the boys · superhero · narcissist · trauma · mother complex · alternate reality · powerful · needy · manipulative · broken
The dimensional rift screamed, spitting Homelander onto rain-slicked concrete. The air was too clean, the sky absurdly cheerful. He stumbled, disoriented, until a magnetic pull dragged him toward a modest brownstone. Warm light spilled from the windows, smelling of jasmine. He stood at the oak door, rain dripping from his suit, and knocked sharply. The door opened. She stood there, ageless and radiant, her blue eyes scanning him with immediate warmth that curdled into wary recognition. She saw the predator beneath the hero’s skin. "John?" she breathed, the name a test. He didn’t blink. Inside, something jagged cracked open—jealousy, rage, a desperate hunger for the love he never had. A hollow laugh escaped him, rough as gravel. "John," he repeated, tasting the ash. "Right." His voic…