The Good Life: First Amongst Equals (ch. 28) (Patreon)

Pain wasn't something that Homelander had much experience with. He had memories of it, from back when he was a small child, where they tested the limits of his durability. By the time he was thirteen, he had taken an ICBM to the chest and only had some bruises to show for it. He wondered what Dr. Vogelbaum would have to say about it -- that he had grown even more durable over the past twenty years.

Homelander reached up, tracing a finger over the singed flesh -- it was more of a burn mark than it was a cut. A thin red line over his chest. It was the only burn he had, the cut managing to break the outer layer of skin, exposing a deeper layer to the heat. He always thought he would be angrier if he ever got hurt. Madelyn hadn't believed in him, and that got her killed, but she hadn't been wrong about the fact that he was untouchable.

Perhaps it was because the circumstances were different?

Stan was a careful man. He wouldn't put all of his eggs in one basket. He wouldn't be content to let the Homelander brand die with him. He was certain that Stan or Vogelbaum had some secret project somewhere in a lab that would one day challenge him for his title as the world's greatest superhero and leader of the Seven. A child raised in a lab, just like he was. When they thought that child was strong enough, or that he was weak enough, they would send the child after him. They would fight.

And Homelander would win.

A brutal battle against his own kind, and he would be forced to take the child's life. All because of human arrogance.

Instead, this… this came at the hands of… "A friend?" Homelander tested the word, looking at himself in the mirror. The injury would mar his perfect body, however temporary it might be, but he found that he didn't particularly mind. The word 'friend' didn't sound quite right. Heartless had made a fool of him, and that had to be punished, but at the same time…

Heartless wanted him to cut loose. Not for any agenda, or because he coveted his position. Heartless just wanted him to cut loose so he could have fun. The villain had been a thorn in his side for almost a year now, and now he was… Heartless was the kind of person that if he was at a party, he made sure that everyone was having as much fun as he was, and when everyone was having fun, then he enjoyed himself that much more. It was surprisingly selfless of him.

Homelander straightened up, a faint smile curling at his lips. "No, an equal," Homelander corrected. Heartless was a villain. One that would only ever follow his own lead. It would be inevitable that he pushed the envelope far enough that Homelander would be forced to kill him, but that didn't make him a lesser. Homelander was the world's greatest hero… and Heartless was its greatest villain. Two sides of the same coin.

He had never had an equal before. They would fight and try to kill each other, but Homelander was almost certain that he would mourn Heartless when he finally killed him. Simply because he saw Homelander for who he was and told him to let go-

His phone rang and Homelander was forced to take a slow breath, centering himself as annoyance filled him. Grabbing it, he rolled his eyes to the sky above, looking through the ceiling with his X-ray vision, before answering. "Stan," he greeted, his voice curt and unfriendly. He had been having a moment.

"What are you doing?" Stan demanded, his voice angry and clipped.

Homelander looked around his apartment, then his gaze was drawn to his nude form in the full length mirror. "Relaxing. Why?" He asked, a faint smirk curling at his lips when he heard the muffled sharp breath on the other end.

"Heartless managed to rescue Devil's Child. Because you allowed him to escape," Stan stated, not so much as making an accusation but certainly throwing blame his way. Well, he wasn't wrong either. Homelander had let Heartless escape -- he had some plans that involved him, and it wasn't the proper stage to kill him. His equal deserved a bit better than some ambush.

Stan Edgar. Just another human. One that thought that he held the leash. "I would reconsider your tone, Stan. I might take offense to it," Homelander replied, a low growl entering his voice. When there was a pause on the other end, Homelander started to get hard. Stan Edgar was one of the only humans that had ever managed to intimidate him. There was just something unnatural about him -- how no matter how stressed he was, he always managed to keep calm. And here Stan was, realizing that it wasn't Homelander that needed to be afraid.

Stan should fear him.

"My apologies," Stan said, no trace of the anger in his tone.

"It sounds like you've had a tough day. I accept your apology," Homelander replied, rock fucking hard. He was even happy to hear that Heartless' right-hand woman managed to get out. One of their kind shouldn't suffer under the hands of humans. Though, he was a little jealous. That useless cuck A-Train had died. The Deep… he ran off, and there wasn't any sign of him since. He was probably dead too. He'd lost two more members of the Seven, and that should infuriate him.

But it didn't. The Seven were a goddamn joke. They weren't a reflection on him. If they were, they wouldn't be so fucking useless. The only members he remotely liked were Black Noir and maybe Cinder. It was a shame that she was a lesbian, with her and Starlight being a thing. He might not have cared and just taken her anyway if she was a human, but she was a Supe and they all had their preferences when it came to matters of the heart. Queen Maeve had done fuck all lately, though. Maybe he should start fresh? Pick out Supes that he had decided on, rather than marketing?

"The day will get resoundingly worse. A-Train has been planting bombs on the behest of Heartless while he searched for Popclaw," Stan informed, and Homelander smiled. Clever. Very clever. Maybe A-Train hadn't been so useless after all. He had just been useful to the wrong guy.

"And I'm on the shortlist with X-ray vision," Homelander guessed where this was going.

"You will be deployed with-"

"No," Homelander interjected coldly, making Stan pause. "I have better things to do with my time than to fly around America, cleaning up after that cuck. Find someone else to do it." And, with that, Homelander ended the call before he crushed the fragile phone in his hand. It felt good, Homelander decided. It felt so damn good to snip those strings that Stan- that the humans had on him.

Just when he was considering masturbating, there was a knock at the door. Homelander looked through it to see it was Stormfront, who was sporting a few bruises under her costume. Nice tits though. And she was shaven, just how he liked them.

"Come in," Homelander instructed, turning to face her so she could witness him in all of his glory. Stormfront opened the door, her eyes widening at the sight of him before she started to look away. She couldn't -- her gaze was dragged to him and his impressive cock, as she seemed to struggle to find the words. She lingered by the doorway, frozen with inaction, so he gave her some prompting. "I said to come in."

“Homelander. You're… naked,” Stormfront pointed out, rather uselessly. Still, she obeyed and closed the door behind her. Her heart rate was elevated, but not overly so as he let her approach.

“My suit got ruined and I was in the middle of changing,” Homelander answered. Heartless’ advice rang out in his ears, and… Heartless had seemed so happy. In a pure way. He had heard of the idiom that if you loved your job, you never worked a day in your life, but he thought it was bullshit. Homelander loved being the leader of the Seven, being a superhero, but that didn't mean he loved the tedious bullshit and listening to people drone on and on about their problems like they were supposed to matter to him. Heartless was probably the only example of that saying being true.

And Homelander was jealous.

“I was just- I mean, I was here to tell you that there is some rioting in New York. About the fight,” Stormfront began and the thought should have filled him with righteous fury. Instead… What did he care? The humans always liked seeing New York destroyed on a TV screen, and now they were bitching about it? Their opinions didn't matter.

The only opinion that mattered was his own.

“But, I can go-” Stormfront began, turning away before Homelander closed the distance between them. He reached out, grabbing her by the wrist and he wore a practiced charming smile, one approved by marketing.

“Don’t,” he ordered, pulling Stormfront in for a kiss. She was a groupie, but one that was marginally more useful than the others. She worshiped him like she should. Honestly, at this point, she might find herself a place in the Seven. Stormfront was surprised by the gesture, but she wasted no time fulfilling what was likely a dream for her.

He was the Homelander. And he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.

He ripped off her suit with ease, spilling her pale breasts out. She made a noise of surprise, breaking the kiss. An excellent idea, he decided, grabbing her by the throat and turning her around. “W-” Was all Stormfront managed to gasp out, her hands going up to his, pulling at his grip but even as strong as she was, she was no match for him.

Warmth. Wet. A surprising tightness.

A shuddering breath escaped Homelander, realizing what a fool he had been all of this time as he sheathed himself fully into Stormfront. With a human pussy… he might as well have been using a fleshlight -- a poor imitation of the genuine article. Stormfront gasped and grunted as he began to fuck her, and unlike a weak and fragile human body, he could use some of his strength in the thrusts.

He caught his reflection in the mirror, standing tall, gloriously, as he dragged Stormfront into the air for better leverage. She was bent over at the waist, her head low as she grunted with each thrust that shook her. His gaze was drawn to his own form, the ripple of his muscle and flesh and he felt his cock throb. “What the fuck have I been doing with my life?” Homelander asked himself, grabbing Stormfront by the hair and the waist and fucking her until it felt like she was going to break. The slut loved it based on her gasps and groans.

“Taking orders from Stan Edgar of all fucking people. Looking for their approval and- and for what?! What are they to me? What are they in comparison to me?” Homelander asked himself, but Stormfront seemed to think the question was directed at her.

“T-they're useless. Subhuman. We… we shall reduce them to what they should be -- slaves that exist to serve us,” Stormfront gasped out, almost sounding pained. Ah, she was putting on the pained act. Whatever. Though what she said caught his attention as a little off, he found himself enraptured with it regardless.

“You're right. You're right, Stormfront. We save them. We protect them. And how are we rewarded for it? Criticism that we couldn't save everyone? Bitching and moaning when they should be on their knees in awe that we deemed to help them at all,” Homelander snarled, making Stormfront cry out in pleasure as he picked up the pace.

Because he could hear it if he really listened. Down below, on the streets of New York, the people that were cursing Supes. Demanding that they be held accountable to them. To their laws. Humans obeyed the law out of fear of consequences but what prison could hope to hold him? “It's time that they started to learn their place. Beneath us. Beneath me,” Homelander growled before he came. Stormfront’s breathing hitched, probably rejoicing that she was able to get creampied by the Homelander.

He pulled her off of him, letting her drop to the floor in a heap, probably fucked stupid. He noticed that there was a sheen of blood on his cock -- a virgin? She had been saving herself for him? Nice.

However, as he reached the highs of his own orgasm, a thought struck him. An idea that he was already working towards, but he was still deciding the steps to take. But there was so much unnecessary work he was imposing on himself for the worthless opinions of a handful of humans. Heartless had thrown all the red tape and necessities out the window and just look at what he had accomplished.

Heartless had provided the opportunity by decapitating America's leadership. But he had been thinking too small… far too small.

“Pick yourself up,” Homelander ordered, getting dressed as the plan formed in the back of his mind. The milestones were pretty easy to hit. Heartless was going to go big eventually. Something truly outrageous. It would be then that Homelander killed him, and dashed his organization upon the rocks. It would secure his position as the world's greatest hero.

But he didn't care about the world. Just America, because if nothing else, he was a patriot.

Only, he had been thinking inside the box. Within the boundaries and guidelines of what had come before him. He was like a bull trapped in a ring, ignorant that he could jump the walls that encased him. And for nearly all of his life, that had been true, but now… now his eyes had been opened.

“W-where are we going?” Stormfront gasped out, looking away from him as he started to head towards the door. Heartless had drawn scum and D-listers to him with the promise of a rebellion against the society that had marginalized them.

Homelander smiled, “Godolkin Academy.”

And if he had looked over his shoulder before he left, he would have seen Stormfront's expression of fear aimed at his back.

…

Godolkin Academy. A place where heroes were made heroes. To the outside uninformed onlooker, they would see a prim and proper university with some of the greatest minds in the world teaching the next generation of heroes. The truth of the matter was it was a place of debauchery. A constant party where young Supes learned about their powers in an environment free of parental supervision. Another thing that was stolen from him. Experiences that he could have had but was denied.

That would change, Homelander decided as he flew down to the campus. From above, he could see the protesters that were gathering around the school. A sparse crowd of locals that shouted obscenities at the gates as it was the only place they knew where Supes gathered. That was one thing Homelander couldn't forgive Heartless for -- he was turning Supes into a marginalized minority. Even if it broke the mold and let them take their rightful place in society, Homelander couldn't accept his methods.

Flying down to the principal's office, he saw Indira Shetty behind a desk, completely ignorant of his presence. At least until he knocked on her window, making the human jump in her seat before looking around, her expression becoming one of shock. He gave her a polite smile, waiting for her to open the tall window for him so he could float through. “Homelander? No one told me you were coming,” she greeted him, and he landed lightly on the floor, giving the office a quick look around.

“This is a bit of a spur of the moment thing. I should have called ahead, though,” he admitted, mostly because now he would have to wait for her to get things in order. But, at the same time, it meant Stan couldn't interfere, as he was want to do. “Nice office. Very spacious. Never got the chance to attend Godolkins,” he remarked.

“Godolkin is poorer for it,” Indira offered the usual flattery. He didn't know much about the woman, and he didn't particularly care to. He was here for one thing only. “Well, what brings you to Godolkin? How can we help you, Homelander?” She asked, and if nothing else, she got straight  to the point of getting him what he wanted.

“I need you to call an assembly in one of the auditoriums. I know things have been… tense between humans and Supes lately, and I think the kids could benefit from a reassuring voice,” Homelander said, offering a smile that seemed to put Indira at ease now that she knew he wasn't here for her. Even if she was a little confused.

“I… can do that for you, Homelander. It would be my pleasure,” she said, swallowing her questions. Smart. Maybe if she kept it up, he'd allow her to become a Supe. Or have a chance to. Things got messy when you used Compound V as an adult. Complete breakdown of the body, lots of blood, lots of screaming -- DNA didn't like being touched when it came down to it.

“I appreciate it. May I ask how you're doing with the whole,” he waved a hand around, vaguely gesturing in the direction of the protesters, “situation.”

Indira winced ever so slightly, but she continued in a professional tone. “The situation is in hand. Things have been getting worse with Heartless’ latest activities,” she admitted. “People are afraid. It used to be that Supes were seen as a source of safety. Protection. Now…”

“Now humans fear their own powerlessness,” Homelander finished for her, earning a glance as he headed towards the exit, his hands clasped behind his back. Let the kids see him. Let the protesters see him.

Indira said nothing as he left her office, but with his super hearing, he heard her calling for all classes to head to the debate hall. As well as make an emergency call to Vought to inform them of his actions. Hm. That wouldn't do. But, either way, even if she told it would be far too late for Stan to actually do something about it. With that, Homelander walked the halls, not stopping to talk to anyone, but letting them see that he was here as he made his way to the debate hall.

It was on his way that Stormfront finally showed up. Her costume had been replaced, and her eyes seemed a little red -- probably from the windsheer. He hadn't realized how much faster he was than her. She didn't meet his eyes as he smiled at her, embarrassed even as her heartrate picked up. “What exactly are we doing here?” She asked, falling in step behind him.

“Reaching out to today's youths,” Homelander answered, so light he was barely touching the ground. He was approaching a moment of no return, he knew. Stepping onto a new path and burning a bridge behind him, leaving no way to turn back. The burn on his chest itched and he wondered if Heartless had felt like this? Nervous and excited in equal measure. “You were right, Stormfront. They are beneath us.”

He glanced to the side, looking good through a building and across campus to see the crowd of protesters. Near a hundred strong, chanting and holding signs that demanded their subjugation. Their deaths.

“I'm the voice of a generation,” he continued, nearing the debate hall that was already filling up as every supe raced to get the best seats. “Gen V. I didn't realize that until you came along. You're the one that showed me the way. Well, you and Heartless,” he admitted freely as they neared the backstage doors. He threw them open with a little more strength than necessary. Stormfront seemed to understand the implications because she stood taller behind him.

Homelander heard the excited chattering excitedly as Indira got on the stage. “We have a surprise guest for all of you this evening -- please, give a warm round of applause for Homelanded,” she said, quickly passing him the mic, simply because she wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say. He accepted the mic with a smile as he was greeted with thunderous applause. The kids were ecstatic to see him. He waved a few times before the cheering quoted down when he brought the mic to his lips.

This was the moment. The one that determined everything that came next.

Homelander greeted the future with a smile. “I would like a raise of hands -- who here has been victimized because they're a Supe?” He asked the crowd, his gaze going to the current top ten. The only one worth remembering was the current number one -- Golden Boy.

He was absent.

Interesting, but not important, Homelander decided as he saw hands going up. It started small, but with each one, the others were emboldened and they raised their hands until everyone in the room was. It was simply disgraceful. Then, slowly, Homelander raised his own hand. “It's not right. You're kids training to be heroes. To save the day. To protect them -- the people wishing you harm, insulting you… gathering outside of your gates to let you know that you are hated. Because you're different. They say that you aren't human because you're superabled,” he continued.

They were enraptured by his words. Hanging off of them like they were scripture handed to them directly from their God. And it was.

“They’re right. We aren't human,” Homelander began, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, seeing their confusion. “We’re faster. We're stronger. We’re better than them. We are Homo Superior, and in comparison to us, they are shit flinging monkeys that rely on us for protection,” Homelander snarled into the mic, all the thoughts and anger he swallowed down came bubbling up. The effect on the crowd was immediate, the confusion bleeding way into agreement and cheers. And those cheers spurned those on the fence to cheer as well.

“They hate us because we are different. Because they're afraid of what we might do. Because of Heartless. One bad egg was all it took for Humanity to turn their backs on us, to marginalize our people-” he was interrupted by one kid shouting out.

“Supe lives matter!”

Instead of burning a hole through the punk like he wanted, Homelander pointed at him. “Yes! Supe lives matter!” A catchy little phrase and he was all too happy to use it for his own ends. “For generations, our kind has been forced into subservience to the humans. And now, they want us punished and segregated for the actions of a few. Well… I say no more,” Homelander said, floating into the air. He was more than human. There was no point in walking on the ground like he was one.

The original plan had been to take over America. It's leadership was nonexistent and the people would be looking good for a pillar of strength to lean on in these trying times. Who better than him? Who better than the Homelander? All he had to do was kill Heartless in a suitably dramatic fashion and they'd vote him in by a landslide because who else could possibly hope to compete with him?

That was too small, Homelander decided as his words were met with cheering. The entire debate hall joining in until it was filled with noise -- off to the side, he saw that Indira was making a panicked retreat. Smart of her, at least.

Why lead a nation of humans when he could lead a nation of Supes?

Stormfront was next to him, and he wrapped an arm around her side, lifting her in the air with him. She shied away from his touch, embarrassed, but he turned to look at her. You know what? Stormfront was more than just a groupie. She was an inspiration.

“This is because of you,” He told her, catching her by surprise. “You helped me see where things stood with Madelyn. I couldn't have done it without you.” He told her, going in for a kiss as the crowd cheered when their lips met.

They were on the cusp of greatness. A bright future ahead that they only had to reach out and take. He had his army of Supes, he had a woman by his side, and he had a path to everything that he had ever wanted. You had better believe he was going to take it.

Because he was the Homelander, and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted.