Homelander stared at Butcher's glowing eyes and slowly rose into the air.
"So this is what gave you confidence?"
He looked down at Butcher from above, the anger on his face turning back into mockery.
"Don't you hate Supes more than anything? Now you've become the very thing you despise."
Homelander spread his arms.
"Tell me, William. How does it feel?"
Butcher moved his mangled right leg a little. The broken bones were slowly knitting together as it healed.
It hurt.
But the more it hurt, the clearer his head became.
Butcher stared at Homelander, his grin widening.
He did hate Supes.
But what was wrong with power itself?
As long as he could use it to smash Homelander's arrogant face, forget the powers he had now-even if he had to become something more disgusting, he would still fight.
"How does it feel?"
"It feels fucking fantastic."
His laughter grew louder.
"I used to dream of killing you. With guns, with bombs, with a rod made of uranium, shoved up your arse and pulled out through your mouth."
"But now it's different."
Butcher clenched his fists.
"Thinking about smashing that arrogant bitch face of yours, punch by punch, thinking about your teeth flying out of your mouth one by one, thinking about you on your knees, crying for your mummy..."
Golden light swelled in his eyes.
"I just can't fucking stop myself from laughing!"
Boom!
Golden Heat Vision erupted at full power.
The crimson in Homelander's eyes burst forth at the same instant.
The two beams collided head-on in midair, instantly bathing the mountain forest in gold and red. The point where the energies met kept distorting, searing shock waves sweeping outward and setting the dead leaves on the ground ablaze in an instant.
Neither backed down.
Butcher's feet sank