Hey everyone! The author here.
First and foremost, thank you all so much for hitting 260k views! To all my loyal readers, your continuous support, comments, and reviews mean the absolute world to me and have truly made this fanfic so much better.
Second, I want to address something important. Many of you have probably noticed a drop in quality since Chapter 40: Violent Change of Plans. I actually chose that name because my backlog of pre-written chapters completely dried up, and I've been winging it ever since.
While I know exactly where the story is going and have major plot targets in mind, writing the connecting pieces on the fly has been a real challenge. I want to apologize in advance if the quality fluctuates or drops suddenly while I navigate this. I'm working hard to get the pacing right, and I incredibly appreciate your patience and understanding!
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"I just had a meeting with the Colonel," Butcher started, looking around at the downcast faces of the most wanted people in the United States of America.
Frenchie looked at M.M., who just shook his head, before looking back at Butcher. "Colonel Mallory? You saw her?"
"That's right, Frenchie. She's going to help us," Butcher said, leaning against the rusty table. "We get her the supe terrorists, and she'll get the CIA to scrub our records completely clean." He looked directly at M.M., whose face was still filled with doubt. "Get the old bill off our arses and get you back to your family."
"Supe terrorists? More than one?" Hughie asked as he noticed the choice of words.
"Yes. If we give her the runt and the supe terrorist who lifted that bloody ship, we walk free," Butcher said happily, as if they were just talking about catching stray cats.
M.M. and the others looked terrified by the words coming out of Butcher's mouth.
"You mean Aldrich?" M.M. asked, stepping forward. "Do I have to remind your ass that the only reason you're still alive..." M.M. got right up in Butcher's face, pointing a thick finger directly at his chest, "...is because of me? If I didn't ask him not to kill you on that day, after the absolute shit you pulled, you'd be long dead! And now you want us to go looking for him again? After you kicked him out last time? Is that what your crazy ass is telling me, Butcher?"
"Look, I know I fucked up, but the kid pissed me off, going all philosophical and stuff. Plus, he exposed our identities! If he doesn't want to follow orders, then what the fuck were we keeping him around for?" Butcher retorted as he tried to shift the blame, desperate to get his team back so he could save Becca.
"The reason our identities were leaked is because of Mesmer," Frenchie added from the side, as he lit a cigarette.
"The point is," Butcher snapped, turning back to M.M., "that even if it's not about catching the runt, think about what he's doing without us. He just killed hundreds of people again down in fucking Florida! Do you want that on your conscience? If he listens to you so much, why not just bring him here? Bring him in so he stops fucking killing people left and right!"
"WTF!" Hughie yelped from the side, his hands flying up in a panic. "You just said he killed hundreds of people again, and you want to bring him into this cramped shithole with us?! To snap and fucking kill us?! He fucking almost killed Homelander!"
M.M. sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as the exhaustion and stress caught up to him. "He's a good kid. He's just misguided."
"Misguided my fucking ass, M.M.!" Hughie shrieked. "Have you never seen a movie?! Don't you know how this shit always ends with the 'misguided, powerful teen'?! They kill everyone! And in the end, right after he brutally murders the very last one of us, then he realizes the error of his ways?! Then he becomes good?! After killing every single one of us?!"
"If you love him that much, why don't you fucking adopt him then, eh?" Butcher asked M.M. mockingly, stepping back with a nasty grin. "In case you haven't seen the news, Homelander just got a kid of his own, popped right out of thin air, that one. Full of all his daddy's powers. And you and I both know how fucked up in the head the runt is, but he's got balls of steel. I bet soon we'll see him attack the big cunt and die. So, unless you want to see your little pet get turned into a bloody paste, I suggest we go and fetch him."
Erasmus stood in the elevator alone, finally escaping his father and that new woman, Stormfront, who just wouldn't stop pestering him. Hs father had already been dragged away by Edgar.
He was currently trapped in Stan Edgar's office, forced to explain why, despite being a mere fifty kilometers away from the massacre site, he had tucked tail and flown all the way back to Vought Tower just to wait for "corporate permission" and a "green-lit PR strategy".
Oh, how he missed his peace and quiet. Now, he could finally go back to his room, sit with his puppies, learn more about his powers and this backward world, all while eating a box of pizza. It was a beautiful, simple list of things he wished to do.
When the metal doors slid open, Erasmus was surprised to find The Deep standing there. The Deep looked just as startled to see him.
"Well, hello, Kevin," Erasmus started smoothly.
The Deep blinked, entirely caught off guard. He wasn't expecting the terrifying new Homelander son to be this respectful. "Vanguard, sir. Hi."
"Just Vanguard is fine," Erasmus replied, stepping out into the hallway. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you."
"You did?" The Deep's voice went up.
"Yeah. I wanted to apologize about the other day."
"Apologize?" The Deep stammered, raising his hands defensively. "Why do you want to apologize? There is absolutely no need, man. Seriously, we're good!"
"Oh, you see, I wanted to make my dad proud," Erasmus explained. "And I noticed he really likes it when I look down on people, just like he does. So, I didn't shake your hand. I just wanted to say I'm so sorry. It has been eating me alive ever since."
The Deep's brain was completely fried. He didn't expect this. He didn't expect any of this. Where the hell was this coming from? Where was the terrifying, cold-blooded Vanguard everyone in Vought Tower was whispering about?
He was just a kid. A literal kid trying to impress his dad.
A tiny, stupid spark of ambition flared to life in Deep's chest. Okay, Kevin. This is it. This is your shot. The moment you have been dreaming about. Don't ruin it. If he could play big brother to Homelander's favorite son, he wouldn't just be the joke of the Seven anymore. He'd be untouchable. He'd be a corporate kingmaker.
"Hey, look, man," Deep said, lowering his voice into what he thought was a smooth, comforting tone. He reached out and gently patted Erasmus on the shoulder, immediately sweating through his palms. "I get it. Family is... it's a lot, right? Especially when your dad is THE GUY. But hey, between you and me? You don't have to carry that weight alone. If you ever need someone to show you the ropes, or talk about power stuff, or... I don't know, just grab a slice of pizza and vent? I'm your guy. Let's look out for each other."
Erasmus smiled, his expression wide and innocent. "Actually, I had a question. Can you really talk to fish?"
Kevin instantly deflated, his newly found confidence evaporating into thin air. This is it, his brain screamed in despair. The thing that ruined my life. The joke. The fish guy. Every nightmare he ever had about being mocked by the Seven flashed before his eyes.
"That's so cool," Erasmus said, his eyes lighting up with genuine wonder.
"What?"
"But I thought fish were stupid," Erasmus continued, tilting his head with intense curiosity. "So how do they talk to you? Is it like a single word, or do you just hear what they intend to say?"
"Oh. Wow. You're... you're actually serious," The Deep said, a massive wave of relief hitting him. He stood up a little straighter, his chest swelling with pride. The fish guy was finally getting his moment.
"Okay, see, that is a fantastic question. Seriously," Kevin said, his hands gesturing excitedly. "It's actually a mix of both. Like, smaller fish, they usually just scream basic stuff like 'Food! Outta the way! Oh god, it's a shark!' over and over again. It's kind of exhausting, honestly. Like a stadium full of toddlers yelling."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping into a dramatic whisper.
"But the bigger stuff? Dolphins, whales, octopuses... man, they speak perfect English to me. They have real thoughts, feelings, everything. I have this buddy right now, an octopus named Timothy. Deep thinker, loves his family, plays the drums on coral reefs. He tells me all about the ocean mysteries."
"That's fucking amazing," Erasmus said.
"I know, right?!" The Deep beamed, his heart practically bursting with a level of validation he hadn't felt since he first put on his suit.
"Anyway, I got to go. I'm really tired from my horrible date," Erasmus said, already turning to walk away toward his room. But before he took more than three steps, he stopped and looked back at Kevin. "If you need anything from me, let me know. When my father isn't around. Got it?"
"Yeah. Yeah, totally, bro. Under the radar. Got it. Mum's the word," Kevin answerd as he offered a thumbs-up. "Just... two dudes talking about fish. No scary dad needed. We are locker-room solid, man."
Erasmus turned around and walked away toward his room. The moment the heavy door clicked shut behind the kid, Kevin couldn't hold it in anymore. He pumped both fists into the air "Fuck yeah! Let's go!" Kevin roared under his breath, practically jumping with excitement. "Lord of the Seven Seas is back, baby! Eat my absolute shit, Ashley!"