Starlight: I'm Afraid Hughie Will Misunderstand

Afterward.

Leon and the completely darkened Mother's Milk had practically split the work between them.

They drove out every last Superhuman bastard remaining in the manor villa the T.N.T. Twins had used to host Herogasm...

Oh, no—annihilated them!

"Let's go."

Looking at the manor villa, now completely reduced to ruins, Leon flicked the bloody residue from his shield and turned to The Boys.

"We made quite a scene this time, and we also killed a member of The Seven. The Homelander you want me to deal with will probably be coming soon."

"Wouldn't that be even better?"

Butcher stepped forward and eagerly suggested to Leon, "Why don't we join forces, wait right here, and kill him while we're at it? Our previous deal can continue as planned!"

"Butcher, are you telling me how to do things?"

Leon looked expressionlessly at the excited Butcher.

"No, no. You're the boss. Your word goes."

Faced with Leon's indifferent gaze, one that looked at him as if he were already dead, the manic fervor in Butcher's bloodshot eyes instantly faded considerably.

"Now isn't the time, Butcher. We agreed that you'd help me find Payback, and then I'd help you deal with Homelander."

"Besides, I have a habit of saving the best dish for last."

"So don't try to tell me how to do things, Butcher."

"I've warned you already."

"Don't let it happen again."

Leon pointed at Butcher's hooked nose and spoke each word slowly and clearly.

"I understand."

Butcher nodded, drenched in sweat.

He knew full well that he had just walked through the gates of hell.

After Leon's group dealt with the T.N.T. Twins and returned to the hotel The Boys were using as a temporary base, Butcher came back to find Leon not long after heading out.

His investigation into Mindstorm had hit a dead end.

"Bro, you need to know that because Mindstorm can hear everyone's thoughts, he likes staying in places far away from people."

"To that end, he bought rundown cabins in many remote places and wandered aimlessly around them like some lunatic."

Leon spoke with his back to Butcher.

Before him sat a color television produced in the last century. He held a controller in his hand and was remotely playing The King of Fighters '97 against Arcee.

"The clues you gave are too vague."

Butcher said with some difficulty, "If we investigate every place matching those conditions, it'll take at least weeks, maybe even months. We don't have that much time to waste."

"I told you, Mindstorm is a madman. He's a damn manic-depressive. Aside from me, the rest of Payback usually stay as far away from him as possible..."

"Wait!"

Butcher suddenly interrupted him. "A manic-depressive?"

"That's right."

"Didn't I tell you before? I clearly remember telling you..."

"No."

"You did. I forgot."

To avoid provoking Leon as much as possible in their daily interactions, Butcher had become exceptionally skilled at lying through his teeth.

"Oh, shit!"

"Arcee, can't you go easy on me?"

On the old television screen, Leon's Iori was taken from full health in one smooth little combo by Arcee's remotely controlled Ryuji. She did not even bother pretending.

Butcher raised a brow at the sight. Having obtained the crucial intelligence, he hurried out of Leon's room before Leon could take his anger out on him over some fabricated offense.

After Butcher left.

Still refusing to accept defeat, Leon was beaten so badly by Arcee, who had no concept of holding back, that he quit gaming on the spot. After punching the television to pieces,

Leon swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and lay peacefully on the bed for some beauty sleep.

He closed his eyes and opened them again.

Before long, it was late at night.

Knock, knock, knock~

A slender figure, sneaking about like a cat that had stolen food, tiptoed to Leon's door and gently knocked with the faintest force.

Creak!

The door opened.

"Leon, it's me..."

Before Starlight could finish, Leon grabbed her and pulled her into the room.

Slam!

"Annie, I've been waiting for you. I haven't slept all night."

Leon's ability to lie with a straight face might not have matched Butcher's, but it was not far behind.

"S-sorry."

"I was afraid Hughie would misunderstand, so I waited until he fell asleep before coming."

Starlight weakly pressed both hands against Leon, symbolically keeping him from getting any closer.

Thump!

When her eyes accidentally met Leon's gaze, tender enough to look lovingly at even a dog, Starlight's heart skipped a beat. After taking a deep breath, she inexplicably closed her eyes.