Butterflies Volume II

Chapter 46

Billy entered the office coughing. Violet dragged her feet behind him, gaze trapped on the floor. Her ears kept ringing, they couldn't stop, and no amount of scrubbing could clear the blood from under her nails. She picked at her cuticles, hard enough that she began to bleed too, her blood mixing with his. Her blood was her rage, and it poured completely over him before she was able to stop it. And she didn't want to see the Boys, she didn't think of herself deserving. Because of what she had done, and what she would keep doing, what the truth was.

There was no running, there was no hiding. Violet should be locked away, she should be put down like a dog. There wasn't any reason to disagree with it any longer. The only person who did was Billy, who dragged her with him because he feared what she'd do if he left her alone. He couldn't. He couldn't shake how she crumbled in his arms, and how the pain in his body ricocheted with hers. They both walked into the building like wounded dogs, hobbling. Pale skin, sunken eyes, dark clothes. They were both shells, they had to keep pushing.

Billy immediately assumed his routine of taking off his jacket. When he reached out for Violet's, she shook her head, too cold to take it off. The room was cold, outside was colder. Winter was a curse the world forced her to bear.

"Where the fuck you two been?" M.M. prodded, and Violet shut her eyes not prepared to tell them.

"Shittin' a kidney," Billy deflected, but giving Violet a look, knew they had to do what they came to do, "all right, listen up. Now don't get your knickers in a twist, but... You remember Neuman's dearly departed virus bloke? Dr. Sameer Shah? Well, funny story. Turns out he ain't that dead. He's been working for us, making some of that virus."

Billy had walked up to meet the group where they were across the room. On the crime board neatly organised by M.M. were all the details of what they should have been doing. All the well thought out plans. Organisation, everything M.M. implemented that Billy had no need for. M.M. gave the group stability, and Billy drove a knife into it. Twisting and yanking it out when they believed they were on the right track. M.M. may not be the perfect leader, but Billy wasn't sure if he wanted the title returned to himself.

Violet slowly trailed after him, unable to look up at the others reactions. Their gasps, their shocks, were enough to rapture through her. What a monster she was, to ignore the people she cared about the most. And how worse it was, that she would continue doing it.

"What the fuck?" M.M. questioned.

"Wait, all they found was... Did you cut off his leg?" Hughie joined in.

"All right, all right, keep your hair on."

M.M. wasn't finished, "so basically, you two have been amputatin' motherfuckers while working on a secret bioweapon, and we're the ones that are supposed to be chill?"

Billy nodded, allowing their anger, "now, the trouble is, we've hit a slight snag. He can't make it deadly enough to top Homelander without causing a, you know, global pandemic."

He laid it on too softly, and Violet cringed at the ground behind him. A strain ran up her arms, knowing just the reaction they were going to receive. The key thing to remember was that they hadn't done it, and she had killed the one person who did want to do it. She twitched thinking of him.

"Wait," Annie replied, waving her hands around, "genocide. You're talking about Supe Genocide. That's-"

"Yeah guys, that's-" Hughie shared a look with Annie.

"Which is why we're fucking telling you, innit? You think we wanted to do that?"

M.M. stared at Violet, almost wanting to disregard Billy completely. And when she looked up, when she decided to peak at the carnage they were doing in the room, she caught his sight. He was standing, arms folded, trying to figure her out. Unlike the others, he saw what she was hiding, he saw right into her eyes. For the briefest moment, his frustrated look softened, and his empathy for her broke out. He knew exactly how much she was struggling to stand in the room without her even needing to speak. But as it vanished, he turned snappy.