2 Echo

I looked at myself in the costumed and couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride.

I looked good, I looked very fucking good. Unlike the real life actor this Homelander could actually fill up the suit with his physique, no need to the obvious padding used in the show, though I had to admit the suit was also designed in a way to better accentuate the muscles groups.

Ok so maybe there was a little bit of padding in all the right places to make everything pop out more but whatever it still looked good.

I did a bunch of tests to see if I was dreaming, pinching myself with full strength did absolutely nothing, I accepted my situation and went about to test my powers.

'Fuck year flying!' Flying was super fun; it's really hard to explain how it feels.

It's not like freefalling and it's not like you feel as if you are light as a feather. It's almost like I'm able to flex an invisible muscle and will myself to move through 3D space. One moment I'm on the ground the next I'm up on the ceiling.

You learn to walk when you are young then you just do it instinctually, that's how it feels. It is instinct.

That's really how it was with all the powers, they were instinctual. For super-speed I simply willed myself to move faster and it happened.

For laser vision I looked at something and thought about burning it then I felt the energy pool from my stomach to my head and I released it through my eyes.

It was that way for all my powers, I thought it and it happened.

The reason for that must be because I have all of Homelander's memories. It is also probably why my heightened senses are not simply assaulting me right now. The instinct to keep them at bay was probably burned in his body since he was young.

I don't know why I'm here or what happened to Homelander. He was still there in my head kind of. It felt like he was a muted part of my subconscious. I felt his needs, emotions, his urges, his pride maybe it was an echo of his memories, I don't know what it meant but I was sure I was still me.

And that was actually a big fucking problem.

Yes it's every little boy's dream to become a hero like Superman, have cool powers, save the day and get a second chance at life.

Except I didn't become Superman, nor Batman or the Flash I became The Homelander!

And I wasn't the fucking Homelander!

I was still me. I was a thirty six year old tech bro, ok a bit old for a bro, working as a analytics director at a crypto start up that may or may not have been dabbling in some NFT schemes, but that isn't the point.

Before that I had spent my twenties climbing the corporate ladder in telecom and banking. I had been a workaholic who got dumped by his long term girlfriend at 31 then 4 months later lost my job at BoA due to a restructuring.

I then spent a year travelling the country and finding myself like the millennial that I was and realized I wasted my twenties working hard and not enjoying life. I had been more in love with the life I thought I wanted than what was actually in front of me. It ruined my relationship and it wasted my youth.

This realization was followed by the next four years of partying and jumping from start up to start up trying my hand in the tech world, which brings me here.

Late night partying, blow and inception bombs combined with being way too old for a full weekend of binging brought me to deaths door.

And now I'm the Homelander, except I'm not.

I'm many things, but I'm not a narcissistic psychotic murderer even though I have his echo in my head…his head.

So no problem, just don't be a narcissistic psychotic murderer, right? Not murdering people should be super easy, barely an inconvenience.

Normally yes, except if these memories are right then I just landed in this body during season 3 of The Boys.

That means that somewhere out there is the dreaded plane video, the bane of my existence. The Boys are out there trying to find Soldier Boy, or maybe they already found him and he is coming back to the States and also I had a son somewhere hidden from me.

Just at the mere thought of Ryan I feel a surge of emotion and an overwhelming compelling feeling to find him.

'He's MY son!'

Fucking Echo! Yes, I feel Homelander's true emotions on the matter. Possessiveness, conflict, pride, even love for Ryan.

Or at least love for the idea of Ryan and a family.

I sighed, all issues that needed to be taken cared off otherwise I would never be able to enjoy my new life.

Complicated issues, especially the plane problem I did not want to become an outcast in this new world. My power won't matter for much if the people are going to be against me.

Still there was hope, ideas were popping in my mind on how to deal with each of them. I had power, popular support and part of the media on my side.

I will find a way. I won't waste time like I did before. Not with this amazing chance at a new life.

'I will crush them all if I need to!' I thought as I stood straighter in the mirror.

One by one I will take them on.

But for now I have a board meeting to attend.