[Annie gets into an elevator at Vought HQ. Homelander walks in just as the elevator door is about to close]
ASAnnie/Starlight
Hey, Homelander.
[When the elevator starts going up, Homelander presses the emergency button to stop it. He takes off his right glove.]
Maeve begged me to spare your life. So I gave you a second chance, and... you failed me.
ASAnnie/Starlight
What are you talking about?
[Homelander shoves Annie up against the wall and grabs her by the throat]
You go ahead and scream as much as you want. [jabs his other hand hard against her side]
ASAnnie/Starlight
What–What did I do?
I told you to kill Hugh Campbell, and you hesitated.
ASAnnie/Starlight
I–I said that we should go to the police!
You disobeyed my orders because you're with him. [presses his hand harder into Annie]
ASAnnie/Starlight
Fuck you! Hughie Campbell broke my fucking heart. Worse than anyone ever has. And part of me wants to blast his fucking face off, so no, I'm not "with him." But if you wanna kill me because I'm not a murderer and I won't straight-up execute someone, then go ahead. So, tell me… Am I lying?
[Annie and Homelander continue angrily staring at each other. Cut to the elevator working again, with Homelander walking out and letting Annie go.]
[A-Train is upset over seeing Shockwave at Vought. He confronts Ashley, fearing that Shockwave might replace him in The Seven.]
Don't bullshit me, Ashley!
Shockwave is just here to talk about Vought for Tots. I swear to God!
What the fuck is Vought for Tots?
It's a new fitness outreach for toddlers. Apparently, they're getting obese.
Well, shit! I fucking love fat kids! Use me!
[enters Ashley's office] Oh, good, you're here. [to Ashley] You tell him yet?
I thought we were gonna have a strategy meeting.
Out of The Seven. You did great, but we're going in a different direction, so... You're out.
What the fuck? [to Ashley] You just said everything was fine!
You're gonna have a whole year of parades, tribute concerts. You're gonna hit the talk show circuit. You're–You're gonna have your own reality show on Vought+. The outpouring of love and gratitude is gonna be off the charts.
Oh, this is bullshit! You used to get my fuckin' coffee! [pause; looks at Ashley and Homelander knowingly] Oh, fuck this! I'm not going!
Yes, I can run. I just... I–I just...
Buddy… You think I don't know what's been going on? It's your heart. I doubt you're even cracking the Top 20 anymore, and that makes The Seven–me–look pretty ridiculous. [pats A-Train on the shoulder] I do want you to know, this was really hard for me, okay? It's nothing personal. We'll always be friends and, uh... etcetera. Attaboy.
ASAnnie/Starlight
[eating doughnut in diner] Hmm.
MSMother's Milk
You two want a room? [Annie stares cluelessly] You and the doughnut.
ASAnnie/Starlight
Oh. I'm sorry. It's just, um, my mom never let me have this stuff.
ASAnnie/Starlight
It's just... Weight gain in our household was a capital crime. But my dad, um, he'd take me to Dunkin' on the sly. And he would get me a chocolate cream-filled doughnut, and he'd ask me to tell him about my day. And he'd... he'd listen.
MSMother's Milk
Baskin-Robbins. Every Sunday after church. My pops, he'd always ask for samples. Now, this place had 31 flavors, and that man would taste each and every flavor every time we'd go up in there. There'd be a line all the way out the door. People would be mad as hell. Yelling, cussing, "Yo, my man, get your fucking ice cream and bounce!" You think that stopped him? Hell nah, he would stand right there and order another sample. "Can I please try the Jamoca Almond Fudge, please?" My ass was so embarrassed. I'd be sitting there, wishing the floor would just open up and just swallow me whole. Man. 'Course, now I'd give a year off my life just to be able to see that man going through spoon after spoon just one last time.
ASAnnie/Starlight
When did he...?
MSMother's Milk
Sixteen years ago. [toasting] To fathers and sugar.
ASAnnie/Starlight
To fathers and sugar.
[M.M, Hughie and Annie visit a woman named Valerie Hunter, whose family had an incident involving Liberty]
VValerie
I mean... It's been 48 years. What good is dredging all this stuff up now gonna do?
MSMother's Milk
Honestly, we don't know. But we still need to hear it.
VValerie
I tried to get people to listen. [laughs] Lord knows, so many times I tried. But a little black girl accusing a white superhero of murder in these parts?
VValerie
It was during one of those summer rains that you just knew was coming by the smell in the air. I was eleven years old, asleep in the back seat of my folks' Ford. My brother Myron, he was driving.
[In a flashback, Myron sees a woman standing in the middle of the road while driving with a young Valerie. He slams on the brakes, causing the tires to screech.]
MMyron
What's the trouble, ma'am?
LLiberty
Get out. [tries to grab Myron]
LLiberty
Your car was involved in a robbery tonight.
MMyron
No, it wasn't. I–I had it. I don't know nothing about any robbery.
LLiberty
Just confess! [punches Myron]
MMyron
Why are you doing this to me, lady? Ain't you supposed to be a hero?
LLiberty
I am a hero… for killing a black piece of shit like you.
[Valerie watches Liberty punch Myron so hard, blood sprays onto the windshield. She walks outside and sees that Myron's face is severely disfigured. Cut back to Valerie in the present day.]
VValerie
I wanted to go to the police. But my folks, they thought it was pointless. So when that man from Vought–When he showed up and he offered us that money, we just took it. Two thousand dollars. That is what my brother's life was worth. Just two thousand dollars. But y'all have gotta promise me that you won't tell anybody that I sat here and I talked to you. Because if that woman finds out that I opened my mouth, she's gonna kill me.
Ms. Hunter. That woman, Liberty… Nobody's seen her since 1979. I mean, she's probably dead by now.
VValerie
[chuckles] Oh, no, no. [pause; grabs a newspaper from a table] Right here. That's her… right there. That's Liberty.
[Valerie shows Stormfront on the front page, leaving Hughie, Annie and M.M. speechless]
Who the fuck do you think you are? What, you think I don't see it? Trying to undermine me, steal my team.
Let me tell you right now, it won't work. I'm the face of The Seven! Not you! Me! I still score higher in every demo that counts: 18 to 34, 18 to 49, 25 to 54! They all love me!
[sarcastically] Well, congratulations. I mean, this constant need to be loved by everyone is kinda pathetic, but um… Yay! [beat; Homelander activates his laser eyes] Okay. Okay, calm down. [pause; Homelander's eyes return to normal] I clearly pushed you a little far. I'm sorry. Look, I'm… I'm just trying to help.
Really? How? By taking what's mine? Let me tell you something right now: I built this team from the ground up, and there is no fucking way that anyone is gonna take it away from me.
You spent $273 million on that "Saving America" bullshit, and I am running circles around you with five guys on laptops churning out memes. I practically pay them with Arby's gift cards. You… You can't win the whole country anymore. No one can. So why are you even trying? You don't need fifty million people to love you. You need five million people fucking pissed. Emotion sells, anger sells. You have fans, I have soldiers. [pause] Look, I know that you probably won't believe this. I think that you are the best of us. I think that you are everything we should be. You just need a little help connecting with your audience. You know, change with the times. God knows I did.
[beat] I don't need help connecting with my audience. Thank you.
Okay. Well, just know I'm always here. Door is always open for anything.
You're late. Where's the kid? Babe, we gotta get in the truck or we'll miss our chance.
What are you talkin' about? Of course you are. Grab the kid and let's go.
You don't really want Ryan to come with us.
Of course I do. I said I'd take him, didn't I?
And I wanted to believe you.
Then, believe me. Now, come on. We've gotta get a shift on.
Listen, if the three of us leave, you're gonna find a way to get rid of him. I know it. It–It won't be in an obvious way. And it won't be right away, but you will.
Billy, I know you. I know you better than anybody, and I saw it in your face last night. I see it now.
He's a billion-dollar piece of Vought property. They are not gonna let him go. You and me, Becca. You and me, we've got a chance. Babe, it's Ryan they care about, not us.
Yeah, and then what? And then Vought raises him without a mother, right? Then, we have Homelander all over again. Then, there's two fucking assholes in this world.
We could disappear, alright? Just start again, start a new family.
He's a fuckin' Supe freak! [pause; sighs] Fuck. I'm… Listen, I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. Becca… Becca, please come with me.
You were wrong about me. Do you know that? You put me on this pedestal, and the truth is, I never knew how to save you. You were always one bad day away from pounding someone to death in a parking lot.
Billy… He raped me, and when I found out I was pregnant, I went to Vought. I didn't come to you. I didn't come to you because I was scared. 'Cause I knew that you'd chase after him and you would seek revenge and it wouldn't be good for anybody!
[starts crying] I love you. But the hate that you carry and the warpath that you're on, it started so long before me. I can't.
[Becca hugs and kisses Butcher, then walks back to her car]
Becs, I'm not leavin' without you!
You have to go, please. [holds up a tracker] Every guard in this goddamn place is gonna be here in sixty seconds. You have to go. Please. I'm sorry. [sobbing] I'm so sorry.
[Ashley shows Homelander a viral video of him killing an innocent civilian boy after confronting a Supe in an African village]
Oh… [scoffs] So, what? They're all starving, but one of them's got a fuckin' cell phone?
You know, I really wish you had cleared this with me before you went over there.
Oh, Jesus Christ. I don't have to clear shit with you, Ashley. I saw a chance for an easy win, and I took it. How many views?
Well, they posted last night. We scrubbed it seventeen minutes later, but that's forever, and there's been some blowback.
Blowback? Alright, fine, fine, fine. So, what? I–I'm down a point? Point and a half? Two?
[clears throat] No, nine and a half.
Nine and a half? Nine... Nine and a half?
[Ashley switches to another video of a huge crowd protesting against Homelander]
What, th–they're fucking protesting… me? Oh, my God. Th–They're pro... They're protesting me.
They've been at the Tower all afternoon.
Why didn't you fucking say something?! Goddammit. Don't these fucking ingrates realize I killed that asshole for them? What do they think "Saving America" fucking means, anyway?
Well, PR is drafting a response as we speak. Acknowledgment, apology, action.
No, no, no, no. Apology? No. You schedule a press conference, and–and I'll clean it up myself.
Uh, well, Mr. Edgar... and legal would like your official position to be "no comment at this time." Please, no press until the crisis team has an actionable strategy, okay?
[Homelander runs into Stormfront as he walks back to his trailer]
Bad day? Hey, I'm with you! Fuck these maxi pad-wearing ingrate hicks. But you know, there's a way to handle it.
I do not need your fucking help.
Sure. You seem to be doing so well on your own. Well, I'm here when you want me.
Oh. Sorry, I thought I was getting your voicemail.
That why you called five times?
No, I just thought you should know Liberty–that Supe that Rayner was looking into… turns out it's Stormfront. Vought changed her name, they've been moving her around like a fucking Catholic priest.
Um… She probably murdered Rayner. Annie's trying to figure out why, but... you know, who the fuck knows.
Well, as long as Starlight's on the job, we're sorted then, yeah?
I'm not... I'm not mad, you know?
I–I just want you to know that, um... Yes, you are leaving us holding the bag on this shitshow, but I want you to know that I–I get it. It's Becca. I'd do the same thing. I'm not mad.
Well... wouldn't matter if you were.
Lovelier than the day I met her.
[pause; hears Butcher squeezing a dog toy] Where are you?
Headin' off grid. Argentina, maybe. Early retirement.
You could've said goodbye.
I know we've been through some shit together. [beat] You were... You were always like my canary, I suppose. Thank you. Goodbye, Hughie. [hangs up phone]
[Hughie goes into the living room of their basement hideout, where M.M. is watching Outlander on his laptop]
MSMother's Milk
A show called Eat My Dick.
MSMother's Milk
Have you seen Frenchie or Kimiko?
No. No, not... for a while. Why?
MSMother's Milk
[quietly] Fuck.
Uh, listen. I just got off the phone with Butcher and I think something might be wrong. Like really, really wrong.
MSMother's Milk
What would make you think that?
He was nice and… called me his canary?
MSMother's Milk
...Tell me everything he said.
[The Boys are hiding from Black Noir, who tracked Butcher down to his aunt's house]
That ninja cunt's here for me, isn't he?
Yeah, but you can't go out there. He'll kill you. So… So that's it?
Expectin' a happy ending, were we? Well, I'm sorry, Hughie. It ain't that kind of massage parlour.
[A-Train is watching a Church of the Collective ad featuring The Deep]
That's a bunch of bullshit.
Didn't used to be. Church used to mean something.
Oh. What, are you a member?
I was, a long time ago. That place used to be pure. And then, they just started letting all kinds of people in, you know?
I don't know. So why don't you tell me?
Well, I think you do know. Some people are quality and others are… garbage. [pause] Oh, by the way, I heard they're retiring you? So unfair.
Of course not. Why would I say that?
[Victoria Neuman is holding a rally where many Homelander protestors are in attendance]
VNVictoria Neuman
Yes, it's true. Vought has all the money and the power. And we have… no offense, jack shit. [laughs] But after Homelander's war crime, how can I stay quiet and still look my daughter in the eyes? I can't. I know you can't, and guess what? The House Judiciary can't either! Finally, we are going to hold hearings on Vought and Compound V! Yes!
[Neuman and the crowd are interrupted by Homelander, who makes a dramatic entrance by landing next to her]
Hey, everyone. [to Neuman] May I? [Neuman gives him the mike] Thank you. [to the crowd] Congresswoman Neuman, everybody. Isn't she great? Didn't you love that little "Walk Like an Egyptian" dance she did online? So fun. I loved it. But fun is not what we're here for, is it? Let me just start by saying how pleased I am to see you all here. That we live in a country where all your voices can be heard.
[Cut to Ashley watching the rally live on her iPad with members of the film crew]
Everyone get the fuck out! Get the fuck out! Fuck you, get out!
[Cut back to Homelander at the rally]
I know that some of you are a little upset by that video online of me stopping the terrorist, and I just want you to know that I understand. I'm upset, too. I mean, come on, guys. Nobody wants innocent people to get hurt. Of course not. But sadly, well… The bad guys, they don't think like us. And so, sometimes… Well, these things just happen.
M1Man #1
Wait, this has happened before?
Well, no. Hold on, guys. My point is, we all have the same goals, don't we? To keep our country safe.
W1Woman #1
So American lives are the only ones worth protecting?
Of course not. But if you've served with our amazing soldiers like I have, you would know that freedom comes with a price.
W2Woman #2
You don't speak for us!
M3Man #3
Yeah, you don't speak for us!
[The protestors all start chanting, "You don't speak for us"]
Alright, alright. Everyone just calm down. Calm down! Let's not let your hearts get in the way of your heads! [pause; the chanting continues] Everyone just relax! Calm down!
[As the chanting gets louder, another man in the crowd flips off Homelander, who starts killing the protestors row by row with his laser eyes until they are all dead. When his eyes return to normal, it's revealed that the massacre was just a fantasy in his head.]
[beat; stares at the chanting protestors] Alright! You guys are the real heroes! God bless you! Love you guys! [flies off]
What are you doing in my trailer?
ASAnnie/Starlight
You know, you had no right to talk to my mother about personal shit. What were you trying to prove?
Okay, sorry. Just trying to help.
ASAnnie/Starlight
She didn't just lie to me about Compound V, okay? She lied to me about everything. So don't try and broker some kind of peace between us, because I don't want it!
Wow, that–that… I mean, that… is a performance. [sarcastically] Oh, my God, look. I'm, like, tearing up. You don't suck, Starlight! You're Tilda fucking Swinton! I know you leaked it.
ASAnnie/Starlight
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Not as good. Magic's gone. I guess lightning really doesn't strike twice, huh?
ASAnnie/Starlight
Okay, whatever. You know what? I need to get to set, so–
That hack-a-limb, Gecko–Yeah, he stole the V, and then you… you leaked it to MSNBC. Now, what do you think Vought's gonna feel when I tell them?
ASAnnie/Starlight
[pause] Well, how do you think the world will feel when I tell them that you used to be Liberty?
Wow. You are a special kind of poison flower, huh? Going against your own people?
ASAnnie/Starlight
[scoffs] You mean fucking white people?
Starlight, superheroes. Don't be racist.
[Annie makes all the lights in the trailer flicker with her powers]
Oh, my. Oh, yes. That is adorable. I do like you. You… you got spunk. You're gonna be a big help to me.
ASAnnie/Starlight
What the hell does that mean?
[Butcher sees Annie after Frenchie removed her Vought chip]
Well, well, well. What have we here?
I know what you're gonna say, but we just took out her chip. Everything's fine.
Starlight, don't you just light up a room, eh? You're lookin' well.
ASAnnie/Starlight
Yeah, no thanks to the .50-caliber round that you pumped into my chest.
Well, what don't kill you makes you stronger. [to Hughie] What's she doin' here?
She has a lead on Stormfront.
ASAnnie/Starlight
I broke into her laptop, and I got a look at the inbox. Dozens of e-mails from Stan Edgar.
Stan Edgar? And what does Vought's big slapper have to say?
ASAnnie/Starlight
How they're close to a breakthrough at the Sage Grove Center. It's a psychiatric hospital in Pennsylvania.
Wait, what kind of breakthrough?
ASAnnie/Starlight
She came in before I could see any more.
Well, we better have us a little dekko at this loony bin, eh, lads? Starlight, would you be amenable to joinin' us on this little caper?
Oh, most definitely. If shit goes sideways, who do you think Vought's gonna go after? Us or their billion-dollar baby turned traitor who just ripped out her own fuckin' chip? Never go into shark-infested waters without chum.
ASAnnie/Starlight
[to Butcher] Seriously, what is your problem with me?
I ain't got no problem with you, love.
ASAnnie/Starlight
Really? That's why you won't even touch my hand?
Okay, guys, come on. Not the time.
ASAnnie/Starlight
You know what? No. I think it's exactly the right time. I think the time is long overdue. [to Butcher] You know that I hate Vought as much as you do. You know that, but it doesn't even matter to you because what you can't stand is in my blood. I'm subhuman to you. Only good Supe is a dead Supe, right?
ASAnnie/Starlight
You know what? Underneath all that swagger, you're just a bigot and a bully. I know another guy just like that. He's got a flag for a cape.
MSMother's Milk
[after nearly getting choked by Love Sausage] That's his fuckin' dick.
Oh... Don't be so closed-minded.
[...]
MSMother's Milk
[to Butcher on the phone] Yo. Close stitch, but Hughie's okay.
Hey, tell Butcher about that thick penis around your neck.
MSMother's Milk
[whispering] Fuck you. [to Butcher on the phone] Nah, nah, nah. It's just Frenchie being Frenchie.
