B E C C A

“Nothing much.” Nothing he understood. “There’s people at Vought that say it is weird you’re suddenly back after a long time away and there are people at Vought that don’t really like my Dad. I thought everyone loved him. Even you.” Normal this, normal that. He’d heard that a lot growing up. “Why did you agree to hide if they didn’t tell you anything? My Dad would have helped you.” Homelander was always his hero.

         Becca knew it wasn’t but his words sounded like an accustation and that was breaking her heart. After so little time, Vought had their claws deep into her son and changed him from the sweet unknowing kid to someone she wasn’t sure about. “A lot of people love your dad,” she said not saying anything about her disappearance, “and I like him.” Not love. Not by a long shot. “I was in a desperate situation that nobody could help with except them. Your Dad might have helped but I didn’t know and I was scared.”

His personality shifted and changed when he saw it was Becca. Given what she was to him, what she had given him in regards to Ryan, he thought to be nicer to her than what his mood was permitting. “It’s been a while,” he remarked as he sat up, “what’s been going on?”

    He’d changed so easily and she didn’t even notice it was that smooth. “A lot, actually. Not even the stuff with Ryan.” Instead of standing around awkwardly, she took a seat opposite him. “I wanted to tell you about something. One of the mutants found out about Ryan and I and threatened me. I’m not sure how serious I should take it but I wanted to tell you.” Becca let out a sigh. “Other than all that, I’m officially getting divorced.” 

BILLY always thought that Becca could do anythin’ she wanted even when they first met he thought that. It was one of the reasons he was surprised she was with him. “If you like it then I’m happy for ‘ya. I just assumed wi’ you bein’ back, Vought would want ‘cha.” Something he was gettin’ a little worried about. “What do we do then, separate our assets an’ all that bollocks?”

        Sometimes she thought about going back to Vought just because it would easier but that wouldn’t be right. She was already so heavily involved with them. “No, I wouldn’t go back to Vought. It changed since I left and a lot of I don’t like.” And she was worried about it all but didn’t want to tell Billy that. “I don’t have any assets apart from a house that is miles away that isn’t even mine. Vought property. It isn’t even in my name.” Nothing she owned was because if she had stuff in her name, it could be found when she was meant to be missing. 

“I just wanted to know. I notice stuff y’know, Mom. I heard that you used to be married when you met my Dad and then you had to go away when I was born and be away from everyone. Why was that?” There was so much of his own life that he didn’t know. “I was a baby, how could I be influence over anyone?”

          It was hard to be honest with him as he was growing up because of all the complications and NDA as well as all the Vought stuff. Instead of honesty or lies, she’d just evaded questions. “What have you noticed?” she asked worried. “I wanted to give you a normal life or as much of one as I could given your abilities. Vought wanted that to an extent but they wanted to see if raising you away from Vought would make you different to your Dad. It’s just a guess because I wasn’t told anything. I just had to go away in exchange for them helping me.”

Sleep was never something Homealnder needed and he could always last on little or no sleep but he’d been trying to relax in Vought after a lot of PR and events. “Whatever you are doing in my penthouse, it better be good and worth my time,” he remarked as he slowly started to open his eyes to see a guest.

     Why she was in the room, she didn’t know. Her feet just went that way and she couldn’t help but see if he was in. The last time she was this way, Ryan ended up being the result of it. “I can go if you’re trying to rest. I was near Vought and...well...I don’t really know. I think I wanted to see how Ryan was getting on here and then I thought I’d come see you.”

“I can see that,” Warren agreed. The marketing was pretty extreme with Vought and it was consistently on everything that everyone could get to buy. “It seems to work well though so it must be a big ol’ department in Vought.”

       “A huge department. I assume it still is, I haven’t worked there in a long time but when I did, we had whole divisions on Vought and separate members of the Seven. It was hard work all the time and so much urgency but it was great.”

This woman might not be the way in that she was hoping for. Shit. Lorna’s mind raced. She needed to find a way to spin this. Too much was counting on this. Her father, her country, the safety of her people and her daughter. She could not come back empty handed. “PR?” She said and sat back. “Then start a campaign for us. A pro mutant campaign. I trust that is in your power?” She swallowed down the lump in her throat as she thought of Katie. “Our children deserve to be safe.”

Originally posted by subcas

     "I haven’t done anything like that in almost ten years. I wouldn’t have the resources, the connections or anything. A little free advice? A PR campaign wont do anything for mutants. Even though the X-Men are the good guys and people know it, they’re hated. All kids deserve to be safe no matter that they are born as.”

A social worker, tha’ wasn’t wha’ he expected for her at all. “Bloody Hell, you don’t pick an easy job do ‘ya?” Not like he could talk given wha’ he’d been doin’. “Bit ‘o this, bit o’ tha’. Mostly just doin’ shit for the CIA in a very private matta’.” He nodded at her answer, feelin’ a little better about it tha’ it wasnt anythin’ he did. “I do love ‘ya Becca but I don’ think I can be wit’’ ya’.”

         “I never have. This one is rewarding, though. Much more than digital marketing. The hours are longer, the stress is more and the pay is a lot less but it is great to help people in a way that isn’t about corporation profits.” It sounded like she was rambling. “Sounds pretty dangerous. I hope you aren’t in any danger.” She knew he’d been involved in the supes and Vought and wished he’d stop that. Maybe closure would do that? “I understand, Billy.”

“Do you mean with my Dad?” All Ryan knew about his parents was that they are his parents. Nothing about their relationship past or anything else. “You worked for them and they looked after us when I was a kid, they aren’t bad. They just want to help us.”

        "What? Why are you asking that? It’s about Vought as an entire situation, your dad was just one part of it but that part is between me and him. It isn’t for anyone else.” Billy was included in that but she wasn’t sure for how long. “They hid us away because they where worried about what we would do to their influence over your dad. It wasn’t to be kind or good.”

“Mom,” he began with an irritated sigh, “I can make up my own mind about people. I’m not a kid anymore and I’m not blind to see what people are doing. I know what everyone will be like with me because of who my dad is. You say you have my best interest but I do and I wanna figure out what I want. Maybe it is the Seven maybe it is something completely different. It’s my choice.”

         A few times she’d gotten that sigh from him but he’d only been a kid then and it was about stuff that wasn’t important like tidying his room or doing chores. This was a lot more than that. “I used to think I knew what they where doing but it turned out I didn’t. These people, Vought, they are cunning and they know how to work people and supes.”

SHE wasn’t the only one tha’ had enough of talkin’ ‘bout the whole thing. He did as well. It was enough. Livin’ through her goin’ missin’ was bad enough an’ this whole shit show was harder. “The rest I know,” he repeated but calmer than before. “What is it you been up to then? Can’t imagine you just doin’ the stay at home mum thing. I just wanna know one more thing for now. Is it ‘cos I said I didn’t want kids?” They’d had that talk in the past. A kid wasn’t somethin’ he could ever want. 

       Relief came over her just a tiny little bit. They had talked enough and she was exhausted from the emotion of it all. “I’ve been a social worker for the past couple of years. It is so hard and there are people that have been let down so much that I just help them out. Sometimes its just listening or being an advocate but it does take its toll. What about you?” It was civil but not like husband and wife. More like friends or acquaintances that hadn’t seen each other in years. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t have a reason for you, Billy. I could try and make one up but I don’t want to lie.”

   “We have many times and still you fail to grasp it.” Becca Butcher was nothing but a walking womb that could house more supes if only she would accept her fate. Vought was powerful and Nathaniel wouldn’t stop until his creations were perfect. “I’m not the one spinning, we have a whole team for that.” His smile was cocky, arrogant almost. “Ms. Butcher you could not begin to understand what I have planned for your son.” 

        The question was in her mind before she asked it as she hesitated before asking. “What can I do to stop this and let you give Ryan some normalcy?” Her son was older now, she knew she could let go a little but she wanted him to have his own control. “I know that, I used to be part of that team.” The smile on his face irritated her but only because she knew she couldn’t do anything. “Try me.”

“I’m not sure that’s a view of business that many have; it’s very positive,” Warren said, smiling ever so slightly at her. It was nice for smaller people to have such a positive view of Vought, but big companies were big companies and they didn’t really care about the little people. Heck, even his own company was included in that.

        “You’re right about that.” It was not the view Vought had and it was the furthest thing from what they cared about. “Vought only want to sell their heroes to get a profit. People don’t mind it, I think. They want something believable to rely on. We marketed it like the supes where Gods.”

NARROWING his eyes, Billy searched her face for any sign she was lyin’ to him. There was a time when he knew everythin’ ‘bout her an’ could trust her but tha’ was all gone. “Then you got back to work an’ couldn’t wait to fuck him.” Sharp and cruelly said with spite dripping on every word. “I didn’t deserve it.”

        “I’ve talked about this enough. I don’t want to do it anymore. You asked what happened and I told you, the rest you obviously know.” She just didn’t want to get into it when it wouldn’t be anything. “I know that. I haven’t blamed you for what happened, not once and I  never would.”

Ryan moved into her touch, it was warm and so comforting. So familiar to him. “He’s been goo to me, Mom. He really has. If there is something you aren’t telling me, that isn’t right. Just like the stuff with my Dad, I have a right to know and you can’t keep stuff from me.”

       "He isn’t good but he will try and manipulate you to think he is, to make out that he is your friend or has your interests at heart when it doesn’t. The only one that does is me and it’s always been me. Always will be.” The stuff about Homelander threw her a little bit. “Ryan...you know why I couldn’t tell you. The situation was complicated and I couldn’t say anything because of it and because Vought made it so I couldn’t legally tell you or anyone.”