AN: Hi Everyone!
I have been informed that this story is being posted on Webnovel under the name: The Boys: Reborn as Homelander.
It is not me who is posting the story there. Fanfic is the only site where I have posted any of my stories.
Thank you to The Watcher of Fiction for letting me know in the reviews!
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
TIMELINE & DATE:
I think Season 3 happens during 2021 with the last few episodes happening after Homelander's Birthday Special which is July 4th. So I put the action for the last few episodes to happen towards the end of August or first week of September.
For this story I am moving the date up by one year so Chapters 1 through 15 happen during the last week of August first week of September 2022.
My reasoning is that in the show they have a presidential election coming up. In the real world the next election is 2024 and campaigning starts around two years before the election so it fits nicely with the real world and makes future date calculations much easier for me.
AS I'm starting the time skip I won't be providing exact dates only months and years and sometimes only years as we get further along the timeline.
Chapter 21
Date: June 2023
The Earth, a shining blue pearl in a sea of darkness, a breath taking image I don't think I will ever be tired of seeing.
The oceans blue feeding this otherwise unassuming rock with life giving water, the continents with their vast grassy planes transforming into protruding mountains where frozen snow colored the tops white, the green forests dotting the lands evoking a fresh feel, the rivers that snaked through in every direction and even the light up grey concrete spots where mankind gathered all moved, shifted and connected gently forming a cacophony of lights and colors to my eye as if part of a greater magical whole.
There was a sense of admiration and amazement of this living, breathing planet of ours coupled with a sense of sadness and dread when thinking that the whole human race and sapient life in our known universe was here and only here.
And it was all MINE!
All mine for the taking!
All mine to shape, mold and change in my image.
I was burdened with glorious purpose to lead mankind, conquer the star themselves and usher in a new golden age!
But first I needed to make sure V-Light was a success which is why I was floating more than six hundred kilometers over the earth in low orbit.
"Homelander you've reached correct orbit parameters. Capsule is ready to deploy cargo." Spoke the radio in my helmet.
I quickly double-checked the display in my helmet to make sure it was all right.
"Roger that, maintaining orbit." I answered back.
"Undergoing pre-deployment checks." Ground control answered. "And…all clear. Cargo ready to deploy in 3, 2, 1."
I watched in silence as the satellites deployed one by one, unfurling their panels and jettisoning into correct orbital positions.
Sixty Byron-3, often referred to as B-3, satellites were being deployed in this first launch.
The B-3 satellite model was not the most up to date technology available being already half a decade old however most of the operational kinks had been worked out and it had become the workhorse telecommunication satellite of Byron SatCom.
Additionally the materials, parts and chips to manufacture the satellites were more readily available on the market than newer more competitive models.
In summary it was a tried and true tested technology that we were able to manufacture easily enough. If all goes well then in a month we will be able to double production capacity and then double it again in the next month.
By the end of the year we'll have an array of over thirteen hundred satellites and triple that by the end of the second year.
If things go really well then in a year we'll be able to launch the first proprietary V-Light Satellite which is really just going to be an upgraded version of the Bryron-6 satellite.
Once the engineering teams realized they don't need to worry about weight anymore they kind of went…well crazy.
The requirements were still being finalized so I wasn't putting too much hope in it. I knew the more capabilities were integrated the more complex the design had to be and the more time it took to troubleshoot everything.
So for now the B-3 will have to do.
"Deployment complete. Homelander confirm visual?"
I know the cameras transmitting to ground control already confirmed visual but since this is the first mission I use my super vision the check the capsule and scan the satellites as they all were moving into orbital positions.
"Confirmed. I can't see anything wrong with the cargo."
"Glad to hear that. All our instruments confirm cargo is in working condition. You are clear for descent."
"Roger that. Beginning descent." I confirm and begin my practiced descent at a leisurely five hundred clicks an hour.
I was rushing V-Light internet to market not only to beat the competition but also because I needed to look successful.
When you are operating at my level appearances were everything and I needed to be seen as more than just the celebrity Boy Scout hero, the Strongest Man in the world, the Number 1 hero, the Savior of New York.
I wanted to build a different kind of trust with America.
I wanted them to see me as someone that can lead, that can enact change that can get things done.
I wanted to create a different kind of mythos around me one of intelligence, capability and business sense.
I would soon come to lean on that trust and reputation probably more than anything else.
I was going to ask a lot of America in the next two decades, specifically a lot of money and power.
You don't start a whole new space race with just the wallet and influence of one company.
No, no, no. You need massive government support, the backing of a whole nation. Billions and billions will be needed for R&D alone to have better well…everything for colonizing space.
Of course the fact that all of this new spending will make me one of the richest man in the solar systems is only an added benefit.
All of that was in the long term in the short term it also looked incredibly good for the 'Street'.
Even though we were on the road to recovery after the stock took a nosedive from the initial announcement last year spending forecasted spending was increasing and we would have a pretty turbulent second half of the year.
New training and re-training for the heroes, wage increases all across the board, better benefits and health insurance, more training for managers and front line staff, the ever expanding R&D did not come cheap.
Hell our new maternity policy was going to cost tens of millions.
Vought was now the leader in maternity benefits in the country.
Amazing for employees, fantastic for my and Vought's reputation but terrible for keeping costs down.
Keeping the stock price up was integral not only to ensure I kept my position as Chairman of the Board but also because a large part of my wealth was a tied to Vought stock and most of my 'space' investments won't really pay off for another five years assuming everything goes well.
Which it never does.
But nevertheless I was willing to risk all the extra spending at the worst case scenario I would have bought the hearts, minds and loyalties of at least two hundred thousand Americans.
Besides I always figured that LexCorp must have had kickass benefits too…otherwise why would people continue to work there?
Scene Break
Date: June 2023
He took a slow breath to calm himself and another look at his target. With the path clear and no interference in sight he moved.
With confident steps he put up an air of control even though excitement filled his chest.
As he closed in, seeing his target unaware, he cleared his throat.
"Excuse me sir." He said with relief that his voice didn't crack.
His target turned around plate full and shrimp in hand.
"You're Nubian Prince right?...I mean of course you are." He started stuttering emotions getting the better of him for asking such an obvious question. "…I just wanted to say how much of an inspiration you are. I've been following your work since you started in Detroit, you're the reason I wanted to become a hero in the first place…"
He stopped as he noticed his 'hero' look at him not and swallowed his food.
Nubian Prince put his plate down and wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Nice to meet you kid. What's your name?" Instantly he felt relief as he took the taller dark skinned man's hand in his own and shook it.
"Darren Dolohov sir…" He saw Nubian Prince raise his eyebrow at him. "Uh, I mean Side Strike sir." Nubian Prince smiled at him.
"Nice to meet you Darren. Just remember when in costume it's always your hero name, it's company policy." He said gently.
"Yes sir…Nubian Prince …sir?"
"Just call me Gerald while we are here. And enough with the Sir stuff, we're both heroes here. Plus you are making me feel like my father."
"Uh, yea of course, sure thing Gerald." Side Strike said.
"You're pretty new right kid? How many years in the business?" Gerald asked.
"Just started last year…well I mean I went thought the Academy and graduated last year."
"And how are you finding it so far?"
He hesitated to answer but felt he should say the truth to the person he admired the most.
"Uh… honestly it is not what I expected." He hesitated.
"In what way?" Nubian Prince asked in earnest interest.
"Well…" he started. "Once I graduated I thought I'd be out there in the field doing good, you know, catching bad guys and helping people. But it's been a lot less field work than I thought and a lot more media focus I guess..." he paused briefly "like they are having me do a lot of Tik Tok videos every time I go out. They say it's for community outreach but I think it's mostly because I gained a big following during my academy days."
He saw Nubian Prince smile and chuckle.
"It's just part of the job Darren. Trust me you'll get your time in the field, you'll get your hands dirty and if you stick long enough you'll get to see stuff you wish you hadn't seen. Every hero here has a few cases they wish they hadn't seen, gruesome stuff." He saw Gerald tone turn somber as if remembering memories he wish he didn't have.
"You'll get to help people personally and that's important don't get me wrong but the media stuff, the movies, the commercials the sponsorships the Tik Tok's that important as well." Darren listened intently.
"That's how the company makes money and that's how we make money. And make no mistake money is how you change the world. You see I've been in this business for a decade and a half. Saved a lot of people and lost quite a few. You never get to save everyone you have to remember that kid." Gerald said as a matter a fact.
"But you know what I'm most proud of?" Darren didn't smartly didn't answer the rhetorical question.
"It's the Maya Center for Excellence." Darren looked confused for a moment trying to figure out where he heard that name before.
"It's the private school academies I've founded." Nubian Prince supplied helpfully. "Five schools about three to four hundred students each half the seats go to low income inner city kids. Every year over two hundred students graduate and go to college on scholarships that would have never had the opportunity otherwise."
"Almost all the kids graduate college and make six figures within five years." He continued proudly. "We have a sixty percent year over year alumni donation rate. People giving back to help other students. We've created a community that improves people lives more and none of it could have been possible without my money, fame and influence as Nubian Prince." He finished off with a satisfied smile.
Darren took a moment to absorb his words.
"I see. I never really thought of it that way." He finally said, feeling a bit ashamed.
"Don't worry kid you're young, you're just starting out. Just remember if you want to change the game you first have to play it. Take for example…" he said and looked around the room until he found his target.
"Starlight." He pointed Darren at the captain of The Seven talking with a group and eating snacks. "How many people do you thing she saved in the past few months? Maybe a dozen maybe two, maybe less. But how many people do you think the HomeLight foundation helped? Hundreds." He said and looked back at Darren.
"So you have to decide for yourself how you want to help the world. You can do the time and take the money to make a difference or you can buy fancy cars and bling for yourself." Nubian Prince paused and looked at him intensely then turned back to the table and picked up his plate.
"It's all up to you Darren."
"I understand. I have a lot to think about."
"No worries kid. Now come on lunch is almost done make sure you eat up." He said loading up his place with shrimp. "We're spending the rest of the afternoon on de-escalation techniques. We'll be running through quite a few scenarios. Make sure you pay attention and do your best. Had a chat with the big man himself he's making it a sticking point to reduce the number of lawsuits."
"Yea sure thing." Darren said and started to load a plate of fried rice and lemon chicken for himself. As he was putting the much needed sustenance a thought just struck him.
He'd been so into the conversation that he didn't really notice until now, he felt compelled to ask.
"Uh, Gerald, I hope it's not rude of me to ask but-"
He didn't get to finish as Nubian Prince answered.
"I was born in Detroit. Parents from Sudan so I know the accent. I put it on for the cameras." He said with a small smirk.
"It's all part of the show kid." He finished with a wink and left to talk to another group of heroes.
Scene Break
Date: June 2023
With Maeve's son and well my son being born I had an overwhelming urge to find out who 'my' mother was. I suspected from all the fan theories who it was but it was still good to verify.
While there is a certain level of disgust I feel if Stormfront is 'my' mother I don't really care since she wasn't my mother.
It would of course be some sort of fucked up poetic trope as the ancient gods themselves that married and fucked their own siblings since Homelander kind of viewed himself as a god among men.
Nonetheless I wanted to verify unfortunately I wasn't able to find any records of dear mommy digital or otherwise.
That left me with only one avenue which was why I was now entering Martin's office.
"Martin!" I said loudly startling the man.
He was focused on his computer likely going over the latest reports on 24-V and probably a dozen other things.
The man was gobbling up the increased R&D budget at an unfathomable pace.
"John! How are you this morning?"
"Doing well thank you. I have one question for you." I said getting to the point and peaking the man's interest.
"Who is my mother?"
I saw him blink absorbing my question then his feature softened into sadness and he deflated into his chair. His heart spiked and a small release of sweat happened as his temperature grew a bit too suddenly.
"Martin?" I pressed.
He took a breath and looked at me.
"Are you sure you want to know? You won't like it."
Bingo! …and also
"FUCK!" I said loudly. I was only partially faking my outrage. "I KNEW IT!"
"Of course it's HER! Who else could it be! That fucking nazi bitch! How could she? Oh god the things we did!" An adequate show had to be put on. The new Homelander had to show at least some level of disgust and remorse.
Martin looked at me confused.
"It's fucking Stormfront isn't it?"
Martin blinked.
"What?"
"My mother is Stormfront right?"
"What? No." he looked even more confused. "Why would you think that?"
Now I was confused.
"You take her flight and energy manipulation" I said raising my right hand. "You add Soldier Boy's ridiculous super strength and invulnerability" I said raising my left hand.
"You add them together." I bring both hands together in CLAP!
"And you get me."
I could see Martin thinking things over for a second.
"Yes I can see how that would make sense but no it's not her." He said firmly.
"Then who could it possibly be? Tell me!" I
"It might be better if you leave this secret buried. It will only make things worse." Oh now I was deadly curious. I came in here prepared to hear it was Stormfront or some random crack whore or something like that but he was making sound like it was worse.
"Martin!" I said as I slowly approached his desk. "Tell me. Now!"
I saw him swallow and then he opened his mouth.
"Well you're surrogate mother was a woman named Maria Avaro. She's the one that carried you to term. She died in the birth."
"But she is not my mother? So they used someone else's egg with Soldier Boy's seed?"
"Yes." He said and I waited for him to elaborate.
"It's Katherine…" then he hesitated.
"….Vogelbaum."
My world tilted.
My chest felt constricted by a knotted chain.
The world muted as my brain processed the name.
"…Katherine Volgelbaum"
A sudden flurry of emotions all acted at once and a surged of energy exploded from the pit of my stomach.
"THAT FUCKING NAZI SON OF BITCH! HOW COULD HE! HOW FUCKING COULD HE!"
A rage like I never felt before engulfed me. I briefly felt something get squished as my hands scrunched into fists, shaking, trembling with rage.
"I"LL KILL HIM! HOW COULD HE DO THIS TO ME! I'LL DIG UP HIS CORPSE AND PISS ON HIM!"
My vision turned red.
"HOW COULD HE DO THIS TO ME? THAT SICK FUCKING GERMAN NAZI PIECE OF SHIT!"
I was breathing heavily now. I felt like I could not get enough air.
"….hn!" I barely heard a whisper.
"..ohn!" Everything was red. I felt heat and energy build inside of me and the faint whisper again.
"..OHN!"
Why I everything red? I need to calm down. I take a breath and exhale slowly.
"JOHN!" I hear loudly as I regain my sense.
I look in front of me.
Martin isn't there. His desk I crushed before me.
In my hands I hold smushed pieces of it. The wood turned into compressed smush from the pressure.
"John pleas you have to calm down or you'll blow us all up!"
I turned to see a frightened Martin by the door.
I realized I was glowing an eerie red aura. A few seconds more and I would have blown up like Soldier Boy.
I take another breath to reel in the energy back into myself.
"I won't blow us all up Martin. Now tell me what happened?"
He came back into the office after dispatching the other curious coworkers that came to see what the commotion was all about.
"Katherine and her husband had trouble conceiving. Jonah performed the in vitro procedure for them. It was during this process that he harvested her eggs. I don't know why he used her. But I can tell you she never knew about you and Jonah never wanted her to find out." He paused but he looked like he wanted to continue so I let him.
"He erased all records around the time you were seven years old. He swore all of us to secrecy, threatened us."
Seven years old.
That was around the time Homelander started killing his caretakers, masking them as accidents, just to see if he could…
…to see if he could get Jonah's attention.
…his affection.
"John, I'm sorry. I said it would have been best if we leave this buried." The man said and I know he felt sad but also pitty for me.
"I'm sorry Martin. I need to go." I said after a moment of silence.
It was hard to process and I really did need to go. Homelander's emotions were strong. I was me but I was also him with all the memories and feelings he's ever had.
All the fame and adoration.
All the insecurities and needs.
All the pain and damage Vought put him through growing up.
It was no wonder Vogelbaum had been Vought's successor.
All the physical but mostly the emotional pain damage Jonah inflicted on his own blood on his own kin with no remorse only aiming for results.
But worst of all the fucking piece of shit had withheld from Homelander the one thing he yearned.
To have real connections, a real family.
Katherine Vogelbaum was Jonah's younger sister.
And I was Jonah's nephew, flesh and blood.
But in his eyes all I had ever been was…
A product.
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AN:
I never really liked the theory of Stormfront being HL's mother.
I think Stormfront would have known if she had her eggs harvested and her character was made to be smart enough that she could put two and two together to figure out that HL was her son. There is no way she would not have used that to manipulate him or seek him out earlier.
Once again thank you for reading and reviewing.