42 Aftermath - Starlight II

"Until this compound runs out in a few hours like you said there isn't much we can do. The internal bleeding has stopped by itself and we tubed him to deal with the perforated lung."

Starlight listened aptly to the doctor describing Hughie's condition to her Butcher and Hughie's dad Hugh Campbell.

As next of kin it was he who could authorize any procedures to be made on Hughie so they had to bring him in.

"So I'm not too worried about that, it's the brain injury that worries me." He said.

Six hours it had taken six hours until the doctors were able to see Hughie and perform all the tests needed to assess his situation.

The emergency rooms around the city were packed with injuries both minor and major from the earlier battle between Homelander and Soldier Boy.

"The swelling from the blunt force trauma is manageable with anti-inflammatory medication but it's the lesions that I can't do anything about."

That brought her back to reality.

"Lesions?" Hugh Campbell asked.

"Yes, lesions. The scans indicate his brain has suffered damage all over outside of the blunt force trauma he just received, not only that but there are some small growths of tumors in various places. Has he ever experienced…?"

Starlight, out of the corner of her eye, caught Butcher suddenly stiffening up, falling and shaking.

"Seizures!" the doctor finished loudly as he moved to the falling Butcher.

To his credit, the doctor immediately mobilized Hugh and asked him to put his hands underneath Butcher so as not to hurt his head.

Not that Butcher could since he was still doped up on 24-V.

The doctor continued yelling in code over the phone as a bunch of nurses flooded into the office.

"We'll have to continue this conversation later. You can go back to the waiting area or home we will call you if there is any change in Hughie's condition." And with that he rushed them out of the room.

"I'm going to stay." The father said. "They might need me. You should go home it looked like you've been through a lot today."

Starlight silently agreed and hugged the man.

As she made her way out of the hospital she realized there might not be a home to return to. The tower might still be off-limits and she has no idea if her apartment was damaged in the fight.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing vibrations of her phone.

Ashley was video calling her.

"Hello." She said with curiosity as a disheveled Ashley appeared on screen.

"Oh thank god! Starlight! You need to come to the Tower. We need your help, they are trying to get him! You need to come back!"

Annie was taken aback by the rapid fire spewing from Ashley.

"Ashley wait, slow down! What happened?" She asked the flustered woman.

"The fucking Feds happened! That's what! They're here to take Homelander! Noir fought them off! Fuck, we're so fucked! We're all going to jail! Fuck FUCK FUCK!" Annie could see Ashley was starting to lose it again.

"Ashley slow down. What do you mean they are trying to take Homelander? Where is he? What happened with him and Soldier Boy?"

"Martin's team picked Homelander up from Harlem a few hours ago."

"Wait, Martin, Martin Schultz the CSO?" She interrupted.

"Yes, the fucking CSO!" Ashley answered exasperatedly. "Homelander was hurt really bad, they've been operating on him ever since." That actually shocked her.

If they were operating that means he was powerless?

"The CIA somehow found out and put a team together to take him, with some fucking legal bullshit that our Counsel is trying to fight right now."

"Wait, what happened to Soldier Boy?"

"I don't know, Martin thinks Homelander threw him into the Moon or something. Look that doesn't matter we need you here! I'm only here with A-Train who is helping the police with clean up." She continued.

"Deep is keeping Ryan away" That's right Butcher said that Ryan had been there as well, another fuck up on his part "and Noir is guarding the operating room." She paused.

"I've sent out a call to the other heroes and some are coming in but they need a leader. You're captain of The Seven, you, A-Train and Deep need to show a united front they'll follow you. We need to prevent them from taking Homelander!"

"But if they have the legal right what can we do?"

"Fuck Annie! We physically stop them!" Ashley said incensed. "We buy time so our legal team can fight this! Look Homelander is Vought!" She said exasperated.

"If they take him it won't just be him, they'll take Maeve, and they'll take Ryan"

"Wait, Maeve? Why would they take Maeve?" she interrupts Ashley.

"Because she's the strongest woman in the world that's why! And she's currently unconscious and helpless!"

"And what do you think will happen if they fuck up and can't contain John? He recovers and finds out they took his son again?" she stopped and paused as she saw Starlight grimace.

"Look Annie, this is a mistake waiting to happen. We can stop this. I need you to at least keep the rest in line so this doesn't escalate more than it needs to. We just need to buy some time that's it! Please!"

Annie sighed and felt the knot of anxiousness grow larger and tighter in her chest.

Homelander was hurt, technically an opportunity to end this but it wasn't guaranteed, and Noir was guarding him.

The government would try again and with more heroes inbound it would surely escalate, more people would die.

And if they took Maeve, Ryan and Homelander recovered then even more people would die.

She couldn't help but feel a string of despair resonate within her. Death, everywhere there was death. They were supposed to be heroes, to help people to prevent death, not cause it.

'How did things go sideways so fast' she couldn't help but think.

'The Seven need their Light'

Noir's last words to her came knocking at the front of her mind.

No, she was a hero, she wouldn't sacrifice more people just on a chance that Homelander could be taken down.

'I'm not like Butcher' she thought and with a sad thought continued 'or like Hughie'.

With steely eyes she looked at Ashley's image and responded.

"I'm on my way."