Chapter 14: Meeting Butcher

88th floor of the Seven Tower.

In Vought's CEO office.

Wearing reading glasses, Edgar was staring at an email on his computer sent by the organizers.

In the email, it stated that Homelander had handpicked two new superhumans to join the Seven.

At the same time, Homelander had personally eliminated an unknown girl from the candidate list.

"Annie…"

"Codename: Starlight, from the Midwest."

Edgar spun his pen slowly. "Why did he reject this insignificant little girl? Could she be a threat to him?"

"Or… does she know something that could harm him?"

Edgar picked up his phone and called his secretary. "Use special recruitment protocols and bring Miss Annie 'Starlight' here. The meeting will be at…"

After giving the order, Edgar set the phone down. A video call notification appeared on his screen.

Moments later, the screen displayed a lab scene, and a man in a white lab coat, wearing glasses, with brownish-yellow facial hair and a chubby face, appeared in the center.

"Good evening, Mr. Edgar."

Edgar nodded slightly. "Good evening, Dr. David."

"Any progress with the 'Saint Project'?"

David awkwardly cleared his throat, shaking his head. "Apologies, sir. Same as before."

"Though we've managed to clone Homelander's cells, the 'Saints' we've cultivated, like other superhumans, possess only a single or, at most, two abilities."

"We have yet to replicate Homelander's multiple talents."

"I believe it's near impossible to duplicate compound superhumans. Homelander may be a one-of-a-kind anomaly, even with the same formula…"

David shook his head again, his jowls wobbling like jelly.

Edgar sighed deeply. "Homelander is becoming uncontrollable."

"He killed Madelyn. I could very well be next."

"The only reason he hasn't acted yet is that he doesn't think the time is right."

"He's handpicking new members for the Seven, likely planning to replace the entire original team one by one."

"Do you know what that means?"

"It means Homelander is building his own loyal superhuman army!"

"Once that army is complete, there will be nothing to stop him."

"Before that happens, I need a trump card."

"A way to control Homelander, to put a leash on this beast. Do you understand?"

David bit his thick lip and then replied, "Actually, I've been thinking about something these past few days."

"Rather than creating another superhuman like Homelander, perhaps we should take a different approach."

"Even if we manage to create another Homelander, at best, it'd be a stalemate."

"But if we find a way to neutralize Homelander's abilities, strip them away… then even someone like The Deep could take him down."

Edgar's eyebrows shot up. "Is that possible?"

"It is."

"If we can inhibit his superhuman genes or suppress their activity, we could turn Homelander into a regular person—or, at best, a low-tier superhuman like The Deep."

Edgar nodded. "That's a good idea. Start the research immediately. I'll secure funding through alternate channels."

By not using Vought's internal resources, they could avoid raising suspicion from Homelander.

David nodded. "I'll get to work right away."

"Go."

---

At the Electronics Store.

Hughie was arranging merchandise when the doorbell chimed. He turned to see a bearded man walk in.

"You here for a nanny cam set?"

"We've got a promotion going on."

He noticed the man pick up a teddy bear, so he made his pitch.

The bearded man shook the teddy bear a bit. "How many nannies do you think shake babies hard enough to cause brain damage?"

Hughie blinked, confused. "Sorry, what?"

The man shook the bear harder. "You know, like squeezing ketchup out of a bottle."

"One percent? Maybe less?"

Hughie furrowed his brow. "I have no idea."

The man continued, "The funny thing is, they sell this crap globally, making billions off it."

Hughie shook his head. "Sorry, I don't understand."

The man smiled grimly. "Hughie… what happened to Robin was tragic."

"Who are you?" Hughie asked, suddenly on edge.

The bearded man pulled out an ID. "FBI Agent, Billy Butcher."

"I want to talk about Robin."

"Don't you want to do something for your girlfriend?"

Hughie took two steps back. "Listen, Agent, it's over."

"A-Train's been punished for what he did. It's over, okay?"

"Is it really over?"

Butcher twirled his finger in the air. "Do you honestly believe that guy flying around in the sky is going to protect us?"

"It's all just a show, Hughie."

"Do you know how many people die every year because of superhumans?"

"Robin isn't the first, and she won't be the last."

"Do you want to see more Robins die?"

Hughie shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know about all of this, Agent."

"But I do know that Homelander delivered justice. He punished A-Train."

"I saw it happen with my own eyes."

"As for the rest, sorry, I haven't heard anything."

"If you're not buying anything, could you please leave?"

"Stop disrupting my life."

Butcher was about to say something when the doorbell rang again. A voice chuckled from the entrance.

"I think he's right, Agent."

"If you're not here to buy something, maybe you should leave."

Hughie's eyes lit up with recognition, a smile spreading across his face.

Butcher, however, looked stunned for a second before his expression turned vicious. Then, with a smirk, he spun around.

Standing by one of the shelves, clad in his blue suit and draped in the American flag, Homelander was casually browsing.

"What about you? Are you here to shop, mate?" Butcher asked, grinning.

"Of course."

Homelander picked up a teddy bear and shook it slightly. "I think this will do just fine."

He placed it on the counter. "Wrap this up for me. It's a gift."

Hughie nodded eagerly. "Right away, Homelander."

Homelander smiled and then turned to face Butcher. "Care for a chat, Agent?"

"I'd love to, but no can do. Not right now, at least."

Butcher adjusted his jacket and headed for the door. "Maybe next time, Homelander."

Homelander replied nonchalantly, "Is that so? I thought you might be interested in hearing about 'Becca.'"

Butcher froze at the door.