Homelander: New Legacy

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When Luna brought up the matter, she couldn't help but blush.

The idea of her imagined character overlapping with the person who had saved her in reality might easily lead to misunderstandings, as though she harbored some other intentions.

Still, she couldn't lie to Roger, who had saved her twice. She confessed that her draft character was indeed named Roger.

Roger didn't find it odd at all.

He was already certain of the connection between Andrea from the comic world and Luna. Hearing his name once more in this context seemed only natural.

Without dwelling on the coincidence of the name, Roger asked again, "Did you come up with the name on a sudden inspiration, or was it something you carefully thought out?"

Luna paused to think before replying, "A bit of both, honestly. To be fair, I'm terrible at naming things. Most of the names in my designs come from other works. For instance, Andrea's name comes from a video game, and Roger's name… was inspired by a minor character in a popular comic."

After her explanation, Luna asked Roger, "Mr. Roger, why are you asking about this?"

Roger gave her a deep look, extending his senses to ensure no one was eavesdropping before he responded, "Let's say one day a character you designed came to life and stepped out of your drawings. What would you do?"

"Ahaha, I'd probably be scared!" Luna responded reflexively but quickly added, "But if it really happened, I think I'd also be happy. After all, they're my creations—in a way, like my children."

For creators, there is always some emotional connection to their characters, whether it's a sense of identification or treating the characters as reflections of certain people or ideals.

Just as popular characters stepping into reality would cause a stir among fans, creators might also feel a similar mix of excitement and awe upon meeting their creations.

Unless, of course, the creator only wrote tragedies.

In that case, they might have to consider how to avoid getting hunted down by their vengeful characters.

Take Thor, for instance. If the God of Thunder ever discovered that his misery was entirely due to a heartless screenwriter, he'd probably visit Earth to have a little "chat" with said writer.

However, Luna didn't have such concerns. Her designs were simple character concepts without stories or intricate relationships.

If her characters ever came to life, she imagined she'd be more thrilled than afraid.

Taking a deep breath, Roger finally broke the silence after observing Luna's thoughts.

"While I have no intention of being anyone's child, I must tell you… one of your characters has indeed come to life."

"...Huh?"

Luna froze, staring at Roger's serious expression, unsure of how to respond.

After a long pause, she softly muttered, "Mr... Roger, today isn't April Fool's Day, right?"

Roger didn't say anything more. Instead, he stood up, levitated in the air before her, and let his eyes glow red with energy.

Although he didn't fire any beams, the sight of him flying and the unmistakable power in his glowing eyes left no doubt about his identity.

"..."

Luna's jaw dropped, her eyes wide in disbelief, as though they were about to pop out of their sockets.

She instinctively pinched her cheek hard, yelping at the pain, and mumbled as she rubbed her reddened face, "It's not a dream... but… how is this possible?"

"Honestly, I don't believe it either, but everything I've experienced forces me to. Miss Luna, it's the truth."

Roger descended back to the ground, resuming his seat by her hospital bed.

"I'm not exactly the character you designed, but I seem to have crossed over into their body and lived through the events you might have imagined for them."

"No... wait... Hold on!" Luna raised her hand, overwhelmed and stopping Roger from continuing.

The information Roger revealed was too much for her to process all at once. Her mind was a tangled mess, leaving her unsure of what to say or how to respond.

Roger, understanding her reaction, refrained from pushing further, giving her time to think.

After a while, Luna finally asked, "Hypothetically! Even if you were… the character I designed for a fan creation… Why are you telling me this?"

"To reiterate, I'm someone who crossed over. In my original world, I had family and friends. I didn't come here on purpose but ended up inhabiting a character similar to your design."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to go back."

"...Go back?"

"Yes. There are unresolved matters in my world. Returning to my original world has always been my dream, but… I also made a promise to someone to keep them safe. I can't break that promise."

Roger's tone was earnest as he answered.

Luna lay on the bed, silent for a long time. Without witnessing Roger's abilities, she might've dismissed him as someone suffering from delusions.

But seeing his powers with her own eyes left her unsure of how to respond.

It defied all logic.

However, perhaps due to her creative nature, Luna adjusted quickly to the situation.

After reflecting on Roger's words, she replied, "I have no idea what's really going on. Even if I believe you, I don't have the power to send you back to your world.

"And are you sure you want to go back? If you do, you might never be able to return here. You've mentioned having family and friends here as well."

"..."

Roger was fully aware that his return to the real world was an extraordinary accident.

Even if he returned to the comic world, there was no guarantee he could find his way back to the real world again.

But Roger was optimistic.

Since he had returned once before, he believed that once his powers recovered enough to sense the Space Stone within him, he might be able to establish a passage between the real and comic worlds.

Of course, this was just a theory. Whether it was possible would depend on Luna, the "creator."

Still, Roger felt hopeful.

"Take your time to think it over carefully. I need time to think, too. This is way too surreal. I almost wonder if I'm dreaming… No, I must be dreaming. I'll sleep on it."

Confronted with such an overwhelming reality, Luna chose to pull the blanket over her head and escape into sleep.

Compared to the revelation that her creation had come to life, even the fact that her house had burned down seemed trivial.

She needed rest to process the earth-shattering truth Roger had dropped on her.

Roger didn't disturb her further. He knew she needed time to think, just as he needed to decide for himself.

Should he go back?

Returning home, Roger settled into his routine.

During this period, he avoided heroic acts, didn't look for work, and stayed home monitoring news both domestically and internationally.

During his recovery, Roger made a troubling discovery.

The spatial bracelet containing Athena, along with the Infinity Stones on him, were missing.

The loss of the Infinity Stones wasn't a major issue—they couldn't be used outside the Marvel Universe.

The real problem was the spatial bracelet.

Roger hadn't forgotten that the corpses of the corrupted Superman and Doomsday were stored inside. If the bracelet malfunctioned and released its contents…

The emergence of Superman and Doomsday's bodies would undoubtedly cause a global sensation.

Thus, Roger diligently scoured the news, hoping for any leads.

But whether it was luck or misfortune, Roger found nothing—at least not yet.

His only hope now was that the bracelet wouldn't fall into the wrong hands before his recovery was complete.

Of course, there was another possibility: the bracelet and the Infinity Stones might have ended up in another world entirely.

If that were the case, Roger's journey back to the DC Universe would become a distant dream.

...

Two weeks after revealing his identity to Luna, Roger finally received her call.

During that time, Roger had even received official recognition for his heroic deeds, including monetary rewards and commendations.

Local reporters had interviewed him multiple times, and his story was shared widely online.

Roger had almost assumed that Luna didn't believe him and wouldn't contact him again.

"Sorry, I had a lot to deal with after being discharged..."

Meeting Roger at a nearby café, Luna apologized sincerely.

Unlike Roger, who only had to deal with media attention and police inquiries, Luna had far more on her plate.

Her brother, Rex, had been arrested for arson. As his only family member, she had to handle his affairs despite her resentment toward him.

This included compensating the victims and preparing for court appearances—tasks she had to manage personally.

With everything piling up, Luna barely had time to think about Roger's situation. If not for the profound impact of Roger's revelations, she might not have remembered to reach out at all.

"I understand. How's your brother?"

When they met at the café, Roger asked her.

Luna's expression was calm as she replied, "He's definitely going to be sentenced. The police told me it'll be at least ten years if nothing unexpected happens."

"That's good."

"...Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"Kind of. At least with him in prison, he can't cause any more trouble. Think of it as him doing his part to protect society."

Roger chuckled.

It was only because of the rule of law that Rex had survived. If they were in America, Roger wouldn't have hesitated to deal with him permanently.

"Sigh…"

Luna sighed, acknowledging the truth in Roger's words.

She took out a second-hand laptop she had purchased online, opened it on the café table, and navigated to some notes and ideas she had compiled.

"Let's get to the point. After thinking it over carefully, I've concluded that ordinarily, something like crossing into one's creations and returning should be impossible."

"But it's already happened."

"Yes, and that's exactly what puzzles me."

Luna's fingers glided over the laptop's touchpad as she continued, "In terms of quality, design, and popularity, my fan-made character settings are incredibly niche. By all logic, you shouldn't have crossed into something so obscure.

"That's why I suspect… there must have been some extraordinary phenomenon linking you to my work."

"Extraordinary phenomenon?"

"Yes, something like… supernatural events, alien encounters, divine intervention—anything out of the ordinary. It's even possible that our world is itself someone's creation."

"A story within a story?"

"That's one way to look at it."

Luna sipped her coffee and shrugged.

Just as Roger hadn't realized he'd crossed into Luna's creation, it was equally possible that their world was another creator's work.

After all, people within a story have no way of knowing whether their world is real or the product of someone's imagination.

"Also, there's something that bothers me. You said you crossed directly into Homelander's body, right? But according to my character design, you should've crossed into his childhood self.

"And instead of appearing in The Boys universe, you should've been in the Marvel Universe, adopted by Tony Stark."

"That's true. Why the discrepancy?"

"It's just a theory, but based on Andrea's appearance as your 'past self,' I looked into it…"

Luna tapped away at her keyboard before turning the laptop screen toward Roger.

"And I found this."

Roger leaned in to look at the screen.

"...A novel?"

"Yes, a fan fiction based on my designs. Strangely enough, this story closely mirrors your experiences. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated in a while."

"So we need to find the author…?"

"Sorry, that's impossible." Luna quickly dismissed Roger's suggestion.

"Why?" Roger asked, frowning.

Luna sighed and replied, "Because the author is dead. passed away from illness."

Roger fell silent once more.

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