Hughie Campbell looked at Annie and sighed deeply.
Deadpool, ever the instigator, grinned mischievously. "Oops! Did I say something wrong again? Sorry, Hughie! Didn't mean to sabotage your love life. I swear it wasn't intentional!"
"You insufferable bastard—you're the most punchable person I've ever met!" Thor couldn't take it anymore. He glared at Deadpool and barked, "Listen up. Say one more stupid thing, and you can forget about ever joining the Multiverse Defenders!"
Deadpool just shrugged.
'This big oaf... does he actually think I care about joining that so-called multiverse Defenders? It was all talk anyway.'
As for Hughie, he wasn't particularly angry at Deadpool. His smile was bitter.
"I'm sorry, Annie. The future me may have done things that hurt you… but it was still me, and for that, I owe you an apology."
Despite having glimpsed parts of his future, this version of Hughie was still just a timid, ordinary young man mourning the loss of his girlfriend.
Sure, he found Annie attractive—but it wasn't love at first sight, nor was he some heartless player ready to fall for the next pretty face.
"Don't bother explaining, buddy," Deadpool cut in gleefully. "There's nothing wrong with admitting you're a scumbag. Haven't you heard? Jerks are all the rage these days!"
Thor's expression darkened as he was about to scold him again—but just then, the screen lit up with a new video, and the players' attention shifted.
In the footage, Billy Butcher and his team were holed up in a safehouse.
Aside from Billy, Hughie, Mother's Milk (MM), and Frenchie, there were quite a few others present—including the Asian girl they had rescued earlier, the one injected with Compound V, along with the families and loved ones of Hughie, MM, and Frenchie.
From their conversation, it became clear that Vought had taken notice of their covert investigation and was now actively targeting them—and even their families.
MM was clearly frustrated.
Billy had obtained critical intel about Compound V but refused to hand it over to the CIA. Because of that, they had no government protection or support—and now everyone, including their families, was in serious danger.
Billy's reason? Simple. He wasn't finished with Homelander.
Even if turning in the information would deal a heavy blow to Vought, Homelander was so flawless in the public eye, with almost no weaknesses, that he'd likely remain untouched.
MM called him out: it was time to compromise. Their lives—and more importantly, the lives of their families—were on the line.
"You can't drag us all down just because of your vendetta," he said bluntly.
Outside the video, Annie shook her head. "Butcher, we get why you're obsessed with taking down Homelander. But you should treat your teammates better. You can't do this alone."
She sympathized with his pain, but his personality… not so much.
Billy wasn't particularly fond of her either. He scoffed, "I always look out for my team. Right, Hughie?"
But Hughie didn't respond. He was staring at the screen, stunned. "My dad... he's been dragged into this too…"
"They'll never spare your families. That's obvious," Stephen said, cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Butcher, you're smart. You understand that even the most 'invincible' superheroes have weaknesses—and the people they care about are those weaknesses.
But that same rule applies to regular people too."
Billy smirked. "I knew what I was getting into the moment I stepped into this mess. Don't lecture me. We're all dancing on a razor's edge. Supes or not—we're in the same boat."
Then he turned to Hughie.
"Listen, kid. I was lost too, just like you. I failed. But what keeps me going isn't just revenge.
It's making sure this world returns to some kind of normal. Think about it. How many people live in the lies Vought built? Your future kids? They'll grow up in that same illusion. If we don't fix this, Robin won't be the last… anyone could be the next victim."
Hughie said nothing, his face troubled, clearly torn.
Back in the footage, the CIA finally stepped in.
The female Deputy Director—Susan Raynor—helped secure protection for the team's families. MM seemed familiar with her. After ensuring their safety, she demanded Billy hand over his evidence.
Billy asked, "And what about Homelander? Is he the exception?"
"Yes," Raynor answered flatly. "Homelander's off the table."
With no leverage left, Billy had no choice but to hand over the Compound V sample.
At that moment, Hughie had just said goodbye to his father when he received a call from Annie.
She was crying, her voice trembling:
"We need to talk. Just the two of us. Hughie, I need you to explain everything to me."
Hughie winced. "I… I'm not really free right now—"
"You owe me," she said firmly.
Outside the video, Deadpool whistled. Hughie looked incredibly awkward. Annie wasn't comfortable either.
Stephen chuckled. "Looks like you two have some unresolved drama."
"I must've really hurt her…" Hughie said, rubbing the back of his head.
The screen then cut to the CIA headquarters.
Deputy Director Susan Raynor wasted no time. After securing the crucial evidence, she confronted Vought's VP, Madelyn Stillwell.
No small talk. She slammed the Compound V sample on the table and laid it out:
"Government and military still fall under our jurisdiction. You people? You're just a bunch of freaks in capes."
Madelyn smiled coolly. "And if I refuse?"
Raynor didn't blink.
"Then we go public. We expose everything.
This will be the biggest scandal of the century.
Vought's stock will plummet into the abyss.
Civil suits. Federal indictments. Your company will go bankrupt, and you? You'll be lucky to spend the next 15 to 30 years in prison wearing orange instead of designer heels."
Two powerful women, both hardened by their respective fields—one corporate, the other intelligence—now stood at a standoff.
But this time, the government had the upper hand.
___
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