273 The Boys: Starlight's harsh reality... Allen is ambushed by Butcher and Frenchie.

Hughie had a rough morning. A lawyer came to see him and shamelessly offered a deal in exchange for information on Allen.

Hughie felt sick from start to finish. The man in front of him treated A-Train's actions as if they were insignificant. You can come up with a thousand excuses and claim that Robin is alive, but Hughie will never forget what happened, how his girlfriend disappeared before his eyes, how Robin's blood entered his mouth and fell onto his skin.

"Mr. Campbell, I understand that your girlfriend is doing well. I don't see why you're making a big deal out of this. Sign here, and we'll give you ten thousand dollars for medical expenses. And if you remember anything about this mysterious individual, Vought is willing to give you a hundred thousand dollars."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Hughie stood up and led the man to the door. He couldn't stand the feeling of having someone like that around. Hughie knew that if Allen hadn't saved his Robin, these people would have treated him like nothing.

Hughie wasn't a fan of superheroes; he didn't even pay much attention to them. However, knowing the truth about what they're like made him feel suffocated. He felt that at any moment one of them could kill him, and no one would care. How can they have so much influence, so much power? How are they allowed to do whatever they want?!

Hughie looked at the time and got up; it was time to go to work.

Butcher watched Hughie leave and followed him.

...

Traveling back a little before Allen arrived and caused a scandal, there was another event that shook the world.

A hero retired, and not just any Supe, it was one of The Seven. The news of this rocked the world. One of the Seven was stepping down! While fans were saddened, a new hope appeared for Supes and the general public: there was a vacancy in the Seven!

Young Supes and veterans alike all wanted to be part of the Seven. It was the most important team for Vought and the most valuable and beloved. Getting in meant everything a superhero could want: money, fame, their faces on international brands, their own movies telling their epic battles, statues of their faces in museums and halls of fame, and sleeping with famous actors and actresses... yes because that's every superhero's dream...

Auditions were held everywhere...

...

One of the aspiring new heroes was preparing for this from a small town called Harmony.

She punched a wall while wondering if her current strength would be enough.

She had trained to reach a good level of her abilities or so she thought. Although her control over her power was shaky, she had trained her superstrength and combat skills so that she wouldn't embarrass herself in the Seven auditions.

She was Annie January, whose superhero name was Starlight, though for now, it was an unknown alias. Annie wanted to be one of the Seven because of her desire to help others. 'It's time!' thought Annie. There was no better opportunity than joining the Seven, right?

She was somewhat naive and had a great longing for superheroes, like many of the younger aspirants.

Annie stopped training, took out her phone, and looked at the news. She bit her lip, as the auditions had already started, and she saw many famous and popular Supes giving interviews around the country.

Deep down, Annie still believed she had a lot to learn, but the Seven were the strongest superheroes, and it wasn't easy to get a vacancy. She had to try now.

"Honey come eat!"

"Yes, mom!" Annie put the phone away, there was no point in worrying now she just had to do her best and wait.

Annie lived with her father, a miner, and her mother, a teacher in Harmony. It was a quiet and safe town where everyone knew and looked out for each other. Starlight had a happy and carefree childhood, but now she had to leave her home and step into a dangerous world. She had to face villains, save people, and solve problems.

Annie would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. She had seen on TV the alien invasions or that time a giant monster attacked New York. She wasn't sure if her strength would be enough, but she was going to give it her all.

(A/N: As you might have noticed, this Starlight is from the comics, so her origin is different if you only know the live-action version.)

"I have to try, I have to succeed…" She clenched her fist as her golden hair moved with the wind.

Her parents supported her, hoping she would make it, as did the people in her town. Annie recorded her audition and sent it off without getting her hopes up too much. However, to everyone's surprise, she was accepted for a live audition.

She had taken the first step!

Annie began her journey to become one of the Seven. She did well in her live audition, with much more experienced and famous Supes around, but as if by destiny, she managed to surpass them all.

...

Annie felt like she was dreaming and, without knowing why, she ended up in New York.

Annie stepped off the plane with her suitcase, still unable to believe it. She had made it; she was now part of the biggest team of all.

A limousine picked her up and took her to the Seven's tower. She saw ads with her favorite superheroes as she traveled through the Big Apple.

Poor, naive Annie. She wasn't stupid—she was actually very intelligent—but her fanatical idealization of superheroes made her overlook various inconsistencies.

There were Supes stronger than her.

There were Supes more intelligent than her.

There were Supes on renowned teams.

There were Supes trained at the Godolkin Academy, very talented.

Some Supes were close to becoming one of the Seven... but for some reason, all were sidelined by Annie January, by her, by Starlight.

Why?

That was the same question the Seven asked in a meeting, but the answer was simple and unpleasant.

"She's a very pretty young woman, like the girl in the poster, a rural beauty. The polls loved her," Ashley's response was blunt and ruthless. "So what if she's a newbie? So what if she has no experience? Even if there are twenty better candidates, she's Starlight. Her skills are eye-catching and she's popular with kids; her figure and face are loved by both young and old. And her personality appeals to the elderly since she's like America's granddaughter!"

All the Seven looked at Starlight's profile. Some had looks of lust and perversion, like The Deep and Translucent, while others had looks of interest, like Maeve and Homelander.

She would be the new Supe in the Seven, and no one raised objections since, as Ashley asserted, she was beautiful.

She would be perfect, and they could benefit as well...

Ashley frowned at the looks of several presents but decided not to comment further. It was a pity for Starlight, but she had to understand that the world of superheroes was like this.

At the same time, an individual who shouldn't exist appeared in this degenerate world.

...

Starlight arrived in New York quietly, but now she was prepared to give a speech about her aspirations and her desire to make the world a better place, or so she thought.

Ashley Barrett welcomed her hurriedly, gave her a prepared speech, and took her to the dressing rooms, where she was given her superhero costume in white and gold. There were obvious changes; her original skirt was longer, and she wasn't wearing a low-cut top.

"Sweetie, this is New York. You need to present a better image than a cute small-town girl."

"But I don't feel comfortable…" She had no issue with the skirt or the low-cut, but the problem was that it was something she hadn't chosen.

"You need to get used to it. Have you seen Queen Maeve's outfits?"

"Yes, but…" Starlight wanted to argue that she didn't like fighting supervillains dressed like this.

"I understand, I see you don't like it. Well, we'll change it later, but for now, wear this." Ashley smiled slyly. She knew that once Starlight wore this outfit in front of the cameras, she could not wear anything else due to public pressure.

Ashley left, leaving Starlight feeling lost and with no chance to object. She didn't want to, but she couldn't refuse. She couldn't make her first appearance in the Seven dressed casually; she just couldn't.

She bit her lip and changed. Before she finished, two women with apathetic faces entered and began to apply her makeup. She didn't usually wear much makeup but ended up accepting it.

A while later, Starlight looked at the girl in the mirror: eyeliner, false lashes, intense lipstick, and a superhero costume that showed more skin than she would have liked.

This was supposed to be the best day of her life, but she wasn't happy...

...

Returning to the present, Allen felt confused by the current world. He wasn't sure which timeline he was following. He had seen characters from live-action series, like Translucent and The Deep. He had also seen Jack The Jupiter, who only appeared in the comics, on TV. And he even found himself in the orgy club he had destroyed with Great Wonder and Iron from the animated adaptations "The Boys: Diabolical."

Allen felt confused because depending on the timeline, the story would change significantly.

But right now, the important thing was to prevent what was going to happen to Starlight. It was a shame for such an innocent girl to go through something so horrible.

Moreover, this was Allen's chance to figure out which timeline he was in. If Starlight was being blackmailed by The Deep, it would follow the live-action canon. If it involved A-Train, Black Noir, and Homelander, then it was the comic storyline.

Felicia – I hope it's the Starlight from the comics because she doesn't have a boyfriend, and he wouldn't suffer NTR hahaha.

Gwen – Well, technically the canon story is the comic. Changes in other adaptations are alternative timelines.

MJ – I've read a bit of the comic, and practically, there are two completely different stories. From Butcher, Homelander, and Hughie, to Starlight, all the characters have huge differences.

Rick – Does it matter? Just get into that tower and kick some ass. *Burp* I might be a bastard, but even I feel disgusted by abusers.

(We all know how Rick reacted when an alien tried to abuse Morty.)

The Chat was right; everyone would prefer it to be like Harry Potter with Allen following the canon. But if he had to destroy the entire storyline and take down all the bastards in one night, no one would complain.

[Host, in the worst-case scenario, we'll look for another world... immediately.]

Allen remained silent; he agreed with that. Ruining the canon only meant that there would be no fragments of destiny, but that wasn't a huge concern. He could always move to another world.

The problem wasn't that. The problem was that Allen didn't yet have the power to take down Homelander. He looked at his hand and could feel that something was about to awaken, but not yet.

Shortly after, Allen decided to have breakfast with his dolls while chatting with the Chat until he received a call from Hughie, who needed to see him urgently.

Allen frowned, he changed, and left the hotel.

...

Allen went to an abandoned restaurant and, upon entering, was immediately greeted by the barrel of a rifle.

"Quite a welcome..." Allen chuckled.

"Don't move," said a thin, Caucasian man with a French accent.

Allen looked around and saw Hughie, somewhat beaten up, and Butcher glaring at him with snake-like eyes.

"Wait, he's Allen, he's a friend!" Hughie interrupted.

"He's a Supe. None are decent," Butcher said.

"Huh?! But you asked me to call him!" Hughie protested but was ignored by Butcher.

"In any case, that rifle won't work," Allen said, shrugging. Allen remained calm since his spider-sense wasn't activated, indicating they had no intentions of attacking him. Or perhaps they knew it was futile and hadn't even considered shooting.

"Let it go, Frenchie, the guy hit A-Train without difficulty, Heh If he wanted to, we'd all be dead already..."

Frenchie looked at Butcher. "Va te faire foutre(F*ck you)"

Butcher approached and offered his hand. He had the smile of a swindler and a killer, but Allen was already used to his personality and wasn't surprised.

"I'm Allen Walker."

"I know. Hughie told me. I'm Billy Butcher, and I make it my business to kill people like you." Butcher smiled threateningly at Allen.

"Butcher, what are you saying?!" Frenchie exclaimed.

"No, wait! Allen, he doesn't mean it seriously!" Hughie intervened to avoid a fight.

"I see…"

Butcher frowned since Allen's reaction was null and hard to read. Allen, on the other hand, felt like laughing. This guy was completely insane. Allen could kill him instantly, but he wasn't afraid; in fact, he dared to provoke him.

Butcher stared into Allen's eyes for a while and then ceased to be hostile. "Tsk... Looks like we found a four-leaf clover," Butcher said, lighting a cigarette and leaning against a wall.

Frenchie's eyes widened in disbelief, and Hughie smiled. Allen remained silent. One thing was certain: "The Boys" had already started, and it had started way too quickly.

Allen could sense someone's presence in the back, and it felt like a Super.

Felicia – This is strange. It seems like things on The Boys' side have advanced since Starlight hasn't reached the city yet or has she?

Allen squinted. Did his intervention make changes, or would the story be this way in this timeline?

"Hughie?" Allen asked, frowning. "Who are your charming friends?"

Allen already knew who Butcher was, but he had to pretend otherwise. Nervously, Hughie stepped forward and proceeded to tell Allen everything. Frenchie and Butcher stepped out to give them space.

Hughie had been contacted by Butcher the night before, as in the canon. But this time, the issue wasn't revenge for Hughie's girlfriend but that Butcher was looking for Allen.

Hughie had initially refused. It wasn't until Butcher showed him videos of the superheroes' acts and crimes that Hughie reluctantly agreed. Hughie wanted to contact Allen, but they were ambushed by Translucent. There was a fight at Hughie's store, but they managed to capture Translucent.

Allen couldn't believe it. Hughie was supposed to go to the Seven's tower to plant a microphone, and the invisible man would follow him until he found Butcher.

Felicia – This looks bad. The canon is going out of control.

"I know, Felicia."

Kara – As I understand it, your presence can mean changes, but it wasn't noticeable in the Harry Potter world.

Barbara – That's because Allen had time to pave the way many years in advance. Here, he arrived directly at the beginning. Besides, in Harry Potter, the plot revolves around a magical school with students, not a bunch of degenerates and psychopaths.

Hestia – Another unfortunate world... at least most ordinary people don't suffer.

Artemis (FGO) – Mm~ I suppose it's something to be thankful for that Supes? prefer fame over power.

Tony – It's unsettling to think about how the world changes the world. I wonder if the government or some company in our world could create mutants; would it end up like this?

The Emperor – Is there any doubt? All power is power, even if it turns against you.

Rick – The golden guy is right. These idiots are creating superheroes like they're action figures without realizing they're creating their own apocalypse.

...

Allen read the comments and agreed. It was madness. You couldn't create a god, experiment with it, teach it to be a manipulative psychopath, and hope that someday it won't turn against you.

However, even though it wasn't the fault of the children who were injected with Compound V, it didn't excuse their actions. Otherwise, it would be very unfair to the innocent people who are killed without reason.

===

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