Damian struggles as Homelander

It had been a week since Damian had been reincarnated as Homelander. His initial days as a superhero were challenging; he felt as though everyone was scrutinizing him, searching for flaws that could expose his secret. He viewed himself as an impostor who had taken the place of the most powerful hero on Earth, and the fear that any changes in his temperament or character could reveal his lies terrified him.

This burden weighed heavily on his mind, leaving him feeling more fatigued than before. However, as the days passed, he began to relax; his spirit was no longer as tense as it had been at the beginning, and he quickly adapted to the role he had previously only acted out.

Eventually, through his efforts, he became completely comfortable in his surroundings. He no longer felt like an actor or an impostor, but rather the real Homelander.

After this first week of adjustment, Damian decided it was time to plan his life better than his predecessor, John. He knew from the memories of his past life that Homelander faced numerous crises lurking in the shadows, waiting for a small mistake to drag him into the deepest abyss.

Determined not to dwell on the challenges ahead, Damian chose to tackle the simplest issue that could not only eliminate an unexpected hidden threat but also enhance his powers simultaneously. If it was an opportunity, he might also take advantage of the situation to meet a beautiful woman.

The first problem on his agenda was how to approach his son, Ryan, and his mother, Becca, while also dealing with the maniacal killer, Butcher.

Damian sat in his armchair, contemplating for hours as night fell over New York. He searched his thoughts for a solution that would allow him to get closer to Becca and Ryan without alerting the executives at Vought. Time passed, and as morning arrived, poor Damian still could not find a solution. Exhausted from thinking, he resolved that if a solution did not exist, he would have to take action, trying not to cause too much havoc during his mission.

Damian closed his eyes for a moment, seeking motivation. After a minute, he opened his eyes, filled with excitement and determination. He jumped up from the armchair, went to his bathroom to clean up, and dressed before leaving his penthouse to head to the office of his beloved Madelyn.

Damian had decided that among the Vought executives, someone needed to be threatened or corrupted to obtain the information he wanted legally, ensuring that no one would ask questions. During his planning, a flash of inspiration struck him: threaten Madelyn. As complicated as this might seem, it was actually quite simple. Madelyn knew the story of Ryan and Becca but had remained silent about it over the years; it would take little to make her talk. Initially, Damian considered using his child to threaten her, but he ultimately decided against it. He remembered that Madelyn was terrified of him. A few pushes here and there would be enough to extract the information he needed. 

With renewed spirit, Damian arrived at Madelyn's office, knocked a couple of times, and stepped inside.

"Madelyn, we need to talk," Damian said in a firm, commanding voice.

Madelyn was busy, speaking with a lazy politician on the phone. Not wanting to wait, Damian approached the desk and, with a snap of his fingers, interrupted the call, drawing Madelyn's attention.

"I said we need to talk, Madelyn. I was serious. I don't want to hear the nonsense you usually feed those political idiots to get them to part with their money. We have something serious to discuss," Damian said, looking directly into Madelyn's terrified blue eyes.

"W-what... happened, Homelander? I've never seen you so serious. Come, sit here on the couch with me, and let's talk about it," Madelyn said, both scared and worried about the situation.

Sitting beside her on the couch, with a grace and calm that belied the tense atmosphere, Homelander scrutinized Madelyn and said, "Madelyn, I know the secret you've been hiding from me."

Madelyn was so taken aback that she struggled to process Homelander's words. Trying to recover from her shock, she decided to remain as calm as possible and soothe him, even though it felt nearly impossible.

"Homelander, you know I would never hide anything from you except for your own good. Please tell me what you are referring to so I can explain," Madelyn said, leaning closer and placing her hand on his chest, attempting to comfort him.

"Madelyn, I believe you. I've always wanted to believe you. However, this time, I can't listen to you, or I might end up killing you in the end. Listen to me carefully! Two days ago, I was in the arena watching the race between A-Train and Shockwave. I was smiling and waving to the audience, just like usual when..." Homelander began, but their conversation was interrupted by someone opening the office door.

Both startled by the interruption, they quickly distanced themselves, trying to appear indifferent. A moment later, Ashley's voice broke the silence.

"Ms. Madelyn, something has happened that you should know about. It concerns A-Train," Ashley said, her voice filled with apprehension.

Before Madelyn could respond, Homelander coughed twice, signaling his presence to Ashley.

Noticing Homelander, Ashley panicked, realizing she had interrupted something she shouldn't have. Before she could continue, Homelander's voice cut through the tension.

"Ashley, you interrupted us. That was very rude. I expect you understand that. Now, I don't want to hear excuses; turn around and leave. Hurry up, and remember to close the door behind you," Homelander said in an authoritative and dark tone.

Still in a panic, Ashley mechanically turned around and hurried out of the office, ensuring she closed the door behind her.

Once again alone, Homelander resumed his conversation with Madelyn.

"Where were we? Oh yes! As I was saying, I was waving to the audience when, in the middle of the crowd, a strange guy dressed like a character from a Matrix porn looked at me with an angry stare. This caught my attention. You know, there are few people in the world who can look at me that way, either because I don't remember them or because they're dead. Searching my memory, I was surprised to find that I had seen that jerk before. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that he was connected to a woman I had slept with a few years ago," Homelander said.

"Homelander, where are you going with this story?" Madelyn attempted to divert the conversation.

"Oh, Madelyn, don't even try! Before coming to you, I did a little digging, and guess what I found? The woman in question seems to have disappeared. There are no documents or traces of her life in the country in recent years. It seems very suspicious, don't you think?" Homelander asked, his tone more assertive than inquisitive.

"Homelander, everything I do is for your good, you know. Everything I've done has been to solve problems as they arose; if I haven't told you anything until now, it was just to protect you. That woman..." Madelyn tried to explain before being interrupted by an angry Homelander.

"Madelyn, I don't want explanations. All I want from you is the truth. Tell me what you did with that woman and what happened," Homelander demanded.

"Becca. That woman was named Becca, Homelander. She came to us pregnant of few months, claiming that you were the father. All we did was hide the situation and her. I wanted to protect you and your reputation," Madelyn explained, with Homelander listening intently.

Minutes later, after Madelyn finished her explanations, she was surprised that Homelander did not seem as furious as she had expected; in fact, he appeared too calm. Before she could continue her thoughts, she was interrupted by the terrifying red light emanating from Homelander's eyes.

"Madelyn, you will let me see them. Tomorrow morning, I want you and me to go see them. Oh, and to be clear, tell Edgar that I am very displeased," Homelander said, rising from the couch and heading toward the door.

As he retracted the laser from his eyes, Homelander opened the door and cast one last look at Madelyn before leaving the office, leaving only silence behind.