You Made Those Words Up

Stormfront's finger slowly traced the contours of Soldier Boy's chest muscles. "You know what? I even attended your funeral."

Her voice was soft, a whisper between lovers.

Next door, Homelander stood rooted to the spot, motionless.

Madelyn sensed something was wrong, because Homelander's expression kept changing: embarrassment, hesitation, wariness.

That wariness was concern for Soldier Boy.

Madelyn followed his gaze to the wall. "Are you watching Soldier Boy? What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing." Homelander brushed her off, but turned his Super Hearing up even further.

Meanwhile.

Soldier Boy glanced down at Stormfront's hand on his chest, then looked up. "Clara."

"Hmm?"

"You know what?"

"Know what?"

"You really remind me of an animal right now."

Stormfront smiled slightly. "A seductive fox?"

"A hippo in heat." Soldier Boy grinned, looking eminently punchable.

Silence hung in the air for two seconds. Stormfront's smile froze, her thoughts unreadable.

Soldier Boy grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand off his chest.

He wasn't Benjamin. He had no interest in an old hag like Stormfront.

Given the choice, Soldier Boy would rather get close to Starlight.

Stormfront stared blankly for a long while, then actually laughed. "Still you. Still such an asshole."

She loved him even more.

Stormfront was the sort of person who got more excited the more others humiliated her, a very strange trait.

Of course, they had to be white.

Anyone of another race who dared do that would die horribly.

Normally, Stormfront would give even a black-furred puppy a couple of kicks if one passed by, let alone a person.

Stormfront gazed at Soldier Boy, her eyes growing increasingly complicated.

She realized Benjamin really had changed. The old Soldier Boy would never have reacted this way to seeing her.

The Benjamin of that era had been arrogant and hot-tempered, looking down on everyone, but he would never have rejected her.

Yet the man before her kept his distance throughout, as though constantly scrutinizing her.

The feeling made Stormfront very uncomfortable, and she decided to change the subject. "Let me meet Homelander."

Soldier Boy paused mid-drink. "What do you want to see him for?"

"I've been following him. He's stronger than you," Stormfront said with a hint of provocation.

"Do you know how to talk to people?" Soldier Boy's expression darkened.

Homelander frowned.

Following me?

Stormfront leaned back against the sofa. "I'm serious."

"Homelander is just as strong as you, but he's faster and has more abilities."

Soldier Boy fell silent for a moment, then said evenly, "It's only natural for a son to be stronger than his father."

Stormfront was puzzled. "Natural? You don't care?"

Soldier Boy sighed.

"Why should I care? Homelander is my pride and joy, and the only person in this world I hope will be stronger than me."

Stormfront fell completely silent, because this simply wasn't the Benjamin she knew. The old Benjamin would never have said anything like that.

Could forty years really change someone this much?

Next door, Homelander had frozen.

He had expected Soldier Boy to resent it, to be jealous. After all, Soldier Boy had always been a legendary hero.

But he wasn't. Soldier Boy actually thought it was only natural.

Pride and joy.

I'm my father's pride and joy?

The corners of Homelander's mouth twitched, a trace of warmth rising within him.

No one had ever put him first as a matter of course.

Not Vought, not Madelyn, not Edgar.

Everyone used him, everyone needed him, everyone feared him, but no one cared about him simply because he was "Homelander." Yet Soldier Boy did.

Homelander kept his head lowered, but the corners of his mouth slowly rose, his smile growing wider and wider.

Like a child seeing a toy for the first time, he was innocently happy.

Stormfront's eyes gradually grew fanatical. "Ben, I think Homelander is our future!"

"Hold on. Mine, not yours," Soldier Boy corrected her.

Shameless bitch. What does my son have to do with you?

Stormfront was entirely oblivious, continuing to build her grand vision in her mind. "Homelander has your perfect genes. He's the most powerful superhuman ever."

"With me to guide him, the world will eventually belong to us."

"Stop." Soldier Boy cut her off.

Stormfront frowned, a little annoyed. "What?"

Soldier Boy set down his beer, his gaze turning dangerous for the first time. "Clara, let me remind you of something. Homelander is my son, not your test subject, and certainly not a tool for realizing your Nazi ideals."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a little.

Stormfront couldn't believe it. She saw a warning in Soldier Boy's eyes.

This would have been almost impossible in the past. The old Soldier Boy hadn't cared about anyone else, much less looked at her like this.

Stormfront fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Looks like you really like that kid."

Her desire for conquest surged at that moment, making her want to approach Homelander even more.

Next door, Homelander was both touched and bewildered.

He had seen that look in Stormfront's eyes many times before.

When fans looked at him, when believers looked at their god.

Where the hell did this crazy woman come from? Soldier Boy doesn't seem to like her much.

Why not just kill her?

Soldier Boy said nothing, feeling a headache coming on.

One look at Stormfront's lewd demeanor told him she had something else in mind.

Homelander had finally become a little more normal. If Stormfront corrupted him now, he would immediately revert to his old self.

Why not just kill her?

For some reason, Stormfront felt a chill down her back. She had known Benjamin for far too long.

She knew that whenever this man suddenly stopped talking, he was usually thinking about something else.

Stormfront asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Soldier Boy said, "Clara, I know what you're thinking. Homelander is very psychologically abnormal right now. I intend to spend the rest of my life setting him straight and teaching him."

"That's my only pursuit. I don't want anyone ruining it."

He had all the original owner's memories. In the end, he still couldn't bring himself to kill her.

Memories brought shared feelings, and in Soldier Boy's heart, Clara carried far more weight than most people.

Stormfront frowned. Has this bastard gone crazy? What nonsense is he spouting?

After a long while, she compromised anyway, at least on the surface. "All right, Ben. You know I love you."

The atmosphere between them was a little delicate. Stormfront forced a change of subject. "What are you planning to do next?"

"Run the Seven and find the right opportunity to kill Edgar," Soldier Boy said casually.

"Will you need my help, then?" Stormfront draped an arm over Soldier Boy's shoulders and blew into his ear.

A cool sensation reached him. Soldier Boy said, "No."

Decisive and direct, without the slightest hesitation.

Stormfront didn't mind at all. "You do, Ben. You've been out of touch with the world for forty years. I'm sure you've found it hard to get anywhere these past few days, haven't you?"

"Do you know what the Internet is? What Bluetooth is?"

Soldier Boy felt a sudden urge to play around. "You made those words up."

Stormfront: "..."

Homelander next door: "..."