Vought Tower | Tuesday Early Afternoon

[defenderofdesmoines]

Homelander had called a meeting, and Starlight might have been new but she knew perfectly well that when Homelander called a meeting you showed up.

So she'd arrived bright and early, though by now she knew better than to try to make small talk with anyone. Maeve seemed like she might already have had a few, Black Noir didn't talk at all, Translucent was still missing, The Deep had been sent to Sandusky...and A-Train was late.

Not good, A-Train. Even Starlight knew that. She watched, trying not to feel anxious, as Homelander paced and waited for the late arrival, and quietly prayed -- hoped -- that this meeting was about how A-Train had clearly been acting like a total weirdo lately and not anything that actually concerned her.

A-Train	"What's going on?" A-Train asked, wandering in and looking around at the assembled table of heroes. ...okay, last to arrive, always a bad thing with Homelander, but -- did he miss something? Why were they even having a meeting to begin with?
Homelander	"I missed you guys!" Homelander clapped A-Train on the shoulder with a broad -- honestly, kind of too-broad -- grin. "Just wanted to see your smiling faces." He gave A-Train another firm shoulder-pat, this time a little too firm to just be friendly. "Take a seat, buddy. And," he continued cheerfully, as A-Train headed slowly towards his seat, "truth be told, I felt like we were overdue for a little heart-to-heart. A rap session, maybe a little tough love."
Queen Maeve	Maeve, who had been spinning a little in her chair, scoffed lightly. Because she was the only one here who either could or at least would. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Homelander	Homelander heaved a heavy, sad sigh. "It means," he said, his tone that of a disappointed parent as he started to circle the conference table, "that lately, some of you have been...eh, a little out of sorts. Erratic."
Starlight	Starlight was all too aware of Homelander's eyes on her as he spoke, walking slowly behind her chair. She belatedly realized that he could definitely hear her heart pounding, too. Not that she had any reason to be nervous, but...Homelander honestly just kind of made her nervous. It seemed normal enough. He probably should make most people nervous.
Homelander	"Unreliable," Homelander continued, hands folded neatly behind his back. "Downright sloppy. Not you, Noir." Couldn't paint everyone with the same brush, here, and he actually pointed over at Black Noir, who of course remained silent, as always. "You've been great. But the rest of you...." Homelander clicked his tongue in disappointment, shaking his head. "It is fair to say I am disappointed. Got to keep your eye on the ball, guys. The enemies are storming the gates. I mean, we're not even The Seven anymore, we're down to five." He rest his hands on the backs of Translucent and The Deep's empty chairs. "We're dropping like fucking flies, but at least now I know why." He outstretched his hand towards the screens at the front of the room, using the remote he'd had in his palm to click over to the image he'd had loaded up.
Starlight	And...Starlight couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was Hughie. Hughie, from the park bench. Hughie, the only person she'd met since she'd moved to New York who had seemed like a nice person. "Uh...." She frowned, shaking her head slightly as if to clear it. "Why...." Okay. She had to form a sentence here, and as unlikely as she knew it to be, she led with, "Is this a joke? Why is Hughie up there?"
Queen Maeve	"I don't understand." Ugh, she fucking hated it when Homelander got all dramatic like this. Just spit it out, already. "Who is this guy?"
Homelander	"This guy is Hugh Campbell," Homelander explained, gesturing up to the screen. "He and Starlight are BFF. He's also one of the guys who killed Translucent." Homelander was very matter-of-fact about that. He'd done his homework quite thoroughly, you see.
Starlight	"Wait, what?" Everyone had rotated in their chairs to look at her, and Homelander was giving her an expectant look, like she should have known this was coming, but Starlight was still reeling. She hadn't even known Translucent was...dead. Oh, God. And Hughie killed him? What?
Homelander	"As well as blackmailing Mesmer, Ezekiel, Popclaw, and God knows who else," Homelander continued, ignoring A-Train's interjection at Popclaw's name.
Starlight	"No." She was saying it as a reaction more than -- anything she really believed, because this was too much for Starlight to process, right now. Hughie was a bad person -- her only friend in New York had killed her teammate and blackmailed at least three other heroes -- and she was left sputtering. "No, no, no. You -- that--that is insane."
Homelander	"Starlight," he chided, "sticks and stones won't break my bones, but words - " He clasped a hand over his heart, looking wounded.
Starlight	"No, sir," Starlight corrected, swallowing hard and holding her hands out in front of her, "I'm sorry. I wasn't...it's just, he's not -- " Homelander sure didn't look like he believed her, and why would he - she didn't believe herself -- but this was so.... "I mean, why would he do that?"
Homelander	"Good question. A-Train, over to you!" And when A-Train looked puzzled, Homelander just helpfully continued for him. "Oh, boy, that little egg of yours still scrambled, huh?" He clicked up towards the screen again, and the photo of Hughie zoomed out to reveal that he was shaking hands with A-Train. "How about now?"
A-Train	A-Train sighed, leaning forward in his chair so he could see better. "Oh, shit. I know this guy."
Homelander	"You did smash through his girlfriend," Homelander reminded him, "so I should hope so."
A-Train	"Robin...something-or-other," A-Train recalled. "I--I remember now. I've seen him outside Popclaw's place. He was all in my face." He spun to Starlight, seated at his left. "You're fucking this guy?"
Starlight	Starlight was quietly replaying through everything Hughie had told her. Skating at Rockefeller with his girlfriend. Who had died. He had said she'd died, and...and she hadn't wanted to be intrusive or ask how, she'd just stupidly tried to help him with his grief when Hughie had told her about this at Believe Expo. She had been so stupid. Just so unbelievably, life-ruiningly stupid -- all because she'd been so desperate to believe that there was just one person in all of New York City who might want to be her friend.
Homelander	"Oh, no." Homelander shook his head with a confident little chuckle. "No, no, they're just besties. She's fucking this guy." He lifted his clicker towards the screens, which swiftly changed from being a picture of Hughie Campbell shaking A-Train's hand to image after image after image of...Diego. Diego in the elevator with Translucent. Diego outside of Starlight's apartment. Diego in the street outside the Tower, the Soldier Boy statue in the background. Diego ripping down a poster for The Deep: Rising Tide. Diego standing about ten feet from Hughie at Believe Expo, not that either of them was looking at the other. Diego talking to Starlight at Believe Expo. Diego kissing Starlight at Believe Expo.
Starlight	And while the Hughie thing had been upsetting and confusing and disorienting, seeing Diego's face up there was actually...heart-stoppingly horrifying. Starlight couldn't breathe, suddenly. She had never actually felt like she might faint, but it might happen right here and now. Either that or she was going to vomit all over the conference room table. She didn't know what to say -- what she could say. Diego didn't have anything to do with this -- of course he didn't -- but any defense she levied wasn't going to help. Maeve had warned her, hadn't she? Was this what she'd been warning her about? There were so many pictures up there. How long had Homelander been watching them? What else did he know about her? "I -- what...."
Homelander	"Now." Homelander held up a finger to silence her, looking around at Maeve, Noir and A-Train as he popped Hughie back up on a second screen. "I know what you're thinking. These are just men -- this one's not much of one, by the looks of it -- and how could they even be capable of something like this?"
Starlight	"Diego's a cop." Starlight had finally found her voice enough to stutter out that much, though later she'd kick herself for using his name, because it was possible Homelander didn't have that piece of information just yet. "I -- he's just a police officer, he has nothing to do with this, he doesn't even live here -- and Hughie wouldn't -- "
Homelander	"What if Hugh Campbell was helped?" Homelander continued, talking right over her. "What if someone - oh, I don't know, got him in to see Ezekiel? And got rid of The Deep?"
Starlight	"No." It came out as an unbelieving whisper, and Starlight was on her feet before she could even really think about it, her hands going up in front of her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on."
Homelander	Homelander's eyes were glowing and red before she was even to her feet. "Keep those hands down by your sides, missy." He stared at her for a long, still moment, his eyes burning. "Sit down."
Starlight	And she'd thought she was scared before. Starlight lowered her hands to her sides, her breath coming in harsh little pants as she carefully, slowly sat back down. She had turned her own glowing eyes on people so many times as a threat - she'd never considered how utterly terrifying it was to be on the other side of it. Especially since, unlike her eyes, Homelander's were lasers, and in under a second, Homelander could amp up his power and kill her, if he wanted. If he decided to. Everyone was looking at her. She could feel their eyes on her. Even Black Noir.
Homelander	And once Starlight was back in her seat like a good, cowed little girl, Homelander smiled. "Now...I know you want to make this whole Deep thing an 'All the single ladies' moment," he told Starlight, crossing over to her and clapping her conspiratorially on the arm. "Power, right? But really, what you've done is pulled off every criminal's wet dream. I mean, The Seven is down by two. I just can't help but notice that it all started when you came along, which makes me wonder...which one of us is next?" Homelander stopped behind A-Train, holding his arms out to include the other heroes in his statement.
A-Train	A-Train had a helpful contribution to this question. "You bitch."
Starlight	"I didn't do anything - " Starlight started to say, reflexively.
Homelander	"Enough!" Homelander was a little sick of being nice, here, especially when a fucking traitor was sitting here in front of him. "We're a different fucking breed. We shine with the golden light of providence, but you, you've been helping these fucking mud people to go against us." He was really in her face now, holding up a finger as Starlight started to whimper a, "No." "Shut your fucking mouth, young lady." He was right in her face now, looking down his nose. Close enough to breathe the same air. "If you were in my position," he started, letting the words hang in the air, "what would you do to you?"
Starlight	Starlight couldn't find words, or her breath, or the wherewithal to hold back tears, right now. She had never been so blindsided by everything - the images of Diego were still up on one monitor, with Hughie's smiling face on another - and now she was staring up into the face of death itself. He was going to kill her. Homelander was going to kill her right here, where she stood, and all she could do was start to cry.
Queen Maeve	Yeah, no. It didn't take a genius to see that Starlight was clearly as shocked as the rest of them - maybe more shocked, honestly, since she actually knew the twink and the other guy up on the screens (...a cop, huh?) - and Homelander was going to make her pass out or piss herself, here, to make a point. Maeve didn't think he'd really kill her, but he needed to back down, anyway. This was more than enough. She was standing up before she could talk herself out of it. "Homelander. That's enough."
Homelander	"You got something to add, Maeve?" He didn't take his eyes off Starlight's as he spoke; give him another second or two and he'd illuminate them again to remind the little girl in front of him who held all the cards, here.
Queen Maeve	Maeve leaned forward from around A-Train - not that Homelander could see her, but Starlight could, and she needed to reach her maybe even as much as she needed to reach Homelander. "She didn't know," she said, lifting an arm to gesture at Starlight. Obviously. The girl was in tears, and he was just on a fucking power trip.
Homelander	"Well." Homelander continued staring Starlight down. "She stinks of adrenaline and her heart's beating like a little rabbit." Which didn't necessarily point to guilt so much as emotional weakness, which he also found absolutely vile.
Queen Maeve	"The only thing she's guilty of is being fucking stupid." Maeve was harsh both because she needed Homelander to hear her, and because Starlight needed to hear this, too. She'd warned her. This Diego guy was obviously the boyfriend that had been haltingly mentioned after the thing with Deep, based off Starlight's reaction to seeing him, though Hugh Campbell -- oof. That was another step into stupid, Starlight. "She obviously fell for whatever story this Hugh Campbell guy fed her, and he's pumping her for information, so back off. Leave her alone." She'd leave the boyfriend out of this for now. Maybe if they concentrated on the twink, Homelander would forget about the...cop.
Homelander	Homelander turned around slowly to face her, incredulous. "Wow." He turned back to Starlight, who was still cowering and crying and disgusting. "Starlight, you must be something special. Hmm? I can't remember the last time Maeve gave a shit ab-- " He paused, actually thinking about it for a moment. "Well, gave a shit about anyone, really." He walked away from Starlight now, because Maeve was far more interesting, now. He inhaled deeply once he was close enough, dropping his voice so only she'd hear. "And if I say no?"
Queen Maeve	"Come on," Maeve murmured, her own voice low as she leaned into him. "I got this." She took a deep breath, pressing in close towards him. "It's you and me. Remember?" It was never her and him. But he believed it was, and she needed him to think she was on his side. This was going to cost her. Again.
Homelander	Homelander inhaled again, this time breathing in...Maeve. Her scent. Her warmth. Her love. He needed that. "Don't say I never do anything for you," he whispered, meeting her eye. He would give her this, because it was her. And with that, he stepped back, voice at full volume again. "All right. You want her, you got her. She's your responsibility now." He crossed over to Starlight, who wasn't looking at anyone now. "I just hope you're right about her. For both your sakes." His smile was tight, the threat implicit. Homelander clapped his hands once, calling out, "Class dismissed!"
Starlight	And Starlight was left to lean over a chair and hyperventilate as Homelander finally -- finally -- exited the room. Black Noir followed shortly after. Then A-Train, though not without another dozen dirty looks thrown her way. Eventually, Starlight found herself in the lounge off the conference room, where there was a full bar and a few squishy chairs, and just let herself cry for awhile. Part of it was relief that that -- that -- was over, but part of it was fear of what was yet to come. Hughie's face was still up on the screen, yes, but the collage of Diego -- she'd been so stupid. He was in danger now -- Homelander had made that very clear, even if it was also incredibly clear to Starlight, at least, that he wasn't sure how Diego tied in with Hughie. (Which made sense; he didn't. He had just been a secret she'd kept, and kept poorly.) There was a not insignificant portion of her that was deeply, deeply hurt at the betrayal of it all, too. Not just Hughie, but the team she'd thought she'd had. The years of idolizing these people. Her phone started to ring, and as Hughie's name popped up, she quietly just flipped over her phone and wiped her eyes. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Queen Maeve	"Who's calling?" Maeve was over at the bar, pouring herself a martini. Given that she could hear sniffles again, it was either Hugh Campbell or the boyfriend -- Diego. (Another point in the stupid column there, Starlight.)
Starlight	"Nobody." Starlight's voice was flat, and she left her phone facedown on the table as she wandered over to join Maeve at the bar, feeling drained.
Queen Maeve	"Listen." Maeve wasn't looking at her as she shook up her martini and started to pour it out. "If you...want to talk." She glanced up at Starlight, gesturing vaguely with a hand. "I suppose we...." Hopefully she didn't want to talk. Maeve was absolutely abysmal at this.
Starlight	"No." Starlight's reply was immediate, her voice low and throaty from her tears. She watched Maeve pour the drink for a moment before adding, "But would it kill you to make me one of those?"
Queen Maeve	Maeve gave a little snort and lifted the martini she'd just poured to offer it to Starlight. There you go, buddy. You get to drink first for showing some moxy for once. And there she went again, reminding Maeve of herself. You can't be that emphatically Good-with-a-capital G without really believing in things enough to have a bite of bitterness, somewhere in there. Maeve just didn't want her to lose the rest of it. And now she at least understood what the stakes were, for Starlight. What kind of person she was. "You know, I had someone once," Maeve started, as she began putting together a second martini. "We were gonna get away. Start a family." She didn't have to tell her this. But it was important that Starlight hear it from someone who knew.
Starlight	Starlight watched her carefully for a moment before asking, "So what happened?" She didn't want Maeve to stop talking, now that she'd finally started.
Queen Maeve	Maeve chuckled, resting her elbows on the bar and looking off. She smiled, and it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well. Everyone always asks - what's our special weakness? Gamma rays? Iron daggers? Some ridiculous, stupid thing?" She looked over at Starlight, holding the other woman's gaze now. "But the truth is, our weakness is the same as anyone's. It's people. The people we care about." She went back to her drink with a soft sigh. "So I say, cut 'em loose. For your good and theirs." She looked up at Starlight as she picked up her drink. "That way you're really bulletproof." And with that, she slouched her way out the door. That needed to be enough for Starlight, because that was all she was going to be able to give.
Starlight	And that...was something to think about. As usual, Maeve knew how to make a perfect dramatic exit, just when Starlight wanted to ask follow-up questions. But all the same, she was left alone with her martini and her thoughts, as well as her phone, which had started to buzz again. She was going to keep ignoring it, for now.

[adapted from The Boys 1.07, "The Self-Preservation Society," with some tweaks! Warning for language, per usual, and preplayed with myself! NFB and NFI since Annie's ignoring her phone, but OOC remains welcome]