The Devil You Know (The Boys X Male Reader)

-𝕮𝖗𝖆𝖘𝖍, 𝕭𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖐, 𝕾𝖓𝖆𝖕-

-The Devil You Know-

-Chapter Seventeen: Crash, Break, Snap-

"Which I bet you'd like"

The sun shone down across the city on July 4th, independence day, but more important, the birthday of the most powerful hero, Homelander.

Hughie Campbell and Annie January, otherwise known as Starlight, sat at their apartment, as the night previous had informed Hughie of something big, something massive.

Victoria Neuman was a supe, the 'Head Popper', the one responsible for the house attack.

"Okay, so Red River is a group home owned by a Vought subsidiary of course." Annie noted, researching an orphanage where Victoria had grown up in. "I guess that's where Vicky grew up-"

"You mean Nadia?" Hughie butted in. "God I'm a fucking idiot, I should of seen it."

"How could you of seen this?" Annie stressed. 

"I don't know, maybe when she killed Raynor or when she blew up congress" Hughie sighed.

"Maybe we leak it to The Times?" Annie proposed.

"No, she could head pop everyone in the office, me included" Hughie shook his head.

"Wait you're going in?" Annie widened her eyes. "Call in sick"

"We have an all hands on at 3, I've never missed one before." Hughie protested.

"...What if we tell Butcher?" Annie mumbled.

"What? Tell him that I've been a supe's sidekick for a year?" Hughie asked. "Oh God, he's never going to not torture me for this is he?"

"Maybe he wont?" Annie tried empathising, knowing his help would be a little more beneficial.

"No no, look, we can handle this ourselves." Hughie said determinedly.

"Just don't do anything-" Annie tried saying but was interrupted.

"What dumb? Crazy?" Hughie spoke down on himself.

"No. Don't do anything until I get back, Okay?" Annie mediated.

"You're leaving?" Hughie asked.

"Yeah, its the soundcheck for Homelanders stupid birthday party...wait for me" Annie asked.

"Yeah, Okay" Hughie nodded, as Annie left.

Hughie sunk back a little, resting his body against the kitchen counter, he was a little stressed out to say the least, he felt so powerless.

He looked to his wood floor, the sun shining down on it, but not all of it, there was a weird shadow, he glanced to the large window and noticed something.

He startled back a bit, seeing you there, with your arms folded, in your standard hero costume, bathed in sunlight.

"May I come in?" You asked, staring at him.

"How...how much of that did you hear?" Hughie asked.

"Nothing, my hearing isn't supercharged by any means...I mean its better than average but its high traffic flow, you're quite high up and there was a big window between us so..." You shrugged.

Hughie nodded, it sounded like you were telling the truth, which you were, as he took a seat on his couch.

"Can I...help you?" Hughie asked.

"Did you find Matias?" You asked glancing at their cold home decorating.

"N-no...we're making progress though" Hughie nodded, as you looked down at him.