Seeing the concern on Homelander's face, Nebula's restless heart suddenly cooled, and she deflated like a punctured balloon.
She lowered her head and walked up to Homelander.
"I'm sorry." Nebula's face was full of guilt. "I failed. Please punish me."
Failure meant punishment.
That was the only rule of survival Thanos had given her since childhood.
Every failure she had endured had been accompanied by dismantling, replacements, and cruel experiments.
She had already prepared herself to accept any torment.
Yet the reprimand she expected never came.
A warm, large hand gently rested on her shoulder.
Homelander's voice, as gentle as a spring breeze, sounded beside her ear. "Look up at me, girl."
Nebula cautiously raised her head and met Homelander's sorrow-filled eyes.
"With me, you will never receive any punishment, Nebula."
"But I failed..." Nebula said softly.
"You only lost a match. You didn't fail." Homelander cut her off.
"Do you know why you lost to that Red Hood?"
"It wasn't because you weren't strong enough. It was because you knew compassion and understood mercy. In this cold universe, that might be a weakness..."
"But here, you have gained humanity's noblest qualities!"
"And those qualities have made you... the most beautiful Nebula in my eyes!"
Nebula stared blankly at the man before her, her heart beginning to race uncontrollably.
No one had ever called her beautiful in her entire life, nor had anyone ever affirmed what she saw as her weakness.
Her vision began to blur, leaving only Homelander growing clearer, as though a beam of light shone upon him.
Notification! Special Popularity Points +30000! (From Nebula)
The sunflower had spat out sunshine again!
Homelander laughed wildly inside, though he maintained that affectionate expression on the surface.
"Buddy." Tony coughed lightly from the side, interrupting the tender moment.