Fenrir's Binding: The Queen And The Barbarian

By evolution-500

Genres: Romance/Angst

Feedback: Always welcome

WARNING: This story contains violence, coarse language and mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: Killer Instinct" is a property belonging to Rareware and Microsoft while "The Boys" is a property by Garth Ennis and Dynamite Comics. I do not own these characters.

Chapter Eight: Gods and Monsters

"Behold, I show you the Superman. He is this lightning, he is this madness."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Maggie felt the air become still as she regarded Tusk with newfound horror, her mind reeling from the giant bombshell that he had dropped on her.

The barbarian was motionless, his expression hard and stoic, giving away nothing.

Swallowing, Maggie struggled to speak, her own voice working against her as the celebrity kept her eyes focused on him.

"S-So," she said finally, her voice faint and soft like a whisper, "...what are you going to do now?"

Tusk said nothing, his piercing blue eyes staring into her own. Closing them, he exhaled.

"I'm afraid I have no choice but to inform Lord Nodens about this," the barbarian answered.

"And-and what? Y-You're going to just-just kill everyone?! You're not going to stand up against him?!"

Tusk sighed. "I will do what I can to persuade him, Maggie, but you have to understand - these are forces that are not to be underestimated nor trifled with. Nyarlathotep is a formidable enemy."

"And what will you do if Nodens actually gives the kill order? Are you really going to-to...murder an entire world over a few fuckups?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Maggie felt her heart stop as she heard his admission, feeling as if she had been hit in the stomach. Part of her wanted to throw up.

"...What?" she said in a smaller voice.

Tusk raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression dark and serious. "There have been...many occasions...where I had been called upon to perform my duty as watchman. I have slain many worlds and many, many more of its variants in other realities, when those dark forces found their way in."

She stared aghast, terrified by what she was hearing, causing the barbarian to falter.

"Maggie," he said slowly, "you have to understand, I take no pleasure in doing this! It is a necessary measure to ensure that the Old Ones and Outer Gods don't claim those worlds for themselves. Compared to the things that they would have done, my putting those worlds and realities out of their misery were acts of mercy."

Maggie struggled to maintain her composure, trying to muster up every ounce of courage and strength she had as Maeve as she clenched her fists, teeth and mouth. Christ, was this how Elena had felt when she saw the video of her and Homelander?

"A-And you-you think that justifies what you did?! What you do?! You think that makes it right?! This-this is insane!" she said with renewed anger. "I can't believe this! I can't fucking believe what I'm hearing! I thought you were a hero, but-but it turns out that you actually might be even worse than fucking Homelander! Why didn't you try to find a way to save those worlds?! Why couldn't you have saved some of those people?!"

Twisting his mouth, Tusk uttered a low, angry growl as he bared his teeth at her, raising his voice, "Do you not believe that I haven't tried?!"

As the words left Tusk's mouth, Maggie felt her anger leave her as she saw the anguish in his eyes. It was a familiar look, the same look of pain and self-disgust that made Maeve herself shudder in recognition. It was the same look that she had given herself many times over the years whenever she looked into the mirror. It was the same look that had resulted in her turning to drugs, sex, and the bottle so often.

Seeing the expression on Tusk's face, Maggie began to realize the truth.

It wasn't just his strength she had acquired, but also his pain.

They were so much more alike than she realized.

The only difference between them, however, had to do with duration; by comparison, Maeve's was miniscule compared to Tusk's guilt and burden.

She couldn't imagine what it must be like for him to have to live with all that pain and sadness on a daily basis.

She couldn't imagine the pain that came from wandering across all of space and time in perpetual solitude, trying to do what was right, only to have one's efforts foiled time and again by things lurking in the shadows.

She couldn't even begin to fathom how a person like Tusk would be able cope in a place like this, living with that knowledge of what they've done and being unable to find relief, everyday being another fight to endure.

And to top it all off, he had to do it all alone over and over again, without support, especially - at least, from the sounds of it - from his own gods.

Without friends. Without family.

Without sex, drugs, nor alcohol.

Without love, even.

As the thought crossed her mind, Maggie unclenched her hand, her eyes and mouth losing their harshness.

Christ, she couldn't even begin to imagine what that must be like. She would probably have gone insane if she had been in his position.

"I...I'm sorry," she murmured. "I...I'm so sorry, Tusk. God, I'm so sorry!"

Tusk's eyes lingered on her for a long while, then finally fell as he turned his back to her.

"I need to consult with Lord Nodens on my next course of action," the barbarian said as he grabbed Warg-gram. "I will do what I can to persuade him, but...I make no promises."

As Tusk headed toward the exit, Maeve followed after him. "I'm coming with you."

The immortal glanced at her over his shoulder. "Maggie-"

"Let me speak with him, Tusk," she persisted. "I may not be a good person, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to sit back and let him murder innocent people."

Tusk frowned. "He isn't going to listen to you any more than you would a bee."

"Yeah?" Maeve said determinedly. "Well, this "bee" is going to be a big pain in his pale ass and will keep buzzing in his ear until he finally listens. And if he still won't listen, bees can sting."

The barbarian turned, giving her a dark look. For a moment, it almost seemed as if Tusk was going to strike her down right then and there on the spot, but Maeve stood her ground, staring defiantly back at the giant figure, even as he loomed before her.

Finally, a smirk crawled up one corner of Tusk's face.

"You would have made a fine warrior, girl. I'll give you that." He then exhaled, giving her a look of warning. "Very well. You may come, but watch how you address Lord Nodens. He is not a figure to be crossed."

Lifting Warg-Gram with one hand, Tusk rested the blade on his massive shoulders, then gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

Nodding gratefully, Maggie grabbed a fur coat and sword of her own as she followed Tusk outside. And with that, the two began their departure.

* * * * *

Stepping outside into the cold winter weather, Maeve adjusted her coat, listening to the wind as it howled.

"We should make our way to Lord Nodens as fast as we can," Tusk said. "If what you say is true, Nyarlathotep is bound to try and stop us. Hurry!"

As the two of them started to make their way to the mountains, just barely some feet from Tusk's home, there came a loud crash by the icy shore as something impacted the ground, causing them both to stop and turn toward the sound.

THOOM!

Upon seeing the source, Maeve's heart stopped, her breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening in fear.

Rising up from one knee with both hands placed on his hips, the figure rose up to his full height, the blue coloring of his miltary-esque body suit standing out from the white snow. Even in the dim light, the gold hues of his eagle belt and pauldrons stood out, the American stars and stripes on his cape fluttering in the cool breeze, his short blonde hair crisp and slicked neatly back, his blue eyes locked on hers.

"Homelander!" Maeve gasped, taking a half step backward as he slowly approached, his arms folded behind his back.

Grinning broadly, the aforementioned supe approached, his blue bodysuit straining against his powerful form, showing off his impressive musculature.

"Maeve! How nice to see you!" Homelander spoke amiably, his smile wide, his eyes possessing a dark shine that she didn't like.

"What-What are you doing here?" she asked.

Homelander blinked, as if somewhat perplexed by the question. "Isn't it obvious? To find you and take you home, of course. Everyone has been worried about you. Edgar, Ashley...Starlight."

Upon hearing her friend's name, Maeve clenched her hands together, forming fists.

"...What have you done to Starlight?" she said slowly.

He shrugged. "Nothing." He then narrowed his eyes. "Yet."

Homelander then strolled toward her with his hands behind his back. "Stan was feeling concerned about your absence. After all, it would be a tragedy to lose a member of The Seven now, wouldn't it? So I volunteered."

She didn't miss the veiled threat.

As he stepped closer, he suddenly took notice of Tusk. "Oh! I see that you're not alone," Homelander lightly commented as he then approached the giant figure.

Stopping right in front of him, the corrupt hero gave Tusk an appraising look.

"My my, aren't you a big one!" He laughed before turning back to Maeve. "So, you've been keeping Maeve company." He cast a critical eye at the barbarian's figure, looking him up and down, raising a brow at his lack of clothing. "Interesting choice of outfit. Who's this?"

Tusk stepped forward, his hand clenched on his sword, his eyes taking the other man's features in as he spoke to Maeve. "Is this the one you spoke of? The one Nyarlathotep favors?"

Homelander questioningly blinked at the name. "Come again?"

Maeve bit her lip, then nodded.

She then watched as the two men stared at each other, two Alpha males standing their ground, each one trying to assert their dominance through their mere presence.

Though not a single word was spoken, the two seemed to have taken an immediate dislike for one another.

Homelander offered a false smile, his eyes filled with contempt. "I don't believe you gave me your name."

"That is because I haven't," Tusk spoke in a brusque tone.

Maeve detected a slight twitch in Homelander's features, the smile still plastered on.

"Do you have a problem, pal?"

Tusk stared hard at him, looking as if he were trying to see through him. "Just wondering."

"About what?"

"What kind of man you are," the barbarian said slowly as he stared back, tilting his head from side to side. "I had expected someone taller."

Homelander lightly chuckled. "Well, in your eyes, maybe. After all, not a lot of people are as tall as you, except for perhaps Behemoth and Shehemoth. That being said, though..."

Before Tusk even had a chance to react, the supe suddenly punched straight through his chest, his red-gloved fist protruding through his back as he gave a savage, bloodthirsty grin.

"Size isn't everything, friend," Homelander smirked.

"TUSK!" Maeve screamed, watching helplessly as her companion's body was tossed to the side like garbage across the ground, his blood soaking the snow as it skidded across the snow.

"A shame that he got in the way," Homelander commented as he wiped his red-gloved hands.

She then watched as he slowly and deliberately turned toward her, his eyes narrowing.

"Now," the corrupt superhero said slowly, his mouth forming a wide, savage smile, making him look like a lion ready to bite onto a tasty gazelle, "where were we?"

Maeve watched as he started to slowly make his way toward her, one very slow step at a time, his cape wavering in the wind. Taking a deep breath, she hardened herself, then opened her eyes as she raised her sword, her heart beating fast and hard in her chest.

Upon seeing her sword, Homelander arched a brow, then let out a patronizing chuckle.

"Do you really think you can hurt me with that?" he challenged.

Maeve smiled back in defiance, baring her teeth. "I can try."

Blinking in surprise, Homelander merely shrugged, then clenched his fist. "Have it your way then."

As he took another step toward her, Maeve heard Tusk's voice as it called out, "Is that all you have, boy?!"

"Huh?"

Turning to the source, the two of them paused as the barbarian rose back up onto his feet, the wound on his back and chest healing instantly.

Homelander smiled, looking intrigued.

"Well well well! Another supe? All the way out here? And one with regenerative abilities no less! Hm. Interesting. Edgar will probably want you for his R&D Department. In the meantime," His eyes turned red as he folded his arms behind his caped back, "let's see how you'll handle this."

Maeve watched as red lasers shot out from Homelander's eyes, striking Tusk directly in the chest, only for the immortal to stand his ground, looking unbothered by the heat.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, the former ceased his attack. "What the fuck?"

Tusk offered a grin. "What's the matter?" he taunted. "Never met an opponent capable of standing up to you before?"

Homelander narrowed his eyes before firing another, more powerful burst, this time causing Tusk to stagger just slightly backward.

For several minutes, he kept concentrating, increasing the heat more and more, but the barbarian stood his ground in defiance, even as he was slowly pushed back an inch at a time.

Finally, Homelander stopped. Maeve stood in amazement as Tusk rolled his shoulders back, the skin on his chest looking pristine.

"Is that all you have, little man?" The latter sneered.

Scrunching up his face, Homelander tightly clenched his fists and shifted his jaw, his eyes locked in a harsh glare as he suddenly darted toward Tusk, rearing his fist all the way back before swinging at his intended target.

"DAH!" Tusk yelled as he leapt up with a spinning hook kick, his boot connecting with the corrupt hero's jaw, knocking him out the air and into the snow.

As he skidded several feet back with a groan, Homelander massaged his mouth.

"I actually felt that!" He muttered in surprise.

Tusk raised his sword, giving a dismissive snort.

"That was nothing," he replied, his eyes filled with contempt. "For someone who is supposed to be the strongest within The Seven, I am greatly disappointed. I expected a fight, but instead I find myself confronted with a mere child." He spat. "Pathetic."

Homelander's eyes flashed red as he let out an angry roar as he flew up from the ground like a torpedo. Maeve watched as he speedily punched Tusk in the jaw, causing the large man to careen across ice and snow, his opponent following up with a series of very fast hard-hitting combinations that caused the barbarian to stagger. As Tusk struggled to recover his footing, Homelander struck him so hard in a downward blow that it created a crater to form and a powerful shockwave that blew snow into the air, the trees trembling from the impact.

Maeve helplessly watched the barbarian's body practically bounced up into the air, the warrior staring with stunned though pained expression on his face.

Grabbing his ponytail, Homelander dragged Tusk up into the sky, their forms ascending upward in the direction of the mountain.

'Shit, he's taking him to the gateway!' Maeve worriedly thought. 'I have to get there quickly before he opens it with Tusk's sword!'

Clutching her weapon, Maeve bolted up the path, moving faster than she ever had in her life.

* * * * *

Tusk crashed to the ground with a grunt as the one called "Homelander" regarded the post and lintel ring around them.

"Strange place," he commented, nodding to himself. "I have to say, I'm impressed. This is probably the first time that I've ever exerted as much effort on anyone to this extent, and you still manage to get up in spite of that!"

"'A hungry wolf is bound to wage a hard battle,'" Tusk merely replied.

Homelander tilted his head curiously to the side, as if deciphering the phrase, the hero shrugging. "Interesting saying. Not sure that I get what it's supposed to mean. You really are a curious one, aren't you? Most people would either piss or shit their pants at the mere sight of me, but you? You're different. Your heartrate is moving at a normal pace - you aren't afraid of me!"

Tusk barked a harsh, dismissive laugh as he got up onto his feet. "What is there to be afraid of?" He gave Homelander a steady look. "I know what you are. I can see it, as plain as day. The way you move, the way you talk, the way you fight, the things Maggie has told me about you..."

Homelander folded his arms behind him, giving him an amused smirk. "And what am I, pray tell?"

Tusk gave a smirk of his own. "You are a little boy who believes himself a god."

Upon seeing the startled expression on his opponent's face, the warrior threw his head back and laughed. "What? You believe yourself special? I've known men like you. I have fought men like you. I had even fought alongside men like you. You hurt others because you have been hurt yourself, and because of the power you wield, you believe that you have the right to inflict that pain onto others."

For a moment, his opponent stared in stunned silence, looking as if he were struggling to come up with a retort.

Finally, he scoffed, then shrugged, his reaction reminding Tusk of a child confronted with his own wrongdoing.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Homelander muttered in a low voice as he attempted to reaffirm his image.

Tusk stared long and hard at his opponent, his blue eyes nearly squinting.

"What?" Homelander said irritatedly.

"Just wondering what could have produced a wretched being such as yourself," Tusk commented, his hand clenched around Warg-Gram. "I pity the child that you were, but regardless of the circumstances that made you into what you are now, to me, you are nothing more than just another monster to be slain."

Lifting his mighty sword, the barbarian steeled his eyes as he got into his stance.

Two dark and powerful forces stood their ground in a standoff, the two opponents dwarfed by the towering ancient megalithic stone structures as they fearlessly stared each other down, neither one flinching under the other's gaze.

Two beings, one forged by a megaannum's worth of pain, suffering, and constant fighting, the other driven by sheer ego and twisted by both Science's cruel indifference and Society's obsession with Image, finally meet in an epic confrontation.

As the island waited with bated breath the result of this potentially cataclysmic meeting, the two fighters stared each other down, the world trembling around them in anticipation of the potential victor.

Clenching his gloved hands, the leather strained tautly around Homelander's fists, his cold eyes glowing a fiery red under the winter haze.

As the wind picked up, clouds swirled overhead, the stone ring structures rumbling in excitement.

Finally, the two opponents leapt into action and charged one another with fearsome roars, their cries echoing across all of space and time.

* * * * *

Maeve panted as she struggled her way up the cyclopean stairs, her legs and feet aching under her, her lungs on fire.

Must...get...up there!

Slipping on a step, Maeve winced as she felt her knee hit the stair, causing her eyes to tear up as she regained her balance.

"FUCK!" She shouted with grit teeth.

Rubbing her sore, scraped and bloodied knee, the celebrity looked back up to the top, then proceeded to climb her way up, driven by dire urgency.

She lost track of how long she had climbed for, but the Vought-employed hero remained focused on getting to her destination.

As she climbed upward, Maeve heard the din of battle. Looking up, she saw twin beams of lights flash, the air punctuated by shouts and the sounds of powerful fists coming to blows, the sounds meaty and impactful.

Climbing all the way to the top, the celebrity hero paused as she saw the battle before her.

https://youtu.be/eNWEHmEdAak

Bruised and bloodied, the two men were fighting with everything they had, tearing into one another.

Homelander's once pristine blue uniform and American flag-style cape were in tatters, exposing his bare and bloodied chest, while blood dripped from a broken nose, his eyes black like a racoon's.

Tusk was equally battered, with a cut on his upper lip, a burned chest and swollen cheek from where his opponent must have hit him.

The battle was unlike anything Maeve had ever seen. Not once in her life had she ever recalled Homelander being put in such a state, nor had she ever seen him use so much energy on an opponent; usually, he placed the most minimal effort possible in his fights, but here, he really was going all out!

Various stone columns and megalithic stones had been toppled, shattered and/or cut in half, some of them still freshly scorched.

Craters decorated the ground, looking as if the very earth had popped like massive stone blisters.

Fists met with fists as blows were exchanged, the two opponents fiercely determined in establishing their dominance as they both struck at the same time, causing them to skid backward on their feet.

Recovering, Homelander charged toward the barbarian, cocking his fist back to deliver a powerful punch, only to be met with a frontal flip kick, the latter's booted heels driving straight into the top of the supe's head, making him stagger. 

https://youtu.be/Ee6nljj4SWw

(13:52 onward)

Maeve watched Tusk as he swung his sword like a windmill, the blade slicing through the remnants of the supe's uniform before suddenly rearing his weapon back, swinging in a round, downward motion.

As the blade completed the arc, the sword sliced though Homelander's chest as the barbarian somersaulted back onto his feet.

Crashing onto the ground, Homelander flew back up again then looked down, the corrupt supe pausing in place, his eyes widening in surprise. Reaching down, he touched his chest, staring at the blood on his red gloves as he looked up in shock.

"You...you cut me," Homelander stammered. "You-you actually cut me?"

Grinning, Tusk rolled his mighty shoulders as the wounds on his body healed instantly.

"What's the matter, boy?" He sneered. "Never seen your own blood before?"

Scrunching up his face, Homelander leapt at him with a yell, shooting his laser vision.

Charging toward him, Tusk raised his mighty sword as the beam struck his weapon, causing the runes to glow.

Once the two men were within range of another, the barbarian did something completely unexpected; lifting both arms high over his head, Tusk stared up to the sky, his tattoo glowing.

https://youtu.be/Ee6nljj4SWw

(22:59 onward)

"DIEEE!"

Before his adversary even had a chance to react, a barrage of flaming meteors the size of basketballs struck his body with machine gun-like precision, the corrupt supe staggering from each blow. Shaking it off, Homelander's - and Maeve's - eyes widened as a meteor the size of a house hurtled fast toward him.

Rearing his arm back, the former threw his fist forward, striking the dead center of the meteor with every ounce of power he had, causing it to explode and shatter into trillions of pieces.

As the debris cleared, Maeve stared in shock as Homelander remained standing, his form smoking, his cape torn and uniform burned, the eagle pauldrons broken.

Sweeping some dust off from his shoulder, Homelander frowned at the state of his outfit.

"That was an expensive uniform," he muttered. "Do you have any idea how much that cost? It's going to take ages for me to get this thing repaired!"

Tusk growled. "Are you going to run your mouth, or are you going to fight?"

Blinking perplexedly, Homelander shook his head and guffawed, shaking his head in incredulity.

"You are one...ballsy son of a bitch," he remarked.

"And you bore me," Tusk said dryly, causing Homelander's smile to drop. "This battle is beneath me."

Clenching his mouth, Homelander flew off the ground at high speed toward him, rearing his fist back to deliver a powerful blow.

https://youtu.be/Ee6nljj4SWw

(17:42 onward)

Holding his sword back as it glowed, Tusk swung the mighty weapon in a downward fiery arc, the blade catching his opponent across the chest and shoulder, lifting both men up into the air as the barbarian somersaulted.

As the immortal's boots connected with Homelander's chin, he recovered mid-air and slammed his guard onto the corrupt superhero's head, bashing him hard to the ground with an audible crack, his opponent's body crashing down as it formed a large crater.

Landing on his feet again, Tusk raised his mighty blade to finish his opponent off when a pair of lasers shot out, slicing his hands off at the wrists, causing the barbarian to let out a yell and his sword to fall.

"TUSK!" Maeve screamed.

She watched as Homelander tackled straight into him, knocking him into the ground as he mercilessly pummeled his adversary, his face purple with rage, his veiny forehead swollen, bruised and bleeding.

"YOU FUCKING FUCKING FUCK!" The supe childishly yelled at the top of his lungs. "I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Every strike and blow was brutal and bloody. Maeve saw blood splatter across the ground and teeth to fly.

He kept hitting Tusk over, and over, and over, and over, and over again, his impacts becoming fleshier and meatier.

He kept hitting and tearing into him, even as Tusk's skull caved in, even when there was nothing but mush and brains.

And yet, to Maeve's mounting disgust, amazement and horror, Tusk's headless body kept fighting, striking at his opponent's side feebly with its useless arms while Homelander pounded and tore into him no matter what.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of nonstop brutality that veered off into overkill, Tusk's torsoless cadaver stopped moving, his opponent panting loudly as his muscular form heaved.

"Jesus Christ!" he panted, wiping his sweat and blood-covered face.

Maeve stared at Tusk's still form, her whole being numb as she stared in shock.

No...

Feeling her eyes tear up, Maeve found herself climbing up and moving towards them both, even in spite of the part of her that urged her to flee.

Sweeping his gore-covered hands over his face, Homelander slicked his hair back and let out a deep breath, licking the blood off his lips as he turned his eyes over in Maeve's direction.

"Now," he said slowly, a smirking rising as he got up onto his feet, "where were we before that rude interruption?"

Maeve stared at the blood-soaked form of her tormentor, the sword in her hand feeling heavy.

Just as Homelander was about to take a step forward, he suddenly stopped, glancing over at Tusk's sword at it lay embedded into the stone floor next to its owner's dismembered limbs.

Tilting his head slightly, he curiously regarded the mighty weapon, then started reach out.

"NO!" Maeve cried, drawing his attention toward her. Narrowing her eyes, she swallowed back her fear as she tightened her grip on her weapon's handle. "You are NOT going to touch that. You'll have to go through me first."

Blinking in surprise, Homelander gave a hearty laugh. "Christ, you're too much, Maeve! I forgot how funny you can be sometimes." He then gave her a somewhat sad look. "It didn't have to be this way, you know? We used to be close. What changed between us?"

Maeve steeled herself, swallowing anxiously. "You know the reason perfectly well."

He frowned. "Do I?"

"All those things you've done to me. All that shit you made me do. The plane. Elena. None of those register with you?" Maeve shook her head in disbelief. "What am I saying, of course they don't. Nothing does. I can't believe that there had been a time when I had looked up to you. That I had been in love with you!"

Homelander rolled his eyes dismissively. "Nobody made you fall in love with me, Maeve!" He groaned. "You only have yourself to blame."

She begrudgingly nodded, conceding. "Yeah. Yeah, I know, and now I'm paying for it."

The two heroes stood quiet for a long while, the wind and snow drifting all around them.

Finally, Homelander took in a deep breath. "We both know how this is going to end."

Maeve swallowed deeply with a gulp, letting out a nervous, shaky breath, watching as Homelander casually strolled toward her, paying no heed to the damage done to his person.

Clutching her sword, Maeve let out a challenging and defiant yell as she charged toward him with her weapon raised high over her head, ready to cleave her enemy's head in half.

In that moment, she thought of the people that she failed to save throughout the years, the people she had let down.

She thought of the people on Transoceanic Flight 37, of Susan Lopez and her daughter, Maya, both of whom she had been forced to abandon, even as they had both pleaded for their lives.

She thought of Starlight back home, her failure to prevent the things that happened to her, that will happen to her.

She then thought of Elena, the woman she loved who, upon learning of what she had done, decided that she couldn't bear being with her anymore after seeing her for what she truly was.

All that pain, humiliation and guilt that Maeve had tried to hide through drugs, sex and booze bubbled up to the surface, her face flushed and stained with tears as she let out an anguished roar of her own, watching herself close the distance between her and Homelander. 

As she recalled every victim, every crime perpetrated, every single disgusting thing that her opponent did, the more determined she became in slaying the monster before her, the very one responsible for everything that went wrong in her life.

Little by little she found herself closing the distance, everything seeming to move as if in slow motion, even as she was moving faster than she had ever before. Homelander continued his stroll, not once breaking stride as he casually strutted, his head held high, his eyes holding a cold indifference to her, not showing any ounce of fear to her charge.

As her heart jackhammered behind her chest, the celebrity hero leapt with every ounce of strength and courage that she had within her. 

In that instant, she wasn't Maggie Shaw, the awkward city girl. 

In that instant, she was Queen Maeve, the fearless Empress of the Netherworld, her sword held high and mighty over her head as she slammed the weapon down onto Homelander's with everything she had...only to watch as it broke.

As she fell back to earth, Maeve stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed in horror at the shattered sword, watching as the pieces crumbled fell to the rocky ground.

Looking back up to her opponent, she stared numbly as Homelander smugly grinned, the blade leaving no mark on his face aside from a bloodless red line that stretched from the top of his brow all the way down to his jaw.

He then let out an amused, patronizing chuckle.

"Did you really think that a fucking sword would kill me?" he asked, his laughter growing.

Feeling her face heat up, Maeve clenched her teeth as she yelled out in anger and swung her right fist, her punch catching him in the cheekbone. Maeve felt pain flare up her entire arm as she felt all the bones in her hand break, the celebrity letting out a pained cry, her eyes stinging with tears.

Stopping his laugh, Homelander sneered at her. "Please."

He then backhanded her, the force strong enough to knock Maeve off her feet and roll along the stone floor, her jaw rattling. Wincing as she got on her feet, Maeve's lip stung as she tasted copper.

"I'm disappointed, Maeve," Homelander drawled as he casually walked toward her. "I really am. I thought we had something special...and then you betrayed me."

Maeve let out a cry as she felt a strong hand grab her by the hair, pulling her up to her knees as he hissed into her ear, "I'm not gonna kill you, Maeve. Not yet."

To Maeve's horror, Homelander started to reach for the gold eagle-adorned belt on his waist, his gloved hand unbuckling his pants.

"NO!" She screamed as she wriggled in his grip, trying to break free, her eyes widening as he started to unbutton. "NO!"

"Please, all those men and women you fuck? What's one more cock to you? You're just a regular whore, aren't you? Think of the irony, Maeve - even when you're about to die, you'll get to do it on your knees!" Homelander sneered as he reached for his pants, exposing himself to her. "Now suck-"

Homelander was cut off as a large blade sliced down into his left shoulder, catching him by surprise.

"What?!"

To Maeve's amazement, Tusk stood behind her completely healed, his face filled a bestial fury.

"Keep your filthy fucking hands off her!" The barbarian snarled as he dislodged Warg-Gram out from Homelander's body. Letting out an inhuman roar, Tusk proceeded to swing overhead, his sword slicing straight into his enemy's skull, splitting it in half.

Homelander stared in shock, his lips still trembling. As Tusk pulled his sword free from the man's carcass, Maeve watched as the body wavered, the mouth moving, as if trying to speak, his brain and skull exposed.

Then, to her horror, Homelander twisted around on his heel and punched Tusk hard across the face, knocking the warrior off-balance.

Looking around, Maeve grabbed a sharp stone from the ground and leapt onto Homelander's back, slamming it into his exposed brain and skull.

She watched as twin red beams fired in separate directions and sliced through various stone pillars, the beams wobbling unsteadily, burning the ground as she slammed the tone over and over again. Blood and brains coated her arm, her face sticky as Maeve screamed in outrage and anger, spurred on by years of anguish, pain and frustration.

Maeve felt a tinge of satisfaction as she saw the right side of Homelander's head caved into his shoulder, gore coating the ground.

As she turned her attention over to the other half, she was suddenly roughly grabbed by Homelander and slammed hard down to the ground, the air leaving her lungs, the back of her head stinging.

"You bitch, what have you done to me?!" Homelander yelled as he reached up, touching his face.

To Maeve's disgust, she watched as Homelander tried pushing up the other half of his head, watching part of the jaw slacken grotesquely.

"Edgar will know how to fix this," he said to himself. As he looked back to Maeve, the celebrity hero watched as the functioning eye started to light up. "I'm gonna cut you into bits. Then, once I'm finished, I'll pay a little visit to Starlight and Elena."

Maeve braced herself for the coming blow, only to find herself startled as Homelander was tackled by Tusk, the two men renewing their struggle.

Kicking Homelander back, Tusk swirled his blade, leaping high into the air, producing an enormous fiery column that set the entire stone ring ablaze, the blast catching his opponent. Charging forward with a roar, the barbarian swung his sword, slicing off a portion of Homelander's chest, exposing bone, before slashing him several times again, slicing off his arms in segments. Turning around on his heel, Tusk violently stabbed into his enemy's chest, his blade protruding all the way out from his back.

Collapsing to his knees, Homelander let out a gasp as he looked up at the immortal.

"H-How?!" He rasped. "How is this possible?!"

Turning slowly around to face his opponent, Tusk stood tall amidst the blazing inferno, his flesh and wild blonde hair unmarked by the raging flames, his eyes filled with a cold, petrifying fury.

"It is time we finished this," Tusk spoke. Clenching his sword, Maeve watched as the runes on the mighty blade started to glow.

The next thing Maeve knew, the entire area became enveloped by a piercing bright light, the air punctuated by a dull throbbing hum.

She heard something large move, the ground rumbling all around her.

Raising a hand to block out the light, she struggled to see what was going on, only to hear Homelander's frantic yells. What had really caught her off-guard, however, was its tone, taking Maeve completely aback; it was filled with fear.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" She heard Homelander shrilly scream at the top of his lungs. "WHAT IS THAT?!"

Never before had Maeve ever heard him sound so frightened, so scared. He no longer sounded like the smug asshole that she knew; his voice was so unrecognizable, so filled with terror that he sounded like a shrieking child.

She thought she heard something like a roar, but between her aching head and the dizzying light, Maeve felt her eyes flutter before finally slipping out of consciousness.

* * * * *

When Maeve awoke, she found herself back in Tusk's home, lying on his bed, her form covered by a fur blanket.

Lifting her eyes, she cast her eyes around, then paused upon seeing the immortal seated beside her, the celebrity hero's eyes softening. "Hey."

"Heilsa, dear Maggie," Tusk greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

Maeve shrugged on the bed. "Pretty sore."

As she attempted to sit herself up, Tusk placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. You need to lie still. I've healed your wounds, but you still need to recover."

Settling back down, Maeve sunk back into the bed and pillow.

"Is Homelander...is he dead?" she asked uncertainly.

Tusk was quiet for a while. Finally, he exhaled.

"He was a difficult opponent," he spoke, "but...I can assure you, Maggie...you will never have to face him ever again. All I can say is that he's gone, and he will never return."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Maeve closed her eyes. "Thank God. Thank God."

As she lay on the bed, Maeve's façade fell, leaving Maggie exposed as she suddenly started to cry.

It was strange for her to do so considering everything that had happened. Part of her felt relieved in knowing that Homelander would no longer pose any sort of danger to either her or to the people that she cared about.

And yet, despite the unforgivable things that he did, some small part of Maeve, however, couldn't help but somehow miss him, if not feel sad for him, as absurd as that was.

Tusk said nothing, looking somewhat uncomfortable and uncertain what else to say as she sniffled and wept.

Getting up from his seat, the barbarian started to turn away when Maggie raised a hand.

"W-Wait."

Looking back at her questioningly, she watched as the barbarian gave a look of surprise as she took his hand. Softening his expression, he settled back into his chair beside her, holding her hand as Maggie thumbed his calloused knuckles and planted a kiss on them.

"Thank you," she said in a hushed voice.

Tusk wordlessly lifted his other hand, cupping her cheek, his blue eyes staring deep into hers.

Then, without saying another word, he planted a kiss onto Maggie's forehead, prompting a tear to fall down her cheek, the barbarian brushing it away with the side of his thumb.

"No more tears, Maggie," he said quietly. "From here on, you are a free woman. You have nothing to fear from that man. It won't be long until the Season of the Serpent is finally finished, at which point you will be able to leave this place once and for all. I will gather some fresh food and supplies to aid you in your journey."

As Tusk pulled his hand away, he started to turn and head toward the door, grabbing his propped-up sword on his way out.

"Were you able to talk with Nodens?" Maeve spoke up, causing him to pause in his step.

The barbarian quietly looked ahead to the door. "Dah. I had managed to get in touch with him. He is greatly concerned by these "heroes" in your world. But...I managed to persuade him from pursuing any drastic measures. That said, however, it is only a momentary respite. I cannot say that he won't change his mind in the future."

Upon hearing this information, Maggie felt both relieved and anxious. On one hand, it was a relief knowing that the world wasn't going to end. At least, not today.

On the other hand, however, it still remained precariously fixed on a knife's edge, like a prisoner whose sentence had been delayed, waiting for the axe to inevitably fall.

Rolling his shoulder, Tusk let out a deep-chested growl.

"In the meantime, the only thing left for you to do is to heal." His eyes softened. "Rest well, Maggie. I will return as soon as I can."

And with that, Tusk turned away and departed, stepping out into the cold, leaving Maggie alone as she lay comfortably on the bed, the celebrity hero watching the fire as it crackled.

Tucking some bangs behind her ear, Maggie sighed. "God, what I would give for either a cigarette or a drink right now. Or a TV."

* * * * *

Author's Notes: And that concludes this chapter! Writing this chapter had been pretty difficult, just because it's a little hard trying to figure out how these two characters would fight. I used Superman as a reference for Homelander, of course, especially the "Injustice" version, but the biggest difficulty I've been having was keeping it constrained to the island itself. Writing Tusk and his fight scenes were great fun, as I got to revisit a lot of his classic KI2 moves and Ultimates, although I can't help wondering if I should have made the fight itself feel more epic somehow. Feel free to offer suggestions how I could have done so.

In terms of writing Homelander, it was pretty tricky. I used the comic and show for reference for his behavior and mannerisms, but the one thing I'm uncertain of though is whether Homelander would intentionally rape someone in this manner (or would attempt to rape in this instance).

Then again, given just how much of a man-child and a piece of shit he is, I wouldn't quite put it past him that he would as some sort of power-play, especially considering Becca (in the show at least; in the comic it was Black Noir, who was the worst fucking person imaginable), Starlight (in the comics, rather than the Deep, it had been him along with A-Train and Black Noir) and Soldier Boy during the "Herogasm" storyline. Writing Homelander at his most evil with his attempting to rape Maeve was probably the most uncomfortable that I have ever felt as a writer, and it is definitely NOT an experience that I EVER want to repeat. I have no issue with writing evil characters, but rape scenes will NOT ever be a thing for me.

One aspect that I REALLY wanted to incorporate from the comic was that element of body horror; in the comic, those who were injected with Compound V tended to survive some really horrible, even potentially fatal injuries.

For instance (bit of a spoiler for those of you who have never read the comic), one guy in a flashback had survived being literally cut in half by gunfire and was still conscious, another character had been hit multiple times by an RPG but died hours later after suffering from blood loss, while another prominent character was completely torn apart by both Homelander and heavy artillery during the finale at the White House.

A particularly disturbing example was one where a decapitated supe's body continued to live for several months, if not years after its beheading, even though it had been chained up on the rooftop of a building and had its head kicked off by Hughie (for those of you who had read the comic, you know who it is I'm referring to here).

Yeahh, the comics aren't for the faint of heart.

The biggest challenge in writing this chapter, though, was figuring out Maeve's role within it, especially in terms of how she confronts Homelander, as in the comics the power gap was so large between them that all it took was one punch and then BOOM, her head was gone (bit of a spoiler, possibly even for Season 3 since it showed a shot of her wielding a sword like in her final encounter with him). I didn't want to make Maeve a complete damsel in distress, and because of that, I wanted her to be able to tackle Homelander in her own way, even if it's with Tusk's help. It could have been done better imo, although feel free to let me know how I could in your review.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter - I hope you are liking this story so far.

Until then, take care, everyone! :D