"You can open your eyes now," Erasmus said, landing with Ryan in front of the estate door.
Ryan opened his eyes. The roaring wind died. They stood in front of a massive mansion surrounded by sprawling gardens. It looked like the rich estates he had only ever seen on TV.
"Where are we?" Ryan asked.
"This is where I grew up before Father found me," Erasmus said. "It used to be the Vogelbaum estate. Now it's mine."
"Wow. You grew up here?"
The front doors opened. Oliver stood at the entrance, a line of staff waiting behind him. "Welcome home, Young Master Erasmus," Oliver said. "Did you bring a friend?"
"No, Oliver. This is Ryan, my half-brother." Ryan frowned at the word half, but said nothing. "I came to leave him in your care," Erasmus continued. "I have things to handle."
"I see," Oliver said, bowing slightly. "Welcome, Young Master Ryan. My name is Oliver. I will be taking care of you."
Erasmus pushed Ryan forward. The staff ushered the boy inside, leaving only Erasmus and Oliver standing at the entrance. They stared at each other in silence for a moment.
"Your suit is wet, Young Master," Oliver noted. "Why don't you come inside and rest while we clean and dry it?"
"It's fine," Erasmus said. "I still have things to do."
"I see." Oliver's expression didn't change. "You should try and come home more often."
"I'm home with my father," Erasmus said, turning his back to the old butler.
"Of course, Young Master." Oliver watched him, his voice quiet. "But this is still your home, too."
BOOM
Homelander sat alone in the middle of the burning town. Blood covered him from head to toe. The streets were silent now. The only person left alive was Becca, hidden somewhere inside her house.
BOOM.
Erasmus landed nearby. He looked around, taking in the burning houses and the bodies scattered across the street. Then he walked over and sat beside his father on the grass.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
"Where's Ryan?" Homelander finally asked breaking the silence.
"I took him to the estate," Erasmus said. "You didn't want him to see you like this, did you?"
Homelander went quiet after this simple question. He looked down at himself. It was true. Despite all his attempts, Ryan still felt like a stranger to him. If the boy saw him like this, it would break whatever connection he had built after all this time.
Once, he had stood alone. Now, wherever he was, whoever he was against, whenever he turned to his side, his eldest was always there. Only the boy beside him could see him covered in blood and still ask for a hug but not Ryan.
Homelander reached out suddenly, wrapping his arms around his son.
"What are you doing? Stop, Dad, you're covered in blood. Do you know how hard it is to scrub this out? Ah, come on, no." Erasmus stopped trying to pull away. He accepted his fate, and they stayed just like that.
Meanwhile in Vought tower. Edgar sat in his office, signing off on the compensation checks for the families of the agents lost at the compound. Homelander clearly believed Vought was responsible for whatever had happened to 'son'. But because he lacked the courage to look Edgar in the eye and accuse him, Edgar was content to let it slide. For now.
What truly troubled Edgar once again, however, was Vanguard. Even in the face of such senseless slaughter, the boy had chosen his father with zero hesitation. Edgar searched his mind, trying to find the gentle, kind young man the Vogelbaum staff had described so fondly in their reports.
He couldn't find him. Edgar could accept the killing of terrorists, that was merely training. But the Vought employees? The people executed by Homelander's own hands? Vanguard hadn't cared for them at all. He had sat right next to his father in the middle of the blood, completely unbothered.
Separating the two of them was going to be remarkably difficult. If a slaughter like this wouldn't shake the boy's loyalty, Edgar didn't know what would.
The boy's psychological dependency on Homelander ran far deeper than anyone had anticipated. There was an inexplicable, almost parasitic bond that kept Vanguard anchored to Homelander's side, completely blinding him. He couldn't see his father for what he truly was.
A broken, defective product.
"So," Edgar began, raising his eyes to meet Cate's where she sat across from his desk. "How are things progressing with Vanguard? I trust you've managed to complete your assignment?"
"It's complicated," Cate answered flatly.
"Complicated?" Edgar leaned back, his curiosity piqued. "Interesting. Is he too powerful to be controlled? Like Golden Boy?"
"No. I've touched him. I've pushed him," Cate explained. "But it's not like Luke. I can't just command him to do whatever I want. If I give him an order that violently goes against his core will, he'll break right through it. For now, I can't tell him to attack his father. If I try to force a command that massive... he'll snap out of it instantly."
"That is perfectly fine. And entirely expected," Edgar said. "We don't need a sledgehammer, Miss Dunlap. We need a wedge. Start small. Isolate him from his father. Take him out, just the two of you, and keep gently nudging his boundaries. Once he is comfortable operating outside of Homelander's shadow, we introduce the media. A few solo interviews, a couple of ad campaigns... we take this one step at a time." Edgar offered a small smile. "As for Homelander? Leave him to me."
"I see. I'll do that then," Cate said. Inside, she wanted to scream. She wanted to wipe that smug, calm smile and lay the entire truth right into his face. But the terror of the consequences paralyzed her. If she told Edgar, he would react. He would make a move. And if the alien ever read Edgar's mind and realized she had opened her mouth...
"Miss Dunlap?" Edgar's voice pulled her back to reality. "Is everything alright?
"Yes," she managed, though the word felt thick in her throat.
"I can see that something is bothering you."
Cate remained silent. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye and lie, but speaking the truth wasn't an option. She just sat there, silent.
Edgar watched her for a moment, completely misinterpreting the silence.
Her Vought dossier painted a very clear picture: Cate Dunlap was fiercely ambitious. But ambition required a return on investment. Right now, she was being asked to walk a tightrope over Homelander's and Vanguard's jaws with absolutely no personal upside. A girl like her didn't risk her life for nothing. She needed a reason to stay on the board.
"I understand. The assignment you've been given carries immense risk," Edgar said. "If Homelander realizes what we are doing to his son, or if Vanguard's mind fractures under the pressure... the fallout would be catastrophic. But the alternative is an even bigger threat. Homelander with Vanguard unchallenged by his side is something Vought cannot accept. We must separate them."
Edgar let the silence hang before offering his final piece of bait. "High risk yields high rewards, Miss Dunlap. Secure Vanguard, and when I retire, I will ensure you take my seat at the head of this table. To continue monitoring the boy, of course."
Back at the estate, the sheer size of the grand dining room made Ryan feel tiny. He sat at the end of a long, polished table, the silence of the massive house broken only by the quiet footsteps of the butler.
Oliver approached smoothly, setting down a heavy silver platter in front of him. With a practiced motion, he lifted the domed lid.
Ryan blinked. He had expected some kind of fancy, high-class meal he wouldn't even be able to pronounce. Instead, a perfectly crisp pizza loaded with melted cheese and thick, juicy slices of seared steak sat steaming on the plate.
"I took the liberty of having the kitchen prepare a welcome meal, Young Master Ryan," Oliver said, stepping back with his hands folded behind his back. "Steak pizza. It is your eldest brother's absolute favorite."
"Half-brother," Ryan corrected quietly. "He... he calls me his half-brother."
He stared at the food. The rich, savory smell made his stomach growl, but his mind was completely preoccupied. He pulled a slice onto his plate, turning the word half brother over in his mouth.
He looked up at the old butler "Oliver?" Ryan asked quietly. "Can you... can you tell me about him? What was Erasmus like when he grew up here?"
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Hey everyone! The author here.
I wanted to let you know that I've officially set up a Patreon. If anyone feels like supporting me and the story, you can check it out! Just a heads-up: there won't be any advanced chapters or special perks locked behind a paywall. It is strictly a tip jar for pure donations if you want to support my writing journey.
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