𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣

"WILLIAM." MALLORY SPOKE SIMPLY, HUGHIE WATCHING HER STARE INTO THE WOODS WITH BINOCULARS. "What are you looking at out there?" He asked, Hughie awkwardly stood behind them. "Eastern meadowlarks. It was either bird-watching or alcoholism, so... birds." Billy nodded along in agreement. It was an easy choice. "I thought we agreed that you were never going to come out here." Billy shrugged, "Yeah, well, you taught me a thing or two about broken promises." He looked to the woman, Mallory taking the binoculars off from her face.

"Didn't you?" He asked, turning to Hughie. "This is Hugh Campbell. We're working with Samuel, M.M and Frenchie." Hughie stared at the woman, her tilting her head. "I got the Boys back together-" "Grace Mallory." She introduced herself to Hughie, the man nodding. "I'm the founder of your little club." She informed, looking to Billy. "So, let me hear it." She shrugged, Billy sighing. "I need your help." She pretended to think about it.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm hoping to photograph a snowy owl in the dunes." Billy and Hughie watched her look away again, the former huffing. "Look... I didn't want to come here, but I need your help." Billy started, Mallory not casting him a glance. "And you're going to fucking help." She hummed, still looking outside. "Why's that?" She asked, Billy shrugging as he faced her completely. "Because you owe me." She looked to him finally.

"You fucking owe me, goddamn it."

∞

KIMIKO PAINTED HER NAILS MINDLESSLY, ENJOYING THE SMALL MAKEOVER SHE HAD GIVEN HERSELF. She stared at herself in the mirror, happy as she held her throat, gasping- She held herself back, smelling a cream she found. There was a thump in the distance, the woman flinching as she looked back. Opening the door, she met eyes with M.M and Frenchie, the two sat in silence. "Look at you, mon couer." She looked alarmed, ignoring Frenchie before Samuel busted through the door, scaring everyone. "Run!-" He yelled, Frenchie flinching once he fell on his front, passed out.

"Oh, shit!" M.M spoke, a smoke bomb being thrown through the window as Frenchie immediately shut the door on Kimiko. She panicked, seeing M.M pass out too as Frenchie boarded the door. He passed out last, a soldier bursting through the bathroom door with his gun pointed at Kimiko. She caught glimpse of the group on the floor, kicking the man's leg as his gun shot the mirror into shards. He yelled in pain, Kimiko kicking his head as he fell before she launched herself out of the window.

A needle hit her leg, Kimiko grunting before she kicked the man, him grunting as she limped away. She saw the group being dragged into a van as she hid underneath a truck. "Keep eyes on her!" Someone yelled, Kimiko's vision blurring as she watched her nail polish smudge and chip. "I see her!" Another man yelled, Kimiko passing out as men dragged her away.

∞

"THERE'S SIMPLY NOTHING ELSE TO SAY. I CAN'T HELP YOU." MALLORY SPOKE, WALKING AWAY AS HUGHIE AND BILLY FOLLOWED. "Well, you're gonna have to do better than that." The latter spoke, Mallory huffing. "Do I? Why?" She asked, Billy scoffing. "'Cause you made me a promise." They stopped, Mallory turning around. "But then my grandchildren got incinerated. Tends to change one's perspective." She spat, Billy looking anywhere but at her. "There weren't even teeth left, Lamplighter had burnt them alive so thoroughly." They stood in silence.

"Well, I think I've had enough sun for one day. Pleasure meeting you, Hugh. Butcher." She spoke, Mallory leaving them- "Well, what about what you've done?" Billy asked, Mallory turning back again. "What I've done? To who?" She asked, watching Billy storm forward. "To me, goddamn it. To me. You trained me, manipulated me, aimed me at Homelander like a fucking howitzer." Hughie awkwardly walked forward too, Mallory watching Billy. "And then when it didn't suit you anymore, you just threw me away." He spat.