(Logan POV)
As we drive to New York City to Vought Tower, I look back at Hughie, who looks very nervous and scared. MM is doing his best to comfort him, but it doing little to help Hughie. I feel Maggie staring at me, so I look at her with a questioning look, as he just grabs my hand giving it a small squeeze.
"If we run into Homelander… are you prepared to go all out?" Maggie says to me quietly enough for only me to hear since she doesn't want to stress Hughie out any more than he already is.
"Not like I have a choice, I'll try to kill him if given the chance," I say to her in an equally quiet voice.
Maggie just nods her head and a worried look flashes across her face before she steels her emotions. Then once Hughie calmed down a bit we talked about the quickly put-together plan before falling quiet again. The rest of the ride is relatively quiet with an air of tension which I tried to help elevate by holding her hand. Finally, we pulled up a block away from the Tower in a somewhat quiet ally way.
We all got out as Maggie motioned us to follow her, we slowly made our way to Vought's Tower stopping behind the building. We each then put on the masks we brought, along with the gloves, looking like stereotypical burglars. Then MM and Maggie's body blocked the cameras as I brought out a single claw to cut the heavy mag lock keeping the door closed.
"We have only a few minutes at best, to get to the security room and disable the cameras," Maggie says as she and MM head in another direction to disable the security room, while Hughie and I head to the lower levels where Maggie believes they are holding Annie.
Hughie and I moved quietly, well I did, as Hughie did his best to move quietly with his nervous breathing slowly increasing as time went by. I hold up my hand stopping Hughie as we reach a corner since I hear two guards slowly making their way to us. I bring out both my claws as I wait for them to turn the corner.
As soon as they turn the corner I stab them both in the face instantly killing them and I silently lower them to the floor. As Hughie is just staring, though I can't tell if he was still upset seeing death as he was originally. We then continued on our way with MM confirming they took over the security room, but maybe only for a few minutes at best since they have another huge office that will see the cameras offline sooner rather than later.
"Should be a bit further dow–" I say to Hughie then the power goes off for a second before the generator kicks on I assume as it comes right back on. Then a second later an explosion was heard ahead of the way we were going.
"Annie!!" Hughie says running off toward where we believe Annie is being held.
"Fuck! Hughie," I say running after him as I catch up to him I see he is staring at one of the prison doors.
"Donna?" I hear Hughie say as I see a woman in her mid-fifties, with blonde hair and slight crowfeet beginning to form to show her age. The woman stares at us confused for a second then Hughie removes his mask a bit showing his face to her.
"Hughie?!" the woman named Donna says with a surprised look.
"We need to help her, it's Annie's Mom," Hughie says to me as I sigh but nod my head and bring out a single claw to cut the mag lock and open the door.
Then we hear people shouting ahead of us as I push Hughie and Donna back into the cell turning the way I hear people running to us. Though they seem to be running from someone as they are looking back with one being sent flying after a blast of light hits them from behind. The other runs into me and falls backward while groaning in pain not even moving me an inch.
"Annie," I say while stepping on the man's neck and snapping it before he can react.
"Annie?!" both Hughie and Donna say hearing me and coming back out of the cell to see Annie looking slightly ragged from being taken prisoner.
"Let's go," I say to them as we begin running back the way we came.
"We have the package, are you able to escape?" I say to Maggie and MM through our earpieces.
"Already running, the explosion woke the bee hive," MM says and it seems the explosion wasn't them.
"Annie was that explosion you?" I ask her as we run.
"No, thought that was you guys," Annie says as we turn the corner and see Maggie with MM heading our way.
"Let's go," I say as we all run outside.
Then we all hear and see another explosion which came from another level higher in the tower this time. As the windows of the Seven's room shatter and fall to the ground below, with a large storm of fire forming in the room. The sprinklers were set a few seconds later as the whole building is now focused on that issue, we even see Homelander now appearing to deal with it.
"We should leave while whoever they fuck that was is distracting them," MM says as we all nod and run back to the van.
We all pack into the van and begin driving back to Grace's house again. On the way back I call Grace who quickly answers. I can hear the people in the background running around.
"What's going on?" I ask her hearing the commotion.
"First, were you successful?" Grace says with a tired sigh.
"Yes, we managed to acquire the package along with another one," I say as Grace seems to perk up.
"You found Shawn again?" Grace says as my eyes widen.
"What? No?" I say as Grace grumbles.
"He ran shortly after you all left, no idea where he disappeared to. He is a shifty one surprisingly… Who else did you get?" Grace says to me as I sigh hearing the news.
"Annie's Mom was taken too, we managed to secure her as well," I say as I hear Butcher in the background asking about us.
"Yes, they got Annie… Oh, fuck," I hear Grace say to Butcher before her voice takes on an angry and surprised tone.
"We found Shawn… He was the one who set the Tower on fire. Bought you all time and a distraction it seems," Grace says as I hear the news story in the background since she turned it up.
I then hang up and turn the radio on to the news about Shawn setting the Tower on fire. Everyone goes quiet and listens to the news with a surprised look, except for Donna as she isn't aware of who Shawn is.
"So it seems the previous member of the Seven, Lamplighter had returned to the Tower for revenge. In a surprising turn, he went to the Tower without anyone knowing before setting off an explosion to take out the power before setting the Seven's meeting room and himself on fire…" we hear the newscaster state and then I turn off the radio as everyone stays quiet at the news.
"You think Dr. Vogelbaum will be enough?" Maggie says breaking the silence making Annie wince at her lack of empathy for Shawn/Lamplighter's death.
"Hopefully… maybe he'll start a domino effect causing other previous or current employees to come forward," I say to her.
When we arrive back at Grace's house, they are waiting as we all go inside and sit in silence. Though I can see Butcher is conflicted as if something is bothering him and he is debating whether or not to tell anyone. Later that night Frenchie and Kimiko come back after ensuring Victoria Neuman safely left New York. I then find Butcher alone outside staring off into the distance, I decide to approach him.
"You gonna tell me what is eating away at you?" I say being direct as I give him a curious look and light up a cigarette.
"I… I made a deal with Stan Edgar, to Ryan away from Homelander, in return for me and Becca to escape," Butcher says to me after finally relenting and coming clean.
"Do you want to still take that deal?" I say to him as he gives me a surprised look.
"I can understand why you did what you did, the others might not be so understanding… Though I'll help if that is what you want, everyone deserves a second chance and this could be that chance for you both," I say to him as he stares back into the distance for a few seconds.
"No… I thought about it and Becca would hate me for the rest of our lives. Plus no one deserves to be Vought's puppet and Ryan is just a kid," Butcher says with surprising clarity as it seems he has been debating this for a few hours now.
"Though that doesn't mean we can't get Ryan away from Homelander," I say to him as he gives me a surprised look before a smirk goes across his face.
"Right…" Butcher says with a thoughtful look already making plans.
"We'll talk with the other tomorrow," I say to him as he nods his head.
Butcher then walks back inside, to spend the night with his wife I'm sure. I finish my cigarette before walking into the guest room Maggie and I are occupying. There I see her already lying in bed, as I walk over and pull her close to me before falling asleep with her in my arms. The following morning we all gather in the kitchen as I cook everyone some food surprising them all.
"I didn't think you knew how to cook," Frenchie says to me as I grunt in response.
"I've been around for over two hundred years, would be stupid of me to not pick up cooking," I say to him as Becca and Donna stare at me in surprise.
"So, Butcher want to tell the group our next mission?" I say as I place the food down for everyone.
Butcher then explains his plan for getting Ryan away from Homelander and gives everyone a hopeful look since it is next to suicide for this plan to work. Everyone immediately agrees to help, Butcher cracks a smile seeing the support from his friends.
"You'll sure? This is–" Butcher says after everyone agrees.
"Shut up, we got your back," MM says as Butcher nods his head with a smile.
We all then gather the supplies and go over the plan a few more times to make sure everyone knows what to do. Then we all head to the car, leaving Becca and Donna behind since they would be hindrances. Becca however tried to argue her reason to go, but with Grace and my help, we convinced her to stay behind.
"Be safe and come back in one piece!" Becca shouts to us as Grace and Donna nod their heads agreeing with her statement.
"I'll make sure they do," I say before getting into the driver's seat of the van. Only Annie and Hughie are driving with us, as MM, Frenchie, and Kimiko are in Butcher's car.
"You think this will work?" Hughie asks us as we follow behind Butcher.
"Fifty-fifty," I say making Hughie groan in nervousness as Maggie punches my arm.
"It'll work," Annie says comforting Hughie as I chuckle.