The last time he saw her was a year and a half prior. It was springtime in the city and a meeting was called for the last casting of the true seven. There were 11 supes in the conference room; The oldest being 22, the youngest was 16, too young for the fight but maybe good for a fucking Homelander thought as he approached the head of the table at the head next to Madelyn and Balck Noir.
Before sitting he rescanned the room. Each candidate had a parent standing along side them, regardless of age. Some stood shoulders slumped, one rocked from foot to foot. She stood shoulders back, unwavering with arms at her sides looking, quite frankly, a little annoyed. Her steel blue eyes caught his evaluating her, she didn't look away. She kept his locked gaze until a yawn gripped her, she glanced down and raised an arm to cover her mouth. An arm that was quickly but discreetly grabbed from the back bicep by the man next to her. Her father. Homelander found his gaze on the tightly wrapped fingers around her upper arm, unwilling to let go. Discreet enough but not from him.
A touch broke his distraction, a gentle hand on his lower back willing him to sit down. He looked to his side, Madelyn was looking lovingly at him, a look proud of what they've conjured in the room today. As her hand lowered away it grazed his ass. His mind wanted to race, not wanting his tight suit pants to give away his feelings he searched the room for a distraction but found himself back on the redhead.
Her stance was still unfaltered, proud, but her gaze wasn't on him- It was straight forward, into nothingness. The marks left on her arm from her fathers hand still lingered red, this only made his pants feel tighter, his heart began to race. Sit down. He forced himself, gathering his patriotic cape to his side hoping to quickly hide his prominent erection. All done with a seething grin on his face.
"Thank you all for coming today and joining us. After months, Oh who am I kidding, YEARS of training, dedication and hardwork, I think we all deserve to give ourselves a round of applause." Madelyn opened her arms to welcome everyone into a clapping ovation. "You are all welcome to sit as we get ready to reveal our final members of The Seven."
Some of them looked at their parents in excitement, others grabbed one another's hands. Like a fucking play casting. fucking ridiculous. Homelander took a deep breath in to keep himself from rolling his eyes. He already knew the final members. Hell Madelyn made sure his voice was heard on who he wanted to work with.
"Well who is ready?" The blonde had the biggest grin on her face, Homelander couldn't tell if it was genuine or a facade but he followed suit and sneered through his teeth. "I feel like we should have a drum roll or something," Madelyn looked down at Homelander, then around at all the contestants. All supers were seated at a conference table, parents standing behind them.
The pause after her statement felt like an eternity to all the young adults. "Now the order in which we call your name has no meaning, no priority or hierarchy over the next, understood?" A grin and many nods. She took a big breath in, "First, we would like to welcome…. Translucent!" Applause erupted as a chair moved back, a seemingly empty suit stood, a sleeve waved in the air and then went to stand beside Noir and Homelander.
"Welcome… Mister-Marathon!!" More clapping and in a split second he joined the other chosen supe with a cocky grin on his face. Madelyn was nearly shaking with excitement, "isn't this amazing?" It was a rhetorical question to a group of eager contestants.
"Well we can't leave fine ladies to be last. Queen-" Homelander wanted to roll his eyes everytime the blonde paused for a dramatic effect. "Maeve!!"
This announcement adorned Homelanders attention. He knew she was chosen. He knew the name had a little extra that vaught wanted to tack on as 'Maeve' wasn't enough. They wanted a feminine Idol for the young girls. He watched her stand in awe. Her red hair fell in locks, swept to the right side of her neck. She had a half crooked smile as she waved and walked toward the front of the room. He watched intently as every step she took in her red dress pleats opened to reveal more of her thighs. Fuck.
Madelyn cut his thoughts short "Next, Lamplighter!!" Another joined the front of the room. Faces started to turn down, you could feel anxiousness creep into the room. Silence again.
"As I call on our last team member, please remember that we are appreciative of all of your time. We are proud of all of you and will always be grateful for being given the privilege of observing your talents. Now. Last but not least, The Deep!!" A teenager stood, green suited, awkwardly looked up then down and smiled, gave half a wave and fumbled to the front. The fucking 16 year old. Only a few claps were let out. Homelander had to remind himself he was being observed by many sets of eyes and that he could not in fact laugh at what was almost crickets when this withering little boy stood. Should have cut him the second they could but noooo 'he's good for the animal loving community.'.
Press almost immediately burst in the room, just as soon as the unchosen girl burst into tears. Cameras Immediately flashing.
In the chaos Madelyn extended her arm to the felt purple box that sat by each file of their winning team. of their seven. Homelander had missed her carrying it in. He reached for it the second he noticed she was. "I want to" he said through clenched teeth at Madelyn.
She shot him a warning look, then scanned the room making sure no one saw, then flipped a smile on like a switch. "Fine, Do not fuck this up Johnathan"
The press was coning in on the losers who were trying to escape the room prior to being publicly displayed as such.
Homelander, box in hand, found the girl who drew so much of his attention. She was smiling, a large grin, facing the camera with two of the new members in arms length. He fixated on the red marks, slightly purpling. Bruised. He didn't realize his gloved fingers were tracing over the damage until a cascade of red whipped around and he found himself toe to toe with her.
"I-" he begged her to say something first with his eyes. She didn't. "Homelander." He stupidly reminded her of his name. She nodded in affirmation, eyebrows wavered in confusion. "Come with me," he confidently took her hand and led her to a corner heavily aware of the girls' dad's glare.
In the thick presence of the room the corner where Maeve and Homelander stood seemed far away from all the chaos in the room. He brought the box up between them, she looked at the box, then the boy then back to the box. She brought her hand up to touch the middle of it, where the letter 'V' was well stitched in. "Madelyn thought.. we'll Vought-" Homelander was growing more and more frustrated with his lack of ease with words.
He breathed in, smiled and opened the box. "Vought sought you and solely you as our lady heroin for The Seven. With that comes great presence of a young female audience that will look up to you." She took the headpiece out of the velvet casing, staring at it. Memorizing it. Homelander continued, placing the box on a near side table and taking the tiara from her hands, brushing as much skin of hers as he could in the process.
She moved her eyes from the metal piece and focused her eyes on his "The name change seemed more than suitable and it's expected that you accept it."
"Queen Maeve?" She spoke it. It felt a little funny coming out, almost felt as though it made her sound weaker.
"Queen Maeve," The young man reassured. He made it sound stronger when he said it. Brave and boastful. Leading- not following wherever the fuck her father drug her or told her to do. "It's good For PR" Homelander continued.
The red head cocked an eyebrow and smiled, still a little shocked by this quick of a change. "Ok," she looked at the tiara in his hands, "it may take some getting used to."
Homelander gestured to the tiara, "I would like to put this on you." He was direct, out of the corner of her eye she could see her father glaring in disapproval, it lit something inside of her. She bowed her head the slightest bit and the blonde boy raised his arms, all done slowly and meticulously, so that press could have their jab at it from a distance.
Maeves eyes were closed in this oddly fleeting moment. She'd just turned 19, was chosen as one of The Seven, and is being crowned a queen, Not to mention she's out from her fathers heavy grasp. She felt the cool metal against her forehead, the boys hand tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then places his arm at his side.
"There" he said and she opened her eyes to Homelander, he had a wicked grin on his face taking her in. Behind his blond whisks of hair she could see the man who pushed her for years. Hurt her, loved her-More than any father ever should love their little girl. She shot the most unfaithful devious smile towards him. Fuck you Michael Shaw. Queen Maeve reached out to Homelanders outstretched hand and returned to the front of the press line in the conference room.