Chapter Six

As Willow closed her locker the next day, she groaned and brushed her knuckle against her eye. Her fears about not sleeping well had been completely accurate, her mind too preoccupied with the events of the day. Facing down an angry Slitherbeast, using her magic on a scale she never had before in public, even if disguised, lying to the police … and Hunter's offer to become a superhero.

It was a lot.

Willow smiled to herself as she recalled the fantasy books her papa had read to her growing up, stories of children who were thrown into a dangerous world and discovered their own magical powers to defeat some insidious evil. Her papa had more than once dissolved into laughter at the stories, calling them naive in the extreme. And very different from their homeland.

She may never have been too involved with superheroes growing up, at least until the last few years when interest utterly exploded, but magical heroes were something she understood completely. And Hunter had offered to help her to become one for her hometown. It was so much to consider, too much, and so she'd called for a second opinion.

That was the other reason she hadn't slept much. She'd called Luz to ask for her opinion on the matter. And her fellow witchling had squealed at the idea so loudly Willow had thought her ear might have ruptured through the phone. Needless to say, Luz was all for the idea of her new friend becoming a secret hero.

Willow put every ounce of her focus into her classes that day, but the offer still simmered in the back of her mind. Especially during athletics and during lunch, both of which when Hunter stayed close to her. He didn't bring it up, but she could feel his gaze on her every now and then as he seemed to debate with himself.

She was glad he had that much restraint. Especially since his attention was leaving her flustered.

Of course, the other side of the coin was that other people were taking notice of the vaunted Hunter Wittebane sitting with Halfwit Willow. She supposed that in athletics it was easy to explain away, but at lunch … it was clear that Hunter was going out of his way to sit with her, considered he'd pointedly never sat with anyone at lunch before.

Granted, she wasn't certain how people had the attention to spare when everyone was discussing the mysterious hero who had taken on the white, furred monster. She'd picked up whispers of theories and complaints that attempts to upload videos of the incident were somehow rejected from the Internet. It was all very strange …

As Willow left the school, she found Hunter's town car sitting at the curb yet again. Mr. Virgil waved at her through the window and she couldn't help but smile and wave back. It seemed his uniform coat and hat had been replaced, too. She walked to the car and Hunter opened it from inside to offer, to which she slipped into her seat and silently buckled up as the car pulled away.

"I'm in," she said simply.

"Are you sure?" Hunter asked.

"Not really," Willow admitted. "But if this keeps happening, I'm the only one who can help."

Hunter nodded. "I hoped you would say that. Which is why we're headed somewhere special."

The drive took only a few minutes and brought them to a large, walled-in facility at the edge of the city limits. The gates — painted with the corporate logo of Empire Enterprises and the sigil for their botany division — opened and the car drove forward into … Willow gasped and pressed up against the window. The facility housed rows and rows of greenhouses. Massive, transparent, glass-and-plastic structures filled to the brim with plants.

"What do you think?" Hunter asked.

"It's amazing," Willow breathed.

They pulled up to a large, brick building in the center of the complex and Hunter opened the door for Willow, who was all but vibrating with excitement. Virgil simply pulled out a laptop and booted it up as they left.

"What's he doing?" Willow whispered.

"Passing time," Hunter whispered back conspiratorially. "He binge-watches Disney Plus while he waits. He used to quote the movies with me when I was a kid."

Willow giggled behind her hand at the mental image of a young Hunter trading quotes with the older chauffeur. He looped his arm with hers and led her through the front doors of the facility and into the main chamber of granite floors and high windows that let in so much natural light.

"Hello?" Hunter called.

"Is that my little Sprig?" a cultured woman's voice called from high up. From the top of a staircase appeared a lovely woman in her late thirties or so, with brown hair dyed dark green at the tips that fell to her shoulders in waves that somehow resembled large leaves and covered one side of her face. The eye that remained uncovered was a strange blue-purple color that matched her lipstick. A magenta dress belted by a yellow-green rope was covered by an open lab coat, and she wore grey stockings and green high-heeled shoes.

"You know I don't like that name, Auntie Terra," Hunter groused.

"Oh, Hunter, you're so much less fun these days," the woman, Terra, said sweetly as she descended the stairs and moved to meet them. "All grown up and so serious." She smiled with the distant warmth of a grandmother before looking over at Willow. "Ah! I see. Don't want ole Terra embarrassing you in front of your lady friend."

Willow blushed and tried to mumble denials, but Terra simply laughed.

"A shrinking violet, it seems. Just waiting for a little tender love and care to bring her to full, beautiful bloom." Terra held out a hand to shake. "Hello, little Blossom. I'm Dr. Terra Snapdragon, head of the Empire Enterprises Plant division."

Willow shook her hand, her grip tightening with relief. "I'm Willow Park," she replied.

Terra's eyebrows rose in surprise as she let Willow's hand go. "Willow. Such a lovely name." She put her hands behind her back. "So what brings you two to my humble garden?"

"You mean Uncle Philip's humble garden," Hunter rebutted with a smirk.

"Oh, Philly may own the land but I grow the plants," Terra said, flicking her wrist dismissively. "You can tell him I said that."

"If I don't, would you consider a favor?" Hunter asked.

"I'm listening," Terra said smoothly.

"I seem to recall records of an unused greenhouse near the gate," Hunter said. "One too small for production and too large for standard research. Would you mind if I requisition it to help Willow here? She's a member of the Plant track at Westside."

"Oh, I knew I smelled a fellow plant lover," Terra chuckled. "Tell me, child, what flowers do-?" Terra was cut off by her cell phone ringing. "Oh, bother. A moment, please."

As Terra walked away whispering into her phone, Willow looked at Hunter. "What's going on here?"

"Every superhero needs a base of operations," Hunter said. "That greenhouse has an exterior door and enough room to store your gear and train your magic in secret."

"My gear?" Willow asked. Hunter winked and looked ahead as Terra returned.

"So sorry about that, kiddies," she said. "As I was saying, Blossom, I'd love to hear about your own plants, but unfortunately duty calls." She said it brightly, clearly jesting. "And as for your request, Sprig, the way I see it," she looked around as if looking for eavesdroppers, and said behind her hand, "all of this is yours anyway." She nodded and turned to leave.

"I do hope to see you around, Ms. Park!" she called as she climbed the stairs again.

"Me too," Willow called back, and she meant it.


Luz hummed a tune as she restocked the shelves of the Owl House, mind filled with thoughts about her late-night call with Willow. She'd tried to use Oracle magic to See what had happened, but with so little magic bile to work with after Eda's training, she'd failed the spell. Eda had saved the day, though, by showing her clips on an "email" of Willow taking down the Slitherbeast.

Luz smiled at the memory of Willow's call, how she'd sounded so excited to be able to use her powers to help people, but also conflicted about possibly messing up and revealing herself and her dads — all of it laced with self-doubt in her own skills.

The idea of Willow, a powerful witch unbound to a coven racing through the city to fight the good fight, reminded Luz of the wild witches back on the Boiling Isles. The ones who defied the iron grip of the Emperor and embraced wild magic.

Witches like her mom.

"Thinking about Willow's offer from the rich boy?" Eda asked from over Luz's shoulder, and she yelped and fell in sheer shock.

"How'd you know about that?"

"Extension phone, Kid," Eda chuckled. "You're gonna have to catch up on human tech, even though that one's older than you." She offered a hand that Luz took to haul herself up. "So? You gonna join her?"

Luz stared in shock at how well Eda had read her. She had grappled with that very question all night and all day until she'd come to a decision. "Not right now," she sighed. "I've still got to get a handle on this world. But, maybe …? Maybe when I have my feet under me?" She smiled unsurely, eyes crinkling.

"Hey, there's no rush," Eda said kindly. She placed a hand on Luzs shoulder. "You do what you think is right, huh?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Eda."


Willow sighed as she removed her satchel and dropped it onto her desk before collapsing face-first onto her bed. She just needed a minute to decompress. Then she'd water her plants, finish her homework, and then confront the crazy agreement that she'd gotten herself into.

Nope. Apparently, she was gonna think about it now.

Hunter had shown her the rundown greenhouse that had a loading dock connected to the outer wall. The empty, dusty place full of gaping plant boxes had made her heart hurt, but Hunter had been quick to assure her that he would arrange for plants to be brought in along with her gear.

Her gear.

Hunter had shown her sketches of his ideas for equipment, vehicles, even an outfit. Or uniform, as Hunter had insisted it be called. He'd even said she'd be getting workout equipment for the greenhouse, which had led to her accidentally letting slip that she already worked out, which he'd smiled at and claimed he'd suspected as much from her performance in athletics.

Willow's cheeks heated at that thought, and the cool of her comforter was welcome for it.

Then Willow's phone went off and she groaned before rolling onto her back and fishing it out of her pocket. "Hello?" she asked, lifting her glasses to rub her eyes.

"Hey, Willow," Gus said. "How's the superhero business?"

Willow sat up in shock. "Uh, what? How would I know?"

"Oh come on, Willow. Don't think I'm an idiot. You're obviously the one who wrangled that monster yesterday, and that Hunter guy takes you to a greenhouse that his uncle owns? As much as I'd love for you to be on a date, I don't think that was it."

"How'd you know about that?" Willow asked.

"GPS on your phone. Creepy, I know. And an invasion of privacy. But I was getting worried before I realized what was happening."

"And what's happening?" Willow asked coolly.

"You're gonna be a superhero!"

"Gus-"

"And I want in!"

Willow blinked. "…What?"

"I want in. Think of me as your on-board detective. I mean, I know Wittebane's supposed to be some crazy genius or whatever, but I know how to piece stuff together. Like all these monsters that keep popping up?"

"Gus-"

"Please, Willow? I can run interference with your dads. I can help cover for you at school. I can keep profiles on all the things you fight, just in case. I can help!"

"Gus, I don't want you to get hurt," Willow said. There was no point in denying his theories, now. He'd figured it out, and when Gus got his hands on a story, he held on like a dog on a bone.

"I'll be safe as can be. All brain-work, I promise." There was a pause. "So? What do you say?"

Willow worried her lip before dropping her arm and tapping her head against the wall one, two, three times and resuming the call. "Okay. I'll talk to Hunter about it."

"Yes! You won't regret this, Willow! I promise!" And the call ended.

"I hope you're right, Gus," Willow whispered.


"Thank you, Terra. You're a dear, as always."

Philip hung up the call and slipped his cell into his coat pocket as he approached the control terminal for the containment cells under Empire Tower. He typed in a series of commands that brought a feed of the basilisk and allowed him to see Philip in turn projected on the wall of his cell still filled with greenery and artificial sunlight.

"You wished to speak to me, Sir Basilisk?" he asked.

"I did," the basilisk said. "Your so-called offer … Does it still stand?"

"Of course," Philip said, his eyes brightening. "I take it you are interested?"

"I want to hear it," the basilisk snapped. "Don't think I'll take it yet."

"I largely wish to offer you a job," Philip said. "And with it, a purpose, a life outside this cell, perhaps even the chance to make connections in this world you have found yourself in."

"A job?" the basilisk asked. "What kind of job?"

"One that is straightforward, if not quite simple," Philip said. "Would you mind if we discussed this face-to-face?"

The basilisk stiffened in surprise before giving a wary nod. Philip smiled and entered another command that opened a door leading into a holding chamber. He entered it and the door behind him closed and sealed, then another door opened into the basilisk's cell. Philip walked confidently, but not arrogantly and smiled.

"Much better, I'd say," he quipped.

"Don't get comfortable, human," the basilisk snarled, coiling defensively.

"As you wish," Philip said. "As for my offer, there are events rising within this city, my home. I have a powerful sense that what happened to bring you here will not be the last event, not by a long shot. I wish to offer you a position to help those brought here as you were."

"Help them?" the basilisk asked.

"To protect the humans of the city from their pained anger … and the demons themselves from the anger of my own kind. Humanity can be quite … vindictive when frightened. And though we do not have magic," he gestured at the cell around them, "we do have other attributes that make us just as formidable."

The basilisk remained still and quiet as he thought over the human Philip's offer. Granted, he was lacking details, but … it seemed to come out in the demon's favor. Which meant he had to make utterly sure he was not being tricked.

"What exactly would you have me do?" he asked.

"I have organized a group of my human employees into a taskforce to help subdue and bring in any denizens of the Boiling Isles that appear in Gravesfield, as I believe this city is the nexus they will emerge in. If you wish, you may join them as a special operative. Your strength, experience, and — if you deem fit — your ability to drain magic would be of great use in containing events before anyone gets hurt."

"You would have me act as a hunter?" the basilisk demanded.

"That is one approach," Philip said. "Another would be to shadow my nephew, the boy you encountered," Philip's genial smile flickered into an angry line before he took a breath and smiled again, "on your first night here. He has taken it upon himself to do something about the coming events, as well. And rather than stop him, I have decided to quietly back him." He chuckled and brushed his hand through his hair. "He has chosen a young witchling as a champion. A 'superhero,' as this age calls them. If you wish to shadow them and make sure they are not hurt … I would appreciate it."

"Anything else?" the basilisk asked warily.

"You could act as a bodyguard for me if you wish," Philip said flippantly. "Though I have a feeling that would be boring."

The basilisk thought over these offers. "Are these offers mutually exclusive?"

"Not at all," Philip said brightly. "So long as you do not hurt anyone unduly, you would be free to do as you wish to help this city."

The basilisk narrowed its eyes. "I doubt you would want something that looks like me doing all of this."

"You are a shapeshifter," Philip pointed out. "I can create a new identity for you to blend in with the populace."

The basilisk turned his head away and examined every facet of this offer. As much as he was loath to admit it, this human had treated him with far more compassion than they ever had. It could have been a trick to make him lower his guard … but that made no sense. This human had the upper hand from day one and had never used it to harm him.

The basilisk felt no menace from this human, only a genuine desire to help.

"I would like to try it," he decided.

"Wonderful," Philip said. "Though, there is one precaution I would like us to take." He lifted a hand. "I'm going to remove something from my pocket; something that looks like a weapon. Do not be alarmed." He did so and revealed something that looked like a human's projectile weapon with a long needle.

"What is that?!" the demon snarled, flinching back.

"An injector for a tracking device," Philip explained. "This tiny device would sit under your skin and allow us to trace your movements."

"To spy on me?"

"More in case you are captured by … less savory humans. I am certain many would see you and picture a test subject or a living weapon."

"And you do not?" the basilisk asked.

"I see a sentient being with free will," Philip said. "One with very useful talents and abilities, yes. But also with the power and right to choose how he uses those gifts."

The basilisk thought over this new development before hissing a sigh. "I suppose it's better than rotting here."

"That's the spirit," Philip chuckled. "Now, where would you prefer the device to be?"

The basilisk blinked in surprise before offering his shoulder. Philip nodded and positioned the needle above the deltoid, counting down from three before pulling the trigger. The basilisk snarled at the flare of hot pain, but it faded quickly to lingering soreness.

"Now, for part two: your disguise," Philip said, producing a tablet device with software to create images of humans, mixing features into unique appearances. He explained to the basilisk how to operate it and let him toy with the features, removing a book to read as he waited.

After several minutes, the basilisk nodded and shuddered before shifting into the form of a large, bald, dark-skinned man with one green eye and one blue, a scar running over the blue eye. He'd even manifested clothes of light jeans and a button-up shirt with leather boots.

"Well, don't you cut the strapping figure," Philip commented. "Now, for the last order of business. What shall I call you?"

"Call me?" the disguised demon asked.

"Do you have a name?" Philip asked.

"Not as such," he replied. "The … ones who somehow brought me and mine back into this world — from extinction — only gave us designations. I was simply called 'number four'."

"Number four, eh?" Philip said. "Seems a bit impersonal." He hummed and stroked his chin, pacing slowly as he thought it over. He looked up as a thought struck him. "How about … Ivan?"

"Ivan?"

"In the humans' Roman numerals, the number four is depicted by the 'I' and 'V' letters. I and V, I think, leads nicely into Ivan." He winced. "Do you not like it? Would you prefer to come up with your own name?"

"Ivan …" the basilisk said, as if testing it out. "Yes, Ivan will do."

"Very well, Sir Ivan." He snapped his fingers and the cell door opened. "How would you like a new apartment? Compliments of your new position."

The basilisk — Ivan, now — allowed himself the first small smile he'd worn in too long. "I think I would like that very much … Philip."

Hey, hey, everybody! I know it's been a while, and I hope you enjoy this overdue update!

*Willow's comment about "exploded interest in superheroes" is a meta reference to modern culture. Ever since the MCU first debuted, interest has skyrocketed! For those of you old enough to remember, try to recall the anticipation of "The Incredibles" versus "The Incredibles 2". The upswing in superhero movies made the like night and day!

*For the sake of this story, Terra is a more sympathetic character. Sure, she teases and she doesn't take crap from anyone - and if you mess with her or her plants she'll rip you a knew one - but she's a firm ally who honestly cares for the Wittebanes and will find a special place in her heart for Willow.

*Terra's nickname for Hunter is a fun reference to canon!Hunter's frog plushie that resembles Sprig from "Amphibia."

*Terra's comment to Hunter, "The way I see it all of this is yours anyway" is a quote from "Batman Begins" character Lucius Fox, played by the ever-excellent Morgan Freeman.

As always, I hope you all enjoyed this! Leave a review if you like - they make my heart warm and bolster my motivation. And may your own works be fruitful!