Butterflies

Chapter 13

Homelander stared down the faces of each member of the boys on individual TV screens. He knew not of their names or their backgrounds, only that they wanted to take Vought down. Four men, two of muscular build while the others were lean. And two women, one Asian with shaggy black hair, and the other someone he'd not seen in years.

He'd kept his eye on Violet once she left for a good while, seeing if there was anyway he could bring her back to Vought. But no matter how many bad dealings he sent her way, nothing could stop her. Homelander would keep his distance as he spied on her, looking down the dome of the bar as she performed all night long. He hated that she was happy this way. And not with him. Her brother. For a long time he had to learn to deal with his anger a different way, not having someone he could take it out on. It was a struggle, loosing such an important part of his life. He didn't know how she could be so selfish, how she could go and be free and ruin him as much as she did.

Another person in particular caught his attention, his dark hair and beard glaring down the screen with a jacket just as ebony and brooding. He could recognize the face, but not the name. Until he remembered exactly where he last saw him. With Violet at the race. How he smirked beside her like he'd captured her, and yet she didn't struggle. And it clicked. The man he met only once, the centre of this group of vigilantes, holding the woman Homelander considered a sister. He could take them down, he could save Violet Henry.

So he called a meeting, all the faces in the Seven, apart from the deep who had been put in a cebatical, gathered together like they used to. He wanted everyone on alert, to get rid of a problem that was brewing and brewing. Standing by the door, Homelander let them in one by one, asking them to sit down in their respective seats. If there was anyone who could lead at that point, it was most certainly Homelander. A-Train was the last to arrive, due to being at training. Once he entered the meeting room, the V shaped table ahead of him with Maeve, Starlight and Black Noir sat around it, he was confused.

"What's going on?" He wondered.

"I missed you guys," Homelander walked forward, "just wanted to see your smiling faces, take a seat buddy."

Everyone was slightly on edge, all except Maeve who was lounging in her chair, like she had done at meetings like this one time and time again. A-Train moved to his seat in-between Maeve and Starlight, Starlight sat like a budding student.

"And, truth be known, I felt like we were overdue a little heart-to-heart," Homelander strolled to the center of the room "a rap session, maybe a little tough love."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maeve scoffed.

"It means that lately, some of you have been, eh, a little out of sorts," he walked behind Starlight's chair, "erratic. Unreliable. Downright sloppy. Not you Noir. You've been great," he pointed to Black Noir who was sat furthest away, "but the rest of you... it is fair to say that I am disappointed. Got to keep your eye on the ball guys. The enemies are storming the gates. I mean, we're not even The Seven anymore, we're down to five. We're dropping like flies, but at least now I know why."

Homelander turned to one of the monitors to his right, displaying the images of the boys. But one member specifically. Hughie campbell. Starlight gasped and leaned forward, utterly confused.

"Uh... Why... Is this a joke? Why is Hughie up there?" Starlight questioned.

"I don't understand. Who is this guy?" Maeve complained.

"This guy is Hugh campbell. He and Starlight are going steady," Homelander informed her, "he's also one of the guys who killed Translucent."

"Wait what?" Starlight shook her head.