The restaurant was loud in the way only a post-work dinner spot could be. Plates clattered, people talked over one another, and the air smelled like fried food and spices layered on top of each other. Justin leaned back in the booth, one arm slung over the seat, scanning the menu with half interest.
Braxton, meanwhile, treated the menu like a challenge.
"Oh. Oh, that sounds good," he muttered, finger dragging down the page. "And that. And that's got cheese. Can I get that with the other thing?"
The server blinked. "So… you want the platter?"
Braxton looked up, eyes lighting. "There's a platter?"
Liza snorted into her water.
When the food arrived, Braxton vanished. He hunched forward, elbows out, already halfway through his first plate before Justin had barely even unwrapped his utensils. There was a rhythm to it, a fork moving on instinct, eyes unfocused like he'd slipped into another dimension entirely.
Justin waited a moment, then glanced across the table at Liza. "So," he said casually, lowering his voice. "Do you have any more hope than you did before? You know. For when Decay comes knocking."
Liza leaned back, wings folded tight against her shoulders. She stared at the condensation on her glass for a few seconds, then sighed.
"I wouldn't say I'm booking a victory parade," she said. "But yeah. A little more. Like… five percent."
Justin smiled. "I'll take it."
She rolled her eyes, but there was no heat in it. "In two years at Sage, I've never seen Fantastica lose. Not once. Sparring, simulations, and live drills. He always had another trick." Her fingers tightened around the glass. "He was one of the people who trained me when I first joined. Kept me from getting myself killed while I figured out how not to be stupid."
"That tracks," Justin said.
"The point is," she continued, "beating him, even three on one, feels good. I never would've thought I'd get to say that. Not before you two showed up." She looked at Justin directly. "So… yeah. I appreciate it."
Justin opened his mouth to respond, already lining up something smooth, when Braxton suddenly froze. His fork stopped midair.
"Uh," Braxton said slowly.
Justin glanced over. "What, did the food finally fight back?"
Braxton didn't answer. He just pointed, sauce still dripping from the fork.
Justin followed the gesture toward the bar, where a flat-screen TV was mounted above the bottles. The news feed had cut in. A mugshot filled the screen. Dominik Sentaro. The Cleaner.
The caption beneath read DEAD IN CUSTODY.
The reporter's voice cut through the restaurant noise. "Authorities confirmed earlier today that Sentaro was found deceased in his cell late last night. Surveillance footage was disabled during the incident, and investigators report no physical evidence indicating how the breach occurred."
Justin felt the easy warmth from dinner drain out of him.
Liza's jaw set. "That's exactly what happened with Solomon."
The report continued, talking about internal reviews and unanswered questions. No suspects. No leads.
"They killed him," Liza said flatly. "Just like they do with all loose ends."
Braxton frowned. "But… that was a supermax, right? With all the ISC locks and stuff?"
"Yeah," Liza said. "Which means they had help. I always assumed there were moles. This just confirms it."
Justin leaned forward, forearms on the table. "Then we find them."
She shook her head. "We won't. The ISC's a nightmare. Internal oversight is locked down hard, and the agencies don't get a vote on their personnel." Her eyes flicked back to the TV. "All we can do is wait."
Braxton swallowed, appetite clearly gone. "Wait for what?"
"For them to come back for him," Liza said, nodding toward Justin. "If they cleaned house already, that means the clock just sped up."
Justin exhaled, slow and steady. Then he grinned, sharp and unafraid.
"Guess I should order dessert," he said. "Might as well enjoy the calm."
Liza stared at Justin for a long second, eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Did you absorb even a single thing I just said," she asked, "or did it all bounce off that heroic skull of yours?"
Justin shrugged, easy. "I heard you."
"That doesn't sound convincing."
"It doesn't have to be," he said. "What good does worrying do any of us right now?"
She opened her mouth to argue, but he kept going, leaning forward, voice lower but steady.
"Look at today. All of us are stronger than we were even a mere week ago. You know it, I know it, and Fantastica definitely knows it. We didn't scrape by. We held our ground."
Liza hesitated.
"And we're not alone," Justin added. "This isn't just me, you, and the world's hungriest tiger-man." He nodded toward Braxton. "We've got Evermend. Fantastica. Two dozen other heroes who would throw down without blinking if Decay made a move."
Liza exhaled through her nose. "When you say it like that, it almost sounds reasonable."
"Because it is," Justin said.
Braxton, who had been listening with half an ear, perked up. "Cool. I'm sold."
The serious moment died instantly as he plunged right back into his food, fork moving like he'd never stopped. Justin snorted. Liza didn't smile, but the tension in her shoulders loosened a notch. Still, worry lingered in her eyes.
Justin nudged her arm lightly. "Hey. We're gonna be fine."
She glanced at him. "How can you possibly be so sure?"
Justin didn't answer right away. He leaned back, gaze drifting upward, thoughtful rather than cocky for once.
"I've got faith," he said. "Not in destiny or luck or whatever cosmic nonsense people like to lean on." He looked back at her. "In myself. And in the people I've met since this whole thing started."
She waited.
"People like you," he continued. "Like Braxton. Like Evermend, Fantastica, and every other competent hero who's decided I'm worth keeping alive." A small grin tugged at his mouth. "That's enough for me."
Liza shook her head. "You know you sound dumb, right? And incredibly idealistic."
"Yeah," Justin said. "I get that a lot."
She sighed, then smirked despite herself. "You're the specific flavor of dumb I don't mind being around."
He raised an eyebrow.
"So," she added, softer, "I'll try it your way. I'll have faith. In everyone... and in you."
Justin grinned as they all enjoyed their celebratory meals in peace and chattered away as the night went on.