Victoria screamed loudly, knowing that there was nothing she could do as the lasers shot out of Homelander's eyes and towards Alex. The red beam shone into her vision and Victoria felt her eyes begin to water. It all happened so fast that she barely processed Alex falling to the ground, being knocked over to the floor. But it wasn't by Homelander. Homelander's beams hit the ground in the distance, being thrown off track by a yellow light instead and Victoria frowned, confused as to what was happening as she tracked her gaze to the source of the light. Billy.
Her brother's eyes were also alight, focused directly on Homelander. He had intercepted the laser before it could reach Alex, the other supe being knocked to the ground by Hughie who was completely naked. Victoria didn't want to question why he was naked, but she suspected it had something to do with him being able to teleport. She inhaled sharp breaths before rushing to Alex's side, Hughie disappearing again as soon as Homelander turned to glare at him.
"Are you alright?" Victoria asked, feeling broken pieces of brick cut into her knees. She reached for him and he groaned slightly, rolling onto his back as Victoria helped him to sit up.
"Yeah," he gasped, amazed that he was still alive and also slightly perturbed by the fact that he'd had a naked Hughie on top of him.
Homelander looked between his wife and Alex on the floor and then to Billy stood to his right, feet planted on a mound of rubble. A figure emerged behind him and Homelander instantly recognised him as Soldier Boy. He nodded his head thoughtfully, well aware of what it was he was witnessing. They had all teamed up against him. He could see it now. No one was on his team, not truly. He let his arms dangle by his side, turning his gaze to the two men.
"William Butcher," Homelander drawled his name and Victoria looked to her brother as Alex helped her to stand back up, his hand grabbing hers and hauling her to her feet, not letting go once she was on them. "And Soldier Boy…of course…you were behind this. This whole thing."
Billy said nothing, shifting slightly and prepared to fight the supe in front of him if he had to. He was prepared to do whatever possible and he knew that nothing was going to stand in his way now. This was the time. He had to do whatever was necessary to destroy Homelander.
"It really is all about me," Homelander said. "William, we made a deal to fight to the death…you and me…this is cheating. You bring in another supe and you involved my wife."
"She didn't know anything," Billy spoke then and Soldier Boy observed the exchange between them, seeing the manic look in Homelander's gaze as his teeth were bared, face full of anger and something resembling amusement.
"Bullshit," Homelander snarled. "She might not be privy to all of your plans, but she knew enough. She knew more than enough to tell me…but she didn't…she chose your secrets. She chose you over me. She always will so long as you're alive."
Victoria's throat clenched, her ears ringing with the hammering noise of her pulse. She tugged her hand from Alex's and moved forwards, still hoping that there might be a way to salvage what was going to happen. She watched as Homelander turned his gaze to her, remaining stoic on the spot, letting her move to grab hold of his shoulders, standing in front of him and looking up at him, her dark hair blowing in the wind and her wide eyes set on his light blue ones, pleading with him and crying. He looked to her, jaw clenched and gaze cold.
"John…please…we can go…we can get out of here and we can go…you don't need to do this."
"Is it my life you're crying over or your brother's?" he demanded from her, voice harsh and low, no ounce of compassion left inside of him.
"Both," she said. "No one needs to get hurt. You know that."
"Sweetheart, I think we're long past that happening," Soldier Boy piped up, earning himself a dark look from Homelander. Victoria ignored his deep voice, focusing on her husband instead, her grip on him tight and she moved her hand to his cheek, bringing his gaze back down to meet her own. He pushed her hand from his skin almost as though it burned to touch.
"I'm sorry," she said to him and he watched her, keeping his ear out for any sudden movement from the three supes around him. "John, I'm sorry, I never meant for it to end up like this," she promised him, reaching for him and fearing what would happen if he didn't believe what she was telling him. But he pulled away from her and she knew this was it. He grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"You lied to me. You played me for a fool. How did you think it was going to end?"
"Let her go, cunt," Billy demanded from Homelander, growling at him.
"She's going nowhere. She's involved in this," Homelander said, moving his hand from her chin, pushing it to the side and grabbing her arm before she could stumble from the force of his shove. His fingers were holding her arm so tightly that she thought he might break it if not sprain it. She wormed around in his grip and Alex took a step forward, but Homelander heard the noise of gravel crunching under his foot.
His eyes glared at him, shining red in warning before the man halted. Homelander turned to look back to William, laughing loudly, the noise manic.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he demanded from William. "Do you have any idea how much mess you've created by dragging her into this?"
"I didn't," Billy continued denying her involvement.
"You're all the fucking same," Homelander whispered. "Liars and cheats. I'm done with this. I'm done with all of it…it ends now."
Homelander let go of Victoria and advanced towards Billy and Soldier Boy, laser eyes shining as Billy pointed to Alex. "Get her out of here!" he demanded from the supe, well aware that his sister wouldn't go on her own. She was too damn stubborn to run away from trouble. Alex nodded, moving towards Victoria as Homelander's lasers hit Billy in the chest before he could respond, throwing him into the air. He landed on a lump of wood, head hitting a brick as Victoria screamed for him.
"No!" she yelled. "Billy!"
"You stay the fuck there. Don't even think of running!" Homelander demanded from her, turning to look to her once more, Billy still on the floor.
Before she could run to her brother, Alex was behind her, an arm going securely around her waist and over her protruding stomach. She tried to push his arm down and he bent down, whispering into her ear, voice hoarse but stern. "We need to go. We need to get out of here."
Soldier Boy glanced to where Billy laid on the floor, an amused look on his face as he figured the guy was just biding his time. His stare turned back to Homelander who was watching him.
"You were my hero growing up," Homelander admitted. "I watched all of your movies…hundreds of times…you were the only one who is nearly is strong as me."
Soldier Boy tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowed. "Buddy," he said, "you think you look strong. You're wearing a cape. You're just a cheap fucking knockoff."
Victoria knew that wasn't going to go down well and she was proven right. Homelander's voice darkened. "Oh no," he said, "I'm the upgrade."
And then he flew straight at Soldier Boy, hands grabbing his shoulders and pushing him thirty metres back from the site, into the collapsed house. Victoria could hear the noise of rubble falling from inside the structure that she suspected was unstable. She couldn't see what was going on, but she could hear the sound of things breaking. And then she saw Billy move to stand up, rubbing a hand over his head. He looked around, clearly bemused until he sensed where Homelander was, hearing the fighting from inside the house.
"Billy," Victoria called for her brother as Alex kept her in his grip, letting her stumble towards her brother.
"Get out of here," Billy demanded from his sister. "If this goes to plan then he's finished, but you can't be anywhere near him."
"No…you…you can't either," Victoria said with a firm shake of her head. "Billy…"
"Listen to me," Billy said, his hands going to clasp onto her cheeks tightly. He brought his gaze down to meet hers, thumbs running over her cheekbones. "I knew what might happen when I cooked up this plan. If I don't make it out then I don't make it out, but you do. You need to get out of here and you need to get out of here fast…alright?"
"No," Victoria said, continuing to cry.
"Hughie," Billy called for his friend who appeared in a second, completely naked and clearly teleporting everywhere.
"Annie and M.M. are here," Hughie said to Billy.
"They're the least of our problems," Billy said. "I need you to teleport Victoria to Vought Tower and get back here. Soldier Boy needs our help."
"No-"
"-It's not up for discussion," Billy snapped at his sister. "Get back there. Get your kid. And run. Toss your phone and get away from that place. I'll find you, alright? If I get out of this then I'll find you…if not then you're away from him."
"Billy…he…"
"We're not discussing this," Billy said and he moved to kiss her on the forehead, lips crushed against her skin. "I love you so fucking much and I'm doing this to keep you safe."
"I love you too," Victoria said to her brother and before she could protest, he forced Hughie to take hold of her and then she was gone in a second. Billy closed his eyes, feeling them starting to tear up at the idea that he might not see his sister again and all he'd managed was some shitty quick goodbye. He didn't want that. He wanted something more. He wanted to tell her that he adored her more than anything and loved her and that he was so proud of her.
Hughie was back in a second, gasping for a breath. "She's at the penthouse and I swear that I never meant to look at her naked," he said, holding his hands up defensively.
"I'll bollock you for that later. Right now we have other things to focus on."
"I want to help," Alex said, standing up taller, hands behind his back and chin jutted out.
One minute he had been holding Victoria to him and the next she was gone. Would he ever see her again? Would he even get out of this mess? He didn't know, but he knew that he had to try and do something. He couldn't just give up. He tried not to think about never seeing Victoria again.
"No."
Annie's voice suddenly came from nowhere and she moved behind them, dressed in a long black top and sliders. Alex frowned at her attire, but he said nothing on it, figuring that it wasn't the time to ask what had happened.
"You two fight it out, but we need to get in there," Billy said, looking to the two of them and then turning on his heel, prepared to go and deal with Homelander he hoped once and for all. Hughie followed, throwing an apologetic look at Annie, knowing that the two of them were probably going to argue about his decision in the coming days. But he had to help Butcher.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that if you go in there then he'll kill you," Annie said. "They're going to fight it out in there, but there are people out here who we need to help…who we need to get away from this place because if he blows then we're all dead."
"They need every supe they can get."
"They have Soldier Boy," Annie said. "I know that you want to help them and I know why, but I just saw Homelander almost laser you to death. If you go in there…you said yourself he's the strongest supe alive. He's indestructible. He could kill you without thinking twice and Victoria wouldn't want that. Come with me…join me…and we go against Vought…we save these people…stick together and do what we can."
Alex knew that she was talking sense. He knew that Homelander could kill him. He almost had done. He nodded his head, hoping that he could work with Annie and get away from Vought and that Homelander wouldn't emerge from that building again.
…
"It's alright, baby, I've got you," Victoria said to her daughter as she stepped into the parking garage of Vought Tower. She had asked for a rental car, calling down and asking for it to have a car seat put in the back for Evelyn.
Victoria had changed quickly in the guest room, gathering her passport and purse, tucking it into her bag. She left her phone on the bedside table before picking up the stuffed giraffe she had bought Evelyn. She didn't waste time packing a change of clothes. She found the cash she had hidden in her underwear drawer, shoving that into the satchel as well. Picking Evelyn up from nursery, she didn't bother with the pram, telling Natalie she would be back for it later. Taking the elevator down to the garage, she picked up the key from the valet when she spotted Ashley stood by the car.
"What the hell is going on?" Ashley demanded and Victoria swore that she would do everything in her power to move the Vought CEO.
Walking through the parking lot, Victoria held Evelyn, clutching her to her chest. Ashley had her arms folded over her chest, crumpling the white shirt she wore tucked into her blue pants, blazer open around her. She had her legs crossed, red heels pushed together.
"I just need to take Evelyn to the doctor."
"We have a doctor on site," Ashley said. "I've heard about Soldier Boy…it's all over the news…some massive explosion. Homelander is there, isn't he?"
"Ashley, please," Victoria pleaded with her, knowing that she didn't have time for this. She needed to get away. "I don't have time for this."
"Fuck, it's happening, isn't it?" Ashley whispered, voice almost breathless. She had been to see Maeve and she had told her that she had gone against Homelander. Ashley had put the pieces together when she had heard that Maeve had been working with William Butcher. "They're doing it."
"I don't know if they will," Victoria said to Ashley. "My brother is there with Soldier Boy and they're fighting Homelander. He…he knows that I know what was happening. He knows that I know about my brother bringing Soldier Boy here and I never told him…Ashley, you need to let me go. You need to let me get out of here."
Ashley shook her head, mouth drying out and her eyes glimmering. She was scared. Victoria could see that. "If he knows I let you go then…I'm not a supe, Victoria…I'm not like them."
"And you don't need to be," Victoria promised her. "I know you're scared, but if he comes back here then he's going to take Evelyn from me. He's going to take my daughter…and I can't let him…please, Ashley. I can't let him take Evie."
Ashley looked conflicted then. She bit down on her tongue, hand going to her hair and pulling on it firmly. She closed her eyes for a second and then looked in front of her. She could see the fear in Victoria's gaze. She could see it clear as day. Looking to the young mother and baby in front of her, Ashley shook her head and groaned to herself.
"You need to be quick," Ashley said and Victoria let out a sigh of relief as Ashley opened the back door and Victoria moved, putting Evelyn into the car seat, buckling her in with her shaky hands.
She pecked her on the top of her head. "It's alright, baby. We're going to be okay."
Closing the door, she watched as Ashley messed around on her phone, her fingers also shaky. "The car has a tracker. I've disabled it and the CCTV around the building," Ashley said. "If anyone asks, there was a glitch in the system…and I was never down here."
"Thank you," Victoria said, the gratitude clear in her voice as she looked Ashley in the eye.
"Just be careful," Ashley urged from her and Victoria went to the driver's side. She tossed her bag onto the passenger seat. Dropping the key into the cupholder, she pressed the ignition button to turn the car on, engine purring beneath her. She put it into drive and took the clutch off before pressing down on the accelerator. Ashley stepped to the side as Victoria drove towards the garage door. It opened as she approached and she left the underground car park, joining the traffic of New York City.
Turning the radio down, she was thankful that it wasn't rush hour. She was crawling for too many miles, however, longing to speed up. She didn't know where she was going. She had no idea where she should go. If she went to the airport then there would be a trace of her. She couldn't risk that and she didn't have enough money without using her credit card to pay for it. If he got out then he'd find her instantly.
If he got out.
The weight of what could happen to him started weighing on her mind. Billy could kill Homelander. He could kill him and then she would be free. She knew that she should feel relief. She should be happy that she didn't need to live in fear anymore, but that wasn't what she was feeling. She blinked back tears from her eyes, wiping them with the back of her hand and then looking to her daughter in her rear view mirror. Evelyn was silent in the car seat, looking around animatedly, her little limbs moving from side to side. She looked at her daughter's blue eyes, the exact same colour as Homelander's.
"I'm sorry," she said to her daughter, knowing that she wouldn't understand.
Would she have any memory of her father? She moved her hand to her stomach too and realised that she could be bringing a child into the world that would never meet their father. But it was the right thing to do. She couldn't let any feelings she had for him stand in the way. He was a monster. He had killed so many people. He was dangerous. He was evil.
But he was still her husband. He was still the man she had fallen in love with.
She tried not to think anymore, focusing on the tarmac in front of her. As soon as she was on the open road, she put her foot down, speeding slightly more than she should be doing. She kept both hands on the wheel, inhaling and exhaling sharp breaths. She headed away from any town centre, figuring it would be for the best if she stuck to quieter roads. She decided that she would keep driving until it got late. She could stop at a grocery store and buy some supplies, check into a motel and pay cash only. She knew that would be possible.
She could check the news too, find somewhere with a TV and see if anything had happened. Driving south, Victoria diverted west after a while, the sun beginning to set over her and the night turning chilly. Evelyn had cried a few times, Victoria trying to settle her with some music and her bad singing. She had finally fallen asleep after a few hours and Victoria turned the headlights on, straining to see in the dark and on the open road.
But she didn't get far. She looked ahead and she froze, her foot stepping on the brake. There was no one around. There was no one to help her. He stood there, hands clasped behind his back, cape blowing around him. His hair was still slicked back on the top of his head, but there was a bruise on his cheek. Victoria saw his glare focus on her and she knew that there was no escaping him. She could slam the car into reverse and try to get away. She could drive straight at him. Either scenario would still end with him besting her. She left the engine running and pulled the clutch up. Undoing her seatbelt, she stepped from the car and left the door wide open. The car beeped at her for doing it, but she didn't care. Moving around the vehicle, Victoria felt her knees shake and her hands tremble.
Homelander remained still, beady eyes watching her with intent. He wanted her to squirm. He wanted her to be scared because it's what she deserved for betraying him. She tried to keep herself under control, wondering if pleading with him would do her any good. She suspected it wouldn't, but she couldn't let him leave with Evelyn.
"I never wanted it to be like this," Victoria said to him, her voice wavering.
"And how did you want it to be?" he questioned from her.
"I never wanted you to be anything but the John I fell in love with," she said.
He chuckled darkly. "The John you fell in love with was never who I really was."
"I wish that it had been," Victoria replied. "We'd have been happy. You know that we'd have been happy…but you're right. That was never who you were and I see that now. I've seen it for a long time."
"When did it start? The plotting and the scheming?"
"I don't know a precise time," she replied honestly to him. "But did you honestly think that Billy would leave us alone?"
"Oh, I knew your brother would never be let us be," Homelander assured her on that point. "You knew that too. We both knew. No, what I want to know is how long have you been talking about it with him…pleading for him to find something to kill me…how long, Victoria?"
Her eyes glimmered with tears and he knew the answer to his question without her even speaking. He moved towards her, stepping closer to her and hearing her breath hitch and her heart begin to race even more. He stopped when he was toe to toe with her, peering down at her with wide eyes and parted lips.
"How long?" he repeated, not needing to yell to get his anger across.
"Since the day in the forest…since I was pregnant and decided to come back with you…I knew that Billy was doing everything to stop you and I said nothing to you. I said nothing because you trapped me, John. You trapped me as soon as I told you that I was pregnant."
He observed her intently. She was finally being honest with him, but that hurt him more than he prepared to say. A part of him would have preferred whatever lie she was going to feed him. He lifted his hand, seeing her flinch. Chuckling, he moved the back of his gloved fingers over her cheek, smelling the fear. It practically radiated off of her. She swallowed hard and he let out a deep breath.
"I thought if I kept you with me long enough that we would be happy…that it would be how it was and you'd accept me because you'd see that, despite everything I've done, I always loved you. I always adored you and I thought that would be enough considering you're a girl who has never had anyone truly love her…not like I do."
"A part of me did think that would be enough," she said and he balled his hand into a fist, seeing her shudder backwards, eyes closing and he wondered if she thought that he would strike her. He would never do that to her.
"Don't fucking lie to me," he snapped at her.
"I'm not lying," Victoria replied hastily, voice starting to break and tears slipping down her cheeks. She shook her head back and forth as his fingers stretched out to brush into her hair, tucking it back behind her ear. "There were times when I forgot what was going on…when I forgot what had happened…I thought that would be enough for me, but it wasn't. It couldn't be."
"Because everyone keeps interfering in what we do. Everyone keeps putting their noses in places where they don't belong…your brother…Starlight…Supersonic…Maeve…all of them have caused this…caused you to turn on me. You just need to be away from them where you can focus on raising our daughter and being my wife."
"The world doesn't work like that."
"Perhaps not, but it should," he retorted.
"Then what do we do?" she questioned.
"We're going back to the Tower. Your brother is still out there and so is Starlight and Supersonic. Once I've dealt with them then I'll deal with you."
"Deal with me?" she questioned.
"I haven't made my mind up yet," he decided on saying.
"Just don't take me from Evelyn…please," Victoria pleaded with him on that and he gritted his teeth. Did she think that she was in charge here? He cupped her cheek with his hand and bent down, eye-to-eye with her.
"Get in the car before I change my mind," he demanded from her and she nodded.
He let her go, pushing her forwards and watching her as she slunk around to the passenger seat. He slammed her door shut and then went to the driver's side. He climbed in and turned back to look to his daughter. Victoria pulled her seatbelt on, the motion jittery with fear coursing through her. Homelander smiled at his sleeping daughter and pushed the gear into drive, driving ahead without looking to his wife, wondering just what he was going to do with her when they got back to the Tower.
…
Alex wasn't entirely certain what it was he and Annie should be doing. They had agreed that they couldn't go back to Vought Tower. Annie had live-streamed herself outside of the scene of Herogasm, explaining precisely what had happened and telling them about Vought's lies. Her and Alex had tried to help as many people as possible, but there were still too many who had died. M.M. had held the phone as Annie spoke, saying what she needed to say. She said how Soldier Boy was the one who had killed those people and how he didn't care about protecting Americans. She explained how heroes only cared about their image and how Homelander was the worst of them. She said how he had hurt people…how he had done something to Maeve. It had all come out, but she was telling the truth.
Sitting on the couch in M.M's apartment, Alex felt a bit like an intruder. He shouldn't be there. He didn't know who this man was, not really, but he knew that Annie trusted him and so that meant he trusted him too. Annie was sat on the sofa next to him, M.M. perched on the armchair, leant forwards with his hands clasped together.
"So…if Butcher is still going to go after Homelander then he is going to help Soldier Boy get revenge on the rest of Payback, right?" M.M. checked with the two of them, suspecting that was the most logical plan of action.
It had been five days since Herogasm and it was like time was standing still. There had been no developments. Everything had gone quiet and none of them knew what they were supposed to do.
"I guess," Annie said with a nod of her head.
She had just released another video, explaining how there had been nothing from Vought. She explained how Maeve was still missing and they were still covering the Soldier Boy story up. She didn't mention Victoria, not entirely certain how that would go down. She hoped that she had gotten away from the city and was hiding somewhere.
"So…how many of them are left?" Alex asked.
"Butcher took out Gunpowder," Annie said.
"And then Soldier Boy got to Crimson Countess and the TNT twins," Alex added on.
"What about Noir?" M.M. questioned.
"Not entirely certain on Noir," Annie admitted.
"I was at the Tower and apparently he'd done a runner," Alex said. "And then there's Mindstorm. So, what? He's got two left to go. He's got two people he needs to kill and then he can go after Homelander again, if that's the plan, anyway."
"They had a deal according to Victoria," Annie said. "And Butcher isn't going to give up on going after Homelander."
The TV was switched on in the corner, the sound turned down. Alex looked to it for a moment before his eyes widened at what he was seeing. He moved a hand to Annie's arm, motioning to the screen. She looked at it and M.M. did the same. Picking the remote up, he turned the volume up as the three sets of eyes watched Annie's face on screen. It was the Cameron Coleman show, playing her latest recorded video.
And then the camera panned away from the full screen video to show Coleman and his guests.
"Fuck," Annie muttered under her breath.
Sitting across from Coleman was Homelander, but he wasn't alone. Victoria was sat next to him, dressed in a long-sleeved plum dress with a square neckline. Homelander was holding her hand, letting it sit on top of the table as he leaned towards her, almost like he was trying to appear protective. Shaking her head slowly, Annie buried her face into her hands. Alex clenched his into fists, seeing Victoria's face and knowing that she was there because there was no other option. He'd found her and now he was parading her round on television, preparing to lie for him and cover Vought's ass.
"These are some pretty wild accusations that Starlight is making," Cameron Coleman began. "Claiming that Maeve is missing and that Soldier Boy is alive."
"Well, Maeve is in rehab," Homelander began, voice confident and Alex noted the way his thumb was running over Victoria's engagement ring, like he was reminding her of her place. "And we can't discuss anymore than that. The Soldier Boy claim is completely ludicrous. He died in '84 and Starlight knows that. I think the issue is that she is trying to incite a panic."
"But why would she do that?" Coleman questioned, not missing a beat. "What does Starlight have to gain from these accusations?"
Homelander let out a deep breath and shrugged. "I honestly don't know," he admitted. "What I do know is that there has long been some resentment from her towards me. When she was made co-captain of the Seven, I felt as though that wasn't what she really wanted."
Coleman arched a brow, leaning forward eagerly. "You think she wanted to be captain?"
"It can happen," Homelander said with a shrug. "She got confident when her polling numbers boosted. She, perhaps, became overly cocky and there was also some animosity between her and Victoria at times too."
"What the fuck?" Annie exclaimed, hand hitting her forehead.
"Really?" Coleman asked.
Homelander squeezed Victoria's hand, urging for her to speak. Alex noted the way she sat up straight, a serious look on her face. Her cheeks were pale, no amount of blusher giving them anymore colour. She nodded her head and began to speak, her voice trying to sound confident but wavering slightly.
"I always considered her a friend, but recently she became fixated on her poll numbers…saying stuff about how I shouldn't be as high as she was considering she was a supe and I wasn't. It all started to feel a bit too much."
"I can understand her being jealous of Victoria," Homelander added on. "My wife is confident, smart and beautiful…she doesn't need superpowers to enhance who she is. But, if this is Starlight lashing out, then I would encourage her not to. It is futile."
"Do you think this is a treasonable offence?"
Homelander shrugged. "I am not here to play judge, jury and executioner. I am here to tell people that they have nothing to worry about."
"Well, Starlight has said some pretty outrageous things about you," Coleman continued pushing and Homelander chuckled, Alex's blood beginning to boil as he watched the three of them on screen, knowing that Victoria would clearly rather be anywhere else but with her husband.
"She has been spreading lies. I mean, I am none of those things that she says I am. Am I perfect? Goodness, of course not. Who is perfect? But I try my best. I do everything that I can to be the best that I can."
"My husband is right," Victoria said, her lines coming out almost like they were too rehearsed. "He's made mistakes in the past, but we all have. Starlight knows that and I just wish she would stop. Homelander is many things, but above all else, he is an amazing father and husband. I just want people to know that. I want them to know the real him, not the version that Starlight is forcing on people."
"She's been brainwashed," M.M. muttered.
Annie shook her head and they muted the TV as it went to a break. "No, he's got her where he wants her. He must have found them before they could get away and he knows that so long as he has Evelyn then Victoria will be putty in his hands."
"You think there's anything we can do?" Alex questioned, rubbing his hands on his jean covered thighs.
Annie shook her head, bowing her head and clapping her hands together. "So long as he has her under his thumb then there's nothing that we can do. I can do a video and say that it is all bullshit and she is being held against her will, but he will just wheel her out and make her say the opposite. Evelyn…so long as he has Evelyn then she won't go against him."
"I get it," M.M. said, sitting back and shrugging his shoulders. "If some psychopath had my baby girl then I'd behave exactly how they wanted me to behave, no questions asked. She's doing what she has to do to stay with her kid."
"And there's no chance he'd let Evelyn go," Annie said firmly. "There's not even a chance he'd let Victoria go considering she's pregnant again. And he knows she would never abandon her daughter…no…I mean…this is impossible. It is all impossible because we can't help her unless we kill Homelander."
"And the only way we can do that is with Soldier Boy," Alex added on.
"The only issue is that so long as Soldier Boy's around then he can hurt other people…that racist piece of shit needs to be stopped," M.M. said. He had never pretended to Butcher that he had any other feeling but despise for Soldier Boy. After what he had done to his family, why would he not? He wanted to kill him.
He had been so close to going after him the first time he had seen him, wanting revenge on him. The only person who had persuaded him to hold off was Annie. It was a team up he had never seen coming, but it appeared that it worked reasonably well. The two of them knew that Butcher's way was madness. He was determined to kill Homelander, not caring who he hurt in the process.
M.M. understood to some extent. He understood the need for revenge and wanting to save those who were in danger, but there were limits. He didn't like that there was always collateral damage with Butcher.
"I don't know how to get her out," M.M. confessed to them. "I have no plan."
"I…I don't know if I do…but maybe there's a way…" Annie said and she looked at the two men, preparing to float her plan to them.
…
Homelander sat in the meeting room of the Seven which was now dropping in numbers again. There was A-Train and the Deep still loitering around. Starlight and Supersonic were out and on the run. Maeve was still locked up in the basement. Noir was still missing. It was a nightmare that he didn't entirely know how to deal with. He sat back in his chair, letting out a deep breath.
He had been to the rally earlier for Robert Singer, endorsing him. That hadn't gone well. He had launched into a tirade against Starlight, knowing that he was losing the crowd. He couldn't do it. He was losing himself and so he had gone as soon as the rally was over. But then Victoria Neuman had found him and confronted him, telling him to get his act together and asking for his help in a transactional relationship. He had wondered what she wanted, but then it became clear. She wanted a ticket on the presidential campaign with Singer. In return, she had given him Ryan's address that was tucked up in his pocket, safe and waiting for him to use it whenever he needed to. He wanted to go to his son. He wanted to see him and make things right, but he knew he couldn't bring him back while everything was a mess in the Tower.
Victoria was in the penthouse with Evelyn. He had taken her phone from her along with her laptop. He had disconnected the landline phone and made sure that the Wi-Fi was turned off. He wasn't giving her a chance to get out. He'd changed the keypad code to the elevator, basically keeping her trapped in their home. She hadn't even complained. She had just sat on the sofa and accepted what he was doing with a vacant expression on her face. He told her that he would be gone most of the day, needing to get work done. That was a lie, of course. He was letting everyone else do the work for him. He had no desire to go anywhere but he knew that he had to deal with all of his problems eventually.
There were crowds forming outside the Tower, demanding to know where Maeve was thanks to Starlight and her stupid live-streaming. He kept his eyes closed as the evening descended on him. He figured he should go back to the penthouse soon to make sure Victoria was safe and well. And then he would spend the rest of the night stewing, wondering if perhaps Soldier Boy could beat him.
"Sir."
Looking to the door, Homelander saw a man dressed in a suit stood there, looking anxious. Everyone always looked so nervous these days, especially since Deep had fired the majority of Crime Analytics.
"What?" Homelander questioned from him.
"It's Starlight. She's used her pass to get into the Tower."
"What?" Homelander snapped again. "Did no one think to revoke her access?"
"I…we…umm…." The man stammered and Homelander gritted his teeth forcefully, anger taking hold of him. He stood up and stormed towards the man, looking down at the tablet in his hands.
"Incompetent fucking pricks," he muttered and saw Starlight moving through the corridors away from research and development. "I'll deal with this."
"Yes, sir."
Moving away from the meeting room, Homelander walked down the corridors of the ninety-ninth floor, finally coming to the elevator on the other side of it. He chuckled as he saw the back of Starlight, stood there in her denim jacket with her jeans and sneakers, like she could go incognito.
"Where's the fire, Starlight?" he asked from her.
She turned back to look to him. "Just finishing some things off."
"I see," Homelander said. "So not trying to visit Victoria?"
"I saw that you'd change the code up to the penthouse and her phone hasn't been switched on in days. I take it you're keeping her locked up there?" Annie asked, her phone secure in the palm of her hand by her side as it recorded everything he was saying.
"I am keeping her safe and away from people trying to turn her against me."
"By locking her up? Just like you have done with Maeve? I think you're scared."
"Of?" Homelander asked from her, voice firm.
"Of her getting away from you and telling everyone exactly what kind of monster you are and what exactly it is you've done to her…how you've threatened to take her daughter from her to keep her with you."
Homelander ground his teeth together. "You see, this is what I mean by people interfering in our relationship…you, her brother…none of you can leave us alone. I do what I do to keep her with me where she belongs. So, you can make this easy or you can make it difficult."
"What?" she asked him.
"Say that everything you've been saying has been a load of shit," Homelander said to her. "Admit that what you've done has caused harm and you're sorry for that, both you and Supersonic…apologise for the harm you've done, especially to me and Victoria, and you can come back."
Annie shook her head. "You want me to lie? I'm not doing that. You know Soldier Boy is out there."
"He'll be handled," Homelander said with a roll of his eyes and she knew she had him where she wanted him. "You think he's a threat? He's not. I almost had him."
"Yeah? Is that why you're wearing concealer over that bruise?" Annie wondered.
His teeth clenched even harder. "I'm not letting this go."
"You don't have to," Annie said as the elevator came. She stepped in and held her phone up, pointing it straight at him. "But you should say hello to all of my one hundred and ninety million followers who just heard you admit Soldier Boy is alive and that you're basically keeping your wife captive because she wants to leave you."
Homelander's face fell and he looked at the phone in her hands. Moving his fingers to grip his hips, he chuckled darkly and shook his head slowly. How could she do this to him? Who did she think she was? He cocked his head and tried to act nice, hoping that he could at least save himself some face before the doors closed on her.
"Starlight, you know I was just telling you what you wanted to hear…try and get you on side…"
She stopped the footage as the doors closed and the elevator descended. Homelander shook his head continuously, cheeks puffing out before he balled his hand into a fist and punched the wall to the side of him. He saw the indentation in it, not caring in the slightest. He couldn't go after Starlight. It wouldn't look good and he knew that. He stormed to the other elevator and hit the code for the penthouse, his anger taking hold of him entirely. Walking into his suite, he slammed the door closed behind him, starling Victoria who was stood by the sofa, Evelyn in her arms and the television turned on. Looking to it, she motioned with her chin and Homelander cursed under his breath.
"I think you might have an issue," Victoria said, trying not to sound amused.
The video of him and Starlight's conversation was being played already. She must have tipped off some news outlet before she came for him. Homelander moved his hands to the top of his head, exhaling loudly as his wife smiled down to Evelyn and he found the anger building inside of him once more.
"You don't need to look like you're enjoying this," he snarled at her.
Picking her gaze up to meet his, she gave him a cold stare. "I'm playing with our daughter," she said and then looked to the screen. "Besides, it's hardly my fault that you let Starlight in the building. Did no one think to revoke her pass?"
"Obviously not," he snapped at her and couldn't quite believe the mess that he was in.
"Has Ashley seen this yet?"
"Has she not called?"
"Considering you took all the phones out of here, I've got no idea," Victoria said and he rolled his eyes at her attitude. "I'm going to go and give Evie her dinner. You might want to think about doing some crisis management around this…unless Deep fired all of your PR team too?"
Victoria began to head into the kitchen, bouncing Evelyn in her arms. She didn't get far as Homelander stopped her, a hand wrapping around her wrist, his glare set down on her. She tried to pull her hand free from his arm, but she was failing miserably. "John, let go."
"You know, I brought you back here. I let you stay with Evie. And this is the thanks I get? I come home to sarcastic comments? Mocking me?"
"John, you're hurting me," Victoria complained, struggling to hold Evelyn as she fought to get free of Homelander.
"You're so fucking ungrateful. All of this is what I do for you…to keep you happy…and it will never be enough. I'm getting tired of it, Victoria. I'm at the end of my tether with all of it and you should do well to remember that."
"Doesn't excuse what you are," Victoria snapped at him.
"Why? Because I'm such a monster? I've heard it all before and it doesn't bother me," Homelander promised her. "So shout and scream…cry if you want…because I'm done covering up who I am for you. You're going to accept it because you have no choice. You're mine. Do you understand? No one else is ever going to have you."
"Get off of me," Victoria snapped at him again, tugging her wrist but not moving it.
"I said, do you understand me?" he roared at her.
Before she could answer, the red beams flooded the room and Victoria shrieked in surprise. She looked down to where she had Evelyn cradled against her front, her daughter's head turned to the side and her eyes glowing crimson. Homelander was on the other side of the room, laid on the floor, the coffee table flipped over. Looking between her husband and daughter, Victoria realised what had happened. Evelyn had done that. She had used her powers against her father.
"What…" Victoria gasped out a deep breath and then looked to her daughter again, lifting her up so that she was eye level with her. Evelyn reached her hands out for her mother's face, her eyes turning back to the baby blue colour she recognised. "Evie…sweetheart…" she said, trying not to cry as she embraced her daughter tightly, Homelander sitting up, hands behind his back and holding his weight. His eyes settled on his wife and daughter.
"You've turned her against me," Homelander said, his voice accusing Victoria of doing the one thing he dreaded more than anything. His daughter was supposed to adore him. She was supposed to love him more than anything. He never wanted her to despise him.
"No," Victoria said, her voice stern. "I didn't do anything. She's a baby, John. She's upset…confused…"
"She used her powers against me," Homelander said, moving to stand up as Victoria went to put Evelyn down in her basket, the little girl crying for her mother instantly. Victoria stood in front of the crib, not wanting to move away from it.
"John, she was just upset. She saw you hurting me and she…she can't control her powers. You said yourself that when you were younger you didn't know how to do that either."
"It's not the same."
"It's exactly the same," Victoria responded. "She won't remember this. You know she won't."
"I can't trust you with her," Homelander said with a firm shake of his head. "I can't trust you not to keep manipulating her…turning her against me as she grows up. She's the one you spend the most time with. You've got your claws into her. You want to turn her into a weapon against me?"
"No!" Victoria snapped at him, trying not to cry at the audacity of the situation. She moved towards him then and grabbed his forearms. "She's my daughter, John. I love her and she loves me. She was just looking out for me. You know that I would never use her against you. Please, you have to know that."
"I don't know anything about what you'd do," Homelander said to her with a firm shake of his head. "You're a liar. You've played on my feelings for you to stay close to me. You're a manipulator…you're no different to Madelyn after all, are you?"
"I am," Victoria said quickly, "you know that I am. I'm not like her. I did love you…she never did…I just want to stay with my baby. I want to stay with her and I'd do anything to be with her."
"And you think I wouldn't?" Homelander asked her. "But this…I can't risk this. I can't risk you filling her head with poison."
"John, that's not what I'm doing."
"And like I said," he pushed her hands from his arms, "I don't believe you. Until I can trust you with her, I think it best if I look after her for the time being."
"No!" Victoria yelled at him. "You can't take her from me. You promised that you'd never take her from me so long as I did what you asked…please…you can't do this. Do you want me to beg? I'll beg. John, I'm begging you, please…don't do this."
Homelander, for all of his strength, felt his resolve crumble as his wife fell to her knees in front of him, her hands clasped together, tears streaming down her face. He watched her as she looked to him, her whimpers echoing into his ear and he thought of the child she was carrying. He knew that this stress would not be helping her, but he could give her something to keep her calm. He could have the doctors come and give her something.
He almost cracked, looking to her and hoping that he could make it work. But then he thought back to his other voice. No. This was what always happened. He always gave into her and look where it got him? He shook his head and moved around her towards the crib.
"It will just be for a while until I am certain she is safe with you," Homelander said and Victoria scrambled to her feet, trying to grab hold of him before he could pick Evelyn up. Her hits against his back were weak, doing nothing to stop him. She tugged at his hair, clawing at any place she could get to before he turned around, grabbing her neck and squeezing ever so slightly to take her breath away. She tugged at his hands to no avail. He backed her towards the sofa, pushing her to sit down and hearing her cough.
Moving to pick Evelyn form her crib, he kept her eyes shielded from her mother, turning her to face the other way. Walking towards the elevator, he pressed in the code. Victoria was on her feet again, coughing, cheeks tinged red and running towards it. She got there in time to hit against him, making sure she avoided Evelyn as she tugged his arm.
"Please, don't do this…don't take her from me…John…please…"
"You need to calm down and think of the baby inside of you," John demanded from her.
"Please just give her to me…please don't take her…" Victoria sobbed loudly and the elevator doors opened, Evelyn continuing to wail in his arms. He stepped inside, Victoria following him and still tugging on his arm, growing weaker with each passing second as she exerted herself.
"Victoria, stop," he barked at her and she saw his eyes shine red.
She jumped back and he moved his hand to her shoulder, pushing her from the enclosed space. She stood outside, hands clasped together as he continued to threaten her, eyes glowing red. She shook her head as the doors closed and she tried to step back in, but he pushed her once more as the doors closed to keep her out. Banging on the silver steel, Victoria screamed for her daughter, her cries echoing down into the elevator, Homelander burying his nose in Evelyn's soft hairs as she continued sobbing.
He moved quickly, leaving her in the nursery until he figured out exactly what it was he had to do. Natalie looked concerned but he told her there was nothing to worry about, just that Victoria needed some space. He went to Doctor Jacobs, explaining that his wife needed some kind of sedative. She was hysterical, he explained, crying over what Starlight had done to him and how she had ruined their friendship. He said how he was scared for their unborn child if she continued acting as she was doing. Jacobs looked hesitant, not entirely certain sedation was the best option. But the look on Homelander's face told him not to question him if he wanted to keep his job.
Going back to the penthouse, Homelander found Victoria on the balcony, Jacobs and two nurses in tow with him from the medical centre in the Tower. Moving to the balcony, Homelander saw that Victoria was looking at the fire ladder that went to the top of the building. He shook his head, knowing she wasn't fond of heights, but she was desperate.
"Victoria!" he roared her name and ran after her, grabbing her before she could make a bolt for the ladder. He'd make sure to lock the balcony doors from now on. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back as she thrashed in his arms.
"No, let me go!" she yelled at him, trying with all her might to get away.
"See?" Homelander said to Jacobs. "She's hysterical. She needs something to calm her down."
Victoria's eyes widened then as she realised what was happening. She looked to Doctor Jacobs and the two nurses behind him and she shook her head, cheeks wet and red, hair sticking to them. Her short denim skirt rode up her thighs, revealing most of her tight covered legs, her jumper coming out from the waistband of the skirt.
"He's taken my baby…he's taken Evie…please…don't do this," Victoria begged and she saw the conflict in Jacob's gaze. The nurses exchanged anxious glances, not sure what was going on as Victoria observed the doctor who had continuously checked up on her. "Please, don't do this…it's not right…"
"She's delusional and she's going to hurt our baby," Homelander snapped. "Do it, now."
"No!" Victoria snapped and Homelander manhandled her, rolling her sleeve up her arm as she tried to kick back at him. His arm remained around her, keeping her own pinned down as his other hand took hold of her chin, tilting her head back against his shoulder and stopping her from squirming.
"Jacobs!" Homelander snapped his name and the man jumped, moving towards Victoria, a syringe in his hand. She couldn't move as a nurse swabbed the area, Homelander keeping her tight to his front so that she couldn't move her arm. She felt the needle pierce her skin and she watched as Jacobs pulled it out once the syringe was empty.
The other nurse dried the blood away, placing a plaster over the prick mark. Victoria waited for the impact of whatever they had given her to take effect. It didn't take long as she felt her eyes begin to close, drowsiness taking over her.
"It's alright," Homelander whispered, brushing her hair from her face as he kept her upright in his arms, tilting her back so that he was finally carrying her. "You're going to be fine, Victoria."
"What have you done?" she demanded, speech slurred.
"What needs to be done," he just said back to her. "To keep my family together."
...
A/N: So I hate to say that we are coming to an end! Next chapter will have Billy and Soldier Boy finding Mindstorm...Homelander under pressure...and that big Soldier Boy reveal! When season 3 is done, I think that might be it until we get season 4 (if people still want me to continue!). I could go AU for a few chapters, but I'll see if people are interested. I haven't posted this on A03 - it's just here! Please let me know if you'd be interested in this continuing and how you think season 3 might end in the story!