𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 | the boys 1

xviii. 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒

~𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙬𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝘽𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬

Butcher was messing around with a Newtons' cradle in Susan's office, which Rowan would've been looking uncertainly if she wasn't distracted by her screaming thoughts. "Never got the point of these. To methey always looked like Grandad's bollocks, floppin' in the wind."

"Do you have the Compound V or not?" Raynor sighed.

"I have the Compound V - proof that Vought's injected babies across the country. And, something even more fucking diabolical."

She raised an eyebrow. "Worse than dosing babies?"

"Let's just say, with these cunts, there ain't no rock bottom."

"Let's get it to the lab-" Raynor moved to pick up the parcel but he stopped her by placing a finger on the corner of the package.

"First thing's first, eh?" He picked out a tinged, yellow sheet of paper with notes filling the lines which the Deputy Director took and skimmed for a moment before reading out loud,

"A list of your demands - how in-character. Exorbitant salary - same for your team, office space - in the Flatiron building, no less, security clearance, indemnity clause, legal protection... a formal guarantee that Homelander will be prosecuted under full extent of the law." The name caused Rowan to raise her head to the authoritative woman, narrowing her eyes dangerously to judge Raynor's opinion. Surely, there was no way she could pull that many strings.

ARE YOU DUMB?

HOMELANDER? PROSECUTED?

IN YOUR DREAMS, BITCH.

"Any of that a problem?" Butcher asked with a smug tone.

"No, gonna' pass it up the chain." She leaned back in her chair, "And, uh, while they hash it out - we go forward on good faith." Raynor began to reach for the Compound V again, but was consecutively stopped.

Butcher chuckled before returning her a scold, "We are fresh out of good faith - and with good reason. Now, you and I both know you can rubber-stamp all that. So what's it gonna' be, Deputy Director?"

"I can give you everything you want on this list."

"Except?"

"Except Homelander."

Butcher reluctantly glanced at Rowan for a moment, who had gone back to staring at the wall blankly, and then at the floor with his jaw clenched, "You know what he's done."

Raynor watched them both for a moment before getting up and sitting on the front of her desk as Rowan looked around, sensing the movement and instantly becoming curious."I'm sure I don't know the half of it. But it's still suicide."

"Yeah, well, small fucking price to pay, innit?" He fired back quickly.

"Not for you - for thousands of people if you push him too hard."

"You're fucking scared." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm fucking terrified." She admitted. "And you should be, too."

Butcher caught Rowan's gaze and gestured his head to the door, making her stand up and follow as Susan called after him, "Butcher! Butcher! Hey, kid. Wait up, will you?" She ordered.