Chapter 6:

–Marcus–

"Welcome to Vought, Ms. January!" Some guy was standing in the main lobby, all smiles and enthusiasm as he waited for Annie. "Everyone's so excited to meet the newest member of the Seven! We're so glad to have you as part of our corporate family!"

I stifled a groan. Nothing made me cringe more than when corporations threw around the word family like it actually meant something. It was just another way to trick their dumbest employees into working harder for nothing but empty promises. But, whatever, that's how the game's played I supposed…

"Oh… um, thanks?" Annie sounded a little caught off guard by the personal welcome committee but quickly moved past it. "I'm happy to be here! When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being part of the Seven!"

"Pretty amazing you got to live your dream," the guy said, flashing her a soft, practiced smile. He reached out, aiming to rest his hand on her shoulder.

I could see right through Vought's play. This guy was a total honeypot—handsome enough, smooth enough, to be sure, but he was just another pawn to seduce or spy on Annie. Whatever suited the corporation best.

Typical Vought…

Problem was, I'd already decided Annie was going to be one of my girlfriends. I'd like to say I'm not a possessive guy, but I'd be lying.

Before his hand even landed on her shoulder, he jerked it back, yelping like a startled puppy. I'd hit his palm with a microburst of heat vision—quick, precise, too subtle for anyone to catch unless they were watching closely.

"Are you okay?" Annie asked, glancing at him in concern while he clutched his hand. It looked fine for now, but I knew better. Give it ten, maybe fifteen minutes, and it'd blister up like he'd pressed it against a hot stove.

I smirked. I could tell it hurt like a bitch too…

Finally, the man noticed me standing next to Annie. The man-whore was smarter than I gave him credit for. He immediately put two and two together, realizing it was me who attacked him. He glared at me and opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it again when my eyes began to glow red!

"I—I need to go!" he stuttered in fear. He knew better than to pick a fight with a Supe. I had a feeling we wouldn't be seeing him again—or if we did, he'd be out the door without so much as a severance package. Because, yeah, I can be petty like that. He turned around and sprinted past Annie so fast, he nearly knocked her over.

"What was that about?" Annie asked in confusion. My arms were wrapped around her, keeping her from falling. She turned her head up at me, her cheeks a little pink as she smiled. "...Thanks for catching me."

"Anytime," I replied with a smug grin. "And don't worry about that guy. Some people in this city are just plain weird…"

She nodded, easily accepting my lie. With the annoyance out of the way, we headed toward the elevator like nothing happened. As the elevator doors slid shut, I leaned back casually against the wall, glancing at Annie from the corner of my eye. She was fidgeting slightly, trying to act cool, but I could tell she was a little nervous because she was about to meet the rest of the Seven.

"So," I started, breaking the silence, "joining the Seven, huh? That's pretty amazing."

Annie looked up at me, her eyes brightening. "Yeah, it's… a lot. I still can't believe it, honestly. Feels like I'm living someone else's life."

"Well, whoever's life it is, they're lucky to be living it," I said, giving her a sly smile. "I mean, not every beautiful woman gets the opportunity to meet me."

She laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh, is that so? What makes you so special?"

I pretended to think for a second. "Well, for one, I'm good at catching damsels in distress."

Annie rolled her eyes, but there was a playful glint in them. "I wasn't in distress. That asshole just ran right into me," she pouted cutely.

"That's too bad," I stepped a little closer, the space between us shrinking to next to nothing. I could here her heartbeat pick up. "But if you ever need someone to catch you again, I'll be there for you…"

Annie paused for a moment and gaped at me. "Pfft! I can't believe you just said that!" she started laughing.

"Too corny?" I asked while scratching my cheek.

She was about to say something else, but The elevator dinged, the top floor arriving way too soon.

As the doors slid open, I stepped aside, giving her room to exit first. "Ladies first, Ms. January," I said with a wink.

Annie laughed again, shaking her head as she walked past me. "You're trouble, aren't you? My mom warned me about guys like you…"

"You have no idea," I chuckled as we stepped out.

–Annie January–

As Annie stepped out of the elevator, she found herself sneaking another glance at Marcus. He had this knowing confidence about him that really seemed to draw her in. She had barely met the guy an hour ago, but he was already ticking all her boxes. Tall? Check. Beefy? Double check.

And that smile? Yeah, it was seriously doing things to her as a woman…

Today was supposed to be the best day of her life because she was finally joining the Seven.

The Seven.

The dream she'd had since she was a kid was finally coming true! But now, she couldn't help but wonder—was this the best day of her life because of that, or because she'd just met someone who seemed... well, amazing?

Like, fate or destiny level amazing!

A blush crept up her cheeks, and she tried to shake the thoughts away. She needed to focus. She wasn't the kind of girl who got swept up by some guy so easily, no matter how perfect he seemed on the outside…

But Marcus wasn't just some guy. Was he? He supposedly worked at Vought, just like her. And didn't he mention being rich? Annie wasn't the type of girl who cared about money, but… she'd dated a few broke guys back in college. Guys who only wanted one thing from her.

Well… technically two things. They wanted her body, which she never let anyone touch because she hadn't met the right guy yet. But they also wanted her for her money—or at least the money they thought she had. A lot of guys assumed she was rich just because she had real superpowers. But that was so far from the truth. She was a small town Supe before all this, she didn't make shit…

"So…" Annie trailed off, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks. "Thanks for bringing me to the top of the tower…"

She noticed Marcus was staring at a nearby wall, looking a little distracted.

"Is everything alright?" Annie asked, tilting her head in concern.

Marcus nodded and shrugged casually, though there was something in his eyes that seemed distant. "Yeah, everything's fine. I actually came up here to meet someone myself. Never met them before, and… I'm kind of nervous. He doesn't even know I'm here."

Annie blinked, surprised. Marcus? Nervous? The guy who walked around like he owned the place, all confident and charming? She found it kind of cute, if she was being honest. "Is this guy important to you?" she asked softly.

"I'd like to think so," Marcus replied a bit more seriously. "I'm just not exactly sure how to, you know, interact with him."

Without thinking, Annie reached out and gently held Marcus's hand for a moment, her thumb brushing against his skin. "Just do what feels natural to you. I'm sure whoever this guy is to you, he will appreciate it."

Marcus glanced down at her hand in his, looking thoughtful for a second before his lips curled into a soft smile. "Thanks," he said.

Annie smiled back, feeling her heart skip a beat.

–Marcus–

Just do what feels natural...

I could do that.

My confidence surged back, and I was a bit irritated with myself for even hesitating. That wasn't like me at all. I led Annie down the hall until we stood in front of a pair of closed doors—the doors that led to one of the most famous rooms in America. We were at the top of the tower, where the Seven held their so-called "important meetings."

"The person you're looking for is in there?" Annie asked, curiosity all over her face. "Do you know what room that is?"

"He sure is," I replied, throwing the doors open with a little more flair than necessary.

Inside, three members of the Seven were gathered, and I could hear Homelander was in the middle of a rant about something

"Can you please stop talking, Deep? I'm trying to think here! I don't have time to hear about whatever dolphin you've been fu—" Homelander's voice cut off as soon as he noticed me throw the doors wide open.

His eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, he just stood there, stunned and speechless.

My attention shifted to the speedster lounging in the room. "Hey there, A-Train! You're looking better already. I take it you found the girl?" I asked him.

A-Train glanced nervously between me and Homelander, clearly unsure how to handle the situation. After a moment, he nodded, his voice shaky. "Yeah, yeah, I found the girl. Rescued her from this messed-up orphanage. You should've seen it, man. They were treating her worse than a slave."

"Good work," I gave him a thumbs-up. Asia Argento secured that easily? Looked like today was just full of wins for me.

I felt a tug on the back of my shirt and glanced down to see Annie looking at me, eyebrows raised. "You know A-Train? Is that who you were nervous to meet?" she asked, clearly confused.

I shook my head, my gaze drifting back to Homelander. "No, I'm here to meet someone else."

Homelander, done gaping at me like a fish, stormed across the room until we were standing face-to-face. I'd been imagining this moment for years, and now, seeing the look in his eyes, I knew it—he was just as nervous about meeting me as I was him.

Just do what feels natural…

I could do that…

WHAM!

I pulled my fist back and slugged Homelander right in the face! The impact was so powerful it rattled all the glass windows in the room. Homelander staggered backward, clutching his nose.

Damn, that was supposed to break his nose. He was one tough bastard, as expected of my old man.

"What the hell was that, Marcus!?" Annie shrieked, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Holy shit!" The Deep yelped before diving under the table to hide.

Homelander touched his face, his gloved hand coming away with a small trickle of blood. He stared at it in shock. "I'm... bleeding?"

I smirked, crossing my arms. "Come on, old man. Aren't you gonna say hello back to me?"

Homelander snapped out of it, a grin spreading across his face. "So, that's how you want to play it…?" he said, blood still dripping from his nose. "Alright then, brat. Let's see what you've got!" he said cockily.

I didn't bother dodging as his fist connected with my cheek, sending my head snapping back. Damn, that felt like getting hit by a High-Class Rook. Now this was what I'd been waiting for!

After years of training with Tiamat, I knew sometimes the best way to bond with someone was with your fists!

"Oh my god! You just got punched by Homelander! Are you okay, Marcus?" Annie asked, her eyes wide with concern.

I grinned at her, wiping the drop of blood from my lip. "I'm better than okay, Annie! You might want to take a couple of steps back, though. My old man and I are just saying hello to each other after so long..."

"Old man? Wait, your dad is Homelander?" Annie gaped at me, but I didn't have time to answer. All my focus was on him now, and his on me.

Homelander cracked his knuckles. "How do you want to do this... Son?" That last word was laced with pride as he spoke.

"Just fists," I said. "No flying, no laser eyes. Just two men getting to know each other the proper way."

Homelander's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Hehehe, I LIKE IT!"

And with that, we were off. The tiles cracked underneath our feet as we charged at each other. Our fists flew out at hyper speeds, each punch powerful enough to vaporize a regular person. Neither of us even bothered to block, we just traded blow after blow and let our bodies do the talking for us. We had almost 20 years of catching up to do!

–A-Train–

"Why am I not fucking surprised this is how it's going down…" A-Train muttered to himself, eyes wide as he backed up against the far wall, keeping his distance from the two titans currently slugging it out. "Fucking Homelander Junior…"

He had no interest in getting involved in whatever weird family bonding session this was turning into.

Out of the corner of his eye, A-Train noticed a cute blonde racing toward him, her face painted with panic. It took him a second to realize this was Starlight—his new teammate. He'd seen her enter the room with Marcus.

"What the hell is going on!?" she shouted over the deafening sounds of punches landing. "Marcus is a Supe?! Homelander's son?! Why are they killing each other?" she stared up at him, expecting him to have all the answers for some reason.

As if he could ever hope to comprehend the craziness that was Homelander… or his son. Although, oddly enough, he sort of understood what was happening here. It was a man thing…he suspected.

Maybe…

A-Train shrugged at Starlight. "Nah, they're not killing each other. They're just... I don't really know what the fuck they're doing, but it should be fine." He'd seen Homelander lose it plenty of times, but this wasn't one of those moments. In fact, A-Train couldn't remember ever seeing the guy this happy. Sure, Homelander's face was covered in blood and bruises, which was shocking, but that didn't hide the big bloody grin on Homelander's face.

It was like he was having the time of his life…

Marcus wasn't looking too bad either. Actually, to A-Train's shock, Marcus wasn't nearly as bloodied or bruised as Homelander.

'Holy shit,' A-Train thought in disbelief. 'Marcus is actually stronger than his old man!'

Marcus unleashed a flurry of brutal body blows, each one forcing Homelander to gasp for air. But the world's most famous Supe wasn't backing down. He took each hit, barely flinching, and then drove a savage knee into Marcus's stomach.

"Now it's a fight," A-Train muttered, his eyes darting between them.

Marcus doubled over, gagging from the impact, but before he could recover, Homelander slammed his head forward in a vicious headbutt. The crack was audible, and blood poured from Marcus's nose, soaking his shirt.

As the two of them stepped back to readjust, A-Train casually glanced over at Starlight. "So... I saw you come in with Marcus. You, uh, his girlfriend or something?" he asked, like they weren't watching two Supes destroy each other.

Starlight's face flushed red before she bristled. "N–No! And is this really the time to ask that? The Deep is literally over there crying under the table! …This is not how I imagined my first day with The Seven would start off!"

A-Train rolled his eyes, glancing under the table. Sure enough, The Deep was curled up in a ball, sucking his thumb while tears streamed down his face.

"For fuck's sake..." A-Train grumbled, crossing his arms. "Deep, stop being a baby! You're making us look bad in front of Starlight!"

But The Deep didn't get a chance to answer. A second later, the table he was hiding under snapped in half as Marcus was hurled into it. The Deep shrieked and scrambled away just in time as Marcus grabbed the other half of the broken table and smashed it over Homelander's head, driving him a few feet into the floor.

"So much for them sticking to fists," A-Train muttered, shaking his head. He considered pulling out his phone to record the madness—this fight was kind of epic—but quickly thought better of it. That had "bad press" written all over it. Homelander had never been hurt on camera, and no one needed to see the world's "invincible" hero getting bloodied by his own son.

–Marcus–

My old man was on his last legs, and we both knew it. I figured he'd be upset about getting his ass kicked for the first time in his life, but instead, he looked absolutely thrilled.

"God damn! You're definitely my son!" Homelander exclaimed, blowing blood out of his left nostril.

I flinched a little at the G-word, but it didn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. "I think you've been slacking off, old man. Mom told me stories about how you two met at Comic-Con. She said you used to be absolutely jacked, but you've clearly slimmed down a bit."

Homelander shrugged, raising his fists again. "You're right. I guess I'm going to have to hit the gym after this. But that's for later. For now, let's finish this!"

I raised my fists in agreement. A few more punches should finally knock him on his ass!

"You two will most certainly not finish it!" A man's voice rang out from behind us.

I turned to see a sharply dressed African American man watching us like we were complete idiots.

And honestly? Fair enough.

My dad let out a disappointed whine, lowering his bloody fists. "Of course the party pooper had to show up. Couldn't you have waited a few more minutes, Stan?"

"That's Mr. Edgar to you, Homelander. And no, I couldn't wait a few more minutes. In case you two morons didn't notice, the entire building has been shaking for the past five minutes as if it was about to topple over. Half the employees ran outside, thinking we were having an earthquake! Do you know how rare earthquakes are in New York?"

"That sounds like a rhetorical question," I pointed out.

Stan Edgar glared at me. "It was," he replied, taking a breath. "Welcome to Vought, Marcus…" His voice trailed off, probably not knowing my full name.

"Marcus Sitri," I introduced myself properly, extending my blood-covered hand for him to shake. To my surprise, he took it without hesitation. This guy certainly had some guts—just like in the show.

"Marcus Sitri? Hm, that name sounds familiar," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I bought a bit of stock recently," I told Stan, holding back on just how much I'd actually acquired. The methods I used to snatch up that many shares so quickly weren't exactly legal. It would take a bit of time to make all the paperwork line up.

"I'm sure it was more than a bit, considering I'm now remembering your name as our corporation's new majority shareholder," Stan Edgar said, a small frown creasing his brow. "Clearly, your mysterious mother must have come from some very old money…" He pondered out loud.

I chuckled at him. He had no idea! "Don't worry, Stan," I said, I wasn't calling him Mr Edgar either. "I'm not going to force any big changes through the Corporation just yet… except, how do you feel about Gundams?"

Stan let out a sigh, clearly thinking I wasn't being serious. "You two just clean yourselves up so we can start fixing this destroyed floor." He then turned his attention to Annie, who was standing on the other side of the room. "Hello, Starlight. Welcome to Vought. I'm sorry this is what you experienced so soon after joining. I'm Vought's CEO, Stan Edgar. Do you have any questions about being a member of The Seven?"

Now that the fighting had stopped, Annie slowly made her way over to us. I could see the concern in her eyes as she looked me over. "I have… a lot of questions," she announced.

XXX

Some good ol father and son bonding!

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Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 287-291

The Titan ch 6

The Fox Hole ch 11

The Supe Devil ch 8

The Blood Queen ch 7

The Fox Hole ch 10

The Supe Devil ch 7

The Blood Queen ch 6

The Titan ch 5

The Blood Queen ch 5

The Fox Hole ch 9