The Boys: I'm the Origin of Compound V

Chapter 15: The Mission

The following morning, the safehouse buzzed with a subdued energy. Butcher had been up early, piecing together intel from the files retrieved during the mission with Popclaw. The rest of the team lingered in the common area, their conversations muted as they tried to shake off the heaviness of the previous night.

Adam sat at the corner table, idly spinning a pen between his fingers. His mind was elsewhere, locked in a cycle of memories and possibilities. The system's latest prompt echoed faintly in his mind, a persistent reminder of his precarious position.

"Not now," Adam muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"What's that?" Frenchie asked, plopping down in the chair beside him.

"Nothing," Adam said quickly.

Frenchie gave him a knowing look but didn't press further.

Butcher's Briefing

"All right, listen up," Butcher said, slamming a map onto the table. "We've got a lead. Vought's running another operation out of an old pharmaceutical warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Word is, they're testing something new there—something big."

"And by 'big,' you mean...?" Hughie prompted, his tone uneasy.

"Don't know," Butcher admitted. "But we're gonna find out."

Frenchie leaned forward, studying the map. "What's the plan, mon capitaine?"

"Simple," Butcher said, smirking. "We go in, grab whatever intel we can, and get out before anyone knows we were there."

"And if it's not that simple?" Adam asked, his voice flat.

Butcher's smirk widened. "Then we improvise."

The Approach

The warehouse loomed large in the distance, its corrugated metal walls gleaming faintly under the overcast sky. The team crouched behind a cluster of abandoned vehicles, surveying the area.

"Guards," Frenchie murmured, pointing to two armed men patrolling the perimeter.

"Can't we just sneak past them?" Hughie asked, his voice tinged with hope.

"Not unless you fancy getting riddled with bullets," Butcher replied.

Adam sighed, shifting slightly to keep the guards in his line of sight. "Let me go in first. I can get past them without being seen."

Butcher hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "You sure about that?"

Adam nodded. "It's what I do. Just be ready to move when I give the signal."

Infiltration

Adam faded into invisibility, his body shimmering faintly before vanishing entirely. He moved quickly but quietly, slipping past the guards with practiced ease.

"Good to know," Adam muttered under his breath, keeping his movements deliberate.

Inside, the warehouse was a labyrinth of corridors and storage rooms, the air thick with the smell of chemicals and machinery. Adam's eyes scanned the area, searching for anything that might stand out.

A faint glow caught his attention—a room at the end of the hall, its windows frosted but lit from within. He moved closer, pressing himself against the wall as he peered inside.

The sight made his blood run cold.

Rows of test tubes and monitors lined the walls, each displaying data on what could only be described as genetic experiments. In the center of the room stood a large cylindrical tank, filled with a glowing blue liquid that looked eerily familiar.

"Compound V," Adam whispered, his voice barely audible.

Adam slipped into the room, his heart pounding as he moved toward the nearest terminal. He plugged in a small USB drive Frenchie had given him, the screen flickering as files began to transfer.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Adam tensed, his invisibility still active, but his energy reserves draining rapidly.

"Damn it," Adam muttered, ducking behind a storage unit as two guards entered the room.

The Extraction

Back outside, Butcher and the others waited, their nerves fraying as the minutes dragged on.

"What's taking him so long?" Hughie whispered.

"He'll manage," Butcher said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Just as Frenchie opened his mouth to reply, the faint sound of an alarm blared from the warehouse.

"Time to go!" Butcher barked, drawing his weapon.

Inside, Adam cursed under his breath, the USB drive still transferring files. The guards were searching the room, their flashlights slicing through the shadows. He glanced at the progress bar—90%.

"Come on, come on," he muttered.

Adam gritted his teeth, making a split-second decision. He activated his invisibility again, his energy reserves dipping dangerously low, and grabbed a small vial of the glowing liquid from a nearby shelf.

"Got it," he whispered, slipping out of the room just as the guards turned toward his hiding spot.

The Fallout

The team regrouped at a nearby safehouse, their escape narrowly successful. Adam handed the USB drive and vial to Frenchie, collapsing onto the couch with a groan.

"Bloody hell," Butcher muttered, inspecting the vial. "This is what they've been working on?"

"It's more than that," Adam said, his voice hoarse. "They're perfecting it. Making it stronger, more controllable."

"And more dangerous," Frenchie added, his expression grim.

Hughie sat down beside Adam, his brow furrowed. "You okay?"

Adam nodded weakly. "Yeah. Just... tired."

Adam clenched his jaw, forcing himself to remain composed. The system's rewards were a cruel reminder of what he'd become, but for now, he had to focus on the fight ahead.

"We've got what we need," Butcher said, his tone resolute. "Now let's figure out how to use it."

The team nodded, their resolve hardening as they prepared for the next phase of their war against Vought.