Chapter 197: The Father's Gaze

"Oh, well! So it really is just some messed-up swinger's party! Unbelievable... what a mess!"

Not far from the mansion, Butcher held a pair of binoculars to his eyes, watching the scene unfold. Beside him stood Hughie and Soldier Boy.

"They're still at it?" Butcher shook his head, clearly unimpressed.

"I started this thing," Soldier Boy chimed in unexpectedly, snatching the binoculars from Butcher. He stared into the chaos he had once helped create. "1952, the first ever. I founded it with another superhuman, Liberty Belle. God, she was a firecracker!"

(A/N: Liberty Belle was one of Stormfront's previous identities—Stormfront had survived since World War II and had taken on different aliases through the years. Incredibly, this "gathering" was started by both Homelander's father and his ex-girlfriend.)

Hughie blinked in confusion, recognizing the name Liberty Belle. He had known about her being Stormfront, but hearing Soldier Boy casually mention her left him stunned. Butcher, on the other hand, couldn't care less.

"Frenchie would be gutted if he knew he missed this," Butcher said with a smirk.

Hughie stepped forward, concern evident on his face. "There are a lot of people in there."

Soldier Boy, seeing Hughie's worry, handed the binoculars back to Butcher and turned away. "As long as they stay out of my way! they'll be fine."

Hughie paused, considering his next move. "Okay, give me five minutes. I'll get in, find out exactly where the Twins are, and be back. That way, no one else has to get caught in the crossfire."

It was a risky idea, but Hughie had gained new powers—a temporary superhuman ability provided by Vought's new experimental drug. Unlike Compound V, this version granted powers for a limited time. Butcher had gained heat vision and super-strength, making him a less powerful version of Homelander, while Hughie had gained teleportation.

The only downside was that when Hughie teleported, his clothes didn't come with him. Each time he used his power, he ended up stark naked.

Soldier Boy gave him a look, expression flat. "Three minutes."

No room for argument.

But before Hughie could respond, Butcher interrupted, "No need for that anymore. The crowd's leaving."

Soldier Boy snatched the binoculars back, peering through. Sure enough, he saw a chaotic mass of naked men and women scrambling to leave the mansion grounds in haste, some not even bothering to grab their clothes.

"What's going on?" Soldier Boy muttered. "Wait, someone's coming out. You might recognize him."

Soldier Boy handed the binoculars to Butcher, who hesitated before taking them. One look, and Butcher's face turned ashen. He shouted, "It's that bloody bastard, Homelander!"

Sure enough, the caped figure of Homelander emerged from the mansion and turned his gaze directly in Butcher's direction. Despite their hiding place, Homelander's superhuman vision had easily picked them out.

"Butcher! Come out! I can see you and your friends!" Homelander called, his voice booming.

Butcher's rage flared; his eyes began to glow, ready to fire. But he calmed himself, taking a breath. He stepped out, Hughie and Soldier Boy following.

"William Butcher!" Homelander greeted with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "And Hughie! You were behind all of this, weren't you? I should've guessed. It always leads back to me. Including... Soldier Boy."

Homelander's gaze shifted to Soldier Boy. Despite the mix of emotions he felt—excitement, anxiety—Homelander did his best to remain composed. He remembered Jon's advice: never show weakness in front of his father.

"We agreed, Butcher. You and me, till death. Getting backup is cheating." Homelander's eyes darkened, his voice dripping with menace. "The deal's off."

He then turned back to Soldier Boy, a smile forced onto his lips. "Growing up, you were my hero. You were my idol, my inspiration. I watched your films, hundreds of times over. You're the only one nearly as strong as I am."

Soldier Boy scoffed, shaking his head. "Buddy, you think you're tough? You wear a cape. You're just a cheap knock-off."

Homelander let out a small laugh. "Your style's outdated, Soldier Boy. The cape is the modern look. I'm your upgrade."

Butcher's voice cut through the air, sharp and full of venom. "Don't waste your time talking, Soldier Boy. Kill him already!"

Homelander's expression hardened, his eyes glowing crimson as he glared at Butcher, fury boiling inside him.

"Wait, Homelander!" Jon's voice interrupted, carrying across the tense clearing.

Phoenix Warrior stepped into view, holding two individuals tied up in ropes—the TNT Twins.

"The TNT Twins?" Soldier Boy looked at the bound siblings, then turned his attention to Jon. "And who the hell are you?"

"Phoenix Warrior?" Butcher and Hughie said in unison, shocked. Of all the members of The Seven, they had always believed Phoenix Warrior was the one who stood against Homelander's tyranny.

After all, Phoenix had killed Stormfront—Homelander's lover. They were supposed to be at each other's throats. So why were they standing side by side now?

"I misjudged you, kid," Butcher spat at Jon. "You killed that Nazi bitch, and I thought you were a real hero."

"There are no real heroes," Jon said coldly. "I joined The Seven to do whatever I wanted."

Jon then turned to Homelander. "Alright, Homelander. Enough talking. Let's get on with it. Do what we came here to do."

Homelander's eyes flared again as he focused back on his real target, Soldier Boy, Butcher, and Hughie bracing themselves for an attack.

But instead, Homelander turned suddenly, releasing two beams of intense heat that tore through the bodies of the TNT Twins.

Every single person present—including Soldier Boy—stared in shock. The two siblings had been tied up, and now Homelander had just killed them without warning.

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