To Lyger 0: He does come up with some impressively cheesy ones, doesn't he?

To yellow 14: Every so often, he is in rare form!

To Butterfly: Thanks!

To StarDaPanda225: Well, I mean, if you had the tiny embodiments of Creation and Destruction hanging around and looking for something to do, along with a tiny puppy needing tending, wouldn't you have the demigods play babysitter? :D

"What do you think your chances are in basketball this season, son?"

Kim scoffed and helped himself to another spoonful of mashed potatoes. "Championship season all the way!" he replied with a grin. "We almost got there last year, so there's no way we miss it this time!"

Ondine's father gave him an appraising look. "You know, I think you can do it," he agreed, nodding. "One last chance and all that."

Kim nodded ruefully. Unfortunately, their lycée team had missed the championship by seconds last year, and the year before they hadn't made it out of the quarterfinal round. If Kim was actually going to win, it would have to be this year. "Most of last year's team is back this year, at least," he observed. "There's no way we miss out again!"

Ondine beamed across the table at him. "I can't wait for the season to start! I'll be in the stands for every game!"

Kim felt his ears starting to burn. "I'd like that," he told her nervously. Her smile turned mischievous.

Ondine's mother stood up from the table and started collecting the dishes. "I hope you saved room for dessert! I made crème brulee!"

Kim grinned, and Ondine quickly interjected, "As if you would ever miss dessert!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but felt a bite on his stomach, right under where Xuppu was hidden in his pocket, and yelped in surprise. Ondine gave him a concerned look, and Kim quickly said, "Sorry, I, um, hit my toe on the table leg." He looked at his watch and groaned internally. "I hate to run off," he apologized, standing up, "especially before dessert, but I have a thing to finish up for school in the morning."

Ondine frowned, a disappointed look in her eyes, but shrugged, letting out a sad sigh. "I'll walk you out," she told him, shoulders slumping in resignation.

He took her hand as they walked down the hallway to the apartment door, then down the stairs to the building's front door. "I wish you could stay longer," she told him, pressing a kiss to his lips. "This is the fourth time in a row you've had to leave so soon."

He nodded regretfully. It seemed like every time she had invited him over for dinner with her family since her father returned from his deployment, he was already scheduled for patrol. "I wish I could stay longer, too," he agreed, pulling her into a tight hug.

She squeezed him back and let go. "Goodnight," she whispered softly, a troubled look in her eyes.

"Goodnight. I'll meet you in the morning to walk to school." As the door closed between them, Kim's mouth turned down in a frown and he glared down in the general vicinity of his Kwami. "This is getting seriously frustrating, you know," he observed, sticking his hands in his pockets and walking briskly down the street in the direction of the Seine. "Her mom makes an amazing crème brulee…"

"Eh," the Kwami poked his head out of Kim's sweatshirt and shrugged. "Maybe you can stop for 'dessert' after patrol."

"Maybe." Kim let out a heavy breath. "One of these days Ondine is going to figure me out."

"So do you trust her?" Xuppu asked, giving Kim a curious look.

"Yes," replied Kim firmly. "But it's not a matter of trust. I don't want to worry her, especially when her dad just got back."

Xuppu hummed, his lips curling in an amused smirk. "I'm not going to complain: watching you try to keep this secret is enough fun on its own! I don't think I've had so much fun since Sun Wukong!"

Kim rolled his eyes. "Because I live for your entertainment," he muttered. The Kwami simply grinned. Kim raised an eyebrow mischievously. "But I do know of at least one way I can shut you up: Xuppu, Show time!"

A couple minutes later, King Monkey was racing across the rooftops when he spotted a figure with a golden face and wearing a trench coat, hovering in the center of a column of air. He angled in that direction and soon found himself standing on the roof of an exchange building, directly underneath Amun-Vatar. "Hey!" he called. "Mind coming down here, bro?"

Amun-Vatar descended until he hovered a few centimeters above the roof, at which point the wind column disappeared in a swirl, blowing King Monkey's hair in all directions, as he stepped down onto the roof. "Good evening, King Monkey," he greeted him. "Shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," King Monkey agreed. I left a date to hang out with the less-fun Kubdel sibling… he thought in some annoyance. But that was the life of a superhero, right? He sighed. It's not that he disliked Jalil; he liked him fine. But he so much preferred Alix.

Amun-Vatar jogged along behind King Monkey until they reached the end of the roof, at which point the column of air reformed beneath him, propelling him up into the sky to hover behind and a little above King Monkey's shoulder.

King Monkey followed the river east, crossed over at the edge of the city's limits, and ran around the south boundary of Paris until they curved back around to meet the Seine, Amun-Vatar a quiet presence behind him. Finally they oassed along the southern bank of the river until they reached the Eiffel Tower, where King Monkey stopped to lean against one of the tower's legs and rest. "Quiet night," he observed.

"Do you have a lot of those?" asked Amun-Vatar tilting his head curiously and alighting on the ground next to him.

"Every so often," King Monkey told him with a nod. "The bad guys aren't out all the time; I'm pretty sure I intimidate them!" He flexed his arms with a grin.

Amun-Vatar watched him impassively. "So what do you do in that case?"

King Monkey shrugged. "Sometimes we spar, sometimes we just head home a little early." He cocked his head and frowned. This was something of an opportunity… "So what all can you do, bro?"

Amun-Vatar drew a glowing figure in the air in front of himself and pushed, sending the figure zipping around the Tower. With a gesture it flew up into the air, high above their heads, and exploded in a shower of light. He cupped his hand and a ball of pure white light appeared, which he threw up above them, where it hovered in place, lighting up the park around them as though it were midday.

King Monkey raised an eyebrow. "Not bad – for a light show, at least," he allowed. "But how about fighting?"

"That first construct could cut straight through practically anything," Amun-Vatar pointed out, frowning. "And I can shield myself from almost any attack. I think I'm good."

King Monkey snorted. "Do you know what my power is?" he asked. "I disrupt powers – that's how I beat the Dhole, and that's how I stopped the Popobawa. I'm not sure if that would take away your magic, but it could. And if that happened? What would you do then?"

"I–huh." Amun-Vatar fixed him with an unreadable look. "I don't know."

"So again, how are you at fighting without your magic?"

Amun-Vatar let out a nervous chuckle and winced. "Not good enough?"

King Monkey tossed his staff aside; it rolled away and stopped against the Eiffel Tower's leg. Dropping into a fighting stance he raised his fists, eyeing Amun-Vatar carefully. Suddenly he struck, an open-handed chop to Amun-Vatar's arm. Amun-Vatar stumbled backward, and King Monkey took another step forward before aiming a kick at his chest. Amun-Vatar's eyes widened and the gold flickered away momentarily before returning as he sidestepped away from the kick. King Monkey drove his elbow into Amun-Vatar's side, eliciting a gasp from him. He fell to the ground on his back, his elbow cracking against the pavement.

"Uncle, uncle," gasped Amun-Vatar, holding a hand up.

"Are you saying you're a monkey's uncle?" King Monkey asked, grinning. "Because that would make you my uncle, and that would not be cool!" He grabbed Amun-Vatar's hand and pulled him up to his feet before he straightened up and twisted over to stretch the muscles along his side. "First lesson: defense." He spread his legs and bent his knees, holding his fists up close to his head, elbows in. "You want to keep your hands up and maintain your center of balance," he instructed. "If someone tries to hit you in the chest or side, use your arms to block so your fists are still up to counterattack." He demonstrated and watched Amun-Vatar slowly copy the movement. With a judicious nod he turned to face him. "Right, let's see how you do if I go slowly…"

King Monkey aimed a chop at Amun-Vatar's side, and he dropped his elbow close to block it before awkwardly punching King Monkey in the head with his opposite hand. King Monkey bobbed to the side to avoid the punch, and Amun-Vatar stumbled off-balance. King Monkey backhanded him in the side. "Next lesson: keep your balance!"

Amun-Vatar grunted in annoyance as they resumed. It was close to an hour later when Amun-Vatar dropped to the ground and leaned back against the Eiffel Tower, gasping for breath, wiping perspiration from his brow. "I don't think I can keep going," he groaned.

King Monkey nodded, rolling his shoulders. "We can call it quits for now." He smirked. "But let me know when you're ready for round two!"

"I'll be sure not to do that…" grumbled Amun-Vatar drily.