Homelander: New Legacy

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"I didn't hear you were coming back."

When Roger personally visited Butcher's home, the first thing Butcher said as he opened the door, still lying lazily on his couch watching TV, was that.

Roger gave him a polite smile and replied, "I couldn't exactly broadcast to the world that I'm back, could I? So, it's been a while, and you're not going to let me in for a chat?"

"If I had my way, I'd prefer you turn around and leave right now…"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Ignoring Butcher's protests, Roger brushed past him and entered the house.

Butcher stood at the door, glaring at Roger with his usual unfriendly expression, but in the end, he didn't throw him out. Instead, he shut the door and went back to his couch to continue watching his adult films.

Roger watched Butcher for a while and then said, "You've changed a lot, haven't you?"

"I don't feel like I've changed much at all. You're here to see Ryan, aren't you? Sorry, it's his day off. He and Becca went to the amusement park. You'll have to wait until the evening."

Butcher replied offhandedly while flipping through TV channels.

Roger pressed on, "Why aren't you at work today?"

"I already told you it's my day off. Are you having trouble understanding English?"

Butcher shot him an annoyed look, his tone sharp. His attitude toward Roger had never been friendly, even knowing he was a 'parallel world' version of Homelander.

Of course, that could be because he never truly believed Roger's story about coming from another world.

Roger, used to Butcher's hostility, wasn't offended. At least Butcher's attitude had improved somewhat—he hadn't filled the air with vulgarities and insults about Roger's family as he used to.

Roger had already noticed some significant changes in Butcher.

Firstly, his disheveled appearance was gone. His bushy beard was neatly shaved, and he wore casual home clothes—none of the gruff, edgy look that defined Butcher from The Boys.

Secondly, his language had changed.

The profanity had decreased noticeably. Since Roger had entered, Butcher hadn't dropped a single F-bomb. It was clear that Becca's return had prompted him to work on his image.

Most importantly, Roger could see something else: a change in Butcher's body. The man now seemed to possess superpowers.

"You injected Compound V?"

Roger asked.

Most of the Compound V supply had been destroyed, but the technology to produce it remained intact. Tek Knight could easily produce functional batches if he wished.

Roger wasn't curious about where it came from. He was more intrigued that Butcher, who had always despised superhumans, had willingly injected himself to become one.

"Blame that goddamn superhero association of yours. I've been honored with the title of honorary chairman. Without powers, how else do you expect me to deal with those bloody superheroes?"

Butcher looked as if he wanted to swear, but he swallowed the F-word at the last moment and snapped at Roger in annoyance.

Roger now understood that the members of The Boys, including Butcher, had found a new purpose within the superhero association that had been established.

Butcher and his old team had returned to the field with new jobs—monitoring and dealing with rogue superheroes. Unlike before, they now had official roles and government backing.

They didn't need to act in the shadows anymore. With the government's support, they could openly take down troublesome superhumans.

And the person who recruited The Boys was, of course, Tek Knight.

It made perfect sense. Superheroes supervising each other would eventually devolve into cover-ups and favoritism. But having Butcher's team—people who inherently despised superheroes—do the job ensured they wouldn't hold back.

Roger could already picture it: the moment Butcher caught wind of a superhero's misdeeds, he'd pounce on them like a predator, leaving no scraps behind.

"Alright, what's your superpower?" Roger asked curiously.

Butcher gave Roger a glance and shot back, "You came all this way just to ask about my powers?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"Well, I'm not telling you. Satisfied?"

"You really have changed."

Roger said this with a tone of playful amusement.

The old Butcher would've replied with something like, 'My superpower is shoving your head up your arse. Want to try it?'

But now? He was calm—almost too calm. The change was so stark that Roger wondered if he'd entered the wrong universe.

A Butcher who didn't swear? This must be a parallel version of The Boys world.

Hearing Roger's teasing tone, Butcher's anger finally boiled over. He slammed the remote onto the table with a loud bang, then turned and growled at Roger, "Say what you came here for. Now."

Seeing Butcher nearly lose it made Roger inwardly delighted. Smiling faintly, he said, "I'm here to see Ryan."

"Then get your arse to the amusement park!!"

For the first time, Butcher shouted, finally breaking his no-cursing streak.

Just then, the door opened, and Hughie entered. He froze at the sight of Roger and Butcher.

"…I was just wondering why Butcher broke his two-month no-swearing streak. So it's because you're back."

"Hey there, Hughie. You're looking good lately."

"Not bad, Mr. Superman. I didn't hear you were coming back."

Hughie spoke as if he were at home, setting down the groceries he had brought. Then he looked up at Roger.

Roger shrugged casually. "I'm only here for a couple of days—wanted to see Ryan."

"Ryan? Wait, aren't you from another world, Mr. Superman? What do you want with Ryan?"

Hughie asked, puzzled.

Before Roger could answer, Butcher interjected with a sarcastic snort, "You actually believe he's some bullshit parallel-world Superman?"

"Butcher, you swore again."

"...Mother—! Goddamn it!"

Butcher, still full of sarcasm, was thrown off by Hughie's innocent comment. The curses began spilling out before he could stop himself. In the end, he gave up and slumped back onto the couch, muttering darkly to himself.

"What's… going on here?" Roger asked, more curious than ever, and looked at Hughie for an explanation.

Hughie understood and replied, "Well, you see, Butcher remarried Becca, and Ryan is his legal foster son. But since Ryan is technically a foster child, child services regularly checks in on them. The first time they came, Butcher almost lost custody because of his swearing. So…"

"To ensure Ryan grows up healthy, I need to break my swearing habit. That's what Becca told me."

Butcher's voice was low and menacing.

"I see."

For all its flaws, the U.S. system still had its moments. Associations like child services could, on occasion, serve their purpose.

Even someone as brash as Butcher had to change his ways under their watchful eye.

"Still…" Hughie looked at Roger, an awkward smile on his face.

Roger knew that his presence had caused Butcher to break his streak, so he laughed awkwardly but politely and said, "Well, no one noticed. We'll just keep it between us."

"That may be, but you should still be careful," Hughie replied, then turned back to Roger. "So, Mr. Superman, about what Butcher just said…"

Roger understood what Hughie was getting at and, after a moment's thought, replied, "Well… while I am from a parallel world, I share the same bloodline as Ryan. Biologically speaking, he's still my son."

"Uh… what?" Hughie was utterly confused.

Roger didn't bother explaining further and said, "Just think of me as another world's version of Ryan's father. Whether by blood or in name, he's my son. That's all you need to know."

"So?" Butcher sneered. "You left your adorable son in my care, and now you've come to take him back?"

Roger was silent for a moment before answering, "I've thought about this for a long time. Ryan… his powers are like mine. If he doesn't have someone to guide him properly, he could very well become another Homelander."

"Oh, I get it. You don't trust me to take care of him, do you?"

Butcher scoffed.

Roger didn't deny it. "That's right. I don't trust you. You know exactly the kind of person you are—I don't need to spell it out."

Butcher didn't argue, and Hughie fell silent as well. Everyone familiar with Butcher knew his nature well. Even now, Hughie occasionally checked in to make sure Butcher wasn't mistreating Ryan.

After a brief silence, Roger suddenly perked up and said, "Looks like Becca and Ryan are back."

With his super hearing, Roger had noticed that Becca and Ryan were returning from the amusement park. Though they were still some distance away, they'd likely arrive within a few minutes.

Butcher exhaled deeply and stood up, saying, "Kid, you talk to him. I'll go make dinner."

"It's only three in the afternoon."

"..."

Butcher didn't respond. He simply gave Hughie a look.

Hughie immediately stiffened, forcing an awkward smile as he said, "Got it… You go ahead."

As Butcher retreated to the kitchen, the atmosphere didn't lighten. If anything, Roger's presence seemed to make Hughie even more nervous.

But Roger remained completely at ease. He ignored Hughie's tension and focused his attention through the walls, watching Becca and Ryan approach.

Truth be told, Roger still wasn't ready to be a father. He told himself he needed to guide Ryan, to ensure the boy didn't become another Homelander. But deep down, he wasn't confident.

After all, Roger himself had once been lazy and indifferent. He'd sent Ryan away in the first place because he didn't want the hassle of raising a child.

Maybe leaving Ryan with Butcher was the right choice. With Queen Maeve or Starlight occasionally checking in, it would ensure Ryan stayed on the right path without Roger needing to be there.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Becca and Ryan finally arrived at the door. Becca unlocked the door and stepped inside with a smile—only for her expression to freeze when she saw Roger.

All the happiness drained from her face, replaced by shock, fear, and other complicated emotions.

Roger could hear her heartbeat spike dramatically the moment she saw him, a clear sign of how much he frightened her.

"Why are you… here?"

Becca asked in disbelief, staring at Roger.

Roger stood up and took a step toward her, but when Becca instinctively stepped back, he stopped. After a brief pause, he said, "I'm here to see Ryan. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you. You've seen the news—you know I'm not Homelander. I'm Superman. My name is Roger, not John."

Roger's status as a parallel-world Superman wasn't a secret in The Boys world.

But that story only convinced those who hadn't known Homelander personally. For people like Becca—those who were intimately familiar with Homelander—it was impossible to see Roger as anyone else.

Yet despite that, Ryan had no such reservations. He looked at Roger, then at his mother, and asked, "Isn't he the Superman from TV? Mom, why do you seem scared of him?"

Becca couldn't answer.

Roger sighed and said, "Come inside already. This is your house. You and Ryan standing outside like that makes me look like the bad guy."

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