Butterflies Volume II

Chapter 26

It was unsurprisingly easy to climb up the tower to where Homelander was waiting. As they entered it seemed every worker turned into a ghost, pale faces and shaking hands pointing to where they should go. Maeve knew already where he'd likely be, and she led them in her normal supe attire. The staff knew every one of their faces from a story, and they've all interwoven to form the threatening group that strolled through the Tower's corridors. Not even guards tried to stop them, too transfixed by the young face of Soldier Boy with them, all the rumours confirmed in front of their eyes. The four of them were the dead walking, who people only knew through news articles and history channels. What they had heard from done up reporters hardly outlined the truth of their threat, but it did enough to know they should leave the building immediately.

What was surprising, was Homelander not coming out to face them when they stepped through the automatic doors. For a man with super hearing, he did not care for their heavy footsteps patroling each floor. He hung behind in one of the TV studios, broken under the white LEDs which made his Cape look unmatched. It was evident as to why he hid in that room; he was so obsessed with his image, what the public could see. Violet hadn't yet been faced with Vought's dispute to her story, it was suspiciously quiet. And that meant they had nothing, or they were scrambling. Homelander was silent in the room of his only comfort, unsatisfied with the image he curated that was soon to break around him.

But he knew it was them as soon as Billy took a foot into the room.

"Scorched earth eh, William?" Violet hated that he used that name, and she was sure Billy did too. He never went by William, it sounded like he was a child being scolded. It was so formal, so maniacal. Though that time he said it defeated.

Billy tilted his head, "scorched earth."

They all followed in to corner Homelander in the small break room. It did no favours to the cooperate world Violet only had a taste to. It was so poisonous how plain it was, but to Homelander it was comfort. That was what she'd never understood. How did their shared abuse push them so far apart. Perhaps he was completely and utterly the weaker one, as he clutched to what broke them whilst she spat in the face of it.

"Where's Noir?" Soldier Boy questioned, and Homelander refused to face him.

"He's dead. I killed him."

Violet and Billy glanced to each other, sharing the same look.

"Why?" Soldier Boy then wondered.

"Because he didn't tell me about you," Homelander had turned to face them and his face was unreadable, "I'm alone. I just want to talk. I know what it's like to have your team betray you. But with you and I together... They wouldn't stand a chance. Nobody would."

It was the same ploy he used on her, and that cemented her idea that his biggest want was family. He wanted Soldier Boy like he wanted her, because it would make him unstoppable, it would mean he had a family as was not just an experiment.

Soldier Boy grimaced as he approached him, "that work for your sister? What if we kill each other first."

Homelander gritted his teeth as his eyes went to Violet, still speaking to Soldier Boy but looking at her, "it didn't work. Because she loves him. But he's nothing. He's human."

Bowing her head, Violet took a deep breath not to speak, and she spotted Billy's hand twitch wanting to reach out for her.

"Don't you listen to this fucking twat," he said as he stepped forward, "he ain't your kid."

Homelander snapped a finger his direction, "yes I am. I am your son. I am your blood. That's all that matters, not the fake notion I am a brother."

"Maybe," Soldier Boy nodded.