By the time Athena had healed her injuries, cleaned herself up and made her way into the main room, Victoria Neuman was already going over a story with Lamplighter too present to court, Athena thought it best not to say hello to her adoptive sibling until she had finished drilling in her script to Lamplighter. Mallory was drilling into butcher for his "Petulant expression" as he gazed out of the large windows into the forest. "Hi." she greeted softly to the group interrupting the conversation. "Athena please explain to Butcher that we need Lamplighter too help fight against Vought." Athena sighed as she sat down on the sofa next to the older woman, "He's a grade A asshole but she's right, we are gonna want him in court, and having Congress on our side would be a big win." Mallory gave Butcher a smug look that he scoffed at, not understanding how she wasn't more angry, Lamplighter killed her grandchildren for christ sake.
"Congress. Please. What a bunch of corrupt fucking cunts they are." At that comment Victoria walked in with her security, "Oh, come on, you're not the first person to call me a cunt, Mr. Butcher. I'm starting to think it's like a badge of honour." Victorias eyes widened as she sat on the sofa facing Athena, not realising that she was in the building, but she couldn't blow their cover, no one could know of their past or of their relationship to one another, and Athena gave her a look telling her to stop looking so bug-eyed and act normal. "Term of endearment where I come from, love." Billy gave a fake smile to the woman who disregarded his comment and focused her attention to Mallory "Opposition's gonna have a field day with him. Disgruntled ex-Supe? but yeah...he'll be a good witness."
Athena knew exactly what the congresswoman was thinking, Lamplighters testimony won't be enough to take down a corporation like Vought. "You need more don't you?" Victoria nodded at Athena, Butcher couldn't believe his ears, "Not enough? If torturing and burning a bunch of mentals on Vought's say-so ain't enough for you muppets, then what the fuck are you good for, huh?" He snapped causing Victorias security detail to step in looking Butcher up and down like he was scum, Athena nearly took a chunk out of her seat with how hard she gripped it. "You're a wanted felon, asshole." the woman spat. "A felon that has fought Vought harder than you ever have." Athena defended, staring daggers at the woman behind Victoria. "Quantum is right, but now we would like a turn to fight them, legally...if we can, trust each other?"
"Uh, I think we can. Trust each other." Hughie piped up from his spot on the kitchen island, MM tending to the small cuts he received from the supe attack earlier. Victoria agreed, and continued talking, but Athena was more concerned with what Butcher was doing, his phone began ringing and instead of answering it he took a long look at who was ringing it before declining the call and slipping the phone back into his pocket "If we're gonna take a shot
at the king, we can't fucking miss." Mallory smirked and sat back in her seat "We know someone
who might know the full picture." Victoria leaned forward expecting the next words to be who this unnamed person was "Who is it?"
"Like you said...we're gonna have to trust each other."
Victoria nodded, nothing else to be said between her and Mallory. SH got up and headed for the door, but Athena offered to walk her to her car outside, on the surface it being simply a kind gesture, but in reality she hadn't seen Victoria in a while, and they weren't close but, they did grow up together. Victoria ordered her security to wait in the car while they conversed. "So this is what you're doing now? Hanging out with felons?" Victoria laughed dryly, disapproving of the woman's choices, "Ah better than hiding who I am. You've done well to hide your powers." Victorias face dropped, "Athena you better not have-" she cut her off "What? told them? I made a promise to you Vic, I won't break it. You may not be my sister, or my family, but for a long time you were the closest thing I ever had to one." a moment of silence was shared between the two women, and Victoria climbed into her car without another word, saying goodbye simply with a nod before being driven off.
When Athena entered the house again she saw Hughie reluctantly being pushed towards Lamplighter, she knew that could only mean that he was babysitting their star witness while the rest of them went to go see this mysterious person Mallory was gatekeeping from them. She was about to go and ask Billy what time they would be leaving, but she was cut off by him looking at his phone and answering "Hello, Mum." so that's who was calling him earlier. She looked at Marvin who shrugged his shoulders, he had no idea why Billys mum would be calling him. "How you holding up?" MM asked, looking down at her stomach asking to see the injury. She lifted her shirt slightly revealing her torso and the massive scar that had been left on it. "I can deflect bullets, endure being thrown against buildings, but god forbid something sharp comes near me." She joked putting her shirt back down. "You've been through some shit haven't you?" He commented, having noticed the other scars on her body, "I have, and I bet ill be going through a lot more now I'm hanging around you lot, you're all trouble." He laughed with her and nodded, but the sweet moment was cut short.
"Alright lads, turns out I won't be able to come on your little trip- Family issues." Billy returned from his phone call, clearly in a a rush to leave. "Butcher-" Mallory tried to slow him down but he didn't, already heading to the door, "Grace love, when Mum comes calling you don't say no." she sighed, he had a point. "Let me come with you." Athena offered, looking between him and Mallory, "I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." The woman nodded, shooing them out the door so her and MM could head off, she had already sent Kimiko and Frenchie to watch over Victoria incase anything happened to her between now and when the hearing was.
"What did your mum call you for?" Athena asked as the two walked down the pathway to the car he had stolen previously that day. "My dad died." he said bluntly and Athena stopped in her tracks, "Butcher...I'm so sorry." he cut her off, there was no sympathy needed when it came to the man who raised him, "I don't need your sympathy love, that fucker was the reason Lenny killed himself." She didn't know what to say after that, what can you say to someone after that? instead she climbed into the car and stayed silent, getting their destination up on Google maps as per Butchers request to the hotel his mother was staying at and placing it on the dash for him to see while she took a much needed nap in the passenger seat.
YOU ARE READING
QUANTUM~Billy Butcher
Fanfiction"Well, don't you look absolutely breathtaking, love." "I know you're not planning to take me out, so what are you doing stalking me down a dark alley, Mr Butcher?"
