D.M.Emrys
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(The Boys) The Morning After: Chapter 12 – Homelander Sees the Light
🕑 Added 2024-06-24 18:22:06 +0000 UTCChapter 12 – Homelander Sees the Light
It was a little over a week later that the trio came back from Russia. A very happy group, which caused Hughie to have a new hope for the future.
Hughie was finally batter. His ribs were still tender, and he couldn’t push himself too hard or his breath will cause him pain. Annie was still there for him most of the time. When she wasn’t with him, she was either talking with Becca, her mom and his dad or playing with Janine and Ryan, who became best friends. Much to Becca’s and Moniqe’s delight.
Right now Annie was with the two kids and Becca to make sure they stayed in the room while he talked with Butcher.
Butcher entered the living room alone, he stopped when he saw Hughie standing in his way. “Feeling batter kid?”
Hughie gave him a small smile and nod, before asking “Had a good trip?”
Butcher smirked at him and responded, “You will have to wait a little to discovered how good.”
Hughie nodded, distracted. He took a deep breath and said, “Butcher I need to speak to you about Becca.”
Butcher froze, and his entire body stiffened. Before saying firmly “What about my wife?”
Hughie looked the older man in the eyes and said, “She is alive.”
Butcher face went red, and he began advancing at Hughie. But the young man just stood his ground and kept talking “After you left, Mallory came to me, and told me she found about it in Vought’s servers.”
Butcher went pale and took a step backward. He chocked out “Why? Why haven’t she…” But he couldn’t even finish the question.
Hughie understood nonetheless and replied “Because after Homelander raped her, she was pregnant. Vought hide her away so Homelander will never find out.”
Butcher face went from pale to red again as he said more than asked, “You know where she is.” Hughie just nodded. “Then tell me kid!” The Brit demanded.
Hughie shook his head before saying firmly “Not yet. There still couple more things I need to make sure you understand before telling you that.”
Hughie didn’t expect to be pushed hard into the wall. He let out a scream of pain, and he felt his head growing lighter. Butcher face was close to his, and they were purple with rage as he demanded again “I don’t want to hurt you kid, but there is one thing you don’t fuck around with me about. Now, tell me!”
Hughie shook his head, his breaths coming shorter now. Then sparks came down from the lamp above them, before he heard Annie’s voice “Put him down asshole, or I will make you. Painfully.”
When Hughie managed to turn his head, he saw Annie standing there with a furious look on her face. Her palms were pointing at Butcher and her eyes were glowing with power. But Butcher just scowled at her and said “I was willing to take on Homelander because he killed my wife. Do you really think I will stop now for you Starlight?”
Before Annie could respond a new voice came from around the corner “Billy Butcher!” A moment later Becca came into the room. Shocking Butcher.
Becca didn’t seem to care, she advanced on Butcher and said in a hard voice “Put Hughie down right now Billy. Did you forget he is still injured?!”
With wide eyes Butcher immediately let him go, but Hughie couldn’t hold himself up any longer. But lucky for him both Annie and Becca were quick to be at his side and lead him to a seat.
Once he was seated Annie began looking him over, while Becca turned back to her husband, a glare firm at place. “What do you think you were doing Billy? Even if he wasn’t injured, he is still your friend.”
But Butcher didn’t respond. All he did was stare at her, pale stammering “B-Becca?”
The woman just sighed. “Yes Billy. It been a while, but I am still your wife. If you can accept…”
“Of course, I accept you Becca. I was fighting for you all this time.” Butcher declared.
Becca narrowed her eyes at the Brit “My son. I was going to say, accept my son.”
Butcher frowned “The son of the king cunt?”
Becca scowled right back at him “No! He doesn’t even now Homelander. He is my kid, and he is a good kid. Just give him a chance.”
Butcher expression was strange, and Hughie couldn’t name it “You love him, even after what happened to you.”
Becca sighed and her face softened “It wasn’t Ryan’s fault what happened Billy. Yes, I love him. But I also still love you. If you just open your mind and heart, we can be a family.”
Butcher seemed to struggle with the idea, but eventually nodded and said, “I will give the baby supe a chance.”
Bacca motioned for him to follow her, and as they left, they were whispering to each other things Hughie could no longer hear.
Hughie was drawn back to the moment when he heard Annie renting “…Blind the asshole before kicking him in the nuts. Let’s see how he will like that.” Then she looked at him “Oh Hughie, lets pull up your shirt and see how bad I need to punch the asshole.”
Hughie caught her hands and smiled softly “I’m good Annie. The pain is already fading. Cut Butcher some slack, I would react the same way if it was you on the line.”
Annie just shook her head and responded with “And I put line when it comes to hurt you Hughie and I don’t care who tries.”
Hughie used all his power to pull Annie next to him and hugged her close while she laughed.
It was that evening that Mallory once again gathered everyone in the living room. This time Becca joined as well, sitting next to her husband, while Janine and Ryan were watched over by the three other parents.
As far as Hughie heard Butcher and Ryan actually got along pretty well with each other, but only time will tell what the three of them will become.
His line of thought was cut when Mallory spoke “Thanks to our mission in Russia we now have a weapon not just against Homelander, but supes everywhere.”
Hughie’s eyes widened and he could feel Annie stiffen next to him. Hughie immediately put an arm around her and draw her protectively next to him.
Kimiko seemed to notice Annie’s reaction because after a glance in her direction she shoved Frenchie and pointed at Annie. Once the thin man realized what the supe tried to tell him, he gave Annie a reassuring smile and said, “Relax Mademoiselle, we will never use it against you or Kimiko. And it is not as easy as firing a bullet.”
Mallory nodded and kept the explanation from that point “No it isn’t, for worse and best. The Russians were experimenting on soldiers-boy’s body. They hoped to duplicate the Compound V, but instead they create a radiation that negate the powers of any supe when exposed to it. Or if exposed for long enough removes them completely.”
MM shook his head in wonder “No Fuck. But I doubt Homelander will wait for us to charge him with radiation.”
Mallory showed on the screen a picture of a bomb-shelter and said “I have people installing in this bomb shelter the radiation equipment. Once we release the information that bring Vought down Homelander will come hunting us without anyone holding him back. I will make sure the signal will come from there so that will be the first place he will visit. From there William will take charge of the operation as requested by him.”
Everyone looked at the British man waiting for him to explain, but when he just kept smirking, everyone gave up and went to their room, it was time to rest.
Hughie, Annie, MM, Frenchie and Kimiko were all sitting in the living watching one of the most interesting interviews on TV these days.
During last night Mallory, Hughie and Annie released the most damaging pieces of information they got from Vought’s server’s data. And since today morning all news channels were doing one special segment after another about Vought as all and some supes specifically.
Right now, a small window on the screen showed the arrest of two people while the first anchor commented “What we are seeing now is the arrest of the head of Vought Stan Edgar and his second in command Madelyn Stillwell…”
They change the channel to another anchor that was speaking while A-train picture was next to Robin’s “…Hidden the truth. It’s obvious that Ms. Ward was an innocent party, and now her, at the time, boyfriend is named most wanted for refusing to maintain the lie…”
Annie was quick to change the channel again after seeing tears beginning to fill Hughie’s eyes. But this channel seemed to mock her personally as a picture of The Deep was spread across the scene with a feminine voice speaking “Now we have the evidence that Starlight wasn’t the only one the former member of the seven, The Deep had sexually assaulted. If the rumors coming from the seven’s tower is true and Starlight was the one to throw the former hero out the window to his death, the only thing I have to say to her is… You go girl.”
Annie shook her head and changed the channel again. This time it was a picture of some woman on the screen, while the anchor spoke “So apparently Fredrich Vought was a Nazi, and never abended his beliefs. Keep pushing the supreme race ideal within his company, and after he passed his wife. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, wife! Kept his work going…”
A red dot began flashing at the left corner of the screen, and Hughie immediately jumped from his seat. Without even asking he stole the remote from Annie and pushed couple of buttons while explaining “That’s the proximity alert at the shelter. Homelander is there.”
The news channel was replaced by a security feed. They all watched as Homelander stepped into the room, his eyes glowing red. But once he stepped into the room the door behind him closed with a loud ‘Bang’.
Homelander turned and was probably about to heat-vision the door off, but then a voice with a British accent spoke as Butcher stepped into the room from the shadows, a smirk on his face “Well, Well finally the cunt king himself.”
Homelander’s red eyes turned back to his natural blue, a smirk of his own appearing as he responded “Ah, William. I am surprised we haven’t met before.”
Butcher shrugged, pulled from his coat a trigger and held it high for the supe to see, before saying “I preferred to wait until the fighting level was more equal.”
Homelander raised an amused eyebrow “A bomb William? You do know it won’t even scratch me, right? You on the other hand…well.”
Butcher kept smirking and pushed the button. A moment later, all the lights in the room changed from yellow to red and kept growing in intensity.
In the safehouse living room Annie was worried for the man, she wasn’t exactly sure why, but she asked, “Is Butcher supposed to be there?”
Frenchie was frowning. He shook his head and said “Non.”
On the screen Homelander laughed while asking “Is that your game changer William, I am disappointed. I thought you will give a batter fight, dear Becca did.”
If Butcher face grew redder, she couldn’t say thanks to the red light now washing the camera’s vision. But when he spoke his voice was even “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about your mommy and daddy. They went to prison so nicely, the little cunts.”
Homelander’s smile vanished and he aimed a murderous glare at Butcher. It looked like Homelander was just standing and glaring at the Brit for a long moment without doing anything else other than blinking.
Suddenly next to her Hughie began to laugh. When Annie and the other two looked at him he explained “Butcher was stalling. He activated the light knowing Homelander will mock him, and after that will be done, he will try his heat-vision first. Giving the radiation enough time to completely nullify his powers.”
MM frowned, asking “But why take the risk?”
And Annie got it just then. With a smirk she replied “To kick Homelander’s ass himself.”
“Why…” They heard the mumble question from the screen and looked back. Homelander seems to give up on heat-vision, he shook his head and went to punch Butcher with all his strength.
When the Brit caught the fist as if it was nothing, Homelander’s eyes grew wider than anyone ever seen. His voice was scared when he asked, “What the hell?”
Butcher punched the supe with as much power as he had, right in the face. The so-called American symbol fall to the floor, two teeth broken. “Equal fighting level.” Butcher reminded smugly.
“How?” The supe choked out.
Butcher shrugged and replied casually “Courtesy of your dear old dad.”
Full of fury Vought’s champion attacked Butcher. But the supe always relied on his strength and invulnerability, without them Butcher, who was an experienced fighter, kicked the shit out of the blond man who raped his wife.
Homelander was laying to the floor, his face covered with his own blood, his legs broken. He raised himself on his elbows.
Butcher seemed to be done with the therapy and pulled a gun from his coat, aiming it at the supes head.
Homelander looked half terrified and half furious as he declared desperately “you can’t kill me! I am a God to your kind! Beloved by all!”
Butcher snorted and replied “You out of the loop Homelander. You ain’t beloved nor a God. All you’re a cunt that outlived his welcome.”
Before Homelander could respond Butcher pulled the trigger, creating a hole in the blonde’s hair. Finally putting an end to Homelander’s reign of terror.
Annie watched with a strange feeling floating around her. With Homelander gone, and Vought burning down the world they knew is dead. Something new will need to be born out of those ashes, Annie just still wasn’t sure what it will be. But she had Hughie with her, and not just him but their new family as well. They will find a way. They fought too hard to stop now.
