Silhouette

"Cyan! Here already?"

"I would never make justice wait, Reverse Revenant!"

"Ah, but you are already too late! I have already inverted the flow of electricity, soon, the power plant will overcharge and detonate, blowing to bits this entire neighborhood! No more Denny's Donuts, no more dog park, and no more YOU!"

"I will stop your dastardly scheme, Revenant! Good will always prevail!"

"Oh, foolish Captain Cyan. There is no way for you to undo my work, so fight me all you want! Whether you win or lose, when this place explodes, you will die whereas my ghostly self will see another day! Without you in my way, Cyan City will fall! Mouahahahahahaha!"

"You forgot one thing, Revenant! I can simply leave!"

"Ah! But what about the civilians, Cyan? The poor, unpowered civilians, unwittingly awaiting their doom as they go through their daily lives. Will you leave them to die, Cyan? Is this the legacy you wish for? A cowardly Hero who chose his own life over those he was meant to protect?"

"Curse you, Revenant! It is not about the Hero's legacy, it's about the people they help!"

"Tick-tock, Cyan. What will you dooo? Fight me in a glorious battle without accomplishing anything? Run to save yourself and stop me another day? Or bravely sacrifice yourself to save as many as you can until death comes for you all? Mouahahahahaha!"

"Wait, wasn't the Villain's name Red Revenant? And the city's Color City?"

The five ratlings shushed James as one, none of them turning their head to avoid losing sight of the screen of James' phone, which he was discreetly holding up with a tentacle sneaking up from the surrounding natural shadows around the bench in the park. His furry kids and him were laying down on the ground, crushing the grass beneath with their front, as they watched the children's favorite cartoon show. They were all very thankful that apparently the infusion the device had gone through when James first got it had altered the screen in such a way they had no problem with reflections of sunlight. The screen was just as visible as ever, though the children had grown since they started using it to watch the adventures of Captain Cyan, and it was becoming increasingly obvious James would need to get a large TV for their home. Luckily they all had good eyesight, so for now there was no issue with putting some distance between them and the phone to make sure they could all fit together to watch it from the front, especially since they had no issue with touching each other. Still, given that James didn't know how much further they would grow, for now, he assumed they would end up human-sized at some point.

Thankfully Goliath, sweetheart that he was, took the time to lean close to James' ear and whisper him some reminders about the show, though given the way his siblings' ears twitched, it was likely the others heard it too.

"Daddy, this is a big flashback episode. Reverse Revenant became Red Revenant and Cyan City got renamed in the third season's finale."

"Oh, and which season is this?"

"The fifteenth."

"Wait, what? How many are there?"

"Of the remastered original show? 127."

James had to take a second to fully take in the information, and he had to make sure he hadn't misheard his oldest son.

"How many?"

"Sorry Daddy, they're getting to the good part!"

"This is our final meeting then, Revenant. I hope one day, good will shine through the evil that has veiled your heart. Now, I must go, my people need me."

"Ah, Cyan. Always how so predictable Cyan. I knew from the start you would rather die for this city than lose time dealing with me. This is exactly why I hired Malachite Mimic to impersonate you, and warn the neighborhood that an impostor was running around evacuating people to then steal everything in their homes! They won't leave peacefully, Cyan! And I know your Hero laws forbid you from helping those that do not wish to be helped! So go ahead! Warn them of the imminent danger! Few will listen, and you will be too occupied by the rest to act!"

"Gasp! Revenant, I have known you for a long time, but this reaches a new level of villainy and evil!"

"Indeed! This is the pinnacle of my abilities! The perfect plan! The unstoppable scheme! No matter what happens today, I will be victorious! History will remember me as the greatest Villain the ASC has ever seen! Evil teachers will use me as an example for their devious little students to learn from to commit their own heinous acts! Heroes, centuries from now will curse my name like you today, and the world at large will know the name of REVERSE! REVENANT! Mouhahahahahahahaha!"

"If I am to die today, then I am no longer bound by the rules of the Union."

"Eh, what?"

"If the Union can no longer punish me, I will do as I please."

"Oh! Could it be, behind all that goodness lies a deviant mind with selfish desires?"

"I do not require people's consent to save them now!"

"Wait, what? Cyan! CYAN! Come back here you glorified blue oaf! COME BACK HERE AND DESPAIR!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

James turned and raised himself to be in a sitting position to face the woman he had sensed had been approaching for a moment now, and the ratlings paused the video on the phone before they too looked at who was interrupting them. There was nothing particularly remarkable about her, she looked like any woman in her thirties or good early forties would, but holding onto her hand was a young boy who couldn't be older than eight. The child's eyes were focused on the ratlings, filled with shy curiosity.

"Yes, miss? How can I help you?"

"My son and I heard his favorite show and turned to look to see where it was coming from, and he was mesmerized by your furry companions."

James chuckled as he began to scratch the top of Goliath's head, his oldest son leaning into his black hand as the rest of the litter briefly looked on with envy before focusing back on the interlopers.

"They're my pride and joy. We're new in Zalcien and had to move quickly, so I haven't been able to find a school for them yet, so we decided to make the best of it and enjoy the park while it was quiet."

"Oh, you just moved? If you live nearby Sunflower School should be perfect! It's where Gregory goes. His class was canceled today after their teacher got sick at the last minute, so we decided to take a stroll and enjoy the fresh air."

"Great minds think alike, eh?"

She smiled.

"Indeed. I don't want to offend you, but you sound a little young to be a parent."

"Ah. Well... I'd prefer not to dwell on it if you do not mind."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Gregory, why don't you play with them? If that's fine with you, of course, mister...?"

"James, James Valdest. And yes, they can play together if they want to. It's a great opportunity."

James stood up from the ground, making sure to snatch up his phone as he did. He turned to address the ratlings, and bent the knee to lower himself and be closer to their eye level.

"Kids, you're free to say no, but I think it'd be nice for you. It'd be your chance to make your first friend here."

The rodents exchanged looks, and they huddled together to form a closed circle to discuss, David having to raise himself as much as he could while Goliath almost crouched to be at roughly the same height as their sisters. They whispered rapidly and often paused to look at the two parents and the human child before they nodded as one, and Lucille spoke.

"Alright, we can play together."

Gregory's face was lightened up by a wide enthusiastic smile like only children can do, and James almost felt sorry to delay whatever game they planned on doing by warning who he knew to be the most troublemaking one here.

"David, play nice."

"Yes, old man."

The five furry kids ran up to their human counterpart, and before either of the adults could react the six of them were running off, laughing and giggling as they jumped around, likely playing tag by the way they all tried to avoid Blanche. The woman and James sighed at the same time before looking at each other and chuckling at their shared reaction. The shadowy man invited her to sit on the bench to be more comfortable to continue their conversation, and she let out a gasp right as she made herself comfortable on the wooden planks.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm so sorry mister Valdest, my name is Marie Merry, and it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. To answer your question about my age, I am not their biological father."

"I had guessed as much. For them all to share the same mutation while you do not otherwise would be quite bizarre. Do they have anyone else?"

"No, it's just me. Their parents were... They're no longer among us."

"Oh, my condolences. Were they friends?"

"Funnily enough, no. I just came across them right after it happened, and... I just couldn't bring myself to leave them there alone."

"I take it you do not have official adoption papers, then."

"They don't even have ID."

"Ah, so they're ascended animals. I had a hunch. The way their bodies are shaped and how they don't wear clothes whereas you do piqued my interest, but I wasn't sure. You know, you could just make a request at the city hall."

"Ah, I didn't know that."

James sighed as he leaned back on the bench, letting his head be turned to the sky.

"It's hard being a single father of five, you know? Especially when you weren't planning on having children until years from now."

"I won't say I know, it wouldn't be true, but I can empathize with doubting your abilities as a parent and feeling out of the loop, completely lost about what you should or shouldn't do. My husband works at the city hall, I could always ask him to lend a hand to help you settle down and make sure everything is right for them."

"I'd really appreciate it. Is there any chance they could take the kids away from me?"

"I won't lie, mister Valdest. There is. If the inspector judges you do not have the right accommodations or the ability to raise them properly, then they will be placed at an orphanage specialized for those in their situation."

"What are the chances a nice family would take in the five at once?"

She sighed as she turned to avoid his gaze, his distant look on her face.

"Low, I'm afraid. People prefer to have children the normal way when possible, and when they adopt they prefer to stick to one child, ideally one of their kind. You can't expect a pair of human parents to raise a true elf in the best conditions when they have such vastly different lifespans."

She put her hand on James' leg.

"But from what I've seen, you've done a wonderful job so far. All you need is a little help, and I have no doubt you'll pass that inspection with flying colors."

"Thank you, Miss Merry."

She gave him a warm smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's no problem. For the sake of both you and these children, don't hesitate to ask me for anything. You said you moved in recently, right? If you haven't found work yet, I'm sure my husband could fit you in as a secretary of sorts. It's not the most glamorous occupation, but it is a living wage."

"Thank you, but I already have an employer, one I'm quite pleased with. He let me go out and have fun with the kids on a work day, after all."

"Ah, lucky you."

"But I really appreciate that you're willing to do so much to help someone you've just met. I'm more than thankful for your offer to aid me in dealing with the paperwork."

"I can't bear to leave people in bad situations when I know I can help, doubly so when children are involved. Talking of which, it appears ours are having a lot of fun."

They both paused in their conversation to appreciate the sight of Gregory running after the ratlings, apparently being it in their game of tag. The rodents let out squeaky noises as they giggled, and James knew from training with them that they could have easily outsped the boy if they wanted to, but instead were making sure to keep at a pace he could match to make the game fairer. This led to James briefly wondering how playgrounds in schools looked like here given the fact that many kids would have powers. Did they have security measures to keep in flyers? What about those that could spit fire, or mutants with hazardous bodies?

"I'm happy they're having fun with your son."

"If you want, we could try to prepare a sleepover. Gregory doesn't have a lot of friends, he's a timid boy like that, but he seems to be loving playing with your children."

"Oh, I'm sure they would love that. It might have to wait a little, we still have a few things to deal with in our new living space, and I'd like for them to be used to it first."

"It's perfectly understandable. Moving is always a stressful experience for a child. What about you? Are you doing well? As you've said, being a single father of five must be hard."

"I... I can handle it. The people from my work are ready to support me if things get tough, and I like to think I made a friend or two. Things were a little hectic lately, but everything should be settled down by now."

"I see. You know, before getting to a sleepover, coming by our house for an afternoon until a nice dinner together could also be good for you. While the kids play together we could have a nice chat and get to know each other better, or maybe we could all enjoy a board game together."

"Oh, I... I didn't expect that."

"A little forward? I told you, Mister Valdest, I like helping troubled people, and your mental health matters just as much as your children's. But if it's overwhelming, don't hesitate to say so."

"No, no, it's fine. I... I really appreciate it. Just a small warning, I no longer eat food."

"Oh, no worries. It just means one less plate to clean."

"Ah!"

"Say, how about we share numbers? That way it'll be easier to contact each other than hoping we run into each other again."

"Ah! Yes, it'd be easier."

The two adults continued chatting as the children continued playing, and as the parents chuckled at their little jokes, their children let out much more boisterous laughs as they ran and hopped and rolled and giggled.

Yes, it was a nice day.