𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?

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Wonder Woman watched the screen for a few minutes until she turned her head when the thought of the hard-drives crossed her mind.

She stood from her spot on the bed, walking to the dresser and grabbed two hard-drives. One with Soldier Boy's name and the other with Phantom's.

Sitting back on the edge of the bed, Wonder Woman plugged the first drive in. She didn't know what to expect, clicking on the files that were offered on the drive.

Once the video began to play, Wonder Woman felt herself grow queasy at the sight. Her breakfast was threatening to come up when the video showed Soldier Boy's torture in Russia.

A Russian doctor spoke to the camera before it panned towards Soldier Boy. His mouth was wired open while another doctor balanced a rifle in-between his lips.

Soldier Boy struggled against the restraints, trying to break free as multiple rounds were shot into his mouth. But nothing happened. Not even a scratch or chipped tooth. The sight made Wonder Woman's eyes widen in disbelief and anxiety.

It hurt to see her friend in such a way. It hurt to know that both Soldier Boy and Phantom were caught up in the torture.

Wonder Woman clicked on the next file, tensing when she saw footage of the same doctors torching the skin of Soldier Boy's neck. Listening to his groans of pain and desperation forced Wonder Woman's fingers to clench into fists.

Her hands were shaking by the time she reached the last file of Soldier Boy's hard-drive. She had watched Soldier Boy endure twenty sieverts of radiation. The sulfuric acid cocktails. Everything. Wonder Woman watched it all.

And now she was watching the doctor attempt to cut Soldier Boy's eyes with a scalpel. Wonder Woman didn't know what to expect, but she felt her shoulders fall when Soldier Boy suddenly fought back, stabbing the doctor in the neck.

He was so close. He was close to escaping when a gas filled the room, sending him back to the ground. Wonder Woman shook her head and pulled the drive out, replacing it with the one that had Phantom's name on it.

Wonder Woman sat through the first video in Phantom's drive. She took a deep breath, seeing the youngest girl in the team.

Phantom. Marie Moniclare.

Small groans of discomfort left her gritted teeth. She was propped up on a stool, a needle strapped to her arm that injected her with a mysterious substance every few seconds.

But Phantom's mouth was wired. Her lips were forced into her usual smile, staring at herself in the mirror. It was two kinds of torture. Being injected with poison and being forced to watch oneself fade into nothing.

It was Phantom's worst nightmare. Having to watch herself become a shell of herself. Having to watch herself become the opposite of what she was promoted to be. Having to become the real mess she believed herself to be on the inside.

Tears fell from Phantom's glossy eyes, rolling down her cheeks and occasionally catching themselves in her wide smile. It was a nightmare Wonder Woman never wanted for her.

It was her job to protect Phantom. It was their job to protect her from Vought.

But they failed. They failed and Phantom was forced to pay the price.

Wonder Woman clicked the next file, wanting to put her fist through the screen when she heard Phantom's pained wail from behind the rubber mouthguard.

She was strapped down to a table, similar to the one Soldier Boy was strapped down to in his own torture sessions, electric pads pressed against her temples. Her body jerked and seized every few seconds whenever the doctors would electrocute her disheveled mind, her hands shaking against the mental bars as red wisps flared around her hands.

While Wonder Woman didn't understand what the doctors were saying; she understood when one of them turned the dial, raising the amount of electricity that would coarse through Phantom's head.

The sight made Wonder Woman quickly exit out of the file. She wanted to turn it off but there was only one more file left.

Hesitantly, the Supe clicked on the last file and while her body felt numb for the first three seconds, her body burned with rage once the video finally cleared.

Phantom was strapped to the examination table, her eyes rolled to the back of her head while more needles and tubes were running through her body. All of them, pumping the same substance as before.

Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed when she noticed four monitors stuck to Phantom's forehead and temples. The monitors' wires ran to a computer set-up, different screens having some type of video playing.

The Supe stared at the static, tilting her head when the feed became clearer. It was in black and white, but it was Phantom. Her hair was done up in a '50s fashion, while wearing a dress of the same time period.

"Phantom?" Wonder Woman questioned, seeing Phantom with a wide smile and walking around a house while talking to someone out of frame.

Wonder Woman stared at the screen until she finally clicked out of the file, shutting the laptop. She didn't know what to think, standing from the bed and pacing around the apartment.

The images of Phantom and Soldier Boy suffering. Their pain and desperation to escape their torture. It was too much for Wonder Woman to handle with a few deep breaths.

She paced around until finally stopping in the kitchen. A steel pan caught Wonder Woman's eyes, making the Supe grab the pan. The pan didn't last a second, curling into dents and crumbling with one squeeze.

"Oh great." Wonder Woman muttered, setting the pan on the counter before looking at the TV when the news anchor spoke, "We have breaking news this hour. An explosion just rocked midtown Manhattan. Early reports indicate 19 are dead. The NYPD and Bureau of Superhuman Affairs..." the news anchor's voice trailed off into static and fuzz in Wonder Woman's head.

She watched the surveillance video, seeing a hunched figure suddenly scream before an explosion of bright light went off. The hunched figure was Soldier Boy. He was in New York. He made it.

"Ben." Wonder Woman whispered, quickly turning to the door when rapid knocks echoed through the apartment, "Diana! For fucks sake, open the door!" Mel shouted, pounding her fists against the door.

Wonder Woman pulled the door open, stepping to the side as Milo and Mel rushed into the room, "It's Ben," the Supe sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I know it's Ben. I'm not sure how he made it back, but he's here." she explained.

"What the fuck are we gonna do? If M.M. or Butcher found him first, they're gonna use him for Homelander. Which, I'm not against, but we all know what's gonna happen by the end of it." Mel said, making Milo nod, "They're gonna kill him." he added, knowing it was true.

And it was true. The moment Soldier Boy killed Homelander, everyone in The Boys would kill him; and deep down, Wonder Woman knew Soldier Boy would deserve it. She may have been absent for forty years, but she could imagine how Soldier Boy's insanity had thinned over the years.

"I have to do something," Wonder Woman said, looking at the couple, "I know Soldier Boy's done unforgivable things in his life. I know the people he's hurt and I've tried to right his wrongs... But I can't let him die. Not when I can prevent it." she sighed, feeling the familiar guilt claw and tug at her chest.

Wonder Woman felt herself take a deep breath, "I don't expect the two of you to help me, but all I ask is... Let me have a chance with Soldier Boy. Let me... Let me just talk to him." she said, not expecting Mel or Milo to understand.

Soldier Boy was a monster to many people.

The couple exchanged a look before Milo looked back at her, "We get it, Diana... And we're gonna help you." he said after a moment's hesitation, making Mel squeeze his hand in reassurance.

It took a lot to convince Milo Riley to help Wonder Woman over Butcher. Milo worshiped the ground Butcher walked on. Butcher's helped him out of trouble more times than he'd like to admit.

But Milo knew the weight and complexity of Soldier Boy and Wonder Woman. Their history and resolved pasts.

He knew it required more than a shared mission and potential death.

Wonder Woman stared at the both of them, "I can't ask for that from the both of you. You have no business with what I'm going to get into. It's not your fight." she said, grabbing a few things she might need in her search.

"We know," Mel nodded, looking at the Supe, "Diana, we don't care. We've done a lot of shit for Butcher, but we've never gotten a 'thank you' in return from him. We're his rats and we're supposed to do his bidding... But not with this. We're gonna get Soldier Boy and we're gonna get him to kill Homelander... But you, him, and anyone involved is gonna disappear after that." she said, making Wonder Woman raise an eyebrow.

She looked at the couple for a moment, "You two are gonna disappear at the end of this?" she questioned, tilting her head when Mel nodded again, "We like to call it a leave of absence. They're's shit we'd like to do and shit we'd like to see, but we can do none of those things with Butcher breathing down our necks." she explained while Milo with a small hint of excitement in his eyes.

Wonder Woman stared at the couple and while she wanted to tell them they'd be in a world of hurt if Butcher ever found them, but, instead, she softly smiled, "Well, I'm sure this won't end up as a dumpster fire." the Supe chuckled, tying her hair in a bun.

Milo chuckled, "Fingers crossed. We just gotta keep everything on the backburners. Butcher can't know what our endgame is." he said, following Mel and Wonder Woman out the hallway.

If Butcher did find out. A world of hurt would be the least of their worries.

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The three of them stood in the middle of the chaos that was surrounding midtown. Everyone was held back by caution tape, looking up at the destruction and burned building.

Wonder Woman stood behind Mel and Milo, staring at the damage done. She shook her head, looking away to try and think of a place that Soldier Boy would go.

Mel stared at the destruction, "This is gonna be harder than I thought." she muttered while Wonder Woman ran a hand over her face, "I don't know what's happening. I don't even know where to begin." she muttered, trying to think. It was necessary to find Soldier Boy before Butcher or M.M.

Forty years had passed and things were different. Really different.

The Supe's head only cleared when Milo placed his hand on her shoulder, "It's ok, you have two of the best tour guides." he softly smiled, making Wonder Woman chuckle, "Thanks." she smiled as the three of them continued to walk through the city.

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"Where the fuck is he?" Mel questioned, walking beside Milo as they continued to search through the city. It had been a few hours and now the sun was close to setting.

The three of them had steered clear of any crowds, knowing Soldier Boy would do the same after a blow like the one in midtown.

Just as they were going to give up, walking through the alleyways in hopes of finding something. Mel suddenly grunted when someone grabbed her shoulder, shoving her against the brick wall.

Milo rushed to help his girlfriend while Wonder Woman ducked, punching the person in the abdomen. She went to grab their neck, stopping when she felt the familiar feeling of a shield's tip pressed against her throat.

Wonder Woman stopped, looking up at their attacker. She heard Mel whisper, "Soldier Boy." she softly gasped, staring at the Supe who was trapped in Russia for more than forty years.

He was dressed in his Payback attire, looking down at Mel and Milo with narrowed eyes, "Who the fuck are you? Why the fuck are you following me?" he questioned, not looking down at Wonder Woman just yet.

Wonder Woman was in shock, staring up at the man she thought she'd never see again. Her shock was soon stored away when she grabbed her lasso, wrapping it around his wrist and pulling the shield away.

"Ben," Wonder Woman said, standing and slowly unwrapping the lasso from around his wrist, "Ben, it's just me. Leave them out of this and focus on me." she whispered, hoping he'd listen.

Soldier Boy turned when he felt the lasso against his wrist. He stared at Wonder Woman, his hardened eyes softening the slightest bit.

Without hesitation, Soldier Boy pulled his shield away and took a step back, "What the fuck? How are you still alive?" he asked, his voice blunt. As if he didn't trust or care about the woman he once called friend.

Wonder Woman stared at him, "I could ask you the same thing." she said, her voice calm and steady. The two Supes stared at one another. It had been well over forty years since the two of them had last seen one another. They hadn't aged or looked any different. They remained the same.

Not a moment went by before Soldier Boy suddenly grabbed her hand. Milo and Mel watched with bated breath as the tension slowly melted from the situation. Especially when Soldier Boy squeezed her hand.

As if making sure that Wonder Woman was real and not some figment of his imagination. Wonder Woman squeezed his hand, "Ben, I need you to let me help you. Please. People are after you. Either to kill you or help them kill someone who deserves it. Ben, I need you to let me help you." she explained, looking at Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy stared at her, unsure to take her words seriously or even trust her. He wanted to ask so many things. He wanted to know the whole story. He needed to know what happened.

But he kept silent until he finally nodded, "Fine. Where do we go and who the fuck are they?" he questioned, finally looking back at Mel and Milo.

"This Mel Lyon and Milo Riley. They're friends who found me." Wonder Woman answered, looking back at the couple with a reassuring smile.

Mel nodded, looking at Soldier Boy, "I don't mean to interrupt this reunion, but we gotta get going. If we wanna make Butcher feel like we're on his side, we can't be seen with Soldier Boy. We gotta go back to the apartment," she said, glancing at Wonder Woman, "I'm guessing you're gonna go after Countess. Give Diana a chance to grab her gear and you two can go grab her ass." she explained, making Soldier Boy narrow his eyes.

Soldier Boy looked back at Wonder Woman, "I'm after everyone. They're a bunch of betraying dickbags." he bluntly said while Wonder Woman's eyes softened, "I'm sorry, Ben. I do wish I was there." she whispered, leaving the conversation at that.

There was no need to dive any further into the subject neither one of them was ready to talk about.

They still weren't sure if they could trust one another. As much as it hurt to think about.

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Wonder Woman pushed her apartment door open, "I'll need a minute to change. Mel, are you two going to be staying?" she questioned, letting everyone inside.

Mel shook her head, "Nah, we can't. We gotta go do some stuff and get stuff ready if we're gonna do this right." she explained, making Milo nod as he held the doorknob.

"We'll see you two tomorrow. If Countess gets out of the way, they're gonna want to go after the TNT Twins next. Fucking losers." Mel muttered, giving Wonder Woman a small smile before following Milo out of the apartment.

Once the door was closed, Soldier Boy turned to Wonder Woman. He had definitely become a man of few words. The entire ride back to the apartment was silent. Not even a word was shared as they both sat in the backseat.

Wonder Woman grabbed the bed from off her bed, "I better find you out here when I come back." she said, walking off to the bathroom.

The moment the bathroom door closed, Wonder Woman anticipated that her apartment would be empty by the time she opened the door again.

She understood that Soldier Boy would be gone. It was expected.

Wonder Woman was quick to change into her gear, looking at her reflection as she placed her tiara over her head and onto her forehead.

Once everything was in place, Wonder Woman pulled the door open and her eyes fell shut for a moment. Soldier Boy was gone.

Even if Wonder Woman expected it, the sight still made Wonder Woman shake her head, "I tell him to wait and what does he do? He leaves." she muttered, grabbing her shield and strapping it to her back.

Soon, Wonder Woman had her sword in her hip's sheath while her lasso was tied to her hip. Not bothering to grab anything else, Wonder Woman walked out and to the public street.

The Supe didn't care if anyone saw her.

It was only a matter of time before the public found out she wasn't dead.

Wonder Woman walked down the sidewalk, emotionless as most people gawked and froze at the sight of the long lost Supe. Some began to shout while others filmed and asked questions of where she had been this entire time.

She only stopped when she came across a phonebook, grabbing the book and flipping through the thick set of pages.

Wonder Woman gave no thought to the people who filmed and tried to get her attention. She read through the sections, placing the book back after finding the right address.

Off to some abandoned chimp park.

Wonder Woman knew it'd take too long to walk. There was only one option. She pulled her lasso off her hip, tying one end around her knuckles and holding the loose end in her free hand.

She made it to a mostly empty street, walking in the middle of the lifeless street. She soon took a deep breath, beginning to jog before breaking into a sprint.

As Wonder Woman ran, her speed matched and exceeded the speeds of the cars that drove along the highways. She continued to run, gaining faster speeds until she swung her lasso back to the skies, her body lifting to be alongside the clouds.

The Supe moved through the air, taking in the familiar sense of freedom and breath of fresh air. Untouched by civilization and humans-alike. It was something she never grew tired of.

Whenever Wonder Woman's body threatened to lose altitude, she swung her lasso higher towards the sky. She kept herself in the sky, navigating herself towards the abandoned chimp park that was hidden in the lush of trees and nature.

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As the buildings and cities became barren, Wonder Woman knew she was getting close. Crowded streets became trees and fields of grass.

Wonder Woman drew her lasso back, tying it around her hip before making her way to the ground. She bit back a grunt, landing on her knee with a thud. She stood and rolled her shoulders, walking along the dirt path.

The closer Wonder Woman got towards the park, she pulled her shield from its harness and tied it to her forearm. She didn't know what to expect, ducking to the ground when a strong gust of dirt and wind forced past her.

Followed by an explosion.

Wonder Woman didn't waste any time, running towards the explosion and awaiting destruction and damage done.

Her boots crunched against the dirt and gravel, trying to make it before anything else could be done. Before anyone else might be hurt.

Once she reached the source of the damage, seeing the ruins of a few houses in a trailer park. Wonder Woman's boots slid across the ground, her eyes widening when she caught sight of Soldier Boy standing in the middle of the chaos.

And in front of him was Crimson Countess' burned remains.

Wonder Woman stared at her unrecognizable remains from afar, tensing when she saw the burned skin and charred home.

She only turned away after hearing the sound of footsteps, seeing Butcher carrying a limp M.M. on his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, walking towards him and kneeling by M.M.'s side, "Butcher, what have you done?" she questioned, placing a hand on M.M.'s chest while another woman argued with Hughie and Butcher.

Starlight. Wonder Woman thought to herself, looking down at M.M. with a worried gaze. The Supe looked up when Butcher grunted, "Keep an eye on him. He's had four or five mgs of Rohypnol." he said, his voice nonchalant and calm.

"I thought better of you." Wonder Woman shook her head, standing and walking towards Soldier Boy. She didn't have time to deal with Butcher and Hughie. She had to deal with an idiot first.

When Wonder Woman was close enough, she shoved Soldier Boy's chest, "What happened?! You said revenge, not to blow Countess into the next life!" she shouted, looking at him with newfound anger and frustration, "Ben, you could have killed so many more people. You... You keep drawing yourself more attention, and that's the last thing you need right now. Not to mention that I told you to wait and you didn't!" she continued to shout, furious with his actions and lack of sense.

"You aren't the same man I knew all those years ago." Wonder Woman whispered, pushing past him and walking from him and the rest of the group.

She didn't get far since Soldier Boy grabbed her wrist, "I need you on my fucking side, damnit," he muttered, his voice low and strained, "I don't give two fucks about helping that asshole or his fucking friends. I don't give a shit about that. I want my revenge... But I'm doing it if I know you're out there. Knowing you came back. I don't want..." his voice softened for a split second before reverting back to his usual gruffness, "I can't do this shit right now. We're talking later." he muttered, letting go and walking off.

Wonder Woman watched him go and just as she was about to follow him, she froze with a small tilt of her head, "Ben." she whispered, seeing a figure drop down in front of them.

Red wisps circled around the figure's hands, their fingers curling and causing the wisps to darken. Their body was hunched until they finally lifted their head. Hair covered parts of their face, but it couldn't hide the red that glowed from within their eyes.

Soldier Boy and Wonder Woman stared at the figure, shivers running down and through their spines when they caught sight of the familiar smile. The one million dollar smile the world had loved so much.

"Phantom." the two Supes whispered in unison.

She was alive... And less than happy to see her old friends.