Near The Seven Tower, Billy Butcher stood on the roadside, pacing slowly.
His beard was unkempt, his black coat worn from years of use, and his expression carried a weight that never seemed to lift.
News on the internet came and went quickly, but he had already secured what he needed. Using specialized software, he saved multiple clips involving The Seven.
He had watched A-Train get crushed into a mess.
He had also seen Homelander nearly torn apart, his limbs twisted in ways that should have killed him.
Even though the one responsible was still a Supe, the sight filled Billy with a grim sense of satisfaction.
To him, this meant one thing.
The Supes were close to turning on each other.
He did not believe Axel was some random outsider. In Billy's mind, Axel belonged to another group, a rival force backed by a different company. If that was true, then a conflict between Axel's side and Vought would be inevitable.
And in that chaos, Billy could move.
He could strike when no one was watching.
Maybe even kill a few Supes himself.
The thought alone made his fingers twitch.
For eight years, ever since his wife disappeared after encountering Homelander, he had lived with nothing but hatred for Supes.
Eight years of it.
But just as he began to believe everything was about to collapse, things went quiet.
The Tower returned to normal.
The videos he had saved were erased one by one, wiped clean by Vought's reach. Not long after, the company released a teaser, introducing a new figure to the public, Axel.
To most people, it looked like marketing.
To Billy, it was obvious.
Axel was not an enemy of Vought anymore. He had been absorbed.
The man who nearly killed Homelander was now part of The Seven.
It made no sense, and it infuriated him.
Billy stayed near the Tower longer than he should have, unwilling to let go of the opportunity he thought he had.
And then, something changed.
He missed A-Train, the speedster had left too quickly to track, but Translucent made a rare mistake.
He walked out in the open.
No invisibility. No caution.
Distracted.
Billy followed.
Normally, that would have been impossible. Translucent was careful, almost paranoid. But tonight, his attention was elsewhere.
Billy stayed on him the entire time.
Until he reached a small house.
A-Train's house.
Billy watched from a distance as A-Train stepped outside with Translucent. Moments later, Claw Woman came out, clearly uneasy.
She kissed A-Train before he left.
Billy took note of everything.
A hidden residence. A weak point.
That was enough.
He returned to his car and settled in, deciding to wait. If nothing else, Claw Woman would serve as leverage.
He was not stopping.
Not until he found his wife.
Not until he got his revenge.
Inside The Seven Tower, Axel sat with his feet on the table, watching the scene in front of him with interest.
Queen Maeve was beside Starlight, speaking quietly to her.
Starlight looked shaken, her voice low as she spoke.
"I'm sorry… I messed up. I shouldn't have given in."
She hesitated, her hands trembling slightly.
"I thought… I thought you were testing me. I should have trusted that heroes wouldn't do something like that."
As she spoke, she peeked through her fingers toward Axel.
He noticed.
A faint scoff left his lips as he clapped once.
"Good. At least you learned something."
His tone sharpened.
"But don't get comfortable. There's more coming, and it will be worse. You either learn to face it, or you get crushed by it."
His hand slammed against the table.
"And the rest of you…"
The door opened.
A-Train walked in.
The moment he heard Axel's voice, his legs gave out and he dropped straight to his knees.
The impact echoed across the room.
Starlight froze.
"Is… is this another lesson?" she asked carefully.
Axel shot her an annoyed look, then turned to A-Train.
"If you can't control your legs, I'll remove them myself. Get up."
A-Train shot to his feet instantly.
Starlight followed, equally tense.
Axel rubbed his forehead, clearly irritated.
"Sit down. Both of you. Stop reacting like that."
They obeyed without hesitation.
Axel glanced toward Homelander.
"Look at him…"
Homelander immediately stood up.
"I'm here. What do you need?"
Axel snapped his head toward him.
"Sit down."
Homelander sat immediately.
Axel exhaled slowly, then continued.
"I was about to say something good for once."
Homelander straightened again.
"I'm ready."
"Stay quiet."
"Yes, sir."
Finally satisfied, Axel nodded slightly.
"That's better. That's how a hero should act under pressure."
His voice turned mocking.
"I'm supposed to be the villain here, yet I'm the one teaching you how to behave."
Starlight suddenly laughed.
The sound slipped out before she could stop it.
Axel looked at her.
She quickly tried to recover.
"I'm sorry. It's just… you don't seem like a villain."
She hesitated, then gathered her courage.
"You actually care."
There was a brief pause.
Then she extended her phone toward him.
"Can I get your contact?"
Her voice softened.
"If I run into something I don't understand… can I ask you?"
She stepped closer, her expression slightly flushed.
Axel paused for a moment, genuinely caught off guard.
Then he took the phone and added himself.
He handed it back and gave a small nod.
"If it's not a waste of time, sure."
He leaned back slightly.
"That applies to all of you."
His tone hardened again.
"Do your job properly, and I'll back you up."
He placed his phone on the table.
"Add yourselves. Or don't. Either way, if you need me, call my name."
A faint smirk appeared.
"I'll show up."
The room stayed silent.
Then Homelander moved first, stepping forward quickly.
Before he could reach the phone, The Deep pushed past him.
Homelander stumbled, his expression twisting in anger.
But the moment he looked at Axel, that anger disappeared.
Axel's gaze was sharper than anything he could respond to.
Homelander swallowed and pointed.
"He cut in."
Axel nodded.
"Good."
He kicked The Deep aside without hesitation.
"Wait your turn."
Homelander stepped forward again, this time without interruption, and picked up the phone.
For a brief moment, something strange crossed his face.
Relief.
A sense of order.
Something he had never really felt before.
He did not question it.
He simply added his contact and stepped back, standing straighter than before.