The Good Life: Last Act (ch. 32) (Patreon)

Soldier Boy. Soldier Boy. The first superhero. The one that started it all. The hero of War World II, the man who punched Hitler in the face and had the Third Reich bounce off of his shield. In the decades since, Soldier Boy was the tip of America's spear. The poster boy for what it meant to be an American. Before Homelander was Homelander, there had been Soldier Boy. Only for that to change in the eighties when he supposedly died.

The Russians attempted to sabotage a nuclear reactor and start the third World War, which probably would have ended the world. The day, and the world, was saved by Soldier Boy’s heroic actions -- he stormed into the nuclear reactor and stopped its meltdown, but he perished in the process. The nation mourned its fallen hero for a few decades before, slowly, they moved on and Soldier Boy was only remembered in history books.

That was the story at least. I knew, logically, that it was all probably bullshit. Soldier Boy probably only stepped foot on Omaha Beach a week after D-Day and never saw any actual fighting. Yet, all the same… I was stunned. It felt like Abraham Lincoln just appeared before me, to square up for a fight, and I was reeling because… holy shit, it was Soldier Boy.

“So, you're the one that's been causing a ruckus. You don't seem like much,” Soldier Boy announced, a familiar cocky smirk on his face. He looked like he just stepped out of one of his classic movies. The entire room held its breath as he continued to step forward, glass crunching underfoot. “You look like a punk kid that needs a paddling.”

I blinked, gathering myself-

If I didn't move my head right now then I was going to die.

My head jerked back and the very instant that it did so, a bullet tore through my Room and slammed into the ground a dozen feet away with explosive force. Too fast. Far too fast. I wouldn't have been able to react even if I noticed it with my Room beforehand, which made what just happened far more puzzling -- I noticed the bullet before it entered my Room. Just pure instinct, maybe? I had had close calls before, but nothing like that.

I didn't have the time to let my thoughts linger because that proved to be some unspoken cue for everything to begin. Rumi smiled savagely before she blurred in a burst of insane acceleration, delivering an axe kick that Yoruichi caught in an X of her forearms, the foundation to the ancient building cracking as if a bomb had just gone off. A squirt of blood erupted from Rumi's midsection but based on the feral smile that she wore, I knew that she didn't care.

Pure joy radiated from her to the point that it registered within my Room. It was the very first time I saw what happiness felt like -- in this moment, I knew that if Rumi died right now, this is what heaven would look like for her. I really was ecstatic that she was able to be here, even with her injuries slowing her down.

I swapped places with Stan's corpse just in time for another shot to be fired and I saw Stan's body get reduced to a bloody mist and bone shards. That gun… that gun was designed to kill me. The bullets were fast. Extremely fast. The time between it entering my Room and striking the body was less than a millisecond. Butcher?

Suppose it didn't matter, I thought with a slow smile stretching across my face, Soldier Boy and Queen Maeve rushing towards me, Black Noir falling from the ceiling… I breathed in, savoring the breath. “Shambles,” I intoned, grabbing the others that were in my periphery.

Kimiko and Sam manifested, taking the place of some rubble to get in the way of Black Noir and Golden Boy. I saw Golden Boy come up short, both him and Sam hesitating. No clue what was going to happen there, but two brothers having an unexpected reunion seemed dramatic enough. Kimiko, however, pounced on Black Noir like a lion, tackling him out of the air. That left Queen Maeve and Soldier Boy for me.

As they did, a sword appeared in my hand, trading places with a pebble taped to the palm of my hand. A gift from Robin she had prepared for the occasion -- a curved blade of pure carbon. Fragile as all hell but every bit as sharp. I swiped the blade, leeching off the heat that erupted around Golden Boy as I did so. The swipe curved, flying around Soldier Boy, and cut through the back of one of the fleeing diplomats. The panicked screaming intermingled with the sounds of Victoria cumming her brains out. The cut kept flying through, chopping people to pieces.

“So,” I began, teleporting the three of us into the heart of the storm of people that were becoming a swirling shield. Soldier Boy was heavy. Not quite as heavy as Homelander, but enough to be comparable. “Where have you been? Did you retire or something?” I asked Soldier Boy who took a moment to orient himself before he raised his shield up in his near signature pose.

I saw his face twitch, a snarl threatening to pull at his expression, only for him to push it away. Even if he glanced out of the corner of his eye, looking to Black Noir and Kimiko beating the absolute holy hell out of each other once again. It was a monstrously gory sight already. The kind of gore that wouldn't be out of place in a DOOM game. The anger seemed to be directed at Black Noir, though. Interesting. Very interesting.

Especially considering that Black Noir used to be part of Payback.

I smelled drama.

However, Soldier Boy plastered a practiced smile on his face. “I'm afraid that's no concern of yours. I'm bringing you in,” he said, his voice a little stiff. Sounded like he was ripping that line from one of his movies. Actually, I'm pretty sure that he was. I hadn't watched a good chunk of them -- Soldier Boys movies always relied heavily on him carrying the special effects, without much else in terms of plot. Basically, it was a case of if you’d watched one of his movies then you’d watched them all.

“Come on, I'm curious -- did Vought put you up on a shelf and decide to dust you off for me? For Homelander?” I asked as I waited for the other shoe to drop. Vought, for all that I clowned on them, weren't filled with complete idiots. They would have gotten a taste of what I was capable of when I fought Homelander. Golden Boy was a deviation from the previous line-up, but it was still mostly Supes that they knew wouldn't work well against me. CQC Supes wouldn't be able to come close to me without me allowing it. Elemental Supes might have a better chance, but they feared giving me additional tools to use like I did with fire and lightning.

I doubted that they were hedging all of their bets on the sniper. So, what was that extra ace up their sleeve?

“You-” the mask cracked and Soldier Boy snarled at me, pressing forward and putting up his shield when I grabbed hold of the bits and pieces that spiraled around us and sent them flying at him. I’d poked a nerve, I saw. Queen Maeve, however, was undaunted, throwing up her forearms as she barreled through the pieces, uncaring of the screams of pain as bone broke upon her and Soldier Boy. “What do you know?!” Soldier Boy growled at me, his signature dagger flashing out as he threw it at me in the small opening.

His story was probably fake, but he had some skill, I thought, swapping places with a diplomat that took the knife to the forehead. It punched through with enough force that his skull shattered.

“Oh? Sounds like a story,” I remarked, lightning cackling around my hands. I let it grow, charging the electrons even as I dodged another bullet by virtue of being on the move.

“Soldier Boy, get your shit together,” Queen Maeve cursed at him before I divided the two. I stepped towards her as Soldier Boy charged me from behind. There was fear in her eyes, I saw. Uncertainty. Before, there was unshakable belief. Confidence. It seemed that whatever Vought had up their sleeve didn't inspire the same amount of confidence that Homelander had. Reassuring, really. Mostly because I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to beat Homelander yet.

“My shit is packed, fire crotch,” Soldier Boy growled. “You worry about yourself.”

“If you fuck up, then we're all fucked,” Queen Maeve snapped at him, diving in at me with her sword raised high. She was under no delusion that she was going to be able to hit me. Meaning that she understood that she was a distraction. I swapped her and Soldier Boy as lightning leapt from my finger tips, catching him in his shield with enough force that he was sent flying away. Soldier Boy was the key to my defeat?

I didn't recall him having any powers that could fit the bill. There was fierce debate on who was stronger or more durable, but everyone knew that if it came to a fight, Homelander would win. Being able to fly alone was a massive edge. Unless something had changed drastically, I couldn't think of anything that Soldier Boy could do to me.

There was a massive burst of heat within my Room, telling me that the drama and tension between Golden Boy and Sam had boiled over. I leached off the heat as Golden Boy ignited himself, “You're working with a monster!”

“He got me out of there!” Sam yelled right back, clenching his fists as his brother rose into the air.

“You were there for your own good! It stopped you from hurting anyone! You aren't well, Sam!” Golden Boy yelled before dicing down, tackling Sam and the two of them ripped through a dozen rows of seats. I lamented that I couldn't give the dramatic reunion my full attention, but my focus was needed elsewhere. The heat that I leached off of Golden Boy began to flow to a miniature sun that manifested over my shoulder.

Rumi and Yoruichi were absolutely thrashing the place with insane bursts of speed. Yoruichi was undeniably winning the fight, but Rumi didn't seem to mind any. I was distantly aware of Asami hanging around on the sidelines, something in her hands as she rushed to get into a position. I was content to let her take her shot.

“This is missing something,” I decided, pursing my lips in thought. I decided to create a ball of lightning to join the sun over my shoulder, both of them intensifying as I stimulated the electrons and atoms. Soldier Boy was getting up, his expression twisted into a severe and harsh look. Not at me. At Black Noir. Blowing him off of his feet closed the distance between them and I felt something dark and violent well up in Soldier Boy. Black Noir wasn't blind to it.

Black Noir, up until this point, was a great big blank to me. But, even as he fought Kimiko, who shattered her fists on Black Noir's ribs, he feared Soldier Boy.

“Come on, spill. What happened? Why did you up and vanish?” I asked Soldier Boy, finding myself increasingly curious. I had hoped Homelander would be here for the grand finale, but Soldier Boy was a good enough substitute. As I spoke, I swapped places with a piece of rubble, making Queen Maeve shout in frustration as she gave chase.

“He's a fucking traitor!” Soldier Boy snarled at Black Noir as much as he did at me, making Black Noir still enough that he was punched in the face hard enough to send him flying. Even if everything south of Kimiko's elbow was pulped. “He and all the others sold me out to the Reds. I spent forty years as a lab rat for the communist agenda so they could figure out how to make fucking Supes! He's a Goddamn traitor to the nation!”

I nearly missed a step, taking a moment to process that because there was a lot to unpack there.

“What?” Queen Maeve blurted, and I'm glad someone did. “And why the fuck do you look so pissed?!” She shouted at me, looking bewildered. “You destroyed America, you piece of shit.”

“I destroyed America because I'm American. Our culture is not giving a shit about anyone's culture, especially our own. I can love America with all my heart even as I smashed that shit like a plate over my knee,” I replied, jabbing a finger in her direction. I could tell that she had no idea how to reply to that. Then my gaze flickered to Soldier Boy, an idea striking me. “Want a little revenge?”

“Fuck you,” Soldier Boy snapped at me. “Black Noir will have his day, but you… you degenerate piece of fucking filth, you attacked this nation. You murdered the President and then sexually assaulted another!” He said, jabbing a finger at the projector that still showed Victoria getting railed. “You're worse than the Reds ever were. You're the enemy of America, you fuck. That makes you my enemy. I'll be the first to admit that I screwed the pooch, and I wasn't always the man that I should have been, but there is nothing that I love more than the American flag.”

Huh. Soldier Boy was actually a patriot. I… when did I become so jaded that Soldier Boy -- the Supe that was as American as apple pie -- being a patriot was somehow a surprise. Fuck. Getting a peek behind the curtain really took the luster out of everything, huh?

“I'll take that as a no, then,” I replied easily, not at all disappointed. It was bit of a loss to not fight beside the first hero that was ever created, but the fact that he was willing to prioritize me over his own selfish revenge more than made up for it. I was actually starting to respect Soldier Boy. “Oh well,” I shrugged, a smile on my face as both he and Queen Maeve moved in. They were determined. Focused. Soldier Boy wanted my head on a platter and he was determined to put it there himself.

They were trying. They were trying so hard. They dove in, trying to close the distance and I knew what they were hoping to accomplish-- they wanted to tire me out. A weakness in my armor had been exposed during the fight with Homelander. My stamina. Moving things around, especially people with egos as heavy as theirs, tired me out. They were relying on their durability and me bouncing around them to sap my strength, then hit me with whatever trump card Soldier Boy had.

It was a decent enough plan, I suppose. But it was one that failed to account for my own plans.

“I think it's time, Robin,” I decided, speaking out loud, bringing everyone's attention to me. They weren't surprised. They knew I wouldn't show up here empty handed and now they feared what exactly I was about to unveil. Soldier Boy pressed on for a moment more before he felt the tremor racing through our feet. Followed by another, and another and another.

“What the fuck did you just do?” Soldier Boy demanded and I figured that could best be answered with a display rather than words. With a thought, I brought everyone on the roof so they could feast their eyes on the ace up my sleeve. The moment that we arrived, the stench of smoke greeted us.

“Nothing that France wasn't already willing to do,” I said, looking out into a sea of fire. Paris was burning. Robin and Kenji were necessary for the ploy -- Robin to coordinate the delivery of the napalm explosives and Kenji to do the heavy lifting with his telekinesis. The block that we were on burned away, along with tactical locations throughout Paris. Each easily in reach of my power so I could bounce around with little difficulty if I needed a top up. “Don't think I didn't notice that the area was being evacuated.”

Which meant that they probably had a missile aimed in our direction with a finger on the trigger.

Golden Boy went to burn me, only to be tackled by Sam. Black Noir went to skewer me, only for the blade to punch through Kimiko's stomach as she frog punched his throat in return. Rumi only had eyes for Yoruichi, however. While I simply gathered the heat of the burning fires around us, pulling the oxygen from the air to funnel it into the growing sun over my shoulder, stimulating the molecules so they would burn that much hotter.

As the fire was extinguished, I noticed how the molecules behaved. A sudden stillness. A coldness. My lips twitched as I began to draw in the moisture in the air, and there was plenty of it as the clouds were heavy with rain that would soon start to fall. An orb of water joined the two others, forming a wreath of sorts. The water was compressed, folding into itself, and I knew I gained two additional tools. Which just might be useful against Homelander when he decided to show up.

Heat was molecules vibrating. Cold, however, was the stillness of the molecules. Over my shoulder, I shaped an icicle as it left the orb of water and as I did so, I stilled the molecules. The easiest way to do it was to transfer the energy to the ball of electricity, but even then, it felt a bit like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. Not impossible, but it did require active focus. The result was an icicle roughly the size of my hand, that was cold as all hell. Practically dry ice.

The other tool was an offshoot of something that I was already doing. Compression led to pressure. A lapse in that pressure generated force. It was something of a short cut at the moment, and I would need to get better at generating pressure, but it was enough for now. The compression around the globe of water lapsed, the water trying to shoot out of the gap, which sent the icicle flying at Soldier Boy at high speeds, giving him just enough time to raise his shield.

The icicle shattered on his shield, knocking him back a few feet from the impact, and giving me the space I needed to test my other tool. A small hole, barely the size of the tip of a needle, emerged in the orb of water and it shot out at incredible speeds and struck Queen Maeve. Water pressure. With enough of it, you could even cut diamonds.

I wasn't quite there yet, I noted, the cut slashing Queen Maeve across the chest. The leather of her costume fell away, though the metal was only sporting a defined thin line to mark the passage. Her skin sported a red line, but I hadn't managed to get through it either, even if she hissed in pain.

Water and ice. Fire and lightning. They needed refinement, of course. But, for now, their shortcomings can be made up with by elemental bonuses.

Another shot of water lashed at Queen Maeve, catching her in the chest before I had the electric ball unleash a bolt of lightning at the stream. It was a lot easier than adjusting the oxygen in the air. Queen Maeve cried out in pain, collapsing as she spasmed on the ground, her metal armor glowing hot from the transferred heat. Everyone felt the sudden turn in the tide with my newfound abilities -- Rumi went for me, only for the high kick that would have taken my head off to be blocked by Yoruichi's shin.

Without looking over, the compressed ball of water shot a thin line at Black Noir, and he wasn't as durable as the others. A hand that lashed out at Kimiko was cut down to the bone and she pounced, grabbing hold of the appendage before ripping it off entirely with a spray of blood. A bolt of lightning slammed into Soldier Boy. Golden Boy, however, blazed brightly for a moment and I let him. He sent forth a torrent of fire at me that I stole the heat from before I stole it from the air around him.

Putting out fires was painfully easy now that I knew the trick. Rob the area around him of oxygen. Still the molecules around him to sap the heat from him. A ragged breath escaped Golden Boy as his flames were shrunk and a cloud of fog escaped him, as if it were a cold morning. I could probably suffocate him like this -- steal the oxygen from the air around his head, or fill it with carbon monoxide. Wouldn't be too difficult. Actually, it would be pretty easy. Too easy, even.

Wasn't any fun, I decided. What was the point of a glorious showdown if they didn't have a sporting chance.

And speaking of fun…

“I was wondering when you would show up,” I said without looking up as I felt someone enter my Room. Two people, technically. The others glanced upwards to see what I saw with my Room -- Homelander descending from the sky with Stormfront draped around his shoulder, hanging off of him. I felt the change in the air. The tension swelling to the point it was almost tangible -- just about everyone was affected. Queen Maeve looked to the sky with obvious fear. Even Black Noir seemed nervous.

Homelander smiled down at me, coming to a stop about a foot off the ground with his hands clasped behind his back. “Of course I came. These monkeys thought they had the right to determine our rights. And I wouldn't want to disappoint you,” he said, tossing a smile my way before he surveyed everyone else. “Maeve. You look a little worse for wear. And Noir. I’m… I'm a little disappointed that you didn't join my revolution.” He admitted, quietly as Black Noir seemed frozen in place

Queen Maeve spoke, “How are you here? The CIA has a dozen satellites on you at all times.”

Homelander's gaze became frosty. “I know. That's why I went over them,” he answered as Stormfront landed on the ground next to Homelander. Her gaze lingered on me, telling me that she had some personal beef. Not sure why. I mean, I almost killed her a couple of times, but it seemed weird to take that so personally.

Huh. It was nice to get a confirmation of that fan theory that went around the works -- that Homelander was capable of space travel. Or surviving in space, at least.

Soldier Boy squared his jaw as he sized up Homelander, his gaze flickering to me for the quickest of seconds. It seemed that Homelander was the priority between us. And, honestly, fair enough. “So, you're my knock off. A holier than thou blowhard with a messiah complex,” he remarked in a dull drawl, contempt dripping from his voice.

Homelander looked to him with a flat gaze. “And you're a fossil. A relic of the past when our kind was subservient to these shit flinging apes. You might be the first of us… but you're nothing more than a prototype.”

Soldier Boy seemed unbothered by the remarks, giving Homelander a condescending smirk. “That why you're with my sloppy seconds? Don't get me wrong, Liberty -- you've aged as well as I have. But me blowing your back out were some cherished memories and I bet you were thinking of them too when you hooked up with this tool.”

Oh, shit! I felt like a kid in a candy store. This was some Real Housewives shit. The fact that Stormfront was apparently old as fuck was interesting, but I was far more invested in her history with Soldier Boy.

I could tell that the remark caught Homelander flat footed, stealing a glance at Stormfront, who suddenly seemed nervous. “That's impossible,” Homelander replied with confidence after a moment. “I'm the one that took her virginity.”

“Ha! I sure as hell didn't take it, and neither did the cock carousel that she rode after me. Hate to break it to you, but your girl is a no good slut and that was back in my day,” Soldier Boy replied and Homelander gave a snarl of a smile. A split second before his eyes glowed red and slammed into Soldier Boys chest with enough force to knock him off the building. Before Soldier Boy even hit the ground, Homelander went after him, and they tore through a half dozen buildings on the block in a second.

I was getting to see Homelander vs Soldier Boy with my own two eyes. The fanboy in me was squealing like a preteen girl. I was a little annoyed when Stormfront decided to jump in, throwing herself forward with a crackle of lightning and thunder to join Honelander in the fight. She threw bolts of lightning from above, shocking Soldier Boy, though he seemed to tank them with little effort. I watched on, curious to see who would win and, more importantly, what exactly was Soldier Boy’s ace.

“Sam! Stop fighting me!” Golden Boy called out as that fight resumed. There was genuine pain in his voice that almost managed to draw my attention away. God, it was like watching two great shows at once.

“Then stop fighting me! He helped me! He doesn't put me in a room and drug me until I can't even think! Stop fighting me, Luke! We can be on the same side. Like we're supposed to,” Sam countered as Soldier Boy punched Homelander out of my Room entirely. I was fascinated -- Soldier Boy couldn't fly, so he couldn't leverage his strength as well, but I'm pretty sure that he was stronger than Homelander.

I felt Golden Boys' hesitation even as Rumi and Yoruichi continued to fight, the building shuddering underneath the force of their blows. The uncertainty. The fear. His gaze flickered to me and I tore my gaze from Homelander and Soldier Boy. “Do what you want,” I advised him with an indifferent shrug.

He could join us. He could fight against us. I didn't care one way or the other.

“Luke. Please,” Sam all but begged and I felt Golden Boy's resistance crumble. He may not fight with us, but he wouldn't fight against us and that mostly meant the same thing. I hadn't been too invested into the drama leading up to the confrontation, but it seemed like a satisfactory conclusion.

And just as that chapter closed, another opened as I felt a familiar presence entering my Room. One that radiated malice so pure that I could almost physically touch it. Like a moth, my gaze was drawn to him as William Butcher sprinted through the city, uncaring of the dangers. A second later, he was out of my Room, but his presence and the fact that he was moving intrigued me.

I grabbed everyone and teleported them all to the action -- they were all a part of this. They all deserved to be in the audience of this final battle. Re-entering my Room, it eclipsed the edge of the fight as Soldier Boy and Homelander clashed with thunderous force. And, to my surprise, I saw that Homelander was bleeding. A split lip, a bloody nose. Soldier Boy wasn't much better, but I threw everything I had at Homelander in New York and I didn't even manage to draw a drop of blood.

Soldier Boy was knocked back, carving a line through some buildings and it was then that I sensed it. A change. It was… something. I couldn't quite touch it, or even really tell what it was, only that Soldier Boy seemed to be the source of it. Butcher rounded the corner, the rifle that had taken some shots at me in his hands. Homelander raced forward, charging at Soldier Boy.

He was glowing red, I noticed, a deep sense of unease entering my gut. An eerie red light seeped out of him from his skin as he trembled, Soldier Boy's hands clenched into fists and veins bulging in his neck. Butcher lined up a shot, taking a knee as he took a calming breath to steady the rifle.

And I…

I put my thumb on the scale.

Homelander was my favorite. My hero. My idol. Reason and logic didn't matter. I didn't care if Soldier Boy would be far easier to deal with than Homelander. Victory and defeat didn't mean anything to me.

I wanted to be the one that beat Homelander.

A blood red beam of light erupted from Soldier Boy’s chest, racing right toward Homelander that was going in for a tackle. I didn't know what that beam did, and it didn't matter. I didn't hesitate. I didn't think about it at all. I simply acted.

I swapped Homelander with Stormfront.

Neither had time to react. Lightning still cackled around Stormfront as she was struck in the chest with the beam, knocked back a dozen feet before hitting the ground. Homelander hesitated before he punched Soldier Boy hard enough that he flew out of my Room, flying through dozens of buildings like a missile. As soon as he was gone, Homelander pivoted to Stormfront, crouching next to her.

“Stormfront! What's wrong?!” Homelander exclaimed, and my brow furrowed, an unsettling realization striking me as I saw that she was bleeding. Her head was bleeding. A low whimper escaped Stormfront and I saw that her arm was broken, clearly in pain as she clutched it to her chest.

I threw a lightning bolt at her and she barely noticed. Cindy bashed her over the head with a car and she didn't flinch.

I realized exactly what that beam did the same moment that Homelander did.

“We’ll fix this. I promise you, we’ll fix this. We’ll get you your powers back. We’ll conquer the humans side by side, like we were meant to,” Homelander swore.

Stormfront looked up at him, “Y-You won't abandon me?” she whispered, fear and hope in her voice.

“I won't. Never. Stormfront, I… I… I love you-” Homelander began, only to be splashed with blood as a bullet struck Stormfront’s skull with enough force that it was reduced to mist and bone shards. Blood splattered across Homelsnder’s face as he looked down at Stormfront’s corpse that hung limply in his arms. Slowly, the two of us looked up in the direction that the bullet came from.

The one that fired it wasn't trying to hide.

Butcher stood on a balcony with a broad smile on his face, hate blazing in his eyes.

Then Homelander began to scream.