𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

"WHAT A MESS." SAMUEL LOOKED TO BILLY, THE MAN HAVING ENTERED THE TUNNEL. "You alright?" He asked Hughie, Samuel feeling his jaw tense in an unfamiliar feeling. The same feeling that made his way with searching the cell roughen. "Just when you think this shit can't get anymore horrible-" "Nah, don't worry. It can get a lot more horrible." Billy smiled, Hughie not doing the same obviously as Frenchie searched the girl's makeshift bed. Finding a ripped subway ticket underneath the pillow, M.M found a needle.

"Butcher, check this out." He called, everyone looking up as Frenchie hid the ticket in his pocket. "Take a look." He spoke, watching Billy observe the needle. "V. So, A-Train's running it here, and these blokes are dosing the Asian bird with it." He spoke, M.M humming. "Yeah, back when they had eyeballs-" "But why? Is it a Vought thing or, like, a side hustle?" Hughie asked, M.M holding up a box. "Came gift wrapped in this." Billy's smile fell, glancing to M.M. "Find out where this came from." He ordered, watching M.M nod.

"I'll shake a few trees." Billy glanced to Samuel, seeing the boy check boxes for anything. "Why the hell were they dosing her?" Billy asked, M.M motioning to Frenchie. The man who had been silent as he observed a blue nail polish. "Why don't we ask foie gras over here? He's the one that let her out." M.M remarked, Frenchie shrugging. "She looked innocent." He reasoned, watching M.M laugh. "Innocent? She's locked up in a cage, underground, with armed guards?" He spoke as if the man were dumb, Frenchie huffing towards Billy. "I had a feeling about her, right Sammy?"

The three watched the boy turn around, nodding mindlessly. "Yeah, he was mesmerised by her." He remarked, M.M sighing. "Frenchie just didn't follow the plan. You never follow the plan, man-" "You need to unclench your asshole." Frenchie spat, M.M shrugging. "You need to eat my clenched asshole." He shot back, Billy huffing. "Why are you two carrying on like a bunch of fucking twats?" Hughie awkwardly checked his phone. "We're sniffing down a shit sandwich the size of Watergate. Vought and Supes are both gonna be looking for her."

Frenchie gulped, Billy shrugging lightly. "All we gotta do is find the female first." He spoke, Samuel giving up as he found nothing. Hughie's phone made a noise, Billy giving the needle back to M.M. "Keep looking." He ordered, Samuel letting out a sigh once Frenchie and M.M started to argue once more. "It's nobody." Samuel heard Hughie speak, the boy kicking a stray box away boredly. Taking his phone, Billy saw the name. "Annie? Starlight?" He asked, gathering everyone's attention. "Yeah, it's nothing. I mean, we were supposed to go on a date." Hughie reasoned, Samuel's head tilting.

"Not a date, just, she asked me if I wanted to ask her for her number, and then we just kind of platonically exchanged information. The word 'date' was never mentioned." Hughie defended himself quickly, Billy holding the phone out to the man. "Call her back. You're fucking going." He let out simply, Hughie clearing his throat. "As a rule, I don't usually go out after a gory massacre-" "Listen, here's the job." Billy interrupted, Samuel making his way into the cell. Picking up a noodle packet, the boy huffed out, Frenchie watching him explore lightly.

"You're gonna hot mic her phone. From now on, we hear everything she says." Hughie stared at the man, watching him shrug. "I mean, this is a golden oppurtunity. And after all you've done, a piece of cake." Billy continued, Hughie squeezing his lips shut. "Yeah, she's not a, uh, a bad person." He watched Billy adjust his stance. "She's a Supe, Hughie." Hughie watched the man.

"Just like the fucking rest of them."

∞

"HEY, BABY, HEY." POPCLAW SMILED AT THE MAN, KISSING HIS CHEEK FONDLY. A-Train moved his head, the woman's smile falling as she followed him silently into her bedroom. Throwing a bag on her bed, he huffed. "What'd you do?" He asked simply, Popclaw smiling lightly. "What the hell are you talking about?" She laughed, A-Train not doing the same. "Who did you tell about Compound V?" He asked harshly, Popclaw's laugh quietning. "Nobody. Why? What?" She asked, A-Train sighing.