I mean high enough to incinerate the average person on the spot, the V gets burned out of our bodies." She said.



"So, then what is the offer?" Frenchie asked.



Laura looked down with pursed lips, staying quiet for a moment before sighing. "I was very close to Edgar growing up. Close enough that even back in the house, I doubt that Noir would have really killed me. I used to make materials for Vought as a teenager.



"I could manipulate atomic structures and create things. Couldn't use them on normal people for whatever reason. But other supers were easy, funny enough. They had a chemical my powers could easily latch on to."



"The V?" Hughie asked.



Laura nodded, "I could have waved my hand, poofed Homelander in an instant. But I was a kid. Thought like Valor. Thought rehabilitation was the way to go. Thought that just maybe, by being supportive, I could help him. What a stupid fucking idea." She shook her head. "He was a monster then and he's a monster now. Fuck, he was probably born a monster if I'm being honest." She said, taking a swig of some whiskey as MM stitched up her shoulder.



"So. . . the adamantium? That was you who made it?" Hughie asked.



She nodded quietly before Frenchie spoke up. "Then let's get you some fucking V, mon ami! Boom, you fly over and end Homelander."



"Doesn't work." She said, clicking her tongue. "Whatever happened to my abilities, there's still some V in my blood somewhere. Just minute enough to let me move a little faster, lift a little heavier, heal a little faster. But that V? It keeps the defensive part of my abilities active. My innate healing against foreign objects in my body instantly kicks out anything in my blood. I could huff halothane all day and I'd be fine."



"So taking compound V won't let you get your powers back." Hughie finished quietly.



"Bingo." she said. "Vought has a way to give them back to me but they would put me so far in the limelight I'd never be able to get anything done. Not to mention all my friends and their families, the constant maintenance on me. All my powers would amount to would be a gilded cage. Not worth it."



"Then Valor–"



"Valor's our best bet." Laura shook her head with a sigh as she lit a cigarette. "I had my suspicions but we don't have anything to worry about regarding him anymore."



"How do you know?" Frenchie asked.



"Because he knew who Superman was." she said. After a second of silence, Hughie spoke up.

"You gonna tell us who that is?"



"Just a fucking story for kids." She said with a laugh. "It just tells me what kind of person he is, that's all. The mission is still the same. Get Becca and her kids away from Vought and then find a way to get Valor to kill his father."



"Jesus." Hughie muttered.



"Yeah. Tell me about it." Laura said before getting up and walking away.

---

Well, this has been a mediocre chapter to write. I honestly forgot about some of the more boring aspects of Season 2 but on rewatch, I'm seeing them first hand. Oh, and to the people who guessed Amelia's powers, one of you almost had it. Her powers were sorta split in my mind.



Elemental powers or Blonde Blazer-ish Starfire-esque powers. Seeing as how the bloodline of Homelander, Ryan, and Soldierboy all have some sort of energy laser power, I decided to go with this. A little more on Laura and her mindset.



As always, Enjoy and let me know what you think!



P.S. I'll post some art of Valor later on.

 

[The Desecrated One]

1 WEEK LATER



"Okay, we know what they were doing at Sage Grove, but we don't know why. Why test Compound V on patients? What do they want? I need the full picture. If we're gonna take a shot at the king, we can't fucking miss." Victoria said, glancing around the room.



"We know someone who might know the full picture." Mallory said before Butcher interjected.



"Oh, well, that's fucking rich, isn't it?"



"Who is it?" Victoria asked in confusion.



"Like you said," Mallory said, "we're gonna have to trust each other."



Laura narrowed her eyes at the congresswoman with disdain, her glare having not once dropped since they'd gotten there. She had begged the Boys and Mallory not to come here, but not one of them had listened. When they had asked why not, she hadn't been able to muster a response without revealing more than she was comfortable with.



Hughie slightly winced, holding his side as his injury pulsed before he stepped up to a plaque on the wall. "You don't need superpowers to be a hero. You just need the heart." he read as he looked at the metal S. "Huh. I like that. What's the S have to do with it?"



Victoria glanced over with a smile. "It was a gift. It's the symbol of a superhero."



"So it's a bunch of bollocks then." Butcher said dismissively.



"Not a real one." Victoria said with a chuckle. "His name's Superman."



Hughie narrowed his eyes, glancing at Laura. "Do you two know each other? Because that's the second time I've heard of this hero and I've never heard of him before you two talked about him and I was a big fan of superheroes."



"She's my ex." Laura said coldly before turning away from them, glaring at the plaque. "And the sentiments pretty fucking useless."



"Oh, I don't think so." Victoria said with a tight smile.



"So that's why you didn't want to come here, ey? She lie to your face and go off and fuck another woman?"



Victoria cleared her throat, "It was more complicated than that."



"Didn't seem too fucking complicated." Laura muttered bitterly before walking out of the room. "Lets just stay on task, mmkay? Great."



Hughie looked back and forth before looking back at the wall. "I believe in it."



Victoria gave a soft smile. "You sound like my daughter."

---

I bounced my foot as I watched the news talk about Victoria Neuman and the upcoming judiciary trial against Vought. Taylor sat beside me as she looked up from her phone, laying a comforting hand on my arm, "What's the matter? Isn't this a good thing? The supes and every other asshole are being held accountable."



I took a deep breath before leaning back in silence. After a moment, I glanced at her. "If. . . If I could stop a bunch of horrible things from happening. . . And I mean that in every sense of the word, but I'd have to do something bad to somebody, should I?"



Taylor pursed her lips. "Do you mean kill?"



I shook my head, "No. No, nothing like that. . . But, something similar. Should I do it?"



"Will it save people?" I nodded. "Will it stop that terrible thing?" I nodded again. Taylor nodded quietly, "Then you do it." she said sharply.



I widened my eyes at her conviction. "Really?"



"Yeah." she nodded, "I'm not gonna pretend that you're like me, Eric. You try and look for the good in everyone, even people, who in my opinion, should get the fucking death penalty. But if this horrible thing is so bad that it has you questioning whether you should break your morals for it, then it's probably something worth considering at the very least."



I nodded. "Alright." I said.



Taylor gave a small smile before turning back to her phone as I flicked the channel.



"-ings me no pleasure to tell you this, but it turns out we had a mole in the Seven." Homelander said somberly to the gasps of the crowd. "Starlight." He nodded at the crowds, "I know. I know. It's okay, she's been apprehended."



I narrowed my eyes at the tv as I stood up.



"Starlight was conspiring with the very people that killed, in cold blood, my brother. . . the hero, Translucent. Thankfully, the lies she's been whispering in my son's ears have finally been laid to rest."



"And we know that he doesn't view me in a positive light due to the damages that I caused when we were stopping the supe terrorist all those weeks ago. Rest assured, that even though whatever issues that he and I have with one another, Valor has shown an admirable level of professionalism when working with me and I couldn't be more touched." Stormfront said. "And I know that a lot of people have begun slandering him, calling him a bigot and such, but I want you all to know that that is not the case."



"It's true. In light of the last few weeks' events, my son and I haven't had the chance to sit down and allow me to formally introduce him and Stormfront properly. He's been under a lot of stress lately saving thousands of lives from those poor misguided people taking that awful drug. And while I couldn't be prouder, his stress from being constantly alert at all times to stop those people has made him rather irritable, at no fault of his own.



"And I. . . I'm ashamed to say that I contributed to that with my actions in that African village. I love my son and I want the best for him as any father would, and to think that I directly contributed to this tension has," he pursed his lips as his voice quivered, "It's really driven a wedge between him and I lately. And if you're listening, I want to apologize, Eric. I love you son. And I always will. And I'm sorry."



Cheers erupted from the crowd before the channel switched to other news.



Taylor scoffed. "That's so shitty and manipulative. He just boxed you into a corner to force you to publicly accept his apology."



"Yeah. But that's whatever." I said, rushing for my suit. "I need to go and see what the hell's going on with Starlight. I'll see you later."



Taylor nodded as she kept watching the news with narrowed eyes.

---

Amelia was humming as she finished her drawing before reaching for the markers just as she felt a hum of energy pulse through the air along with some vibrations on the ground. Her eyes flicked to the back door where Ryan and her mother were putting some finishing touches on a lego sculpture.



"Hey guys. This is Stormfront." she heard Homelander say.



"Hello." the new arrival said.



"Stormfront, this is Rebecca."



"Very nice to meet you." Stormfront said, shaking Becca's hand.



Stormfront. That was the name of the woman who Eric had told her mom was a nazi from world war 2. She knew it was sneaky to eavesdrop but she couldn't help herself. Nobody knew she had the superhearing powers and she preferred to keep it that way. She had also heard her brother offer them to leave to a different country because they were being held hostage here. She didn't understand what that meant but she trusted Eric to show up should she need him. Especially since she'd swiped the number from her mom's phone and put it on her own that Homelander had given her and Ryan.



"Where's Amelia?" Homelander asked.



"She's inside." Ryan said. She grabbed her drawing book before standing and went to head for the stairs when she locked eyes with Homelander.



"Amelia! Can you please come outside for a second? There's someone I'd like you to meet." He called out with a kind smile. The purple smugness around him showed he had a different motive in mind. Enough to put her at unease.



Quietly walking over to the door, she opened it but chose to stay in the doorframe. Stormfront, on the other hand, gushed over her.



"This is your daughter? She's beautiful. Look at your eyes! They're like sparkling sapphires. Ohhh, she's such a cutie." she said with a smile.



While she was cautious of the woman, she stopped at the absolute wave of blue sorrow and longing at the sight of herself. Amelia's mind drifted at the emotions. Did she have a daughter of her own that she'd lost? The sadness around her made her think so.



"Amelia, I'd, uh, I'd like you to get to know Stormfront. She's someone I care about very much. And, um. . . I think you will too." Homelander said with a smile.



Amelia tried to speak, the tension in the air making it seem impossible before she took a deep breath. A few seconds passed and she finally got a few words out. "Eric doesn't like you."



Stormfront gave a tight smile and while she was still radiating the blue sadness, tiny sparks of orange annoyance crept in. "Eric and I. . . well, he hasn't given me a chance to talk to him. If we could just sit for a bit, I don't think we'd be at each other as much." she kneeled down with a gentle smile. "And while he and I don't get along, I hope that you and I can."



Amelia went quiet again, not even attempting to speak again. Homelander let out a small sigh as he put a hand on Amelia's shoulder, "Amelia, here, has selective mutism. It'll take a bit, but I'm sure that once you're both acquainted, you'll be talking in no time. And kids, I'm sorry I haven't been around as much. That changes today. I want us to be a real family. So I'll be around more. A lot more."



Amelia grunted before turning away from them, shrugging Homelander's hand off before flying up back through the door and up the stairs. Homelander's eyes widened in amazement. "She can fly already?"



Ryan nodded. "Uh huh. Eric stopped by a couple weeks ago and helped her." Ryan said quietly. "She can even shoot stuff out of her hands. I missed it because I was in piano class."



"Feeling a little left out?" Homelander said with a small smile. At Ryan's slight nod, he squeezed his shoulder. "Don't worry about it bud. I'm sure your brother will show up more and I doubt he actively excluded you."



"I know." Ryan said, a little bummed out.



"You know," Stormfront started. "I hear Eric can play piano as well. Maybe he can teach you instead if you ask him."



"He can?" Ryan said, looking up at Homelander.



"Uh, yeah, I think so. I know he can play the guitar and drums at the very least. You should ask him next time you see him."

---

As Amelia finished coloring the cape, she tilted her head at the sounds of her mother and Homelander talking.



"I know what you're doing."



"Nope, you don't."



"Yes, I do. I-I can see–"



"No, you do not. You could not possibly understand. I was raised the same way as them. Those kids don't know anything about anything. When they see the outside world, they're going to panic. Now, that's gonna fuck them up. I do not want my kids to have to go through what I went through." Homelander said, cutting her off.



"Their lives. . . are different. They have a mother." Becca said, her voice breaking. "And I know that that means something to you. I do. And if you take them away from me, this-this whole world will feel so confusing and frightening."



"Yes, but, Rebecca," Homelander said "You. . . are lying to them."



"Because I love him. And I know a part of you loves him, too, and that you want what's best for him. But what's best for him is to be here with me, with his mother. Look, we have this opportunity to give him a-a childhood you never had." Becca said, waving her hands desperately, "We can do that if he's here with me." she said, her voice breaking, "Please. I'm begging you, please."



Amelia narrowed her eyes before heading for the phone.

---

I narrowed my eyes as I walked through the tower, the sun having dipped past the horizon by this point. As I strode through the halls, I was barely running into anyone by this point with most people having gone home for the night.



Just as I rounded a corner, I stopped as I bumped straight into somebody, quickly taking a step back so as to not hurt them. And came face to face with Hughie. And who I assumed was Lamplighter. Hughie looked at me with wide eyes.



"Uhhh, heyyyyy. . . Eric." he said hesitantly.



I let out a heavy sigh as I rolled my eyes stepping past them before continuing to Annie's cell which I could see through the walls. "Honestly, are you trying to get killed?"



Hughie and Lamplighter looked at one another before following after me. "Uh, you're not gonna kill us or turn us in?"



"Contrary to belief, I am not the despicable piece of shit your friend seems to think I am. And no, Vought is not the law. Kidnapping a woman and her mother for taking out a tracking chip and leaving is not a crime, no matter how much Edgar wants it to be. Come on."



As we made our way to the cells, I paused with a grunt.



"What is it?" Hughie asked.



I turned before whipping my hand forward, dragging the form of Black Noir from his hiding spot before I whipped my fist across his face, knocking him out before telekinetically stripping him of his weapons and tearing them to metal dust. "Come on, this way."



As we made our way to the hall with the cells, I turned and blasted the guard with my laser, knocking him to the ground before the gun was ripped from his hands and into Hughie's. "Take your pick. Fight me, Lamplighter, and a guy with a gun, or run the other way. Your choice."



The man chose wisely and was gone in seconds. I looked at the door before squeezing my fist and opening it. Violently. Starlight's face shot up to meet my gaze before she stood up at the sight of Hughie. Ignoring their reunion, I went and let out Annie's mother.



"Eric? Oh thank god." she said before rushing out to meet Annie and Hughie. With the rescue done and over with, I turned to leave before nodding at Annie. "Take them and go."



"Thank you, Eric!" Starlight said, giving me a kiss on the cheek before leaving for the door.



I let out a sigh as I looked back at Noir who was slowly getting to his feet before my phone chimed. I glanced at the message with narrowed eyes.



It's me, Amelia. My dad's here and he brought a woman named Stormfront. Can you please come over?



I shot a quick thumbs up before glancing at Noir who was now fully on his feet. "If you try and go after them, I'll break your legs. You got me?"



Noir grunted with a nod before heading towards the Seven room. Everything was going in the favor of the court case and soon, this whole shit with Vought would be ending soon, thank god. That only left the final thing to do tomorrow before the trial. I let out a downtrodden breath before leaving the building and heading for Becca's house. Fantastic. This oughta be fun.

---

"Hey, bud. You ready for dinner?" Becca asked before her gaze settled on Ryan's look of betrayal, "What's wrong?"



"You're a liar." he said, causing Homelander to let out a smile from behind him. "You lied to me."



"What do you mean?" Becca asked nervously.



"They just flew me up and showed me! This house is fake? The neighbors are fake? You're fake?" Ryan said in outrage before he glanced at Amelia in the back door.



"They deserve to know the truth." Homelander said with an even expression. Amelia narrowed her eyes at the sickly green satisfied energy wafting around him.



Becca looked at him with slight panic before leaning down to Ryan, "Hey. Listen to me. We can talk about this, okay? I know that you must feel confused, and there are reasons for what I did. I'm sorry." She said, laying a hand on his shoulder.



"No, just don't touch me! I hate you!" Ryan snapped, shoving his mothers hand away.



"I think he just needs a little space." Homelander said. "Come here, kids."



Becca shoved Ryan behind her as she looked at Homelander and Stormfront with a horrified expression, "No. No. All right, they need their mother."



"Don't worry. They'll still have a mother." Stormfront said as she looked at Amelia who had taken a small step out the door with narrowed eyes.



Ryan shoved past his mom before running over to Homelander. Becca went to speak up before quickly putting herself in between them and Amelia who was standing behind her at this point.



Homelander hummed with a smirk before he took a step toward Becca, intending to go towards Amelia. And stopped dead at the sudden hum that filled the air. Amelia's eyes were glowing with a brilliant light, fully golden as she gave a small snarl at the two.



Stormfront's mouth snapped shut as Amelia's hands lit up as well, the energy wafting off her hands with a smoky shimmer. Homelander let out a breath. "All right, hun. We'll talk later when everything is more calmed down." And without another word, they picked Ryan up before Becca could respond and flew off.



Becca's eyes widened before she broke down in tears. "Ryan, no! No! God no, please!"



Amelia kept looking at her mother and up at the sky before a minute later, a loud whooshing sounded just as Eric landed in front of them.

---

"What happened!" I asked, looking at the crying Becca.



"Homelander, he-he took Ryan!" she sobbed.



I narrowed my eyes before looking up at the sky and back at Amelia and Becca. "Alright, enough of this. Go. Pack some things. You're not staying here anymore."



"Where are you taking us?" Becca asked.



"To Butcher." I said as I looked directly at the camera on the house. "I'm done with all of this bullshit."



"They'll just come after us!" Becca cried as Amelia turned, flying into the house and up the stairs to her room. "What kind of life–"



"No they won't." I cut her off. "Not after tomorrow."



Becca blinked at me, wiping her eyes. "What's tomorrow?"



"Vought's going to trial with congress tomorrow. And everything is coming out into the light. And that includes you and your kids." I said, as she rushed inside and began grabbing her things.



As I waited, my phone rang. Stan Edgar.



"What?"



"I would think twice about the course of action that you are about to take." He said calmly.



"Oh, I have. You can trust that." I said as I looked up at the house with my X-ray vision. "This whole charade with my father and Becca and all the other shit that's been going on for the last 5 months? It stops. Becca and her kids get to go free."



"While it is regrettable the situation regarding your father and siblings, that choice is not yours to make."



"It is. I'm a superhero, that means that I'll do what's right, even if it means going up against my father." I said firmly as Becca and Amelia came down the stairs and started towards the back door. "And nothing you say here will make me leave them here."



"Oh? Just as I do not fear your father, Eric, I do not fear you. You will leave that residence and let us handle it, or Taylor Pearse will meet an unfortunate set of circumstances. The choice is yours."



I let out a small chuckle of laughter as Becca and Amelia came out to stand in front of me. "No. No, see, I don't think it will. In fact, I'm going to fly them out of here right now and you're just going to sit there happily."



"And why would I do that?"



"Because." I said, looking up at the camera, "If you go after anybody I care about, especially Taylor, I'll tear Zoe apart."



I could hear the small sharp breath through the phone. A second later, he cleared his breath. "That's not your style, Valor."



"Like you said, I'm Homelander's son. Who knows what I could do if pushed far enough. I might go after your granddaughter, I might kill Sameer? I wonder if Victoria would hate you for that, knowing you caused the death of Zoe's father just because you couldn't swallow your own ego. I could do lots of things that you wouldn't see coming. But, make no mistake, I'm not my father. I don't need your approval. Oh, and before I hang up the phone, let me let you in on a little secret. I can see through zinc. So should you feel the need to let Victoria know ahead of time, I can easily find them." I said, hanging up before turning to Becca.



"Let's get you guys out of here."



They nodded.

---

"Needless to say I keep her in check! She was a bad-bad, nevertheless! Callin' it quits now, baby I'm a wreck. Crash at my place, Baby you're a wreck." Taylor sang out to the music as she did a little dance, stirring the crockpot, adding in chunks of steak before sliding over the fridge and pulling out some wine, adding a splash of it to the pot.



"Some things you just can't refuse, she wanna ride me like a cruise, and I'm not trying to looooose. Then you're left in the dust. Unless I stuck by ya! You're a sunflower!"



The door opening caught her attention, causing her to glance over. As footsteps came striding over, she smiled slightly before turning. And was instantly caught off guard at the little blond 8 year old staring at her with wonder.



"Uhhhhh." Taylor started before glancing over towards the front door, seeing an older woman alongside Eric. "Dude, who's this?"



Eric gave a small smile as he held up his hand. "I'll tell you in a second." he said before looking at Becca. "Give me a second to get changed. You guys can just make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back."



Becca gave a strained smile and Taylor couldn't help but notice her puffy eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked.



Becca let out a shaky breath, "It's been a day."



"Well. . . Dinner will be ready soon. Feel free to watch some tv until then." Taylor said before turning back towards the food. As she finished spicing it, she felt a little tug on her shorts.



Taylor gave a smile as she looked down at the girl who looked suspiciously similar to Eric. "Hi, sweetie. What can I do for you?"



"Is. . ." She tried to get the words out before holding her hands up, signing. "Can you sign?"



"Yes I can." Taylor said, signing alongside the words. "Are you deaf?"



Amelia shook her head. "Mute. Sometimes."



"Selective?" Taylor asked, getting a nod in return. "Well, then. What did you want to ask me?"



"Are you Taylor?" she asked, receiving a nod in return. "Are you Eric's girlfriend?"



Taylor cleared her throat with a shake of her head, "Uh, no. Just really good friends."



"Then why are you living with him and cooking for him and cutting his hair and making him a new costume and why is he talking about you on the phone and–"



"Okay, that's enough of that." Becca said, picking her daughter up before giving Taylor a sympathetic look and headed back to the living room.



Taylor let out a bright grin at the little girl's antics before stirring the pot. A few minutes later, she heard the pitterpatter of feet again. She looked down out of the corner of her eye, seeing her once again.



"I'm. . ." she took a deep breath, focusing on her words. "My name. . . is Amelia."



"Well, nice to meet you Amelia." She said kindly. "I'm Taylor. But you already knew that."



Amelia gave a toothy grin before they began talking about other stuff.

---

I blew out a sigh before stepping into the living room with a bunch of blankets and pillows, my hair still damp from the shower. And stopped at the sight of Taylor, Becca, and Amelia talking about whatever it was they were talking about. And Taylor was painting Amelia's nails.



I glanced at the empty bowls on the coffee table. "I see you guys were quick to get settled in."



Amelia grinned at me beside Taylor. "Your girlfriend's awesome!"



"She's not my girlfriend." I said, setting the stuff down beside Becca before going into the kitchen and grabbing some food.



"Then what is she?" Amelia asked cheekily.



"She is a friend who is a girl. And before you say anything," I quickly said, cutting her off, "she's my roommate. That's all."



"I don't cook for my roommate." Amelia said. "Or make soup and stay home when they're sick and not feeling good."



"You're 8, you munchkin. And you don't have a roommate." I said. "You have a wombmate."



Amelia snorted at that before Taylor smirked. "I like her, she's got spunk."



"Well, if you haven't been made aware, let me introduce you. Taylor, this is my sister, Amelia, and her mother, Becca."



Taylor raised a brow as she glanced at the little girl. "Nahhhh, it can't be. She's way too cool to be related to you." Amelia smiled brightly before she floated slightly. "And look, she can fly. Can you fly? Didn't think so."



With a dead stare, and keeping my body completely straight, I levitated off the ground before I did a front flip without bending my body at all. Taylor stuck her tongue out, "Pbbbfft, that's boring telekinesis."



"Yeah, you're boring!" Amelia giggled.



I rolled my eyes at the duo. What have I done? I looked at Becca, "I do have a spare room if you'd like or I can bring out an air mattress. If you'd rather the couch, that's fine too."



"Thank you, Eric. The couch is fine. I'd rather be out here anyways."



I nodded. "Alright. With everything happening tomorrow, we need you both well rested. So try and relax and get some sleep. I've got some more work to do in my study so if you need me, you know where to find me." I said before pausing.



"What is it?" Taylor asked.



Even with the threat I had issued out, I wasn't taking any chances. Going to the corner in the study, I lifted the rug before typing in the code to the safe before pulling out one of the many large bottles and pouring out some pills.



I didn't like it, but I couldn't afford not to. Not with Edgar actively threatening them. "Becca, Taylor, here."



Taylor took the pill before her eyes widened as she looked at it. "Dude, this is X. What the hell are you giving me this for? And why do you have it?"



"What's X?" Becca asked, looking at the pill in her hand.

"Chem X, or known as Even Ground on the street corners, is a notoriously hard drug to get ahold of. It gives the user powers for 6 hours."



Becca's eyes widened at me before looking back at it. "What kind? And is it safe?"



"You could eat a whole bottle of those and you'd have no problems. I'm working on finding the original supplier and the creator of them. These are some of the ones I've confiscated from multiple people going on rampages across the United States. And as for your powers, I don't know. But I do know that they at minimum make you completely bullet proof. Whatever extra powers you get is random. Could be fire, could be lasers, could be flight. But you'll know how to use it right away. Just promise me you'll use it should the need arise."



Becca and Taylor glanced at one another before nodding. "I promise," Taylor said with Becca in agreement.



"Good. Now, I need to prepare what I need to say tomorrow at the trial."

---

"This bipartisan committee is called to order, investigating Vought International and its production and distribution of Compound V, which I hereby present to the committee as evidence."



"Mr. Chairman, if I may?" Victoria started. "The testimony we're about–"



She paused as a whooshing sounded before the doors opened as everyone turned to look at Valor as he strode into the courtroom. As the chairman went to speak, he held a hand up, silencing him before leaning forward into Victoria's ear, tilting the mic away from them.



"Let's get one thing straight. If anyone's head pops in this hearing, so will your daughter's. Make your choice." he said before standing back and apologizing, taking a seat at the back of the courthouse.



Victoria, to her credit, didn't miss a beat as she continued forward. "The testimony we're about to hear today will prove that Vought is guilty of corporate malfeasance and multiple felonies. And it'll come from someone that has witnessed these crimes directly."



"The chair calls former CSO of Vought, Dr. Jonah Vogelbaum." As the man rolled into the room, the chairmen called out, "Okay, okay, quiet, everybody. Quiet. Dr. Vogelbaum. Thank you for joining us today. Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give today will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"



"I do."



"Thank you. You have five minutes to make your opening statement."



As the trial continued on, Valor gave a smile to Victoria who was unsettled by the uncanny resemblance he had to his father at that moment.

---

"What do you think he said to her?" Hughie asked.



Butcher shook his head, "I don't know. But whatever it was, it don't look like she cares about it too much if her sticking it to Vought has anything to say about it."



Laura narrowed her eyes at the screen. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. And while it was probably a good thing, it threw off her knowledge by a massive amount. But ignoring that unfortunate consequence, she could guess if her tiny nervous tapping on the table was anything to go by. Valor had without a doubt, threatened her and Zoe.

---

"As documented in paragraph 4, we can see the first successful trials of compound V and the heroes that came as a result of it."



I watched quietly from the back, never once taking my focus off Victoria and the other supers in the building. It had been 2 hours and in spite of a lot of horrible shit that had been revealed, I couldn't help but notice that not once had my father or Edgar himself been mentioned yet. I would make sure that was changed in the coming hours.



"The court is now in recess. We'll reconvene in an hour."



I narrowed my eyes as I followed Victoria out of the room.



As we stepped outside the courthouse and onto the side, Victoria marched up to me before glancing at Homelander off to the side who also looked like he wanted to say something to me as well. Before he could, he was pulled off to the side by Ashley. "Mr. Edgar wants to speak with you."



As he flew off, I turned back to Victoria,



"What the hell are you doing!" She said in anger.



"Making sure that this whole thing is over with." I snapped back with a glare. "I don't know what the deal with you and Laura is and frankly I don't care. I will not sit by and watch people be exploited, kidnapped, ruined, or murdered. Especially by you and your father of all people."



"And what about your father, huh? I don't see you arresting him." she said, cocking a brow at me.



"Oh, we're here for that reason as well. Him and his nazi girlfriend are going to get their dues today. And even if for whatever reason, he is not charged with anything, he will face the consequences of his actions. And if I have to threaten a woman and her daughter to stop Vought, then you bet your ass I will."



Victoria let out a chuckle. "The world isn't so cut and dry, Eric."



"Oh but it is. There is right and wrong in our world. The distinction should never be hard to make." I said, looking down at her. "And the right thing is to not cave to some asshole in a tie because he wants money."



"It's about more than money." Victoria said with a shake of her head.



"No, it's not." I said. "The truth will always come out, no matter how well it's hidden. And it's always worth telling.



She looked at me silently before shaking her head. "You sound just like the heroes Laura used to talk about. But it doesn't work. Those ideals will just get you killed."



"If I die fighting for what's right, then I die. I'll never stop fighting for what's right, you can count on that. So make no mistake, Vought and all the other supes who think they're above the law will go down. And maybe it won't be today, or tomorrow. But it will eventually, because there will always be one person who will stand up for what's right."



She scoffed with a shake of her head before turning away. "We'll see."



As the hearing reconvened, Homelander was finally brought up. Or rather, his kids were.



"Becca Butcher and her two children were held in an area closed off to the public for not just her and her children's safety, but for external reasons as well." Vogelbaum said. "It was in Mrs. Butcher's own words that the encounter was nonconsensual and came to seek mine and Madelyne Stillwell's assistance when the babies were developing at an unnatural speed."



As he recounted events and the holding of Becca Butcher, handing over the documents detailing where she had been held, it came to a close when Stormfront was brought up. And for the first time that day, I had to step in in the middle of the trial.



"Now hold on a damn minute!" Stormfront said as she shot to her feet, her hands going up in the air, "That wasn't–"



"Keep those hands down, now!" I snarled with glowing eyes, silencing everybody. She took a small stunned step back in silence. "Now sit down and be quiet unless called to the stand." I growled. Everyone watched with shock before she took a seat. Homelander shifted with a small sigh. I killed the glowing eyes with a smile, glancing at Vogelbaum, "Continue, please."



Unfortunately, nothing of the nazi variety was revealed and for the rest of the day, the trial continued before being adjourned with the next hearing to continue in 2 days.



As I left the courthouse, I looked around and found no trace of Homelander or Stormfront. Fantastic.

---

THE NEXT DAY



Amelia was currently in the living room playing videogames with Taylor, but Becca had sworn she knew where Butcher and his people were at and I had no reason to believe otherwise, so she'd taken off to go get him. So with the safety of Taylor and Amelia in mind, I'd wondered about what I should do regarding them. On one hand, I'd made it way too public for Vought to even attempt to go after them, but that wasn't anything regarding my father. I don't think he'd kill Taylor in all honesty, but I wouldn't put it above him to just take Amelia and fly away, ignoring her all together.



I wasn't stupid. I was poking the bear with a stick that was way too short for comfort and if they called my bluff, well, then. . . I let out a sigh as I brought my phone out, walking towards the front door. "Hey, where ya' headed?"



I pursed my lips before looking away from her. "I've gotta go figure some shit out and I need to make sure that we're wrapping this all up neatly. If it gets too messy and there's loopholes left, then Vought and all of the supers that need to answer for their crimes will find a way to squirrel out of it. So, with that in mind," I said, leaning down to Amelia. "If something goes wrong here, I'm leaving it up to you two to keep one another safe. Take the X, Taylor. And in six hours if I'm still not back, take another one."



She nodded before taking the pill as Amelia gave a determined look as well. A quick demonstration showed that Taylor could freeze things in a sort of stasis field. A stasis field that even I had trouble getting through without using my telekinesis. "Stay safe, guys. I'll try and hurry back. Call me if anything happens and I will rush back here as fast as I can, regardless of where I'm at."

---

"Would you ask Mario if he could whip us some of those Gruy'ere puffs?" Edgar said before looking over at Butcher and Laura. "Would you like an order? They're worth a cheat day."



"I assume you got a man out there? With a," Butcher tapped his head, "clean shot?"



"More than one." Edgar said with a polite smile.



"Then I'll skip the fucking hors d'oeuvres, if you don't mind, and we'll just cut straight to it, yeah?" Butcher said before leaning back.



"You mentioned on the phone that you could help with Homelander's son. I must say, I'm not sure what you mean." Edgar said, glancing at Laura.



"Those kids is your only possible contingency against Homelander if Valor ain't willing to bloody his hands. Now, that contingency don't work if they're off playing Ward and the Beav." Butcher said as the waiter poured Edgar a drink. "We can fix that."



"Thank you, Alvin." Edgar said before glancing at Laura. "And what about you? Why are you here with him?"



Laura let out a sigh before clicking her tongue, "It's time to cut the bullshit Stan. I'll take your deal."



Edgar's eyes widened slightly. "Truly? And what brought this on?"



"It doesn't fucking matter." she snapped. "Valor told me that you'd let Butcher's wife and her kids go free if I agreed. Well, here we are."



Stan blinked in surprise before giving a fond smile. "Well, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised if not a little touched. I know it's been some years since that fateful incident."



Laura nodded at his tone with narrowed eyes. "I have no doubt you've added terms to the agreement?"



"But of course. See, before, we weren't going through the small crisis we're going through right now, but Valor has seen fit to expose everyone, going so far as to threaten those close to me."



"He's bluffing." Laura said without hesitation.



"How can you be sure?" he said, glancing at them.



"Because, if he won't kill a fucking nazi and his father, and we know he can" she said, throwing down the file detailing Eric's powers and strength, "then he won't kill an innocent young girl."



"And yet, I feel as if we targeted his friend, we'd be dealing with a very different Valor."



"Exactly. So don't push your luck." Laura said. "He's still human and if push came to shove I have no doubt he'd do it. Don't give him the reason and he's easy to manage. So let's just skip to what we both want."



Edgar smiled with a content sigh. "Very well. We will give you your powers back and we will wash our hands of Becca Butcher and her children, but you will do a few things for us. Lamplighter, Vogelbaum, and as of an hour ago, Maeve. They are all testifying against Vought. You will handle this, do you understand? The damages done to Vought by the testimony given so far is not undoable, but any longer and well, we run some horrible risks regarding the people's anger turning on Homelander himself. I'm sure you don't need me to explain why that would be a bad thing?"



Butcher snorted. "You turned a racist piece of shite into America's sweetheart. And now you're worried about people getting mad about it?"



"Stormfront's good at making people angry. And at the time that was what we needed. Angry people want Compound V. Compound V raises our stock price. Look, I'd have preferred V remained a secret, but we play with the cards we're dealt. It's not ruthless, it's prices per share. That's all."



"And in the process, ya let her turn most of America against the one person doing anything about the chem X problem. So, maybe you should take a look in the mirror, mate. 'Cause that bitch should bother you." Butcher said with a tight smile.



"Of course she does. But it's not about me. I can't lash out like some raging, entitled maniac. That's a white man's luxury." Edgar said blankly.



"So, it's just business, then, eh?" Butcher asked.



"When, Mr. Butcher, in history, has it ever been about anything different?" Edgar asked.



"Fine." Laura said, cutting the small conversation off between the men. "I'll stop the trial. But you let Becca and her family go."



Edgar grinned brightly, "Of course. You have–"



"But make no mistake." Laura started, standing up from her seat. "I'm dealing with Homelander and Stormfront. My way."



Edgar hummed. "While I wouldn't be so opposed to that under normal circumstances, you have to consider the possibility of Valor's retaliation against such a course of action."



"That's exactly what I'm counting on." Laura said.



"Oh? And how is that?" Stan asked.



"Like you said," Laura said, walking up to Edgar. "If someone were to target his little girlfriend, who knows what Valor would do to them."



Stan's face slowly twisted into a smirk. "And you always had the nerve to call me a ruthless bastard."



"So do we have a deal?" Butcher asked, holding his hand out.

---

"Get Ryan and then we hightail back towards Eric's house." Hughie explained to Annie. "Once he's nearby, he won't let Homelander or Stormfront take the kids or Becca."



"And what if they try anyways?" Annie asked with concern. "And where's Laura?"



"Don't worry about it. And we're counting on them trying." Butcher said to Annie's confusion, just as the radio flared to life with Frenchie's voice.



"She's on the move!" he said as Butcher watched Stormfront zoom through the skies past them.



"I see her, Frenchie. We gotta move! Are you close?" Butcher said. Rushing to the cars.



"Un moment, mon ami."



"Holy shit! It just broke." MM said as he pulled the phone up, detailing the news report of Stormfront's past connections to the nazi party.



As they watched the report, multiple reports showed people shunning and slandering her. "I can't believe I have to say this but. . . Nazis are bad. Looks like Valor wasn't such a bigot after all."



A few minutes later, Butcher sounded the speakers they'd placed in the forest to draw Homelander away. As soon as Homelander flew overhead, they took off, picking Ryan up before heading towards the house.

---

Laura groaned as she swayed, barely getting her feet under her before she let out a long breath, the nausea fading along with the pain.



"How do you feel?" Stan asked from the side.



Laura straightened before holding her hand out, a large steel greatsword forming in her hands before dissipating. She gave a soft smile before letting her hands drop. "Like I'm finally able to breathe again. Like the world makes sense again." She said, looking at her hands before she manifested some clothes and got rid of the hospital gown.



Stan smirked. "Glad to hear it."



Laura humphed before picking her phone up and flicking to the live feed of the body cams on Butcher and MM. "I've been waiting a long time for this." she sneered at the video.



"You don't want to do it yourself?" Stan asked.



"No." She said, "If Valor does it, it'll give the kid a fucking wake up call."



Stan remained silent before walking away from her.

---

Taylor yawned as she picked the bottle of water up before chucking it into the air and freezing it. With a smile, she carefully maneuvered the bottle through the floating water, catching the liquid before leaning forward and slurping it up.



Amelia giggled before chucking a pillow into it as well, causing it to freeze midair. Just as she went to throw something else, she paused. "What is it?" Taylor asked, pulling the pillow out of the air.



Amelia turned to the front door before she took a hesitant step back. "There's people outside. A lot of them."



Taylor shot to her feet, rushing to the lock box in the study before grabbing the pistol out of it and quickly loading it. "Amelia, come here and stay behind me, sweetie."



"The door's locked and all the blinds are closed!" Somebody said, out of breath, before a woman's voice sounded.



"Move!" she said before the doorframe cracked with a flash of light, swinging open. Just as she entered, Taylor lifted the gun and fired three shots into the chest of the intruder.



Annie jumped a bit as she looked down at herself before turning towards the shooter with glowing hands until she saw who it was. Taylor narrowed her eyes in confusion.



"Starlight?"



"You're. . . Taylor, right?"



Taylor nodded before Becca rushed into the house with Ryan beside her. "Mom!" Amelia cried out as she rushed forward into her arms.



"Oh, baby, are you okay?"



Ignoring the heartfelt reunion, Taylor narrowed her eyes at the people rushing into the house before aiming the gun at them hesitantly. "Who the fuck are you people!"



"You don't need to worry about us." Butcher said, peeking out the blinds as he checked for any sign of Stormfront or Homelander.



"Sorry to burst in, but we're in some hot shit and this was the safest place to be." MM said, quickly loading an assault rifle as he took position beside Butcher.



Taylor growled lowly as they flipped the furniture for some sort of cover, tearing the place up before her eyes widened at the last person to enter the house. "What the fuck is he doing here!" she yelled, aiming the gun at Kenji's face.



Becca stepped in the way with her hands up in a placating matter. "Taylor, wait, please! This is just a big misunderstanding. We just needed to get here so Eric can keep us safe until–"



"Then why do you have a fucking terrorist with you!" She asked, looking at Kimiko's brother who had the decency to step away from the group and keep his distance.



"He's not a–" Becca started before she gave Taylor a pleading look. "Please, we're just here to keep my kids safe for the time being. And then we'll be out of your hair. Please, hun."



Taylor glanced at Amelia who was looking around at the new arrivals before glancing at Taylor with a shrug. After a second, she lowered the gun. "Well, Eric's not fucking here." she said with irritation. "He took off to make sure the rest of the court stuff was handled for tomorrow."



"He'll be here." Butcher said with certainty.



"Can you give him a quick call?" Becca asked. "I'd feel safer if he was here."



Taylor's jaw clenched with annoyance before she stepped away, eyeing the group with caution before bringing out her phone and texting Eric until something hit her. "If you needed Eric's help. . . why didn't you call him?"



Becca paused before she furrowed her brow as Annie also gained a look of confusion beside Hughie. Hughie looked at Becca. "Wait, you have his number? Then why did we come here? We could have just called him to get Ryan back and that would have worked just as well, right?"



Becca nodded to herself. "Y-yeah. Why didn't we do that?"



Butcher remained quiet as everyone turned to look at him. A beat passed before Annie glanced at Taylor and a look of realization fell on her face. "You piece of shit!"



"What is it?" Hughie asked before MM looked over.



"This isn't about Eric keeping Becca and her kids safe." Annie said as she took a disgusted step back. "He's using Eric's girlfriend as bait." she snapped.



Taylor looked at him, taking a small step back, her grip tightening around the gun in nervousness. "What does that mean?"



"You came here to make Homelander and Stormfront chase us. You're using her to make Eric pissed enough to kill them!" She spat as her eyes glowed.



Butcher turned a dark glare on Annie, "Yeah? And if ya keep your mouth shut, we might jus–"



Kenji tackled Starlight to the ground as Kimiko, Frenchie, and MM dove for Hughie, Butcher, and Becca and her kids. The glass shattered as a car flew through the living room.

---

Amelia groaned before she quickly sat up, looking around the room. "Taylor!" she cried out, searching for her at no sight of her.



The hues of yellow and purple fear and nervousness wafting over the group were pungent and violently clear. Her head turned towards the street as she caught sight of the person responsible as everyone climbed to their feet.



"There you are, you slippery little bitch!" Stormfront snapped as she strode towards the house from the street. "I'm assuming it's you who sent all those lies to the press."



"They're not lies!" Annie yelled.



"The pictures are clearly deepfakes and you're a lying slut!" Stormfront said, "People love what I have to say. They believe in it. They just don't like the word 'Nazi,' that's all."



Butcher helped Becca to her feet before Ryan blinked up at them as his mom quickly lifted him up as well. "Ryan! Are you okay! Amelia? Amelia!"



As Starlight and Kimiko headed out of the house, flanked by Kenji, Amelia was looking all over, trying to find Taylor. "Where's Taylor!"



Becca and Butcher looked everywhere before finally turning and seeing it. Just barely peeking out from under the car, they were able to see a bundle of blonde hair and Taylor's hand. She wasn't moving. Amelia gasped before rushing for her, being stopped as Becca grabbed her daughter's arm. "We have to go, Amelia! We can't stay here!"



Amelia quickly yanked her hand from her mom's grip and rushed over to the car, putting her hands under the wheel and lifting with everything she could. A slight groaning of the metal could be heard as the car lifted a few inches at a time, slowly raising just enough for Frenchie and Hughie to grab her and pull her out.



Taylor let out a pained sigh as she slowly brought her hand to her head, her vision swimming. "What-What happened?"



"We don't got time for this." Butcher snapped. "We got to go now!"



While they quickly headed for the back door, Hughie gave her an apologetic look before grabbing his gun and shooting at Stormfront with MM and Frenchie.



Stormfront scoffed before tilting her head, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the yellow fuck from a couple months ago. I guess Christmas came early this year." she said before her eyes glowed before flicking her hands forward as the purple plasma latched onto them, throwing them into the second story wall, causing a corner of the house to collapse. Taylor finally regained her sense of direction before stumbling to her feet and making her way out of the house.



She looked around at the destruction before her eyes latched onto Stormfront with rage. Throwing her hand out, a field surrounded her, freezing her in place. With her frozen in stasis, everyone looked over at her with shock. "You're a supe?" Frenchie uttered in astonishment. "Talk about good luck!"



Taylor let out a deep breath as her adrenaline slowly diminished, her body suddenly feeling very heavy as she found herself struggling to move, much less stand. Slowly falling to the ground, she began panting in exhaustion as a bout of dizziness took hold. What was happening?



"I don't know how long that will hold!" MM yelled, rushing for one of the remaining cars with Butcher and Becca.



"What about her!" Hughie yelled.



"Forget her!" Butcher exclaimed. "She'll be fine!"



Taylor narrowed her eyes in exhaustion and went to raise her hand before she screamed in pain as a red laser struck her in the chest, carrying her back a few feet, carving a trail in the dirt and leaving a nasty bruise on her body and a light burn. Immediately, the field dropped, letting Stormfront move again before she dusted herself off. She glared at the blonde before marching up to her with sparking hands.



"William!" Homelander snarled, his voice carrying through the neighborhood as he landed directly beside Taylor's prone form who was huddled on the ground, clutching her chest with tears in her eyes, gasping for air.



"Little bitch." Stormfront growled, lifting her hands to shock Taylor before everyone froze at the sight before them.



Stormfront and Homelander looked at one another in confusion as a horrible ringing hum filled the air, the ground shaking around them. Turning to look where the Boys' gaze had fallen, they found themselves looking up into the sky before Stormfront took a hesitant fearful step back.



Butcher smirked to himself. "Looks like the plan worked flawlessly." He said, the sight of Valor hovering above his father with a heated glare whose pressure could be felt by everyone.

---

Lol, I'm evil. Cliffhanger, muhahahahahaha!



And as for the new episode, eh, I think it was a bit mid if I'm being honest. I did like it though, but Kimiko's reaction had me emotional as hell.



And I know I promised fanart of Valor. I just haven't had the time for it. I'll probably post it in this chapter some time on Saturday.



I love reading everyone's thoughts and the support I've received is so inspiring. Thank you all so much. And like always, let me know what you think and Enjoy!



As promised, here's a quick sketch of Eric as Valor.

'

'

 

[The Desecrated One]

Stormfront and Homelander looked at one another in confusion as a horrible ringing hum filled the air, the ground shaking around them. Turning to look where the Boys' gaze had fallen, they found themselves looking up into the sky before Stormfront took a hesitant fearful step back.



Butcher smirked to himself. "Looks like the plan worked flawlessly." He said, the sight of Valor hovering above his father with a heated glare whose pressure could be felt by everyone.



Homelander cleared his throat, looking up at him. "Son! We were, uh, we were just–"



And before anybody else could make a move, the sounds of helicopters filled the air, sirens blaring as dozens of armored vehicles quickly tore through the neighborhood as police officers, swat, ambulances, firetrucks, and what looked to be members of the national guard as well, filled the area.



Valor glared, the pressure in the air that forced every single person to their knees rendered them paralyzed minus Becca, Amelia, Ryan, and Taylor. The horrible ringing reverberated through every corner of the cul de sac as his eyes glowing with a menacing blue. "All of you are being detained until this is resolved."



"Son, I–" Homelander tried to say, failing to stand before he was silenced by the air cracking as Valor appeared in front of him and Stormfront. He let out a tight breath, letting his gaze fall as he looked at the officers rushing towards them. "All right, all right, take a breath, Son. Nobody's doing anything."



Without another word, the Boys watched Valor step past him and gently pick Taylor up before carrying her to the ambulance.

---

Laura's eyes narrowed at the feed,shaking her head with a dark chuckle on her lips. "Aren't you clever?" She muttered before letting out a scoff, her grip breaking the phone. "Whatever." she said, leaving the room in annoyance.

---

Hughie shook his head in disbelief. "Wow. Great plan there, guys. Is that why Laura wasn't with us? This is a new low, Butcher. Even for you."



"Will ya come off it, Hughie?" Butcher said in irritation before his voice softened, "Look, it wasn't my idea, okay? It was Laura's. My plan was to lure Homelander to Valor so he would hold him off so we could get away. That was it. It was Laura's to use his girl."



"Ya know." Hughie shook his head, "I wanna believe you. . . but I just don't think I can this time. That was fucked up what we did. And even if it wasn't your plan, you still went along with it without telling any of us."



Butcher let out a sigh before glancing out the window. "Well, don't you worry. We've already got this all sorted out and it'll be handled shortly."



"What's that supposed to mean?" Hughie asked.



"It means-" Butcher started as a police officer strode over to the car before letting them out and uncuffing them. "-that Laura and me have it handled. Like always."



"But, how did–"



"Don't you worry about a thing, Hughie. Everything is about to go our way anyways." Butcher smirked. "And I do feel bad about the girl. But look over there and see that it's all goin' our way today."



Hughie looked over at the other cop car and his eyes widened at Homelander and Stormfront sitting in the back of the other patrol car. "What the hell? But they could just–"



"Oh yeah, obviously, mon ami." Frenchie said, walking up to them while rubbing his wrists beside MM. "But they have to listen. Not just because they're the police, but because Valor is the one who arrested them."



"And right now, Valor's the talk of the town." MM said with a nod.



"How so?" Annie asked, striding over as she waved one of the officers away.



"For the last three months, he's been calling Stormfront a nazi to the public, telling people that she's fear mongering, and all that other bullshit." MM explained, glancing up at the news chopper and the reporters huddled behind the police lines. "People are already apologizing to him over the hate and I'd imagine that he's the most popular person in the world right about now. And now, he just arrested his own father alongside Stormfront. It doesn't look good for Vought right now."



"Do you really think that we should be saying this so close to. . . well, Homelander?" Hughie asked. "I'm pretty sure he can hear us right now."



Butcher looked over with a smirk, making eye contact with the star spangled monster, "I know he can. And he can't do shit right now. So who fuckin' cares."



"But still. . ." Hughie said hesitantly before switching topics. "Where's Kimiko and her brother? And Becca?"



"We're over here." Kenji said, striding over to them beside his sister and Becca who looked done with the day. "I don't know how you managed it, but all charges against us have been dropped. Including my own."



"What?" Annie said in confusion. "How?"



"That would be me." They all looked over to see Stan Edgar striding over to them. "Laura's already undergone the process and has her powers back, Mr. Butcher. As per the deal, all charges against everyone have been dropped, no one shall pursue you all any longer, and Becca, you are free to leave with your children with no strings attached."



"Really?" She said in disbelief.



"Really." Stan said. "While we will have no part to play regarding Ryan and Amelia's upbringing any longer, you may still have to deal with a legal battle regarding custody rights with Homelander himself, seeing as they are his children."


"You aren't going to tell them that he raped me?" Becca said in indignation.



Stan blinked in mock surprise, "I haven't the faintest idea what you mean. A mutual drunken affair hardly counts as rape." he chuckled before his face dropped in a neutral scowl, "But if I were you, I'd take the win and not push your luck."



Butcher hummed with a tight smile, "Thanks, cunt. You can go now."



"Believe me, I am more than happy too." He said with a smile before looking at Annie. "And, Starlight, you and Valor will both need to be prepped by legal and pr for the statement. Don't take too long."



Starlight let out an irritated sigh before nodding with a click of her tongue. "Yep."



"Lovely. Have a wonderful rest of your day." He said to them all before turning and leaving.



"What about him?" Kenji asked, gesturing to Valor who was standing beside the ambulance.



"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves." Butcher said quietly.

---

Maeve strode over, standing beside me as she looked down at Taylor. "Hey, how are you feeling? Do you need anything?"



"This-" Taylor gestured to herself, "This is just to be safe." she said with a gentle smile.



Maeve smiled back at her, "Sorry you got roped into all this bullshit."



"Yeah," Taylor grinned with a slight wince, "This has been a clusterfuck."



I let out a small breath, giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."



"Hey, you got here in like a minute tops. That's fast as hell." she said as an emt checked her over. "Don't beat yourself up over it." she said before looking over at the house with a downtrodden sigh.



I glanced back at the house I'd grown up in. "Yeah, there is that." I muttered.



"So, now what?" Taylor asked.



"Well, I suppose I'll get a hotel room until I can figure out a new living arrangement. If you want to, you can come along but I'd understand if you wanna go back with your parents after all this. You should never have gotten mixed up with this shit." I said.



"Hey, I'm fine aren't I?" She grinned. "So I have some bruises. Maybe a cracked rib. Who cares? This was exciting! Especially the way you showed up with like 3 police helicopters and like half the city's swat."



"Really?" I scoffed in confusion.



Her smile fell for a second, showing a tiny bit of apprehension as her eyes seemed to get the tiniest bit shinier, the tiniest tremble in her voice, "No, not really. This was all scary as hell. But," She gave a shaky smile, "I'm okay. And you showed up and stopped it all with no one else getting hurt. That's a win."



I grunted with a nod. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Well I said it is and so suck it up and stop being a bitch." She said teasingly. She did well in masking it, but I could see that she was shaken.



I gave a convincing laugh before looking around the area, my eyes falling on my father sitting in the cop car. "I'll be right back."



"Mhm." She said, leaning back.



As I strode over to the car, I looked at the car. "You can let him out. Just him." I said with a nod.



The man nodded, giving Homelander an apologetic look. "Sorry about all this, Homelander."



He waved him off. "Nah, I get it. Just doing your job." he said with an Oscar worthy smile.



Standing up, he looked at me, stepping forward. "I just wanna say that I am so sorry son. If I had known that that was Taylor–"



I held up a hand, silencing him with a glare. "It's not me you should be apologizing to." I said coldly.



He nodded, "Right." he said before striding over to Taylor with an apologetic look. "Hey, um, Taylor, right?"



She nodded, giving him a blank look as Maeve stood beside her. "Yes?"



"I wanna say sorry about the lasers. Really. I'd been chasing them for the last half hour and when they showed up at Eric's place and there was a car sticking out of his house and Stormfront was frozen and so I just thought–" he shook his head, "What I'm trying to say is I'm sorry. I should have been more aware of what was going on. Had I been more involved with my son these last few months, I would have probably met you properly instead of our first meeting being. . ."



"You lasering me in the chest?" she said with an unimpressed tone.



He nodded with a wince, "Yeah. That. Sorry."



"It's. . . whatever I guess." She said, shaking her head before a small glare fell on her face at the blonde superhero. "You need to listen to your son more. He's been telling you for months that Stormfront's bad news. And I get it, believe me I do. When you're dating someone, you tend to ignore the bad about them unless it's shoved right in your face."



Homelander nodded with a solemn look. "Of course. You're right. And, uh, I'll leave you to it. Maeve." he nodded at her before turning and heading towards Edgar.



I ignored him before sending a glare at Stormfront as I strode past the car and headed over towards Butcher and his crew.



Starlight shifted uneasily as I stepped up to them. "Heeeey, Eric." she said nervously.



I ignored her as I looked Butcher dead in the eye. "Contrary to whatever you and your cunt friend Laura might think, I'm not fucking stupid. I could hear you and her talking to Edgar from three miles above you. So I hope she was watching, because nobody is dying today. That court case is getting handled and like it or not, she's gonna sit back and watch just like everyone else." I snarled. "And make no mistake, William. If you use any of my friends like that again, I will personally make sure that you get acquainted with a prison cell."



"Eric, we didn't know that–"



"Shut up." I snapped at Annie. "Right now, you are all on my shit list. Murder, extortion, theft, assault, grand theft auto, the sale and use of narcotics! We'd be here all fucking day if I wanted to go over your rap sheet. And the only reason that your not in a cell right now is because you got the president himself to give you a fucking pardon somehow."



Butcher smirked. "Well, it looks like it's all sorted then, ey? And don't you worry, we'll be out of your curly blonde locks in no time. So, be a good little boy and–"



I gave him a light shove, sending him stumbling backwards against the car as I turned away from him. "Get your shit together, Annie. We have to give a statement." I said as I turned away from the group. "Becca, Ryan wants to talk to you. Can't say much for Amelia though."

---

Amelia wasn't talking to her mother. Or her brother. Or the cops. Or anyone for that matter. She was too angry with everyone for what they'd done to Taylor and all she wanted to do was make sure she was okay. And now, they were telling her that she needed to go to a court trial soon because of a custody battle.



The brightly colored lights around the crowd formed a rainbow of mixed emotions that drifted through the air like smoke. A bright laugh cut through the air, catching her attention. Taylor. She looked out of the police car and saw the ambulance with Taylor on a nearby ambulance bed thing. Quickly looking for a handle to get out, she quickly became frustrated at not finding one before rearing back and throwing out her little fist. This, unfortunately, had the adverse effect of sending the door sailing out towards the crowds who had gathered behind the police line to watch the proceedings.



Her eyes widened in slight panic before the door stopped midair, being set down on the ground. Letting a tiny sigh of relief out, she quickly climbed out of the car. Ryan was quick to follow her out. Eric looked over at them as they split up, Amelia rushing over to Taylor and Ryan to his mom. He gave a quiet nod before bringing the door back towards the cop car.



"I'll make sure that this is covered." Amelia heard him say quietly before she turned her attention back to Taylor.



Taylor gave a bright smile as Amelia jumped up to the side of the bed a couple times, failing to see her before she smacked herself in the head. 'Right. I can fly.' Amelia thought to herself before floating up beside her.



Taylor pulled her into a hug. "How are you doing, kid?"



"Are you okay?" Amelia asked quietly with a slightly trembling voice.



Taylor nodded, smoothing Amelia's hair out with a comforting smile. "I'm okay. Just a little bruising. I guess that stuff that Eric gave me let me heal? I'm not too sure though. What about you? This must all seem a little overwhelming."



Amelia nodded into Taylor's chest, pulling back with a sniffle. "I have to go to court for custody. Or something."



Taylor sighed. "Yeah, that sh– stuff sucks." she said, correcting herself. "But don't worry. Everything'll be okay and pretty soon you'll be back in school and making all kinds of friends."



"I've never been to school." She said.



Taylor's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" At her little nod, she hummed, "Well, when you do go, you'll love it. You'll make all kinds of friends and–"

---

I smiled at the sight before flying over to my wrecked house. I hadn't let anyone in or near it. Not with the massive amounts of evidence and files I'd accumulated on X. Especially not with the bottles of the stuff I'd confiscated. Gathering the documents of importance, I walked through the rubble, clearing it away the best I could. Photos that had lined the wall were missing or outright destroyed, the living room had completely collapsed into itself, the second floor was also destroyed. Basically, just the back of the house and the basement were all that remained. That being my study and Taylor's workshop in the basement.



"Valor." Edgar said behind me.



I gave him a narrowed look as I turned to face him. "You and I are gonna have words."



"Of that I have no doubt. But for now, I think it prudent for you to address the nation, don't you?"



I sent a glare at him as I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "That deal better hold. Because if I catch even a rumor that Vought is after Amelia and Ryan again, I'll–"



"Relax, Eric. With Laura back in the fold, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, this whole compound V business? The whole keeping superheroes in check? You don't need to concern yourself with any of it any longer. Eclipse will handle it all."



"Eclipse?" I said with a questioning look, "That sounds familiar."



"I would imagine so." Edgar said. "She was the superhero for a short time until she suffered an injury. And so, she faded into the background as so many often do. But she's back now and now Vought can worry about being a real company. And I hope that we can keep counting on your continued support."



I stayed quiet, thinking about everything he was saying. Finally, I spoke. "Like I said, we're having a conversation about this all."



"Of course," he grinned before walking away. "Now, Starlight is waiting over there along with Maeve."



I shook my head before leaning down and seeing some papers in the living room rubble. Mail and unopened. I narrowed my eyes at seeing an envelope for Taylor. Without opening the envelope, I used my x-ray vision to take a peek. My eyes widened in pleasant surprise before I picked it up and pocketed it. With a nod, I turned and flew over to Starlight and Maeve.

---

Homelander groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "What a shit show." he muttered, striding through the halls of Vought Tower. Everything had been going fine until William and Becca had decided to go through with their little plan. To make matters worse, his children's existence to the public had been revealed in that damn court case. He knew he should have killed Vogelbaum when he'd had the chance. And to top it all off, Eric was genuinely siding against Vought!



Obviously he was sorry about the whole thing with Taylor. Sure, he'd tried to laser her and the whole thing hadn't ended all that great, but now the strain on their relationship was felt in an even worse way than it had been in the last couple months. Shaking his head, he headed towards his flat before he stilled.



Click. Click. Click.



The steady sounds of high heels clicking against the marble floors as they approached. He let out a low growl as he turned towards the sound. "Goddamn it, Ashley! Why the fuck–"



He froze, the hairs standing up on the back of his neck as a chill ran up his spine. The woman's silhouette in the dark was unnatural, almost as if she wasn't human. Limbs too long, the shadows on the floor were facing the wrong way, her smile twisted in an inhuman grin with sharp teeth and big round white eyes that seemed to reflect the low light in the building.



He let out a shuddering breath as he took a step back in fear.



Click. Click. Click.



The footsteps drew closer and as she stepped into the light, the form seemingly transformed and revealed the gorgeous woman that he'd hoped to never see again. "E-Eclipse." he muttered breathlessly, his palms sweaty as he eyed her.



Laura stepped forward with a soft, kind smile that he knew was anything but. "Hello, John. How have you been?"



"Wha-I-you–" he stuttered before shaking his head in disbelief bordering panic. "How are you here?"



Her smile twisted into a tight, rage-filled grin. "Does it matter? We both know what I'm about to do so why don't we drop the niceties and just get to it."



Homelander held his hands up quickly in desperation, "Wait! Wait! Please, wait! It-it-it wasn't me! I swear! It was Edgar's idea, you have to believe me!"



Click. Click. Click.



Homelander looked around in terror, going to take off out the window, only to find his abilities weren't working. Nothing. Not his heat vision, his X-Ray vision, and especially not his flight. He went to run, only for a wall made of a transparent glowing glass-like material to form on both sides of him, cutting off his escape.



"Eclipse. I– Eclipse, please. Please, I didn't– I swear." He begged, dropping to his knees as his eyes filled with tears. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll give you Vought! I'll give you whatever you want! I'll-I'll-I'll–"



Click. Click. Click.



As she slowly advanced towards him, his breathing turned erratic as the reality finally set in. "Somebody! Anyone! Help! Eric!"



Click. Click. Click.



She stopped, standing directly in front of him, as she stared down at him in disgust. "Don't bother. He's at the hospital, checking on his friend and getting ready to head to a hotel for the night ever since your nazi girlfriend destroyed his house."



Homelander was bawling his eyes out now as he leaned forward, grabbing her feet as his forehead rested on her ankle. "Please. Pleasepleaseplease! Eclipse. I'll do anything!"



She stared down at the display, shaking her head with a sneer. This was the man, or rather the sad excuse of one, that everyone was afraid of. Pathetic, she thought as she lifted her hand.

---

1 DAY LATER



Taylor yawned as she glanced at her phone, the sound of rain hitting her window making her wanna crawl back into the bed. 73 missed calls, 59 text messages ,13 voicemails. Jesus, she'd had to shut her phone off just to get some sleep because of how much it was going off. Her parents, extended family, friends, former classmates and teachers. The list went on and on.



She looked at the top two messages with a mix of emotions. Shane and Lily. Both of them were obviously concerned yet both were still on her shit list. And frankly, she was too mentally exhausted to care at the moment. She looked to the TV as the court trial was going on, Eric's face illuminated on the screen as he gave a testimony on the regards of rampant supes and their effect on the public, using their own experience from yesterday as his primary point.



Eric had taken the opportunity to speak out on certain matters. Mainly Vought's misuse of compound V, the kidnapping and hostage situation regarding Amelia and her brother and mom, and how he was at a critical point in his investigation of X. It was a shit show for sure. To make matters worse, Lamplighter had apparently overdosed late last night. She called bullshit but there wasn't much anyone could do about it. But Maeve had seemingly stepped up to testify in his place.



She watched with rapt attention as the topic of Amelia and her family was brought up alongside Stan Edgar and Madelyne Stillwell's involvement. This led to the unveiling of a multitude of felonies that they had committed and waved away and were still waving away. Some of which made Taylor's eyes widen at the sheer horror at them. For three hours, the topic of Edgar's involvement in the atrocities committed by Vought and by the many other crimes of the superabled community.



"Jesus Christ." Taylor said as her phone rang. Picking it up, she saw it was Lily. Shaking her head but never taking her eyes off the tv, she answered. "Hey."



". . . I owe Eric an apology." Lily's voice came through the phone yet it was tinged with a dark excitement. "This is the best day of my life!" she said, although Taylor could hear the rage in her voice.



Taylor nodded as Eric began speaking about a particular incident that everyone in the school knew about but nobody dared say anything about. Lily's sister and her murder.

---

I watched as Victoria finally took the stand and spoke up.



"For the last year, a very important person to me has been working with me behind closed doors under one guiding principle. The most powerful among us are not above the law including the most powerful man in the company. Laura Alverez, otherwise known as the hero Eclipse, has bravely come forth as a whistleblower and provided evidence of crimes committed within Vought by CEO Stan Edgar.



"And in the coming days, the CIA will be investigating charges of blackmail, perjury, and obstruction of justice to start with. The crimes listed are too heinous and numerous to list in this singular moment and will be presented to the jury. Vought International must be held to the highest ethical and legal standards. The people are entitled to the truth about their heroes. And no matter what popularity or superpowers they may hold, they must be held accountable for their actions."



I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Victoria sold Edgar out? I had been on edge all day, waiting for Laura to spring a trap of some sort, kill Vogelbaum or something, but no. I'd even investigated Lamplighter's death. He really had just OD'd. If my hypothesis was right, then Laura and Victoria were in league with one another to seize Vought from Edgar utilizing this trial. And seeing as my father and Stormfront weren't present and neither Edgar nor Laura seemed to be concerned with him when talking about her powers, I had to assume he was locked up or dead.



Maeve's testimony was next and by god I'd thought I'd heard the supes' crimes were bad but Jesus. The plane thing? The lasering people and threats? Those seemed tame in comparison to some of the other things I was hearing about from lower level superheroes. Maeve didn't just have word of mouth, she had actual evidence of those crimes. And when I stopped to think about where she'd gotten the files and proof of them, I once again came to the conclusion of Laura's interference. And yet. . . nobody brought up my father's crimes besides the instance from a couple days ago regarding Becca. Not even Maeve. Just. . . nothing.



I kept playing it in my mind. What was Laura's end game? Had she honest to god lied? Get her powers and then take Vought down? It wasn't too hard to believe. She was working with Butcher after all yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something. Either way, Vought was on a downward slope that had just nosedived into freefall over the last two hours and I was all too happy to watch it as it fell. Going by Maeve's smirk, so was she.



The court broke for a short recess as Victoria strode over towards her legal team before I could question her. I watched her leave in silence as Maeve strode over to me. What the fuck was going on with Laura and Vought?

---

"Holy fucking shit." Hughie muttered in shock before his eyes widened in excitement as they delivered the final verdict, a bright crescendo of blues, golds, and purples swirling through the air as emotions ran high. "Holy fucking shit! We did it!"



MM and Frenchie whooped and hollered in excitement beside Kimiko, their colors matching. "I cannot believe this." Frenchie said. "Never did I think I'd live to see the day."



Hughie shook his head at the tv. "So that's it then? Vought is shut down? They get their dues? We win, right? I'm not getting ahead of myself?"



Butcher smirked as he strode forward to stand beside Becca, a slightly darker shade of red and green tinging his own colors but no less excited, who was sitting with Ryan and Amelia. "We won. Everyone fuckin' knows about Vought and their crimes. I imagine that with it all said and done, every supe will be scramblin' to get somewhere nice and quiet without their little circle of protection. Fuckin' cunts ain't gonna know what hit 'em."



"What about Homelander?" MM asked.



"He's dead." Butcher said with certainty. "With Laura getting her powers back, I doubt she wasted time."



"Sucks that he'll go down as a hero, though." Kimiko signed.



"Indeed, Mon Ceur. But the end result is what matters."



Amelia grunted as she stood up and pulled her phone out of her pocket, walking away from the group who were overly excited. Seems that her suspicion of her so-called father had been right. No better than her original one. Becca let out a low sound of frustration as she stood up to take the phone from her daughter.



"Amelia, we're done with–"



Ignoring her mother, she flew across the room and sat down in the corner, far away from them. She still wasn't feeling like talking to anyone here after what they did to Taylor. Maybe everyone else was quick to forgive and forget, but not her. Turning the phone on, she dialed Taylor.

---

It was late by the time I got back to the hotel room, almost midnight. I was a little surprised to see none other than Lily sitting with Taylor.



"Uhhh, hey." I said hesitantly as I eyed them in confusion. "What's going on?"



Taylor cleared her throat, nudging Lily. I looked between them in confusion before Lily stood up with a deep breath. She was quiet for a second and before she could speak, I shrugged. "Apology accepted."



She was taken aback before she blinked in confusion. "How'd you kn–"



"Lily, it's fine." I said with a shake of my head as I took my hero suit jacket off before heading for the bathroom. "Don't worry about it."



Lily let out a tiny huff before nodding. ". . . Thank you."



I paused at her words before she continued.



"Nobody cared to do anything for my sister." She said with a shaky breath, her eyes glistening in anger, "And my parents just swept it under the rug and took the fucking money." she growled.



I turned to face her, "Lily–"



"No!" She snapped. "Let me finish."



I went quiet before nodding at her.



"For 7 years, I had to watch that asshole get praise as people around him worshipped the ground he walked on." she said with a shuddering breath, angry tears falling, "And somewhere along the line, the more I thought about how scared she must have been in her final moments up there, I let that anger over her death get to me. And the way I treated you these last few months wasn't fair. The way I treated Shane and even Sammy. None of that was fair to any of you when we were kids. And then as soon as I got a taste of that power, I did the same shit. But today," she bit her lip as she gave a teary smile, "Today you did what no one else was willing to do for her. And even if my parents took the money, I know they're so thankful today too. So thank you, Eric."



I shuffled a bit before looking down, "What happened to Caitlyn wasn't fair. And it shouldn't have happened. Your sister was one of the coolest people I ever met and she. . ." I trailed off before nodding at her, "I'll make sure he won't get away with it. Vought's finished and with it, supes all over the world will be panicking. I'm sure you've heard he's already missing."



She nodded.



"I'll find him. I promise." I said with a soft tone.



Lily nodded before wiping her eyes. "Cool. Now, uh," she cleared her throat as she threw her jacket on, "Don't tell anyone I cried in front of you or I'll spread that video of you doing Karaoke before Sammy moved away."



I snorted in amusement as I shook my head. "Why do you still have that?"



"Nunya bid'ness." she said with a small smile before nodding at Taylor. "I'll, um, call you later T. I need to take some time and talk to my parents. God knows this is gonna be a whole bag of issues. Take care, guys."



I nodded at her as she left before quickly changing out of my suit and sitting down on the other bed across from Taylor. "So."



"So. . ." she mirrored. "You did it."



I nodded with an exhausted smile. "I did. I'm still having a hard time believing it."



She grinned brightly, her eyes shining as she punched me in the shoulder lightly, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're a badass, dude."



I laughed as I nodded. "While Vought's been disbanded, it doesn't mean that my job is done. There'll be a lot of supes that need to face justice and then there's the whole X thing. It's definitely gonna be hectic over the next year at least. Vought had their hands in most of the world's trades and to have their support end, well, it's not gonna be easy to say the least."



She nodded as she flopped backwards on her bed. "So what about the living situation?"



"I am going to search for a new house. Preferably on the other side of the states. I'm thinking near Washington, maybe Montana. I'm not sure yet. I'll figure something out. But while I still have a fuck ton of money, I'm not gonna get any more checks from Vought anymore. The only revenue I'm getting is from my brand and marketing. And while I did sign on to do Queen of Ashes and Mon Beau Ciel, I have no clue on the state of those going forward."



Taylor looked at me hesitantly. "Soooo. . . you don't want me to live with you anymore?"



I smiled brightly. "I didn't say that. But," I grunted as I leaned over to my jacket and pulled out the letter, "I think you'll be more interested in this."



She took it from me, looking down at it in confusion. "When did this come?"



"It was in the mail I grabbed yesterday that was sitting on the living room table. I guess you didn't see it before the whole car through the window thing. Open it." I nodded at the letter.



She opened it hesitantly. As she read through it, I watched her eyes widen before she stood up in excitement, letting out a shuddering breath. "I got in."



"Congrats, T. I never doubted you for a second." I smiled gently.



She looked down at it before her face fell. With pursed lips she looked down. "I didn't get the scholarship. I. . . I can't afford this."



I chuckled. "If I'm being honest with you, I should have discussed this with you before I did it."



"Did what?" She asked with confusion.



"You got targeted yesterday for being connected to me. For living with me and being close to me. I can't let that happen again." I said, holding up my hand before she could speak up. "Let me finish. I care too much about you and because of that and because of the circumstances surrounding me and the Vought situation, I already took care of it. And there's a bit of money in your account to cover living expenses and whatever else you might need while there."



She blinked in shock before she scoffed in shock. "Eric! You can't just-just– You can't do something like that! This is too much!"



"It's not, Taylor. I promise it's not." I said with a serious tone.



"It is." She said with a shaky breath. "I treated you like shit." she snapped. "For 4 years, I sat there while everyone picked on you and at times I joined it. I had no right to call you for help with Shane–"



"Tayl–"



"Let me talk!" She snapped. "I had no right! And I've been leeching off you for the last 5 months just for some chores that you can do in 15 seconds with your superspeed! You even bought me a car! And now. . . now you're paying for me to go to college which could well be over a million dollars in what is considered one of the most prestigious art schools in the world! It's too much! Just because I almost died yesterday, doesn't-doesn't. . . obligate you to help me!" She said with tears of frustration running down her face.



I stood up silently, gently pulling her into a hug. "I'm not doing this because I feel obligated to you, Taylor. And I've told you I forgive you for all of that. I care about you a lot. You're my best friend and I want you to succeed. But above all, I want you to be safe. And right now, being around me is the exact opposite of that. I probably just got on the shit list of over a hundred supes."



She pulled back, looking up at me. "But. . . I can't–"



"You can, Taylor. This is what you've been wanting since we were 7. This is your dream. Chase it."



She let out a sob before nodding, pulling me back into a hug. "And I'll put a little money in your account so you won't be struggling when you're over there."

---

Laura smiled up at the sky with eyes closed as Edgar along with countless others were marched into police cars. Edgar strode up to her and Victoria in cuffs. "Why? We had a deal."



"All this time, you weren't protecting me, I was protecting you. I have to look out for Zoe." Victoria said sorrowfully.



Edgar turned his gaze on Laura who simply gave a satisfied smile back, "You really thought I was going to just spit on the last 9 years of life threatening work for my powers back and a quick buck?" she scoffed with a cruel laugh. "No." she wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm not gonna pretend that I'm doing this for entirely righteous reasons like Valor. And while there is a part of me that is doing this for those reasons, the bigger part of it is that It's personal. Vought's done. It's time for a new age and Vought doesn't play a point in that. Goodbye Stan. I hope we never see each other ever again." she said with an ecstatic grin.



Stan glanced at the cruiser and before he could say anything else, he was shoved towards it. As the hour passed, Laura didn't move from her spot until well after the police had left, just staring at it all. Even Victoria had left to head home. And with the moon high in the sky, she took a deep breath before letting out a genuine laugh. "Yes!"



"Oi, luv. Don't you look happy as can be." Butcher said as he strode forward beside Hughie, Kimiko, Frenchie, MM, Starlight, and Kenji.



"Why are we here?" Hughie asked.



"You don't want to miss the fireworks, do you?" Laura asked with a grin.



"What's that supposed to mean?" Starlight asked.



Without another word, she threw her hand out. The Boys all watched as the building began to emit a soft glow and then exploded into floating lights. The night sky was illuminated by all kinds of colors before exploding in beautiful patterns over New York.



"Wow!" Hughie said breathlessly.



"You said it." Starlight said.



"Oh, wait. Hold on." Hughie said before pulling his phone out. "This calls for a little celebratory music, wouldn't you agree?"



"Oh, yeah! Good idea!" Starlight said as she leaned on his shoulder, looking at the phone.



Butcher rolled his eyes as Hughie played Piano Man by Billy Joel. Kimiko took Frenchie's hand before smiling up at the sky. And MM grinned beside Butcher as they all watched the fireworks.

---

1 MONTH LATER



I let out a groan as I ran a hand down my face. It was all said and done, sure. Vought was done and the bad supes were in hiding but I still had so much to do. Millions were out of jobs. Something that I hadn't considered. Like, at all. And to top it all off, I had somehow become the second richest person in the world. 477.3 billion dollars alone, along with all estates, intellectual properties, and possessions that my father had owned, giving me even more money, went to me because his legal status was dead.



I still don't know if I believe that. And Laura had destroyed Vought tower, wiping away any evidence of her misdeeds that I could have garnished. I wanted to just say whatever and accept it as true, but I couldn't. It just seemed so unlikely. But what surprised me the most, was that Stormfront was missing. Nobody knew where she had gone. Nobody. Not even Laura.



Vought had been shut down. Hard. All of their assets were frozen and nobody was willing to touch it. Not other companies, not supes, nobody. But what people hadn't considered were the long reaching effects. Vought's streaming platforms stopped, their car companies stopped, the food companies, everything. Even most of the banks were Vought owned. America was in a bad spot, and more than a few other countries like Mexico and Canada were feeling the effects too.



Local businesses that were affected were starting to shut down and taxes had been raised, including inflation to compensate for the lost support that Vought provided on a day to day life. It was chaotic to say the least. And nobody was doing anything about it. But maybe I could.



I narrowed my eyes as I leaned back into the couch. I'd bought a nice home in a small town in Oregon called Farewell. It was quiet, which was what I had been aiming for. Lots of trees, hills, mountains, rivers, etc.



I clicked my tongue as I thought about the show. What could I do to fix this? Not everything could be solved by punching it. Thankfully, X seemed on the backburner right now. And while it let me breathe, I was quite concerned about the silence.



My mind drifted to someone that might be able to help me. Only problem was I didn't know how to get a hold of them. But I knew someone who did.

---

"Baby, we have to figure something out. We're barely getting by. And we're behind on rent by two months."



"I know that, Charlotte." he groaned in frustration. "But with everything with Vought, nobody wants to be affiliated with me at all. Supes' reputations are in the decline after all this. Fuck, getting this delivery job was hard enough as is."



Charlotte sighed. "There's gotta be someone who needs superspeed. Maybe–"



I knocked on the door, straightening my jacket. A second later, A-Train opened the door. His eyes widened a bit as he took a small step back. "Oh, uh, hey, Valor."



"Eric is fine. Do you want me to call you Reggie or A-Train?"



"A-Train is fine, I guess?"



"Alright. May I come in?" I asked, waiting politely.



"Uhhhh, sure." he said, stepping to the side.



I nodded, looking over at Popclaw. "Sorry about the whole thing a couple months ago. I was–"



She waved me away. "It's fine. I get it. You were trying to help your mom."



I nodded before looking at the place. Their computer was gone and a lot of the previous expensive things were missing. "What can I do for you my man?"



"I need some info." I said, turning to him. "Your teammate from Teenage Kix. Sage? I need her location."



"The fuck for?" he asked. "She's not exactly a delight to be around. Smartest person in the world but didn't know when to shut her mouth."



Popclaw nodded in agreement. "Yeeahhh, she was a character, to say the least."



"Soooo, do you guys know where she lives?" I asked. "I'll pay you for the info."



A-Train sputtered for a second before nodding. "Uh, yeah, man. I know where she is. She lives in Detroit. Hold on a second." he said before going to his bookcase and pulling out a small journal. "Yeah, she lives in Detroit on Elara 43rd. Down by the Vbucks coffee shop."



"Elara 43rd. Got it. Thanks guys." I said before pulling my phone out. "Here, get your bank info up."



Popclaw nodded before pulling her phone out. A second later and I had transferred a million dollars into their account. Their eyes widened. "T-Thank you!"



"Don't mention it. I knew Vought needed to go down, but I didn't really consider the nationwide effect that would have on everything. I'm working to fix it."



"Well. . . good luck man." He said as I turned to leave. "Oh, um, before you leave, can you take a look at my heart? X-ray's are pricey and I don't have the insurance for it after Vought's shutdown."



I looked down at his chest. "Your heart's looking good. No abnormalities and the blood flow isn't hindered. Do a quick run in place." He did and I watched it for any signs of struggle. "Keep the pace to what you would consider a jog for now. Try not to sprint if you can help it for a year just to be safe."



He nodded. "Thanks man."



"Have a good one, guys." I said before leaving for Detroit.

---

I waited patiently as I heard her footsteps approach the door. A moment later, I was face to face with Sister Sage. "Sage."



"I am almost never surprised."



"Well, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "May I come in?"



She raised a brow before stepping to the side, allowing me to enter. I looked around at the room, seeing books covering every inch of the place. About what I expected.



"So, nobody's really seen you since your father's supposed death. Any reason you're all the way up here?"



"I heard you were the smartest person on earth. At least, that's what A-Train and Popclaw had to say. Show me."



"Like now?"



"Yeah." I nodded. "I just want a baseline to see what I'm working with."



She bobbed her head side to side. "Your recent public appearances have been more for show than anything else. With Vought's collapse and Homelander now gone, you see less of a reason to appear publicly besides dealing with the X problem. Except that's gone quiet too. Add into the fact that Taylor Umbra, or Pearce if you prefer, vanished from the spotlight last month, you sent her somewhere overseas. Most likely to one of the fashion art schools in an effort to keep her removed from you for her safety. You've also been not wearing the suit she made for you except for the jacket–"



"How do you know she made it for me?"



"Look at the sleeves and the collar. They're worn down from constant use. Yet you make sure it's always protected from harm with your telekinesis, showing it holds sentimental value. You didn't care about your other suit but this one is made by her."



I cleared my throat. "Alright. You proved your point." I said with a smile. "I need some advice"



She raised a brow as I took a seat, careful not to damage any of the books. "The country's on the verge of economic collapse and I can't help but feel that it's partially my fault."



"It kinda is." she said tilting her head.



"Yeah, thank you for that." I said with a chuckle. "But I need to sort this out and I don't have the first clue on how to take control of the assets quickly."



"You want to run Vought?" she asked.



"Hell no." I said with a shake of my head. "I want to safely distribute the assets. Make sure that the economy stabilizes. And while in the process, destroy the rest of compound V if Eclipse hasn't already done so."



"Ahhh, Laura Alverez. Yeah, little bitch." She said with a snort. "But, uh, no. Everything you're saying is easy as shit."



"Cool. Then I want you to come work for me." I said brightly.



"No fucking way." she said sharply.



"Why not?" I asked in confusion.



"Because I'm not gonna wear some vaguely racist super suit in front of a bunch of clapping seals." she shrugged.



"My bad. I don't need Sister Sage. I need Jessica Bradley." I explained. "I don't want you to wear anything you don't want to wear. Hell, if you wanna wear sweats and an oversized hoodie, be my guest. And, I'll pay you of course."



She pursed her lips before hesitantly nodding. "1 week."



"What?" I asked in confusion.



"1 week is all I need to fix this fuck up. I'll give you control of it all and then you fuck off and leave me alone. And I want 15 million dollars." she said. "And free Taco Bell for life."



"Done." I said instantly.



"Alright." she said standing. "Let's do this real quick. I want to be done before next Tuesday. Love Island's new episode airs and I don't want to miss it."



"Um, alright." I said with a small laugh. "Let's get this done."

---

1 WEEK LATER



Amelia smiled at the phone as she kicked her feet. "London is so cool! The food is amazing and the views are just gorgeous! You should ask your brother to bring you next time you see him."



Amelia scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "If I could ever get a hold of him. Mom won't let me call him and she deleted his number from the phone. She doesn't want either of us talking to him at all. Said that that part of our lives is over with. And it's so boring here. I can't watch cartoons, I can't use the computer, and there's no video games." she complained.



"Oh. Well, he moved to Oregon. He lives in a small town called Farewell. And me and him are gonna have some words on what his definition of a little money is." Taylor grumbled with a shrug. "But why didn't she remove my number then?"



"Because I put it in my drawing book and memorised it." Amelia said with a cheeky smile.



Taylor giggled at that before Amelia's head whipped up towards the wall. "I'll talk to you later. Bye, Taylor." she whispered quickly before hanging up and wiping the call from the log history.



Not even 10 seconds later, Becca stepped into the room with Ryan and Butcher. Apparently her mom had a sister and that's where they were staying at the current moment. Aunt Rachel. She was nice enough. They loved Ryan and yeah they liked her, but she was the weird one. No shock there. Not like she had speech problems or preferred to draw rather than talk to people she didn't know or care to get to know.



"Hi, hun. How are you doing?"



Amelia let out a breath before flicking her eyes up at her mom. "I want to go to school."



Becca pursed her lips. "Sweetie, we've talked about this. With powers like yours, it wouldn't–"



"Then I won't use them!" She snapped. "You won't–" she grit her teeth before raising her hands up and signing.



"You won't let me outside, you won't let me on the computer, you won't let me go anywhere without you. You keep going on and on about being normal but you're so determined to do the exact opposite of that! And you won't even let me talk to my brother."



"Amelia." Becca said sternly. "This has nothing to do with Eric."



"Sure it doesn't." She shook her head in frustration.



"What's she saying?" Butcher asked. "I don't know sign."



Amelia raised her hand in anger, flipping him off.



Butcher turned away, trying to hide an amused smirk. "Ah, well, yeah, I suppose I know that one."



"Amelia!" Becca scolded. "You–"



"Go. Away." she said slowly, turning away from them and ignoring them.



Becca let out a sigh as she left the room. Butcher remained for a second before looking down at her. "For what it's worth, I am sorry about using that girl."



She simply grunted before opening her drawing book. Butcher nodded with a sigh before leaving the room. She listened as the tv spouted news about the proceedings of the state of the economy. When she heard her brother's voice, she paused, listening intently.



"So, Valor. You've been swiftly buying up all of the assets and seizing control of what was once Vought and have been distributing them to other companies, allowing the millions of workers to regain their jobs. Any word on why?"



"While I found that Vought was behind some very heinous acts as a whole, I knew that most of the workers weren't a part of those acts. Especially the people on the ground level, so to speak. When we finally took Vought down and exposed their misdeeds, I failed to consider the larger effect this would have on the country as a whole. And I blame myself a bit for this unforeseen outcome. So, in the interest of stabilizing America and anyone else affected by this, I and a consultant of mine had to be quick. Thankfully, she's smart as hell and knew exactly what to do. And I couldn't be happier."



"May we ask who this consultant is?"



"Unfortunately no. She's asked to retain anonymity during this all and I'll respect that choice. But we should be seeing a return to normal life within the next month. And with that being said, I've made sure that gas prices as well as food are one of the first things lowered. Everything else will be quick to follow."



"And what of streaming services and entertainment venues?"



"Those will be back on sometime tomorrow. Disney and Amazon were quick to accept the deals. All I can say is that to not worry. I know the last month has been hectic and chaotic but you don't need to worry anymore. Our economy should stabilize in the next week or two."



She narrowed her eyes as she closed her book and carefully peaked out the door. Ryan was smiling and chatting with the family. And nobody was looking over at her. Good. That's exactly what she wanted. Quietly closing the door, she quickly threw a bunch of her clothes into a small bag that she'd found in the closet, and opened the window.



Floating up and out, careful not to bump anything, she shut the window before flying up into the sky and taking off. She let out a deep breath as she found herself about the clouds. She pulled up a map and looked where Oregon was. With that in mind, she took off, slowly gaining speed before turning her phone off. "Farewell, Oregon. Farewell, Oregon." She kept repeating to herself.

---

"Thank you Jessica." I said with a grateful smile.



"Ugh, that sounds weird as hell when you say it. Let's just stick to Sage."



I laughed. "All right then. Sage it is."



"And no problem. I was getting sick of paying 13 bucks for a crunchwrap."



I ran a hand down my face, "So. I just. . . get to keep all the money from these deals?"



"Uh, yeah? That's how that works. You acquired the assets and rights to Vought's proceedings and business deals and sold them all off. And at a very low price, might I add."



"But I made almost 601 billion dollars off that." I said in disbelief.



"Yep. And? What's the big deal?"



"Sage, I got all of my father's money and assets too through inheritance upon his death."



Her mouth snapped shut before she snorted with a grin. "Are you a trillionaire right now?"



"That's what I'm saying. What am I supposed to do with all that?"



"Whatever the fuck you want man." She said with a laugh as she left. "But on a side note, good luck with that on your investigation on X. I took a look at one of those pills for you a couple days ago? I can't figure it out. Like, at all. All I can say is that it's a miracle drug."



"What do you mean?" I asked.



"I mean, you lose a limb, or you're sick, or you have dementia, any of that. Pop one of those babies and you're a fully healthy person again. Your limbs grow back, your brain fixes itself, sickness vanishes instantly. It's amazing. And it gives superpowers."



I blinked at that information. "And you couldn't find the source? Like at all?"



She shook her head, her lips pursed. "No. And believe me, I looked. I have no idea who's making this stuff or where it's coming from. There's no targeted group. It's been found in rich neighborhoods, poor, black, asian, white, latin. You name it, it's probably there."



I let out a deep sigh. "Fantastic." I muttered. "See ya when I see ya. Don't be a stranger."



She clicked her tongue before shooting finger guns at me. "Later, Valor."



I shook my head as I flew up into the air, heading back towards Oregon.

---

Slowly lowering myself to below the treeline where I'd parked my new truck, I quickly put a ballcap on before driving the last 15 minutes home. Nobody here in this town knew I was Valor and I preferred to keep it that way. While my name was somewhat public, most people didn't know it. And without the bright colors of the suit underneath, my jacket just looked like a normal leather jacket.



Pulling up to the house, I paused when I smelled it. Coffee, lemon, orange, vanilla. A perfume that I knew Becca wore. It was faint but it still lingered. And the hint of cigarette smoke. Butcher.



Getting out and walking to the house, I let my tension fall as I used my X-ray vision to see the intruder. Unlocking the door, I entered the house, shouting out. "Amelia, you could've called, ya know!"



Her little pitter patter of running sounded as she came around the corner, throwing arms around my waist. "Eric!"



"What's goin' on, kid?" I smiled. "Where's Ryan?"



She cleared her throat as she ignored the question. "I like your new place. It's quiet and very nature-y."



I nodded as I tossed my keys onto the counter as I headed into the kitchen. I glanced over at the bag of clothes sitting on the couch. "So I see you ran away."



She looked down to her side nervously. "I. . . I didn't want to stay there anymore. I wasn't allowed to do anything. It was. . . " she trailed off.



"Suffocating?" I offered.



She nodded. "They don't get it. I don't want to just stay home and draw. I want to go to school. To have normal friends and a normal life."



I let out a sigh as I sat down on the couch beside her, flicking the game station on. "Well, I can understand that. Really, I can. You were raised in a sort of captivity and besides your brother, you didn't have any kids around your own age."



"Exactly!" She said with a firm look. "I love my mom, but she doesn't get it. And neither does Ryan. He's content to keep living the way he is."



I nodded, leaning over and grabbing a controller before handing it to her. "Well, you're always welcome here. But you know, when, not if, when your mom calls, I'll have to tell her you're here. You know that, right?"



She nodded. "I know." she said downtrodden. "She wouldn't let me call. She just kept saying that that part of our lives were over and you were a part of that."



"She's distancing." I said, selecting Jin Kazama. "It's understandable. She lived the last 8 years in fear of our father and what he might do if he ever found out about you and Ryan. And now, for the first time in a long while, she can breathe. But she's still got that small fear in the back of her mind."



She grunted, picking Eddie. "I'm invincible from what I've seen. What's gonna hurt me?"



"It's a mom thing. She'll always worry about you. Even if you do have powers." I explained.



The match opened up and I was immediately getting my ass kicked. "What the hell?" I muttered, catching her small pleased smirk. A feeling of realization passed over me. "Taylor taught you to play this, didn't she?"



She simply grinned wider as she juggled me for half the match. Her smile faded as she pursed her lips. "Why was mom so hesitant around Homelander?"



I sighed, ". . . Their. . . encounter was nonconsensual." I said softly.



Her eyes narrowed before she took a small breath. "I see."



"That doesn't mean she loves you guys any less. She just wants to protect you from those types of things. And unfortunately, that means keeping you away from the superhero life. Me included."



"But you're not like them!" she said in frustration as I used a rage drive on her, winning the round. "You're an actual superhero!!"



I scoffed. "I just do my best."



"With great power comes great responsibility." She said with a defiant tone. "And Starlight and Maeve seemed nice."



"Not every hero is a good person. In fact, I'd say at least half of them were in it for the fame and money." I said as I countered her opening attack, "You have to remember that even with powers, we're all still humans. And humans can be some of the most righteous people in the world, or some of the cruelest monsters you could ever meet."



"Sounds like they need a reality check then." she grumbled.



I grinned. "What do you think they've been getting the past month? Vought's shut down and all the bad heroes are hiding without their protection."



She smirked as she won, "Wow, you're bad at this game."



"I wasn't until you came along." I shot back teasingly.



Standing up, I looked through the house. "Well, I only moved in here a couple weeks ago, so it's a little barren. But, pick your room."



"Really?" she said with excitement.



"Sure. There's five rooms in this house. If you're gonna be staying here or even visiting, you should have a room. Come on. Pick one out and then we can go get you some stuff for the room."



She grinned before rushing through the house. Finally, she picked the big one upstairs. "This one."



"Alright. Let's go get you some things for the room." I said. "It's not too late so the stores should still be open."



She smiled as I psychically pulled the keys to my hand as we headed outside. She smirked as we got in the truck. "Taylor says you're in trouble." she singsonged.



"Oh yeah?" I said with a laugh. "Why's that?"



"She said you and her need to talk about how much a little money is."



"Oh." I said sheepishly. "Okay, then I might be in trouble."



She gave a wide toothy grin. Adorable was the word that came to mind.

---

"Everybody look to the left! Everybody look to the right!" I sang out as we pulled into the driveway, Amelia's hands full with her food. Suffice to say, she was ecstatic to eat Burger King again.



"Can you feel that yeah, playin' with love tonight!" Just as I went to sing the chorus, she hit the power button. I let out an appalled gasp. "How dare you."



"Oh my gosh, it's a miracle! I can hear myself think again!" she said with a giggle.



"Uh huh." I said with a grin as I got out of the truck and opened the doors. "Here, run up to the front door and unlock it."



She nodded, taking the keys as I telekinetically lifted the new mattress, bedframe, and all of the other groceries at once and headed for the house. "Telekinesis will forever be the best superpower." I said.



"Pbbbfft. No way. Flight is the best." She said, holding the door open.



"Hey, you're entitled to your own opinion. It's the wrong one but it's yours." I teased.



As I set everything down inside, I glanced at Amelia. "You can play the game or watch tv if you want. I'll set your bedframe up in the meantime."



She nodded before heading for the living room. Just as I went to take another step, my phone rang. Amelia paused, looking at me with a hesitant look. I shrugged. No caller ID.



She went quiet before I answered. "Hello?"



"Eric!" Becca's voice rang out. "Is Amelia with you?"



"Uh, yeah. She's here. Hey, listen I never got your number so I'm just gonna–"



"Tell her to stay there! Don't–" The line went dead. I narrowed my eyes in confusion.



My phone went off again. Annie. "Hello?"



"Eric! You've gotta get to Manhattan now!" She yelled.



"What is–" the line went dead again.



My phone rang again. Another caller ID. "Hello?"



"Hey, is this Eric?"



"Uh, yeah? Who's this?"



"It's Elena. Maeve's girlfriend. You need to get to Manhattan now. Like right now!" she said, her voice manicky. "Something's tearing through the streets. And it's not a supe."



I quickly flicked the tv on and switched to the news channel. And promptly blinked in shock. What the fuck! I pocketed my phone and rushed to the basement. "Amelia, stay here!"



She nodded quietly,



With my suit on, I quickly flew out of the house and headed for Manhattan.

---

"Hmmmm, looks like the test was a success."



"Good." He said, peering out over the city at the destruction. "And Homelander?"



"We assume he really is dead. No sign of him anywhere. Our belief is that Eclipse really killed him."



"No matter. Make sure that we get someone out there to kill Godolkin in the next couple of weeks. I don't want any more setbacks. Street trials were a success, and with this proving that the liquid form is complete, phase 2 is done with. All that's left now is to enact the final part of the plan."



"Right away, sir." the man said before leaving.



If this world wanted superheroes, he'd give them a true superhero world so to speak. The roars shook the city, reverberating through his entire body. It was time to see how the so-called superheroes deal with a real threat.

---

I am so sorry about the massive delay. I work a blue collar job so my time is completely random, especially during summer. Add onto the fact that I haven't had the time for anything else much less writing and I get set back by so much.



But beyond all of that, what did you all think of that ending? Homelander's death was pretty much what I expected and I've heard a lot of mixed feedback but I personally liked it. It was hopeful, sad, and bleak and I think that sums up the Boys perfectly.



And Seasons 3, 4, and 5 elements will still show up. Just because Vought's disbanded doesn't deal with people like Soldier Boy, Victoria, or even Laura herself. And Stormfront's still on the loose. We're just on the Chem X arc that will set the stage for the ending.



Let me know what you guys think of this chapter as always.

 

[The Desecrated One]

The glowing blue creature of blob-like flesh lurched forwards through Manhattan, it's tendrils trying to grab anything it could get a hold of. But every time it had closed in on a terrified civilian, they'd disappear in a flash. A-Train and Shockwave moving people as fast as they could. So far, they'd done pretty good in keeping the casualty rate down but A-Train was slowing down and Shockwave could see it.



A sonic boom sounded as Supersonic clapped his hands together, sending a devastating wave of energy into the creature's face, or what counted as it anyways. It stumbled back as another hero shot it with lightning, doing little damage to it other than making it shriek in pain. The heroes all winced a bit before doing their best to hold out.



They'd watched Dogknott get completely devoured upon contact with it and that had been the signal to not get too close to it. So the name of the game was to do as much damage as possible to it without getting too close while, simultaneously, evacuating the city.



Starlight and the rest of the boys quickly ushered people forward as Kimiko kicked a hole through a pile of debris, making an exit for the crowd. "Everyone through, now!"



Maeve dropped from a sky scraper holding two kids as she dampened the impact with her knees. They quickly ran to their parents before A-Train appeared beside them, gasping for breath as he clutched his chest.



"I'm not doing too hot over here." he gasped. Hughie appeared in a flash of light, stumbling before Maeve grabbed his shoulder, steadying him. A-Train narrowed his eyes in bewilderment at the display. "What," he gasped, "What the hell? Since when can you do that?"



Hughie looked uncomfortable before, after a momentary debate, sighed in annoyance. "Here. Take this." he said, pulling the baggy from his pocket.



A-Train looked at it before glancing up at Hughie. "Oh, you're on X. You know that shit makes Supers lose their powers, right?"



"Would you rather lose some of your speed, and it's pretty minor, or die from a heart attack?" Starlight said. "For god's sake, A-Train, the 7 is over with. Who cares if you're not the fastest. That shit will fix your heart and boost you for a bit. Just don't take it anymore after that."



He groaned before quickly taking the pill. His eyes snapped open before gasping. "Damn, that's a kick! Woooh! Alright. I'm gonna keep at it!" He said before taking off.



Hughie watched him leave in slight confliction before Maeve snapped in front of his face. "Hey, twink, worry about your little vendetta later. You've got teleportation for 4 more hours. Use it!"



"Right, uh, yeah, right, s-sorry!" he said before vanishing in light.



Frenchie lifted a car sized piece of debris out of the way, his muscles steaming with embers as he patted the flame off of his hand before looking at Maeve. "I did not know this drug takes powers away?"



"It's minor. Vought's scientists figured out that you have to use the shit for like 5 days straight. But if you do that, after the 3rd pill you start having heart problems and organ failure if you don't rest. But the boost is crazy for anyone with powers. The lab guys were going on about how it's not a multiplier and it's exponential and it's a miracle drug." Maeve said as she rolled her eyes as she looked up at a building before taking a running start and jumping.



Starlight and Frenchie looked at one another before a whistling sounded. The sound sharpened into an ear-splitting shriek that cut through sirens, explosions, and the monster's roar alike before a bright flash of blue slammed into the side of the monster, the deafening shockwave destroying windows as it was launched down the street. Then the blur struck it again. And again. And for the final strike, they tore through it. For a moment, nobody moved as Valor floated down, looking at the creature as it stopped moving, dead silent.



A few seconds later and people began to cheer. Starlight went to breathe a sigh of relief before a tendril shot out like a whip, striking Valor in the chest, sending him careening into a building before it gathered itself and shook. A bright glow emanated from its center as it made a whimpering sound and slowly, the hole began closing.



Supersonic, not one for missing an opportunity, rushed forwards along with Nubia and began raining lightning and sonic waves into the center of the injury. It shrieked in agony before tendrils shot out, grabbing dozens of civilians, including Supersonic and Nubia herself and began dragging them towards its center. A blur shot out of the building and a bright blue laser cut through the flesh, letting the civilians fall before Nubian Prince and the other flyers caught them. A single person continued falling before a flash of light and they were gone.



Hughie appeared and stumbled into a fall, the other person collapsing on top of him. He looked up at the man, "Are you okay!"



He nodded, clutching his chest. "Y-Yeah, I think so."



"Good, get out of here as fast as you can." Hughie said before pulling himself and the man to his feet. Valor's beams cutting through the creature off in the distance was a sight to see. Hughie appeared beside MM, Butcher, and Becca across the city.



MM looked up from loading a rocket into a bazooka, "What's going on out there kid?"



"Its not looking good. Guns can pierce it but can't do much from what the cops can tell. Supersonic and Nubia are able to do some damage and Valor just showed up and is keeping it busy so the speedsters can focus on evacuation."



Butcher loaded a magazine of incendiary rounds before holding up a canister to Hughie. "Get this to Valor and have him throw it inside the monster. Not outside, in. Ya got me?"



Hughie took it. "What is it?"



"Look, don't worry about it. Just take this phone and call me with it once you're beside the kid, yeah? I'll explain it from there." Butcher said.



"Go. We'll keep it down over here. How much time do you have left with that X stuff?"



"4 hours give or take." Hughie said. Butcher nodded before Hughie teleported back to Annie, Frenchie, and Kimiko.

---

I winced as the piercing roar reverberated through the air, causing me to feel it in my bones. I let out a nasty haymaker as hard as I could, launching it into the air, trying to desperately get it out of the city but like the last 20 or so attempts, it failed. It had been quick to learn that I was trying to take it airborne and would latch onto buildings to stop me. It looked so familiar but I couldn't possibly know from where. Not in the moment anyways.



I had too much to focus on and too little time to worry about it. I'd tried just about everything and it just wouldn't die. It was some sort of glowing blue neon green blob of flesh that just seemed to get bigger and bigger. It had multiple tendrils sticking out of its body and the only thing it seemed to want to do was kill and eat.



I'd tried blasting it with my heat vision, killing it as quickly as I could. That had been a bust. My lasers did serious damage but they were so thin and precise, it healed too quickly. The best I could do was cut chunks off. So far, using the freezing lasers was doing the best at keeping it at bay. . . so far anyways.



Besides its pain-inducing roar, this thing couldn't hurt me. That's not to say anything about the other supes though. By the time I'd arrived, people had learned not to let it touch you. I was nervous to know how they figured that out.



I let out a sigh of irritation as it's tendrils began shooting in all directions, searching for more biomass. I didn't let it. Quick lasers were enough to cut them off, but I still had to be careful of the people around me.



All of a sudden, a shrill whistling pierced the air. I looked up as a large explosion rocked the creature. 3 jets zoomed over the city. I could hear the pilots as they circled back around.



"Good hits. Target remains active. Off dry, setting up for another pass."



"Copy, Viper. Confirm friendlies."



"Visual on Valor, Nubia, Nubian Prince, and Supersonic. Danger close to the target."



"Roger. Maintain positive ID. Cleared hot when able."



I narrowed my eyes at that. I needed to get into contact with them if able. We had bought enough time for the other heroes to clear the area of most people and animals but it was still getting bigger somehow. I didn't have time to think about it.



I looked down as multiple vehicles with turrets mounted on top zoomed through the streets, getting into position to fire on it while setting up a perimeter for civilians. Thank god. The more help the better.



"Hammer convoy on station. Establishing perimeter at Grid Three-One."



"Copy, Hammer. Hold east side. Air has the target."



I could hear the helicopter blades as they approached from behind me. I turned around and glanced at them, getting a nod from the pilots.



Okay, hopefully that would be enough.



I was a ways away, shooting it with beams of ice. It didn't kill it but man if it didn't slow it down. I killed the lasers when a flash of light appeared below me on a building.



"Eric, hey! Down here!"



I glanced down to see Hughie before slowly floating down as I resumed the icy laser attack on the monster, careful not to look away from it. "What are you doing here, Hughie?"



"Butcher said to give you this." he said, holding the bag up but carefully staying out of sight.



I clicked my tongue. "What is it?"



"I don't know. Hold on." He said, dialling a phone.



I paused, killing the lasers. A moment later, Butcher's voice rang out through the phone. "Oi, Eric! That's white phosphorus."



"What the f–" I scoffed in disbelief. "I can't use that!"



"Just listen. You're lasers are doing damage. That means temperature is our best bet. Throw it inside of it and blast it with your lasers. It should burn it inside out for a good minute or so." Butcher explained.



"I can't. . . just. . ." I paused as something flashed through my mind. Taylor and the water bottle. "Flash freeze the water bottle."



"What was that?" Butcher asked.



I blinked in amazement. "Flash freeze the water bottle." I said as my eyes widened. "Butcher, you're a fucking genius!" I said before taking off towards the monster.

---

Hughie teleported back to Butcher, stumbling into MM before steadying himself. "What just happened? What did he mean by that?"



Butcher smirked as he looked up at the news, the camera crew capturing Eric as he flew forward into the monster. "I think I got the idea."



A moment later, the monster began to slow down as it began to involuntary shake, the movement sending minor quakes through the ground. The tendrils tried to shoot out towards him as Eric held his hands out towards it before they stopped, shrinking back into itself.



"He's flash freezing a water bottle, so to speak." Butcher said with a grin. "Fucking diabolical!"

---

The frosty air crawled through the glowing cracks in its flesh, the air around it becoming a cold mist. A second later, white shards of flaky ice burst from its skin, spreading faster than fire ever could. The tendrils that had been so fast as to strike Eric from the sky had disappeared, the creature trying to stay warm having withdrawn into itself. The monster's roar became dull and muted as its movements slowed to a sluggish crawl. The sounds that had once been a terrifying fleshy sound had turned into a crackling booming sound as if ice were exploding.



"Nubia! Supersonic! Hit it now!" I shouted.



The accompanying shockwave coupled with the lightning was a devastating effect as chunks of it shattered like rocks, falling to the ground. The creature reared up before the glow inside of it all but died before going completely still, the body completely frozen. Supersonic paused before Nubia snapped at him. "Don't stop! Keep hitting it!"



Supersonic reached out towards her. "Wait, don't–!"



The lightning struck it and what happened was exactly what he had predicted. Ice struck by lightning, especially this was a little more than devastating. The creature exploded into bloody icicles, the icy shrapnel going everywhere before they froze in mid air as I stopped them in midair. I let out a sigh of relief.



"Thank god!" I said as I slowly descended to the ground, catching my breath. I shook my head before looking at Supersonic. "Break it into pieces. I'll catch the ice. I'm not taking any chances."



He nodded before Maeve landed beside him, striding forward as well as they began breaking the monster's remaining body into chunks. I shook my head as we finally scattered it into a bloody puddle as it began to melt. I winced at the sight before hearing the groans of pain. I looked at everyone before floating up and heading towards the news helicopter. The camera centered on me as I floated towards the camera crew. "The monster's been dealt with!" I called out to the reporter over the helicopter blades with a thumbs up. She nodded before turning towards the camera.



I breathed a little easier before rushing back towards the city, using my X-ray vision and telekinesis to help with rescue operations.

---

1 DAY LATER



"On three, pull him out. You ready?" I asked, looking at Supersonic. He nodded before I took a deep breath and put my hands out, telekinetically lifting the fallen building rubble. "One, two, three!" I said sharply.



In under a second, they'd grabbed the kid and gotten him out. Rescue efforts were taking longer than expected and I hadn't been home since yesterday. I'd called Amelia from a nearby grocery store and told her there were hot pockets and cereal. I'd be back sometime today. Nevermind the irresponsible nature of leaving an 8 year old at home alone.



"Hey, good shit man. How are you feeling?" Supersonic asked.



"Like shit, but I'll live. I'm just glad we kept casualties under 12. I know that sounds like I'm making it a win but it's not." I said, going to explain before Supersonic held a hand up.



"I'm the last person you gotta explain it to, man. I get it."



I nodded with a tired sigh before a car pulled up beside us. I looked over at the black SUV before glancing at Supersonic. "Smells like government."



"Looks like it too. I think that's the secret service." he said.



"Eric Roth?" they started, approaching me swiftly.



"Yes?" I said, stepping forward.'



"You need to come with us. The president would like a word."



I looked at Supersonic who shrugged at me. I glanced back at them. "Like now? Because I'm kinda in the middle of something."



"We've been made aware that in the first 6 hours, you extracted the most critically injured and heavily trapped civilians. At present, emergency command has no outstanding rescue that needs your specific capabilities." one of the agents said.



"And if that changes?" I asked hesitantly.



"We will notify you immediately." they said without pause.



"You can take off. We got it from here." Supersonic said.



"You sure?" I wanted to be thorough.



"Yeah, man. Don't worry about it. We got you!" Nubia said from above as she and another supe lifted a slab of debris up.



A flash of light appeared before Hughie landed, just barely stumbling. "Ohhh, I think I'm getting better at that. So, uh, yeah, the west side just finished with the firefighters evacuations. I think that most of the injured people are taken care of by this point." he looked at the men. "Uh, who are you?"



"Hugh Campbell, we're with the secret service." They said looking at him. "You've been requested by the President as well."



"Requested? By-" he glanced at me, "Like. . . by the president. The White House president? That President?"



"Yes."



"Uhhhhh. . . Um, yeah, ok! Uh," he glanced behind him, "Let me just. . . Let me just let Annie know that I'm going. I feel like she should know that I'm going to talk with the president."



They nodded quietly before he vanished in light. A few seconds later, he reappeared. "Okay. Let's go."

---

The ride was awkward to say the least. I insisted I fly before they shot it down. Hughie suggested teleporting. They shot that down too. Now we sat in a hotel room and found ourselves staring at more than a few important people of the United States. Including Victoria off to the side.



"Hey, Victoria." Hughie smiled with a quick wave.



She gave a kind one back before the president gestured to the chairs across from him. "Sit, please."



"This seems really sudden." I said in confusion.



"I'm aware. But the circumstances are unfortunately not allowing us to waste time on this." he said.



I took a seat as I looked at the man. Jonathan Brooks. A man who didn't exist in my original life. Not a bad president all things considered. He did his best when confronted with shit like supers. I leaned back as I looked around the room. "I'm seeing a few faces I recognize. The White House chief of staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the FEMA administrator. The rest of you look familiar but I'm sorry I don't recognize you." I said apologetically. "Well, and Victoria, obviously."



"That's quite all right, young man. No harm no foul." An older man said off to the side. "I'm the attorney general, this is the Secretary of Homeland Security, and this is the National Security Advisor."



I hummed as I looked around the room. "This isn't about the monster, is it?"



"No, sorry to say." Victoria shook her head. "But it is equally as important."



"We've called you both here today to discuss something that we think you are uniquely qualified for." The president said before sliding a binder forward with a name plastered on the front.



Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs



I looked over at Victoria. This was her thing from the show if I recall correctly. "Is this how we're managing supes now?"



"It might've been." Victoria said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. "But Vought's over with, X is rampant across the country, supes are running amok without direction, and now we have kaiju attacking cities."



"So why bring me in?" I asked with confusion.



"I also would like to know why I'm here as well." Hughie said nervously.



"I'll level with you, Mr. Roth. The supe scene is a shitshow. We need to get a handle on it fast. And I mean like immediately. You are Homelander's son. Now I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like everyone in here, including you, doesn't know what a monster he was. And he's dead now, thank god for that. But that still leaves you. We've gained some verifiable information that you may not have been privy to."



He handed me a folder that I took and scanned over. It was my physical report from Vought. And it said I was vastly stronger than my father. I stared at it blankly. 3 times? I was that much stronger? "I always thought–"



"That you were weaker?" Victoria said before shaking her head. "Eric, you're the strongest super on the planet. That's not exaggeration, that's fact. And everyone knows that. So we need you to work with us. Hughie, you and your team as well would be very helpful as well but we'll discuss that next."



The FEMA administrator spoke up, "Do you know how many supes were in Manhattan yesterday trying to help before you arrived?"



"13, maybe?" I guessed.



He laughed, before pulling a map up of Manhattan and putting it on a board nearby. "No. 26 supers were trying to help. And they made the situation much worse. No one knew what they were doing, no one knew where to be, it was horrible. I'm not going to just criticise them either. No one expected to fight a Godzilla yesterday. But it happened. And we needed coordination. That happened when you showed up. People listen to you. They rallied. We desperately need that." he pointed at locations on the map. "Now we were able to keep it to a localized area and–



Some others spoke up but I tuned them out. Something seemed familiar. Why was I looking at this map and why couldn't I piece it together? It seemed so familiar.


"Eric?" Victoria's voice drew me out of my thoughts. The room had gone quiet as I looked at the map.



"Uh, yeah?" I said, "What's up?"



"You've been staring at the map for like a minute. Do you see something?" She asked. Hughie looked at me too in confusion.



I stood up as I walked over to the board. "Sorry, I'm just. . . trying to remember something." I said as I narrowed my eyes at the map.



26 heroes. Dots on the map. Their locations and the papers connected to them by yarn detailing their failures and damages. I took the yarn away before looking at one of the dots. Little marks scattered across Manhattan. Different people. Different powers. Different places they had been needed but had gone somewhere else.



None of them knew where to go. Something about it was scratching at the back of my mind. I pointed at a dot. "Who was this?"



"Bluejay." one of the men spoke up.



I nodded, "And what was she doing?"



He checked his notes. "Attempting evacuations."



"No, I meant, like, specifically." I said quietly. Victoria had narrowed her eyes and everyone likewise had gone quiet and were looking at me with interest.



"She was flying civilians out one by one." He explained.



I looked at the map again. Little dots. Locations. Sending superheroes out. I frowned. A flying hero, an icon, a map. Something was sticking out at me. I just needed to look for it.



A screen of a map with icons, faces lining the bottom. I narrowed my eyes in silence. Come on, what was I missing?



"Valor?" The president started.



"Just. . . just give me a sec." I said, as I concentrated. Different emergencies. Different heroes. You couldn't send everybody to everything. Some were better at certain jobs. Some worked better together. Some were useless for particular calls. A fire, a robbery, a hostage situation. A kaiju. Kaiju. A baby kaiju.



What was this? It was like. . . My eyes widened as it came to me. I can't believe I had forgotten that game. The answer was obvious. I picked up one of the markers, gathering some attention.



"What are you thinking?" The president asked.



The names came flowing in. Robert Robertson. Oh, that would work perfectly. Teams didn't work in this world. The Justice League, as much as I wanted something like it, couldn't work in this world. Not the way I wanted. But Dispatch might. I wrote DISPATCH at the top of the map before taking the photos of the 26 supers and pinning them to the bottom.



"You're looking at this like you had 26 people fail at their jobs yesterday." I said.



"They did." The Attorney General said, crossing his arms.



"No. The system failed. Or rather, the lack of one." I said, lining up the papers before writing down some capabilities of their powers on the board by their names. "That was the problem, not that they weren't qualified."



"They weren't qualified." Victoria shook her head with disbelief. "They made the situation worse."



"No. You're not seeing it." I said, pointing at the board. "You had 26 superheroes willing to jump in and help. That's an entire response force of supers. But no one knew where they should go, or who they should be helping. So they saw the giant monster and rushed it or saw civilians and tried saving them. The intentions were pure, that's important. They wanted to help but had no direction. The military, the cops, the firefighters, the ambulances. They all had a dispatcher. Someone directing them." I said as I brought some papers over to Hughie.



"Hughie, look at these sheets. They have their stats and powers. Now use that alone and tell me where everyone should have been. Go." I said, gesturing to the board.



He stood up hesitantly before walking up to it, "Uh, okay. Well, for starters, Bluejay shouldn't have been here. Shockwave and A-Train were already over here evacuating. Soooo, I would put her. . . here. Nubia and Supersonic were beside you fighting, they were perfectly placed. Annie should have been more focused here, judging by the power plant. And then-"



Within a minute, Hughie had placed them where he thought they fit the best. Victoria was humming. I was pretty positive I was explaining this well. "Superheroes should have a dispatcher. Someone who knows them well, their powers, their personalities."



"You think something like this would help the FBSA?" someone in the back asked.



"Actually, I think that would be extremely beneficial." Victoria said as she eyed the board with intensity.



"Supes were primarily driven to be heroes for fame and celebrity status. Now that's gone. If we can get them to work with us, to employ them. . ." I trailed off. "I don't know. Okay? I'm just spitballing." I sighed as I ran a tired hand down my face. Maybe I was overstepping.



"No, Eric. That's a great idea." Victoria said. "We're discussing this because we're in this mess. The world isn't going on pause waiting for us to figure our shit out. We need ideas and this one, well, this one is pretty fucking good."



Hughie nodded at the board, "I think I might be pretty good at this."



That got a few chuckles. I nodded, my exhaustion from working through the night catching up to me. "What about the kids?"


"Kids?" Hughie asked.



"Uhh, where Vought sent kids. Red River. Yeah, Red River. That needs to be fixed. People are going to exploit them. And we should get on top of it before then. Godolkin too. We don't want supe trafficking. That was something Vought did and I think I speak for everyone here that kids deserve to be kids." I said, looking around the room.



Murmurs sounded and the talks began. It was a grueling three hours but I eventually came to the same conclusion as Hughie. There needed to be a super system in place. One that held people responsible, punished them, and rehabilitated them. I know that Hughie struggled with that last one. Mainly because of A-Train. But I know for a fact that Hughie is more dependable than Butcher's methods. And he eventually forgave the guy.



"So, we'll expand the FBSA to fit the criteria but your systems you've suggested, they're ingenious. And I do think that they'll work well with the established systems once everything's put together and rolled out." The president said with a confident nod. "But you do realize that you have to be the face of this, right?"

"What?" I stood up in shock. "Why?"



"Eric, you're Valor. I don't think you realize how popular you are right now. Everyone loves you at the moment. You took down Vought, exposed a nazi supe, and then saved the city from a kaiju. Your points, as Vought would say, are through the roof on all accounts. Public imaging depicting you supporting this system would be extremely helpful. It needs to show you specifically."



"I. . ." I looked around, "Guys. I'm only 18." I said with a tired tone.



"We know. But we can't afford to wait. You're Homelander's son." The president said.



"A few hours ago that was a bad thing!" I exclaimed.



"No matter anyone's feelings on the man, he was the superhero. Everyone knew his name. He told other supes to jump and they would fly. Maybe fear, maybe awe, respect, envy, who cares. The point is that you hold that sway now. And if we want the supe community to believe in this system, they need to see you believe in it too."



"I'm pretty certain that most supes hate me right now." I said in irritation. "You don't look at the guy who burned your money and say 'Thank you sir, may I have another.' You spit in his face and punch him in the nose."



"That's actually wrong. Besides the older generation, our numbers show that most supes, especially the younger generation, look up to you." Victoria explained with a tablet. "You're important."



"Fine." I snapped after a moment. "But I'm serious. Supes need this to be a job. Maybe heroes should be licensed? I don't know. But we need to have a serious in depth conversation about this when I'm not ready to fall asleep standing up."



"Yeah, maybe we should've considered that." Victoria snarked.



I flipped her off before looking at everyone. "We need a supe prison." I said after some hesitation. "I hate that but let's be realistic here."



"We've all thought about it but if you have a way to get something that'll hold supes, you be my guest." The attorney general said.



"Laura can make adamantium." Hughie chimed in. I paused. Laura.



My eyes narrowed. Where the fuck was Laura yesterday? And why wasn't she helping with search and rescue? The girl who can evaporate a building wasn't helping clear the city. Victoria spoke up. "Laura's actually a little busy right now."



"Then you better fucking call her." I snapped quietly as I got up. "We'll talk later. Hughie, you still able to teleport or do you need a lift?"



He looked forward before a flash of light and he was 2 feet forward. "I should be good for the next hour."



I nodded and took off.

---

1 WEEK LATER



"Ugh," I winced at the banging from downstairs. Someone knocked on the door. I used X-ray vision and looked down. It was Becca and Butcher. MM was here too. I looked down the driveway. All of the Boys were here with Ryan. Amelia was fully immersed in her video game with my headset on and wasn't paying attention.



"Oi, kid! I know you have super hearing. Let us in!" Butcher called out. I sighed before I telekinetically unlocked the door before turning back around in the bed.

---

Amelia's tongue was sticking out as she fought the headless monkey. Deflect, ninja stars, slash, deflect. She was a ball of ninjutsu and martial prowess. MM grabbed Becca's hand and hushed her. "Wait a second. If you interrupt that little girl she will be pissed. Give her a second before you hug her."



Becca rolled her eyes but waited. Butcher nodded, impressed at little Amelia's bloodlust. As she pulled a centipede out and killed it, the message appeared on the screen. IMMORTALITY SEVERED.



"I hate that boss." Hughie said.



Frenchie was looking around. "This is not a bad place. Quiet."



"That's probably what the little shite was goin' for." Butcher said.



Becca walked up behind Amelia and squeezed her sides. "Boo!"



Amelia's eyes widened before she grinned, hugging her mom. She still missed her, even if she had run away. "Don't you ever disappear on me like that again, Amelia. You gave me a heart attack!" she scolded gently.



Amelia looked down in shame. "I'm sorry."



"Jesus, could you be any louder?" Eric said as he walked into the kitchen. His hair was frazzled, he was shirtless wearing only shorts, and he looked like he'd just woken up. "What are you all doing here?"



"We're here to discuss the new system." Hughie said as Victoria piled in beside Laura. Amelia looked at Eric as he gave a humorless chuckle, a dark red color surrounding him. "Are we?"



"We are." Laura nodded.



"Alright." Eric nodded with click of his tongue. "Tell them. Then we'll start." he said to Victoria.



"Tell us what?" Annie asked.



"Eric, that's not–" Laura started before he turned on her.



"Shut the fuck up!" he snapped with a slight glow of his eyes. "You're so far at the top of my shit list that you're fucking flying. I like Stormfront more than I like you. Now tell them or I will, you hypocritical cunt!"



Butcher looked between them before leaning against the counter, "Oh, this should be good."



Victoria hummed before finally huffing. "Fine. I'm Stan Edgar's adopted daughter. I worked with Vought for years before this. Happy?"



"Not even remotely." Eric said with annoyance, his colors a blazing fire. "And where the fuck were you at the monster attack, little miss perfect? I figured you'd be jumping for joy to kill something."



"Oh fuck off, you litt–"



"Fuck me, right?" he snapped, "Because I'm the bad guy here. The one who's naive. I'm Homelander junior and you're the big hero. Well, hero, here's what's gonna happen. If I ever see you go near any of my friends again, not just Taylor, any of them, and I will personally see to it that you find out how much I can be like my father. Understand?"



She chuckled as she rolled her eyes before she was dragged forward, startling everyone. Eric's voice took a low quiet tone, "I'm not fucking around with you. You have been the source of my biggest problems since I met you."



Laura's smirk vanished. A small amount of sickly green and greyish blue appeared. Nervousness and fear. Eric kept his tone quiet, even.



"You used Taylor as fucking bait because you wanted me angry enough to kill my father. You brought that shit to my house. You put Amelia, Ryan, Becca, Taylor, and everyone else there in the middle of it because you wanted to prove a fucking point."



Butcher's amusement disappeared. Annie went to speak up. "Eric, maybe we should–"



"Shut up." he snapped before he shoved a finger into Laura's chest.



"You wanted me to kill him because you thought it'd give me a wake up call. Like my morals were some childish phase you could beat out of me." Laura's jaw clenched, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And then Vought comes down, everything starts falling apart, and somehow every fucking disaster you leave behind lands in my lap." Eric snarled.



"Eric–" Hughie started carefully.



"No, Hughie." Eric snapped. Hughie immediately shut his mouth. Eric looked back at Laura. "And then Manhattan happened. Twenty-six supes showed up before me. Twenty-six. Maeve was there. Annie was there. Everyone in this room was there. Even the fucking Deep was there. People I don't even know showed up because there was a giant fucking monster tearing through the city and people needed help. And where were you?"



Her expression hardened. "You don't know what I was doing."



"You weren't there. That's what I know. That's all I need to know."



"I had other shit going on."



"So did everyone else!"



The cabinets rattled. Becca glanced toward the windows as one of them cracked. Amelia slowly pulled the headset off. Eric paused, his eyes flicking toward her. The glow disappeared from his eyes immediately. He took a breath through his nose before looking back at Laura.



"You spent months telling me how fucking naïve I was. How Superman doesn't work. How eventually I'd learn. How eventually I'd have to kill somebody." Laura stared at him "And then when there was finally something out there that nobody could fucking debate about, a monster that needed killing, you weren't there."



"I was doing important shit." Laura spat out. "Superhero shit like you were."



"What's important is not standing by and letting someone suffer and die because you do nothing. If you don't get that then you don't understand the first thing about being a superhero." he said with narrowed eyes. "Maybe you'll understand those words."



She was quiet as she glared at him with a sneer.



MM looked down. Annie was staring at Laura now too as Eric stepped closer.



"I need people who disagree with me. It's why you're all here." He gestured around the room. Then his finger came back toward Laura. "But if you ever use somebody I care about as bait again. . . Taylor, Amelia, Annie, Becca, Ryan, anybody, we're done."



Laura was quiet as they held each other's gaze before finally grunting. "Fine."



"Good."



Eric let out a breath, the tension in the room fading a tiny bit before Butcher hummed. "Well. Lovely family meetin'. Can we get to the bit where Newman here explains how she's Stan Edgar's secret fuckin' daughter?"



Victoria closed her eyes. "Adopted daughter."



"Jesus Christ." MM stared at her. "How long?"



"Since I was a child."



Frenchie tilted his head. "So he raised you?"



"Yes." Victoria said with a sigh.



"But you helped us condemn Vought. You were the primary person to help us take it down." Annie said in confusion.



Victoria sighed. "Yes. I'm aware. I need to look out for my daughter first and foremost."



Butcher started laughing. Not a happy laugh. "Oh, this is fuckin' priceless."



"Billy," Becca started before she was cut off.



"No, this is brilliant. Stan Edgar's little girl runs the fuckin' supe police."



Victoria glared at him, "I helped put Edgar in front of Congress."



"What's your point?" Butcher said with a smirk.



"So maybe consider the possibility that my relationship with him is slightly more complicated than whatever stupid fucking version you're constructing in your head."



Hughie was still staring.



"You knew?"



Everyone looked toward Eric. He nodded as he opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk. "Yep. I threatened her too. But the person you should be asking that to. . . is Edgar's other daughter." he said sarcastically, "See, I can do info gathering too." he said to Laura.



Hughie's expression changed as he looked at Laura. "Is that why you didn't want us to ask her for help?"



"It was complicated." Laura said, somewhat defensively.



"And you didn't think that was something you should tell us?" Hughie said in disbelief.



"It wasn't relevant. And it was private. She wasn't gonna do anything bad." Laura said.



Eric snorted as he took a drink of some milk. "Then was it a different supe that killed that CIA chick?"



Butcher's smile dropped immediately. "What?"



"Oh? Looks like this is news to them. Go on, use that word you like so much. Complicated." Eric leaned back with a smirk that looked eerily similar to Homelander. "I'd love to hear how you spin this one."



"It. . . I'm not–" Laura started as Eric smirked doing a little head bob.



"That bitch killed Susan? And you knew about it?" Butcher said in angry disbelief.



"Oh, she knew alright." Eric said, sauntering over to her as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "She was there. Shot Victoria and everything. Screamed, 'Nadia! No!' It makes me wonder how someone can tell me to kill the criminal but won't condemn her ex who is doing the same shit."



She slapped his hand off of her, snarling at him with glowing purple eyes, "Get your fucking hands off me."



"Oooo," Eric held his hands up sarcastically, "Scary. What's the matter? Don't like it when someone targets your friends?"



"Eric, honey–" Becca started before he chucked the glass off to the side, shattering it.



"No! See, everything's fucking complicated isn't it? You were there when she popped whatever her name was' head and then you have the gall to stand there and tell me it's fucking complicated. People are fucking complicated. You are not the law. Neither am I. Because that's what this is about. You're real quick to drop your little punisher mindset when it's your people on the line but fuck mine, right! At least have the fucking decency to apologize for what you did.



"And what about Butcher? He was just as much a part of the plan as I was."



"Butcher already apologized." he said lowly.



Laura's jaw clicked shut at that. She looked around the room at the faces of her friends, although whether that would be the case in 5 minutes was up for debate. She cleared her throat, her head hanging. ". . . I'm sorry."



Eric looked at her in silence before shaking his head, "You better fucking be." he said before walking to the living room, the glass shards lifting towards the trash and the milk peeling off the wall before going down the kitchen sink.



Butcher watched him walk away in silence before turning his glare back towards Laura and Victoria. "Now that all that bleedin' heart shite is done with, let's talk about Susan."



Amelia and Ryan were huddled on the couch, watching the interaction. Ryan had, at some point, moved closer to his mom. And Amelia was overwhelmed by the colors in the air. The noise, the yelling, the emotions had become a little too much for her.



"Are you okay, hun?" Becca asked. Amelia gave a tiny nod, signing.



"I'm fine."



Becca looked a little unsure but nodded nonetheless, gently running a hand down Amelia's cheek before stepping beside Butcher. Amelia looked over when a hand tapped the couch beside her. Amelia looked at the Japanese woman with confusion. Especially when she signed a bunch of motions she did not know.



"She asks if you wish to play the game." Frenchie said from the side.



Amelia looked at him before nodding and signing back at him. "Ah, my apologies, petite fille. I'm afraid I do not speak American Sign Language. Kimiko, she has her own language, you see. I understand her hands, but yours? Uh. . ." Frenchie gave an apologetic shrug. "I would only pretend to understand and make a complete ass of myself."



Amelia giggled before grabbing her Ipad that Eric had given her, opening the sketch app and writing her words out. "That's ok. I can't talk sometimes either."



Kimiko smiled brightly before holding the controller up questioningly. Amelia smiled and nodded before sitting beside her.



Ryan looked over, seeing Eric outside on the porch. He slipped out from behind Becca and followed him out. "Hey, are you okay? You looked really angry in there."

---

"I'm. . . I'm sorry you had to see that." I said quietly. "I don't want that to be what you think whenever you look at me."



"It's not." Ryan said, taking a seat beside me on the swing chair. He looked out at the woodsy mountains. "You looked like dad in there."



I let out a tired sigh, "I was trying to."



"Why?" he asked, confused.



I glanced through the window, hearing Butcher and Laura arguing about Raynor and Victoria. "Dad didn't get along with a lot of people. He wasn't a good person. And he made a lot of people uncomfortable sometimes. I knew that it would make Laura uncomfortable. And that's not okay, I shouldn't have done that. I was just mad."



"Because Dad broke your house?" he asked.



I chuckled, "Something like that. It's more about my friend getting hurt than the house. Yeah, I'm still pissed about the house too but I can replace a house. I can't replace my friends and family. Like you, bud. You're irreplaceable."



I pulled him into a noogie that he quickly squirmed out of with a laugh. "I'm sorry I haven't been around you too much. I've been so busy and then Amelia showed up and then the monster, it's. . . a lot. Superheroing isn't all it's cracked up to be, I'll tell ya."



"Then quit."



I laughed out loud. "Oh, I wish it were that simple. But nope. You can't just quit. People depend on you."



"Sounds like a lot of work." Ryan said, kicking his feet as I lightly swung us.



"It is." I said as I breathed in the October air. "Can I let you in on a secret?"



"Sure." he said, leaning in.



"I didn't want to be a superhero."



"You didn't?" he said in bewilderment.



"Nope." I sighed as I leaned back, opening the window and the fridge door before telekinetically pulling 2 pops to my hands before giving one to Ryan. "I wanted to make video games. Movies. Voice act. Draw. God, I love drawing. I had planned to take my mom and. . . uh, and take my mom and move somewhere far away from New York." I said, my voice slightly cracking. "Away from the supe stuff."



"Well, now you did!" Ryan smiled. "So just have her move in with you."



I nodded as I pursed my lips. "I wish I could. But that's not possible anymore, sadly. My mom passed away a couple months ago. And I just. . . keep thinking to myself that if I hadn't done any of this, maybe she'd still be here."



Ryan looked down, "Oh."



"Yeah." I said quietly. "Always cherish the time you have with your mom, bud. She loves you guys more than anything. And even if you get mad at her or-or want to leave, never forget that. She fought like hell to get you guys out of Vought."



"Was your mom and dad married?" Ryan asked.



I immediately laughed. "Good god, no. But they got along well. A little too well sometimes." I said, remembering coming home to them having sex.



Ryan nodded before tilting his head, "Where is dad?"



"I. . . I wish I could tell you, Ryan. I really do." I said. "And it's okay to be sad and miss him. He was our dad."



"Do you think he's dead?"



"I don't know. It seems kinda impossible if I'm being honest." I said as I took a drink.



"Mom doesn't like when I ask about him."



"She has her reasons. Maybe when you're older, you'll be able to understand them." I said quietly. Ryan took a drink before looking at me again.



"Did you not like him either?" He asked quietly.



"That's. . . complicated." Ryan gave me a look that had me snort, "Yeah, yeah. Bad choice of words for today."



He smiled a little. I nudged his shoulder with mine.



"Listen. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to miss him. You don't have to pretend you don't just because he did bad things." I explained as I pulled him into a hug. "He was our dad."



Ryan stayed quiet as he looked down before returning the hug. We sat there for a while until I heard the yelling calm down. A few minutes later Becca came out.



"Eric, we're talking about the new systems now." she said softly.



I nodded with a quiet sigh. Seemed like I was doing that a lot lately. Getting to my feet, I helped Ryan up. "You run off and go play some video games with your sister now. I've got some things I need to talk about with the adults. Because apparently I qualify as mature." I poked him, getting a laugh out of him.



I stepped back into the house, looking at the marble countertop that now had a different pattern. "What happened to my counter?"



"I broke it." Laura said bluntly. "Then I fixed it." she said, looking down. ". . . Sorry."



I nodded before nodding. "Alright, let's get to it. What are we discussing first?"



Victoria handed out papers. I scanned the sheet, seeing a lot of children's names. "The Red River files?" I said.



"Yes. We need to deal with the source of Supe problems. Now is the time to voice any ideas you have. And I mean any. That's what we're discussing this for." Victoria said firmly. "Laura and I grew up there so we can personally tell you if it'll work or has holes in the logic."



I listened to several ideas, not too bad, not too good either. Becca had some good ones, so did Hughie. Somehow, Butcher's idea of 'stompin' em' if they were bad didn't fly over too well with Amelia if her little glare was anything to go by. Kimiko actually had a very good idea but Victoria pointed out too many loopholes to exploit the children.



"I've got an idea. I was thinking of calling it the SuperDuper program." I spoke up, laying down the rough draft.

---

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I have very little time until winter at the moment. Everything I'm writing is basically on temporary Hiatus. But let me know what you guys think. I also am aware of the mixed reviews regarding Taylor. Personally, those are some of my favorite comments. Humans are complicated, huh? Some of you love her, others hate her. It's great. Makes me consider things in different views. Oh, And the creator of X will be revealed in depth in the next chapter as well. Review and Enjoy! Cheers!

 

[Lillie Jones]

Absolute Cinema

 

[Snakespm]

I honestly never got into watching the boys, so all I know is from cultural osmosis. Still enjoyed the what you have, and looking forward to the possibility of more.

TYFTC

 

[ENDDRAGON]

I get where the title is from, but what I find completely unrealistic is that DC and Marvel stuff exists. Vought would never allow it.

"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share—I'll never stop fighting. Ever." - Superman

 

[Snakespm]

I get where the title is from, but what I find completely unrealistic is that DC and Marvel stuff exists. Vought would never allow it.

"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share—I'll never stop fighting. Ever." - Superman

Click to shrink...

Pretty sure DC and Marvel dont exist in this universe. I think that was a plot point.

 

[The Desecrated One]

Pretty sure DC and Marvel dont exist in this universe. I think that was a plot point.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Its just to show that he strives to chase supermans morals.

 

[Devinx]

The glowing blue creature of blob-like flesh lurched forwards through Manhattan, it's tendrils trying to grab anything it could get a hold of. But every time it had closed in on a terrified civilian, they'd disappear in a flash. A-Train and Shockwave moving people as fast as they could. So far, they'd done pretty good in keeping the casualty rate down but A-Train was slowing down and Shockwave could see it.



A sonic boom sounded as Supersonic clapped his hands together, sending a devastating wave of energy into the creature's face, or what counted as it anyways. It stumbled back as another hero shot it with lightning, doing little damage to it other than making it shriek in pain. The heroes all winced a bit before doing their best to hold out.



They'd watched Dogknott get completely devoured upon contact with it and that had been the signal to not get too close to it. So the name of the game was to do as much damage as possible to it without getting too close while, simultaneously, evacuating the city.



Starlight and the rest of the boys quickly ushered people forward as Kimiko kicked a hole through a pile of debris, making an exit for the crowd. "Everyone through, now!"



Maeve dropped from a sky scraper holding two kids as she dampened the impact with her knees. They quickly ran to their parents before A-Train appeared beside them, gasping for breath as he clutched his chest.



"I'm not doing too hot over here." he gasped. Hughie appeared in a flash of light, stumbling before Maeve grabbed his shoulder, steadying him. A-Train narrowed his eyes in bewilderment at the display. "What," he gasped, "What the hell? Since when can you do that?"



Hughie looked uncomfortable before, after a momentary debate, sighed in annoyance. "Here. Take this." he said, pulling the baggy from his pocket.



A-Train looked at it before glancing up at Hughie. "Oh, you're on X. You know that shit makes Supers lose their powers, right?"



"Would you rather lose some of your speed, and it's pretty minor, or die from a heart attack?" Starlight said. "For god's sake, A-Train, the 7 is over with. Who cares if you're not the fastest. That shit will fix your heart and boost you for a bit. Just don't take it anymore after that."



He groaned before quickly taking the pill. His eyes snapped open before gasping. "Damn, that's a kick! Woooh! Alright. I'm gonna keep at it!" He said before taking off.



Hughie watched him leave in slight confliction before Maeve snapped in front of his face. "Hey, twink, worry about your little vendetta later. You've got teleportation for 4 more hours. Use it!"



"Right, uh, yeah, right, s-sorry!" he said before vanishing in light.



Frenchie lifted a car sized piece of debris out of the way, his muscles steaming with embers as he patted the flame off of his hand before looking at Maeve. "I did not know this drug takes powers away?"



"It's minor. Vought's scientists figured out that you have to use the shit for like 5 days straight. But if you do that, after the 3rd pill you start having heart problems and organ failure if you don't rest. But the boost is crazy for anyone with powers. The lab guys were going on about how it's not a multiplier and it's exponential and it's a miracle drug." Maeve said as she rolled her eyes as she looked up at a building before taking a running start and jumping.



Starlight and Frenchie looked at one another before a whistling sounded. The sound sharpened into an ear-splitting shriek that cut through sirens, explosions, and the monster's roar alike before a bright flash of blue slammed into the side of the monster, the deafening shockwave destroying windows as it was launched down the street. Then the blur struck it again. And again. And for the final strike, they tore through it. For a moment, nobody moved as Valor floated down, looking at the creature as it stopped moving, dead silent.



A few seconds later and people began to cheer. Starlight went to breathe a sigh of relief before a tendril shot out like a whip, striking Valor in the chest, sending him careening into a building before it gathered itself and shook. A bright glow emanated from its center as it made a whimpering sound and slowly, the hole began closing.



Supersonic, not one for missing an opportunity, rushed forwards along with Nubia and began raining lightning and sonic waves into the center of the injury. It shrieked in agony before tendrils shot out, grabbing dozens of civilians, including Supersonic and Nubia herself and began dragging them towards its center. A blur shot out of the building and a bright blue laser cut through the flesh, letting the civilians fall before Nubian Prince and the other flyers caught them. A single person continued falling before a flash of light and they were gone.



Hughie appeared and stumbled into a fall, the other person collapsing on top of him. He looked up at the man, "Are you okay!"



He nodded, clutching his chest. "Y-Yeah, I think so."



"Good, get out of here as fast as you can." Hughie said before pulling himself and the man to his feet. Valor's beams cutting through the creature off in the distance was a sight to see. Hughie appeared beside MM, Butcher, and Becca across the city.



MM looked up from loading a rocket into a bazooka, "What's going on out there kid?"



"Its not looking good. Guns can pierce it but can't do much from what the cops can tell. Supersonic and Nubia are able to do some damage and Valor just showed up and is keeping it busy so the speedsters can focus on evacuation."



Butcher loaded a magazine of incendiary rounds before holding up a canister to Hughie. "Get this to Valor and have him throw it inside the monster. Not outside, in. Ya got me?"



Hughie took it. "What is it?"



"Look, don't worry about it. Just take this phone and call me with it once you're beside the kid, yeah? I'll explain it from there." Butcher said.



"Go. We'll keep it down over here. How much time do you have left with that X stuff?"



"4 hours give or take." Hughie said. Butcher nodded before Hughie teleported back to Annie, Frenchie, and Kimiko.

---

I winced as the piercing roar reverberated through the air, causing me to feel it in my bones. I let out a nasty haymaker as hard as I could, launching it into the air, trying to desperately get it out of the city but like the last 20 or so attempts, it failed. It had been quick to learn that I was trying to take it airborne and would latch onto buildings to stop me. It looked so familiar but I couldn't possibly know from where. Not in the moment anyways.



I had too much to focus on and too little time to worry about it. I'd tried just about everything and it just wouldn't die. It was some sort of glowing blue neon green blob of flesh that just seemed to get bigger and bigger. It had multiple tendrils sticking out of its body and the only thing it seemed to want to do was kill and eat.



I'd tried blasting it with my heat vision, killing it as quickly as I could. That had been a bust. My lasers did serious damage but they were so thin and precise, it healed too quickly. The best I could do was cut chunks off. So far, using the freezing lasers was doing the best at keeping it at bay. . . so far anyways.



Besides its pain-inducing roar, this thing couldn't hurt me. That's not to say anything about the other supes though. By the time I'd arrived, people had learned not to let it touch you. I was nervous to know how they figured that out.



I let out a sigh of irritation as it's tendrils began shooting in all directions, searching for more biomass. I didn't let it. Quick lasers were enough to cut them off, but I still had to be careful of the people around me.



All of a sudden, a shrill whistling pierced the air. I looked up as a large explosion rocked the creature. 3 jets zoomed over the city. I could hear the pilots as they circled back around.



"Good hits. Target remains active. Off dry, setting up for another pass."



"Copy, Viper. Confirm friendlies."



"Visual on Valor, Nubia, Nubian Prince, and Supersonic. Danger close to the target."



"Roger. Maintain positive ID. Cleared hot when able."



I narrowed my eyes at that. I needed to get into contact with them if able. We had bought enough time for the other heroes to clear the area of most people and animals but it was still getting bigger somehow. I didn't have time to think about it.



I looked down as multiple vehicles with turrets mounted on top zoomed through the streets, getting into position to fire on it while setting up a perimeter for civilians. Thank god. The more help the better.



"Hammer convoy on station. Establishing perimeter at Grid Three-One."



"Copy, Hammer. Hold east side. Air has the target."



I could hear the helicopter blades as they approached from behind me. I turned around and glanced at them, getting a nod from the pilots.



Okay, hopefully that would be enough.



I was a ways away, shooting it with beams of ice. It didn't kill it but man if it didn't slow it down. I killed the lasers when a flash of light appeared below me on a building.



"Eric, hey! Down here!"



I glanced down to see Hughie before slowly floating down as I resumed the icy laser attack on the monster, careful not to look away from it. "What are you doing here, Hughie?"



"Butcher said to give you this." he said, holding the bag up but carefully staying out of sight.



I clicked my tongue. "What is it?"



"I don't know. Hold on." He said, dialling a phone.



I paused, killing the lasers. A moment later, Butcher's voice rang out through the phone. "Oi, Eric! That's white phosphorus."



"What the f–" I scoffed in disbelief. "I can't use that!"



"Just listen. You're lasers are doing damage. That means temperature is our best bet. Throw it inside of it and blast it with your lasers. It should burn it inside out for a good minute or so." Butcher explained.



"I can't. . . just. . ." I paused as something flashed through my mind. Taylor and the water bottle. "Flash freeze the water bottle."



"What was that?" Butcher asked.



I blinked in amazement. "Flash freeze the water bottle." I said as my eyes widened. "Butcher, you're a fucking genius!" I said before taking off towards the monster.

---

Hughie teleported back to Butcher, stumbling into MM before steadying himself. "What just happened? What did he mean by that?"



Butcher smirked as he looked up at the news, the camera crew capturing Eric as he flew forward into the monster. "I think I got the idea."



A moment later, the monster began to slow down as it began to involuntary shake, the movement sending minor quakes through the ground. The tendrils tried to shoot out towards him as Eric held his hands out towards it before they stopped, shrinking back into itself.



"He's flash freezing a water bottle, so to speak." Butcher said with a grin. "Fucking diabolical!"

---

The frosty air crawled through the glowing cracks in its flesh, the air around it becoming a cold mist. A second later, white shards of flaky ice burst from its skin, spreading faster than fire ever could. The tendrils that had been so fast as to strike Eric from the sky had disappeared, the creature trying to stay warm having withdrawn into itself. The monster's roar became dull and muted as its movements slowed to a sluggish crawl. The sounds that had once been a terrifying fleshy sound had turned into a crackling booming sound as if ice were exploding.



"Nubia! Supersonic! Hit it now!" I shouted.



The accompanying shockwave coupled with the lightning was a devastating effect as chunks of it shattered like rocks, falling to the ground. The creature reared up before the glow inside of it all but died before going completely still, the body completely frozen. Supersonic paused before Nubia snapped at him. "Don't stop! Keep hitting it!"



Supersonic reached out towards her. "Wait, don't–!"



The lightning struck it and what happened was exactly what he had predicted. Ice struck by lightning, especially this was a little more than devastating. The creature exploded into bloody icicles, the icy shrapnel going everywhere before they froze in mid air as I stopped them in midair. I let out a sigh of relief.



"Thank god!" I said as I slowly descended to the ground, catching my breath. I shook my head before looking at Supersonic. "Break it into pieces. I'll catch the ice. I'm not taking any chances."



He nodded before Maeve landed beside him, striding forward as well as they began breaking the monster's remaining body into chunks. I shook my head as we finally scattered it into a bloody puddle as it began to melt. I winced at the sight before hearing the groans of pain. I looked at everyone before floating up and heading towards the news helicopter. The camera centered on me as I floated towards the camera crew. "The monster's been dealt with!" I called out to the reporter over the helicopter blades with a thumbs up. She nodded before turning towards the camera.



I breathed a little easier before rushing back towards the city, using my X-ray vision and telekinesis to help with rescue operations.

---

1 DAY LATER



"On three, pull him out. You ready?" I asked, looking at Supersonic. He nodded before I took a deep breath and put my hands out, telekinetically lifting the fallen building rubble. "One, two, three!" I said sharply.



In under a second, they'd grabbed the kid and gotten him out. Rescue efforts were taking longer than expected and I hadn't been home since yesterday. I'd called Amelia from a nearby grocery store and told her there were hot pockets and cereal. I'd be back sometime today. Nevermind the irresponsible nature of leaving an 8 year old at home alone.



"Hey, good shit man. How are you feeling?" Supersonic asked.



"Like shit, but I'll live. I'm just glad we kept casualties under 12. I know that sounds like I'm making it a win but it's not." I said, going to explain before Supersonic held a hand up.



"I'm the last person you gotta explain it to, man. I get it."



I nodded with a tired sigh before a car pulled up beside us. I looked over at the black SUV before glancing at Supersonic. "Smells like government."



"Looks like it too. I think that's the secret service." he said.



"Eric Roth?" they started, approaching me swiftly.



"Yes?" I said, stepping forward.'



"You need to come with us. The president would like a word."



I looked at Supersonic who shrugged at me. I glanced back at them. "Like now? Because I'm kinda in the middle of something."



"We've been made aware that in the first 6 hours, you extracted the most critically injured and heavily trapped civilians. At present, emergency command has no outstanding rescue that needs your specific capabilities." one of the agents said.



"And if that changes?" I asked hesitantly.



"We will notify you immediately." they said without pause.



"You can take off. We got it from here." Supersonic said.



"You sure?" I wanted to be thorough.



"Yeah, man. Don't worry about it. We got you!" Nubia said from above as she and another supe lifted a slab of debris up.



A flash of light appeared before Hughie landed, just barely stumbling. "Ohhh, I think I'm getting better at that. So, uh, yeah, the west side just finished with the firefighters evacuations. I think that most of the injured people are taken care of by this point." he looked at the men. "Uh, who are you?"



"Hugh Campbell, we're with the secret service." They said looking at him. "You've been requested by the President as well."



"Requested? By-" he glanced at me, "Like. . . by the president. The White House president? That President?"



"Yes."



"Uhhhhh. . . Um, yeah, ok! Uh," he glanced behind him, "Let me just. . . Let me just let Annie know that I'm going. I feel like she should know that I'm going to talk with the president."



They nodded quietly before he vanished in light. A few seconds later, he reappeared. "Okay. Let's go."

---

The ride was awkward to say the least. I insisted I fly before they shot it down. Hughie suggested teleporting. They shot that down too. Now we sat in a hotel room and found ourselves staring at more than a few important people of the United States. Including Victoria off to the side.



"Hey, Victoria." Hughie smiled with a quick wave.



She gave a kind one back before the president gestured to the chairs across from him. "Sit, please."



"This seems really sudden." I said in confusion.



"I'm aware. But the circumstances are unfortunately not allowing us to waste time on this." he said.



I took a seat as I looked at the man. Jonathan Brooks. A man who didn't exist in my original life. Not a bad president all things considered. He did his best when confronted with shit like supers. I leaned back as I looked around the room. "I'm seeing a few faces I recognize. The White House chief of staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the FEMA administrator. The rest of you look familiar but I'm sorry I don't recognize you." I said apologetically. "Well, and Victoria, obviously."



"That's quite all right, young man. No harm no foul." An older man said off to the side. "I'm the attorney general, this is the Secretary of Homeland Security, and this is the National Security Advisor."



I hummed as I looked around the room. "This isn't about the monster, is it?"



"No, sorry to say." Victoria shook her head. "But it is equally as important."



"We've called you both here today to discuss something that we think you are uniquely qualified for." The president said before sliding a binder forward with a name plastered on the front.



Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs



I looked over at Victoria. This was her thing from the show if I recall correctly. "Is this how we're managing supes now?"



"It might've been." Victoria said with a sigh as she rubbed her temples. "But Vought's over with, X is rampant across the country, supes are running amok without direction, and now we have kaiju attacking cities."



"So why bring me in?" I asked with confusion.



"I also would like to know why I'm here as well." Hughie said nervously.



"I'll level with you, Mr. Roth. The supe scene is a shitshow. We need to get a handle on it fast. And I mean like immediately. You are Homelander's son. Now I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like everyone in here, including you, doesn't know what a monster he was. And he's dead now, thank god for that. But that still leaves you. We've gained some verifiable information that you may not have been privy to."



He handed me a folder that I took and scanned over. It was my physical report from Vought. And it said I was vastly stronger than my father. I stared at it blankly. 3 times? I was that much stronger? "I always thought–"



"That you were weaker?" Victoria said before shaking her head. "Eric, you're the strongest super on the planet. That's not exaggeration, that's fact. And everyone knows that. So we need you to work with us. Hughie, you and your team as well would be very helpful as well but we'll discuss that next."



The FEMA administrator spoke up, "Do you know how many supes were in Manhattan yesterday trying to help before you arrived?"



"13, maybe?" I guessed.



He laughed, before pulling a map up of Manhattan and putting it on a board nearby. "No. 26 supers were trying to help. And they made the situation much worse. No one knew what they were doing, no one knew where to be, it was horrible. I'm not going to just criticise them either. No one expected to fight a Godzilla yesterday. But it happened. And we needed coordination. That happened when you showed up. People listen to you. They rallied. We desperately need that." he pointed at locations on the map. "Now we were able to keep it to a localized area and–



Some others spoke up but I tuned them out. Something seemed familiar. Why was I looking at this map and why couldn't I piece it together? It seemed so familiar.


"Eric?" Victoria's voice drew me out of my thoughts. The room had gone quiet as I looked at the map.



"Uh, yeah?" I said, "What's up?"



"You've been staring at the map for like a minute. Do you see something?" She asked. Hughie looked at me too in confusion.



I stood up as I walked over to the board. "Sorry, I'm just. . . trying to remember something." I said as I narrowed my eyes at the map.



26 heroes. Dots on the map. Their locations and the papers connected to them by yarn detailing their failures and damages. I took the yarn away before looking at one of the dots. Little marks scattered across Manhattan. Different people. Different powers. Different places they had been needed but had gone somewhere else.



None of them knew where to go. Something about it was scratching at the back of my mind. I pointed at a dot. "Who was this?"



"Bluejay." one of the men spoke up.



I nodded, "And what was she doing?"



He checked his notes. "Attempting evacuations."



"No, I meant, like, specifically." I said quietly. Victoria had narrowed her eyes and everyone likewise had gone quiet and were looking at me with interest.



"She was flying civilians out one by one." He explained.



I looked at the map again. Little dots. Locations. Sending superheroes out. I frowned. A flying hero, an icon, a map. Something was sticking out at me. I just needed to look for it.



A screen of a map with icons, faces lining the bottom. I narrowed my eyes in silence. Come on, what was I missing?



"Valor?" The president started.



"Just. . . just give me a sec." I said, as I concentrated. Different emergencies. Different heroes. You couldn't send everybody to everything. Some were better at certain jobs. Some worked better together. Some were useless for particular calls. A fire, a robbery, a hostage situation. A kaiju. Kaiju. A baby kaiju.



What was this? It was like. . . My eyes widened as it came to me. I can't believe I had forgotten that game. The answer was obvious. I picked up one of the markers, gathering some attention.



"What are you thinking?" The president asked.



The names came flowing in. Robert Robertson. Oh, that would work perfectly. Teams didn't work in this world. The Justice League, as much as I wanted something like it, couldn't work in this world. Not the way I wanted. But Dispatch might. I wrote DISPATCH at the top of the map before taking the photos of the 26 supers and pinning them to the bottom.



"You're looking at this like you had 26 people fail at their jobs yesterday." I said.



"They did." The Attorney General said, crossing his arms.



"No. The system failed. Or rather, the lack of one." I said, lining up the papers before writing down some capabilities of their powers on the board by their names. "That was the problem, not that they weren't qualified."



"They weren't qualified." Victoria shook her head with disbelief. "They made the situation worse."



"No. You're not seeing it." I said, pointing at the board. "You had 26 superheroes willing to jump in and help. That's an entire response force of supers. But no one knew where they should go, or who they should be helping. So they saw the giant monster and rushed it or saw civilians and tried saving them. The intentions were pure, that's important. They wanted to help but had no direction. The military, the cops, the firefighters, the ambulances. They all had a dispatcher. Someone directing them." I said as I brought some papers over to Hughie.



"Hughie, look at these sheets. They have their stats and powers. Now use that alone and tell me where everyone should have been. Go." I said, gesturing to the board.



He stood up hesitantly before walking up to it, "Uh, okay. Well, for starters, Bluejay shouldn't have been here. Shockwave and A-Train were already over here evacuating. Soooo, I would put her. . . here. Nubia and Supersonic were beside you fighting, they were perfectly placed. Annie should have been more focused here, judging by the power plant. And then-"



Within a minute, Hughie had placed them where he thought they fit the best. Victoria was humming. I was pretty positive I was explaining this well. "Superheroes should have a dispatcher. Someone who knows them well, their powers, their personalities."



"You think something like this would help the FBSA?" someone in the back asked.



"Actually, I think that would be extremely beneficial." Victoria said as she eyed the board with intensity.



"Supes were primarily driven to be heroes for fame and celebrity status. Now that's gone. If we can get them to work with us, to employ them. . ." I trailed off. "I don't know. Okay? I'm just spitballing." I sighed as I ran a tired hand down my face. Maybe I was overstepping.



"No, Eric. That's a great idea." Victoria said. "We're discussing this because we're in this mess. The world isn't going on pause waiting for us to figure our shit out. We need ideas and this one, well, this one is pretty fucking good."



Hughie nodded at the board, "I think I might be pretty good at this."



That got a few chuckles. I nodded, my exhaustion from working through the night catching up to me. "What about the kids?"


"Kids?" Hughie asked.



"Uhh, where Vought sent kids. Red River. Yeah, Red River. That needs to be fixed. People are going to exploit them. And we should get on top of it before then. Godolkin too. We don't want supe trafficking. That was something Vought did and I think I speak for everyone here that kids deserve to be kids." I said, looking around the room.



Murmurs sounded and the talks began. It was a grueling three hours but I eventually came to the same conclusion as Hughie. There needed to be a super system in place. One that held people responsible, punished them, and rehabilitated them. I know that Hughie struggled with that last one. Mainly because of A-Train. But I know for a fact that Hughie is more dependable than Butcher's methods. And he eventually forgave the guy.



"So, we'll expand the FBSA to fit the criteria but your systems you've suggested, they're ingenious. And I do think that they'll work well with the established systems once everything's put together and rolled out." The president said with a confident nod. "But you do realize that you have to be the face of this, right?"

"What?" I stood up in shock. "Why?"



"Eric, you're Valor. I don't think you realize how popular you are right now. Everyone loves you at the moment. You took down Vought, exposed a nazi supe, and then saved the city from a kaiju. Your points, as Vought would say, are through the roof on all accounts. Public imaging depicting you supporting this system would be extremely helpful. It needs to show you specifically."



"I. . ." I looked around, "Guys. I'm only 18." I said with a tired tone.



"We know. But we can't afford to wait. You're Homelander's son." The president said.



"A few hours ago that was a bad thing!" I exclaimed.



"No matter anyone's feelings on the man, he was the superhero. Everyone knew his name. He told other supes to jump and they would fly. Maybe fear, maybe awe, respect, envy, who cares. The point is that you hold that sway now. And if we want the supe community to believe in this system, they need to see you believe in it too."



"I'm pretty certain that most supes hate me right now." I said in irritation. "You don't look at the guy who burned your money and say 'Thank you sir, may I have another.' You spit in his face and punch him in the nose."



"That's actually wrong. Besides the older generation, our numbers show that most supes, especially the younger generation, look up to you." Victoria explained with a tablet. "You're important."



"Fine." I snapped after a moment. "But I'm serious. Supes need this to be a job. Maybe heroes should be licensed? I don't know. But we need to have a serious in depth conversation about this when I'm not ready to fall asleep standing up."



"Yeah, maybe we should've considered that." Victoria snarked.



I flipped her off before looking at everyone. "We need a supe prison." I said after some hesitation. "I hate that but let's be realistic here."



"We've all thought about it but if you have a way to get something that'll hold supes, you be my guest." The attorney general said.



"Laura can make adamantium." Hughie chimed in. I paused. Laura.



My eyes narrowed. Where the fuck was Laura yesterday? And why wasn't she helping with search and rescue? The girl who can evaporate a building wasn't helping clear the city. Victoria spoke up. "Laura's actually a little busy right now."



"Then you better fucking call her." I snapped quietly as I got up. "We'll talk later. Hughie, you still able to teleport or do you need a lift?"



He looked forward before a flash of light and he was 2 feet forward. "I should be good for the next hour."



I nodded and took off.

---

1 WEEK LATER



"Ugh," I winced at the banging from downstairs. Someone knocked on the door. I used X-ray vision and looked down. It was Becca and Butcher. MM was here too. I looked down the driveway. All of the Boys were here with Ryan. Amelia was fully immersed in her video game with my headset on and wasn't paying attention.



"Oi, kid! I know you have super hearing. Let us in!" Butcher called out. I sighed before I telekinetically unlocked the door before turning back around in the bed.

---

Amelia's tongue was sticking out as she fought the headless monkey. Deflect, ninja stars, slash, deflect. She was a ball of ninjutsu and martial prowess. MM grabbed Becca's hand and hushed her. "Wait a second. If you interrupt that little girl she will be pissed. Give her a second before you hug her."



Becca rolled her eyes but waited. Butcher nodded, impressed at little Amelia's bloodlust. As she pulled a centipede out and killed it, the message appeared on the screen. IMMORTALITY SEVERED.



"I hate that boss." Hughie said.



Frenchie was looking around. "This is not a bad place. Quiet."



"That's probably what the little shite was goin' for." Butcher said.



Becca walked up behind Amelia and squeezed her sides. "Boo!"



Amelia's eyes widened before she grinned, hugging her mom. She still missed her, even if she had run away. "Don't you ever disappear on me like that again, Amelia. You gave me a heart attack!" she scolded gently.



Amelia looked down in shame. "I'm sorry."



"Jesus, could you be any louder?" Eric said as he walked into the kitchen. His hair was frazzled, he was shirtless wearing only shorts, and he looked like he'd just woken up. "What are you all doing here?"



"We're here to discuss the new system." Hughie said as Victoria piled in beside Laura. Amelia looked at Eric as he gave a humorless chuckle, a dark red color surrounding him. "Are we?"



"We are." Laura nodded.



"Alright." Eric nodded with click of his tongue. "Tell them. Then we'll start." he said to Victoria.



"Tell us what?" Annie asked.



"Eric, that's not–" Laura started before he turned on her.



"Shut the fuck up!" he snapped with a slight glow of his eyes. "You're so far at the top of my shit list that you're fucking flying. I like Stormfront more than I like you. Now tell them or I will, you hypocritical cunt!"



Butcher looked between them before leaning against the counter, "Oh, this should be good."



Victoria hummed before finally huffing. "Fine. I'm Stan Edgar's adopted daughter. I worked with Vought for years before this. Happy?"



"Not even remotely." Eric said with annoyance, his colors a blazing fire. "And where the fuck were you at the monster attack, little miss perfect? I figured you'd be jumping for joy to kill something."



"Oh fuck off, you litt–"



"Fuck me, right?" he snapped, "Because I'm the bad guy here. The one who's naive. I'm Homelander junior and you're the big hero. Well, hero, here's what's gonna happen. If I ever see you go near any of my friends again, not just Taylor, any of them, and I will personally see to it that you find out how much I can be like my father. Understand?"



She chuckled as she rolled her eyes before she was dragged forward, startling everyone. Eric's voice took a low quiet tone, "I'm not fucking around with you. You have been the source of my biggest problems since I met you."



Laura's smirk vanished. A small amount of sickly green and greyish blue appeared. Nervousness and fear. Eric kept his tone quiet, even.



"You used Taylor as fucking bait because you wanted me angry enough to kill my father. You brought that shit to my house. You put Amelia, Ryan, Becca, Taylor, and everyone else there in the middle of it because you wanted to prove a fucking point."



Butcher's amusement disappeared. Annie went to speak up. "Eric, maybe we should–"



"Shut up." he snapped before he shoved a finger into Laura's chest.



"You wanted me to kill him because you thought it'd give me a wake up call. Like my morals were some childish phase you could beat out of me." Laura's jaw clenched, swallowing the lump in her throat. "And then Vought comes down, everything starts falling apart, and somehow every fucking disaster you leave behind lands in my lap." Eric snarled.



"Eric–" Hughie started carefully.



"No, Hughie." Eric snapped. Hughie immediately shut his mouth. Eric looked back at Laura. "And then Manhattan happened. Twenty-six supes showed up before me. Twenty-six. Maeve was there. Annie was there. Everyone in this room was there. Even the fucking Deep was there. People I don't even know showed up because there was a giant fucking monster tearing through the city and people needed help. And where were you?"



Her expression hardened. "You don't know what I was doing."



"You weren't there. That's what I know. That's all I need to know."



"I had other shit going on."



"So did everyone else!"



The cabinets rattled. Becca glanced toward the windows as one of them cracked. Amelia slowly pulled the headset off. Eric paused, his eyes flicking toward her. The glow disappeared from his eyes immediately. He took a breath through his nose before looking back at Laura.



"You spent months telling me how fucking naïve I was. How Superman doesn't work. How eventually I'd learn. How eventually I'd have to kill somebody." Laura stared at him "And then when there was finally something out there that nobody could fucking debate about, a monster that needed killing, you weren't there."



"I was doing important shit." Laura spat out. "Superhero shit like you were."



"What's important is not standing by and letting someone suffer and die because you do nothing. If you don't get that then you don't understand the first thing about being a superhero." he said with narrowed eyes. "Maybe you'll understand those words."



She was quiet as she glared at him with a sneer.



MM looked down. Annie was staring at Laura now too as Eric stepped closer.



"I need people who disagree with me. It's why you're all here." He gestured around the room. Then his finger came back toward Laura. "But if you ever use somebody I care about as bait again. . . Taylor, Amelia, Annie, Becca, Ryan, anybody, we're done."



Laura was quiet as they held each other's gaze before finally grunting. "Fine."



"Good."



Eric let out a breath, the tension in the room fading a tiny bit before Butcher hummed. "Well. Lovely family meetin'. Can we get to the bit where Newman here explains how she's Stan Edgar's secret fuckin' daughter?"



Victoria closed her eyes. "Adopted daughter."



"Jesus Christ." MM stared at her. "How long?"



"Since I was a child."



Frenchie tilted his head. "So he raised you?"



"Yes." Victoria said with a sigh.



"But you helped us condemn Vought. You were the primary person to help us take it down." Annie said in confusion.



Victoria sighed. "Yes. I'm aware. I need to look out for my daughter first and foremost."



Butcher started laughing. Not a happy laugh. "Oh, this is fuckin' priceless."



"Billy," Becca started before she was cut off.



"No, this is brilliant. Stan Edgar's little girl runs the fuckin' supe police."



Victoria glared at him, "I helped put Edgar in front of Congress."



"What's your point?" Butcher said with a smirk.



"So maybe consider the possibility that my relationship with him is slightly more complicated than whatever stupid fucking version you're constructing in your head."



Hughie was still staring.



"You knew?"



Everyone looked toward Eric. He nodded as he opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk. "Yep. I threatened her too. But the person you should be asking that to. . . is Edgar's other daughter." he said sarcastically, "See, I can do info gathering too." he said to Laura.



Hughie's expression changed as he looked at Laura. "Is that why you didn't want us to ask her for help?"



"It was complicated." Laura said, somewhat defensively.



"And you didn't think that was something you should tell us?" Hughie said in disbelief.



"It wasn't relevant. And it was private. She wasn't gonna do anything bad." Laura said.



Eric snorted as he took a drink of some milk. "Then was it a different supe that killed that CIA chick?"



Butcher's smile dropped immediately. "What?"



"Oh? Looks like this is news to them. Go on, use that word you like so much. Complicated." Eric leaned back with a smirk that looked eerily similar to Homelander. "I'd love to hear how you spin this one."



"It. . . I'm not–" Laura started as Eric smirked doing a little head bob.



"That bitch killed Susan? And you knew about it?" Butcher said in angry disbelief.



"Oh, she knew alright." Eric said, sauntering over to her as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "She was there. Shot Victoria and everything. Screamed, 'Nadia! No!' It makes me wonder how someone can tell me to kill the criminal but won't condemn her ex who is doing the same shit."



She slapped his hand off of her, snarling at him with glowing purple eyes, "Get your fucking hands off me."



"Oooo," Eric held his hands up sarcastically, "Scary. What's the matter? Don't like it when someone targets your friends?"



"Eric, honey–" Becca started before he chucked the glass off to the side, shattering it.



"No! See, everything's fucking complicated isn't it? You were there when she popped whatever her name was' head and then you have the gall to stand there and tell me it's fucking complicated. People are fucking complicated. You are not the law. Neither am I. Because that's what this is about. You're real quick to drop your little punisher mindset when it's your people on the line but fuck mine, right! At least have the fucking decency to apologize for what you did.



"And what about Butcher? He was just as much a part of the plan as I was."



"Butcher already apologized." he said lowly.



Laura's jaw clicked shut at that. She looked around the room at the faces of her friends, although whether that would be the case in 5 minutes was up for debate. She cleared her throat, her head hanging. ". . . I'm sorry."



Eric looked at her in silence before shaking his head, "You better fucking be." he said before walking to the living room, the glass shards lifting towards the trash and the milk peeling off the wall before going down the kitchen sink.



Butcher watched him walk away in silence before turning his glare back towards Laura and Victoria. "Now that all that bleedin' heart shite is done with, let's talk about Susan."



Amelia and Ryan were huddled on the couch, watching the interaction. Ryan had, at some point, moved closer to his mom. And Amelia was overwhelmed by the colors in the air. The noise, the yelling, the emotions had become a little too much for her.



"Are you okay, hun?" Becca asked. Amelia gave a tiny nod, signing.



"I'm fine."



Becca looked a little unsure but nodded nonetheless, gently running a hand down Amelia's cheek before stepping beside Butcher. Amelia looked over when a hand tapped the couch beside her. Amelia looked at the Japanese woman with confusion. Especially when she signed a bunch of motions she did not know.



"She asks if you wish to play the game." Frenchie said from the side.



Amelia looked at him before nodding and signing back at him. "Ah, my apologies, petite fille. I'm afraid I do not speak American Sign Language. Kimiko, she has her own language, you see. I understand her hands, but yours? Uh. . ." Frenchie gave an apologetic shrug. "I would only pretend to understand and make a complete ass of myself."



Amelia giggled before grabbing her Ipad that Eric had given her, opening the sketch app and writing her words out. "That's ok. I can't talk sometimes either."



Kimiko smiled brightly before holding the controller up questioningly. Amelia smiled and nodded before sitting beside her.



Ryan looked over, seeing Eric outside on the porch. He slipped out from behind Becca and followed him out. "Hey, are you okay? You looked really angry in there."

---

"I'm. . . I'm sorry you had to see that." I said quietly. "I don't want that to be what you think whenever you look at me."



"It's not." Ryan said, taking a seat beside me on the swing chair. He looked out at the woodsy mountains. "You looked like dad in there."



I let out a tired sigh, "I was trying to."



"Why?" he asked, confused.



I glanced through the window, hearing Butcher and Laura arguing about Raynor and Victoria. "Dad didn't get along with a lot of people. He wasn't a good person. And he made a lot of people uncomfortable sometimes. I knew that it would make Laura uncomfortable. And that's not okay, I shouldn't have done that. I was just mad."



"Because Dad broke your house?" he asked.



I chuckled, "Something like that. It's more about my friend getting hurt than the house. Yeah, I'm still pissed about the house too but I can replace a house. I can't replace my friends and family. Like you, bud. You're irreplaceable."



I pulled him into a noogie that he quickly squirmed out of with a laugh. "I'm sorry I haven't been around you too much. I've been so busy and then Amelia showed up and then the monster, it's. . . a lot. Superheroing isn't all it's cracked up to be, I'll tell ya."



"Then quit."



I laughed out loud. "Oh, I wish it were that simple. But nope. You can't just quit. People depend on you."



"Sounds like a lot of work." Ryan said, kicking his feet as I lightly swung us.



"It is." I said as I breathed in the October air. "Can I let you in on a secret?"



"Sure." he said, leaning in.



"I didn't want to be a superhero."



"You didn't?" he said in bewilderment.



"Nope." I sighed as I leaned back, opening the window and the fridge door before telekinetically pulling 2 pops to my hands before giving one to Ryan. "I wanted to make video games. Movies. Voice act. Draw. God, I love drawing. I had planned to take my mom and. . . uh, and take my mom and move somewhere far away from New York." I said, my voice slightly cracking. "Away from the supe stuff."



"Well, now you did!" Ryan smiled. "So just have her move in with you."



I nodded as I pursed my lips. "I wish I could. But that's not possible anymore, sadly. My mom passed away a couple months ago. And I just. . . keep thinking to myself that if I hadn't done any of this, maybe she'd still be here."



Ryan looked down, "Oh."



"Yeah." I said quietly. "Always cherish the time you have with your mom, bud. She loves you guys more than anything. And even if you get mad at her or-or want to leave, never forget that. She fought like hell to get you guys out of Vought."



"Was your mom and dad married?" Ryan asked.



I immediately laughed. "Good god, no. But they got along well. A little too well sometimes." I said, remembering coming home to them having sex.



Ryan nodded before tilting his head, "Where is dad?"



"I. . . I wish I could tell you, Ryan. I really do." I said. "And it's okay to be sad and miss him. He was our dad."



"Do you think he's dead?"



"I don't know. It seems kinda impossible if I'm being honest." I said as I took a drink.



"Mom doesn't like when I ask about him."



"She has her reasons. Maybe when you're older, you'll be able to understand them." I said quietly. Ryan took a drink before looking at me again.



"Did you not like him either?" He asked quietly.



"That's. . . complicated." Ryan gave me a look that had me snort, "Yeah, yeah. Bad choice of words for today."



He smiled a little. I nudged his shoulder with mine.



"Listen. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to miss him. You don't have to pretend you don't just because he did bad things." I explained as I pulled him into a hug. "He was our dad."



Ryan stayed quiet as he looked down before returning the hug. We sat there for a while until I heard the yelling calm down. A few minutes later Becca came out.



"Eric, we're talking about the new systems now." she said softly.



I nodded with a quiet sigh. Seemed like I was doing that a lot lately. Getting to my feet, I helped Ryan up. "You run off and go play some video games with your sister now. I've got some things I need to talk about with the adults. Because apparently I qualify as mature." I poked him, getting a laugh out of him.



I stepped back into the house, looking at the marble countertop that now had a different pattern. "What happened to my counter?"



"I broke it." Laura said bluntly. "Then I fixed it." she said, looking down. ". . . Sorry."



I nodded before nodding. "Alright, let's get to it. What are we discussing first?"



Victoria handed out papers. I scanned the sheet, seeing a lot of children's names. "The Red River files?" I said.

The idea of Eric getting into animation, game design, and directing actually makes this even more interesting. I could see a concept like Valor translating really well into a Roblox superhero game too, especially with the whole progression system—starting with basic abilities and gradually unlocking more powerful movement, telekinesis, flight, and combat abilities. The power scaling you've given him would make for some pretty ridiculous gameplay mechanics in the best way. There are already some interesting Roblox guide and resources while I have a visit this site.



"Yes. We need to deal with the source of Supe problems. Now is the time to voice any ideas you have. And I mean any. That's what we're discussing this for." Victoria said firmly. "Laura and I grew up there so we can personally tell you if it'll work or has holes in the logic."



I listened to several ideas, not too bad, not too good either. Becca had some good ones, so did Hughie. Somehow, Butcher's idea of 'stompin' em' if they were bad didn't fly over too well with Amelia if her little glare was anything to go by. Kimiko actually had a very good idea but Victoria pointed out too many loopholes to exploit the children.



"I've got an idea. I was thinking of calling it the SuperDuper program." I spoke up, laying down the rough draft.

---

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. I have very little time until winter at the moment. Everything I'm writing is basically on temporary Hiatus. But let me know what you guys think. I also am aware of the mixed reviews regarding Taylor. Personally, those are some of my favorite comments. Humans are complicated, huh? Some of you love her, others hate her. It's great. Makes me consider things in different views. Oh, And the creator of X will be revealed in depth in the next chapter as well. Review and Enjoy! Cheers!

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Really enjoyed this chapter. The Eric and Ryan conversation was especially good, and I liked how the confrontation with Laura actually had some consequences instead of just being another shouting match