Chapter 22

[3rd POV]

The warm sunlight provided warmth, and the sea breeze gently enveloped his body.

He appreciated closing his eyes and relaxing in the lounge chair without worrying about any problems that might happen without his involvement. 

He didn't have to think about what to do because much of what was planned had already been done.

Rebecca could easily take out any squad that Vought might send their way, given her strength, and he had already experienced it himself.

The sand's unusual color caught his attention as soon as he opened his eyes.

Pink sand... was certainly an exaggeration.

In fact, the sand here was quite ordinary, but the unusual color was given by microscopic shells that the surf ground into tiny grains and brought with the waves to the shores of Harbor Island.

This was much more apparent to John's eyes. He could see much farther and clearer than almost any super, let alone a human.

Afterwards, the beach caught his attention because it was so transparent and clear that it was visible for sixty meters even without a telescope.

The sea had a beautiful woman in a yellow bikini swimming toward him with a smile.

She dripped water sensually down her body, and he could see her firm nipples through her wet bikini top.

A smile naturally spread across his face as she approached.

"What's wrong?"

Annie smiled and was intrigued by the reason for this.

"I ever told you that you look incredibly sexy in a bikini?"

"Not in those exact words."

She huffed while sitting her firm butt on the next lounge chair.

"Don't you like swimming?"

"Probably... it's something psychological."

John suggested, looking thoughtfully towards the beach which produced some unease.

The sight of it didn't scare him.

He could still easily fly across the ocean just for fun, but he didn't want to go there for some reason.

"Almost drowned?"

"Hmm?"

He turned his head towards her at her question.

"I just knew a guy when I was a kid who almost drowned once. He couldn't stand the sight of water ever again not even in the bath or a pool. The sea was out of the question."

She recalled with a strained smile how many had laughed at him for it.

She now knew he could have become a great superhero if he hadn't been mocked so much back then.

He had lost confidence because of low self-esteem which made him shut himself off.

Nevertheless, he was able to heal himself very well.

"My experience was a bit... more extraordinary, to be honest."

"And what happened? Was it in your childhood?"

She asked with curiosity, looking at him with her clear eyes.

"I was five years old. The day was pretty normal. They tried different weapons and drills to try to pierce my skin. Let's just say the world's strongest superhuman had a normal youth."

John saw her face growing more shocked with each word.

"That day, Dr. Vogelbaum took me out of the sterile chamber early in the morning and brought me to a large titanium pool with a single transparent window."

"That's awful."

Annie murmured dryly, looking at him with sympathy. She had a very vivid mind, and she could imagine the cruel experiments that gave her chills.

"That's not awful. Awful is spending seven hours there without air until you pass out."

John smirked, sitting up on the lounge chair.

"As I said, things aren't always as they seem on TV. I'm not just some farmer's son from Texas who decided to become a hero. I'm more like a superhero grown in a test tube."

"And does everyone in The Seven know about this?"

She asked, shocked to realize that the official story about Homelander was a lie.

"What do you think?"

He smiled gently when seeing all the emotions on her face.

"Even Maeve doesn't know about it."

"Then why tell me?"

She wondered how anyone could trust such a secret to someone they had known for less than a year.

It seemed unlikely to her.

"Because I want to trust someone other than Madeline."

John confessed.

"And to me... you're the perfect person to trust with my biggest secret."

"I don't believe it."

"What?"

"I don't believe that you trusted me."

She stood up from the lounge chair, positioning herself in front of him.

"And how am I supposed to prove it another way?"

He smiled at the absurdity of the situation.

"Very simply. Trust me, truly."

Annie said solemnly and extended her hand, but her heartbeat revealed her nervousness.

John took her hand, and she suddenly pulled him towards the water. He didn't like that at all and even made him stand up abruptly.

"What are you planning?"

John's eyebrows furrowed, and he didn't like what was happening at all.

"I want to see if you really trust me."

Annie answered calmly, pulling him towards the water again.

He did not resist this time.

They slowly walked towards the sea while looking into each other's eyes.

They had already touched the sea and continued further where it was deeper.

It was only when the water reached almost up to his chest that John began to feel worse.

He started breathing more rapidly as if he were running out of air, and his heart pounded in his chest like it was going to break free.

She was scared when his eyes turned red on their own.

"John, calm down, I'm here."

She gently touched his cheek, looking confidently into his blood-red eyes.

"I-I'm fine."

John pulled himself together while gaining control over his emotions.

He hadn't expected the influence of Homelander's memories to be so strong even though he had seen signs of it.

It would have been great if that was all there was to it.

The water quickly rose above John's shoulders and reached Annie's neck.

They stopped, still maintaining eye contact.

She exhaled softly when she saw the fear in his eyes that he desperately tried not to show.

"Relax."

Annie whispered quietly and took him by the shoulders, slowly lowering him into the water.

John watched in shock but did not resist and trust her.

The memories of being underwater for an amazing amount of time, gasping for air, and surviving on a single breath before dropping came back instantly.

He saw how she looked at him as she continued to lower him down.

He slowly rose to the surface while lying on his back before fully understanding why he was so afraid of the depths.

Annie supported his back, pushing him up so he could breathe freely.

"Close your eyes... Relax..."

Annie's quiet whisper was calming even though she had been submerging him moments ago.

"Let the water lift you."

John exhaled softly while feeling Annie release her hold on his back.

It was a huge relief for him to understand immediately that his body wasn't sinking despite his weight.

He knew logically why this was happening but still felt emotionally free from his worry.

John even managed to relax completely at one point, and he didn't remember where he was until Annie gently shook him.

...

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