Chapter 5: Emotional Impasse
A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little short, got wild stuff is coming and I'm trying to hold off on Noir/Parker interactions for now. In other news, I'm working incredibly slow trying to update the other fics, I can't give an estimate but they're coming. School is schooling right now and I'm sick as hell of this snow. Hope y'all enjoy!
The sounds of birds chirping near Parker's bedroom window is the first thing she registers before her heavy eyelids slowly flutter open. Sunlight from the outside is letting in minimal light into the room and it makes her wince and turn away from the window. It's taking entirely too long for awareness to kick in. Her body feels heavier than cinder block and her head is pounding like a drum. With a headache like this one she knew it would hurt to move. The throbbing pain in her cranium is making her nauseated and the pulsing probably wouldn't subside for a while.
She's been feeling like shit more often than not and it's starting to get old. After about fifteen minutes, Parker decided that it would be better to just get up than risk staring up at the ceiling and risk vomiting all over herself. Bile hadn't made an appearance yet but she knew it was coming.
Reluctantly dragging herself up with a groan, Parker pulled herself out of bed, beginning a slow, wobbly trek to the bathroom. The pounding intensified, the effects dizzying. She doesn't even know what time it is and she's not all that motivated to look. It's pretty clear by this point that she won't be making it to work today and that's just fine with her. That leaves only one thing on the agenda.
"Oh my god…" Even the vibration from her own voice were debilitating.
She paused for a second when she wiggled her tongue and noticed a strange taste in her mouth. It's a salty, musky like taste lingering that she can't quite discern. She can't pinpoint where it might've come from and unfortunately it's stuck in the back of her throat.
She doesn't know what it is but she wants to get the taste out of her mouth as soon as possible. The first thing she does is grab her toothbrush and pile toothpaste on top of it. She brushes almost too furiously, determined to get every nook and cranny. Nearly choking herself when it comes time to brush her tongue, gagging and heaving more times than she can count. All in an effort to get rid of that unpleasant taste then topping it off with a cap full of Listerine.
At least, in the mirror she doesn't look half as bad as she feels.
With that taken care of, she goes over to the shower and turns the nobs. After last night, she desperately needs a shower that's for sure.
A shrill of pain shoots through her skull once more and she stumbles over to the medicine cabinet. Two Excedrin pills should do the trick. The seriousness of the pain makes her swallow both of them without water. Parker always thought people capable of swallow pills without having anything to drink were some of the strongest people on the planet. Right now, she was in too much pain to care and she just wanted the headache gone. She throws the now empty pill bottle into the small trash can.
Headache medication is now added to the growing list of items she needed to get from the store.
Parker plopped down on the toilet and pressed a hand to her ailing head.
Small fragments of the previous night could only be recalled. As the flashbacks run through her mind, Parker's suddenly concerned about what the hell could've possibly happened last night. The asshole at the bar was sketchy enough. Even if she'd gotten drunk, there's no way in hell she would've gone home with him or invited him to her house. But Parker didn't have a single shot glass of alcohol. In addition to that, she'd gotten home completely safe and she doesn't know how. She can't possibly be blacking out from water.
"What the hell."
Worse still, the area between her legs feels sensitive. All of this combined with the fact that she's sure that she left her wings. Those wings were the only reason she agreed to go out in the first place. That alone provided the perfect reason not to go out again for a long time.
Although she didn't have the enthusiasm to do much today, there was at least one thing she needed to do. With work totally out of the question, she definitely had some time on her hands and she wasn't going to spend it in bed watching tv.
While walking the aisles of the store, a small green basket in hand, Parker grabbed everything to catch her attention as well as the obvious necessities. So far she'd gotten two boxes of Excedrin and a few toiletries.
Shopping is such a common, tedious task that Parker doesn't even notice when she's zoning out while she's in the midst of doing it. Even though she was making progress at first, right now she can't be bothered. Speaking of stores, she'd much rather go to the small convenience store near her apartment over the bigger grocery store across the city. A convenience store is designed to meet the needs of a short shopping trip and that's exactly what she wants. To get in and get out as quickly as possible. She wasn't even all that concerned with how she looked. Aside from the fact her hair is currently in the messiest bun known to mankind, she's dressed in an oversized weather and leggings. Baggy clothing is always comfortable, especially while making a store run. For months now, Parker only made a point of looking presentable at work.
She'd much preferred to stay in bed but when does anything ever go her way?
Normally, she'd have breakfast before going out but her appetite isn't all that active for some reason. And she won't force herself to eat. It always smells like blue slushy and plastic here.
Cassidy had sent her a few texts this morning slightly concerned.
When you said we had ten minutes, you really meant that huh? Why didn't you tell us before you left? - Cass
Honestly, I don't even remember when I left. - Parker
I thought you said you weren't gonna drink. - Cass
I didn't! - Parker
Well you had to drink something! - Cass
Truthfully, Parker didn't know what to tell her. She really didn't remember much from last night so you can't give a solid explanation.
There's a few magazines at the front with A-Train and The Deep on the covers. Her gaze lingered on the candy lined up below the counter, trying to decide on whether to buy a few of them. The impulse to overload on sweets is overwhelming but Parker pushes it down. She'll be better off without them. She can live without sweets but her addiction to nutrigrain bars and cereal made it hard. Some of the prices are downright ridiculous but that's normal. She tries not to make it a habit to come here for this reason alone. To make herself feel better she snatched up a few almond joys and placed them on the counter to be rung up with her other items.
A small tv overhead the cashier played non-stop advertisements at low volume.
The cashier hands her the receipt and she turns around quick enough to run straight into a hard chest that feels very much like a brick wall. The impact knocks the wind out of Parker and pulls her from her musing. Unsurprisingly, the 'brick wall' doesn't move an inch while she nearly falls back into the counter before big hands catch her around the waist to prevent that from happening.
The man's face has a hard edge to it even with the thickly trimmed mustache. His shoulders are squared firmly but not in a threatening manner. The dark trench coat obviously had Parker questioning more than a few things about him.
"Oai. Apologies for bumping into ya. Shop's a real tight squeeze." The British accent kind of threw Parker off for a second before she gathered her bearings once more. The snarky demeanor isn't what she would expect from someone that looks like he does. At first, she thought he might snap on her for running into him like she had.
Truthfully, she should be apologizing to him not the other way around. Then there was the issue of his hands on her. The hard band of muscle wrapped around her sent a sliver of nervousness up her spine but admittedly that wasn't the only thing she felt. Parker's heart abruptly gave a great pound at the realization and heat prickled over her skin. She didn't make it a point to convey just how uncomfortable she was to have his hands on her no matter the innocent intention of stopping her from falling.
"Hey butcher...I-" He pauses when he sees the look on Parker's flustered face. A bottle of juice is in his left hands and a hand in the other. He seems confused by the exchange.
Parker clenches her jaw tightly and quickly adverts her gaze to the floor. "Excuse me." She hurriedly moves to grab her fallen bag of items and slips past the pair to run out of the store.
The men stare at the spooked woman's retreating back, one confused and one deeply absorbed in his thoughts.
Hughie finally blinks away some of the surprise to address Butcher. "Who was that?"
Butcher's hard gaze lingers at the slowly closing door, an indecipherable look in his eyes. "Don't know. "Let's get a move on eh?"
When Parker pulled into the driveway, she pulled the key from the ignition and waited. Her grandma Carmen's house is located on the other side of the city, practically on the outskirts. She almost turns the car back on just to feel the blasting heat circulate in the car once more while she waits.
She can still remember the heat from that man in the store form when she bumped into him. Was this what she'd become? Afraid and mistrusting of every man that got too close to her. No matter how she was feeling, she just could've lash out at a stranger for helping her based on her terrible experiences at the hands of another. It just wasn't right. Parker took in a few calming breaths before she exited the car. She walked on the small pathway blocks, only stopping when she heard an assortment of small meows from under the raised porch. A family of neighborhood cats live under there since her grandmother was prone to throwing scraps of food out for them to eat so they wouldn't starve.
Every time Parker sees the felines, she thinks about loading them all in her car and taking them to get a vet checkup but whenever she gets close they just scurry off. Not only that but the mama cat is especially viscous to anyone that gets too close to her kittens. She doesn't wanna get clawed to death while trying to help.
Despite the weather, the garden outside still looked fantastic. It smelled like it might rain.
As she raises a hand to knock the front door flies open, her expectant grandmother standing there with a pinched look on her face. At first glance, the older woman looked to be in her late 40s rather than her mid-sixties. She didn't have as many wrinkles as one would expect for someone her age. She always said that they had good genes.
"Bout time you got out of the car, I was tired of waiting on you." She huffed, waving Parker inside. "Come on in now. I don't want that cold getting in."
"How did you know I was outside?"
"I heard you pulling up."
"But how did you even know it was me?"
"Chile I know how your car sounds. And what happened? You were supposed to come visit me last week."
"I know grandma something...come up. I'm sorry."
The older woman stares at her for a few seconds longer, hands stationary at her hips. Eyes cat-like and full of life. Eventually, she gives Parker a warm smile that resembles her own before engulfing her in a big hug. And just like that all the tension in Parker's frame evaporates. "How you been, my pretty girl?"
"I've been good grandma." Parker responded, the woman's beaming expression made her smile in return.
"You showed up at the right time. I just finished cooking. Go in the kitchen and fix you a plate baby."
Parker's heart jumped hearing that. She's craved a home cooked meal from the woman for a minute now. Even the smells from the kitchen were already making her mouth water.
"Make sure you get some of that pie too!" The elder calls out from the living room.
She plays with the little fridge magnets in the shape of fruits. Her grandma Carmen, nicknamed "Cookie" has had these little magnets since she was little. She's a petite lady, ambling around the home in her house shoes. The great thing about her is that she still moves like she's twenty-five even in her old age. In fact, there's lots of nick knack's around the house that have been there since Parker was young. Like the little round cookie tin that contains sewing kits items.
Her house has always had that warm, comforting atmosphere around it since she was a child. Parker remembers the days where she'd get sick and be left at her grandmother's house throughout the day while her parents worked. Naps and long marathon's of Judge Judy, Maury, and Jerry Springer literally took up the majority of the time. Grandma Carmen is easily the most generous person Parker knows.
"What's wrong with your hair?" The elder woman questions.
"Nothing. I just put it up in a bun when I woke up."
Disapproval is written all over the woman's face. She doesn't know why but the feeling in Parker's chest is comforted by that. It's such a grandma thing to worry about. In fact, her grandmother was the one who taught her the importance of taking care of her hair.
Parker walked up to a wall that held a picture of her and her parents when she was about three years old. Although she didn't remember much at the time, she knew that they were happy.
Taking it day by day is getting harder and harder. Emotionally, it's been one of the hardest things to contend with. Even after all this time, she has yet to gain some mastery over the grief. Healing is still her responsibility no matter what and so far she's failed at that. Sure she has her ups and downs but that's to be expected. No one is happy every single of their life and if they say they are then they're lying.
"You alright sweet pea?"
Parker quickly pulled her eyes from the photo and took her seat at the table then the window. "Yeah, I'm fine." Silently hoping her grandmother didn't catch the lie that shouldn't have passed through her lips.
In an abstract sense, the feeling is measurable and real. The sheer range of emotions she goes through in a single day is alarming, from sadness to anger to emptiness. It's all so exhausting. And it's probably from a complete lack of self love. She can admit that she hasn't truly loved herself for a while. Parker paused, having to reason with herself not to have such awful thoughts. But at least 85% of the day, Parker finds herself embroiled in her thoughts.
What people don't understand, it's totally possible to feel lonely even with friends. She'd once heard someone give the same sentiment but it neve rang true until now. It's not okay to want to withdraw from her friends and the world altogether. Sometimes she'd be fine then other days she'll be falling apart. Depression would sneak up on her, swallowing her whole in a dark abyss of sadness. Parker thought as time went on it was supposed to get better.
The event altered everything in her world. To experience something so transformative at such a magnitude is traumatic. There's not a day where she doesn't think about them.
"Now I know I told you to get some food but damn!" Her grandmother's incredulous voice cuts through the air. "You your daddy's daughter alright!" She laughed.
"I didn't eat anything this morning." Parker explained, trying not to laugh at the woman's expression.
The woman shook her head. "By the look of that plate I'd say you didn't eat nothing all week. Lord have mercy."
She did have a tendency to overload her plate with if given the opportunity.
Parker sipped absently from her glass of lemonade, rubbing her temple with her other hand.
"What's the matter with you?" The woman asked again, her eyes having that gleam in them.
Parker was too immersed in her thoughts to notice that she wasn't really digging into her food like she usually would. "Nothing. Why would you ask that?"
Her grandmother would not be swayed however. "I never see you picking at your food. Something's gotta be wrong."
Whether Parker knew it or not, she wore an unmistakable cloak of despair around her that not many people would notice. It's not surprising that the old woman would notice it. Not much got past her. Parker sometimes forgets how intuitive the woman can be. Their relationship had always been close.
Her grandmother placed a nearly folded sheet on the couch and tilted her head to the side with a knowing expression. The direct eye contact is what really got Parker. Parker imagines it's not hard for her to be concerned. The downward curve of her mouth probably gave her away, either that or her tone of voice. The woman knew, she always knew.
Parker started fiddling with a loose string from her weather, trying to keep her composure together. She knew how dangerous that question was - asking what was wrong.
The younger realized that she couldn't offer a valid answer. The lump that tried to form in her throat earlier returned. Being mentally and emotionally on edge for some long is certainly a byproduct of that. Everything she felt was building up in a harmful combination that made a recipe for self-destruction. The silence stretched on until it became unbearable.
Just thinking of how to answer the question opened the floodgates and all the negative emotions she thought she pushed away came flooding back. Parker sagged against the women's bosom and wailed like a baby. Months of sadness and frustration pouring out in distressing waves.
The worst aspect about it was that it wasn't just for one reason, there's a multitude of things for her to be miserable about. Being unproductive because she's depressed is the most terrible feeling but she's also upset about being unproductive. It's a vicious cycle she can't escape from. There's a war going on inside of her. She knows what she has to do to feel better but she just can't. It's like a hole that grows deeper so she's not able to dig herself out.
The breakdown was so bad that the words couldn't even make their way out of her mouth, she could only sob in their place. In a way, she was grateful for this. A good cry made everyone feel a little better afterwards.
Her grandmother said nothing, only holding Parker in her arms while she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Calm down now. Breathe." Grandma Carmen urged. "You can't let it destroy you forever."
"Sometimes when tragedy happens, we just gotta keep it moving." Grandma Carmen assured, rubbing her back. "You think they would be happy to know that you just put your life on standstill."
At that moment her grandmother pressed gentle hands to her cheeks and lifted her head up. "Keep your chin up. Don't ever let anyone see you low like that. Not even me. You hear?"
Parker's breaths quickened in an effort to stop the tears. "Yes...ma'am" She sniffled.
The woman hands Parker some tissue. "Like any grandmother I worry for my grandchildren. I worry if they're happy, if they're sad. I worry about it all. I know how hard life can be. I'm seventy-two years old. I can tell you a lot of things but I'm gonna tell you what my mother told me. Life is about having no expectations but still being disappointed." She conveys. "I know...grief has dealt me plenty of blows throughout my life. But you just learn to take it day by day. This is life and sometimes we gotta deal with the hands we're dealt with."
Her grandmother places a hand to her chest. "I know it still hurts. I know baby. But let it go. You're still young, got so much of it to live. You need to get on with your life. And it starts with letting it go. All the weight, all the pressure. It's not yours to bear. All this suffering when you don't have to."
Parker feels like she's been punched in the chest at the words. For a long time, she knew what she wanted to do all along but hearing someone actually say the words is eye-opening. For once, she wants to feel that weight come off her shoulders.
"No matter what happens, no matter what situation, you strive to remain the same." She explained with a patient smile.
"We come from a long line of strong, resilient women. I know you and I know you're much stronger than that. Take back your power. You're letting the emotion take it away from you. Take it all back."
"The peace you want is just within arms reach, you just gotta reach out and grab it. Be that same headstrong, happy-go-lucky girl I helped raise all these years. Now stop all that crying and going on."
Parker blinked at that. The tragic thing about that is that Parker didn't even know if that was possible considering all that's happened.
Thinking of things in a different perspective was a specialty of the elder's. Parker and many others that knew her thought that she was a very gifted and wonderfully material person. Her advice is effortless to follow through on and her sense of judgment has yet to be challenged. On top of that it never fails to yield positive results.
When Parker finally managed to pull herself together she remained in the women's arms as if it was the only solid protection from the world around her. She wanted to stay there forever. Her grandmother had always been the glue to hold the family together even in difficult times. Black families are usually built on the backs of their grandmothers. The woman had been an anchor for Parker in all of this and she remains a natural treasure like many other grandmothers out there. Always full of wisdom and witty humor. Her love and support can literally last a lifetime.
Depression is hard to articulate even under what's deemed as normal circumstances. Oftentimes, Parker has to remind herself that she's invincible. She doesn't exactly feel down but she's just tired of being tired all the damn time. When she fell apart there was almost always no one there to pick up the pieces. Never had she been so sensitive emotionally up until this point in her life and lately it just seemed like she couldn't catch a break.
And then she has to question herself time and time again. She can acknowledge that her feelings are sometimes contradictory, unwanted, and the biggest problem is how does she successfully move forward? What steps does she have to take? Going to the support group is certain a step in the right direction. She would not even entertain the thought of telling her about the situation with Black Noir, there was no way in hell she would put the woman's life in harm's way like that. Parker loved her too much.
Her grandmother's words gave her a newfound confidence she didn't know she was capable of having. And although she half expected the elder to scold her for getting tears and snot all over her person and not being able to tell her what the problem was. Her acceptance of the breakdown was much more reassuring.
Everything her grandmother said was right. Parker can't accommodate the devastation anymore and she can't choose to resign herself to it any longer. For a long time, she felt as if she was just alive, now, it was time for her to start living. Life won't get the best of her anymore. She might have been dealt a shitty hand but that didn't mean she couldn't play with it. She refuses to deal with anything she doesn't have to. There's still some emotion healing that's needed and it won't go away overnight.
She's tired of feeling like everything is a struggle. It's getting to a point where she was worried that she might end up becoming a former shell of herself. The inner turmoil is just too much for her to bear. With the added stress of everything with Black Noir, it just made things all the more difficult to cope. He was living proof that monsters don't always hide in the dark, sometimes they operate in the spotlight. He had been seen for two weeks and she considered that a true blessing. She honestly hopes he never returns. If she knew of a way to ward him off for good.
Up until now, Parker had been able to ignore the steady drone of the television as her grandmother sat on the couch folding a basket of laundry, her eyes glued to the screen. Aside from the newspaper, the tv is where most older people get their information. Since her grandmother is big on watching the news, she doesn't realize how triggered Parker is at seeing clips of the supes on the screen. She'd seen them up close during her little break in attempt at the towers.
Parker barely noticed Stan Edgar giving a press conference on the subject of compound-v. From her understanding, there's a lot of commotion about the compound v fiasco and Vought is doing whatever they can to cover their asses. Frankly, any company would be scrambling to save face at a time like this. It was a hot topic for many of the major politicians and congressmen so it's not that surprising. There was a lot at stake for the company. There's really no telling whether they knew the truth or not. The whole notion that superheroes are created and not birthed is a scary concept. Scary but not impossible. Compound v, a serum that supposedly makes superhumans. Parker almost can't believe that for half a century people were made to believe that superheroes were chosen by God. Vought is a billion dollar conglomerate, they could snatch a star out of the sky if they truly wanted to.
She wondered if all of them were into shady dealings. The continuous belief never really left her mind. There are rumors that the company is set on gaining a lucrative military contract for supes. God only knows how that'll go.
Not to mention that this is her first time actually seeing what the CEO of Vought International looked like. He seemed like an intelligent, well put together man. He's certainly much more phlegmatic than Madelyn Stillwell in some aspects. In spite of that, Parker can't put her finger on it but there's something...off about him. Stan Edgar, one of many men with hordes of power at his fingertips. He doesn't even know that he holds the key to her salvation - that he can end her torment with the snap of his fingers. If only she'd gotten to speak with him when she'd infiltrated the tower. She really didn't want her efforts to be a waste of her time and hope. Parker would speak to him. It wasn't over. That's a promise.
Nagging suspicion gripped Parker immediately. She briefly wondered if he knew what one of his most prized employees got up to when they're not working. But the feeling is pushed down as soon as it manifests. No. There's no way he would have knowledge of Black Noir's transgressions against her. She found it very hard to believe that he, a very smart, rational man would allow something like that to continue. Still, the company had to know something. The idea might be a little far-fetched and even somewhat implausible by most standards but that didn't mean it wasn't true. Nothing is ever outside of the realm of possibility.
She ground her teeth at the mere thought of him. The thought of him used to terrify her but now it only enraged. The mysterious, unpredictable nature is what makes him so frightening. Underestimating him is the worst thing she could do. He's the type of person that can't be reasoned with. He would not continue to have power even when he wasn't present. She would survive it, she had to. Civilian be damned. That she was sure of. His transgressions against her wouldn't go unpunished. He'd violated and disrespected her too many times. She would never stop fighting him - never give in. He only sought to take from her and she wouldn't make it easy for him. Being at the mercy of someone so demented isn't nor will it ever be okay. If she had to invest in weapons for her protection then so be it.
With all the tears and snot gone, Parker feels some of the crushing weight evaporate off of her subconscious and heart. She finally feels like she can breathe without feeling guilty.
After a minute more of consoling her, her grandmother finally returns to folding the laundry on the couch. The leftover food on the plate has cooled and Parker makes a mental note to wrap it in tinfoil and take it home. Food prepared by the elder cannot go to waste under any circumstance.
The tv is still on broadcasting events and the news anchor is still on about a particular story that catches Parker's attention immediately. "Hey grandma can you turn it up?"
"...Our top story, a man was found dismembered in the truck of his car that was left in a popular club parking lot. More on this tonight as police investigate the heinous crime."
Jesus.
That's easily one of the most gruesome things she'd ever heard. What deranged do you have to be to chop a person up and put them in the trunk of a car?
"Oh lord. See that's why I tell you to be careful. It's some crazy people out in the world." Her grandmother asserts.
She's absolutely right, there are some crazy people in the world. Parker knew that better than anyone.
"Okay, Grandma it's almost dark out so I guess it's time for me to go." Parker says after a moment, standing from her seat. She walks over to giving the woman a prolonged hug.
"Next time I want you to come spend a weekend with me." Grandma Carmen drawls out.
"How about a whole week?" Parker counters.
The woman smiles from ear to ear. "That's even better!"
Grandma Carmen walks her to the door, advising her to be safe and telling her that she loves her. Parker makes sure to grab her plate of food and hug the woman one last time before she ventures back outside towards her car. The ground is wet from the fresh rain and the smell of outside is even stronger than before. The temperature has dropped significantly in the past few hours and to her it feels like arctic level climate and she can't wait to get in her car.
When she reached for the car door a frail mewl stopped her right in her tracks. Brows furrowing, Parker waits for a second, waiting to see if she'd just imagined the sound. It's only when the sound pierces the air again that she turns to find out what it might be. She instantly catches sight of a tiny ball of fur laying on the ground.
The kitten is laying in the clearing, meowing like crazy. Anxiety twisted Parker's gut distressingly. Parker scans the yard for it's family but they're nowhere to be seen. She doesn't think they would've deliberately left him behind. He looks mangled and disheveled, like something got a hold to him. Stray dogs are known to roam around the area as well and it's not hard to believe that one would attack another animal. She can't and won't leave this kitten suffering out in this cold. All of a sudden she's become this sort of savior for all injured cats she comes across.
A hurt, possibly sick animal can and will be unpredictable. Plus she doesn't want it's mother to come out of the woodworks and attack her. She's been scratched by frightened cats before and she has no intention of letting it happen again. She has to tread lightly in these kinds of situations. Cat injuries require special attention and it's worse because it's a small kitten and not a fully mature cat.
Parker retrieves a small blanket from the backseat and starts to slowly approach him. "It's okay...I'm just trying to help you."
The kitten doesn't look that alarmed at the sight of her approaching and that puts her at ease. She has to be careful with how she picks him up too. She's not able to access his wounds like she wants to and she doesn't want to make it worse than it already was.
Parker's elated when she finally manages to secure the still mewling kitten in the blanket, shielding him from the brutal cold. "I promise, I'll bring you back to your family soon. You can tell your mother that I want no beef with her."
She walks him back to the car, safety securing him in the passenger seat while he peers around curiously. The sight would've been adorable in different circumstances. By this time of night, the vet is almost surely closed so the only option would be to take him home. The last thing she expected was to make a dramatic rescue today but she'd rather do that than leave him out in the cold. Her compassion for animals would probably be her downfall and honesty, she's okay with that.
"Let's go home." She softly utters, placing the key in the ignition.
Billy sat stretched out on the couch, perceptive eyes scanning the room. MM sat working diligently working on the dollhouse that he wouldn't let anyone get close to. Frenchie was in the other room constructing another weapon occasionally checking up on his little mute supe companion that was currently preoccupied making coloring books in the middle of the floor. Hughie was god knows where. Probably gallivanting around like an idiot with Starlight as if they weren't made.
Billy rolled his eyes. Fucking gullible lad he was.
As far as he was considered Starlight was still a supe and a member of the Seven. And those were two big blaring reasons not to trust her. There's literally nothing that could stop her from ratting them out to her teammates. Hughie couldn't see it now because he was too busy being a love struck cunt. They couldn't afford a fucking slip up right now. Not when he was so close to a breakthrough. So close to fucking Vought.
His mind flashed back to the earlier encounter with a woman in the store. She was obviously scared but not because of him. At first, he chalked it up to her recognizing them from the news. But it was something else. He recognized the fear in the woman's eyes. He knew what that debilitating fear looked like in another. He'd seen it before in Becca right before she went missing. He could never get the image out of his mind. Whoever that woman was - she was scared out of her fucking mind.
A/N: So...I was gonna hold off on the news but I figured why the hell not. I'm in the early stages of writing a Homelander fic. It's been on my to-do list for a minute and I want to know how you all might feel about it. I'm thinking of setting it in the same universe as Onyx Armored Fate. Let me know what you think in the reviews or on tumblr. Till next time!