Homelander was beyond irritated.
He seemed to have been targeted by a man.
A seemingly ordinary guy he couldn't afford to mess with.
A man above petty desires, who left Carter's room only to knock on his door.
A man who made the terrifying old geezer obey his every word and won the heart of The Seven's Captain Carter.
A man skilled at comforting others, yet only offered empty platitudes.
A man who, in the middle of the night, interrupted his software hardening research with a newly met model.
A man who, after disrupting him, refused to apologize and even sweet-talked the model into leaving with him.
A man…
"Hey, Homelander, what're you spacing out for? Pay the lady. It's basic courtesy."
Charlie, stepping out of the room while dressing, waved at Homelander, gesturing for him to settle the bill.
Behind Charlie, the resentful model stormed past, cursing. "Fuck you, weirdo. I never want to see a boring bitch like you again!"
"Hey, don't you want the money?" Charlie shouted after her, only to dodge a deadly high heel flung his way.
Whoa~
Charlie sidestepped the lethal projectile, turning to Homelander with a shrug. "She's such a good person, didn't even take the money."
Homelander's face darkened. "What the hell did you do?"
"Nothing much. I played checkers with her. She won." Charlie spread his hands. "So, Homelander, keep your word. Make sure your assistant pays her."
Homelander: "…"
His face grew darker. "Who's Homelander?"
"Oh, that's your nickname. You're welcome."
Charlie glanced at the time. "It's late. I'm off to bed. Don't wake me in the morning—checkers fried my brain. I need rest. Night, buddy~"
He yawned, picked a random room, and crashed.
Outside, Homelander's expression flickered. Finally, he took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to pummel the guy.
Huff~
He exhaled his frustration, patting his chest to calm himself.
"You're Homelander, a superhero. You can't let people see you're pissed. You've got this. Damn it, you… I'm only letting you stay one night. Tomorrow morning, you're out, or I'll… I definitely won't make you breakfast!!"
Homelander muttered threats under his breath, then returned to his room to fix his appearance in the mirror.
He massaged his stiff face, forcing a charming smile.
Yes, that's it. That's the leader of The Seven.
Well, former leader.
…
The next morning, Homelander hesitated outside the door for three minutes before barging in to kick out the annoying guy.
But the room was empty, save for a note on the table.
Homelander picked it up and read:
[Homelander, I left quietly, didn't even take a pair of underwear. Have the cleaning lady tidy this room again. I love this 100-square-meter bedroom, so I'm planning to stay long-term. No need to prep lunch—I'll eat out. Oh, and order me takeout tonight at the company. Make sure there's juice, two cups. And I mean real takeout. Unlike you relationship-wrecking weirdos, I'm into pure love. —Your good friend, Charlie Parker.]
Homelander: "…"
Staring at the dense scribbles, he thought for a moment, then called his assistant.
"Hey, it's Homelan—ugh, I mean… cough… Can you read Chinese?"
…
Today was another shell-collecting day.
Since arriving here, Charlie had grown fond of this oddly meaningful activity.
On the sunlit beach, Charlie carried a small bucket, occasionally rummaging through the sand.
Under a nearby coconut tree, Hughie removed his sunglasses.
He glanced at Butcher. "You were right. He slept in The Seven's private apartment last night."
Butcher's eyes narrowed. "Go talk to him. If he's not a superhuman, grab him. I need to know more about Homelander."
"Kidnap him?"
Hughie frowned. "We already took out the Invisible Man. If we act again, we'll get caught."
Butcher didn't flinch. "I said if, not must."
Hughie considered it. "Alright, got it."
He approached, posing as a sunbathing passerby.
"Hey, buddy, nice shells," Hughie said, starting a conversation.
Charlie turned, eyeing him oddly.
"I haven't found any shells yet. This is a conch."
Hughie: "…"
"Haha, sorry, forgot my glasses today," he said, scrambling for an excuse.
Charlie shook his head. "No worries. I haven't actually found a conch either."
Hughie: "…"
His smile froze.
This guy… a nutcase, right?
This was getting tricky.
But life goes on.
So does his mission.
He forced a laugh, pulling a bag of white powder from his pocket. "Wanna share?" he winked.
Charlie glanced at it, silently pulling out his phone.
"Hello, DEA? I've got some good news for you…"
"Wait, buddy, just kidding!"
Hughie quickly cut Charlie off. "Just wanted to ask you something. Thought you guys were into this stuff. My bad." He apologized hastily.
In his mind, anyone tied to Homelander was usually a junkie. He hadn't expected an exception.
So awkward!
Charlie studied the guy. "What do you want to know?"
Hughie gathered his thoughts, then said earnestly, "I'm a Homelander fan. I saw you two together yesterday, looking tight. So, I was hoping for a signed photo. You can help me, right?"
As he spoke, he got more animated, "accidentally" stumbling into Charlie to test for superpowers.
Slap!
Suddenly, Charlie backhanded Hughie, sending him to the ground.
"You're sneaking up on me!" Charlie accused, fuming.
Hughie, clutching his cheek, knelt, dazed.
"Why'd you hit me?" he asked, looking up.
"Because you deserved it!"
Charlie crossed his arms, grinning. "I knew something was off the moment you started talking."
His words sent a chill through Hughie.
Damn, terrifying counter-surveillance!
But then Charlie sneered, "From your behavior and weird questions, I can tell you're after my stunning looks…"
Halfway through, Butcher's hand struck Charlie's neck.
"No!"
Hughie gasped, watching Charlie's eyes roll back. Before passing out, Charlie muttered, "Pervert~"
Thud!
Hughie, watching Charlie collapse, went a little crazy.
He glanced around nervously, relieved no one noticed.
He confronted Butcher. "He didn't suspect us! Why'd you do that?" he demanded.
Butcher was equally confused. "He said so much, I thought he was onto us."
"He wasn't!"
"I thought he was."
"I don't care what you thought!"
Hughie crouched, pretending to chat with Charlie, whispering to Butcher, "What now? When he wakes up, he'll tell Homelander. We're screwed."
Butcher thought. "Take him back for now."
"He's a normal guy."
"You sure?"
Butcher stared at the unconscious Charlie. "If I'm right, he's definitely…"
"What?" Hughie thought Butcher had figured something out.
"A nutcase!"
Butcher's answer stunned Hughie again.
Good God!
What kind of bizarre statement was that?
When did this guy get like this?
Thinking he's funny or something?
Damn it, should've never joined this dangerous crew.
Hughie's heart filled with regret.
But he had no way out now.
He was in too deep.
…
The Boys' temporary hideout.
An abandoned factory.
Today, Hughie was in a foul mood.
Because, under Butcher's pressure, he'd kidnapped a normal guy.
That wasn't the real reason for his bad mood.
The real issue was this "normal" guy didn't seem normal.
To be precise, he was a nutcase.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you guys even listening?"
Tied up tight, Charlie's first act upon waking was to demand juice.
"My head hurts. I'll die without juice—fresh-squeezed, two cups. Got it? Go buy it. I'm broke, so you're paying."
"Shut up!"
Bearded Butcher roared, irritated, but it didn't faze Charlie.
"Hey, beardy, from the shape of your beard, I can tell you've been cucked. How's your wife? Need an ambulance?"
Charlie's mouth ran like a river. Hughie, seeing Butcher's face darken, quietly stepped back to avoid getting caught in the angry Butcher's crossfire.
Sure enough, Butcher snapped, swinging a fist at Charlie's face.
As the punch roared in, Charlie saw the sorrow in Butcher's eyes.
"Whoa, what a weak punch."
Charlie, tied to the chair, leaned back, dodging the fist while his foot landed squarely on Butcher's sensitive spot.
"Oh no!!"
Butcher's face twisted in agony, but he pushed through, lunging at Charlie.
Buzz~
Just then, a magical spark flashed, teleporting Charlie away. Butcher hit empty air.
"It's magic!"
Hughie recognized it instantly—they had it too.
Butcher sensed trouble, biting his finger and smearing blood on a black pendant at his chest.
Buzz~
Dark energy swept the factory, and a bloodied crystalline figure emerged from the shadows.
The dark puppet, Invisible Man!
The chilling aura spread, but Butcher felt a slight relief.
Hiding behind the Invisible Man, he cautiously scanned the quiet surroundings.
Hughie edged closer. "It's magic. That guy's not normal."
Butcher frowned. "No. If he had magic, the dark puppet would've warned me."
"So…"
Hughie's eyes lit up. "Someone saved him?"
"Exactly."
Butcher was certain. Then the Invisible Man roared at one side, its eyes turning blood-red, clearly spotting something.
Finally, under Butcher and Hughie's shocked gazes, a blurry figure approached.
The spider emblem in the figure's hand sent a jolt through them.
"It's Spider-Man!"
"Shit, Spider-Man's with Vought after all."
Butcher's face darkened, and he unhesitatingly sent the Invisible Man to attack.
"Take him out!"
The invincible Spider-Man casually tossed the spider emblem, then delivered a stylish spinning kick, sending the Invisible Man flying.
BOOM!!
Under the immense force, the Invisible Man crashed into a wall, as expected.
In the darkness, Charlie gripped the spider emblem, and the air grew heavy.
An inexplicable pressure hit, freezing Butcher and Hughie in place.
Their hands and feet felt ice-cold, unable to move an inch.
Time crawled by, their foreheads beading with sweat, as if centuries had passed, their hearts tormented.
Finally, Spider-Man spoke.
"Tell me your goal."
"What?"
Butcher gritted his teeth, refusing to say a word.
But Hughie was different. He quickly explained, "Sorry, it wasn't on purpose. My girlfriend was brutally killed by A-Train. He didn't own up and even mocked the people he ran over. I'm furious. I just want an apology…"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, the spider emblem spread nanometal, dispelling the darkness around Spider-Man.
His inverted-triangular eyes glowed pale blue. The invincible Spider-Man pointed at Hughie.
"Killing someone, and an apology fixes it?
Man, you really are a coward. You're all cowards."
"What?"
Hughie's eyes widened, unable to process.
Butcher was the same.
They didn't get it.
The next moment, the terrifying pressure receded like a tide, letting them breathe.
They knelt, gasping, as Spider-Man's voice rang out.
"You should hit them hard, crush their souls, torment their bodies, humiliate their pride, mock their little jets, not mess with an innocent, handsome, kind, virtuous, ordinary neighborhood good citizen like me. Yeah, I'm talking about that dashing kid from earlier. I can't stand your methods."
Hughie: "…"
Butcher: "…"
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Hughie timidly raised a hand. "So, how do we hit them hard, crush their souls, torment their bodies, humiliate their pride, mock their little jets?"
Charlie crossed his arms, pointing at himself. "Through me. I can help you."
"Really?" Hughie was thrilled.
"Of course."
Charlie's gaze fell on Butcher. "But first, you let me meet his master." He pointed at the web-bound Invisible Man.
"I agree!" Hughie blurted out.
Butcher snorted. "Why should I trust you?"
Charlie shook his head. "Mr. Butcher, I'm not negotiating. That's an order."
He shot webbing, pulling the Invisible Man into his hand, then crushed its head.
Crack~
Glass shards scattered, and Butcher's heart chilled.
The dark puppet that crushed The Seven was dispatched so easily. What kind of terrifying existence was Spider-Man?
He knew the consequences of not telling the truth.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit.
That guy didn't seem like a good person either. If he could pit them against each other…
Taking a deep breath, he was about to spill the name.
"He's…"
BOOM!!
The next second, the ceiling was smashed open, and a new musclebound figure made a grand entrance.
Thud!
In the smoke, a man in a black suit, wielding a triangular shield, knelt on one knee, missing only a spotlight and theme music.
The textbook superhero landing reminded Charlie of Black Widow.
"Oh my God, Soldier Boy!"
Hughie couldn't believe it. "Holy crap, it's the superhero from last century. He's back!!"
Butcher was equally shocked, guessing Soldier Boy was here to stop him from revealing the truth.
Charlie's eyes narrowed, and he shrugged helplessly.
"Alright, plot's got a bug. Tell me, you here to take a dump?"
Soldier Boy, a character from Season 3.
Appearing early? Definitely the work of some contestant.
This match was getting interesting.
As Charlie sized him up, Soldier Boy slowly rose.
Under his slick 30/70 parted hair, his sharp eyes carried a hint of wildness.
"You're Spider-Man?"
He sneered. "Young punk, you're unlucky. Someone wants you dead. But first, I'll teach you how to respect your elders."
Thud!
A magical spark flashed, and a fist struck the back of Soldier Boy's head, catching him off guard.
"Who hit me!!"
Soldier Boy clutched his head, glaring back. Hughie stepped back. "Not me. I didn't see anything."
"You!"
Soldier Boy turned, glaring at Charlie, but quickly regained his cool.
Trying to maintain his veteran swagger, he smirked. "Not bad, kid. After all these years, didn't expect someone to—"
Thud!
Another fist from the magical spark struck, nearly knocking Soldier Boy over.
"Shit!"
He wiped blood from his mouth, his eyes turning fierce.
"Punk, you've pissed me—"
BOOM!!
This time, Soldier Boy saw the fist emerging from the spark.
He blocked it with his shield, grinning triumphantly.
"Kid, I've seen through your tricks—"
"Screw you!"
The next moment, another spark flared, and Charlie's kick sent the smug jerk flying. "If that guy won't show, I'll deal with you using this old man."
With that, Charlie reached into the spark, yanking a half-asleep Old Steve to the scene.
"Spider-Man, what're you doing? I'm not dressed—oh, never mind, I've got clothes now."
Bare-assed Old Steve spotted the battered Soldier Boy and grinned wickedly.
"Kid, mimicking a Captain's a bad habit. Let me teach you a lesson, heh heh~ slurp~"
Facing the naked, menacing old man charging at him, Soldier Boy's eyes flashed with fear.
Though they'd never crossed paths, he was inexplicably terrified.
In front of this guy, he felt like a rookie.
"Stay back!!"
"Hand it over!"
"Go to hell!!"
"Whoa, your chest glows!"
"Move, he's gonna blow!" Charlie warned.
Old Steve brushed it off. "Dodge what? Blow what… wait, blow?"
The next second, blinding golden light lit up Old Steve's world.
BOOM!!!