#tw: amazon

[batwynn]

Ok, genuinely, Ama*on wtf are you doing? My pages are the exact size you require for comics. The last time I submitted (the third time) you told me my images were overlapping the cut lines and said nothing about the page sizes. I’ve been trying to get the hard copy print of the third book submitted properly for three months now and it’s been nonstop errors and messages like this that aren’t???? A real problem?? You literally sent me a proof copy that was fine??? Did they just change the page sizes in the last few weeks? Am I loosing my mind???????????????*

*yes.

[leescheyenne]

✨The Dudley family✨

[thatsleepymermaid]

Quick post on what's happening in Atlanta right now

So there's this beautiful trail in Atlanta called the South River Forest Trail. As we all know, Atlanta Georgia is renowned for their tree cover and historic forests. 

The City of Atlanta and corporations like Delta, AT&T and Amazon are funding a massive police training center that will destroy the forest.

Dubbed ‘cop city’ by many protesters, this will cost about $90 million  to build. This will be used to further militarize Atlanta’s police leading to more incidents of police brutality in the city. 

On January 18th indigenous activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran was shot and killed by the police for defending this historic forest from destruction. Their reason? “He did not comply” (Tort went by They/them/it but report said “he”). Many protests have been going on in Atlanta to defend this forest.

Since Tortuguita's death, the situation has quickly deteriorated

This forest is very dear to me but I am unable to physically protest at the moment, so I am handing this off to Tumblr to spread awareness. Rebloging this may help this tragedy become part of national news instead of just an Atlanta problem.

Donation and petition links to stop cop city

https://www.gofundme.com/f/stoptheswap2020

https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/no-cop-city-atl/

https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/solidarity

[kannibalkarl]

I’m so bloody (pun intended) feral for this man, I want to lick the blood off his face whilst I ride him

I couldn’t resist putting Lucas hood in this

[abysma1]

[theoihalioistuff]

ARES IS NOT THE PROTECTOR OF WOMEN IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY.

He is never presented as such in any source, there is no evidence such a role was ever assigned to him in any account, and as far as I'm aware this popular yet unattested assertion is born from the echo-chambers of tumblr. In fact quite the opposite could be argued. TW for sexual assault.

This baffling claim seems to originate from a sort of shallow examination of the way Ares "behaves in myth", and the following arguments are the most frequently presented:

1. Ares protects his daughter Alkippe from assault, and is therefore morally opposed to rape. (Apollodorus 3.180, Pausanias 1.21.4, Suidas "Areios pagos", attributed to Hellanikos)

Curiously this argument is never applied to, among other examples: Apollo for defending his mother Leto from Tytios, Herakles for defending Hera from Porphyrion (or his wife Deianeira from Nessos), or Zeus for defending his sister Demeter from Iasion (in the versions where he attacks her), etc. The multiple accounts of rape of the previously mentioned figures did not conflict with these stories in greek thought: they're defending family members or women otherwise close to them. This sort of mentality is not uncommon even in contemporary times, e.g. a warrior may have no ethical problem killing men, but would not want his own family or loved ones to be killed. The same goes here for sexual assault.

2. There are no surviving accounts of Ares sexually assaulting anybody.

The idea that the ancient greeks pictured that, among all the gods, Ares was the only one who shied away from committing rape is baseless and borders on ridiculous. In this case absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

The majority of surviving records regarding Ares' unions are presented in a genealogical manner, and do not go into details on their nature. This is the case for most works of mythography, where specifics of sexual encounters are to be found elsewhere. However, common motifs present in other accounts of rape also appear in stories concerning Ares' relationships, e.g. tropes like shape-shifting/the use of disguises, the victim being a huntress, secrecy, and the disposal of the concieved child, are to be found in the stories of Phylonome and Astyoche respectively:

Φυλονόμη Νυκτίμου καὶ Ἀρκαδίας θυγάτηρ ἐκυνήγει σὺν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι: Ἄρης δ᾽ ἐν σχήματι ποιμένος ἔγκυον ἐποίησεν. ἡ δὲ τεκοῦσα διδύμους παῖδας καὶ φοβουμένη τὸν πατέρα ἔρριψεν εἰς τὸν Ἐρύμανθο

"Phylonome, the daughter of Nyktimos and Arkadia, was wont to hunt with Artemis; but Ares, in the guise of a shepherd, got her with child. She gave birth to twin children and, fearing her father, cast them into the [River] Erymanthos." (Pseudo-Plutarch, Greek and Roman Parallel Stories, 36)

οἳ δ᾽ Ἀσπληδόνα ναῖον ἰδ᾽ Ὀρχομενὸν Μινύειον, τῶν ἦρχ᾽ Ἀσκάλαφος καὶ Ἰάλμενος υἷες Ἄρηος οὓς τέκεν Ἀστυόχη δόμῳ Ἄκτορος Ἀζεΐδαο, παρθένος αἰδοίη ὑπερώϊον εἰσαναβᾶσα Ἄρηϊ κρατερῷ: ὃ δέ οἱ παρελέξατο λάθρῃ: τοῖς δὲ τριήκοντα γλαφυραὶ νέες ἐστιχόωντο.

"And they that dwelt in Aspledon and Orchomenus of the Minyae were led by Ascalaphus and Ialmenus, sons of Ares, whom, in the palace of Actor, son of Azeus, Astyoche, the honoured maiden, conceived of mighty Ares, when she had entered into her upper chamber; for he lay with her in secret" (Homer, Iliad 2. 512 ff)

In neither of these cases is a verb explicitly denoting rape used, though it is heavily implied by the context. The focus of the action is on the conception of sons, the nature of the interaction is secondary.

Other examples are found among the daughters of the river Asopos, who where (and here there's no confusion) ravished and kidnapped by different gods to different parts of the greek world, where they found local lines through children borne to their abductors and serve as eponyms. Surviving fragments from Corinna of Tanagra tell us:

"Asopos went to his haunts . . from you halls . . into woe . . Of these [nine] daughters Zeus, giver of good things, took his [Asopos'] child Aigina . . from her father's [house] . . while Korkyra and Salamis and lovely Euboia were stolen by father Poseidon, and Leto's son is in possession of Sinope and Thespia . . [and Tanagra was seized by Hermes] . . But to Asopos no one was able to make the matter clear, until . . [the seer Akraiphen reveals to him] 'And of your daughters father Zeus, king of all, has three; and Poseidon, ruler of the sea, married three; and Phoibos [Apollon] is master of the beds of two of them, and of one Hermes, good son of Maia. For so did the pair Eros and the Kypris persuade them, that they should go in secret to your house and take your nine daughters." (heavily fragmented papyrus. Corinna fr. 654)

"For your [Tanagra's] sake Hermes boxed against Ares." (Corinna fr. 666)

It seems that, similar to the myths of Beroe or Marpessa, the abducted maiden is fought over by two competing "suitors", and though we can infer that the outcome of the story is that Hermes gets to keep Tanagra, apparently by beating Ares in a boxing match, we don't actually know what happened or how it happened. In any case, Ares does mate with another daughter of Asopos, Harpina, who bears him Oinomaos according to some versions (Paus. 5.22.6; Stephanus Byzantium. Ethnica. A125.3; Diodorus Siculus 4. 73. 1). There is little reason to suppose that this encounter wasn't pictured as an abduction like the rest of her sisters.

The blatant statement that each of his affairs was envisioned as consensual is simply not true.

3. He was worshipped under the epithet Gynaikothoinas "feasted by women"

This was a local cult that existed in Tegea, the following reason is given:

"There is also an image of Ares in the marketplace of Tegea. Carved in relief on a slab it is called Gynaecothoenas. At the time of the Laconian war, when Charillus king of Lacedaemon made the first invasion, the women armed themselves and lay in ambush under the hill they call today Phylactris. When the armies met and the men on either side were performing many remarkable exploits, the women, they say, came on the scene and put the Lacedaemonians to flight. Marpessa, surnamed Choera, surpassed, they say, the other women in daring, while Charillus himself was one of the Spartan prisoners. The story goes on to say that he was set free without ransom, swore to the Tegeans that the Lacedaemonians would never again attack Tegea, and then broke his oath; that the women offered to Ares a sacrifice of victory on their own account without the men, and gave to the men no share in the meat of the victim. For this reason Ares got his surname." (Paus. 8.48.4-5)

As emphasised by Georgoudi in To Act, Not Submit: Women’s Attitudes in Situations of War in Ancient Greece (part of the highly recommendable collection of essays Women and War in Antiquity), "it is not necessary to see the operation of an invitation in the bestowal of the epithet Γυναικοθοίνας on Ares". The epithet is ambiguous, and can be translated both as "Host of the banquet of women" or "[He who is] invited to the banquet of women". In any case no act of divine intervention occurs, and the main reason for the women's act of devotion lies principally in recognising their decisive role in the routing of the Lakedaimonians. It's they who preside/participate in the feast of war, the men are excluded.

Also this a local epithet that isn't found anywhere else in Greece. As such it would be worth reminding that not every Ares is Gynaikothoinas, in the same way not every Zeus is Aithiopian, not every Demeter Erinys, and not every Artemis of Ephesos.

4. He was the patron god of the Amazons

He was considered progenitor of the Amazons because of their proverbial warlike nature and love of battle, the same reason he was associated with other "barbaric" tribes, like the Thracians or the Scythians. In this capacity he was also appointed as a suitable father/ancestor for other violent and savage characters who generally function as antagonists (e.g. Kyknos, Diomedes of Thrace, Tereos of Thrace, Oinomaos, Agrios and Oreios, Phlegyas, Lykos etc.). Also he was by no means the only god connected with the Amazons (they were in fact especially linked to Artemis, see Religious Cults Associated With the Amazons by Florence Mary Bennett, if only for the bibliography).

Similarly, Poseidon was considered patron and ancestor of the Phaiakians mainly because of their mastery over the art of seafaring (and was curiously also credited in genealogies as father to monsters and other disreputable figures).

On another note I have found no sources that claim he taught his amazon daughters how to fight, as I've seen often mentioned (though I admit I'd love to be proven wrong on that point).

5. Finally, the last reason Ares could never be portrayed as a protector of women is because of his divine assignation itself

The uncountable references to his love of bloodshed and man-slaying don't just stop short of the battlefield, but continue on to the conclusion and intended purpose of most waged wars in antiquity: the sacking of the city. The title Sacker of Cities as an epithet of Ares (though it is by no means exclusive to him) is encountered numerous times and in different variations (eg. τειχεσιπλήτης or πτολίπορθος), and the meaning behind the epithet is plain. Though it is hard to summarise without being reductionist, the sacking of a city entails the plundering of all its goods, the slaughtering of its men, and the sistematic raping and enslavement of the surviving women (to name only a small few of the literary references see The Iliad, The Trojan Women or The Women of Trachis). There is little need to emphasise that war as concieved of in ancient greece, especifically the brutal aspects of war Ares is most often associated with, directly entailed sexual violence against women as one of it's main concerns. The multiple references to Ares being an unloved or disliked deity are because of this, because war is horrifying (not because his daddy is a big old meany who hates him for no reason, Zeus makes very clear the motive for his contempt in the Iliad (5. 889-891): "Do not sit beside me and whine, you double-faced liar. To me you are most hateful of all gods who hold Olympos. Forever quarreling is dear to your heart, wars and battles.")

Ares was only the protector of women inasmuch as he could be averted or repelled (e.g. surviving apotropaic chants):

"There is no clash of brazen shields but our fight is with the war god, a war god ringed with the cries of men, a savage god who burns us; grant that he turn in racing course backward out of our country’s bounds, to the great palace of Amphitrite or where the waves of the thracian sea deny the stranger safe anchorage. Whatsoever escapes the night at last the light of day revisits; so smite him, Father Zeus, beneath your thunderbolt, for you are the lord of the lightning, the lightning that carries fire." (Shophocles, Oedipus Tyrannos, 190-202)

"And let no murderous havoc come upon the realm to ravage it, by arming Ares—foe to the dance and lute, parent of tears—and the shout of civil strife." (Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 678)

~~~~~

All that being said, this is a post about Ares as conceptualized and attested in ancient sources, made specifically in response to condescending statements about how "uhmmm, actually, in greek mythology Ares was a super-feminist himbo who was worshipped as the protector of women and was hated by his family for no reason, you idiot". It is factually incorrect. HOWEVER, far be it from me to tell anyone how they have to interact with this deity. Be it your retellings, your headcannons or your own personal religious attachments and beliefs towards Ares, those are your own provinces and prerogatives, and not what was being discussed here at all (I personally love art where Ares and Aphrodite goof around, or retellings where he plays with his daughters, or headcannons that showcase his more noble sides, etc.)

~~~~~

I've seen that other people on tumblr have made similar posts, the ones I've seen were by @deathlessathanasia and @en-theos . I have no idea how to link their posts, but they're really good so go check them out on their pages!

[tonixe]

♱ — dolor — ♱

A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with a new fic, yes I was gone for like 5 months or 3 or smth. This idea was inspired by @sinclairdoll, and his idea, here! I#bringbacktheoldnoir

WARNING: angst, sad, tw!new noir.

PAIRING: Black Noir x reader

WORD COUNTER: 865

Life was never normal after he died, you really didn't get it. Tears filled up your lashline, as you started sniffling to yourself. Your eyes staring at the photo in your hand, I mean you two were supposed to be together forever, that is what he wrote to you. Giving you sticky notes with his cute cartoony character drawn on the bottom.

You tried to hide your smile from him and ultimately failed, as your lips spread into a grin. You loved it when he drew you pictures, especially of those old Vought cartoons, you always collected every single note or picture, displaying and saving them away. But it was never the same, on the fateful day, it wasn't like it was raining, or something bad╼or maybe there was.

You would always share your feelings and opinions with Noir, voice out your deepest secrets or what was bothering you. You would have thought you did the same for him, well you tried. He was always quiet around you, I mean I guessed he couldn't help it with everything that happened to him. You thought you would live your life with him, but I guess faith had other things in mind.

There weren't any cards or a funeral for him. It was all under the wraps, just how Vought liked it. I mean being a Vought employee yourself, you would understand, no?

You saw it yourself, no secondhand point of view to see it with you. You watched with horrified, shock maybe in disbelief, watching him die. You weren't supposed to be there, nobody was supposed to be there. But you saw everything, Homelander just viciously ripping out his intestine, it was a nightmare, you wanted it to end, maybe stop him. If you did you would just be another part of the collateral damage, but you kind of wished you did do something, maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you were able to be with Noir.

When he died, it felt like something you died with him, maybe your morale, your laughter, your hope...gone, it was all gone.

Time passed by you, days turning into weeks, piecing your life together but all grief consumed you whole, you were in a spiral that you didn't want to come out of, a deep depression, that all you could of though of was your past, what you could do to stop him, maybe if you stopped him from leaving you, leaving your apartment, he would have been here with you.

You looked at the ceiling with a blank stare,

But soon or later you were able to leave that dark place you were in, though the pain was still in your heart and panged. You couldn't wish for him back, it was too painful to even think about him without breaking down.

Walking down the halls of the unforsaken building you worked at, you hated, you didn't really know why you were still here. You grumbled to yourself as you walked, fixing the hems on your shirt cuffs until your eyes set themselves on a familiar person.

You were surprised by the revelation.

You wanted to cry, maybe yell, or just jump. You looked in disbelief as the very man you loved walked by you, no hug, no talking, no..nothing. Your heart yearned for anything from him, you were still shocked at how he was still alive.

You watched Black Noir, Earving die in front of your eyes, maybe it was some time of miracle. You felt your throat getting dry, your eyes watering up, and your mind was torn. By the time you knew it, you were already walking toward him, not running toward him.

"Black Noir" You called, you watched as Noir turned towards you. You felt your tears dripping down your cheeks, and you stopped in front of him. "Do I know you?" Your eyebrows furrowed, as you listened to his voice, no way..he talked. I mean he never talked in front of you or around you, maybe he was healed in some way to start talking again,

But your heart panged at the unfamiliar words he used to greet you, "You..talk?" You stammered, "You know whatever, do you remember me, Y/N" You cracked a smile in the joy that it was really happening, tears welling up in your eyes again.

You heard the man you thought was Noir curse under his breath, which confused you a bit, "Sorry, ma'am I don't think I know you" He stammered, you were able to grab his hand before he was able to walk away from you, "Please, just try to remember" You whispered, your voice breaking, you were already a mess, tears escaping you.

He quickly shook his head and took your hands off his arm, before he walked away from you, leaving you a mess on the floor.

It was cruel, a cruel twist of fate, you felt like the ground was ripped out from beneath you, it wasn't fair. You struggled to process everything that led you to this point in life, it was complete utter torment to your mind and your heart.

Your tears dribbled down from your cheek onto the floor, you didn't even process the fact you were crying.

You were alone...

heartbroken,

—and crying on the floor to yourself.

[cafecitoeddie]

Fallout ⚡️ Title Cards ⚡️ Episode 1 -> Episode 4 ; Part 2

[disenchanted2006]

this is my official butchie coming out post ... yeah guys we lurk among you, the only difference is: we aren't seeing the pearly gates

[homeb0ys]

just a random collection of homelander looking like a chicken nugget dipped in tomato sauce, for no reason

[peach-coke]

➤ The Boys || Season 4 - Official Teaser Trailer

[fandomcringebucket]

PILLS - ST. VINCENT (MASSEDUCTION)

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

All I Ever Wanted, All I Ever Needed Pt. 3 finale

Warnings: siblingxsibling implications, Homelander being such a narcissist that he falls in "love" with his own sibling, Homelander being a stalker, innocent reader, naive reader, Homelander being a basic menace, some uncomfortable parts, dubcon, secrets, manipulation, grooming (feel like that's what Homelander is doing), age gap, power imbalance, series finale, definite angst, no real comfort 😅

Words: 3609

Summary: Your world comes crashing down all around you.

Part 1 Part 2

Starlight recoils when she reads the headlines a few days after she paid a visit to the Boys.

She doesn't want to read the rest of the article, but her thumb resists the signals her brain is desperately throwing at it. A picture dated three days ago had her sagging to the mattress of her hotel room.

You were decked in the obnoxious Vought produced supe outfit. While not being an exact copy of Homelander's, it still bore his signature colors in some way. You're standing proudly next to Homelander who has a possessive hand hovering near your waist.

There's a loss she feels that she can't quite place. Starlight felt like she failed to protect you in some way. She should have told you soon after her discovery, but Stillwell held other plans for her. Transferred to another district to collaborate with a fellow supe that was under Vought contract.

Immediately Starlight wonders if being sent away at that moment was on purpose. There was too much for it to be a mere coincidence.

Which only meant that Ashley and possibly Stillwell were aware of the truth behind you and Homelander.

This really did go all the way to the top.

How on earth was she going to help you now? You were getting too entangled with not just Homelander, but Vought as well. The closer you got to Homelander, the tighter Vought's grip was on you. And that meant the more difficult it would be to get you out. You were being groomed, that much was certain to Starlight as she tries to formulate a new plan.

All she could think of now was her actions harming you. Now that you were in love with Homelander, you might resist the truth.

On cue, a ring rips through her anxious self musings. Hughie to save the day.

"This whole situation is fucked, Hughie." Starlight spits out the second she answers.

"I know." Hughie hurriedly acknowledges. "Do you think Homelander is aware that. . . t-that's his sister?"

That's another pointed question that Annie was stumped on. She couldn't offer him an answer. Positive of one thing though, Annie grabs her belongings while pressing her phone to her ear with the help of her shoulder. There was no use in just sitting there and wondering.

She'd get the answers herself. Returning to Vought Tower immediately was her one good option.

Hughie reminds her to be careful, that Homelander was volatile and most likely wouldn't hesitating in bashing her head in.

From the outside of the sky piercing building, everything appeared to be business as usual. Even on the first floor nothing felt off to Starlight. She was greeted with friendly 'hellos' by employees left to right.

Once the elevator dings and stops at Floor 99, Starlight nearly leapt out of the lift the moment the doors parted. In her haste she accidentally bumps into Maeve.

"Whoa, slow down there." Maeve eyes her up and down with suspicion.

"Is it true that Homelander and (y/n) are dating now?" Starlight quietly hisses, trying to pull the one other female supe aside to a more secluded corridor.

"Starlight I know its weird but (y/n) is an adult and-"

Inwardly Starlight's skin crawls at the idea that Maeve was okay with the obvious power imbalance between Homelander and his new unfortunate paramour. For a hot second, she debates whether or not to tell Maeve the truth. Would she believe her though?

It would be an outlandish claim to make against the leader of the Seven. And you. . . You would face so much backlash and hate. God, Starlight hopes that the two of you haven't slept together yet.

Rudely leaving Maeve to ponder what was going on, Starlight storms to find the one person who most likely already knows the truth.

"Ashley!"

There's a momentary freeze in her walk, back turned to Starlight. When Ashley realizes who it is, she releases of sigh of relief. "Oh. Starlight. Welcome back."

"I need a moment with you in your office."

"Unfortunately I have an important meeting to attend right now. Call my assistant-"

"Goddamnit Ashley." She was losing her patience. Starlight's much stronger hand abruptly lashes out to grab hold of Ashley's arm.

Ashley knows better to play around with the temper of supes. Her face drains as she tries to retain an ounce of courage to nod her head and follow Starlight back to the security of her office.

But when Starlight finally voices the accusation, something awful happens to Ashley's expression. Pure fear.

"Just leave it Starlight!" Ashley snapped, attempting to rise up to a taller height.

"You know?" Starlight's eyes are round. "How long have you known?"

Biting the bottom of her lip, a hand raises shakingly to the tips of her red hair in an anxious manner. Like she wanted to tug a lock free from her scalp. Her eyes become glassy with tears that she refused to spill in front of Starlight.

"From the beginning. . ." Ashley's voice comes out as if she's about to cry. "Mr. Edgar told me to keep my head down and my mouth shut if I wanted to keep my job. And keep my life. . ."

"Who else knows?"

The newly christened VOUGHT CEO shakes her head. "No one else. But documents do exist. . ."

"Homelander's lying to her! She doesn't know that. . . Oh god, she doesn't know that he's her blood brother!" Impossible to keep her voice down when she was so outraged. Starlight wasn't sure if Homelander was in the Tower at the moment. It was dangerous to be too loud.

"I-It's absolutely wrong. I know, but Starlight- I'm so fucking terrified of what Homelander would do to me if I tried to take her away. I'm sorry Annie. I can't. I can't get between him and something he really wants."

Pursing her lips, Annie nods but doesn't blame Ashley. "I get it."

Starlight will just have to do it herself then.

You'd been floating on cloud nine after Homelander kissed you. What really shocked you was Homelander immediately asking you on a date after the kiss. Like he was too impatient to wait any longer to ask you out. Never thinking that America's number one supe would be interested in you in that way. As a kid he was your childhood crush. The perfect man. Strong, handsome, charming, no one else could compare to the perfection of Homelander.

While you were nervous for the first date, being with him actually soothed you. He treated you like a princess. His princess. And since that day, it really has felt like one of those fantasy romance novels you enjoyed reading.

He proudly showed you off on his arm whenever someone asked for a picture. Some of his fans were excited to see you join the Seven one day and make your supe debut next to your boyfriend. You knew they were only flattering you because Homelander gazed at you with such adoration.

"Once they get to know you, they'll love you." Homelander flashed you that smile that had your tummy bubbling like jacuzzi jets. "My love will have to be enough for now."

That caught you off guard. Love. "Your love?"

Homelander leaned in, lips hovering over your's. "Yes."

You got to experience him the way no one else has had the pleasure to witness.

With you, Homelander was utterly soft and affectionate. Watching tv you'd have his head in your lap, running your fingers through his blonde hair. You swore you heard him purr a few times. Homelander (he insisted you call him 'John' when the two of you were alone) would nuzzle his face into your thighs with the happiest grin on his face. Like he'd never experienced such bliss before.

He was the modern day equivalent to all mighty Zeus. A god. Yet he was acting similar to a cat who rubs their cheek possessively against you.

This man could easily laser your face off in a millisecond. Homelander never showed any aggression toward you. Not one harsh grip unless it was in passion.

You don't dwell on the face heating thought that was started to tug at your tummy.

"Starlight! Welcome back!" You smile ear to ear once you spot a familiar blonde head.

She spins on her heels and there's an expression of relief when she realizes its you who called out her name.

As she rushes up to you, you ask her "Did you just get back?"

Directly in front of you, Starlight's dark eyes seem to scan you. For what, you don't know.

When she doesn't say anything, you repeat her name and she comes back to herself. Blinking thick lashes once before shaking her head. "Sorry. Still jetlagged. Yeah. I just got back about half an hour ago."

"You're probably exhausted then." You smile and grip her arm with affection. "I'm glad you're back! I've been missing you as a sparring partner."

Even as you spoke, there was a loud ringing in your ears from the erratic thumping of Starlight's heartbeat. She was scared of something.

"Not one bit. It's good to be back. Reinvigorates me. Hey, are you busy right now? I was really craving some coffee from this really good cafe. Wanna tag along?"

The skip of her heart sounds like a plead for you to say yes. You try to keep your face worry free. "Yes! I would love to."

Did something happen on her assignment?

The walk took you several streets over, far from the Tower. During that time, she talked about where she'd been sent, what the operation was. You in turn told her about your accomplishments with your powers and training. Leaving the news about Homelander for last.

Tempering the excitement in your voice, you eye Starlight for a response. There was an unexplainable kinship you felt with her. She was the big sister you never had. Maeve was inspirational enough, but someone you felt like you would never be able to get close to.

"And how's it been? The relationship?" She tentatively asks. "Has he been treating you right?"

Enthusiastically you nod. "He has! I was worried at first, because of the age gap and, ya'know, he's THE Homelander. But. . . he's been so sweet and caring. I've never had a boyfriend before so maybe I'm being too hopeful about it."

At the cafe and with your orders in front of you, you recline into the leather chair. Neither of you being in supe uniform, no one bats an eye in your direction. “Are you okay Annie?”

“Me?”

You nod. “When I saw you… well, you sounded off. A little distressed.”

Annie tries to think of lies to tell you. Looking at your large, hopeful eyes killed her. She rolls her words around her mouth before spitting them out. "I guess I am a little distressed. About you and Homelander."

Waiting to see if you'd disregard her, Starlight attempts to continue but is caught off by a gruff voice "You finally tellin' the poor girl what kind of monster Homelander is?"

You're more so shocked at Starlight hissing 'Fuck' than the lumbering man behind you. Eyes, hair, clothes, even the aura smudged around him was pitch black. It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand.

"Annie?" You look to her.

She's glaring at this dark interloper. "Get out of here."

He ignores her, and grabs a chair from a nearby abandoned table to join the two of you. The cafe was buzzing with noise allowing some coverage for personal discussions.

Chair positioned closer to you, his eyes drill into you with scrutiny. You'd never felt such resentment in a gaze. "Aren't you a naive little girl."

"Stop it, Butcher. I was just about to explain to her-"

"Annie, it's okay. Lower your voice." You don't know how you keep calm when deep down you're scared of what was going on. That was one thing you really learned from Maeve: act calm under pressure.

Annie takes in a slow breath. "I did mean to tell you sooner. . . It's just been hard for me to. . . you know, figure out how I was going to tell you." Her eyes are glossy. She leans in, so close her cheek brushes against your's as she whispers into your ear. . .

Butcher watches the slow widening of your eyes in sick satisfaction. How your face blanched of any color, robbed of any other expression besides one of revulsion.

You'd barely made it into the restroom stall before your throat was lined with the acidity of your vomit.

She wouldn't lie to you.

Why would Annie lie to you about this?

You didn't want to believe though. To do so would rip you apart. Homelander was-

Gagging, you hunch over the porcelain rim. Ears clogged, you're surprised that you catch the sound of the restroom door opening. Starlight's tentative voice calls out to you. She stands right outside the stall you occupied.

The last thing you wanted to do was show your face ever again, to anyone. "Who else knows?" Your throat hurts when you speak. Choking back a new wave of tears, you repeat your question when she didn't answer after a few seconds.

"I think it's best if you come with me. . ."

You did. After cleaning your face up, you let Starlight walk you out and back to the man called Butcher who patiently waited. From there he led you and Starlight through a dizzying array of side streets and dark alleys. No words were exchanged. Once safely inside a dingy apartment you were met by several others. The Boys, Starlight called them.

While Butcher may have been a complete bastard, the others appeared to possess more empathy toward you. They answered all of your questions to the best of their abilities.

Very few knew of your real relationship with Homelander. High up Vought executives (including Ashley). None of the Seven knew. Except. . .

"He knew. This entire time he knew." Hearing you whisper that broke Starlight's heart. She shares a look with Hughie to see his own sad shimmer in his eyes. "Why then- I don't understand. Why then did he-" Something in your stomach turns. You just can't say it out loud.

"Because he's fucked up." MM softly tells you.

For a moment you worriedly chew on your bottom lip mercilessly. "I can't go back." You'd never be able to look at him again. All the wonderful things you thought had happened to you since arriving at the tower were all based on sick lies and deception. Those who knew the truth must have thought of you as a stupid, naive child. Sheltered the entirety of her life before being thrown to the lions.

Annie gathers your hands in her's. "You don't have to. You don't have to step foot in there ever again."

"Unfortunately I don't think that's up to her." Butcher interjects. "The moment Homelander finds out she's not at Vought Towers, he'll be after her scent. You think he's going to be willing to let you go that easy?"

Hughie sighs, wishing his friend had more bed side manners. The truth of Butcher's words terrified you.

Homelander wasn't someone who you could hide from easily. Your powers, while being near identical to his, were no where near as honed. Telekinetic ability was the major one that you had over Homelander. Would that be enough to stop him?

Butcher's resentment toward supes, holding majority sway in his mindset, regards you with a crumb of respect. You didn't cry in front of him or any of the others present. Sclera of your eyes were red and held a mirror-like shine, but not one tear.

You were created for the sole purpose of one day going up against Homelander in a fight. The proof was the ink on the paper. Why you were raised so different from him.

And why you realize you have to go back to Vought Tower if not to publicly stand your ground and and separate an ties you had to both Vought and Homelander.

Your eyes were wide open now.

The upper levels of Vought were suffering from a Homelander melt down. Ashley found herself cowering under her desk the second she was able to whimper out that you were gone. He exploded in a flurry of rage when he came back from searching for you and he couldn't spot you anywhere.

He's screaming at Analytics, terrifying the poor workers to scan their screens faster. In and out of Vought Towers, many civilians from below only hear the zooming sound that he produces when he shoots across the sky. Making laps around the city to no avail.

"GOD DAMNIT ASHLEY!! You better have some good fucking news-" His eyes widen, body freezing.

You stood in the mess of ruined furniture that Homelander destroyed in his rage. Homelander breathes out your name, a delirious smile relaxing his face. "You worried me! I didn't know where you were! Wh-Where were you actually?" Catching his attention are the bags at your feet.

Fuck.

He can't breathe.

"I know everything." Grief and disgust hollow out your insides to where you felt a controllable numbness. It helped take the edge off for the moment.

"What're you talking about?" His smile remains, but there's definitely something cold about it.

This was the side of him that the Boys warned you about. "Stop. You know what I'm talking about. At least give me that bit of respect, Homelander. Or should I refer to you as brother?"

Reek of fear emanates from him. That revealed plenty.

"You don't understand-" Making the mistake of trying to get closer to you, you shoot him red eyes searing with the threat of lasers. Its enough to make him think again.

"Were you ever going to tell me? O-Or were you going to lie to me for the rest of my life?

"I never lied to you!" Homelander flinches at the volume of his own voice. Heavily breathing, he finds himself clenching and unclenching his hands.

Anger burns the backs of your eyes quite literally. "You told me that you loved me! You don't lie to people you love." You grind out.

"I do love you! Believe ME!" He craved to find out who told you. "Just let me talk! I only want what's best for you. Always! I LOVE you!"

Those three words that previously had your heart doing flips now makes you recoil. "Don't. Don't say that anymore. We're related!!"

"I know we are! Which means that any potential child we have will be the ultimate example of how supes can transcend their mortal skin to that of a god!"

You stare at him in naked disbelief. The red flags seemed so obvious now. Using the psionic aspect of your powers, your bags lift from the ground. Chest shuddering when you breathe out "I'm getting the fuck out of here. We're done."

"Now hold on!" Attempting to invade your space and perhaps push you in a corner, your control over your bags drops and instead it picks up several broken leg chairs with sharp ends all primed toward Homelander. His eyes glow at your disobedience.

No one breathes.

Slowly backing up to the broken window that allowed you access, you keep your gaze on him as you disarm and mentally reach for your bags.

"Don't come after me. Or I'll kill you."

With that you fall backward out the window and take to the sky.

Was this what it was like to experience a heart attack? The ringing in his ears wasn't letting up, banging at the walls of his skull.

Homelander lets out a wild howl that follows you all the way back to the hideout of the Boys. It shook the windows of the entire street block, even managed to break a few too. Glass showers down on unsuspecting people who scream and cower for coverage.

He'd find out who told you and rip their spine out through their asshole.

For years he's waited for and wanted a family. Something to officially put his stamp on and claim as his legacy. You weren't going to ruin that for him. You just didn't understand yet. Perhaps the intensity of his love for you must have scared you. That had to be it.

He runs his gloved hand over his face, hating how it trembled. He may not be able to find you now, but it was inevitable that he'd see you again. Homelander would make sure of that.

Then he'll chain you to himself if he has to and force you to be happy.

You'd understand.

Soon.

You surprise the Boys, standing at their front door. Determination and a burning in your gaze that intrigued Butcher. Panting as you flew as fast as you could to put distance between you and Vought Towers. Bags dropping to your feet as you lean against the frame of the door. "How can I help take down that sick fuck?"

Butcher smirks "You realize this won't be easy lovey."

"I'm well aware." You curtly reply, tiring of his games. "If Vought kept this secret nice and tucked away, how many more secrets do they have in their possessions? To bring Vought to the ground, you need to use their own weapon against them. Who better than Homelander's very blood?"

"Well well, look who grew up in a matter of hours." There's encouragement in his deranged smile. "Scorched earth?"

You nod. "Scorched earth."

Open ended ending :p don't ya just love them? I might make kinda like an epilogue type thing later but as of now this mini-story is finished :)

Taglist:

@the-maladaptive-daydreamers

@demodemo909

[pedanticat]

I'd like to think that the reason why Mark turned evil in most universes ties into his relationship with his mom. In the main universe, the two have a strong bond with Debbie guiding Mark and making sure that his powers didn't go to his head. While he may have gotten his powers from Nolan, the best aspects of Mark come from Debbie. So without Debbie influence on him, he ends up developing the same mindset as his father. And without Mark fighting his father, Nolan isn't forced to confront that the love he feels for his family outweighs his Viltrumite duties.

[ochiody]

to the styx they return..i hate painting. maybe deep down i am sisyphus

[userbeaufort]

Damian Hardung as James Beaufort Maxton Hall, S01E05