Chapter 8: Water Gates Down

~ 1973 ~

"Fantastic work, Mr. Legend! Or should I say… SPLENDIDIO!"

At the recently-opened Victory Comics HQ, Homelander – now in "civilian mode" – is appraising the very first illustrated issue starring his team: THE SEVEN.

"Ain't no 'Mister' about it, Johnny Boy. Ain't nothin' more or less than The Legend! And please: Keep that flowery melodramatic bulsh*t within working hours!"

"As you wish. That said, I'm glad you decided to become our official storyteller. Can't think of anyone else better for the job."

"Only cause you had Mrs. Moolah and Professor J's lawyers write up my contract, so that Vought couldn't f*ck me over."

The Legend waggles his eyebrows with a grin.

"Annnd you discretely promised to let me in on their superhero program! So…"

"Ah yes… I've got plenty on that right here."

Jonathan pulls out a huge folder from his backpack, loaded with documents and photos.

"Covertly acquired by Professor J and Dr. Moro. While the two were treating my little brothers, they were able to access Vought's private files whenever they visited their facilities. Just remember…"

"I know, I know. For my eyes only."

The comic mogul takes his prize and begins looking through the contents.

"Though I'm still curious why you helped secure the deal. Thought you didn't care about those company c*suckers."

"I don't. Just thought it'd be nice to have our heroics comically chronicled. And to ensure a healthy portion of the profits go to charity."

"Heh. Figures. How're your boys doing?"

"Healthy and stable. Thanks for asking! And in case you're wondering… YES. The good doctors made sure to blow Vought's R-and-D budget out of the water. Had to get back at those greedy pigs somehow."

"Music to my f*cking ears… Huh."

The Legend pauses at one file in particular.

"'Jonah Vogelbaum'… This the guy behind Compound V?"

"M-hm. Vought pulled him out of Germany in the 30s hoping to revitalize their business. Nearly fell out of my chair when I finally learned about him, especially since he was directly involved in the birth of me and my siblings."

"The 30s?! You mean he's still working for them?"

"Not anymore. From what I've heard, Vogelbaum was abducted shortly after my debut in Times Square. It's unknown who the culprits were or how they found him. But something must have gone horribly wrong, as the poor man ended up dead and mutilated in the Hudson River. Now all Vought has are his notes, their own research department, and MarvaLabs' services."

"Hence why they first attempted the 'aging-up' themselves… Speaking of MarvaLabs, is it true Professor J found a way to recreate the compound?"

"Yes. But his results aren't as potent as Vogelbaum's. He may have the smarts and the formula, but there's more to the process than just following a chemical recipe. Also, knowing his morals, I've got a strong feeling he might be leaving the V game soon.

"Then hopefully he calls it quits sooner than later. Anywho, appreciate you trusting me with all this."

"Of course! By the way, you want to come by my place this weekend for dinner? Margaret and the boys would like to see you."

"Sounds like a plan!"

~O~

Later that night, Jonathan is back at the Clubhouse. Since the suite has been further expanded, it's now home to him and the whole team, except for Black Noir.

The mysterious outlier, for reasons unknown, has been ordered to reside at Vought HQ when not on duty. Jonathan and Maeve strongly objected to this arrangement, as they personally experienced the pain of being separated from a sibling. So after several arguments, the company eventually agreed to let Black Noir live with them upon the completion of their future headquarters…

The Seven Satellite: A revolutionary megacomplex complete with multiple facilities and next-gen technology. Originally designed as an aircraft carrier for the US Navy, its secret construction began around the mid-50s at an undisclosed remote location. According to corporate, the satellite is nearly complete, so hopefully all seven siblings can get properly acquainted soon.

Now Jonathan sits in the living room, walls adorned with framed photos and newspaper excerpts of the Seven's heroics. Proudly admiring them in gradual succession, he reminiscences the stories behind each titled image.

"Explodium Rex Strikes Again!" After their dynamic first encounter in Times Square, the bombastic bruiser quickly became a regular opponent. Officially declared Homelander's archenemy, Explodium has battled him multiple times since, with every confrontation ending with a heroic victory followed by the villain's escape. Though Homelander is still the only supe powerful enough to defeat him, he strongly suspects his sister will become the next.

"Behold the Grasp of Judgment!" Ah, yes… Speaking of his sister, Queen Maeve's crusade against the worst offenders continues. Savage smackdowns, malicious maimings, and – of course – brutal beheadings aplenty. Needless to say, even with Vought and the press romanticizing her viciousness, it's no wonder she doesn't have any recurring foes.

Following these are the recent exploits of his younger brothers. They quickly rose to prominence fighting the newer supervillains, with some even becoming their rivals. Like Mister Marathon and Baron Bamboozler, The Deep and The Dehydrator, Lamplighter and Chief Extinguisher, and Jack from Jupiter and Space Ace.

Even Black Noir has made a name for himself, being "presented" as the darkest enforcer from the darkest city. And despite the emotional distance between them, Jonathan's happy for the newcomer. Though one day he hopes to close that distance and properly establish a true brotherly bond. He also wishes Noir's rogues, Coagula and Freak-Face, weren't so excessively revolting.

Then finally he gazes upon his favorite one of all…

"A Night to Remember! The Seven Triumphs over EVIL!"

He was admittedly nervous before that fateful showdown, especially with the last-minute addition of Black Noir. But thanks to Homelander and his siblings' training, they performed quite well against the challengers. While EVIL's leader stood by the sidelines, each of the Seven individually fought one of the seven underlings. Though said underlings only possessed enhanced strength and endurance, they were just tough enough to give a challenge. And so the Seven eventually defeated the supervillains, forcing them to make a hasty retreat. Since then, EVIL has re-emerged periodically, only to be bested again each time.

Jonathan fondly smiles and turns towards the nightstand, where a smaller and especially cherished picture rests: One of The Legend's sketches of Mister Wilson.

"Thanks, Dad… Couldn't have made it without you."

And so he lies back on the couch and picks up the remote. His brothers are doing a Q-and-A for the local news, so he's planning to watch "I Love Lucy" till their return. But once the TV switches on, he greeted by a peculiar commercial.

"Hello all! Ladies and gents, young and old"

Says a smiling spokesman standing in front of Vought's logo.

"As you're all likely aware, America's #1 Hero – THE HOMELANDER – and his fellow Sevenees have been hard at work fighting crime and protecting the innocent!"

Jonathan scoffs. A little conceited calling him "America's #1 Hero", as he knows what makes the United States great are its people. "People," as in PLURAL. Though he does like the sound of "Sevenees".

"Yes… And what hard work it is! These defenders of justice certainly have their hands full, with new supes popping up everywhere. Like Explodium Rex… EVIL… And maybe even YOU!"

"…. What?"

"You heard that right! According to reputable scientists and analysts monitoring the ongoing crusade against villainy, it's been determined that there could be individuals with superpowers secretly living amongst us!"

At this, the surprised Jonathan's jaw drops. Not just at the unexpectedness of the statement, but at how great of a possibility it actually is.

Actually… Now that he really thinks about it, it may be a complete and utter fact.

"Which is why we – Vought American – are officially launching our first ever recruitment campaign!"

"… WHAT?!"

"Yes, siree! WE WANT YOU! … So come on by to one of our enlisting stations to see if you have what it takes to join your heroes!"

"MARGARET!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

His sister quickly rushes over…

"What's the proble-"

… And halts abruptly once she lays eyes on the advert.

"Mags, you seeing this?!"

"F*ckin' A, I am! What the hell is Vought up to this time?!"

"I don't know, but we're getting answers right now! C'MON!"

~O~

Less than an hour later, Jonathan and Margaret have stormed into the upper offices of Vought HQ. As an odd precaution, they're both wearing their costumes, in case they encounter the press.

"THISTLE! GRISTLE!"

The two execs stroll into view, smirking as if expecting their arrival.

"Homelander! Queen Maeve! Nice to see you this evening!"

"HHNGH… Just watched our campaign launch, we assume?"

Margaret, doubly angered by their pomposity, menacingly moves forward before Jonathan stops her.

"Mags, please! Ahem. Yes… Yes, we have. Care to explain why you're seeking out more supes, given my team's barely been in action for a year?"

Jonathan irately crosses his arms as he emphasizes the last part.

"The winds of change, Homelander."

Mr. Thistle responds with a raised finger.

"Tell me: Were you expecting EVIL – the biggest supervillain team seen thus far – to show up that night? Or even considered how you'd fare against any organized group without your 'ducklings?'"

Admittedly, he wasn't expecting the sudden appearance. Nor is he sure if he and Margaret could have beaten a crew like EVIL alone.

"Well, unlike you, we anticipated both situations. Which is why you're now The Seven, instead of six-feet-under. So given our decision to provide more allies worked out so nicely…"

"HHNGH… Why not recruit more? For who's to say more enemy alliances won't show up?"

Admittedly, again, there is some logic in their proposal. So Jonathan decides to keep hearing them out.

"Hmh… And when are you 'anticipating' the first enlistees?"

"Glad you asked. Because…"

On cue, Mr. Thistle opens a door…

"We've already got some right here!"

And to his and Margaret's surprise, in walk four strangers: Three males and a female. While the former approach the two heroes in awe, the latter gasps and backs out of sight.

"Blimey! Ya seeing this, mates?! They're actually here!"

Surprised by the new guests, Jonathan and Margaret immediately switch to their superhero personas, greeting them with a smile.

"Oh! Greetings, good citizens! I'm The Homelander…"

"And I'm Queen Maeve! Who might you be?"

The Queen asks with a forced grin and her "American accent."

"Ay there! Codename's Glow Stick! And if you'll forgive my flattery…"

A lanky lad with punk attire, roller skates, and a New Zealander twang offers his hand.

"It's so RIGHTEOUS meeting ya face-to-face!"

Already liking this friendly fellow, Homelander gladly gives him a handshake.

"It's good to meet you too, Mr. Glow Stick! Now if you'll forgive my presumption, I'm guessing your namesake is based on your powers?"

With a nod, Glow Stick creates luminescent bars in his hands. He then proceeds to mold them into various weapons, like a battle staff, tonfas, and even nunchucks.

"Splendid! And are these two your friends?"

"Yep! This is Wipeout!"

"Sup, dude?"

A tanned surfer with long hair, tropical garb, and sandals handles a surfboard he brought with him. Upon doing a balancing pose on it, he and the board immediately hover a foot in the air.

"This rad trick works on nearly any flat object round this size. I can create shockwaves with my hands too, but I don't think this is the right place to show off."

"And how about you?"

Homelander addresses the last male, an Asian with thick eyebrows, street clothes, and fingerless gloves.

"Oh, that's Mute Brute! He doesn't speak much, but he's got killer powers! Can silence any noises he makes and immobilize his enemies just by touching them!"

"Really, now?"

For some reason, this particularly interests Maeve, who actually steps in.

"Care to give me a demonstration?"

At this, Mute Brute's stone-faced expression gives way to a concerned eyebrow.

"Don't worry! I won't bite! Promise!"

Just barely assured, Glow Stick nervously glances at his friend, who responds with a shrug.

"A'right then… Lift up one of your arms."

The Queen listens to Glow Stick and raises her left arm. Then, without a single sound, Mute Brute closes in and rapidly delivers multiple finger strikes. And to her and Homelander's amazement, the arm immediately loses all sensation and flops down limply.

"JANEY MACK, BOYO! HOW'D H-"

The astounded Maeve catches herself mid-exclamation, prompting her "attacker" to cautiously back away.

"HCH-HM! H-how did he do that?!"

"Pressure points, dudette. Knows exactly where to poke with his crazy chi-mojo."

"And don't worry, your majesty. It's not permanent. For regular blokes, the numbness just lasts a little over five minutes. But for an elite warrior like you…"

Sure enough, the Queen slowly regains feeling in her arm, soon being able to move it again.

"INCREDIBLE! Glad he's eager to join our side!"

At this point, both Homelander and Queen Maeve are truly impressed. Despite their initial concerns, Vought might actually be onto something grand.

"How about her?"

Maeve points at the last visitor, still hiding behind the doorway.

"Huh… No idea actually. She kinda arrived before us."

Now especially invested, the Queen gently beckons for her.

"Hey… Don't be shy. Come on over. We want to meet you too!"

After nearly a minute, the female emerges and demurely ambles in.

She's a lovely raven-haired young woman with dark skin, midnight blue eyes, and an impressive stature. Once she's close enough, Maeve sees that the newcomer's three inches taller than her.

"What's your n-"

Suddenly the female hugs her tightly, trembling with excitement.

"EEEEE! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! My lady!"

The stranger pulls back and reverently admires the heroine with twinkling eyes.

"You're even more magnificent in person than I could've ever imagined!"

When the dumbstruck Queen gawks back at her, the female blushes with embarrassment.

"I-I… I'm sorry! It's just that… Since you saved those schoolgirls in Brooklyn, I…"

"Hey, hey, hey! No need to apologize! You're just super hyped is all! Now with that settled, care to introduce yourself?"

Her newest fan smiles with a giggle.

"Bella. Bella DiaMonte."

"Hm-hm! Nice to meet you, Bella! Come! Let's talk over here!"

Queen Maeve courteously leads Bella to the corner of the room, while Homelander converses with the other three.

"That's a charming accent you have. Where are you from?"

"South Africa. Believe it or not, I was actually brought stateside via trafficking."

"T-trafficking?!"

"M-hm… I managed to make it to a police station after escaping my captors… With the help of these…"

Upon raising her hands, her fingers grow into long knife-like claws.

"Afterwards, long story short: The authorities were able to build a case against them, thanks to my testimony as a live witness. In return, I was granted citizenship, a proper surname, and the means to start a new life here."

"Wow… That was very brave of you! Or should I say very HEROIC?"

Bella blushes even deeper at Maeve's praise.

"Anyways… I was thrilled the moment I saw Vought's advert. Aside from the prospect of serving the greater good, the chance to meet you was simply too enticing to pass! I just wasn't expecting the latter to happen so soon! Also…"

She retracts her claws and timidly rubs her arms with an aside glance.

"I don't have much working experience outside of housekeeping and waitressing. So hopefully this will be a better way for me to bring in the dough…"

Maeve's smile slowly fades.

"'Dough?'"

"A-hem… Pardon the slang, I meant to say – "

"'Money.' Yes, I know. But what about the money?"

Now Bella looks confused.

"Has Vought not been paying you for your works?"

At this, the Queen irately raises her brow.

"'PAYING?!'"

As Bella jolts from the exclamation, the Queen stomps back to where the others are.

"OI! What this I'm hearing about 'money?!'"

Homelander quirks an eyebrow and turns to the execs.

"HHNGH… You didn't see the whole commercial?"

Homelander and Queen Maeve glance at each other. Apparently, in their haste to leave the Clubhouse, they had neglected to watch it to the end.

"Nooo… Care to enlighten us?"

Mr. Thistle turns to his colleague.

"Escort the newcomers elsewhere. I'll talk to these two alone."

Mr. Gristle nods and gestures the recruits to follow him. As they do, Bella pauses next to Maeve.

"S-sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean…"

"No, don't worry! This isn't about you. You got something to write with?"

Bella nods and hands over a pen and notepad from her pocket, which the Queen uses to scribble down the Clubhouse number.

"Please call me! I'd love to have another female supe by my side!"

And with a genuine smile, she gives the pen and notepad back.

"Oh my! Thank you so much for this! I won't let you down, my lady! I promise!"

Bella gratefully bows before following the others. Once everyone else has left, Mr. Thistle straightens his tie.

"Well, you see: Raising, hosting, and providing for you supes has been a costly endeavor, as you can probably imagine."

"Of course. Which is why you brought in The Legend for your Victory Comics brand."

For profit, Homelander understands. As much as it still troubles him, he's long since accepted this has been Vought's main motivation. Not to make the world a better place, as he once childishly believed, but for plain and simple profit. Typical economics.

"And are you telling me that isn't enough to break even?"

"Afraid not. Which is why we've come up with… additional avenues of income. Like supe-themed merchandise and product endorsements…"

"WHAT?!"

Queen Maeve flares up indignantly.

"So THAT'S been yer master plan this whole time?! Buildin' us up t'be superheroes JUST TA PIGGYBACK OFF OUR IMAGE?!"

Mr. Thistle uproariously cackles.

"HA HA HA! Finally figured it out, your majesty?!"

"RRRAAAAAAA-!"

"MAAAEVE! NO!"

Before the enraged Queen can violently grab the exec, Homelander – barely – manages to pull her back and secure her in a headlock. As she writhes and curses in his arms, he turns towards Mr. Thistle with a scowl.

"HRK! Now with all that said… NGH! Going back to my original question… STOPPIT! … Why bring in new recruits? You already have us to bank off on! OOF!"

"Well… Aside from the genuine objective of protecting our investments, more supes means more money. And unlike you Sevenees, whom we've had to financially sustain since birth, these newcomers are already ready for action! Meaning we won't suffer any significant losses if they happens to get… HEH… KIA'd. Minus the chump change we're planning to pay them in return for their faithful service. Which reminds me…"

Mr. Thistle smugly pulls out two checks from his suit pocket, tucking the first one in Homelander's glove. Upon handing the second to Maeve, she – for some odd reason – stops struggling and takes it, then proceeds to silently stare at it blankly.

"Don't want you two feeling left out, do we?"

Homelander just sighs heavily, knowing – like always – he ultimately has no say in the matter.

"HHH… So be it. But mark my words: I fully intend to be PERSONALLY involved in the enlistment process. I don't want any pretenders slipping into the ranks!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes. Now go and buy yourselves something nice, eh?"

And so Homelander, still holding Queen Maeve, begrudgingly turns to leave.

~O~

Much later, the two return home. Strangely – and unsettlingly – Margaret remained catatonically frozen like a statue with the check in hand, so Jonathan had to carry her during the whole flight. Once they enter the Clubhouse, Wesley, Kevin, Tod, and Jack are back to welcome them.

"There you are! You came back just in time!"

"The caterers at the Q-and-A gifted us these two beauts, so we're about to carve one up for an evening snack!"

Tod and Jack jubilantly each hold up a large ham leg.

"And while we eat, we can talk about Vought's new recruiting campaign!"

As Margaret finally looks up from the check, Jonathan raises his brow.

"Y-You know about that already?"

"Yeah, Vought announced it at the end of the event."

"We were definitely surprised, and admittedly a bit slighted, at first. But after thinking about it, maybe it's not such a bad idea! I mean, EVIL just came out of nowhere, so no harm in strengthening our numbers."

"Also… There's also talk about us possibly getting paid! Now don't get me wrong, superheroing is rewarding enough already, buuut–"

"RrrrrrrrrRRRAAAAAUUGGGHH!"

Margaret suddenly roars like a banshee, tears up the check and scarfs down the pieces. She then snatches the ham in Tod's hands and starts pounding and chewing at it like a wild animal.

"C*NTS! -SCRUNCH!- F*CKING C*NTS! RRAWWR-RA-RAGH! -SCKRRUUNCH!- BWARARRWA-"

As the terrifying scene unfolds, Jonathan and company quietly slip out of the Clubhouse, closing the door behind them.

~ Author's Notes ~

Sorry for the delay on this latest update. Properly detailing the start of Vought's global supe enterprise ended up being a MUCH wordier task than anticipated. So I ended up splitting what was supposed to be the next chapter into two, with this being the first and the second still in progress.

Now for some upfront disclaimers:

#1: There will still be more worldbuilding chapters following this, since Vought and the corrupt supes have yet to fully justify The Boys' raison d'etre in this AU. However, I will try to balance them out with more action-packed ones to keep you readers engaged.

#2: Despite the original characters getting ample descriptions here, their appearances will be extremely limited so they don't outshine the main characters.

#3: Bella is not going to be a love interest for Maeve. Her overly endearing reaction is merely because she's finally meeting her hero. Whatever happens between them later will be purely platonic.

With all that said, I've proudly noticed I've gotten a nice comment/question, asking if this version of the Seven will be stronger. So firstly: Thank you for your kind words. And secondly: Yes. Since they've been actually training with each other and received treatments their canonical counterparts didn't.