Tony's team had started referring to their current intangible state as "ghost mode." While it meant they couldn't physically help Billy Butcher, it did come with one major upside—
Maeve and Annie could stroll straight into Vought's headquarters without fear of being caught, and freely search every corner.
By tailing Vice President Madelyn, they eventually spotted a vial of Compound V—tucked neatly inside a desk drawer in her office.
That's when they hit a snag. They'd found the goods, but they couldn't take them.
The only option was to pass the news on to Billy Butcher and let him figure out a way to grab it himself.
Easier said than done.
While Stillwell's office wasn't exactly a military bunker, reaching it meant clearing several layers of security.
Tony quickly put together a plan—positioning Banner and the others at key points while he shadowed Butcher, relaying intel in real time to guide him through the building.
It didn't go smoothly.
Butcher made it past a few checkpoints, but the facial recognition gate gave him away. Within minutes, armed guards swarmed him from every direction. He was captured—and then, time reset.
Back on the grassy riverbank, Tony frowned.
"Did anyone else notice something? This time, Butcher didn't die. He just got caught—yet time still reset!"
He'd seen it clearly. Butcher hadn't taken a fatal hit. He was definitely alive when the reset happened.
Banner, Annie, and Maeve all nodded—they'd noticed it too.
Annie added, "And we never saw that other Butcher… maybe he doesn't even exist?"
"Maybe," Tony waved it off. "Doesn't matter. The real problem is how to get that vial of Compound V into his hands."
He rubbed his chin, eyes gleaming with interest.
"You know… this mission reminds me of a video game. Not the quiz game we've been playing—but a real game. Think about it: Billy Butcher is the player. He gets multiple lives. His final boss is Homelander."
"And before he can face the boss, he has to collect certain quest items—like a hero finding the sacred weapon before fighting the demon king. Fail the quest, and the game forces you to start over."
Banner gave him a flat look. "Tony… be honest. Have you been slacking off lately and playing too many games?"
"Hey, don't make it sound bad!" Tony shrugged.
"I've just had some downtime lately. Relaxing a bit never hurt anyone."
Maeve made a hand gesture. "Fine. Let's say we treat all of this like a game—what does that actually change?"
"If I'm right, then this mission might not be as impossible as it looks," Tony said with a smirk.
"There's no such thing as an unbeatable game. Every game has a way to win. In this case, Butcher's quest seems totally open-world—no prompts, no hints, just exploration. For now, we mark Compound V as the main objective. Get it, and maybe the path to victory opens up."
Annie still didn't see the point. "How is that any different from what we were already saying?"
"The difference," Tony explained, "is that in a game, once you find the right clues and complete the required quests, the boss will go down. In real life, that's not guaranteed. And you know how strong Homelander is. Even if Butcher gains powers from Compound V, he still might not be able to kill him."
Banner nodded. "Let's hope it's like your game theory. Otherwise, Butcher could be stuck in this loop for a very, very long time."
As they talked, they headed for their rendezvous point with Butcher.
This time, they didn't waste any time—they went straight for Vought Tower. Butcher had his own plan: disguise himself as a janitor and slip inside.
With Tony's team feeding him constant intel, the infiltration went… passably well—until the very last step.
He reached Stillwell's office at a carefully chosen, quiet moment—only for Black Noir to appear out of nowhere. After a brutal scuffle, Noir's blade punched straight through Butcher's heart. Time reset again.
When they regrouped, Tony shook his head.
"Noir's always patrolling that floor. I watched closely—when you touched the doorknob, he headed straight there. He's basically the mini-boss guarding that stage."
Butcher frowned. "Maybe my timing's wrong. Or maybe there's something about the doorknob… Either way, we try a few more runs and we'll figure it out."
With the infiltration route now mapped out, they tried again. This time, Butcher waited longer and even rigged a noise-making device to lure Noir away. It didn't work.
Same as before—Noir found him, stabbed him, reset.
After dying twice in a row, Butcher dropped the stubborn act and asked for suggestions.
Tony shrugged. "I think you need a party. Annie, Maeve… maybe some of your own teammates. They might actually be able to help."
Butcher fell silent for a moment before saying, "I don't want to drag them into this. You keep calling this a game—honestly, I wish it was just a game."
"But everything I see, everything I touch, even the feeling of dying—it's all too real. If I finish the mission and kill Homelander, maybe time here goes back to normal. Maybe I can walk away. But what about them?"
Annie gave him a surprised look. "That's not how you used to think."
"Heh… I know," Butcher admitted. "In your eyes—and in a lot of people's—I'm a butcher, a man who'll do anything for revenge. I won't deny it.
But if there's a choice… who wouldn't want to be a good man?"
Annie's voice softened. "Butcher… the fact you're even thinking like that shows you have a good heart. You're the victim here. Homelander destroyed the life you should have had."
Tony grinned. "Mate, ever heard of the Avengers? Don't worry so much. Just do what you need to do. When the mission's done and time resets to normal, we'll still help them—just like we've helped Annie, Maeve, and you."
Maeve nodded. "Our world's already been turned upside down. Hughie Campbell, MM, your wife—they're all safe right now. Their families, too."
_____
T/N:
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