𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?

———————————————

Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy continued to stare at Phantom, unsure what to do or even say. The sight of her hunched figure and darkening wisps.

Something was different. Phantom was different.

"Phantom..." Wonder Woman said, taking a step forward but she suddenly yelped when Phantom curled her fingers into a fist, forcing the Supe through the air and onto the gravel.

Wonder Woman landed with a groan, holding her side and quickly standing. She stared at Phantom in confusion, gasping when Phantom did the same to Soldier Boy. His body was tossed across the park and back near Countess' remains.

"Get out of here. Hurry." Wonder Woman said, looking at Butcher and Hughie while Starlight supported M.M.'s body. She grabbed her lasso and shield, not waiting for an answer as she leaped forward and towards Phantom.

She got close enough and swung her lasso, attempting to wrap Phantom in the strong binds of the lasso. Her attempts were futile since Phantom grabbed the lasso's end, yanking Wonder Woman forward and past her body.

Wonder Woman grunted as she crashed through a few trees, lying on the ground while Soldier Boy attempted to swing his shield.

"You," Phantom whispered, holding her arms out and lifting herself into the air, "I remember you. Do you remember me?" she questioned, her voice cold as she curled her fingers around the red wisps that surrounded her hands.

As Phantom's body levitated, the ground shook and crumbled as large piles of dirt and gravel lifted from its place on the ground. The two piles remained beside her as she suddenly dropped back to the ground, throwing the first pile onto Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy grit his teeth, using his shield to block the first pile while dodging the second. His boots scraped across the dirt when Phantom threw different blasts of energy towards him. She only drew back when the Lasso of Truth wrapped around her body.

"Marie, please," Wonder Woman warned, holding onto the lasso while Phantom squirmed in its tightening hold, "Marie, this isn't you. Please, you need to come back to us. We don't want to hurt you." she explained while Soldier Boy came to stand by her.

And it was true. Neither one of them wanted to hurt Phantom. She was only sixteen. She was the one who had so much ugliness from within Vought's walls. She was the last piece of innocence Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy wanted to protect from the rest of the world.

But to see her this way. Her eyes glowing red and holding so much hatred. It was something Wonder Woman wouldn't be able to forget.

"I don't need you," Phantom hissed, glaring at Wonder Woman, "I'm gonna kill him. For killing Ruby." she whispered, breaking free of the lasso's hold and blasting Wonder Woman back once more.

"For giving me up to the Russians!" Phantom soon shouted, holding her hand out and grabbing Soldier Boy in a cloud of wisps and energy.

Soldier Boy groaned and tried to escape, dropping his shield as Phantom forced his arms to extend outwards, "P-Phantom!" he shouted, trying to grab her attention. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting back groans and noises of pain.

"I'm gonna kill you for leaving me to rot!" Phantom screamed, throwing Soldier Boy into the ground. He crashed through the ground, buried deep in the dirt and gravel.

Wonder Woman rushed to Soldier Boy, kneeling beside his side, "What happened to her?" she questioned, helping him stand. The both of them looking back at the Supe.

Phantom glared at the both of them. She had a scarlet crown balanced on top of her head. Her gear was different from what it had been in Payback. Her gear seemed to go through different fires and tragedies. The ends of her train were singed while her chest piece seemed to have been blasted in the heart.

She had been through so much. She had been to hell and back.

"We can't hurt her. We just bring her back down." Soldier Boy said, grabbing his shield while Wonder Woman nodded, "Let's do that move we did in '81. The one to stop the high-speed chase." she said, twisting her lasso around her free arm.

Soldier Boy looked at her, "We haven't done that shit in over forty years." he argued, making Wonder Woman sigh, using her shield to block another pile of dirt and gravel from hitting her, "We have no other alternative, Ben. It's our only shot." she muttered, tying the other end around Soldier Boy's torso.

Quickly, Wonder Woman ran towards Phantom, "Get ready!" she shouted, halting to a stop before spinning. She squatted, holding onto the lasso while Soldier Boy was thrown across the field and towards Phantom.

Soldier Boy went to strike Phantom, his eyes widening when she tilted her head. She raised her hand and curled her fingers, "Soldier Boy," she whispered, grabbing Soldier Boy in another cloud of energy, "I remember hearing the gunshots. How they tortured you and made you into this monster. But all of that... Will feel like child's play." Phantom assured, holding him behind her back and turning back to Wonder Woman.

Phantom raised her arms and began to throw different blasts of energy towards Wonder Woman. Her body remained in the air, circling Wonder Woman in the chaos of her abilities.

The attacks forced Wonder Woman to grab her lasso, twirling the strands of gold over her head to block each blast.

The Supe grit her teeth, blocking the blasts that collided against her lasso. She wasn't sure how they'd be able to subdue Phantom.

She had always been the strongest. Even when Vought tried to weaken her abilities; Phantom only ever seemed to grow stronger.

Wonder Woman looked at Soldier Boy, seeing that he was still suspended in the air. She refocused on Phantom, her eyes falling shut for a moment, "I'm sorry, Marie." she whispered, pulling her lasso back and crossing her arms over her chest in an 'x' position.

She hadn't done the action in over forty years, only ever using it to end a fight or take down an enemy that had more advantages.

The moment Wonder Woman's Bracelets of Submission touched, a powerful blast echoed from the steel, creating a wave of energy towards Phantom and Soldier Boy.

The blast was powerful enough to send Soldier Boy to the ground while sending Phantom towards the trees. It was enough to knock her off her feet.

"Shit." Soldier Boy cursed, standing while Wonder Woman ran to stand beside him, "You think it worked?" she questioned, watching Soldier Boy grab his shield once more.

Both Supes didn't know what to expect, their bodies tensing when a blast of red and black forced trees to split from their roots and to the ground.

"You've got to be shitting me." Soldier Boy muttered, watching as Phantom began to make her way back towards the two Supes.

When Phantom was close enough, Wonder Woman noticed something, "Wait. Ben, look, her eyes." she quickly said, tying her lasso and strapping her shield back to her back.

Soldier Boy narrowed his eyes, seeing that Phantom's eyes were no longer glowing red with rage, the glow dimming. He watched Phantom stumble before she finally fell to the ground.

Both Supes ran towards Phantom, their instincts to protect the young girl still flaring after these years. Even if Soldier Boy didn't want to admit it.

Wonder Woman reached Phantom first, dropping to her knees and cupping Phantom's cheeks, "Marie," she whispered, her hands gentle as her thumbs caressed the soft skin of Phantom's cheeks, "Marie, listen to me. It's Diana. It's just me, Marie." she whispered, her voice calm like the nighttime skies. She always had a way of getting through to Phantom.

When Phantom's dimming eyes casted upwards, looking into Wonder Woman's eyes, her eyes had finally reverted back to their original color, "It's just me. We're both here. We're both here and nothing's going to hurt you. Not again." Wonder Woman promised, caressing her cheeks.

Phantom looked up at Wonder Woman before her hands came up, holding onto Wonder Woman's wrists, her hands trembling, "D-Diana?" she questioned softly, looking at the woman she thought was lost forever.

Wonder Woman chuckled and pulled her into a hug, "Hi, Marie." she smiled, resting her chin on top of Phantom's head.

"Diana, holy shit, Diana." Phantom repeated, wrapping her arms around Wonder Woman's torso. She had never expected to see her again. Not again.

After a moment, Phantom slowly pulled away to look at Soldier Boy, "Ben," she whispered, "Ben, I'm really sorry. My head... It's been through enough shit to last me a lifetime, but I'm sorry... I never should have accused you of leaving me behind." she apologized, not sure if Soldier Boy even wanted to hear it.

Phantom was prepared for Soldier Boy to shout, but her body slowly relaxed when Soldier Boy placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, hey," he began, his voice reaching the softness that was only ever reserved for Phantom, "I don't need an apology. We were both trapped in that shithole, but we made it out. We're ok." he assured, patting her shoulder before walking off.

Both Wonder Woman and Phantom watched him walk off, "Is he ok?" Phantom questioned, walking beside Wonder Woman, "I'd like to add another question, what the hell happened to you?" she added with a small chuckle.

She wanted to know everything. She wanted to know the full story behind Wonder Woman's disappearance, knowing how much it rocked and eventually ruined Payback.

"Soon, Marie. For now, I want to ask you something," Wonder Woman said, wrapping her arm around Phantom's shoulders, "Marie Moniclare, would you like to help kill a monster much worse than Vought themselves?" she questioned, making Phantom chuckle, "I honestly thought you'd never ask." she smiled, wrapping her arm around Wonder Woman's waist.

Both Supes walked beside one another, falling into step, looking up when Soldier Boy chuckled, "After all these fucking years. Here I thought I was the only one who didn't age." he smirked, looking at Wonder Woman and Phantom.

His words made Phantom snicker, "You aren't the only one with tricks up their sleeves, but I'm guessing it's only because we were all..." she soon trailed off, not sure if she wanted to complete her sentence.

"Being stuck in a cryostasis chamber will do that to you." Wonder Woman finished, giving Phantom's shoulder a small squeeze.

Phantom sent Wonder Woman a grateful smile, continuing to walk along the dirt and gravel in silence. Everyone was tingling with adrenaline, but the silence was soon interrupted when Phantom suddenly chuckled, "Some things never change." she smiled, noticing something about Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy.

Wonder Woman was holding her shield on her left arm while Soldier Boy held his shield on his right arm. It was a sight that Phantom had grown used to in her time in Payback. It never failed to make her smile.

"SB, since you killed Countess, I'm guessing you're going after the rest of Payback," Phantom began, seeing that Soldier Boy had looked over his shoulder, "I don't have anything better to do. You guys mind if I join in?" she questioned with a small smile.

Soldier Boy and Wonder Woman shared a look. He wasn't even sure if Wonder Woman would join him on his mission of revenge and long-awaited payback.

When their eyes met, Wonder Woman softly smiled before she looked back at Phantom, "Welcome to the team." she chuckled as they continued to walk.

With Phantom back, their chances in taking down Homelander just increased. It was something that brought Wonder Woman peace of mind. Not that they had a better chance of killing Homelander, but that she was safe. She'd continue to be safe.

—————————————

Wonder Woman leaned against the wall while Mel and Milo sat on the edge of the bed. Soldier Boy was too busy, looking at the TV. He was catching up on everything he missed in the forty years he was gone.

"You ok in there?" Mel questioned, looking at the bathroom door when a small thud echoed from inside the bathroom.

Phantom, Wonder Woman, Mel, and Milo had gone out in the morning. For two reasons: One, to loop Phantom into their plan and not Butcher's. It wasn't hard to convince the young Supe. Just the promise that she'd be able to remain awake to experience this new world. And two, to get her out of her gear and into more comfortable clothes.

"I'm fine, just this damn skirt zipper." Phantom answered before the door opened. Wonder Woman looked and smiled, seeing Phantom's outfit.

She seemed to stick with her love for '70s fashion, wearing a burgundy skirt and matching sweatshirt. Balanced on top of her was a red headband. It was like nothing changed with her outfit choices.

Mel and Milo smiled, "Nice outfit, kid." Mel nodded, making Phantom smile as she sat on the bed. It had been a somewhat long night.

While Soldier Boy went out in search of Butcher, the rest of the makeshift group stayed behind to do a bit of research of their own.

By that, they just stayed up, watching nearly every single Disney and Pixar movie they could find. It was fun and something everyone needed after the past few days.

And Phantom or Wonder Woman would never admit their favorites were The Little Mermaid and Toy Story 2.

Neither would Mel and her eternal love for Sleeping Beauty.

Or Milo's hidden love for Enchanted.

"If we're staying here, at least don't be messy. It's just like you were in Payback." Wonder Woman muttered, pushing off the wall when she saw Soldier Boy throw a piece of trash over his shoulder.

Phantom looked towards the door when it suddenly opened and Butcher walked into the room, followed by Hughie. He held a bag of fast food, handing the bag to Soldier Boy.

"You got our shit?" Mel questioned, smiling when Butcher tossed four cartons of chicken tenders. Milo caught them and handed two to Wonder Woman and Phantom.

Phantom smiled, "Thanks." she nodded, glancing at Butcher before curling her fingers. Red wisps curled around a sauce pack, flying into her hands within a blink of an eye. Phantom smiled to herself, handing the sauce to Milo before stealing three more for the rest of them.

Once everyone was about to start eating, Soldier Boy looked up, "Where's the Chop Socky Oriental Sauce?" he questioned, glaring at Hughie when he answered, "They don't have that anymore." the man said, his voice hesitant and anxious.

When Soldier Boy heard Hughie's answer, he scoffed, "Why the fuck not?" the Supe looked back at Phantom when she stood front he edge of the bed, "Probably good reasons, SB." she sighed, patting his shoulder as she grabbed another sauce from the bag.

Wonder Woman chuckled as she set her food down, grabbing hers and Phantom's gear, setting them beside Soldier Boy's.

As everyone ate, they all stopped when Soldier Boy looked back at Butcher, "Did you get the other shit?" he asked, nodding when Butcher pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels and pills from a bag, "Here you go, guv." he said, passing everything to Soldier Boy.

Soldier Boy held the pill bottle, "Man, I missed bennies. It's how we won D-Day, you know. We were wired to the fucking gills." he smirked, placing four pills on the desk and crushing them with the handle of his knife.

As he crushed the pills, Phantom stared at him with a small frown. She averted her eyes and tried to refocus on the chicken tenders.

Wonder Woman noticed and sighed, knowing this might've become Soldier Boy's habit after their disappearances.

But it didn't make it any less disappointing.

Wonder Woman didn't know this version of Soldier Boy. This version of Ben. She didn't know him like this; and it worried her when it came to Phantom's time with him.

"Listen, let's have a little chat about this team-up, yeah?" Butcher suggested, smirking when Soldier Boy looked up, "Yeah, what the hell do I need a team for? The last one handed me to the Reds and now I have the two strongest on my fucking side." he said, using the blade of his knife to organize the crushed pills into lines.

"Not to mention that they gave me up and sent Wonder Woman underground like some fucking popsicle." Phantom said, nodding to Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman looked at Phantom when she heard her language, "Don't tell me Soldier Boy's rubbed off on you so quickly," she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't care if you're now older than sixteen. No cursing, young lady." the Supe lightly scolded, looking back at Butcher.

Butcher's smirk remained, "And we got you out of that little pickle. We wrapped up Crimson Countess and delivered her like a fucking Christmas turkey, and I even sorted Gunpowder for you." he explained, making Wonder Woman look up.

She walked towards him, "You killed him?" she questioned, her tone frantic and shocked, "I thought you said you'd talk to him. What happened to that?" she scoffed while Mel snapped her fingers, "I fucking knew it was you." she smirked while Milo nudged her side.

Phantom looked at Butcher, "You killed Gunpowder? What the hell did he do? You know what? Don't answer that." she soon muttered, setting her food aside with a sudden loss of appetite.

Soldier Boy didn't seem to appreciate the banter, "Why, am I supposed to be impressed with that? That's like killing Emmanuel Lewis." he muttered, leaning down to snort the lines of powdered pills.

Wonder Woman looked away from the sight, noticing that Phantom stared at him with disdain. She didn't know what it meant, almost as if Phantom had seen the sight so many times before.

She was immune to the sight. No longer disappointed or upset. Just numb against the person Soldier Boy had become.

"Hughie." Wonder Woman sighed, seeing that Hughie was trying to lift the shield. But the shield wouldn't budge under Hughie's hold.

"Hands off the fucking shield." Soldier Boy said, unscrewing the cap to the Jack Daniels bottle. He drank for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes when Butcher continued to pitch his little idea, "You want payback on Payback, don't you? Well, it just so happens that we are experts at exterminating shitbag Supes. You see, it's a whole different world out there now, son. We're here to help the lot of you find your way."

Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy shared a look while Phantom, Mel, and Milo shared a look of their own. It seemed like they were still on route with their own plan, "I'm all for you two helping, but–" Wonder Woman began, stopping when Soldier Boy cut her off, "But I can find them on my own."

"That." Wonder Woman said, watching Hughie frown, "Uh, are you sure? I mean, do you know what a GPS is? Or Bluetooth? Or the internet?" he questioned, making the three Supes smirk.

It only took a moment before Phantom chuckled, "You made those words up." she smiled, not believing anything Hughie said was true. Soldier Boy was the same, looking at Phantom with a smirk.

Wonder Woman stared at them before she sighed, knowing they'd have no choice but let Hughie and Butcher help.

Just what she wanted. And just what Phantom wanted too.

Hughie looked at the two Supes, "No. No. No, those are real words and you need those to find them. You need us." he said, looking at Wonder Woman to talk some sense into her friends.

Wonder Woman looked down at Soldier Boy, "Hughie's right, Ben. We need them. I've only been awake for a few days, not to mention you and Phantom have only been here a day. None of us know anything about this place." she argued, her expression hardening when Butcher sat in front of Soldier Boy, "And all we ask in return is that you add one more name to the list."

When Soldier Boy heard his request, "Who?" he asked, nodding when Butcher didn't hesitate to say the name, "A right cunt named Homelander." the man answered, making Mel snicker as she took another bite of the dry chicken tender.

Soldier Boy thought it over until he finally asked, "I've seen pictures. Who is he?" he looked back to Wonder Woman when she muttered that Homelander was the new him.

And that seemed to strike a cord with Soldier Boy.

"No one's the new me. But why him?" Soldier Boy grumbled, ticked that someone would even try to take his place as the greatest Supe in Vought's history.

Butcher shrugged his shoulders, "Let's just say you're not the only one who wants payback." he answered, watching as Soldier Boy leaned back in his seat, "All right. You help me find the rest of my team, and I'll help you with this Homelander."

Just before anyone could come to an agreement, Soldier Boy leaned back down to continue snorting the pills. The sight seemed to be even more disappointing than before.

—————————————

Mel and Milo had to leave in a rush, saying something about some emergency that they needed to take care of.

Butcher had been gone for a few hours, stuck trying to find the address of the TNT Twins. He left Hughie behind with the rest of the group to look after Soldier Boy.

Phantom was sitting in-between Soldier Boy and Wonder Woman, the three Supes watching one of Soldier Boy's many movies.

As the movie continued, Wonder Woman softly chuckled, "If I was there. I would have talked you out of it." she muttered, laughing when Phantom elbowed her side, "Like you tried to talk him out of getting with Countess?" she chuckled, feeling herself brightening when Soldier Boy chuckled at the joke.

Soldier Boy shook his head, chuckling as he sipped more whiskey from a cup that promoted The Seven's new movie, "Those fucking twins. You know they couldn't hit their fucking marks? Fucking unprofessionals is what they are." he said, promoting Hughie to grab the Geiger counter.

While Hughie was concerned with Soldier Boy's radiation levels rising, Phantom and Wonder Woman didn't seem bothered. They stuck by him, never making a move to get up and leave.

Phantom looked at Soldier Boy, "SB, Butcher's gonna find them, don't worry." she coaxed, resisting the urge to scoff when Hughie suggested that the three of them try to get some sleep, "Nah, I've slept enough."

"Tell me about it." Wonder Woman and Phantom sighed in unison. The three Supes looked back at the screen, Phantom tilting her head at the sight of Starlight Diapers, "So, does Vought still own practically everything in the world?" she questioned, nodding when Hughie answered, "That and so much more."

Soldier Boy ignored Hughie's words, "Do men really walk around like that?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief when Hughie answered that dads walked around with their kids.

"Ok, well, Bill Cosby is America's dad, and tell you one thing, he wouldn't be caught dead in that pussy gear." Soldier Boy said, close to getting caught up in another rant.

Wonder Woman shook her head, "Oh dear." she sighed, covering her face with her hand. One of her worst nightmares was coming true. Soldier Boy talking about Bill Cosby.

Soldier Boy chuckled, stirring his drink a bit, "The Cos. That's a real man. Holy shit, did he make some strong drinks." he smiled to himself while Phantom looked at Hughie, "I'm sorry." she said in advance, knowing where these rants often led to.

Wonder Woman felt herself sink deeper into the bed when Soldier Boy got off the bed, "But, seriously, what passes as a man today? Christ on a cross. I read that we were ass up in Afghanistan. The fuck is up with that? Those were the good guys. I mean, when I left, it was, uh... I mean, goddamnit. We were ten and one, you know? I lead the 116th onto Omaha Beach. I was in the fucking Eagle's Nest. I fought for this country. I fought for this country." he whispered to himself, taking an almost desperate sip from his drink.

While Hughie was worried about Soldier Boy exploding again, Phantom and Wonder Woman weren't. Wonder Woman wanted to talk to him. She had been waiting for days, but she couldn;t bring herself to start that conversation that was beginning to weigh down on her shoulders.

The fear of a fight stopped her from even opening her mouth. All Wonder Woman wanted was to talk. Just a few shared words and get a better understanding. A better understanding of each other after all these years.

While Wonder Woman was slowly lost to her own turmoil, Soldier Boy scoffed, "And what did I get for it? Forgotten. Left to rot by my own team." he said, glancing at Wonder Woman and Phantom.

The feeling of his eyes on her made Woman Woman stand, "I'll be back." she said, her skin crawling as she walked out of the room.

She closed the door, standing at the balcony and watching the world go by. Her grip on the railing tightened when the door opened, but it quickly went lax when she heard Phantom's voice, "It's just me." the young Supe said, standing beside her.

"Everything ok?" Phantom asked, leaning against the railing with a small smile. Wonder Woman looked at her and nodded, "I'm ok," she answered, chuckling when Phantom looked unimpressed, "ok, ok, fine. I'm not as ok as I'd like to be. It's just some stuff to do with Soldier Boy. It's really boring." Wonder Woman smirked, knowing Phantom wouldn't fall for it.

And she didn't.

Phantom shook her head, looking at her, "Boring my ass. Anything that's got to do with you and Soldier Boy is always good," she smiled, looking back at the city, "I know things are weird, right now. But they always get better. In some shape or form."

"When'd you get poetic?" Wonder Woman questioned, following Phantom as they walked back to the room.

The Supe shrugged, pulling the door open, "I don't know. I guess I had a lot of time to think in Russia." she answered, following Wonder Woman back inside.

Just as the two of them stepped inside the room, they heard Hughie's voice, "Can I ask you something? What happened in Midtown?" he asked, not paying much attention as Wonder Woman remained against the wall while Phantom sat back on the bed.

"I don't know." Soldier Boy said, shaking his head. His shoulder grew tense as Hughie continued, "I mean, your team wasn't there, so did someone do anything or say something..." he tried to say, stopping when Soldier Boy repeated himself, this time his voice was cold and stern.

It made Hughie stop and back off the subject, not wanting to be another one of his victims in a fiery blast from what seemed to be hell.

Wonder Woman patted Hughie's shoulder before she sat beside Soldier Boy. Once she sat down, he finally sighed, "I blacked out. About ten minutes. When I came to, the damage was done. I didn't mean to hurt those people. I'm not a bad guy." he said, not bothering to look at Hughie, but at Wonder Woman.

They looked into one another's eyes until Hughie whispered, "But that won't happen again... Right?" he asked, his voice hesitate and filled with worry for the future.

Wonder Woman wanted to reassure Hughie that nothing else would happen, but she remained silent. She knew how unpredictable Soldier Boy had become. How angry he had become over the years. Not just in Russia... But even before.

"What happened?" Soldier Boy suddenly asked, making Wonder Woman look up, "What?" she raised an eyebrow, caught off-guard by his sudden question.

The two Supes shared another look before Soldier Boy shook his head, "Fuck it. We need to talk." he said, frowning when Wonder Woman sighed, "Not now. I wanna talk, Ben, I do, but–" she stopped again when Soldier Boy's voice echoed in her head, "Whitney."

Wonder Woman froze at the sound of that name. She hadn't heard that name since... Forever.

Phantom was in shock, staring at them with widened eyes. She only averted her eyes when they all realized Hughie was still in the room, "Whitney? I thought your name was Diana." he said, growing more confused when Wonder Woman chuckled.

Wonder Woman soon nodded, "Wonder Woman. Diana Prince. They're the people I was made to represent. They're characters from a comic brought to life by Vought and myself. My real name is Whitney Monagrey." she explained, reintroducing herself to Hughie.

Hughie remained shocked, not sure how Vought and Wonder Woman were able to keep something so major underwraps.

He only blinked back to reality when Phantom cleared her throat, "Hughie, maybe we should give them a minute." she suggested, getting off the bed and walking back to the door. She wanted to stay. She wanted to stay and learn what happened to her friend, but this conversation needed to start with just two people.

For now.

Once the room was empty, Wonder Woman took a deep breath, "In 1982, I had a mission in... I don't even remember. I've been trying to find it, but it's like it never happened. Vought wiped me out like I never existed... And that goes for everything I fought for. Everything I stood for. All my campaigns and movements. It's gone. Everything is gone."

"Vought sent me on a mission to just get rid of me," Wonder Woman muttered to herself, shaking her head, "Vought buried me because they didn't need me anymore. They didn't need someone like me sticking my nose in places it didn't belong. All they needed was for me to be out so they could bring in more hate and chaos. I was one of the only heroes they had and they got rid of me... Before doing the same to you." she said, looking at Soldier Boy.

Wonder Woman stood from the edge of the bed, grabbing her tiara and turning to Soldier Boy, "This. This doesn't matter to them anymore. It didn't matter back then and it doesn't matter now," she sighed, dropping the tiara onto the bed, "I don't know where I went wrong. I did everything. I tried everything, fighting for people who couldn't. I tried to be someone that people could rely on, but Vought had other ideas."

"From what I remember, it was some mission they posed to be an emergency and I was sent out. Everything's a bit blurry but I remember being attacked. People grabbed me and stuck me in some cryostasis chamber and the rest is history." Wonder Woman sighed, glancing at the ceiling before looking at Soldier Boy.

The two Supes sat in silence until Wonder Woman looked at Soldier Boy, "And you? What happened?" she questioned, her voice soft and understanding that they both came from chambers and betrayed teams.

Soldier Boy remained silent until he finally spoke, "When you missed your check-in, I knew something was wrong... And then you were reported missing. I went crazy, Whitney. I tried to find you on my own. I tried everything and I went everywhere. You were gone. Damnit, I fucking lost you... And then the damn kid." he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Phantom went missing and I had nothing left," Soldier Boy explained with a small shake of his head, "I lost you both and it felt like I lost myself. I started on the drugs. The drinking. Acting like a fucking dick to the rest of the team and everyone around me. I was out of fucking control, then Nicaragua happened. Got betrayed and shipped off. And I'm–" Soldier Boy tried to say, stopping when the door opened.

Phantom followed Butcher and Hughie back inside, "What?" Soldier Boy growled, not happy that someone interrupted their talk.

"Got an address. We're off to Vermont." Butcher said with his usual smirk. While Soldier Boy wasn't happy, he sure as hell got excited at the thought of getting to those TNT Twins.

—————————————

It didn't take long before everyone was ready. Phantom was dressed in her gear, setting her headpiece on top of her head while Wonder Woman stepped out of the bathroom.

She grabbed her shield, setting in on her back and turning when Phantom nudged her. Just when Wonder Woman was going to question her, she saw Butcher and Hughie shooting up with some new substance. She could only imagine that it was Temp. V.

Wonder Woman didn't say anything, seeing Soldier Boy walk out from the bathroom. She grabbed her sword, slipping it into her sheath, "Worse than drugs, maybe." she whispered to the two Supes, following them out to the motel's hallway.