lizzie

They weren’t here to tell him to clean up now. MM was somewhere off in the rubble, talking to Mallory about where they’d be stashing Soldier Boy’s sorry, knocked out ass. Hughie was off with Starlight, being nice and gooey and useless. Frenchie and Kimiko had fucked off too. Everyone had something to do—someone to talk to, something to claw about—but Butcher.

Ryan had walked away from him. He’d taken Homelander, and just… walked. And Butcher had promised Becca that he’d look out for the boy, but he’d let it happen. The hell else was he supposed to do. He was out of temp V, Starlight wasn’t much use with the whole power grid burnt out, and Maeve had jumped out the bleeding window. Promises weren’t much use, if Butcher tackled Homelander and got lasered in half. Being a body on the floor didn’t scare him. Seeing the world go dark was going to be a blessing.

He just wasn’t clocking out of the earth, until he got Homelander a one-way ticket down as well.

There were cameras, on the streets. News Crews and people filming with their cell phones, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Their attention was turned to that red-headed lass at the news podium, with the nervous ticks and plastered smile. Butcher always thought there was something crazy in her eyes, but that didn’t make her anything special. You had to have that kind of crazy, to get this high on the food chain. He had it. Homelander had it. Maeve had it. Was the same thing that made Butcher fall in bed with her. Same thing that got her killed.

Something in Butcher knows he should feel worse about that. Fine breed of woman, turned against Homelander when it mattered, did what she could to help them. But she was a supe, and there wasn’t much talk they’d done outside of hissed sneers. Foreplay. He’d miss her the same way you miss a good vibrator, or a co-worker who wasn’t an incompetent twat. Not much. A little less than a stranger, because at least the stranger could’ve been a good person. Maeve wasn’t. That’s how she’d fallen into bed with him.

Death was something that was going to hit them all eventually. No use crying over it. Wasted hands, to brush away the tears, when you could just be throttling everything else that was trying to kill you first.

Butcher waded through the crowd, none of them paying him much mind. The public had a short memory. He’d been a terrorist with a poster a year ago, but that wasn’t much to remember. He didn’t sparkle enough to hold their attention. Not like Starlight and the rest of the Vought circus, dancing and playing monkey. Hoping those flashing lights would only catch off of them, instead of spreading like a sickness to all they hyenas around them. Butcher half expected to see Starlight, up on that podium herself. Hughie said she was done with Vought. With playing the game the right way, coloring in the lines, then whining like a brat when the enemy got dirty and won. Butcher would believe it when he saw it. He’d bet everything he had—an empty dog bowl, a burnt Hawaiian shirt, and an empty syringe—that Starlight had clean hands. That’s why they kept losing. Over and over and over again.

He was getting sick of losing. Only so many times a man could take it before he snapped, and Butcher had never been one of those level-headed arses, who reasoned their way out of calling it a loss. This wasn’t a goal, or a home run, or any kind of victory. They had done all that shit—entertained Soldier Boy, tickled his balls and bought him beer and tracked down Payback—just to end with less than what they’d had. Hughie would say they’d gained Annie. Butcher would laugh in his face, and say he’d trade blondie back in three seconds, if it meant they handed him Ryan in return.

The crowd was thinning. Butcher was getting closer to the edge, where the sky got clearer and his blackened hands and bloodied face seemed more like that of a madman than a fighter. He kept pressed to the storefronts and under the tented entrances. Homelander wasn’t out and about yet, but Butcher wasn’t looking for a rematch right now. Not until he got his hands on some more Temp V, or—better—a real nice gun, that would blast the cunt’s smile right off his face.

“Butcher.”

He was hearing things. Might be a side effect of the Temp V. MM was right about that shit being dangerous—always annoying, he’d get too smug about it—and Butcher was going to have to keep an eye on that, unless he wanted to end up crazier than he started-

“William Butcher, fucking- Turn around-“

He wasn’t going to be listening to those voices. That was how you ended up wandering off a balcony with champagne in your hand and your dick swinging between your legs-

“Oh, for-“

A hand wrapped around Butcher’s arm and yanked him back. He stumbled into a narrow alleyway, reaching for his gun before he got his footing, and swung with his free hand straight at his assulter’s face.

Maeve knocked his fist aside, then hissed in pain, cringing and doubling over. She looked like she belonged out there with the ruined bricks and pavement. One eye had been turned to a bleeding socket, her arm was at a funny angle, and gashed and bruises were beaten into her face. She had one hand up, silently asking Butcher not to shoot as she caught her breath. He didn’t, but not as a favor. He didn’t have many of those left in his gut.

“You ain’t dead,” he spat.

Maeve scoffed, eyes flicking up in flat amusement. “Obviously.”

“Hm.” Butcher looked down to her shoes. Scuffed. More tattered cloth than support. “Soldier Boy?”

“Knocked out.” Maeve drew back up, cringing slightly as her ribs crunched. “But you knew that.”

“Can’t say I did, love-“

“If you didn’t, you’d still be in the rubble looking for him,” Maeve said, raising her brows. “I saw MM. Talking to that- Angry bitch from the government. You trust her?”

Butcher’s fingers curled on his gun. “More than you.”

Maeve crossed her arms over her chest. Her gaze darted to Butcher’s hand, and she leaned a little away. “I fought with you. I paid my dues-“

“You’re a supe,” Butcher sneered. “You got too many dues to pay, long as your pretty fuckin’ paycheck and styled hair-“

“You think I’ve still got a paycheck? If Homelander sees that I’m not dead, he locks me back up in that cage-“

“Oh, boo hoo, you’re bein’ tucked away and coddled like his favorite little bunny-“

“His breeding cow,” Maeve spat. “That’s what he wanted from me, asshole. And when he realizes he won’t get it, not anymore, he’ll kill me. Just like- Like everyone else.”

Butcher’s jaw ticked. He looked Maeve over. The blood. The bones. The wincing and the weary looks at his gun.

“You ain’t a supe anymore,” he muttered, and she sighed.

“Soldier Boy. Asshole’s got a punch.”

Butcher grunted. Not a supe was an improvement, but she’d spent her whole life in that twisted, ugly machine. Queen of the beast’s intestines, crushing what Homelander told her to, making her own messes. Playing clean until she wanted to be dirty.

“I’m not here for goodbye,” Maeve said, slow and weary. “I don’t think we had that kind of relationship.”

A faint laugh pulled from Butcher’s chest. “Yeah, well, I ain’t givin’ you one more for the road.”

“That’s- You’re all so disgusting, you know that? No wonder no one wants to work with you-“

“You kissed me first, love-“

“I was loney, and drunk, and-“

Maeve cut herself off, looking off to the side and closing her eyes. Butcher let her collect herself. Wasn’t really a place for him to be.

“Not why I’m here,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. “Look, before I go-“

“Go?” Butcher snapped, standing a little taller. “You think you can just walk away from this fuckin’ mess, tuck your lil’ tail and scamper off like a whiny puppy-“

“Do you want my help or not?”

“You ain’t offerin’ help, you’re offerin’ condolences-“

“I’m offering a plan,” Maeve hissed, taking a step forward. “And unless you’ve somehow found a way to handle Homelander in the past two hours, you might want to shut the fuck up for once in your life, and listen.”

Butcher scowled. A vein in his brow pulsed, but his grip loosened on the gun. Maeve wasn’t a threat like this. He had split knuckles, but them could still pummel the bitch into the ground. “Talk,” he grunted. “Before I shoot.”

Maeve shifted on her feet and tipped her chin up. Her voice was steady. Like she already knew he was so desperate, he’d take anything at all.

“There are rumors. Whispers. Not even through the grapevine, under it. The kind of shit you only hear people whispering about, and- I didn’t think it was real. Not for the longest time but-“ She sighed. “I don’t doubt it. Not anymore.”

Butcher didn’t respond. Maeve pressed her lips in a thin line, looking down the alley then back to Butcher. Like she was only telling him against her better will.

“There’s a supe-“

“Another bleedin’ supe-“

“Don’t be a dick, this isn’t like Soldier Boy-“

“How in fuckin’ hell isn’t there’s a supe like Soldier Boy-“

“Because I didn’t know,” Meave snapped. “I sent you to Russia thinking you’d find- I don’t know, some kind of gun. If I’d gotten even a breath you’d be coming back with Glory Grandpa, I never would’ve even mentioned it.”

Butcher narrowed his eyes. “But you’re tellin’ me this.”

“I am. Because it’s not the same.” Maeve took a long breath. “This supe- She hates Homelander. Maybe more than you.”

Butcher snorted. “That ain’t possible-“

“I promise you.” Maeve’s voice was cold. “It is.”

 Butcher glared at her. She glared back, and didn’t step down.

“She’s called the Anomaly. She’s powerful-“

“More powerful than Homelander?”

Maeve shrugged. “Sounds like it.”

“Hm,” Butcher scanned over her features. Bored like steel. Dull and immovable. “Sounds like it ain’t enough, I need somethin’ that’ll finish Homelander, blast ‘im down to hell, no way back up-“

“Then go find that yourself,” Maeve said. “This is what I’ve got, I don’t give a shit if you forget about it or chase it. I did my part.”

Butcher’s lip curled. “And what, you just walk away now? Go live on a pretty fuckin’ farm and pretend this all never happened? That you don’t know what’s really goin’ on, in your old house.”

Maeve sighed, and gave Butcher a look he didn’t like. It was too close to pity. It made his stomach curl.

“Yeah,” she took a step back, that same, ugly pity curling into a tired smile. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. We don’t all want to die, Butcher. Not when we could live, and- It wouldn’t hurt anymore.”

“It always hurts-“

“I know. But then-“ Maeve shook her head. “It doesn’t.”

“You ain’t just walkin’ away-“

“I am.”

She took another step, and Butcher reached for his gun. For a second, they both froze. Maeve titled her head, silently daring him. Take the shot. Be dirtier. Come out on top.

His finger wouldn’t twitch. Not out of love, or attachment, or moral obligation to Maeve. Maybe his hands were too tired. Maybe he wasn’t sure he still had bullets. Maybe because she’d fought for Ryan, and this was his one favor. Her chance to walk away, before Butcher’s head got clear enough to count her sins.  Didn’t matter. He didn’t shoot, and Maeve’s shoulders slumped.

“The Anomaly,” she repeated, cradling her stomach as she backed away. “I don’t know where she is, but- She’s out there. Find her. Don’t let him win, and-“ Her throat bobbed. “Be careful.”

Butcher’s lips twitched, as he lowered the gun. “Don’t worry about that bit, love. I’m gonna do whatever it takes.”

✦End note: big plans. small start but big plans. i hope you enjoy the series! ✦

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Author's Note

Welcome to the result of my wrath. An expansion of my soldier boy x reader series, No Love Lost, made to be a more explict rewrite of the Boys season four and five. If you're going in with no prior knowlege of the other fic, enjoy! If you're coming over from No Love Lost, hello! I hope you enjoy this one as well. Going in, no matter what, please forgot everything released after season 3. Gen V, season four and five, Vought rising, none of it's real. I hope you enjoy the story!

Chapter List

Prologue (7/6) (on ko-fi now!)

Season 4

Episode 1 - Down the Rabbit Hole Episode 2 - What's Dead and Buried Episode 3 - The Limelight Episode 4 - All of Us Heathens Episode 5 - Good Hair Day Episode 6 - On Shadowboxing, Spiderwebs, and Songbirds Episode 7 - Titanfall Episode 8 - The Firebird's Gambit Episode 9 - Metamorphia Episode 10 - You Scratch My Back Episode 11 - Buzz Buzz Buzz Episode 12 - Transmutation Episode 13 - Quick, Bald, and Broke Episode 14 - Heaven, Ohio Episode 15 - When You Hear the Bell Toll Episode 16 - Scurry Under the Mountain Episode 17 - Blinding Neon Glitter Episode 18 - hymns Episode 19 - Jersey Devils Episode 20 - Don't Wake the Sleeping Dragon Episode 21 - The King of Babel Episode 22 - Diet Euphoria Episode 23 - Event Horizon

Season 5

Episode 1 - It's Always Sunny Episode 2 - Go With the Changing Tides Episode 3 - That Big Silver Screen Episode 4 - On the Tenth Day Episode 5 - Put One Right Between the Eyes Episode 6 - Washed Up and Sold Out Episode 7 - Love Thy Neighbor Episode 8 - So It Goes Episode 9 - Bloodshot Episode 10 - Flipping Texas Episode 11 - The Untouchables Episode 12 - Mr. Butcher Goes to Washington Episode 13 - And When You Love Her, Remember to Look Back Episode 14 - Homelander: The Musical Episode 15 - Run the Gauntlet Episode 16 - Operation Ranch Hand Episode 17 - Hail Mary Episode 18 - Abandon All Hope Episode 19 - Benjamin, or Italy Episode 20 - Oroborus Episode 21 - Veni Vidi Vici Episode 22 - Every Demon Wants His Pound of Flesh Episode 23 - Sunrise, Sunset