One Week Later
April O'Neil's POV
"So you're really trying to tell me Arsenal could beat Superman?" Winn asked, looking at me like I just claimed the Earth was flat.
"Yes," I said confidently. "Have you seen what he can do? The guy has like ten different powers, and there are legit reports of him one-shotting a monster the size of a bus."
Winn scoffed. "Okay, sure. But Superman's been around way longer. He's fought more monsters than Arsenal has even met."
"Yeah, but has he ever one-shotted one?" I smirked, raising an eyebrow.
Winn opened his mouth, then closed it again, frowning like I hit him with a logic bomb. We'd been going back and forth like this for the past ten minutes—just a casual debate over lunch at Catco Worldwide Media. The kind of thing that happened when you stuck two nerds in the same room long enough.
Since I joined, Winn and I had become pretty close. He was smart, funny, and honestly one of the kindest people I'd ever met. Ed told me everything—about his messed-up childhood, his villain father, and the mom who walked out on him. But the guy still turned out good. Better than good, honestly.
"Are you two seriously still arguing about this?" Kara asked, walking in with her usual cup of coffee and raised eyebrows.
"Kara!" Winn perked up instantly. "Perfect timing. Break the tie—who's stronger, Arsenal or Superman?"
"Yeah, come on, cutie," I said, flashing her a teasing smile. "We need a verdict or we're gonna keep this going all day."
Kara shook her head immediately. "Nope. Not falling into that trap again. I still haven't recovered from the Batman vs. All Might debate you two dragged me into."
"She started it," Winn pointed at me.
"And I finished it," I grinned.
Kara laughed as she sat on the edge of the table. "You're both hopeless."
Winn crossed his arms. "For the record, I still say Supes wins."
"And I still say Arsenal has better versatility," I shot back.
Kara took a sip of her coffee and muttered, "Thank Rao I've got headphones."
"Anyway," I said, grinning at Kara and Winn, "are you two still free tonight?"
"Yeah, I'm free," Winn nodded.
"Same here," Kara added.
"Good, I know where we're—"
"Kirra! April!" Cat Grant's voice rang out from across the bullpen, cutting me off.
Kara sighed. "Seriously? Why does she always call me by the wrong name but get yours correctly?"
I smirked. "What can I say? I'm just good with people, cutie."
We both made our way to Cat Grant's office. I have to admit, working for Cat has been… let's just call it a unique experience.
"Yes, Miss Grant?" we said in unison after stepping inside.
"Kara, cancel my dinner plans—something else came up. And April," she pointed at me, "you said you used to live in New York, right? Do you have any connections with any of the heroes there?"
I blinked. "Sorry, Miss Grant. I don't have any direct connections. Why do you want to talk to the heroes? Hoping for an interview?"
"Exactly. I want to know why there's been such a sudden surge in heroes, what motivates them, why now. And," she said with a smug grin, "it'd be a bonus if I could beat Lois Lane to the punch."
"But didn't she already interview Superman?" I asked. "Kind of hard to top that."
"True. But the way Arsenal's been making headlines lately… If I can get him, or someone big, I might just catch up. Besides, imagine if I scooped more heroes than Lois."
"Your one-sided rivalry with her is actually kind of impressive," I muttered.
Cat narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"
"Nothing important," I said quickly. "But if you let me go to New York for a bit, I might be able to make some connections and convince a few heroes to consider an interview. No promises."
She studied me for a moment, then gave a short nod. "Fine. If you get anyone, get Arsenal. But if you can't, try to track down Spider-Man. I want to know where he vanished to for a month, and what's up with that new suit."
"Yes, Ms. Grant. I'll see what I can do."
"Good. Now shoo, both of you."
Kara and I walked out of her office and made our way back to Winn.
"Sorry, guys," I said. "Looks like I'm canceling on tonight. I've gotta leave for New York."
"Wait—what? Why?" Winn asked.
"April's going on a mini hero hunt," Kara explained. "She's trying to lock down an interview."
"Wow. That's actually kinda cool," Winn said.
"Yeah, if I can find one," I replied. "Not like they wear nametags and hang out at coffee shops."
"You'll do fine," Winn said, trying not to sound too nervous. "You're smart, resourceful, charming, and, uh… really good at talking to people… and kind… and I should probably stop talking before I completely embarrass myself."
"Oh no, don't stop, handsome," I said with a wink. "Please, keep the compliments coming."
He laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact. "The point is—I believe in you."
I walked up to him and gently ruffled his hair. "Thanks, Winn. You're a good friend."
"You better not be gone too long," Kara said. "We'll miss you."
I smiled. "Don't worry. As long as I know you two are here, I'll always come back."
Kara blushed, and Winn looked flustered again as I turned to leave.
Time to pack. I had a flight to catch—and maybe, just maybe, Peter or Annie would be willing to talk… after I get Ed's permission, of course.
Lorna Dane POV
"So you're not actually a cat—you're from the afterlife?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a bit more complicated than that," Karin replied with a calm nod, "but yes, that's the simple version."
"And you're a master of martial arts too?" Pietro chimed in, clearly skeptical.
Wanda added, "And you can grow magical beans that can heal wounds?"
"Yes to both," Karin said without hesitation.
Pietro folded his arms. "Okay, I'm calling BS. I'm not believing any of this."
Wanda shot him a look. "Seriously? Three talking bears, a literal witch, multiple aliens, a talking lightning mouse, a dinosaur, a goddess, and a giant robot who just happens to be Ed's son. And this is where you draw the line?"
"There's gotta be some limits," Pietro argued.
"I wouldn't think like that," Karin said, unfazed. "This world—hell, this whole universe—is huge and full of strange things. You'd be smart to keep an open mind."
"Right. So next you're going to tell me dragons exist too?" he scoffed.
Karin smiled slightly. "Again… this universe is big. Who knows? You might see one someday."
After I finally told my siblings who I really was, we connected almost instantly. They accepted me as their older sister without hesitation, and honestly, it meant the world to me. Marco got along with them too, which was a relief.
Right now, we were outside in a quiet part of the island, hanging out with Karin as he worked on cultivating those so-called Senzu Beans—miracle plants that could heal just about anything. As surreal as it all was, it was starting to feel like home.
"Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you, Wanda," Sabrina said, walking up to us.
"Hey, Sabrina. Why were you looking for me?" Wanda asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about your powers. How much do you actually know about them?"
Wanda tilted her head. "I mean… a lot, I guess. I can move objects, mess with people's minds. Why?"
Sabrina gave her a knowing look. "I think there's more to your powers than that. I think you might be a witch."
"What?!" Wanda blinked, stunned.
Okay… that I didn't expect.
"I know it sounds hard to believe," Sabrina said gently, "but I can sense it—just like I can with other witches. You're like me. The reason your powers feel so instinctual is because they are. You've been casting spells without even realizing it. You just need the proper training… and if you're interested, I'd like to help you learn."
"I'm interested," Wanda said without hesitation.
"Great. Then let's go," Sabrina smiled, turning to lead the way.
Wanda was about to follow her, but then she paused and looked back at us.
"Either of you want to come?"
Pietro held up a hand. "And do what? Watch you and Sabrina chant weird stuff I don't understand? Yeah, I'm good. I'll stick with Karin."
I stood up. "I'll come for moral support."
Wanda smiled at me, and I followed the two of them. Honestly, I never would've guessed Wanda was a witch… but knowing her? She'll be a damn good one.
Alana POV
Right now, I'm sitting on the deck of my beach house, sipping a drink and enjoying the breeze. I told Ed I wanted to live by the ocean, and he actually built me a place here. It's small, cozy, and absolutely perfect.
"So, how's everything going in your city?" Reggie asked from the lounge chair next to me.
"It's been going pretty well," I replied. "The number of metahuman crimes has gone way down. I barely have to visit Central City anymore."
"That's good to hear."
"What about you? How's Freeland holding up?" I asked, turning to look at him.
"It's okay, I guess. The 100 gang's been getting more aggressive lately—probably Tobias. And I'm still trying to track down the rest of those pod metas."
"Have you asked Wendy? She might remember something," I suggested.
"I tried, but… she doesn't remember much. Not even how she escaped. Whatever they did to her really messed with her head."
"That's a shame." I took another sip. "If you ever need help, I've got time now that things are quiet in Central. I can come out and lend a hand."
He smiled. "I appreciate that, but no thanks. Freeland's my city. I want to fix it myself."
I nodded. "I get it. Just remember—you're not alone. You've got a whole team behind you. Don't wait too long to ask for help, okay?"
"I get that. I finally got used to being on a team without worrying about dying because of my own teammates," he said, pausing for a moment before adding, "I gotta ask… do you ever miss your world?"
That caught me off guard.
"Sometimes," I admitted quietly. "I miss my friends. The late-night talks, the laughs, the small moments in between the chaos. What about you? Do you miss anyone?"
"I miss my brother. His whole family, really." He looked down, his voice tightening a bit. "I'm grateful for this second chance… but sometimes I can't help thinking—what if I'd done something different? Maybe I'd still be alive. Maybe I could've actually been a hero… not just someone pretending to be one."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. I get what you mean. I think about stuff like that all the time. Especially that last battle with Omni-Man."
He looked over at me, silent, listening.
"If I'd just kept my cool—if I hadn't been so reckless—I could've phased through him, messed up his organs from the inside. Or maybe I should've used my powers to get the weaker members out, then warned the world about him before it was too late." I sighed. "But… we can't change the past. All we can do is move forward and make sure we don't repeat the same mistakes."
He didn't say anything right away, just gave me a quiet nod, the kind that meant he understood exactly what I was feeling.
Beth Chapel – POV
School was finally over, and I was walking home alone.
Lately, Peter and Cindy have been acting… strange. They spend a lot of time together now—just the two of them. And after school, they don't really hang out with me, MJ, or Ned anymore. At first, I thought maybe they were secretly dating or something, but the way they reacted when I asked them that question? I'm not so sure anymore. That fear, the way they moved… It felt like something else was going on.
I don't know what it is, but I hope they tell us one day. I'm worried, yeah, but it's not like they seem to be in any danger. I mean, it's Peter and Cindy. What kind of trouble could they possibly get into?
…I'm probably just overthinking it.
When I finally got home, the house was quiet. My parents weren't home yet—no surprise. They usually work late. I headed up to my room and dropped my bag near the desk, then walked over to the window and slid it open. As soon as I did, a familiar sound caught my ears.
The soft whoosh of feathers.
Chuck flew in right on time.
"Hey, Chuck," I said with a small smile.
He landed on the windowsill for just a second before hopping into my room like he owned the place. Chuck's been with me since I was a kid. The first time I saw him, I was maybe nine? I had my window open, and he just… flew in. Scared the crap out of me at first, but he never hurt me. Never even acted aggressive.
I talked to him that first night—about school, about being lonely, about how no one really "got" me. He just sat there, listening. Like he understood.
And he kept coming back.
Every day after school, I'd open my window, and there he'd be. My quiet little secret. My first real friend. I named him Chuck because he looked like a Chuck. I know that sounds dumb, but it stuck.
He's still here. Always shows up when I need him. Listens to me rant, vent, or just sit in silence. He's more than just a regular owl. I can feel it. There's something… different about him. Something special.
I sat on the edge of my bed and looked at him.
"So… today was weird again," I said softly. "Peter and Cindy. They're hiding something. I can feel it. But I don't know if I should push or just… wait."
Chuck blinked slowly at me, tilting his head.
"Yeah. I figured you'd say that."