prologue:
never let go

"It's just a quick trip, are you sure you wanna go with? I mean you can stay at home with Zack. Do boys night or something while I go alone". Colton looked at his wife as he held onto their suitcases, a last minute trip and given he's never been on a plane before. He thought why not just tag along, they can see the city when she's done at her big fancy meeting.

A family trip, even if it lasted two days max. A waste of money if you ask him, but he's not complaining when Zack's running around packing his little suitcase. He could hear the little boys giggles as he ran around his bedroom across from theirs. A constant beeping noise of his toy trucks as he struggles to pick one to bring. "We can do a boys trip while you're at your meeting. Still don't know why it's needed. Could do a call at this rate". He pushed his shirt into the suitcase as his wife chuckled softly.

"Oh yeah? You two gonna raid the candy store or something while I keep us all together. You know this is a big step for us". He grew tense when she grabbed the small vial of compound v from under the bed.

"Not here Maria" he grabbed her hand slightly, a means of stopping her. She grabbed his hand, he could feel the coldness of the vial touching his skin softly. "He's gonna be seven soon, maybe it's time we just do it. So he can protect himself when I can't". Colton scoffed "I'm not putting that drug into our kid Maria, are you insane. I don't even know how the hell you got that, you can protect us all just fine".

She sighed "barely, no one even knows I'm a supe Colton. I'm always hiding as a caution, Zack doesn't even know". Colton sat down on the bed "he's gonna be normal, just like me. My parents didn't use it on me, and I'm not using it on my kid either".

He could hear Zack running around still, the little boy would probably tire out soon. "He's just a little kid, he's not even seven yet" Maria sat down beside him "I was a baby when my parents gave it to me. He would be more prepared, and I could help him".

Colton looked at the vial as Maria put it into her purse "they'd take it the second we step foot into that airport". She rolled her eyes "they wouldn't, they don't even check purses". He sighed "why exactly do you even need that? It's just a two day trip".

"Well we're gonna be somewhere new, you never know what could happen. Even if it's just two days". He shook his head slightly "you're being paranoid, why must you always be so paranoid".

"Because I'm always paranoid... you should be too".

—

"Homelander will help us..." he couldn't catch his breath, he heard the muffled noise of screams and cries outside as he kept the door shut with his foot. He leaned back, as he felt the plane shake with such an intense energy it made him wanna throw up. His wife had cradled onto their son as the little boy cried softly.

Thick red lasers shot through the plane and his eyes widened as he heard the sickening crack of it destroying the plane. The screams had grown quiet, and he turned the second he felt the blood seep into his skin. It had happened in such slow motion, his wide eyes, his lips parted open into a scream.

His wife's body had grown limp, and he could hear his son's cries slowly fade away into silence as blood poured through their clothes. He would've screamed at his own injuries but he couldn't, his body ached and blood was rushing out of his side as he pushed his hand over it. He kept his foot planted against the door as tears ran down his cheeks "Maria...".

His voice cracked as he felt the pressure of the wind increasing as the plane began to slowly descend downwards. He inhaled so sharply he felt lightheaded as he grabbed hold of Maria's purse "fuck it". He barely remembered what happened next, just the intense burn of the compound v slipping into his bloodstream as the plane finally crashed. With one final scream he felt water rushing into his lungs and then the world turned dark.

The water was freezing when his eyes briefly opened, he saw the body of Maria below him. Sinking into the depths of the ocean floor as he reached his hand forward out of instinct. He swam, and despite his chest burning from the water entering his lungs he didn't stop once. He touched her arm and he almost had a heart attack by the sudden burst of energy that ran along his body.

Then within a matter of seconds he moved so fast towards the surface of the water. He nearly choked when he coughed violently, he clung onto the ground as he crawled forward weakly. He survived but at what cost? He had lost his family and maybe even himself. It was all because of homelander.

—
authors notes:
this has been sitting in my draft for weeks and not gonna lie I really wanted to start working on the actually chapters so I'm cutting this short. Also why it's basic and not really that long. Enjoy!