A/N: All I'm gonna say here as a heads up is that the beginning of episode 1x08 is added in this chapter for a bit more flow.
Also, I'm thinking on just posting one chapter a day for now, after realizing just how many I've uploaded lately.
Ten Years Ago
As Butcher slept, he thought back to the first time he met Homelander. It was at a Christmas party, back in 2011. At the time, everything was new to him, he'd only been to New York for a few months. In that time, he had married Becca, and even changed his last name to Butcher.
"Grud, the food here's awful." Butcher muttered, handing Becca a glass of vodka. Becca smiled, still thinking the way he cursed was cute.
"Don't worry, we'll be leaving soon." Becca told her husband. "I just need to shake a few more hands-"
"Merry Christmas!" Homelander declared, walking down the steps of Vought's penthouse. "Ah, Becca. Senior Director of marketing."
"How did you know?"
"You're nametag." Homelander playfully smirked.
"Oh, this is my husband, Billy." Becca rested a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Good to meet you." Butcher smiled, shaking Homelander's hand.
"Huh. You have a firm grip." Homelander noted.
"Yeah, you too." Butcher smirked as he looked him in the eye.
Present
A-Train walked into the Seven's office, seeing Starlight, Black Noir, and Queen Maeve sitting in their chairs.
"What's going on?" he asked, confused.
"I missed you guys." Homelander said behind him. "And I think we're in for a rap session, or tough love."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maeve asked.
"I mean we've gotten a bit sloppy." Homelander said. "Not you, Black Noir, you're great. But the rest of you… a little of sorts. Unreliable. I'm disappointed. The enemies are storming the gates. We're not even the Seven anymore, just down to five now. And it's all because of this man-"
Homelander turned on the screen, showing a picture of Frank.
"Frank?" Annie asked, mortified.
"Who is this guy?" Maeve asked.
"He is Starlight's… friend." Homelander announced. "And he's one of the guys who killed Translucent."
"Wait what?" Annie asked.
"And he blackmailed Mesmer, Popclaw, Ezekiel…"
"But why would he do that?" Annie asked.
"I think A-Train knows."
"What do you mean?" A-Train asked.
"Think long and hard." Homelander said. "Wasn't there someone, or rather, a few people that you might have run through?"
A-Train's eyes widened.
"Fuck, I remember him."
"You should, since you smashed through his wife and children." Homelander revealed.
"You're the one who killed his family?" Annie shouted, about to stand up.
"It was an accident!" A-Train insisted.
"Sit back down!" Homelander roared.
"Look, Frank's a good guy. He's not capable of murder!" Annie pleaded.
"I beg to differ." Homelander chuckled. "He joined the Marine Corps when he was 18, and served in the Cerberus Squad. He's been credited with dozens of operations that have left hundreds of people in the Middle East dead. One report indicates he saved his platoon in some shithole in the desert called Kandahar, and killed over 500 Taliban there. No, I think he is very capable of murder. But, I think he was helped. Like, getting tickets to see Ezekiel."
"Whoa, hang on-"
"Shut up!" Homelander yelled, his eyes starting to glow. "It's because of you that we're now the five, and I have to ask, which of us is next?"
"Homelander, enough!" Maeve snapped, standing up. "She didn't know. The only thing she's guilty of is being stupid. She clearly fell for him, and he took advantage of that."
Homelander glared at Maeve, before smiling.
"Well, that's the first time in a while I've seen you give a shit about anyone." Homelander taunted. "Alright, class dismissed. Get out there and save the world!"
The team slowly dispersed, all of them having different thoughts on their minds. Homelander's smile grew even wider, intent on keeping an eye on Starlight.
It was around noon when Frank returned to the underground safehouse, and he quickly noticed that Allyson and Diggle had returned from their trip to Haddonfield, and were on the couch with Dax.
"Where were you, mate?" Butcher asked, drinking from a mug.
"What, I can't have my own private errands, but you can?" Frank spat out.
"Fair point." Butcher shrugged. "But does it affect the team?"
"No." Frank told him. "Don't worry, I'm still with you all the way. But Annie is a good person."
"She's a fucking supe, and she's playing you like a fiddle."
"You're wrong." Frank snarled. Before either could say anything else, Frank's phone buzzed.
"You gonna get that?" Butcher asked in a low growl. Frank turned around, and answered his call, but didn't talk first.
"Oh hey, Frank. How's it been?"
Frank didn't speak, and frowned. That didn't sound like Russo.
"Frank, you there? You remember me, after obsessing over me?"
"A-Train."
"Yep, that's me! Here, Billy, say hi to your buddy."
"Frank, what's going on?" Russo's voice asked.
"Russo, are you okay?" Frank asked, his eyes widening. Behind him, everyone turned their heads towards him in concern.
"Oh don't worry, he's fine!" A-Train took the phone back. "But you be here in twenty minutes, or I'm going to burst through Billy like a fucking pinata, just like I did to your family. And come alone, because if I even think you're here with someone-"
"I got it, asshole." Frank growled, and shut off his phone. He turned back to the rest of the Boys, who were checking their phones and computers.
"Dammit, I'm burned." Diggle muttered, seeing that his accounts were breached. He quickly activated his phone, and called his wife. "Hey, Lyla? I can't explain, but when you get this message, take JJ and Sara, and leave the house, please."
"Fucking Hell, so am I." Butcher announced, seeing the camera on his phone revealing his place trashed. "Well I hope she was fucking worth it."
"It wasn't Annie, she didn't know!" Frank insisted.
"He's right." Diggle came to Frank's defense. "She's never seen me, so how did I get burnt?"
"Mesmer." Butcher growled. "I warned you not to use that knob head!"
Butcher stormed out of the bunker, leaving the rest of them there.
"I have to get home." Frank declared, beginning to leave.
"Hey, you'll need a plan." Diggle told him.
"Yeah, I got one." Frank nodded, and looked at Allyson. "Can I get a hand?"
Frank entered his house, finding Billy on the couch.
"Russo, you alright?" Castle asked. "Where's A-Train?"
"I don't know-"
Russo was cut off, when A-Train zoomed into the room.
"Right here."
Frank took a deep breath, and made sure he was calm.
"I came alone. You let him go." Frank ordered.
"Alone, huh?" A-Train asked, zooming around the house. "Holy shit, you were telling the truth! Next time, have some more cards up your sleeve! Not that there will be a next time-"
"Like this?" Frank asked, holding up a needle filled with Compound V.
"I don't know what that is." A-Train lied.
"Cool." Frank pressed the end of the needle, and all the V spilled out.
"Oh come on, man!" A-Train yelled. "The fuck's wrong with you?"
"There's a bigger dose hiding outside." Frank told him. "You let Russo go, I give it to you, you get to do whatever you want to me."
A-Train smirked, pointing to Billy.
"You try anything, I can catch up to ole Billy in a millisecond."
"Russo, time to go."
"I'm not leaving you with him!" Russo protested. "You're my battle buddy!"
"I'll be right behind you." Frank reassured him. "I got this. Now go!"
Russo quickly left, leaving just A-Train and Frank.
"Okay, where's the V?"
"You know, this stuff must be great. Being faster than even the Flash." Frank stalled, ignoring the attic door dropping down. "Must be worth running through a woman and her little kids."
"Come on, man, that was an accident!" A-Train begged.
"That accident had a name. Three names." Frank reminded him.
"So did Popclaw! Her name was Charlotte!" A-Train countered. "Frank, what I did was a mistake! You deliberately threw her away like garbage! The only good thing in my life is gone now! So who's worse-"
Allyson came up from behind and swung a crowbar as hard as she could, smashing into A-Train's knee. The force of the blow was so hard, his bone poked out of his skin.
"You bitch!" the speedster yelled, clutching his leg on the floor.
Allyson stood over A-Train, remembering him as the man who killed her parents. Slowly, she began to raise the crowbar again.
"Allyson, stop." Frank said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We need to leave."
Allyson looked at him and slowly nodded, and the two walked out the door.
"You were right. It would've been stupid not to have more cards up my sleeve." Frank called back, before slamming the door.
"Lyla, listen, it's not safe here-"
"No, you swore to me you were done with Billy Butcher." Lyla snapped. Diggle sighed. He knew this day would come after Butcher entered his life again.
"Look, I know, everything Butcher touches dies…" Diggle stopped himself. God, he was starting to sound like Prometheus talking about Oliver.
"Last I checked Johnny, you were a grown man." Lyla said coldly.
"Lyla, we have to go-"
"Daddy!"
Diggle looked down, seeing his son JJ hugging his leg.
"Hey JJ." Diggle smiled.
"JJ, Daddy's going to take us to a sleepover." Lyla told her son. "Pack your toys."
"We don't have time for toys, honey." Diggle told her. "We have to leave now."
Music: "Aaron Meets Michael" from Halloween 2018
After days of searching, Black Noir finally tracked down Doctor Wynn to a remote home in Manhattan, and after sharply knocking on the door, a man with white hair answered.
"Black Noir." the man blinked. "I didn't expect you to be here."
Black Noir strolled inside, and closed the door behind him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Black Noir tilted his head, and pulled out a photo of that girl Homelander showed on the monitor earlier that day.
"Who is this?" Wynn asked, staring at the photo. He looked back at Noir, he stared at him intently.
"I-I don't know her."
Black Noir's hand formed into a fist, and he removed his mask, revealing his old, grizzled face. Before Wynn could speak, Noir grabbed him by the collar, and leaned in close.
"Michael."
Wynn's eyes widened. Somehow, he remembered his name.
"Yes, your name is Michael." Wynn stammered. "Not much is known about you. You weren't grown in a lab like Homelander. You were taken somewhere, and injected with the Compound V as an adult."
Michael pointed to the picture of the woman.
"Her?" Wynn asked. "I just know that she was taken as well, and injected as an adult. That's all I know."
Black Noir wasn't nearly satisfied, but he put his mask back on, and left the home, leaving the picture with Wynn. He knew he couldn't kill the doctor, as that would raise suspicion, so he'd have to find the girl to get answers. As Black Noir left, the doctor stared at it, sighing from recognition. If she found out who he was… then he didn't have much longer on this Earth.
Mesmer made his way through the subway station, trying to catch his train, when he suddenly saw Billy Butcher standing several feet away from him. The telepath gasped loudly, dropping the plastic cup he was holding, and ran in the other direction.
Butcher kept walking at a slow pace, not caring that Mesmer was running as fast as he could.
Mesmer looked around, trying to find a place to hide, and decided the bathroom was his best bet. As he entered a stall, he locked the door, and lifted up his feet. That proved to be a mistake, as Butcher suddenly kicked the door in a minute later.
"Having a little grounder, are we?" Butcher mocked, grabbing Mesmer and throwing him across the bathroom.
"What did you expect me to do? It was Homelander! And you promised to let me see my daughter-" Mesmer cried out, just before Butcher punched him.
As the fist connected with his face, Mesmer saw Butcher, much younger, talking to his wife.
"Wait, I can help you-"
Butcher delivered an uppercut, making Mesmer see the young Billy with his wife again.
"I can help you find your wife!" Mesmer shouted. Butcher raised an eyebrow, and pulled him up, before placing his hands on either side of his head. Mesmer's eyes widened in horror, feeling nothing but… rage. And pain.
"Please, I have a daughter!" Mesmer begged, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Butcher smashed his head into the bathroom sink, again and again, until his face split open, and his skull was caved in. He threw the telepath's body to the ground, and looked in the mirror, breathing heavily.
Nine Years Ago
Butcher heard a knock at the door, and he opened it to find a blonde woman dressed in black, with a computer in her arms.
"Not interested. Fuck off." Butcher muttered, about to close the door.
"You will be. It's about your wife." the woman promised, walking in and setting the computer down. She opened the computer, revealing video footage of Homelander and Billy's wife, Becca, entering a private room. "This was taken a few days after that Christmas party."
The video was fast forwarded, and only Becca left, with her clothes loosely hanging, and one high heel on.
"Not long after, she went missing." the woman listed off. "One way or another, I believe Homelander was involved."
"But he's a fucking superhero." Butcher said in denial.
"You wouldn't believe the shit they get up to." the woman said grimly.
"Who the fuck are you?"
The woman smiled slightly, handing him her badge.
"My name is Mallory. I'm the person who can get you payback."
Present
Billy Russo glanced around in the underground bunker Frank led him to, where he saw a few faces that he, oddly enough, recognized. Sitting on a makeshift couch was John Diggle, the former director of ARGUS, and his wife Lyla with their son JJ.
"Listen, Val. I need you to get out of the city for awhile." Dax pleaded over the phone. "It's only for a few nights. Please don't hang up- dammit!"
Meanwhile, Frank checked his own phone, trying to call Annie.
"You've reached the number of Annie January. I'm unable to answer right now-"
"Shit." Frank muttered, hanging up and looking at Diggle and his family.
"Hey, that's Frank Castle, JJ." Diggle pointed towards Frank.
"He looks like you." Frank grunted.
"Eh, he's better looking." Diggle smirked, and looked at the floor, just as Butcher walked in.
"Bill Russo!" Butcher announced, striding over and shaking Russo's hand. "Billy Butcher. Gotta say, you have a great taste in friends!"
"Yeah, Frankie's a great guy." Russo grinned. Butcher smiled back, then turned towards Diggle and his family.
"Why hello, who might you be?" Billy asked, walking over to JJ and looking him in the eye. "You can call me Uncle Billy."
"Oliver was your uncle, JJ." Lyla said coldly, standing up. "He's nothing to you."
"Lyla-"
Butcher stopped, when Lyla slapped him across the face.
"Chafed to see you too."
Frank sat on the couch with Russo, noticing Allyson was looking at him.
"What's she doing?" Russo asked, nervous.
"Don't worry. She won't hurt you- or us." Frank reassured his friend.
"Does she talk?"
"She can, she just doesn't want to." Frank sighed. "Listen Bill, I'm sorry."
"For what?" Russo asked. "You're standing up for what you believe in. Just like in Kandahar. I'm proud of you."
Frank smiled at his best friend, then looked over to Butcher and Diggle talking.
"So you said Rawlins got cold feet, and wouldn't give you anything." Diggle recounted.
"Yep."
"Bullshit!" Frank yelled, standing up and marching over to Butcher. "That's grade A bullshit! Rawlins was ready to give you everything, except Homelander's head on a spike, so you decided it was all or nothing!"
"Yeah, I thought that would be the case." Diggle muttered. "Dammit Butcher, you said things would be different this time! But now it's worse. It's going to be Mallory's grand kids all over again, but this time, it'll be my family. Please, whatever happened between you and him, just call him."
"Wait, you're working with Rawlins?" Russo asked, having heard the entire conversation.
"Yeah." Frank nodded.
Butcher looked from Frank, to Diggle, and gave a short nod, agreeing to their plan.
Music: The Intro song from Halloween 2018
Black Noir walked through the streets of New York, coming across a glass display with television sets in them. On the screens were commercials for his newest film "Black Noir: Insurrection".
"Well, I'm just happy to make my first installment in the Vought Cinematic Universe…" Seth Rogan told an interviewer, with Black Noir nodding right next to him.
Noir reached up, and carefully took his mask off, revealing his old, weathered face. He had no idea how old he was. He had no memories of his child, or who his parents were. The first memory he ever had was last year, when he woke up on the operating table, with the dark blue fluid of Compound V being pumped into him by a vein in his arm.
"Hello. My name is Doctor Terrence Wynn." the doctor looking over him said. Behind him, a blonde haired woman that he came to know as Madlyn Stillwell stood next to a mannequin with a dark black suit and helmet. "You are property of Vought, and will be integrated into the Seven."
"Your name will be Black Noir." Madelyn added.
Over the next few weeks, he had trained day and night, testing his abilities. As far as he could tell, he had enhanced durability, strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. Whatsmore, his fighting capabilities were at peak condition, and he was proficient in all bladed weaponry. It wasn't until Thanksgiving when he made his debut, putting on the black suit and helmet.
It had been months since he ever took his mask off, yet somehow, that girl was able to. He touched his face, marvelling at how old he looked, and how his flesh made a blank, expressionless mask. His sight trailed up to meet his eyes in the reflection, seeing nothing but blackness. The Devil's eyes.
What had the girl called him? As if she knew him? Ah yes. Michael. And Doctor Wynn confirmed it.
Michael breathed heavily, and placed his mask back over his head, once more becoming Black Noir. He needed to find that girl quick. She was the only one he could get answers from. And possibly, the real truth.
The Boys and their families waited in their safehouse, when Dax suddenly looked out, seeing two black vans pull up.
"Shit!" Dax yelled, tossing an assault rifle to Diggle and a pistol to Butcher.
"Jesus, calm down, you wankers!" Butcher shouted, opening up the door and walking out. Several seconds later, William Rawlins walked in, with members of the CIA.
"John Diggle?" Rawlins asked, approaching the former head of ARGUS. "Your family will be protected, as will you."
"Thank you." Diggle nodded, and turned to Butcher. "So you are human."
"Don't get too carried away." Butcher smirked, as Lyla and JJ left with agents.
Russo and Frank hugged each other, before he also left with the CIA
When everyone was gone, Rawlins walked up to Butcher.
"No Homelander." Butcher guessed.
"No Homelander." Rawlins confirmed. "We had a deal. Everyone else is fair game. Do you want this or not?"
Butcher sighed in frustration, before handing her the vial of Compound V. Frank turned away, checking his phone and seeing Annie was trying to call.
"Yeah?" Frank asked, once he answered.
"We need to talk."
Frank frowned. It sounded like she'd been crying.
"I don't think that's a good idea-"
"Please Frank." Annie begged. "I need you to tell me the truth. I need to make sense of all this. Please."
Frank sighed out of sadness. He knew this would happen, eventually. Butcher was right. No more hiding from it.
"Central Park. I'll meet you in thirty minutes."
Thirty minutes later, Frank made it to Central Park, seeing Annie on the same park bench they met on.
"Hey kid." Frank said softly walking towards her and sitting down.
"Did you kill Translucent?" Annie asked. Frank looked at her, seeing tears in her eyes.
"Yeah." Frank mumbled, looking at the ground.
"And are you using me to get back at A-Train?"
Frank looked at her again. This time, he felt a knot of guilt in his stomach.
"No." Castle said. "Whatever I felt for you was real. And I killed Translucent because... because he told me what he, Deep, and Homelander did to you."
Annie stared at Frank in shock, then quickly composed herself.
"But you're still a murderer."
Annie stood up, twisting Frank's arm behind his back, and forced him up as well.
"I have to turn you in."
"Annie, wait-"
"To the cops, Frank!" Annie continued. "At least they'll treat you better than the Seven."
"Annie, just listen!" Frank shouted, twisting himself out of the arm lock with every bit of strength he had. "What I felt for you was real. You remind me of my daughter. Her name was Lisa."
"You're just saying that to save your skin." Annie accused. "The guy who killed Translucent, that'll get the death sentence for sure."
"I'm not afraid to die. There's many times where I should have." Frank revealed. "But this isn't about Translucent. This is about Compound V."
"What's Compound V?" Annie asked, having no idea what it was.
"It's a drug. All supes are given it when they're born." Castle revealed. "Vought will do anything to cover it up, because they decide what the truth is."
"No." Annie denied. "We were born this way."
"I'm sorry." Frank said solemnly. He looked down at her shirt, just in time to see a red dot on her chest.
"Annie-"
Bang!
Annie fell to the ground, but was otherwise miraculously unharmed. Frank wheeled around, seeing Butcher with his sniper rifle.
"Get the fuck out of their Frank!" Butcher yelled, loading another round. Annie attempted to get up, but was shot again.
"I'm sorry, Annie." Frank told her, before running over to Butcher, who began running off as well.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Butcher yelled, as they slipped through the trees.
"I didn't need your help!" Frank shouted back.
"Sure looked like it, you bastard!" Butcher sneered, as they left Central Park.
Butcher directed Frank to a motel room that the Boys had relocated to, where Billy received a call.
"Butcher." Rawlins' voice echoed from the phone. "We had to let Stillwell go, and Compound V is classified."
"Are you shitting me!" Billy shouted. "What the Hell for?!"
"Because of this terrorist supe that popped up right as we were interrogating her, now we have to keep Vought happy." Rawlins explained.
"Those cunts at Vought fucking created him!" Butcher yelled.
"We don't have hard proof of that."
"Bullshit! Our proof is in this motel right now!" Butcher yelled, while Diggle tried his best to talk to reporters over the phone.
"Listen, Vought's created super terrorists! Don't you want a pulitzer-" the latest reporter hung up. "This would've been easier if Iris or Lois were here…"
Dax entered the motel room, shedding his disguise and setting food and drinks down, while Frank just sat there.
"Look, Rawlins, I need you to work with me." Butcher begged. "There must be something we can do."
"We can't. The military deal was signed and sealed." Rawlins responded. "I'm sorry, but one mute girl isn't going to change that. You lost, especially since you're fugitives now for killing Translucent."
"Wait, what?" Butcher exclaimed.
"Vought insisted you be tried. You're wanted now." Rawlins explained.
"Look, I gave you the V, everything you wanted, and then some, and this is how you thank me?"
"Butcher, I will still protect your families and friends. It's the least I could do after Kandahar. Frank knows what I mean."
"Yeah, and keep your career safer I'll bet." Butcher growled. "What about me and the Boys, cause I know you excluded us for a reason."
"Best I can give you is to run for your lives. I'm sorry."
Rawlins ended the call, making Butcher exhale in frustration.
"Well?" Frank asked.
"Everything's fine." Butcher lied, wearing a shit eating grin.
"That is crap." Diggle rolled his eyes, as he and Dax began packing. "We're being hunted down by Vought, the Seven, AND the Feds!"
"Whoa, where the fuck are you guys going?" Butcher asked.
"Leaving." Dax told him. "I'm going up to Quebec."
"And how are you going to smuggle your psychotic girlfriend across the border?" Diggle pointed out.
"First off, her name is Allyson." Dax protested. "Second, she's not my girlfriend."
Diggle rolled his eyes, and banged his fist on the bathroom door.
"You know, other people need to use that!"
Music: "Allyson Discovered" from Halloween 2018
Inside the bathroom, Allyson stood in front of the mirror, her hands curled around the bleached mask with black hair- Michael's face. She began breathing heavily, out of anger, desperation, and most of all, fear. Fear that A-Train would find her and kill her, like how he killed her parents, Karen and Ray. Fear that Michael wouldn't remember her, and he was lost to being Black Noir, a puppet for Vought. Fear of losing her new family, the Boys.
Slowly, and carefully, Allyson lifted Michael's face, and slid it over her own. She looked in the mirror, noticing a few strands of her hair poked out of the bottom, but she didn't care. As she stared at her reflection, she remembered the first time she wore Michael's face, when that cruel Doctor Sartain had locked them both in the back of the police car.
"You feel it, don't you? The power? The release?" Doctor Sartain had asked her.
Beneath her mask, Allyson smiled. Yes, she did feel empowered when she wore Michael's face. But she felt something even stronger, far greater than power.
She felt safe.
Back outside the bathroom, Diggle and Dax continued bickering, much to Butcher's annoyance.
"Hey, knock it off you knobheads!" Butcher shouted, gaining everyone's attention. "We're on the verge of nailing these cunts, and you want to tuck your tails between your legs?"
"Okay, and what's your plan?" Diggle asked.
"Gimme a few hours." Butcher shrugged, opening the door to the motel room. "Frank, you're with me."
Castle looked at Billy grimly, before getting up.
"Sure."
A/N: Just one more chapter for the season 1 block! After that, I'll be taking a break from uploading chapters, at least until the week before the finale of season 2 drops, or after season 2 is over! Bye now!