Burning Passions

Jack Shit

We're brought down to an alley where the man in the video, is walking down down in a cap. 

"Look at that he's wearing a disguise, " I whisper to Noir as we run across a rooftop. 

The man ducks behind a trash can, as if we didn't just see him and then keeps walking. Noir drops down onto a car behind him, and starts walking towards him, before hes slammed into a wall by a girl. 

The guy runs and the girl jumps onto Noir, cutting him up with her hands, nor flips her off and throws a knife at her, and he hits her. But she pulls it out and throws it at him, hitting him in the wrist.  

I hop down and grab a hold of her, slamming her into the ground and burning up her arm. SHe squirms and whines in pain. before she throws me off and into another wall. Noir goes at her with his knives, pinning her by the foot before he cuts her enough that she's down. 

Noir lays her down before we run after the guy, leaving the poor girl in the alley, but the guys gone. 

"Are you alright?" I saw to Noir, looking down at his wrist.

He nods before shaking his arm off, I check for anything from  A-Train. My phone goes off and its a text from Annie, and my phone starts blowing up from news. 

"Holy shit," I say. 

Annie came forward on live tv at the expo. 

"I guess we need to head back to the tower before Stillwell flips her shit."

He nods in agreement. 

"Race ya?" I ask. 
He nods again and I fly off towards the tower. 

Noir pulls out his notebook, ripping out a page before crumbling it up and throwing it off the rooftop. 

---------------------------------

The marketing teams going crazy, Stillwell is acting calm and collected but shes loosing her shit a bit.  There's nothing we can do, other than do positive publicity, and we lost the french guy so now its a waiting game. So  I head home, do some interviews, some stupid reality TV shit. Making me out to be this American dream come true story, a second generation immigrant who was blessed with powers who raised her family from poverty. Which is far from the truth, but its what Vought wants. My gifts, were a curse from God. Not a blessing.  

I get a call from Homelander. 

"Elaine, I need you to come to Vought, we have new information,"

"Yeah I'll be right there, is everythi-" He hangs up before I can get much out. 

I suit up and I head to the tower. When I get there everyone is already seated, the rest of the team, minus translucent and the Deep obviously. 

"Ah Apollo, you're here have a seat," Homelander says, pulling out the chair next to him. 

I walk over and sit, looking at Annie confused. 

"Now I called this little meeting because it is long overdue, we need to keep each other accountable and well some of you have been slacking as of late. Except for Apollo and Noir, you guys have been great," He explains. "Now the Eight is down to six, because of this.' 

A photo of a scrawny white dude comes on to the screen. 

"Wait thats Hughie," Annie explains. 

"Yes Hughie here killed Translucent, all because of A-Train," Homelander explains. 

"What, I don't even know that guy?" A- Train defends. 

"Ah well you do," he zooms out of the picture and it shows Hughie shaking A-Trains hand. "Look familiar. A-Train here killed Hughies girlfriend and Hughie with some help killed Translucent."

He looks at Annie, who's eyes are welling up with tears. 

"Sir, he-he couldn't of done this. He's not that kind of guy," She mutters out. 

Homelander gets closer and closer to Annie, "Which is why I said he had help." 

She stands up and puts her hands up defensively. 

"Sir I didn't-"

"put you're hands down by your sides!" he says, eyes glowing red. 

She sits down, crying slowly, "Sir I didn't have anything to do with this I-"

"oh but I think you did. Got the Deep kicked off the team, got rid of Translucent which one of us is next." He says, getting closer and angrier. 

I can't see him do this to her. 

"Homelander thats enough!" I say, standing. "She didn't know anything about this."

"You stay out of this," he says. 

Maeve stands up too. "The only thing shes responsible for is being stupid, shes terrified she had no clue."

He looks supirsed. "Wow, I haven't seen Maeve care about anything other than herself in a long time. Fine, I'll believe you for now. But Maeve, you're responsible for her. "

Annie is practically shaking, and everyone leaves the meeting. Everyone but me and Homelander.

"What the fuck was that!" I say. 

"What do you mean, she's probably a fucking traitor to our kind!" He shouts.

"Telling me to stay the fuck out of it, since when do you get to control what I do and I don't do! And going after my friends! Annie didn't know, she's just naive!" He steps closer to me. 

"Since I'm trying to help keep us and our kind safe! We're gods and these people think they can hurt us!"He says holding onto my shoulders. 

"We're not gods! I don't need you to protect me, or threaten my friends!" I shout, pushing his hands off. 

"Oh yeah friends? Like you're friends with Noir?" He says, eyes burning with rage. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" I take a step back, searching his face for meaning. 

"You think I don't know about that little milkshake date of yours," He accuses. 

I scoff. 

"Oh you're fucking following me now. Noir helped me with something with, so I treated him to ice cream! That's what friends do!" I shouted. 

"You're mine you can't just hang out with other people,"

He gets closer, getting in my face, I'm burning with rage both our eyes glowing. 

"You don't own me Homelander. If I wanted to I could go on a date with Noir, hell I could fuck him if I wanted to!" I yell back in his face. 

"Yeah see if he cares about you once he find out how quick you were getting into bed with me. Hell see if he still cares about you when he finds out how you murdered you fucking family!" He shouts. 
I see red and I punch him, hitting him right in the nose where he starts bleeding, tears streaming down my face. 

"How could you?" I say, voice breaking, not even caring to keep my composer. 

His face is covered in regret as he stands reaching for my arm which I pull away. 

"I didn't want anyone else, I just wanted my best friend. But I don't even recognize you anymore,"