A leaf drifted gently down. In late autumn's embrace, it had long since donned a golden coat, forgetting summer's brilliance and lending the already chilly air a touch of things remaining while people changed.
Homelander stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold. He did not answer Butcher's question, as though seriously considering something.
Butcher loosened his shoulders and, after confirming he was uninjured, struggled up from the ground.
It was no easy process. Every movement sent pain through his body as though he were falling apart, but the grit in his bones kept him from making a sound.
"What? Got a dick in your mouth? Can't talk?" Butcher sneered.
His expression was distinctly his own.
He looked playful and casual, but there was an edge of sharpness and provocation beneath it.
He looked as though he would not flinch even if a mountain collapsed before him, yet he had neither the confidence nor the strength to back it up.
He was very good at putting on a tough act. In short, he was begging for a beating.
Homelander froze for a moment, then laughed in fury. "Butcher, I'm genuinely curious. How dare you talk to me like that? Trash like you, I could crush with my little finger."
The corners of Butcher's mouth rose. "Because all I see is a monkey in a cape."
The corner of Homelander's eye twitched several times. Suppressing his anger, he said coldly, "Heh... I won't hold it against you, but I will teach you a lesson, so a piece of human scum like you won't endanger anyone else again."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Butcher was utterly baffled. He really could not make sense of the situation.
What someone could accomplish with eight years driven by hatred was unimaginable.