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**1962, Springfield, Ohio**
*Snap!* Zero grabbed Sabretooth's arm, his voice low. "Victor, not now. Too many eyes in this park."
Sabretooth grinned, his sharp teeth glinting. "You think anyone's gonna stop me?"
Zero sighed, exasperated. "You know what I mean. Don't draw attention. Stryker's plan matters."
"Plan, huh?" Sabretooth growled, grabbing Zero by the throat and lifting him. "You tryin' to pull rank?"
Zero choked, face reddening. "Just… a suggestion," he gasped.
Sabretooth stared him down, then dropped him. Zero coughed, clutching his neck. "Kills the fun," Sabretooth muttered, but he stayed put. The park would clear out soon—Americans didn't linger after dark. They'd wait.
An hour later, the neon lights dimmed, and the crowds thinned. Vendors packed up, leaving the park near-empty.
---
A black sedan rolled to a stop outside the amusement park. Eric and Jake stepped out, the gravel crunching under their boots.
"This the place?" Eric asked, double-checking the file's address.
"Looks like it," Jake said, scanning the fading lights. The park was shutting down, with only a few stragglers and vendors left.
They headed inside, passing a roller coaster where an old man was locking a gate. "Hey, pops," Eric called. "Where's Bradley?"
The man squinted suspiciously. "What's it to you?"
"Old friend from back home," Eric lied smoothly.
The old man relaxed. "East side, far end. Can't miss his booth."
"Thanks," Eric said, and they moved on. In the distance, Jake spotted a wiry guy packing up—Bradley, matching the file's photo. *Lucky he's still breathing*, Jake thought, recalling Sabretooth's role in Bradley's fate.
Then Eric froze, his gaze snapping to the left. Jake followed, spotting two men by the carousel, smoking. One was massive, with a feral grin—Sabretooth. The other, pale and quiet, had to be Zero.
Jake's pulse quickened. He knew they were here for Bradley, likely to kill him. But with his Homelander powers—1% or not—Sabretooth wasn't a threat. Not yet.
"Eric, those guys aren't staff," Jake said quietly.
"Let's keep moving," Eric replied, dismissing them. "If they don't bother us, we don't bother them."
They approached Bradley, who was folding up a sign. "Mr. Bradley?" Eric said. "I'm Eric. This is Jake. Can we talk?"
Bradley paused, eyeing them warily. "Don't know you."
"We'll be friends soon enough," Eric said, flashing a grin. He flicked his hand, and a metal prop in Bradley's grip floated upward.
Bradley's eyes widened. "You're… like me?"
"Mutant, yeah," Eric said firmly.
Across the park, Sabretooth's grin widened, catching the display. "Zero, look at that. Another mutant. Maybe two." His voice dripped with glee. "Stryker'll love this."
Zero nodded, uneasy. Sabretooth's job was to hunt mutants—dead or alive. Two new targets just sweetened the deal. He stubbed out his cigarette, ready to move once the park cleared.
Bradley hesitated, then waved them inside his cramped booth. "Didn't expect to see my kind here," he said, still guarded. "Been years since I ran from… well, you know."
"Where we're from, there's more of us," Eric said. "We're building a team. Mutants sticking together. You in?"
Bradley's face hardened. "A mutant group? I left that life behind. No offense, but I'm done with that."
Jake watched silently, knowing Bradley's past with Stryker's crew. He glanced outside, where Sabretooth's shadow loomed closer in the darkening park.
---