Chapter 1
It's more from awkwardness than from realizing what's happening.
In front of me stood a tall, muscular man, a blond with blue eyes, straight teeth, and a symmetrical face.
I'm wearing a blue suit with a long cape of the American flag and yellow shoulder pads in the shape of eagles on each shoulder, with a buckle of the same color on the belt.
This is how the most famous image of a superhero in the entire damn world in every sense comes to be.
The only red trunks over the suit are missing, but that's not the point right now.
Homelander – the strongest superhero in this bizarre world.
The one who can be called the ideal, a flawless superhuman.
The public knew him as an alien, born in a distant dying world.
He was placed in a rocket as an infant and sent from his home planet to Earth before it exploded.
He reached Earth and landed in the USA, where he was found by an elderly couple named John.
They raised him, teaching him the highest and purest American values – patriotism, altruism, and respect for truth and justice.
Eventually, John decided to protect his new home and became Homelander when his powers manifested.
He's considered to be the most powerful and righteous superhero the world has ever known.
A beautiful legend that became Homelander's backstory in comics and then in films.
Although it's copied from Superman, who is Kal-El, no such being exists in this world in any form.
It's plagiarism only on a multiverse scale.
However, there are few people know the truth that John was literally in a controlled environment.
He even had a hydrogen bomb attached to him in case he tried to escape when he was a child.
In the meantime, he was taught how to behave in public and the myth of Homelander.
The greatest hero in history who led the greatest superhero team in the world, called "The Seven" was created.
A kind of "Justice League" or "Avengers," where Earth's greatest heroes were assembled.
It's not hard to guess because there were only seven of them.
The team included its own black speedster, a cosplay of Batman, a parody of Aquaman, and its own Invisible Man.
There was also its own Wonder Woman with Superman in my guise.
They all got their abilities at the whim of a single company that monopolized superheroes – Vought International.
An American multi-billion-dollar corporation currently led by Stan Edgar.
It is engaged in creating movies, TV series, comics, and merchandise based on its own superheroes.
They literally created and raised Homelander in accordance with their instructions.
So now the question is: Who am I if I don't associate myself with Homelander?
I'm just an ordinary operator who was trying to make ends meet.
A simple, most ordinary person with quite simple desires, at least until recently.
It was a surprise to wake up in bed wearing this ridiculous costume that my predecessor rarely took off.
What can I say?
The body didn't sweat, which already excluded many inconveniences from constantly wearing this suit.
I was slightly confused when I realized that I knew everything Homelander knew.
I could remember everything about him, from when he was a kid working in the lab to what he ate not long ago.
Additionally, as I stood in front of the mirror, I had no idea what I was doing or who had set this up.
I went to sleep as an overweight, normal man and woke up as a man most people see as perfect.
What could be better?
It was hard to believe that the service was free, and I thought it might cost something.
"I need some fresh air."
I smirked, taking a few steps towards the door.
However, I stopped abruptly while turning to the big balcony, which was convenient for... flying.
"Why not?"
A few seconds later, standing on the balcony, I swallowed the now viscous saliva, looking at the ground below.
As far as Homelander remembered, there were at least eighty floors here. He himself lived on the seventieth which is clearly not very low.
If I couldn't fly, falling down could turn a passing person or car into a pancake.
I didn't think much could happen except that the ratings might go down.
However, Vought would still deal with it quickly, preventing the news from spreading outside the company.
I let go of the railing and let out a breath with the force of my grip, which made it bend a little.
My eyes closed on their own, and I focused on the feeling of the wind hitting my face.
I raised my arms, slightly bent my knees, and then sharply dropped them, jumping.
My legs literally thrust me into the sky, and my body soared freely.
I opened my eyes, seeing the night sky approaching me, or rather my body approaching the sky.
My heart was pounding like crazy, and my flight speed only increased as my hands instinctively reached forward, clenching into fists.
The speed of the flight increased even more, and with a bang, my body broke the sound barrier.
A few seconds later, I saw a layer of ice forming on the red gloves.
Nevertheless, I didn't feel cold; instead, the desire to keep going emerged.
I knew this was not the limit... not the limit at all and speed increased again, reaching its maximum.
A few more seconds later, the layer of ice disappeared, flying became much easier, and I slowly came to a stop.
There was no air in the stratosphere, but I kept my breathing steady. But it's easier to think this is because of how a super's body works than to think about it.
I slowly turned around, looking down directly at the city.
The enhanced vision and X-ray vision let me see the city in all its glory, with no clouds or other things getting in the way.
The possibilities were incredible, and it seemed as if the whole city was nothing more than a construction set that could be easily taken apart.
It was, and this was what was frightening.
But I had to admit...
"This is awesome!"
I exhaled when I noticed how my eyes were glowing with a crimson light.
The slightly reddish surroundings eloquently hinted at this.
In the sky, I felt like a fish in water, despite fears that I would have to relearn how to use my abilities.
A smile froze on my lips as my gaze examined the city from a height that birds could not reach, no matter how hard they tried.
It must have looked quite sinister with the glowing red eyes from the outside...
...
I landed gently on the balcony and walked calmly into the large, simple apartment.
There had been no change here since Homelander moved in. I did notice that there was a picture frame on the desk with Stillwell and him in it.
The absolutely fake smiles displayed in the photo now caused only irritation instead of the usual nostalgia.
"What did he see in her?"
I muttered, looking at the slightly younger version of the blonde, but not by much.
She had wrinkles even then, and expensive cosmetics masked them.
I held the frame for a second and then dropped it into the trash can without thinking about it.
I shrugged and fell back into the chair as I felt nothing about it.
Leaning my head back and staring at the white ceiling, I simply exhaled, letting go of unnecessary worries.
It's better to deal with problems as they arise rather than tremble in fear at every rustle.
A knock on the door was a surprise, and someone opened it without hesitation.
A woman with blond hair walked into the apartment calmly, and her clothes were practical and tastefully chosen.
She might have been quite the sex bomb twenty years ago but not now.
"Homelander."
Madelyn smiled when she saw me in the chair.
"Madelyn,"
I nodded indifferently.
I had no desire to talk to this woman.
If Homelander was literally obsessed with her, I was absolutely indifferent to her.
Homelander also understood perfectly that she was fully exploiting him and his attachment.
I didn't think that was acceptable when it came to myself.
"I thought you wanted to help Maeve with the robbers today."
Madelyn said, stopping a few meters away from me.
"But you were gone all day. So I got worried."
"Worried?"
I smiled, trying to suppress the laughter that was bursting to escape.
I didn't compare Homelander to Superman for nothing. He literally possessed all the powers of a Kryptonian except super breath.
It's likely that even a nuclear explosion wouldn't hurt me.
It sounded like a joke when someone who knew about this was concerned about it.
"Did she manage without me?"
I asked, not seeing a trace of worry on her face.
The same routine smile.
"You know she's a professional."
Madelyn responded, her expression unchanged.
"Great, I'm happy for her."
I said, smiling at her.
"I hope there won't be any more questions for me?"
"No,"
Madelyn replied with her gaze momentarily showing a flicker of concern.
"But because of that, her rating went up slightly more than if Homelander had been with her."
"What a pity."
I said it indifferently, looking her straight in the eyes. I could see her pulse quicken from this as she was afraid of me.
"Maybe I can be present during another assignment?"
"You mean Starlight?"
She asked, surprised by my initiative.
"Yes. It's happening tonight, right?"
"The Deep has already volunteered..."
"I think I can convince him otherwise. Be kind and send me the text I need to read."
I smirked, standing up from the chair and taking a few steps forward.
"Well?"
Fear.
I could see it in her eyes, hear it in her heartbeat, and notice it in her trembling knees.
Homelander never allowed himself to engage in such behavior. He didn't want to shatter the illusion that he cared about this woman.
On the other hand, I was indifferent to her from the start and thus saw right through her.
"I'll talk to The Deep myself."
She smiled and headed for the exit.
I should have admired her ability to hide her emotions, but...
"By the way, how's Teddy?"
...everyone has weaknesses.
She suddenly froze her hand on the door handle.
She quietly exhaled for a second, then another, trying not to appear vulnerable in front of me.
"He's doing great. He's already started crawling on all fours."
Madelyn answered without turning to face me.
"What a good boy..."
The oppressive silence began to weigh on her, even though she couldn't see my face.
I had the power to instill genuine terror in her, making her too fearful to use me for her purposes.
However, this was enough for now.
"See you later, Madelyn."
"See you, Homelander."
She replied in a somewhat steady voice and exited through the door.
She exhaled with relief and returned to her regular breathing for a few moments.
After looking at the door warily, she turned around, fixed her hair, and went to her office.
"All that's missing is popcorn or chips."
I muttered thoughtfully, watching her walk away from my apartment.
But I couldn't deny that she was incredibly strong-willed.
That was somewhat admirable...