"Anthony!" Jessica cried in delight.
"Hold on tight!"
Homelander wrapped an arm around Jessica's waist.
Boom!
He fired his propulsion at full power.
The two of them shot away like a beam of light, breaking free of the planet's gravity.
The hatch opened, and the air pressure equalized.
Jessica slumped into a seat, still shaken and gasping for breath. Her holographic spacesuit retracted automatically, revealing a face drenched in cold sweat.
Homelander stood over her, looking down.
"Jessica Jones." He held his anger in check.
"Didn't I tell you to stay on the ship?"
"Who do you think you are? Kara Danvers?"
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? That thick fog was Ego's digestive enzymes! If I'd arrived one second later, you'd have been reduced to a pile of protein!"
"If you'd died..." Homelander bent down, grabbed Jessica by the shoulders, and pulled her from the seat.
"...did you ever think how I'd feel?"
Jessica looked into Homelander's furious eyes and suddenly smiled.
She reached up and stroked his cheek.
"I knew I was walking into certain death... but when it comes to you, it's the one impulse I can't control, Anthony."
Homelander froze. The anger in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by helpless, tangled feelings.
He sighed and gently pulled Jessica into his arms.
"You foolish woman..." he whispered in her ear. "Don't do that again."
If you fucking died, do you know how many Popularity Points I'd lose? Homelander added silently.
"Mm..." Jessica closed her eyes and savored the brief moment of tenderness. "I won't, boss."
Notice! Special Popularity Points +15,000! (From Jessica Jones)
"Hey! Could you two put the damn romance on hold for a minute?!"
An irritable voice shattered the intimate mood.
Rocket Raccoon stuck his head out of the cockpit,