Chapter 65 : Believe Expo
"Hmmm, this really is good," Butcher said while walking around the Believe Expo stalls, holding a paper tray filled with barbecue. For all his complaints about religion and Vought, he had to admit the food was excellent.
M.M. looked around at the giant screens, worship music, smiling volunteers, and endless merchandise booths. "All I see is brainwashing. Vought found a way to mix religion, patriotism, and superheroes into one package and sell it to people."
Butcher snorted. "That’s what they’re good at. Doesn’t matter if it’s God, superheroes, or bloody breakfast cereal. If they can stick a brand on it, they’ll make money."
Hughie adjusted the visitor pass around his neck. "Can we focus on why we’re here? The longer we stay, the more nervous I get."
"He’s right," M.M. said. "We get the information from Ezekiel, figure out what’s happening with Samaritan’s Embrace, and leave. No unnecessary trouble."
Butcher finished the last piece of barbecue, wiped his hands, and took out the phone containing the video. "Now remember one thing, Hughie. The bloke doin’ the blackmail never looks nervous. If you look scared, the other bastard starts thinkin’ he has options."
He placed the phone into Hughie’s hand. "Walk in there like you already know how this ends."
Hughie swallowed. M.M. put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck. And remember, the moment he thinks you’re unsure of yourself, he’ll try to turn things around."
Hughie looked at the phone in his hand. "Yeah... no pressure at all."
Butcher grinned. "That’s the spirit, son. Now go scare the stretchy bastard."
***
Mark walked beside Annie as they moved through the crowded pathways of Believe Expo.
"Honestly, if you hadn’t come, I would’ve felt like a stuffed balloon ready to burst," Annie admitted. "I’ve been bottling up too many things lately."
There was genuine exhaustion in her voice. Despite the smiles, music, and cheerful atmosphere around them, Annie didn’t enjoy her current environment — ever since joining the Seven, every part of her life felt managed by somebody else.
Mark glanced at her. "Well, if you want, you can take a long break."
"A break?"
"Yeah. Just disappear for a while."
Mark could tell she was carrying far more than she admitted. Between growing up under her mother’s expectations and now dealing with corporate greed disguised as heroism, Annie barely had room to breathe.
And things would only get worse. When the truth about Compound V finally came out, it would shatter everything she believed about herself — she genuinely thought her powers were a gift from God, something given to her so she could help people.
The reality was far uglier. Her mother had injected her with Compound V as a child, no miracle, no divine calling, just a corporation selling dreams to parents who wanted their children to be special.
Once Annie learned it, she would inevitably question whether becoming Starlight had ever been her own choice, or whether everything had been decided before she was old enough to understand.
Mark quietly looked ahead. To truly end the cycle, Vought itself had to be destroyed — simply killing Homelander or beating a few heroes wouldn’t accomplish anything.
Vought was a brand, an institution woven into American society, and dismantling it required public support and exposed truth, not physical force.
There was also the ugly reality that not every child injected with Compound V became a hero. The successful cases ended up on magazine covers.
The failures disappeared — some developed severe deformities, some lost their minds, others spent their lives hidden in Vought facilities where nobody would ever know they existed.
Compound V was never a miracle. It was a gamble, and only a handful won.
He glanced at Annie beside him and kept those thoughts to himself.
"Ummm... can we take a photo with you?" Two little girls stood in front of Mark, looking up at him hopefully.
Mark blinked. "Ummmm... sure."
Honestly, he had no idea he was this popular among children. The two girls immediately smiled and moved closer.
A few moments later, their mother walked over. "Sorry if they’re bothering you. We were on Flight 37. Ever since that day, they’ve been your biggest fans."
"Oh." One of the girls nodded enthusiastically, and Mark suddenly felt far more uncomfortable than when reporters had surrounded him earlier. "Well... I just did what anybody should do."
The mother smiled, though it was the kind of smile that clearly said she disagreed. "Maybe. But my daughters are here because of you."
Annie stood beside him quietly, letting the family have their moment. Mark scratched the back of his head.
"Right... well, let’s take that picture then."
The two girls happily stood beside him as their mother lifted her phone, both of them grinning as though they had met their favorite hero.
Mark forced a smile for the picture. Sorry, kids. I’m not as heroic as you think I am.
The truth sat heavily in the back of his mind. Hughie, hurry up and get that information. Mark remembered the broad outline of events, but not every detail — he couldn’t recall where the Compound V was being distributed to infants, and guessing wasn’t good enough.
A/N : There will be Minor crossover and the next world is Jujutsu Kaisen
*****
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