The Takeoff Pose Was a Little Too Sultry

The things happening outside couldn't bother Ryan for now.

For instance, Madelyn's death had thrown the Seven's management into chaos, forcing Vought International CEO Stan Edgar to step in personally.

Or take Hughie and the others, who had killed Translucent only to be framed by Vought International and turned into fugitives.

As for the leader of the Boys, Billy Butcher...

The poor bastard had been so focused on getting revenge on Homelander that he'd put his entire team in danger. Now, although Homelander had let him go, the revelation that his wife was still alive had nearly driven him into seclusion.

He was currently out of contact, so there was no point worrying about him.

In short, whether the outside world was in turmoil or undercurrents were stirring, none of it had anything to do with Ryan now.

By the next day, everything around him had changed dramatically.

"Mom, I didn't see Uncle Ram out jogging today, and Grandma Susan didn't water her flowers. And..."

"Where did everyone go? Is there some kind of community event?"

Why else? Of course it was because Homelander had found him. This fake Truman Show could no longer be maintained.

Besides, after the head of the operation, Johnny, had been taken away yesterday, the entire surveillance team had ground to a halt.

His mother, Becca, managed a strained smile. "That's right. They went on vacation."

"I want to go too~"

Ryan put on an eager expression. "Mom, I've never been on a trip before. I want to be like Walter and visit lots of places and meet lots of new friends."

Becca was about to say something when a gust of wind suddenly swept down from above.

Homelander laughed. "That's easy. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you."

"No!"

Becca refused without a moment's thought, as if she'd been startled.

But when she saw the surprise and fear in Ryan's eyes, she immediately realized what she'd done.

She hurried to explain. "Ryan, I mean, Mommy will take you someday. It's just that we can't go right now."

"Why?"

"Because, uh... Right! You still have piano lessons to practice."

"O-okay."

[Daily Performance EXP +5]

Better than nothing.

That was what Ryan thought, but he still turned to Homelander with an excited look.

"Dad, you can fly! That's so cool!"

With Becca looking miserable, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't, Homelander planted his hands on his hips and grinned proudly. "Of course I can fly."

"Son, you can fly too, actually. How about we learn how to fly today?"

"I can fly too?"

Ryan looked astonished. "Mom, can I really fly?"

This was a deadly question!

Becca wanted so badly to tell Ryan that he couldn't fly.

But under Homelander's false, smiling gaze, she could no longer stick to the plan she and Vought International had devised together.

From the moment Homelander had found her and Ryan, the plan to raise Ryan as an ordinary person over the past eight years had come to an end.

She had no choice but to accept it.

So Becca gave a faintly pained nod. "You... might be able to fly too!"

"Whoa—"

Ryan cried out excitedly and grabbed Homelander's hand. "Dad, Mom said I can fly too."

"So what do I do? How do I do it?"

Beneath Ryan's excitement was a hint of guilt toward his mother, Becca.

He had to do this.

The root cause of the conflict between the Boys and Homelander had been Becca's disappearance, which had led to Billy Butcher's rampage and hatred.

Now, their tangled history had shifted the source of their conflict in many different directions.

But Ryan didn't want his mother to die beneath his Heat Vision as she had in the original story. He had to plan ahead and, from the moment he met Homelander, cruelly shatter Becca's unrealistic hopes.

In other words—

He, Ryan, Homelander's son, was also a Supe.

From now on, there was no need—and no way—to keep up this fake community that was already on the verge of collapse.

The sooner his mother, Becca, accepted reality, the sooner she could escape Homelander and reunite with her husband, Billy.

But before that, Ryan needed to install one more "patch" for Homelander.

His mind raced, but it didn't affect his performance in the slightest.

He listened attentively as Homelander explained the basics of flying. "Son, pose like this..."

Ryan stared intently at Homelander's takeoff move.

Homelander's legs were pressed together, one heel lifted slightly behind him, while his knees bent subtly outward and inward, like a ballet dancer's.

Then he gently pushed his hips out, with a hint of deliberate coyness.

"This is the preparation pose. Tell yourself you're about to take off."

As he spoke, Homelander slowly raised his arms from his sides.

His elbows were deliberately left slightly bent, with a relaxed yet intentional curve, like he was dancing the tango.

His hands crossed above his head, and he lightly turned his wrists, showing off the sheen of his red gloves and the gold detailing on his bracers.

"Then let your body sink naturally... Pay attention!"

Homelander gave Ryan a textbook Homelander smile. "Never look down. Let your neck become part of the performance... Ahem, I mean, part of the takeoff."

So Vought International had definitely designed this takeoff pose for you, hadn't they?

Ryan snarked inwardly. It was way too sultry, way too effeminate.

Did the designer who came up with this pose have a grudge against my Homie?

Just as Homelander reached the most "girly" point of the pose, he suddenly pushed off, "springing" his whole body up from the ground.

The air around him burst outward in an instant, and the dust he kicked up became stage smoke for the show.

"Whoa!"

Ryan gave a very enthusiastic gasp, then clapped eagerly to show his appreciation.

"That's so cool... I guess!"

Hovering in the air, Homelander excitedly put his hands on his hips and called out, "Son, you try it too. Just do what I did."

"You can do it."

"Mm!"

Ryan nodded hard.

He pressed his legs together and bent them in a coquettish curve, sank his body, and slowly swung his arms. Then...

Once he was in position, Ryan jumped upward with all his might.

It was a little hop in the most literal sense.

He didn't even get as high off the ground as an active little kid.

Somewhat bewildered, he looked down at his feet, then lifted his gaze to Homelander, who hovered effortlessly above him.

Homelander's smile froze.

Becca, however, quietly let out a long breath. The tension in her shoulders and back, held tight for so long, slowly eased.

Her son's failure to take off was, to her, a reassuring sign.

All these years, she had raised Ryan so carefully. She had never wanted her son to gain the power to destroy the world. She had only hoped he could grow up to be a perfectly ordinary person.

Deep down, she couldn't bear the thought of Ryan becoming a villain like Homelander, with overwhelming power, a twisted temperament, and no regard for anyone else.

Becca stepped forward and called to him in a gentle, comforting voice. "Ryan, it's okay. When you're a little older..."

"No, Mom!"

For the first time in his life, Ryan rejected Becca's advice.

It was also the first time Becca had seen such stubbornness in her son.

Ryan gently shook his head. "Mom, let me try again. I'm Homelander's son. I can do it."