The Bells of Doomsday Had Begun to Ring (Five Thousand Words)

"So what are we here to discuss?"

Billy Butcher sat on his stool, squirming with discomfort. Never in his life had the little stool beneath him felt so unbearably hard. There was only one reason he wore an expression like a man with hemorrhoids and constipation...

The white-clad weirdo in front of him had not only smashed a hole through their secret hideout, but had also smiled and said, "Oh, my dear little dumbasses, why don't we have a nice chat about how to take down that big dumbass Homelander?"

"Let's talk about how to take out Homelander."

The white-clad man smiled and got straight to the point.

"Take out Homelander?! ... With a nuke?!"

Billy Butcher thought about it very seriously for a moment before answering.

"No, no. I don't think you understand what I mean. I'm not asking how to kill Homelander. If that were all I wanted, I could destroy him anytime without your help. I'm asking how we can make the Homelander in the hearts of the people of the Free Nation die. To put it simply, I need you to help me knock Homelander off his pedestal."

The man in the white bodysuit explained what he meant.

"To put it simply, you want us to help destroy the righteous image Homelander has built up in people's hearts, right?"

At that, Billy Butcher suddenly took an interest. That was exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted everyone in the world to see Homelander's true face, then drag that piece of human garbage into court and make him pay for his wife and child with his life.

"Yes! And no."

The man in white gave a slight nod, then shook his head.

"Destroying his image isn't enough. Ideally, we'll turn him into a rat everyone wants to stomp on, drive him insane, and make him go on a killing spree! Then..."

The man in white laid out his plan.

"Then, once the insane Homelander has become a tyrant, a demon king, a Nazi, and everyone fears and hates him, you step in and kill him! You get both fame and fortune?!"

Billy Butcher picked up the man's words, gritting his teeth and practically roaring them from his throat.

"That's the idea..."

The man in white nodded. That was exactly what he meant.

"I understand..."

"So what do you want me to do? Or, more precisely, when do you want me to make my move?"

Billy Butcher nodded and continued asking questions.

"First, you need to gather enough evidence to finish Homelander..."

The man in white laid out his first requirement.

"No problem. Leave the evidence to me."

Billy Butcher said he had no problem with that.

"Second, why don't you introduce me to the CIA deputy director?"

The man in white looked at Billy Butcher and asked.

"The deputy director? Oh, sure. I'll take you to her tomorrow."

Billy Butcher was taken aback. He was curious how the man in white knew he knew the CIA deputy director, but then he remembered the man's background at Vought and understood. It wasn't exactly difficult information to dig up.

"Excellent..."

"In that case, let's leave it there for now."

"Oh, and I'll take this guy with me."

The man in white walked over to the cage and dragged out The Deep, who was a heap of limp sludge. He looked disgusted.

"Sure."

Billy Butcher nodded at that.

"Goodbye."

After speaking, the man in white blurred into motion, flew through the gaping hole in the roof, and vanished into the night sky.

"So we're really going to work with him?"

Only after the man in white had flown away did Hughie turn to Billy Butcher and ask.

"Of course."

Billy Butcher nodded, making it clear that he meant it.

"Aren't you worried he's a con man?"

Hughie looked at Billy Butcher and asked doubtfully.

"Do you think we have anything that man would bother lying to us for?"

"The gap between us is enormous. If he really wanted to come after us, he could just fly down and smack us around, and we'd end up as a helpless, ignored puddle of sludge."

As he spoke, Billy Butcher lit a cigarette. The scent of tobacco stirred every nerve in his body. He felt that he had never been this close to getting his revenge.

"Everything's going to be fine."

Billy Butcher tried to reassure himself.

The next day...

A white woman who looked to be in her forties or fifties walked into the office in high heels, carrying a briefcase and moving with a brisk step. The moment she saw who was inside, her face fell.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing in my office?"

The woman glared at the man in the room and demanded angrily.

"I came in through the front. Nobody stopped me."

The man was Billy Butcher, who had made himself a familiar face around the office.

"Listen, get out of here right now."

The woman looked Billy Butcher in the eye and spoke with utmost seriousness.

"Don't be so heartless, Susan!"

"We've known each other long enough for you to spare me a few minutes, haven't we?"

Billy Butcher sounded helpless as he replied to Susan.

"My only memories of you are from when I was young and stupid, sneaking around with you in bar bathrooms. You're a bastard who only ever wanted to use me."

Susan spoke angrily.

"Don't be so cold. Maybe I'm here to help you."

Billy Butcher's brow furrowed. His eyes were filled with pain, sorrow, and bottomless anger, like a volcano about to erupt.

"Help me? Tell me, how does a beggar who can't even hold on to his job plan to help me?"

Susan smiled faintly at Billy Butcher's words. She wanted to see how this man, who had been left covered in scars while fighting for his wife, planned to help her.

"By dealing with the threat of the Vought Family meddling in the military, and taking down Homelander once and for all."

Billy Butcher faced Susan, his eyes brimming with deep affection.

"Fuck off!"

Susan looked at Billy Butcher's lovesick gaze and spoke coolly.

"If you want to daydream, go home and do it by yourself. Don't drag me into it, you asshole!"

Susan looked at Billy Butcher with nothing but disgust.

"You've hurt my feelings, Susan. You really have."

"I'm not joking. I really can take down Homelander."

Billy Butcher looked conflicted, putting on an expression of pain.

"Spit it out, and don't waste my time."

Susan sat authoritatively in her leather chair, crossed her legs, and spoke coldly.

"What do you think is the best way to deal with a Superman?"

Billy Butcher asked Susan mysteriously.

"A nuke."

"Hey, asshole! Listen carefully. Don't think I'm going to sacrifice an entire city just to deal with Homelander."

Susan answered without a moment's hesitation, warning Billy Butcher as she did.

"No. There's only one best way to deal with a Superman like Homelander: find a Superman stronger than him."

Billy Butcher shook his head, raising an eyebrow as he explained the answer.

"What?!"

Susan was stunned. She realized she didn't quite understand what Billy Butcher meant.

"Allow me to introduce someone to you."

As Billy Butcher spoke, he turned to look outside the office.

"He's faster than A-Train, tougher than The Invisible Man, and stronger than Homelander. The famous Free Man... Mr. Jupiter!"

Billy Butcher smiled and spoke softly toward the doorway.

Then...

The entire office fell silent.

"?"

Susan stared at Billy Butcher in silence, her expression seeming to ask, You bastard, if you're messing with me again, you'll never get out of Black Prison.

"Fuck!"

Billy Butcher cursed under his breath and walked out of the office.

When he stepped outside, he finally understood why Jupiter hadn't come in...

Jupiter was lining up the CIA staff to sign autographs.

"Fuck!"

Billy Butcher stared at the scene and swore, then hurried over to the staff.

"Listen up, you idiots skipping work to come here for autographs. Get back in line and wait your turn. If you want an autograph, learn some patience. Don't get in the way of our work."

Billy Butcher yelled at the staff.

"Hey! Who are you to talk to us like that?!"

One of the employees protested, shouting angrily.

"Shh..."

"That's Billy Butcher, the deputy director's boy toy."

A CIA agent recognized Billy Butcher and quickly pulled the employee aside to explain.

"Fuck?! These days, can you be a kept man looking like that?"

The employee muttered under his breath.

"I heard that..."

Billy Butcher memorized the name on the employee's badge and swore he'd get revenge.

"Mr. Free Man, come with me. I'll introduce you to Susan, the CIA deputy director."

Billy Butcher spoke softly to Jupiter.

"Sure. Sorry, folks. Let me finish my work first."

Jupiter spoke gently to the people around him.

"Of course, sir. Your work is the most important thing."

After Jupiter spoke, the staff and agents answered in unison.

"Thank you."

Jupiter smiled and followed Billy Butcher into the office.

"Wow, what a beautiful woman. I'm guessing you're Ms. Susan? You really are as beautiful as Billy said."

Jupiter entered the office, looked at Susan, and complimented her with a smile.

"See that, Susan?"

"I've been praising you behind your back this whole time."

Billy Butcher seized on the opportunity and picked up where Jupiter left off.

"Heh. That's the only decent thing that's come out of that dog's mouth in all these years."

Susan chuckled. Though she acted as if she didn't care, the faint smile tugging at her lips showed how pleased she was.

"Hello, Mr. Free Man. I'm Susan, the CIA deputy director."

Susan introduced herself succinctly and held out her hand to Jupiter.

"As you can see, I'm Free Man, Jupiter Grayson. You can call me Jupiter or Free Man."

Jupiter gently shook Susan's hand and smiled as he spoke.

"Very well, Mr. Grayson. Could you tell me in detail what you intend to do?"

Susan got straight to the point.

"You'll take Vought and Homelander to court for their crimes, and let the whole world know Homelander isn't a god or a hero. He's just a petty criminal. Leave the rest to me."

Jupiter liked Susan's kind of person: someone who got straight to the point, never dragged things out, and worked cleanly and efficiently. He explained what he needed her to do.

"Take Homelander to court..."

"Heh. Do you want to see a massacre?"

Susan chuckled. She understood what Jupiter meant. If they exposed Homelander's many atrocities, he would soon become a target for everyone's hatred. Then Vought would do exactly what she expected: pin all the blame on Homelander and take no responsibility itself. That would ruin Homelander completely. And once he was destroyed, Vought would need a new public face to restore its image in the eyes of the people. It went without saying who that would be.

"I'll deal with him."

Jupiter spoke confidently.

"Just a verbal assurance?"

Susan wasn't convinced. She didn't believe Jupiter could kill Homelander. After all, Homelander was the strongest person in the world. How could someone as powerful as him be taken down by a rookie?

The Invisible Man is dead.

Jupiter thought for a moment, then spoke gently.

"The Invisible Man is dead?!"

Susan and Billy Butcher spoke at the same time. They looked at each other, both of them shocked. They couldn't imagine that The Invisible Man, impervious to bullets and nearly indestructible, could have been killed.

"That's right. I swung my hand and slapped him, smashing his melon of a head to pieces. Like this..."

As Jupiter spoke, he raised his hand. A few gusts of air followed it as it stopped in front of Susan's cheek.

The force of the slap stung Susan's cheek.

"WTF..."

Susan stared at the palm before her, her heart pounding. She swore she had never been this close to death in her entire life.

"Heh heh, you thought my slogan was really just a slogan?"

"Listen, all you need to do is handle my business. Leave the rest to me."

"This isn't a request. It's an order..."

After saying that, Jupiter turned his back on Susan.

Before leaving, Jupiter grabbed Billy Butcher and pulled him to his side. "Investigate all these hospitals. You'll find anything you want in them. Oh, right—you can also check out A-Train's little lover, The Female. If you get there early, you might find some leftover Compound V."

Jupiter finished speaking and left without another word, ignoring Billy Butcher and Susan.

"WTF, that scared the hell out of me."

After Jupiter left, Susan rubbed her heaving chest and spoke.

"So what do we do?"

Billy Butcher asked Susan.

"If they want to do it, then let them! Damn supes!"

Susan really had been terrified. She decided to follow Jupiter's method and take a gamble. Whether it worked or not, at least either Jupiter or Homelander would die, right? Surely things couldn't get worse than a situation where both Homelander and Jupiter stayed alive.

"Good!"

Billy Butcher smiled after hearing Susan's words. This was exactly what he had been waiting for. Unlike Susan, he was willing to pay any price as long as Homelander died. All he wanted was revenge for his wife. Nothing else mattered.

Over the next few days, everything became peaceful.

For example, A-Train used Compound V to defeat Shockwave, once again becoming the fastest man in the world.

Under Jupiter's guidance, Starlight completed her first mission.

After The Female got high on Compound V, she went wild, crushing her landlord's watermelon and spilling ketchup all over her crotch. By sheer coincidence, Billy Butcher's team caught her red-handed.

Oh, and then there was...

"Thank you, Free Man! Thank you for your help! Thank you for rescuing me from that bunch of bastards."

The Deep continuously wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes as he thanked Jupiter.

"Don't thank me. It was your willpower that defeated the enemy. Needless to say, you're a true hero. I'm proud of you!"

Jupiter offered him a few words for appearances' sake.

"By the way, brother, I'm going to Huodao Island. I'll definitely defeat those bastards who slaughter dolphins. I have to save the dolphins!"

The Deep gently stroked his own heart and swore that he would succeed in saving the dolphins.

"I believe in you. You can definitely do it!"

Jupiter patted The Deep on the shoulder. Since The Deep wanted to go to Huodao Island, a place even more disgusting than a sewer and filled with nuclear waste, what else could Jupiter do besides encourage him? He just wondered whether The Deep would mutate like the marine life there. That would be truly terrifying.

"Goodbye, brother!"

The Deep sat aboard the cruise ship, crying and sniffling as he waved repeatedly at Jupiter. He bawled like a salted fish that had gained human form.

"Farewell, The Deep."

Jupiter turned around. While The Deep was busy saving dolphins, he would discover that everything at Vought Family had changed by the time he finished. Homelander would be gone, and the person in power would have a different name. As for The Deep—fuck, if Jupiter said The Deep would rot in a sewer, then The Deep would absolutely rot in a sewer.

The Deep would never return from Huodao Island...

Elsewhere, after seeing off his "good friend" The Deep, Jupiter stayed at Vought and waited patiently...

Until Starlight received a phone call...

"Seven minutes ago, a flight from Paris to Chicago was hijacked. This is the moment for you to show everyone what you can do. If we can save the plane this time, I'd like to see who can stop us from getting involved in military affairs..."

Starlight solemnly addressed Homelander, Queen Maeve, and Jupiter.

"This doesn't require so many people. Leave it to Maeve and me! Trust me, we'll give everyone a satisfying answer!"

Homelander waved at Starlight, indicating that he and Queen Maeve would handle the matter.

"I believe you."

Starlight smiled faintly at Homelander. Ever since the Baltimore mayor incident, she had been filled with trust in him.

"Excellent..."

Homelander smiled faintly. A flash of ruthlessness passed through his eyes. He nodded at Jupiter, then led Queen Maeve toward the entrance of Vought Tower.

"Don't be angry. He's always been like that, doing whatever he wants."

Starlight gently tried to comfort Jupiter.

"Of course. He's like a child who never grew up..."

Jupiter watched Homelander's back with a faint smile. For a dying man, all he could do was smile at the other person's back while raising the international friendly gesture.

"Make your move..."

The instant Homelander carried Queen Maeve away, countless people received a message on their phones. It was very short—only two words: "Make your move." The next second, the whole world seemed to descend into chaos. Negative news about Homelander swept across the internet like a tidal wave, and the mayor of Baltimore even held a press conference accusing Homelander of attempting to assassinate him...

For a time, the internet rang with endless doubts about Homelander and even the entire Vought Family...

Listen! The bell announcing Homelander's end has rung.

A show is about to begin! The righteous superhero Jupiter is about to pummel the thug Homelander~