Anarchy | The Boys

3

As the morning sun creeps through the curtains, a weak and disoriented Petra stirs on the floor of her suite. Her eyelids flutter open, revealing the dimly lit room. Her head throbs with a relentless ache, and her body feels heavy and sluggish, as if she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She blinks several times to clear her vision and slowly props herself up on her elbows, her limbs trembling from a strange combination of exhaustion and newfound awareness. The recollection of the previous night's events washes over her, and she struggles to piece together what had happened.

An uneasy realization dawns upon her—she had delved too deeply into Homelander's thoughts, an experience that left her physically and mentally drained. The tumultuous flood of emotions and thoughts had overwhelmed her, causing her to lose consciousness.

Despite her fatigue, Petra knows she can't linger on the floor. She gathers what little strength she has left and pushes herself into a sitting position. The world around her is oddly muted, her senses dulled, as if she's emerged from a dense fog. Feeling a gnawing hunger in her stomach, Petra's gaze drifts toward a shiny red apple sitting on a nearby table. It's a simple, tangible object, a beacon of normalcy in the chaos that has become her life. She reaches out with a shaky hand, her fingertips hovering over the apple.

Summoning her powers, Petra focuses on the fruit. A soft scarlet glow envelops it, and with a slight struggle, the apple lifts into the air, hovering in front of her. Beads of sweat form on her brow as she concentrates, her control tenuous.

It takes several moments, but Petra manages to guide the apple toward her. With a trembling hand, she plucks it from the air and places it gently in her lap. It's a small victory, but one that serves as a reminder of her extraordinary abilities, even in moments of vulnerability.

Petra takes a moment to regain her composure. Her muscles ache, and her thoughts remain hazy. As she takes a bite from the apple, she ruminates on what she had discovered in Homelander's thoughts. His infatuation with Madelyn Stillwell had been a revelation, and it had opened a window into the psyche of a supe who had always appeared unshakable.

Taking another bite of the apple, Petra can't help but wonder what else she might uncover beneath the surface of the world she's known. As the scarlet powers course through her, she's ready to face the unknown, one discovery at a time. The apple in Petra's hand trembles as she takes another bite. She can feel the faint hum of power in her veins, a residue from her recent foray into Homelander's thoughts. But as she tries to regain her strength, something unusual begins to happen in the room.

Objects around her suite slowly lift into the air, as if defying gravity. A vase filled with flowers hovers above the coffee table, its scarlet petals casting a surreal, crimson glow across the room. Books on a nearby shelf levitate, and even the heavy curtains sway gently, carried by an invisible force.

At first, Petra doesn't realize what's occurring. Her attention remains fixed on the apple, her mind preoccupied with the events of the previous night. But as more objects begin to float, she senses an odd presence in the room, a hum of energy and a touch of cold unease.

Petra glances up from her half-eaten apple, her gaze widening with astonishment. She watches in amazement as her surroundings are transformed into a surreal dreamscape. Her powers, normally under her control, seem to have taken on a life of their own.

Panicking, Petra raises her hands, attempting to regain control over the rogue objects. But her efforts only seem to exacerbate the situation. A chair tumbles over, and a delicate porcelain figurine shatters on the floor. Panic mounts as her powers, fueled by anxiety, ripple through her surroundings. In her desperation, Petra accidentally sends her half-eaten apple soaring across the room. It arcs through the air, leaving a trail of scarlet energy behind it, and crashes into the wall with a resounding thud. Pieces of fruit scatter across the floor, an unintentional sacrifice to her surging powers.