After awakening superpowers, Butcher gained a Wolverine-like healing factor so strong that he hacked his way out of Vought Tower, covered in blood and looking like a demon that had just crawled out of hell.
Even so, when he finally ran into Homelander, he still wasn't a match. One blast of heat vision cut him clean in half, and another finished the job by blowing his head apart.
Not even his insane regeneration could save him. Time reset.
Everything went back to the start. Tony's squad found Butcher again, though he still seemed to be riding the aggression high from last time.
Tony smirked. "So… how'd it feel getting chopped in two and having your head blown off?"
"Fantastic. Don't miss your chance to try it sometime," Butcher deadpanned, rolling his eyes before rubbing his temples. "Alright, truth is, that Compound V hit was bloody awful. Felt like my whole body was on fire, burning my brain till I couldn't think straight."
Annie sighed. "So even juiced up on Compound V, you still can't beat Homelander?"
Because without a clear, rational mind—even the strongest powers wouldn't win against him.
Butcher gripped the steering wheel. "No. We keep trying. Maybe this time my powers'll be even stronger."
Just like before, they tracked down Annie and Hughie, ran the same spiel to get their help, and broke into Vought Tower to grab Compound V.
With all the failures behind them, the job went smoothly. This time, Butcher didn't inject himself immediately. He tried to make it out first.
But Black Noir stayed hot on his tail, and to make matters worse, Butcher tripped an alarm.
With armed teams closing in from all sides, he had no choice but to inject. To his surprise, he awakened the same healing factor as before—but now it was stronger.
His skin had hardened; normal bullets left only faint white marks. His strength had also skyrocketed—he could hoist a grown man overhead and smash him into a wall hard enough to kill instantly.
Even better, his mind stayed far clearer than last time.
He avoided getting bogged down fighting Noir or the Seven's reinforcements and pushed straight for an escape.
Of course, Homelander gave chase. Butcher, fully lucid, was ready for him this time. He swerved hard to avoid the deadly heat vision from above, bailed from the car, then hefted a nearby SUV over his head and hurled it straight at the airborne Homelander.
The car didn't kill him, but it did send him flying—proof that Butcher's strength was now monstrous.
Infuriated, Homelander fired heat vision from a distance. Butcher took two direct hits and was shocked to find he could actually tank them.
Grinning viciously, he charged in. The two clashed hand-to-hand, ripping through houses like they were made of toy blocks.
The screams of fleeing civilians and the distant wail of sirens filled the air, though no police dared to get close.
Naturally, Tony's crew strolled right into the war zone to watch.
Seeing Butcher withstand Homelander's blows and even land a few counters, Tony's eyes lit up.
"Think he's got a shot at killing him this time?"
"Probably not… but something's off," Maeve muttered. "Feels like he's… holding back."
As the one who knew Homelander best, she could tell he wasn't fighting at full strength—down a good twenty or thirty percent compared to the real deal she knew.
That reminded her of the last loop, when Butcher fought the Maeve of this world and beat her in just a few moves. Back then, ghost-state Maeve thought her counterpart had gone easy on him.
Now, she wasn't so sure. Maybe it wasn't mercy—maybe this world itself was nerfed.
Still, even with the boost, Butcher lost. Homelander simply took him into the upper atmosphere, and regeneration couldn't save him from the freezing cold. Soon, Butcher was an icicle. Time reset.
When they regrouped, Maeve voiced her theory.
"I'm starting to believe Tony—this world might really be a game. The me here, and this Homelander, are definitely weaker than the real ones."
Annie teased, "Is that your way of bragging?"
Maeve shrugged. "Just stating facts."
Butcher shook his head. "If it's a game, I've already found the way to win—keep injecting Compound V. The powers stack! If once isn't enough, do it again. Eventually, I'll kill Homelander."
Tony shrugged. "When this is over, you should get a full medical scan."
Butcher clenched his fist, eyes glinting. Even without a shot of V, he felt like he already had powers. Maybe after enough loops, he'd become superhuman without the serum.
For now, he didn't overthink it. Seeing a real chance to beat Homelander, he charged through the familiar routine—sneak into Vought Tower, secure the Compound V, and inject.
Sure enough, this time the power-up was even bigger. His eyes began to itch, and a faint, searing glow flickered within.
Tony whistled. "Well, well—heat vision?"
Annie's eyes went wide. "And he can fly!"
Butcher didn't just have heat vision—he smashed through the glass and rocketed skyward. Black Noir could only stand by the window, watching him vanish into the clouds.
With flight and heat vision added to his arsenal, Butcher had narrowed the gap with Homelander. He was still weaker overall, but at least he wouldn't get toyed to death by Homelander's flight advantage like before.
_____
T/N:
For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You'll unlock 40+ advance chapters and help support ongoing works.
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.
Your support is sincerely appreciated