The Boys: I'm the Origin of Compound V

Chapter 23: Storm Brewing

The safehouse buzzed with a tense energy as the team gathered around the table, poring over a map of the docks. Lena sat quietly in a corner, wrapped in a blanket, her wide eyes darting nervously between the others. Adam stood near her, arms crossed, his protective stance unspoken but clear.

Frenchie tapped a finger on the map, his voice low and steady. "If what Lena said is true, this site is much larger than the last. More guards, more security, more... complications."

"Complications are my specialty," Butcher said with a smirk, though his tone carried little humor. "We get in, blow it to hell, and get out. Same as always."

Hughie frowned. "We're really going to risk another frontal assault? They're gonna be on high alert after what we did to the last lab."

"Exactly," Adam interjected. "We can't keep using the same playbook. They're expecting brute force. Let's give them something else."

Butcher raised an eyebrow. "And what's that, sunshine? A bloody dance recital?"

"No," Adam said, his voice sharp. "Information. If this site is as big as Lena says, it's not just another lab. It's a hub. They're storing something there—data, resources, something critical. We don't just destroy it. We take it."

Frenchie leaned back, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "It's risky, but he's not wrong. If we can get our hands on their files, we'll know exactly what they're planning."

"And we can use it against them," Adam added.

Butcher's smirk turned into a scowl. "Fine. But we're still planting charges. Just in case."

The docks were shrouded in mist when the team arrived, the faint scent of saltwater mixing with the acrid tang of industrial chemicals. The sprawling complex loomed before them, its warehouses and cranes silhouetted against the faint glow of distant city lights.

Lena sat in the van, her hands trembling as she clutched the edge of her blanket. "Are you sure I can't help?" she asked, her voice small.

Adam crouched beside her, his expression gentle but firm. "Not yet. You're still recovering. Stay here, and if anything happens, drive as far away as you can. Understand?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Be careful."

"I always am," Adam said, though the faint smirk on his face betrayed the lie.

The team split up, each member moving with practiced precision. Adam and Hughie took the western perimeter, slipping through the shadows as they avoided patrolling guards.

"How are you so calm?" Hughie whispered, his voice barely audible over the faint hum of machinery.

Adam glanced at him. "I'm not. I just hide it better."

Hughie offered a nervous laugh. "That's... not comforting."

"Didn't say it would be," Adam replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

"Noted," Adam muttered under his breath.

The two reached a side door marked "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY." Adam crouched by the lock, pulling out a small device Frenchie had given him. "This should do it," he whispered, attaching the device.

A faint beep signaled success, and the door clicked open.

"Nice," Hughie whispered, following Adam inside.

The interior of the warehouse was a labyrinth of metal walkways and towering shelves, each stacked with crates marked with the Vought logo. Adam moved ahead, his steps silent as he scanned for anything resembling a server room or a data terminal.

"There," he whispered, pointing to a glass-walled office elevated above the main floor.

"Of course it's in the most obvious spot," Hughie muttered.

"Stay here," Adam said. "I'll handle it."

"What? No way!" Hughie protested. "We're supposed to stick together."

"And if something happens to me, you'll be the one who gets the others out," Adam countered. "Now stay put."

Hughie looked like he wanted to argue, but the determination in Adam's eyes silenced him. "Fine. Just... don't get killed, okay?"

"No promises," Adam said, flashing a grin before slipping into invisibility.

The office was heavily secured, with cameras positioned at every corner and a pair of guards stationed at the door. Adam crept past them, his heart pounding as he reached the door.

Adam pressed his hand against the lock, letting a faint pulse of energy disrupt its circuits. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and he stepped inside.

Rows of monitors lined the walls, each displaying live feeds of the facility. A central terminal glowed faintly, its screen filled with data.

"Jackpot," Adam muttered, pulling a flash drive from his pocket and inserting it into the terminal.

"Of course it's never quick," Adam grumbled.

Outside, Hughie tensed as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the warehouse. Two guards appeared, their weapons drawn.

"Hey, you!" one of them barked.

Hughie froze, his mind racing. He wasn't Adam—he didn't have powers or combat training. But he did have a crowbar, and desperation made him bold.

He swung the crowbar with all his strength, catching one guard in the knee. The man crumpled with a grunt of pain, but the second guard raised his weapon, aiming directly at Hughie.

Before he could fire, a burst of blue energy struck him, sending him sprawling. Adam materialized beside Hughie, his expression a mix of relief and irritation.

"I told you to stay put," Adam said, helping him up.

"You're welcome," Hughie shot back, wincing as he adjusted his grip on the crowbar.

Back in the van, Lena's eyes widened as she saw the two of them sprinting toward her. She opened the doors, her heart pounding.

"Go, go, go!" Adam shouted as they piled in.

Lena didn't need to be told twice. She slammed the van into gear, the tires screeching as they sped away from the docks.

In the rearview mirror, she saw the warehouse erupt into flames, the charges Frenchie and Butcher had planted detonating in a fiery cascade.

"Did we get it?" Butcher asked over the comms.

Adam glanced at the flash drive in his hand, its metal surface warm from the terminal's heat. "We got it."

But even as he said the words, a gnawing sense of unease settled in his chest. Vought wouldn't take this loss lightly. And whatever was on this drive, it was bound to make them more dangerous than ever.