A-Train ran.

That's all he really knew he could do.

But what good would it do?

Omni-Man could find him in a heartbeat.

Unless he hid really well, he was fucked.

He wasn't sure what he could do.

His brother hated him by now. He was sure of it. If Nathan saw that broadcast, then he knew, for certainty, what A-Train had done.

What he had been doing.

He had never cared before. He didn't know them, he didn't care for them.

But the thought of his brother… his older brother, looking at him like a criminal, a piece of shit…

A-Train didn't know where to go.

So he ran.

Starlight was unsure of what to do.

Like everyone, she had seen what had happened. Hell, she was still at the stadium.

While Vought had been trying to figure out what to do, they had pretty much left the innocents on their own.

So she stepped in.

She wasn't completely sure what might happen, but not even the Vought excuse of "Everything is okay" would work here.

So she had found the nearest police officer, and made use of her reputation and status, for once.

She was not sure what was going to happen, but she wasn't going to run the risk of Omni-Man and Homelander killing everyone here as a side product of a hard landing.

So, she ordered an evacuation.

"Starlight!"

She almost rolled her eyes when she heard Ashley come running up to her, a look of anger on her face.

"What the fuck are you doing, ordering an evacuation?!"

Starlight barely spared her a glance as she walked to the exit, where people were leaving in huddles upon huddles.

"I'm trying to make sure these people are safe."

"You're making it look like Vought doesn't have this under control!"

Starlight spun on Ashley in an instant, and she'd be lying if she said watching the anger fade from the ginger bitch's face wasn't satisfying. She knew her eyes were glowing.

"Vought doesn't have it under control. The Seven? Homelander is a fucking rapist, Translucent was a sexual predator, and A-Train is a killer. God only knows what Noir has done, and Maeve let it all happen. And the fucking Deep?"

She could practically feel her teeth cracking from how hard they were clenched together.

"That piece of shit is lucky he isn't dead after what he did to me."

"Starlight, what are you-"

"Shut the fuck up you stupid bitch!" Starlight snapped without hesitation. "You only care about money and your job, fuck the people who get hurt! You wanna know what I'm doing?" Starlight stepped closer, and Ashley took a step back out of fear. "I'm doing what I've always done. Help."

With nothing else left to say, Starlight turned on her heel as she began to monitor the evacuation.

Black Noir.

He was a member of the Seven. Gifted with powers by God.

No. He was a science experiment.

He was a goddamn labrat. An attack dog.

And thanks to Stan Edgar? A good one.

Until now.

In all honesty? If Maeve hadn't shown up, shown him compassion, he'd probably still be the good little killer he always was.

He had war crimes to his name. He had committed so many crimes under Vought's order it was unreal.

He was a monster.

But he refused to be a weapon.

He refused to hurt people.

Maeve had told him to get to the stadium, start evacuating people.

He could see why. But he suggested a better plan.

She went instead.

She was a symbol. She actually had a face to the world. He was a silent masked ninja.

He drank through his mask for godsake!

So he did what he was best at.

Espionage.

Of a sort.

By the time he had made it to Stan Edgar's office, the man was gone.

That's fine. Noir would find him.

Noir would probably kill him.

But that wasn't important right now.

Examining his destroyed desk, he spotted the remains of his computer. Marching up to the pile of parts, he crouched and began shuffling through the rubble.

He couldn't be more happy with what he found.

An eight terabyte harddrive, with evidence going back decades. Including his own crimes, as well as…

Soldier Boy.

Noir was… conflicted.

Soldier Boy was an asshole. Very much so. He'd slap Gunsmith around, and he definitely had no problem saying the meanest things.

But he was also a good man. Atleast, compared to Homelander, and admittedly, most heroes today.

He was honest. He actually cared about helping people. He was actually trained. He was a real veteran, and he knew what he was doing.

Thing is, he wasn't Vought's lapdog. Not like Homelander.

Soldier Boy was his own man.

But he was already a man when he became a superhero. He didn't grow up with that sense of entitlement.

At the time, Noir hated him. Just like the rest of his team.

But unlike Soldier Boy, all of them had been born- no. All of them had been turned into babies.

Soldier Boy grew up properly, if somewhat old fashioned, when he turned.

And being honest, he was actually a good man for his time.

Sure, he had absolutely no filter, and he could say the meanest things at the time, but he also grew up during the 20s or 30s.

He didn't see people differently, everyone was the same to him.

He was… just an asshole.

Well, then again, he was unsure of the circumstances behind some of Soldier Boy's supposed crimes. He could be completely biased. It could all be guilt for being so underhanded.

But thanks to Vought, he'd been underhanded since that day in Nicaragua. Well, not anymore.

Swiping up the drive, Noir stomped out of the demolished office with purpose.

When Maeve landed, she was surprised to see people already evacuating.

That surprise immediately disappeared when she spotted Starlight,

"You started evacuating people?" She asked as she approached the blonde, who was guiding people out of the stadium.

She was not expecting Starlight to scoff at her.

"What, here to rip me a new ass for it?"

Maeve chuckled. "No, I'm here to help."

The look of shock hurt more than she'd care to admit.

"Really? Now you're helping?"

"I'm not letting Homelander use me anymore. Never again."

Starlight knew exactly what those words meant, considering what Omni-Man had revealed. Wisely, she didn't say anything.

Maeve could still snap her like a twig, and there were some lines you don't cross.

With a sigh, Starlight glanced at Maeve.

"People are still over at the other side of the stadium." She told the older woman. "From what I hear, security is actually still checking to see if they stole anything. Apparently they care about payday more than their lives."

Maeve snorted in disgust. "Unfortunately, that's the way a lot of shit is in this world." She remarked, looking at Starlight. "I'll handle it."

As she walked away, something in Maeve felt different.

Lighter.

As if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

And a part of her felt like that same naive little girl that she used to be.

The same hopeful, helpful girl Starlight is.

When this was over, she owed Starlight an apology.

Butcher's hands gripped the wheel, hard.

In the back, Hughie was nervous, no shock there.

Frenchie and MM were gearing up for combat. They weren't sure what they were walking into.

And the whole time, Butcher couldn't stop thinking.

Nolan was a conqueror. Key word being 'was'. He saw the good in humanity, discovered his humanity.

He grew up among the idealogy of 'The strong live, the weak die.' Hell, the fucker lived with that for thousands of years, and he helped conquer worlds. He conquered some single handedly, if he's to be believed.

Which, let's be honest, Butcher only believed him more and more at this point.

Omni-Man was special.

Butcher didn't say that about just anyone.

In fact, he only ever said it about one person, and she was gone.

But Omni-Man- no… Nolan. Nolan Grayson truly was special.

He gave Butcher hope.

Because if even a man like him, a conqueror with thousands of years of enslaving planets, could find his humanity? Bring it in himself to care?

Well… why couldn't Butcher?

Nolan gave Butcher hope that he could be the better man Becca had always wanted him to be… Nolan gave Butcher hope that not all supes out their were scumbags.

Nolan gave Butcher hope that…

…that a time could come where Butcher wasn't some lying, murdering, selfish, careless scumbag.

Nolan had done one thing no other Supe had done.

Nolan had earned Butcher's respect.

And it threw Butcher off. For so long, he had hated supes. Their mere existence bothered him. Even before Homelander, even before he had married Becca, his opinion of supes wasn't that high.

But Nolan was the one supe he had ever met who actually was a superhero.

It also bothered Billy, because no matter how tried to spin it, Nolan was a better man.

Because Nolan had fought his nature to become a better person.

Billy had embraced it. He had become the monster Becca had always feared he'd be, even if she'd never said anything…

…He had become the monster his father had wanted him to be.

And for the first time in his life, it truly hit Butcher.

He was a monster.

He really was a monster.

He was having some sort of an epiphany…

…god, why does it have to happen now?

"Shite!"

His three passengers all yelled in surprise when Butcher's feet slammed on the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching halt.

"What the fuck, Butcher?!" MM exclaimed as he rushed up to the driver seat.

"Are you trying to kill us?!" Frenchie yelled in anger.

Both of them waited a few moments for Butcher to respond.

He didn't.

MM slowly approached Billy. "Butcher, man, what's up?" He asked wearily.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Butcher started screaming.

None of them were sure what kind of sound it was. It had one emotion that they could distinguish.

It was just a scream.

Then the words came.

"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!"

Every utterance of the word came with the sound of a horn honking as Butcher slammed his head against the steering wheel.

"Butcher!" Frenchie exclaimed as he and MM rushed up to the man.

"Butcher, calm the fuck down, what the hell?!" MM exclaimed as he grabbed Butcher, yanking his arm from the steering wheel and pulling him back, with struggle.

As Butcher continued to have some sort of episode, Frenchie was able to get a grip on his shoulders and pull him back against the seat, allowing MM to let go of his arm and push him against it.

The combined might of both men kept Butcher in place, who continued to scream.

Then he stopped, as if he nothing left.

After a few seconds, MM spoke up. "You done yet?"

Butcher looked up at MM, and MM felt true concern well up in his eyes at the dead, soulless look in them.

"You know what I just realized?"

MM glanced at Frenchie, who looked just as confused as he felt, and he turned back to Billy with a shake of his head. "Butcher, what the fuck are talking about?"

"I just realized I'm a fucking monster."

Something about the way he said it…

MM was not sure Butcher was alright.

"What?"

"Like you said… when I picked you up. It was only ever about Becca and Homelander to me." He said, looking MM dead in the eye.

"So what, this freakout is just over something we all already knew?" He asked, looking at Butcher.

"MM, I'm a lying, selfish, bastard. I knew exactly how to convince ya'll, but it doesn't change nothing. I still was just using you to get to Homelander."

Slowly, MM and Frenchie both let go of Billy, and Hughie got closer so he could listen to what was being said.

"Like Soldier Boy, with you, Homelander was always my target. And no one else fucking mattered."

MM and Frenchie both felt disbelief welling up inside them,

Billy sounded like he felt legitimately guilty.

"Butcher, why are you telling us this?"

"You wanna hear something funny?" Billy asked, completely ignoring his question. "I hated Supes. Not just Homelander. Granted, Homelander is a special case and I still hate the bastard, but… it was all Supes for me."

Hated. Was. Still do. Those words about this subject signaled a sort of alarm bell within both Frenchie and MM.

"Monsieur Butcher, are you alright?" He asked, concerned for the man who was practically their leader. For once, he was actually concerned for Billy Butcher.

"No mate. Not by a longshot." He glanced at the frenchmen. "But let's be honest, is any of us?"

He had a point. Butcher let out a sigh as he gazed back at the road.

"I guess it's finally hitting me what a fucking bastard I've been."

"Does Nolan have something to do with this?" Hughie asked. Billy looked at Hughie.

"Honestly? More I worked with him, the more I felt… hope. I guess that's the best way to put it." He said, his lips tightening as memories flooded. "I mean, you heard his story, all of you. And If he can still find something resembling humanity… Well, why can't I?"

MM understood exactly what Billy was saying.

And he couldn't believe it.

And neither could Frenchie.

And both of them were starting to laugh.

Billy and Hughie looked at them both, and while Hughie was confused, Billy cracked a grin.

"Ain't you both a couple a wankers?" He asked sarcastically. MM's laugh died down to a chuckle.

"Who the fuck would've imagined? Billy Butcher has a heart."

Billy rolled his eyes. "Fuck you, MM."

"I wonder if a supe has taken him over?" Frenchie joked with a laugh, glancing at Billy as he pinched his ear. "Monsieur Supe? Are you responsible for Butcher's sudden changer?"

Billy smacked his hand away out of irritation. "Oi, you cunt!" He said, though he stil had a playful grin on his face.

"Look, Butcher, I think we all knew this shit. I feel like we just let it happen because… because you were capable of making the hard decisions." MM admitted. Billy snorted.

"Oh, don't worry. Still wish it was me that popped the invisible cunt." He said with a grin. MM chuckled.

"So does this mean your gonna be all happy now?" Hughie felt the urge to ask. Billy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. And we'll all be sipping tea under the sunshine on the beach and live happily ever after." Butcher said sarcastically.

Hughie just looked at Billy. "You're a dick." He deadpanned.

Billy grinned. "Yep, and that ain't ever changing."

At the stadium, everyone was still evacuating. Thanks to Maeve, both sides were now completely focused on evacuating people.

It was chaos, though it was somewhat controlled chaos. People were filing out in order, everyone doing so carefully under the guidance of security (proper security), police, and Mave and Starlight.

And then everything went dead still.

Everyone froze as something slammed into the ground in the center of the stadium, creating a large column of dust.

As the dust cleared, many were relieved, if somewhat sickened, to find the sight that awaited them.

Lying in the center of the stadium, was the bloody, torn torso of Homelander, with nothing but the right arm attached.