BOOM
Homelander and Erasmus flew side by side, heading toward the coordinates the recently departed Madelyn had given them. Erasmus was carrying the unconscious Butcher, and after just ten minutes of flying together, he had become much more proficient. He was now almost keeping up with his father's pace.
As the wind whipped through his hair, Erasmus wondered how he could ever be content with walking or running again after finally tasting the freedom of flight.
Homelander's mind, on the other hand, was lost in the clouds. He was flying to reclaim his other son, accompanied by the son he had only just discovered. He still couldn't completely wrap his head around the reality of it all. Within moments, their destination broke through the horizon.
Erasmus was surprised. Right in the middle of this vast desert, a small, artificial neighborhood appeared, surrounded by thick stone walls. Could his baby brother really be so powerful that they felt the need to mimic a human town just to keep him under control? It was still just a laboratory, only dressed up with scenery. But from what Erasmus had seen inside Vogelbaum's head, even Homelander had been raised in a small, sterile room.
Soon, they began landing at a house right in the middle of the artificial town. They stood on the lawn, where Erasmus dropped the unconscious Butcher. Homelander started moving toward the front door, followed closely by Erasmus.
Before they could reach it, the door opened. A woman with brown hair stepped out, but Erasmus barely paid attention to her. Instead, his focus locked onto the little child standing next to her.
To Erasmus's disappointment, the boy was a letdown to both him and his father, though his father didn't show it yet.
The boy was small and frail. More importantly, he felt completely weird. It was a stark contrast to Erasmus, who was tall and lean, possessing the same golden hair and piercing blue eyes as his father.
"Mom!" Ryan called out. He was completely surprised to see his favorite superhero standing right in front of his house.
"Well, look at this handsome devil," Homelander said, walking slowly toward his youngest son. "Hey, pal. Do you know who I am?"
"Homelander"
"Haha, yeah, that's right! But do you know who else I am?"
"No."
"I'm your father," Homelander said, his face growing emotional. Then, he reached back his hand and placed it on Erasmus behind him. "And this right here is your eldest brother. We are a family."
"Homelander?" Becca asked, confused and horrified. But looking past him and the teenager, her eyes widened in shock and horror. She saw her husband lying unconscious on the lawn.
"BUTCHER!" she screamed as she ran past them. Neither of them cared about her existence at all; their attention was still locked entirely on little Ryan.
The young boy stood shocked and confused, trying to process being told that he, a normal boy with no powers, was actually the son of Homelander himself. He then looked up at his new older brother and felt a sudden wave of fear.
There was absolutely no love behind those blue eyes. Instinctively, Ryan tried to hide behind his mother, but she was already far away on the lawn, caring for the stranger.
"Come on, buddy, we are going home," Homelander said, gently smoothing down Ryan's hair. "Let's go flying, the three of us. How perfect would that be?"
"I can't fly," Ryan stated plainly, thoroughly confused as to why they thought he could.
Homelander's face froze instantly, while Erasmus raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you can fly," Homelander insisted. "You're my son."
"No, I can't."
"Homelander!" Becca's sharp voice cut across the lawn, causing him to sigh heavily and turn to face her.
"What?"
"Can we talk? In private," she urged, her eyes pleading.
Homelander glanced back down at the boys. "Erasmus, stay here with your brother."
Soon, Homelander and Becca went inside the house, leaving Ryan alone with this stranger he was suddenly supposed to call his brother.
"So... you're my brother?" Ryan started quietly.
"No, I'm not," Erasmus replied plainly.
"But... Homelander said"
"Half-brother," Erasmus interrupted, his eyes boring down into the child. "I'm your half-brother. And I don't want anything to do with you."
Ryan flinched. "Why are you being so mean to me?"
"I'm not being mean. I just don't like you," Erasmus said smoothly, his voice entirely devoid of emotion. "You're not a person."
"I am a person!" Ryan protested, tears welling in his eyes.
"No, you're not."
"I am!"
"You're not, and I can prove it," Erasmus said.
Ryan took a step back, suddenly terrified. "What... what do you mean?"
"Come with me."
Before Ryan could even scream, Erasmus lunged forward and snatched him up. He rocketed straight up into the air, the sudden flight causing the little boy to shriek in pure terror.
Down on the lawn, Becca burst through the front door, screaming Ryan's name as she ran desperately after them. But they were already too high.
Erasmus hovered high above the town, forcing Ryan to look down and see the true, unsettling reality of his little town.
"I'm sorry, Ryan," Erasmus said suddenly.
The abrupt change in his tone caught Ryan completely off guard. The little boy was already reeling from the horrific realization that his entire life. his neighbors, his school, his memories, was nothing but an elaborate, scripted lie.
"I swear, I didn't know I had a baby brother," Erasmus continued, his voice dropping into a soft whisper as he leaned his forehead into the back of Ryan's head. "If I had known, Ryan... I would have come to save you. I always wanted a brother. But looking at you now... you're not a person to me. You're a liability. You were raised in a glass jar, completely soft and protected. The moment you step outside these walls, the world will crush you, and I can't love a brother who is just waiting to die."