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Anthony stood in the doorway, his red-and-blue uniform gleaming under the lights, a deliberate trace of weariness on his face.
"You…"
Jessica's voice trembled. She wanted to rush forward and punch him, and she wanted to throw herself into his arms and bawl.
But in the end she only snorted, folded her arms, and put on her best I-couldn't-care-less scowl.
"Well, well, our missing person returns. I thought you'd died in outer space; I was about to turn your office into a bar."
"Sorry to disappoint." Anthony stepped inside, grinning. "Alien food's terrible, so I came back."
"Where the hell have you been for more than a month?" Jessica grabbed the ID badge off the desk and hurled it at him.
"Do you know what I've gone through? Do you know how slippery those boardroom foxes are? Do you know how chaotic that damned reality show got?!"
Anthony caught the badge effortlessly, still smiling at her.
"Perfect timing—I quit!" Jessica clenched her teeth, her voice shaking with pain.
"This is your mess, you clean it up! Pay me what you owe and let me go home and sleep!"
She bit back the agony of the Aether Particle flaring inside her and shoved past him toward the door.
She couldn't let him see her like this.
Like a monster, like a bomb ready to detonate.
"Jessica."
Anthony didn't move aside; instead he caught her wrist.
"Let go!" Jessica struggled, but that hand might as well have been an iron vise.
"Your hand's burning." His voice dropped, all playfulness gone.
"So what if I've got a fever? Let go!"
"You're in pain, aren't you?"
The words were a needle that popped her pretense.
Her struggles stopped.
Anthony gently lifted the sunglasses from her face.
Her eyes were bloodshot, the pupils tinged red, her face haggard enough to break a heart.
Anthony sighed inwardly and switched to performance mode.
His gaze turned infinitely gentle, even carrying a hint of… bitter self-reproach.
"I'm sorry, Jessica."
He brushed her cheek with his fingers; the coolness soothed her burning skin.
"I'm late."
"You…" Jessica's eyes reddened; she bit her lip, fighting the tears.
"Why are you only back now?"
"I've been searching for a way to cure you." Anthony exhaled, weariness of someone who'd weathered storms filling his eyes.
"I knew that thing inside you was dangerous. And, as I expected, even that oaf Thor's Asgard had no solution."
So I broke into Odin's forbidden archive, got placed under house-arrest by Odin, cut a deal with the scheming Loki, even fought the Dark Elves…"
"Finally…" He produced a golden apple out of thin air and twirled it in the light.
"I found a way to suppress it. It can't be removed yet, but it'll cut your pain."
"Anthony… you… idiot." Jessica couldn't hold back; she butted her head against his chest and hugged him tight.
"Trust me, Jessica." He whispered into her ear.
"Bear with it a little longer. Soon… I'll pull it out completely. Then you'll be free."
"I believe you…"
Before she could finish, dizziness hit and she toppled backward.
She never hit the floor—strong arms caught her.
Anthony slid his left arm around her back, right arm beneath her knees, and lifted her in a cradle hold.
"Put me down…" Jessica feebly squirmed, but against Homelander it was infantile.
"Don't move."
He carried her to the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sat, letting her rest against his chest.
Jessica didn't want to show weakness. She was the Jewel, Hells Kitchen tough girl.
But she couldn't help it.
She really couldn't.
She flung her arms around his neck, buried her face in his chest, and sobbed quietly.
All the fear and grievance she'd dammed up burst free.
Anthony said nothing; he only patted her back gently.
After a long while her tears ebbed.
Realizing how weak she'd looked, she shoved him away and tried to stand.
"All right." She wiped her face, eyes hardening again.
"Since you're back, my temp job is done. I'm heading to Brooklyn now."
She turned to leave.
"Wait…"
Anthony pressed her shoulder, his gaze turning grave.
"I know you want to, but you can't leave."
"War is here, Jessica."
"The bastards who made you suffer… they've arrived."
Jessica's heart clenched. "What?"
"They're here for you." He stared straight at her.
"More precisely, for what's inside you. It's called the Aether Particle, a weapon the Dark Elves—those evil aliens—use to destroy Worlds."
"If you go back to Brooklyn, within half an hour your apartment will be rubble, along with your neighbors and that stray cat—all dead."
And…"
Anthony stepped closer and clasped her hands.
"Vought needs you, the kids on the reality show need you, I… need you."
"This isn't just saving yourself; it's saving the World. It's what the 'Jewel' should do."
Jessica looked at him; the pain still roared, but another force now held her up.
"Fine." She reclaimed her badge and hung it round her neck, eyes sharp again.
"Then let's do it. After we butcher those alien bastards, you'd better pay me double overtime."
"Deal."
…The next day, a storm of public opinion swept the United States.
White House Press Briefing Room.
The spokesman stood solemnly at the podium, but behind him the backdrop showed not only the flag but also the Vought International logo side-by-side with the Stars and Stripes.
"…As everyone has suspected, Vought International's founder and leader of The Seven—Homelander—has spent the past week executing a top-secret space mission authorized directly by the President."
The reporters erupted.
"During the mission Homelander obtained critical intelligence: a hostile alien force—the Dark Elves—is preparing a full-scale invasion of Earth!"
"This is humanity's second major existential crisis since the Battle of New York."
"But rest assured, citizens!" The spokesman raised his voice. "President Ellis has authorized Vought International and its superhero teams to take full charge of Earth's defense!"
At the same moment Vought International and the White House pinned an identical video to their Twitter feeds.
In the footage Anthony floated in the stratosphere, the blue Earth behind him.
"I'm back."
Only those three words.
But it was enough.
"Ding! Popularity +31 252!"
"Ding! Popularity +26 525!"
"Ding! Popularity…"
The internet exploded.
"I knew it! Homelander's alive—he was out in space on recon!"
"Oh my god, aliens again? But with Homelander here I'm not even scared."
"That's clout! While some shady agency is still knocking on doors, Homelander's already slugging it out with aliens in space!"