Billy Butcher had a file on him containing years of evidence he had collected, crimes committed by supes and the cover-ups orchestrated by Vought. It was intended for Hughie, to help him see the darkness hiding under the sunlight, and to persuade him to rise up and fight back against Vought and the so-called superheroes.
As Starlight flipped through the file, the horrifying contents gradually shifted her expression from confusion to anger.
"Fenris was right. I was too naive. These so-called heroes really are nothing more than scum wrapped in righteous appearances."
She looked at Fenris.
"I… I don't want to join The Seven anymore."
"Up to you."
Fenris's indifferent response caught her off guard. After all, they had a deal. Yet he was giving up so easily?
Strangely, that made her feel a bit unsettled, as if she were the one being abandoned.
Fenris didn't care because the deal was only part of his plan. What he truly wanted was for Starlight to grow up through experiencing the dark side of reality. She needed to shed her naivety to become someone who could truly serve him in the future.
His gaze swept over the unconscious Hughie and Billy, eventually settling on Billy.
This man was perhaps the most unlucky soul in the entire world of The Boys, cuckolded by Homelander and forced to raise the child of the man he hated most.
You hate Homelander, don't you?
You hate supes, don't you?
Then how do you defeat them without becoming one of them?
Fenris pulled out a vial of super soldier serum from his system and injected it directly into Billy's neck.
"Ugh… uh…"
Even in unconsciousness, Billy groaned in pain. His body trembled violently and began convulsing.
"What… what did you just do to him?" Starlight asked softly.
Fenris remained silent, still watching Billy.
If the serum worked, it would mean the super soldier serum extracted from another super soldier could be used again with a 100% success rate. That would make it much easier for him to create his own army of super soldiers.
And a powered-up Billy could also help hold back The Seven and Vought, maximizing Fenris's benefits.
After all, he wasn't planning to stay in this world forever. But the value to be extracted here wasn't nearly exhausted yet.
As time passed, Hughie began to stir.
"I'm not dead?"
Relieved, he looked around and quickly spotted Billy lying nearby, but something was clearly wrong.
Billy looked like he was in pain, but at the same time, his body seemed to be growing stronger. His clothes, once well-fitted, were now stretched tight over defined muscles and a noticeably bulkier frame.
"What did you do to him?"
Fenris ignored the question. Starlight said nothing either. The only response was Billy's heavy, ragged breathing.
He was awake.
The super soldier serum had worked.
"You okay?" Hughie asked, trying to help Billy up. He frowned.
He was heavy, way heavier than before.
"Ugh…"
Billy exhaled hard, feeling the changes in his body.
The raw, overwhelming strength now coursing through his limbs felt both familiar and foreign. The explosion of muscle and slightly elevated field of vision sparked a terrifying thought in his mind.
"You… you turned me into a Supe?" Billy glared at Fenris, horrified.
Fenris grinned.
"Congratulations. You're now officially a supe."
"No way!"
"This isn't possible!"
"Supes are born, not made. You can't just turn someone into one!"
Hughie was more shaken than Billy.
The mainstream belief was that supes were born with their powers, except for Homelander, who was thought to be an alien raised by humans.
"When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how unbelievable, must be the truth."
"I don't believe it!" Billy clenched his teeth, fists shaking with rage as he lunged at Fenris.
Crackling!
Starlight immediately unleashed a burst of lightning.
But unlike before, where her attack had knocked Billy out, this time it only made him pause briefly.
His eyes burned with defiance. His features twisted with rage. His bulging muscles coiled with tension. Billy pressed forward, closing the distance between himself and Fenris, step by step, even under the lightning storm.
Starlight's eyes widened in disbelief. She kept amping up her power until her energy was drained and the light fizzled out. Yet she still hadn't managed to stop Billy.
It wasn't that the newly enhanced Billy was stronger than Starlight. The real issue was how Starlight's powers worked.
She didn't generate electricity. She only stored and released it. She was basically a living power bank. The more energy she absorbed, the more power she could unleash, and the longer she could sustain it.
As for Billy?
When a brave man is angry, he charges the strong.
When a coward is angry, he attacks the weak.
Billy was clearly the former.
He had dared to face Homelander, the so-called god, with nothing but grit and a gun. That alone proved the strength of his spirit.
Now with that same spirit backed by raw physical power and a mountain of fury, it made perfect sense that he could push through Starlight's attack.
After all, he was the leader of The Boys. Even after just receiving the serum, it was only fair to give him some plot armor and say he could go toe-to-toe with others.
And speaking of overpowered plot devices, nothing beats Fenris's system.
Ding!
Battle detected. Reward acquired: Super Defense (Starlight)
Ding!
Battle detected. Reward acquired: Super Soldier Serum (Billy Butcher)
Super soldier serum? Again?
So even after using the serum extracted from one super soldier to create another, this new super soldier could still drop more serum when fighting?
What the hell was this?
An infinite loop?
If the super soldier serum obtained through combat always had a 100% success rate, then Fenris had just discovered a loophole where he could endlessly clone elite warriors and harvest more rewards.
Even in Marvel, where super soldiers eventually became common, an entire army of them under his command would be ridiculously powerful.
And here's the best part:
When he said "under his command," he meant everyone, even future employees of his multi-dimensional delivery company.
Which means someday, the guy dropping off your package could punch through a tank.
Afraid yet?
You should be.