"It really feels good to mess with Deep," Ethan said with a satisfied smile as he sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the city.
Honestly, out of everyone in The Boys, The Deep might have been the most pathetic. That was saying something.
Homelander was a narcissistic man-child with enough issues to fill several psychology textbooks, but at least Homelander had the power to back up his ego.
The Deep somehow managed to be worse. He spent most of his life desperately trying to gain approval from people who barely respected him and clung to stronger personalities the moment they showed him attention.
The guy practically built his identity around whoever happened to be standing above him in the pecking order. And somehow it only became more pathetic as the series went on.
He still remembered how it ended for him.
The Deep survived countless disasters, betrayals, and superhuman conflicts only to die at the hands of an octopus. The universe itself seemed determined to humiliate him.
Not that he planned on killing him. There was no point. The Deep was perfectly capable of making his own life miserable.
He merely intended to help the process along every now and then. A little psychological warfare here, a little embarrassment there, and the fish guy would probably do the rest himself.
The city stretched out before him as he leaned back and looked toward the skyline.
This world really was entertaining. Almost everyone here was varying degrees of insane. Vought was filled with narcissists, murderers, manipulators, and people willing to sell their souls for fame.
The superheroes were often worse than the criminals they claimed to fight, while the people hunting them weren't exactly stable either.
At the top of the list sat two men.
Homelander.
Billy Butcher.
Different people. Different methods. Yet somehow both were walking disasters.
One grew up in a laboratory without love, family, or anything resembling a normal childhood. The other spent years feeding every ounce of pain, anger, and hatred he possessed until it became the center of his identity.
Neither was remotely healthy.
Ethan rested his chin on his hand. "You know," he muttered, "this show really does make a strong argument for good parenting."
The thought made him laugh. Then he looked out over the city, a grin spreading across his face as he thought about all the chaos waiting for him.
"Hahahahaha... this is going to be fun. I'm going to love messing with this world."
Then Ethan disappeared and reappeared in front of the cage holding Translucent.
The place smelled disgusting.
Translucent noticed him immediately. In a world full of supes, someone appearing out of thin air wasn't exactly shocking. But he didn't recognize the face, and that seemed to bother him more than he wanted to show.
"Who the fuck are you supposed to be?"
Even caged, the attitude was fully intact. Being locked up by Butcher's group clearly hadn't done much for his humility.
"Did that French bitch send you?" Translucent sneered. "Couldn't handle it himself, so now he's outsourcing?"
Ethan touched his chin.
"You have a really big mouth." He tilted his head slightly. "Is that because you have thick skin?"
"Yeah." Translucent leaned back. "Suck my dick."
"But you don't have one."
Silence.
Then a scream tore out of his throat.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
He stumbled backward, clutching himself, staring downward like the floor had given out beneath him.
"What the fuck — WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"
Ethan hadn't moved. Hadn't touched the cage. His expression was the same as it had been thirty seconds ago.
"You know," he said, "for a member of the Seven, you're really not very observant."
Translucent's breathing came in sharp ragged bursts. The arrogance was gone. Something closer to panic had taken its place.
"You bastard! I'll kill you! I'll fucking—"
The cage lit up.
"AAAAAAARGHHHH!"
Electricity surged through the metal and Translucent's invisible body slammed into the bars before hitting the floor hard.
"See?" Ethan said. "Every time."
Translucent dragged himself upright, and the moment his eyes found Ethan again the rage came flooding back.
"You think this is funny?!"
"A little."
"You absolute psychopath—"
The cage sparked again.
"WAIT — NO —"
"AAAAAAARGHHHH!"
The room filled with screaming and cursing and threats that went nowhere. Ethan watched it all with the same mild expression, hands loose at his sides, completely unbothered.
Eventually Translucent caught his breath. He looked up, and somewhere beneath the panic, a smug smile pulled at his mouth.
"Doesn't matter." He breathed hard through his nose. "You can't kill me."
The amusement left Ethan's face.
It was simply gone, replaced by something quieter and considerably worse.
"What did you just say?"
Translucent felt it before he could process it — the specific stillness of something that had stopped deciding whether you were worth its time.
Ethan's voice stayed flat.
"The only reason you're still breathing is because this is entertaining. The moment it stops being entertaining, so do you. So choose your next few words carefully."
The smug smile didn't come back.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
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