Hughie Campbell had once worked as a clerk at a New York video store. Now he had joined The Boys as a member—and their moral compass.
His life took a turn after a tragedy.
A member of The Seven, the out-of-control superhero A-Train, had accidentally run over and killed his girlfriend.
Heartbroken and furious, Hughie wanted justice for his girlfriend and himself. That was how Billy Butcher had recruited him into the leaky, ramshackle operation to take on Vought International and Homelander.
Why did he want justice for himself, too?
Because A-Train had been Hughie's childhood idol. But the superhero's hypocrisy and Vought's inaction had enraged him.
During this time, he had suffered, struggled, and even tried his hand at killing—he had killed Translucent.
But the goodness in his heart had pulled him back time and again, keeping him from becoming a revenge-driven man who would stop at nothing, like Billy Butcher.
And it was that hard-won goodness that had earned him the affection of a beautiful woman.
Their love, which crossed the lines between their opposing sides, was the only faint hope he had left now that Vought had smeared him as a wanted criminal.
His love for Starlight was precious, and he needed to cherish and protect it with all his heart.
But Hughie was worried. As she'd fallen in love with him, Starlight had been dragged into the mess, too. She was now a supe spy embedded in The Seven, helping The Boys take down Homelander and bring down Vought.
He was afraid Homelander would discover her, and then...
He didn't dare think any further. He couldn't even imagine what he would do if he lost Starlight.
"Hughie, you're spacing out!"
The youthful, fair-skinned Starlight pouted in annoyance.
Hughie snapped back to attention and apologized. "Sorry, babe. I've just, uh... been under a lot of pressure lately. I've lost my appetite. I must've dropped three kilos."
Hughie didn't tell Starlight what he was really worried about. He didn't want to add to her burden.
After all, her situation was far more dangerous than his, and she was under much more pressure.
"Ohhh."
Starlight gave a knowing hum through her nose. "That's what happens when you lose too much protein."
"What?"
Hughie didn't catch on.
Starlight shrugged. "Given that I'm not there with you these days, I understand you've got..."
As she spoke, she made a "pumping up and down with an imaginary hand" gesture over the middle of the table.
"...physical needs. But please take care of yourself, too."
What were you supposed to do when your girlfriend made a lewd gesture at you?
Hughie blushed, then seemed to realize she'd hit the mark and hurriedly changed the subject. "Come on, don't tease me. I asked you out this time because I had two... you, you... what are you laughing at?"
"Hehe."
Starlight raised an eyebrow, pointed at the watch on her wrist, then leisurely picked up the straw from her drink and slowly, slowly put it in her mouth.
As the drink dripped down the straw, the sound of someone swallowing loudly rang out in the little restaurant booth.
"Mr. Hughie, please make the most of your time to report your work."
Starlight put the straw back in her cup and said meaningfully, "I happen to be trying to lose weight 'aggressively' lately. I'm not getting enough 'intense' exercise. Get it?"
Hughie nodded furiously at the emphasis on those two words.
After that, he did indeed speed up his report.
"We went to North Carolina and found Valerie at a house, based on the lead Mallory gave us. According to her, forty-eight years ago, the second-rate superhero Liberty brutally beat her brother to death."
"Liberty did it for no reason other than some baseless claim that 'he was a criminal.' But Valerie also said..."
As Hughie recalled and recounted the story, some of the distracting thoughts in his mind faded away.
His Adam's apple bobbed as his tone grew more serious.
"She was just a little girl back then. She hid in a car and saw everything with her own eyes. Liberty beat her brother, Myron, to death with her bare hands in the pouring rain. After killing him, she didn't even bother to hide what she really thought."
"What did she say?"
Starlight was captivated.
Hughie lowered his voice. "Liberty hated Black people and minorities. She was a damned racist."
"That wasn't a superhero bringing a criminal to justice. It was nothing but a blatant racial massacre."
He paused, remembering the fear that still hadn't left the old woman after nearly fifty years. His tone grew even more somber. "And the most important clue..."
"Valerie confirmed that Liberty back then is Stormfront now."
"She's never aged. Her appearance hasn't changed in fifty years. CIA Deputy Director Susan was killed because she was investigating Liberty—Stormfront."
"Vought is trying to destroy the evidence!"
"Susan had uncovered Liberty's past, so she was killed right in front of Mother's Milk and me! Annie, we need you to keep investigating Stormfront from inside Vought. We'll tackle this from both sides."
Starlight was nearly dumbfounded.
The story was every bit as bizarre as she'd expected from Vought.
Stormfront's power was supposed to be electrical plasma. How had she suddenly gained immortality, too?
Could Compound V do that?
As these thoughts ran through her mind, Starlight nodded and accepted the mission. "All right. I'll investigate Stormfront quietly from the inside."
Hughie took her hand. "Be careful."
Starlight shook her head and held his hand in return. "Don't forget, I'm a superhero. You're the ones who need to be careful. That Headpopper hiding in the shadows still hasn't shown up."
Hughie let out a breath and sighed. "Yeah. We haven't got a single clue."
"Anyway, let's not talk about that. Oh, right, there's one more thing. Butcher brought his lover back this time, but..."
Then Hughie told Starlight about Butcher and Becca's story.
Finally, he said, "Becca actually asked me to talk to you about this. Could you..."
Before Hughie could finish, Starlight had already figured out what he meant. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for any news about Ryan. When the time is right, I'll let you know so you can come get him."
Hughie smiled with satisfaction.
That was why he loved Starlight.
It wasn't just because she'd held on to her principles and turned away from evil, or because she'd kept her light alive even while surrounded by darkness.
It was because she was always so considerate... considerate... clothes???
Hughie's mind took a sudden turn, veering toward another thought that sped past even faster.
Now that they'd finished talking, was it time to help Starlight lose weight?
Suddenly, the quiet restaurant erupted into a clamor.
People who'd been eating with their heads down or chatting softly all looked up in shock, and a wave of commotion swept through the restaurant.
Hughie and Starlight looked toward the noise.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the television mounted on the wall.
Onscreen, a glamorous host was drawing special attention to a child seated beside Homelander.
The two exchanged a glance and whispered in unison, "Ryan!!"
Before you continue