Billy Butcher wasn't one to drag his feet. Once persuaded, he jumped into action immediately.
First, he went to find Hughie. At this point in the timeline, MM and Frenchie had already been captured. Hughie was operating separately from Butcher and was currently with this world's Annie.
The ghost-state Annie found the sight of her alternate self rather surreal—especially since that "other Annie" and Hughie were in the middle of an awkward breakup scene.
Tony grinned.
"Maybe I should rope Hughie into this mission too. That would definitely make things more interesting."
Annie rolled her eyes.
"I think he'd be so embarrassed he'd curl up and die."
In fact, she was already curling her toes in embarrassment.
When Butcher approached, he cut straight to the point—asking them to work with him against Homelander.
The answer was a firm no from both.
Hughie insisted they should focus on rescuing MM and Frenchie first. Annie wanted nothing to do with Butcher at all—understandably so, since he had shot her not long ago.
No matter how much Butcher argued, they wouldn't budge. He couldn't exactly explain that this was a "mission world," because once time reset, everyone except him and the four in Tony's group would lose all memory of events.
So, Butcher resorted to a trick. He told Annie to help him steal Compound V and promised Hughie they'd go rescue MM and Frenchie afterward.
Then he dangled another hook for Annie—claiming he had the means to expose every crime tied to Compound V, bringing justice into the light.
Watching Butcher talk circles around them, Tony shrugged.
"Man's got a real talent for scamming people."
Maeve smirked at Annie.
"You've gotta stop being so trusting—it's too easy to play you."
The ghost-state Annie sighed.
"Whatever… at least he's using it to do the right thing."
That was the only way she could console herself.
After enough persuasion—or perhaps manipulation—Annie and Hughie finally agreed to help. The group regrouped outside Vought Tower.
This time, with Annie acting as an inside contact, Tony's ghost team feeding intel, and the benefit of two prior infiltration attempts, Butcher made it smoothly to Madelyn Stillwell's office.
Annie drew Black Noir away, giving Butcher the opening to slip inside.
Finally—he had Compound V in his hands.
To avoid complications, Butcher didn't waste a second—he injected it on the spot. His muscles swelled, veins bulged, and power surged through him.
Tony's voice cut in.
"Black Noir's coming!"
A moment later, the masked assassin burst in, slamming a knee straight into Butcher's skull and sending him flying.
Before the injection, that hit might have meant an instant reset.
But this time was different.
If he couldn't beat them… he'd join the fight.
Climbing out of the wreckage, the gash on his forehead closed before their eyes. Spitting blood onto the floor, Butcher sneered,
"Gonna have to hit harder than that, you motherless freak."
Black Noir said nothing. They charged, meeting in a brutal, bone-crunching brawl.
Tony watched with his legs crossed, utterly unconcerned.
"Not much we can do to help anyway."
Maeve ran over.
"Security teams are on the way—tell Butcher to get out of there!"
"He's not gonna listen," Tony said with a shrug.
"The Compound's made him… a bit aggressive. Actually—very aggressive."
Maeve frowned.
"Injecting Compound V like that is insanely dangerous. Surviving it is a miracle. What did he even gain from it?"
"Super strength, enhanced stamina, and… insane regeneration. Heart pierced and still fighting. Honestly, other than not having claws, he's like a knockoff Wolverine."
Tony paused.
"But just that won't be enough to kill Homelander. Wolverine's got unbreakable adamantium claws and healing—offense and defense in one package. Butcher's just the bootleg version, all brawn and no real killing edge. I doubt he could even scratch him."
While they talked, the fight reached its climax.
Using a reckless trade-blow-for-blow tactic, Butcher took two lethal stabs but managed to snap Black Noir's neck.
Not bad—his power boost had clearly given him major strength and endurance.
Then Vought's armed security swarmed in, opening fire. Bullets tore through him, blood spraying everywhere. Butcher didn't flinch—charging headlong into the gunfire and tearing through them in a one-sided slaughter.
The wilder he fought, the more he resembled Wolverine—except this version ignored guns entirely, preferring to beat people to death barehanded.
The chaos drew in the Seven.
First to arrive was this world's Queen Maeve. Butcher attacked without hesitation, showing her no mercy and going straight for killing blows.
The ghost-state Maeve shook her head.
"I'm starting to wonder if he's even thinking straight anymore. He's not getting out of this. Just wait for the reset."
Tony raised a brow.
"Not necessarily. Up until now, if he got caught, the mission failed and time reset. But it hasn't happened yet. Maybe he can actually fight his way out?"
As if on cue, this world's Maeve went flying across the room. Ghost Maeve looked stunned.
"I was holding back on purpose!"
She wasn't lying. With her physical edge over Butcher, she should have won easily—but she had intentionally thrown the fight.
With Maeve no longer blocking his path, Butcher plowed through the rest, hijacked a car, and roared away from Vought Tower.
Tony's ghost team followed—just in time to see Homelander descend from the sky.
A single sweep of heat vision sliced both Butcher and the car in half.
But even split in two, Butcher was still alive—upper body thrashing, roaring, swinging fists at Homelander.
Homelander frowned, then calmly vaporized his head with another beam.
Only then did Butcher finally go still—and time reset once more.
_____
T/N:
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