Returning to the day of the Congress attack, after everything had passed, there was a significant issue that couldn't be left hanging.
The betrayal of Victoria Neuman.
This was not going to be left unaddressed. The Boys gathered together to discuss it.
Susan Rayner wanted to arrest her immediately, but Allen warned that they only had his testimony as a piece of evidence, and no one would believe a supervillain. To the rest of the world, Victoria Neuman was a congresswoman who stood against Vought.
Butcher suggested killing her, but Allen warned that she still had super strength and enough resistance to withstand Homelander's laser eyes without dying.
Butcher looked at Allen for a second, and Allen shook his head; he wasn't going to execute Victoria. It would be different if she took the initiative to face him to the death, but given her terrified attitude toward Allen, that seemed unlikely.
"We can let her go for now..." suggested Hughie.
Nobody liked that idea, but seeing the limited options, they decided to accept Hughie's proposal. Allen approached Hughie and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Robin would be jealous..."
With those words, Allen left, leaving Hughie stunned.
Gwen – We all know there was something between them...
MJ – Victoria Neuman is a monster, but I do love these stories of forbidden romance and sexual tension.
Carol – Are you telling me that Miss Head-Exploder had a thing with Hugh Campbell aka "I have superpowers but am as harmless as a capybara?"
"They're just old friends or something like that."
With Allen's words, the chat calmed down. Regardless of Hughie's thoughts, a time would come when he would have to make a difficult decision.
With that, The Boys dispersed...
...
...
Stan Edgar and, by extension, Vought gained more time, but it was a risky and nearly suicidal move. If it could be proven that Vought was responsible for the attack on Congress, there would be nothing and no one that could save them.
Vought was aware they were walking a tightrope, so they used this month to prepare as much as they could, regardless of the sacrifices, whether monetary by bribing influential people or existential, after all, Vought was a pharmaceutical company before it ventured into entertainment.
It was a busy month, and of course, Stan Edgar did not fall behind in playing his cards.
...
Robert A. Singer stepped out of an armored pickup as a dozen Secret Service agents surrounded him. Ironically, he was in a part of Los Angeles where houses are few but cost tens of millions of dollars, so the security is excellent. However, as the former Secretary of Defense and a presidential candidate, it's natural for him to take this precaution.
The man in a suit, with glasses and a stern look, his red hair thinning, entered the residence. He paused for a moment and signaled to the Secret Service agents to wait outside.
Something like this goes against protocols, but strangely, no one objected. The Secret Service agents created a security perimeter without entering the mansion.
Robert Singer walked through the mansion without finding any trace of anyone else. The owner of this place was not someone who liked having many people around. He only had a trusted butler, and when it was time to clean, a specialized service came at a specified time of the day and left as soon as they finished.
All this meticulous preparation on the edge of paranoia makes sense if you consider that the owner is one of the most wanted men in the world, whether for good or ill, he is significant.
Upon reaching the study, Robert stopped and adjusted his tie.
"Welcome, Bob..."
The voice from the other side did not surprise Robert since this man must have known of his presence from the moment he set foot in Los Angeles, if not before.
"Hello, Stan..."
Both men sat down across from each other. It's absurd—Stan Edgar is wanted for multiple crimes, including suspicion of the attack on Congress, and on the other side, Robert was a potential president of the nation.
These two should be on opposite sides, but such is politics.
"I heard you did well in Dallas; they even call you Dakota Bob."
"Let's cut to the chase, Stan, we both know you didn't invite me over for a drink..."
"Heh, right..."
Stan Edgar's butler entered the studio. He carried a box with a biometric lock.
The butler set the box in front of Stan, who scanned his retina and then placed his fingerprint, and the box opened to reveal a container were dozens of green vials.
Stan took one, looked at it momentarily, and then placed it on the desk for Robert to pick up.
Seeing the green liquid, the former Secretary of Defense frowned.
"V24..."
"What is that?"
"Bob, the main problem with the Supes is that it was a mistake to make them heroes."
"I don't understand you, Stan."
"Being idolized corrupted them—all that sexual depravity, all that hedonism, and all that egocentrism..."
Robert scoffed, "Do you realize now? Most of the world already condemns the Supes, and Vought is one step away from disappearing. Being allied with you at this moment is like making a deal with the devil..."
"And yet here you are..."
Stan Edgar's confident tone irritated Robert because it made him feel that everything he did was part of Stan's plans.
Robert A. Singer knew that if his relatively friendly relationship with Stan was discovered, it could be damaging. However, this man was Stan Edgar, a man who managed to violate countless laws and remain free, a man who commanded walking nuclear weapons.
Those who know what Stan Edgar is capable of understand that even in this desperate situation, he is far from cornered.
Stan Edgar sighed, "The things with Supes in the military didn't go well, mainly because Supes are incompetent. They have power but lack the proper mindset to use it."
"Isn't that your fault?"
"Yes... I admit it, I make mistakes... maybe I should have used a different method to raise them..."
"..."
"V24 grants Supe's powers for twenty-four hours..."
"That's... dangerous..."
"And yet it's the most valuable thing you could obtain..."
"What?!"
"It seems ridiculous that everyone underestimates the Supes so much, you're one of them, but you know Homelander could go kill the president at any time..."
"You created him!"
"And now I offer you insurance... with people you trust who can use this, you'll make sure neither Homelander nor 'someone' more dangerous shows up when they learn about your dirty deeds, Bob!"
"You're threatening the next president, Stan!"
"Yes..." Edgar's gaze grew cold, lowering Robert Singer's anger as he stepped back.
A gaze filled with iciness, eyes like metal, any previous expression had vanished almost as if the man in front of him had ceased being human.
Stan Edgar is the epitome of inhumanity, treating newborn human beings as experiments, using people as expendable pawns always operating on an unnatural plane of thought.
Many people never truly understood the kind of monster the man in front of him was. Robert understood that Stan Edgar wasn't negotiating; he was informing him of a decision he had already made. His visit, even his existence, was relevant only because they were useful to Stan Edgar.
Despite being the Secretary of Defense and the next president, he felt truly insignificant.
Robert took the box without saying a word and without looking into Stan Edgar's eyes again; he decided to leave. Stan hadn't informed him what he needed in exchange for the hundred doses of V24, but he was sure that at some point, he would call to collect on this favor.
On his way out, Robert encountered the butler, a man smiling with kindness and courtesy, who had long hair tied back in a ponytail and a somewhat creepy smile.
"Mr. Singer, I regret to inform you that your... conversation with Mr. Edgar made your subordinates nervous, and they tried to enter..."
Robert shuddered at hearing this, yet there was no one else but this butler here.
"It pains me, but Mr. Edgar doesn't like uninvited strangers entering his home, so I took care of calming them down."
"I see, thank you..."
Robert decided not to have any more contact with this butler and left.
The butler adjusted his monocle and walked back to Stan Edgar's study.
"Walter..." Stan called to the man who had just entered.
"Yes, sir... your private flight to Moscow is ready at any moment..."
"Excellent..."
The butler smiled...
...
Robert stepped outside and nearly fell to the ground. As he exited, there was blood, body parts strewn everywhere, a heavy atmosphere of death and brutality.
All the Secret Service agents were taken from the best of the country, FBI, CIA, SEALs, etc. However, they died without firing a bullet because Robert Singer did not hear that happen while he was with Stan Edgar.
"That butler!"
Robert got into a car, ready to leave but he had to remove a severed head from his windshield before that. It was chilling how his subordinate had an alert expression and a serious look, indicating he died doing his job without realizing what happened.
"Only a monster can raise other monsters..."
...
Continuing in the past, Stan Edgar landed in Russia and was met by a caravan of armored pickups. He didn't stop in his movements; the time he gained with the attack on Congress had to be well used.
Soon he was taken to a secret bunker where he was greeted by two high-ranking officers of the Russian military. Stan put on his best smile, and Walter placed a box with a hundred doses of improved Compound V on the table.
"No Supe can replace the six thousand nuclear warheads you possess, but this will grant your soldiers powers for 24 hours..."
There was a heated discussion, and the high-ranking officers requested three hundred doses of V24 and one hundred doses of Compound V normal.
"It will be a pleasure gentlemen, "Stan gladly agreed.
Soon he was led through metallic hallways to the darkest part of the bunker, where there was a container with a man inside.
Stan watched silently; this was the former Homelander, a man created to be the strongest but held back by his massive ego, arrogance, and bad temperament, which led his Payback team to betray him.
Soldier Boy...
He was used as an experiment by the Russians trying to recreate the formula of Compound V, however, they did not succeed and instead turned him into an anti-super weapon.
Stan Edgar gladly gave them the Compound V in exchange for such a valuable asset, whether to use against Allen or to use against Homelander.
Stan Edgar smiled... something rare for him...
...
It wasn't all bad news for The Boys. The former director of the CIA had resigned, and his successor was not Susan Raynor but Grace Mallory.
With this, The Boys gained significant support and, of course, did not waste the opportunity, using all their resources to search for Stan Edgar. It was far too dangerous to have him at large, a fact he demonstrated by attacking Congress.
A character like Homelander had a relatively simple way of thinking and was easily predictable, but not so with Stan Edgar.
...
(Back to the present)
Allen landed in an alley next to a flashy building with a neon sign on top. This was another one of those Supers-only clubs.
Allen took out his phone.
"Butcher, this place isn't it either..."
"Damn!"
Allen wasn't surprised. Over the month, they had followed Stan Edgar's trail, but every lead ended up leading to something else—a Supe, a Vought building, a secret location.
Stan Edgar was clever; he didn't leave The Boys and Allen empty-handed, always leading them to something that would keep them busy.
"Butcher, I'm going in..."
"Alright, see you, kid."
Allen hung up and approached the entrance, where a line of people was waiting, including a man as tall as Michael Jordan guarding the entrance.
Allen approached without concern for the queue, wearing a gray trench coat and a cap.
"Sorry, sir, but today is members only..."
"Don't worry about it." Allen lowered his glasses, and his eyes lit up.
"Oh, my apologies, sir, I didn't recognize you."
After entering, Allen plunged into a different world with men and women dressed in extravagant clothes, sweating as they danced to the music.
Rebecca – This looks like a club in Night City! Hahaha
Harley – Really?! You have to take me there sometime!
Dressed as he was, Allen stood out, but it didn't matter; he moved through the venue looking for Supes and spotted two of them drinking beer. Allen didn't see them doing anything wrong, so he left them be.
He wasn't a Supe hunter and wouldn't capture them unless necessary. However.
[Skill Acquired: Surface Adherence]
Another not very useful ability for Allen, who could already do that in several different ways.
[Skill Acquired: Temporary Paralysis]
Now, this was a useful skill, but it required touching the target. Allen continued down the hallway, politely declining various men and women who invited him to join their fun and proceeded to the stairs leading to the second floor.
Faint male groans were heard. Allen frowned at the situation.
...
Inside a room, a Supe named Termite was being intimate with his boyfriend.
Termite is a parody of Antman, except his ability is limited to reduce its own size. He is a vulgar man who enjoys using his power to enter his partners' bodies.
"I want you inside me... Brett," said Termite's lover, Peter.
Termite smiled, undressed, shrank in size, then ran towards his partner and entered him.
Butcher this scene cannot end well as this is the cruel and merciless world of The Boys.
Termite felt an uncontrollable urge to sneeze, though he tried not to; ultimately, he sneezed, causing his boyfriend to expand and explode.
The torso of the young man fell on the bed, with organs and blood scattered across the ceiling, floor, and walls. Termite looked on devastated.
"Oh sh*y"
Allen burst through the door and saw the disaster, his gaze fixing on Termite covered in blood and what remained of his boyfriend. Fortunately for the chat, this scene is completely censored, or more than one person might have vomited.
Before Allen could say anything, Termite lunged at him. Termite knew that if this became public, he was finished—his career, his money, his prestige, so he had to kill Allen immediately.
Allen could deduce Termite's thoughts and was annoyed; he did nothing to stop him, but as Termite approached, an unknown force froze him in place.
It was the Temporary Paralysis skill Allen had just acquired. Allen said nothing while Termite turned pale, the close distance making his glasses unable to hide his face.
"You're the villain!..." Termite trembled as he peed himself.
"I guess so, but tell me something," Allen walked to the bed, "If I'm a villain, what does that make you, not even hesitating a moment before running to kill me? Isn't it cruel to your partner to not even shed tears?"
"Shut up, you don't know anything about Peter, about me!"
"Yeah, sure... why don't you say that while looking at the bed?"
Allen allowed Termite to move to see his reaction, but he took advantage, shrunk in size, and tried to escape. Allen frowned and stomped down, sending a surge of purple electrical energy that coursed through the floor, electrocuting Termite.
"Ahhh!!"
Once unconscious, Allen used his telekinesis to put him in a bag.
"You can't escape, Brett Geddes."
"Urgh...."
Rick – That was graphic; who's hungry?
Nikky – I'm gonna vomit...
Rogue – This world never ceases to amaze me with its brutality in killing people :(
Allen left the building as calmly as he had arrived; outside, MM was waiting with a thick coat and gloves.
"Are you okay?" Allen asked, knowing MM's powers should allow him to handle the cold without trouble.
"Hey little brother, I don't know why but I've been feeling really cold lately, even when it's not cold."
"Maybe you're developing a unique power like Frenchie's hearing..."
Frenchie's super hearing activated only occasionally, a unique power was a remote possibility since it was the price for having a version of Compound V that could be used in adults without side effects.
"Never mind, I'll figure it out... I need to get back to my wife; I feel like we're on the brink of divorce, and I want to avoid that..."
"Don't worry, take the bastard."
Allen handed over Termite to MM, who then got into a car and drove away.
Allen flew off, not to his apartment but to the other side.
Kara – A woman?
Ruby – Definitely smells like a woman...
Barbara – Allen...
Allen dodged the penetrating stares from his chat and headed towards a luxurious penthouse.
Before arriving at the building, Allen looked at his viewers, "Sorry, there are no big events in this world lately, that's why I do short broadcasts... well, guys, ladies see you tomorrow"
...
Allen landed on the roof of a large building, removed his disguise, reverted to his natural hair, took off his glasses, and walked to the door leading to the stairs.
He descended and used a special key to enter a well-maintained corridor, arriving at a door. Allen took out another key and entered as if this was also his home.
Upon entering, he was greeted by the scent of freshly baked pie.
Allen took a few steps forward, and a woman appeared in his sight. She was wearing an apron and oven gloves, her face lighting up with a beautiful smile. "Welcome~"
Allen returned the smile. "Thanks, Maeve..."
She approached and carefully helped him off with his coat, and then they both moved further into the place with familiarity.
===
A/N: Allen milf tamer par excellence 🗿🍷