The PC children were not heard from again. One day, with no warning or any kind of explanation, their Youtube channel and profiles deactivated. Perhaps they kept cancelling people under different names, but they did not give any clues about their past. Timmy mentioned in one of those occasions when the gang met at the bar that whenever they met in the hallways at school they avoided looking at him and walked faster, if the principal or the vice-principal were around they would hide behind them. For what he could read in their minds, they were ashamed of what they had done, but it never entered their minds to apologize or try to make amends. However, as long as those kids never bothered them again, that was enough.

The public opinion had a new enemy anyway. Professor Chaos was the name on everybody's lips. His constant misdemeanors kept him in all news broadcasts almost every week. It seemed there was no vile act he hadn't committed. The one South Park probably could never forget and forgive was the murder of his parents, Stephen and Linda Stotch, their beloved neighbors, such nice people it was just monstrous how Chaos, their own son, killed them in cold blood. Searching through the Internet, one could easily track all wrongdoing in his life, even some his closest friends knew were made up. It didn't matter if they were: a poll in a famous website revealed that 99% of the American population wanted to see him on death row, although there were some who didn't mind to see him bleeding to death after an encounter with the police, as it almost happened months after his reveal to the public, when he spent one week at the hospital with a tube shoved into his esophagus to be able to eat, after which he escaped.

Stan and Wendy didn't have the time to worry about any of that. Keeping the promise they made to each other, both of them left all the superhero stuff aside after their wedding, as Wendy's stomach started to swell noticeably. People kept harassing them in their home, among them probably the most enthusiastic being Stan's father, who wanted them to be the poster couple for Tegridy farms; they had to take long vacations away from the town, until all the hype about them calmed down. Wendy needed to be calm, and Stan also needed to be ready to deal with her strange and sudden obsession with strawberries and her weeping for no reason. In February, Kylie was born and many thought that would be the end of their participation in Freedom Pals; certainly, if they eventually returned, was because the world still needed them both.

Many times their families had discussed their choice. What if one day things went wrong and the baby lost her parents? That was where Kyle and Kenny stepped forward. Even though legally the Testaburgers would take care of her in the worst scenario, that girl would have them in any case. She had a godfather who would make sure she would have everything she needed. (Father Maxi gave them such a face when they mentioned the possibility of a non-catholic man becoming a godfather that Kenny was the only one on the paper, but in practice Kyle wasn't going to be absent in the life of his best friend's daughter). Something the families didn't approve much, because one of the first things Kenny taught Kylie as soon as she was able to have a certain control over her body was to punch people who were mean to her. But he had a good intention and it was something all children had to know, therefore Stan didn't make a fuss about it.

The possibility of losing her or her losing them was something that made the decision really hard for Stan and Wendy. Accepting the jobs Defense was offering them, extremely well paid, that would allow them to take care of Kylie better and wasn't that dangerous, or being independent from the fickleness and corruption of power and helping those in need as a very sacrificial, purely altruistic side job? Stan found himself thinking about Liane Cartman more than about his own mother. What she said to him that night. Parenthood really changed people. He looked at who he was in the past and sometimes couldn't believe it was him. Past Stan wouldn't have been able to stand all the nights without sleeping, the baby vomiting on him, the wailing for no apparent reason, the constant need of attention that made him and Wendy go into abstinence from sex and even all romantic contact for months. And then thinking of her every time Kylie was away from him, being worried about some enemy using her to hurt him, all the times he surely upset or hurt her because of his inexperience, the traps and devices he had put around the house to make sure she was safe from any danger...He had never heard truer words than what she said to him. Once you become a father, your life stops belonging to you: it belongs to your children from then on. Seeing the truth in that, experiencing it directly made him pity the lady in a way his own parents never did, and wished things had worked out in a different way—although he was sure that them killing her son, as awful and life-sucking as he was, would have killed her in a much crueler way. Her only, true crime was spoiling and loving that spawn of Satan too much.

He tried not to make that mistake, spoil Kylie and make her a tyrant, but it was too difficult to him. Wendy had to be the strict parent, to compensate. Her friends were often marveled at how sweet Stan was with his daughter, him wanting to play with her all the time, no matter what, no matter when. He always had time for her, he always listened to her babbling, if something made her cry he flew to her side, he filled her face with kisses and took long walks with her to the park, learned to do different hairstyles to make her look pretty. Wendy was a bit jealous because that made Kylie a daddy's girl, but in reality she was happy. Ever since Kylie was born, Stan had not touched alcohol. There was no need to escape the shitty reality. She was foreseeing that Kylie would grow up to become a rebellious teenager who would talk shit about her dad and escape from him, and it would break his heart—that was why she treasured those moments of them together and hoped Stan did too.

"And have you seen how airline companies-Oops! Seems there's t-t-trouble. I'll be back in a second, folks...See, I'm back. A t-t-t-terrorist false alarm at the ai-airport. It was just a guy who had too-toothpaste in his bag, what did I tell you? I know, it's crazy, how long I've been gone? One second, precisely. I'm telling you people: this power's really cool...Too bad my women don't t-t-think the same."

Stan chuckled. The audience roared with laughter, clapped, Jimmy smiled showing his teeth.

"Thank you, thank you! Wow, what a great audience!" He said, waving his hand, and Stan hoped the negotiations were a success and he ended up being the funny sidekick in the next Dwayne Johnson action film. That was something he really wanted to see.

Stan noticed that Kylie was sitting by him, trying to look at the screen of his phone too.

"Sorry, kid. Jimmy's jokes are for grown ups." He turned it off and stood up. "Look at you, how pretty you are. Are you ready?"

"Not yet." Wendy approached with her backpack in hand. She helped Kylie put it on—the backpack seemed bigger than her. She smiled, seeing how cute she was and blinked to take several photos that she mentally sent to the grandpas. "I'm sorry I can't go with you, love. Mommy has cyberterrorists to deal with."

"Will you make the smiling toast for lunch?" Kylie asked her.

"Of course, baby." Wendy crouched down to kiss her on the forehead. Then, she looked at Stan. "It's very possible that she starts crying when she sees the other kids cry. Be ready for some drama. By the way, we have one more wedding this year."

"We do? Who?" Stan asked, frowning.

"Clyde. Bebe finally said yes." Wendy smirked.

"First Token, then Shelley, now Clyde? What's up with people wanting to get married so suddenly?"

"I'm gonna need a new dress..."

"I don't know what you think but-What? Another one? But you bought one for Token's wedding, and it cost you two hundred dollars!"

"Yes, but you really don't want me to attend Bebe's wedding wearing the dress I wore for Token's!"

"Why not? Dresses are to be worn more than once!"

Wendy just rolled her eyes, as if Stan was too dumb to understand.

"Does Kyle know?" He asked then, as he got the pending details ready.

"I don't know. I don't want to violate his inbox." Wendy replied.

"I don't know if I should tell him. That will probably hurt him, won't it? I mean, him and Heidi broke up last week and now Clyde gets married..."

"He will be hurt whether you tell him or not." Wendy opined, and Stan guessed she was right. Kyle had been so invested in their relationship...Was it the secrets he had kept from her what extinguished the flame? All the changes in Kyle's life, moving out from his parents' house and away from his mother's control (mostly, because she kept calling every day), to live with Heidi, stressed him so much he became unbearable? Was she insincere when she said she was okay with him shooting lasers out his eyes and flying, being Human Kite? Whatever the reason was, Kyle had told him that it just...happened. It could have worked or not. They had both tried but it just didn't work out in the end. It was a pity, because he wished it did, he thought this time he had finally found love. Anyway, as Stan pointed out, at least he got to be her boyfriend, he had been dreaming about it since Elementary.

They knocked at the door.

"Kenny's here!" Stan announced, and Kylie let out an excited exclamation.

He opened and there he was, his goddad.

"Hello, kiddo. Ready for your first day of preschool?" Kenny joyfully said to Kylie.

"Yaaaay!" She shouted.

"Then let's go!" Kenny took her tiny hand.

"Have a great day, sweetie! I love you!" Wendy kissed Kylie once again before they walked out.

"Kyle told me he's dealing with aliens, he'll meet us in the way." Kenny told Stan.

"Aliens?" Stan asked almost disinterestedly. "Gee, that's new..."

"Yeah, now it's the fucking aliens. But as long as they don't lay their hands on the zombie nazi goo, we'll be fine..."

"What's a nazi?" Kylie asked with great interest.

"Someone you gotta punch in the face if you see them, okay?" Kenny told her.

"I've been wanting to ask you, dude, how's Karen doing?" Stan asked his friend.

"Great so far. She's gotten another distinction."

"Wow, man. What a crack."

"Yeah..." Kenny had reasons to smile. Karen had suffered a lot before entering college. When the Freedom Pals regained their popularity and thanks to Kyle's father giving her legal assistance, the university that denied her pooped its pants and wanted to readmit her, quietly, of course, to avoid a scandal. But Karen was in disposition to tell them to go fuck themselves. Her intervention assisting the injured during Professor Chaos' attack attracted a lot of attention on social media. Her story was unveiled, and Denver University contacted her to offer her a scholarship. She was discreet about her bond with Mysterion, but she was pretty popular at the campus thanks to her intelligence and kindness. Kenny and his family were still the same, living in the old house, eating frozen waffles for dinner, doing all kinds of shitty jobs to survive, but it seemed like the days were a bit brighter. There was some hope and decency in the McCormick family after all.

"Speaking of siblings, I heard Ike's making a good sum with video games. You know, gameplaying, farming, promoting brands...Even more than any of us. Damn, he bought his own house and for what Kyle's been showing me, it's not precisely small. We picked our careers wrong, dude."

"You said it..."

There was one sibling they hadn't talked about, Shelley, but Kenny didn't even bother to ask. He knew that ever since she had left South Park, she was barely heard from. She only returned to pay Kylie the mandatory visit and had invited her brother to her wedding because that was a moral obligation. That was it. Stan didn't do anything to keep in touch with her anyway. Her leaving his life was not a big deal, but even a relief, if he thought about their childhood living under the same roof.

"...You know who Wendy and I saw the other day? Mike Makowski. Remember who?" Stan said instead.

"The vampire guy?"

"Not anymore. He's a waiter at Tweek Bros. (It seems they needed someone after Tweek left to create his own bakery catering; his parents thought he could have the logo on his uniform and all that stuff my dad's done with me and Wendy before...) He's cut his hair, dresses like he lives in the present century but it seems he can't reverse some of the surgery he had done, or doesn't have the money to do it. Instead of blood, he now drinks coffee, like a normal person."

"It was about time."

"Yeah."

"Look, there is Kyle!" Kylie shouted, pointing at the sky.

They look up and saw someone waving at them.

"Hello, Kyle!" Kylie kept shouting, waving her tiny arms.

"Hello, baby! Wanna do the Superman?" Kyle told her.

"Yes, yes, the Superman!"

Kyle descended to grab Kylie and ascended again. Any other father would have been worried sick, seeing their child so up in the air, but Stan knew there was nowhere Kylie would be safer than in Kyle's arms. And she loved it so much it was delightful to see.

"That's enough for today." Kyle said after a little while, leaving her on the ground again.

"Aliens, huh?" Stan asked.

"It's terrible, I almost lose a leg. But it's all under control—for now." Kyle said. "Did you guys hear the news?"

"Clyde getting married to Bebe? Yeah. There's less and less single guys in the group..." Kenny commented, and Stan feared that would make Kyle feel bad, but he showed no emotion.

"Well, of course. Haven't you noticed, Kenny, how chicks seem to love superheroes and are dying to have a relationship with one? As soon as Heidi and I changed our status on Facebook, my inbox's been filled with girls wanting to get together and stuff. Girls from school, from work, girls I don't even know...It's crazy!"

"Do like Scott and I and make the most out of it." Kenny shrugged. "A hookup a day keeps the doctor away."

"What's a hookup?" Kylie asked.

"You see, it's when you go to the club and find a babe with big boobs and a big b-"

"Dude, don't tell the girl that stuff." Stan frowned, covering Kylie's ears.

"You've got Internet and television at home, she's gonna find out sooner or later, and it'll be better if her goddad, who loves her and only wants the best for her, tells her!"

There they were, South Park Elementary. Oh, the memories they felt! They almost walked in before the bell rang, as if time had not passed and they were still students. People were looking at them, because everyone recognized them—not only because they had been former students.

"Well, Kylie, here we are." Stan got on his knees to make sure Kylie's hair was in order, she had everything with her, talk to her to her face. "Are you excited? You're going to make a lot of good friends in here, you'll see, and some of them will be your friends forever. Here is were the three of us met, when we were your age."

"When you walk by the cafeteria, listen closely: you can still hear Chef singing in there." Kyle smiled.

"If you have bad luck and end up in Mr. Garrison's class, think it's not forever and you'll always have us to give you extra classes." Kenny said.

"Some people will probably call you names or say unpleasant things because of who Mom and I are and what we do. Don't listen to them." Stan continued. "And if you've got any kind of problem, you know you can always tell Timmy: he'll always be there to help you. You will probably see him today, say hi to him from us."

"If they try to hurt you, beat them up like I taught you: the noise and the genitals are the most sensitive spots." Kenny told her, his index finger raised in a very professor-like posture. "Don't let yourself become a victim."

"I'll come pick you up later." Stan said.

"Promise?" Kylie asked.

"I promise." Stan kissed her head and Kylie smiled.

"Very well, children, come on in!" A brunette lady said, taking the preschoolers inside.

"Do everything that lady tells you. I love you, baby."

"I love you, daddy." She said, and she melted the three men's heart, trotting her way inside the school afterwards.

Man, where did time go...Stan, Kyle and Kenny exchanged a look.

"Wanna drink something, you guys, or are you too busy?" Stan asked.

"Nah, I'm free." Kyle smiled.

"Me too. I really want a beer, I haven't had breakfast yet." Kenny replied.

Stan glanced at his daughter once more and smiled. Well, well, it seemed he had made a new friend already!

"I like your backpack." Kylie was telling a brown haired-girl with ponytails, fat and taller for her age.

"Thanks, I love Ladybug." The girl replied, looking at her own backpack with pride.

"I love Ladybug too." Kylie smiled. "I'm Kylie Marsh."

"Is Toolshed your dad?" The girl turned back to look at the father who was still looking at her.

"Yeah!"

"I don't have a dad, or a mom, too...I live with my grandma."

"Oh, that's too bad!"

"It's okay, my grandma lets me do what I want. She makes a great apple pie. I brought some. I'm Erica Cartman, by the way."

Like an explosion, those words made the hearts of the three men missed a beat. In a matter of a second their faces lost all their color. Stan's mouth open in an attempt to let out a scream, his hand reached for his daughter, but the school door closed without giving him the chance to warn her.

THE END