To the hero

Seeing Homelander approach with a glass in hand, A-Train and The Deep both froze, stopping their conversation in unspoken agreement.

A-Train, in particular, had been craving something sweet. He was holding a large chocolate milkshake.

A thick mound of whipped cream topped it, visibly loaded with calories.

"Hi, sir," A-Train greeted him stiffly.

Homelander looked at the milkshake. "What are you drinking?"

"This? It's a milkshake," A-Train said hesitantly, his throat bobbing.

Homelander's expression was off, as though he was about to lose his temper.

The corner of Homelander's eye twitched.

Idiot. The judgment sprang instinctively to mind.

The fastest man in the world, and he stuffed himself with junk food every day.

His race against Shockwave was approaching, yet he still refused to strictly manage his diet and training. Was he planning to rely on Compound V to keep his title as the fastest man?

"Sir, would you like one?"

When Homelander remained silent, A-Train's heart pounded as he ventured the question.

"That's pretty high in calories, isn't it?" Homelander's smile didn't reach his eyes.

A-Train went pale and blinked several times. "Because I need to take in a lot of calories every day, that's why..."

Beside him, The Deep kept elbowing A-Train, signaling for him to stop talking.

A-Train nearly cursed aloud. Why the fuck are you poking me?

If I don't make up some excuse to get through this, how is that any different from asking to die?

Watching their expressions, Homelander felt inexplicably irritated. He knew this feeling all too well. It had always been like this: whenever he appeared, everyone grew nervous.

Just then, Homelander remembered what Soldier Boy had said.

Hold your glass, smile at them, and you'll feel something different.

Homelander fell silent for a second and swallowed the criticism rising to his lips.

Instead, he said, "Sure. I was just thinking I'd like to try a milkshake."

A-Train froze, as though he hadn't heard him clearly. "What?"

"I said..." Homelander looked at the milkshake. "Get me one too."

Silence hung in the air for a second. Then A-Train's eyes lit up, his nervousness vanishing.

Smiling, he picked up an unopened bottle of milkshake from the table. "Holy shit, you're in for a treat. This is the best drink here tonight."

Homelander took the milkshake and sipped it. Rich chocolate flavor spread through his mouth, cloyingly sweet.

But he still managed a smile. "You did well yesterday. You were a big help."

A-Train knew he meant delivering the rescue cushion and laughed.

"Bro, it was my honor."

Homelander said nothing more, raising his milkshake in acknowledgment.

Some distance away.

Maeve had been watching them the whole time. When she saw A-Train actually dare to laugh in front of Homelander, she froze for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Translucent suddenly spoke behind him.

Maeve jumped. "Fuck, Translucent, you pervert."

Meanwhile.

A-Train had completely loosened up. "Homelander, you know, I used to think you didn't eat."

Homelander raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because you're so much like a god," A-Train said earnestly. "I always thought you'd recharge by absorbing sunlight."

Homelander paused, then actually laughed aloud.

Everyone looked over, because they had just heard an extremely unfamiliar sound.

Homelander's laughter-not his fake, on-camera laugh, but a genuine one.

Intrigued, Maeve raised her glass. "What are you talking about?"

"Maeve," Homelander called softly, his gaze complicated.

He had been deeply touched when Maeve had taken the initiative to defend him today.

Queen Maeve's eyelid twitched as she looked him up and down.

She raised her glass frankly. "Homelander, you're not quite the same as before."

Homelander's brows lifted slightly. "Maybe."

"Hey, babies, wanna dance?" Private Angel had gotten a microphone from somewhere, her voice amplified several times over by the speakers.

Then, without waiting for anyone to answer, she put on a track with a pounding beat and started dancing enthusiastically by herself.

"Shall we dance too?" Starlight invited Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy naturally agreed, wrapping an arm around her waist and moving to the rhythm.

At last, the atmosphere no longer felt strange. Homelander's initiative in breaking the ice had brought a hint of warmth, drawing The Seven closer together without them realizing it.

When the song ended, Starlight still wanted more, but Soldier Boy no longer felt like dancing.

He simply passed her off to Private Angel so the two girls could dance together. A-Train even showed off some street dancing.

At that moment, the wall separating everyone finally began to loosen.

Nearby, Soldier Boy leaned back on the couch, watching the scene as the corners of his mouth slowly rose. "Now this is a party."

He suddenly noticed something off and cursed under his breath. "Fuck, why does A-Train keep staring at The Deep while he's dancing?"

No way!

Soldier Boy frowned and thought it over. In the original show, when Homelander told The Deep to give A-Train a 'blowjob,' hadn't A-Train seemed pretty resistant?

Though Homelander had called it off...

Wait!

A possibility suddenly occurred to Soldier Boy. What if A-Train rebelled because Homelander stopped The Deep from giving him a blowjob?!!!

Had A-Train known what Soldier Boy was thinking, he probably would have coughed up blood on the spot.

Heaven was his witness: he was looking at The Deep because his bruised, swollen face and caved-in cheekbones looked funny.

Homelander watched quietly, seeing these familiar teammates reveal different sides of themselves, seeing Maeve go without drinking moodily for once, seeing a lively scene unlike anything that had ever appeared at Vought.

He grew a little dazed. He had never understood why ordinary people felt happy just eating and having fun together.

But now, he seemed to understand a little, and the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.

He suddenly realized Soldier Boy had been right. After smiling, he really did feel something different.

It felt just as good as being worshipped as a god by the crowds.

Toward the end of the party, the music in the room gradually grew quieter. Holding a bottle of liquor, Soldier Boy looked around, his gaze passing over everyone.

Everyone turned to him.

"Listen up," Soldier Boy said loudly. "Twelve people died in the plane incident."

At those words, their smiles slowly faded.

"The reporters and the media will remember those twelve dead people, but what I fucking remember are the hundred-plus survivors. That was our hero's doing!"

Soldier Boy raised his bottle, his voice low and firm.

"So today, to the hero."

A-Train was the first to raise his milkshake. Private Angel, The Deep, Maeve, and Starlight raised their glasses, and Translucent made himself visible too.

Everyone knew who the hero Soldier Boy spoke of was, and they all looked at Homelander.

Homelander looked down at the drink in his hand. After a moment, he slowly raised it.

The clinking of glass rang through the room, crisp and bright.

"To the hero."

They all spoke at once.

(Guys, I wrote this book after watching the ending of "The Boys."

I was pretty stunned watching Homelander get solo-killed by Crowbar, so I wanted to try giving the world of The Boys a different future.

If you like this book, I hope you'll leave a positive review and tap the update reminder. Your support is my greatest motivation. Many thanks!)