The Boys: Ultimate Multiversal Lifeform

Ivan set the phone down easily. The corner of his mouth lifted. He looked at Queen Maeve and said nothing. His knuckles tapped the desk, slow and even.

Tap. Tap. Tap-tap.

The bright light in the room felt thinner. The air went still. Only the knocking filled the office.

After a moment, the sound cut off. Ivan picked up the coffee, took a sip.

"That is all you have, and you decide I am the mystery man? Maybe I am just a lucky civilian. You have no hard proof I am him."

"True. I cannot prove it to a court. That is not why I came. I came to warn you. So when someone buries you, you at least know who swung the shovel." Maeve shook her head.

"Have some coffee."

Ivan leaned back. Fingers laced over his stomach.

His voice came out low and smooth. The paper cup by the machine lifted on its own, filled itself, and drifted to Maeve as if a hand she could not see was carrying it.

She stared at the brown liquid. Cold ran through her. She snapped her head up.

"It is you."

Ivan smiled.

"Congratulations. You guessed right. Keep the secret for me. Otherwise..."

He lifted his right index finger a little. A thin line appeared across Maeve’s throat. The sudden bite of pain made her grab at her neck. Her fingers closed on something like a rope. Ivan’s tentacle was invisible. She could not tell what she was holding.

"Don’t bother. You will not break it."

After fusing Homelander’s physique, Ivan’s body had jumped a whole tier. The flesh tentacles that grew out of him were as tough as his skin. At his current level Maeve was not a hard fight. If she tore with everything she had she might snap it.

Well.. Her head would leave her shoulders first.

"I will handle Stormfront. Go home and wait for news."

Ivan pulled the tentacle back and shut his eyes.

Maeve felt the thing slide out of her palm.

This bastard...

She looked at him with real caution. Her face was ugly.

"With your strength you do not need to hide. Even if you cannot beat Homelander, keeping yourself alive should be easy." She could not read why Ivan buried his power. That little attack already put him at her level, maybe higher. No wonder he had killed the Pure White Witch like it was nothing.

"That is not your problem. Keep your mouth shut."

An invisible force shoved her out of the room.

Maeve stood in front of his office door. Worry sat in her eyes. She turned it over once more, then walked away.

He is not sure he can take Homelander. That is why he hides. She had wanted Homelander dead for a long time. In her head only his death bought real freedom.

Right now Homelander still had his hand around her throat. Ivan’s second face coming up only added a new fear.

Would he put the same collar on her? She could not read him. The man sat behind a wall of fog. You never knew what he was thinking.

...

Two days later, morning.

Homelander and Stormfront walked a Manhattan street. People stopped and stared.

In America, those two faces were everywhere. Fans kept running up for photos.

"Homelander, I’m a huge fan. Can we get a picture?" A pack of kids who looked like high schoolers ran up, buzzing, hoping for a shot with him.

"Of course. I don’t usually turn fans down." Homelander put on that bright sun smile, stood behind them, and gave a thumbs-up.

Once they were gone, Stormfront laughed. "Still popular, Huh?"

"Heh~ I am Homelander." His mood was good.

Stormfront let out a quiet breath. The last few days had worried her. Starlight taking the captain spot had hit him hard. His face had been dark for days and the old confidence and calm were gone. At least today looked better.

"Nothing from Maeve yet?" Homelander asked like it was nothing.

"Give her a little more time. She is a superhero. If this leaks it hurts her too... By the way. Why aren’t you going to see Ryan today?"

In the time she had been with Homelander, Stormfront had learned he still cared about the boy. Whenever he had a gap he went to the Vought facility and sat there a whole morning or afternoon.

"Ryan barely talks about anything but his mother. If he ever finds out how Becca really died I am afraid that is the end of us." Homelander frowned at the name.

"Don’t twist yourself up. Starlight and the others own a piece of Becca’s death too. It is not all on you. If Starlight had not slammed into you, the laser would not have hit Becca. Starlight and Billy killed her. Not you." Stormfront said it like comfort.

"Phew~ Hope he buys that."

...

At the SAME time.

In the Seven conference room in Vought Tower, Edgar stood in front of the heroes and announced Starlight as the new joint captain of the Seven.

Homelander’s face was dark. He said nothing.

"I know this comes suddenly. Vought has always run on numbers. Higher numbers mean more money. I made this call to remind you nobody is irreplaceable..." Edgar stopped halfway, looked at an empty seat, and turned to Ashley. "Where is Stormfront? You did not tell her about the meeting?"

Ashley, behind him, said, "Sir, I went to her room but she was not there. I called, but.... She hung up."

"Hm.. And Ivan? Why is he not here either?"

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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69