[Hughie is surprised to see M.M. setting up his desk in the Boys' Flatiron Building office]
MSMother's Milk
The prodigal son returns.
What the fuck? Hey, man. [laughs as M.M. hugs him] Yeah… Wait. Wait, are you… Are you back?
MSMother's Milk
We'll see.
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy, but are–are you sure?
MSMother's Milk
[sees the bloody bandage on Hughie's hand] What the fuck happened here, kid? You jacking off with razors again?
You know, you should see the other guy. The other guy's my penis.
MSMother's Milk
[laughs] I missed you, kid.
I missed you, too, man. [pause; notices Butcher staring at him and sighs] Look, I know what you're gonna say, and I just–
No. No, mate. I'm just chuffed to have all the Boys back under the same roof, alright?
Yeah. [to Frenchie and M.M.] I mean, there he was, right? In his fancy pants, lordin' it over us like the viceroy of Vought Square, eh? And that whole time, he weren't nothin' but a Supe's bootlick.
That, my son, is a Lifetime Achievement at the Cunt of the Year Awards, innit?
Yeah, it is. It is a Lifetime Achievement. [Butcher laughs] Are you done?
No, mate. I am just gettin' started, believe you me.
Great. Listen, we need to get Ryan somewhere safe. Vicky knows where she is because we fucking told her, which means Stan Edgar knows, too.
Yeah, one step ahead. Colonel's already done a runner with the boy. They're well outta sight. In fact, we were gonna pay 'em a little visit.
FrenchieMonsieur Charcutier, I cannot go. I have a matter of great importance.
Oh, I'm sorry. I must've forgot to run it by your bleedin' secretary!
Frenchie
It's an emergency!
Nah, you skive off today, and that congresswoman might split your pretty little buns.
Yeah, thought of that. Uh, Kimiko. [pause; Kimiko removes her headphones] Kimiko, hi. Can you please… break my arm? Vicky will smell it if I fake being sick, so it's gotta be real, and it's gotta last for days.
[laughing] Fuckin' hell, Hughie!
Frenchie
At least take something for the pain. I got opium. [tosses prescription bottle to Hughie]
Government employees can't fail a piss test. [tosses prescription bottle back to Frenchie; to Kimiko] Let's just get this over with, okay? Just do it pretty fast.
[Kimiko takes Hughie's left arm and prepares to twist it]
MSMother's Milk
Hold on. Hold up, hold up. Have a seat, please. Only been here three minutes, and it's already The Bold and the Batshit. [puts garbage bag on Hughie's lap] Alright, go ahead.
[Kimiko places one hand on Hughie's shoulder and the other near his wrist]
MSMother's Milk
Nah, nah, nah! [points at Hughie's forearm] Right here. Clean break, no permanent damage.
[takes a deep breath] Yeah? [pause; Kimiko nods] One, two–
[Kimiko snaps Hughie's arm, making him scream in pain. Butcher calmly watches while drinking his tea.]
[Hughie sees Annie holding her old Starlight uniform]
You sure you wanna do this?
[Annie thinks for a moment, then shoves the uniform into a trash chute]
I don't need it. [shakes her head] I don't. The suit never gave me any power. And Vought sure as shit didn't. [Hughie gives Annie her old boots to throw away] It's always just been me.
MSMother's Milk
[pause; clears his throat] Uh, Annie?
MSMother's Milk
You know, we're in a historic building. You need to double-knot...
MSMother's Milk
… and bag your trash if you're gonna be working here.
Butcher isn't gonna like it.
Frenchie
Butcher can suck my shit. From now on, this is a democracy, huh? I say you're one of The Boys.
[Kimiko and Hughie raise their hands in approval. Butcher suddenly appears and interrupts by sipping from a Vought cup. Hughie watches TV and notices something on the news while everyone stares coldly at Butcher.]
FRFemale Reporter
[on TV] After the tragic drowning of presumptive VP candidate Lamar Bishop, we go live to the Singer campaign in Sioux Falls, where Dakota Bob just announced his new running mate.
[The news cuts to Victoria Neuman walking behind Singer]
MRMale Reporter
[on TV] What would you like to say to the American people?
[on TV] As the next Vice President, I will work hard to provide a safe and secure future for all citizens on both sides of the political divide.
[on TV] And that's why I am so proud to have her on my team.
[All of the Boys, except for Butcher, watch the cheering crowd in shock]
Well… That bitch has definitely gotta go.
Fuckin' hell, it’s like a morgue in here. What’s with all the long faces?
I don’t know, maybe because I’m getting blamed for the murder you did.
I’d call you a cunt, but you ain’t got the depth or the warmth.
MSMother's Milk
I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How was it that you took out Ezekiel?
MSMother's Milk
Bullshit.
God’s honest. I, uh… blacked out, came to, and there he was. All over the shop. But never mind that bollocks because, my son, I have found it… The answer to all our prayers.
MSMother's Milk
And what might that be?
Ah, it’s nothing much. Just a… a virus that kills Supes.
Frenchie
Such a thing does not exist.
Did not exist. Does now. Y'see, some clever cunts over at Godolkin University cooked up a bug that latches onto the V in their bloodstream. Now, it’s completely harmless to humans, but to Supes? Fuckin' diabolical.
So, you shove this shit into me and Kimiko and we just… drop dead?
Yep. That’s the idea. Now, it ain’t juiced enough to kill Homelander, but I reckon we get our hands on some and try it out on our lovely VP-elect.
MSMother's Milk
And why the hell are we just finding out about this shit, Butcher?
There’s only one small snag. When I went to God U to nick it, Neuman had pipped me to the post, so we’re gonna have to nick it from her.
This is insane and desperate. Even for you.
Well, insanely desperate’s where we are, don’t you think, love?
MSMother's Milk
Okay. Alright, alright. Time out. [to Annie] Look, if this virus is as dangerous as Butcher says it is, do you really want it in Neuman’s hands?
[pause; sighs] No, you’re right.
Alright, then. Then, we’re sorted. Oh, uh… One other tiny little thing. I need you to get us one presidential pardon.
[The Boys investigate the lab in Stan Edgar's country mansion, where the Supe virus is being produced and tested on animals. Frenchie opens a fridge and notices an empty sample tray.]
MSMother's Milk
What’d you find?
Frenchie
It’s what I did not. See, the labels mark each iteration of this virus. Somebody’s been running tests, but now… it’s all gone.
[Frenchie is shocked to see M.M.'s nose bleeding profusely]
MSMother's Milk
What? [Frenchie, whose nose is also bleeding, points at M.M.'s nose] Holy shit.
[Butcher and Annie also feel their noses bleeding. Victoria Neuman and her bodyguard walk inside the lab.]
[Butcher, M.M. and Frenchie aim their guns at Neuman]
Victoria. You’re looking well.
You think I wouldn’t know the minute you and your ankle monitor stepped out of that prison?
I don’t recall giving you permission to turn my rec room into a virology lab.
You brought these assholes here? They want to kill me.
I’m sorry. Are you upset that I betrayed you?
Oi, knock it off, you two. This ain’t Family Pies.
[to Butcher] You have five seconds to tell me what you did to Sameer, or I paint this fucking room red.
[to Annie as she makes the lights flicker] Enough. [to Neuman] So, you brought in Sameer. Smart. That’s what I’d have done. But whatever happened to him, it wasn’t us. We should find him together.
You’re fucking kidding me.
If I’m not mistaken, you hurt these people, they expose you as a super-abled killer, yes? Then I’m afraid that we are at a stalemate. You might as well use their expertise. At the very least, they’re effective cannon fodder.
MSMother's Milk
[sarcastically] Thanks. That's really nice of you.
[Neuman, Edgar and the Boys find Sameer hiding in a barn after they are attacked by mutated sheep. They also find the dead body of Sameer's lab assistant, Henry.]
SSSameer Shah
Zoe’s not here, is she? Because… [Neuman shakes her head] No?
No, no. She’s okay. She’s okay.
Wait… Oh, my God, is that Zoe’s dad?
Dr. Shah was my top man at Vought R&D before he went behind my back and deflowered my daughter.
Okay, I was twenty–thoroughly deflowered–and this isn’t the time or the place. [to Sameer] What happened?
We gave V to a hamster, so we could test the virus on it.
Frenchie
Oh, a V’d-up hamster was your first mistake, mon ami.
It got loose. Trashed the lab. We ran, but the V had already leaked into the groundwater.
Except for, uh… [holds up a syringe filled with the virus] Except for one dose.
[Butcher anxiously stares at the syringe]
MSMother's Milk
Hey, how transmissible is that?
Not very. Only through bodily fluid. Blood, saliva… semen.
MSMother's Milk
Okay, so we inject it into [motions at Henry's body] your dead buddy over here as bait, and then we put him outside to infect the crazy fucking flying sheep!
Frenchie
This man is in no condition to fuck a sheep.
Frenchie
Oh…
Bollocks. That’s the only dose. I say we fuckin' leg it!
Butcher’s right, it’s too valuable.
Okay, we run, we don’t all make it.
Darwinism, love. Don’t gotta be the fastest, just not the slowest.
MSMother's Milk
Enough. Not now.
[to Neuman] I won’t be able to outrun them.
Oh, don’t you cry for that cunt! He’s just tryin' to nick Zoe from you. That’s his whole fuckin' plan, innit?
Sorry, Stanny. Just business.
MSMother's Milk
Guys, stop.
I should’ve fucking known.
M.M. could die, okay?! Or Frenchie! I mean, you really don’t care who you just throw to the wolves?
You’re a monster, and I’m not letting you do this.
Or what? You gonna go stark ravin' like you did with Firecracker? I got the head popper and you can’t even get it up!
MSMother's Milk
Enough! Enough! Look, look! [rolls up jacket sleeve] Y’all see this? Hives. And I got 'em because y’all motherfuckers are driving me the fuck crazy! Now, Annie, you can’t just go around fuckin' everybody up. And Neuman, do you really wanna risk Zoe growing up in a group home the way you did? [to Butcher] And you… Look. My little baby girl needs me, and I intend on seeing her. You’re not a monster, Butcher. You are a motherfucker, but you a motherfucker with a heart.
[The Boys are discussing A-Train's latest information on Sage when Butcher walks into the office]
MSMother's Milk
Where the fuck you been?
[coughs] Shittin’ a kidney. Alright, listen up. Now, don’t get your knickers in a twist, but…
[Kessler appears at Butcher's side]
You remember Neuman’s dearly departed virus bloke, Dr. Sameer Shah?
I’m serious, Butcher. Don’t.
Well, funny story. Turns out he ain’t that dead. He’s been workin' for me, makin' some more of that virus.
MSMother's Milk
What the fuck?
Wait, all they found was…
Did you cut off his leg?!
Alright, alright. Keep your hair on.
MSMother's Milk
So, basically, you’ve been amputatin’ motherfuckers while working on a secret bioweapon, and we’re the ones that are supposed to chill?
You are pissing away our best shot.
Now, the trouble is, we’ve hit a slight snag. He can’t make it deadly enough to top Homelander without causin' a global pandemic.
Wait… Genocide. You’re talking about Supe genocide. That’s…
Yeah, Butcher, even for you this is…
Which is why I’m fuckin' tellin' you, innit? You think I want that much blood on me hands?
Yeah, you do. You wanna fuckin' swim in it.
[to Kessler] No, I don’t! [pause; to the Boys] No, I do not. So to keep the bug from burnin' through you lot like wildfire, I thought ol’ Sameer could do with a bit of a hand.
A question both insightful and germane, my son. [pause; turns around] Ah, here he is. Speak of the devil.
[The Boys are in shock when they see Frenchie, who Butcher bailed out of jail, walk inside]
Frenchie
Bonjour.
MSMother's Milk
How the fuck did you get out?
I had Mallory pull a few strings.
Frenchie
Just to be clear, this was against my will. I’d rather fuck a jar of fishing lures than to be free.
Alright, then. Happy reunions. So, Frenchie will help sort the virus. We’ll use it on Homelander and the VP, and that’s it. No one else.
[Butcher uses his tentacle powers to rip Victoria Neuman apart. Frenchie aims at him, and Kimiko prepares to rush at him.]
Stop, stop. It's suicide.
I’ll be takin' that virus now. Thanks, Frenchie.
MSMother's Milk
Ain’t no fuckin' way.
Frenchie
You took V? It will work on you, too.
[Butcher grabs the rifle. Frenchie reluctantly lets go of the rifle and hands it, along with the virus sample, to Butcher.]
[beat] If I were you lot, I wouldn’t hang about. [pause; turns around on his way out] Oh, by the way… you’re all fuckin' welcome.
[Hughie, Frenchie and M.M. go over their escape plan]
Okay, so we hit the east gate.
Frenchie
Oui, Petit Hughie, when the guards change shift.
MSMother's Milk
We've been through this.
I know. I just wanna go over it a few more times just so I can get it in my head.
MSMother's Milk
Hughie… [holds out moonshine jar] Take a fuckin' drink, will you?
MSMother's Milk
[shrugs; to Frenchie] Mon ami?
Frenchie
You know I quit.
MSMother's Milk
Leave it up to you to have your shit the tightest you've ever had it in a fuckin' internment camp.
Frenchie
Yeah, what about you? Have you been eating the fresh produce I smuggle in?
MSMother's Milk
Moonshine's got corn in it. [takes a sip of moonshine]
Frenchie
[beat; to Hughie] Hey… Don't worry. Annie will be fine. She's strong.
[takes liquor bottle from Frenchie] Kimiko, too.
MSMother's Milk
[laughs] Y'all mοthеrfuckеrs are trippin'. Y'all don't know what the fuck's going on with them. [to Frenchie] Hey, you don't even know where Kimiko's at.
What, so you don't think you're gonna see Janine and Monique again? Is that it?
MSMother's Milk
What I know is that they're a shit ton safer without me making a mess out of their lives.
M.M, you're the strongest guy I know. We've been in tougher spots than this.
MSMother's Milk
You know, I did two tours in the 3/8 in Farah Province. The shit I saw would fuck you up. And even that was Emily in Paris compared to the shit that we looking at here. And even if we make it outta here, we ain't surviving this fuckin' war. We are dead men walking. Chin-chin, mοthеrfuckеrs.
[The Boys are hiking through the woods near Fort Harmony]
It's weird. No birds or animals. It's like…
Fuckin' hell. [to Mother's Milk] Had to park on the other side of the state, didn't ya?
MSMother's Milk
Well, if the hike's too hard, why don't you try tying your boots, mοthеrfuckеr.
[Hughie is shocked to see a heavily decomposed corpse]
Eh. Not really my type, son.
Hey, how about showing a little respect?
MSMother's Milk
You know, Hughie's right, Butcher. You should take her out to dinner first. [chuckles; sighs] Let's see here. Based on the decomp, these bodies have been here for a while.
Frenchie
Something ripped them apart. Whatever killed those Boy Scouts might still stalk these woods.
Let's get a move on, then. Didn't come out here to get bummed by Bigfoot.
[...]
MSMother's Milk
Could already be inside.
[to Hughie] What's wrong?
No. I almost died, but she made it all about her and she took off. I mean, last year, I got bad-touched by a shape-shifter, and she still found a way to make it about her. She can be such a fucking bitch. [pause; sees Kimiko looking at him in shock] Uh... Jesus. Sorry, I–I didn't mean for that to come out so harsh.
[The Boys see an entire field littered with animal carcasses]
MSMother's Milk
The fuck happened here?
Frenchie
Our V'd-up beast enjoyed an amuse-bouche, perhaps?
Well, explains why we didn't hear no animals.
I said that ten minutes ago.
[The Boys discover more decomposed corpses as they make their way downstairs to the lab inside Fort Harmony]
Fuckin' hell. They've been here a minute, haven't they?
Frenchie
Decades. Hunters... [pause; notices the knives embedded in the corpses] Look at their knives. These men, they killed each other. What if there is a monster here, but it's us?
What the fuck are you on about, Frenchie?
Frenchie
Toxoplasmosis. It's a parasite in cat shit. It can infect humans. Makes them react with explosive anger.
You think we ate cat shit?
Frenchie
Ate? No... If the V1 spilled into the groundwater, it could mutate the plants. Their spores fill us with rage, we murder each other, and voilà. We're plant food for these vines.
Okay, so like The Last of Us?
Frenchie
No, that is just The Walking Dead with mushrooms. The dead campers, the animals, these hunters... Surely, you all see how strangely you've been acting.
Us? I've seen you blow cоcaіnе up your dіckhole.
Frenchie
Wait... You have a point. The copious amount of drug I've taken for decades has surely altered my brain chemistry. That's why I'm not affected.
Guess being a junkie was good for something after all.
MSMother's Milk
[laughs] Romeo and fuckin' Juliet. You two survive this war, I give you six months tops.
[Homelander and Soldier Boy search the ground floor of Fort Harmony while the Boys are in the basement below looking for the V1]
[sniffs] Smells like deer piss. The last time I was here, I was fresh off the front lines, still picking Nazi brains out of my hair. And only the best of the best got selected for Dr. Vought's trials.
Not soft little hog-chompers.
Of course. No, I forgot how tough you were.
Hey, I'm not the weirdo who doesn't fuck. I mean, your cock's as useless as your cape. What's the point of being famous if you're not getting your dіck wet?
Oh, my dіck was sopping wet when I pulled it out of Stormfront and wiped it on her fucking chin!
[pause; looks down at the decomposed corpses] Ooh, look. More uggos.
[They unknowingly set off the motion detector that the Boys set up near the stairs]
MSMother's Milk
Oh, shit. They're right above us.
We best get the fuck outta here. Come on.
Hey. Hey, what about the V1?
MSMother's Milk
If Bombsight has the V1, then it saves us from having to torch it.
What are you talking about? Who's "us"?
[beat] What? You think the world needs more immortal cunts, do ya?
We need it to save Annie and Kimiko! You've been planning this this whole time, haven't you?!
Frenchie
Shh. Homelander will hear us.
[to Mother's Milk] And you, you've just been going along with it again.
MSMother's Milk
We can't take the risk, Hughie. And if she has to be collateral damage so that Homelander dies and my daughter lives, we ain't got no fucking choice!
Oh, easy for you to say. It won't fucking kill you!
Well, at least he knows when to keep his gob shut and do as he's fuckin' told!
Frenchie
Shh!
MSMother's Milk
Excuse me?
Frenchie
No, no, no. We don't have time for this. We need to find a way out now.
MSMother's Milk
Wanna know a little secret, Butcher? I cheered when I found out that you were dying, 'cause at least we'd finally be done with your miserable ass.
You know, I used to say to these guys, "Don't give up on Butcher. There's good in him fighting to get out." I was wrong. If there was anything human in there, it's dead. Underneath that chestful of octo-cocks, you are just a fucking monster.
Well, maybe I like it better that way.
That parasite's not just in you. It is you. You're the cancer!
Frenchie
Lower your voices.
You are just as bad as Homelander, maybe worse. And I'm not gonna let you drag us all down with you.
And whatcha gonna do about it?
[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?
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.
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?
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]
Frenchie
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.
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.
Frenchie
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.
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.
I wanted to say... I'm very sorry about this. I watched every episode of Undercover Geisha when I was a kid. I loved it, even the parts that were ridiculous racist stereotypes. It meant so much to see someone who looked like me on TV. [brief pause] We watched with Japanese subtitles. It's how I learned English.
GGGolden Geisha
If you're such a big fan, let me go.
Frenchie
Désolé, but we cannot. Not until we get the V1 that Bombsight possesses.
GGGolden Geisha
Wait, that's what you're after? V1? [laughs]
GGGolden Geisha
I'll tell Bombsight to just give it to you. I sure as hell don't want it.
...He stole the V1 for you, so you two could be together forever. [pause] But you didn't take it.
GGGolden Geisha
[shakes her head] I said no... which is why he left. I guess, for him, watching me get old was too painful.
Frenchie
I'm sorry, I do not understand. Why won't you take it?
GGGolden Geisha
To live forever? It'd be torture. [scoffs] You're both so young. You wouldn't understand.
GGGolden Geisha
Summer is only beautiful when you know winter is coming.
Frenchie
[beat; to Kimiko] Is this how you feel?
[nods] Annie and I talked about it. We'd have to... [signing] We'd have to watch you and Hughie waste away. Neither of us wants to die, but... we don't wanna be vampires either.
The Boys · 278 quotes
