A/N: Damn that finale.
All that work...all that buildup...FOR THAT?!
Nope. Not having that outcome. I've got more reason to write now than ever!
So here we are lads and ladies, a nice long chapter to wash that bad taste out your mouth.
As ever, the Embers rule remains. If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I'll not continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Now for your questions, comments, and concerns.
Q: Did...did you see the finale?
A: I did. Already made my feelings known in "Payback", but long story short, they dropped the ball. All that work...for well. SPOILERS. Won't say it here. Its only been a few days, but from what I've seen, a lot of people are seething about it. Rightfully so!
Q: Oi now, is Naruto alright? He's not gone insane, has he?
A: Naruto is still Naruto, but after pretending to be Noir for so long, he's become a little...quirky. Thankfully Kurama's still around to keep him grounded. I all but hinted at it last chapter, but it seems some folks didn't get the memo
Q: How screwed are the Seven?
A: In a word? YES. Naruto/Noir has been planning this for a terribly long time; its gonna be diabolical. Deep was just the first domino to fall. Pretty soon its all gonna come crashing down.
Q: Wait, chakra?! He's giving folks chakra?!
A: Not that simple, and this chapter gets more into it.
Q: So is he trying to pull a Butcher and kill every Superhero he can get his hands on, yes?
A: Not all Supes, just most of them. He's on friendly terms with the Boys. As for Mallory and the CIA...well. You'll see.
Q:...Homelander be giving me weird vibes in this. He's still bad, right?
A: Ironically, Homelander isn't quite the monster we know and hate/love in this story. He's still a right P.O.S. after what he did to Becca, but ironically having a more competitive "Noir" around has tempered him somewhat. Emphasis on somewhat.
You want a truly good Homelander? Go read my "Bones" story. He's a regular Clark Kent in that one.
Alright, then! That's enough questions! I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, no?
As ever, I own no references, quotes themes, or memes. Not a wit, not a one!
They're all tributes to legends far, far greater than I.
There we go. Disclaimer over. Hope you enjoy~!
Minor verbatim from the Boys.
"Oi! What's all this, then?
...recruits. Almost died. Important."
"Fair enough. Aright you two, up you go, I've got ya..."
~Butcher and Noir.
Magic in My Bones
Naruto glared at his mask.
Noir's empty visor stared back at him from the nightstand; his scarred reflection glowering back at him within its hollow eye sockets. It didn't say a word. Didn't have to, really. They both knew what he was thinking. What he was about to do. After so long together, they were one and the same. He'd worn that ugly matte black facade for years now. It all but a part of him. What began as a simple disguise had slowly started to seep into him over time; sometimes he couldn't tell where it ended and he began.
"Don't look at me like that, Irving." he muttered, folding both hands beneath his chin. "You know I have to do this."
He didn't answer, of course. He never did. The day the dead man talked back was the day he'd went mad.
"This from the man with a fox in his head. Right, right. You're surely sane."
The smallest of smiles touched the corner of his mouth.
...thanks, Kurama."
At least he had one constant after all these years.
Levering himself off the bed, he went about readying himself for the day.
A brisk shower followed; accompanied by a rasher of bacon and eggs for breakfast besides. He chased the later down with a glass of orange juice. Wine was often tempting this early -whiskey more so!- but no, he needed his mind to be sharp today. He steered his gaze away from the wine cabinet.
Inevitably, it strayed to the mask.
Despite his best efforts, a pang of pity bloomed in his chest. Naruto didn't try to stifle it. Poor Irving. He didn't know who much about him, or who he had been. Didn't care to. Better that way. Ignorance was bliss. At least this way he'd put his persona to good use. Better than anything Vought would've done. Speaking of which, he still needed to follow up that lead with Nina...
His mind buzzed at the prospect. Naruto quelled it.
"Not yet." he shook his head instead.
He wanted to go a little longer without work today. He'd be busy enough tonight. So much to do...
Unbidden, his eyes shifted back to the visor again.
He was so insufferably sick of wearing the damn thing and the costume, of playing the role that was Vought's mute enforcer. But they were necessary; both them and the transformation jutsu he kept up whenever he went out. Lining the costume with zinc warded off Homelander's X-Ray vision, but never his curiosity. One couldn't be too careful with that one. Only here, in one of his many safehouses, did he dare shed the disguise. And even then, not for very long. It would be back on soon enough.
Not for the first time, he considered giving up the ruse.
Ending it all, storming back to Vought Tower, tearing it down around Edgar's ears.
For a single blessed moment Naruto allowed himself to imagine it. It was so very tempting.
He had the power to do it, even now. He'd not fought Homelander before, but he was certain he could take him in a fair fight, and any other...surprises Vought might have up their sleeves. Who else was a threat? Maeve? Pah! She wasn't even sober half the time. A-Train had already been dealt with. Starlight was firmly on his side. Translucent wasn't even a proper threat to him. Ooooh, invisible man with super-hard skin! So scary! He could sense that lech a mile away; better yet, he'd already thought up a countermeasure for the pervert.
So why hadn't he killed them all yet? What was stopping him from finishing what he'd started all those years ago?
"We could go that route, if you want. I'm with you...whatever you decide."
Naruto grit his teeth. He wouldn't go scorched earth. Not yet.
Despite what Butcher might say, he could do more good on the inside than he would as an outside force. Had done more good. How many lives had he saved as Noir? How many corporate schemes had he put a stop to? How many times had he lent a helping hand to the Boys? How many psychos had he kept out of the Seven? How many innocents had he secretly healed and promised payback to? All more than he could count. It would all change, soon. For the better. He knew that. They were nearing a breakthrough. But he was still so damn angry...!
"Cardio?"
"Yes, please." Naruto whirled. "I need to hit something."
He dragged out a wooden training dummy from the dojo, set it up in the living room, and imagined Homelander's smug face in its place. He whaled on it for the better part of five minutes. By the time he was done, only a pile of sawdust remained, and his anger was sated.
From there he grabbed the mask and yanked it, cloth and visor and all.
"Once more into the breach."
Kurama rasped a laugh.
Homelander had never met the real Noir. None of the current Seven had. And they never would if he had anything to say about it. Naruto took some small, petty pleasure in that as he suited up. Only Starlight-Annie!-had seen a glimpse of his face, and only then because he allowed it. He had high hopes for her, at the least. If she turned out like the rest...well. It would be a shame, but he was no stranger to betrayal by now.
"She won't turn on us." A tiny little voice -the dregs of his conscience!- piped up in the back of his brain. "She's good. Pure."
"So was Maeve." he'd been wise not to trust that one, or show her his face.
His conscience didn't protest again after that.
He imagined Annie's betrayed face blinking up at him, covered in blood. Made him flinch, it did.
His hands were already bloody. What was one more if it came to it?
"Don't think about that. We're nearly there now." Kurama was quick to assuage his guilt while he buckled on his armor. "We've finally got all the pieces. Its just a matte of putting them together. Shouldn't take more than a year to bring Vought crashing down. Maybe less. From there we can make things better."
Naruto groaned into his hands, the noise muffled by his mask. Another year? Could he last that long?
He could, perhaps, but those he'd allied himself with, however..
His sixth sense perked up without warning.
Not ten seconds later, someone knocked on his door. Once. Twice. Thrice.
Three hard bangs. They weren't subtle about it, either.
"Open up, Noir! I know you're in there!"
He knew that voice. Didn't take much to guess who. He rolled his eyes and sauntered over, keyed in the code, hummed now as the first three locks binding the door clicked. The pounding on the other side grew yet more frantic, more insistent, but he didn't rush. From there he input another code to disarm the last six locks, wrapped a hand around the handle, and slammed a fist down to etch a fist-shaped indent against the metal frame.
Desired result achieved. The pounding ceased at once.
"I'm sorry." the voice came back, soft and plaintive, cowed by his outburst. "I didn't mean to wake you. Could you...just open the door? Please?"
Naruto took a deep breath, swaddled himself in Noir's persona once more, and poked his head outside.
Another neat thing about Noir's mask. Not only did it hide his face away from the world, but it hid his expressions too. Including the one he was making right now. His eyebrows shot up clear to his hairline and his jaw clocked open for a moment before he managed to comport himself once more.
"...?"
Charlotte, a.k.a Popclaw, also known as A-Train's man squeeze, leaned against the door. Clung to it for dear life, really. One look at her told him enough. She was a mess. Eyes red and puffy, what little makeup she wore had been ruined by her tears; even now her shoulders hitched with faint sobs. He wasn't surprised she'd sought him out. He was...associated with her. Loosely. A useful target for subversion against the speedster-and not above whinging about her less-than-loyal partner, too. Unsurprising. He was surprised, however, that she'd managed to find him here.
Was this safe house compromised...? Did she know he had A-Train in the basement? No, worry about that later. Focus on her for now.
She dithered under his flat stare. "May I come in?"
...this better be worth it.'
He stepped aside. She stormed her way in, took a quick glanced about, noticed the wine rack. "Got anything good?"
Noir waved a hand toward his wine cabinet. She all but stomped toward it, ripped it open and selected a green bottle. A poor vintage by his reckoning, but then again she didn't look to be in the best state right now. May was well let her be. She'd clearly come here for a reason, whatever it may be-
"Reggie left me." she sobbed, snarled really, as she knocked the bottled back. Damn near drained half the the thing in a single gulp. "We had a fight, he stormed out, and I haven't heard from him for two days." a quick flick of her wrist and back it went again, polishing off the rest. I think its over."
Well, well, well. Don't smile behind the mask, he chided himself. Whatever you do, do not smile.
"See, this is why I like you, Noir." she spun back to him, another bottle already in hand. "You don't ask any questions. You don' judge me. Not like HIM." she tore the top off with one of her claws and flung herself down onto his couch. "Fuck him. Fuck him and his fucking race and his fucking Compound V...
Naruto smiled behind his mask and planked down beside her.
Almost immediately, she laid her head down on his lap.
Right, he should probably check in on A-Train.
After all, it had only been a day...
...or was it two...
...three?
(.0.0.0.)
Someone punched him.
It was that which finally woke A-Train from his sweet dreams. Clenched knuckles barreled into his jaw at full speed, his head snapped backward like a rubberband-then reality rushed in to reclaim him. Countless aches and pains manifested themselves all at once and he found himself terribly, horribly awake. He soon wished he wasn't.
Bleary eyes blinked against the dark, squinting in the gloom, to no avail. "Who the hell did that?!"
Silence. No one answered him. Not a soul spoke.
It was terrifying.
He tried to stand, tried to run, tried to do anything at all; only to find his body unresponsive. A single glance was all it took to confirm his fears. Someone had shackled him down into a chair and dipped his ankles in wet cement...no, not wet anymore he realized, trying and failing to move his feet. They'd left him here to harden overnight. He couldn't move an inch.
A light snapped on overhead. Against his better judgement, A-Train finally looked up.
Someone looked back. A silent and soulless mask of pure, cruel darkness.
...well, shit. This boded poorly.
Black Noir held up his pad. "Sleep well?"
Shit, shit, shit on a stick. Why was that walking tumor here?
"Is this some kinda joke?" he tried to laugh and failed. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Lemme outta here, man."
Noir shook his head and turned to a fresh page in the pad. His pen scratched out again. "You've been a bad boy, Reggie."
...aw, hell. He knew his real name? Shit. Of course he did. This was Black freakin' Noir. Boogeyman of the Seven. Calm down. Play it cool. Noir wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. Man was the very definition of fuck about and find out. Lamplighter learned that lesson the hard way. If he freaked out here, Noir would do him like he did that flamin' bastard. He'd get himself vanished, never to be seen again. No one would care. No one would give a damn. His ego wanted to argue otherwise; he was A-Train for crying out loud; more a hero than Lamplighter had ever been. Surely he wasn't going to off him here...right?
Skrtch-skrtch-skrtch. The sound of Noir's pen again paper filled the empty warehouse.
"Enjoying the V?"
Reggie felt his heart skip a beat.
"V? What the hell is V? Don't know what ya mean."
Noir held up a little blue vial. Shit. Deny, deny, deny. It was his only chance. "...no idea what that is."
"No? It was in your bag."
"Was it? I had no idea."
Noir blew out a breathy sigh and shook his head, left, right, left again-
The next punch was a category five hurricane in the shape of a fist; flying out of the dark to shatter Reggie's glasses and bloody his nose. Stars burst before his vision, leaving him to slump with a groan. In the darkness he saw Noir's arm cock back again, winding up for another haymaker.
"Alright, alright!" His voice burst out in a nasally whine, muffled by his ruined nose. "I'll talk!"
Noir's fist flicked forward. Reggie yelped and flinched all the same, cowering away from the impact. But the pain never came. He creaked an eye open; only to find those clenched knuckles hovering less-than-an inch from his face. The masked man gave his fist an ominous shake. No need for words there.
If he didn't wanna die here, might as well be truthful.
"You don't get it, man. I need this shit. I'm not like you and Homelander, or even Maeve. I'm getting old. Slowing down." there it was, the painful truth. He wasn't the first speedster in the Seven. Probably wouldn't be be the last, either, not at the rate his body was going. "Gotta stay on top ya know?" he glared down at his useless legs. "You three, you've been in the Seven from the start. You're the originals." anger knotted in him at the reminder. "I had to make my own way."
Low, raspy laughter filled the air.
Anger boiled up in him. "You think this is funny?!"
"Not at all." A shake of the head. Out came the pad again. Noir wrote with brisk, broad strokes. "You ran over a girl today. In a hurry to see Popclaw, were we?"
Reggie's blood ran colder than Ice Princess herself. At the speed he'd been going? That bitch was dead. Had to be. Shit, shit, shit. "You know about-
"I know everything." the pad slammed into his face, crunching against his bloody nose, getting red all over the paper. "You never give a damn about the collateral you cause. Now all of a sudden you care? Because its your ass on the line? Because you might lose your race? Your sponsorships?"
Well, yeah. If this got out, he'd be ruined. "The...ah, girl. Is she...?"
"Dead? No." the written word brought more relief than he cared to admit. "But she and her boyfriend saw you. I had to play damage control."
Reggie released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding all this time. Damage control, Noir said. Which meant Vought bribed 'em to high heaven and back...or they were dead. Either way, they wouldn't be a problem anymore. Still, if there was footage...he would have to say something.
"I'll make a public statement-
Noir slammed a fist down on his leg.
"An apology!" he corrected hastily, yelping in pain. "There, I'm sorry. We cool?"
Noir shook his head and wrote anew. "The V. Where did you get it? Labs are locked down. No one in or out."
"What?"
Noir growled. The very act bled menace.
"I mean, sure, yeah, man. I can deal you in." Far be it from him to ask why the avenger of the Seven wanted more of the blue stuff. Maybe for a side chick or something? He wasn't about to ask. Besides, if Noir sided with him, well, that was one more barrier between him and Homelander. He was all for that. "How much you need?"
"I want to inspect it first."
A-Train nodded, eager to please.
"Sure, sure, I can give you the address."
Perhaps if he'd seen the smile behind the mask, he might've hesitated.
Sadly, he was too focused on saving his own hide. Little did he know; he'd just sealed his own fate...
(.0.0.0.)
Everyone loved him.
Of course they did. And why shouldn't they? He was their hero, their savior, their god for all it mattered. The only man in the sky was him. And no other. Anyone who thought to say otherwise...well. They weren't around to question him now, were they? Translucent, A-Train, that new girl whose name he couldn't be bothered to remember, they could go hang for all he cared.
Not Noir, though. Noir had been around for...well, as long as he could remember.
From the dawn of the Seven and beyond. He'd always been there. A silent shadow; a guiding mentor, steering him down the path of stardom. Fitting, given he was the only one he could trust. He'd learned a thing or two from him after all. They were brothers in arms, comrades in this pitiful little world with its pathetic little ants that wanted nothing more than to tear them down. They had each other's backs. No secrets between them, not a one, no sir.
Which made him real curious when Noir sauntered into the tower with Popclaw's scent all over him.
He was the only one aware of it naturally; superior senses and such. Taking A-Train's girl, was he? Vicious of him. He liked that. Really, he did. He was proud of 'ol Noir. Their speedy friend had been getting a bit too big for his britches lately. What better way to put him in his place than to rip the rug out from under him...literally. Truth be told, Charlotte didn't interest him. No, he had other concerns...
Wasn't hard to corner Noir after that. He always went to the same place when he was prepping for a mission.
He always went straight to the armory, or as they called it, the Den.
"Going on patrol are we?"
Noir flicked another knife into his harness and waved a thumbs up his way.
"So you and the new girl?" he gave his shoulder a slap. "How'd that happen?"
Another flick of the fingers, less obvious this time.
"Right, right." Homelander thought he got the gist of it. "Hasn't happened yet."
Another nod.
"But you want it to."
Noir gave a halfhearted shrug that bordered on insolent. His heartbeat didn't waver, not once. It never did. Always cool as a cucumber, this one. He might not be able to see his face, but he could still hear his pulse, smell the adrenaline on him, or rather, the lack thereof.
Even now his heart remained calm as ever. John liked that. Kept him guessing, you know?
"You're sweet on her, aren't you? Never thought I'd see the day." he let go of him and spun away, regarding the vast array of weaponry on the table. "For awhile there I thought you might be, well, you know." he chuckled and traced a serrated knife with one finger, whistled when it cut his glove.
Noir grunted and flicked his fingers again. This time, John found he couldn't make heads or tails of the increasingly intricate gestures. Could be gibberish for all he knew. Noir was screwy like that. He enjoyed trolling those around him; he'd even been known to play the odd prank or two. Never on him, of course. They were better than that.
But this? This baffled him. He bit back a sigh. "Can't you just use the pad?"
A faint rasp of wordless, mute laughter was his reward. Damnit. He kept meaning to learn sign language, but it was just so hard. So much...work. He'd never really wanted to learn anything before. Why would he? He had everything, and wanted for nothing. And yet in times like these he almost found himself wishing he would.
Could be like their own secret little language. Yeah, yeah...he liked the sound of that. Maybe the work was worth it.
But that wasn't the reason he'd come down to the den. No, it was something of a...curiosity. "I heard you and A-Train tussled the other day." a pause. "And wouldn't you know it? I haven't seen him...
His brother-in-arms nodded. Out came the pad again. "He's dosing again. Compound V."
Noir never lied. He always told the truth. A spark of anger surged through John nevertheless. A-Train. Of course he was. That utter idiot. If anyone caught him with Compound V, or, god forbid, Stillwell got wind of it...this little fuck up would tarnish the image of the Seven. His image.
It was too soon. This would ruin everything. A wild surge of inexplicable panic surged through him.
John strangled his fear until it choked and turned blue. Noir would handle this. He always did. Maybe it was time for 'ol Reggie to be put out to pasture...like Lamplighter. No, he reconsidered after a moment's pause, he couldn't just vanish out of the blue. Irritating as it was, he had a certain following.
Unless...?
He quirked a brow Noir's way. "I take it you have a plan?"
Noir smacked a fist into his palm and ground it against his fingers with visceral intent. This time there could be no misreading him. Good, good. Leave it to Noir to watch out for his best interests. Further driving his point home, the masked assassin brought out his pen again and scribbled. A full minute passed.
Finally, he held the pad out. Homelander's brow shot into his hair.
Well, that was one way to be rid of the little prick. Clever, too.
Homelander laughed. "Good hunting, brother."
Noir clasped his forearm and shook it.
For you see, they were the strong.
The strong didn't ask.
They took.
(.0.0.0.)
Now this was a proper patrol!
None of those pesky pre-planned routes Vought made, no cameras to look good for, none of it. Just the night air in her hair, and the simple blissful rush of a good bust. It was a strange thing to run away from the sirens after they busted the bad guys, but frankly, Annie would take what she could get.
Even now she fought down a tiny grin as she hurtled through the air.
A quick glance confirmed Noir only a pace ahead of her, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in a single bound.
Before she could ask him to slow down he gathered himself up and leaped again...but this time, he didn't touch the ground. What had begun as a simple leap soon became so much more. He kicked off the very air itself, hurtled forward, caught a fire escape and levered himself up onto another roof ahead of her. She caught up with him a moment later, gasping for air.
"You can fly? How!?" she levered herself upright, gasping for air. "Since when?!"
Noir pressed a finger to his utility belt; a crackle of static filled her ears, drawing a flinch from her, then abated somewhat.
"What is that, exactly?" she cast his belt a black look. "Do you have
"Handy thing." his voice was rough as ever. "Keeps him from listening in. White noise plays hell on super-hearing.
A chill shot down her spine. "Is he...nearby?"
"Nope." she heard him smack his lips beneath the mask. "Clear across the world right tonight. Crisis in Australia or somesuch." She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, to which he cheered somewhat. "Better safe than sorry, though...and you can fly, too."
"What?" she blinked, somewhat taken aback by his remark. "No, I can't."
Her life would've been so much easier if she could. There were so many things she could have flown away from, so many more people she could've saved...
"Yes, you can. You just don't know how." he paused, thumbed his chin, considered her anew. "Or you've not soaked up enough juice to do it. Here. Hold still a second.
His hand snapped out, crackling with blue sparks. She backpedaled. "Wait, wait, wait! What're you-
With neither word nor warning Noir slammed that open palm into her stomach and folded her clean in half. A gasp tore past her lips as her eyes blazed gold. Current arced through her, spreading from the point of impact to every pore of her body. Her fingers furled and her toes tingled; for a moment she felt her hair loft around her head like a golden halo.
Then it was done and she rounded on him with a hiss. "What was that for?!"
Noir pointed down. Annie followed his gaze.
Blinked. Blinked hard, now.
Her feet were off the floor. Not by much, but enough to notice all the same. She kicked at the air with a yelp, to no avail. "What did you do?!"
"Self-sustaining bio electric current. Perfectly harmless. In simple terms, I gave you a boost."
"Get me down, please!"
"Its a lot to get used to, I know." He took hold of her wrist and tugged her back to the ground. "Earlier, you asked how I could fly. I like to, ya know. Even do it sometimes on the sly. But not where folks can see. If someone like me could fly, that would upset-
-Homelander, I get it." she finished with a grimace.
"The only man in the sky is me," he rattled off in a voice that sounded disturbingly like the man itself. "Pah!" he turned his head aside with a snarl. "Makes me sick."
A thorn of guilt tugged at her heart. "Is he really that bad?
Noir fell silent for a moment. His gaze fixated on the streets and she almost wondered if he'd not heard her. And then.
"He's a fucking disappointment," he said at length. "Its like babysitting an overgrown man child." he blew out a sigh. "There are days when he's almost decent...when I'm there, keeping an eye on him. But the second I take my eyes off him...well, he likes to compete against me; see who can save more people." looking away he palmed his mask, and she found herself wondering what the rest of him looked like underneath. "It works, sometimes. Other times...not so much." A wistful sigh pierced the gloom. "He could have been such a hero if he was raised right...
"Do you have to kill him?"
"...yes." That black faceless visor stared into her soul. "All of them. I've been playing damage control all this time, holding them back, minimizing causalities, saving lives when they get careless, picking up the pieces when they break people, even healing their victims when I can. No more." his fist clenched. "Deep's gone. A-Train is already on his way out; he simply doesn't realize it. Translucent's about to suffer a nasty surprise and Maeve...
Dread dawned. "Oh god, you're going to kill them, aren't you?"
...from a certain point of view." his broad shoulders rolled in a shrug. "You can't kill what's already dead inside."
"Noir!"
Booting someone from the Seven she could understand, but killing them in cold blood...?
"I will never lie to you, Annie. If you've seen half the things I've seen...you'd have nightmares. Maeve's so far gone that she barely cares anymore-worse, she's jealous of you."
"Me?" She recoiled, eyes wide. "Why?"
Believe it or not, she was like yuo once," a low, almost wistful bite threaded through the dark knight's voice. "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, wanting to save people. Did you know she once broke every bone in her arm saving a bunch of kids on a schoolbus?"
"I did." she had to know; no, she needed to know. "What changed?"
"Homelander." Noir dropped down to his haunches, eyeing something in the alley below. His voice went cold again. "She caught his eye. Didn't end well. They broke up. She found someone else. A girl."
"Oh."
"Homelander didn't take kindly to that. I tried to run interference, but it was no good. She began giving away pieces of herself after that. Little by little," his gloved fingers made a pinching motion, "Bit by bit, until nothing was left. By the time I noticed, it was too late. Maybe she can redeem herself. Maybe not. Also she thinks we're banging.
Annie choked. "She does?"
"Maeve thinks a lot of things. Not all of them are true."
Her lips pursed. "It must be a terrible thing, to live your life behind a mask."
"We all wear masks." She still couldn't see his face. He sounded almost amused. "All of us. Mine is simply literal as well as figurative."
Starlight flung up her arms. "You're not going to tell me what you're after, are you?"
...safer for you that way."
"Wait. You've named everyone but me." she couldn't quite hide the tremor from her voice. "When this is done, when its over...will you kill me, too?"
That dark visor regarded her for a long moment. Her heart hitched, and not for the first time, she found herself wondering if she'd made the right decision that night. There were times when Noir seemed just and right in his cause, only to turn around frighten her like this. No angel he, but more and more, it was beginning to feel like she'd made a deal with the devil.
"You're a good person, Annie." his words brought her cold comfort. "Stay true to that, and we won't have any problems."
A noise below their perch drew their ear. Someone screamed bloody murder.
She saw the problem at once. Two men mugging a woman.
Noir shot forward. "Finally, some action!"
Annie dithered for a moment. Watched him crash down among them. Maybe she had made a deal with the devil. Maybe this hair-brained scheme was doomed to fail. Maybe she'd be dead by the end of the year. But better the devil you knew that one you didn't. And while she knew precious little about Noir, she knew even less about Homelander and the rest. What choice did she have? She'd already bound her fate to Noir-to distance herself now would only ruin all that she'd worked for. She could have all she ever wanted. She just had to stand by and let him slaughter the Seven. Maybe...maybe their were no heroes here, after all.
With a long-suffering sigh, Starlight gathered herself up and leaped into the fray.
She'd follow Noir's lead. Come what may.
To hell and back.
A/N: *cackles*
We get to see the Boys reunited -including Hughie and Robin- come the next chapter.
Hope you're enjoying the madness!
As ever, we're following the Embers Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this...well, it won't be continued. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule -two jobs!- I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy some previews.
SPOILERS AHOY~!
(Previews)
"Ah, my friend! It is good to see you again!"
Naruto smiled behind the mask and embraced his old ally. Frenchie would always be Frenchie.
"This motherfucker again?" MM leaned back, regarding him like some diseased pustule. "We working for him now?"
Butcher belted out a laugh. "Other way around, mate."
Frenchie quirked a brow. "You work for us?"
Noir waffled a hand to and fro.
"Ze enemy of my enemy is my friend, no?"
Noir flicked him a thumbs up.
Hughie sighed. "Still ain't gonna talk?"
Butcher of all people came to his rescue.
"He'll speak when he has something to say. Let it be lads...and lass." he inclined a nod toward Robin. "Now then," he swept a hand across the table, "Our goose here," Noir made a disgruntled noise but didn't object, "Has given us some right juicy intel...
"Do it, Hughie. They'll never stop. This is the only way to make them pay."
"It would be a shame if A-Train lost his race...
...I'm a man of my word."
He reached up and removed the mask.
Raised his hands, now. Smoke billowed forth as he shed the disguise.
And she saw. Annie felt her jaw click open. "Well. You don't look half bad under that...
Was it the drugs? Was she seeing things? Had to be.
Noir offered his notepad. In the same moment, the camera overhead fizzled and died. "Hiya, Cindy. Got an offer for ya. First, ya like breakin' out?"
...I could just pop you like a grape and escape myself."
"You could," something in the tilt of Noir's mask said otherwise, "But then I couldn't offer you the sweet dish of revenge." Another page came and went. "Don't you wanna get back at the people who put you here?"
"What's it to you?"
The cloth portion of his mask shifted, revealing the smile beneath. Was she imagining that, too?
Noir wrote something else then. Something that made her smile, too.
...I'm listening."
"The fuck is this?"
Noir handed him the vial. "A gift."
After a moment's pause, he held the red liquid up to the light. "This ain't V. Permanent, is it?"
"In repeated doses. You'll be stronger. Faster. Heal from just about any wound. Hell, ya might even be able to fly if you hit the jackpot...but there's a price...
"There always is. Balls to it. Lets hear it, then...
"You need to keep your anger in check. Focused. If you lose control...
"It wasn't me! I swear!"
Naruto inhaled sharply through his nose. "I believe you. But you know what they say."
"Wait, you can taaaaaaaa-
Their words died in a gurgle as he tore their head clean off their shoulders.
"Dead men tell no tales."
"Oi."
That was their only warning.
She grinned at him. "Harder~!"
"You're the only one I can trust, Noir."
"You're a fucking disappointment."
"That cunt right there," Butcher stabbed a finger at the photo, "Is a man of focus. Commitment. Sheer will. You wanna tussle with him? Be my guest. But you won't come out alive."
R&R~!