The coffee shop was a bland, corporate chain place near Vought Tower, chosen for its anonymity. Annie sat at a corner table, looking like any other young professional on her break. I was at a table across the room, invisible, my enhanced hearing tuned to their conversation.
Maya Lin arrived exactly on time. She was a small, sharp-eyed woman in her late twenties, dressed in a conservative pantsuit. She looked nervous.
"Annie? Starlight? This is… unexpected," Maya said, sliding into the seat opposite her.
"Thanks for meeting me, Maya. And please, it's just Annie."
"Okay… Annie. What's this about? Your message was very cryptic."
Annie took a sip of her coffee, buying a moment. "I need your help, Maya. And I think you might want to give it."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "What kind of help?"
"Information. Specifically, the schedule for David Russo. Graviton."
Maya's face went pale. She glanced around the shop. "Are you insane? That's classified Level 7! I could go to prison just for talking about him!"
"I know," Annie said, her voice low and earnest. "But I also know you see what Vought is doing. The black ops, the cover-ups. The people like Graviton who do their dirty work. You've complained about it before."
"In private! To trusted colleagues! Not to a member of The Seven!"
"I'm not asking as a member of The Seven," Annie leaned forward. "I'm asking as someone who wants to stop the rot. Someone who knows that Graviton is responsible for the 'accidental' collapse of that apartment building in Queens last month. The one that killed twelve families."
Maya flinched. She knew. Of course she knew. She handled the logistics; she saw the aftermath reports.
"I can't," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They'll destroy me."
"They're already destroying people, Maya. Every day. I'm trying to put a stop to it. But I need your help."
I watched Maya's internal struggle play out on her face. Fear warred with conscience. This was the moment. If she said no, we'd have to find another way. If she said yes… we had a chance.
"Why?" Maya finally asked, her voice barely audible. "Why are you doing this? You have everything. Fame, money, power."
"Because it's wrong," Annie said simply. "And having power doesn't mean anything if you don't use it to do what's right."
The silence stretched. Then, Maya let out a shaky breath. "He has a meeting tomorrow. Off-site. A 'security consultation' at the First Federal Bank headquarters on Wall Street. Ten AM. He'll be alone except for his driver. It's the most vulnerable he'll be all week."
My heart hammered in my chest. She'd done it.
"Thank you, Maya," Annie said, genuine relief in her voice.
"Don't thank me. If this gets traced back to me, I'm dead." Maya stood up abruptly. "I never want to see you again. Don't contact me."
She hurried out of the coffee shop without a backward glance.
Annie sat for a moment, then pulled out her phone and typed a single word: Wall Street. 10 AM.
The message was sent. The trap was set.
I stood up, still invisible, and walked out behind Annie. As we stepped onto the street, I let my invisibility drop beside her.
She jumped slightly. "God, I'll never get used to that."
"You were brilliant in there," I said.
"She was scared," Annie replied, hugging herself. "I felt like a bully."
"You gave her a choice. She made the right one." I looked toward the towering spire of Vought Tower in the distance. "Tomorrow, we take down Graviton. And Homelander will know we're coming for him next."
The game was accelerating. And for the first time, I felt like we were actually winning.