The Boys: I'm the Origin of Compound V

Chapter 27: Aftermath

The safehouse was quiet, the kind of quiet that followed chaos—a silence heavy with exhaustion and unspoken thoughts. Adam sat by Lena's side, watching as Frenchie worked methodically to stabilize her condition. She looked fragile, her breathing shallow, her skin still glowing faintly with the unstable energy coursing through her veins.

"Will she be okay?" Adam asked, his voice low.

Frenchie didn't look up. "I do not know, mon ami. Her body is fighting to adapt, but the Compound V... it's unpredictable."

Adam clenched his fists, the helplessness gnawing at him.

"She's tough," Hughie said softly, standing nearby. "She'll pull through."

Adam nodded, though the weight in his chest didn't lift.

Butcher entered the room, his expression hard as usual. "How's the girl?"

"Still alive," Frenchie replied.

Butcher gave a curt nod, then turned to Adam. "What about the drive? Did we get anything useful?"

Adam pulled the flash drive from his pocket and held it out. "It's all here. Everything Henshaw was working on. But I haven't had a chance to look through it yet."

"Then get to it," Butcher said, his tone sharp.

Adam's eyes narrowed. "She almost died back there, and all you care about is the bloody drive?"

Butcher's gaze didn't waver. "We're at war, sunshine. People die. If that drive gives us a chance to end this, then yeah, it's the bloody priority."

"Enough!" Frenchie snapped, his voice uncharacteristically loud. "Can't you see what this fight is doing to all of us? We need to rest. To think."

Butcher glared at him but didn't argue. He turned and left the room, muttering something under his breath.

Later that night, Adam sat alone at the table, the flash drive plugged into Hughie's laptop. The screen glowed in the dim light as he scrolled through the files, each one revealing more about Project Ascension.

The scope of it was staggering. Vought wasn't just creating supes—they were building a hierarchy, a system of control that spanned beyond national borders. Genetic profiling, psychological conditioning, advanced training protocols—it was all there, meticulously detailed.

But one file stood out: Project Omega.

Adam clicked on it, his stomach tightening as the file opened. The contents were chilling. Project Omega wasn't just about creating supes. It was about creating a singular, ultimate being—a supe so powerful, they could crush any opposition, ensure total dominance for Vought.

"Bloody hell," Adam muttered.

By morning, the team had gathered around the table, their faces grim as Adam explained what he'd found.

"This changes everything," Hughie said, his voice shaky. "If they actually pull this off..."

"They won't," Adam interrupted, his tone firm. "We won't let them."

"But how do we stop something like this?" Frenchie asked. "If they're building a weapon like that, they'll protect it with everything they have."

Adam's jaw tightened. "We take the fight to them. Find their central facility and destroy it. If we can take out Project Omega, we'll cripple Vought's plans."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Butcher asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.

Adam's eyes burned with determination. "We'll need help."

Butcher scoffed. "Help? From who? Everyone who could stand against Vought is either dead or too scared to fight."

"Not everyone," Adam said, glancing at Lena.

The room fell silent as the implications of his words sank in.

Lena stirred later that day, her eyes fluttering open. Adam was by her side in an instant.

"Hey," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

She gave him a weak smile. "Like I got hit by a train."

Adam chuckled, though the sound was hollow. "You scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't be," Adam said. "You saved us."

Lena's expression turned serious. "Did we... stop him? Henshaw?"

Adam nodded. "He's gone. But Vought's still out there. And they're working on something worse."

"What do we do?" Lena asked, her voice trembling.

Adam hesitated, then took her hand. "We fight. Together."

As the team prepared for their next move, the weight of what lay ahead loomed over them. The war with Vought was entering its most dangerous phase, and the stakes had never been higher.

For Adam, it wasn't just about revenge anymore. It was about protecting the people who had become his family. And no matter the cost, he was determined to see it through.

Because this time, it wasn't just a fight.

It was the beginning of the end.