Merry Christmas! Here is a chapter focused on D.J. Evermore and his family! Kind of the "B" plot of this here fanfic of mine.


They were only stopping by for a quick visit, D.J. swore. They weren't going to stay after dinner long, maybe just an hour so they could digest and then they'd be out of there. Yes, he knew how pushy his mom could be, even if sometimes it felt like his siblings had raised him more then either of his parents. Yes, he knew it took forever to say bye to everyone and wish them a Merry Christmas so they could get out of there guilt-free. And yes, he knew he'd said this every year he and Victoria had been together. But this year he meant it. He swore, they'd leave after dinner, they'd be on time to see her family, and they'd be back in their shared apartment at a somewhat reasonable hour. It would be his own Christmas miracle to his girlfriend.

It wasn't his fault he came from such a big family. Honestly age-wise they were pretty well spaced-out. Jack had been a single birth, the triplets (Europa, Violet and Kitten) had come a good five years after him, the twins (Silena and Samuel) were three years after them, and then D.J. was born another five years after them. Thankfully none of his aunts or uncles would be there, just the immediate family and their significant others minus Violet as no one had seen or spoken to her in years and Sammy because his relationship with their parents could be strained at the best of times. So they would totally get out of there and get to Victoria's parent's house before the night was through. Though he would miss Aunt Billie's banana pudding, and Aunt Claire's biscuits, and Uncle Dan's fried chicken, and his cousins Derry, and Ransom, and Ilan, and Michelle and Oliver and Amilie and Chessimyn and-

And that was a small price to pay for finally being on time to see the people who may one day be his in-laws for Christmas.

His girlfriend started giggling in the passenger seat next to him. "What are you thinking about?"

"You." He smiled at her.

"I think it's more than just me."

"I'm just thinking about how much I love you." She kept giggling, reaching over and rubbing his thigh. Her empathic abilities allowed her to sense and even experience the emotions of others, but she didn't have full control over it. Most of the time she picked up on other people's feelings without even meaning to, and blocking them out could be a struggle. It was something she'd dealt with since her Gift first manifested and something she'd continue to struggle with for the rest of her life. Lately she'd been doing a good job of blocking out the rest of the world's emotions. But, as with anything, some days were better than others. She may need a few pills if things got heated but hopefully they'd have a nice family dinner with no problems.

He admired her shimmering merigold aura out of the corner of his eyes, just enough red in it to qualify it as yellow-orange. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen anyone with a pure yellow aura. Yellow was an interesting color; it signified a sort of selfless persona. D.J. couldn't help but see it as his own personal proof that Victoria Brown had the biggest, purest heart in the world. She was the sweetest most-kind hearted person he'd ever met, she had the cutest brown curls, and she absolutely loved kids. The color of her soul was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

It reminded him of his brother Jack and his fiery red-orange aura in a way, the yellow in him shone through in his genuine passion when it came to helping others. He was a true hero, a good man. It wasn't often that "rescue heroes" made it to Gold Tier status. Even then it was usually to commemorate heroes who gave their lives on the job, just something to recognize their sacrifice. For Jack to have made it so high up the ranks and maintained his status and popularity for over ten years now...

Victoria gave his thigh a squeeze. He guessed it didn't take an empath to know he had something heavy in his mind. Besides his oldest brother being a Hero, there was a work related issue he couldn't help but dwell on. Europa kept pressing him for specifics, and he indulged her because he really couldn't take his mind off it either. She had some...interesting suggestions. That he was determined to think about some other time. He was trying not to get hung up on work on Christmas Day. He just wanted to see his family, have a nice dinner, and keep his promise.

D.J. already knew the door would be open, so when they arrived he just turned the knob and let himself and his girlfriend into his parent's house. As he stepped inside he first heard the sound of laughing children. Getting closer. Very quickly. Reflexively, he set the Christmas presents down before they got knocked out of his hands. Victoria followed his lead just as his niece and nephew rounded the corner. Near instantaneously both energetic little balls of rose-red teleported into D.J.'s arms, who struggled very much not to drop the two four-year-olds. Victoria found it hilarious.

"Uncle D.J.!" They screamed in unison.

"H-Hey Jenny. Hey Jason. You two are getting big." He choked out. They were getting much, much too big for this.

Jason slid down to clutch at D.J.'s knee, preventing him from escaping. "I missed you!"

"I missed you more!" Jenny squeezed her tiny arms around his neck like she was trying to strangle him. Which did not help his already hard task of not dropping her onto her brother. D.J. shot Victoria a dramatic look and mouthed Help me!

She continued laughing, holding her arms out and shouting "My-My turn! My turn!" The twins teleported off their uncle (roughing him up one last time for good measure) and onto their unofficial Aunt Victoria. Being much more gentle than they've ever been with him.

Now that he had a chance to catch his breath, he fawned over his niece and nephew properly. They may not have inherited their father's Gift, but they sure as hell got his endless energy. Sometimes it was hard to believe they were really his quiet and perpetually drowsy sister's children. "Ok you little gremlins how've you been? Where's your Mama?"

"Taking a cat nap." Jason said. If D.J. hadn't grown up with her, he'd be amazed that anyone could sleep through the antics of such rambunctious kids.

Jenny blinked away, then popped back halfway up the stairs. "She's awake!"

"Aw, you'd didn't wake your Mama up did you?" Victoria asked with fake sternness. "She needs her sleep."

"Nah, she was awake already."

"Hey," D.J. tried to make himself relevant again. "You guys wanna open your presents?"

"YEEEEAAAAH!" The twins screamed in unison. They popped back onto D.J. like he was playground equipment, leaving him to stumble down to his knees and crawl towards the stack of presents he brought.

"Ok, here's one for Jenny. This one's Jason's. And this one is for whatever your Auntie Silena is going to name hers."

"Do they know if it's going to be a boy or a girl yet?" Victoria nearly jumped up and down from excitement and D.J. swore he was seeing stars in her big brown eyes.

"I dunno!" It wasn't exactly clear who said that, both kids were tearing at the wrapping paper like their lives depended on it.

Well, they were still little kids. Little kids on Christmas Day that wanted nothing more than to get at their new toys. From their excited shrieks, D.J. was sure they were going to get a whole lot of use out of them. They teleported themselves all around the room in their crazed excitement, tearing their toys out of their boxes like it was a contest.

Someone covered his eyes from behind. He heard a woman say, "Guess who?"

"Opa?"

"No!"

"Oh, hey Kitten." He nonchalantly turned around to see his sister. Her pear green aura really made her red cardigan pop, as well as her lipstick. She looked so festive. "How've you been?"

"Tired, as always." She yawned. "You?"

"Fine. Just got back from Mexico."

"Ooooh, neat. You didn't drink the water, did you?"

"Ah c'mon, that's the first question you ask?"

"That sounds like a yes." She grinned lopsidedlyly, turning to Victoria. "Have you been nursing him back to health?"

"Who, my big strong man here?" She held onto his arm like they were young kids in love. "He can handle himself."

Kitten laughed and patted D.J. on the back. "Yeah, I know. He's a resilient little dude."

"So, how's life? What are you doing these days?"

"Oh, I'm trying to get back into painting. Me and the kids do watercolors sometimes, but they just don't have the patience for three-hour painting sessions. I just thank God Nick can keep up with them because otherwise..." She sighed and put a hand over her forehead dramatically, leaning over towards D.J. Oh yeah, he recognized that pose. He reflexively caught her as she fell over. He swore, he'd never know if this had something to do with their Gifts or if his sisters were just this melodramatic on their own. "How did Mom and Dad handle seven of us?" She sighed.

"They didn't, Jack did."

"Yeah but by the time he went to college, our twins were ten. Much easier to manage."

"Yeah but I was five." D.J. pointed out.

"You were a calm five. We napped together."

"Are we sure you're not narcoleptic?"

She laughed, then gasped in surprise as her kids suddenly appeared in front of them. "Mama!" Both she and D.J. jumped a bit, fighting the urge to swear in front of the kids.

"Babies!" She knelt down and covered her twins in kisses. "OOoh what'd you get, what'd you get?"

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" They proclaimed as they brandished their blue and pink plastic scepters, the tops spinning and putting on a fun light show (the batteries were included).

"Oh dear lord you gave them weapons."

"Hey, you gotta start 'em young if they're going to be heroes someday." D.J. smirked. "Gotta prepare them for battling the forces of evil. Isn't that why Ma had you guys in karate class for so many years?"

"Whaaaat!? You know karate Mama!?"

"Nah, I kept falling asleep in class. Your Auntie Opa might remember some good moves though. You should go ask her to show you some. You should do it right now, before dinner."

"AUNTIE OPAAA!" They shrieked, popping in and out of existence across the house. Followed by lots of screaming. D.J. could hear the voice of his mother barking out "NO PLAYING HEROES IN THE HOUSE! IT'S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!"

Even though he'd encouraged them, he had to agree there. This house wasn't that old, Jack had actually bought it for the family when D.J. was still in high school, but their previous home had taken a lot of damage from indoor hero-play.

"Is Europa going to be ok?" Victoria asked.

"She'll be fine, she's handled worse." Kitten stood up and stretched. "C'mon you crazy kids, time to see the family."

They walked together through the living room, greeting everyone still reeling from the terror of the family's teleporting twins wielding blunt objects. His sister Silena and her boyfriend Tyler, Kitten's husband Nick, Europa (dressed the same as Kitten, keeping up the old holiday tradition), the goldfish D.J. won at a county fair years ago who was hiding in the aquarium's decorative sunken pirate ship. Word to the wise, don't keep fish in bowls. Get a proper tank and a water filter and they'll live for years.

It was a perfect family set up; the Christmas tree lighting up the room, the exchanging of presents before dinner, the family photos hanging on every wall (just ignore the taped over face of one specific person and they were all perfectly normal), everyone lounging around while dinner was still being cooked. Nick was using his super speed to stay one step ahead of his children, dodging right at the last second no matter where they appeared. He led them outside, much to everyone else's relief. D.J. heard his father's voice outside as well, hoarse and rough, "Careful now. You gotta keep in mind where you're gonna pop up again. Else you're gonna hurt yourself." Europa tip-toed back into the kitchen with their mother, it was probably the safest place right now.

"Y'know, it's amazing, both you and Silena managed to somehow up the family's vampire aesthetic."

"Oh shut up." She lightly smacked the back of D.J.'s head.

"What? Between Nick's speed and Tyler turning into mist it's like we divided up the vampire powers."

"You know, there is a theory that vampires were thought to have such a range of abilities because of ordinary people attributing multiple Gifts to the same person." Victoria added. "Possibly siblings."

"Ok, no. Not even getting into that." Kitten crossed her arms. "How exactly do we have a vampire aesthetic when almost half of the family are werewolves?"

"Because we can't freaking tan!" Silena shouted, not getting up from her seat on the couch. "We don't even freckle, we just burn!"

"Yeah, like vampires." D.J. said.

"No not like vampires!"

"It's totally like vampires. Ty, babe, these are bat ears, I'm a vampire. We're having a vampire baby." Silena's fluffy ears were perked up but with a few rubs of her bulging belly by her boyfriend they relaxed. She and Sammy were sometimes confused for cat hybrids because of them, but their ears much more resembled that of a german shepard or other similar canine with fluffy pointed ears. They stuck out the top of her head, as black as her hair but peppered with a few tufts of gray around the edges.

"I love our vampire baby so much already." Tyler said as he rubbed her stomach.

"You say that now, just wait until she starts teething."

"It's a girl?" D.J. asked.

"Yep." She beamed. "We found out a week ago."

"OOOOOH a baby girl!" Victoria was practically jumping for joy again. Kitten shook her head, but she was clearly excited as well. "Can I touch?"

"Yeah sure," Silena scooted over so Victoria could sit on her other side. Her face lit up as she touched her stomach. Silena's baby bump morphed the already monstrous design of her Christmas sweater, making the reindeer look more like chupacabras. Unlike Kitten, Silena's aura was a lilac purple. Maybe a little bluer, like irises. This signified someone who mostly thought through their actions, but was still susceptible to emotions getting the better of them. It also clashed horribly with the red she was wearing. "It's still too early to know for sure if she's gonna take after me, or Ty, or be her own little brand of special. I mean, we don't really care-"

"No course not." They all repeated the sentiment.

"But, like, we'd know how to handle something like what we dealt with."

D.J. (and just about everyone in the room) nodded. Of course it didn't matter what Gift the baby had, if she had one at all. They wouldn't love or care for her any less. But if it was more like them, it made them feel like they'd be better prepared.

"Well, whatever she is, I hope she'll like this." D.J. passed off the gift bag with the purple-and-white star blanket he bought.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Tyler stood up and turned his arms into mist, reaching over towards the Christmas tree and bringing back a present. "Merry Christmas." He handed it to D.J. while the ladies exchanged their own presents. It was a small rectangular thing and didn't have much weight to it. D.J. unwrapped it hoping it wouldn't be another-

Well, it wasn't another healing crystal.

It was a book on how to read tarot cards. As well as a large deck wrapped in some soft black cloth.

"I figured you might get some use out of this." Tyler said. "You're good with all that spiritual stuff, right? Can you tell me about my chakra?"

"It's auras. I can only see your aura." He corrected. Not that he'd ever really gotten into any of that "spiritual stuff". All it got him was people asking if he could read their palms or tell their fortunes. Neither of which even remotely related to his Gift. He wasn't sure how seeing souls translated into being able to see the future. The correlation was lost on him.

"Whatever man, how's mine look?"

"You're still turquoise," D.J. circled around him like he was inspecting Tyler's soul for any developments. In actuality, these things were pretty obvious to him. If anything with Tyler's soul had changed D.J. would notice immediately. The color of a soul didn't change by much after around early-to-mid twenties. The most D.J. had ever seen was a clearer refinement of color (red to orange, green to blue-green, red or blue to a violet) or a darkening. Neither of which Tyler was going through. D.J. rubbed his chin anyway as if he'd noticed something behind him. "But I do see something weird. What is that?"

"What is what?" Tyler's smile lessened, thinking something might actually be off with his soul.

"I don't know, I've never seen anything like it before. It's this...hmmm, did your soul always have a tail?"

"A tail?" Tyler turned around like he'd be able to see it for himself.

"Yeah, it's like a horse's tail." D.J. squatted down as if he was getting a better look. "Or maybe a donkey? Maybe your soul is reflecting the fact that you're an ass."

"D.J. don't mess with him like that." Silena said. "It's Christmas. Would it kill you two to get along?"

"I don't know, you really want to risk your baby-daddy's life like that?"

"Ok so is there anything weird on my soul or not!?"

"No, D.J.'s just fucking with you. Right?"

"Yeah your soul is fine," D.J. stood up. Tyler may be five or six years older but D.J. was just as tall as him, if not slightly taller. "Just don't go dark or I'll have to sic Jack on you."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "For the record, I thought this could help you."

"Help me what? Open a booth at the next country fair?"

"Well it's not like you actually do anything-"

"Ok I think that's enough!" Victoria got between them. "D.J., do you smell that? I think your mom is roasting ham!"

"Oh, is that what that is? I was wondering why I felt like throwing up." Silena added in, very helpfully.

D.J. did actually smell the aroma of cooking meat coming from the kitchen. And he hadn't greeted his mother yet. He and his girlfriend went off towards the delicious smell, leaving Tyler to retreat back to the couch between Silena and Kitten. The latter of which was curling up and taking what was probably her third or fourth catnap of the day.

"Hey Evie, hi Opa!" Victoria beamed and hugged each woman like they were already family. D.J. just kind of waved to Europa, focusing on his mother.

"Good to see you Ma." He hugged her and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Ooh my baby boy." She squeezed him tight and smothered him in her seafoam aura. "It's been so long since you've been home."

"Ma," He groaned. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Shush, I hardly get to see my boys these days."

"Ma, Ma the kitchen timer dinged. I think the ham's done." He could smell it from the oven, dear sweet jesus it smelled delicious. Europa was just finishing the mashed potatoes, he could practically taste the gravy, whatever broccoli and melted cheese concoction that was on the counter looked delicious, get this man a plate!

"Jack is off saving lives," She whined. "You're always traveling. My boys are just too busy to visit their old Ma."

"Ma the ham is burning!"

"I got it!" Europa slipped on the oven mitts, passing the potatoes over to Victoria. Who found this whole situation hilarious. "Keep squeezing 'im Mama. Let him know how much you've missed your baby boy."

"Traitor!" D.J. wheezed out.

"John, come in here and see your boy!" their mom called out.

It took a minute for D.J.'s father to pick himself up from outside and make his way to the kitchen. The blade of his prosthetic leg was good for keeping him mobile, but age seemed to be catching up with him. The plastic socket attached to what was left of his thigh was decorated in black and grey with his old insignia, from back when he operated as "The Lone Wolf". More vigilante than officially recognized hero. And obscure enough that most people only saw it as a cool design rather than any type of signature mark. Not that he'd been looking for recognition or fame, he'd just wanted to do what was right.

"D.J.," He grunted. "C'mere son. Let me look at ya."

"Hey Dad." D.J. was passed from his mother's vise-like grip to his father's stoney arms. He smelled strongly of cigarettes.

"It's been a while. I've missed ya, son."

"I've missed you too, Dad." His aura was starting to fade, he could see it. In his memories it was always a strong, vibrant, almost navy blue. Now, it just wasn't as bright. Didn't have that same shine it once did. Not to say his father was on his deathbed or anything, but he was most likely entering his final years. D.J. should really make more time for him.

"Oooooh yeah," Europa announced. "The ham came out perfect."

Oh god, did it ever. D.J. almost started drooling. Silena sounded like she was dry-retching from the next room over, while Tyler offered moral support. Dad said the same thing happened when Ma was pregnant, every time. Nick and the kids came back in, someone popped over to wait up Kitten. Never a quiet moment in this house.

And so began the task of getting everyone seated and settled in to say grace and finally eat. D.J. had a good feeling about tonight; they got here right before dinner was served, everyone was probably going to dig in so fast they'd get through dinner within the hour, factor in at least another hour of catching up, digesting, and they'd be on their way to see Victoria's parents before it got too late. They all rushed to claim a seat at the comically long dining room table that was slightly more affordable than buying two or three circular tables. It was the only way to seat everyone in the same room. Europa helped their mother move the computer to one end of the table and set up the video call so they could see Jack. He always tried to make time to come see them but sometimes it just couldn't be helped. A "freak" snow storm had grounded all flights in the area, keeping the eldest Evermore at his post. He and a few other heroes based up in Washington state had banded together years ago, and were prolific enough to have an actual base somewhere in the Olympic Mountains. They were all very popular in the Pacific Northwest, even building up a sizable fanbase in Canada.

Kitten kept trying to herd the twins to their seats, while Nick held on to their brand new scepters and promised they could keep playing after dinner. Tyler helped Silena into her chair, pushing it in like he was trying to be some kind of gentleman. D.J. sat next to her and Victoria sat next to him, his father taking the seat at the end of the table opposite the computer.

"C'mon babies, don't you want to sit by the computer so your Uncle Jack can get a good look at you?"

"YEAH!" Both children popped into place at the table, Jason next to Tyler and Jenny bouncing in the seat across from him. Kitten took the seat next to her and Nick followed after.

"Is it workin' yet?" D.J.'s dad grunted out.

"Just waiting to connect," Europa announced. "And...hey Rover how's it going?"

"Hi Mom, hi lady I've never seen in my life. How is everybody?"

The table exploded with everyone saying "Hi Jack" and the twins saying "UNCLE JACK HI IT'S ME I MISS YOU SO MUCH CAN WE COME VISIT YOU CAN YOU COME HERE CAN YOU TELL SUSIE FROM DAYCARE THAT YOU'RE FOR REAL A SUPERHERO CUZ SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE US SHE SAYS WE CAN'T BE RELATED TO A WEREWOLF CUZ MAMA AIN'T ONE AND NEITHER IS DADDY SHE THINKS WE'RE MAKING IT UP SO CAN YOU COME HERE AND TELL HER YOU'RE BEOWULF IN PERSON PLEEEEEEEEEASE!?"

"Uhhh, hey little guys, long time no see." Jack rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He was starting to get more streaks of gray in his jet black hair. Funny enough it reminded D.J. of an actual wolf's fur pattern. Especially in his beard. "I'm pretty busy up here, especially right now with these storms-"

"Awwwwww PLEEEEEEASE!" They begged, practically kneeling in their chairs. They'd been told enough times not to climb on the furniture or they'd incur the wrath of their grandma. Who, from the looks of it, was two seconds away from picking them up by the scruff of their necks and reseating them far away from the computer.

"Yeah, c'mon Big Bad Jack," Kitten yawned. "When's the last time you came down and visited? How are they supposed to grow up into big strong heroes if you don't show them how?"

"And put that little brat Susie from daycare in her place!" Nick shook his fist at super speed with a goofy grin plastered over his face.

"YEAH! SHE'S A BRAT!"

"You guys, you know I have to keep my identity a secret." Jack said. Staring daggers at Kitten like I told you not to tell them until they were older. She just smirked.

"Yeah but...please?" The twins begged again, getting up close and personal to the computer screen. So close that D.J. really had to wonder what Jack was looking at right now.

Jack didn't get to respond, as he was cut off by a female voice on his end. "Hey Wulfy I got your lasagna- oh my god who are those kids?"

"Fox," Jack said. "Who's monitoring the mountain?"

As Nick rapidly pulled each twin back to their seats D.J. was able to see a tall woman standing behind Jack on the screen. She seemed to be wearing some kind of body suit and a cape, though it was hard to make out specifics from the computer camera. Her outfit was almost as dark as her skin, and her hair blended in so well D.J. couldn't tell exactly how long it was. She spoke again "Sunny's got it handled, hang on is that your family? You all look exactly the same what the fuuuuuuuuuudge?"

"You left him on monitoring duty?!"

"Who's 'Sunny'?" Tyler asked.

"Oooh ooh oooooh is it Sunblast!?" Jason bounced excitedly in his chair. "He's so cool! What's he like!?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not? I mean, it's not like you're being that discreet." Europa said, serving herself while everyone else was focused on the screen. "You really think we can't tell that's The Flying Fox?"

The twins exploded again into screams of glee. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH THAT IS HER OH WOW MS. FLYING FOX YOU'RE SO PRETTY CAN WE SEE YOUR WINGS!?"

Jack shot Europa a look that just screamed Why? Why would you do that? while the woman behind him soaked up the compliments. "Well, I don't usually do this but, how can I disappoint my fans?"

She pushed Jack off to the side (much to his protest) so she took up the entire screen. She was more recognizable now, even without her usual headpiece and mask. The Flying Fox was a Silver Tier hero, a bat hybrid. What D.J. had thought was a cape unfurled into leathery black bat wings that extended far past the computer screen. The twins oooohed and aaaahhhhed appropriately while D.J.'s father muttered something about being a showoff.

"Remember kids, the secret to being a great hero is having great style."

"It's about doing whatever you can to help those in need." Jack interjected, coming back into view.

"And looking good while you're doing it."

"Fox, don't tell them things like that."

"Pretty rich, coming from our poster boy." She cupped Jack's chin in one hand, baby-talking him. "This fwuffy face sells so many pwushies."

"Yeah, the Beowulf toys sell out quick." Kitten said. "I almost used the old 'That's my brother' line to get one."

"Oh you've done that too?" Silena asked.

"Guilty." Europa raised a hand.

"Please tell me none of you actually say that." Jack groaned.

"No, because then we have to promise an autograph."

"Can we please say grace and eat now?" D.J.'s mom asked irritably.

"Ok ok, sorry to interrupt your family dinner." The heroine put her hands up and backed off. "But a lot of our funding is from our merchandise sales and I have a very well made action figure. Just throwing that out there."

"I got it! I got it!" Jenny shouted. She then poofed away and came back holding it up to the computer screen. Honestly, it seemed to be a pretty good likeness.

"Nice!" The Flying Fox gave her a big thumbs up. "If you're ever in the area, have Wulfy here bring you over so I can autograph it for you."

"Fox just, just go." Jack covered his eyes at Jenny's starstruck expression (and maybe her glass-shattering squeals of joy). "Don't call me for anything short of an emergency."

"Aw, but you're our best tracker."

"So don't call me unless you really need me."

"Alright, alright," She shrugged, leaving. "Sunny needs the experience anyway."

"Yeah, hotheaded punk." Jack muttered.

With that out of the way, the family got to holding hands and Jack led them in saying grace. He gave a brief speech about being thankful for all they had, hoping the future held nothing but the best for them, and being glad to have so many loved ones to spend the holidays with.

From there, dinner was served. It didn't take long for the dinner conversation to go from Silena's pregnancy to Jenny and Jason's rivalry with this Susie girl to whatever Tyler was doing with his life and then back to superheroism.

"So, what is the deal with Sunblast?" Victoria asked. "From what I've heard, he's pretty strong. Might even be well on his way to Silver Tier status before long."

Jack sighed, "It's not that he's not strong, it's...he's still starting out, you know? Still only thinking about his image."

"Going off of The Flying Fox, it's got nothing to do with him just starting out." Europa said.

"Got that right." Their dad grunted.

"Hey, she's a good person. Kind of full of herself, ok, but she knows when to get serious. She'd never risk anyone's life for some publicity."

"Yeah, she's a Hero!" Jenny proclaimed, spilling some gravy on the table. Nick zoomed over and cleaned it up. Man, that Gift must come in handy with kids.

"And like she said, a lot of our funding comes from how popular we are and how well our merch sells. I don't like it either, but at the end of the day all that matters is that we help people. If that means selling some toys and shooting a PSA every now and again, fine by me."

Even after all these years, Jack never sold out. Like their father, he went into the whole "Hero" business solely so he could use his Gift to help people. He wasn't interested in the fame or glory that came along with it. Not caring about how popular he was ironically made Jack more popular, especially when he'd started out on his own and was only known to the public in his wolf form. Since he couldn't exactly talk like that, he'd built up a reputation as kind of a strong silent type. People were intrigued by the stories of the strange black wolf who'd dug people out of avalanches and carried them to safety, and howled loud enough to be heard through the harshest wind or snow. It was enough for people to understand what he was and left them wondering more about the who.

"And you, D.J.?" Jack snapped him out of his thoughts. "How are things with you?"

"Oh fine, fine. I just got back from the university's sister school in Mexico."

"Ooooooh they're sending you across the border now." Their mother exclaimed. "They must have a lot of faith in your abilities."

"For some reason." Tyler murmured.

D.J. ignored him. "Yes, in fact I'm going back soon to help oversee some things."

"What things?"

"Sorry, can't talk about it. Confidential, you know?"

"And here I thought that was Jack's way of avoiding questions." Europa smiled cheekily.

"I don't avoid questions!"

"Ok then, is there any truth to the rumors about Frosted Tips?" She asked, twirling her hair around on one finger and changing it from honey blonde to black with bleached platinum ends. Within seconds she was a near perfect copy of the snow-slinging superhero, sans the outfit.

Jack looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, you know." She blew a few strands of hair out of her face. "How people are saying that she's the one causing all those snow storms? And she can stop them whenever she wants but she just...doesn't? Despite all the roads closed, all the flights canceled, businesses shutting down, and how many people have been hospitalized from frostbite now?"

Oh boy. One needn't be an empath to feel the mood change around the table. Victoria put her utensils down and was busy massaging her temples. D.J. used that as an excuse to stay quiet and not get involved.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that my teammate may be responsible for any odd weather patterns-"

"Ok so that's a yes."

"-But," Jack raised his voice. "If she were, I can tell you she had a very good reason and wouldn't take the damages caused lightly."

"Yeah! She must've had a good reason!" The twins declared.

"Well, I'd love to know it."

"Opa, you know there are certain things your brother can't talk about." Their mom scolded.

"Yeah yeah, I'm just saying it'd be nice to know."

"Don't you guys trust me?" Jack asked.

"Of course we do son," Their father spoke up in his gravelly voice. "It's everyone else we're on the fence about."

"Dad."

"Hey, I know all about the business. I know for every decent man or woman you got five others just lookin' to have their ego stroked. Give your sister a lil' somethin' to go on, huh?"

Jack bit his lips. It seemed he was struggling to stay silent about what was really going on up there.

Kitten yawned, breaking the silence. "Honestly I wouldn't mind getting snowed in for a few days if I lived up there."

"Of course you wouldn't, you sleep through half the day anyway!" Silena snapped.

"Not since I became a mom I don't."

"Think about it though Lena," Tyler rubbed her hand. "Don't have to leave the house, no responsibilities, just you and me keeping each other warm."

"When you put it that way, it does sound a little romantic." Victoria smiled. It was a bit weary, but genuine. D.J. gave her hand a soft kiss.

Europa was unmoved. "If there's a reason, let's hear it."

Jack finally took a deep breath. "Ok, Europa, let's say that hypothetically you got word that there was someone very dangerous in your area. And this person is known to make their living hanging around other dangerous people. Since confronting this person head on is a...pretty bad idea, what would you do? Would you maybe take advantage of your buddy that can partially control the weather to try and take them out from a distance?"

"Oh, so you're only trying to kill the bad guys."

"Not in front of the children!" D.J.'s mom snapped.

Jack let out one harsh, barking laugh. "It could be at arctic levels of cold and it wouldn't kill her."

"Her?"

"I shouldn't have said that." He muttered. "I should not have said that."

"Oh ho ho, now we're getting somewhere." Europa grinned and pushed her plate aside. "Ok ok ok, so are we talking fire powers or extreme endurance?"

"I'm not answering that."

"C'mon c'mon, it'll be fun. Ummmm, you said she doesn't work alone, right?"

"Opa-"

"Oooh oooh oooh is it Firecracker?" Jenny asked. "She always has a bunch of henchmen with her!"

"Or Magman and Lavana?" Jason guessed.

"Now when you say, 'makes a living hanging around other dangerous people', what exactly do you mean by that?" Silena asked.

"I mean nothing!"

"Sounds like a merc to me, or maybe a bodyguard." D.J.'s father ventured.

"John!"

"Dad, who's side are you on?!" Jack exasperated.

"The side that's gonna find out who you're talkin' about."

"Hell yeah Daddy!" Europa cheered. "So I'm gonna guess he's right on the money, huh Jacky boy?"

"I'm not answering-"

"There are only so many women in that particular line of work that can handle these conditions. You might as well tell us now." Kitten said.

"She's going to guess eventually, dude." Tyler piped up.

Europa gloated. "When will you learn Jack? You can't keep anything from me! I will find out!"

"Who is it who is it who is it!?" The twins madly inquired.

Jack sighed defeatedly. "Ok, ok, fine. Just don't freak out, alright?"

"Why would we freak out?"

He averted his eyes. "It's Johanna Gatsby."

Everyone proceeded to loudly freak out. Johanna Gatsby? The Johanna Gatsby?! Who had one of the rarest Gifts known to man? Who was said to be virtually immortal and near completely unbeatable, on account of being able to recover from any injury? Healing abilities of that caliber were extremely rare, and even her's were said to be "imperfect" as she retained scars from her injuries. But when someone can get back up after being shot in the head or stabbed through the heart, who cared about little things like scars? Her powers made her quite the valuable asset to villains, terrorist groups, the few morally gray vigilantes who could pay for her protection. Jack was right, if she was around, she and whoever was paying her bills at the moment needed to be contained by any means.

The loudest of course were the twins. "Johanna Gatsby!"

"The Scarred Guard!" Jason proclaimed.

"The One Woman Army!" Jenny declared.

"The Merciless Mercenary!"

"The Reapers' Runaway!"

"The Unstoppable Force!"

"The Immovable Object!"

"The Breaker of Chains!"

"The Mother of Dragons!"

"Ok that's enough!" D.J.'s dad yelled. "Jesus Kitten, what do you let these kids watch!?"

"Oh Daddy, in this day and age you can't keep anything from kids."

"I mean, even we knew about The Wraith and Mindmelter and King Condor and-"

"How?!" Their mother interrupted D.J.

"Silena." He pointed.

"Uhhhhh, I heard about them from Kitten."

"I heard it from Opa."

"I heard it from Jack."

"No, no you did not." Jack protested. "They did not."

"Maybe it was the demon then." Europa joked.

The table quieted down almost as quickly as it had erupted into shouts. Jack stared at them all like a deer in headlights, Kitten stopped picking at her food, Nick silently patted her back, Tyler shot Silena a confused look and she whispered that she'd tell him later. She looked a little paler than usual. The only ones still talking were the twins, who were more confused then anything else. Demon? What demon? D.J.'s parents were staring daggers at Europa, who was shrinking down in her seat in embarrassment. Victoria excused herself, D.J. had a feeling she was going to take a few pills and rejoin the table when she was better prepared to handle everyone's emotions. He didn't blame her. It was...complicated.

"I think we're just going to take the rest of this home," Nick said, gesturing at his and Kitten's plates. "And I think we're going to go lie down for a bit."

"I'll help you with her," Europa took one of Kitten's arms while Nick took the other.

"Mama? What's wrong?"

"Nothing babies, just tired is all."

"You know, I think I'm full too."

"Yeah, Ma, you got any plastic wrap?" Silena asked.

"Of course."

"What's this about a demon?" Tyler repeated.

"I said I'll tell you later."

"What is it Auntie? Is there a demon here?"

"It's just something we used to say as kids." D.J. spoke up. "Like if we broke something, or overheard certain...things. We said it was the demon."

"Yeah," Jack backed him up. "They tried convincing us our old house was haunted so they didn't get in trouble with your Grandma."

"It never worked, your Grandma knows everything her kids get up to."

"Really Grandma?"

"Really. Your aunts and uncles have always been horrible liars."

"Hey, you can't blame us for trying." D.J. smiled weakly. At least the twins wouldn't ask any more questions.

"What?" Jack turned away from the screen. "Ok, be right there. Uh, sorry, I gotta go. I promise I'll come down as soon as everything is taken care of. Love you, bye!"

Everyone said their goodbyes, the twins of course the loudest of all. D.J.'s mom spoke up after Jack hung up. "Jason, Jenny, why don't you help your old Grandma clear the table?"

"Ok Grandma," both children said in unison, poofing around to collect everyone's plates.

"Ty, would you help me up?"

"Yeah of course."

"Dad, let me help you."

"I'm fine D.J. Thank you."

There was a knock at the door. D.J. made himself useful and when to answer it while everyone else relocated to the living room. Though who would be knocking at their door right now?

D.J. opened the door and was greeted by a man with two furry pointed ears poking out of long black hair. He had a scruffy looking beard, and was wearing a super ugly Christmas sweater that was kind of big on him. His hazel eyes greeted him warmly before he even opened his mouth. The shimmering aura emanating from him was more mauve than purple, but frankly D.J. was just happy to see the color still in his soul.

"Sammy?"

"Hey baby brother." He said, his voice was deeper than D.J. remembered it. Oh, so many emotions welled up in him instantly. D.J. rushed his brother into a fierce hug, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "So, you missed me?"

"Yeah," He was getting choked up already. "You look good. You look great. You sound great. That sweater is the fugliest thing I've ever seen though."

"Even worse than Silena's?"

"A whole different league of ugly."

"Sweet."

"Totally." He fought against his tears. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed his brother until he was standing right in front of him. "Totally."

"D.J., I can't breathe."

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry." He released Sammy. "It's just...it's been too long."

"Yeah, we gotta catch up some time. Just the two of us."

"That'd be awesome. You missed dinner, and Jack, but...just get your ass in here."

The two men walked to the living room to join the rest of the family. All eyes were on Sammy as he stepped into the light. Most everyone was quiet, save for Sammy's small "Hey."

Silena was the first to get up and give him a hug. Tyler was behind her settling for a handshake. Europa bounded down the stairs at the sight of him and rushed him into a bear hug. The twins came in with their Grandma, blinking into place in front of their Uncle Sammy and giving him the same near-death experience they gave D.J. before squeezing him. Finally he greeted his parents, they were a bit stiff but it was a major improvement from the last time D.J. had seen everyone together.

He heard Victoria's voice coming from the dining room. "D.J., are you about ready to-" She cut herself off when she came in and saw who'd just arrived. "Oh. I'm sorry, I...don't think we've met."

"Oh this is my twin brother Sammy!" Silena held onto his arm. "Can't believe you two have never met! D.J you two have been together how long now?"

"Three years this May."

"Oh, Sammy!" Victoria said. "No I knew Silena was a twin I just...can't believe we never met! I think I've only seen pictures of you. You look so different!"

"Yeah, I guess I've changed a lot."

"Well don't keep us in suspense!" Europa clamped onto his shoulders from behind. "What's been going on with you? Tell me everything!"

As Sammy talked, Victoria took one of the chairs opposite the couch. D.J. lost track of the time listening to him, chatting and catching up and opening presents like family should at Christmas. The younger twins eventually got bored and went off to play with their new toys, hopefully not disturbing their parents too much.

"So you and D.J. have been together three years now?" Sammy asked.

"Yeah. We've been living together for almost a full year now."

"I've actually been seeing someone myself."

"Oh really?" Multiple people asked.

"Yeah, her name is River. I actually have a picture of her, right here." He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. He passed it around for everyone to get a good look. When it got to D.J. he smiled so wide. It was Sammy and a pretty woman with long cerulean hair. It was more vibrant at the roots and faded to a pale misty blue at the tips. She was a few inches taller than him as well, maybe slightly taller than D.J.

"So, what's the verdict Soul Seer?" Sammy asked. "I didn't fall for a devil in disguise, did I?"

D.J. shook his head. "Can't tell through pictures. You're going to have to introduce her."

"How'd you two meet?" Their dad asked.

"We met at a clinic. Just kind of struck up a conversation in the waiting room and I ended up getting her number."

"She's very pretty."

"Yeah, and she's trans too so," Oh god you could feel the room collectively sigh out in relief that no one had to ask about that. "Already have so much in common."

"That's great!" Silena exclaimed. "I'm happy you've found someone."

"You say that like I proposed already."

"Hey, you never know. Me and Tyler lasted."

"Now we only have to worry about Jack and Europa." Their mom said with a small smile.

"Jack is married to the job, you know that."

"So what's your excuse?"

"I'm engaged to my job. Besides," Europa slung her arms around D.J. and Sammy. "This is all the family I need."

"Awww thanks Opa."

"Yeah after you guys, I don't need any more babies in my life. I'm good."

"Hey!"

"Ehhh, I think it'd be kind of cool to be a dad." Sammy said. "I don't think I want to have like seven but a few would be nice."

"I think I'd like two or three myself." Tyler added.

Silena rubbed her belly. "I'll see how I feel after this one."

"I always thought it'd be great to have a big family, like you guys." Victoria beamed. "Even when you don't get along or understand each other, there's still so much love packed into the room. It's always been just me and my parents so-"

She cut herself off, possibly due to D.J.'s revelation hitting him like a sixteen-wheeler in the rain. Oh shit her parents. What time was it?! The two of them whipped out their phones and saw they'd stayed much longer than they'd meant to. They leaped up and said "We have to go." so perfectly in unison it was almost like they'd planned it.

"Whoa. You guys are already so in sync." Silena noticed.

"Must mean it's meant to be."

"D.J., what are your thoughts on soulmates?"

"I've seen nothing to suggest that's a real thing. But, sorry, we gotta go. We're late to go see her parents."

"But D.J., you're the only brother I have left." Sammy pouted.

"Not true, Nick is upstairs."

"He's a brother in-law. It's not the same."

"Oh shit, Kitten! C'mon, boys!" Europa pulled Sammy up and started dragging him and D.J. up the stairs. "They're probably going to head out soon too."

"Wait for me!" Victoria called, trailing behind them. "I have to say my goodbyes."

The four of them headed up the stairs, running into Kitten and Nick as they reached the second floor.

"Sammy," She fell forward into his arms. "It's so good to see you."

"Good to see you too."

"Should you really be doing that on the stairs?" Victoria asked full of concern.

"It's cool, we've been doing this for years."

"Some of us longer than others." Sammy wheezed out.

"Pass her here," D.J. took her gently. "It's time for us to go, Kitten."

"Nooooooo."

"Yes."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo."

"Kitten it's past eight."

"Oh damn, really? About time for us to head out too."

"Jason, Jenny!" Nick called. "It's time to go! Come say goodbye!"

The little gremlins appeared before them. "Awwwww just five more minutes PLEEEEEASE?"

"Ok, five minutes." Kitten yawned. "And then we gotta go."

"Thanks Mama!"

"Nick, can you take the leftovers to the car?"

"Of course my sleepy little Kitten," The speedster zoomed off, a motion blur of red going down the stairs into the kitchen and out of the house in half a second.

"What was for dinner?" Sammy asked.

"Ham."

"Ooooh, mom's ham. Is there any left for me?"

"Of course, come on." Kitten stood up and took him by the hand. "We got five minutes. So, what's up with you?"

"Hey Vicky, can you give me a minute or two with D.J.?" Europa asked. "There's something I've been meaning to ask him."

"Sure thing, I'll get our leftovers together." She smiled brightly and left the siblings alone.

Europa looked at D.J. expectantly. "So."

"So."

"Did you tell Diane and Bruno about our plan?"

"Your plan." D.J. corrected.

"Awwwwww baby brother, we came up with it together didn't we?" Sure, in the sense that they were brainstorming together and she got the idea to violate most laws of patient confidentiality and privacy. "So did you tell them?"

"I ran it by them. They weren't exactly thrilled by our brilliant plan of impersonating a psychiatrist-"

"I'll have you in my ear, coaching me on what to say to the kid the entire time."

"Yeah that little detail raised even more ethical concerns. Not to mention the legal liabilities everyone involved will face if we get found out."

"We won't get found out. Not unless we actually bust a supervillain trying to recruit college kids and take their souls, then it's more of a bragging point."

D.J. shook his head. "I vouched for you, and because of your track record they're willing to look the other way in the interest of safety. This still feels wrong though."

"Hey, sometimes you gotta do something wrong to do something right."

"Then why do you rag on Jack so much?"

"Because he and his team are Heroes. They do wrong and it becomes right. We do wrong and it stays wrong."

"And we will suffer greatly if we're caught."

She scoffed. "Please."

"Please take this seriously. I could lose my credibility and my job if we do this and have nothing to show for it. Not everyone can just disappear and start over wherever they want you know."

"Alright, alright. You have my word. Serious-time. One-hundred percent."

"Oh I feel better already." D.J. said sarcastically.

"Ok smartass I'm taking it down to eighty-seven, just for that."

D.J. sighed and gave his sister a hug. "See you in a few weeks. Love you."

"Love you too. See you then."

Europa went down the stairs back to the rest of the family, which the twins seemed to take as their cue to pop into place behind D.J. and scare him half to death by demanding, "Uncle D.J.! What were you talking about!? What was that about a supervillain!?"

"Just some work stuff. Your Auntie Opa is going undercover for me."

"OOOOOOOOH that sounds so cool! You're gonna bust a supervillain together!?"

"Heck yeah, no one's better at secret missions than me and Opa. Hey, what do you got there kiddos?" D.J. squatted down to be eye level with his young niece and nephew.

"A camera!" Jason held up an old camcorder which D.J. instantly recognized.

"Ooooh, I think we've had this since I was little. It's still working?" That was crazy, he remembered making so many home movies with this. They all did, playing heroes and making five-part epics of their alter ego's battling against their arch nemeses. D.J. played around with the buttons, noticing that the battery was in the red and half-way thinking of asking the twins to go look for a charger. Unless...did it use batteries? He couldn't remember. He kept fiddling with it, gradually remembering how to work it while his niece and nephew peered in curiously. D.J. picked a video at random and for the first few seconds all he could see was something red and green far too close to the lens to be decipherable. He couldn't hear much either besides some scuffling. Best guess was that someone was setting the camera up somewhere.

"Ok, got it." Said a young girl's voice. The girl then backed off and they all got a good look at her. D.J. recognized her messy dark hair and (strangely festive) striped pajamas as the stuff of his nightmares.

"Um, hey lil' guys? Where'd you find this?"

"The attic."

"The attic? How'd you guys get into the attic?" As far as he knew the only way up there was the ladder that had to be pulled down from the ceiling.

They blinked out of existence and D.J. heard tiny feet stomping around above him. As well as the muffled shouts of "Uncle D.J.! Can you hear us!?" They returned to the second floor after a few seconds, which he used to stop the video and keep them from seeing anything else.

"Wow!" He said, internally cursing the fact that no four walls or door would be able to keep these kids away from some of the darker family secrets.

"Attic's dark though, good thing we have these!" Jason and Jenny held up the scepters D.J. gave them, creating rainbows of light as the tops spun around.

"Super cool! Why did you guys go into the attic? Doesn't your Grandma have a whole closet full of toys just for you gremlins?"

"It's fun up there." Jason shrugged. "Full of cool old dusty stuff like this."

"Who's that girl Uncle D.J.?"

"She kinda looks like Mama."

"That's...my...cousin." D.J. thought fast. "Lily."

"I didn't know we have an Aunt Lily."

"She's uhhhh, she's not around anymore."

"Oh."

"Hey, can you two not say anything about her, or the video? We all used to be really close so everyone gets all sad when she's brought up. Promise you won't say anything?"

"Ok. Pinky Promise!" They all locked pinkies and swore themselves to secrecy.

"Thanks. I gotta go now, be good for me ok? I love you. Go say goodbye to your Auntie Victoria."

The twins were gone in the time it took him to blink. D.J. took a deep breath and stood up. He was going to take this with him, hook it up to his computer sometime and go through all the videos properly. Most of these were fond memories and he felt he should preserve them. Others, he might just omit.

He played the video back again, as his big sister backed away D.J. was pretty sure he saw himself in the background sitting at a table with Silena and Sammy. They looked even more identical as kids, but he was fairly sure he recognized Silena from Sammy by her white pajamas. They seemed to be in the basement of their old house, going by the one bare bulb hanging from the ceiling that failed to light up anything except what was directly under it. Like how scared the three of them were.

"Violet I don't know about this."

"Don't be such a baby. You said you wanted to get proof. This is how we get proof." She joined them at the table. "Ok, now everyone puts their hands on the planchette, and we warm up the board like this." She guided them moving the planchette around the ouija board in figure-eights.

He vaguely remembered this. She was the only one who believed them. They tried getting the demon on camera before but it never worked. Then one night when everyone else went to bed she crept into their rooms and led them down to the basement. She explained how the board worked and they started playing. She said she'd help them prove to everyone that the demon was real.

"Ok, that's good. Now, is anyone there?" She asked.

"Violet I'm scared."

"Shush! Is anyone there?" The girls' eyes were fixed down on the board while D.J.'s chubby toddler face peered fearfully into the darkness. The twins heard things, and he did too, but more often then not he saw things. Maybe that was why it took so long for them to realize what his Gift was, because he'd so often claim to see things no one else did. Some benign, some frightening.

"If there's a presence with us, give us a sign."

Sammy's face was wide with fear as the planchette moved. He took his hands away, "Violet I don't like this."

"Shhhh! I think it's going to the 'H'."

He and Silnea both yelped and ripped their hands away, covering their ears. "Did you hear that!? It was like a voice right in front of us!"

"What did it sound like? What did it say?"

"It said...hi?"

Everyone but Violet jerked as if they heard something, though there was nothing to be heard on the camera. The twins took off screaming upstairs while Violet and D.J. stayed where they were.

He saw himself look up at his sister and she smiled down at him. The battery died out and the screen went black, but D.J. knew there wouldn't be anything to see anyway. Like Europa's Gift, Violet's couldn't be captured on camera. Neither pictures or video captured the illusions she was able to project. It was only slight comfort knowing none of it had been real. It had all felt real. Even now all those things she had made him see were so vivid, so ingrained in his memory. His mind couldn't fathom them not being real.

It was as real as the bright shining auras that shone around everyone. Everyone but Violet's. Her's had been a deep, dark red, back when it still had a color.

D.J. went downstairs and said a quick goodbye and Merry Christmas to all his family again. He and Victoria booked it to her parent's house and made halfway decent time, considering it usually took them a little over an hour. They spent the rest of the evening there, getting back home and into bed just past midnight. Victoria knocked out almost the second her head touched the pillow. D.J. was jealous, how did she do that?

He laid awake for some hours, wondering if he was really doing the right thing. It was undeniably that they needed Rocinante Flugslys to spill about Black Hat, and this was far preferable to holding him in custody and questioning him until he broke. And while D.J. knew that "legal" wasn't exactly synonymous with "morally correct" he couldn't help but feel this was a bit beyond his boundaries when it came to stepping outside the law. God he would've made such a bad vigilante. At least Aurelio Cruz would be seeing a genuine psychiatrist with no hidden motives, so D.J. wasn't having an ethical crisis over that too.

Victoria mumbled something in her sleep and cuddled up to him. As he wrapped his arms around her in turn he made out, "Sleep on it."

D.J. planted a small kiss on her cheek and took her advice.


Hello everybody. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really wanted to start updating regularly again by the end of 2020, but I just didn't manage to write enough this past year to comfortably post a chapter every two weeks. BUT I still wanted to post something as a kind of Christmas present to all of you. And given that this chapter takes place Christmas Day, it seemed fitting. I know there's not much action, and Flug and Black Hat are only briefly mentioned at the end, but I think there's still a good amount of forshadowing and even lore that hopefully entertains and explains kind of how "The Other Half" live in this AU.

Hope you all stay safe out there, wear a mask, get vaccinated, and I'll see you in the new year. I still post sneak peeks and snippets of this fic and others (mainly this fic as it's so damn long and I put the most work into it) on my tumblr fallinforaguyfelldownfromthesky every Tuesday.