Homelander closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a strange mix of emotions bubbling up inside him. He was always in control, always the one calling the shots. But now, with Annie standing there in front of him, he felt something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Annie felt the tension in the air, like a thick fog that surrounded them. She couldn't look away from Homelander's gaze, even though every instinct in her body told her to run or even fight back. As he exhaled, she held her breath, waiting for him to speak.
"I remember when I first started out as a superhero," he said, his voice quiet and subdued. "I was no older than you at the time. I used to bust Stan Edger's balls whenever the mood struck. 'Old Stoneface', Iron-Heart. One time I even called him an asshole."
Annie felt a chill run down her spine as she listened to Homelander's words. He was opening up, revealing a side of himself she had never seen before. She could tell that there was something more to this story, something he wasn't saying.
"Yet there was always a measure of respect," he continued, his eyes fixed on hers. "There was a line you'd never cross when it came to your superiors."
Annie's back pressed against the cold steel wall of the elevator, her breathing shallow and rapid. Homelander's expression had changed, becoming cold and soulless. She could feel the danger emanating from him like a predator sizing up its prey.
"One day, you will fall in line," he said, his smile sending shivers down her spine.
The elevator door opened, and Homelander left without another word. Annie watched him go, feeling like she had just narrowly escaped a dangerous situation. She wanted to scream, to cry, to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. But all she could do was shake uncontrollably, feeling the weight of Homelander's words pressing down on her.
As she stumbled out of the elevator and into the hallway, Annie knew that her life would never be the same. She had seen a side of Homelander she never knew existed, and it terrified her.
