In Manhattan, outside Claw Woman's small rented house, A-Train swallowed hard.
He had no idea how to explain this to his girlfriend.
Just moments ago, he had been a member of The Seven, admired by millions, earning more money than he could spend, with fans cheering his name. His girlfriend had been waiting for him to come home with enough to support their future, while his family and community depended on him for financial help.
And now, just like that, it was gone.
Technically, he still had a job. Losing his place in The Seven only dropped him from a top-tier celebrity to something forgettable. There were still places in the world that would take him, smaller cities, struggling regions, anywhere that needed a speedster to play hero.
But it was not the same. Not even close.
A-Train covered his face, his chest tightening.
Compound V had repaired his body, even restoring his injured hand, but physical recovery did nothing for the weight pressing down on him. He leaned against the wall beside the door, then slowly slid down until he was crouched there, staring at nothing.
Time passed.
Then the door opened.
The sudden sound made him flinch. He looked up immediately, tension written all over his face.
Claw Woman stood there, silent for a moment as she took him in.
She stepped forward, crouched beside him, and gently took his hand.
"Darling, you look exhausted. What happened? Is this because I pushed you to make our relationship public?"
Her voice softened as she looked down.
"I know Madelyn is difficult. If she refused, then… I can wait."
A-Train rubbed his face again, guilt written all over him.
"If only it were that simple."
They had been together for a long time. She had always wanted to go public, and he had always claimed he was working on it, saying he was negotiating with Madelyn Stillwell.
The truth was, he never even tried.
The Seven looked perfect from the outside. Powerful, glamorous, untouchable.
But inside, it was something else entirely.
And now, with the arrival of someone even worse, it had become unbearable.
Even before that, Homelander alone had been enough to keep everyone in line. With Madelyn backing him, A-Train had never dared step out of line. She did not care about the things he did behind closed doors. What mattered to her was public image.
A relationship made public could damage that.
So he stayed quiet. Always.
A-Train let out a slow breath, then pulled Claw Woman into his arms.
"Sorry. I… I've been ordered to leave The Seven."
She froze.
"What? How is that even possible?"
"I know how it sounds," he said quickly. "But it wasn't my fault. I'll explain everything. Just trust me. Things have changed there. It's dangerous now."
He guided her inside and explained everything, not leaving anything out.
When he finished, Claw Woman sat there for a moment, processing it all. Then she held his hand tighter.
"You went through all that in one day? Your body was shattered, and you recovered with Compound V… and even Homelander…"
She shook her head, clearly disturbed.
"That's not normal. None of it is."
Then she leaned in and hugged him.
"Listen to me. Leaving is not a bad thing."
A-Train blinked, caught off guard.
"We haven't celebrated anything in a long time," she continued. "Do you remember what my Beef Wellington tastes like?"
He stared at her.
"You're… not disappointed?"
She smiled faintly.
"Disappointed about what? That you're no longer in The Seven? That you're like me now?"
She lifted his chin so he had to meet her eyes.
"When I met you, you weren't part of The Seven. You changed after joining them. And honestly… so did I."
She paused.
"I thought I was falling behind you. That's why I wanted us to go public."
Then she kissed him.
When she pulled back, her expression was lighter.
"This is a good thing. You're back to who you used to be. Life might get harder, but it won't be worse."
She leaned into him again.
"I can still work. You can team up with me. We can register in smaller cities, build something stable. No more worrying about approval ratings or pretending to be perfect."
Her smile widened.
"Let's invite your family over. Celebrate properly. Brooklyn raised you, right? Then let's celebrate you going back to that."
A-Train let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Yeah… that sounds perfect."
A few minutes later, he ended the call with his brother, a genuine smile on his face.
They were coming over.
For the first time in a long while, he felt grounded. When he was at the top, he demanded pride from everyone around him. Now, at his lowest point, he realized something simple.
He had never lost their support.
Not once.
Soon, he and Claw Woman were in the kitchen, cooking together, the mood lighter than it had been in months.
Then came a knock at the door.
She nudged him.
"Go on, it's probably your brother."
A-Train walked over, still smiling, and opened the door.
The moment he saw who it was, his expression dropped.
"Translucent? What are you doing here?"
His entire body tensed.
He knew exactly what this could mean. He had done similar work before, quiet jobs, the kind that ended with entire families erased.
But Translucent just raised a hand casually.
"Relax. I'm not here to kill anyone."
A-Train didn't believe him.
"Then why are you here?"
Translucent smirked.
"I've got good news. Two things, actually."
A-Train said nothing, waiting.
"First, I'm out of The Seven too."
A-Train frowned slightly.
"And second," Translucent continued, patting his shoulder, "they needed a replacement."
A-Train's stomach sank.
"Congratulations. You're back in."
Silence filled the space.
Then A-Train let out a bitter laugh.
"Yeah. I'm thrilled."
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