Chapter 8

(Back to Butcher)

Finding the young lad's job took a while before could locate him, waiting for him to lock up shop he called out.

"Oi !! You...." Hughie looking confused as he looked around to see if he meant someone else, Finding no one he pointed at himself in question. "yes you..... Congrats on your successful proposal." Finished Butcher, Hughie still taken aback asked.

"Umm.... Thank you... I'm sorry but how could I help you?"

Approaching the confused young man with confident gait, He went on. "Look I'm not gonna piss you about Hughie, I saw what nearly happened to Robin."

"I'm sorry but what are you talking about?" Hughie asked, not understanding what was currently happening to him.

"Your gal was about to become a bloody puree splatter on the street, cause of Shockwave.

And when the representative of Vought came to you for the NDA like it never happened you didn't take the pay off."

The feeling of wariness started to creep, Hughie swallowed nervously as he asked.

"I'm sorry but who are you?"

"The Name's Butcher, Billy Butcher." He pulled out an ID. A FBI ID to be exact before he continued "Listen uh, I was thinking that maybe you and I could have a little bit of a chat."

After some time walking together through the busy nightlife in New York, Hughie who was walking behind Butcher as he claims to be with his Fed ID in disbelief.

"So you're a Fed?"

Asked Hughie as he then took a look at the current attire that Butcher wore before he continued. "You don't sound like a Fed."

Looking at the young lad following behind him like a lost duckling Billy responded with a sarcastic tone. "And what we can't immigrate?"

He then turned his head in his direction as he said. "There's a green slapper with her arms in her *ss but it says different."

"you don't look like one either." Hughie insisted.

"No? Then what do I look like?" Asked Butcher curious, as to what the lad could come up with.

"Like you're staring at a foreign version of the matrix." Said Hughie as he drew Butcher's chuckle as he responded.

"Well it's all right there in all black and white."

Wanting to find his answers Hughie asked "Ok uh... What exactly could I do for you?"

Shaking his finger in a negative manner Butcher said "No you got it all wrong Huey, it's what I can do for you.... You see, you are not alone son there's a lot out there than you think." He paused before resuming.

"Supes lose a hundred people every year, and there's a lot of collateral damage."

"Come on, that would be all over the news, people would be screaming bloody murder." Hughie scoffed in disbelief, shaking his head as he could not understand from where he could draw up such conclusions.

"There are odd mentions of it, like the Robin incident but there's a side more that just happens to be swept under the rug." Seemingly agreeing with him, then by noticing his expression he saw that he did not.

"Why?" was what he could ask.

Butcher pointing his hands in every direction, of all the billboards and advertisement on the display all over the plaza as he said exasperatedly "Ain't it Obvious?"

"Movie tickets, Merchandise, Theme Parks, Video Games.... A multi-billion global industry, supported by corporate lobbyists and politicians on both sides." Hughie spun around in his place, as he slowly spun to see all the advertisement for the things he mentioned before paying Butcher attention.

" The main reason you won't hear about it, is that the public don't want to know about it. See people love that cozy feeling that supes give them, some golden C*nt supe comes swooping out of the sky and saves the day.

Just so you don't do it yourself, but if only you knew to half the bloody things they get off to ( tsk tsk tsk) freaking diabolical." Butcher finished with a seemingly disappointed face.

"But that's where I come in." Butcher said bowing in a showman style with a sudden smirk on his face.

" Come in to do what?" Hughie asked, rightfully so.

"I spank the b*st*rds whenever they get out of line." Says Butcher with outmost confidence.

"But how do you spank a supe?" Hughie asked a legit question, how does one go about bringing them down? Never had such thoughts cross his mind.

Butcher turned his head with a barely hidden vicious smile, started to walk away before waving his hand for Hughie to follow.

"You want proof of what I do and what types of crimes those supes commit? Follow me and I'll lead you down the rabbit hole."

" Uh look I'm grateful for the info and all, like really.... But I've got to go." Hughie was growing nervous, of this strange man with a stranger accent with an even stranger attitude.

Butcher a bit farther than him, turned as soon as he heard what Hughie said. " Look lad, I've told you about all the things happening but you choose to remain ignorant. Once I walk out, I ain't walking back. Look at what nearly happened to your gal, what if A-train was not there.....

Look what I'm doing is giving you a fighting chance against the corruption going now, you have a family, lover.... More to lose if they meet an accident orchestrated by them freaks, but more to gain by ensuring their safety and well-being. It's all in your hands now" Butcher with a grave face told Hughie, finished with his word he turned away and walked leaving Hughie indecisive worriedly looking at the disappearing Butcher and to the way he came from.

Time slowed for Hughie as his heart sped up and mind raced on what he should do, he knew should he follow Butcher there would be no going back. Should he walked back he would go back to his simple life, not bothering with whatever Butcher told him.

So now there's that question, Follow or Turn back, To Be (Go inside the Rabbit Hole and Uncover all the conspiracy going under all their noses, as well as ensuring protection should the ones he looked up to be a danger to his loved ones.)

Or Not To Be (Go back, forget the rambling of the mad stranger, enjoy his blissful life finally away from trauma.)

Whatever choice he makes this instance, would define his fate from that point forward.