Hughie suddenly seemed to realize something. His face filled with concern as he said,
"Wait—if all of this dirt gets exposed... if the entire world sees it… what if Homelander snaps? What if he really loses it completely?"
His words made both Billy Butcher and Annie freeze, and their expressions quickly turned grim.
Annie furrowed her brow.
"I used to think I really understood Homelander, Maeve, and the rest of the Seven. But now I realize… all I ever saw was the polished image they wanted the world to see. Homelander's temper is awful. Honestly, I don't think he's mentally stable. But… completely insane? I'm not sure."
Billy shook his head.
"Nothing that man does would surprise me. I've said it before—he's a bloody maniac through and through. But there is one thing he cares about: his reputation. His perfect image. Strip that away, and yeah… I could see him going nuclear."
Stephen Strange raised an eyebrow.
"I don't get it. Doesn't Vought have any kind of failsafe or control over him?"
Deadpool chuckled.
"You mean the older pregnant lady? She's basically his emotional leash."
Then he turned serious.
"But if he does go off the rails… it'll be a disaster. Maybe not the end of the world, but definitely a worldwide catastrophe."
The group fell silent, each of them realizing just how serious this situation really was.
Homelander's power was terrifying. A body tougher than steel, strength and laser vision that could rival high-level weapons, super-hearing and super-vision that made him a living spy satellite, and flight that gave him unmatched mobility.
Put all that together, and it wasn't hard to see why people treated him like a god on Earth.
If a being like that lost control, the consequences would be catastrophic for the entire world.
Thor stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"I think someone will see this coming… and maybe they'll step in from another world to help you fight him."
Billy narrowed his eyes.
"Crossing into other universes? You talking about your god buddies? I doubt they're that capable."
Thor shrugged and glanced at Deadpool before answering.
"No, not them. I mean the Multiverse Defenders—a group of heroes from across the multiverse. Their mission is to protect the safety and stability of all worlds. They offer support to those in danger. If your world's in serious trouble, they'll step in."
Deadpool threw up a pose.
"Whoa, that sounds badass! Think I could join? Thor, buddy, I've always wanted to be part of a great team. If that's what the Multiverse Defenders is… then sign me up! Please?"
With his usual goofy grin, Deadpool's plea didn't sound very sincere.
Thor rolled his eyes. Honestly, he wasn't keen on letting this motor-mouthed menace join anything. But even he only had one vote—he couldn't speak for the whole group.
He replied,
"Let's see what your video looks like first. But during the trial period, keep your mouth shut. Starting now."
Deadpool zipped his lips with an imaginary zipper. The others gave him exasperated looks—he'd done this before, and it never lasted more than a few seconds.
Annie was intrigued by the Multiverse Defenders.
"Thor, is it organized like Vought?"
"Not at all," Thor said, smiling.
"If you're interested, once this game is over, you should come see for yourself. I'm sure someone will invite you."
His tone was noticeably warmer toward Annie—mainly because, unlike A-Train or Homelander, she'd already proven through the videos that she wasn't one of the corrupt ones.
Billy, however, remained skeptical.
He was about to ask more when the glowing screen flashed, revealing a new question:
[Will Billy Butcher and Hughie Campbell's team uncover the secret of Compound V?]
[A: Yes
B: No]
"The answer's A!" Billy said confidently.
"It's obvious—Compound V is the key to taking down Vought and these superpowered freaks. If we find it, we can hit them where it hurts."
Hughie wasn't so sure.
"But from the video just now… I mean, the future us doesn't look like we're doing well. Translucent's dead, and Vought and Homelander will definitely be coming after us. Can we really pull it off?"
Billy glanced at him and answered without hesitation.
"Of course we can. Hughie, a lot of things seem impossible—until you try. Sometimes the only thing we're missing is courage. But once you take that first step, you realize it's not as hard as you thought."
"I don't like you," Annie said bluntly.
"But I do hope you find out the truth."
She raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.
"Compound V must be a huge secret… And honestly, even if we get this answer wrong, once the correct footage comes out, it'll still help us."
Thor nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. That's what makes this Quiz game valuable—it exposes the truth behind every dirty secret. And hey, if we win the game too, we might get some nice bonuses out of it."
As they talked, the countdown for the question began. It was a simple two-choice question, so it didn't seem too difficult.
Billy, full of confidence, slammed the buzzer—but unfortunately, he didn't win the answer slot.
Stephen Strange did, and he chose A.
Everyone else followed his lead and selected the same. The countdown ended, the correct answer was revealed, and they had all gotten it right.
Stephen, having buzzed in first, earned 4 points. The others each received 1.
Even though he'd missed out on the extra points, Billy was in good spirits. He kept his eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the next video to play.
The Quiz didn't make them wait long. The footage began almost immediately.
This scene picked up right after Hughie Campbell had pressed the detonator, killing Translucent from the inside.
Translucent was blown to pieces.
Hughie was left standing there, drenched in blood and looking completely wrecked. But more than the physical mess, it was the psychological impact that hit the hardest—this was his first time killing someone.
Billy and Frenchie returned and helped clean up the scene. Noticing Hughie's shaken state, Billy suggested he take a break and get some rest.
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T/N:
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