𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐀 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧?

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After Herogasm, Mel and Milo picked everyone up and drove them back to Legend's condo in the city. Everyone was grateful that Legend let them stay for the foreseeable future... But Mel assured the man they'd be gone in a few days.

It was in the late morning that Wonder Woman walked out to the front room of his condo. She sighed when she caught sight of Phantom, Mel, Milo, and Legend watching reruns of Soldier Boy's movies.

She stood beside Phantom, shaking her head as Soldier Boy sang about marrying a woman uglier than others, "Why are you watching this?" she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because it's pure comedy." Mel answered, leaning into Milo's side while Phantom snickered, "It's just so horrible... But he was so excited about it." she laughed, making Legend chuckle, "Looked like a damn kid in a candy shop when we pitched him the idea."

Wonder Woman shook her head as they laughed, walking from the group to head down the hall. She smiled when she walked past Hughie, but the smile faded when she stopped in front of a picture in the hall.

It was at some movie premiere in the '80s. Wonder Woman tilted her head, seeing herself posing with Soldier Boy and Phantom.

To Wonder Woman, it only seemed like that premiere was only from a year ago, but to the rest of the world. It was over forty years ago.

"I remember that one." Phantom suddenly said, making Wonder Woman turn, "Yeah? It was the night you "accidentally" drank two glasses of champagne." she smirked, looking down at Phantom.

Phantom rolled her eyes with a playful smile, "Moving on." she chuckled, looking to the side when Butcher walked towards them, "Is he still at it?" he questioned, his tone sharp and impatient.

The two Supes looked at Butcher before Phantom shrugged, "I don't know. Go check," she said, her tone just as blunt, "I thought Mel was going to check on him." she said, following the couple down to the guest rooms.

"Holy shit." Milo whispered, shaking his head and turning away when he saw the housekeepers mastrabating to the sight of Soldier Boy doing the same.

Wonder Woman instantly stopped and blocked Phantom from seeing, "Oh for—Phantom. Out." she said, her tone sharp and blocking out any argument.

Phantom groaned but she walked out of the room, complaining she never got to have any fun. Mel was quick to block the door, grimacing when Soldier Boy looked over his shoulder, "Oh, good. Lube? Huh? Come on, I can't go in them raw." he explained as if it was no big deal.

"Ben, please, no eye contact." Wonder Woman sighed, holding a hand to her forehead. She shook her head when Soldier Boy looked at her, keeping eye contact, "Whitney, listen, these women, they're like fine wine. The older they get, the more delicious, but the drier." he smirked, making Mel gag while Milo shook his head, "I'm gonna be sick." he covered his mouth, rushing out of the room and to the bathroom.

The conversation finally ended when Legend walked into the room, "Mary, Lucille, come on, chop-chop. Break time's over. That shag's not gonna vacuum itself." he said, watching the women grab their clothes and leave the room.

"First of all, I can never fire those girls now, thank you. And second of all, this bed has seen two Jacklyns. You know that? Smith and Bisset. You're treating it like a Reno cathouse." Legend scolded while Wonder Woman noticed Soldier Boy wearing a kimono, "That was mine. You gave him my kimono?" she questioned, looking at Legend with narrowed eyes.

Soldier Boy gave her a wink, taking another hit off his joint. Which only made Wonder Woman more confused. She had no idea where Soldier Boy got the joint in the first place, but her question was answered when she took one look at Butcher.

The man was smirking and seemed to think he had everything under control. Wonder Woman felt her hands clenched into fists before Butcher spoke, "You have me search 11 of Mindstorm's last-knowns. So far, I've had a look at three and found fuck all. I'm chasing me fucking tail here, mate." he sighed, looking at Soldier Boy.

The Supe only smiled, "Sounds like that's three down and eight to go." he nodded while Butcher shook his head, "Yeah, that's gonna take weeks, and weeks I don't got." he argued while Wonder Woman crossed her arms over her chest, "Ben, there has to be something more useful." she sighed, looking up when Milo and Mel walked back into the room.

Milo was pale and Mel was rubbing his back with a gentle hand, "Mindstorm's paranoid." Mel said, looking at Butcher.

Soldier Boy nodded, walking towards the group, "He bought up all these run-down cabins all over the place. He's Howard Hughes without the piss jars. He's batshit crazy." he muttered, taking another hit off his joint.

Everyone turned when Legend shook his head, "Mindstorm's not crazy. He's bipolar." he said, still checking over the sheets.

"Does he take meds for it?" Hughie questioned, looking at Butcher when Legend answered yes. Milo seemed to catch on, snapping his fingers, "Lithium prescriptions aren't that common." he said, making Hughie nod, "Maybe if we look at the cabins and we..." he trailed off when Butcher finished the idea with a smirk, "Check the local pharmacies. Nice one, Hughie."

Mel patted Hughie's shoulder while Soldier Boy nodded to his joint, "We're gonna need more reefer." he said with a smile, taking another hit.

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"Mel and Milo couldn't come why?" Phantom questioned, standing beside Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy while Butcher opened the trunk of his car.

Wonder Woman chuckled as she grabbed her shield and sword from the trunk, "They were busy." she said, not knowing what the couple had been up to as of late.

Phantom simply nodded before she looked at Soldier Boy, "This is where he is?" she questioned, turning to look at the trees.

Soldier Boy didn't answer, but he looked up when Butcher sighed, "Do you mind telling us what we're walking into here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when Soldier Boy grabbed his own shield, "All you got to know is, if he tries to make eye contact with you, close your eyes."

His words made Wonder Woman and Phantom, knowing the full extent of Mindstorm's abilities, but Hughie and Butcher were lost on the information, "Or what?"

"Just don't make eye contact, ok?" Phantom said, looking at Hughie with a stern gaze, "Mindstorm's no Betty White, don't look in his eyes." she added, not breaking eye contact with Hughie.

Phantom looked back at Soldier Boy, stifling a small chuckle when he looked at Wonder Woman and winked. High Soldier Boy was fun. She thought to herself.

Wonder Woman stared at Soldier Boy with a small chuckle, "Why did you buy him weed?" she questioned, shaking her head when Butcher chuckled, "Better high than mental." he explained, making Phantom scoffed, "Sure, the high takes the edge off his PTSD, but it's gonna make him go "mental" much faster." she retorted, coping Butcher's cockney accent.

"Fuckin' prick." Butcher muttered under his breath as he grabbed his and Hughie's bag.

Soldier Boy looked at Wonder Woman, nodding towards her leg, "How's the leg?" he questioned, making Wonder Woman look down at the once injured leg, "Better. Not even a scar." she smiled while Phantom looked at Soldier Boy with a frown.

All she stared at was the joint in his hand. Wonder Woman noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder, silently reassuring her, but it didn't do much good. Wonder Woman was just as worried as Phantom.

"Don't." Soldier Boy muttered, walking away from the two Supes. Phantom rolled her eyes, "I didn't say anything." she called, following behind.

Not a moment went by before Soldier Boy suddenly turned, "What'd you say?" he asked, a paranoid look in his eyes.

Wonder Woman shook her head, "No one said anything." she answered, sharing a look with Phantom when Soldier Boy turned away once more.

"No more weed." Phantom whispered, looking back at Butcher. She couldn't help but chuckle when Butcher nodded, "You might be right." he agreed, looking at Wonder Woman when she motioned to his and Hughie's ears, "I think your brains are bleeding." she said, continuing to walk.

But the small moment of banter soon exploded. Literally.

Wonder Woman yelped as she and Phantom were sent flying through the air, along with the rest of the group.

Phantom got knocked into a tree while Wonder Woman went through another tree. Both Supes groaned but they forced themselves up when they heard Hughie scream Butcher's name.

"Holy shit." Phantom groaned, holding her side while Wonder Woman kneeled beside Hughie, seeing that Butcher was unconscious. Thanks to Mindstorm.

Wonder Woman tried to console Hughie, but she glared at Soldier Boy when he walked over, "Fucking freak slipped away. He's gonna pick us off one by one." he cursed while Wonder Woman shook her head, ignoring him, "He'll be alright, Hughie. We're gonna wake him."

"He's gone." Soldier Boy said just as quickly, making Phantom hit his shoulder, "Shut the hell up. You're freaking him out." she hissed, frowning when Hughie began to freak out more, "What did Mindstorm do?!" he questioned, his voice growing higher and more pitched.

Soldier Boy didn't pay him much attention, kneeling down to grab whatever guns he could, "If it's his usual MO, trapped him in an endless nightmare till he dies of terminal dehydration." he gruffly explained, not making it any better on Hughie.

"No, there's got to be a way we can wake him up." Hughie panicked while Phantom kneeled beside Butcher, "Maybe." she breathed, placing her hands against Butcher's temples.

Her eyes fell shut as she attempted to free Butcher form Mindstorm's hold. Red wisps entered Butcher's skin, hints of red underneath his skin and in his mind.

Phantom curled her fingers before pulling away with a hiss, "Goddamnit, fucking creep!" she groaned, rubbing the back of her head with a pained sigh, "Mindstorm's blocking me out from his head. I had to see his dick." she sighed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Mindstorm put him into this. He can snap him out. But he's about to be dead." Soldier Boy while Hughie quickly stood from the ground, "Wait, wait, just hang on. If we grab Mindstorm, we make him help Butcher—" his idea was immediately shot down by Soldier Boy, "No way."

Hughie was quick to follow after Soldier Boy, "And then, and then you can kill him, then you can go to town on him. I don't give a fuck." he said, his voice frantic and desperate to help Butcher.

"If you're gonna act hysterical, I'm gonna slap you like I'm Connery. Now, unless you want to end up like your friend there, it ain't worth the risk. Look, chin up, ok? Deal's a deal. You help me finish this, I'll kill Homelander. Butcher would have given up his life for that in a heartbeat. So, we doing this or not?" Soldier Boy questioned, looking at Hughie with expectant eyes.

Wonder Woman stepped towards Hughie while Phantom balanced Butcher's head on top of a discarded bag, "It'll be ok, Hughie. We're gonna find a way." she assured, not wanting to leave Butcher or Hughie behind.

Hughie looked at Wonder Woman with an unsure smile and a quick nod of his head, but he turned to Soldier Boy when he held his hand up, "Ah. Do you hear that?" he said, stopping once more.

"There's nothing, SB." Phantom sighed, still rubbing the back of her head. Hughie nodded as he stopped behind Soldier Boy, "You might want to lay off the weed, huh?" he muttered, looking at the Supe.

"And you might want to gargle my ball sack." Soldier Boy retorted, walking away. Wonder Woman shook her head while Phantom gagged, "Fucking disgusting." she rolled her eyes, following after the group.

The group had only walked for a few minutes before Soldier Boy chuckled, "Still can't believe this shit legal. I locked up so many assholes for it back in the day," he smirked, stopping when he "heard" something, "what the fuck did you say?" he questioned, looking at the group.

Phantom raised an eyebrow, "Nothing?" she shrugged, frowning when she saw how anxious Hughie looked, peering over his shoulder and trying to find someone.

All it did was make Soldier Boy sigh, "Jesus. How hard? How hard did Butcher suck your dick that you miss that much? His mouth must feel like a Hoover Deluxe." he smirked, making Wonder Woman grimace while Phantom gagged, "Fucking sick." she coughed.

"God, every single thing you say is so gross. He saved me, ok? More than once. I owe him." Hughie defended while Soldier Boy scoffed, "Oh, bullshit. You're on a mission. You get the job done. Ok. I stormed Normandy. I fought the Nazis," Soldier Boy explained, looking at Hughie in the eyes, "you want to know what I do when I'm sad or scared? Fucking nothing. 'Cause I'm not a fucking pussy."

Before Wonder Woman could attempt to diffuse the situation, she stopped when Hughie decided to be bold, "You didn't storm shit. Your whole Marlboro Man act? It's fucking crap. And I—" he was cut off with his own cry.

Of course Soldier Boy just had to punch him.

"Ben!" Wonder Woman shouted, stepping forward while Phantom held Hughie up, "Holy shit, are you ok?" she questioned, examining any damage done.

Soldier Boy didn't blink an eye, "I warned you." he said, not bothering to hear a response since he turned away without another word, but Wonder Woman followed after him, "You're gonna break his nose if you do it again." she frowned, shaking her head when Soldier Boy shrugged, "The little fucker got annoying." he responded, nonchalant.

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The group had made their way through the trees and hills, making it out to an isolated road. Well, not completely isolated. A priest and nun seemed to be having car trouble.

It didn't take long before Soldier Boy, Wonder Woman, and Phantom realized the two of them were under Mindstorm's control. But Hughie didn't seem to know.

Wonder Woman and Phantom smiled while Soldier Boy stepped forward, "You folks need some help? It's not safe. There's a fugitive in the area. You should get out of here before you get hurt." he instructed with his charming smile.

The priest chuckled, looking around, "We can't. I don't suppose any of you know engines?" he questioned, smiling when Soldier Boy nodded, "I'll have a look."

While Soldier Boy checked the car's engine, Wonder Woman and Phantom stood beside Hughie. They both seemed to sense that Hughie would have a definite fit about what was going to happen.

"Where are you two headed?" Phantom questioned, sporting her million-dollar smile. She remained unmoved while the priest shared a look with the nun, "We're just on our way to a Samaritan's Embrace retreat over there in Danville." he answered before a bullet was put between his eyes.

Phantom held Hughie back while Wonder Woman stepped towards the nun, seeing blood splatters all over the woman's face.

While Hughie was screaming in terror, Phantom was trying to calm him down, "It's Mindstorm! He's got them under control!" she shouted over Hughie's screams before Wonder Woman shoved them both out of the way.

The nun screamed as she tackled Wonder Woman, "Die, you fucking bitch!" she screamed as they both fell to the ground.

Wonder Woman grunted, rolling around while Soldier Boy pointed the gun at the nun's head, "A little help would be nice!" she called, holding the nun down by pressing her forearm into her neck.

"He can't," Phantom said, ignoring Hughie's screams and attempts to calm Soldier Boy down by telling him he had PTSD, "Hughie's enlightening him about PTSD." she sighed, holding her hands out and curling her fingers.

The nun's screams were cut short when the skin of her head and face were pulled from her skull, splitting her head in two.

Wonder Woman stood from the ground, looking at Hughie with a sympathetic smile, "Sorry, Hughie." she sighed, wiping the blood from off his cheek.

"Uh, I'm just really done with this Exorcist shit." he admitted, looking at Soldier Boy when the Supe stood over the two bodies, "What's black and white and red all over? First off, I don't have shell shock. Fuck you. Second, this is what I'm talking about. This is being a soldier." he explained, grabbing his gun and walking back into the lush growth of trees.

Phantom looked at Hughie, patting his shoulder, "Don't worry, he's a hardass, but he just doesn't want to admit it." she softly smiled, following after Wonder Woman.

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It didn't take long before they made it to a warehouse in a space free of any trees. It was surrounded with wind chimes, all of them blowing in the gentle breeze.

Wonder Woman shared a look with Soldier Boy, noticing how his breath deepened and slowed. As if he had prepared for this exact moment all those years ago.

Phantom had the same thought, following them inside the beaten down warehouse. Everything was covered in tarps and different rat traps.

It was somewhere Mindstorm would definitely hide out in.

Wonder Woman held her shield, making sure Hughie was in-between her and Phantom. She saw Phantom's eyes glow red, anticipating the fight Mindstorm would eventually put up.

Everyone was on edge. Soldier Boy being the most paranoid out of everyone.

As they continued through the warehouse, Phantom caught sight of a bed in the corner of the space. Soldier Boy saw the bed and instantly stopped, holding his gun against his chest.

While Soldier Boy allowed Hughie to see the bed, Wonder Woman and Phantom noticed Mindstorm crouching in the corner of the warehouse.

Wonder Woman stared at Mindstorm's hunched figure. She didn't see the same person she once did in Payback.

All she saw was a frightened man. A man who was scared of his past and knew of the consequences it'd bring.

Wonder Woman looked over her shoulder to see Hughie. She looked in his eyes before nodding towards Mindstorm.

When Hughie saw the Supe, he looked back to Wonder Woman, noticing the pleading look in her eyes. Take him away. Please. She said through the intense gaze of her eyes.

Hughie seemed to understand, nodding in agreement as he readied himself to teleport.

Wonder Woman was quick to grab Phantom, covering her eyes when Hughie teleported, leaving his clothes behind.

Both Supes watched as Hughie grabbed Mindstorm, teleporting once more. Wonder Woman took a deep breath, letting go of Phantom to turn back to Soldier Boy.

"Holy shit." Phantom chuckled, seeing the pile of clothes. She looked at Soldier Boy when he was already running out of the warehouse, "Come on!" he shouted, not waiting for the other two Supes.

As they ran past the trees and hills, Phantom shook her head, "I can get there faster." she said, holding her hands out and lifting herself into the air.

Phantom flew through the sky, trying to find where Hughie might've taken Mindstorm, but she only had one place in her mind.

Butcher.

Once Phantom saw Butcher, she dropped herself to the ground, landing with a small grunt. She stood, raising an eyebrow when she saw Butcher was awake while Hughie and Mindstorm were dressed in new clothes.

Before Phantom could question anyone, she looked at Mindstorm when he shook his head, "What the fuck is happening?" he questioned, looking at Phantom as if she were a ghost.

"Hi, Dan." Phantom smiled, looking at Mindstorm with softening eyes. Mindstorm was always someone who seemed to understand the heavy price of mind-reading abilities.

The pain and paranoia is brought.

Phantom's smile was replaced with horror when a knife suddenly pierced the skin around Mindstorm's eye and through the eye, all together.

She quickly stepped back, seeing Wonder Woman and Soldier Boy arrive between the trees and over the hills.

Phantom watched with battered breath as Soldier Boy kneeled above Mindstorm, beating him until he wrapped a sheet around his neck and face.

No one made a move to stop, knowing Soldier Boy had waited all these years to find Mindstorm and kill him. But it didn't make it any easier on Wonder Woman and Phantom.

When Soldier Boy didn't pull away or give Mindstorm space to explain himself, Wonder Woman went to step forward. She only stopped when Phantom held onto her forearm, looking up at Wonder Woman with worried eyes.

Phantom didn't want anything to happen to Wonder Woman. Even if Soldier Boy wouldn't be able to do real damage to her, it never failed to scare Phantom.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Hughie suddenly shouted, trying to find a way to stop Soldier Boy. He didn't know what to expect, but a punch from Soldier Boy wasn't one of them.

Phantom gasped when Soldier Boy's punch sent Hughie through the air. She quickly held her hand out, a cloud of red breaking Hughie's fall. She set him down with a gentle thud, looking back at Soldier Boy with glowing eyes.

Wonder Woman walked towards Soldier Boy, shoving his shoulder, "Don't do anything you'll regret. You're outnumbered in this situation. Hughie was only doing the right thing... I told him to do it." she explained, standing her ground when Soldier Boy glared at her.

"Why the fuck would you do that?" Soldier Boy questioned, his voice cold and threatening. Wonder Woman wasn't afraid, "We need answers. Actual answers and extra information. Not you killing them moments before we get anything." she argued, rolling her eyes when Soldier Boy got back on top of Mindstorm.

When Soldier Boy was back over Mindstorm, he smirked, "Hiya, Dan." he greeted, nodding when Mindstorm shook his head from underneath the sheet, "It's not what you think. It wasn't my idea." he quickly said, trying to defend himself.

But Soldier Boy didn't seem to care, "Oh, I know. It was Noir's, but how does that work, huh? 'Cause no way he makes a fucking move without Vought." he growled, his eyes narrowing when Mindstorm tried to explain himself again, "They gave him the green light." the Supe cried, terrified of what Soldier Boy might do.

"Are you ok?" Phantom questioned, looking at Hughie as she helped him stand, "Yeah, yeah, I'm ok, thanks." he nodded, looking at Soldier Boy when the Supe pulled back from Mindstorm, "What?! That's impossible!" he shouted, his voice filled with anger and denial.

Before Wonder Woman could try and stop him, she gasped when Soldier Boy lifted his shield and began to beat the gold into Mindstorm's face. He didn't bother giving him another chance to say anymore of his potential lies.

Phantom watched, unable to pull her eyes away from the brutal sight. She finally looked away when Wonder Woman physically moved her, holding the back of her head.

Wonder Woman held Phantom against her chest, shielding Phantom from the sight and forcing herself to watch another one of her teammates die.

When Soldier Boy finally pulled away, he walked past the group and back to the car. Wonder Woman watched him go before rubbing Phantom's back, "Come on, sweetheart, let's go." she whispered, gently pulling Phantom as they followed behind the Supe.

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Everyone was finally back in Legend's condo. Hughie was puking in the bathroom, Butcher had locked himself in the game room the moment they made it back, and Wonder Woman was asleep on the couch.

She was still dressed in her fear, collapsing on the couch after the day she had. Having to watch Soldier Boy kill Mindstorm with brutality and rage. It was something Wonder Woman never expected.

Phantom and Wonder Woman hated leaving his body to rot, but they didn't have the energy to go back and give him a proper burial. Both Supes wanted to ignore the world for a few hours.

And Phantom?

Phantom was sitting on the ground, beside Wonder Woman's spot on the couch. Her knees were pulled to her chest while a cartoon was playing on a low volume.

She watched the screen with curious eyes, seeing a dog swim through outer space. She didn't even bother to look up when Soldier Boy walked into the room.

"What the hell is that?" Soldier Boy questioned, softly groaning as he lowered himself to sit beside Phantom.

Phantom glanced at him, quickly looking back and frowning when the small dog hugged her stuffed bunny before letting go, "Um, it's some show called Bluey. I just turned it on and it was there," she answered, wiping the tears from off her cheeks, "everything ok? You look stressed."

She could see Soldier Boy's shoulder deflate after hearing her words, "Yeah, I'm fine," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "listen, kid, about today..." he soon trailed off when Phantom shook her head, "It was shitty," she sighed, "I'm not gonna lie, it was insanely shitty... But what did Dan tell you?"

Soldier Boy saw Phantom's frown, but he shook his head, "The same type of bullshit excuse." he muttered, looking back at the screen.

Same type of bullshit excuse. Phantom thought to herself, looking back at the screen, "Ok, just making sure." she softly smiled, watching the cartoon continue.

Of course she didn't believe a word he said.

As the two Supes sat in silence, Phantom tried to keep herself in check, but she could only resist for so long.

Phantom cleared her mind as she began to take a peek inside Soldier Boy's mind. His thoughts and memories were heavily guarded by barbed wire and painful memories that seemed to be burned through his skull.

While Phantom searched through the suppressed emotions and memories, she caught sight of the frightened little boy Soldier Boy was. The one who wanted to be loved and no longer viewed as a disappointment.

Echoed words of a man calling Soldier Boy a disappointment and telling him that he had no worth in the world.

Through the painful words and phrases, Phantom was able to see flashing images of Wonder Woman and herself. They were smiling and seemed to be the only happiness Soldier Boy truly had.

Phantom continued search, digging through the pain and trauma of Russia. She only stopped when she reached something new.

Homelander's my fucking son.

The new piece of information forced Phantom out of his mind, trying to make it seem like she wasn't losing her mind in the moment.

Her heart was beating against her ribs while her mind was running a mile a minute. Phantom tried to piece everything together, but nothing made sense.

Or maybe it did and Phantom was in denial.

And denial was something Phantom had a lot of experience with.

Either way, it was information Phantom didn't see coming. And it was something Phantom knew she'd need to tell Wonder Woman, along with everyone else.

Because if Soldier Boy really was Homelander's father, that'd definitely throw a wrench in their original plans.

And it'd be something Mel would have a kick at.