Meanwhile.
Victoria, on whom Edgar had placed high hopes, immediately took over Vought International's connections after hanging up the distress call.
Victoria Neuman was a hidden chess piece planted by Vought International. She concealed her Supes identity and entered politics as a normal person.
Using Vought International's intel and the public's differing views on Superheroes, she successfully entered politics, becoming a sought-after Congresswoman.
Originally, Victoria, as instructed by Edgar, disguised her identity to find and eliminate organizations and individuals secretly targeting Vought International. But now, with Edgar's sinking ship, she naturally had to think of herself.
Victoria knew many of Vought International's secrets. She used her power and status to urgently contact Vought International's remaining resources.
Then she approached Mallory, the Deputy Director of the CIA, and laid her cards on the table.
Mallory was surprised and shocked by Victoria's true identity. Vought International was indeed as she had imagined, engaging in many activities that endangered national security.
Just as Mallory was about to question her, she heard about the disaster unfolding at Vought International.
She suddenly realized that compared to Vought International, the seemingly weaker Aaron was the most troublesome problem.
Thinking of the man she had met once, Mallory couldn't connect him with a serial killer.
Someone so handsome couldn't possibly do something like wipe out Vought International, could he?
However, when she used her influence to investigate, Vought International was indeed gone.
"What do you want me to do?" Mallory asked Victoria with a frown.
Victoria said, "Mallory, let's team up against Aaron."
"Why should I help you? You're not good people either." Mallory didn't want to get involved.
"If Aaron kills everyone at Vought International, who else can stop him? I can tell you very clearly, to deal with him, Edgar gathered hundreds of Supes, but they failed."
"If you don't act when he destroys Vought International, then when he comes for you, no one will be able to help you."
Victoria knew very well that the power of Vought International she controlled was not enough to protect herself. Only by bringing in Mallory, and then convincing other high-ranking officials to use the national machinery, would it be possible to kill Aaron.
Mallory's frown deepened.
Although she didn't want to admit it, it was true. The seemingly invincible Vought Corporation had rapidly declined within days, falling into a life-or-death situation.
Mallory asked, "As far as I know, Homelander's defense can withstand a nuclear bomb explosion. Since he can kill Homelander, what means can kill him?"
Victoria sneered, "Homelander's defense level is indeed the highest, even higher than Queen Maeve's, but I can tell you very clearly, Homelander cannot withstand a nuclear bomb. That's a lie."
"That fool Homelander actually believed it. Surely you don't believe it too, do you?"
"However, to deal with Aaron, nuclear weapons are the only option."
"We only have half an hour at most. If we can't persuade those old congressmen and the president to use nuclear bombs, Aaron will be unstoppable."
Mallory wasn't angry. She raised a question, "How do you ensure he'll just let himself be killed by a nuclear bomb? Even if Homelander is an idiot, he can still fly."
Victoria said confidently, "I have a way, and it's the only way. We will temporarily control him for a few seconds, that will be the only chance to kill him."
Victoria was a bit anxious. "Mallory, I know you still have reservations, but we don't have much time left."
"All of this needs to be in place within twenty minutes. He only needs half an hour to completely dismantle all the remaining power of Vought International."
"Without us, even if you have ten thousand nuclear bombs, you won't be able to do anything to him."
Mallory glanced at the few people who had followed Victoria, especially a crazy, emaciated old man among them. She had a premonition that this might be Victoria's trump card.
Just as Mallory was pondering whether to trust Victoria, Victoria's face instantly turned pale and despairing.
Mallory realized something, pulled out her pistol, and looked back.
Aaron and Firecracker, along with four other women, were standing a few steps away.
"Hello, we meet again."
"Aaron!"
Mallory's brow furrowed as she looked at Aaron. For some reason, she didn't feel as angry or fearful as she expected.
Even though she knew Aaron had wiped out Vought International, killing all those damned bastards, she just couldn't feel any hostility.
He was simply too handsome!
"Mallory, strictly speaking, this is our first meeting."
Aaron smiled as always, his voice soft, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
Mallory pursed her lips, her gaze constantly sweeping between Gwenpool, Firecracker, and the others. She could vaguely smell a faint scent of blood.
Perhaps it was because she stopped looking at Aaron, after smelling this faint scent of Death, Mallory's consciousness barely returned to normal, and alarm bells rang in her heart.
"Honestly, I never thought our meeting would be under such circumstances. May I ask, what exactly do you intend to do?" Mallory's voice was low, and she secretly activated a device.
Soon, The Boys she had secretly summoned walked in from outside the door.
Butcher, Mother's Milk, and Frenchie gathered around Mallory, looking at Aaron and the others with vigilance and awe.
"If I were you, I would never look at a god with such eyes."
Aaron's smile faded slightly. "Speaking of which, I suppose I helped you get your revenge?"
Billy and the other two exchanged glances.
Then Billy spoke, "You're right, but even if you hadn't acted, we would have found a better way to bring them to justice."
"Your methods are too extreme."
Mother's Milk and Frenchie nodded.
Although they wished those guys were dead, Aaron and his companions' methods were too brutal.
Aaron chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly. Did you just say... bring them to justice?"
"Uh... let me think. Your so-called 'bring them to justice' is to help the scumbag who cuckolded you, for a bastard born after being cuckolded, to turn against an ally who appreciated you and was willing to help you get revenge even if it meant sacrificing family?"
Honestly, the Boys universe constantly challenged people's perceptions.
Billy was cuckolded by Homelander at a banquet, and his wife was raped by him and gave birth to Ryan.
After Vought International found out, they kept Billy's wife and child in a secret location, cultivating them and deceiving Homelander into believing that he couldn't get a normal human pregnant.
Billy, because his wife was raped and disappeared, considered Homelander his mortal enemy, assembled The Boys to fight Vought International, and later found Soldier Boy, helping him get revenge on The Boys members.
Soldier Boy, because Billy was very manly, even after knowing Homelander was his son, was still willing to help Butcher kill Homelander, considering Billy his best ally and partner.
His contractual spirit was admirable.
However, at the last moment, Billy, fearing that the newly born Ryan would be affected, suddenly and without warning turned against Soldier Boy, helping his mortal enemy Homelander against his ally Soldier Boy, and even The Boys and Annie turned against him.
He dealt a heavy blow to Soldier Boy, who was willing to sacrifice family for justice and uphold his contractual spirit.
This move was simply unbelievable!
Is this what you call bringing to justice? Is this revenge? Are you sure you're not trying to be funny?
And what's even more absurd is that Ryan, following Homelander, became a little Homelander who disregarded life, causing Billy to become dark again, preparing to go after Ryan and Homelander.
Everything went back to square one.
"Butcher, honestly, you're not even as good as Skurge the Executioner. Although he chickened out when facing a powerful enemy, at the last moment, he at least used his life to uphold the glory of Asgard."
"And you... you seem like a tough guy, but in reality, you're just an idiot."
They were the same person, but at the most critical moment, they made completely different choices.
One heroically died facing an invincible enemy, while the other, with victory in hand, turned against and attacked his ally.
If their souls were swapped, Skurge would probably be laughing madly, thinking this was a piece of cake, an easy revenge.
What to choose, does it still require thought? Still require hesitation?
Gwenpool reacted at this moment. "Ah, I didn't notice until you said it, he looks so much like Skurge. But Skurge is a real man, this guy... actually degenerated into a cuckold, Tumor Man..."
"Cuckold? What on earth are you talking about?" Firecracker was a bit confused.
As a journalist and media person, her senses were always sharp.
Gwenpool generously pulled out a script. "This is the original direction of the Boys universe's development."
Firecracker and the others glanced at the summary, then looked at Billy with very strange expressions.
"I didn't expect him to look so decent, but turn out to be such an oddball."
"Family Man Butcher? He's a devil! Selfish, irresponsible."
"Better stay away from him, just looking at him is disgusting."
Billy's face alternated between green and white. This was a direct attack on his core!
He was cuckolded by Homelander, but what was this 'bastard' nonsense? And 'betraying allies'? What was that?
Was he the kind of person who betrayed allies? He was Butcher, the tough guy!
"Enough! Even if you are a Supe, you shouldn't be so arrogant and spread rumors about others."
Mallory's expression was unreadable. "Is this the future?"
Aaron smiled without explaining, ignoring the impotently enraged Billy, and swept his gaze towards Victoria, who was quietly retreating.
"I said it would be your turn, so I came."
Victoria forced a smile that was uglier than crying. "I am a Congresswoman, you cannot harm me. I represent the face of the United States."
"If even you can represent the face of the United States, then it seems the United States has no need to exist."
Aaron walked forward, and the invisible pressure made Victoria involuntarily retreat.
"Don't come any closer!"
Victoria yelled, shouting angrily at the people behind her.
"What are you still standing there for? Attack together! Otherwise, everyone will die!"
The emaciated old man behind Victoria gritted his teeth as he looked at Aaron. Beside him were a brother and sister, and a man wearing a bullet belt and holding a pistol, on guard.
They were Soldier Boy's former teammates.
They were Mindstorm, The TNT Twins, and Gunpowder.
The TNT Twins' ability was to unleash powerful explosions intermittently when holding hands.
Gunpowder could predict and calculate trajectories, the Death Shooter of the Boys universe.
Mindstorm was the most powerful. Once engaged, his opponent would be influenced and controlled by his powerful psychic abilities, making him the Superhero Soldier Boy feared the most.
Victoria regarded Mindstorm as her trump card. As long as he could control Aaron for even a few seconds, she could destroy him with nuclear weapons.
However, she didn't expect Aaron to act so quickly.
Besides 'a life for a life,' Victoria had other methods.
"Bring them up!"
Soon, several Vought International security guards surrounded a mother and son. It was Butcher's wife, Rebecca, and Homelander's son, Ryan.
"Ryan, this is the guy who killed your biological father. Come on, get your revenge on him!"
Victoria then looked at Billy, who was already frozen in place, his mind filled with images of Rebecca and Ryan.
These were his wife and child?
Wait, child? Homelander's child? The bastard Aaron spoke of?
He really was a cuckold!
Billy was truly stunned. He had always looked forward to seeing Rebecca, but he never expected this reunion to include such a big child.
A stepfather!