Afterward.
Leon and Mother's Milk, who had gone completely dark, split the job almost evenly.
They completely drove out every last one of the remaining superhuman bastards in the manor villa that the T.N.T. Twins had used to host Herogasm...
Oh no, eliminated them!
"Let's go."
Looking at the manor villa before them that had completely turned into ruins, Leon shook off the blood stains clinging to his shield and turned back to say to the members of The Boys:
"The commotion this time was a bit too big, and we even butchered a member of The Seven. I reckon that Homelander you want me to deal with is about to come."
"Isn't that even better?"
Butcher stepped forward and impatiently suggested to Leon: "How about the few of us team up, just wait right here, and then casually butcher him? Our previous agreement proceeds as normal!"
"Butcher, are you teaching me how to do my job?"
Leon looked expressionlessly at Butcher, who had fallen into a state of excitement.
"N—no, you're the Boss, you call the shots."
Faced with Leon's indifferent gaze, which looked as though he were gazing at a dead man, Butcher's fanatically excited eyes, previously bursting with bloodshot veins, instantly became much clearer.
"Now is not the time yet, Butcher. As we agreed before, you help me find Payback, and I'll help you deal with Homelander."
"Besides, it's my habit to leave the best-tasting dish for last when eating."
"So don't try to teach me how to do my job, Butcher."
"I've already warned you."
"Let this be the last time."
Leon pointed at Butcher's hook nose, saying it word for word.
"I know."
Sweating profusely, Butcher nodded.
He clearly knew that he had just walked through the gates of hell a moment before.
After Leon and his group finished off the T.N.T. Twins and returned to the motel that The Boys were temporarily using as a stronghold, Butcher had barely left for long before he came back to find Leon.
Because his investigation into Mindstorm had hit a dead end.
"Bro, what you need to know is that because Mindstorm can hear everyone's thoughts, he likes to stay in places devoid of human habitation."
"For this reason, he bought dilapidated cabins in many remote places, wandering aimlessly near the cabins like a mental patient."
Leon said with his back to Butcher.
In front of him was a color television set produced in the previous century, and he was holding a game controller, remotely playing The King of Fighters '97 against Arcee.
"The clues you mentioned are too general."
Butcher said with some difficulty: "If we investigate every place that meets the requirements, it will take at least several weeks or even months. We don't have that much time to waste."
"I said, Mindstorm is just a lunatic, he's a damn bipolar patient. Aside from me, everyone else in Payback stays far, far away from him during normal times..."
"Wait!"
Butcher suddenly interrupted: "A bipolar patient?"
"That's right."
"Didn't I tell you before? I clearly remember saying it..."
"No."
"You said it, I just forgot."
To minimize irritating Leon during their usual interactions, Butcher's skill at talking nonsense with his eyes open had already been honed to perfection.
"Oh, shit!"
"Arcee, can't you cut me some slack?"
On the last century's television screen, the Iori controlled by Leon was taken straight from full health to zero by a smooth little combo from the Ryuji remotely controlled by Arcee, without even pretending anymore.
Seeing this, Butcher raised an eyebrow. Having obtained the crucial intel, he quickly left Leon's room so as not to be scapegoated by him again on some trumped-up charge a moment later.
After Butcher left.
An unbelieving Leon was directly abused by Arcee—who didn't understand the concept of holding back—to the point of losing his gaming addiction entirely. After punching the television to pieces,
Leon popped a whole bottle of sleeping pills and lay extremely peacefully on the bed to take his beauty sleep.
With a blink of an eye, the time quickly arrived late at night.
Knock, knock, knock~
A slender figure, resembling a cat stealing cream, came stealthily to the door of Leon's room, and then cautiously knocked on it with extremely minimal force.
Creeak!
The room door opened.
"Leon, it's me..."
Starlight hadn't even finished speaking before Leon dragged her straight into the room.
Wall-pinned!
"Annie, I've been waiting for you, I didn't sleep all night."
Although Leon's skill at talking nonsense with his eyes open was not quite as good as Butcher's master-level blind monk tier, he was not far behind either.
"S—sorry."
"Because I was afraid Hughie would misunderstand, I deliberately waited until he fell asleep before coming."
Starlight pushed against Leon with soft, powerless hands, symbolically preventing him from getting any closer.
Thud!
Involuntarily locking eyes with Leon's deep gaze that seemed capable of looking at a dog with affection, Starlight's heart skipped a beat. After taking a deep breath, she inexplicably closed her eyes.
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