The penthouse elevator door slid open, revealing the warm glow of the sidekicks' housing.
The scent of rosemary and seared steak filled the air, mingling with the faintest hint of burning candle wax.
Vanessa stood in front of the elevator door, her usual poised elegance softened by the rare, unrestrained smile on her lips.
"My darlings," she breathed, arms outstretched.
Duke was the first to step forward, letting Vanessa cup his face in her hands as she inspected his bruised knuckles, "You didn't break anything important, did you?"
"I promise you that I wasn't going to overdo myself," Duke grinned.
After Vanessa finished inspecting his hands and gave him a quick hug, she immediately moved over to Bruce.
Bruce received a gentler touch—Vanessa's fingers brushing over his temples, checking for psychic fatigue, "No migraines this time?"
"None, I was careful this time," Bruce assured, though his eyes flickered toward the kitchen.
Vanessa lifted him up and gave him a gentle hug before putting him down. Vanessa skipped over to Annie.
Annie got a playful hair ruffle, "And how is my brilliant little psychic?"
"Exhausted," Annie admitted, untiring her ponytail, "But the city has their island back, so it was worth it."
Vanessa and Annie hugged each other and playfully swung back and forth.
Then came Arthur.
Vanessa skipped over to him and opened her arms, "Congratulations on your first mission. There's a rule that I reward everyone with free hugs after a successful mission."
Arthur averted his eyes, trying to hide his face, "I'm good, thanks—"
To his surprise, Vanessa pulled him closer with his head resting against her chest and arms around his back, "Well done, son, you truly did your best."
Arthur was frozen but rested his right hand against her back.
Vanessa pulled back with a wide smile, "Tomorrow, we debrief. Tonight?" She clapped her hands, "We celebrate."
The balcony was bathed in the bright glow of Golden City's skyline.
Annie perched on the railing, a cigarette dangling between her fingers.
Arthur joined her, the night air cool against his skin.
"So," Annie exhaled a stream of smoke, "This is your life now. Are you enjoying yourself?"
Arthur watched the stars, "Better than a prison cell, honestly."
"That's not an answer." Annie tilted her head, "Do you like this? The hero gig? The team? The..." She pointed vaguely toward the kitchen, where Vanessa's laughter mingled with the clatter of pans, "...family?"
Arthur was silent for a long moment. Then, quietly, "When I was a kid, I used to watch Empire Gold on the news. Him saving lives, being interviewed daily, and sometimes funny videos of him being a normal guy. It sparked a feeling within me that gave me reason to smile even if my life was awful. I wanted everyone else to feel the same feeling I felt when I was younger." His eyes trailed off toward the moon.
"For so long, I wanted to hear someone tell me what I did was an accident. And that there was still a shred of hope inside me that I could share with others. So to answer your question, yes... I'm loving every second of this new life." Arthur stated as they watched a shooting star fly throughout the night sky.
Annie gently tapped his left arm while holding out a cigarette, "You smoke?" she asked.
Arthur didn't hesitate, taking it gently from her hands, "I do now." He let her light it for him. The first drag burned, but the second? He felt warmth.
After a short silence between the two, "We're going to make her Number One," Annie said abruptly.
Arthur coughed, "What?"
"Well, Mom, who else?" Annie's eyes gleamed with determination, "Bruce has been our guy for interviews after our mission. I have been working the media. And Duke is very popular since he actually works much harder than all of us."
Arthur frowned, "Why tell me?"
Annie leaned in, "You see, heroes are ranked by their saves, arrests, and popularity. Sidekicks of the hero have fifty percent of their points added to the hero. Since we were basically strays with no purpose in life, the least we can do is help her achieve her dream of becoming Number One."
Arthur stared at her before taking a puff.
Annie plucked the cigarette back, "So? In or out?"
Through the glass doors, Vanessa was balancing a tray of roasted vegetables while scolding Duke for stealing bites. Bruce was meticulously arranging silverware, adjusting each fork by millimeters.
Arthur's chest ached, "I'm in," he said.
"ARTHUR! ANNIE! COME HELP SET THE CUPS!" Vanessa called.
Both Annie and Arthur had one more puff before placing their cigarette in the ashtray, "One more thing." Annie walked over to a potted plant and retrieved a can of body spray, "Mom doesn't like it when I smell like cigarette smoke, so I hope you like lavender."
Arthur smirked, "Doesn't have a strong scent, but why not?" he said.
After Annie finished spraying both of them, they walked inside.
Dinner was chaos.
Duke nearly set the tablecloth on fire trying to light candles with his bare hands.
Bruce kept teleporting bites of food off Annie's plate when she wasn't looking.
Vanessa told increasingly outrageous stories about her early Hero days, complete with dramatic reenactments.
And Arthur?
He laughed.
Really, truly laughed—the kind that started in his stomach and hurt his cheeks.
When the plates were cleared, Vanessa produced a deck of cards and a shot glass, "Poker rules," she declared, "No powers, no cheating. Whoever loses a place takes a shot."
Despite Annie trying to read everyone's mind, she had her powers disabled by Arthur, which resulted in her losing most of the games.
"Bullsh**," Annie said after taking a shot, "Arthur is cheating if he's using his power."
Arthur, the only sober one in the room, "It's the gambler's luck telling me I won't lose today."
They played anyway. They sang off-key. They danced on chairs. And when the night finally wound down, Bruce insisted on a photo.
"Group selfie," he announced, arm outstretched.
They crowded together—Duke's massive frame nearly crushing Annie, Vanessa's perfectly styled hair now delightfully messy, Arthur still not quite smiling but close, so close.
The flash went off.
A moment frozen in time.
Their first family photo. A quiet warmth settled in Arthur's heart as he stared at the photo on Bruce's phone, the laughter and chaos of the night etching itself into his soul. This wasn't just a team—it was a family, a place where his past faded and a new purpose took root.