It was only three days after the nightmare in the operating room, but the world outside had already moved on — or at least, that's what Vought wanted everyone to believe.
Season 4 had ended in blood and fire. Homelander had taken real power. The president was gone, martial law was whispered about in the streets, and The Boys were scattered or locked away. Starlight — the real Annie January — had become a symbol for the resistance. Her face was on protest signs, her name chanted by people who still believed supes could be better.
And now Vought was about to give them back their golden girl.
I stood in front of the full-length mirror in Homelander's penthouse, staring at the stranger wearing my — her — iconic white-and-gold suit. The costume hugged every curve perfectly. The star emblem on my chest caught the light like it was alive. My golden hair was styled in those soft waves Annie always wore for public appearances. Makeup covered the faint surgical marks on my neck.
I looked exactly like her.
But when I moved my mouth, the voice that came out still felt borrowed.
"You ready, Starlight?" Homelander asked from behind me. His reflection appeared in the mirror — cape draped perfectly, smile sharp as a blade.
I swallowed. "Do I have a choice?"
He stepped closer, resting his hands on my shoulders. The touch was possessive, almost gentle. "No. But you're going to smile. You're going to tell the world how happy you are to be back with The Seven. How you've seen the light again." His fingers tightened slightly. "And tonight, when the cameras are off, you'll show me just how grateful you are."
My stomach twisted. Last night he had taken me again — slow and deliberate this time, whispering Annie's name while I came apart in his arms. Every orgasm felt like another piece of Kevin slipping away.
The elevator ride down to the press event was silent except for the soft hum of the machinery. When the doors opened, the roar hit me like a wave.
Hundreds of reporters. Thousands of fans behind barriers. Cameras flashing like strobe lights. "Starlight! Starlight!" they chanted. Some were crying with joy. Others held signs that said "Welcome Home" and "Light Over Darkness."
Vought had timed it perfectly. After the chaos of Season 4, people were exhausted. They wanted hope. They wanted their sweet, idealistic Starlight back — the one who believed in doing good.
A-Train stood off to the side, looking uncomfortable in his new suit. Black Noir (the new one) was a silent shadow. The Deep's old seat was empty — officially, he had "returned to the sea" after one final heroic sacrifice. Nobody questioned it.
Homelander took my hand and led me onto the stage like we were a power couple. The crowd went wild.
I stepped up to the microphone. My heart — Annie's heart — was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
"Hi everyone," I said, and Annie's warm, hopeful voice filled the air. "I… I know things have been really dark lately. After everything that happened, I needed time to heal. To find myself again."
The lies tasted bitter, but they flowed out smoothly. Vought's script had been drilled into me all morning.
"But I'm back now. And I want to keep fighting for what's right. For the people who still believe in heroes. For the light inside all of us."
Applause exploded. Some fans were openly sobbing. A little girl in the front row waved a Starlight plushie.
Homelander beamed beside me, one arm around my waist. To the world, it looked supportive. To me, it felt like a chain.
During the Q&A, a reporter asked the question everyone was waiting for: "Starlight, there were rumors you had left The Seven for good. What brought you back?"
I smiled the way Annie used to — soft, a little shy, full of quiet strength.
"Love," I said, glancing at Homelander. "And the belief that even when things get broken, we can rebuild them. Together."
The crowd ate it up. Hashtags were already trending: #StarlightReturns #LightIsBack.
But inside my head, two voices screamed over each other.
This is wrong. I'm not her. I'm Kevin. I'm a joke. I'm trapped.
And the other voice — quieter, smoother, starting to feel more natural — whispered:
They love me. They need me. Look at all these people. This power… this body… maybe I can use it.
After the event, back in the penthouse, Homelander didn't waste time.
He had me bent over the balcony railing again, the city lights sparkling far below. My costume was pushed up around my waist, panties ripped aside. He thrust into me hard and deep, one hand fisted in my golden hair.
"You were perfect today," he growled against my ear. "Smiling. Lying so sweetly. Just like my Annie."
Every thrust sent sparks through this hypersensitive body. I moaned despite myself, gripping the railing as pleasure built fast and humiliating.
"Say it," he demanded. "Tell me who you are now."
"I'm… Starlight," I gasped, voice breaking into a feminine cry as I came hard around him.
Homelander groaned and finished inside me, claiming me once again under the open sky.
Later, as I lay curled on the silk sheets, sore and sticky and exhausted, I stared at the ceiling.
The real Annie was probably dead. Or hidden somewhere. The Boys were fighting a war they were losing. And here I was — wearing her face, her powers, her legend.
I touched the star on my chest, feeling the faint hum of light energy under my skin. Annie's light. But it responded to me now.
A small, dangerous thought crept in:
What if I didn't just survive this?
What if I became something even Homelander couldn't control?