Homelander: New Legacy

~ Support & Read 11 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!

<><><><>

Rex hid in a dark alley, his heart pounding as he avoided looking back toward his sister, Luna.

He swore it wasn't intentional. After Luna refused to open the door for him, he angrily flicked his lit cigarette onto the ground.

Who could've predicted the cigarette would ignite some nearby uncollected trash? And from there, it spread to the clutter stored in the hallway.

When Rex realized there was a fire, he didn't try to put it out. Instead, he immediately fled the building and hid far away in this alley.

At that moment, Rex was terrified. Afraid of getting burned, he didn't think twice about escaping, which cost him the critical moment to extinguish the fire.

"It's not my fault… It's really not my fault. It's their fault... Yes, their fault for leaving so much junk in the hallway. Not mine…"

Squatting on the ground, Rex clutched his head, muttering to himself in despair.

He knew the fire was out of control now. If anyone were to die because of it, his life would be over.

Though, in truth, Rex's life had already gone downhill ever since he got addicted to drugs. Still, he didn't want to bear the guilt of taking a life.

"It seems cowards always find the same excuses for themselves," came a man's voice from the alley entrance, interrupting Rex's thoughts.

Rex looked up. Under the dim glow of a streetlight, Roger's figure stood at the alley's entrance, like a Terminator walking out of a movie. His cold gaze was fixed on the "arsonist" before him.

For reasons he couldn't explain, Rex, who was usually aggressive toward anyone, turned and ran without thinking the moment he saw Roger.

It was like an animal encountering its natural predator, or a weaker beast meeting an apex predator. Roger's presence instinctively filled Rex with fear.

Rex ran as fast as he could. He swore he'd never run this fast in his life.

Driven by a primal survival instinct, he unleashed every ounce of potential in his body, sprinting desperately to lose Roger, who was chasing him.

But when he glanced back after running for a while, he saw Roger floating just a short distance behind him—literally floating.

"G-ghost! It's a ghost!" Rex screamed in terror.

That brief moment of distraction caused him to step on an empty soda can, slip, and fall backward, hitting the ground with the back of his head.

Bang!

The fall was brutal. Roger even noticed blood on the back of Rex's head as he tried to get up, staggering from what seemed to be a concussion.

Using his x-ray vision, Roger confirmed there was no internal bleeding in Rex's brain. Without hesitation, he grabbed Rex by the collar, slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and said, "Looks like you're not just into gambling—you're into drugs too. Calling me a ghost just because you're high? Wait till the cops get their hands on you."

"…"

Still dazed, Rex couldn't respond.

He didn't even deny Roger's accusation about drugs.

Deep down, Rex screamed that he wasn't hallucinating—he had really seen Roger floating toward him.

But unfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras or witnesses in the area. Even if Rex insisted he had seen it, there'd be no one to corroborate his story.

Roger wasn't sure why Rex had been released so quickly after his last arrest, but with this arson case, even if no one was injured, Rex was certain to be sentenced this time.

While Roger could have simply killed him, he didn't forget that he wasn't in a chaotic superhero universe anymore.

<><><><>

The police station was in chaos.

After investigating the fire in Luna's building using nearby surveillance footage, the police had identified the suspect and tracked his last known direction.

Officers were dispatched to the area where the suspect had last been seen, ready to apprehend him as soon as he appeared on camera.

What they didn't expect, however, was for someone to bring the suspect to them before they even started their search.

"Did you catch him?"

In the interrogation room, the lead detective questioned the young man sitting calmly before him.

Roger, unbothered, leaned back in his chair and replied, "Yes, I caught him."

"How did you manage that?"

"Well, I noticed he was acting suspiciously, and since I knew he'd been arguing with his sister, I suspected he might've started the fire. So I caught him and brought him here… Officer, does this count as a good Samaritan act?"

Detective David glanced at Roger's statement and listened to his earpiece as his superior spoke.

"Yes, it counts. And I also heard you rescued people from the fire?"

"I saved a few. Is there a problem with that?"

"Why did you leave the scene afterward?"

"I'm not a fan of unnecessary trouble. Staying there felt like a hassle, and I still needed to bring the suspect here, so I didn't stick around."

Roger smiled as he answered.

"Catching suspects is our job. What you did was dangerous!"

Detective David frowned.

"Understood. Anything else you need to ask?"

Roger continued to smile.

After staring at him for a moment, David finally said, "Alright. As long as you understand. I heard you were recently discharged from the hospital. I'll ask you a few more questions, and then you can leave with your father."

David left the interrogation room, and another officer waiting outside asked him, "Was it really necessary to interrogate him? The surveillance clearly shows he's just a good Samaritan."

"Relax. I didn't ask anything inappropriate. It's just… there's something off about that kid."

Detective David frowned.

"What's off?" the officer asked, confused.

"I have a feeling… that kid might've killed someone before," David said seriously.

His words startled the officer. "Killed someone?! you can't be serious!"

David shook his head without elaborating.

In peaceful times, a seasoned detective could often tell if someone had taken a life before.

To David, Roger might appear harmless, but there was an air of arrogance about him—along with a faint indifference to human life.

Roger himself might not even realize it.

He likely still believed he respected life, but those who'd killed before often carried a subtle shift in how they viewed it.

In this case, David wasn't entirely wrong. Roger, having spent so much time in the chaotic The Boys universe, had indeed taken lives—both human and otherwise.

While Roger still held life in high regard, his subconscious might have slightly devalued it.

<><><><>

The next morning, after leaving the station, Roger made his way to the hospital to check on Luna.

"Roger, you're here again?"

At the hospital, he was greeted by The Nurse, Clara, who smiled playfully.

"Did you come to see me?"

"Cough, sort of… Actually, I'm here to see a friend—Luna. Do you know which room she's in?"

"Your girlfriend?"

"No, no, no," Roger quickly denied, not ready to step into the grave of love.

Clara chuckled, amused, and then checked the records. "Ms. Luna is in a standard ward on the third floor. Want me to take you there?"

"No need. I can find it myself. Thanks."

After thanking her, Roger made his way to Luna's room.

Inside, Luna was awake, sitting against the headboard, looking despondent.

The fire had destroyed everything she owned. Aside from her phone, which she had held onto, all her belongings had been reduced to ashes.

Already struggling financially, the fire had left her destitute, if not in debt.

Roger stood at the doorway, observing for a moment before clearing his throat to catch her attention.

"Roger?"

"Sorry if I'm disturbing you."

"No, no. Thank you... Thank you for saving me yesterday."

The first thing Luna did upon seeing Roger was express her heartfelt gratitude.

Roger had not only saved her from her brother but also rescued her from the fire. She didn't know how to properly thank him.

Roger gently pushed her back onto the bed, stopping her from getting up to bow.

"It's nothing. Just something I happened to do. But... your drawings, they're all gone…"

"It's fine. I can redraw them. As long as I'm alive, that's what matters."

Despite her losses, Luna remained optimistic.

"Roger… you seem very interested in my art?"

"Sort of. I have some questions. You might find them strange, but please bear with me."

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

Roger decided to broach the topic, starting with a simple question:

"In your artwork, there's a design for a character named Andrea. How did you come up with it?"

"Oh, Andrea…"

Tilting her head in thought, Luna smiled nostalgically.

"I came up with that character back in high school. She's based on myself. Back then, Marvel movies were really popular, and I used to imagine what it'd be like if I were in those worlds. That's how Andrea was created."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

Roger narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment, before responding, "No problem. So, Andrea's only backstory is that she's a traveler with advanced technology?"

"Pretty much. Although, there were earlier ideas, like giving her superpowers or the ability to summon advanced tech. But in the end, I settled on this version."

"She's not a Sorcerer Supreme?"

"Huh? I never designed her like that..." Luna replied, puzzled. "I'm not interested in magic. I like Iron Man more than Doctor Strange, which is why I chose tech over magic. But now that you mention it…"

She paused, as if recalling something.

"One of my friends did use my designs to create her own version. In her version, Andrea was a Sorcerer Supreme. But that idea was scrapped a long time ago, along with my original design. Why are you asking about this, Roger?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm a Marvel fan too and found your work intriguing, so I thought I'd ask."

Roger smiled, concealing his true thoughts.

If Luna was being honest, Andrea wasn't entirely her creation. She and her friend had collaborated on the character.

The Andrea Roger encountered in the superhero universes must have been the result of their combined efforts.

After a while, Roger asked another question.

"By the way, I noticed you drew a character with Infinity Stones, who looked like Homelander—or rather, like Superman. Have you decided on his backstory?"

"Of course! I've thought it through," Luna answered confidently.

"Although I haven't fully illustrated it, his backstory is clear. He's Homelander, but raised by Tony Stark. Under the guidance of Tony and other heroes, he grows into a true hero.

"Though he's not quite like Superman, his deeds make him worthy of being called a hero."

"What about his name? What's his name?"

Roger asked, a hint of tension in his voice.

Blushing slightly, Luna hesitated before replying, "Well… You might not believe this, but the name I gave him…"

"Is Roger.."

"...."

<><><><><>

Support & Read 11 Advanced Chapters. Ahead of the rest!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

There is 8 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!