"All right, it looks like everything's under control here. I need to head out," I said.
"Where are you going?" Ben asked.
"To my dimension. I'm going to test out my artificial Power Sword," I replied as I turned around and opened a portal.
"Oh yeah, Jack told me about that thing. Apparently, it's pretty awesome. Any chance I can handle the real one?" Ben asked.
I didn't even hesitate.
"Absolutely not."
Ben looked offended while I pointed a finger at him.
"I'm still regretting giving you the powers of Mazahs."
After Jack had dragged all those villains into our world, we locked them away, and I ended up stealing the powers of Earth-3 Shazam. With the staff, it had been ridiculously easy.
Honestly, I still wasn't sure what to do with those powers. My original plan had been to give them to Sam, but Soldier Boy had practically begged me for a boost.
Of course, I wasn't crazy enough to hand over the full package. Instead, I gave him only one aspect of the power.
Looking back, that was probably the right call.
The man abused it nonstop.
Every time he got a craving for some food or drink, he'd immediately fly to whatever country it came from instead of just ordering it online like a normal person.
It was bad enough that Jack had picked up the same habit. The last thing I needed was two idiots treating superpowers like a food delivery service.
"Oh, come on. Out of everyone in New Dawn, I'm the one with actual sword training. I know how to use that weapon," Ben said.
"Okay, first of all, there's Hope. She can literally shoot swords. Second, I already know who's going to wield it, and trust me, it's definitely not going to be you."
Before Ben could argue, I stepped through the portal.
The moment I entered my dimension, the portal snapped shut behind me
As I made my way toward the Forge Room, I heard someone shouting my name in the distance.
"Uncle Kai! Uncle Kai! Uncle Kai! Uncle KAI!"
I turned toward the voice and saw Ruby flying straight at me while carrying Zoe.
I blinked.
Huh. Didn't know I'd earned uncle status.
Ruby landed a little harder than intended. The second Zoe's feet touched the ground, she staggered away toward a nearby bush and threw up.
"Sorry," Ruby said apologetically.
She immediately rushed over to Zoe and pulled her hair back while Zoe continued throwing up.
"Let me guess," I said. "You were flying at speeds that would make a fighter pilot nervous?"
Ruby winced.
"Maybe."
"Ruby," Zoe groaned between breaths, "the words 'hold on' are supposed to come before the crazy maneuver."
"In my defense, I thought it would be fun."
"For who?" Zoe asked weakly.
Ruby opened her mouth, thought about it for a second, then pointed at herself.
"For me."
Zoe groaned and leaned against the bush while I tried, and failed, not to laugh.
"I don't mind you carrying me when we fly, but you need to slow down a little," Zoe said.
"Sorry. I was just excited," Ruby replied sheepishly. "Next time I won't go so fast when I'm carrying you."
I summoned a napkin and handed it to Zoe. After she cleaned herself up, both girls turned toward me with matching smiles on their faces.
That immediately put me on guard.
"What's going on?" I asked. "Why are you two looking at me like you just won the lottery?"
"Because both of our moms said that if you give the okay, we can start training to be sidekicks," Zoe said excitedly.
I raised an eyebrow.
"And what makes you think I'm going to approve that?" I asked.
The girls' smiles faltered slightly.
"I'm not really comfortable with sending kids out to be heroes when they're still young. It doesn't matter how strong you are; there's always someone stronger."
I knelt down so I was eye level with them.
"And even if you're just a sidekick, it's still dangerous. If a supervillain is petty enough or evil enough, they won't go after the hero. They'll go after the people the hero cares about. Sometimes they'll target the sidekick just to hurt the hero."
The excitement on their faces faded as they listened.
"Look, I know you two want to help people. I know you want to use your powers for something good, and that's admirable. Power without purpose can lead people down some very dark paths."
I smiled softly.
"But you're still kids."
I pointed at both of them.
"You should be having sleepovers, watching movies, staying up way too late, playing video games, hanging out with your friends, and getting into the kind of trouble that ends with your parents grounding you, not fighting criminals who can level buildings."
My expression grew more serious.
"Trust me, adulthood isn't going anywhere. There'll be plenty of time for responsibilities, danger, and saving the world later."
I rested a hand on each of their shoulders.
"So don't be in such a hurry to grow up. Enjoy being kids while you still can."
"We want to help," Ruby said quietly, her eyes dropping to the ground.
"I know, sweetie," I said gently. "And I appreciate that. I really do. But we already have enough heroes. More than that, I don't want you two giving up your childhood before you have to."
Both of them looked at me in confusion.
"Why?" Zoe asked.
For a moment, I was silent.
Old memories surfaced, ones I usually tried not to think about.
"My mom wasn't exactly a good parent," I finally said. "She was an alcoholic. She drank every day and never really took care of me."
Ruby and Zoe listened quietly.
"So I had to take care of myself. I went grocery shopping, cooked my own meals, washed my own clothes, got myself to school every day, and worked multiple jobs just to keep the lights on and save a little money for college."
I let out a small laugh, though there wasn't much humor in it.
"Most kids worry about homework or what they're doing on the weekend. I was worrying about whether we'd have enough food in the house."
Their expressions softened.
"Because of that, I never really got to be a kid. I didn't hang out with friends. I didn't go to parties. I didn't have a girlfriend. I spent so much time surviving that I missed out on a lot of the things normal kids are supposed to experience."
I looked at the two of them and smiled.
"And that's something I can never get back."
The girls didn't say anything.
"That's why I want you to enjoy your childhood for as long as possible. Go make memories. Have fun. Get into harmless trouble. Stay up too late at sleepovers. Play games. Watch movies. Laugh with your friends."
I reached over and gently ruffled Ruby's hair before doing the same to Zoe.
"Trust me, adulthood will find you eventually. It always does."
I sighed dramatically.
"And honestly? Being a grown-up kind of sucks. Sure, there are some perks, but they're usually outweighed by taxes, responsibilities, paperwork, and people constantly expecting you to know what you're doing."
That earned a small laugh from both of them.
"Being a hero is the same way. It has its good moments, but it also comes with a lot of pain, sacrifice, and responsibility. So before you start worrying about saving the world, I'd rather you spend some time enjoying the fact that you're still kids."
"Really?" they both asked at the same time.
"Really," I replied with a smile. "I know you both want to help, so let's make a deal."
"A deal?" Ruby asked.
"What kind of deal?" Zoe added.
"You two are sixteen. That means you've got about two years before you're legally adults. So here's my offer: when you turn seventeen, you can start training to become heroes."
Both of their eyes lit up.
"Seriously?" Ruby asked.
"Seriously."
The excitement on their faces only grew.
"But there's a condition," I continued. "Before you turn seventeen, I want you to focus on being kids. Go make friends. Have sleepovers. Watch movies. Stay up too late. Do all the normal teenage stuff."
I pointed at them.
"Then, when you turn seventeen, I'll ask you if you want to start training. If you still want to be heroes, we'll begin. If you decide you'd rather wait another year, that's completely fine too."
I held out my hand.
"So, do we have a deal?"
The two girls looked at each other.
For a few seconds, they seemed to have an entire conversation without saying a word. Then they both nodded and turned back to me.
"Deal!" they said together and shook my hand.
"Good." I stood up and brushed off my pants. "Now go do some kid things. I've got some experiments to test."
"Okay, but just so you know, I'm going to say yes no matter what," Ruby declared, crossing her arms with determination.
I chuckled.
"And if you do, I'll support you completely. In fact, I'll personally train both of you."
"Cool. No takebacks," Ruby said immediately.
Before I could respond, she scooped Zoe up into a princess carry.
"Ruby!" Zoe yelped.
"What? I'm going to fly slow this time!"
With that, Ruby gently lifted off the ground and flew away, making sure not to accelerate too quickly.
I watched them disappear into the distance and couldn't help but laugh.
She really wanted to be a hero.
Honestly, part of me hoped that by the time they turned seventeen, they'd change their minds.
Not because I doubted them.
Quite the opposite.
I knew they could do it.
I just wanted them to understand that being a kid was something special. Growing up wasn't a race, and once those years were gone, they were gone forever.
If I could have traded all my powers, all my money, and all my accomplishments for a stable family and a normal childhood, I would have taken that deal without hesitation.
That's why I wanted something different for them, heroes could be made later, Childhood couldn't.
Hope POV
I sat in my office, typing away at my computer while Albedo worked beside me.
We were putting the finishing touches on my latest project for the Null Void.
After Kai brought me the AllSpark, I immediately got to work designing a new race of humanoid robots. Not just any robots, though. I had modeled them after the Exos from Destiny.
Each body was constructed from a blend of advanced metals, with vibranium serving as the primary material. Even their artificial AllSparks were housed inside vibranium casings to maximize durability and energy efficiency.
Of course, I wasn't planning to use the AllSpark itself to bring them to life.
That would have been too simple.
Instead, I had spent weeks studying it, taking it apart conceptually and learning how its energy interacted with consciousness. After countless simulations and modifications, I developed a process that would use AllSpark energy as a catalyst rather than a creator.
The AllSpark energy won't just give them life; it will give them a soul
At least, that was the theory.
Right now, there were only twelve of them standing in the assembly chamber beyond the reinforced glass wall.
Every one of them already had a fully developed neural architecture. Their personalities, preferences, emotional responses, and behavioral patterns had all been programmed and refined. They had memories ready to be uploaded, voices ready to speak, and bodies ready to move.
The only thing they lacked was the spark that would make them truly alive.
Albedo glanced up from his workstation.
"You know, there's still a seventy-three percent chance this ends with twelve mindless drones."
"It's actually sixty-eight percent," I corrected without looking away from my screen. "Sixty-eight point four, to be Pacific."
"That's still a terrible success rate."
"You should have a little fate sometime."
Albedo snorted and returned to his calculations.
I smiled to myself.
For weeks, the two of us had been buried in research, engineering, and enough code to make most supercomputers cry. Now we were finally at the finish line.
I looked through the glass at the twelve motionless Exos.
If this worked, they wouldn't just be robots.
They would be people.
And in a few minutes, I was about to find out whether I had created a new form of life... or wasted several months of my life on the most expensive science project in history.
While we were working, the door to my office slid open.
I looked up and saw Emily Locke walking in.
She had warm brown eyes, long black hair, and was dressed in a black sweater and matching pants. A gentle smile rested on her face as she stepped inside.
And, if I were being honest, she was gorgeous.
If she weren't my employee, and if I had any idea whether she was interested in women, I probably would have asked her out already.
"Miss Phoenix, you wanted to see me?" Emily asked politely.
"Yes, I did. Please, have a seat."
I gestured toward the chair across from my desk before turning to Albedo.
"You think you can finish this without me?"
Albedo looked up from the console as if I'd just personally insulted his entire species.
"Of course I can. Honestly, do you even hear yourself?" he said. "You're talking to Albedo. Compared to the work I've done, this is child's play."
I couldn't help but laugh.
I knew he was completely serious, but seeing the second smartest person in the building wearing a tiny lab coat tailored to fit his child-sized body made it impossible to take him seriously.
Albedo narrowed his eyes at me.
"You're laughing at the coat again."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You absolutely do."
With an annoyed huff, he hopped down from his chair and headed for the door.
"Hello, Mr. Albedo. How are you today?" Emily asked pleasantly.
"Angry, annoyed, slightly hungry, trapped in the body of a child, and desperately wishing to return to my normal form. So, in other words, the usual."
He didn't even glance in her direction as he continued walking.
Emily blinked in surprise, her smile disappearing for a moment before quickly returning.
"Don't mind him," I said. "He's cranky. He didn't take his nap."
Albedo stopped in the doorway and slowly turned his head toward me.
"I am over one hundred years old," he said flatly. "I am the oldest person in this building."
Everyone in the company knows he's an alien and that he's stuck in a human form. They don't know how I found that out; I never shared those details, but nobody really questions it. My company literally funds a superhero team. Weird stopped being surprising around here a long time ago.
He's already proven himself to be the second-smartest person in the building and one of my top scientists, despite being trapped in a child's body. I'm currently building a device that will stabilize his transformation and allow him to return to his Galvan form.
If I'm being honest, I probably could have finished it a month ago, but the New Life project ended up consuming far more of my schedule than I expected.
After Emily sat down, she spoke with a hint of panic in her voice.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.
"What? No," I said immediately.
She let out a relieved breath. "Okay, good. I thought I messed something up again and was just overthinking everything."
"No, Emily. You're not in any trouble. Actually, I wanted to offer you a promotion."
"What?" she asked, blinking in surprise. "Why? Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I haven't even been here that long."
"Well, from my perspective, you've more than earned it. You took a division that wasn't bringing in much profit and turned it into one of the company's most successful branches. If it weren't for you, I probably would've shut that department down by now."
Her eyes widened.
"You've shown me that you can lead a team, handle high-pressure situations, and get people working together toward a common goal. That's exactly why I want to offer you the position of New Dawn Overseer."
She looked confused. "I'm sorry, Miss Phoenix, but what does that actually mean?"
"No need to apologize," I said with a smile. "It means you'll be working directly with New Dawn. If they need anything, you'll coordinate with the science or tech teams to make sure they get the support they need. You'll be my eyes and ears, and sometimes my voice, when I'm not available."
Her eyes widened with excitement.
"You'll also be paid three times your current salary," I added, "and you'll receive a special benefit."
"A special benefit?"
I smiled nervously. "Well, since you'll be working alongside heroes, there are certain risks involved. If a villain ever attacks New Dawn's base, there's a good chance you'll be caught in the middle of it."
The excitement on her face quickly faded, replaced by concern.
"But that's exactly why I want you to have a mystical artifact the Mage King gave me," I said.
I opened my desk drawer and carefully pulled out the White Tiger Emblem.
I pulled the white tiger emblem from my desk drawer and placed it on the table between us.
"This is called the White Tiger Amulet. It enhances your senses, strength, healing, and reflexes, basically turning you into a super soldier," I explained.
Emily picked it up carefully, studying it with obvious interest.
"Now, this is only for emergencies," I added. "I'd rather not see you running around trying to be a hero with it."
"I understand, Mrs. Phoenix. Can I have a few days to think about it?" Emily asked.
"Of course. Take your time. This is a big decision."
Emily nodded and turned to leave my office.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shook the building.
Both of us immediately looked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. In the distance, a gigantic monster towered over the city skyline.
I stared at it for a moment before rubbing my forehead.
"Seriously? That's the fifth one this week."
Monster attacks had been becoming more common across the world. I'd investigated as much as I could, and the only thing I knew for certain was that these creatures were being created artificially. The problem was that I still had no idea who was behind it.
"Shouldn't you be calling New Dawn?" Emily asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"Don't worry," I said calmly. "One of the team members is already in the city. If they haven't noticed the giant monster yet, I'd be genuinely concerned. Give it a minute."
After I said that, not even 2 seconds later, Superwoman appeared and picked up the monster and threw it towards the ocean.
"See, no need to worry, she can deal with that thing in about 10 minutes, hopefully she doesn't damage it too badly this time," I said the last part quietly, but it seems like Emily heard me.
"What?"