If you and M.M. still think–
BButcher
Oh, for fuck's sakes, Hughie. Knock it off with this V1 shite! You're doin' me fuckin' head in! [sees his dog Terror eating out of the trash] Oi, Terror. Cut it out. Come on. [to Hughie] Now, listen. If we do find that stuff, we're not makin' any fuckin' vaccines out of it, alright? We're not the department of fuckin' health. We burn that shit before Homelander gets his paws on it, and that's that.
Well, if you wanna kill yourself, knock yourself out, but why do you have to decide for the rest of us?
BButcher
Oh, 'cause I'm fuckin' right! 'Cause I've always been right! I've been tellin' you lot from the fuckin' start the sky is fallin', and guess what? The sky fuckin' fell.
Well, you kinda helped bring it down.
BButcher
Oh, don't give me that bollocks. Listen, Homelander thinks he's a fuckin' god. Once he becomes immortal, he's gonna start killin' like one, and we are talkin' millions of people. Now, are you tellin' me you're honestly happy to risk all of that for a life on the run with your girl, knowin' that you could've stopped it? You can live with that, can ya?
What if it was Becca? You'd just let her die?
BButcher
…I did let her die.
Look… I know that Homelander comes first. I really do. All I'm asking is that we try. Annie and Kimiko deserve that much.
[Butcher tries to call Bombsight using one of his old phone numbers, but gets a fax machine instead]
MSMother's Milk
That a fuckin’ fax machine?
BButcher
Yeah, it’s the last of the numbers she had for him. [to Golden Geisha] Oi. Twenty-three fuckin' numbers you had for Bombsight, and they’re all fuckin' shite?
GGGolden Geisha
Do you know how to delete them? I was telling you the truth. I have no idea where Bombsight is, or how to reach him. So just let me go.
BButcher
Kimiko, keep an eye on her.
[Frenchie joins Butcher and M.M. on their way back to their hideout]
MSMother's Milk
The fuck do we do now?
BButcher
Fetch us some pliers and put the screws to her. She knows more than she’s lettin’ on.
[They open the door to their hideout and walk inside]
Or she doesn’t. I’m sorry, but she’s not that good of an actress.
He’s right. [sarcastically when M.M. and Frenchie aim their guns at her] Ooh, I know. The villain switching sides in the final hour. What a twist, a shock that never happens. But unclench those assholes, fellas. I’m here to help. I’m a free agent now. I came alone. You can shoot me in the heart whenever you like.
BButcher
That’s a good idea. [takes out and cocks his gun]
That would go against our mutual interest.
Stopping a petulant, laser-eyed narcissist from also becoming immortal. I want him dead as much as you do.
MSMother's Milk
You spent the last couple of years building Homelander up, and now you wanna tear him down? Why the fuck should we trust you?
You can’t trust me. Honestly, you shouldn’t, but you will.
And why would we do that?
I know Campbell and Starlight are headed to plant your little virus. You can trace anyone, if you know what to look for. And you baboons, you leave a trail of banana peels wherever you go. I could have stopped you, I could have killed you... but I didn’t.
BButcher
That virus is gonna wipe out the fuckin’ lot of ya. And you don’t strike me as the suicide type.
I will be in my nice, quiet bunker, reading Wittgenstein in peace. That is, unless that bleached blonde baby gets his hands on V1 and survives. You must have realized by now Granny out there has no clue how to contact Bombsight, but I do. And I can get him here. So... let me help.
[Homelander finds Soldier Boy with the V1 syringe he received from Bombsight. The Boys and Sister Sage watch them from the nearby woods.]
Don't. I don't wanna fight you.
[looks down at the syringe] You know, Clara used to say the craziest shit. That I was the strongest Supe alive, the ultimate expression of what we could be... but she was wrong. [pause] She hadn't met you yet.
[Soldier Boy offers the syringe to Homelander, who accepts it]
I don't understand. He wasn't supposed to... It's impossible.
I love her more... and this is what she would want.
[Homelander lasers his left arm and injects the V1 into his wound. His eyes immediately start flickering and he kneels on the ground in pain. The Boys watch in horror as Homelander screams and shoots powerful lasers into the sky.]
[Hughie sees Kimiko suffering from radiation exposure inside a homemade uranium chamber while Butcher and Frenchie watch]
What the fuck is going on in here?
BButcher
[to Frenchie] The second she's ready, we go the next dose, alright?
"Next dose?" Are you kidding?! Look at her! What are you doing?
BButcher
Plan fuckin' B, my son. If at first you don't succeed, find another hole to fuck. See, Soldier Boy's flashy tіt blast got me thinkin', he–he weren't born with that power. The Ivans gave it to him through a consistent application of scientific methodology.
They threw an atom bomb worth of radiation at him.
BButcher
Right. So, usin' the research we nicked from 'em a few donkeys back, me and Frenchie are doin' the same thing to Kimiko. She gets Soldier Boy's power, she tіt-blasts Homelander, bees and fuckin' honey.
So when we kept asking what you two were up to, and you kept saying, "Mind your fuckin' business, cunt," it was this?
Butcher, this is... the most insane-ass shit I ever heard. In a few weeks, you're gonna somehow do what it took the Russians over a decade?
BButcher
Yeah, 'cause unlike the Ivans, we got us a livin', breathin' supercomputer bunked down in student services.
Sage? All she does is self-medicate and binge Love Island. This could fucking kill Kimiko. Frenchie…
Fuck Butcher. Who cares what he wants?
[Kimiko coughs and stumbles out of the uranium chamber]
Not Butcher. [panting heavily] Me. It's my call.
Oh Father's up to something big at Vought Studios, but we don't know what. Could be a trap.
BButcher
[to Frenchie] You stay here with Kimiko and Sage. We'll bust into the studio, nab the holy twat, stomp on his bollocks till he gives us Homelander's next move. And then I'll do the cunt and we'll call it an honest day's work, yeah?
No. Quit acting like we're going on a milk run. It's over. [voice breaking] We lost.
BButcher
[beat] Posh Spice was easily the most shit member of the squad. Could barely sing or dance. No discernible talent whatsoever. Wasn't even featured on "Wannabe", but did that stop her? No. You look at her now... still married with Becks. Fifteen engagement rings, 32 Vogue covers, inducted by Prince William into the Order of the bloody British Empire. Even I doubted her move into women's apparel, but her line is a staple at Paris fuckin' Fashion Week. You see, despite her obvious disadvantages–includin' a tragic inability to smile–she never gave up, and we ain't givin' up either.
MSMother's Milk
[shakes his head] Your fuckin' pep talks.
BButcher
Ah, bollocks. That was a fuckin' knockout.
[Butcher and Hughie are captured by a psychic shapeshifter named Synapse]
SSynapse
How are you two feeling?
BButcher
Why don't you just fuck off outta my head and I'll tell ya.
SSynapse
I already know. You wanna rip me in two, which makes me a tiny bit erect, not gonna lie. But believe me… I'd rather not be in that rat's nest of yours. So much pain, regret and abject failure. Like with this fucking guy.
[Synapse's body twitches as he transforms into Joe Kessler]
SKSynapse/Kessler
[chuckles; sighs] I got a little bit of an erection myself. You miss me?
BButcher
He ain't real. He's just fuckin' with us.
SKSynapse/Kessler
Come on, man. [to Hughie] Joseph Alan Kessler. I served with Bill. Actually, you know what? More than that. Billy and I… [makes a hand heart gesture] we were besties. See, the problem you're having is that curdled cottage cheese you got inside your skull that remembers me as being some sort of a sociopath head case. That hurts my feelings, Billy. It’s not true. That wasn’t me. No, that was always you. You know, sometimes, Billy’d get real friggin’ blitzed. All quiet and sullen. And then he’d admit that he had this darkness inside of him. A shark that couldn’t stop. [pause] You see, Billy had no conscience. So, I was there to be that for him. Pull him back when he went too far. [to Butcher] Does that ring any bells?
BButcher
Just ignore him, Hughie. It’s just psyops bollocks. That’s all. Just bollocks.
SKSynapse/Kessler
Do you remember when the night finally came to cash that check? Panjshir Valley. We were there to take out this mid-level ISIS clown. Billy got us into the compound. The problem is that we got this call that this asshat had a hundred men that were minutes behind us. Now, any sane command leader, they’d pull their men out. Make sure they were safe. But not Billy, no. See, Billy got that little glint in his eye. Wouldn’t give the order, so I got in his face. I screamed at him, "The target’s not worth it. The target wasn’t worth it!" [beat] Nothing, so I popped him one. Smacked him right there on the forehead, got him this sweet little scar you see. But Billy? Well, Billy didn’t budge. No. And sure as shit… we were surrounded. Good news is that old Butcher, he got his target. The issue was that Billy was the only member of the unit to walk out of there alive. So, he will ask you to pull him back. But the truth of the matter is, is you are fucked when you get in his way. Lot of dead canaries in old Billy Butcher’s coal mine. Anyway… Good luck with that, Hughie.
BButcher
Why don’t you just piss off, you fuckin' nonce? We ain’t tellin' you shite.
SKSynapse/Kessler
You don’t have to tell me “shite.” I know everything. I’ve been inside your cassava the whole fucking time. I’ve just been distracting you. Let’s see, Sage is in an abandoned school in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Kimiko? Seriously? You’re gonna saddle her with Soldier Boy’s power blast? Are you fucking insane? [laughs] Homelander is gonna love this shit. Alright, boys. I’ll see you soon.
[Homelander gives his Easter address from the Oval Office and begins reading from a teleprompter]
My fellow Americans... Happy Easter. A day commemorating Jesus, who, as we all know, was tortured, stripped of his dignity and killed. And that's all well and good... but you're Americans. You deserve a God who doesn't die. A God who fights back. A God you can believe in. Well, today, I bring you good news. Recently, I was visited by an exquisite angel bearing the gift of revelation. As I bathed in her light, her heavenly lips spilled sweet truth into my ear, and I was awakened to my true purpose. Not just to be the world's greatest hero but to save all humanity. To be... the second coming. But in a way, really, I'm the first coming. America... I am the Lord. Your savior. I am your God. And as such, I'm going to usher this world into a new, golden dawn. An age in which your God moves among you, seen and heard. Your prayers are truly answered when you visit "homelander.church." And all I ask for in return… I simply ask that you open your hearts and put your faith in me. Those who accept my truth will be welcomed into a land of milk and honey. For I am your Fa…
[Homelander stares blankly at the teleprompter when he sees the word "Father"]
I am… [beat] But no matter what I do, some of you people will never accept me into your hearts. Never love me. Never believe in me. And to such heretics, I offer oblivion. And those who seek to destroy me, you will die the most horrible of deaths, as befits your wickedness. My reign will last forever, and when this world is cold and dead, I shall remain. Eternal. God of the ashes.
[Butcher and Kimiko suddenly break into the Oval Office]
BButcher
Evening, cunts. Daddy's home.
William… I was starting to think you weren't gonna hold up your end of our deal.
[pause; grins] A shame about the French one. How's your little science experiment going without him?
[Homelander is now at Butcher's mercy after losing his powers]
BButcher
Shock and awe, my son. Blood and fuckin' bone.
[Homelander silently panics before charging toward Butcher, who grabs Homelander's fist with his left hand and punches him three times with the other. Butcher grabs Homelander again and prepares to land another punch.]
BButcher
This… is for Frenchie.
[Butcher beats Homelander's face to a bloody pulp, knocking him down to the floor and leaving him blubbering in fear]
Stop! You owe me. All the times I could've killed you and I didn't, I let you live. I'll–I'll give you Vought. [Butcher picks up his crowbar] I'll give you Vought, alright? You can do whatever you want with it, okay? I'll–I'll… [stammers] Becca. You want your wife back? I'll have a shape-shifter be her. [whimpers when Butcher says nothing] Just tell me! I'll fucking suck your dіck! Please! I'll do anything! You want me to eat shit?! I'll eat your fucking shit! I'll eat your fucking shit on live TV! [pause; Butcher knocks him down against the desk] Madelyn, you promised me. It's not real. [to Butcher] You can't fucking do this. You can't fucking do this! I am the Homelander!
BButcher
No. No, you ain't nothing. And this... This is for my Becca.
[Butcher stabs Homelander in the head with the crowbar, killing him instantly. He lifts the crowbar upwards, breaking Homelander's skull open and spilling brain matter all over the desk.]
[Hughie confronts Butcher at Vought Tower to stop him from releasing the Supe virus. Butcher is looking out the window when Hughie enters the main conference room.]
Yeah. Accident on the bridge. Should've taken the tunnel.
BButcher
[turns around] I thought you might try to stop me. But you shouldn't have come alone. You should've brought a fuckin' army.
No. If you were gonna release the virus, you would've done it already.
BButcher
Unless… I'm waitin' for all the Supe cunts to clock in for the day shift. Not much point shootin' spunk into an empty fuckin' building, now is there?
Okay, well, now I kinda wish I brought an army. Where's the virus, Butcher?
BButcher
I dumped it in the sprinkler tank. Frenchie's idea, God rest the mad bastard. [picks up remote controller] All I gotta do is pull this trigger, and it rains kill juice on all 99 floors. Shit will be worldwide within a couple of days.
Why? I mean, we already won.
BButcher
Won? No, we just gave 'em a black eye. As long as there's Vought, there'll be Supes. And sooner or later, some cunt that's already out there becomes the next Homelander, and you fuckin' know it. No. We need to end the whole bloody notion of Supes, and we need to make it permanent. I mean, you can see it, right? This is it. This is the moment.
You dragged me through fucking hell… for this. For now. To be your… canary. Or your Kessler. Or Lenny. But here's the thing: You don't need me for that. You never did. It's already in you. I can see it. You might have a broken fucking heart, but you have one. You are not a monster, Butcher. It just hurts to be human.
BButcher
I'm sorry, mate. Superheroes… are done.
[pulls out gun] I can't let you do it.
BButcher
Petit Hughie and his gun. Takes some big bollocks to pull the trigger on a mate.
[aims the gun at Butcher] I will if I have to.
BButcher
[chuckles] Nah. You ain't got the…
[Butcher takes the gun from Hughie, punches him and throws him across the room]
[Butcher sees Hughie staring at the remote and rushes to take it before Hughie does. Hughie quickly gets up and trades more blows with Butcher, spitting blood onto the floor after getting punched hard in the gut. Eventually, Butcher gains the upper hand and picks up the remote while Hughie lies helpless on the floor. Before he can pull the remote trigger, he has a vision of Lenny while looking at Hughie. He gets shot in the abdomen by Hughie as he moves his finger away from the trigger. Realizing what he did, Hughie rushes to Butcher's side.]
I'm sorry. Um… I didn't wanna–I didn't wanna do that. Um… I'm–I'm gonna call an ambulance, okay?
BButcher
I wouldn't bother. It's alright, Hughie. I gave you no choice. I… I wasn't gonna stop. All the blood… and shite I put you through… and none of it made a blind bit of difference. You–You stayed yourself… no matter what I done. [coughs]
BButcher
…I don't know what to do.
You don't need to do anything.
BButcher
[beat; Hughie holds his hand] You really are… the spittin' of Lenny.
[Butcher slowly loses his grip on Hughie as he dies]
The Boys · 278 quotes
