Okay, at this point, any story of mine that isn't a crossover and has OC in the character description is probably a dead giveaway to many of my usual readers just who the main character of the story is, but for those out of the loop, the main character is an OC of mine named John Gallagher, who's original story, Strength, is currently being written. Anyone curious about the characters, the finalized plot outline is available on my twitter, but you will end up learning more about John and his cast of characters in this story as you read.
Basically, John's whole schtick is that he's strong. Among his own cast, he's one of the most potent superhumans, simply because he's a seemingly unstoppable force, with only a select few able to stand their ground against him, and even fewer capable of killing him.
For those of you who didn't read the summary, on the off chance that actually happened, this story assumes two things: That actual superhumans and Compound V supes both exist, and actual superhumans were never publicly revealed, contrary to the actual events of Strength, since with superheroes already running around, there is no need to blow the whistle when everyone just assumes it's the appearance of another superhero.
I've been debating long and hard for this one, deciding if I actually wanted to do it, since I already have a few other The Boys fanfics out there, Omni-Man: Vought's Downfall and Echoes of Rage. However, even though this could be considered another crossover, I wanted to write a story in the Boys category alone. So, I figured, why not.
Anyway, on with the story.
John
Superheroes. Caped Crusaders. They're supposed to be these godlike, heroic people who do whatever they can, even if it means sacrificing themselves for the greater good.
I… am not a superhero.
Not by a long shot.
My name is John Gallagher. The public has dubbed me the Juggernaut. Because, of course they have to slap a name onto any potential superhero or supervillain who pops up, even if they only pop up for a few seconds on a camera frame.
Luckily, a section of dust from where I busted down a wall hid my face, so I'm in the clear. I actually have a personal life.
It wasn't a few days after I popped up that I got an offer from Peter Wyling and Rachel Lauren. We went to this base out in Nevada, using a modified Black Bird painted red, commonly dubbed a Red Hawk among the Militia. You'll learn about them in a second.
So, we turn up at the base, Area 51. No, I'm not kidding either.
Turns out it's a base for superhumans, a sub-species of human who have existed for thousands of years, contrary to popular belief. Superheroes started popping up publicly in the 1940's, if I recall correctly. Most of them are run under the banner of Vought, some big company that manages just about every superhero in the country.
However, Alex's militia work in conjunction with the government, not Vought. Basically, we operate on our own, with permission from the government, so long as we remain discreet.
Turns out the militia had been monitoring me. I carried the superhuman gene, at least that's what I call it. Anyone with this gene has the potential to develop superpowers under extreme stress, because your stress level triggers a mutation in the gene as a response.
Alex offered me the chance to join his militia, so long as I undergo a few tests. One of the requirements from the government is that they be notified of high-level superhumans.
We couldn't measure my strength properly. The biggest weight they had for me to lift, and I'm not kidding when I say this, wasn't even a weight. It was a crumpled up tank that had kind of deformed itself from being lifted over the years. I lifted that thing over my head like it was a toy.
In terms of durability, I'm pretty much nigh unstoppable. Outside of being deprived of oxygen somehow, my only real weakness is large bodies of water. I'm too dense, and I sink like a rock, though that wasn't told to the government due to trust reasons. There's not a man-made weapon on Earth that can stop me, and there's only three people right off the top of my head I can think of that can stand their ground against me: Peter, whom the public calls the Metal-Maker from quick glimpses of him, Jack, who can control water to the point of creating it out of thin air, and possibly the Homelander, Vought's big boy, though Alex doesn't have anything on him since, again, Vought.
As for speed, my enhanced leg muscles allow me to run at speeds exceeding about 290. I'm faster than a Lamborghini when I push it on my feet. Granted, if my sense of direction wasn't shit, I could go wherever I wanted even quicker, since I can jump for miles in a single bound.
I accepted the offer under the condition that Maddie and Levi, my best friends, not be treated like some kind of burden. If I was welcome, they were too. Alex wasn't happy with it, but he agreed.
See, superhumans are measured on a scale, though it's not a very large one. There's low-level, mid-level, high-level, and unstoppable-level. My sheer strength puts me at high-level, according to Alex, and so far, the only unstoppable-level I've ever met is Alex himself. I mean, the dude's a vampire, in a sense. He can absorb the life force from anyone he chooses, adding their own strength to his for a time, and in the case of superhumans, he maintains the powers he gets from them for… well, ever. Forever.
Though, just to be clear, unstoppable-level doesn't actually mean the person is unstoppable. It just means that taking them down requires more than normal people can achieve. For example, Alex has an abundance of powers at his disposal from what I gather, but since none of the superhumans he's leeched had the innate power of superhuman durability in any capacity, he's not any tougher than an ordinary human, physically.
Now, getting close to him is a whole different story. Dude's got telekinesis. Unless you are really good at sneaking, if he doesn't want you close, you ain't getting close, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
But I digress.
Now, for the past few months since I completed training with Rachel and Peter, I've been going around the globe, since Alex refuses to limit us to a country, helping people, helping to prevent massive disasters and attacks from other superhumans. Funny enough, from what I gather, we never cooperate with any of Vought's heroes. But I won't complain. They come off more as celebrities than actual heroes.
Now, as a protocol, and per agreement with the government, my name and the alias of Juggernaut was given over to them, but from what I gather, only a very select few are actually privy to the info.
I guess one of them didn't get that memo.
Which brings me to now.
I'm sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV with Papaw, since it's a Saturday. We don't get the kids this weekend, and so far no missions are popping up. And obviously, Saturday means no school, so there's that.
Yes, I do go to school. I'm sixteen, so even though I guess you could say I'm a government agent of sorts, I do still have two years of school to go through, and that's… I think it's a federal law, but it could be a state law. Either way, I'm required to go to school by law, so there's that.
Mamaw's up visiting her dad, Papaw Perry, I call him, so it's just me and Papaw in the house right now. Whenever we have times like this, and I'm not in the mood for video games, I find myself out here watching TV with Papaw. Now, what we watch depends on what kind of mood Papaw is in. Sometimes, we'll watch some old cartoons, usually Tom and Jerry, but other times, I'm sitting here watching Andy Griffith or a western show. Usually, it's Bonanza or Gunsmoke.
In this case, we're watching some Looney Toons.
And you better believe we're laughing our asses off watching Wiley Coyote chase Road Runner.
Well, until we're interrupted.
My eyes happen to glance up towards the camera setup papaw has on another TV above the one playing Looney Toons, and I can't help the way my brow furrows when I see a van pull in. It doesn't really pull into the driveway, just on the side of the road, and I can see a giant Vought logo on the side of it.
"Hey, Papaw?" I say, catching his attention as he turns to look at me, still smiling from the cartoons we're watching. "Someone from Vought is here."
At that, Papaw's face morphs into one of confusion as he looks up at the cameras, where we can now see a couple of people climbing out of the van, and they look like they are walking up towards the door to the garage, which leads to the door to our house.
See, there's this large garage that's been here for as long as we've owned the property. Papaw decided to save a little more space on the property, so he literally built a house within a garage. It's funny telling people I live in a garage, and then seeing their reactions when they see that I'm not kidding, it's just not what they expected.
"Wonder what they want." Papaw remarks as he kicks his recliner down and stands up to his feet, confusion evident on his face as I stand up as well, watching him walk around the recliner and to the door, opening it up and walking right outside, with me following you. "Can I help you?"
In front of us are two people, a short but composed man with dark skin, or African-American if you want me to be a little more specific, but nowadays, I don't what people consider rude anymore. Behind him is a rather short woman, aged, with blonde hair and a rather fake smile plastered on her face.
"Hello, my name is Stan Edgar." The man introduces himself, giving a pleasant smile that still feels a little off as he offers his hand to Papaw, who shakes it. "I'm the CEO of Vought International."
"I'm Bryan Gallagher." Papaw introduces himself to Edgar as he let's his hand fall to his side. "Can I ask why you've come all the way out here? I thought your headquarters were in New York." He remarks with a raised eyebrow.
Edgar nods, the smile never leaving his face as he speaks. "It is, but I'm here to speak to your grandson. John, I believe his name is."
Both mine and Papaw's eyes widen, before I step forward, confusion evident on my face. "Me? What would you want me for?" I ask, curious as to why they're all the way out here for me. Though, considering what this company's main… product… is, I got a pretty good guess.
"Ah, so you're John." Edgar says, turning to me and offering his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'll be frank with you, I'm sure you've heard of what's happened to the Seven." He says.
The genuine shock on his face is priceless when I shake my head. "No, not really." I admit. "I don't really keep up with superheroes unless they're in comic books, like Superman or Hulk." I tell him honestly.
Both him and the woman look absolutely baffled at my words, and I can't help the amused grin on my face as Papaw lets out a chuckle.
"Yeah, he's into that comic stuff." Papaw jokes, being his usual lighthearted self.
"Oh… my apologies." Stan says, recomposing himself with a slight chuckle. "Well, The Seven is down by two members. We've relieved the Deep after recent discoveries have come to light, and Translucent has unfortunately been killed." Edgar tells us, and I honestly can't help the shock on my face, though that's more Translucent than it is the Deep. I've heard of that creep's history.
Though still, considering his abilities, to my knowledge anyway, it's a shocker to hear he's dead.
"Damn…" I can't help but mutter, my eyes wide as I process that. "Sounds like they need some people."
Edgar nods. "Indeed. Which is what brings us here, admittedly."
At that, I can't help but to raise an eyebrow. My powers are supposed to be a secret, even from Vought, so I can't help but be a little suspicious. "You want me?" I catch on pretty quickly. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
Edgar nodded. "We have contacts in the government, to keep tab on potential recruits for Vought." He explains to me with a reassuring smile. "You caught my interest. Immense strength and durability, and accelerated regenerative abilities."
Surprise, surprise, someone can't keep their damn mouth shut. But, secrets out now, and both me and Papaw don't do playing stupid.
"No offense, Mr. Edgar, but what makes you think we'll accept?" I can't help but ask him in confusion.
Edgar gets some slight confusion on his face at my question, mixing in with his smile. "We? The offer is to you, John."
"Something like this?" I can't help but say. "I get his permission, so if he don't agree, I don't either." I say, pointing towards Papaw. Though, in the end, I know it's my choice, but if Papaw isn't for it, chances are, I don't accept.
"Well, I suppose that's fair." Edgar says with a nod, before turning to the Stillwell woman. "Madelyn?"
"Of course, Stan." Stillwell steps forward, that oh so fake smile on her face as she glances at both me and Papaw when she speaks. "We want to offer John a place in The Seven. Steady pay, raking in at seven thousand a week, and he'll have access to the best technology and help from our best superheroes for whenever he needs help saving lives, such as Homelander." She begins, as if she's giving a sales pitch. Considering I have just about all she said already, sans Homelander and a seven thousand dollar paycheck, she's gonna have to try a little harder. Money isn't everything to me or Papaw.
"Yeah… what else?" Papaw asks bluntly, causing looks of shock to pop up on their faces. "Considering what he can do, I'm assuming you know what he does outside of school and when he's not here. He's already helping the world as is, and he seems fine without doing it publicly, so what else do you have to offer?" Papaw may be a jokester, but at times like this, he's always painfully blunt. He doesn't mince words, and he lets you know exactly what he's thinking.
Stillwell and Edgar look at each other for a moment, before Edgar clears his throat. "We're willing to offer another three thousand a week to everyone else in the household, standard Vought familial benefits." He adds on.
Okay, now, money alone isn't usually enough to sell us… but, with me, Mamaw, and Papaw? That's thirteen grand a week. That's… a hard deal to pass.
But I'm still skeptical.
"What will be required of me?" I ask them bluntly.
"You will be required to attend certain events and public shows every once in a while, to show your support for Vought, and you will have a brand to follow. I'm thinking… courage." Stillwell explains to me with what I'm just gonna dub her saleswoman smile. "But on your off time, you will be allowed to come home, or go anywhere, really, if you choose."
"What about school?" Papaw pipes in, catching our attention, and he's got a good point there. "I never made it past eighth grade, and I'll be damned if he's not gonna finish school just to go out and be a celebrity."
Granted, it sounds like a good life of luxury is being handed to all of us on a silver platter… but as much as I'd be happy getting out of school for good, because forget waking up at six in the morning, Papaw's greatest wish is for me to graduate, and I'd be damned if I'd throw that away.
"Vought offers onsite education for our younger members and residents, so that they are still given certified education, per law, along with the benefits of being one of our heroes." Edgar adds with a smile. "Rest assured that John can still graduate school without any hiccups, Mr. Gallagher."
Both me and Papaw look at each other for a moment, silently debating our options.
"It's your call." Papaw says, leaving it to me, his face unreadable.
Dammit, I hate it when he does that! Now I don't know if he's for it or not.
Admittedly, the whole thing sounds pretty good right now, and I really do want to accept…
But there's one thing that's keeping me from doing it immediately.
When I joined the Militia, I pushed Maddie and Levi away. They hated my guts, and I deserved it. It was my choice to cut out Maddie, just because she didn't agree with the decision. I'll be damned if I make that same mistake again.
"Can… Can I have a little bit? I need to make a phone call before I decide anything." I tell them. Stillwell has poorly hidden annoyance on her face, but Edgar seems nothing but kind.
"Of course." Edgar said with a nod. "We're willing to wait for three hours at most, so feel free to decide." He says to me with a smile, and I can't help but return it, thankful for the man's patience. I turn to look at Papaw, but he's got a knowing smile on his face.
"Maddie?" He asks.
I nod, smiling. "Maddie."
"Well, you won't be that long." Papaw says with a chuckle. "Go on, give her a call. We'll wait out here."
I give Papaw a grateful smile, before I turn and make my way through the door, picking the house phone up off the hook as I dial Maddie's number.
It takes a bit, but finally, I can hear the sound of the phone on the other end being answered, and a second later, Maddie's voice comes through the phone.
"Hello?" Even though she has caller ID, the name is for the Gallagher household, so she knows that it's not always gonna be me calling her.
"Hey, Maddie." I greet her over the phone, and even though she's not here, I can't help the smile on my face when hearing her voice.
After coming so close to shattering our relationship, I've… Well, let's just say I've learned not to take her for granted anymore, and I can't help but to be happy just hearing her voice at this point.
"Hi John!" She greets me back, her bubbly voice ringing through the phone, and I can practically hear the smile on her face when she speaks. "What's up?"
"Uh…" Admittedly, I can't help but to trail off, recalling Maddie's initial reaction when I joined the militia, but… I learned from that mistake, almost at a cost. Still, I can't help but to be hesitent. "Well… you know Vought?"
"That company that manages superheroes, right?" Maddie recalled the company, because let's be honest, there isn't a person on the planet who ain't heard of them. "What about them?"
"Well… look, getting straight to the point, you know how Alex had to give my real name and an overview of my abilities to the government, right?"
"Yeah. Still not too happy with that."
"Yeah, maybe I should've listened to you." I can't help but to say with a sigh as I bring my hand to my hand with a small amount of frustration. "Turns out, someone can't keep there mouth shut, and now I got Vought's CEO all the way out here at the door, offering me a place on his superhero team."
"The Seven?!" Of course, I should've seen that reaction coming. Maddie's always had a bit of an interest in superheroes, even before I got my powers and all that other shit went down. I can't help it when I have to pull the phone from my ear at her practically screaming it in excitement. "You're gonna join the Seven?!"
"Yeah, them." I can't help but to say with a chuckle. "I'll admit, they're selling a good deal. I make seven grand a week, and with the benefits, Mamaw and Papaw each get three grand a week. But… well, I wanted to get your opinion first."
There's a moment of silence over the phone at my words, and she gets the meaning pretty quickly.
"John, it's your choice. What happened when you first joined the militia… look, I'll support you, either way." Maddie says in that gentle, kind tone that I just… I like about her. "If you want my opinion, well… what could it hurt?"
I can't help but nod my head out of habit. "That's true, I guess." I say, and I smile. "Well, I don't mean to just… hang up quickly, but they're outside waiting for an answer, and… well…"
The sound of Maddie giggling over the phone makes me smile even more, something I just can't help. It's hard not to smile when it comes to her.
"Alright, go talk to them. Just call me later, let me know how it goes, okay?" She's got a tone of eager excitement in her voice, and I'm more than happy to give into her wishes.
"No problem." I assure her. "Alright, I'll talk to you later, Maddie."
"Bye, John." And with that, the sound of the call ending fills my ear, before I end it on my end and set the phone down with a smile.
Looks like my decision is been made.
I make my way back outside, where Papaw has opted to take a seat on a nearby stool while Edgar and Stillwell are still practically glued to their spots, and all eyes turn to me when I walk outside.
"That was quick." Edgar says as he looks at me with a smile. "I assume you've made your decision."
I nod my head, my own smile making itself known as I offer my hand to the man. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Edgar."
The barest trace of a grin comes onto Edgar's face, kind of mixing perfectly with his pleasant smile as he shakes my hand.
"I'm glad to hear it." He says to me as our hands fall back to our sides. "Now, as long as it happens within the week, we can arrange transport to Vought Tower in New York, so that we can get you a contract and start working out all the little details."
I can't help but to let a puff of air escape my lips as I put my hands on my hips, before turning to glance towards Papaw. "Uh… well, if it's alright with you, Papaw, you think I could go ahead and go today?"
"And get it done?" Papaw has a small smile on his face as he correctly assumes my reasoning. "I'll let Debbie know what happened when she gets back, if you want to go ahead and get up there."
I let a smile cross my face as I nod, before I turn back towards Edgar. "You got room for one more passenger?"
Edgar looks the tiniest bit shocked at my question, a far cry compared to Stillwell's absolutely dumbfounded expression, before he once again smiles.
"We don't have a seat in the back, but if you're willing, we do have room on the jet." He says, making it clear that I can tag along.
I can't help but to chuckle, typical snark jumping up as I shake my head in amusement. "Edgar, I'm a country boy. You ever rode in the bed of a truck?"
Papaw outright laughs at my words, while Edgar let's a small chuckle escape him. "No, I can't say I have."
"You're van's nothing new." I assure him with a smile.
Four Hours Later
Well… that was… a trip.
A two hour trip to Columbus, and then we catch a flight to New York. About another hour and a half on a private jet, and then I'd say it's about another forty minute drive from the airport, through Manhattan, to the HQ.
Between Stillwell and Edgar… well, I'll be blunt. Edgar seems decent, but I don't care much for Stillwell. She focuses too much on the saleswoman shit, and I'm not even kidding when I say that when we weren't discussing my contract and other shit I've pretty much agreed too, she's pretty much yapping non-stop about how much I'll 'enjoy' my time with Vought, working with heroes like Homelander, Queen Maeve, Black Noir… I mean, Jesus Christ! How many times can you blabber on about the same shit over and over again before you get tired of hearing yourself?
Good thing I snagged my phone and my headphones before we left. I brought the charger along too, just in case, as well as my wallet.
Edgar didn't seem to mind, but I think I got a little too much enjoyment from Stillwell's expression when I told them I was gonna listen to some music for the rest of the trip. Something tells me Edgar expected my annoyance with Stillwell, so I'm assuming this is a regular habit with her.
But… finally, and I do mean finally, we've arrived at our destination.
"Damn…" I can't help but to say as I eye the tower. Even though it's called Vought Tower, something tells me it's got a few more names considering the massive '7' painted on the tower.
"It's a bit of a site." Edgar says in amusement as he glances towards me. "But with time, you'll get used to it. We have satellites to monitor all crime in the entire country, and we can assure you'll always have backup in the field."
I nod my head. "Alright." I gotta admit, I definitely prefer Edgar's straightforward personality. From what I've learned so far, he doesn't mince either. Similar to Papaw, he gets straight to the point with facts.
I follow the two of them into the tower, and at first I assume I'm gonna have to go through a metal detector, but Edgar waves me through, telling the security guards that I'm with him and Stillwell.
After climbing a set of steps and going on a decent sized elevator, Edgar and Stillwell lead me to what I'm assuming is Edgar's office.
"Now, we don't have your contract written up yet, obviously." Edgar says as he moves to take a seat in the chair behind a rather large wooden desk and Stillwell sit in the two chairs opposite of him. "We wanted to get an answer before writing it up on the chance you declined, so I figure that it might be best for you to familiarize yourself with the tower while we begin writing it up."
I can see his logic, and it makes sense, but there's just one little detail…
"Uh, you sure you want me wandering around this place by myself?" I can't help but to ask him with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually, we have one of your future teammates coming up to give you a tour." Edgar answers with a smile. "Give you a basic rundown of the place, show you around, familiarize yourself." I can't help it when my face morphs into one of confusion, but Edgar answers my question before I can even ask it. "I sent a text the moment we arrived."
"Ah." Is all I can say with a nod. Makes sense.
"While we wait, I do have to ask, is there anything you'd like us to include in the contract?" Edgar asks as he folds his hands together on his desk, eyeing me with a smile.
Anyone else might've not said anything, but considering what I'm about to get into… Well, I take a moment to think about it for a second.
"No flashy outfits." Is my first condition, causing both Edgar and Stillwell to look at me in surprise. "I can wager that my face is gonna be out in public with this, but I am not running around in spandex."
"Well, we could-"
"Or some sort of comic book-esqe suit." I have no qualms about interrupting Stillwell considering the woman is annoying to no end, and I completely ignore her look of frustration as I look at Edgar. "You need me to have some sort of symbol to sell merchandise or whatever, that's fine, but just make a shirt of something for me to wear."
Edgar looks a little baffled at the request, and he raises an eyebrow curiously. "Might I ask why you're so against an outfit?"
"I work best wearing what I'm comfortable with." I answer simply with a shrug of my shoulders. "Put me in some flashy suit, and all I'll be thinking about is how I can't wait to get the damn thing off."
Neither of them look like they understand my reasoning, but unfortunately for me, Stillwell's the one to speak up.
"You'll need an outfit." She says, disinterested in my claim. "Going around in a set of regular clothes isn't exactly iconic."
"So make it iconic." I can't help but to retort as I look at her with a raised eyebrow. "You can't seriously tell me this place doesn't have a marketing team. I'm not here for fancy outfits and fame. I'm here to help people, get a hefty paycheck as a bonus." I tell her bluntly.
Being honest, Alex made sure the militia was geared with top of the line equipment, the best in technology, and he had a lot, and I do mean a lot, more members in the militia than Vought has on their little team. Quite frankly, I'm just fine helping people without the paycheck, but if I can get one, well…
I'm not gonna have any complaints. But I'm not gonna let myself be manipulated and turned into a show pony.
"What Madelyn is trying to say," Edgar speaks up, catching my attention. "Is that people might recognize an outfit designed for you a little quicker, let them know they're safe when they see you coming."
Um… okay, he has a point there, but still…
"It's still a hard pass." I say with a shake of my head, staying firm in my words. "If you want to make something iconic, I'll probably be the only person out there wearing a red button up and jumping around the city at the same time, or just give me a shirt with a logo or something, but I mean it, absolutely no elaborate superhero outfits." I make sure my tone is stern and firm as I say it.
Edgar and Stillwell share a look with each other, Stillwell looking absolutely infuriated, but Edgar turns back towards me and nods his head.
"Alright, we can do that." He agrees, causing Stillwell to let out a sigh of disappointment. "Anything else?"
I have to pause for a moment, thinking over anything else. Any other condition I might have.
I do have one.
"You probably already know about the group of people I work with." I say as I fix my gaze back on Edgar. "I don't care if they're on Vought's payroll or not, if I feel I have to get ahold of them for help for any reason, I don't want to hear any bullshit over it."
Admittedly, this is just my way of pretty much saying that if this team of superheroes I'm joining absolutely blows it, there's not much they can do if I give Peter and Rachel a call to help me handle an issue. At least I know they're competent.
Stillwell almost immediately opens her mouth to object, but Edgar raises a hand to silence her, and nods his head.
"That's acceptable. And a team-up is never a bad idea."
Something tells me he's accepting my condition for a different reason than my own, but I don't really question it.
"Alright then," I say with a nod. "Those are the only conditions I really have." I tell them.
Any further conversation is halted by the sound of the door to the office opening, and we all turn our gazes towards the new arrival.
A young woman walks in blonde hair, hazel eyes, lithe frame, wearing a flashy outfit that's literally just white and yellow. Yellow outlines a white cape hanging from the long sleeve shirt she wears, and an almost golden colored symbol sits on the chest of the shirt in the design of three, the middle one overlapping the other two slightly.
"You called for me, Mr. Edgar?" The woman looks at Edgar, and he glances at me in slight confusion for a second before she fixes them on the CEO.
"Indeed, Starlight." Edgar says with a nod as he smiles, before gesturing a hand towards me. "This is John Gallagher. He's one of the two new recruits for the Seven, and I was hoping you could give him a tour of the place while we write up his contract."
The girl, Starlight, looks at me with a weary gaze, but nonetheless, she nods her head. "Sure." She agrees with a glance towards Edgar, before looking at me once more. "Should we get started?"
"Better sooner than later." I can't help but to say with a sigh as I stand to my feet and move to join the woman. "Nice to meet you, by the way." I say, offering my hand to her.
Starlight looks at my hand for a moment, before raising her hand and shaking it. "You too." She says with a nod.
She seems on edge, tense, and I really don't know why. I've literally only known the woman for maybe twenty seconds, what reason would she have to be tense around me?
"I'll have someone find you when we finish writing up the contract." Edgar assures me with a smile, and I can't help but to return it with a smile.
"Alright then." I say before turning to look back at Starlight, before moving towards the door to the office and holding it open for her.
Starlight eyes me, and I'm beginning to wonder if that's suspicion, confusion, distrust…
Honestly, I ain't got a fucking clue what is, I just know that this isn't going to be much of a tour if we're at each other's throats.
Starlight moves through the door, and I give one last nod to Edgar and Stillwell before following after her.
I'm almost a full foot taller than her, and definitely outweigh her, but I'm a little curious as to what she can do.
Superheroes have superpowers after all, like any superhuman, and if the outfight and the name is any indication… well, I'm assuming it's something to do with a laser.
However, there is one thing that I want to get cleared up before we even start the tour.
"Is there a reason you're giving me the evil eye?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.
Her eyes widen at the blatant question, before she actually takes on an apologetic look. "Oh, I'm so sorry." She apologizes, admittedly catching me off-guard. "I'm just… curious."
"About what?" I ask her in confusion as we walk through the hall.
"I know most of the superheroes off the top of my head." Starlight admits as she eyes me wearily. "But I don't know you at all."
I can't help but to chuckle at her observation. "Don't look like much of a superhero, huh?" I joke as I turn to look at her. "I'm not. Well, not yet anyway. I was uh… well, let's just say someone couldn't keep their mouth shut, and now I'm being offered a job here on your team." I'm a little weary of mentioning the militia to anyone else. It's supposed to remain secret, according to Alex anyway, and while I have no doubt that Edgar already knows about it… anyone else, not so sure.
Starlight looks at me, and she gives me a small smile, finally a visibly positive emotion. "Lucky break?"
"Eh, I guess." I say with a shrug of my shoulders as I return her smile. "I mean I was already helping people, saving lives… if I could help, I just feel the urge to help." I explain to her. "Though, admittedly, the only reason I agreed to join your team is for the paycheck. I was doing just fine on my own, but that kind of money would definitely help my family."
Starlight looks at me for a few moments, before nodding her head. "I can respect that. I'm not so sure about the money bit, but you try to help. That already makes you a good person."
I can't help but to give a chuckle, mirthless in tone as I recall an incident only months ago involving an electrokinetic psychopath and a… crippling accident, let's say that.
"I don't know about that." I can't help but to say with a shake of my head. "But I'll take your word for it. Why'd you join?"
"I want to save the world." She says with a smile, and there's a sense of optimism that reminds me of Maddie, honestly. "I mean, sure, it's a corny lean, but I mean it. All I want to do is help people, save the world."
"I can respect that." I say with a nod and a smile. "It says when your only wish is to help."
"Thanks." Starlight responds with a smile. "I think the first stop on our tour will be the Seven's meeting room."
"Alright." I ain't got any complaints, and this little tour is just to pass the time and to get to know the place.
"So, who all do we work with?" I turn to ask her.
The look of absolute shock I get has my own eyes going wide.
"You mean, you don't know who's on the team?" Starlight asks me in disbelief.
I shake my head. "I know Homelander, cause let's be honest, who doesn't. But that's it. Blabberblonde back there gave me a few names, but I don't recognize any of them." I admit bluntly. "Never was one for the real life superheroes. Most of the ones I've seen act a little too much like celebrities for my taste."
"Well…" Starlight trails off for a moment, before shaking her head with a sigh. "At the moment, We have Homelander, Queen Maeve, Black Noir, and A-Train." She answers my question, glancing over at me. "I'm assuming you have no idea what they can do?"
"Homelander, yeah. The rest of them, not a clue." I answer bluntly.
"Well, Maeve is really strong, and she's bullet proof." Starlight begins what I'm guessing is a basic summary of their abilities. "So is Black Noir, but Maeve's stronger. Noir's more the stealthy one. A-Train is basically a speedster, and he can move at about eight hundred miles an hour."
"And you?" I can't help but to inquire out of curiosity.
"Well, I'm strong and tough, like most supes. That's practically supe 101." Starlight jokes. "But I can also absorb electricity around me and create beams of… well, they aren't technically light. They're more like lasers than anything."
I can't help the chuckle that escapes me at the thought of a possible alternative name. "I don't think Starlaser has the same ring as Starlight."
"No, I don't think so either." She giggles as she turns to look at me. "So what about you?"
"Well, my main abilities are that I'm strong and I have accelerated healing. Though, strength comes with a few perks." I can't help the grin on my face as I turn to look at her. "So far, I ain't really encountered anything that can hurt me, not even other superhumans with the exception of one person. And since every muscle in my body has superhuman capabilities, that also means I can run at close to three hundred miles an hour."
"Wow." Starlight looks at me with wide eyes. "You're quite the power house, aren't you? Edgar told me your real name, but don't you have a superhero name?"
I shrug. "I ain't really picked one, but the public calls me the Juggernaut."
At that, Starlight's eyes go wide as saucers as she stops in place and looks at me.
"You? You're the Juggernaut?" She asks me in disbelief. "You're still a teenager!"
I can't help the amused smile on my face as I raise an eyebrow. "Woman, I'm a full foot taller than you and I outweigh you by close to about five hundred. Being sixteen doesn't mean much against that."
My age seems to only surprise her even more, and if this were a cartoon, her jaw probably would've hit the floor by now. I can't help the laugh that escapes me at her expression.
"You're sixteen?!" She manages to shout in disbelief. "Wouldn't you need a parent's permission?"
"My grandparents' permission." I correct without a second thought. "But they left it to me to decide." Well, Papaw did, but Mamaw would probably say the same thing Papaw did: It's my choice.
Though, in some cases, I really they'd speak up about their opinions.
"They must have a lot of faith in you." Her voice is quieter than it has been, and I'm detecting a hint of some kind of unsavory emotion, but I don't pry. I haven't even known the girl for ten minutes.
Instead, I nod my head in agreement. "They do." I say with a fond smile. "They made me who I am today, who I will be in the future. Might sound funky coming from someone who hasn't even reached twenty, but it's the truth." I turn to look at her, smile never leaving my face. "And I wouldn't give them up for the world."
Starlight smiles at my words, before we finally arrive at the destination.
The tour is about what you'd expect it to be, her showing me different locations throughout the tower here and there, like the Seven's meeting room, the apartment section, the kitchen… though admittedly, the highlight is the conversations with Starlight.
Maybe… maybe this won't be so bad.
A/N: We all know it'll be terrible.
Also, to reiterate for future reference: NO! John is not Compound V, nor are any of the original superhumans. There's gonna be a very clear difference between V supes and natural supes, particularly in how their powers affect their bodies. (I.E. Homelander being a rather skinny man with dense muscles who wears a padded suit, while John's muscles have developed to far past peak human condition in response to developing his strength).
Anyway, that's all for this one, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.