As you walked down the hallway toward your father’s penthouse, everything felt unnervingly quiet, the usual hum of the building’s air conditioning filling the silence. You weren’t sure why, but there was a strange tension in the air, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. As you rounded the corner toward the door, you suddenly spotted Ryan rushing past you. He didn’t even look up, his face twisted in frustration, his footsteps quick and heavy. His eyes were red, as though he’d been crying, and his usual calm demeanor was completely gone. He looked… upset, deeply so.

You didn’t have time to ask him what was going on before he disappeared down the hall, leaving you standing there, confused and a little concerned.

When you finally stepped into your father’s penthouse, the door clicked shut behind you, and the sight before you stopped you dead in your tracks. Homelander was standing in the middle of the room, holding a framed picture. It wasn’t just any picture—it was one of Ryan and Billy Butcher, the man who had made his life hell, standing side by side, smiling in some strange moment of peace. The sight of it, in Homelander’s hands, made your stomach churn.

You didn’t even have to ask. The anger was obvious in his posture, the way his jaw was clenched tight, his eyes burning with fury. Without turning to look at you, he spoke, his voice a low growl filled with frustration.

“Your brother lied to me…” he muttered, the words thick with betrayal. “He is ungrateful to have me… and everything I’ve provided him.”

The bitterness in his voice made your heart race, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more going on here. You could tell that his anger wasn’t just about the picture or Ryan’s actions—it was deeper, more personal.

You stared at him, unsure of what to say, as the weight of the situation settled between you both. Ryan was upset, and Homelander… well, Homelander was clearly losing control.