The Broken Girl

Something in the castle had shifted that night you were brought in.

With your lifeless pale skin, and wet lashes fluttering about as you fought to stay conscious. At first glance you had seemed like any other girl. Ordinary and dismissible.

But the moment your eyes had shot open and found Jacaerys' own gaze. It was unmistakable, something in the air of Dragonstone had been changed for good.

He felt the hairs on his skin rising just from that brief moment. A feeling deep within his heart that he could not put into words even if he wanted to. And as the days went, it had bloomed into a sense of impending doom playing with the variables of carnal longing that hid itself behind the disguise of curiosity.

He had tried to brush off the uneasiness in the first few days of your stay, which was surprisingly hard to do even with you mostly out of sights at all times. And once he decided to accept the calling and let himself be lured into your presence, he had found his first proper impression of you to be unhelpful in putting his mind to ease.

You were respectful to his titles and of both his family's lineage and generosity, but your casualness in the way you addresses him was odd.

You would speak as if he was an old friend instead of a stranger prince you should be more aware of. And the vagueness in how you answered his questions made it worse.

At one point he was starting to question if you were simply trying to see just how much you could run circles around a topic before giving him a proper answer that isn't paired with dry humor and eerie gaps of silence between your sentences.

Prince Jacaerys wasn't fearful of you, and neither was he stupid. He had noticed the way your true emotions would slip away from your mask for a split second before sliding back into motion, a calculated sincerity and politeness.

The way you knew exactly the right things to say, questions to ask, and emotions to convey to be able to unlock anyone's vulnerability. Easily making yourself a trusted lady in waiting for his mother. A notion she had never cared much for before.

What he couldn't understand was why exactly you were playing this game of calculated measures for. The leverages you've earned and the mysterious nature that quickly built yourself a reputation of suspicion in his eyes.

You're not a spy, of that he's sure of. Your lack of care for the politics confirmed it. And yet there wasn't much else to cross off on his list when it came to your motives besides a girl starving to climb the social ladder in all means necessary. You must want something.

The perfect backstory of a poor farmer's daughter who was kidnapped and forced into the life of slavery and prostitution who had stupidly tried to escape with a broken raft on a wild thunderous night.

And yet, even social functions do not phase you. You've attend a small number of them under the queen's invitation, but had never tried to present yourself in a way that invited attention.

If anything, you seem to view it as beneath you. And that aside, you seem to prefer your own company by day, closed off in your room with your books, saving the night for walks by the garden or the shore, soaking in the moon's glow.

Like tonight.

Jace didn't know why he was doing what he's doing. Watching you from his window, glaring into your shadowy figure gallavanting near the waters.

His breath hitches when your footsteps came into a sudden halt and felt his blood run cold as he watches your the back of your head turning to face the castle, right before it lifts up to look straight into his own.

You seemed calm and expectant as a small smile slowly etched itself on your face. And Jace, confused to what he should do, simply lurches back from his tall windows at the sight of your unflinching expression.

And after a few seconds to think, he makes way to the exit of his bedchambers with you as his main destination.

His pace was unrelenting as he moves through the darkly lit ling corridors of his home, and by the time he's made it to the very spot you were just standing at outside of the castle walls, you were nowhere to be found.

Jace frowned deeply as the cold brutish wind blows harshly against him, making a mess of his hair as it flies into a dance with the air. He looked around for any signs of you as he slowly kept walking, his heart sinking for the disappointment of your absences.

Though he soon finds his sulking ended earlier than expected as he feels your undeniable presence immediately. No sounds of footsteps or weight of being, and yet he could sense you like time itself stops when you're around him.

"Your habit of watching ladies by your window is unbecoming of a prince." You spoke firmly, a touch of humor in your tone.

Jacaerys smiled despite himself. "I wasn't watching you. I was trying to enjoy the fresh air, watch the moon. You were simply just there."

Whatever anxiety tearing him up before slowly evaporated as he turned to meet your gaze. a slow, vaporizing intoxication replaces it now.

The two of you stood face to face, your warm breathing mingles with his as you let out a rare scoff. "And what of right now?" You raise a brow. "You've come to conquer whatever freshness of air the night allows you to have, still?

Jace shrugged. "That. And maybe, I wanted to see you."

You raised a brow, unimpressed. "Worried I might get eaten by the wind? Nothing but a cold vessel for you to walk onto?"

His smile drops at your words, not taking them lightly at all. "Do not jest about that. These vanishings, murders...tis' not something to laugh about."

You remain unnafected by his scolding. Turning away from the insistent calling of his eyes to the full moon hanging above your heads.

"No, it's not. I simply wonder if you're worried about the wrong person is all."

Your words managed to evoke a boyish pout from the wild haired heir.

"I am a prince, skilled swordsman, and dragonrider. I assure you that no harm might reach me."

You hummed in thought at that, eyes closed with your face still facing upwards. "Blood staining the corners of your palace, dried corpses underneath staircases. Those were all things you were also once sure would never happen up until now, no?"

He says nothing, entranced by how lost you get in the night breeze.

"Danger may be closer than you think, my prince. Practice caution."

He could feel the sincerity in your voice. Your advices are often given without further elaboration. Like puzzle pieces you enjoy watching him put together.

"What?" He blurts out.

The corners of your eyes crinkle as you watch him with a glimmer of wonder and amusement

"Go to sleep, Jacaerys."

---

He dreamt of you that night. A peculiar dream it was, one that felt like a distant memory forcing itself to be recalled.

He saw you as glimpses as he slumbered. A rare and eerie smile carved on your lips that he's sure he's witnessed before for a thousand lifetimes. Familiarity all through the jarring and jagged pieces of your face in his dream.

He felt that the dream version of you has little difference to the real one he's grown accustomed to. You are just as ominous and unsettling in real life as you are in his subconscious. There is aura of death and black smoke surrounding you, and it's as if he's the only one who can see it.

"Jacaerys-" Rhaenyra's voice pierces through his chambers s she storms in while he sleeps.

Jace jolts awake, his hand immediately stretching forward to grab the sword by his bedside in an impulse.

"Get up." Rhaenyra whisper-shouts. "Another murder has occured." His mother's face was pale, her hands trembling in distress as she attempts to hold herself together.

The corpse has been bled dry this time. A kitchen servant. And how exactly the murderer had managed to suck this womans blood off dry without causing a bloody mess was astounding.

"Do you hear me? Take Vermax and search the surroundings of our castle for the murderer. and I will handle this situation before the whole castle hears of it, go."

His mind was still not fully there as he takes in his mother's words, but his response came quick. "Thats

That's not necessary."

Jacaerys finds himself floating away while watching as two maids gather around the corpse, quick to cleanup in however way they could.

This had happened too near to his chambers. And the fact that this had managed to happen without even a squeak of noise beimg heard or any suspicions seen by anybody felt unreal.

His mother wants this recent disaster to be kept as secret as possible, convinced that the killer must be amongst them. And there was naught that Jace can say or do to relieve her of her worries for he too believes it to be true.

What is hard for him to grasp is the motive. He had turned and twisted it all over his head but it just felt impossible to decipher. Everytime a body is found, it almost always seems like an animalistic attack, nothing of the natural sort. And yet something of that kind should leave more evidence to be proven.

No signs of wild animals or sounds of the victims screaming are ever noticed. The pattern of these murders also happen ereatically between weeks and sometimes moons instead of consistently. No one is ever prepared for it to repeat until it does.

The only thing he can be sure of is that these monstrous attacks had only began after you arrived at court.

Could it be that you had brought with you a bad luck of sort when you arrived? An omen that would haunt all around you?

"The killer is within us." He mumbled to himself.

Rhaenyra pauses.

"It's not an outsider, and they're not afraid. Because they are within us, within these walls. Just like she told me."

"She?" Genuine concern fills his mother. "Who told you that?"

Jace snaps out of the conversation like cold water has just been splashed on his face. "Where is she? I need- I need to make sure she's safe-"

He didnt give his mother even a second to think before he bolts off from the crime scene,

He appears in front of your chambers soon enough without any delay, like a call he was summoned to receive. And as he forgets himself in moment of tragedy, Jacaerys lacks the propriety of announcing his presence, letting himself into your sacred space.

The darkness envelopes him quickly. His eyes struggles to adapt to the changes as he searches for your figure in the absolute nothingness.

He catches your gaze after a moment. They stare straight into his. The sight of you sitting up straight on your bed as you carefully eyed him had turned his bones cold. There was something chilling about you in this light- or for better words, the lack of it.

"I- I apologize." He stutters. Only then realizing how inappropriate he'd been for appearing unannounced in your chambers in the witching hour.

You deny him a response, urging him to continue.

"There has been another incident. Another attack." He clarifies. "I admit, I might still be delirious and shaken from it all. I just wanted to see if you were alright." He felt thst he should've said more, but your silence pulls at his heart, he could not say more even if he wanted to.

Just then, A small smile formed on your lips, just as it was in his dream he had just woken up from.

"And am I? Alright?" You spoke finally, your voice smooth.

He shakes his head slowly. "I don't know."

You are unharmed, that is obvious. But your reaction, Gods. It is unearthly. All parts of it.

"You must stay with me then, until you are sure." A command so soft he had no choice but to oblige.

Jacaerys walked gently to your side before sliding himself onto the bed, his arms finding the curve of your shoulders with no hesitation.

Up close, the terror slowly ceased to haint your features. With a hand on his chest, pushing him down onto the comfort of your silk pillow, Jace relaxes under your touch, letting you find your place in the crook of his neck.

◌ ◞ QUEEN OF PEACE !

❛❛ the introduction to sweetling reader !

◌ ◞ NOT NAMED FIRST CHAPTER…

❛❛ send in suggestions !

┊࿐ ❛❛ continue on to my…. 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 ❜❜

Ი𐑼 guys like how could I not make an au for them??? this has been plaguing my mind for oh so long 🤭 I don’t really have much planned for this , I wanted to leave some of it in your hands , SO GO CRAZY 🤓 this is a interactive au so your guy’s thoughts, ideas, and opinions are very important and wanted !! comments, reblogs and feedback is very welcomed !! please tell me your thoughts 🤍

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Who would've thought that the human embodiment of death was dating the friendly neighbourhood spider-man.

Butcher would never bring you up because part of him wanted to keep you out of his line of work... and the other part of him was embarrassed about it.

About the idea of people knowing you guys were dating.

But when desperate times calls for desperate measures.

They had to call you for a mission.

So imagine the shock on everyone's faces when butcher just casually mentioned the fact he knew you, let alone the fact you guys were dating.

"Wait so you're telling me, this whole time, you were dating the spider-man?" Annie emphasised because she had idolise you as far back as her time training to be part of the seven.

"Wait like like the saves people on a daily basis spider-man?" Hughie joined in, equally as shock as Annie was.

"Yeah yeah, now are we gonna stand 'ere, like a bunch of middle-aged mums chattin' over wine, or are we gonna get 'omelander?" Butcher said, acting all dismissive as though he wasn't trying to hide the fact he was blushing just a bit now.

How you guys dated was pretty much similar to something out of a romance film.

It was right after Butcher had lost Becca.

He was walking down the street, on his way to do his work until a loud crash could be heard from not far. He runs in a hurry to check what it was, people pushing past him while he pushes forward.

Once he makes it past the corner, he looked up to see you using all your webs to hold up a chopper between two buildings. If it hadn't been for you, it could have potentially crushed everyone underneath.

The way you stood on the chopper, saluting at the kids cheering for you before swinging away made you seem... heroic.

He didn't wanna get hopeful. No. Not after everything he learned but shit...

You weren't with Vought and you sure as hell wasn't doing it for the marketing.

Now everytime you get brought up or when he sees you swinging by, he had nothing but admiration for you.

He'll never show it. He'd rather eat shit than admit it to anyone but deep in his chest he was really rooting for you.

Then one day, after an altercation you had with Homelander, as usual, he found you badly wounded on a rooftop. You were breathing fast with your hands gripping your side.

"Come on spider-man, c'mon" You pushed yourself off your ass but the second you extended your hand to swing away. You collapsed completely.

He stood there, hiding behind the ventilation fan as his eyes examined your unconscious body.

Then he took you back to his place.

He laid you on his couch as he treated your wounds. It was bad, burn marks everywhere from the lasers. Parts of your suit ripped or even burnt into your skin from the heat.

As he gentle pressed the cloth against your exposed neck, he'd be lying if he says he wasn't thinking of taking off your mask to see who you were.

The temptation was testing him.

So when he was certain you were out cold, he reaches for the mask, his finger slipping under the fabric and gently tugging it upwards.

The second you felt your mask being pulled over your nose, your spidey senses went off, your eyes jolted open and you quickly weave off of the couch, your hands fast to pull your mask back down.

He stands there, staring at your figure that's now clinging to the far corner of his ceiling.

"Calm down, I ain't gonna hurt ya" He raised his hands, showing he was no threat as you tried to catch your breath.

"Who are you?" You questioned, still on guard.

"'m just a guy. Nothin' compared to ya" He reassured you and it took you a while to get down.

For the night, you'd find yourself seated on the chair while you let him treat you. Then small talk happened and before you realised it, you were now acquaintances.

You'd always swing by and pay him a visit when you can. He hate to admit it but he was falling for your charm. You were like a breath of fresh air compared to the horrid shit he always has to go through.

"So... you wanna kill Homelander? I admire the dedication but you sure you're not gonna get yourself killed?" You asked, rested atop the railing of the balcony.

He scoffs.

"How 'bout you let me 'andle my job spidey" He said, taking a bite of his sandwich while you laugh.

Always so stubborn at every attempt you try to pull him out of this work.

The more you guys spent time together the more you guys grew closer.

Till one day he confessed his love, almost too out of character but you just shut him up by kissing him before he embarrassed himself even more.

All you remembered was how he tried to use the spice girls as a metaphor on your relationship.

When he saw you take off your mask the first time, he shamelessly let out a low "damn..." at the sight. The fact you trusted him this much, sure it meant a lot, but did you have to hide that good looking face away from him this long?

That should be a crime.

Now back to the present, the day you were told to meet up with the boys. You did that superhero landing that had all of them get goosebumps.

Except at Butcher who just snarked at you showing off.

"Mister spider-man. It is such an honour to finally meet you" Frenchie would say, shaking your hand while you chuckled at his gesture.

Is protective of you. Very much so even before he got his freaky powers.

"Love.. don't..." He'd shoot you that look, that pleading look when you were gonna jump back into battle with your injuries.

"Sorry babe, city needs me" You'd kiss him on the cheek then hop off the roof, swinging back to fight the bad guys.

He hates how you're always risking your life for everyone.

Especially with Vought twisting you out to be some terrorist to push a hate campaign against you.

So don't be surprised when he gets into a fist fight with one of your haters on the street.

To which you end up having to stitch him up, lecturing him on your hero morale while he just adores you wholeheartedly.

He enjoys cuddling a lot. He doesn't mind being big spoon but he's a sucker when it comes to being cuddled.

Its not everyday you get babied by spider-man.

Obviously you guys did the spider-man kiss.

He was in the rain, staring at you with that amused glint in his eyes as you hovered upside down in front of him. Your webs being the thing to support your body weight.

"Hey there cupcake" You'd say to which he raises a brow.

"Ain't ya sweet" He'd say before leaning in to kiss you on the lips.

After you had woken up you were in the bathroom as Hughie showed you how to work it. 'Did you used to bathe back at vought?'

'Once a week... Father would have assistants bathe me,' you mumbled with slight embarrassment.

'Well, I'm happy to say you can bathe yourself here,' Hughie said with a small laugh. You smiled and watched as he turned on the warm water. 'Alright, nice and warm. Use any of the soap and I've put the spare clothes on the counter,' he said before leaving. You giggled and stripped off your clothes before standing under the warm water.

Once you were done you came out in Hughie's clothes and saw Billy on the couch. You ran over to him and he noticed you were finally using two legs and not crawling. You jumped onto the couch and sat beside him. 'Look at that, darlin. You're nice and clean,' he said. You smiled and placed your head against his arm. 'What are you doing, darlin?'

'Affection...' you whispered. He looked at you before he made sure no one was around. He wrapped his arm around you and moved you so you were cuddled into his side. Your tail wagged as he gently ran his hand through your hair.

'Is that better?'

'Yes,' you whispered as you nuzzled into him. He chuckled and enjoyed the feeling of you against him, he liked the fact that you already trusted him.

--

A week later you were doing a lot better and even walked most of the time now. You were sitting with Hughie when your ears perked up and you started to sniff the air. Hughie chuckled and knew exactly who was arriving. Billy entered the base and then Ryan behind him. You smiled brightly and ran towards him before tackling him onto the ground. He laughed and hugged you tightly. 'Hey, sis.'

'Ryan!' you shouted as you practically squeezed him. He smiled and held you a tight as he could.

'I've missed you so much,' he said. After hugging him for a while you brought him to the couch and began telling him everything you had done. Ryan had never felt so relieved now that he knew you were safe and taken care of. You ended up talking yourself into exhaustion and fell asleep next to Ryan. When he noticed he chuckled softly and ran his hand through your hair.

'How has she been?' Ryan asked Billy.

'Good, apart from a bit of expected ptsd.'

'I can imagine... Father treated her so horribly, and before that she was just a lab rat,' Ryan said as he looked down at you.

'I can't imagine treating my own kid like a damn dog. I don't care what bloody mutation she's got, she's a person,' Billy said. He felt his heart warm as he watched Ryan gently comfort you.

'I wish I knew about her earlier, I could've stopped a lot.'

'Don't start blaming yourself for the past, kid. She's safe now, that's what matters,' Billy said. Ryan smiled and looked back at Billy.

'Yeah, you're right.'

--

When you woke up again Ryan was leaving. You whined and wouldn't let go of him. 'I'll be back, okay sis? I'll miss you too,' he said as he hugged you. Billy managed to pry you away and you hugged him instead. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around you.

'Bye, Ryan,' you whispered with tears in your eyes.

'Bye, sis. It won't be long, okay?' he said before he left. You began to cry and buried your face in Billy's shirt. He sighed and wrapped his arms around you.

'It's alright, darlin. He'll be okay,' he said as he gently rubbed your back.

After crying you pulled away and looked at him. 'Billy...?'

'Yeah, darlin?'

'Ryan is my family, he's my brother. What does that make you? Are you family?' you whispered quietly. He smiled and looked down at you. He gently held your face and caressed your cheek.

(trigger warning, abusive homelander and just overall creepy homelander)

DISCLAIMER: by continuing you acknowledge the fact that these stories can sometimes be dark and triggering. If you decide to continue you cannot complain if you are triggered. These are fan fictions I do for fun, these are not professionally published books. I don't want critics or feedback, because the works I post here are unedited and something I do for fun and not so it has perfect spelling and punctuation.

All you had known your entire life was a vought lab. Being shoved away like some dirty family secret. Your father visited you sometimes, but it was usually just to check up on progress of your powers. Vought had tried to create many supe children from Homelander's genes, but apart from Ryan you were the only success. The only problem was that you were...deformed. The scientists had studied you from the moment you were born to try and determine why you were born with canine DNA. They still didn't have any answers.

You were in your little cell that had a bed and a toilet in it. You sat on the ground playing with a ball as your tail wagged behind you. You heard a noise and your dog like ears perked up on top of your head. You saw your father entering and your tail wagged even more. He smirked and stepped in front of the glass. 'There's my little mutt,' he said. He enjoyed having someone who was excited to see him, someone who listened to him no matter what. You grabbed your ball in your mouth and sat by the glass as he chuckled.

'Sir, we wished to talk to you about Y/N. We've been seeing good progress in her and we believe with the right teacher she could become more...human,' the scientist said. Homelander's smile faded and he turned to look at the man.

'You think there's something wrong with my little girl?'

'No, sir. It's just if you wanted her to act more human.'

'Well, I don't. She's perfect the way she is. Obedient and mindless, perfect,' he said with a smirk.

'Of course, sir. We'll continue how we've been going,' he said before walking away. Your father opened the cell and stepped inside. You stood up and looked at him excitedly.

'Uh, uh sweetheart. You know I don't like when you stand up. You're a little mutt, you should act like it,' he said. You pouted a little and kneeled back down again. 'Now, isn't that better? You need to listen to that canine part of you, sweetheart.' He reached down and ran his hand over your ears as you twitched a little at the touch. 'Hmm, I wonder how you would go in my penthouse. Would you like that, darling? Want to keep daddy company?' he asked as you tilted your head and looked at him.

Homelander had decided he wanted you around more often. So, he was getting you settled into his penthouse despite the warnings from the scientists. You wandered around the penthouse and sniffed a few things before you climbed up into one of the spare beds. 'No, not on the bed. Come on, hop off. I got you your very own bed,' he said as he gestured for you to follow him. You followed him into his room to see a dog bed at the foot of his bed. 'This way you're nice and close to me,' he said as you sniffed the bed. You jumped up onto his bed as he looked at you in disgust. 'No! I said get down!' he shouted. Your tail went between your legs and you quickly hopped off and went onto the dog bed. 'Good girl. You don't get on the furniture, understood?' he asked. You nodded a little and kept your tail between your legs. 'Good, I'll even get you some good food, hmm? Your own little bowl,' he said as he patted your head.

When Ryan arrived home that day he saw you sitting on the floor just outside the kitchen. He had heard rumours about a hybrid half sister he had, but this wasn't what he expected. You perked up and looked at him and sniffed the air.

'Uh... Father?'

'Ryan! Meet your sister, Y/N. Cute, isn't she?' he said as he threw some food on the floor for you. You ate it off the floor and wagged your tail as Ryan watched with slight disgust. He moved forward and looked down at you.

'Uh, hi...' he said.

'She can't talk, just pat her head.'

Ryan looked back down at you and gently reached down and placed his hand on your head. You smile with your sharp teeth and made Ryan chuckle. He looked at the collar around your neck and frowned. 'What does the collar do?'

'It just keeps her behaving and quiet,' Homelander said as he continued to make dinner for himself.

'It's a shock collar? Isn't that...cruel?'

'She needs to learn one way or another. Let's just hope we don't have to use it,' he said simply as Ryan gently scratched behind your ears. He chuckled when he saw your tail wagging.

'Would they hurt her in the labs?' he asked.

'Sometimes, but she behaves a lot better now,' Homelander said as he dishes up his own dinner and left the kitchen. You whined a little and watched him leave.

'Does she need food?'

'She had some steak before. I'll get dog food tomorrow,' he said. Ryan looked at you sadly. Surely his father wouldn't force you to eat dry dog food. Ryan glanced to make sure his father was gone before he rummaged through he fridge and found some left over pizza. He quickly heated it up before sitting on the floor with you.

'Here, you'll like this a lot better,' he said as you nodded and took a piece. You giggled and your tail wagged as you ate the pizza. Ryan chuckled and ate some with you. 'It's kind of cool to have a sister. I just didn't realise you actually had dogs ears and a tail. Do you know what I'm saying?' he asked. You nodded and smiled with your mouth full. 'But you can't speak?' he asked. You pointed to the collar around your throat and he looked at you in confusion. 'The collar goes off if you speak?' You nodded your head and continued to eat as Ryan looked at you sadly. Ryan glanced around again before he moved over to look at the collar. He found a button that turned off the shock feature. 'There... When it's just us, you can talk, okay?' he said. You looked at him and glanced around nervously.

'Ryan,' you whispered as you pointed at him. He chuckled and nodded.

'That's right, Y/N. Can you say Y/N?' he asked.

'Y/N,' you whispered. He smiled softly and reached up to pat your head again.

'That's right,' he said before he heard Homelander coming back. He quickly turned the collar back on. He came back out and smiled.

'Look at you two getting along. Don't let her up on the furniture, alright?'

'Why not?' Ryan asked in confusion.

'She's a mutt, mutt’s don’t belong on furniture,’ he said in a harsh tone.

‘She’s part human and your daughter. She should be treated as such,’ Ryan said as he stood up.

‘If you have a problem with how I handle her, you’re more than welcome to leave, son.’ Homelander stepped closer and you tucked your tail between your legs. You slowly crawled forward and sit in front of Ryan with your ears pinned back in submission. ‘What the hell are you doing? Are you protecting him?’ His voice was still harsh as you looked at him in fear. ‘Move, mutt,’ he growled as he glared at you. You whined in fear and moved back a little. Ryan kneeled down and placed his hand on your shoulder.

‘It’s okay, I’ll be alright,’ he said. He offered you a soft smile and you crawled backwards to sit behind Ryan.

‘Oh, now you’re scared of your father?’ Homelander said. You looked at him with an uncertain look in your eyes.

‘Father, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She’s just confused,’ Ryan said. Homelander sighed and rubbed his head.

‘Fine. Get in your bed, mutt,’ he growled. You whimpered and quickly rushed off to the bedroom where your bed was. You curled up in the bed and looked up on the bed to see a warm blanket. You thought for a second and sneakily grabbed the blanket and curled up into it.

A few minutes later Ryan walked in to see you curled up in the blanket. He smiled and laid down on the floor beside you. ‘Hey, father has gone for a meeting. You wanna come out with me? I can turn the collar off,’ he said. You smiled and your tail started to wag again as he reached up and turned the collar off. You smiled and suddenly leapt up and ran out of the room. Ryan chuckled and chased after you as you sniffed around the house. ‘Easy girl! Don’t break anything.’ He watched as you jumped up onto the couch and began sniffing over it. ‘I guess you haven’t been out of the lab much. I have an idea, but you have to promise to behave,’ he said. You sat up straight and looked happy as your tail wagged. ‘Come on. Just stick close to me.’

Ryan took you up to the roof and you stared in awe up at the bright sky above you. Ryan smiled and saw tears in your eyes. ‘Wait… Have you never seen the sky?’

‘On…tv,’ you said as he looked at you sadly.

‘They really never let you out, huh?’ He asked. You shook your head before you went to the edge and glanced down at the city.

‘Very high,’ you whispered. Ryan smiled softly and stood beside you.

‘Yeah, the city can looked pretty scary from here. It’s not so bad though,’ he said. You looked at him and he noticed your tail wagging again. 'What's on your mind?'

'You're...family?' you asked.

'Yeah, I'm your brother. Pretty cool, huh?' he said. You smiled and lunged forward to hug him. He chuckled and gently hugged you back. You nuzzled into him and he gently patted your ears.

'Family,' you whispered. Ryan suddenly felt even more protective over you, he hated the idea of you being treated like a dog.

'We better get back before father gets home.'

--

When Homelander returned he found you curled up in your bed with a blanket. He rolled his eyes and woke you up. You yawned and looked up at him as your tail began to wag. 'Who's blanket is that, hmm?' he asked. You went to speak but quickly stopped yourself. You pouted and took the blanket off and handed it to him. 'If I didn't give you it, you don't it. Do you understand that?' he said sternly. You nodded and kept your head down as he scolded you. You glanced up at him with your ears pinned back.

'Father...' you whispered before the shock collar gave you a nasty shock. You whimpered and backed away from him.

'We established that you don't speak, sweetheart.' He stepped closer as you whimpered and feared up a little. You kept down low and tried to seem as submissive as possible towards him. 'If you keep this up I'll muzzle you as well, darling.'

--

It had been abour two years since you'd started living with your father. Whenever he wasn't around Ryan was teaching you how to talk better and after two years you'd gotten pretty good. He had even taught you how to walk properly. You were home alone and asleep on the couch when the door opened. You quickly hopped off the couch and sat in your bed when you saw it was your father. You smiled and your tail began to wag but it changed quickly when you saw him glare at you and slam the door shut. You looked at him in fear. 'A little birdie told me Ryan has been teaching you to speak and even how to walk. Little mutts like you aren't meant to speak, are they?' he said as he stepped forward. You went to run but he leapt forward and grabbed you by your hair. You yelped loudly and the collar shocked you. 'You're having time out. You want to take it for granted? Huh? I'll show you what life without me is like,' he growled as he grabbed a few things and dragged you into the elevator. You struggled against him and whimpered quietly but he kept a tight grip on you. The elevator opened at the roof and your father dragged you around the corner and pulled out some rope. He began tying you to a pole as you cried softly. 'Stay! I'm getting something better to keep you here.'

He returned a few minutes later with a chain and a muzzle. You looked at him in fear and whimpered softly. 'Those puppy eyes won't work on me, sweetheart.' He attached the chain to your collar before locking the muzzle around your mouth. You whined and pulled at the chain as you tried to get closer to him. 'If you're lucky I'll come give you food.'

You whined as loud as you could before you were shocked again. You sobbed in pain as you watched him leave you alone.

The next morning you woke up and shivered from the cold rain that had fell overnight. You whimpered softly, you were so hungry and cold. You heard a noise and tried to move against the chains. A figure moved around the corner and looked at you in shock. 'Bloody hell... What the hell are you?' the man said. You cowered in fear and pulled against thr chain. 'Oi! Calm down, you're gonna bloody choke yourself,' he said as he knelt down and looked at you. You stopped pulling against the chains and stared at him with wide eyes that were filled with tears. 'Never seen anything like you, darling...'

You heard a noise and looked up to see Ryan, he looked at the man in shock. 'Billy? What the hell are you doing here?'

'Came to get some bloody information and found this little thing up here,' he said. Ryan looked at you in shock and rushed forward.

'Y/N, oh my god. I was looking for you, oh god you're freezing,' he said as he ripped his jacket off and put it around you. You whined softly and moved closer to Ryan.

'You know her?' Billy asked.

'She's my sister...'

'She's your fuckin what?' Billy asked in shock. Ryan tried to take off the muzzle but realised it was locked with a key.

'She's my half sister. They used Homelander's dna to try and make more supes. She was the only success but her dna mutated into...this,' Ryan explained as he tried his best to warm you up. 'Father treats her like a dog... She sleeps on a dog bed, she eats dog food, drinks from a dog bowl and isn't even allowed to walk,' Ryan said with a sad look. Billy looked at you and could see how terrified you were.

'Fucking hell... I didn't think that bastard could get any sicker.'

'You have to take her back with you. Please, Billy. If she stays here I don't know what father will do,' Ryan begged. Billy groaned and rubbed his face before he stood up.

'Kid, I can't take her on.'

'You have to, please. She's been treated terribly, with you she can actually learn to be a person. She's a supe, she could help you,' Ryan said. Billy looked at you again and hated that he felt bad for you.

'Fuckin hell, fine. I'm only doing this for you, kid.'

'Thank you, Billy,' he said. He looked back at you and smiled. 'Billy is going to protect you. With him you'll be able to speak and even walk, okay? Like I taught you.'

Billy watched with a fondness in his eyes as Ryan spoke to you. He managed to get the chain off the collar and helped you stand up. 'Will you be able to get the muzzle and collar off?' Ryan asked.

'Yeah, I'm sure Frenchie will work it out,' Billy said as you held tightly onto Ryan's arm. 'It's alright, sweetheart. I ain't gonna hurt you, I'll take you somewhere safe, okay?'

--

With a lot of crying and whining you were finally back at the boys base. Billy entered first and was thankful the base was empty for now. He led you insicr and sat you down before he grabbed some tools. 'Alright, darling. Let's get those damn things off you,' he said. You stared in fear and tried to back away but he gently held onto you. 'Shh, it's alright. I'm just taking the muzzle and collar off, okay?' he said. You looked at him with caution in your eyes and sat completely frozen while he began to pry open the lock of the muzzle. He managed to get it off and then began to work on the collar. He made sure to turn it off first before starting to pry at it. He managed to damage the lock and busted it open to see permanent scars from it on your neck. 'Bloody hell, luv... How long have you had this damn thing on?'

'For always,' you whispered. Billy looked at you sadly and could see just how broken you were.

'Well, no more, alright? You ain't gotta wear it here and you're allowed to speak whenever you damn well please,' he said. You looked at him nervously and glanced around.

'Food?' you asked timidly. He chuckled and stood up.

'Bet you're starving, darling. I'll get the boys to pick something up on their way home. In the mean time I've got some chips, nothing fancy,' he said as he tossed you a bag of salted chips. You looked at it in confusion and started to chew on the side of the foil. 'Bloody hell. Luv, the food is inside it,' he said as he opened the bag for you. You sniffed the bag a little before you began eating the chips inside like a wild animal. Billy chuckled and ruffled your hair while you ate.

When the boys returned they carried in about six boxes of pizza and all froze in shock when they saw you on the couch next to Billy.

'Ah, Mon Ami. Are you aware you have a furry beside you?' Frenchie said as you looked up and your tail started to wag.

'This is Y/N. Homelander's deformed kid,' Billy said casually. You jumped down from the couch and crawled towards the team as they stared at you. You sat in front of Marvin and tilted your head. 'Give her some pizza,' Billy said.

'Uh, okay,' Marvin muttered. He placed a box on the ground and opened it for you. You glanced back at Billy for permission.

'Go on, luv. All yours,' he said. You smiled and quickly tore into the pizza while your tail wagged faster.

'She's Homelander's Daughter? How?' Hughie asked as he watched you eat.

'Apparently they tried to make a bunch of supe kids with his genes. She was the only success, but the dna mutated into that,' Billy said as the team nodded. You practically devoured the pizza before running back to Billy and getting on the couch again. He chuckled and ruffled your hair. 'Alright, you're very cute, luv. Starting tomorrow I'm teaching you to be more human,' he said as you looked at him.

'Ryan... Taught me to speak...and walk,' you said. Billy smiled fondly at the thought of Ryan teaching you things behind his father's back. 'That's why I was on the roof...father found out.'

'Well, you're father is a right bastard, darling. You're a person, you're gonna start acting like one,' he said. You smiled with your sharp teeth and Butcher chuckled softly. 'Cute, ain't she?'

'Does she...bite?' Hughie asked.

'She hasn't tried to. Don't go treating her like a dog, treat her like a person. Got it?' he said sternly as the team nodded and went their seperate ways. Hughie cautiously stepped closer and looked at you. He noticed the scars on your neck.

'Did she have a collar on?'

'Yep, and a muzzle. Her own father put her in them,' he grumbled. Hughie looked at you and smiled.

'Hey, you want to look through some of my clothes? Might be better then those wet ones you're in,' he asked. Your ears perked up and you nodded. Hughie reached a hand out and helped you stand up. You were a little wobbly on your feet, but you managed to walk beside him. He guided you into his room and you began to sniff everything. Billy followed you both to keep an eye on you and watched you while Hughie found some spare clothes. You cautiously moved towards the bed and sat on it as you glanced at Billy to see if he’d react.

‘It’s alright, darlin. You’re allowed on the bloody bed. What, your daddy not let you up on the furniture?’ He asked. You shook your head and Billy felt even worse about your situation. ‘So, where did you sleep, luv?’

‘Dog bed in father’s room,’ you said. Hughie turned around and looked at you sadly.

‘Your father forced you to sleep on a dog bed? Did he give you…dog food too?’ Hughie asked.

‘Yes,’ you whispered. He offered you a sad smile.

‘Well, you get real food here and a bed. I’ll happily take the couch and you can have my bed,’ Hughie said as you smiled and your tail wagged.

‘It’s alright, Hughie. I’ll be able to find a spare mattress today somewhere in storage,’ Billy said. You began to mess up Hughie’s bed and sniff around as they chuckled. ‘Or she’ll claim your bed, mate.’

You plopped down onto the bed and curled up under the sheets. ‘I don’t mind, especially when she’s so cute.’

Homelander had been doomed from his childhood. The sterile environment doctors and nurses provided him growing up shaped him into the person he was today. Even he, in his deranged state, knew it was no place for a kid to be. He never stood a chance, who could blame him for how he turned out ?

But now, in front of him, laid the answer to all his questions, his father. Soldier Boy. Or Benjamin Hargrove, as he'd come to learn. His mind still had yet to fully comprehend that Soldier Boy was indeed his dad. His whole life he had idolized the man, and when he finally met him, his dreams were brutally crushed.

Soldier Boy suddenly began to stir before opening his eyes for the first time in years. His vision was blurred for a few seconds as he tried looking around to assess where he was. He used his hands to stand himself up, part of his body still feeling too numb to move.

He caught his breath as if he'd been running a marathon. He was on edge, unaware of where he was and what had happened since the last time he was conscious. His gaze finally met the only other person in the room, Homelander. "You, what the fuck ?" He said, his voice coarse from the lack of use of his vocal cords over his time asleep.

He tried getting up, ready to fight if needed, but his legs could not keep him standing. "You were on ice for two years at a CIA black site, but you're safe here. We found you this morning during a raid."

Ben was about to make a crude joke, but decided to hold his tongue for once. He looked at the man walking towards him. He noticed his son's nose, it reminded him of someone. Someone he hadn't seen in a very long time.

As Homelander explained to Ben his plan to catch William Butcher, Soldier Boy couldn't help but be unfocused. Everything reminded him of her. Even Homelander's mannerisms seemed to be inherited from a woman he'd never met.

He was cut from his thoughts by Homelander. "Hey, are you even listening ?"

"You're so much like her." Soldier Boy simply mumbled, having no interest in their previous conversation. A small smile appeared on his face, it shocked Homelander, he'd never seen his father express any emotion other than frustration towards him. Ben saw the confusion on his son's face. "Your mother." He said, his usual annoyed tone coming right back.

Homelander's face dropped, his serious demeanour disappeared and his voice was no longer sure of itself. "My mother ? How could you have known her ? She was a random runaway Vought found."

Soldier Boy huffed. "Is that what they told you ?" He said, as though it was the worst thing Vought had ever done. "Your mother was Starspangle."

Homelander knew who she was. She'd been a member of Payback and Soldier Boy's recent wife at the time of his disappearance. Why had he never thought of this ?

"But her name was Y/N. She hated that bullshit alias Vought stuck on her." Homelander sat down next to his father, as he took in the news. He remembered seeing her in films and books, how blind he had been. "I still remember the day she told me about you. She was terrified, but not because of what would happen to her. She was afraid of what would await you."

You bit your lip as you tried to hold back your tears. Positive. Fucking positive.

You didn't know whether to be thrilled or scared. A supe baby ? Vought was a morally corrupt company and unfortunately, they quite literally owned your body. What would they do if they got their hands on a naturally born super-abled child ?

You threw the test away and quickly wiped your eyes, hoping your cries weren't visible. You stormed out of the washroom, fearful for what was about to come for you and your baby.

As you walked through Vought Tower, you kept your head down. The last thing you needed now was to be seen in this state. And obviously today you were out of luck, as when you turned into the next hallway, you ran into someone's chest.

You felt a pair of hands grab your shoulders to stabilize you. "You alright, sweetheart ?" Soldier Boy. Ben. Your husband.

Your relationship had an uncommon start. Vought brought you in to strengthen Ben's appearance as America's golden son. You met in late 1970s, and back then nothing was more patriotic than being a married man with three kids. Luckily for you, as your partnership went on, this fake relationship you'd put up for the public, slowly became real.

Ben before and after you, were like to separate entities, at least to you. Before he officially met you, he had the reputation for being quite the womanizer, or in other words, a man whore.

But once Vought made him sign papers stipulating that he could not be seen in public with any other women, he calmed down a little. He had no plans to stay loyal at first, after all what was the use of it to him ? He was famous, might as well use his influence to get some action.

But after spending so much time with you, he made a realization. He didn't need a hundred women, not when he had one who not only satisfied all his needs, but he felt good being around. You weren't there for his money or his fame, you had your own, and you certainly weren't there to brag about sleeping with him, you had no need for that.

He looked down at you with real concern in his eyes, you knew you wouldn't be able to hide this from him. You pulled him into the nearest empty room. You looked around to make sure there were no cameras, and confessed your truth.

"I'm pregnant." You simply stated.

Ben's eyes went wide, almost with a sense of relief. "I was startin' to think I was shooting blanks, especially considering we're at it like rabbits." He joked, unsurprisingly, as he wrapped his arms around your frame and brought you close to him. "This is great news baby."

As much as you truly wanted with all your heart to share his excitement, you were unable to. Tears began dripping from your eyes and he pulled you away to look at your face. "What's wrong ?"

"I'm scared."

"There's nothin' to be scared about, you're not the first dame in history to push out a baby."

You gave him a slight chuckle before sharing your concerns. "I'm scared for the child. I don't want Vought involved in their life the way they are in mine. But at the same time, I'm greedy. I want this baby so badly, but I couldn't bear giving them my life. I don't want to give Vought another lab rat."

Ben knew you were right. Vought had never showed mercy to anyone, not even children, so why should yours be an exception ?

Homelander huffed. "She knew."

Ben wondered why he kept on talking, or why he was even talking in the first place. Homelander was the strangest person he'd ever met, and he had never felt the need to have a real conversation with his son. But in that moment, for reasons beyond him, he wanted to speak.

Maybe it was because his brain was still half-frozen, or maybe he just missed you and this was the closest he could get to you. Homelander was technically what was left of you available to him.

"She always knew." Soldier Boy said. "We planned to keep you a secret and run away. Back then, goin' off the grid wasn't too difficult. We were gonna raise you on a farm in Montana." Ben almost laughed at the thought, maybe then he could've raised his son to be a real man. "But that fucker Mindstorm and Countess ratted us out to Vought. And they were so damn happy."

You were sitting at your designated chair in the Payback conference room, reading over some files from Vought's latest report. As you turned a page, something was thrown in front of you. The test you'd taken earlier.

Your eyes went wide. You slid the test on the ground as quickly as possible to make sure no one else had seen it. You looked up to see who had tossed it your way. Crimson Countess.

She stood tall in front of you with her arms crossed, that spiteful expression on her face she only ever reserved for you. "You little whore. Not even a year married and you get yourself knocked up."

"What the fuck are you talking about ?" You said, on edge.

"Don't even bother playing dumb, that act may work on everyone else, but not on me. Mindstorm looked into your filthy mind and confirmed it all."

You knew she resented you. When she and Ben had broken up, for some reason you weren't aware of, Vought wasted no time trying to clean up their moneymaker's image. You were the perfect accessory, the girl America wanted.

You were younger, more willing to comply and exactly what Ben's public image needed. To say the concept of a friendship between you and Countess would've been difficult was an understatement.

"Countess-"

"Aren't you lucky ? Pumped full with his kid, isn't that the wet dream of every woman in this damn country ?"

Countess' relationship with her ex was an odd one. Although it was obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes that she held a great deal of animosity towards the man, she still couldn't let him go. Not even after he'd moved on himself.

You tried to stay calm as you begged her not expose your secret. "Listen, please don't tell anyone about this."

"Why ? Are you afraid Vought's gonna have you kill the parasite or keep it ?" She chuckled.

The moment the words left her mouth, you were getting ready to jump up and attack her, but before you could, someone burst through the door. "Let me go !" It was Mindstorm, battered and bruised, his hands tied behind his back and a rag placed onto his eyes, being lifted off the ground by Ben.

"Ain't it weird that Vought employees are congratulatin' me when I walk by ?" Ben said as he threw his teammate at Countess' feet. "You bitter old cunt. Can't you get it through your thick skull that you're no longer hot shit at Vought ?"

Countess rolled her eyes, masking the way his insults did in fact hurt her. She paused, thinking about what to say next. "You're the last person on Earth who should be a father. We all know it."

Ben was not one to be affected by the way people insulted him, or at least not publicly, but you saw the shock that covered his face for a millisecond when Countess spoke.

You knew Ben had some unresolved problems regarding his father, and he had yet to tell you much about it, but it seemed Countess knew this was something to bring up in order to catch him off guard.

Suddenly Countess turned back towards you. "And you, how stupid do you have to be to let this happen. All your beauty and all your youth, down the drain for a man almost three times your age !"

Before Ben could interfere, you confronted your teammate yourself. "Sounds to me you're just frustrated because fifty years from now no one will remember your name."

"Like you're any different ? 'America's sweetheart' ? Your brand is built on your looks and your age, once that's gone they'll find you a replacement."

"Like they did you ? Jealousy is a disease Crimson." You said, specifically using the nickname you knew she hated the most.

You were surprised she didn't clap back, she simply walked away. She gave you a look as she slammed the door behind her, thinking to herself 'I hope that pest rips you apart'.

"What a bitch." Ben simply said.

You hummed in agreement as you joined him in the middle of the conference room. Too tired to speak, you placed your arms around his neck. He instinctively put his hands on your hips and tilted his head to make sure he was properly looking at you.

You brought his face closer to yours and softly placed your lips on his. His right hand moved from your hip to the small of your back, pulling you towards himself.

The advance slowly became more and more intense. Ben lifted you up and sat you down on the table, placing himself between your thighs.

The sound of your lips was interrupted by a shout and the door opening at the same time. Ben stopped his advances, but stayed where he was. He looked at Mindstorm then the Vought employee who had just walked in. "Everyone here is such a cockblock !" He said, genuinely annoyed.

The employee looked at the floor out of embarrassment as he spoke. "Starspangle is demanded in Mr Edgar's office."

"Noted." You said as he quickly ran out of the room.

"These fucking people..." Ben grumbled as he detached himself from you. "You better get to Edgar's before he sends more of his lackeys."

"Do you think it's about..." Ben simply nodded to confirm your fears.

You got off the desk and took a deep breath in to calm your nerves. Before you left, Ben grabbed your upper arm and gave you a look, silently saying 'stay strong'.

As he watched you go, he knew you would be alright. You were a strong woman, if you weren't you never would've made it in this world, supes were ruthless.

He looked back at Mindstorm, his hands on his hips. "Now what the hell am I gonna do with you, rat ?"

You walked into the offices of the newly appointed Vought CEO, Stan Edgar. The room was cold and devoid of any warmth. He got up from his chair and walked over to you to shake your hand before inviting you to sit down.

"I believe congratulations are in order." He said with a smile, but you could tell that he wasn't happy for you, he was happy for his company.

"Thank you." You said keeping up your act, too afraid to do anything other than to comply.

"Although, I do wish you would've informed me or one of my subordinates first."

You stopped yourself from scoffing. "I'm sorry, Mr Edgar. I was just so shocked by the news. This was truly something unexpected."

"This child will do great things for yours and Soldier Boy's rating. The public loves a perfect family." As you'd suspected, the only thing that truly mattered to Vought was money. Maybe for a slight second, you'd thought otherwise, but it was truly a foolish idea. "We will do a lot of publicity to make sure everyone in the country is aware of the good news."

You took a deep breath before asking the question that was burning your mind. "What will happen after the birth ?"

"Oh, well I don't have a definitive answer for you now, but I would venture to guess we'll give you and Soldier Boy that classic American family storyline. And once the child is of age, maybe they will take the mantle and lead Vought's next generation of heroes. Who knows ?"

You mentally sighed in relief. It could've been worse.

Oh boy, how things couldn't have gone more wrong.

Once you started to show, Vought shipped you and Ben to the top of their priorities list. Interviews, photoshoots, documentaries, the whole package. You were certain even people on the other end of the world who'd never heard your name knew you were expecting. Your face was on packaging for pre-natal vitamins and pregnancy tests, what a nightmare.

After a long day of keeping a perfect smile constantly on your face, you were exhausted. By the time you'd made it back to your appartement, you fell back on your bed. Ben was already there, lying to your left.

You slowly turned your head to the side to look at him. His hand reached towards your shoulder to grab the strap of your babydoll nightgown. He rolled the fabric between his fingers, teasing whether or not he would move it away.

He gave you those eyes you knew oh so well. You chuckled. "Not today. I've got no energy left."

He stood himself up using his elbows, and looked down at you. He sighed with a smirk. "Whoever said pregnant women were hornier is full of shit. I feel like I won't be gettin' lucky these next few months."

You huffed. "Well, this is the result of your actions, mister." You said, holding onto your stomach. "You put yourself in this position."

"Pretty sure if anyone was puttin' anyone in positions, it was me puttin' you places, darlin', and you enjoyed it." You gave a sarcastic laugh.

You suddenly felt something move in your abdomen. The baby, it was kicking. You lifted up the skirt of your dress and looked down. There it was, your skin moving up and down on its own, proof of the life in you.

You looked at Ben who seemed almost mesmerized by what he was seeing. He sighed and his demeanour slowly shifted as he softly placed a hand on your belly. "Kid ain't even here yet and I would burn the world down for him. Give him the life I didn't get."

"Him ?"

He looked back at you. "Trust me, I know."

"Well, I think he's lucky to have you."

After all these years of partying, Ben was ready to leave that life behind and focus on the present, on who really needed him. That little boy needed someone to take care of him, and Ben felt it was his responsibility to give him what he never got.

"After I woke up, the first time, I did my research. I wanted to know what had happened to her since I left for Operation Charly. She had to stay back 'cause she was 'bout nine months then. She didn't want me to leave that day, I shouldn't've."

Soldier Boy looked at Homelander, he had his face nestled between his hands and his eyes were fixed on the floor. He might've looked distracted, but in reality he had never been more focused in his life.

"Maybe if I didn't, you wouldn't have been... such a fuck up."

Maybe I could've loved you, he wanted to add. But he knew Homelander was erratic, and in his weakened state, he was in no mood to start a fight.

The morning after Ben left for Nicaragua, you started your day as normal. You ate, brushed your teeth, changed into your redesigned costume and made your way to the conference room of Vought Tower. But on your way there, you felt something slowly trickle down your leg.

"Fuck !" You yelled. What were the chances your water would break the moment your husband left the country ? You stayed calm despite your frustration and managed to make it to the infirmary.

You were accompanied by a team of almost twenty doctors for six hours, but the only person you needed there was nowhere to be found. You could see the almost fearful looks on their faces. What could they expect from this child ? This was a first.

During the last stretch, you were phasing in and out of consciousness, but you distinctively remember a member of Vought personnel, coming into the room to whisper something into the ear of the lead doctor.

Not long after that, you were injected with more sedatives. "He's been neutralized, let's move to plan B."

You could barely form a thought about what you were hearing. What was happening around you ?

Your confusion was broken by the sound of a baby's cries. Your heart stopped. "It's a boy." Said one of the nurses. Ben's bet had been right.

You tried to look at your son, but he was hidden by the people holding him. The only thing confirming his presence to you, was the noises he was making.

"Please, let me see him." You said, your voice slurred. Your pleas went ignored. You became more and more erratic, why couldn't you see him ? You tried catching your breath, but it felt like your lungs were blocked. "Please." Water began forming at your eyes.

The baby's cries became stronger and suddenly a burst of red light emitted from where he was. The nurse almost dropped him from shock. He'd burned a hole in the ceiling. He was super-abled.

When your mind came to that realization, you couldn't help but cry. What would they do to your boy ? What would they do to your innocent boy ?

You'd hoped he would have been born normal, so you could've run away. Raise him somewhere far from all this, in a normal house, without any powers or responsibilities. But from the moment your son was born, he was nothing but cattle to the world.

For a slight second, you thought about Ben. Where was he now ? Had someone told him the news that he was a father ? How had he reacted ? Was he disappointed he missed it ?

Through all your begging, the nurses and doctors seemed to refuse to let you see him. So you tried to get up, disregarding the pain your body was in. Out of all the combat you had been involved in, nothing compared to this.

You soon noticed that your wrists and ankles had sneakily been attached to the hospital bed. You tried to shake out of them using your strength, but you were too exhausted. All you could do was cry, as your screaming fell upon deaf ears.

You felt the bed you were on being rolled into the hallway. You were surrounded by personnel on all sides, making them the only thing you could see.

You felt something sting your lower arm, you didn't need to look to know they were injecting you with something they weren't supposed to. It burned your veins, worse than anything they'd ever given you before. You felt your heartbeat slowdown, your eyelids becoming heavy and your vision going black.

Homelander exhaled, flabbergasted by this new revelation. Everything was a lie. He could've lived the life he so badly wanted, but Vought ruined it for him. He was so shocked by everything he'd been told, his mind went blank. For that moment, he forgot all about Butcher or his plans to conquer the world. All that mattered now was the life he was robbed of for money.

"Now, whatever the fuck you've got planned, that's the last thing your mother would want you to do."

"How could you leave ?" Homelander asked as he got up, completely ignoring his father's previous advice. Soldier Boy scoffed. "Why would you fucking leave so close to her due date ? Surely you knew how close it was."

"I didn't have a fucking choice. A mission is a mission. And Soldier Boy was needed there. I didn't know I was gonna be sold out to the reds."

Homelander clenched his fists, his mind confused by everything, but he was unable to put his thoughts into words. He looked at his father one last time and stormed out.

He quickly made his way to the elevator, ignoring every person who passed by him. They were insignificant compared to what he was searching for.

"Homelander, I was thinking-" He heard The Deep say, but he just walked past him, as if no one had addressed him. He could hear his subordinate call for him, but his voice became more and more distant as he reached the elevator. He got in and was surrounded by Vought employees and low-level supes.

"Out." He simply said, and they did as he commanded out of fear. As the door closed in front of him, he clicked on the elevator's last button, designating the lowest floor of the Vought building, the archives.

When he walked out, he was surrounded by miles of shelves holding hundreds of boxes, each holding thousands of documents and Vought artifacts. He calmly walked towards the 'S' section of the floor. His eyes analyzed each label until he reached for the one he needed, 'Starspangle - Classified'.

He grabbed the box and immediately began reading through all the paperwork. It started with the beginning of your career, explaining where you came from, your family lineage, the first designs for your costume and branding. Then came your introduction to Payback and Soldier Boy, later on the plans for the two of you to have a relationship to calm his image.

Then Homelander stumbled on the files confirming everything. In summer 1980, you had gotten pregnant, without the intervention or approval of Vought. The company took the opportunity and ran with it, making the whole ordeal a publicity stunt. In spring of 1981, the same day Soldier Boy disappeared, you gave birth to a super-abled baby boy dubbed 'John'.

Homelander was shaking, from anger or sadness, he didn't know, but he kept reading. The document ends stating that you were neutralized that same day. The rest of the files in the box explain the conspiracy coverup to create a Mandela effect surrounding the fact that you were ever pregnant and announcing your death alongside Soldier Boy's.

The papers fell from Homelander's hands. He began losing his balance as he felt the room spinning around him. He held onto one of the shelves for support, but he still managed to slightly fall backwards. He bumped into what he thought was a wall, but he heard the sound of fabric falling behind him.

When he turned around, he discovered a human-sized capsule. The pod's glass was cloudy due to the ice that had accumulated on it. Homelander was suspicious, but he felt the need to know what was in there. He took off his glove and wiped his hand on the cold surface, revealing what was hidden underneath. What he saw made him fall to his knees.

Here you were, asleep, in the flesh. The closest you'd ever been to your son since the moment he was born, and you weren't even aware. This whole time, the person he longed for the most, had been an elevator ride away, and he never knew.

Your skin was pale due to the amount of time you'd spent in the cold, but your chest was rising and falling, confirming that you were indeed, alive and breathing. He thought you were dead, they all did.

But after all, why would Vought kill the asset that gave them the first naturally born supe ? You were the prize cattle.

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His fingers tightened their grip onto your ass, slamming you back down onto his fat cock as you bounced onto him. Your puffy folds clenched around his shaft, as if to try and milk him dry. Sticky noises and squelching were created by your very wet pussy, juices smearing around your pussy and to your inner-thighs. 

One of your hands moved to Hughie’s mouth to cover it, your words jumbled as you tried to speak up. “Shut up—You… You want Butcher to come see what’s happening here?” Your eyebrows furrowed in pleasure, the bulbous tip of his cock rubbing against your velvety walls, stretching them until his shaft was all the way buried inside your pussy. You gasped as Hughie shook his head, his own eyebrows furrowing and you took your hand away. “No, fuck… I don’t! Unless you want to?” He asked, his expression suddenly serious like he was thinking about it.

You groaned at him, sitting onto his cock and letting the bulbous tip kiss at your cervix gently; his girth stretching the gummy walls of your pussy. Juices leaked from your sloppy hole, coating his balls that were sticking to your ass. You clenched your walls and he gasped, head hitting the headboard. “Are you seriously asking me that? God, Hughie. Fuck, no, I don’t.” You replied, looking down at him as he lifted his eyes up to you. 

He didn’t have time to speak another word as you started to grind onto him, rubbing your soaked pussy down against his bush; sensitive clit scratched by his pubic hair. You rolled your hips slowly, gasping at the feeling of his shaft inside your clenched pussy—the way his member filled you up, how his pre-cum mixed with your juices, how his mushroom head kissed your velvety walls.

“Yeah, just… like that, please. You feel so good, baby.” Hughie whined, licking his lips like he was trying to keep the focus on you.

His hands travelled from your ass to your waist, fingers gently caressing at the skin of your body; all the imperfections, all the perfections, everything. The tip of his digits sneaked to your breasts until he groped both into his palms. He squeezed your tits, rolled his thumbs against your nipples to stimulate them until they perked up. “They are so pretty. You are so pretty, you know that, right?” He looked up at you all while squeezing your breasts in his palms, pinching your buds in between his digits, tugging on them as you gasped.

You rolled your hips with a faster pace then, nodding at the man under you. “You tell me all the time, so yeah, I might have gathered that.” You joked, sighing at the sensation of his hands playing with your tits. Hughie chuckled, licking his lips before pushing himself up just to take one of your nipples in his mouth. You gasped, arched your back and leaned toward him with a stronger grip onto the headboard.

He started to suck on your bud and only then, you bounced back onto his cock. Loud squelching noises echoed from your soaked pussy as you went up and down on him, more juices leaking from your hole with creamy white coating his length. The bed creaked once more until the weight of your actions.

The headboard slapped against the wall, making thud noises back to back. Hughie moaned around your tit, his tongue pushing onto your perked up bud, his saliva smearing around and dripping to your skin.

Your skin was sweaty from the previous orgasms you had, your muscles burning from so much effort as you kept riding your boyfriend. One of your hands slipped from the headboard just to finish in Hughie’s curls, tugging on them. He whined, his teeth grazing your skin before he pulled away, your nipple leaving his mouth in a loud wet pop noise. Both his hands went to your ass, speaking your asscheeks to bury his cock deeper when his hips thrusted up inside you.

Your juices leaked, making a mess down his length and to his balls; wet skin slapping noises echoed loudly in the room; your sloppy pussy lowering itself down his shaft like butter. “God, god! Yeah, that’s it, you’re doing so well!” He cried out, his head hitting the headboard once again as you kept bouncing up and down on him. A warmth coursed through your body at his praise, your pussy clenching around his cock to milk him dry; his balls slapping against your ass. 

One of his hands moved between your legs just for his thumb to play with your slick clit; rubbing it in circles, hard and fast before soft and slow.

Your thighs shook around his hips, it became harder and harder to keep the pace with all the pleasure you felt. “You want to come? Come on my cock again, please?” Hughie groaned, and your pussy clenched before a loud moan escaped you; your orgasm strong and violent. You cried out his name, your upper body folding itself against his chest.

Your velvety walls immediately squeezed his cock and Hughie gasped, thumb still rubbing your clit but his second hand helped your hips move up and down his cock still. “Hughie, fuck!” You groaned and he thrusted up to help you, his cock rubbing inside your pussy which overstimulated you. “Fuck, I know—I’m close… Just a bit more.” He said, the tip of his bulbous head hitting the g-spot at the entrance of your pussy.

You gasped, tears forming at the corner of your eyes with the overstimulation and how good you felt at that moment. Hughie’s hips thrusted up, his cock burying itself inside you as your lips parted wide to gasp, drool at the corner of your mouth. Your boyfriend thrusted once, twice and thrice before burying himself all the way inside you finally, his cock throbbing inside your warm cavern.

His hot, creamy white load filled you up to the brink, some of it leaking from your sloppy hole just to drip to his base and down to his balls. His cock twitched inside you, and your pussy pulsated in reply. “God, that was… insane.” You heard Hughie say, his arms wrapping around your sweaty back to keep you on his chest.

You were both breathing loudly, minds fuzzy and thoughts in shambles for a second.

“Mhmh, yeah, fucking insane.” You replied softly, feeling his semen slowly dripping out of you in globs, making a mess of his balls and onto the bedsheets. There was a silence in the room for a second—only broken by the loud breathing and little whines before Hughie spoke again.

“Were you serious about Butcher watching us? I mean, is that something you’d want? Just—If that’s what you want…”

You rolled your eyes, looking up at his face. “Feels like that’s something you’d be into, weirdo.”

For a long moment, you just stood there.

Staring.

Breathing.

Trying very hard not to think.

Every time your thoughts started to form, they spiraled— fast, sharp, and unforgiving— straight into you are not in your world anymore and you gave yourself Superman powers like an absolute idiot.

So, you didn’t think. You just breathed, slow and steady, like that might somehow anchor you in place.

“This is fine,” you said out loud, because apparently saying it made it more believable. “People wake up in alternate realities all the time. Totally normal. Happens every—“

Your reflection moved.

You froze mid-sentence, your body going rigid as your eyes slowly drifted toward the wardrobe mirror across the room. There you were— standing exactly where you should be with that ‘deer-in-headlights’ look— but something about it felt… off.

“… that’s not right…”

You took a cautious step closer, as if the mirror might betray you if you moved too quickly.

It didn’t, just like the floor didn’t crack when you moved. Still, better safe than sorry.

The mirror just stood there, reflecting you back with quiet, unwavering honesty.

Except… it wasn’t quite you.

You were taller. Not dramatically so, but enough that it threw everything off. Your eye level sat higher than it should be, your proportions just slightly stretched in a way that made you feel like you’d been shifted half an inch out of alignment.

Your shoulders were broader, too. Your posture naturally straighter, like your body had decided slouching was no longer something it tolerated.

Which was something you dreaded if you were to pull off the whole ‘Clark Kent’ persona thing—

You looked stronger.

Not bulky, or exaggerated— just built.

Like every part of you had been refined into something sturdier, something denser. Something that could take a hit and keep standing.

For the second time in an only a few minutes, your stomach dropped straight out of your ass.

“Oh my god, I got buff.”

Your hands came up immediately, patting at your arms, your sides, your waist, like you were checking to make sure everything was still attached properly.

Spoiler alert: you were not pulled apart and put back together again like some sort of Frankenstein experiment. Your nose shape was still the same, your lips still had the same pull as before, shit— even your hip dips remained!

Still, it was unnerving to see all these familiar features on an unfamiliar body.

Everything felt solid (R.I.P to the soft pudge on your stomach, you will be missed). Real. Warm beneath your touch.

“…Okay,” you said faintly, trying to keep your voice steady. “Okay, that’s— fine. That’s fine, I can work with this. I can—“

Something brushed against your brow.

You stilled.

And finally, your gaze rested on the one small thing that really drove the ‘oh-my-god-I’m-fucking-Superman’ idea home.

A single curl of hair, resting perfectly, deliberately, across your forehead.

You stared at it.

You pushed it back. It fell forward again.

You blinked, then pushed it back again, harder this time. It bounced right back into place like it had something to prove.

“No,” you said firmly, like this was the one thing you could not stand with. “Absolutely not. I refuse. I reject this. I did not sign up for branding.”

The curl, evidently, disagreed.

It stayed exactly where it was, like it paid rent.

After a stunted pause where you had to heavily resist the urge to march into the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors and snip this damn thing off—

You leaned closer to the mirror, narrowing your eyes at your own reflection. “…Okay, but—“ you tilted your head slightly, studying yourself from a different angle. “—why does it kind of work?”

You straightened a little, almost unconsciously. Your shoulders squared, your posture shifted, and something about the way you held yourself changed in an instant. You plastered on a brilliantly bright smile, and— oh my god, are those dimples?!

“Hold on—“

You turned slightly, then the other way, taking yourself in from different angles. There was something undeniably different about your presence now.

Something that made even standing still feel intentional— like you occupied space in a way you never had before.

“…I mean,” you said slowly, “if I’m going to be stuck like this…”

Your gaze drifted downward as you shifted to see yourself from a side angle. A smug grin pulls at your lips once you see the buff increase also applied to your ass.

“… it could be worse.”

The moment lingered for just a second too long before your expression flattened entirely.

“Focus,” you told yourself sharply. “This is not the time to be hot and mysterious! This is the time to panic correctly.”

With that, you tore yourself away from the mirror (not without sending one last look at your behind— holy shit, even your back is ripped!) and started pacing the room. Every step was careful— you didn’t trust your own strength not to betray you if you got careless.

“Okay, so,” you muttered, ticking points off on your fingers. “New body. Super strength. Super senses. Probably the rest of the package too. That’s— great. Love that. Big fan.”

Your gaze swept the room— and then stopped.

There, sitting on a small desk near the wall, was a phone. Plugged into a charger. Completely normal. Completely out of place.

Your breath caught.

You rushed toward it, then forced yourself to slow down halfway there, visibly reining yourself in. “Careful,” you whispered under your breath. “Gentle. You are no longer allowed to run.”

A bit strict, yeah, but you can’t run (ha) the risk of accidentally slamming through the wall and giving the neighbors a fright.

You pick up the phone like it might explode.

It didn’t.

(Maybe you should stop being such a pussy and realize that not everything is going to crack under you— maybe. Hopefully.)

The screen lit up instantly. No lock screen. Not even a password.

“…Suspicious,” you muttered, eyeing the thing like Cecil-fucking-Stedman might pop out and ask threaten you to join his team. That obviously doesn’t happen so you allow yourself to relax— only slightly though, because that old man is more slick than a greased up eel—

Your thumb hovered for a moment before tapping the screen. The display flickered to life, showing the time, the battery— and then the date.

You nearly gagged at the sudden information presented before you.

February 26th, 2021.

One month before the events of Invincible start to take place. One month before Mark Grayson gets his powers. One month before Nolan Grayson murders the Guardians of the Globe and breaks the trust of everyone around him.

You’re gonna be sick.

You lean closer, as if the proximity might somehow change what you’re seeing.

It didn’t.

The date remained exactly the same. One month before everything.

Your thoughts came too fast now, tumbling over each other.

Cities reduced to rubble.

Blood stained concrete.

That train—

You squeezed your eyes shut, shaking your head like you could dislodge the images.

“Nope! Nope, we’re not thinking about that.”

But you already were.

Because you already knew how bad it would get. You knew who was coming, what was coming— and now you were here, with powers that practically screamed Viltrumite-Level-Threat! Might as well write it across your forehead in bright red marker.

Worst of all, you have no idea how to use your fucking powers! You’ve been dropped in this absolute hellscape with no control, no training, and absolutely no clue on what you’re supposed to do.

Your breathing quickened.

“I can’t— I can’t do this,” you muttered, your voice unsteady. “I’m not a hero, I watched this from a couch. With snacks. I didn’t sign up to—“

A sharp ping cuts through your thoughts.

You suppress the urge to send your head through the nearest wall.

The air at your right side shimmered.

“Come the fuck on—“

Light fractured across empty space, assembling itself piece by piece until the now-familiar screen snapped into existence.

But this time—

It looked different.

Not just a floating message— a full interface.

Clean lines. Structured panels. Soft glowing borders that felt less like something divine and more like something ripped straight out of a video game HUD.

Text scrolled in smoothly, accompanied by a quiet chime.

[SYSTEM ONLINE]

USER SYNCHRONIZATION: Complete

POWER SET INTEGRATION: Stable

Welcome, PLAYER

You stared at the word.

“…Player?” you echoed faintly. “Oh, that’s not— no. I don’t like that. That implies mechanics. I don’t want mechanics.”

The interface did not care.

A new panel slid open to the side with a soft, satisfying click.

[PRIMARY DIRECTIVE INITIALIZED]

The text beneath it appeared one line at a time.

Objective: Establish Hero Identity

Time Limit: 30 Days

Requirements:

Gain Public Trust

Gain Recognition from Active Heroes

Achieve Positive Standing with Global Defense Agency

Your pulse spiked.

“…Excuse me?!”

Another line appeared.

Failure Condition:

Classification as Unregistered Threat.

Silence filled the room.

Your mouth opened slightly.

Closed.

Opened again.

“Oh, so you’re not even pretending this is optional.”

A soft ding responded as another panel slid into place.

[DAILY QUEST: HEROIC ENGAGEMENT]

Description: A hero is defined by action. Passive observation will result in failure.

Objectives:

Intervene in 1 Civilian Incident (0/1)

Prevent Property Damage or Injury (0/1)

Maintain Controlled Use of Power (0/1)

Optional Bonus:

Positive Civilian Reaction Recorded (0/1)

Rewards:

+1 Reputation (Local)

+1 Control

System Guidance Unlocked

Failure Penalty:

Negative Reputation Modifier

Increased Surveillance Risk

You blinked at the screen.

“…You want me to go outside?”

[CONFIRMED]

“…And do hero work.”

[CONFIRMED]

You let out a short, breathless laugh, dragging a hand down your face. “In the Invincible universe. The one where people get obliterated. That’s the one you picked.”

The interface remained perfectly still.

Unbothered.

Unmoved by your plight.

Your hand slices through the air, the screen only flickering briefly in response. Your lips curl up in a snarl as you continuously try to swipe the screen away, the words remaining unchanged.

Your other hand came up, swiping harder, more frantic. Again. Again. Again.

“Go away—!”

Your voice broke completely now, rising with panic as you tried to shove it aside, to push it out of your space, your life.

“Stop it— just— stop!”

Your hands cut uselessly through light.

The interface didn’t move.

Didn’t even react.

[QUEST TRACKING ACTIVE]

“STOP!”

The shout tore itself free from your throat, raw and desperate, echoing off of the walls.

Silence.

Your arms dropped.

The fight drained out of your body like someone had pulled a plug.

You stood there for a second longer, shaking, your breath coming in short, uneven bursts. Your vision blurred, the room warping at the edges as tears spilled over before you could stop them.

“I’m not— I’m not supposed to be here…”

That was the worst part.

Not the powers.

Not the System.

Not even the month.

The quiet, suffocating realization that everything familiar was gone.

Your home.

Your life.

Your mom.

Even the person in the mirror didn’t feel like you anymore.

“I don’t even—,” your breath stuttered, shoulders starting to shake as you pressed a hand to your face, trying and failing to hold it together. “This isn’t my body…”

The words came out in a broken whisper.

“I don’t— this isn’t mine.”

Your knees gave out before you really registered it.

You sank to the floor hard, catching yourself just enough not to crack the tile beneath you, curling in on yourself like you could somehow make all of this smaller.

Manageable.

It didn’t work.

Tears slipped freely now, hot and relentless. Your breathing uneven as panic bled into every inhale you took.

Fear.

You were scared.

“I don’t want to do this,” you whimpered, the words barely audible even to your sensitive ears. “Why me?”

The question hung in the air.

Your fingers curled weakly against the floor, your body still trembling as everything finally set in all at once— the reality, the responsibility, the impossible expectation sitting just inches from your face in the form of that damned screen.

It didn’t care.

Of course it didn’t.

It just hovered there.

Patient.

Waiting.

[OBJECTIVE REMAINS ACTIVE]

“…Yeah,” you whispered hoarsely, tears still slipping down your face. You make no move to wipe them away, your hollow gaze fixed on the glowing screen. “Of course it does.”

You let your head fall forward to rest against your arm, eyes squeezing shut like that might block it all out.

It didn’t…

Nothing did.

After a while— seconds, minutes, you didn’t know— your breathing started to slow. Not steady, your throat still caught every so often.

Just… less jagged.

You didn’t get back up.

Didn’t argue again.

Didn’t try to swipe the screen away.

You just laid there on the floor, feeling small in a body that felt too strong for you, staring at nothing as the weight of everything settled in.

You didn’t bother denying it anymore— this was real, and no amount of screaming or crying was going to change that.

═══════

The System had the decency to let you wallow in self pity for another half hour. You stayed slumped on the floor, your tears having dried out a while ago. A petulant pout stuck itself to your face as your body trembled just enough to remind you that you were still alive.

You let yourself breathe, small, shaky breaths, trying to convince yourself that the world hadn’t completely collapsed— just your personal world, your body, your future.

A sharp ding cut through the quiet.

You raised your head, fully prepared to cuss the System out for interrupting your little pity party.

The HUD glimmered again, impossibly bright in the dim room.

[SIDE QUEST ASSIGNED]

Your stomach lurched.

Objective: Prepare for Your First Day at the Daily Planet

Description: You are to integrate into your designated occupation to establish a cover identity.

Requirements:

Don professional attire suitable for office duties.

Arrive at workplace before 9:00AM

Maintain composure during first interactions with colleagues

Rewards:

+Reputation (Local)

+Public Recognition

+ [DAILY PLANET] Fondness

Your jaw dropped.

The world snapped into sharp focus. Your pity party evaporated instantly, mind racing as adrenaline floods your veins.

“No, no, no, no, no!” you shouted, scrambling to your feet. The room seemed impossibly small all of a sudden, furniture threatening to block your path as you made a mad dash towards the wardrobe.

Your hands gripped the glass knobs of the doors and flung them open, eyes darting across hangers and drawers.

Clothes. You needed clothes. Work clothes.

Your fingers flew over shirts, jackets, skirts, slacks, your mind moving faster than your body as you tried to find something professional. Fuck, you worked as a god damn librarian in your past life where the only dress code was to be dressed! You had no idea what shirt went with what skirt, or if heels are the only acceptable footwear.

You needed to find something professional, something you could survive wearing. Something that wouldn’t scream alien monstrosity disguised as human.

You yanked out a crisp white button-up and froze, staring at it. “…I… can I wear this? Is this even— does this even fit this stupid body?!”

Of course it fit.

Your new body was built differently, and the shirt clung in all the wrong—and right— places, but there was no time to freak out over it. You shoved it on, fumbling with the buttons, muttering curses under your breath the whole time.

You grabbed a blazer next, a pair of slacks, shoes— black flats that looked fairly comfortable— and tried to assemble an outfit that wouldn’t stick out too much.

All the while, the System’s screen stayed stubbornly by your side. It displayed a clock that was slowly ticking down to 9:00AM.

One hand mussed up your hair as the other adjusted the collar of the shirt for the third time in thirty seconds.

You carefully played with the strands to hide the pronounced curl that still fucking refused to blend in with the rest of it—

“Oh!”

A pair of light red glasses stared up at you innocently, like they weren’t the one thing that pulled this whole thing off. You paid no mind to how perfectly they were placed or how they fit the curve of your face— you were just happy that this whole thing might not go up in flames yet.

The System made sure to have you grab a lanyard and a briefcase, both tucked neatly by the front door.

The door slammed shut behind you as you rushed out into the hallway, almost crushing some poor guy against the wall.

“Sorry,” you called out over your shoulder, already speed-walking down the hall. “In a rush!”

The man grumbled some curses after you but you couldn’t make them out properly over the racing of your own heart.

Christ on a stick, just how bad can this get?!