Volume 2: Dawn of the Supes

Chapter 5: Family

~ 1967: New York ~

Five years have passed since Mister Wilson disappeared.

Not just departed as initially thought, but outright disappeared.

Uncle Nix discretely reached out to his "connections", hoping to locate him for future visits. But despite his efforts, he couldn't find a single trace of the former caretaker. It's as he simply vanished off the face of the earth.

Going back to the recap, the first four years were spent under the cruel supervision of Missus. She mercilessly intensified the boy's physical and mental training to become Vought's Golden Goose.

Aside from being pushed to his bodily limits, he deeply despised the pro-company lectures. Almost every corporate policy, hypothetical scenario, and practical lesson clashed against his moral upbringing.

But despite his outward submission and bootlicking, he silently refused to surrender the values he held dear. This resolve, combined with the limited meetings with Margaret and Uncle Nix, helped him get through that difficult time.

Finally, at the end of the fourth year, Vought brought his caretaking to a close. They announced he was to be relocated from South Dakota to New York: the future epicenter of the superhero world.

"But what about my sister and uncle?"

In response to this utmost concern, he was told they'd be left behind so he could better prepare for his upcoming role. While they faintly promised a reunion, they also threatened a "permanent separation" if he didn't live up to their standards.

In short: "Shut up, and get to your post." Business as usual.

Except this time, they were courteous enough to mention the benefits.

Firstly, there'd be fewer supervisors watching his every move.

Secondly, New York would be a brave new world to explore.

Last, and certainly not least: MarvaLabs has a branch in NY. And Professor J will be relocating there too.

And so, after a long flight by private jet, Jonathan finally arrived to his new home.

~O~

Now in the present, the boy – close to 18 and fairly bigger – has settled quite nicely in New York.

He currently – and ironically – lives at the Dakota in his own private suite. There's some security personnel stationed in adjacent rooms, but most of the time he's allowed to live independently. Not out of kindness or consideration, mind you. But due to Vought's confidence he won't attempt an escape, in fear of never seeing Margaret and Uncle Nix again.

Jonathan's in particularly good spirits today, because he's just learned Mrs. Moolah is also moving to her New York estate, just so she can be closer to him. Even better, it's time for his weekly trip to MarvaLabs. Aside from catching up with Professor J, he's given tours across the city for maximum familiarization.

And so after a pleasant breakfast with his old friend, he's escorted to the main garage. There, standing next to an armored van, is Darin Duran: a medical assistant in his early 20s with a goatee, reddish brown eyes, and face riddled with acne.

"Morning, chief!"

Darin tosses a cereal bar, which he catches with gusto.

"Thanks, Double-D!"

Jonathan likes Darin. Like most of the MarvaLabs staff, he's friendly and treats him as a human being. Plus when on tour duty, he's willing to show him places the Vought drivers aren't keen on visiting for some reason.

"Will Yorkie be joining us as usual?"

Darin nods and gestures towards their armed escort, a tall lanky man chewing a toothpick. Despite his aloof demeanor, Yorkie's also fairly affable towards Jonathan.

All in all, it looks like today's drive will be a pleasant one.

"Buckle in, chief. Today, we're going to Harlem!"

~O~

"And that was the 135th Street station."

"Neato! Hey, before we get to the next point-of-interest, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"For the past months, I've asked three other drivers to show me Harlem, but they all refused. Any idea why?"

"Were they Vought hirees?"

"How'd you know?"

"Hmph. The company tends to pay their low-level workers peanuts. Seeing how certain parts of Harlem can be pretty shady, said employees likely aren't willing to risk themselves over said peanuts."

"Huh… But, wait! I'm a superhuman! I could fight off any rabble-rous-"

"IIEEE!"

"You heard that?! Someone's in trouble!"

"Chief, wait!"

Before Darin can stop him, Jonathan grabs the van's emergency kit and leaps out. When he turns the corner where the screams are coming from, he's greeted with a shocking sight.

There are two African American adults, a man and a woman, frantically handling a baby stroller. And in the stroller is a baby that's – for some reason – growing uncontrollably.

"QUICK! GET HIM OUT!"

But despite their efforts, the parents are unable to free their child, who's dangerously being crushed within the metal frame.

"EEEEEIIIEEEEE!"

"STAND BACK!"

Before they can react, Jonathan grabs the stroller and rips the frame apart, allowing him to free the baby. He's initially baffled at what's causing the growth, but then sees bluish veins bulging through his skin.

"Compound V!"

Having seen photos of previous test subjects, Jonathan's immediately able to recognize it as a V-induced spurt. So he opens the kit and pulls out a large syringe of Suppressant V, packed by Vought in case he acted out, and jabs the baby's neck. As the drug slowly enters his bloodstream, he stops growing and gradually shrinks down to his normal size.

"There… I think that should do it…"

Jonathan hands the baby back to his parents, who cuddle him like there's no tomorrow.

"Oh, Michael!"

"Thank God almighty!"

The father, a thin man with an afro and large glasses, appreciatively turns to the boy.

"Don't know how you knew that was V, but we're sure glad you showed up! What's your name, kid?"

"JONATHAN!"

The van screeches round the bend and stops abruptly, followed by Darin and Yorkie angrily hopping out of it.

"What the hell, man?! You trying to lose your touring privile-"

Darin immediately pauses once he sees the parents, the mangled stroller, the empty syringe, and the blue-veined Michael. Quickly piecing together what's happened, he stops Yorkie before he can get a word in.

"Easy, easy there! Chief… Was this baby having a bad case of Compound V?

"Uh-huh! He was getting crushed by the stroller too, so I had to free him before giving the Suppressant!"

"I see… Excuse me, Mister and Missus…"

"Wallis. You work for Vought?"

The wife leers suspiciously at the assistant.

"Not directly, but yeah. I do. Judging by that look, I suppose you've got beef with the company?"

"More than you'll ever know. And let me guess: You want us to pay for Michael's emergency treatment?! As if we aren't struggling enough already!"

"Honey, please! This boy just saved our son's life! Least we can do is hear his companions out!"

After Mr. Wallis calms his wife down, he addresses Darin.

"You were saying?"

"Well… First off, that shot's on the house. No strings attached. Second, if you don't mind, could I take a better look at your son? Inside, if possible?"

"Of course! Our place is right here actually!"

Mr. Wallis points towards a stoop directly behind them, and then pats the boy's shoulder.

"As for you Johnny… Do you like milk and cookies?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! I love milk and cookies!"

"Then come on in! Consider it a hero's reward!"

As Jonathan follows him, Darin turns to Yorkie with his wallet in hand.

"Van's tagged, as you know. So I'll need you to cruise round Harlem during our stay, lest Vought gets suspicious. How does 50 sound?"

"Double or nothing. You've got one hour."

"Done. See you then."

Darin hands him the cash, picks up the emergency kit, then walks up the stoop.

Soon they're all in the Wallis' apartment, where Mrs. Wallis leads the assistant to the living room with a sleeping Michael in hand. As Darin begins the checkup, Mr. Wallis takes Jonathan to the kitchen, where a plate of cookies indeed awaits. Once he pours two glasses of milk, he sits next to the boy.

"Now what's a fine young man like you doing with the likes of Vought?"

Biting into a cookie, Jonathan scratches his head with a bemused chuckle.

"Heh. It's a long, crazy story. So crazy, you might not even believe it!"

"Oh yeah? Try me, Johnny!"

"All right… How much do you know about Compound V?"

"From the little I've heard, it's some sort of formula Vought's working on. All I know for certain is that my wife's old Newark workplace was contaminated with it. The building used to be owned by the company, who didn't even bother cleaning it out properly. That how the stuff got into her and Michael."

Jonathan abruptly stops chewing. While stunned by this revelation, he's barely surprised by Vought's callousness.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that."

"M-hm… What about you? I saw how easily you tore into that metal stroller. You got the V too?"

At first, the boy's hesitant to reply, as his powers are still supposed to be kept secret from the public.

But somehow, there's something about Mr. Wallis that makes him seem… trustworthy.

Even more so, he can't help but notice how much he resembles someone. A certain someone he still holds dear.

And so, with a deep breath, Jonathan walks up to the nearby refrigerator. Then with a mighty huff, he easily lifts it over his head with one hand.

"CHEESE and RICE!"

As the boy places the fridge back down, Mr. Wallis nearly falls out of his chair.

"That's not all I can do. I can also fly. And shoot lasers at things just by looking at them."

"I- Uh- Wh-WHAT?! You mean Vought's been raising…"

"…A superhuman, yes. But don't worry! I'm not like the company at all! I care about people and want what's best for the world! Cause that's what real superheroes do!"

Mr. Wallis is starting to hyperventilate, so the boy kneels imploringly before him.

"Please believe me! Between a meteor headed towards Vought HQ and a fire burning down a single family's house, I'll gladly choose to save the family!"

Fortunately, once Mr. Wallis sees the sincerity in his misty eyes, he slowly – but surely – calms down.

"I do, Johnny. As wild as it sounds, I believe you."

The boy breathes a deep sign of relief.

"Thank you. With that said, could you please tell me what you have on Vought? I want to know what I'm dealing with, in case I have to directly oppose them one day."

And so Mr. Wallis does. Thanks to his intensive research for a potential court case, he's able to provide a rough history of the company, as well as its current activities and misdeeds. While, again, Jonathan isn't too surprised by their conduct, he is astonished by their long history and wide influence.

About half an hour in, he's struck by a sudden thought.

"Can I ask you something random?"

"Of course."

"When I was younger, I had a caretaker named Mister Wilson, who ended up becoming my dad. He was a good and moral man who made me who I am today. Then when I was 11, Vought fired him and I haven't heard of him since. It's like he just disappeared! Do you… Do you think the company had something to do with that?"

Mr. Wallis slumps his shoulders sadly.

"Not gonna lie to you, Johnny: I'm absolutely certain they did. If I'm correct about how much they invested in you, they definitely wouldn't stop at a sacking."

"Y-you mean they could've abducted him? Or worse?!"

"… Yes. I'm afraid so. But the good news is he ain't gone forever. He's still with you, right here."

He points to Jonathan's heart with a smile.

"And as long as you remember his teachings, he always will be."

A rather cliché condolence, but it does make the boy feel better.

At that moment, Darin walks into the kitchen.

"Little Michael's fine for now. But I've got a feeling he'll need continuous care to keep him that way."

"And I'm guessing MarvaLabs can't provide that for free?"

"Afraid not. Treatment costs aside, Suppressant V is very expensive to make."

Jonathan rubs his chin ruefully, but then perks up.

"Mrs. Moolah's in New York now! She likes me, so she'll probably agree to help if I asked!"

"That sounds like an idea. Do you have her number?"

"Sure do! I'll ring her up right now!"

~O~

Much later, Jonathan, Mr. Wallis, and Darin are outside on the stoop.

"Everything's set! Mrs. Moolah's agreed to cover all expenses, and MarvaLabs will provide any needed checkups."

"Fantastic! How can we ever repay you?"

"By keeping our arrangement under wraps. Don't want Vought getting any funny ideas."

"Ha! I hear that!"

Mr. Wallis shakes Darin's hand, and then gives Jonathan a grateful hug.

"THANK YOU. You need anything at all, just let us know!"

"Will do. And thanks for believing in me. I'm glad I met you."

Seconds later the van returns and pulls up to them. Once Jonathan and Darin hop in, the former waves goodbye as they drive off.

"You really like him, don't you?"

Darin looks at the boy, who smiles fondly.

"Yeah… He reminds me of Mister Wilson."

He's still saddened that he may indeed never see his father again. But then he remembers his affirmation that he's not alone, and there'll be others to befriend. Like Mister Wallis.

So pleased by his newest friendship and act of heroism, Jonathan leans back in his seat with satisfaction.

~O~

The next day, Jonathan is outside an old massive warehouse in the outskirts of the city. Guarded and bought out by Vought, the place has been repurposed for his daily physical training. But just as he unlocks the door, he hears the sound of someone giggling.

He eagerly switches on the lights, and – sure enough – there's his sister waiting for him.

"MARGARET!"

"JON-JON!"

The two gleefully rush into each other's arms, ecstatic to be reunited once more.

"Lookit'cha! Just lil' ov'a year, and y'grown so much!"

Jonathan laughs and slightly pulls back to get a better look at her. Aside from being taller and better toned, for some reason her once auburn hair is now dyed blonde.

"Eh? Tired of being a redhead?"

"Tch! Hardly! Justa 'cosmetic change' by effin' Vought."

"And Uncle Nix? Is he here too?"

"Sadly, no… H'got drafted'n'shipped off t'the 'Nam. Not sure when'll be back."

As Jonathan sighs disappointedly, Margaret pats his cheek with a grin.

"But chin up, Jon-Jon! Cuz I've got some'n GRAND fer ya! OI, WEE ONES! C'MON OUT!"

Jonathan's barely able to react when suddenly, something small knocks him flat onto the floor. Looking up, he sees a little boy smiling down at him. The newcomer has bright red hair with green eyes, and looks just as young as Margaret when they first met.

"Jiliping Jilikers! It's really you!"

"You… You have super powers?!"

"Ee-yup! Just like my brothers!"

Jonathan's eyes widen in bewilderment.

"BROTHERS?!"

As the child helps him back up, Jonathan sees three more boys emerge and approach him, all about the same age as the redhead.

"Nice to finally meet you. I'm Tod!"

A wavy-locked blonde snaps his fingers, instantly sparking a flickering flame in his hands.

"Hey, brother. I'm Kevin. I can breathe underwater."

An African-American holds up a filled fishbowl, dunks it over his head, then inhales and exhales the water like air.

"Jack's the name, this is my game!"

A strange-looking bald boy with orangey skin flies up to him…

"CARPO!"

…Appears to cringe with pain, then glows bright red.

"When I do this, I'm supposed to be 'an-vonna-bull', whatever that means."

"And I'm Wesley! Check me out!"

The redhead takes off, does several laps around at high velocity, then skids to a stop and hops on Jonathan's shoulders.

"Wh-where did you..."

Jonathan stammers before looking back at Margaret.

"Oh no… Don't tell me Vought…"

"Got impatient 'gain! 'Parently, they scored'a MASSIVE contribution in 1961, s'they decided t'pop these four out. Dunno h'much or wh'it came from, but WHO CARES?!"

She triumphantly opens her arms, scoops up the other three boys, and holds them dearly.

"Vought's makin' us co-trainers fer this lot, all so w'can raise 'em to be supers like US! Ain't this wonderful, Jon-Jon! WE'RE GONNA BE OLDER SIBLINGS!"

At this declaration, Margaret, Tod, Kevin, and Jack cheer jubilantly. As Wesley affectionately nuzzles his older brother's head, an overjoyed Jonathan feels his heart flutter and eyes brim with happy tears.

"Yes… So very… VERY… wonderful…"

~ Author's Notes ~

And so as Volume 2 begins, we come across the very first survivals-by-adaption: Mother's Milk's – AKA Baron Wallis' – family.

Based on Issue #35, aside from Mrs. Wallis and her sons' V contamination, there are significant deviations here. In canon: Michael's sudden spurt occurs much later between the late 70s and early 80s, tragically causing his death. This is why Michael's still a baby, and his brother MM (born in 1969) hasn't appeared yet. Afterwards, Mr. Wallis fatally burns out preparing a lawsuit, followed by Mrs. Wallis mutating horrifically out of despair.

Now about the surprise appearance of the other Sevenees: like Maeve, they weren't canonically born until after Homelander turned 18. So again, their early debuts will greatly influence how this AU plays out. As for he-who's-yet-to-be-seen, he'll be making his entrance soon enough.

So stay tuned to see how our two heroes handle their new roles!