Payback Mansion,
A yellow school bus rolled into the mansion yards; the driver was MM, who immediately got off the bus after seeing the smoldering wreckage.
"The fuck happened here?!" He asked Captain America.
"We're not sure. It was probably HYDRA or the Cabal." Steve told him before turning to the people on the bus. "Who are they?" He asked.
"Well, first, I had to get my ex-wife and daughter. Then, I decided to bring along some of the kids I used to watch over as a correctional officer. Finally, they roped me into getting their families." MM told him before taking note of Frenchie, who seemed hurt and bitter.
"Frenchie, are you alright, man?" MM asked.
"They took them." Frenchie bitterly stated.
"What?" MM asked.
"Green Goblin abducted Starlight, and Mister Sinister has taken Kimiko." Steve told him. "I'm sorry." He added.
MM was shocked upon hearing that.
"So what now?" MM asked.
"We were going to New York and work with the others to stop HYDRA." Steve told him.
"HYDRA?" MM asked.
"A fascist terrorist group in our world." Cap told him. "Marvin, I need you to do something for us." Steve told him.
"Ryan!" He called out.
Ryan went over to Captain America.
"Do you know who that…" MM asked warily.
"Yes, I do, and I know about his father. I understand you are nervous, but right now, this isn't a monster. He's just a scared and lost boy wanting to go back to his guardian, who is on her way." Steve told him.
"Colonel Mallory." MM bitterly noted. "Alright, I will."
"I'll stay as well." Frenchie admitted.
"Thank you!" Steve said as he boarded the comandered tank.
Unidentified Location, Earth 616
"The Compound V in her blood has been burned out her body." A frustrated Sinister said, looking at the analysis of Kimiko's blood. "How is that even possible?" He asked, fascinated
Kimiko regained consciousness and jolted up only to find her arms and legs were restrained. She struggled to free herself, trying to free herself. Sinister noticed this and turned to face her.
"Ah, it would appear you have awakened. I am Mister Sinister." Sinister introduced himself.
Kimiko spat at him. However, Sinister was more amused, if anything. Sabretooth entered the room.
"Overheard what you mentioned about that shit in her blood. So I guess she's now useless to us, right?" Sabretooth asked, flashing Kimiko a sadistic smile as his claws reached out to her.
"No, she may serve other uses. If I recall, the Russians of the other earth have been experimenting on Compound V. Perhaps if we were to extract their research notes. We could get her powers back." Sinister said.
"Easier said than done, boss. Russia's on the back foot right now. The EU has reached Moscow and are trenched in more than Hitler was in '41." Sabretooth said.
"Russia doesn't stop at Moscow. Napoleon made that mistake." Sinister said.
"Yeah, well, Napoleon didn't have Latveria backing him. Plus, St. Petersburg ain't in the best of shape. Besides, it sure as shit won't be in the same lab. Whenever an asset that is confidential is extracted, heads tend to roll, and research notes get shuffled around. Trust me when I say this: I've got experience in this kind of wet work and cleanup." Sabretooth told him.
Sinister frowned for a moment, until he started to ponder. Sinister turned to face Kimiko and smiled at her.
"Perhaps my plans for Compound V can be put on hold, for now." Sinister told Sabretooth.
"What do you mean?" Sabretooth asked.
"Perhaps Miss Miyashiro would do better with stronger genes." Sinister told him. "Genes from the superior race."
Sabretooth smiled upon hearing that as well. All the while, Kimiko felt her blood go cold.
"Nothing wrong with some extra help now is there." Sinister told him.
Washington Bridge, Earth-7622
Steve and the others reached the George Washington Bridge and grimly saw the chaos unfold. Numerous skyscrapers were either on fire or had been damaged. In the sky, a SHIELD helicarrier was providing air support. HYDRA bots roamed the city streets open firing at anything trying to oppose it. Steve took this personally the most. His stature was tense.
"I was wondering when you'd show up. I planned to look for you myself, but I felt this would have gotten your attention." Tony remarked.
"Tony." Steve simply greeted.
"Look, we can save the apologies for later, right now, we have a bunch of fascists trying to take over." Iron Man said. "Hell, I'll even give you kudos. You might have prevented something even worse with the Infinity Gems."
"Wait, the Infinity Gems?" Molly asked.
"Tony, what are you talking about?" Falcon asked.
Tony let out a sigh.
"Look, I can tell you're under a lot of stress, but let's just say you prevented something worse than this and the Incursion." Tony admitted before realizing who he was talking to.
"You brought the Runaways with you?" Iron Man asked.
"Mr. Stark, sir. He didn't. We ended up here by accident." Karolina told him.
"Alright, guess we'll need all the help we can get." Iron Man said before going to Steve.
"Look, we're looking at a dysfunction junction. If anyone can get us on track it is you, so please take command." Iron Man told him.
"I think you're too harsh on these kids, Tony. Their hearts are in the right place and that's more than enough." Steve told him.
"I'm not talking about them." Iron Man told him.
Manhattan, Earth-7622
Payback walked through the war zone. Franks' eyes darted around the area when Soldier Boy spoke up.
"Why the hell did Butcher put you in charge?" Soldier Boy asked. "I was at Omaha Beach."
The Punisher turned back to face Soldier Boy, scowling.
"You're not the only veteran here, and this isn't going to be like Omaha. We need to fight dirty. I was in Iraq. I know a thing or two about guerilla warfare." Punisher told him.
"Iraq, you must be proud." Sage sarcastically mentioned.
"I'm never proud." Punisher told her.
"Yeah, well, the 28th…" Soldier Boy spoke up.
"29th." Frank corrected him.
"What?" Soldier Boy asked.
"The 29th fought in Omaha Beach." Frank told him.
Soldier Boy seemed briefly startled.
"Yeah, that's what I meant." Soldier Boy said.
Before anyone could confront him, a portal opened up in front of them—out stepped Butcher with Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, Doctor Strange, Queen Maeve, and A-Train.
"Where's Campbell?" Soldier Boy asked.
Butcher pointed to the other Earth in the sky as his answer.
"Punisher, Soldier Boy, and…" Reed was about to say when A-Train cut him off.
"Sage?" A-Train questioned upon seeing his old teammate from Teenage Kix.
"A-Train, love the new look. Brings out that inner soullessness." Sage told him.
A-Train was silent when Black Panther and Black Bolt arrived.
"Is this everyone?" Queen Maeve asked.
"No, Iron Man has arrived with reinforcements." Black Panther said.
Strange opened another portal, and Iron Man entered with the Secret Avengers.
"Captain, it is good to see you." Black Panther said.
"It's good to see you as well, T'Challa." Captain America said, shaking his hand. His posture briefly relaxed.
Johnny noticed his Sue and Reed. He let out a sigh.
"Look before we…" Johnny said.
"Save it." Reed said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It can wait until we get home." Sue told him.
"Okay, great…" Johnny sarcastically muttered under his breath.
Steve walked up to Reed.
"I need a status update. How much ground does HYDRA have?" Steve asked.
"Their HQ is in Long Island. So far, he's gotten Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and half of Manhattan. SHIELD is in Staten Island." Reed told him.
"Red Skull reached out to other hate groups for help. According to Fury, some chapters of the Purifiers and Friends of Humanity are helping him out. He's even gotten some from here to help alongside some Supes. The double standard from home is alive and well here too." Iron Man stated.
"Double standard?" A-Train asked Maeve, who ignored him.
"Something about this doesn't seem right." Steve remarked. "This is too reckless for the Skull."
Soldier Boy chuckled.
"Oh, come on, this feels on brand for the Nazis." Soldier Boy remarked.
"You don't know Red Skull like I do." Captain America told his counterpart. "If it were this easy he'd lose years ago."
Soldier Boy simply shrugged at his counterpart.
"My suit briefly detected a huge radiation spike in Long Island." Iron Man told him.
Steve realized what that meant.
"He's going to nuke New York?" A-Train asked.
"He's creating a Cosmic Cube." Captain America told him.
Everyone from Earth-616 blanched upon hearing that.
"Cosmic cube, mind explaining what's so pants shittingly bad about that?" Sage asked.
"It's an artifact of immense power, capable of rewriting reality." Black Panther told her.
Even Sage seemed unnerved, but also intrigued upon hearing that.
"Strange, take us to where SHIELD is at." Steve told him.
Xavier Mansion, Earth-616
A distraught Marie stormed through the halls of the Xavier Mansion to the primary office where Cyclops was discussing something with Storm, Emma Frost, Beast, and Wolverine.
"Is it true?" Marie asked them.
Beast let out a sigh.
"Yes, It is regrettable, but Mister Sinister is still free." Beast told her. "But his apprehension is our total objective, Miss Moreau." He added.
Marie's face turned from heartbreak to fear, much to Beast's confusion.
"I believe she was talking about mutant struggles, Hank." Emma bluntly told him.
"Oh, right, apologies." Beast muttered.
"Is all that shit true. The bigots? The giant robots? The genocides?" Marie asked.
"All true." Wolverine bitterly confirmed.
"Oh my god…" Marie said, sitting down.
"I know this is troubling news for you to hear, child." Storm told her, in an attempt to comfort her. "Many would indeed wish mutant-kind would all perish, but not everyone agrees. There are plenty of compassion towards mutants, and they will be the same to your kind." Storm told her as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"There's a news story about how the heroes of my world host an orgy that's killed countless people." Marie asked.
"Yes, I've heard of that, as reprehensible as it is sloppy. The Hellfire Club would never have that issue. Then again, we weren't a band of B-list and C-list celebrities." Emma said.
Marie was unnerved by Emma's yarn while Wolverine just shook his head. "Jesus Christ…" He quietly muttered.
"Listen, kid, you wanted to be a hero, right?" Wolverine asked her.
"Yeah, I mean I always wanted to be the first black woman on the Seven." Marie told her.
"Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, but most of those assholes aren't like us. Especially that cape wearing asshole." Wolverine told her.
"Homelander has gotten a bit scary to me these past few years." Marie admitted.
"Good you're learning. As for the X-Men, we don't make movies or sign autographs. We go out there and save the world. Not for money, but because somebody's gotta do it." Wolverine told her.
Marie pondered his words when someone knocked on the door. Wolverine sniffed the air and recognized the scents.
"I know them. One's a friend of ours." Wolverine told them. "The other…" He said before popping his claws out.
The door opened, revealing Jennifer Walters and Victoria Neuman.
Homelander broke into the Vernon Manor and a large group of half-naked young men and women ran out scared. Tek Knight raced through his bookshelf inside his armor and punched Homelander, the metal arm broke and Homelander felt nothing. He held its chest and removed Tek Knight's helmet, and he stared at Robert Vernon right in his terrified eyes.
"Turn that shit off." Homelander ordered and Tek Knight kept trying to pull out of his grip. "Turn it off, or I'll rip your head off."
"You don't play like that anymore."
He put his hand on Tek Knight's neck and slowly started pulling. Vernon's eyes went red, he felt his skin stretching and his neck popping. Finally, he turned off the armor and fell to the ground, coughing blood.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" Tek Knight asked in his damaged voice. "We're on the same side!"
"No, we're not. It's an open secret the things you do here but I decided you had enough. I reported to Vought. They didn't do shit, so I came here personally. You're done."
"What now? You'll take me to prison? For what?"
"I'll think of something down the line."
Homelander heard a familiar whisper in his ear. He looked at the mirror in the library. He thought it was weird to have a mirror in a library and even weirder that he didn't recall that being there a second ago. But his reflection moved, moved differently than him, and grinned.
"What the Hell are you doing, tiger? Why do you care if Tek Knight abuses those mud people?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm who you're supposed to be, I'm- -"
Homelander punched the mirror and grabbed his other self by the collar, pulling him out of the glass.
"I asked, who are you?"
"I really thought this would work." He said the voice wasn't Homelander's anymore. "Appeal to the one you were before, but Xavier's brainwashing was too thorough."
His skin melted revealing a red skull for a face.
"How does it feel to be a puppet, Homelander?" Red Skull asked.
"I'm no puppet."
"You just can't see the strings. You have a crippled mutant controlling you outside."
"Outside of what?"
"Your mind, you fool! I'll make you see, I'll make you see…"
Red Skull disappeared as a mist red as himself.
HYDRA Command, Long Island Earth-7622
The Red Skull stood up from the Brain and smiled proud of himself. "The Brain" he used was actually a copy assembled from pieces of older versions. Just what he needed to get inside Homelander's mind throughout Xavier's powers.
He directed him to the laboratory inside the base and found himself in front of Armin Zola's experiment. Red Skull turned to face Zola's android body with a screen depicting his face.
"I have made the specifications as you have requested, Herr Skull." Zola told him.
"You have done well, doktor." Red Skull told him as he peered into the tube.
The sound of hurried and forceful footsteps came to them. Red Skull turned and saw an angry Tek Knight.
"Do you have any fucking idea about what you did?!" Tek Knight asked.
Red Skull was disinterested.
"The little news leak you caused around your world, I'm mentioned. I saw one of the reports. That newspaper in your world, the Daily Bugle, ran a story about Herogasm." Tek Knight told him.
"I am aware of that degenerate display. I would pay no mind to that rag." Skull told him, sounding annoyed.
"I'm implicated in it!" Tek Knight told him.
Red Skull's face hardly changed.
"Well?!" Tek Knight asked.
"I have nothing more to say. Now leave." Red Skull ordered him.
"I gave you just about every penny I have! We all did! I'd like to know why my dirty laundry got leaked, you fucking kraut!" Tek Knight demanded and grabbed Red Skull's arm.
It was only for Red Skull to turn around and pistol whip Tek Knight. Tek Knight fell and he clutched his hurting cheek. Only for the Red Skull to place the barrel of his pistol in his mouth.
"You wish to know why? It was to sow chaos and fear in my world. I am not an outlier in my distaste for the superhuman hordes. Superhumans face justifiable distrust from the masses. All except one." Red Skull bitterly noted. "That is why I leaked it and attacked the UN: to frame Doom and his cohorts as responsible. To keep them looking elsewhere." Red Skull told him.
His fingers slowly tightened around the trigger. Tek Knights' eyes widened in fear.
Red Skull got closer, and his lifeless blue eyes gazed into his very soul.
Red Skull let him go as Tek Knight fell to his knees. He clutched his throat and coughed.
"You're the quintessential American, Robert. Many of you wonder when your country fell down into hell. I'm willing to assume you believe that would be 1865. A sentiment that I very much share." Red Skull told him. "However, if you question my judgment again, I will make you clean up the refuse of my new society. Understood?" Red Skull asked, aiming between his eyes.
"Yes, I understand." Tek Knight told him.
"Good." Red Skull told him. "The new suit for you is being prepped as we speak. I know you've been aching to fight Iron Man."
Tek Knight left just as another Supe entered: Firecracker.
"Report." Red Skull ordered her.
"Yes, sir. I've managed to pull in some recruits." Firecracker said.
"Good." Red Skull said, his tone was neutral.
"Pardon me for asking, but did you know that Green Goblin was going to attack us all." Firecracker said.
"No, just mere coincidence. Any of the Cabal would have slaughtered your followers, but only Osborn would have done so out of sheer sadism. He even played into our hands, too, with his comments. An admirable man, in my opinion, but too small-minded." Red Skull told her.
Firecracker seemed unconvinced.
"Do not think of them as victims. They are martyrs." Red Skull told her.
"I know, boss. Ever since you came to me, you have been a great help. You protected my equipment, told me about your world, and helped expand my follower base." Firecracker told him. "But what about Homelander? You told me you would liberate him." She asked.
"In due time, fraulein." Red Skull told her.
"But we're losing! They're killin' us!" Firecracker told him.
"Losing? This is not losing. This is when plans are following through." Red Skull told her.
Firecracker went up to the tube and recognized the occupant.
"Ain't that…" She was about to ask when Red Skull cut her off.
"Not quite." Red Skull corrected her.
Staten Island, Earth-7622
"I want reinforcements at Manhattan asap!" Nick Fury ordered. "HYDRA is not taking another inch of that fuckin' island!"
The portal opened up, and when Fury turned to face it, he grinned upon seeing Captain America with them.
"Bout damn time you showed up, Steve." Fury remarked, walking up to Captain America and shaking his hand. "I suspect you already have an idea of what to do?" Nick asked.
"I do, Nick." Steve told him.
"Good, you tell us what we need to do." Nick told him before turning to Reed.
"Your project is also safe, by the way, stretch." Fury told him.
This caught Susan, Johnny, and even members of the Illuminati by surprise.
"Project?" Johnny asked.
"What project?" Sue asked her husband.
"Yes, Reed, I think we'd all like to hear about this project of yours." Tony added.
Reed let out a tired sigh before looking back at the others.
"Apologies to all, but I've been working on a way to save those rejected by the exodus process. As in those who weren't doctors, teachers, or scientists." Reed told them.
"Where are they?" T'Challa asked.
Reed pulled out a device from his pocket, it looked like a simple clicker with just a button. He pressed the button, and a projection of a crowd of people in a field.
"They're presently in a pocket dimension of my design. Alongside the space arks." Reed told them.
Sage seemed to be trying to wrap her head around this.
"You created a pocket dimension?" Sage questioned him. "That's some bullshit."
"Not when you have the means of doing so." Reed stated. "This base is one of the few that will grant them access to the space arks." He added before the projection changed to a display of a spaceship.
"Guessing this is one of those situations in which you don't want your stuff falling into the wrong hands?" Johnny asked his brother-in-law.
"Precisely, Johnny." Reed told him.
"Even more reason to stop the Red Skull. Nick, tell us where we need to be." Captain America told him.
"HYDRAs HQ is shielded by a forcefield it is powered by a series of generators across the city. If you can destroy those generators, that should make it easier for us to bomb their HQ easier." Fury told them.
"Right, we'll need to split up into teams." Steve told him.
"You'll have to exclude her." Fury said pointing at Maeve.
"What do you mean?" Maeve asked.
"You've been requested back to the Tower." Fury told her. "Something's been going on with you know who."
Maeve knew what this meant as Butcher glared.
John hurled a baseball into the sky. He was sitting outside his supposed childhood home with dozens of baseballs on a box next to him. He laughed as it hit and destroyed another Vought Satellite. He picked another ball and heard Professor Xavier rolling behind him.
"I've been thinking about baseball lately. Do I even like it?" He threw another ball. "I think I do, but it's just because it's familiar, not because of the game itself."
"It's good to understand yourself, regardless, you decide in the end how to feel about something. Did everything go well with Tek Knight?"
"Yeah, I think it did- -It did… Ah! These fucking migraines! Yeah, everything went just as planned… I think. I don't remember what happened too well."
"Don't worry about that. I'm sure it's no issue worth your time."
"Don't worry? I can't remember things and that's your response?"
"John, your whole life, I looked up for your interests. You can trust me, can't you?"
"Of course, of course I trust you."
For the first time, John saw something on Professor Xavier's face he had never seen before: Fear. He was looking up. John looked up at the sky and saw exactly what scared him so much. A second Earth appeared in the sky, and it came towards them.
Homelander entered the Vought accompanied by the Professor. Every screen on the building played the same message, Iron Man warning of the end of their world. Everyone's eyes surrounded Homelander but he made sure to announce he was not coming back to the company, he's just making an exception because of the nature of the situation. When Homelander stepped into Vought's conference room, The Deep excitedly welcomed him with open arms for a hug.
"Sir, so good to- -"
"Don't you fucking hug me."
"How gentle." A familiar voice spoke.
"Oh, no." Professor Xavier said.
"Who is this guy?" Homelander asked.
The man was white and had black hair slicked back, quite tall, towering over everyone in the room, his suit reminded Homelander of Frederick Vought in paintings he saw. The man approached Homelander for a handshake and introduced himself.
"Johann Schmidt, new CEO of Vought International."
"You're not supposed to be here." Professor said.
"Vought is the greatest defense our world has, I believe I'm simply on my duty."
"Mr. Schmidt is right." Somebody else said as she walked into the room. "What's happening to our world is just not right."
"Have we met?" Homelander asked her, very confused as he felt as if he did.
"Of course. Well, I remember it, you don't because you probably met a lot of people. I'm Stormfront."
The two shook hands.
"I think I'm starting to remember."
"John!" Professor shouted. "We need to discuss evacuation methods and how Vought can facilitate the process."
"Facilitate? Professor, these guys want to destroy our planet! I can't just stand by."
"Damn right he can't!" Stormfront said.
Professor Xavier completely ignored her and approached Schmidt directly.
"You should leave."
"Who's going to make me?" He asked.
Professor X touched his temples as a wave took over the room, Homelander was confused but couldn't speak to question what was happening. Schmidt felt himself vanishing.
HYDRA Command, Long Island Earth-7622
Red Skull was sitting on his version of the Brain. He screamed in pain and the hole where his nose was supposed to be bled. The lights flickered inside the whole base as more and more energy was directed to the Brain. Red Skull reached for the power button but at the last second, he changed his mind and pulled a lever. He felt the Brain tighten around his head.
The entire Vought Tower fell, and Homelander was covered by the wreckage. He flew out the ruins and saw the X-Men fighting a Hydra Army. There were several Cyclops ranging from the ages of 15 to 35, same with Ice Man, the Beast was furry blue and bear-like, as well as another one more like an ape and another who almost looked human. Wolverine wore brown and yellow, another wore blue and yellow, there was a teenage Angel and another one with blue skin and metal wings as well as many more X-Men with different versions of each other fighting side by side. Red Skull led the Hydra Army, and they appeared to come from a retro-futuristic version of the 1940s.
Both sides killed each other brutally. Homelander flew away from the battle, he flew above a factory where he saw a younger version of him trying to kill Black Noir as he wrote something on a notepad. He saw an explosion at Stillwell's house and a blue blur carrying a figure out of it. He heard screams for help. Homelander closed his eyes and covered his ears but it was like they were inside his head.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!"
"Dad?" Ryan asked.
Homelander opened his eyes, the skies were blue and Ryan was flying with him. There was nothing but peace, no destruction, no screams, New York was saved and he was with his son.
"I'm sorry, son." Homelander told him. "I got lost for a second there, what was I'm saying?"
"Where do I look when I fly?"
"Yes, that. You might be tempted to look forward but to know where you are it's important you look down."
"I guess that makes sense."
Father and son flew down to meet Becca and Professor Xavier, who were waiting for them. Homelander approached Becca.
"I know tomorrow's your day but I think Ryan needs some extra lessons."
"Can't be tomorrow, we're visiting my mom and my sister."
"No problem."
Homelander was leaving with Professor Xavier when the skies turned red, and a second Earth appeared above them. Red Skull came flying and floated above them standing in front of the other Earth, he wore a Homelander suit covered in blood.
"You can't get rid of me so easily, mutant!" Red Skull said.
Once again, Homelander felt those migraines. Red Skull put his hand on Homelander's shoulder and looked him right in the eyes.
"Listen to me, he's lying to you! He's brainwashing you, turning you into a puppet! Join me in reality, we can stop the end of your world, make something I could never make- -!"
"Shut up!" Homelander shouted at Red Skull, each word made his migraines worsen but he kept talking.
"You are better than- -!"
"I said shut up!" He answered and punched Red Skull.
Homelander punched again and again and pinned Red Skull against the ground, brutally finishing him with punches until he was reduced to a mush of meat. Homelander's suit was covered in blood, just as Red Skull's was.
HYDRA Command, Long Island Earth-7622
The Brain released Red Skull's head and he fell out of the chair bleeding from his eyes and ears as he caught his breath. He looked at the Brain and saw the machinery was catching fire.
Professor X looked at Homelander covered in blood and then looked at the sky, still red, still with the second Earth on its way to crush them.
"It didn't go away."
"No, it did not." Homelander answered.
"John, calm down."
"I am calm. That's what makes me dangerous to you. I think I know what's happening, for the first time, I know."
Homelander flew away at high speed towards the second Earth. Half way through, he decided to stop, and looked upon the red skies he saw it about to crash on his world. He could actually feel the gravitational force changing, the heat of the sun vanishing from his face as its shadow covered New York and the windows changing directions. He heard the screams of despair of the people as the end was there. He didn't fear. He flew towards the other planet and slowly reached for it with his hand until he touched a surface: Paper.
That image of another Earth falling off was nothing but paper. He ripped it off, on his hand the torn part of the image of clouds and birds flying far away. He entered the hole on the paper and found himself in blank whiteness. No sense of distance, no sound, no temperature, nothing but himself and the Professor rolling towards him.
"I was hoping you and I would have more time to work things out." Professor said.
"It's not real." Homelander said. Professor X shook his head and got up from his wheelchair. "You could've done that anytime."
"Yes, I could." He said and walked towards him. "In here I can do anything, we all can, but I thought it would be healthier for you to see me as I am out there."
"I raped Becca." Homelander said, those words came bitter out of his mouth. "I also killed a lot of people on purpose. Murdered Butcher, he was trying to kill me, I mean, fair enough, still. Fuck, Ryan, what have I done?"
"You can't change what you did, but you choose what happens next."
"You lied to me. You weren't there when I was a kid. They just kept torturing me for years and years. All those things I did right never happened. You think I'm going with you? You think I'll accept you and your fucking cause, be one of your good guys. You lied! It was all fake!"
"The reality was not real, but the lessons were."
"You're right about that. Your first lesson: Growing up is making your own choices." Homelander said as his eyes lit up red. "I get to choose how I apply these lessons."
He shot his laser through the Professor's face destroying his entire head as he fell. With that, the whole whiteness turned red as everything vanished into the bright color.
Vought Tower, Earth 7622
Homelander was standing in the Vought Tower's hallways. He felt his feet on the floor again and saw the wall had been destroyed by the laser he just shot so he had to turn off his laser vision. Maeve was beside him, scared.
"Professor, what the fuck was that!?" She said, seeing the destruction of the laser before her.
Homelander looked out the window and saw the battle against Hydra happening outside the tower.
"Maeve…?" Homelander said and she immediately recognized the speech inflection and the pronunciation of her name. "How long was I out?"
She understood what happened and closed her fist tight, her heart rate sped up. Homelander just sighed frustrated.
"You don't need to be scared, just answer me. I'm having for the first in my life a headache and just want some answers- -"
She attacked him, Homelander held her back by her arms and tried to hit him with her knee and he blocked with his elbow.
"I don't have the time for that. Sorry." He told her.
"Sorry for what?" She asked, confused right before Homelander hurled her out the window.
Homelander patiently walked through the hallways to the crime analytics office where he found Anika monitoring footage of the battle.
"Shouldn't you evacuate?" He asked her.
"I have the time." Anika said.
"I need to be briefed with all my latest actions and everything I said I was going to do."
Anika smiled at him.
"Welcome back."