Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Did you pack everything, love? If you didn't, we can go back, I'll schedule the flight to a later date, I'm sure it'll be fine-" Her grandad worriedly asks with a gruff, making her smile at the old man in fondness. 

"Again, grandad- yes, I did. I got everything covered. Don't worry so much. I'll be fine." Charlotte softly replies while she watches her grandfather nod to her, making his mustache wobble at the action,  while his eyes are focused on her own, filled with so much grief, seeing as she's his only family, and has raised her since she was an infant after her parents' death. 

He then pulls his cap off, and drags his old weathered hand through his snow coloured hair with a breath,

"Charlie, are you really certain about this, it's a whole other country, America at that- it's not safe, you know what happened to your parents-"

Charlotte froze at the last part, seeing as it was a rather painful subject for the both of them, especially for her, seeing as she was the reason her parents had died, which her grandfather tried to explain wasn't her fault, but her father's, seeing as he had been a rather ambitious man, who saw no problem with using his own unborn child and pregnant wife to achieve greatness.

Her father had been a scientist for Vought.

"Darling- you know it wasn't your fault, but his." Grandad Alfie then backtracked when he saw her expression turn blank, he then took her hands after noticing her dig her nails into them in a familiar way, something he tried to get her to stop doing. 

Cradling her own hands into his, he then tried to wrangle her nails from piercing the skin of her palms, which made her get back to reality. 

"Please don't go inside your head, darling, but furthermore- please don't hurt yourself. You mean the absolute world to me, don't you, my little light." He murmured while he then brought both of her hands  to his lips in a soft kiss, making her almost cry at the tenderness he was showing her. 

Something she didn't deserve, for a part of her knew- it knew that she was a monster. Because there was something in her that wanted to be let out, and to have its way. She's gotten better at controlling it, especially with the help of her grandad who had been a soldier back in the day and was an expert in dealing with unusual things. And Charlotte had been the strangest, and most dangerous, she imagines with a mental grimace.

"I know what you're thinking, Charlotte, seeing as you have that familiar furrow on your face. Get it out of your head now." Her grandad then gently admonished, making her turn her gaze back to his earnest, yet sad- always so sad- eyes. 

"There you are, my beautiful granddaughter. It's alright, love. You know that I keep saying these things because I'm worried for you, this isn't England we're talking of." He then continued, her hands still held in his soft grasp, which was always how he treated her with. Even when she didn't deserve it. But he did, because he loved her, wholeheartedly,  and she, for it is the only thing she was certain of- she loved him as well, more than he can imagine.

For how couldn't she? When he was her entire world.

Which was strange, that she's leaving him to go to another country, but he told her to get out of her comfort zone, to try new things- and this was her doing so. Which she always threw back into his face whenever he tried to get her to not go.

But he relented, even if he didn't like it, all because she wanted to go. And there wasn't a single thing in the entire world that her grandfather would not give her, if she asked for it, which wasn't a lot, seeing as she wasn't the type to ask things, which made him really go out of his way to get her whatever she wanted.

Which she loved about him, but also felt so guilty over, of the fact that a part of her thinks that he is mostly doing so for the fact that she wears her mothers face. With the only difference being her eyes, seeing as they were her fathers, dark green.

"I know, and I'll be careful, you know me, grandad." She then answered with candor. 

Her grandfather huffed at that, "It is because I know you, that I am worried, dearest. For you can't help yourself, especially when there's someone in trouble. Those people will know if you let even something slip, and I don't want that scrutiny for you, especially when we don't know their true intentions, who's to say their hero's are even good people to begin with. " 

"Even so, I'll handle it, whatever may come. And I promise I'll be fine, trust me, please." Charlotte then beseeched, which made his eyes soften at this.

"Of course I trust you, my darling. I always do." 

"And," She then asked, making him snort at her with a shake to his head, before he turned his attention back to her with a raised brow.

"You and your needling,"

"Which I learned from the best, old man." She then threw back at him with much sass, which made him finally let out a guffaw, making her joyful at the sight.

"Har, har, but well- alright, have your way you, but you will contact me every step of the way, you hear me, I don't care if it's about the weather- I will be happy to receive anything from you, because I want to hear from my beloved granddaughter." He said, before he let go of one of her hands to then softly caress her head, which she leaned into in happiness.

"Thanks, grandad." She then softly told him.

"Well I am glad you lot finally got to an accord, but well, love, you really need to get to your flight- seeing as it's already letting passengers embark upon it." Miriam then spoke when she walked up to them, she's her grandfather's caretaker, a lovely older woman that joined their family since two years ago, ever since her grandfather's health started to decline, he had been only 77 then. Those were the worst years of her life, seeing as she had to watch the strong man that raised her  grow sick each and every day. 

He's luckily doing better now, seeing as he's out and about now.

Smiling at the dark skinned woman, who was wearing her familiar round glasses and jeans and one of her comfortable knit sweathers, a complex yet lovely yellow sweather that she had knitted only three days ago; Charlotte and her grandad were  wearing two of her lovely creations as well, with charlotte's being green and her grandad's red. 

"Thanks, Miriam, I'll get ready to go then," Grabbing a hold of her hand-suitcase and jacket she then turned to the both of them with one last smile and nod,

"Alright, that's me then." she told them bravely.

"Ah come on love, not without a hug you aren't, don't think I don't see you holding back those big feelings of yours, I know you girl." Miriam then told her with a raised brow, before she opened her arms for a final hug, which Charlotte did with a fond chuckle.

"Thank you." She whispered to the older lady. "For everything. Really." 

"There's nothing to thank me for, you're family, now go give the old man one last hug as well, seeing as he's really starting to look anxious again, and we can't have that."

"No, we don't." Charlotte then snorted, before she turned her gaze to her grandfather's aging, yet still handsome one.

"Now no tears, or you'll make this old man cry." He then croaked with a sniff, when she snuggled into bear-hold once more, a hold she had felt safe in ever since she had been a little girl.

But now she had to get out of it, to find her own path.

She only snorted at this, before she nodded, holding the tears that she felt emerging in, all because everything was really setting in now.

That she was leaving them. Her only family.

Pulling back, which made her grandfather then let go of her, she then smiled at him.

"Don't worry, no river works for you today, old man. " She told him in fondness, which he then nodded to with his mouth tightening into a line from the way he was holding himself cleary in, which he wasn't fooling anyone by.

"Good, good. Now, go, before I change my mind." He then gruffly told her, which made both of the ladies laugh at this. Nodding, she then stepped away from them, and feeling their eyes on her all the way, Charlotte forced herself to not turn back- for she knew that she would stay if she did.

"Ticket," The flight agent then asked, which she handed over to him with a polite smile.

"Welcome to Oceanic Flight 37, with the destination being America, miss." The sir then politely told her with a nod.

"Thank you."

"I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming-"  The climb by Miley Cyrus then started to play in her headphones, making her close her eyes at this, and nod her head at the lyrics, full in her emotions now, she didn't want to be sad, but the song did it now, that and her playlist was on shuffle, so it's a whole mess- she's a whole mess.

But what's new.

She had been listening to her music for the past couple of hours now, only stopping her focus to eat, for food was important- and life, as her grandfather always told her- and her grandfather was always right.

Food is life.

But well, she finished that, which had been a lovely pasta, hours ago. And here she was, fully emerged in her songs.

For it was the only thing keeping her in check, for she disliked being in tight spaces with loads of people- she has social anxiety, she thinks,  and this made it certain- seeing as it was the first time that she flew in a plane, and it was the absolute worst.

Peaking an eye open, she watched the dash in front of her which told them how much longer they had to fly for- just three hours now.

Three hours, she can do it.

But before she could grieve more over that fact, the plane then began shake suddenly, making her sit straight in her seat at attention.

"I'm sorry for the turbulence, passengers, but the plane seems to be having some problems at the moment, which our pilots will smoothly go over in a moment. So please keep your seatbelts on." The flight attendant then tried to placate them, but Charlotte saw the panic clear in her eyes.

She's lying, for she hasn't heard any of the sort from the pilots, and concentrating at that direction, she hears the pilots panicking as well, that, and she heard other voices in the Cockpit.

That weren't the pilots'

"You will do as we say!" A gruff man then shouted at one of the pilots, and she then heard another noise- that of a gun being violently pushed to someone's head, making her frown at this in anger.

The plane's being hijacked then, which was made clear by the door of the Cockpit then being pushed rather violently, making the person in question, one of the terrorists' exit heard by the rest of the passengers. It was an olive skinned man in casual clothing with dark hair and a full beard. 

And he's already holding a gun towards the closest passengers, who scream in fear at the sight of him.

"Be quiet if you don't want to die. Now do as we say, or else!" The man's accomplice then shouted while he waved his gun to the majority of the passengers, who then quieted at this, with a few crying at the situation at hand. Especially the woman next to her, who was clearly hyperventilating now.

I'm sorry grandad. Charlotte then firmly thought, before she set off to act accordingly.

She won't let anyone get hurt, not on her watch.

But that didn't mean she would make herself be known.

"Deep breaths in and out, I'm sure we'll be fine." She first quietly told the woman next to her, who then turned to her in panic, before she forced herself to calm down as well, especially because of Charlotte being calm during the situation at hand.

"Very good, now be quiet." She told her before she closed her eyes to concentrate on her surroundings, which was a bit harder than when she opened her eyes, but she didn't want the attention to be upon her person, especially because of the fact that her eyes glowed- like molten gold.

She skimmed over the passengers in her mind, who held a bit of glow, to the four terrorists she had noticed from before. With one of them being in the Cockpit. 

They all held guns in their hands. 

"Do not fucking move!" One of the men then snapped, before he raised his gun to hit a male passenger in the head when he dared to try something, but before he could- his hand froze, making his co-conspirators look at him in confusion. 

But before they could question him on his strange reaction, they all then felt it- or well didn't feel anything, for she forced them to still their movements. Which made everyone surprised at the sight, but before anyone could do anything, Charlotte then forced the terrorist in the back to tie the rope she made him search for in the Cockpit and galley, to tie his fellow collaborators with, who watched it all happen with widened eyes, seeing as they had no control over any other part of their body. 

The rest of the crew and passengers watched it all in disbelief, which they shared with everyone, before some of the male attendants had the courage to tie the last one of the men.

"Oh my god, you were right, we were saved by God!" The woman next to her then exclaimed in relief and utter faith, but then Charlotte felt her grab onto her arm, which dislodged her from her focus, almost making herself be known- but that didn't matter, because her body stood on end at the touch.

Someone other than someone she would normally let, was touching her, and her headphones weren't helping her.

She then felt her body shake, before she forcibly gulped some breaths in before she turned to the lady next to her with a tight smile, who looked at her in worry before it turned into a warm smile after she answered.

"Yes, we're saved." She told her, which then finally made the woman let go of her arm.

"My dear passengers, we have been saved by a miracle, the terrorists shall be apprehended by the authorities when we will land, which will be for after an hour, so until then, be at ease for the situation has been handled, and you are safe."  

"...It's all about it, it's all about the climb. Keep the faith, keep your faith whoa"

Chapter Text

"Passengers, we have arrived in New York. And the terrorists have already been apprehended by the police. Please remain seated until it's your time to go." The flight attendant told them all when their plane finally arrived in J.F.Kennedy airport. But the passengers' attention wasn't upon the lady's, no it was for what awaited them outside held it.

A whole crowd filled with journalists, the public- and the Homelander with Queen Maeve as well stood outside, awaiting their entrance it seems.

It made her nervous, at somehow being caught- but that couldn't be true, seeing as no one knew it was her...She thought while her eyes turned to the sight in front of her in quiet concentration.

The leader of the seven was having a speech in front of them all, where then pointed in their direction with a smile, which Charlotte realised- didn't reach his eyes.

"And look, here they are- in one peace, safe and sound. Now that is the important thing, ladies and gentlemen, now lets have it for these courageous folks, everybody!" The Homelander then spoke in a too friendly  way, which the public did not realise- but Charlotte could hear it underneath it all, the utter anger, and annoyance.

Was he annoyed that his 'save' got taken from him?  Really? Charlotte then thought in befuddlement, while she then stood up to make her way towards the exit like the rest of the passengers who were interviewed as well, with the supes sharing some words of encouragement and relief at them. But Charlotte didn't stick around, for she quickened her way out of the whole charade.

What she didn't realise, was that someone did in fact take note of her quick exit, the person in question being the and one and only- Homelander. 

"Now that is very true, sir, very true. We, the whole of America, no the whole world are overjoyed  to know that the passengers of Transoceanic Flight 37 are safe and sound. That, and that the Seven and Vought will not put up with any more terrorists- err well, that includes supe terrorists as the Homelander just shared with us." The nit-spittle of a reporter next to him then droned, literally unintelligently copying each and everything he told the pathetic thing. But then again, it's always the same with the masses.

What isn't- is a girl quickly leaving the place, one of the passengers of the plane he then realises in interest. 

He'll have to let Madelyn know of this little observation of his, because he couldn't help but feel that there seemed to be more to the girl. And concentrating on her, even with her being already quite a distance away from him, he was then surprised- which was interesting, seeing as there weren't many things that could surprise him anymore, but this, now, this hit the jackpot- the girl was a supe.

Now where do you think you're going, little mouse?

Chapter Text

"-Yes, exactly like that! I'm telling you we all saw, me and the rest of the passengers- it was God. God saved us that day!" One of the passengers of the Transoceanic Flight 37 then said in a revered way, her eyes wide upon the interviewers, trying to make him see the way with her look alone, to share the light that had been shone into her own.

"Cut it off." Homelander then ordered of the IT- worker who had his screen playing the interviews for the hundredth time in one day, just so these idiots supposedly could find a lead into this mysterious 'God-like' supe. He mentally scoffed at that, that mouse wasn't a God.

He was.

And they should have been revering him like one, HIM.

And why the fuck were those idiots looking through useless garbage when he had already told them who the culprit was.

And speaking of- he then thought back to the conversation he had had a while ago, with her.

Madelyn. Fucking Madelyn.

She fucking up and ignored him again after he handed her that vital information containing the mystery save of Trans-fucking-oceanic Flight 37, she ignored him again. 

Feeling his eye twitch at the thought, he was reminded by that awful day again. They had just gotten the call of the plane being hijacked, which he had readied himself and Maeve to fly off to of course, which he had thought would have been a good time to have that little talk they really needed to have, seeing as he wanted to see her point of view of- them.

But well of course she was showing him the cold shoulder as usual, asking him to keep it strictly professional and everything- which he knew was utter bull, seeing as he knew her; he knew her.

She was jealous. Of him and Madelyn having a thing of course. He knew alright.

But well, just when he was getting to having an answer out of her at last- that stupid call came through.

They were told that their help wasn't necessary anymore and that they were needed at fucking J.F.K for some reason. And then he- when he ordered them to tell him why he should do that, seeing as he had a situation at hand- he got told that the hijacking situation had been taken care of, and that the passengers were saved.

He had been extremely irritated by that of course. And Maeve's nonchalance about it all made him even more annoyed, at the fact that she didn't care.

Like how would she not-

But it didn't end there, oh no, jolly no it didn't;

When they had arrived, he expected one of Madelyn's welcoming smiles whenever she'd see him- she didn't, because she wasn't there. No, the only one that was there was that stupid nervous assistant of hers, who kept apologizing to him when he asked where Madelyn was, all the while she then led them towards the hoard of interviewers in the middle of the of one of the airports' landing spaces, telling the both of them that the PR team had the scripts ready for them to handle the situation.

So there he stood, surrounded by the mud people who looked at him with scrutiny, as if there was something wrong with him.

For how didn't the Homelander handle it? Was it another supe that handled it, if so- then who? Where they keeping the newly debuting hero of the seven's identity a secret? If they were debuting a new member of the Seven, that is-

Bla, bla, blaaaaa

It just kept going, on and onnnnn.

But the worst thing was, was that he didn't know. Because if it was a supe, then how come Vought never let know of that little tid-bit- how come, he didn't know?

When he should have been in the know about everything.

And Madelyn would have told him. She wouldn't have made a fool out of him like this- she wouldn't.

So he then knew, that this supe, or whatever the fuck did it- that they were unknown.

And then more of the mudpeople surrounded him, but this time they were the passengers of the plane in question. And his eyes and other senses sharpened at all of them. Where he pretended to be glad that they were save, and relieved that no harm had befallen anyone, and justified that all will be well- that justice would be served. 

Which he would.

All the while he continued to play the game, his attention then by chance slipped upon the back of the girl.

The mouse. That little mouse.

And here they fucking were, with Madelyn once more not giving him the attention he deserved. No, she had to have a so called important talk with Stan Edgar. That fucker.

And he was then brought to the present.

"Didn't I tell you to shut it up. Shut it, now." He then spat with not so tightly concealed anger, making the nerd jump from his chair, and spill his disgusting energy drink on his pants like he pissed himself. The loser.

He only looked at the thing with disgust, before his gaze moved to Madelyn's assistant, who had been in the room in her stead, watching for whatever Madelyn ordered her to, like the dog she was.

"What," He then told her in annoyance, making her lose her nervous smile in front of his cold gaze, before she reiterated;

"Homelander, sir, we found her,  I'll inform Madelyn of it now," She then said with pride, before nodding to him and trying to make her way out of the room, that is before he interrupted her.

"No, you won't. That won't be necessary, I'll go instead, so hand it over. Now." He then spoke while he opened his hands for the file in question, and what a file it was- a rather thick one at that.

Which was surprising, seeing as he had been told that they were dealing with an unknown, but then again- they were all liars, every single one of them. However hard they tried to hide it from him- he would always know.

The red head held it carefully in her grasp, as if it was a newborn, pathetic really, before her hold tightened upon it in surprise at his request.

For it was no request at all. And she knew, and if she didn't do as he said- well, then there would be consequences. And Madelyn's assistant knew the drill by now. 

"Well then, do as you were doing before while I'll handle this." He then told the room before he made his way out of the door.

The last thing they saw was the American flag waving them goodbye.

Sitting huddled against the railing of the tower's roof, he frowned at what he was reading.

Charlotte Wright.

Parents,  a Patrick Coleson and Elisabeth Coleson, née Wright. Both dead.

All because of an accident. 

But what felt familiar was what came next- dead at the hands of the subject, who's powers had just manifested. A large discharge had been exhibited by the readings of the time the incident had happened. The subject had shown signs of distress, where as a consequence had resulted in the instantaneous disintegration of all organic matter in radius, which included the host of the subject-

She's just like me. Homelander then realised in wonder, while he stared at the file within his grasp. Before his expression then shuttered while he continued to read her file.

She was like him, but also different, for she got the one thing he didn't have growing up- a family. A grandfather who had been in the vicinity when it all had happened, who before Vought could lay their claim upon her, had taken her away to England. Where she got to live a normal life, he imagines it.

Where she was loved by someone she called family.

He then stopped himself before he could crumble the file into dust.

Standing up, he stares into a recent picture they had gotten of her: a graduation picture, a university one- at only seventeen. That had been three years ago.

Dark, forest green eyes stared back at him, they were steady and unblinking, even if by all accounts she should have looked angelic by the way they were framed by her long and dark lashes that made her look like a soft little doll, especially by the way her dark hair enveloped her whole heart shaped face- but no, those eyes of hers looked through you as though she was trying to read into the beholders eyes.

Which did feel like it, strangely enough, seeing as he had a tough time getting himself to look away from them, at his worth being judged, and worrying- that she finds him lacking.

Which he scoffed at, seeing as that was ridiculous. He didn't care what she thought of him, for he was above it. 

Above her.

And she wouldn't be getting anything over him.

And anyways, he was right- the little mouse was hiding, and had been for quite some time now, which was interesting- even with the mysterious cases that he had read which had happened during her adolescence till she moved here- to study for a mundane degree, a Master in Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University, when she should have been enrolled in God. U, like the rest of the supes. But then again- they were the only country in the world to have it, seeing as America's the hub of the supe community.

He then finally moved his attention away from the file to his phone that he had been ignoring during it all.

It was Madelyn.