A/N: TRIGGER WARNING! Mention of sexual assault.

Hughie swallowed.

"Long story," he admitted, shakily. "Just… don't kill each other. Please?"

Ihwa turned around. Hughie somehow looked even more nervous than before.

"You know her?" she asked.

She wanted to slap that idiot normie to the next week. She couldn't believe he was in contact with a member of the Seven, and he hadn't bothered to share it with the class.

"Kind of," Hughie replied, bracing against the wall.

"Hughie, what's going on?" Starlight asked. "How do you know her?"

Ihwa was staring at him. Then again, maybe Hughie wasn't so useless after all, if he was familiar with one of the Seven. His tech abilities weren't anything to scoff at, eifher.

Unfortunately, it looked like the man had forgotten how to speak. He had his hands raised up, smiling nervously, sweating bullets.

"Well?" Starlight prompted.

Hughie sighed. "Um… Ihwa's a friend. From work."

"A friend from work," Starlight repeated, "who just happens to be breaking into one of Vought's strongholds. And you're here too."

"It's not what you think, Annie," Hughie said, waving his hands.

(First-name basis. That was a good sign. And considering how flustered he was getting…)

Ihwa sighed. Looks like if Hughie couldn't save face for himself, she would have to do it for him.

"He's right," Ihwa jumped in. "You're new to Vought, aren't you?"

"Yes," Starlight turned on her, raising a brow.

"Then you should already know how corrupt they are," Ihwa said.

Starlight just stared at her, harsher than before.

"Where are you going with this?" she asked.

"It's obvious," Ihwa said. "After all, you were raped on your first day."

Starlight's eyes glowed.

"Annie?" Hughie asked, his voice shaking. "Is that true?"

"How do you know?" Starlight asked, ignoring him.

"I know a lot more than you think," Ihwa replied.

She was treading on dangerous water, but there was no point having info if you couldn't use it.

"You're another villain," Starlight hissed, "just like him."

"You're right," Ihwa replied. "The only thing I want to do… is find the bastard who killed my sister. But Vought isn't any better. They're up to so much worse."

Starlight's glare has lessened out. She crossed her arms, still guarded, but more sympathetic.

"What they've done to you so far," Ihwa said, "is just the beginning."

She was half tempted to just go up and steal Starlight's gift, but she had to be smarter than that. Calmer. A different type of power.

Hughie croaked, "Annie, about Vought-"

"What do you want from me?" Starlight sighed, stepping towards Ihwa.

"I want," Ihwa held out her hand, "your gift."

"Excuse me?" Starlight asked.

"Lend me your gift," Ihwa said, "and I'll show you justice."

"Why should I trust you?" Starlight asked.

"It's your life," Ihwa narrowed her eyes, "or your gift."

Starlight was lucky she wasn't dead already. Ihwa could already feel her patience wearing thin. Either an ally or a permanent power was useful… if Starlight made the right choice.

"Guys," Hughie pleaded. He looked at Starlight. "Look, I know she seems… unsettling, but she's legit."

"She just threatened to kill me," Starlight deadpanned.

"I won't, if you give me your gift," Ihwa said.

"There's no way!" Starlight said. "I can't just hand over my gift-"

"It's not permanent," Ihwa said.

Unless I kill you, she thought.

"But I'm giving you the choice to resolve this peacefully," Ihwa replied.

Starlight's eyes glowed. "Hughie, close your eyes!"

Ihwa couldn't help but smile. Oh well. This is what she'd been waiting for.

Her body vanished into thin air. Starlight stepped back, the gears ticking in her mind.

"You…" Starlight gasped. "You're the one that killed Translucent!"

Her eyes glowed again, but Ihwa was too fast. She emerged from the floor, grabbing Starlight in a chokehold. Starlight elbowed her in the face; blood gushed out of Ihwa's nose. Starlight whammed her again; Ihwa stumbled backwards. Before Starlight could make another move, Ihwa's hands turned into daggers. The two paced around each other.

"Guys, please, stop fighting!" Hughie pleaded. He coughed, spewing up clots of blood.

As much as his whining was irritating, he had a point. The building was falling apart. Smoke was thick and the fire was burning.

The women stopped, still glaring at each other.

"We need to go," Hughie pleaded.

"We'll continue this fight outside," Ihwa agreed.

"That's not what I meant…" Hughie groaned.

Starlight and Ihwa continued to eye each other. Although Starlight was not a weak hero, Ihwa felt fairly confident she could defeat her. That being said, having a burning building as a battle ground wasn't a great advantage.

So Ihwa crashed into Starlight, and sent them both out of the window.

Ihwa's childhood was fuzzy, when she tried to remember it. She did not remember her parents. She remembered her sister, her kind smiles, the blood-soaked hands she always cleaned.

She remembered the heroes on the walls, beaming from their posters.

And she remembered how happy she'd been with Yeon. She had been one of the very few people Ihwa had truly loved. Perhaps the only one.

The Black Hand.

The name was familiar, like another old memory.

The Seven.

Soldier Boy.

He was familiar as well. A well-known hero that would've done anything for his country, just like how Yeon would've done anything for Ihwa. Just like Homelander in the present.

Black Hand… Soldier Boy…

Homelander…

Victoria.

It didn't make sense. The Black Hand was a deadly group of villains, and Soldier Boy was Vought's favourite little experiment.

That did not mean they were unrelated, of course. Rather the opposite. Ihwa would find out their connection, no matter what.

And she would start… by killing the glowing thorn in her side.