The Boys: Season 2 - Exiled in Shadow

Chapter 5: Truth in Shadow

(One day before the Attack on the Market)

I sat at the table with my chin resting on my knuckles. If Ms. Hunter really is telling the truth and that Starlight is Liberty, that makes her probably the oldest drugged Supe in existence. But what is her background? How did she become who she is? I became boggled by this complicated puzzle, and it was enough to give me a minor headache.

I slowly rubbed my face to ease my frustration at trying to piece it together for the past several minutes. I always knew Vought had secrets buried deep, but never this deep. I looked around the haven the Boys had been using while I was gone. It was strangely quiet. Kimiko and Frenchie had been gone for quite a while now. No telling when they'll return.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out. I realized it was a message from Gera.

'Hey there, Gerald!' The message read. 'I've been thinking about your costume I helped create back when we first met back in Washington. And I've been wondering. . . It's time for a little update.'

"Huh, now I'm curious." I ask excitedly.

'I've taken the liberty to redesign your Harbinger clothing and mask while you were away. I think you're going to like it! The Syndicate sure won't. Be safe!' it ends.

I close my phone as I think about what she created. Gera always did have that creative streak she rarely shows at times. I couldn't help but smile as I grew eager to see what she made for me.

I got up from the table to see Hughie and M.M. talking and went over to join them. Hughie had a concerned look on his face as I got closer.

"I think something might be wrong. Like really, really wrong." He tells M.M. with a worried tone.

"Wrong with what?" I questioned.

He turns to me. "Butcher. Something's. . . really wrong with Butcher."

"What would make you think that?" M.M. asks next.

"He was nice and. . ." He explained. ". . . called me his 'canary'?"

M.M. slowly approached him. "Tell me everything he said."

According to Hughie, Butcher was planning on retiring. That was a red flag if I had ever seen one. I also grew surprisingly worried as Hughie discussed his conversation with Butcher. M.M., ever the detective, managed to deduce where Butcher may be located, and we all prepared to find him and hopefully reconvince him to rejoin the team. The Boys really aren't the Boys without that crazy S.O.B.

Butcher had an aunt who lived in a cul-de-sac. If M.M. was right, Butcher should be there. Our journey to his aunt was slow and cautionary. We avoided toll roads, swapped cars, and whatever else we did to avoid attention from the public and the police. Simply teleporting there was too risky for M.M. Even though it would've been simple, I didn't blame him.

(Sometime Later. . .)

I leaned on the stairs as we waited for Butcher to return. I liked his aunt; she reminded me of my grandmother a bit when she offered us cookies and tea. But that's another story. I heard the door open and saw a white bulldog head into another room as Butcher graced us with his long-missed presence.

"Oi, Billy." His aunt says to him. "You should've told me you were bringing company."

He was pretty surprised to see us as he stood there momentarily. I only replied with a half-smile as his aunt spoke once more.

"Oi, who's this one remind you of? Isn't he the spitting of Lenny?" She asks him.

"Hughie had a confused look on his face as Butcher put the leash away. "No." Was his answer.