This time, Billy Butcher didn't wait for Homelander to come find him — he took the initiative and went looking for him instead.
It didn't take long before the two met in midair, and without a word, both instinctively opened with heat vision.
It was obvious right away — Billy Butcher's heat vision was still weaker than Homelander's. His beam clashed but began to falter under the pressure, and his flight speed was also no match for the other man.
The fight raged on regardless, taking them from the city to the suburbs, from the skies to the sea. This time, Billy Butcher lasted longer than ever before… but in the end, he still died at Homelander's hands.
Time reset — and the cycle repeated once again…
If not for Tony Stark and the other three sticking with him, Billy Butcher might have lost himself in these endless loops.
He was well aware of the danger. While each reset restored his body to perfect condition, the mental strain didn't simply vanish — it stacked, memory upon memory, wearing him down.
Especially the deaths. Each time, the emptiness and coldness in the final moment carved deeper into his mind. Every death etched the mark further.
Billy Butcher had begun to understand: infinite chances weren't necessarily a blessing. Too many loops, and he would either lose himself completely… or break apart mentally.
---
After yet another failure and death, Butcher drove out to rendezvous with Tony's team. Even Tony's group — who were only present in a ghost-like spectator state — were starting to feel something was wrong.
"This is the twentieth loop since we started…" Annie's expression was a little dazed. "I don't know why, but my memories feel… jumbled."
"We've felt it too." Tony exchanged a glance with Dr. Banner before saying gravely, "The danger here isn't obvious — it's hidden in the repetition. I suspect that if the loops keep piling up, the consequences could be very serious."
He turned to Billy Butcher. "Billy, we'll stay with you for five more resets at most. After that, we're leaving. Don't worry — if you still haven't completed the mission, we'll send others to accompany you."
Tony knew that even they, as outsiders, were already fraying at the edges after so many loops. For Billy Butcher, the one living through it firsthand, it was far worse.
Unfortunately, in this strange mission, no one else could directly help. The most they could offer was company.
Billy nodded. "I won't need five. This time, I'm killing him."
"I hope so. Because if this goes on much longer, you won't last."
They repeated the same preparation as before. After injecting Compound V, Billy didn't even spare a glance for Black Noir or the other Seven members chasing after him. He smashed through a glass window and shot off into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, he collided head-on with Homelander.
Billy bared his teeth in a vicious grin. "I've memorized all your moves, Homelander. Today, you're dead."
Homelander, as always in this world, stayed silent — which was completely unlike the real Homelander's personality, another sign that this world wasn't truly real.
But Billy didn't care. With Compound V's effects stacking, he finally had the strength to meet Homelander blow for blow.
The two clashed in a storm of violence — soaring into the skies, plunging into the ocean, and crashing through the bustling cityscape. They fought from day until night, the twelve-hour time limit drawing near.
Billy grew calmer as the clock wound down. In previous attempts, he had reached this point, only to blow it by rushing. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again.
Homelander, on the other hand, was becoming more aggressive, more desperate. That opening was all Billy needed. He clamped a hand around Homelander's throat, dove from the skies, and slammed straight through Vought Tower.
With a deafening crash, floor after floor gave way.
At last, the dust settled.
A crooked figure staggered out of the smoke — Billy Butcher. Half his body was twisted unnaturally, arms and legs clearly broken. Even with his powerful healing, the injuries weren't recovering.
"Finally… I win."
The rush of vengeance was quickly swallowed by exhaustion. Billy collapsed to the floor and closed his eyes.
He didn't know how long had passed when he opened them again. For a moment, his pupils reflected flashes of the fight with Homelander. He stared blankly, then muttered, "Did time reset again?"
"No. You cleared it."
Tony and the others pushed the door open, smiling. "Good news and bad news — which do you want first?"
Billy sat up, feeling around his body before raising an eyebrow. "Bad news first."
"Bad news is, you'll be stuck in bed for a while. Your body's not in great shape."
Tony shrugged. "Good news is, you're basically a bootleg Wolverine now — and you saved a dose of Compound V."
Billy wasn't surprised. He had already sensed that something was off about his body; turns out, he really had awakened a superpower.
"What happened after I passed out? And that world — what became of it?" Billy pressed.
Tony glanced at Maeve. "She'll tell you. I need some rest — this mission was exhausting."
Banner sighed. "You can rest. I still have to find Thor. Hopefully he's not as much trouble as you were."
The two men and Annie left, leaving Maeve to explain what happened.
After Billy Butcher collapsed, that world shattered like a broken mirror. Then, they were all sent back to the real The Boys universe.
Tony had guessed right — the mission world wasn't a parallel universe at all. It was more like a virtual game world, created solely for Billy Butcher to fight Homelander.
Once the mission was complete, the game world had no reason to exist.
Billy's physical body was restored with no visible injuries. But when the Ancient One examined him, she discovered his mind had been damaged. His consciousness needed time to heal.
___
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