"Well, looky here! The bloomin' prodigal son's finally found his way home!" Butcher announced as he brought Aldrich and MM inside the hideout.
Aldrich looked around. The air in the room was different now. The high-intensity pity he used to drink from these people had evaporated. Hughie was there, looking at him with a look that was more uncomfortable than helpful. Frenchie was there too, and a woman he had never met before.
None of them felt any pity, love, or devotion. To them, the "Runt" was gone. Something else had come back from the sea.
"What you did, kid... to Vought and Homelander... it was fucking diabolical," Butcher said, clapping a heavy hand on Aldrich's shoulder. "Vought are in the dirt. Now we just need to finish the cunts off."
"We?" Aldrich asked, turning to face Butcher and brushing the hand off his shoulder, looking disgusted.
"First of all, last time you sent me to stall Homelander. You didn't expect a return; you expected me to die like a dog."
"And?" Butcher shrugged. "How did that turn out for ya? You're healed, you're looking better, and you humiliated that cunt."
"That was the fruit of my hunt," Aldrich said. "You don't get to claim it as yours."
"Did Homelander's blood really heal you?" Frenchie asked, leaning in, but Aldrich didn't even look at the jittery, annoying being.
"And second, who is 'we'? I don't have any problem with Vought. They have one with me. And as I see it, I'm a Supe. You need me, not the other way around. So why exactly do I have to stay here and listen to you Matter of fact, if I decided to kill you right now for sending me to die, how do you intend to stop me? You can't be stupid enough to think I'd just be led back here like a dog and do as you say, no questions asked."
"Would you look at that? The little runt has learned how to talk. To be honest, I liked you better when you were mute," Butcher said, not even flinching. "To answer your question. Hughie here.."
"Fuck Hughie. You think I care about him? You think I won't rip him in half right now?"
"Yes, I think you're bluffing," Butcher stepped closer, his eyes like flint. "And besides, if your little adventure made you so rebellious and independent, why'd you come back? If you're so far above us, what is it you're after, eh? What do you want?"
Aldrich went quiet. This was exactly what he was playing for. Why hunt the Supes yourself when others can do it for you?
He was torn: did he want to track this one down himself, enjoy the hunt and risk failing in the attempt, or was it better to sit back and send these new hunting dogs of his to do the work instead?
But how do you hunt someone who can read your mind and erase your memories?
As humans say, there is no honor among thieves.
Aldrich looked at Butcher and finally said one name: "Rufus McCurdy."
"Who?" Butcher, Hughie, MM, and Frenchie all asked at the same time.
"Bring me this man's corpse. Intact," Aldrich said, his blue eyes cold and serious. "Do that, and I will do what you want. I swear it. I'll be the dog you want me to be."
"And who exactly is this prick?" Butcher asked, his eyes narrowing. "If you're so high-and-mighty now, why don't you go and do him yourself?"
"I've tried. Multiple times," Aldrich said, his voice flat but heavy. "And I failed. The last time I tried. When I finally woke up, I was in the middle of Hartford... killing everyone in sight. I didn't even know who I was or who i even got there."
The room went dead quiet. The idea of the thing that dragged Homelander into the Atlantic failing was a heavy thought, but the idea of it being piloted like a meat-puppet was worse.
"Is he stronger than Homelander?" MM asked
"No," Aldrich said, his blue eyes locked onto Butcher's. "But he can control minds and erase memories. He ruined my life and my family's life. If you bring him to me, I will do anything you ask for. I'll be the dog you want. No questions asked."
"So you're saying when you killed all those people... you were being mind-controlled?" Hughie finally asked. Aldrich could feel it, a small, familiar drip of pity finally leaking out of the man. It was faint, but it was there.
Aldrich went quiet, his eyes dropping to the floor, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "I didn't mean to kill them," he said, his voice sounding small and fragile for the first time since he'd returned. "I'm not a bad person. I swear I'm not."
It was a total lie. Rufus McCurdy didn't even know I existed, and I'd never seen the man in person. But Rufus had a gift I wanted. He was simply unlucky that my eyes had landed on his name while I was at Sarah's house.
That's all it was. Bad luck.