It had been another week since his talk with Homelander and The Boys. Right now, Jackson Stone was standing in his office and watching TV, an interview he had just gone through that day.
"Mr. Stone, you have been called a copycat, the next gen, and many other names. What are your opinions on the negative names you have been called? The ones where they call you a copycat or a thief for stealing Vought's idea of a superhero team?"
"Well, Mel was it? I am not a copycat. There is no rule stating that there can be only one team of Supes. Anyone can be a team."
"Ok, but what about 6 of your League members with almost identical abilities as six members of the Seven?"
"To answer your question, answer one for me. How many speedsters are there besides A-Train? How many Supes have super strength? How many can fly, shoot lightning, or even breathe underwater? And we are not stopping at 7 League members. We are going to be adding more."
"Really? Ok, final question. Why is it that your team never sticks around after rescuing people? Why are they barely ever seen? I mean the only person associated with the League that has ever accepted an interview is you."
"Because my team does not want the fame and fortune. They want to save lives. So they have decided to stay away from the public image. I mean the members of the Seven act more like celebrities than actual heroes. With the amount of movies they make, for whatever reason. It seems that they are more focused on their image than their actual job."
"But then why do you allow yourself to be interviewed?"
"Because it is what you people want. You want a face to the League. Want to know everything going on. And I am willing to deal with the public. Now, I'm not going to be making any movies ever. I'm not going to be some celebrity, I'm just a businessman."
"Well thank you for your time. This is Mel Simpson, on scene."
Jackson turned off the TV and sat down at his desk. He was about to do some paperwork when his intercom came alive.
"Mr. Stone."
The CEO pressed a button to respond.
"Yes, Jess."
"Homelander is here to see you."
Jackson looked to his calendar in confusion. John didn't schedule an appointment.
"Jess, tell him I'm sorry, but he didn't schedule an appointment. I am busy right now. Please inform him to schedule an appointment with you and come back then."
"Ok, sir. One mo-" Jess began, but was cut off when a strange sound came from her end.
"Jess? Is everything alright? Jess?"
Then his elevator dinged opened and a smiling Homelander walked out.
"Homelander? I thought I told you to make an appointment, during our last meeting. And I told Jess to remind you of this. What happened to her anyways?" He said as he got up and walked towards the Superhero.
"She had to leave, she apparently had a massive headache."
"You killed her didn't you?" The CEO asked.
"No. She had to leave."
"Ok, Whatever." He said, not believing the Supe, but knew that Jess was fine, thanks to her immortality. "What do you want?"
"To talk about that interview with you. You said some har-" Homelander began before Jackson raised his hand to cut him off.
"You know what. I don't care. I have work to do, and you still don't have an appointment." He said as he turned his back to him and made way to his desk. But before he could make it, a pair of twin red lasers cut through his desk, burning all of his paperwork. Jackson just turned back to him with an eyebrow raised. "Really?"
"Oh yeah. You and I are going to have a talk."
"Well, seeing that I no longer have any paperwork to do, I guess we can talk."
Homelander began listening for the thing he loves hearing, the heartbeat quickening out of fear of him. But all he heard was a study beat of an unnerved heartbeat. He was also getting the strangest sensation of deja vu.
Jackson made way to his bar and poured himself a glass of scotch.
"Want a drink?"
"No."
"Ok, more for me then."
Once he finished pouring another drink for himself, he took the glass and bottle to a couch with a table in front of it, setting both down as he sat down.
"You know you owe me a new desk and chair right?"
"I don't owe you shit. I'm going to tear down this building and that team of yours."
"Really?"
"Yeah, that sad copy of the Seven you call a team. Not even worth being called a team or heroes."
"Is that so?" Jackson responded, with a voice that said he didn't care. Which was accurate.
"Oh yeah. Your team is nothing compared to my team."
"Huh. You know, that gives me an idea. I would thank you, but I'm not giving you credit for this."
"For what?"
"Nothing." Jackson said as his eyes glowed yellow, erasing that small bit of the conversation from Homelander's memory.
"I don't owe you shit. I'm going to tear down this building and that team of yours." Homelander said, not realizing that he repeated himself.
"You know what. I'm hungry. You want something? I'm going to order some take out. I'm thinking Chinese. I know this great restaurant downtown. Authentic Chinese food. Not the American crap version."
The CEO got up from the couch and walked over to the broken desk and picked up the phone from the floor.
"Jess, could you order some food for me?"
Homelander smiled, remembering what he did.
"Of course, sir. Where would you like to order from?"
Homelander's smile fell as Jackson grew one.
"That chinese restaurant downtown. The authentic one, not the American bullcrap version. Get me some sway-cho and pork lo mein. And get yourself something. Whatever you want. Use my card."
"Of course. Thank you."
"How?" Homelander asked once Jackson dropped the phone.
"I hired someone I knew who could survive the worst and help me keep up with my schedule. It is hard being a CEO. Speaking of schedule, have you heard of a video game series called Mortal Kombat?"
"What?"
"Right. It doesn't exist in this universe. Well, basically it is a game where they put two people together to fight to the death. And sometimes those deaths are over the top and extremely gruesome. And I would say that you would make a great addition to that roster, but the truth is, you ARE going to make an amazing addition. I mean, I can't wait to get back to my universe and play the game and test fatalities on you. I mean killing you as Omni-Man is just a Death Battle reenactment."
"What the fuck are you talking about? And what does a video game have to do with a schedule?"
"Well, a schedule is what I plan on doing in the future. And why those two are connected, well it's simple really. I am going to test some custom fatalities on you, in this universe, and in real life."
"You think you can kill me? Now I know you're crazy."
"Well, given the fact that I have hurt you and wiped your mind three times now, about to be four, I think I can."
"What are yo-"
Jackson's eyes glowed yellow as he used the Mind Stone to make Homelander forget the entire Mortal Kombat conversation.
"Now, I am going to ask you to leave, Homelander, or I will have to call my security."
"You think your security can take me on?" Homelander laughed.
"Yeah." Jackson responded with an all too serious tone.
"Ok, send them. I'm curious who else you hired."
"Actually, they were built."
"Built?"
The CEO hit a button on the wall twice and then two hidden doors opened up on either side of the elevator. Two androids came out.
"The fuck?"
"You see, Homelander. I got the blueprints to these guys from an adversary of mine. Anthony Ivo. He died, and I got the plans. Anyway, Homelander, meet the Amazos."
"Amazo? You really think a robot can stop me."
"These can. Amazos, please escort Homelander out of the building, use force if necessary."
"Yes sir." The androids said together before looking to Homelander.
"That's cute, but they can't do shit to me. Especially without a head." Homelander said before shooting his lasers at them, but they ran faster than he could react to the other side of him. "What the fuck?"
"Please leave peacefully, Homelander. Or we will use force."
Then the mighty 'hero' threw a punch at one of them, but the android caught the punch, easily. The other started to float in the air. Homelander turned his head towards the android and his eyes glowed red right before he shot his laser vision at the machine, but before it could hit it, the flying Amazo shot a pair of lasers at Homelander, colliding with Homelander's lasers. The collision of laser beams didn't last long.
"What the fuck?"
"Did you really think I wouldn't add something after you came crashing through my window?"
Homelander looked between both Amazos, truly confused and a bit scared.
"Get out of here Homelander. And if you want to talk again, schedule a fucking appointment."
The Amazo holding him let go and a window lowered and Homelander shot out of there like a bullet.
"Get ready Homelander. It is time for your torture to begin. Torture you will remember."