A/N: Dredd doesn't appear much in this story. But, I did use a little bit of dialogue from the 2012 movie for his scenes. Allyson and Michael don't show up that long either. The last chapter was more or less focusing on their story, this one is more centered around Frank Castle.
Speaking of Frank, we do get to see him do what he does best: punishing people.
Oh, and the chapter title is supposed to reference one of the Punisher's comics where he deliberately gets put in prison to hunt someone down. Thought it would be fitting here.
Frank found himself standing in a field, with the rain pouring down on him. He was wearing a camo poncho and a gray beanie, standard marine getup for extreme weather. The rain beat down into the Earth, muddying the ground, as lightning flashed across the sky. Castle spared a glance around him, seeing two rows of men cheering his name.
"CASTLE! CASTLE! CASTLE!"
Frank looked to his left, seeing he was alone. Odd, he could've sworn that his best friend, Billy Russo, was supposed to be with him. Castle shrugged, shook his fists to prepare himself for what was to come, and stepped forward, into the gauntlet.
The moment the first marine slammed his fist across Frank's jaw, lightning cracked, and the marines suddenly changed. Frank stared back in shock, as the man before him was no longer his brother in arms, but instead, Blarney Cock.
"Remember me, you bitch ass?" Cock sneered, shoving him forward. Frank stumbled, where Ezekiel caught him, and clocked him upside the head. Before Castle could recover, the Deep and A-Train ganged up on him, pummeling him while Translucent jeered.
Eventually, Frank was thrown forward, into the mud, where a pair of red boots stepped out in front of him. Castle looked up, seeing Homelander hold out a hand to help him up, and despite knowing it was a trap, Frank accepted.
Homelander easily pulled Frank to his feet, and rested his hand on Frank's shoulder.
"I got you, buddy." Homelander grinned, as his other hand formed into a fist and tore through Frank's ribcage. Castle's eyes widened slightly, blood dripping out of his mouth, and the light in his eyes began to fade-
Music: "Quiet Reflection" from the Punisher OST
Frank suddenly woke up, finding himself in the hospital bed, and wearing a white gown. On the opposite wall was a television set, which was playing the news. He attempted to move his arm, but heard a metallic clang. Castle's eyes narrowed, and he lifted his arms over the cream colored blanket, revealing his wrists were handcuffed to the bed rail.
"What the fuck?"
He didn't remember those before.
"Like the jewelry?"
Frank's eyes darted back up, seeing an African American man in a black coat, with a cowboy hat on his head.
"I'm Sheriff Barker of Haddonfield." the man tipped his hat. "I'd like to ask you some questions."
"Questions…" Frank groaned, looking out across the room. It looked like a normal hospital room, with nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing out of place was his skull vest, lying on a chair next to his bed.
"What are you doing down here in Haddonfield?"
Frank looked back to Barker, with a confused expression flashing along his face.
"What?"
"Don't be coy, Castle, we know there's a manhunt for you and whoever you're working with." Barker said sternly. "What, you come here to hide out for a bit until it blows over?"
"Is that… is that what you think this is?" Frank muttered, turning his head to stare out the window.
"Well, is it?" Barker asked. Frank wet his lips with his tongue for a moment, in an attempt to get the taste of crust out of his mouth, before looking back at the sheriff.
"You been to Smith's Grove?"
"Once or twice." Barker shrugged. "Usually to drop off patients that wandered too far."
"Ever been inside the place?"
"Can't say I have. Why?"
"They're experimenting on the patients there." Castle revealed. "Pumping them full of Compound V. Either Vought or Homelander is in on it."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Come on, Barker. What incentive would I have to tell you that?" Frank asked.
"Maybe you would have used that to get you out of there." Barker suggested.
"Good point." Frank nodded. "That's a good point."
Barker sighed, taking off his cowboy hat and running a hand through his bald head.
"Okay, say I do believe you on that, what then?" Barker asked, though he was still skeptical. "There's a procedure we gotta go by. You can't just barge in there and demand the doctors stop by shooting them."
"Yeah." Frank looked back down to the foot of his bed. "There was a time I thought that too. But I can do things you can't. And that makes me…"
Frank's eyes trailed to the bloody skull vest on the chair next to him.
"...this."
"You've killed over a dozen supes in the past week, Castle." Barker reminded him. "Including three members of the Seven. It has to end."
"Who's going to end it? You?" Frank whispered. "The CIA? The Feds? You think you can just arrest anyone in the Seven? Vought will have them bailed out within a day, assuming they even comply."
Frank looked back to Barker, with a determined expression in his eyes.
"The Seven, Homelander, they won't stop." Frank told him. "They can't stop. They don't give a shit about your law."
"So what the Hell am I supposed to do with this badge?" Barker asked.
"I can't answer that for you, sheriff." Frank sighed. "I don't have answers for any of this."
"So what are you asking?"
Frank scoffed for a moment, looking out the window, and looked back at Barker.
"Just let me be what I'm meant to be."
Barker looked at his shoes for a moment, thinking to himself. The entire time, Frank stared at him, wondering what was going through his head. Finally, the sheriff placed his hat back on his head, and stood up.
"I'm sorry, Castle, but the law is the law."
Barker headed towards the door, and opened it with a creak. He'd already let one killer walk free before. He didn't want to bend the rules a second time.
"You'll be secured here, until you can be transported back to New York."
Dredd, Diggle, Dax, Allyson, and Michael all stood inside Mallory's lake home, with Slade Wilson telling everything he knew about Smith's Grove to Congresswoman Victoria Neumann. Unfortunately, they didn't have the taped evidence with them, as it had been lost or destroyed during Cindy's rampage in Smith's Grove. After leaving Frank in Haddonfield, on his suggestion, the Boys drove their borrowed ambulance halfway back to New York, until Mallory arrived in a truck on loan from the CIA. While they all decided it was best to speak with Neumann to bring down Vought, Annie had flown herself back, in the event the rest of the Seven grew too suspicious.
"I told you, Stormfront gave the orders, and I followed them." Slade told Neumann and her assistant. "She threatened to find and murder my daughter."
"Right. As if you're a victim." Neumann muttered sarcastically. "Just cut the shit and start again, from the top."
"I'm not making excuses for what I did in the past." Wilson murmured, while staring in Diggle's direction. "But Vought came to me when I was imprisoned on Lian Yu. They wanted to offer me a 'second chance'..."
Mallory sat on a couch in the next room, staring at Dredd as he looked out her window. All these years, she knew him as Billy Butcher. She was still coming to terms that this is who he really was.
"Anyone ever tell you that if you make that face, it'll stay permanent?" Mallory spoke up, indicating Dredd's constant scowl.
"Yes." Dredd turned to look at his former boss. "Can't believe you're willing to hear him out."
"And how would you do it?" Mallory questioned.
"Interrogate him until he gives up everyone involved." Dredd listed off. "Then pass the death sentence for multiple counts of murder in the first degree."
"Well here, we have courts and Congress for that." Neumann interjected, walking into the room and sitting across from Mallory.
"The courts and Congress are corrupt." Dredd muttered, more to himself. "It's why the old world's justice system failed…"
"Opposition's going to have a field day: disgruntled ex-supe, as well as ex terrorist who tried to destroy Star City, but he'll be a good witness." Neumann announced to everyone. "But it's not enough."
"If torturing supes and burning them isn't good enough, then what the drokk are you good for?" Dredd sneered.
"You're a wanted felon, asshole, we don't need you." Neumann's assistant and daughter, Lisa, rolled her eyes.
"Yes we do." Neumann groaned. "Mr. Butcher, or Dredd, whatever he calls himself, has fought off Vought harder than we ever could. We just need to trust each other."
"Then what do you need?" Mallory asked.
"Well, we know what they were doing at Smith's Grove, but we don't know the why." Neumann explained. "Why test adult patients with Compound V? We need to figure that out. If we're going to hit the king, we better fucking kill him."
"We know someone who might give us the full picture." Mallory grinned.
Dredd's scowl deepened, if that was even possible.
"You have to be drokking kidding me."
"Why? Who is it?" Neumann asked, confused.
"Like you said, we have to trust each other." Mallory smiled wider.
Annie sat in NY Jitters, staring at the table with gold rimmed sunglasses on, until her mother walked in.
"Annie!" Donna exclaimed happily, as she went over to the table. "Would you like a coffee?"
"No thanks." Annie replied, taking off her sunglasses.
"Are you sure?" Donna frowned. "Maybe we could share a chocolate unicorn frappe-"
"Mom, I don't want a fucking unicorn frappe." Annie sighed. "When did you get to town?"
"I never left." Donna revealed. "I've been staying at the Days Inn motel. I'm not leaving until we talk this out. Believe me, I know you're mad at me-"
"Mom, it's not just you. It's…" Annie's voice trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Do you remember that cross you gave me, for confirmation? Every time I'd leave, before saving someone, I'd touch it, like Tim Tebow praying. I thought God was sending me on a mission, and now… I just feel so stupid. Have you ever wanted something so bad in life, only to realize it's worth nothing at all?"
"Honey, that's not true-" Donna tried to reason, but Annie cut her off.
"Mom, the good guys don't win. The bad guys don't get punished." Annie sobbed. In hindsight, it was ironic for her to say that, when she knew someone literally called the Punisher. "What we, the Seven, do, it's all for nothing. It's just for the money. And I'm in the middle of all of it, alone."
"Annie, you're not alone." Donna whispered. "Tell you what, how about we get away from this for a while? Away from New York, away from Vought. I already cleared it with Ashley from Vought."
Annie's face was about to light up into a smile, but it quickly changed into a look of horror.
"You called them?" Annie gasped, beginning to stand up. "They could be looking for me-"
A gas canister suddenly crashed through the window, instantly knocking everyone out except for Starlight.
"Oh my God, Mom!" Annie yelled, as her mother slipped into unconsciousness.
"Hey, Starlight!"
Annie looked up to see Stormfront punch her in the face, after walking through the smashed door.
"Black Noir had some really cool toys he left behind." Stormfront smirked, punching Starlight again to the ground. "I would've preferred killing everyone else here, but that would raise too many questions."
The last thing Annie saw was Stormfront's boot crashing into her face, before everything went black.
Dax, Allyson, and Michael stared at Neumann, seeing her and Lisa prepare for the hearing to reinstate the Sokovia Accords. As the congresswoman drove off, Dax turned towards Mallory.
"Colonel, do you think she's safe?" Dax asked, looking towards Grace. "She does have security detail."
"Which means fuck all if a supe drops by." Mallory pointed out. "That's why I want you to keep her alive, because she's our best chance at nailing Vought… and supes in general."
"Yes ma'am." Dax nodded, as he, Allyson, and Michael left her house.
Meanwhile, Dredd walked up to Mallory, the same grim scowl still plastered on his face.
"You ready?" the Judge asked.
"Yes." Mallory nodded, though her voice wavered.
"You don't look ready." Dredd muttered, but they nevertheless left out the front door.
"Can't believe I got stuck babysitting you, Wilson." Diggle growled, watching Dredd and Mallory leave.
"I'm not thrilled about it either, Dig." Slade mumbled. "My guess is they stuck us together because we know each other."
"My friends call me Dig." John turned towards Deathstroke. "You shouldn't even be speaking to me."
Annie woke up in a cold, dark cell. The only source of light were tiny bulbs in the corners of the room, which emitted a green glow. Annie hunched over them, trying to suck the electricity out, but nothing happened. Did they find a way to counteract her powers? Was this a power dampening cell? Or was it just not enough?
Starlight shook her head, and stormed towards the door, pounding her fists against it. Despite her superhuman strength, the steel door would not yield.
"Let me out!" Annie yelled. "Let me out!"
Annie screamed and cried, until she finally gave up, leaning against the opposite wall and sitting down, her head in her hands.
"Let me out." Annie whispered, feeling her voice going hoarse from the yelling. "Please God… let me out."
In Vought's Crime Analytics lab, Anika busily typed away at her computer, looking over satellite footage of the city. The analyst looked over her soldier, getting the feeling someone was behind her, and her eyes widened in surprise, seeing Queen Maeve.
"Queen Maeve!" Anika nearly jumped out of her chair. "I didn't know you were there!"
"Sorry." Maeve apologized with a small smile. "Any news on the wanted criminals?"
"Yes, actually." Anika reported. "We received a report that Frank Castle, John Diggle, and their unknown accomplices had broken into Smith's Grove Sanitarium yesterday."
"Where are they now?" Maeve asked.
"We're not sure, but we did find out that someone matching Castle's description was checked into Haddonfield Memorial Hospital later that day." Anika answered. "As far as we are aware, he hasn't been checked out."
"Thank you." Maeve nodded, and quickly left the lab. Minutes later, once she completely exited Vought Tower, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and took off running through the streets. She knew that Stormfront had Starlight locked up, but she couldn't risk freeing her on her own. Looking back, it seemed Annie had actually cared about Frank Castle, despite Homelander revealing to everyone that he blew up Translucent, as well as murdered A-Train.
The bottom line was, whatever Stormfront had planned for Starlight, it wasn't good. She had to save her, but without painting a target on both their backs. And that's where Castle came in.
Homelander and Stormfront stood in front of a crowd of cheering people, their backs surrounded by a giant American flag. After learning that a cash register employee at a convenience store was shot and killed in cold blood, Stormfront had the brilliant idea to have a rally, to stoke the fire.
"Hey, everybody!" Homelander grinned and waved, before kissing Stormfront. "How are we all doing? Who are the real heroes?"
"US!"
"That's right!" Homelander encouraged. "YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL HEROES!"
"Thank you!" Stormfront smiled. "Now, of course, our deepest condolences go to Kuldeep Singh's family. We will be donating to Samaritan's Embrace in his name."
"Our thoughts and prayers go to him and his kin." Homelander added, amongst the cheering of the masses. "But, that doesn't change the facts here, people. This used to be a beautiful country. One nation under God, remember? Right before the godless, inhuman supervillains came across our border, and dragged us down to their level, into the mud!"
The crowd began booing, some even giving the thumbs down gesture.
"And now, SJWs like Victoria Neumann want us to let them in, and give them a nice cup of ice tea." Stormfront mocked, as Homelander laughed. "And then punish us for stopping them, by hiding behind the Sokovia Accords! Has there ever been any other group who has been persecuted just for trying to protect their own?"
As the crowd continued cheering, Stormfront's smirk grew.
"Here's the thing: it was a tragedy, what happened in Sokovia, but it's been six years! Get over it!" Stormfront shouted. "We need Compound V! We need more supes!"
"That's right!" Homelander nodded, as the crowd began chanting, 'MORE SUPES! MORE SUPES!"
"Now, I've always been honest with you guys, and it pains me to tell you that we had a mole in the Seven: Starlight." Homelander revealed, earning several gasps in the crowd. "Don't worry, she was apprehended by none other than Stormfront, and she can't hurt anyone else."
From his hospital bed, Frank's eyes widened, hearing everything Homelander said.
"Starlight has been conspiring with the men who not only murdered Translucent, but also A-Train and the Deep-"
"Shit!" Frank yelled, and he began to rattle his handcuffs and stare towards the door.
"Hey, hey! You gotta let me outta here!"
Stormfront and Homelander finished their last selfie with one of the crowd members, before waving them away.
"Sorry guys, we gotta go!" Homelander smiled, as he and Starlight walked away. "I'm telling you, keeping Starlight alive is a fucking mistake. I underestimated her, and I will not do it again."
"Don't worry." Stormfront smirked. "#StarlightIsATraitor is trending number one on Twitter, and we have over a million supporters on Compound V. A common enemy rallies the base. Just trust me on this."
Homelander smirked, while Stormfront began to stare past him.
"Alright, if it means I get my hands on Frank Castle, and get to tear his spine right through his neck-"
Homelander stopped, seeing Stormfront looking away from him, with tears in her eyes. He turned around, following her gaze, and saw a mother holding a beautiful newborn baby.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, it's just…"
"Your daughter." Homelander realized.
"Eighty years ago, she looked exactly like that." Stormfront murmured. "Sometimes, it feels like only yesterday."
Homelander wiped away his lover's tears, and smiled.
"I have something to show you."
Becca and Ryan Butcher just finished building their lego house, when they both heard a loud booming noise. Becca instantly turned around, seeing Homelander stand up from a kneeling position, followed by a woman in a black suit and cape slowly hovering downward, purple lightning crackling from her hands.
"Hey guys." Homelander smiled, as the other woman touched down. "This is Stormfront. Stormfront, this is Rebecca."
"Hello." Stormfront slightly smiled, forcefully grabbing Becca's hand and shaking it. In spite of her strength, the gesture was soft, surprising Becca. "Nice to meet you."
"And this is my son." Homelander grinned even bigger, approaching Ryan with his hands on his hips. "Hey, buddy, I'm really sorry about last time. I promise, I will never push you that hard, okay?"
Ryan flicked his eyes towards Homelander, before looking away and quickly nodding.
"Great. Now, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend." Homelander pointed his hand towards Stormfront.
"Hey, Ryan!" Stormfront said playfully, kneeling down to the boy's level. "Wow, your eyes are really blue. Just like your father's. Hey, he told me all about you. How you're special. The first natural born superhero."
"Can we not?" Becca asked, walking over and sitting next to her son.
"Oh, almost forgot: Mommy doesn't like to talk about that." Homelander said mockingly.
"You mind also letting me know before you stop by?" Becca muttered.
"He's Ryan's father." Stormfront said, her tone suddenly becoming harsher. "He has a right to see his son."
"That's right, that's right." Homelander said softly, trying to defuse the situation. "But we all just have Ryan's best interests at heart, right?"
"Yes…" Becca's voice trailed off, as she smiled at her son.
"And I'm really sorry I haven't been here lately." Homelander added. "But that's going to change. Ryan, I really want you to get to know Stormfront. She's someone I care about very much, and I hope you will too. I want us to be a family, so I think… we're going to be around more. A lot more."
Becca's face paled, and she reached behind her. The Lawgiver was supposed to be there, but her fingers grasped at nothing but air. Becca's eyes widened, realizing that she left the weapon back in her bedroom, in the zinc lined back. She had no way to defend herself from either of the supes right now.
Queen Maeve walked through the halls of Haddonfield Memorial, earning the ire of the staff and holding a large white bag in her hands. She paid them no mind, and only stopped outside Frank Castle's room. Unfortunately, there was a guard posted outside, holding his hand up.
"Queen Maeve! I didn't expect you to be here." the guard stammered.
"I'd like to speak to the man inside." Maeve said in her usual commanding voice.
"I'm sorry, but Sheriff Barker said that nobody can go in there." the guard told her.
"Really, because I've been sent by Vought and the NYPD to bring the Punisher back to New York for trial." Maeve lied. The guard looked at her suspiciously, until Maeve added, "Do you really want Vought's lawyers to go after you for obstructing justice?"
The guard's eyes widened, and he quickly opened the door. Just before Maeve went inside, she looked back towards him.
"Go for a walk. Security detail won't be needed."
Maeve walked inside, seeing Frank Castle handcuffed to the bed. Next to him, lying on a chair, was the famous Punisher's vest with the white skull on it. By now, it was looking more red, stained with the blood of supes he killed… including the Deep, Translucent, and A-Train.
The Punisher looked up at her, wearing a grim expression across his face. Maeve tried to read him through his eyes, but she couldn't quite tell if they were filled with rage, or just pain. Translucent was always better at reading people anyway.
"Frank Castle… the Punisher."
Maggie's mouth formed a tight line, as she set down the bag and she placed her hands on her hips.
"Maeve." Frank replied, not taking his eyes off her for a second. "You doing the Homelander's dirty work now?"
"That's what you think this is?" Maeve stepped back, momentarily stunned. "He doesn't even know I'm here."
Maggie stepped forward, grabbing the cuffs around Frank's right wrist and snapping them like a pencil.
"Where's Homelander then?" the Punisher asked.
"I don't know." Maeve responded, as she broke the other handcuff securing Frank's left arm. "I just know he and Stormfront left somewhere after their rally, and I haven't heard from them since. I wanted to get you out of here before they found out."
Frank slightly shook his head, before slowly standing up and rubbing his wrists.
"Can you walk?"
"Yeah." Frank said softly, staring down at his skull vest. "You gotta walk away, right now."
"Why?" Maeve inquired.
"If Vought found out you're helping me-"
"Fuck Vought." Maeve snapped. "What, so Starlight can risk her life to help you and your friends, but I can't?"
Castle glared at the supe. He had no idea how she knew Annie was helping them, but that would have to be a question for another time.
"Don't do that shit." Frank groaned. "I'd prefer she stay out of it. I regret using her to get close to Ezekiel. But she came to me about Smith's Grove. I never asked her, because I didn't want her to turn out like me."
Frank grabbed his skull vest, and stared at the dark red image.
"You know, my daughter adored you." Castle told Maeve. "You were her favorite superhero. She always wanted to have anything with your name on it."
"Your daughter…" Maeve's voice trailed off, remembering Homelander telling the Seven about Frank's family last week.
"She'd wear your face on her shirt every day, even on the day that she…"
Frank stopped, feeling himself choke up. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from flowing.
"The day A-Train killed your family." Maeve finished. Frank opened his eyes to stare at the supe, and nodded.
"I gotta get out of here, ma'am, and you can't come with me." Frank told her. "You're brave, you want to make things right, I get that. But if Homelander finds out, he'll kill you, and I can't let you do that."
Maeve exhaled a heavy sigh, before grabbing the white bag and handing it to Frank.
"Here. Put these on first."
Castle looked into the bag, seeing a long sleeved black T-shirt with black cargo pants and a black hooded jacket.
"Heard they're your favorite color. Hope they're in your size." Maeve humorlessly smirked. Frank nodded in thanks, and quickly shed the hospital gown, putting the shirt and pants on. He proceeded to take his black combat boots off the floor and slipped his feet in, and quickly laced them up. Just as Frank was putting his skull vest over his head, he and Maeve heard an alarm go off, as well as frightened screaming outside.
"Ah, shit."
Frank finished tightening the straps over his vest and stepped outside, looking down the halls to see five men walking in his direction. Three of them brandished pistols, and two were holding metal baseball bats. All of them wore biker jackets, with the symbol of a snarling doberman pinscher on the front, and the lettering "Dogs of Hell" just below it.
Castle scoffed. He's heard of the Dogs of Hell. He had even recognized one of the bikes as theirs, after Dredd returned to their hideout in his Judge uniform.
"Well well. Frank Castle." the lead Dog, a bald man wearing a red bandana, sneered.
"Come to collect that bounty, huh?" Frank muttered.
"Yeah, something like that." another Dog, wearing sunglasses over a thick mustache, snickered. "Our brother chapter in New York told us some friend of yours beat the shit out of them and stole one of their rides."
"Sounds about right." Frank nodded. "Couldn't wait for me to get out of here? There's injured."
"You think we care?" a third Dog, wearing a black headband around a head of blonde hair shrugged. "What matters is we turn you in, and you tell us where your buddies are."
Castle heard a door open behind him, and looked over his shoulder, seeing Queen Maeve step out of the room.
"Shit!" the fourth Dog, sporting ear piercings exclaimed, and pointed his pistol at Maeve. "No one said she'd be here!"
Frank glared at Maeve. He told her that he couldn't let her leave with him.
"You stay out of my way." the Punisher ordered. "This is not your fight."
"It just became mine when I got here." Maeve said grimly. "And no matter what, Homelander will find out, one way or another." Frank clenched his fist in irritation, but nevertheless nodded. After all, she did have a point. If Vought's chip was still in there, Homelander would eventually find out. It was just a matter of time.
Music: "Absolution" by The Pretty Reckless
Castle turned back towards the Dogs of Hell, and charged towards the bikers, letting loose a yell of primal rage. The Dogs were momentarily surprised, as Frank smashed his fist into the leader's face. By the time they got over their shock, Castle had already kicked another biker in the groin, before sending him to the floor with a brutal headbutt. The third Dog, the one with the black headband, swung his bat, and Frank ducked, punching him in the side of the knee, and slamming his head into a wall.
The other two bikers opened fire with their guns, catching Frank square in the chest, and making him stumble back a bit. Upon hearing gunshots, several doctors came out of their patient's rooms to see what was going on. The moment they stuck their heads out, Maeve urged them all to get back inside.
"Get out of here!" Maeve called out, as she tried to use her body as a shield in case the Dogs continued firing. "It's not safe out here!"
While Maeve acted as a human shield for civilians, Frank picked up the fallen biker's bat and smashed it into the fourth Dog's hands, forcing him to drop the pistol. The final Dog was about to shoot again, but Castle jabbed the end of the bat into his stomach, before grabbing his wrist and twisting. The biker loosened his grip on the gun, and Frank grabbed the barrel, ripping the weapon away from him. The lead Dog slowly got up, pulling out a switchblade, while Frank threw the bat down onto the biker wearing ear piercings. The Punisher turned around, just in time to raise his arm to block the switchblade from cutting his face. Castle grunted in pain, as he held up his borrowed pistol and fired three rounds into the man's chest.
While Castle leaned against the wall, slowly pulling the switchblade out, one of the remaining bikers got up and punched him in the stomach, then tackled him to the floor. Both men tumbled across the hall, with Frank recovering and stabbing the already bloody switchblade into the man's neck. Blood spurted out everywhere, and Castle violently dragged the weapon across his throat, cutting a deep gash and killing the Dog almost instantly.
Frank turned back towards the rest of the bikers, quickly shooting them all in the head. When the last Dog drew his last breath, Frank checked the ammo of the pistol, satisfied it still had a few rounds left, and holstered the weapon. Maeve began walking towards him, having directed doctors and patients to stay in their rooms, but stopped, casting her eyes downward.
"Castle…"
Frank looked down, confused, until he noticed blood leaking out of the hole in his vest. Castle unstrapped the kevlar and lifted it up slightly, seeing that the stitches over his wound were reopened. Frank groaned, realizing it must have happened when one of the Dogs was punching him.
"Fuck." Frank muttered, restrapping the vest and pressing a hand to the wound in order to apply pressure. He stumbled forward, and Maeve rushed to his side, draping his free arm over her shoulders.
"You should go." Castle murmured. "I can get out of here on my own."
"Don't be stupid." Maeve chastised, as they began moving towards the stairwell exit. "You can barely stand on your own feet."
"CASTLE!"
Frank and Maeve turned around, just in time to see Sheriff Barker standing at the other end of the hallway, pointing his pistol at them.
"I can't let you leave, Castle." Barker told him.
"Yeah…" Frank's voice trailed off, looking at the ground. "Sheriff, Vought's holding a girl captive. Someone who I care about. Someone I'd do anything for to keep her safe."
"I still can't let you just walk out of here." Barker repeated. Frank sighed, and had Maeve turn him back to the stairwell.
"You do what you gotta do." Castle called back, before he and Maeve began their walk down the stairs. Barker's hands shook, trying to finger the trigger, but he just couldn't pull it. The Sheriff of Haddonfield, lowered his arm, and watched as Queen Maeve and the Punisher left the hospital.
Once Frank and Maeve made it outside, the two of them paused for a moment.
"You need a minute?" Maeve asked.
"Nah, just thinking." Punisher muttered. "The van's destroyed. We didn't bring any more vehicles. And I told them to leave me here."
Frank looked at the ground, trying to think of how he'd get back, when he noticed Maeve giving him a wry smile.
"You gotta be shitting me."
"Do you have a better option?" Maeve asked. "Besides, you'd need my help freeing her anyway."
"Why's that?" Castle growled.
"She's in 42D." Maeve explained. "Supe proof cell block, with steel walls six feet thick."
"If it's supe proof, what good will you be?"
"Are your prints in Vought's system?" Maeve asked sarcastically. Frank grit his teeth in annoyance, but slowly nodded.
"Fine. Let's go."
Maeve easily picked the Punisher up and positioned him in a fireman's carry. Once she knew he was secured, Maeve took off, back towards New York. She wasn't nearly as fast as A-Train, or Homelander, but they would get back significantly quicker than in a car.
Dredd and Mallory pulled up to Jonah Vogelbaum's front gate, where Grace rolled down the window and pressed the gate speaker's button.
"We're here to see Jonah." Grace announced.
"He's not taking any visitors."
"Tell him it's Grace Mallory."
The speaker shut off, and the gates suddenly opened. Mallory's lips formed a tight smile, and she drove forward, coming around the circular driveway.
Dredd and Mallory walked inside of the estate, and a young woman wearing a gray coat over a white shirt led them into the foyer, where Vogelbaum waited for them. The first thing that caught the lawman's eye was the fact he was in a motorized wheelchair, and he thought back to the news report about Compound V being exposed. What was it the anchors had said?
"-has been living in seclusion ever since he was mysteriously paralyzed."
"Grace. I thought you retired." Jonah greeted.
"Dr. Vogelbaum. I thought you were taller." Mallory replied, gaining a chuckle from the balding man.
"Sonia, could you get us some tea-"
"That won't be necessary, we won't be long." Mallory replied.
"Ah, there's the business side of you coming out." Vogelbaum smiled.
"What do you know about Smith's Grove Sanitarium?" Dredd asked in an authoritative voice. Jonah looked up at the Judge, now realizing he was here.
"Who are you?"
"His name is Joseph Dredd." Mallory revealed. "You knew him as Billy Butcher."
"You never answered the question." Dredd told the doctor.
"Never heard of it." Vogelbaum shrugged. "Should I?"
"Considering you were the CSO of Vought International while they were doing illegal testing of patients, yes, you should." Dredd growled. "Those tests are carrying on right now, as we speak."
"That's horrible, but maybe it was from R&D's department." Vogelbaum deflected.
"Jonah, do you remember our deal?" Mallory asked, stepping forward. "In exchange for me dropping the manslaughter charges against you?"
"I recall it was a long time ago." Jonah smiled.
"They don't expire until the statute of limitations does." Grace fired back.
"Then I guess I'll just turn myself in." Vogelbaum smiled smugly.
"Jonah, we don't have to do this dance anymore." Mallory sighed, sitting down in the leather chair across from him. "We're both out. Just a couple retirees playing the back nine. We both know Vought fucked you, so help us fuck them back. Testify to Congress."
Now it was Vogelbaum's turn to sigh, and he nodded, behind Mallory. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Sonia walking through the estate.
"That's my daughter." Jonah revealed. "She took time out of her practice to help a bitter old man like me. I'm sorry, but after what you lost, you should know damn well why I won't help you."
Mallory leaned back in her chair, wincing at the painful memory of her grandchildren being burned to death.
"Do what you want to me, but some things are more important than the right thing." Vogelbaum said softly.
Behind his visor, Dredd's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward.
"Listen, creep." Dredd growled. "Do you have any idea what you've done to me?"
"Mister Butcher, or Dredd, if you prefer, I can't apologize enough for what I've done." Vogelbaum told the Judge. "But I can't give you the information you or Grace came for either.
"I think you can." Dredd snarled, inching closer. "When the news reported your paralysis, they left out one crucial detail. Homelander all but confirmed it when I confronted Stillwell. Squeezing the truth out, that's what he said. He put you in that chair, but he didn't kill you outright. No, he kept you like this. He didn't want to kill you, and that's got me curious."
"I wouldn't know why." Vogelbaum insisted. Dredd glared at the doctor, and decided to switch tactics.
"What was he like?" the Judge asked. "Homelander, growing up. What was he like?"
Vogelbaum sighed, and stared at the floor.
"I'm sure you don't want to talk about this-"
"Disagree." Dredd muttered.
"When he was a little boy, five or six, he was sweet." Vogelbaum revealed. "He'd cuddle up to me, let me read him stories of Davy Crocket, Teddy Roosevelt. But I had to make him into the strongest man in the world. So, I got to work on him. He didn't even want it, it was for me."
Dredd's eyes drooped towards the ground, thinking about what the doctor just said. In a way, he and Homelander were not that different, given Joe's own upbringing. In fact, Homelander could almost be exactly like Rico, just with superpowers. But that sorrowed look quickly vanished, and Dredd became Old Stoney Face once more.
"That's why he kept you alive." Dredd sneered. "You were the closest thing to a father to him. And that wasn't your only sin, was it?"
Vogelbaum stared at Joseph dumb, causing the Judge to glare harder.
"It wasn't Homelander who hid my Becca away for nine years." Dredd continued, to Grace's shock. "Did it ever occur to you the pain, the loss, you brought upon men like me?"
"At the time, it was barely a blip on my radar." Vogelbaum confessed.
"And how's your radar now?" Dredd growled, leaning in until he and Jonah were inches apart. "You know why Smith's Grove is experimenting on the patients there, and you know where my wife's been this whole time. Spill it!"
"Do what you want to me, but I can't help you." Vogelbaum repeated. "My family would have targets painted on their backs."
Dredd sneered, but backed away. The doctor did have a point. If he spoke out, his family would be put in the crosshairs. If anything, this whole thing called forth a memory when Dredd and Anderson were locked in Peach Trees, and the perp they arrested was injured. They tried to access the hospital to hold out there before backup arrived, but the paramedic refused.
"You have every clan affiliated with the block out for your blood. There are no sides. You're already dead."
In a way, Dredd was in a similar position here. Vogelbaum refused to aid him, but he had his reasons. And yet…
Those reasons were personal, and not for the greater good. He even said himself there were more important things than the right thing. Time to do what he did best: judgement.
"Your crimes are murder in the third degree, illegal human testing, child endangerment, and the distribution of narcotics in the form of steroids." Dredd told Vogelbaum. "Do you know what that gets you where I come from?"
"What's that?" Jonah asked nervously.
"The sentence is death." Joseph said in a low voice. Mallory was about to stand up, but the lawman waved her off. "You fear for your family's safety. How do you think your daughter will react to seeing your sentence carried out right now?"
To emphasize his point, Dredd rested his hand on his daystick.
"What's it going to be?"
Dax, Allyson, and Michael sat on top of the roof of a building adjacent to Congresswoman Neumann's apartment. Below them, an angry pro-Vought mob, chanting 'SEND HER BACK! SEND HER BACK!'
Dax sighed, lowering the sniper scope and staring at Allyson, who sat with her legs crossed. Right next to her was Michael, standing still as a statue, and still wearing the large hooded jacket. Myers didn't actually care about Neumann, he just wanted to make sure Allyson was safe.
"Life has always been hard, but I don't remember it being this… crude." Dax frowned, staring at Allyson. "I get it, what she's doing with her daughter. My mother, when Dad would get angry, she'd have me cook with her. Taught me all these different ways to cook even the most basic of food."
Allyson's lips twisted upwards into a smile, as her expressionless mask broke.
"Cooking is like a port in a storm." Dax mused. "Did your mother ever cook with you?"
"Once or twice." Allyson chuckled. "We'd usually make a mess though."
Dax smirked, and looked at his shoes.
"You know, there's a saying, about how you die twice." Dax told the girl. "Once when you stop breathing, and the second when someone says your name for the last time. I'd like to know about your family, to keep their names alive."
Allyson sighed sadly, and stared at her hands.
Music: "Karen's Flashback" from Halloween 2018 OST
"They were good." Allyson mumbled. "My mom and dad were Karen and Ray. Grandmother was Laurie Strode."
Dax nodded, knowing about the woman's story.
"All three of them were supportive of me. Maybe Grandma was making it up to my mom, after the way she raised her own daughter." Allyson grimaced. "But that night Michael came home, he and I… connected in the back of that squad car."
"The one that doctor drove?" Dax asked, sparing a glance at Michael.
"Sartain." Allyson nodded. "He wanted to take Michael to Grandmother, so he could kill her. Instead, he helped me escape, and I killed Sartain by strangling him to death. I passed out not long after, and Michael carried me home."
Allyson looked back at Myers, smiling in gratitude.
"A year later, Sartain's son kidnapped me." Allyson continued. "He wanted revenge for what I did to his father. See these scars?"
Allyson gently took Dax's hand and lifted it up to her face. The mercenary felt the slight stretch of skin being pulled over in tiny, yet palpable lines.
"Those were from him." Allyson let go of Dax's hand. "I was punched, shot, stabbed in the shoulder with a fucking drill… but nothing hurt me more when Michael was shot while saving me."
"He saved you?" Dax raised his eyebrow, staring at the former Boogeyman of Haddonfield.
"Sartain's son shot him at least a dozen times." Allyson said, and Dax noticed a dark look in her eyes. "I took his knife and I… I butchered him to the point where his body didn't even look human anymore."
Allyson looked away, placing her hand over her eyes, and Dax could've sworn he heard her weep.
"And that's why I'm a monster."
Dax cast his eyes to the side, not knowing what to say. He knew he shouldn't disagree with her; she already rebuffed him twice. So instead, he related to her.
"Yeah, my mom, she loved teaching me to cook." Dax spoke up, making Allyson smile again. "In a way, she helped me become the kind of man I am today."
"What do you mean?" Allyson asked, her smile turning into a frown.
"All she taught me about cooking… I applied it to torture." Dax sighed, looking at the jeering crowd below. "Different ways to make someone talk, and to hurt them while keeping them alive."
Dax looked back up at Allyson, seeing sympathy in her eyes.
"You think you're the only monster in this family?"
Allyson stared at Dax with a look of sadness, and scooted closer to him.
"Dax… I never wanted you to leave me alone." Allyson whispered. "I never wanted to be alone…"
Allyson began to quietly sob, and Dax put his arm around her in a hug.
"Hey, I'll always be with you." Dax told her. "You'll never be alone again."
Allyson pulled away from the embrace for a moment, and looked towards Michael. Though he made no movement, she could see it in his black eyes that he agreed with the mercenary.
In that moment, Allyson realized something. Maybe all three of them were monsters, in varying ways, but that didn't matter. What mattered is that they, Frank, Dredd, and Diggle all found each other.
They were a family.
Queen Maeve and Frank arrived back in New York, where he quickly zipped the jacket up and placed the hood on.
"This way." Maeve instructed, leading the Punisher to a secret back door at the bottom of Vought Tower. "Lamplighter and Mister Marathon used to sneak college girls in here."
"How do you know this?" Frank asked.
"It's how I met the love of my life…" Maeve said wistfully, as the two went inside. Frank and Maggie walked down the stairs of the underground halls, where they came to an elevator with a handprint scanner.
"See, this is why you needed my help." Maeve smirked, pressing her palm to the scanner. A thin blue line swiped down, and her print lit up green, causing the elevator doors to open.
Frank nodded in thanks, and he and Maeve stepped into the elevator. Maeve pressed the button for 42D, causing the doors to ding closed. Castle quickly shed the hooded jacket, revealing the bloodied skull on his chest, and pulled out the pistol. He had hoped he could have gone back to the hideout to get more firepower, but as far as he knew, Maeve was still chipped. Granted, they took precautions to scramble the chip, but Homelander had still been in the vicinity of that restaurant they took Translucent to. That one pistol he took from the Dogs of Hell biker would have to do.
Becca and Ryan watched one of his lego reenactments on their tablet, laughing together. It was a shot for shot recreation of the Blind Side, at the moment where Leigh Anne was giving Michael the infamous pep talk, and the sound effects Ryan inserted just made it that more hilarious.
Behind the Butchers, Stormfront and Homelander watched as well. However, the supes were clearly bored.
"Wow." Homelander groaned. "That is…"
Homelander stopped, seeing Stormfront slightly shake her head.
"...amazing, buddy!"
"I've done the Blind Side, Dances With Wolves, and Terms of Endearment… all of Mom's favorites." Ryan grinned.
"That's great, but are you into anything kids are into, like… NBA 2K?" Stormfront asked, earning a look of concern from Becca. "What about PewDiePie?"
"What's that?" Ryan asked, with a confused expression.
"Or, what about your dad's movies?" Stormfront asked, grinning in Homelander's direction.
"You're in the movies?" Ryan asked, looking up at his father.
"Oh, Hell yeah, buddy." Homelander grinned. "There's Homelander Origins, Homelander Rise of a Hero, Homelander Darkest Day, Homelander Brightest Night-"
"Brightest Night was one of your best ones." Stormfront smiled sweetly.
"Mom, can I see them?" Ryan asked hopefully.
"When you're older, we'll talk about it, okay?" Becca said, trying to regain control of the situation.
"Ah, they're rated PG, he'll be fine." Homelander snarked.
"Oh, he's absolutely old enough." Stormfront said, looking right at Becca and flashing a shit eating grin. "Old enough for sleepovers, for baseball games, Vought Land- did you know your dad has his own roller coaster? You wanna take a ride on your dad's roller coaster?"
"Can I Mom?" Ryan looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
"We can talk about it-" Becca tried to say, but was cut off.
"Whenever you want." Stormfront challenged.
Becca glared at the supe. She was the exact definition of a homewrecker- just with superpowers.
"I need to speak with you." Becca told Homelander.
"Eh, no." Homelander smiled. "We're having a good time, aren't we?"
"Right now." Becca demanded, walking over to the front door. She opened it, and turned back towards Homelander.
"Outside. Now."
Homelander smirked at Stormfront, and held up his finger.
"Great idea. You two-" the leader of the Seven pointed to Stormfront and Ryan. "-can get to know each other better."
Homelander followed Becca outside, where she instantly began to berate him.
"I know what you're doing-"
"No you don't."
"Yes, I can see it-"
"Nope. You can't possibly understand." Homelander snapped, looking her in the eye. "I was raised the same way as him, and he doesn't know anything about anything. Because of you, he's going to panic when he sees the outside world. That's going to fuck him up, just like it did with me. I don't want my son to have to go through what I went through."
"His life is different." Becca insisted. "He has a mother. I know it means something to you, I know it does. But if you take him away from me, the world will be confusing and frightening-"
"Yes, Rebecca, except that you are lying to him." Homelander chastised. "You have him locked up in a cage, like some animal."
"Because I love him." Becca pleaded. "And I know a part of you loves him too. I know you want what's best for him, but what's best for him is to be here with me. With his mother. Look, we have this opportunity to give him a childhood you never had. We can do that if he's here with me. Please, I'm begging you, do not take him away from me."
Homelander ignored Becca's pleading, and audibly swallowed the lump in his throat. He took a deep breath, before nodding.
"Thank you." Becca nodded, and wiped a tear from her eye.
Music: "Gym Showdown" from Punisher season 2 OST
Frank and Maeve walked through the halls, passing a red and white high security sign, with Castle pressing a hand to his stomach.
"It's bleeding through." Maggie noted, as Frank removed his hand to reveal blood.
"Fuck." the Punisher muttered, right as they approached a metal door.
"This is it. 42D." Maeve announced, pressing her palm into the handprint.
"And she's there?" Castle asked, just barely seeing Maeve nod. The door opened, and the pair sprinted down the halls, with Frank shooting the Vought guards that turned the corner.
"Where's her cell?" Frank asked.
"I don't know." Maeve admitted. "Stormfront didn't say which one they put her in."
"Help! Somebody, help!"
Frank paused. That voice… it sounded familiar.
"Come on." Frank and Maeve kept walking down the halls, approaching the door where they heard the screams. Maeve unlocked the cell with her palm print, and an older woman with blonde hair stepped out, looking at Frank in recognition.
"Aren't you that older gentleman from the Believe Expo?"
"Mrs. January?" Castle cocked an eyebrow in surprise. Just then, another guard turned a corner, seeing Frank Castle with his skull vest.
"Security, high alert! The Punisher is here-"
Frank quickly shot the guard in the chest three times, and finished with a headshot between the eyes. The moment the body touched the ground, alarms went off, with golden lights flashing.
"God dammit." Castle growled. "We need to go, now!"
Maeve nodded, and she, Donna, and Frank raced down the halls, searching for Annie. Just as they got to the end of the hall, one of the doors blew open, and Annie stepped out. Her eyes, glowing golden, slowly faded back to their normal brown hue, and she looked at the odd trio.
"Frank?" Starlight's eyes widened.
"Hey kid." Castle said weakly, as Donna went to hug her daughter. "Looks like I got here just in time."
"What are you doing here?" Annie asked, breaking off the hug with her mother and wrapped the Punisher in a firm embrace.
"I came to get you out of here." Frank replied, before looking at Maeve. "But I had some help."
"Thank God... thank you..." Annie whispered. Frank gently patted her on the back, and their reunion was cut short when Mrs. January spoke again.
"So, how are we going to get out of here?" Donna asked, as the lights kept flashing.
"We know a way." Maeve smirked, and the four of them took off down the halls. The group ran all the way back to the secret door Maggie and Frank entered through, and Castle, Annie, and Donna quickly ran through. Annie turned around, seeing Maeve standing there, ready to close the door.
"Come with us."
Maeve silently shook her head.
"I'm sorry." Maggie whispered. "I can't."
"Then why are you helping us?" Frank asked. "You break me out of the hospital, help free Annie, but you're staying?"
Maeve sighed, and looked at the ground.
"The love of my life... Elena." Maeve revealed. "Years ago, we met in the tower, and we... connected. Homelander found out, and a day later, I found pieces of her body scattered throughout her apartment."
Annie and Donna covered their mouths, while Frank stared impassively at the supe. He could see it in her eyes that she was still afraid of Homelander.
"Okay. Stay here." Frank instructed. "Do what you think is best. But one way or another, we're going to take that asshole down."
With that, Castle turned around and began walking away from Vought Tower. Annie and Donna soon followed, as Maeve stared at them. Once the three turned a corner and exited her field of vision, she quietly shut the door, and turned to head back to the Seven's conference room.
Becca heard the oven beep, signaling the vegetarian lasagna was done baking, and she slipped on bright red oven mitts.
"Okay, dinner's ready!" Becca called out, as she pulled the dish out. She wasn't sure if Homelander could hear her, but she still muttered, in a low voice, "assholes."
Becca looked around the house, noticing that no one came into the dining room. They didn't even respond to dinner being ready. Where was everyone? Becca frowned, realizing they were outside, for some reason, and walked out, seeing Homelander, Stormfront, and Ryan looking at the night stars.
"Hey, bud. Are you ready for dinner?"
Ryan turned around, with a look of pain and betrayal in his eyes. The look alone made Becca stop dead in her tracks, and her heart began to ache.
"What's wrong?" she asked nervously.
"You're a liar." Ryan said sadly. "You lied to me."
Becca felt like her heart just got shredded into a million pieces.
"What do you mean?" Becca asked, tears stinging her eyes, making her blink.
"They just flew me up and showed me! This house is fake?" Ryan shouted, and it looked like he was going to cry as well. "The neighbors are fake, and you're fake!"
Becca squeezed her eyes for a moment, not daring to let a single tear fall out. Once she finally opened her eyes, she looked over at Homelander.
"The boy deserves to know the truth." the supe said smugly. Becca swallowed the bile forming in her throat, and knelt down to be eye level with her son.
"Hey, listen to me. We can talk about this, okay?" Becca told him. "I know you're feeling confused, and there were reasons for what I did. I'm sorry."
Becca tried to rest her hand on Ryan's cheek, but he lightly slapped it away.
"Don't touch me!" Ryan said angrily. "I hate you!"
Becca felt her heart break again, hearing her son say those small, short, yet powerful words.
"I think he just needs a little space." Homelander smirked. "C'mere son."
"No. No." Becca's eyes widened, and she tried putting herself between her son and the two monsters in front of her. "He needs his mother."
"Don't worry, he'll still have a mother." Stormfront grinned.
Becca suddenly felt Ryan push past her, and engulf Homelander in a hug. The moment his arms wrapped around the supe's legs, Homelander soared into the sky, with Stormfront following soon after.
"Ryan, no!" Becca cried out, feebly grasping at air. When she finally realized she couldn't reach her son, Becca collapsed on her knees, and sobbed.
For the third time that night, Becca Butcher's heart shattered.
The next morning, the Boys, Starlight, Donna January, and Michael Myers were all in the hideout, staring at the monitors as they showed the hearing. It seemed everyone was there; Homelander, Stormfront, Queen Maeve, Ashley, almost everyone from Vought, as well as Neumann, Mallory, and Slade Wilson..
"This bi-partisan committee is called to order, investigating Vought International, and the distribution of Compound V, as well as reinstating the Sokovia Accords, which I hereby present to the committee as evidence." Chairman Richardson announced.
"Here we go." Frank mumbled, as everyone crowded around the monitors.
"Mr. Chairman, if I may?" Neumann spoke up, as Dredd stared at the screen. "The testimony we're about to hear today will prove that Vought is guilty of corporate malfeasance and multiple felonies. And it will come from someone who has witnessed these crimes directly. In addition, Homelander's war crime from several days ago is evidence enough that the Sokovia Accords should be placed into effect once more."
"The chair calls former CSO of Vought, Doctor Jonah Vogelbaum"
The camera panned towards the doors, which opened to reveal Vogelbaum being wheeled in on his motorized wheelchair. Vogelbaum, moved forward, passing by Homelander, until he filled nearly half of the camera's frame. All the while, the camera flickered between Vogelbaum and Homelander's face, showing his visible discomfort.
"Got you, creep." Dredd smirked, breaking his stony faced expression.
"Doctor Vogelbaum, thank you for joining us today." Richardson told Jonah. "Please raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give today will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
"Thank you." Richardson nodded. "You have five minutes to make your opening statement-"
Richardson's head suddenly exploded, showering everyone around him with blood and brains. Everyone in the room on the television screamed, as did Donna and Annie.
"What the fuck?" Frank narrowed his eyes. The same thing happened to Rawlins. What was going on?
Beneath his helmet, Dredd was glaring. No, this wasn't happening. They're so close, they've come this far-
Vogelbaum opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word came out, his head spontaneously combusted. Homelander and Stormfront stood up, casually looking around, as more people's heads were exploding. Ashley's assistant, Deanna. Slade Wilson. Neumann's daughter, Lisa. Thankfully, Mallory was able to get the congresswoman herself out of there, before either of them died.
Before any more of the carnage could be broadcasted, the live feed cut out, going to a generic image of CSPAN's Capitol Hill image, declaring that they were having 'technical difficulties'. Diggle, Dax, Donna, and Annie stared at the monitor in a mixture of shock and horror. Frank had an expression that could easily be a cross between annoyance and anger. Michael wore a blank, expressionless mask, like always, but when he looked at Allyson, her eyes narrowed and her face scrunched up, he could tell she was livid. He could feel the waves of rage rolling off of her, as he looked into her eyes. Black eyes. Devil eyes, not unlike his own.
Meanwhile, Dredd stepped away from the group, staring at the wall in front of him. Everything had been set up perfectly. They came so close, so drokking close… and in the end, it was for nothing. Vought, Homelander, whoever it was… they are always ten steps ahead. Even Vogelbaum, as much as Dredd threatened, would not reveal where he hid Becca away. He and the Boys, they lost their bid to bring down Vought, just like last time with Stillwell. Joseph had one final card to play, and he was done planning.
It was judgement time.
A/N: So, I was originally planning on putting in a subplot that involved Judge Death and Dark Judges, but then... nah. I'm not planning on going that much longer after the season 2 finale, possibly one or two more chapters excluding the epilogue, and I think bringing in too many Judge Dredd characters, especially this late in the story, would overshadow the narrative between the Boys and the Seven, as well as overshadow Homelander as the main antagonist. Plus, Judge Death and the Dark Judges deserve to be the main villains in a completely separate story.
Speaking of, I am planning on a sequel story once this one is done. Depending on how long it is, it might be split into two, or it'll be two parts crammed into the same story. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get around to it though, because a lot of things in my personal life are coming up quick.
I already have an idea on how the finale will play out, but I'm going to wait for it to drop to start writing the chapter.
Oh yeah, I completely replaced Lamplighter's role to have Maeve help Frank because honestly, the show itself isn't doing too much with her character in my opinion. Considering I already permanently killed Lamplighter off in the previous chapter and had Deathstroke fill that gap, I thought why not.
Whatever happens in the finale, I'm already planning on doing some scenes differently, as well as adding more bits of my own. Stay tuned.