I'm a Homelander

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***

Leaning against the wall, I read the decent-sized book with interest and even some excitement. You'd think I'd been drawn in by the plot or some unexpected twist. But no. It would be clear to anyone standing close enough to see the cover of the book that this was not the case.

- Since when are you learning Spanish? - Maeve asked interestedly, sitting back in her armchair and sipping her brandy.

- Since yesterday, and I've made a lot of progress. This is my fourth book," I bragged to her, closing it in the middle. - I bought it two hours ago.

- I don't think you'd have done this before. And who had that effect on you?

- My son. - I shrugged, cos I wasn't going to make a secret of it.

- You adopted a kid?!

- No, no, he's my own. He's my flesh and blood.

- How is that possible? - Maeve mumbled in shock; it seemed absurd to her.

- I don't know. Maybe not all of us are sterile," he suggested. - Or maybe it depends on the case.

- И... how? How long were you going to keep it a secret?

- I found out three days ago," he informed the girl in a grim tone. - And he's already eight.

- I mean. wow," Maeve said, and then she stopped talking. The silence lasted a few seconds before she couldn't take it anymore: - What's he like? Your son.

- He grew up to be a good, kind kid. And smart, too. A lot smarter than I was at his age.

- Yeah, kids are smarter than we are at their age," Maeve smiled and sighed, pressing her lips together. - Does he have powers yet?

- He does, but he hasn't developed it or realised it. Which is for the best. - Answered her, glancing back at the wall, behind which was an entire grandstand of cheering fans.

This wasn't the first race of its kind that Train-A had participated in. Over the years, no one had yet been able to overtake him for his spot in the Seven. But the race is also necessary for the PR of both participants, as usually after such a race the sales of various products skyrocket. And that's regardless of who wins.

- You were very lucky. - Maeve smiled sadly.

- I know.It made me think of how much she loves children. And how she'd cried when she'd heard she couldn't have them. Homelander took advantage of the situation and seduced her, but that's another story.

- You're up. - Ashley came into the room, as agitated as ever.

- Thanks for the warning, Ashley. You can go now," I smiled at her and flashed her eyes for her to get the hell out of here. - Maeve, start without me. We need to cheer up our mate.

- Okay. - The heroine shrugged and left the glass of alcohol on the table and headed out.

I peered through the walls to see the locker room, which was the sole use of Train-A. I didn't like what I saw.

***

Reggie nervously held the V drug in his hand. The blue liquid in the glass container clung to his eye and made him swallow the viscous saliva. The black-clad super was sweating profusely, nervous about what he was about to do. The Homeylander's words seared into his mind more than his mother's whining and his brother's lectures.

- Fuck! - Reggie exhaled through gritted teeth, clutching the drug in his hand.

He didn't want to die, but he didn't want to lose everything he had to Train-A. All his life he'd succeeded in every way possible. Hard training, after which even on his body there were bruises and drug V, which was much more convenient. He didn't have to bust his arse for an extra millisecond, and overtaking his rivals was a pleasure. But everything has consequences.

- Bitch! - Reggie shouted, throwing the drug at the wall.

- What a waste. - The hand in the red glove easily grabbed the drug in flight, preventing it from shattering.

- Homelander...

Train-A flinched as he realised he was being watched. Only at the last moment did he notice the blond run into the locker room, only a blurred silhouette. Sometimes he forgot that even in speed, the Homelander was quite capable of matching the average speedster. And how fast it was in flight wasn't even worth mentioning.

The speedster wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was scared shitless of him. The Homelander was incredibly dangerous and unpredictable. He'd seen that recently, when not even Madeline, not even Stan Edgar, had been powerless to do anything about it. Which meant playing by his rules.

- This thing is worth millions. - Smiled Homelander, slipping the drug into his pocket.

- Я... didn't intend to use it. It was just in my bag. - Train-A tried to justify himself, but all he heard in response was laughter.

- Oh, come on. I don't care how you got it. The main thing is that you haven't done anything irreparable," grinned the Homelander and came up and put his hand on his shoulder, which made him unable to breathe for fear. - I didn't come here to lecture you, but to support you.

- Do you want to get rid of me so badly? Is it because of my addiction? - Train-A still asked.

- Not at all. If I wanted to get rid of you, I wouldn't have helped you.

- Help?

- I'll talk to your rival and get him to slow down a bit. But you'll have to take it from here," Homelander frowned, showing how much he didn't like the idea. - You've got a year in which to get back into proper shape.

- I can do it! - The boy said a little harshly, but quickly realised his mistake. - I'm sorry. И... Thank you, Homelander," Train-A exhaled with relief.

- You'll owe me one. - The blond nodded and walked towards the exit of the room to head towards his team member's rival.

***

A shockwave of shock landed on his knees and the gathered crowd cheered in delight. Smiling, he got to his feet and waved his hand, thus satisfying the fans. Then I turned my gaze to the seated ladies who were looking at me expectantly.

- Sorry I'm late. I was taking the cats out of the tree," I smiled at her, causing the journalist to smile sincerely. - Is there room for me?

- Of course.

- You're as intoxicating as always, my dear, - he shook her hand and looked at the gathered people. - Are you ready for the race?!

The crowd began to squeal, showing their readiness. Only then did I sit down on the seat prepared for me and the interview began. There were mostly prepared questions about the supers joining the army and a bit about the upcoming race.

Shockwave, as Train-A's opponent was called, certainly balked when I tried to talk him into it. Unfortunately, I had to resort to more overt threats. It wasn't hard to scare him, all I had to do was strangle the upstart and shine my eyes so I could feel the heat. The guy almost pissed himself, but still agreed to co-operate.

Meanwhile, the interview came to an end and the race began. All the cameras were directed at the protagonists who were already waiting for the start. I looked at Shockwave and he turned sharply towards me, feeling the heat on his face. His heart beat faster, much faster than a human's. Seeing the nod from me that followed, the speedster exhaled and nodded back.

Homelander didn't often use invisible beams, though he could easily burn through steel with them. It was more the influence of marketing, which made the red rays seem cooler and more marketable. I saw it as a more convenient way to use the rays from my eyes. And it looks less sinister, which is also a plus.

- Oh, you scared the boy. Proud of yourself? - Maeve pretended to be indignant, standing beside him.

- If only a little. But I'm not proud of it.

A gunshot rang out, and the red and blue speedsters ran, disappearing from sight. Time stood still for me, and the speed of the two rivals no longer seemed so prohibitive. Train-A was running hard, trying to outrun Shockwave. But it was obvious that the newcomer was already his equal.

It was noticeable that he had only a little bit left to overtake Train-A. At some point, however, Shockwave slowed down, slightly but noticeably for such a fast runner. A moment later, Train-A reached the finish line, and my perception of reality returned to normal.

Everyone held their breath. Slow motion footage of the last milliseconds of the race appeared on the screen, clearly showing who won the race.

- And Train-A has won again!!! - Shouted the announcer, along with the crowd of fans who cheered after the idol's victory. - Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Train-A has won!!!

No one cared about the speed or the numbers on the screen. Who cares how much slower the speedsters got? As long as expectations were met.

I turned around and went to check on Starlight, who was signing autographs for the first time. She was doing pretty well, except for Ashley, who was making sure she didn't do anything weird. I grinned and went over to her, nodding to Black Noir who was also signing autographs.

- Ashley, do you mind if I steal Starlight? - I asked her, just for the record.

- Я...

- Thanks for saying yes. - I smiled at the woman, walking with a pleased Starlight to the exit of the hall.

There were few visitors, mostly children. However, everyone had already managed to get what they needed, and she just wouldn't let go. It seems that Stillwell wanted to teach the girl a lesson, but your humble servant intervened.

- And where are we going? - The blonde asked interestedly.

- I want to treat you to the most expensive beer here. - Answered the girl, causing her to smile.

- Only if it has expensive nachos.

I nodded enthusiastically and we headed towards the bar inside the building. Surprisingly, there was no one there, indicating that everyone wanted to see the race for themselves. They were probably a little disappointed to see only the beginning and the end, as they couldn't physically see the rest.

- So you're being punished?

- Sort of, I guess... You don't sign people's autographs at these, um. official events, do you? - She decided to change the subject.

- Very rarely. Usually we have a huge crowd, which makes it difficult for everyone.

- But Black Noir has no problem with that. - She remembered the silent member of their team who was signing autographs with her.

- You're not gonna believe this, but no one knew he was here. Except for Madeline and Ashley, who'd made all the arrangements. So his core fans didn't come here.

- I see." Starlight nodded thoughtfully.

- How does it feel? Knowing that everyone wants to sleep with you. - He asked, grinning as he looked at her figure. It's not bad, by the way. And that's without the X-ray. And with it.

- I don't think so," Starlight said, averting her gaze. - I'm more of an innocent lamb than a sex symbol.

- Trust me, that's what attracts you. - He smiled at her, taking a sip of orange juice.

- Do you really never drink? - She asked, trying not to look me in the eye.

The attempt to change the subject was even worse this time, but I decided to give in, so as not to embarrass the girl too much.

- Really, Starlight. I never drink or use anything. that's forbidden.

- Can we call each other by our first names? - The girl said hesitantly, expecting me to say no.

- Gladly, Annie," a smile appeared on my face. - My name is John.

- I'll remember, John. - Annie smiled sincerely, and something changed in her gaze. Something elusive, yet intuitive at the same time.

*** 

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