The Grey Zone (Black Noir / The Boys Fan Fic)

Ch 31 Red Room

Trigger warning: Mentions of sexual abuse, drug use, graphic violence.

Context: This chapter gets disturbing. If you're a fan of The Boys it doesn't change the tone too dramatically but please be aware that this chapter does deal with dark themes, including underage sexual abuse.

A dull baseline echoed in the distance, getting slightly louder with each step. Dark walls loomed overhead as Jess traversed the intimidating corridor. Black Noir's muscular stature blended in perfectly, but Jess knew he was close by.

At the end of the passageway, a reinforced steel door greeted them. A stream of red lighting bled out from the gap beneath the door and the floor.

"What is this place?" Jess whispered. She had expected another apartment, but it felt as if she was walking into an exclusive club.

Noir confidently knocked on the door three times.

Scraping sounds of a steel peephole sliding open cut through the baseline and music flooded through the new opening. Red neon light grazed the face that peered out. A casual grunt granted them access, followed by the sound of the heavy door opening. Evidently, Black Noir was welcome in a place like this.

"Supes only. Who's the broad?" The burly man behind the door asked as the pair walked through.

The only answer he received was the towering presence of Black Noir squaring up to him, their faces only inches apart. The unlikely-looking doorman eased up his tough-guy persona, leaning backwards to reclaim his personal space. "Alright, alright. Just no trouble from newbies ok?" The man continued to speak solely to Noir, refusing to take his eyes off the real threat.

Black Noir quickly turned to Jess and nodded his head, signalling for her to follow him deeper into the secluded club.

Bathed in red light, the space that beckoned them didn't feel like New York at all. It had all the hallmarks of a trashy European techno club; obnoxious music, scantily clad party-goers and the distinct stench of spilt alcohol and sweat.

Each step further into the dank club required them to peel their feet away from the sticky floor.

Not one party-goer turned their head, despite Jess and Noir looking distinctly out of place. Intoxicated supes swayed to the music, grinding on one another, behaving as if in their own private bubble.

It was clear to Jess that this was some sort of 'safe space' for supes. Somewhere away from the eyes of the press, the adoring public and Vought. All sorts of debauchery could go on at a place like this, but apart from the apparent uncleanliness, it seemed like a somewhat normal club.

Distracted by the scenes unfolding before her, Jess didn't realise that Black Noir was now walking a few strides ahead. Overwhelmed by the sounds and smells, a sea of bodies blocked the path separating her from the all-black supe.

Noir continued to strut ahead, unaware and focused only on his destination.

With her eyes darting everywhere other than right in front of her, Jess suddenly felt herself come to an abrupt stop. Her distracted body had clashed with someone in the crowd who wasn't pleased with the intrusion.

"Are you lost, little lamb?" A woman leaned into Jess' ear from behind, startling her enough to spin around. A stranger greeted her as the sea of dancers continued to swell around them, but it was no normal person.

Emerald green eyes, sharp cheekbones and even sharper teeth leaned in toward Jess. This wasn't a regular Vought hang out, this was a place for rejected supes. The kind that not even Vought could PR spin.