Despite everything, Homelander still carried the halo of a national idol. In the recent footage revealing his tragic childhood, he surprisingly gained a measure of public sympathy and support.
However, the backlash fell hard on Vought International. Their stock price once again took a nosedive, and executives like Madelyn were on edge—every one of them feeling the noose tightening around their necks.
By contrast, things were much more peaceful in the Marvel world. Viewers lounged about in small groups, casually munching on popcorn and burgers as they watched the future footage unfold—relaxed as if they were watching a summer blockbuster.
After all, none of it concerned them. To most, it was just good entertainment.
But not everyone saw it that way.
Becca Butcher and her son Ryan, currently living under the protection of Peter Parker and Aunt May, were anything but relaxed. Their emotions were complicated.
"Is Ryan asleep?" Aunt May asked gently, seeing Becca emerge from the bedroom.
Becca gave a faint nod, forcing a tired smile.
"He's always been such a good boy... But I have no idea how to explain any of this to him."
"Take your time," May said warmly, taking Becca's hand. "You and Ryan have been through enough. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you anymore."
Becca's eyes welled up with tears. Her voice trembled as she said, "God... I never knew how horrifying Vought really was. I thought I was just caught up in a scandal. I figured if I kept Ryan safe, waited for him to grow up, things would get better... But I didn't realize—they're butchers, every one of them."
She clenched her fists, voice shaking. "Ryan was terrified. He kept asking if he was a bad kid for hurting his mom…"
Becca had once worked for Vought, and though she'd been wronged, she never imagined she was in any real danger. She thought her situation was similar to workplace harassment—like Annie's experience with The Seven. To her, it was just a personal scandal, the kind celebrities face when secret love affairs or illegitimate children are exposed.
Non-disclosure agreements, hush money, quiet cover-ups.
All these years, Vought's "house arrest" of her and Ryan had been suffocating, but Becca never suspected the superheroes outside were nothing more than chemically engineered maniacs and killers in flashy suits.
It was only after seeing the future footage that the full horror hit her.
If her unborn child hadn't been considered valuable for research… maybe she would've been silenced that very night.
And now, realizing the pain her disappearance had caused her husband—that Billy had never stopped looking for her, never stopped risking his life—it filled Becca with deep sorrow and guilt.
Aunt May's curiosity finally got the better of her:
"But wait—you're still alive, and Vought hid you away. Then why did that doctor lie to Homelander and say you were dead?"
Becca could only shake her head, overwhelmed.
"I don't know… but it can't be for anything good. I'm just glad Ryan and I got out. Now I'm worried about Billy. He's in serious danger now."
May, ever the optimist, replied warmly, "Don't worry too much. The Multiverse Defenders won't just abandon him. If they could save you and Ryan, they'll save the others too."
Becca nodded slightly, though she quietly thought to herself: 'But… will Billy even want to leave?'
To her, the answer was escape. Get away from the madness. But what about the rest of the innocent people still trapped in that world?
Meanwhile, within the Multiverse's Defenders base, Bruce Wayne was already planning the next move.
"Vought International must be dismantled,"
Bruce said with grim finality.
"Banner, you'll lead the squad. Clark, Diana, Steve, Arthur, Barry—you've all been briefed. Be cautious once you're there."
Batman had seen enough through the footage to predict the collapse of the Boys' universe. Vought's secrets were out. And when people like that are exposed, they don't go quietly.
Especially with someone like Homelander—a violent, unstable powerhouse—there was every chance he'd go on a rampage.
Bruce never underestimated the worst-case scenario.
That's why he was forming a specialized task force to assist the Boys' universe and take down Vought from the inside.
Unsurprisingly, the mission had full support from the other heroes—particularly the core members of the Justice League. They couldn't ignore the fact that the Seven were clear knock-offs of themselves.
A-Train mimicked The Flash. Homelander was a twisted mirror of Superman. The Deep was a cheap imitation of Aquaman. Queen Maeve was a cynical reflection of Wonder Woman...
Seeing their counterparts commit atrocities in public, acting like thugs and murderers, left a bitter taste. It felt like mockery. Like slander.
Aquaman, always the hothead, shouted furiously:
"I'm gonna teach that punk a lesson! A deep lesson! Not just anyone can claim to be a child of the ocean!"
Flash (Barry) also scowled,
"Super-speed is meant to save lives—not abuse others or kill innocent people! I'll make sure he remembers that."
Steve said gravely,
"Compared to the others, Homelander's the real threat. We haven't seen a single weakness so far."
Bruce nodded. "Which is why I want you to take kryptonite. It might not work, but it's worth a shot."
Superman raised a brow. "He's not Kryptonian, Bruce. I doubt it'll affect him. But I'll try to keep him occupied."
Clark was always humble. He didn't claim he could beat Homelander—though he was clearly itching to test himself against this twisted "version" of himself.
Then Dr. Banner asked, "Bruce, you've already been to that world once. Shouldn't you lead the team again?"
Bruce's face darkened.
"Joker and Deathstroke are stirring up trouble back home. I need to deal with that—and there are other priorities I can't ignore. So this one's on you."
The heroes nodded solemnly. They were ready for war.
Back in the Eternal Space, the quiz game continued. Just as everyone was digesting the unfolding drama, a new question appeared on the screen:
[Are Becca Butcher and her son alive or dead?]
And with that, a new round of answers was about to begin.
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