𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

"No." Iliana speaks and Cate's arm bubbles before her skin begins melting, the sun radiating so bright it blinds Cate's vision in a matter of seconds before she lets out a blood curdling scream as flesh slides off the bone.

"Oh, shit." Marie's hand covers her mouth as Jordan looks at Iliana with panic-stricken eyes. Them? Them? Cate was going to touch THEM?!

Iliana's body ripples with rage. "It should be more than a fucking arm, and you GODDAMN well know it." She stares daggers into Cate.

Suddenly a sonic boom sounds in the distance and everyone looks up as Homelander slowly soars down, feet touching the grass filled with blood, trash, and carcasses. Cate's mouth falls as she hunches over, kneeling in the grass as her sobs quiet down.

Homelander scans the area as people gather on the sidewalk, chattering whispers are the only noise to fill the air. Iliana chin raises, nostrils flaring at the sight of the man she despises, her skin crawling. His eyes land on her.

Marie steps forward. "Sir, we, uh..." Her voice is shaky, but she trails off as Homelander holds up a finger. He waves it before holding up his full hand for her to stop. Marie blinks before coming to a halt. He points his red-gloved finger at Iliana, inching it towards him for her to come closer as he walks towards her, looking at over at Cate he sighs.

"Golden Girl." Homelander finally speaks up. He inhales through his nose. "Do you thinkThe Seven would accept this?"

"Hmm?" Iliana stares directly at him.

"Do you think The Seven accepts attacking your own kind? Hmm?" Homelander looks at her. "What kind of animal are you?" He asks eerily calm. "We let you in the Seven Tower, shake your hand, show you around, treat you as one of our own, and this is how you represent us?" He shakes his hand. "So, I'll ask. you. again. What kind of animal are you?"

Iliana lips curl up. "I guess the kind that doesn't give a shit what The Seven 'accepts.' John." Iliana sneers, shrugging her brows raise, her expression unwavering. She's no longer afraid. Of him, of Vought, of God U, of what people will think. Iliana Riordan finally doesn't care.

The smug look on Homelander's face wipes before a chilling grin reappears. Jordan and Marie share a glance. "Stay back." Homelander calls out. Marie's brows pull together,, wondering what he's about to do. His eyes begin to light up and he lifts a brow.

Iliana grins. "To answer your question," She takes a step forward, "I don't. I don't fear you."

That last thing she sees is reddish-orange light before everything... turns... black.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

The tv cuts to static before Cameron Coleman pops up, the headline "The Godolkin 5 Massacre" bannering below him with the pictures of Andre, Iliana, Emma, Marie, and Jordan in the top corner.

"It's happened yet again in America." Coleman announces. "Tragedy on campus. Five Godolkin students went on a brutal murder spree, including America's beloved sweetheart, Golden Girl. At least 12 people are now dead. Many more undoubtedly would have been killed had it not been for the Guardians of Godolkin— excuse me— the New Guardians of Godolkin, Care Dunlap and Sam Riordan." He reports as side by side pictures of Sam and Cate take over the screen. "Proving once again that all Americans are safer with heroes like Sam and Cate protecting us, our values, and our way of life."

Homelander smiles proudly at the monitor.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

"I have something for you." I giggle into Jordan's neck as my arms snake around them.

"Oh really?" Jordan hums amusedly, closing their eyes as Iliana presses her flushed body into theirs.

"Mhmm." She whispers in their ear.

"Show me." Jordan's voice barely gets out.

Iliana's finger traces across their collarbone, causing their breath to run shallow. She slides her finger up their neck, over their Adamsapple, and stops just right under their chin. Iliana tips their head back with merely one finger and they open their eyes to find the most beautiful girl staring down at them.

"Hey, baby." Jordan voice speaks smoothly, their tone soft. "What'd you get me?"

Iliana beams, eyes shining as her jewelry shimmers under the club lights. "I thought for our anniversary I'd get you something that represents you perfectly. All of you." She emphasizes. "Something that you'll always think of me when you wear it and never take it off." Jordan's brows furrow and lift slightly in intriguement. They watch intensely as Iliana's tongue runs across the bottom edges of her top teeth before she holds up a necklace opposite from hand sprawled on Jordan's neck.

Their lips part as their head raises and they fully turn around to face Iliana. "Holy shit." They let out quietly.

"I love you. I love every version of you, every way." Iliana brings her arms around Jordan's neck as she clasps the necklace on for them. "And I want you to as well."

Jordan falls into her, their foreheads resting upon one another as Jordan exhale breathlessly. They take their thumb down Iliana's plump bottom lip, then follow her arms down to her wrists before they stop at the necklace.

Half chain. Half pearls. Two halves of the same necklace. Two parts of the same person.

No one has ever seen them, or understood them, like she has. Like Iliana. Their Iliana.

"Fuck, baby." Jordan's chest heaves up and down before they grip Iliana's jaw tenderly, brushing their thumbs across her cheeks, and smash their lips onto hers...

𖤓

Iliana gasps awake, sucking in a sharp breath, her eyes blink rapidly at the bright florescent light hitting her.

"Easy. Easy." She hears a muffled voice.

She groans softly, adjusting her head before her eyes fully emerge open and they meet Jordan's. She cringes, feeling like she can taste acid and the back of her teeth. Like she just woke up from the world's worst hangover.

"Hey, pretty girl." Jordan looks down at her and she realizes her head is in their lap. "You're awake." Their feminine voice somehow gives Iliana comfort and uneasiness at the same time. Her brows knit together as she starts to take in more of her surroundings and notice what Jordan's wearing. Her eyes travel down to herself to find she's wearing the same thing.

"Oh, thank God." Marie's voice reaches her ears and alarm begins to wash over her body. She leans her head up to find Marie in a hospital bed next to her and Jordan... wearing the same gown as her and Jordan.

"Goldie?" Andre walks over to her.

"Magnet?" She looks at him confused before her eyes travel over to find Emma... drinking a slurpie. "What the fuck?" She murmurs. What happened? Where is Sam...

"You took that blast like the most powerful fucking Supe." Andre tells her in admiration. "Hell, you didn't just take it, you like, absorbed it. Anyone else would be in the ground." Blast? Iliana stares at her legs as she foggily pulls through her brain. What's the last thing you remember? What's the last thing you remember, she panically asks herself.

And then it hits her. All at once.

Her and Andre's talk. The helicopter. Marie. Jordan. Cate. Homelander- oh, fuck.

"Well, except Marie." Andre's words pulls her back to.

"What?" I look at him then quickly look at Marie. "What did you do?"

Marie inhales. "Well, as he was blasting you, I just stepped forward, and he tried blasting me, too."

"Keep Marie close."

"Her powers are extraordinary, next to yours, and with both of your abilities on the same side? God, I'd be scared to get in your way."

Mmm. Imagine that, Victoria.

"Right." Iliana breathes out slowly, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth. "And, uh, when did you wake up?"

"Just a few minutes ago." Marie answers, panic evident across her face.

"Okay..." Iliana nods before glancing behind her and her eyes meet Jordan's. Her face softens as they tilt their head at her, looking at her defeatedly. "Baby?" She whispers.

"Yes, pretty girl?"

The pit in her stomach grows as she looks back at Marie, who's looks at her like she's begging for a plan, then back at Andre who shift's feet as he steps back. Iliana peers over at Emma laid across her stomach on the bed across from her before her gaze roams around the room.

Monitors. Cold steel metal. White walls. No doors. No doors. No doors.

"Where the hell are we?"

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hello, hellooo.. wow, wow, wow, welcome back to Golden Facade... We have officially reached the end of S1... And I have officially finished writing my SECOND BOOK EVERRR!!! AHHHH!!! After almost two years in the making & published for a year and five and a half months, we made it!! And we are now officially 3 months out from S2!! LFG!!!

I will ofc be writing S2... as Golden Facade & Iliana's journey does NOT end here, no, no!! More to come about that soon, I will be publishing a chapter about the future soon, so hopefully y'all are READYYY & still interested ;)

I've had this final chapter planned for SO long, ever since I watched it the night it came out lol. I knew I wanted Iliana to do something to Cate, at first, I was gonna have her blind Cate but then I was like well Cate probs needs to actually see for the remainder of the show lmao, so then decided to just have Iliana take out her arm. I think I'll have one of Cate's eyes be blind & however tf her arm is fixed is how they'll fix her eye or something or she'll just get a glass or fake one haha.

I knew I wanted Homelander to blast her & since she absorbs heat & light & those are her powers that's why his blast didn't work on her! I actually didn't originally have Marie also getting blasted but thought that'd be great to add in as I was writing this! And I knew I wanted to write the scene of Iliana giving Jordan THE necklace & thought it just worked perfect here!!

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter & I honestly cannot believe after so long it's finished!! as I said before & another author's note lol I do plan on going back through the entire book & editing it!! I used to reread/edit the chapters before I published them, but I just got to a point where I told myself I needed to go back through the book anyway so I would just publish them after writing haha, so hopefully I can get that done before S2!!

I just wanna thank you guys so much for all the love, support, votes, comments, & reads for this book. When watching Gen V back in 2023 & creating this book idea as it was coming out weekly I had NO idea so many people would read this book & here we are now with 36k+ reads. Iliana VERY QUICKLY became one of my top fav oc's of mine & her & Jordan are of my fav couples.

Although I took some long breaks in between updates due to life being busy or some writers block, I truly thank all of you who stayed with me & stuck with me til the end. I truly think this book has some of my best writing & it's been one of my favorite books of mine to write & I think that's very evident with the time, love, attention, & hard work I've dedicated & poured into it. I think Iliana is one of my realest & most relatable characters & her character development is some of the best & some of the largest growth there is.

I'm sorry this note was so long lol, but with this being the final chapter of S1 & my 2nd book to ever finish I had a lot to say & I appreciate anyone who actually the time to read it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter & pls, pls don't be afraid to comment your thoughts, any questions you have, & your reactions!! As it is SO much more motivation. Well... until... ah, wait... ;)