In the light screen video, Vought International's Vice President Madelyn Stillwell was on a call.
After she hung up, she beamed with excitement as she told Homelander that, thanks to the company's maneuvering, they were now just one step away from getting Homelander and Vought's other superheroes officially integrated into the U.S. military.
Not only that, Vought had just secured a multi-billion-dollar arms contract from the Pentagon.
Apparently, Vought's business empire wasn't limited to just managing superhumans—they were neck-deep in the weapons industry too.
Watching this, Hughie speculated,
"I'm guessing this part of the footage happens after the hijacking incident. Homelander's disgusting, fake speech on camera—he gave that to pave the way for this military deal!"
Billy's eyes narrowed, his voice low and grim.
"Those conniving bastards are just about to get what they want."
But Starlight noticed something else.
"Look closely—Homelander doesn't seem all that pleased."
Indeed, in the video, while Madelyn was visibly triumphant, Homelander—seated on the couch—gave a small smile that felt more like a smirk. It was half-hearted and lacked any real enthusiasm.
After everything the Quiz game had revealed about Homelander's past—his double-faced nature and calculated charm—everyone now knew that when he smiled like that, it meant danger.
And Homelander wasn't just indifferent—he brought up something seemingly unrelated.
He looked Madelyn dead in the eyes and asked,
"Do you remember that girl from Sales? No, not Ashley. I'm talking about… Becca."
"Becca? Becca Butcher?" Madelyn's smile faltered, her expression stiffened. "What about her?"
"She disappeared," Homelander said, eyes locked on hers. "I looked at her file. The police said she died by suicide. Her husband—William Butcher—was furious."
Outside the footage, Billy Butcher's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait… Homelander didn't know about Becca disappearing?"
Hughie was equally confused.
"Wasn't he the one who… took her? And didn't he just call you William?"
Starlight raised her hand to interject.
"Hold on. You guys are missing something. If Homelander really didn't know what happened to Becca… why is he suddenly bringing her up and questioning Madelyn? Could it be your actions are what put her back on his radar?"
Billy gave her a sharp look.
"Homelander's no idiot. We killed Translucent—we might've covered our tracks for now, but he's bound to catch on eventually."
But what concerned Billy most… was what really happened to his wife.
Back in the video, Madelyn tried to deflect. She repeated that Becca had simply resigned and left the company. Anything beyond that, she claimed not to know.
But Homelander didn't buy it. And when Madelyn tried to distract him with her usual seductive tactics—something that had always worked before—he coldly brushed her off and walked out.
Something had clearly shifted.
Unable to get answers from her, Homelander sought out someone else: a retired Vought scientist named Dr. Jonah Vogelbaum.
The man was elderly now, but obviously wealthy from his years at Vought, living in a sprawling countryside estate.
What was more telling was the familiarity between him and Homelander—he even called Homelander by his real name: John. Clearly, they had history from before Homelander became the company's star.
They exchanged a few polite greetings before Vogelbaum cut straight to the point.
"I know you're here about Becca Butcher. And yes—I know what happened. I can tell you everything."
Even though he'd retired, it was clear Vogelbaum still had deep connections inside Vought. He already knew that Homelander had asked Madelyn about Becca.
Vogelbaum led Homelander into his home. Inside, old photos showed the two of them together, but the vibe between them wasn't warm. It was tense—awkward even. Like a strained father-son relationship gone sour.
"Eight years ago…" Vogelbaum began.
He explained that after that one night with Becca Butcher, something… unexpected happened.
She got pregnant—with Homelander's child.
Homelander was stunned.
"But I thought I couldn't…"
"I thought so too," Vogelbaum replied, "but nature has a way of surprising us."
The footage then cut to a flashback. Eight years ago, a frightened Becca Butcher—clearly pregnant—was seen rushing into a Vought facility to seek help from Madelyn and Vogelbaum. The embryo inside her glowed faintly through her belly—a clear sign of superhuman development.
Even though he had tried to mentally prepare himself, Billy Butcher watching all this felt like someone had slammed a steel pipe into his skull. He was stunned.
He'd shared years of love, laughter, and intimacy with Becca—and never once had she gotten pregnant.
But Homelander? One time was all it took?!
Billy's face twisted with rage. His fists clenched. Every muscle in his body screamed to leap into the screen and tear Homelander apart.
The others looked at him with sympathy. Deadpool even sighed.
"Damn, bro… and here I thought my life sucked. But this? Your wife getting knocked up by someone else? That's just—well—super tragic. I mean… yeah, super tragic. Totally not green. Nope."
Billy tried to steady his breathing. In his heart, he clung to one belief:
"As long as Becca's alive… it's not over. Nothing else matters—just let her be alive."
But then… the footage continued—and what it showed shattered even that last hope.
Becca went into labor. But due to the baby's unnatural development, the pregnancy was extremely short.
And during childbirth… the superpowered fetus literally ripped open her abdomen from the inside, killing her in the process.
The newborn didn't survive either—it drowned in the pool of blood.
It was a scene so brutal, so gut-wrenching, that even the audience, already hardened by everything they'd seen so far, fell silent.
Billy Butcher's eyes nearly popped from his skull.
"No! No way! Becca can't be dead! She's not dead—she's not!"
He screamed in raw anguish.
For all these years, he had refused to give up hope. While everyone—Becca's parents, her friends, her colleagues—had long since accepted she was gone, Billy had kept searching.
Finding her had become his obsession. His purpose.
But now, faced with this undeniable, brutally graphic footage—the image of his wife screaming in pain, dying in agony—Billy felt his heart being ripped apart.
The pain… was unbearable.
"No… No… Becca…"
His voice broke.
Pain. Pure, soul-crushing pain.
___
🎉 Shoutout to Cherry Man! 🎉
A huge thank you to Cherry Man! for joining my Patreon and supporting the journey! Your support means a lot and helps keep the chapters coming faster. Welcome to the VIP club! 🙌✨