Butcher ended the call with Allen.
"..."
Butcher was still out looking for Compound V with the team. His expression seemed to waver for a moment after ending the call but then returned to its serious and determined state.
Butcher's plan seemed feasible: strike at Vought where it hurt the most, its popularity, public adoration, and above all, its finances. But Butcher being Butcher, his main target was not Vought itself but Homelander. To do that, he needed to make Allen and Homelander fight once again.
Butcher needed to gauge how well Allen could stand up to Homelander and decide how they would proceed afterward. If Allen's strength was close to Homelander's, Butcher could look for a way to weaken Homelander so Allen could kill him. But if the difference was too great, Butcher would seek another method that didn't involve a direct confrontation between Allen and Homelander. Of course, Butcher was a bastard, manipulative, and willing to cut off his own arm if it meant killing Homelander. However, he understood that he couldn't deceive Allen.
During their conversation, Butcher felt that Allen must have realized his true objective, yet it seemed not to bother him.
'You're growing on me, kid,' Butcher thought as the others in the car looked at him suspiciously. It wasn't common to see the rabid dog smile without his usual psychotic expression.
Butcher was right. Allen knew that sooner or later he would have to face Homelander. This would continue several times, and unless there were variables or external elements, it would keep going until one of them died.
Butcher parked and got out of the car with The Boys. They all looked at the dingy place they had arrived at.
The plan was for a stealthy infiltration. After a simple plan and a few exchanged glances, they entered. Luckily, except for Hughie, none of them were novices, and they managed to reach the basement without drawing attention.
Butcher checked several places and became frustrated when he couldn't find the Compound V. They had arrived too late.
"Damn it!" Butcher exclaimed. "I hope he has better luck than us"
"Frenchie?..." MM noticed that Frenchie was distracted and went to check on him. Frenchie was in front of a cell where a girl with black hair was watching cartoons.
"What are you doing, Frenchie?"
"I'm going to free her."
"What?!, buddy, she's in a reinforced cell for a reason."
MM's argument made sense, but Frenchie didn't like the idea of leaving her locked up. Hughie and Butcher approached. Butcher agreed with MM that it was a bad idea, but Hughie argued that they should let her go. Frenchie let her out in a moment of distraction.
The woman got up and looked at them. That look devoid of pity sent chills down their spines, and at that moment, they realized they had made a mistake.
"Don't let her out!" yelled one of the armed Japanese men who had noticed this, but it was too late.
"Ahhh!"
The woman ran and leaped toward him with panther-like agility. She knocked him down amidst screams and repeatedly stabbed him in the abdomen with hands that resembled claws, doing so like a wild beast.
"She's a supe!" shouted Hughie.
Everyone was terrified as they watched her mercilessly kill every armed man who entered. She was agile, strong, and had regenerative abilities and bullets didn't affect her.
The Boys scrambled into the cell to protect their lives, and the woman snarled as she tried to reach them. She was like a female Wolverine having a bad day. After realizing it was impossible, the woman seemed to remember something and left, disappearing somewhere. Everyone glared at Frenchie in frustration, as his actions had almost led to their deaths.
"I... I'm sorry..."
"Listen, Frenchie, next time you see a woman locked in a reinforced cell surrounded by armed men, don't free her or I'll kill you!" Butcher exited the cell, followed by the others.
"What do we do now?" Hughie asked nervously, looking at the dismembered bodies of the traffickers.
"Hm?" Butcher raised an eyebrow, not understanding what Hughie meant.
MM patted Hughie's shoulder, then smiled at him and looked at Butcher. "Should we go after her?"
Butcher stopped and looked at them with an irritated expression. "Most likely, the crazy Asian will kill us. Do you still want to pursue her?"
"Butcher, can't we call Petit Marcheur(Little Walker) and ask for help?"
Everyone looked at Frenchie but didn't blame him for starting the mess. Besides, using a Supe to catch another was a good idea.
"Listen, we need to focus on the Compound V. But if the kid decides to help with this, I won't stop him..." Butcher sneered. "Besides, Frenchie, I'd call him that if you don't want to end up tossed in Antarctica, haha."
Frenchie swallowed hard. Today, he would either improve things or fall into chaos. None of them had any idea what would happen next, not even Butcher could foresee what would unfold after that day.
The Boys went their separate ways...
Butcher received information that Madelyn Stillwell had called a press conference at the airport. Vought wasn't a joke when it came to organizing such events.
But everything was part of Butcher's plan, and it amused him.
...
(Vought International)
Inside a modern yet elegant office was a man of color with a piercing gaze and a commanding presence, as if nothing in the world could threaten him.
His name is Stan Edgar, Director of Vought International, Madelyn's boss, the person who is above all of Vought. He is essentially the reason Supes exist in the first place.
Stan Edgar looked at his phone, waiting for a report from Black Noir about the situation. In fact, it was unusual that Black Noir hadn't called yet. Of course, it wasn't the first time Black Noir had been late with a report, and that was due to the "fun" Stan Edgar was aware of. However, this time Homelander was in the Atlantic, there was no one or nothing to entertain Black Noir.
Stan closed his eyes for a moment. He managed Vought like a shadow and often let Madelyn make the decisions, yet he knew everything that happened—or rather, nothing happened without Stan Edgar's knowledge. Since the incident with A-Train, the attack on the Supes bar, the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Translucent... and of course, he knew it was Homelander who had killed him.
Stan Edgar was the only person to whom Homelander still showed respect and even a bit of fear, though not openly.
As Madelyn spoke passionately in her speech, the image on the screen in front of Stan changed. The face of Allen appeared before him.
'Who was he?'
Están's gaze was filled with brightness and interest....
This was a topic that intrigued Stan. It was absurd to have a Supe capable of facing Homelander, yet there he was, the little albino villain who almost destroyed The Seven.
As the Director of Vought International, Stan Edgar was aware of every Supe's existence, including the illegal ones created when Compound V ended up in the hands of those other than Vought. However, he had no idea who, how, when, or where Allen had been created.
...
Stan pondered but came to no conclusions. He already had people investigating; all he could do was wait.
He looked at his computer screen, where Madelyn's speech was being broadcast. He sensed something odd about all this. Madelyn's actions seemed rushed as if someone had pushed her to turn this event into a worldwide news story.
It's here...
Stan stopped thinking about them and leaned back in his chair, watching the screen...
...
JFK Airport (John F. Kennedy)
Madelyn ensured that reporters from around the world were present and gathered them near the runway, causing several flight delays. Such an arrangement couldn't be made without considerable influence or, alternatively, leveraging or calling in favors.
"As always, it's all about the money," Butcher thought with disdain as he entered the airport and blended in with the reporters using a fake press pass.
After a while, Butcher received a message from Allen saying he had managed to rescue the plane and would be heading to Chicago.
Butcher – "Kid, bring the plane to New York. I've got a surprise for you, hahaha!"
Allen – "I have a bad feeling about this, but I don't care anymore -_-"
...
Madelyn took advantage of the press conference to update everyone on her progress in capturing the albino villain, among other things.
"We are pleased to report that The Deep is doing well and sent us a message from the hospital."
the screen behind Madelyn lit up, and everyone saw The Deep lying in a bed with his face bandaged. Unable to speak, he began mumbling and raised his thumb.
Madelyn immediately looked at Ashley, who hurriedly cut the feed. They had instructed The Deep not to speak to avoid looking foolish. It was already bad enough that he was the only member of The Seven knocked out during the invasion.
Unfortunately, The Deep demonstrated once again just how foolish he could be. Ignoring the instructions, he seemed to forget that half of his face had been mangled by a meat grinder. As he attempted to speak, he experienced excruciating pain. Before Ashley could cut the transmission, viewers saw The Deep writhing in agony.
"It seems our hero... is on the mend," Madelyn forced a reaction and continued.
Butcher shook his head, thinking that if all Supes were as stupid as The Deep, he could easily take them all down.
Madelyn apologized and moved on to the next topic. The Tower of The Seven hadn't suffered as much damage as initially believed, thanks to the efforts of The Seven.
"You lying bitch, haha," Butcher knew that the only reason that building wasn't destroyed by Homelander was that Allen prevented it.
"Starlight... this topic is sensitive. We have reports claiming that our innocent Starlight was kidnapped by the villain, but there are also videos contradicting this. Until we find Starlight, we cannot confirm the truth..."
'Haha, that sweet blonde is already sharing a bed with my boy!' Butcher almost burst out laughing.
Madelyn coughed and regained her composure. At this point, she realized just how much everything had gone to hell in just a few days. They had gone from celebrating box office successes and preparing for new legislation to facing constant scrutiny and a severe lack of public trust.
"With the unfortunate death of Translucent, a part of us was lost," Madelyn smiled. "But I am optimistic that a new dawn will brighten our future!"
Half of the reporters applauded, while the rest remained skeptical. People at home were excited, cheering, and smiling.
...
Two fifteen-year-old sisters were arguing in their living room.
"You see, I told you The Deep wasn't dead!"
"I can't believe you like The Deep. The guy was knocked out cold by a single blow from the villain. Meanwhile, Homelander took over a hundred cowardly hits protecting the building and the people during the attack!"
"Ah?! Don't be silly. The Deep was injured saving Starlight from certain death but he could not prevent the villain from taking her away. Now he blames himself... what a noble soul!"
"Girls, stop fighting."
"Yes, Mom!"
"By the way, do you want pudding?!"
The two girls stopped watching TV, went to get some pudding.
This scene was repeated everywhere. Vought knew how to downplay their failures and even twist the truth. Somehow, The Deep sacrificed himself to protect Starlight, and Homelander defended the building, so he couldn't chase the villain. It sounded ridiculous, but people ended up believing it when Vought said so.
Vought International had a firm grasp on the media, allowing them to turn black into white if they wished. That's why, no matter how bad things looked or what news came out, they could always spin it.
Butcher looked around and saw serious reporters from all over the world.
CNN (USA) BBC (UK) Al Jazeera (Qatar) Reuters (UK) The New York Times (USA) Deutsche Welle (Germany) Sky News (UK) NHK (Japan) Euronews (EU) Xinhua (China) RT (Russia), etc.
A curious fact is that this was not necessary, since Vought's superheroes did not leave the country, so for other countries they were only human weapons.
'Heh, half of the world's major media outlets sent representatives... wow, Madelyn~, you've done your job very well~' Butcher mocked Madelyn sarcastically. He and his "friends" had pushed her into this.
While in the live-action story, The Boys were somewhat informal due to circumstances that caused them to lose government support, the comics presented a different scenario. The Boys, and of course, Butcher, never ceased to be a secret organization with government backing.
In this world, it was a mix of both scenarios. Butcher had problems with his previous team, to the point where they all died, which led to reduced support due to the danger. Nevertheless, Billy Butcher never stopped receiving support.
Butcher is a tormented and hateful man who will use everything at his disposal, whether it's government power, a dangerous new Supe, a killer bomb, or even Satan himself, to take down Vought, the Supes, and kill Homelander.
Butcher looked up at the sky as his sadistic smile disappeared and was replaced by a serene look. At the same time, Madelyn's speech was interrupted by the sound of several helicopters approaching.
The truth became clear as the helicopters escorted a commercial airplane that was descending slowly. The most absurd part was that it descended too slowly and too vertically, making it obvious that it wasn't moving naturally.
Butcher watched this in silence, his expression unchanged. Then he noticed Madelyn's mouth opening in shock, her phone fell to the ground.
Reporters stood up and ran toward the plane's landing site. Butcher lit a cigarette and smoked while Madelyn knelt on the ground.
It wasn't Homelander!
That was the thought that stunned Madelyn. Ashley rushed to help her, but she remained unresponsive.
It wasn't Homelander... why wasn't it Homelander?
Clearly, both he and Maeve had gone to intercept Flight 37. However, the plane appeared along with an unknown superhero.
What does this mean?!
"Hahaha, maybe Homelander is dead... hahaha."
Butcher laughed without mercy. Madelyn lifted her gaze and immediately became furious. "BILLY BUTCHER!!"
She knew. It made sense when this bastard, who had wanted to take down Vought for so long, appeared.
"He's... he's yours!"
"The kid would get mad if you said that in front of him, but if you're referring to us working together, then Yes, b*tch!"
"I knew it! I always knew it! You and your Boys always trying to be a pain!"
"Yeah, you knew and even mocked us. We were just government dogs, unrecognized, so you thought we were trash!"
Madelyn bit her lip until it bled. "How... how did you get him?... How?"
"How did we manage to raise a Supe better than Homelander?!" said Butcher indifferently.
"...!"
Madelyn choked. Even though that thought crossed her mind, she didn't want to admit it. It shouldn't be possible; there was no way a Supe could be superior to Homelander. It didn't make sense.
But here was the reality: Homelander did not return, but this young man did.
Madelyn was terrified. Before, she just saw Butcher and his attempts to stop Vought as silly and even amusing. But deep down, why should she be afraid? She had hundreds of superhumans at her command who could do anything with her orders.
Vought International had become a monster they couldn't defeat, and Homelander was the greatest proof of that.
Butcher took a drag from his cigarette and turned to the distance. His gaze was on Allen, who was slowly bringing the plane down.
Madelyn Stillwell looked at Allen. There was no way to top that, and Madelyn knew it. Even the reporters, instead of taking photos, stood in stunned silence, watching Allen descend.
...
Descending slowly as if the plane were being held up by the sky itself. The plane with a faint golden glow, came down accompanied by the sunlight.
Allen seemed concerned about not damaging the plane, setting it down gently, and looking at everyone present while remaining airborne with his cape fluttering.
There was a different feeling in the air, it wasn't the oppression that accompanied Homelander's appearances. It was a sense of tranquility, peace, and nostalgia, like seeing a distant relative after a long time.
Allen didn't do anything extraordinary. He wanted to leave and cursed Butcher for getting him involved in this.
Allen coughed and proceeded to open the plane door. The inflatable slide is detached to allow passengers to disembark.
One by one, the passengers exited, thanking Allen while laughing, crying, and smiling.
"I get it, stop being so thankful!"
Allen wasn't used to receiving so much gratitude and felt a little uncomfortable, which made his Chat laugh.
Upon touching the ground, many knelt, thinking they would never return home.
"Brother!"
A girl shouted at Allen from the plane door. Allen hesitated and seemed ready to leave, but the girl looked like she was about to cry, so Allen floated over and picked her up.
"You're quite the blackmailer," Allen grumbled with a half-smile.
"I'm sorry!~" the girl apologized, though she was more excited and eager to fly. "Brother, can we fly to the sky?!"
"No, your mom would be terrified, and the FBI would chase me if I took a kid with me."
FBI: "Nah, go ahead and take the kid. We're aware you're a decent guy... *at least fifteen agents are documenting and recording this in detail...*"
'Liars!'
Allen felt he couldn't trust anyone anymore.
Despite the girl's complaints, he gently lowered her to the ground. When he touched down, reporters held their breath, and passengers gathered around Allen once more to thank him.
Allen simply felt uncomfortable and wanted nothing more than to leave, but everyone kept surrounding him, even the girl clinging to his neck to prevent him from going.
The Chat loved this situation as nothing was better than seeing Allen having problems and because he was sincere thanks Allen couldn't refuse him.
...
Butcher didn't sense the slightest danger from Allen. He couldn't feel any resentment, frustration, or fear. Despite Allen having apparently surpassed Homelander and being even stronger than him, Butcher felt no desire to confront him.
Butcher had seen hundreds of Supes, and while he considered many to be harmless, none had made him lower his guard like this.
"Madelyn, we didn't create him... he's... real."
"...!"
Madelyn froze, and so did Ashley. Both women watched Butcher walk away.
...
[Host it looks like you're one step away from being the savior~]
'I refuse! people's gratitude is very heavy, that's why I prefer my Chat who on receiving a "thank you" comes accompanied by an insult'
[That sounds masochistic....]
'Shut up, I prefer that to this cloying situation, I don't know how there are people who put up with this...'
[Get used to it... Superhero~]
'No!'
===
A/N: I hope the chapter wasn't too cheesy ;3
Allen - Damn!
Author - hahaha
Allen - Don't laugh, you got me into this!
My new patreon is: Patreon.com/_Aizen