A/N: For anyone that's read the Punisher comic I'm adapting, this chapter condenses the last few issues of the World War Frank arc. That's why it's a little bit longer. That, and I am writing in scenes for the other members of The Boys, though they're pretty small.
Music: "The Runaround" from Punisher Season 1 OST
Gotham
Ten minutes later, Frank felt the van stop, and the doors opened up to a blinding light.
"Up and at 'em, killers. We're here."
Castle, Alice, and Billy were led out of the back of the van, looking up to see a large building in front of them with the Crows symbol on the front. Surrounding them was a crowd of people, carrying signs with varying messages. Send HYDRA to Hell with you! Stop the Punishment! Just to name a few. And the verbal taunting wasn't better.
"Frank! Are you really working for the Russians?"
"Burn in Hell, Castle!"
"Frank, why are you working with a lunatic and serial killer like Alice?"
The three ignored the crowd's jeers, as they were ushered into the Crows' headquarters, where a dark skinned woman stared at them all in surprise.
"What the Hell is this, Commander?"
"It's the Punisher, his friend from ANVIL, and Alice, Agent Moore." Jacob grunted.
"I see that, but why is he here?" Agent Moore asked.
"You didn't see the news? He murdered Bruce Wayne." Kane scoffed. "After working with Batwoman, I figured you'd be a fan of the Punisher, but even you have to see he's crossed a line."
"But why didn't the feds take him?" Moore pressed, as the trio were put into a holding cell. "He's killed more people than malaria."
"The Crows were the first to respond, so he's our guy." Jacob replied. "Besides, I don't trust the feds after that incident in Hell's Kitchen."
"It's been ten years." Moore frowned. "And Fisk blackmailed them."
"But if Wilson Fisk can blackmail the FBI, think of what he can do to the GCPD." Kane pointed out, glancing over at the three captives.
"You thinking on letting me out yet?" Frank asked casually.
"Not a chance." Jacob snapped. "You might have won everyone's support when you helped in taking down Homelander, but I knew it was just a matter of time before you snapped."
"Says the man who tried to kill his daughter, Commander." Alice muttered.
"Don't you dare mention Kate, Alice." Jacob narrowed his eyes, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"Still blame me for her death, huh?" Alice prodded, placing her hands on the cell bars. "Is it just that easier to blame me, rather than accept the fact that it was Homelander who crushed her skull? Just like how it was easier to give up on me-"
"Enough!" Jacob yelled, grabbing his nightstick and slamming it against the bars. Beth seethed, feeling the weapon smash her fingers, and she stumbled onto the cell's cot, where Billy was already sitting.
"What was that?" Russo cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh, just a reminder that Commander Crow blames me for my sister's untimely demise…" Alice said bitterly, as she stared at the floor.
2020
"I know something you don't know…" Alice softly sang, as her fingers tickled the piano keys. She still wore her black dress, and she was still in Wayne Manor, but now, Jacob Kane had entered the room.
"Do you know where Kate is?" Jacob asked, levelling his gun at her head. Alice didn't answer, and instead continued playing the piano.
"Alice, if you know where she is, you tell me, right now!"
Beth finished playing the piano with a flourish, before lazily stretching her arms across the top.
"What do I know, what do I know…" Alice slurred out. "I know what a watermelon looks like when it gets crushed."
"That's your sister you're talking about." Jacob said in a mortified tone.
"And now she's gone, which would probably be your cue to move on." Alice replied coldly. "Maybe you'll remarry, and find a new daughter to replace her with like you did to me."
"I'm not making the same mistakes as I did with you." Jacob insisted. "I won't stop looking until she's found. Now tell me where she is-"
"KATE KANE IS BATWOMAN!" Alice suddenly yelled, slamming her hands on the piano. Jacob looked at her in confusion, before letting out a chuckle of disbelief.
"And I'm the Joker. Arkham's waiting."
"Use your brain, Commander." Alice seethed. "A lesbian superhero, who had ample opportunity to kill me, but didn't? I wonder who that could be."
"That… that's preposterous." Jacob stuttered out. "She would've told me."
"You rejected her." Alice accused. "To the world, to her face. You wanted her dead, and now… she is. Congratulations."
Jacob's face fell, as he lowered his gun.
"No… you're wrong."
"Am I?" Alice asked, standing up from the piano and moving closer to her father. "Or did you spend your last moments together firing a gun at her? You got your wish, Daddy; Batwoman is dead. And she died knowing that her father hated her."
Once he was within reaching distance, Alice forcefully ripped the pistol out of Jacob's hands, letting his arms dangle at his side.
"How could you…" Jacob murmured, feeling broken inside. "She was your sister…"
"It wasn't me." Alice said casually. "It was Homelander."
"No. You're lying." Jacob shook his head. "He's the leader of the Seven. He wouldn't do that, he's a superhero."
"Don't believe me, turn on the bat signal. See if she comes." Alice shrugged, turning to walk away. "And once you're done, you'll find Kate's body in the sewers."
Now
"At least you admitted you made a mistake with giving up on me." Alice glared at her father. Jacob simply turned away, preparing to leave, when Castle spoke up.
"You can't keep us here." Frank drawled. "You'll have to give us to the cops eventually."
"Eventually." Jacob agreed. "But until then, get comfy. Because until someone comes along, you're my problem."
"So that's it, huh?" Frank muttered. "Just gonna keep us here, assume what the news showed was the truth?"
"You killed Bruce Wayne, my nephew, on the floor of the UN." Jacob chastised. "I'm grateful you and your team put down Homelander after what he did, but you've gone too far."
"Are you that dense, Commander?" Alice hissed. "Bruce is still missing. Did they even test the body?"
Before Jacob could answer, the doors of the building opened up, and a woman wearing a black suit and blonde hair tied in a bun strolled forward. Behind her were half a dozen men, all wearing black combat uniforms. Despite himself, Frank smirked, knowing exactly who was here.
"Maybe I can help." the woman offered, marching towards Jacob.
"Who the Hell are you?" Kane asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what are you doing in my station?"
"Grace Mallory." the woman introduced herself. "And I'm the one who helps make your problems go away."
Castle raised an eyebrow, looking between Mallory and Jacob.
Last I checked, Mallory was retired from the CIA. Meaning that she couldn't just push a button to get these spooks with her. Something wasn't right.
"Time to go, Frank." Mallory told Castle, stepping towards the cell.
"Wondering when you'd show up. You're getting slow, Mallory." Frank told her. "How're the grandkids?"
"Oh, they're fine." Grace smiled. "I saw them just the other day."
Frank glowered at her, forming his mouth in a grimace.
"Yeah… bullshit." Castle spat. "The real Mallory's grandkids were killed by Lamplighter ten years ago. So who the fuck are you?"
The person that looked like Mallory sighed, before pulling out a gun and shooting Jacob in the stomach.
"Well, you got me." a more male voice came out of her mouth, while the men in black fired at the other Crow agents.
"That voice…" Alice gasped, widening her eyes from the realization. "I thought you were dead."
"You mean you thought you killed me. But a mouse knows when to play dead." the Mallory imposter growled, reaching up and tearing off her face to reveal a more masculine visage, with the left side terribly burnt. He proceeded to take off the blonde wig, letting long, curly brown hair fall past his shoulders.
"Nice to see you again, Alice."
"How, Mouse?" Alice whispered. "How are you still alive?"
Mouse smiled cruelly, as he leaned in against the bars.
"When you left me to be sent to Arkham, the doctors there used me like a lab rat." Mouse revealed. "After subjecting me to fear toxin, Doctor Butler had me injected with Compound V."
"So your power was immunity to poisons." Alice guessed.
"Not to the most potent, obviously." Mouse sneered, before adding: "You."
Alice winced from the insult, looking away. He wasn't wrong, of course. She was a poison to him, and everyone, really. She chose to kill Mouse when he urged her to forget about Kate. She wanted to kill her own sister, and manipulate her father into doing it. She-
Wait. Alice looked down, seeing Jacob feebly crawling towards them, as he shakily handed his pistol to Frank.
"Here… take it."
"Thank you." Frank murmured, raising the gun to point at one of the men in black. Or more importantly, the string of grenades he had around his waist.
"Hug the wall."
Mouse widened his eyes, just as Castle pulled the trigger, and a few seconds later, the grenades exploded, completely blowing the guard in half in a gory mess. The resulting explosion sent Mouse and the other agents flying in multiple directions, giving Frank the distraction he needed to shoot the lock of the cell and kick the door outward. As he, Billy, and Alice walked out, she looked over to Jacob, seeing him draw his last breath.
"I'm sorry, Daddy…"
"We need to go." Billy announced, while Frank shot some guards that were trying to get back up. "Frank, now."
"Yeah." Castle nodded, following the other two out.
"Follow me." Alice ordered, marching ahead of the men.
"Where are we going?" Russo asked suspiciously. Alice looked over her shoulder, grinning mischievously.
"Down, down, down the rabbit hole."
The rabbit hole she was talking about was just some shithole in the slums of Gotham. Most likely her hideout from the Crows and the cops.
Frank, Billy, and Alice arrived at a rundown building in the Narrows, walking inside to find overturned furniture, several mannequins, and a vanity sitting in the corner.
"This is where you live?" Billy wrinkled his nose in disgust. Alice stared at Russo with a hurt expression, still reeling from watching her father get shot down. After everything that's happened, she didn't have the energy to come up with a biting retort.
"Would you prefer I take you to the sewers?" Alice asked weakly, before walking off.
"Bill…" Frank mumbled, seeing his friend turn to look at him. "What's going on with you?"
Russo stared at the ground, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry Frankie." Billy said remorsefully. "I just…"
"You still blame yourself for what happened with Annie, yeah?" Frank guessed. "It wasn't your fault. You're not him."
"I know that, Frank, but…" Billy swallowed. "I feel like I could be."
"No. You won't." Castle said sternly. "I'd never let that happen, you hear me, Bill? I wouldn't."
Billy slowly nodded, turning his head back in the direction Alice had left.
"Okay. I'll make this right." Russo promised, as he left the hideout's main room, leaving Frank to collapse on a decrepit sofa and close his eyes.
Alice stormed into another area of the hideout, opening up a box to find a cello resting at the bottom. With shaking hands, she reached in and pulled the instrument and bow out, before walking to a chair at the far end of the room and sitting down. Alice took a deep breath, shutting her eyes, and began to draw the bow against the strings.
Music: "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails (Cello Cover)
"I… hurt myself today… to see if I still feel.
I… focus on the pain… the only thing that's real.
The needle tears a hole… the old familiar sting.
Try to kill it all away… but I remember everything…"
As Alice continued playing, she heard footsteps approaching, and upon opening her eyes, found Billy entering the room. Rather than hurling a snide remark, he began to join in on her singing.
"What have I become, my sweetest friend?
Everyone I know, goes away, in the end.
And you could have it all… my empire of dirt.
But I will let you down… I will make you hurt."
Alice smiled up at Billy, as he grabbed a nearby chair and sat next to her.
"I wear this crown of shit… upon my liar's chair.
Full of broken thoughts… I cannot repair.
Beneath the stains of time… the feelings, disappear.
You are someone else… but I am still right here.
What have I become, my sweetest friend?
Everyone I know, goes away, in the end.
And you could have it all… my empire of dirt.
But I will let you down… I will make you hurt.
If I could start again, a million miles away.
I would keep myself… I will find… a way."
Alice set the cello down, flashing a sad smile at Billy, while feeling tears running down her face.
"That was beautiful." Russo murmured. "I didn't know you played."
"My father taught me." Alice said mirthlessly. "I know what I said back there, about how he gave up on me… but he was still my father."
"And the song?"
"That… that's because Nine Inch Nails was one of Kate's favorite bands."
Billy nodded in understanding, as he leaned back in the chair.
"What happened?"
Alice sadly sighed, as she looked at the floor.
"There was… a car crash, when I was a little girl." Alice revealed. "My mother and I plunged into the river. I watched, as her head floated past me. Soon after, I was kidnapped and held captive for over a decade. The only person keeping me company was my kidnapper's son."
"I know what that's like." Billy said softly. Once he saw Alice's confused expression, he explained, "I spent my entire childhood at the Ray of Hope center. There was this shitbag, Walsh, I think his name was, who would beat me and the other kids. He even tried to molest some of us too. One time, I went after him with a stickball bat, and he broke my arm. Ripped my rotator cuff in three places too. My mother, she was an addict, sent to a hospital long ago. I had no one… until I met Frank in the Corps."
Alice nodded, having already known what that was like.
"I had no one either… except Mouse."
"That guy who tried to take us." Billy realized. "He said you tried to kill him?"
Alice nodded, as she felt another tear roll down her cheek.
"I was filled with so much rage, so much hate for my sister." she continued. "Mouse tried to steer me away, but I didn't listen. And now I've turned my best friend, the man I'd call a brother, against me."
Alice began to softly cry, as she laid her head in her hands. She only stopped, when Billy placed his hand on her shoulder.
"You can't change what you've done." Russo murmured. "But you can be better now."
"Kind words, I thought you hated me." Alice sniffed.
"I don't… I don't hate you." Billy stammered. "Frank's my brother. I just don't want him to get hurt by anyone… even me."
"What do you mean?" Alice asked, tilting her head in confusion. Billy looked over to the side, wiping his mouth for the moment.
"Six months ago, I met another… version of myself." Billy explained. "A doppelganger, I guess. Apparently, he came here after something called Crisis eight years ago, and he allied with this girl named Beth Chase to kill Frank."
"And you're scared you'll become him one day." Alice realized. Russo ran a hand through his hair, before turning towards Kane and nodding.
"I know it sounds crazy, and you shouldn't believe me-"
"We just fought a sasquatch in a subway with a speedster. That's the least crazy thing I would see at this point." Alice said playfully. "But no, I know exactly what you're talking about."
"You do?" Billy frowned. "How?"
"Because the same thing happened to me." Alice told him. "Another version of me showed up on Kate's and my birthday, but she was nothing like me. She didn't spend a part of her life held captive. She was a scientist, friendly, good… everything I wasn't. And Kate chose her."
"Because for one of you to live on this Earth, the other had to die." Billy concluded. "They mentioned that to me too."
Alice nodded, before frowning.
"Kate's friends said we had only a few hours before we both died. So how did yours stay alive for so long?"
Russo groaned, remembering how he and his doppelganger would receive splitting headaches at the same time.
"Whenever it felt like we were being torn in half, Beth used this device to open a portal." Billy explained. "She sent Jigsaw somewhere, and the headaches just… stopped."
Alice swallowed the lump in her throat, as she turned to look at the far wall.
"Kate was right to choose her… after all I did…" Alice whispered. "But then the Caterpillar had to kill her."
"Caterpillar?" Billy frowned.
"My tormentor. His real name was Cartwright." Alice quickly explained, while staring at the wall. "My sister and father are dead. I have no one."
"That's not true." Billy mumbled, still resting his hand on her shoulder. "Frank and I will help you. And we will find Bruce… I promise."
Alice slowly turned to look at Billy, smiling mirthlessly.
"Thank you, Billy." Alice whispered, reaching over and wrapping Russo in a hug. "Thank you."
Music: "Anderson's Theme" from Dredd 2012 OST
As Frank's eyes closed, he began to feel himself enter a black void. He was familiar with this; it's usually what he saw, amongst the memories of his families, both old and new-
Frank.
Castle found himself looking around the void, until he saw his wife Cass in the distance, wearing her Judge uniform.
"Cass?" Frank felt himself ask in the dream. "That you in my head? Or am I just imagining it?"
Cass smiled, before suddenly appearing a few feet away from him with a speed that was faster than Barry. So, it definitely wasn't the real world, at least.
"I'm here. It's taking a lot of concentration to reach out this far though." Cass grunted. "But did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You're my husband, Frank. Don't give me that stomm." Cass chastised. "And I know you can block me out if you want to. Did you kill those cops?"
Frank heard himself sigh in the real world, before shaking his head in the dream.
"You know I didn't."
"Then who did?" Cass asked.
"Some prick calling himself Mouse and a few others." Frank shrugged. "Apparently, Alice knows him. But Zemo sent them. That's on him."
"Alice… that woman you were with." Cass mused.
"She's looking for her cousin, Wayne." Frank explained. "The real one, not the shitheel I put down. She thinks he's being held in Bagalia."
Cass crossed her arms, looking to the side.
"You think by helping her, you'll somehow make what happened with Chase right." Cass guessed. "What happened to Annie wasn't your fault."
"Keep saying that. Won't make it any less true." Frank muttered. Cass sighed, turning to look back at Castle.
"Grud on a greenie, Frank, this is serious." Cass exclaimed. "That manhunt for you has spread nationwide. Bad enough you've pulled Billy into this, but after that scene in the subway, everyone now knows you're working with that serial killer Alice. Mallory brought the Thunderbolts back together, and President Bracken is considering sending the National Guard after you. Millie's scared she'll have to hunt you down."
"Don't worry. I'm handling it."
"How?" Cass inquired. "What are you going to do about it?"
Frank thought for a moment, before taking a slow gulp.
"I'm going to make those HYDRA fucks tell me where Wayne is." Frank declared. "If he's in Bagalia, I'll bring him back. Until then, ask Mallory to pull some strings and check the body of the asshole I put a hole in. His name should be Thomas Elliot."
"I hope you know what you're doing, Frank." Cass murmured, as she began to vanish. "Be careful."
Frank woke up back in the hideout, looking up to see Alice and Billy watching him from the other side of the room.
"'Wake up, Alice dear!' said her sister. 'Why, what a long sleep you've had!'" Alice recited. Frank audibly groaned, as he groggily stood up and tapped his earpiece. The same one that was designed by the Judges of Mega City One to communicate with his old friend Dredd.
"What are you doing?" Russo asked curiously.
"Making a couple calls." Frank muttered, as he pressed his finger against his ear.
Mega City One
2118
Becca Butcher frowned, staring at the digital clock in her family's apartment. Joe should've been home right now. In fact, so should Ryan. Where were they?
As Becca continued to ponder, she heard a slight beeping noise from the counter, and upon turning her head, saw that it was coming from a small communications device, black in color. Butcher's frown deepened, as she walked over to the counter, picked up the device, and activated it once she placed it in her ear.
"Joe, you there?" Frank Castle's gruff voice asked.
"Frank? Is that you?" Becca asked. "Joe's not here right now."
"Fuck. Do you know when he might?"
"He and Ryan were supposed to be home an hour ago…" Becca's voice trailed off.
"Whenever he does get back, tell him to turn on his communicator." Frank requested. "I tried reaching him three times, and he won't answer."
"Yes, of course, Frank." Becca nodded, before ending the communication. Joseph usually had his earpiece turned on. Why would it be off now? Unless…
"He's missing." Becca realized.
Haddonfield
2028
Allyson, Michael, Riley, and Billy watched the television screen, as a blonde haired reporter appeared.
"Sources tell us as many as fifteen Crows were killed during the Punisher's rampage at Crows Security headquarters in Gotham." the news anchor of Channel 78 announced, before a portly man wearing a monocle appeared.
"It's safe to say that the hunt for Frank Castle is the top priority of every member of the law enforcement tonight. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those men. My only hope is that the GCPD will do their job."
The image of the man vanished, replaced with the anchor.
"That was Gotham's mayor Oswald Cobblepot, echoing statements made by Commissioner Forbes earlier today. More after this."
Allyson rolled her eyes, shutting off the tv, before she felt the earpiece in her ear start beeping.
"Nelson, you there?" Frank Castle asked.
"Yeah, Frank, I'm here." Allyson replied. "Sounds like you're causing quite the stir. We even saw you on the news down here."
"Yeah, I'll bet." Frank muttered. "I need your help. Yours and Myers."
"What for?" Allyson frowned. "You're not planning on hiding out here with your new friend, are you?"
"Alice and I are looking for Bruce Wayne. The asshole I shot wasn't him." Frank revealed. "She thinks he's in Bagalia, but we need more intel."
"I don't understand why that involves Michael and I." Allyson said suspiciously.
"Bagalia's run by HYDRA. Turns out Vought was too." Frank explained. "So there's a chance some pricks from Smith's Grove knew about them too."
"And you want us to find out." Allyson sighed. "Okay, Frank. Michael and I will search for some of the doctors from Smith's Grove… assuming they weren't all killed during that little riot we started."
"Yeah… keep Stone out of this one, yeah?" Frank asked, before turning off the communication. Allyson slowly exhaled, before turning to Michael.
"Frank wants us to find some people who worked at Smith's Grove." Nelson explained. Michael tilted his head slightly, but nodded.
"What about us?" Riley asked, indicating herself and Billy.
"He wants you to stay put." Allyson said sternly.
"Why, because of what happened six months ago?" Riley raised an eyebrow.
"He didn't mention it, but that's probably one reason." Allyson shrugged.
"We can help!" Riley insisted, with Billy nodding. "Come on, Billy and I stopped Gelson from releasing the Sisters of Death, remember?"
Allyson looked between the two, before sighing.
"Fine. You stay close to us, though." Allyson ordered, as she and Michael turned to leave the house. "If Frank finds out about this, he'll kill Michael and I, Compound V be damned."
Music: "Let Me Live, Let Me Die" by Des Rocs
Frank, Alice, and Billy walked through the suburbs of Gotham, coming to a small house painted a muted blue.
"Why are we here?" Billy asked in confusion, as they all walked up the porch steps.
"Well, eight years ago, when Kate and I were searching for Mouse we found out this was where his nurse lived." Alice explained, just as Frank approached the door. "We were going to reunite, but the Crows took him to Arkham."
Just as Frank put his hand on the knob, the door was kicked open, and an old woman with gray hair stood in the doorway, brandishing a double barrelled shotgun. A shotgun blast slammed into Castle's chest, sending him stumbling back, while Alice reached out and swatted the barrel to the side.
Either this woman is paranoid, or she's definitely working for HYDRA.
"Frank!" Billy shouted, running over to hold onto his friend's arm to keep him from falling. "You alright?"
"Yeah." Castle nodded, looking down at his skull vest. "Judge's armor, remember?"
Russo smirked, looking back up to see Alice smash her elbow into the old woman's face, knocking her down and snatching the shotgun away. She opened the barrel up, seeing one shell pop out while the other stayed in, before handing the firearm to Frank.
"You expecting us?" Frank raised an eyebrow, stepping into the home and letting the shotgun dangle from his side.
"I've already seen her here before." the woman sneered, glaring up at Alice. "I didn't want a repeat of last time."
"Aw, I'm touched you remember me, Nurse Tammy." Alice grinned mockingly, as she flipped her butterfly knife around. "Now where's Bruce Wayne?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Tammy said smugly. "Didn't you see the news? Your new friend put a bullet between his eyes-"
Alice suddenly stabbed the old woman's leg, causing her to shriek in pain.
"Not good enough." Frank muttered, pointing the shotgun at her head. "You worked for Arkham when it was run by Vought? You're still working for HYDRA?"
"Go to Hell." Tammy spat, narrowing her eyes in anger.
"I've been there." Alice hissed. "I spent eleven years in Hell. But that will be nothing compared to what we do to you. Unless, you tell us where Bruce is. The real Bruce."
Tammy glared at the three intruders, before letting out a chuckle.
"I didn't know Zemo tricked you." Tammy laughed. "But I wouldn't know where Bruce Wayne is, if he really is alive."
"Then who does?" Alice asked, painfully ripping the knife out and pointing it under the nurse's chin. Tammy gulped, staring up at Kane in fear.
"There's a HYDRA recruitment center. Located in the Bowery." Tammy informed. "It's run by that Capes For Christ supe Ezekiel."
Frank groaned in annoyance, looking away for a moment.
Ezekiel. I remember that fuck. Should've put him down long ago, but he crawled into a hole. I won't make the same mistake.
"What's the address?" Billy inquired.
"It's at the old Monarch Theater… right next to Crime Alley." Tammy smirked. Frank's eye twitched, as he lowered the shotgun to aim at her heart.
Of course they fucking would have it there. Just like when Vought used the Avengers' upstate facility as a black site. Christ's sake.
Without warning, Castle squeezed the trigger, blowing out a rather large hole in Tammy's chest, splattering blood everywhere.
"You could've at least told us when you were going to paint the roses red." Alice smiled playfully, wiping off specks of blood from her face.
"Let's go, yeah?" Frank murmured, stepping outside. "We have what we need." Alice and Billy stared at each other for a moment, before getting up and following the Punisher out.
Haddonfield
Allyson, Michael, Riley, and Billy approached an old house, colored yellow from the years.
"Are you sure she's here, Michael?" Allyson looked up at Myers. The Shape paused, staring down at her, and nodded, before continuing to walk up the steps. Michael knocked sharply on the door, waiting for several moments, until an older lady with orange hair opened the door.
"Oh God-" the woman gasped, preparing to close the door. That's when Allyson stepped in, kicking the door down and sending the woman stumbling back.
"HELP-"
Nelson reached out, grabbing the woman by the throat, while Michael, Billy, and Riley quickly entered the house.
"P-please…" the woman choked out, straining against Allyson's strength.
"You call out for anyone, and I'll have Michael rip your heart out." Nelson threatened, before dropping her to the floor.
"What… what do you want?" the woman wheezed out.
"According to Michael, you were Doctor Wynn's secretary at Smith's Grove before Vought moved him to New York." Allyson explained. "Dawn, I think your name was."
"What's your point?" Dawn asked, rubbing her neck.
"A friend of mine just recently found out that Vought was ultimately funded by HYDRA." Allyson continued. "See, he's looking for someone. Bruce Wayne. And he thinks he's in Bagalia, that safe haven for terrorists."
"Wayne's dead." Dawn denied. "The Punisher killed him-"
"For god's sake." Allyson muttered. "Wasn't him."
"How the fuck would I know if he's there?" Dawn rasped out. "The only one I was in contact with was Wynn, and you killed him!"
"So what do you think we'll do to you?" Allyson asked, gesturing towards Michael and Billy. "Clock's ticking."
Dawn's eyes widened, looking between the four people, before stuttering out an answer.
"I don't know where Wayne is, but I do know of a former Vought facilities." Dawn pleaded. "Westin Hills."
"Already know of it." Allyson scoffed, grabbing the old woman by the chin. "How does that help us find Wayne?"
"Because there are records kept there." Dawn explained. "Records of HYDRA's activities. If Bruce Wayne is in Bagalia, they should have it archived."
Allyson squinted her eyes, trying to figure out if she was lying or not, then shrugged.
"Thanks." Nelson said casually, harshly pushing Dawn back on the floor. Before she could get up, Allyson raised her foot and stomped on her head, splattering blood and brains everywhere.
"Shit!" Riley exclaimed, seeing blood get on her shoes. "What now?"
"We go to Westin Hills obviously." Allyson declared, beginning to walk outside.
"Wait!" Riley called out. "Do you really believe her?"
Allyson stopped, looking over her shoulder.
"No." Allyson admitted. "But before he died, a friend of Michael's who used to work at Smith's Grove mentioned Westin as one of Vought's other facilities."
Michael slowly nodded in agreement. He knew who she was talking about: Ismael Cruz. One of Smith's Grove's janitors, and in a way, Myers' best friend when he was locked away. The last time he saw the old man was when the Boys were on the run, just days before Homelander... before Homelander...
Myers shook his head slightly, while Allyson continued to walk outside. As he, Riley, and Billy followed, Nelson activated the communications device in her ear.
"Frank, we got a lead. Westin Hills over in Springwood. We're all heading there now."
Gotham
"Roger." Frank muttered, just as he, Billy, and Alice approached the entrance of the Monarch Theater. "You two ready?"
"As we'll ever be." Russo replied, with Alice nodding.
"Good. Once you get in, locate the thermostat." Castle instructed.
"What? Why?" Alice asked in confusion.
"Ezekiel's limbs can stretch like rubber bands." Punisher explained. "But they'll shatter under freezing temperatures."
"So you're going to use that to get the truth out of him." Billy realized.
"That's right." Frank nodded at his friend, before wrenching the doors open, and quietly slipping inside.
"If everyone could take their seats, we're ready to begin!" a man wearing all white with platinum blonde hair announced onstage. In front of him were dozens of men and women in suits, sitting in the theater's chairs. Flanking the aisles were agents of HYDRA, wearing their black and red uniforms.
"Greetings. My name is Ezekiel." the man introduced himself. "HYDRA welcomes you, but you didn't come to listen to me. Allow me to introduce Baron Zemo!"
The screen behind Ezekiel flickered to life, and a man in a purple mask appeared.
"Hello everyone. Welcome to HYDRA." Zemo declared. "You have all just become vanguards in the fight for a better world-"
"Hey assholes!" a deep voice rumbled at the back.
"What's going on there?" Zemo asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Sir, there will be a Q and A later-" Ezekiel tried to say, but stopped, when the man speaking stepped into the light. His eyes widened, seeing him wearing an armored vest with a white skull spray painted across the chest.
"You all just joined HYDRA, yeah?" Frank asked, pulling out his automatic pistols. "You got three seconds to rethink that. Two…"
Ezekiel, and the HYDRA agents, all stared at Frank in mortification.
"One."
The Punisher squeezed the triggers, and he let out a guttural roar, as all the agents were peppered with white hot lead.
"Ezekiel, what the Hell is happening?" Zemo demanded, as Frank massacred all the agents.
"You… you filthy murderer!" Ezekiel yelled, extending his arm and grabbing Castle by the throat. "I should have killed you in that tent-"
Ezekiel suddenly stopped, seeing his breath come out in a vapor. He looked down at his elongated arm, seeing it begin to get covered in frost. Frank weakly smirked, smashing his elbow down and shattering Ezekiel's arm in a bloody mess and causing him to scream loudly.
"And you should've stayed in your hole." Frank grunted, ripping the disembodied hand from his throat. Castle looked to his right, seeing Alice and Billy arrive.
"Damn, Frankie. I missed watching you work." Russo chuckled. Frank raised an eyebrow at his friend in curiosity. Allyson once said something similar.
Castle shook his head, looking back at the theater's screen.
"After I finish this prick, we're coming for you Zemo, and we're coming for Wayne." Frank vowed. "Get your house in order."
"Mister Wayne and I will be waiting for you, Mister Castle." Zemo countered, before his image suddenly flickered off.
Great. At least we know they're both in Bagalia now. Which means I got no more use for this fuck.
"Wait, wait… what are you doing?" Ezekiel asked, seeing Frank shift his gun towards him. Even now, Castle could see frost creeping across his face, beginning to turn his skin an icy blue.
"One bullet, one kill." Frank murmured, before squeezing the trigger. Ezekiel's head shattered in frozen and bloody bits of skin, splattering the floor with his brains.
"Hey, Frank…" Billy looked up at the projection box, seeing a shadow.
"Yeah, Bill?" Frank asked, looking over to his friend.
"There's someone up there."
"Curiouser and curiouser." Alice recited, while tilting her head in interest. Frank glanced up at the projection box, seeing there was indeed a shadow in that room. Castle narrowed his eyes, charging up the stairs in the back, and kicked in the door to find Grace Mallory, standing in front of a HYDRA banner with her hands behind her back.
"Hello, Frank. I'm glad you could make it." Mallory smiled slightly, as Alice and Billy entered the room. "You knew I'd eventually meet you in person, right?"
"Take that mask off, Mouse." Alice ordered. "You won't like it if I do."
"Mask?" Mallory frowned. "What the Hell-"
Alice lunged forward, grabbing the sides of Grace's head and trying to pull her skin off.
"Have you lost your fucking mind, Kane?!" Mallory yelled, while Billy stepped forward and tugged on her shoulders.
"Alice, stop." Russo told her. "It's her."
Beth's gaze softened upon looking at Billy, and let go of Mallory before stepping away.
"Don't answer that question, I know who you are." Mallory groaned, rubbing her neck.
"So that's it, huh?" Frank murmured. "You threw in with HYDRA?"
"Don't be stupid." Mallory chastised. "I was able to dig up dirt on plenty of supes back in the day, including what Homelander did to Becca. I just happened to find out where you and your new friend would be."
"Bullshit." Frank spat. "You couldn't find Becca when Vought hid her away, you couldn't track me in Gotham. So what's your endgame? You gonna ask me to stop killing HYDRA?"
"I'm past asking." Mallory told him. "The world thinks you killed Bruce Wayne-"
"Did you not see Zemo's announcement?" Alice scolded. "Why don't you have your friends in the CIA test the body's DNA? I assure you, it won't be Bruce's."
"Frank's wife already told me to analyze the body, Miss Kane." Grace revealed. "It didn't take long to find out that the man Frank killed was Thomas Elliot."
So Cass did contact Mallory. Good.
"Then why are we still being hunted?" Russo asked. "You can't make some calls to stop going after us?"
"Frank still killed a man in front of the United Nations." Mallory reminded them. "As it stands, there's only one way you can get out of this."
"Which is?" Frank asked curiously.
"You go to Bagalia and find the real Bruce Wayne." Grace revealed. "Bring him back to the States, and have him tell the world he's been held prisoner illegally."
"Which is what we were already doing." Alice frowned.
"You don't understand." Mallory murmured. "I worked out a deal with Zemo to deliver you to him, in exchange that he'll never set foot on US soil."
"You did what?" Frank narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the pistol.
"Frank, maybe she has a point." Billy spoke up, earning a glare from Castle. "Think about it- if we tried to step two feet in Bagalia, we'd be dead."
Frank continued glaring at Billy, as the gears in his head began to turn.
Didn't want to admit it, but Bill's right. Our best bet would be to turn ourselves in.
With a low sigh, Frank looked back to Mallory, and shortly nodded.
"Excellent." Grace smiled. "I'd hoped you would come around."
"What about Bill and Alice?" Castle asked.
"He wanted them too." Mallory revealed, as she walked out of the projection room. As the trio followed her out, Frank frowned from what she said moments ago.
I killed Elliot on my own. So why would Zemo want all three of us there?
Mallory, Frank, Alice, and Billy exited the Monarch Theater, climbing into a black van with armored guards. One of them slapped handcuffs on each of their wrists, which glowed a faint green.
"These necessary?" Alice asked, holding up her cuffs. "It's not like we have Compound V in us."
"Standard procedure." Mallory said crisply, as the van took off.
Close to an hour later, the van stopped, and Frank, Alice, and Billy were led out to stand in front of an armored truck on the outskirts of Gotham, with three HYDRA agents waiting for them.
"My boss said you're welcome to come with us." one of the agents offered.
"Fuck him and fuck you." one of Mallory's guards snarled, before shoving the three captives into the vehicle. The truck drove off, eventually landing stopping at the Gotham City Airport, where a private jet was waiting for them.
"Let's go, asshole." one of the agents declared, dragging Frank out of the truck. Alice and Billy were pulled out as well, and the three were lined up to face Baron Zemo, in the flesh and holding onto a glass of wine.
"Welcome, Mister Castle." Zemo smiled behind his mask. "Mister Russo, Miss Kane. I see my deal with your Colonel Mallory worked perfectly. Personally, I believe that she's hoping we just kill each other, Francis. But that is not the case."
"What are you talking about?" Frank asked. Zemo simply smirked, staring between the three of them.
"Regardless, I got my house in order, just like you asked." Helmut announced. "Let's go home."
A/N: So begins the Punisher and his allies in prison starting next chapter. During that mini-arc, I will be pulling directly from the comic, as well as "The Cell" one-shot from the MAX line. I'll even borrow some bits from the Daredevil episode where the Punisher is in prison, and even bits of Arrow season 7, when Oliver was in Slabside.
While that's happening, the rest of the Boys and their friends will be helping out in some way. Dredd, Becca, and Ryan are still doing their own thing in the other story though. Allyson, Michael, Riley, and Billy are going to meet a new, yet familiar face soon. I'm going to keep Cass in New York, but Millie will play a significant role in the next couple chapters. You'll find out how real soon.
Oh, and that scene with Billy and Alice singing a duet of Hurt is leading to something. Hopefully I'm not rushing it though.
Anyway, see you all next time, and take care.