Nathan's eyes opened to blinding hospital lights. The heart monitor beeped in rhythm with his racing thoughts. A surge of pain shot through his ribs as he tried to move. Forcing him to lay still.

  "Damn it..." he muttered through clenched teeth, his vision swimming. His mind raced wildly. How bad is it?

  The answer came soon enough. A doctor arrived, flipping through his chart with the clinical detachment of someone used to delivering bad news. "Three fractured ribs, internal bleeding, and muscle strain severe enough that you'll need rehabilitation."

  She adjusted her glasses, light reflecting off of them and momentarily covering her eyes. "You're out of commission for three months, minimum."

  Three months.

  Nathan barely registered the rest of what she said. The number echoed in his head, heavier than any injury. Three months of watching from the sidelines. Three months of being useless.

  The hospital door swung open. Lucas stood there, his tall frame filled the doorway, a bouquet of flowers comically small in his big hands.

  "YOU IDIOT!" Lucas bellowed, his voice echoing down the hallway. Tears welled in his eyes despite his fierce expression. "What were you thinking, taking that hit?!"

  Behind him, Astra slipped in quietly, her usual cool demeanor cracked to reveal genuine concern. Her silver hair caught the light as she moved to Nathan's bedside.

  "How are you feeling?" she asked softly, though her eyes already assessed his condition.

  "Like I got hit by a truck. And then run over by another one for good measure."

  Lucas let out a chuckle. "Well, at least your terrible sense of humor survived."

  The conversation was light, but the weight of reality pressed against Nathan's chest. They were still out there, training, fighting, moving forward. And he was stuck here, left behind.

  Nathan sat in his hospital bed, remote clutched in his hand, and eyes fixed on the muted television screen. The news ticker flashed: BREAKING: HOSTAGE SITUATION AT CENTRAL BANK. HEROES RESPONDING. His stomach clenched as he recognized two figures on the live footage, Lucas and Astra.

  The scene cut to grainy aerial footage of the bank's entrance. Lucas stood at the front, fists clenched, Astra behind him, scanning the building's structure. Their movements were sharp but lacked the effortless rhythm they had when Nathan was with them.

  "Something's off about them," Nathan whispered to himself, leaning forward despite the pain. They're not in sync!

  Lucas felt it, too. On the ground, he shifted uneasily, glancing back at Astra. Nathan was always the one who read situations before they spiraled. Without him, the weight of command pressed heavier. "We go in fast and separate the hostages from the threat," he said, trying to project confidence.

  Astra nodded but hesitated a beat longer than usual. "We should assess if they have secondary triggers first..."

  A burst of gunfire cut her off. Lucas moved before thinking, charging forward with brute force, shattering the locked doors with a single strike. Glass and debris rained down as he stormed inside, his instincts screaming at him to take control. The gunmen inside reeled back in shock, momentarily caught off guard by his sudden entrance.

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  "Drop your weapons!" Lucas commanded, his voice echoing through the bank's marble floors.

  One of the gunmen panicked and fired wildly. Lucas dodged, the bullet grazing past his arm but doing no real damage. He lunged forward, grabbing the nearest criminal and hurling him into a desk, sending papers and monitors flying. He turned to secure the next, expecting Astra to already have his back.

  She wasn't there.

  Instead, she had taken a different approach, scaling the mezzanine floor where another group of hostages was being held. Lucas clenched his jaw. They were split up. Again.

  One of the remaining gunmen seized the opening, lunging at Lucas with a metal baton. He barely had time to react before the weapon slammed into his ribs, the baton made a deafening sound against his tough skin. Lucas retaliated fast, driving his fist into the man's gut with enough force to send him sprawling.

  Above, Astra was engaging a second set of criminals, but without Lucas there to absorb damage, she had to dodge more than attack. Nathan could see it even through the shaky live footage. She was quick, but not as aggressive as she could have been if they were working together properly.

  One of the gunmen grabbed a hostage, gun to their head. Lucas pivoted sharply, locking onto the man's stance. He needed to act fast.

  "Wait!" Astra's voice cut in through his earpiece. "If you move now, you'll"

  Lucas was already in motion.

  He tackled the gunman, forcing the weapon away, but the man had been ready. Lucas had played right into his trap. A hidden detonator clattered from his grip. Astra's eyes widened from her position above. "Lucas! Get back!"

  A deafening flashbang explosion rocked the bank lobby, sending Lucas stumbling backward, ears ringing. By the time his vision cleared, the remaining criminals had been subdued, Astra's energy bindings locking them in place. The hostages were safe.

  But as Lucas looked around, breathing heavily, he could feel it.

  That was sloppy.

  Nathan grimaced as he watched. They were reacting, not anticipating. Lucas was too aggressive, Astra too cautious, both trying to fill the gaps Nathan usually bridged. The mission was still a success. The hostages were secured, the criminals subdued, but it was clear.

  It wasn't smooth.

  The debriefing room was quiet, the only sound came from the faint hum of the projector as it replayed footage from the mission. Lucas sat with his arms crossed, frowning at the screen. Astra, seated beside him, was scrolling through a tablet, reviewing their post-mission reports.

  "New patrol schedules are in," Astra finally said, breaking the silence. "With Nathan out, we're expected to pick up extra shifts."

  Lucas exhaled sharply. "So they're just pretending he never existed?" His eyes flashed with anger.

  Astra hesitated. "No. But they're adapting. And so should we."

  Nathan, watching from his hospital bed via video call, felt a knot tighten in his stomach. They were moving on without him. He wanted to argue, to remind them he could still contribute, but what could he say? He wasn't there.

  Lucas rubbed his face. "I get that, but let's be real, our teamwork sucked today." His voice rose with emotion. "We were all over the place!"

  Astra nodded. "Which is why I'll be handling more of the tactical calls. We have to adjust."

  Nathan clenched his fists beneath the hospital blanket. She was right, they had to adjust. But where did that leave him?

  Aegis arrived at the hospital that evening, standing stiffly at the foot of Nathan's bed. "You have a sharp mind, Cain. Tactical. Efficient," he said, arms crossed. "But that's not enough. You don't have the strength to keep up with real heroes."

  Nathan clenched his jaw. "I held my own just fine before this."

  "And look where you are now." Aegis's tone wasn't mocking, just coldly factual.

  "You should consider stepping back. Not everyone is built for this. It's not about intelligence, it's about strength. And no matter how much you push yourself, your power will always hold you back."

  Silence stretched between them before Aegis turned. He stopped just before leaving the hospital room. "If only you had a better power, you could have been the best hero in the world."

  The words hung in the air long after he'd gone, echoing in Nathan's mind like a curse.

  The next morning, Nathan was discharged to home care. The simplest tasks, getting dressed, standing up, even moving without pain, were all exhausting. He needed a health assistant just to manage daily routines.

  The final blow came when he saw Astra and Lucas on the news, heading out for another mission without him.

  For the first time, he truly felt it: he was being left behind.