"Nightmare? Do you know who I am?" A-Train said, forcing himself back to his feet. "I'm A-Train, the fastest man alive."
The fact that somebody had slapped him across the face and acted like it meant nothing infuriated him.
Ethan looked utterly unimpressed. "You know, I give zero care about such bullshit titles. If I wanted, I could get as many titles as I want. Those things mean nothing." He casually raised his middle finger.
A-Train's expression darkened. He stopped talking and burst forward, intending to smash straight through Ethan, send him into the alley wall, and end this in a single hit.
Ethan simply looked at him, then lifted his leg. The kick landed directly in A-Train's groin. All the speed in the world suddenly became meaningless. He folded instantly, lost his balance, and crashed headfirst into the nearby trash bins, metal containers overturning as garbage spilled across the ground.
Ethan grinned. "Hehe, as always, that's the male kryptonite. No matter how powerful a man becomes, that place stays a weakness. Even if you've got balls of steel, a proper hit there still ruins your entire day." He folded his arms.
"People talk about super speed, super strength, and invulnerable bodies, but nature made sure every man remembers humility the same way."
Kimiko silently watched from behind. The legendary fastest man alive was lying beside a pile of garbage, clutching himself, struggling to stand.
Ethan looked down at him. "Maybe it's time you climbed down from that pedestal. Let me show you what happens when you pick the wrong person."
A chainsaw appeared in his hand, the metal body reflecting the dim light of the alley. He dragged his thumb along the blade before pulling the starter. The engine growled to life, a harsh mechanical noise filling the surroundings.
Ethan grinned. "Nothing beats the sound of this thing. Always puts me in a good mood."
He began walking toward A-Train. Not rushing. Not screaming. Just walking. "Come on. Let's make sure you remember today for the rest of your life."
A-Train grabbed the wall and forced himself upright. His body still hurt. His pride hurt even more. But none of that mattered right now. The bastard in front of him was smiling. Actually smiling, with genuine excitement.
Where the fuck did this lunatic come from?
He'd dealt with dangerous people before. Dangerous people threatened. Dangerous people got angry.
This guy looked like he was enjoying himself. That was worse. Even worse, none of his powers made sense. He could see him. He could react to him.
He'd kicked him at full speed. That should not happen.
Ethan lifted the chainsaw slightly. "Fastest man alive, huh? Let's see how fast you are with one leg less. Come here." Then he started running toward him.
The moment the chainsaw noise got closer, A-Train stopped thinking about pride. People don't stand around proving a point when somebody unstable runs at them with a weapon. They leave. Instinct takes over. Survival comes first.
A-Train turned around and ran. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with this psychopath. For the first time in a long time, the fastest man alive wasn't running to win. He was running because staying was a much worse option.
"Hmmm. What a pity," Ethan said in Japanese, switching off the chainsaw. "I never even got the chance to try it properly."
He turned around. The moment he faced her, Kimiko took a step back and raised her guard, muscles tensed, eyes never leaving him.
Ethan noticed. "Do I really look that scary?"
She nodded without hesitation. To her he looked less like a person and more like something from an old story told to frighten children into staying indoors at night.
He thought about it for a moment. "Good. Then that guy should be having nightmares for a while." The smile on his face widened.
***
Back at Vought Tower, A-Train walked through the corridors with an expression darker than usual.
Part of him wanted to go straight to Homelander and tell him about the white-haired lunatic. Another part of him understood how terrible an idea that was.
What exactly was he supposed to say? That he lost the woman he'd been ordered to keep hidden? That some random stranger beat him, tracked his movements, and chased him with a chainsaw?
He'd already killed Popclaw to keep the Compound V secret and avoid Homelander's anger. If Homelander learned that Kimiko had escaped and A-Train failed to clean it up, things would get much worse.
He decided to keep his mouth shut.
At that moment the door to the recreation room opened. Deep walked inside.
"Fucking white-haired guy." Both of them said it at the exact same time, and looked at each other.
Silence followed.
"You too?" Deep asked.
A-Train frowned. "Wait. Don't tell me you also ran into some weird white-haired bastard."
Deep folded his arms. A-Train suddenly became interested. He wasn't expecting anyone else to know him, and for a brief moment the humiliation from earlier became slightly easier to bear.
"Did he do something to you?"
Deep looked away. "Hmph. Nothing important."
"That sounds like he beat your ass."
Deep straightened his back. "Who can beat me? I'm The Deep."
The confidence in his voice sounded forced. He definitely wasn't going to admit he'd been treated like laundry, thrown into the sky, and eventually landed in the ocean several kilometers away.
A-Train noticed the hesitation. The silence. The refusal to answer directly. A slow smile spread across his face. "Oh my God. He actually beat your ass."
Deep's expression darkened. "And what about you? Why are you asking so many questions?"
"Just curious."
"Bullshit."
The two men looked at each other. Neither wanted to admit what happened. Neither wanted to be the first member of the Seven to confess that some random white-haired psychopath had turned their day into a nightmare.
Unfortunately for both of them, the coincidence was becoming harder to ignore.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
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