*CAUTION*MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING*CAUTION*
John
For everything that is holy, everything that is sacred, everything that exists…
I cannot turn my head.
"John, a lap pillow is nothing new for you." Maddie comments with a small giggle, her fingers stroking some hair out of my face as I keep my eyes locked onto her face. "We've done this before."
She's right of course, this ain't the first time she's let me rest my head in her lap. Thing is, things were a little bit different before.
"We were best friends then." I retort with a small smile of my own as I meet her gaze. "Now we're… something."
"Wow, jumping right into that after soaking my shoulder, thanks." Maddie teases me, causing me to look a little sheepish as I glance at the aforementioned spot on her shirt.
"Sorry…"
"It's fine." Maddie replies, leaning down and catching me by surprise with a kiss atop my forehead. "You shouldn't be scared to tell me something. Especially something like that." She fails to hide her frown as a haunted look comes across her face.
"But that right there is exactly why I didn't want to. You don't deserve that weight on your shoulders." I don't hesitate to point out the look on her face. In hindsite, maybe a bad idea, and Maddie makes sure I know it when she gives me one helluva glare.
"That's my choice to make. Not yours." There ain't any room for argument in her tone, and though I know I probably could make a case… well, in the end, she's right.
"Sorry." I avert my gaze away from Maddie as my fingers laced together on my stomach, twiddling my thumbs as she continues to look at me. "I just didn't want any of you hurting over me."
"Seeing you in any pain makes us hurt, John." Maddie responds with a sigh, before smiling down at me once more as I feel her hand gently nudge my face back towards her. "John, we're here to help you if you need it. That includes talking."
"What's the point of talking when it just means pain?" I can't help but to ask, sitting up off her lip and twisting so that I'm sitting next to her. "I can deal with pain. Me and pain are old friends. But if there's one thing I hate, it's seeing people getting bent out of shape because something happened to me."
"Bent out of shape?" Maddie asks, her eyes widening in disbelief as she actually cocks her head to the side. "That's what you think it is to us?"
"I know it ain't and that's what gets me!" I admit that my temper's starting to flare up when I snap at Maddie, but the regret kicks in almost immediately and a sigh escapes me as I simply rest my face in my hands. "Sorry."
Maddie doesn't say anything, but I can already imagine the absolute bewilderment on her face at the moment.
A sentiment I find I'm correct in when she speaks.
"I-I'm confused." She admits, causing me to sit back up and face her. She's staring off in a random direction, a look of thought on her face as she tries to figure it out for herself. "You… know it'll hurt us, knowing what you've been through. So you… don't tell?"
"No." I answer, feeling an unusual sense of exhaustion down to my bones as I admit it. "I don't want to hurt anybody."
"But you know how much it hurts us anyway, right?" Maddie says, turning her gaze away from me and instead choosing to look out the window as she hugs herself. My first instinct is to try and offer some kind of comfort, but it's clear Maddie's not finished. "John, we all knew something happened, something you didn't want to talk about. I mean, you drop clues on a regular basis, and act like we won't figure it out."
"Clues?" I can't help but to ask, my brow furrowing in confusion. "I wasn't trying to leave clues, that was just stuff I didn't care if you knew about. So long as you didn't actually know what they did to me, I was fine. I can't take pain away, but I can keep it from getting worse."
"Don't give me that." Maddie snaps, her eyes snapping back to me in another fierce glare and admittedly causing me to flinch in surprise.
Huh. Can't remember the last time I flinched.
"The more clues you gave us, the more of a picture we put together. When you were abducted by Jason, Tibe, and Jack, you were strapped to a metal table. When they eventually mentioned taking James and Shiela, you got pissed and your strength manifested, and they retreated after a brief skirmish while you busted out, found your clothes, and ran back home."
…
"You've mentioned the table and the factory in Portsmouth a thousand times as jokes, you came back in the same clothes you were abducted in, you've told all of us that Jason was responsible for it… and that's on top of what you did tell me, Bryan, and Debbie when you came back."
…
…
Maddie continues to glare. I'm too ashamed to offer words.
She knows so much more than I imagined- no, not just her. Everyone does.
She said as much.
This whole time… I was just fooling myself.
After seeing her angry eyes… I don't even have the guts to keep looking for more than a few seconds, instead choosing to favor the ground inside, quietly but nervously rubbing my hands together in a nervous frenzy.
I remember a time when Maddie was angrier than this. A time when she told point to fuck off. A time when she told me she never wanted to see me again.
The thought of seeing her anywhere near that angry again… it terrifies me.
"You shut me out because I disagreed with you."
Well, great, I'm doing the same stupid shit, well done John. That's sure to work.
No, go on, keep talking, blabber some more about how hurt you are, maybe that'll do the trick.
I'm fucking pathetic.
"It's never your fault, always someone else's."
I can't even keep important shit to myself, how the hell can anyone else trust me in confidence?
She shouldn't know. Now she does, and she's angry.
And I'm just pissing her off by sitting here like a bump on a log. Hey, maybe I should say something.
"I-"
"I'm not interested in what you have to say. Leave me alone, John."
No, wait, nevermind, opening my damn mouth is what caused problems to begin with.
No, stay quiet John, you've done enough, don't you think.
All I can do is hope and pray.
Hope and fucking pray-!
"John! Calm down!" The sudden feeling of a hand on my shoulder causes me to bolt upright, eliciting a shout of surprise from someone next to me- Maddie.
Maddie's next to me.
I just spaced the fuck out.
And I'm… panting?
I'm not even out of breath, why am I panting?
Did I just have a panic attack?
I stand to my feet, ready to get the hell out of here. If I'm this unstable, Maddie could get hurt.
There's a noise in my ears, but it sounds like it's in water, drowned out by my fast thumping footsteps towards the door.
It isn't until I feel a weight slam into my back and see a pair of hands loop around my waist that all sound suddenly slams into my ears.
"-top! Just stop! Calm down, please!" It takes me a second to realize Maddie's not just trying to hug me, but keep me from moving. "John, you need to calm down! Breathe!"
What? I am breathing, ain't I?
Almost immediately, I suck in the first deep breath in what I guess is about a minute, before exhaling.
Inhale.
Exhale.
There we go…
It only just now occurs to me that Maddie's not quiet. She's sniffling against my back, and I can feel her shuddering against me as she tries to quell her own sobs.
"Goddammit, sit down. Please…"
I actually feel my lip quiver. For some reason, doing as she says terrifies me to my core.
But… I take my hand off the door.
I give in ever so little to the pressure Maddie's using, and she slowly walks me back to the couch, growing controlled, though there's still a hitch in every breath.
She lets me go when she feels me turn, and she watches me on the couch for a few moments before she finally takes a seat herself, her breath wavering as she stares at me through bleary eyes.
"What you said…" She pauses for a second, and takes a breath. "What we said yesterday… did you mean it?"
"Of course." I meant every word.
"Then why are you keeping me out now?" She asks, her voice cracking as her breath wavers, utter hurt in her voice.
The answer's barely above a whisper.
"I don't think I've ever let anyone in this much."
"It's not bad if that changes."
"So why does it scare me?"
"Because you've never felt comfortable enough too."
It's… such a simple answer for something that has to go much deeper.
I stare at Maddie for a moment, who finally manages to reign in her emotions enough to stay somewhat composed. At least, composed enough to offer me a gentle gaze in return.
Maddie's never been anything but good to me. Even if we've butted heads, she's always been there for me. I have no reason to fear anything from her. None whatsoever.
"I don't want to hurt you…"
"You hurt us by not telling us. Anything else is not your fault." Maddie answers with a sad sigh
"But…"
"It's not." She presses, scooting closer. I raise my arm on instinct, and wrap it around her shoulders as she leans into my side, using my shoulder as a pillow. "Whatever's going on inside your head, you shouldn't be afraid to share it with us."
I'm stunned to find I actually have no response to that. People have said it to me a thousand ways, it's okay, you can talk, I can listen… but I don't think anyone's ever really laid it out for me quite like that.
And again… she's right.
I shouldn't be afraid.
And maybe… that's all I needed to hear.
I mean, Hell, I've stared down scarier things than this.
So why is this so terrifying?
"We aren't even friends anymore, John. It's time you stopped trying too."
My panic attack earlier…
"Can I be honest?" Even to me, those words sound so foreign coming from my lips. Maddie, however, doesn't bat an eye, instead offering me a reassuring smile.
"When aren't you?" She teases, her words softer than I've heard before.
And yet… I still find myself hesitating.
"I think…" I turn my head away for a moment, as I think really hard about what I want to word this. "I think… I think I'm afraid to see you angry."
"We've argued before." Maddie points out without raising her voice, lifting her head up off my shoulder.
I let a sigh escape me as I unwrap my arm from her shoulder, leaning forward and gripping my head in a hand. "I keep hearing that day at school in my head." I admit with a sad shake. "Just now, that's what was playing through my head."
"You mean when we fought?" Maddie asks for clarification, leaning forward and resting her hands together on her lap. "Why would that be any different?"
"Can you look me in the eye and tell me for sure that we'd still be friends today if Jason hasn't attacked?" I ask, turning to look at her with a tired expression. Despite the way this conversation has gone, I still feel like I know what to expect.
My heart sinks when Maddie remains silent, and averts her eyes for a moment.
"No." She answers after a couple of seconds, before bringing her gaze back to mine. "But if I'm honest… I don't think that matters. On some level, I still cared, or I wouldn't have run off into the forest, right?"
…
I feel terrible for making Maddie point that out just to make me feel better.
Maybe… maybe I should stop thinking I know what to expect.
"I meant what I said too. I love you." Maddie once again spoke while I stared slack jawed. It only just occurs to me that this is the first time I've heard it said in person. "If we're being realistic… isn't a part of that getting to know each other?"
I sit there, stunned by her words. Despite my sense of humor, I always thought I was the true realist of all of us. I'd have never expected such a view from Maddie, of all people.
Maybe it's because I don't know as much as I'd like to think I do.
"I… what else is there to know?" I can't help but to say as the logical side of me finally drives panic mode away, and I feel a sense of relief I never could've imagined wash over me. "Even if there's more I don't already know? What's there is enough for me to love you anyway." I finally manage a genuine smile with my words. "If I gotta work through my fucked head, so be it."
Maddie looks stunned by my change in demeanor, before a relieved laugh escapes her as she offers me that beautiful smile, causing a small chuckle of my own to escape me.
"I can't believe an angry five foot girl scared you of all people that bad." Maddie says, allowing some levity to finally fall over the somber mood as she let's a bit of amusement show.
I find myself to reach over and boop her nose with my finger as I speak. "You're not just any four foot girl."
Maddie smiles… at first, until she processes what I actually said. "I'm five-three!"
"Shortstack!" That one promptly earns me a swift punch to the arm, and I make sure to relax enough that Maddie doesn't hurt herself as I swiftly recompose myself. Only to swiftly get nailed again.
"I! AM NOT! SHORT!"
"SHORTY!"
Maddie eventually gives, actually crossing her arms and giving a faux pout as she turns her head away.
"You know I can't hurt you."
I grin in response. "You do too or you wouldn't have hit me in the first place."
Maddie responds with an over dramatic gasp as she brings a hand to her chest and snaps her gaze to me.
"I will neither confirm nor deny that."
"Well I can confirm I love you." I tease, a hint of honesty coming through.
Enough for Maddie to hear, as her eyes go wide in surprise. That does make me grin.
"Feels different in person, doesn't it?" I joke, looking at her with a small smile. The blush that lights up her face is the most adorable sight in the world as she stammers out her response.
"I-I-I d-didn't call you out!" She says quickly, before swiftly offering a playful glare. "Jerk."
I just smile in response.
After a few seconds, Maddie smiles that smile I love, and her giggles are the most beautiful thing.
"So does this mean you're my boyfriend?" Maddie asks, and I can't help but to be caught off-guard by the question.
Boyfriend.
Maddie's boyfriend.
I like that.
But, I swiftly recover my composure, and offer an answer only I can.
"Do I get a kiss?"
Maddie's eyes widen at the question, and her expression turns a little more serious. And a little more hurt.
What?
"Is that what it'll take?"
I can't help but to raise an eyebrow at that, chuckling in what I don't even try to disguise as anything other than amusement.
"No, Maddie." I say as I give her a softer smile as she visibly relaxes. "I'll never make you do anything you ain't ready for."
Watching her face go right back to blushing is even better the second time, as she abruptly averts her gaze after a moment and mumbles something I can't quite make out.
"What was that?"
"..."
"Maddie?"
"...a kiss wouldn't be so bad…"
I smile, and gladly lean my face over in an invitation. Maddie raises her gaze back to mine, before smiling and leans closer, her eyes softening, but I don't see too much as my eyes begin to sink closed…
Knock, Knock, Knock
Only to immediately snap around to the door in surprise at Maddie lets a slight yelp escape her.
"Who the hell is that?" I mutter to myself as I stand to my feet. "Give me a second." I say as I give Maddie a quick apologetic glance before turning back to the door.
I actually open the door this time, and I admittedly don't have the faintest idea of who's behind the other side when I do it.
SPLAT
CRUNCH
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
I don't get much of a chance to even react. Something that feels suspiciously like a human fist slams into my diaphragm. And then through it like tissue paper.
It's the table all over again. I'm perfectly conscious and can feel all of this pain as the fist continues until it's ripped out my back clean to the other side, but my body's locked up so my healing can kick in.
I'm paralyzed.
"Alright you little shit, I'm gonna make sure you behave from now on." I can see a pair of glowing red eyes as the familiar voice of Homelander rings through
My ears.
"John, god NO!" I can hear Maddie screaming behind me, but I can't see her as the glow in Homelander's eyes goes away and he quite literally carry's my limp body back into the room, harshly shutting the door.
He makes sure to lock it, before he takes me further into the apartment, as Maddie's voice not only grows closer but her screams die to a whimper.
He slams me into the TV, ripping his hand free as he goes about arranging me into a macabre sitting position across the TV stand as the television itself shatters between me and the wall.
"YOU! You shut the fuck up!" He shouts at Maddie's terrified form as she screams at his volume, covering her head as if he were about to hit her.
What the fuck is going on?!
Something's gotta be wrong with Homelander, right?!
This can't be the same guy I've come to know through the past couple weeks!
Right?
"You!" Homelander snaps his finger back towards me. "First, you get brought on because Edgar wants you!" His voice switches between a growl and mere annoyance on the fly as he speaks. "Then you fuck up the Expo! Now we have to work with the government in secret! Now you think you can bring this thing here?" He gets real close to my face as he gestures back to Maddie when he says that.
My brain only locks onto one word.
Thing.
Homelander continues to give me a harsh glare as Maddie whimpers on the couch, before giving me a dismissive wave as he turns to Maddie.
Fuck, Maddie's stuck. Against Homelander… she couldn't get away if she'd tried. He's a fucking superhuman.
He's Homelander.
Fuck, no, please!
"You're a bit young, but you'll be a good fuck, at least." Homelander says, not to me, but to Maddie, sounding almost like someone dis… as he drops his pants.
Maddie's hands fall away from her face and she goes absolutely pale, her gaze snapping up and down on Homelander. "N-no! You can't be-NONONO-"
That's about when Homelander grabs her.
And I can't do a single fucking thing but watch.
Maeve
Okay, I'll bite.
Area 51 is actually something else.
Living at Vought since I joined the Seven, I thought I'd seen the best tech there was. Just landing into the base proved me wrong.
I've been on planes and jets before, and none of them have felt as smooth as the cherry-colored black bird we arrived in. It blew me away when I finally got to see that it was just one of many.
Then the big guy, Peter, led me through the base. It was like I was in a fever dream, all the different computers and devices and equipment these people have at their disposal.
But the big thing for me was the supes. There were so many of them.
The only members I've seen of this entire unit is the CIA head honcho and a couple of teenagers. But there's so many adults here and a couple of teens here and there, and there was even a kid in one room shooting flames out of his hands with a couple people nearby.
But none of them look scared, that's what really gets me. There's no judgment, no looming threats, no animosity over even the stupidest shit… they're all just laughing and smiling, having fun with coworkers and friends.
Happy.
It actually makes me jealous.
"If supes are supposed to be these dieties, why do we have all of the publicity and not you?" I can't help but to ask aloud as I turn back to my guide, and the kid let's a chuckle escape him as a response.
"We want to do good, not get rewards. Besides, this way, we get to keep our personal lives to ourselves." He points out, causing the jealousy to flare up a little.
I genuinely wish I had that little perk. The old me would have jumped at the chance to join an outfit like this over the Seven.
Hell, Starlight should've been here instead of at Vought.
"Then why the hell are you taking control of us?" I can't help but to question out of curiosity. "You do know how bad this company's history is, right?"
"I only know the basics that were given to me." Peter admits with a small grin as we come to a stop in front of a door, where he turns away from me for a moment and swiftly enters a ten digit combination.
"Yeah, sure, because anyone can casually enter a code like that." I comment with amusement in my own voice as the doors begin to slide open.
"It's true. I trust that what I'm given is all that's necessary for me to know." The guy reinforced his words with a small grin. "I can use my head when I have to, but I'm more suited for immediate large-scale defense." I can't help but to blink at how militaristic that sounded. How long has he been doing this again?
"And I guess John is better at offense?" I can't help but to joke, earning me another chuckle along with a nod of agreement.
"Yeah, actually." Peter says as he glances towards me while as we once again start walking. "John and Rachel are two of our best offensive members. Rachel's got a scary kind of control over fire, and John's stronger and a lot more nimble than I am."
"Really?" I mean, the stronger part doesn't shock me too much, but more nimble? How the hell does that work? Everything the guy does should hit with the force of a wrecking ball.
"I couldn't believe it at first either, but then we had our first official mission." He comments with a small laugh. "John might've mentioned. Spooky lady massive redwood?"
"Yeah, John's mentioned it before." Such as how he failed to set up the tent, nearly blew his teammates' ears out, and devastated a mile of forest.
"Well what he probably doesn't mention is the way he moved. I don't know how he does, and his explanations don't make much sense, but he can clear fifty yards at most in a single step."
That actually causes my brain to freeze, and I end up running into someone.
To my surprise, I don't end up launching them to the ground. Instead, it feels like I'm just some random woman as a quick gasp escapes me and I stumble away from my lucky victim.
"Sorry, about that." I immediately apologize, not interested to piss off anyone in this place as I brush my clothes off out of habit, before raising my eyes… and meeting the head fucking honcho.
The dick has a small smile on his face, and there's thinly veiled amusement in his eyes as he stands unbothered by our collision a second ago.
"There you too are." The amusement stays, but just for that moment as he immediately switches to business. "Into the briefing room, now." And just like that, his face grows cold and immediately turns around.
"Okay, McAvoy." I joke, and the side of his mouth angles up in a small bit of amusement, but he otherwise stays silent as me and the big guy follow him inside.
My eyes widen as we enter the room. This is the kind of place you'd expect a hero to have his lair, not a stylish apartment that's not even theirs anyway.
There's a massive screen on the far wall, a myriad of other screens showing different things happening, and it's all linked to a massive podium with a build in keyboard.
Jesus Christ, the government really does get the good stuff.
My awe is cut short quite quickly, unfortunately, as a massive pair of doors slam closed behind me and Peter and the moment we step into the room, and I turn around as the subsequent sound reverberates through the room.
"Why do I feel like Jigsaw's your fucking architect?" I offer another joke as I turn back around and walk further into the room, looking at Alex as he turns around and faces us with dead, expressionless eyes.
"First off, congratulations Miss Shaw." The use of my real last name causes me to stiffen up immediately, and of course I tense up because I'm Queen fucking Maeve as I cross my arms and let my expression drop. "You've been promoted. Welcome to the Central Ingelligence Agency."
"Wait, I thought she already was."
An unfamiliar voice sounds out, before I turn and find the source to be the brunette that this guy had brought yesterday. She looks about as confused as she sounds.
"Ah, right, clear the air." Alex suddenly says, and it sounds like he's acknowledging her, but the words do make me wonder… "You are no longer a glorified actress for Vought. You are now a full fledged CIA special agent with the same protections any others or any of my team would get. That being said, you are now being assigned your first real mission."
"What, just like that?" I can't help but to ask in disbelief, because it's kind of hard to grasp that this just happened. "No warning, no nothing, I'm a cop now?"
"Essentially, yes." Alex answers with a curt nod, before turning to the screen and speaking loud and clearly to absolutely nothing. "Pull up File 83."
Suddenly, the absolutely gargantuan screen changes, causing me to jump at the sudden shift in lighting as a robotic female voice echoes through the room.
"Command Authorized"
The first thing I notice are the big bold words that arrive at the top of the page.
OPERATION CONTINERE
"At attention, soldier time." The guy whom I will now internally refer to as Commander Dickhead states, a demanding tone in his voice. Almost immediately, I can hear the big guy grunt while Rachel immediately stiffens up and gives him her full attention.
I don't even get to question it before he's talking once more.
"Everyone standing in this room is now a participant of Operation Firehawk. Everyone you speak to about this will be required to follow classified procedures and sign an NDA." Dickhead continues, causing me to turn my own attention back to him as he turns around with an unamused expression on his face. "Use utter discretion when deciding who to disclose this information too."
"What exactly is Continere, sir?" Peter asks, his voice level and surprisingly heavy. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was looking at a wartime veteran.
I half expect Alex to get hateful, but I'm pleasantly surprised when he actually answers the question without missing a beat.
"The overall goal is the containment of Homelander until ordered otherwise." He answers bluntly, and I nod in respect at that, before my eyes widen and I begin to pay rapt attention as I realize what he actually just said. "For everything you need to know, we have worked out a deal with Stan Edgar to put one our own in the Seven, one whom we're confident can take down Homelander if it comes down to it."
"John." Rachel states it bluntly, and I can see her expression tighten.
"Yes, I'm the one who gave John's identity to Edgar." Alex immediately clarifies, causing my own eyes to go wide as my face begins to heat up in anger.
He has no fucking idea what he's put that kid into.
"Can we ask why John?" There's a noise of frustration in Peter's voice, and it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one who's a pissed as fuck.
"In terms of combat capability, John's skills are second to none. As well, his physical body is far more powerful than any I've ever seen, and his healing capabilities mean that if he is injured, it's unlikely that he will actually be killed." Dickhead lists off as he lets his eyes scan over us.
"Except Homelander still holds all the world records." The big guy doesn't hesitate to point out, despite maintaining a surprisingly respectful tone. "By our own counts, he still trumps John in every category."
What?
The put a kid into a team of fuck ups as a failsafe for the most powerful man on earth…
Without proving that he was an effective failsafe?!
"Indeed he does." Alex acknowledges. "But, it does help to know what Homelander's own stats were when he was John's age. Compared to that, John may as well be Homelander."
That… doesn't make me feel better in the fucking least.
"Oh, yeah, but Homelander's still Homelander I take it?" I ask quickly, and unlike these two, I don't try and maintain a respectful tone. "Let me guess, he's still way above John?" The venom may as well be dripping from my lips with every word.
"Yes." Alex nods his head in acknowledgment, without any elaboration whatsoever.
"And you didn't think that might be a bad thing?" I don't know how much these people know about Homelander already, but it's clearly not enough. John has been in danger since Vought got his name. "John already thinks it was some rando that leaked his information!"
"Yes." The same damn word with that same fucking tone.
"So why?"
"With all due respect, sir… you know John will not be happy when finds out he went to Vought under false pretenses."
As he damn well shouldn't be.
"I promised John I would tell him when I have lied to him, but I warned him that I cannot promise not to lie." Alex replies point blank, turning his dead eyes to Rachel. "I'm well aware John will less than thrilled. That said, it was still his choice to accept, and so far he's proving to be exactly what we thought."
"What, a target?"
"A threat." That… makes me pause. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Homelander a bully, yes?"
"Uh, yeah." I nod, but I'm not sure how it makes a difference since this guy keeps wanting to forget that we're talking about the goddamn HOMELANDER!
"John has not been forced into a uniform, nor has he been forced to act a certain way in public, and he doesn't need someone to verify every day actions."
"Oh I'm aware, he negotiated his contract with Edgar."
"If Stan Edgar is one thing, it's a good businessman." I don't think he realizes or cares how bad that sounds. "With the information we gave him, he knows he needs John on the team, as he's quite literally perfect for the role. If he deemed any changes to John's contract necessary, I do trust his judgment in that regard wholeheartedly. And all of those things contribute exactly to what I just said."
"What, getting under Homelander's skin by having a newbie come up and become a top competitor in literally everything he thinks is his?" I point out, baffled. That doesn't make him a threat, it makes him a rodent at best.
"Because if all of Vought's heroes have to follow a code, Homelander does too. And that's our first step of containment."
"And the next?"
"We've monitored physical growth since he joined us." Alex says, and I almost feel like I've been brushed off, and I wasn't even the one who asked the question. "We believe we have deduced when he will be able to physically match Homelander, but as it is, he is capable of hurting him."
"How?"
I don't even know if deadpan can be classified as an emotion, but this guy makes me feel like it is with the look he gives Peter.
"You know what it feels like to get hit by John." Dickhead says, utterly unamused. "Mix that with his superior training to Homelander's own, and John can at the very least damage Homelander."
"Oh, so John can hit hard?" I can't help but to ask with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually, I will give John that." Rachel suddenly speaks up, nodding in agreement with Alex. I turn to Peter, and I'm surprised to see that he's nodding too. When he sees the look on my face, he simply shrugs.
"John can move fast and hit just as hard every time. If the first hit breaks skin, you know it's over."
"That's assuming he isn't hit first and gets his jaw knocked off." I point out, turning back to Alex as I narrow my eyes. "It doesn't matter how well trained you are, there's no real way of telling if you'll get that first hit in."
And just like that, the atmosphere once again plummets from its quick levity.
"John's not in a position where Homelander would feel safe to-"
"You have no fucking idea what Homelander feels safe doing!" I snap, finally fed up with his sanctimonious bullshit. "I don't care what Edgar or Vought gave you, you don't know a damn thing. If Homelander's fed up with John, he could just fly into the apartment and break the kid's neck! And since he's right in the middle of Vought HQ, not even your resources could save him from just disappearing!"
"Okay, I do think you aren't giving John enough credit." Peter says, and I feel his heavy hand on my shoulder as I turn to him. "John's many things, but he ain't stupid, and whatever Homelander can do, something tells me it ain't gonna be something John can't recover from."
"Yeah, you say that now."
I reply as I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes.
If there's one thing Homelander is good at, it's finding a way to hurt people. Even when you think there's nothing left,
"And besides, that explains John, but what about the fucking girl?" I ask, turning back to Alex.
"The girl?"
"The fucking blonde, Matsie or whatever!"
"Maddie?" Rachel asks, looking at me in confusion. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"She's sleeping in the same fucking building as Homelander!" I remind her with wide eyes. "I bitched John out over it before we left!"
"Hold on, everyone quiet!" Alex's voice thunders out, and it roars through my ears like firebombs. All three of us jump back a bit in fright, and I'm not too happy to say that the guy's piercing gaze immediately turns to me.
Jesus Christ, I can feel it in my soul…
"What do you mean Maddie's sleeping in the same building as Homelander?" His voice is controlled, but there's a menace to it that I don't feel like provoking right now.
Still though, my answer is less than polite.
"Exactly what I said, you fucking moron."
Alex immediately snaps his eyes over to Rachel and Peter, and his composure falls as he allows a bit of frantic worry to etch itself into his tone.
"John asked us if it was alright to move Maddie up to New York for her safety, and those are his exact words. Please tell me that wasn't supposed to mean Vought."
"Why wouldn't it?" Rachel asks in visible confusion, but Alex's response is quite harsh.
"Why would it?" He asks in a frustrated tone. "I told him that they covered up a murder a few hours earlier. To be quite frank, why the fuck would he want Maddie there in the first place?!"
Wait, so he really wasn't okay with that part?
I turn to look at the other two in the room, and my heart sinks when I see the wide-eyed looks of horror they're currently giving each other.
"Guys, what did you do?" Alex noticed too, and he quickly demands an explanation from the two of them.
"We got sick of them dancing around each other, and so made them finally confess to each other yesterday." Peter's words are quiet, an unsual sense of dread accompanying them as the realization sets in.
Well, the commander is gone, but what seems to be a parental figure of some sort comes out as Alex throws his arms up in exhasperation and let's a huff escape him, before shaking his head.
"They're still teenagers and they didn't know. I expected too much of you." Okay, that just sounds hurtful. Rachel goes to say something, but she opts to stay quiet when Alex raises his hand. "Despite the profession all of you have chosen to pursue, you are still teenagers, and I should've taken every possibility into account. There's no one to blame for this one but me." He says with a tired sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The efficiency with which he recovers his composure following that is a actually a little scary.
"Get back to the tower, get Maddie out of there and bring her here." Alex immediately says, turning back into Commander Dickhead as he turns his gaze to me and Peter. "Both of you. Rachel, you're gonna help me monitor the building from here and try to keep Maddie safe. Text only." He subsequently instructs the brunette as well.
"Got it." Rachel says with a nod as she immediately approaches Alex as they turn back to the keyboard.
I share a quick look with Peter, and we both turn and wordlessly begin making our way back to the Blackbird, when I hear a phone ring from one of the two behind us.
"It's Maddie!" That stops us all in our tracks as we all immediately turn to look at Rachel, who immediately looks to Alex for instructions.
"Connect to Active Signal Source!" Alex says as he quickly glances up at the room. A second later, there's a quick ding, before the ringing is echoing loudly through the room. "Answer it."
Rachel does so.
And we're immediately greeted to the ugly, horrific sounds of sobbing.
It's a girl's voice, no doubt about, high-pitched and hysterical as it sounds like her lungs aren't getting enough air. It's ear-shattering and heartbreaking, especially because the voice sounds so young…
It sounds breathless, pained, scared, and there are whimpers that follow the sobs, and it sounds all around like the girl isn't paying attention to anything.
"Maddie, it's Alex! What's going on?!" Alex speaks up immediately, and miraculously, the loud whines go quiet at the sound of the man's voice.
"A-A-A-Ale-lex?" The voice manages to stammer out, queting down to a high pitched whimper. And then… to a whisper. "W-W-We-e ne-eed hel-help." She stutteres and repeats herself even as she speaks so quietly, and she sounds like she's trying not to make too much noise. "Wh-Wh-Who-Who else?"
"Peter, Rachel, and Maeve are here and listening too." Alex responds, his voice calm and collected, but now there's a soothing quality to it. "Relax, I promise, as long as you're on the phone, it's safe."
"H-H-Ho-Homela-lander…" The poor kid's voice is still so broken, but she's a little bit louder.
"You two, get going, now." Alex's gaze immediately snaps to Peter and me as he barks out the order, and we both share a quick nod before turning and immediately rushing out of the room.
Stupid stupid stupid kids!
For the love of god, please let them be okay.
A/N: A lot of people may not be happy with the direction the story took, especially in regards to Homelander's views on minors. Unfortunately, I try to write the characters faithfully to the best of my ability, and given the opportunity, I have to admit that I can see Homelander doing something like this, just to teach a lesson to what he would see as a spoiled brat.
That said, I do not regret it. John had to learn some time, and unfortunately for him, hard lessons are the ones he always has to learn.
When Vought's involved, things will go wrong somehow.
Due to FanFiction's more strict guidlines, a large portion of this chapter has been cut away over here. It shouldn't impact your reading experience, but if you feel it would, the full chapter is available on AO3.