Never Shut Up Again [The Boys]

Prologue

Santa Maria Moorewood met Homelander when she was sixteen years old. She was asked to sing at the tv special for his birthday. She won the Miss Homelander pageant out of 49 other American teens. The way she won got her in trouble, sure, but pageant girls were brutal and she had to shut them up.

One girl who she went to school with, Hannah Silvers, had spray painted the words, "Black Supe Bitch" onto her white pageant dress. So, in turn, for the talent portion, Santa Maria used her as a dummy, controlling her every move. And for the grand finale, she made Hannah jam a high heel in her eye.

This caused the judges to panic. But from the back of the room she got a standing ovation from the Homelander himself. He was enamored with her.

Slowly, Santa Maria was isolated from the real world. Homelander began to dictate her every move determined to steer her powers in the right direction. Agatha agreed as long as he didn't take her daughter away from her.

But all promises are meant to be broken. Vought pulled her out of school frequently, pulling away from her family, isolating her from her peers.

Santa Maria remembered the day she got taken. It was the worst day of her life.

On the last day of school, Sixteen year old Santa Maria Moorewood got called to the principal's office. That in itself was an anomaly. They were doing better controlling themselves since they got in with Vought. She used to be a troublemaker but was slowly cleaning up her act.

To her surprise her mom was in the office with Homelander and Madelyn Stillwell who she instantly recognized. The Homelander's gaze was fixated on her, an odd grimace painting his face.

"Mama, what's going on? What's Homelander doing here?"
"Calm down.. your heart is beating like a jackhammer.. But I wanted to thank you personally for singing for me on my birthday. And have a little chat with you" Homelander stepped toward her.

"And? I've been doing better." Santa Maria took a step back. "I haven't been in trouble for months so whatever you think I did, I didn't do it. I swear to god. Tell him, Mama. I've been good."

"As I was telling your mother. Youre not in trouble. No, I see your potential which is why I'm offering to take you in as my sidekick. You'll officially be apart of the Vought family."

"I already have a family. Tell him, mama. You said if I got it together you would let me stay." Santa Maria's mother stared at a check in her hands. A check for seven million dollars made out to her family from Homelander himself. "Mama, please. Don't make me leave." She opened her mouth again, "Mama, I demand that you..." Before she could finish her command she was interrupted.

"This," Homelander placed a hand over her mouth, "is why you need me. You're abusing your powers. When I let go you're going to shut up and come with me."
"Fuck you."
"Be a good girl and shut up before I have to hurt you."
"Try it." Santa Maria opened her mouth again to sing her song. It played as she spoke as per usual, "I can make you do whatever I want. And right now you will get the fuck away from..."

An hour later, she woke up in a bed. At the bedside, the hero that took her from her family was hard at work breaking her ankle. A ball gag was shoved into her mouth preventing her from making any noise. "Ah, ah, ah. Little miss, there are rules here. I'm responsible for you now. And I'm going to train you to be the best."

All she could do was sit and listen to Homelander explain the rules for her new life.

Rule no. 1: speak when spoken to.
Rule no. 2: if you speak you get punished
Rule no. 3: no casual clothes. Supe suits only.
Rule no. 4: No leaving this room.

The schedule was just as strict as the rules. Singing lessons every day. And homework, and training where Homelander pushed her to the limit.

She became America's sweetheart overnight. The girl was in every interview using her siren song to feed lies to America about how super kept them safe. The Siren was the reason most supes got blackballed. Vought made her slander them.
But her career as the Siren also made some of her dreams come true because she also starred in a Broadway show three nights a week and a matinee every Sunday. Never Tuesdays and Thursdays. Homelander refused to let her. And he'd be at every performance or somehow see it to see if she slipped up. Sometimes she did and she paid for it when he locked her downstairs in a cell.

She learned quickly that he'd hit her without hesitation and that she'd have to smile for a camera moments later. She learned that a bruise was the best kind of punishment. She also learned that social interaction would be limited to the Seven and the only one she was permitted to speak to other than Homelander was Queen Maeve and Becca Butcher. Homelander spoke for her to everyone else. She kept going and going until she royally fucked up and ended up with no powers at all.

That was eight years ago.
Now she was the Siren.
And Becca Butcher was fucking dead.
She was and will forever be trapped in Homelander's arms despite.