Chapter 79 : Moved
Mark handed the phone to Butcher.
"The fuck’s this?" Butcher asked.
"It’s Homelander," Mark replied.
Butcher took the phone, his eyes narrowing.
"...Yeah?"
"William," Homelander said calmly. "I’d like a private word. Find somewhere we won’t be interrupted."
Butcher stared at the phone for a moment before walking into the next room and closing the door behind him.
"Right," he said. "No one’s listening. What d’you want?"
"I wanted to ask you about your wife."
Butcher’s face hardened.
"My wife?"
"Becca."
"The fuck are you on about?"
"I asked Madelyn Stillwell about her today."
Butcher’s patience snapped.
"You’ve got some bloody nerve. You’re the one responsible. Have you forgotten what you did to my wife? You raped her, you ruined my family, and now you’re ringing me asking about Becca?"
Homelander let the outburst finish before speaking.
"That’s interesting."
His voice remained calm.
"The way you said that... you actually believe that’s what happened."
Butcher gave a bitter laugh.
"’Believe?’ I lived it, you arrogant cunt. My wife disappeared after you cornered her, and Vought buried every trace of it. Don’t stand there pretending you don’t know."
"I know what I was told," Homelander replied. "And now I know that both of us have been lied to for eight years."
There was a brief silence.
"You’ve spent eight years hunting me down, William. I have to admit... that’s impressive. Most people would’ve given up long ago."
Butcher scoffed.
"Save the compliments. I’d be a lot more moved with a bullet through your skull."
A quiet chuckle came from the other end.
"Silly William. You know that isn’t possible."
Homelander’s tone changed, becoming almost conversational.
"There’s one reason I called. Consider it a reward for your determination."
Butcher’s grip tightened around the phone.
"What are you talking about?"
"Becca is alive."
For the first time since the call began, Butcher didn’t answer.
His mind went blank.
"You heard me," Homelander continued. "The wife you’ve believed was dead for eight years... is alive."
Butcher finally found his voice.
"...Where is she?"
Homelander smiled.
"That," he said, "is enough for today."
"I’d rather tell you in person."
The silence on the line stretched for a few seconds before Homelander spoke again.
"We’ll meet soon, William. After eight years of chasing me... I think it’s finally time we met properly."
The call ended.
Butcher remained standing in the empty room, the phone still pressed against his ear.
Only one thought kept repeating in his mind.
Becca is alive.
Those three words echoed in Butcher’s mind long after the call had ended.
He opened the door and stepped back into the main room.
Nobody spoke.
One look at his face told the others something had happened.
Before anyone could ask, every television channel switched to a breaking news bulletin.
The Vought logo filled the screen before a news anchor appeared.
"We’re interrupting our scheduled programming with a statement released moments ago by Vought International."
The screen changed to photographs of Billy Butcher, Mother’s Milk, Frenchie, and Hughie Campbell.
"Vought has identified these four individuals as the primary suspects in a coordinated campaign targeting Vought employees and members of The Seven."
"The company alleges they are responsible for the murder of Translucent, multiple attacks on Vought property, and the recent theft and exposure of confidential information related to Compound V."
The images changed again.
Security footage of the masked man known only as The Devil appeared on the screen.
"The company has also confirmed that the unidentified superhuman known to the public as ’The Devil’ is believed to be operating alongside the group."
"Vought describes him as an extremely dangerous individual responsible for several violent incidents involving Vought personnel."
The reporter continued.
"According to Vought, investigators believe the group is acting as an organized terrorist cell whose objective is to undermine public confidence in American superheroes through violence, intimidation, and the release of stolen corporate information."
A statement from Vought appeared on screen.
"These individuals should be considered armed, dangerous, and capable of causing mass casualties."
"We are working closely with federal and local law enforcement to ensure they are brought to justice. Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is urged to contact the authorities immediately."
The room fell silent.
Frenchie stared at the screen.
"They’ve turned us into the story."
M.M. looked at his own photograph.
"They’re making sure nobody listens to us before we even get the chance to speak."
Butcher didn’t say a word.
He watched the broadcast continue, knowing exactly what Vought was doing.
They weren’t trying to prove anything.
They were making sure the public reached its verdict first.
"Well, they’re doing everything they can to bury the Compound V story," Mark said, his eyes fixed on the television.
He hadn’t expected Vought to regain control of the narrative this quickly.
Stillwell was dead, the Boys had been branded terrorists, and every news channel was repeating the same story. Within a few hours, Compound V had gone from the biggest scandal in the country to the second headline.
Mark was almost certain Homelander had killed Stillwell. Whether it was because she’d lied about Becca or for some other reason, he didn’t know.
Trying to understand Homelander’s motives was pointless.
"And Vought didn’t waste a second putting everything on her," Mark said quietly.
His mind drifted to Annie.
’If Homelander’s already this unstable... Annie might not be safe in the Seven anymore.’
A/N : There will be Minor crossover and the next world is Jujutsu Kaisen
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