Chapter Text
Hughie closed his eyes and held his breath, painfully aware that there was nothing he could do to disguise the frantic beating of his heart or the sour scent of his fear.
He felt a hand slowly curl around his throat and flinched back into the rock, hitting his head and hissing in pain.
“Shhh,” Homelander whispered into the side of his throat. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
He was going to die and the worst part was there was no one left to mourn him. Robin and his dad were gone. He didn’t have any other friends or family.
God, he hoped it was quick. He didn’t want his last few moments to be in agonising pain.
“We have to take him back,” Annie said, trying for calm but sounding frantic. “He’s wanted by the police.”
“So he is,” Homelander purred, pulling Hughie closer and scenting his throat.
In any other situation he would have snapped - no one had the right to scent him without consent - but the truth was he was seconds away from a fully fledged panic attack. The idea of protesting seemed preposterous.
He opened his eyes, instinctively grabbing the hand around his throat as it tightened threateningly. “There he is,” Homelander purred, pulling him closer. “So tell me Starlight, what is it about the kid that you like so much?”
“I don’t-“ Annie began nervously.
“Oh fine, liked then.” He looked back at Hughie, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Semantics, am I right?”
Hughie could feel tears pooling in his eyes. He tried desperately not to look at Starlight, but he couldn’t help but take some comfort from her presence. He knew she couldn’t hope to win against Homelander, but a part of him still hoped she’d save him.
“Don’t look at her,” Homelander said in that fake, soothing tone of his. “You look at me. Got it?”
Was he expecting an answer? Hughie tried to nod his head but the supes hold was too tight. Terrified that he might take his silence for disobedience he gasped out a pathetic affirmative.
Homelander smiled in response but it didn’t come close to reaching his eyes. “So, what did you like about him?” he repeated, looking at Starlight.
“He - he was gentle,” she said haltingly. “Sweet, kind -“
“He blew up Translucent,” Homelander said viciously, his hand tightening marginally.
Hughie croaked out a pathetic omegan whine in response as the tears in his eyes finally spilled over and ran down his cheeks.
“He isn’t a threat to you,” Starlight said softly, coaxing. “Give him to me and I’ll make sure he’s put where he belongs, in jail.”
“They don’t put omegas in jail,” The sup said, gritting his teeth and leaning forward until he was almost nose to nose with Hughie. “They’re put in fancy little rehabilitation units. Things are like goddamn holiday camps.”
“Please, you can’t kill him.”
“Who said anything about killing him?” Homelander asked, wrapping his free arm around the small of Hughie’s back and slipping the other round the back of his head.
Hughie squirmed inside the confines of Homelander’s tight embrace before the sup shot up towards the sky.
Hughie whimpered, too frightened of Homelander to scream like he wanted. He wrapped his around the supes neck and buried his head against his shoulder, trying to hide from what was happening to him.
“Are you scared I’m going to drop you, Hughie?” Homelander asked, seconds before he released his hold.
Hughie plummeted like a rock. He didn’t have the opportunity to catch his breath before Homelander caught him in a bruising hold and shot upwards again.
“Exhilarating, isn’t it?”
Hughie sobbed openly, too terrified to reign in his horror. He’d always hated heights, even back when he was a kid and had little self preservation.
“Want to try it again?” Homelander asked.
Hughie sucked in a hiccuped breath before he was falling again. He managed to scream this time. After what felt like an eternity Homelander grabbed him. He made the mistake of looking down and realised he was probably only 100 feet from the ground.
“What’s the matter Hughie? Not having fun?”
“Stop,” he sobbed, clinging to Homelander for dear life. “Please, stop.”
“All you had to do is ask,” the super said brightly.