Beneath the star-filled sky, the radiance Annie bore as "Starlight" seemed truly to resonate with the heavens, rekindling her drive.
She looked at Lucian, her exhaustion replaced by a fire of eagerness.
"Then... what do we do next?"
"At first, I just wanted to give you something to do so you wouldn't overthink things." Lucian teased her, half-serious. Only after watching Annie puff out her cheeks did he leisurely continue, "But since the great Starlight is so motivated, I'll give you two tasks."
He held up two fingers.
"First, spend more time with Queen Maeve. She's a decent person. You're both women in the Seven, natural allies."
Annie nodded. That was easy enough to understand.
"And then?"
"Find a way to get a copy of the Flight 37 video from her."
"Didn't Flight 37 just crash? What video?"
"A video that contradicts Homelander's speech. He claimed the plane crashed before he could get there. But Maeve's video shows that not only was he on that plane, he refused to save anyone and threatened them," Lucian said. "It's the ultimate trump card against Homelander. With it, you'll be safe."
Annie solemnly agreed. She understood the weight of the matter.
"The second thing..." Lucian turned sideways and looked her up and down. "Train your powers."
"I've been training all along."
"No, you've only been maintaining them." Lucian shook his head. "You don't understand yourself at all. Annie, believe me. You can fly."
Annie froze completely.
She stared at him blankly, as though listening to some impossible fantasy.
"Fly? Me? How could I... my power is absorbing electricity and emitting light..."
"Who told you that?" Lucian interrupted. "Vought? Your mother? What do they know?"
His certainty carried an unquestionable force that shook Annie's understanding. Could I really fly?
"All right... I'll try," she