Nolan opened the door to the truck, stepping inside as he began removing his disguise, revealing his outfit underneath.

Butcher marched up to him the moment he was inside the trailer. "I thought we were supposed to be taking Vought down!"

Nolan glanced at Butcher with a raised eyebrow. "We are."

"So what in the hell are you doing, leaving A-Train alive?! He could ruin everything!"

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Not only did he only see Hughie's face, but he knows I'm more powerful than he is and he knows I'm faster than he is. He'll stay scared, my threat worked."

Butcher snorted. "You seem really sure of that."

Nolan chuckled. "Considering he watched me curbstomp Homelander, he probably has a good reason not to piss me off."

All of the occupants there went silent at that statement, while Nolan finished removing his disguise, putting his gloves back on.

"Y-You? Curbstomped Homelander?" Frenchie asked, stunned with disbelief.

Nolan nodded. "Yeah. Wasn't too hard, actually. He doesn't know how to throw a punch at all."

The way Nolan casually dismissed Homelander's power had many of them stunned.

"Mate, do you realize how powerful Homelander is?" Butcher asked, stunned.

Nolan glanced at Butcher. "What was one of the first things I told you when we met, Butcher?"

Butcher stopped talking for a moment as he thought back.

Obviously they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but he couldn't think of anything that would-

Wait.

"I was born on the planet Viltrum. I can move fast enough to ignite the atmosphere, and what your… 'Homelander' can do? Only a fraction of my power."

"That remark you made. About being able to ignite the atmosphere…" Butcher went quiet as he gazed at Nolan, shock written on his features. "You weren't bluffing?"

Nolan chuckled. "Back home, there was this species… the Flaxans, that kept trying to invade."

He looked directly at Butcher, his face dead serious.

"I cut loose. I wiped that planet out, in minutes."

Everyone was staring at Nolan, slightly unsettled at the confession.

"So you… really are more powerful than Homelander?" MM asked.

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Please. Homelander's just a joke. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my son could take him." He remarked as he grinned. "My 17 year old son, by the way."

"What's your story?" Hughie asked, catching everyone's attention. "Butcher knows, that's clear, but all we know is that you're a real alien. We don't know anything else."

MM and Frenchie both nodded, agreeing with Hughie. "He's got a point, man. We don't nothing about you. We just have you and Butcher's word." MM agreed.

Frenchie nodded. "He is right. If Butcher knows, we should too."

"Oi, mates, that's enough." Butcher said, trying to get them back to the plan. "We got a job to do."

"The job can wait, Butcher." Nolan spoke up, glancing at the bearded man. "They're right. I told you, and I don't trust you very much."

"Sentiment returned." Butcher remarked, smirking.

"If I can tell you, without trusting you, I can tell them." He ran his gaze across everyone in the truck. "I suggest you take a seat. This could take a while."

And with those words, Nolan retold his story. Butcher remained silent, instead focusing on his phone to occupy himself as the others listened intently to Nolan's story.

"Putain de merde."

"Fuck, man."

"Jesus Christ."

To say the other's were stunned was an understatement.

Frenchie had a look of wonder in his eyes, MM looked like he had watched the end of the earth, and Hughie simply sat, jaw dropped, shell shocked.

"So, you are from another universe?" Frenchie asked, looking at Nolan curiously.

Nolan nodded. "Yes."

"You're thousands of years old?" MM questioned.

"Yep."

Hughie looked at Nolan, confused. "And you were a high ranking conqueror for the planet Vilturm."

Nolan sighed. "Yes."

MM looked over at Butcher. "How in the fuck did he get you to believe him?"

Butcher chuckled. "Does that sound like one of Vought's fables?" He looked directly at MM. "That's too damn detailed to be a fake, and you know it. And he didn't splatter my guts all over the place when we met, so that's gotta count for something. Sure, I still don't trust him, but to be fair, when do I really trust anybody?"

MM and Frenchie both nodded, while Hughie looked at Nolan. "So, this Clockwork guy… do you know why he sent you here?"

Nolan slowly nodded. "He said that it would be my chance for redemption, stopping the corrupt heroes of this Earth."

Hughie looked at Nolan, and then smiled. "Well, you've done nothing but help us so far. I'd say you've got my vote."

Frenchie nodded, walked next to Hughie. "I am with Petit Hughie." He smiled at Nolan. "I have blood on my own hands. I understand the feeling of wanting to leave that life behind."

Nolan smiled at Frenchie and Hughie, grateful for their understanding. "Thank you. Both of you." He looked at MM. "And you?"

MM looked at Nolan blankly, before sighing. "I ain't really got much of a choice but to believe you, now do I?" He asked as he stood to his feet, approaching Nolan. "I just hope that you really are the smoking gun we need."

Nolan nodded, looking at MM. "Vought's going down. One way, or another."

MM and Nolan looked at each other, mutual agreement in their eyes, before everyone's attention was pulled to Frenchie, who was watching the spy camera.

"A-Train's on the move!" He said, causing everyone to move to look at the cameras in time to see A-Train leaving the building.

They watched him exit the building, before disappearing in a blur. Inside the apartment, Popclaw was sitting on the couch, a look of slight fear on her face as she turned on the TV.

"Oh shit!" Hughie's voice caught their attention, and they turned to see him looking at his phone, a look of disbelief on his face.

"What is it?" MM asked, confused. Hughie didn't even look at him when he responded.

"News is saying that Nolan attacked Homelander with some new material."

At that, everyone's eyes shot wide as they scrambled to pull out their phones, intent on checking the news for themselves.

Many of them were in disbelief when they saw what was being presented.

"After meeting with The Seven to discuss his invitation to the team, it was revealed by Homelander that the new hero, Omni-Man, was wearing gloves made of an unknown substance. According to reports, Omni-Man proceeded to attack Homelander, resulting in the black eye that can be seen on the face of the world's greatest hero."

All of them were stunned as the News Footage showed Homelander standing next to a news reporter, his face showing the black eye very clearly.

"You sure knocked him good, didn't you, mate?" Butcher remarked as he watched the footage on his own phone.

Nolan didn't respond, staring at the phone as Homelander began speaking.

"A like minded soul… I thought we could work together to save the world. Offer him a place on the Seven, to stand in and possibly replace the still missing Translucent."

Sam watched in disbelief as her TV showed Homelander beginning some crafted story about Nolan.

She knew Nolan well enough, and she already knew the real story, but she had expected them to keep it hidden from the public.

Nolan most certainly wouldn't be happy.

"But instead, he punched me. His gloves were made of an unknown material, but whatever they were, he knew that it would weaken me. So he refused my offer, and he assaulted me."

Ellis sat back in his chair, watching the scene displaying on the TV in surprise.

"Wonder how Nolan's taking this?"

"When I awoke, I had discovered Translucent to be missing, and I was sporting this black eye as a result of the assault."

Evan took a sip of beer as he watched the scene, a sense of unnerving dread filling him.

"This can't end well…"

"Our best researchers are working hard to discover what his gloves were made of, as well as working hard to track down my comrade, Translucent."

Nolan watched the broadcast on his phone, he felt something rising within him as he watched Homelander and Vought craft another lie in their favor.

"What the fuck?!" Hughie exclaimed, running a hand through his hair.

"Unknown material?" MM asked, looking at Nolan with a raised eyebrow.

Butcher looked at Nolan. "This is the kinda shit they do to turn the public to their favor, mate."

Nolan didn't say anything. They watched him out his phone away, breathing heavily…

… before he removed his gloves.

"Mate, what are you doing?"

Nolan didn't answer as he turned around and opened the door, quickly exiting the van.

Nobody had time to say anything else before the entire van rattled and shook from the force of Nolan's take off.

On the outside, Homelander had to keep up appearances, but on the inside, he was grinning.

He could see the faces of the audience. Every single one of them was going from shock to anger. Public opinion of Omni-Man was dropping rapidly.

Good. The pretender was going to lose whatever support he may have had.

"While we can only hope the best for Translucent, Omni-Man's day is coming!" He spoke, the crowd cheering in agreement as he continued. "Omni-Man has willingly used a material that can hurt me! This means he likely intends to kill me, possibly even the Seven! But we will stop him!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and as Homelander spoke. But as he did so, his super hearing picked up something in the distance, miles away.

A sonic boom.

And a high pitched whistling that was getting louder and louder. Rapidly.

Omni-Man.

Homelander wasn't sure whether he wanted to grin or growl.

The audience went silent as another sonic boom sounded, more than audible to catch everyone's attention, and it was much closer.

Then a red blur slammed into the middle of the stadium, shattering the ground and creating a small crater as dust billowed up quickly, shielding the culprit from view before anyone could see who it was.

But Homelander knew.

So did Madelyn Stillwell, and Stan Edgar.

And soon, every single person in the stadium, and watching the broadcast, knew as well.

As the dust settled, in clear view of everyone, was Omni-Man.

His gloves were gone, though he was very clearly gripping something in his hand.

And he was glaring right at Homelander.

Sam watched, stunned at the sudden change in events. "Nolan?"

She leaned forward from her position on the couch, frowning.

What was he planning?

Ellis furrowed his brow as he watched the broadcast.

"What are you planning, big guy?" He asked himself as he watched the staredown between Nolan and the Homelander.

Evan had abandoned his beer the moment Nolan slammed into the ground. All he had to do was look to see that he was pissed.

"Be careful, Nolan."

Butcher had a hand up to his chin as he watched the event. He, along with the rest of the Boys, were all staring at the screen, having opted to use the computer instead of their phones.

Nolan was planning something. Something big.

But he was doing it out of rage.

Or was he making a point?

Then again, Butcher did both at once all the time… maybe that's what Nolan was doing.

All of them watched in anticipation for something to happen.

Maeve stared at the TV screen in the display, watching the entire thing with an odd sense of anticipation.

He was planning something.

Both literally and figuratively, the gloves were off.

For the longest time, Omni-Man did nothing. Simply glared at Homelander. His presence alone made a point that he was not tolerating Vought's lies against him.

But then, he smirked.

And his clenched hand loosened as he raised it in the air.

And Homelander felt his entire body freeze.

Madelyn Stillwell's eyes went wide as terror struck her core.

Within his office, Stan Edgar's eyes widened, and he gripped his chair's armrest hard.

"For the people in attendance, and watching this broadcast…" Omni-Man began, holding a vial filled with a dark blue substance in the air. "...this, is Compound V."

A/N: Yeah, Nolan's not letting Vought spread lies about him, we all knew that.

Don't forget to review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.