Private Second, Third, Fourth Chances

[Cato Harth]

Then, Nar Shadaa​

Sleep came rather soundly to Cato Harth. For all the chaos that was Nar Shaddaa, his home was an impenetrable refuge. What's not to love? A comfortable bed, a beautiful woman in his arms, and no Gurt busting through his door in the early hours of the morning.

Until he was.

The Kitonak had probably gotten a bit too comfortable coming and going from the Harth apartment. Sure Cato liked hanging out with him, but this? It started with a series of knocks, which failed to stir him from the mattress. He groaned, and hugged Inanna a little closer. Then, the pudgy landlord practically came spilling out of the entrance, brining him into view of the opened doorway leading right to the bedroom. The intrusion certainly got Cato moving, "Ey!" He startled, scrambling to pull the covers up to his neck out of an atypical value for decency. More for Inanna's sake than his, really. "What the hell, man?! It's like..." He glanced at the nightstand chrono. It was pretty late in the morning, actually. Still uncalled for, "Gurt I ought to toss you right back up those stairs," He threatened, though his tone now lost its initial adrenaline.

The Kitonak gestured to the entrance, still in his own panic. And after a few seconds, Cato seemed to catch on.

"It's him again isn't it?" His brow furrowed, now even more annoyed than when he woke up. Of all the reasons to barge into their house and wake them up, a runaway Jed Lem was maybe the lowest credible excuse.

---

Now, the Vonnuvi​

Sleep came rather soundly to Cato Harth. For all the chaos that was the Vonnuvi, his home was an impenetrable refuge. What's not to love? A comfortable bed, his beautiful wife in his arms, and no Serena busting through his door in the early hours of the morning.

Until she was.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The little half-zeltron toddled in with surprising speed, scaled the ottoman at the foot of the bed, and clambered over the sheets to practically belly flop onto her father.

He grunted weakly, "Ey," and turned onto his back, "What the heck, Pink? It's like…" He glanced at the nightstand chrono, and huffed in acceptance, "It's him again isn't it?" Serena nodded. Of all the reasons to barge into their room and wake them up, a whining Ashur was maybe the most important excuse.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna was also rudely awakened by the insistent knocking. “Come back with a warrant!” she groaned, rolling over on her side. Cato cuddled up close to her, his front against her back. She smiled with eyes still shut as his arm wrapped around her, thinking the knocker must’ve given up.

Until the landlord barged in. Cato jumped upright, demanding an explanation. Inanna was slower to react, surprise overtaking her features before she turned to look at Gurt through wide eyes. As usual, the Kitonak was quiet, yet Cato seemed to guess what was going on without his landlord having to utter a word.

Inanna, on the other hand, was at a loss. “Huh?” she queried, the edge of the bed sheet tucked under her arm for decency’s sake. “Who?”

---

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Inanna sat up automatically at the sound of Serena’s voice, blinking bleary eyes in the darkness. Just in time to hear Ashur’s whining evolve into crying. She sighed. “Poor baby.”

He was teething, a painful process which had made him more fussy as of late. Inanna got out of bed and left the room, returning a few minutes later with Ashur in her arms. Dressed in a red onesie, he had gone quiet, soothed by a pacifier left in the freezer overnight, but was still very much awake.

She lay back down with the baby beside her and Cato in the bed. It was really too early to be up. She just wanted to go back to sleep. Alas, Serena was wound up now and unlikely to settle down anytime soon. A typical parenting conundrum. But as she stroked the silky hair on her son’s head, listening to the sound of his hiccupping breaths and rapid suckling, Inanna couldn’t find it in her to be upset or frustrated with it all. “You sure do love your brother, Serena,” she mumbled.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Then​

“Come back with a warrant!”

Cato gave a half-hearted, half-asleep chuckle, then nuzzled back against her in preparation for more blissful and uninterrupted sleep. But Gurt was not so keen to let them rest. Cato picked up on the reason quickly. Inanna less so. He waved the Kitonak back upstairs, who took the hint and departed with the trust that the Harths would get things sorted, "Jed," Cato repeated, slinking out of bed to stretch. His shoulder popped audibly, and he groaned in both satisfaction and continued annoyance, "The Duros guy." They'd tangled with him a few times before, and with Cato alone many times more.

Although that made it sound more exciting than it was. He was a petty thief. A professional mook if there ever was one. He'd get knocked upside the jaw, or tied up on a street lamp, and be back out on the streets within a few weeks at worst. Rinse and repeat. He'd tried to rob their pudgy landlord in the past, which is what led to this little interaction with Gurt charging into their apartment. It seemed he had done so again, or pestered on of the other tenants.

Cato grumbled at the thought of being up right now, but did his duty and began to don the Moonlighter suit. Once the lower half was on, he took a break to grab some quick breakfast, "You want something?"

---

Now​

Cato slowly shifted to leave the bed, but Inanna beat him to it. Technically it was her turn anyway. Ashur was none too happy with his growing teeth, but he was placated by the pacifier he now had.

His father relaxed a bit, not quite able to go back to sleep, but raking in a few extra moments of rest, "Daddy," Serena said after a minute.

"I'm just resting my eyes," Cato quickly said, a slight smirk crossing his face. Serena giggled and shifted around on the bed.

“You sure do love your brother, Serena,”

The girl nodded, a big grin on her face, "I could tell he was upset." It was probably that zeltron empathy of hers. Or maybe a bit of latent Force-sensitivity. Or both. Cato rustled her hair, then did the same (albeit more gently) with Ashur.

"Who wants breakfast?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Jed. The Duros guy."

Inanna thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Doesn't ring a bell." They fought a lot of people, some of them Duros.

Cato evidently considered Jed enough of a threat to throw on the Moonlighter suit, though he didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry about catching him. Inanna shifted into her costume, looking uncomfortable. The apartment’s air conditioning was decent for the most part, but when the weather on Nar Shaddaa veered toward extreme temperatures, it was practically useless. They’d gone through a heat wave in the summer—not a problem for the tropical-born Inanna, but miserable for Cato and nearly everyone else—and now they were in a cold snap. Normally she would just start bundling up, but alas, being a vigilante whose primary power was shapeshifting meant that she couldn’t wear clothes on the job.

"You want something?"

“Something hot, please. And I don’t mean you, although thanks for keeping me warm.” Whoever this Jed guy was, he was in for an ass whooping, making her get out of bed in this weather…

---

“You’re a good sister, baby,” Inanna said, leaning over to give Serena a kiss. For a few moments, it was quiet and still—which was as long as the little girl would allow it to be. Cato gave up on trying to get any more sleep, asking if anyone wanted breakfast.

“Something hot for me,” Inanna mumbled, yawning. “Would I be a bad parent if I let this child have ice cream for breakfast?”

Both Ashur and Serena perked up.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"The guy that stole Gurt's tropical shirt that one time," Luckily they had gotten it back. Gurt just wasn't the same without his trademark shirt. And really, who steals someone's shirt right off their back? Seemingly something else had happened this time, given the landlord was properly clothed in his forced entry, "Just a desperate crook and perpetual inconvenience."

Cato opened the freezer and shivered with the extra blast of cold. Nar Shaddaa may have been a city world like Coruscant, but it didn't quite have the precise climate control of Coruscant. Or if it did, the planet's "administration" was probably too busy killing one another over turf disputes to really operate anything of the sort. And so temperatures varied across the spectrum. On the bright side, people (and by extension, even criminals) were less likely to be out and about with it was freezing or sweltering. No such respite for Jed though, it seemed.

“Something hot, please. And I don’t mean you, although thanks for keeping me warm.”

Cato smirked over at Inanna. He was about to make the very same comment, but was beat to it by her, "That's tough, on our timetable. But I'll see what we got," He was meandering a bit, but he wasn't going to just lounge about. They did have a criminal to catch. Cato snatched a pari of space waffles and threw them in a toaster, then used that time to get the rest of his costume on. As he did, he approached Inanna once more, and leaned close, "Once this is over, I say we just curl back up in bed and… get cozy."

---

Serena wiggled a bit at her mother's approval, and quickly perked up at the sound of 'ice cream'. Even Ashur seemed to catch on. Had they enabled these kids so much that he already recognized that word? Cato chuckled and shook his head, "You gonna make me play bad cop?" He stood up, and stretched, "We're out of ice cream, I'm afraid. But… how about I make us all some eggs?" He asked. Were they actually out of ice cream? He didn't know for certain, but he was at least 50% sure. And it was a much easier way to deny the Harths some morning desserts.

"Scrambled!" Serena demanded.

"Scrambled it is," Cato raised his hands, "Is my little helper gonna join me in the kitchen?" Serena slid off the bed, and toddled after her father.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“He stole his shirt? Why? How would you even…” One look from Cato said it all. There was no figuring out the enigma of Jed.

Inanna wandered into the kitchen, where the scent of toasted batter was beginning to permeate the chilly air. She peeked into the toaster and made an excited little noise, as if space waffles were worth cheering for.

"Once this is over, I say we just curl back up in bed and… get cozy."

“That sounds perfect.” Hugging up to him for warmth, she seized the waffles as soon as they popped out of the toaster with the Force, floating one to Cato and drizzling syrup on the other before eating it. “Okay, you’re the Gurt Whisperer. Did he say where this Jed guy is? Is he still in the building?”

---

Inanna groaned, then smirked. “Just a little bit of ice cream, arranda. To help Ashur feel better.” But ice cream for breakfast wasn’t good for little kids.

“Over easy,” she answered, then turned to Ashur, who had wriggled his way across the bed to get closer to her. “You want some eggs? Tch, you’re practically still an egg yourself.” But he was getting old enough to eat solid foods, especially now that he had cut his first teeth.

She stayed in bed for a little while after Cato and Serena left, singing to Ashur. He was much calmer now. Eventually, as the scent of eggs cooking wafted in from the kitchen, she scooped him up and carried him out of the bedroom…

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato just shrugged. Suffice to say Gurt started buttoning up his floral shirts more often ever since.

Cato finished putting on the top of his suit, and took the offered waffle from Inanna, "Probably not," He checked his datapad, which had a message from Gurt with further details, "Which is why we can't drag our feet too much. Looks like he's making a getaway on foot. Bit of a head start, but we've got a speeder." He held the waffle in his mouth and pulled down his mask, leaving the lower half of his face exposed so he could keep eating.

"Ready?" He asked, planting a foot on the first stair, his question barely decipherable with the waffle between his teeth.

---

"We've got one of those rubber chew toys in the cooler right?" Cato asked.

He and Serena made their way out into the kitchen and turned on the stove. He set Serena on the counter, on the opposite end of the active burner, and set the supplies by her. "Butter," Cato outstretched a hand like a surgeon asking for an instrument, and Serena fetched the stick for him to cut and drop in the pan. It began to sizzle and melt over the surface. "Egg," He asked, laying out his hand once more. Serena gave him an egg, and he cracked it between his fingers, letting the contents spill onto the butter. Serena giggled.

"I'll make the kid's eggs first, then work on ours," Cato said when he sensed Inanna and Ashur arriving in the kitchen, "They're both getting scrambled. And I'll do over easy."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Can I drive?” Inanna asked as they took the stairs. She slid into the driver’s seat, though if he insisted on taking the wheel she would move over to the passenger side.

As they took off, Inanna realized with a start that it was snowing. So much for climate control. “And Jed’s on foot?” She shook her head, almost pitying him. “He can’t have gotten far in this weather.”

Luckily the snowfall was light and they could still see through the flakes blowing past them. Nar Shaddaa’s urban decay was already blanketed in white. It almost made the planet look pretty.

---

“Yes, but I’m afraid him eating hot food will undo the cold.” That probably wasn’t the best way to phrase it, but he understood what she meant, right? Oh whatever.

Either way, Cato was making eggs for everyone. If Ashur couldn’t eat them, he could have some refrigerated milk. Whatever it took. Inanna settled in with the baby, watching Cato and Serena’s backs as they cooked together. Even at this angle, they looked a lot alike. Sounded alike. Behaved in a similar manner…

She glanced down at Ashur. You and me are the odd ones out, she thought, rubbing the pad of her thumb over his earlobe. His pacifier suddenly popped out of his slackened mouth. She caught it with the Force before it could hit the floor and tried to put it back in his mouth, but he pulled it out again and dropped it on the floor deliberately. Then he looked up and gave her a toothless, drool-covered half-smile that was probably going to break a few hearts one day.

“Okay,” she acknowledged Cato, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice. “I think he’s feeling better.” This announcement was greeted by applause and a "Yay Ashur!" from Serena.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato looked at Inanna, then the bike, then back at her, "…Sure," He shrugged, hopping onto the back and wrapping his arms around her waist.

They shot out of the garage, and into a snowy Nar Shaddaa scene. Rare, but clearly not unheard of. It had an ethereal beauty to it, as long as you didn't look too close at the snow, and see how the pollution had left it all with a dirty, off-white coloration. Still arguably the prettiest looking makeover the ecumenopolis ever received, "Ayup," Cato said, thinking the same thing as her. This guy would be easier to catch than he thought.

Eventually their route brought them up behind a certain blue figure in front of a power station; Jed was dressed in rugged leathers and carrying a large sack above the snow with awkward stumbling footfalls. It looked as if he'd just taken a pillow case and snagged a bunch of nearby goodies before making a break. Cato smirked at the sight. He shifted on the side of the bike, and leapt off as the got near.

"The holidays came early this year!" Moonlighter quipped as the landed in front of Jed, "I hope you brought presents for the whole city in there."

"Aw, not you again," The Duros grumbled.

"Always me, Lem." He proffered a hand, "Make this easy, eh? This onesie isn't made for cold weather function."

​

---

Cato stuck up a thumb in response, while Serena took a moment to cheer. They finished making eggs for the gang, sliding four plates onto the table, half of them scrambled, the other over easy, "Breakfast is served. Sous chef Serena took the lead on this one," Not really, but she grinned gleefully when she received the credit, "So don't blame me if it's bad," Cato finished with a smirk. Serena glared at him, trying to hide a smile of her own. He tousled her hair and ended with "Kidding," Just in case. Toddlers weren't exactly experts when it came to sarcasm.

As if to prove him wrong just in case, Serena took a big bite of her eggs, and declared, "It good!" Cato raised a skeptical eyebrow, then bit into his own. After a few chews, he swallowed and nodded.

"It good."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Sure enough, they found Jed dragging a pillowcase full of stolen goods. Inanna swept the bike in front of him, kicking up a bunch of snow into the Duros’ face.

While he and Cato exchanged banter, Inanna coughed into her elbow. Feth, she better not be coming down with a cold… “Does he ever surrender?” she asked Cato, gesturing to Jed. “Or should we really just grab him and bag him on sight?”

---

Inanna had to stop Ashur from snatching a fistful of eggs. “Uh-uh, it’s too hot,” she said, pushing the plate out of his reach. “You touch it and it’ll hurt.”

Ashur whined at this great injustice. She picked up a small piece of egg, blew on it, then offered it to him. This quieted him down, and after a few more unsuccessful grabs, he seemed to accept that he would have to rely on her to feed him. Inanna was so distracted that she forgot about her own plate of eggs entirely, only glancing at it when Serena and Cato gave their verdict. “Oh.” She took a bite. “Yes. Good.”

An indignant yowl from Ashur, and she was back to feeding him.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Jed yelped, then exasperatedly wiped the kicked up snow from his face. He deflated further seeing Inanna arrive, "Mimic, too? Again?"

Moonlighter's lenses shifted quizzically, "Uh, yeah? That's how partnerships work. And 'Mimic'? It's 'Mimic' now?"

The Duros shrugged, "I dunno, man. Last I heard it was."

"Last I heard they were on 'Copycat'." You'd think the news would just find a codename and stick to it.

Inanna suggested they just grab him quick. But Jed wasn't eager to get put away just yet, "Nuh uh. I ain't just some two-bit punching bag for you costume clowns. Not anymore." He dropped the bag he was carrying, which caused a collection of stolen, mundane contents to spill out. But he drew something from within before doing so: a large, heavy gun, glowing with green charging lights, "You were right, Moonlighter. Holidays did come early! This was my present…"

Moonlighter reached out to try and stop him, but Jed had already pressed the trigger. The weapon spooled up a reserve of great energy and then… sputtered. "Huh?" Jed stupidly glanced down he barrel for a moment, "Stupid-!" Then it shook once more, and he waved it around with a lack of control. At last, a large ball of plasmic energy shot forth, towards the power station nearby. It hit one of the charging ports, and caused a chain reaction of explosions. Cato had just enough time to dive over Inanna, knocking them both prone.

---

While Inanna and Ashur were busy working out a bit of a system for food extraction, Cato and Serena were blissfully chewing down. Cato raised his plate to his mouth and just scooped the last bits of egg in. Serena tried to do the same, but dropped about half of it, "Shit." She said.

Cato chuckled once, then suddenly interrupted himself with a double take. He nearly choked on his last bit of food, "Ey-!" He said, knocking his chest as if to set the esophageal roadblock on its way down, "Nu uh. That's an adult word. You know that." Still he struggled to hide his smirk.

Serena crossed her arms indignantly, "No fair. I hear you and mommy say bad words all the time!"

"And mommy and I are adults. Mkay?" He raised his brow, "…We don't say them all the time." Cato glanced at Inanna as if to double check: Do we?

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna groaned at yet another name being added to her already lengthy list of press-dubbed monikers. “I liked Dupli-Kate better.” It was stupid, but memorable.

Jed was also stupid. Inanna briefly forgot this fact when he pulled a gun on them, but after the weapon failed to fire and he proceeded to look down the barrel to determine why, she could only glare at him. And I thought I was an airhead…

Unfortunately, stupid people also tend to cause the most destruction. She ducked instinctively when he started waving the gun around, albeit not taking the threat he posed all that seriously. Big mistake. Explosions shook earth and heat melted the snow. It would’ve been nice, if it weren’t also fiery. Knocked to the ground by Cato, Inanna grimaced at the rough impact, but she was unhurt. “Ca—Moonlighter! Are you okay?”

---

Inanna returned Cato’s glance with a smirk. “I only curse in Shi’idese around that child.” Turning to Serena, she asked, “Can you say…” and let loose a series of strange bestial sounds impossible for a human voice to imitate.

That didn’t stop Serena from trying. While the toddler blew air through her lips to try and mimic the noise, Inanna handed Ashur off to Cato. “Would you mind feeding him the rest of this, before my eggs get cold?” She slid the boy’s plate over with him, then dug into her food.

Ashur immediately grabbed a handful of Cato’s shirt and put it in his mouth. Meanwhile Serena’s pink face was beginning to turn red from all her huffing and puffing.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato groaned a bit as he pushed himself back up, but was none the worse for wear, "Was gonna ask you the same thing," He said, giving her the once-over quickly, before his intention was inevitably turned to the burning power station, "Aw man…" He turned to Jed with a glare, and firing his grapple cable at the Duros for a quick subdual, "Stay there." Moonlighter said coldly.

"W-wait! Let me h-!" Jed tried to plead even as he was knocked over, but Moonlighter was already off to deal with the chaos. The thief just lowered his head to the ground with a defeated nod.

Cato jumped into the station building, which was engulfed in flames now, "Anyone here?!" A muffled cry from behind a door answered. He followed it and grabbed the handle, only to recoil from the heat, "Stand back!" He then ignited his tonfa saber, and sliced through the metal, before yanking the two halves off with the Force. Inside was a pair of workers, along with a parent and child. "Anyone else?!" They collectively shook their heads.

---

“I only curse in Shi’idese around that child.”

Cato twisted his lips, and hrmmm'd to himself. Perhaps he was a bit too loose with his lips. Inanna managed to redirect their attention with some strange alien noise, which Serena futilely tried to replicate. Meanwhile Ashur was traded for his mother's chance to eat, "Sure."

Cato took the boy and raised a spoon, waving it and its contents around like a spaceship, "Open up, dude." Ashur detached from his father's shirt, at least momentarily, opening his mouth wide to receive the next round of eggs. He chomped down, and made some joyful humming and sputtering noises in response. Serena was still goofing around, to which Cato just nudged her with his hip, "Finish your food, Pink."

"Hell no!"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Cato was okay. Inanna clambered to her feet after he slid off her, surveying the damage to the power station. The fire was putting out foul-smelling fumes that made her cough worsen.

Jed was taken care of for now. Cato took off running toward the flames. Inanna had a bad feeling about this, but if they didn’t save anyone trapped inside the building, who else would?

“Get as far away from this place as you can! Move it!” Inanna ordered the survivors. If there was another explosion, the civvies wouldn't be there, at least. “One of us is still going to have to check for survivors,” she said, swiping a hand under Moonlighter’s chin. “Might as well be me.”

She dove into the fiery darkness.

---

Inanna thoroughly enjoyed both her food and the entertainment of watching her husband and kids goof off. “Serena, you’re going to wind up hyperventilating if you don’t slow down,” she warned.

"Hell no!"

“Do you even know what hell is?” Inanna asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Her good humor began to slip away, however, when she heard a whine from Ashur. “His teeth must be hurting him again.”

He refused another bite of egg, pushing it aside with his hand, and started to cry. But something was up this time—Ashur’s face was scrunched up, his mouth open but with no sound coming out. Then his skin began to rapidly darken in color, especially his lips. “Is he not breathing?” Inanna asked, nearly knocking over her chair in her rush to reach them.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

The civilians thankfully needed little coaxing to get their tails moving. Cato was stopped for a moment by Inanna, who offered to scrounge about for any more missing survivors. He blinked and suddenly lurched forward, "Wait!" But she was off. He was tempted to follow, but the others needed him. Cato waved an arm, beckoning the people to follow him through the fires and back to the entrance. They were ushered out, and just then a burst of fire shot out from one of the windows, causing Moonlighter to panic. He pushed back in.

"Ina— Dupli— Mimic?!" He yelled as he searched, frustratedly jumbling the many names she'd accrued with his concern.

---

“Do you even know what hell is?”

"That's a deep question for a toddler," Cato chuckled.

"No!" Serena replied defiantly, as if not understanding were a gotcha of some degree.

"Then don't say it."

The half-zeltron huffed once more, then began to poke at her plate.

Ashur eventually became dissatisfied with his food once more. Inanna inferred his teeth were aching again, but he suddenly took a turn for the worse as his blue skin turned bluer. Cato immediately stiffened, and turned the boy around, "Shit, shit—" He was freaking out, but he was a little more prepared having already raised up one little hellion. If it had been Serena, he would have been totally reliant on Inanna's help.

"Mommy what's he doing?!" Serena asked. Between the group panic, and her empathic resonance, she quickly burst out crying. Cato just had to focus, and laid Ashur across his arm, where he began to hit his back several times to eject the blockage.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

A hand grabbed Cato’s shoulder from behind, turning him around to face Inanna. She was accompanied by half a dozen soot-smeared children, their clothing dirty and singed. They had been loitering around the station, probably scrounging for food. Inanna was carrying an unconscious girl in her arms; the rest covered their noses and mouths with rags.

Cato would have only a moment to take in the jarring scene before she began hurrying them toward the exit, eager to get out of the smoke. Another explosion rocked the building, heat building up behind them as they plunged into the freezing cold of the snow outside.

---

“Hang on honey, it’s going to be okay,” Inanna scooped up the crying Serena and tried to soothe her, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Ashur. A few firm pats from Cato and a piece of egg that was apparently just a little bit too big for the baby to swallow landed with a plop on the linoleum. Ashur inhaled deeply, then screamed at the top of his lungs.

Inanna breathed a sigh of relief at the sound. “Shhh, it’s okay, see? Ashur had some food stuck in his throat, but Daddy got it out.” She gave Serena a kiss and stroked her hair. “Your daddy is a superhero, did you know that? He’s saved lots of people.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Moonlighter spun around harshly, but was met by the welcome sight of Inanna— And a few urchins to boot. Not what he expected, but they were lucky to have found the kids. He glowered at the thought of what might have happened, but only had the moment before heat and smoke stole his attention again. Senses warned him that the building wasn't much longer for this world, and he trailed behind the group, practically shoving them all out the door by the time they reached it. There was another explosion, and he turned around to try and telekinetically repel the gout of flame, doing so just enough to get them all out without any extra burns. He, of course, was hit by the force of the blast, breaking his barrier and throwing him backwards into the snow.

---

It took a few good hits, each one making Cato wince. Even when striking his son specifically to save him, it made him extremely uncomfortable. But the food dislodged, and Ashur was okay. Except for the panic of choking, and the pain on his back, which to no surprise had the baby boy positively screaming. Cato released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and immediately brought Ashur up to embrace him, and comfort him as best he could, "Sorry buddy," He hushed and mewed in a soft voice, with a mix of, "I'm sorry"s and "It's okay"s.

Serena had calmed down a bit quicker, thought she was still overwhelmed by the suddenness of the whole event. Inanna mentioned that her dad used to be a superhero, which the little half-zeltron regarded curiously, "Like Bright Knight?" She asked.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Thanks to Cato’s quick thinking, they cleared the blast. Inanna ran across the street with the kids, turning around expecting him to be following. Instead she saw him knocked flat on his back in the snow.

She left the girl in her arms with the rest of the urchins, then rushed to his side. You’ve been able to walk it off the last two dozen times—is this the one time you can’t? she thought worriedly as she assessed his injuries.

---

Ashur’s wailing gradually quieted down as he was soothed by Cato’s embrace. Inanna moved closer to aid in comforting him. “See, he’s okay now. Why don’t you give him a kiss?”

She leaned forward so Serena could kiss Ashur’s head. “You’re okay now, Ashur,” the toddler told him. He whined softly, but by now seemed to be growing bored rather than frightened or in pain.

“Even cooler than Bright Knight,” Inanna said. “Your daddy is Moonlighter.”

The name stirred some recognition in Serena. “Like Daddy’s comic book?”

“Yeah! How did you know that?”

The little girl seemed a bit reluctant to answer, like she didn't want to incriminate herself. “I saw it in the nightstand in you and Daddy’s room when I went looking to see if you had candy hidden from me.”

Inanna couldn’t help but laugh at that, and the lingering tension in the room dissipated. “You read the cover all by yourself? Look at you, you’re so smart! I had that comic made for your daddy as a wedding present.” Marrying her and settling down meant leaving the vigilante life behind. She wanted him to have something to commemorate all his hard work—although sometimes she worried it might have the opposite effect, serving as a reminder of unfinished business.

“Maybe we should go somewhere today,” Inanna suggested. “Would be nice to get out of the house.” Get some fresh air after all the craziness.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Moonlighter laid still until Inanna arrived, not dead but the wind certainly knocked out of him. A few burns from the fire and a few cuts from broken glass had given him superficial damage, but nothing that wouldn't heal over time. He stirred at the sight of his partner, one waking eye visible through a cracked lens, "Oh, hey." He smirked, a corner of his mouth also visible through the damage, "Fancy seeing you here." His jovial attitude immediately turned to worry, and he sat up too fast for his own good. Cato grunted, and clasped at his ribs, "Where-?" He looked to see the urchins taking off, seemingly spared the worst of the fire.

Cato sighed, then just as quickly his relief turned to anger, "Where…" He said again, now setting his sights on someone else. Jed. Who was sat frozen in shock at the carnage he had unleashed. Cato was surprised he hadn't run. There was part of the Duros that felt some guilt over what had happened. He caught Moonlighter's gaze as the man approached him.

"You."

"Listen. Moonlighter, I-" He winced and tried to scramble, only to be lifted up by Moonlighter, "I'm sorry, man. I-I never meant to hurt anyone-"

"Never meant to? Tell that to those people." Cato gestured to the children, and to the other injured occupants, then punched the unarmed Duros in the face, "You're damn lucky you managed to hit the least busy building on the block. Or I'd be giving you lot worse than this."

"Please-" Jed grunted as Moonlighter socked him in the stomach next, then threw him against a wall, "I just needed the money. I'm not a… a killer."

"Leave it to you to even fuck up manslaughter," Cato crouched down beside him, "You're pathetic, Lem. You always have been. But if you have any scrap of decency left in that tiny brain of yours, why don't you answer me a question…"

"O-okay…"

"I know you sure as hell aren't smart enough to have built that. So who did?" He leaned in close, his remaining lens squinting angrily.

"Um… S-some new guy. Crazy tech genius. Been offering up his services to the underground. Calls himself 'The Fabricator'. That's all I know. He told me this'd come in handy against guys like you."

"…T-that's all I know! Alright? I'm sorry."

Moonlighter stood up, and stared at him for a few seconds, leaving the Duros on edge, "This little game of ours is over Jed. Don't let me ever see you out on the streets again."

---

Ashur calmed down gradually, thanks to the presence of his family. Cato had been so distracted, he didn't notice the side conversation between the ladies until he heard that long unspoken name: Moonlighter. "Who?" He asked almost concernedly, still quick to instinctually deny any relation to the mysterious vigilante. But he immediately returned to the present, and smirked, "He was pretty cool I guess."

Surprisingly, Serena was familiar with the name, having snuck a peak at it when she went fishing around in their room. An idea which had Cato nervous the moment she admitted to it, though he kept his mouth shut. Instead they could just celebrate her being able to piece together the word "Moonlighter".

“Maybe we should go somewhere today,”

Cato perked up, finding the spontaneity quite agreeable, "The herdship is at our disposal," He gestured towards the door, "Maybe do some shopping. Maybe… get some ice cream?" Serena immediately perked up as well.

"Yes!"

"Alright. Let's get ready."

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

To Inanna’s relief, Cato’s injuries seemed superficial. She carefully removed a piece of his shattered lenses to prevent it from cutting him and sighed. “You’re always breaking these things, I’m starting to wonder why you bother wearing them...”

She helped him sit up, supporting him as he clutched his ribs. But he leaped out of her hands and started toward Jed, his agitated body language revealing his anger.

“Moonlighter, wait,” Inanna called as she followed him. When he started throwing punches, she bolted to close the remaining distance and tried to stop him. “Cato! He’s just an idiot. It’s not worth it.”

But she wasn’t exactly innocent of this kind of behavior, and Jed was more than willing to hand over vital information after being roughed up, so her plea kind of fell flat. Sirens closed in rapidly as blue and red speeders arrived to fight the flames and take prisoners.

“We need to get out of here,” Inanna said. She coughed, not sure whether the smoke from the explosion or the cold weather was responsible for it now. At this point, if she didn’t get in a hot bath soon she felt like she’d go into hibernation all winter. “Let’s go.”

---

It hit Inanna just what Serena rummaging around in their bedroom could mean at around the same time she saw Cato’s nervous look. “Miss Serena, you shouldn’t be coming into our room without asking permission first, let alone looking for candy,” she said, eyeing the toddler.

“But you weren’t here,” Serena complained. “Just Grandma. And I really really really, really, really wanted candy.” She put her hands together, doing her best to convey the irresistible passion of her desire for sweets.

Inanna did her best to maintain a serious demeanor despite such tomfoolery. “It doesn’t matter how badly you want something, you still have to ask. If we’re not here to be asked, you have to wait until we come home. Also, there is no hidden candy stash.” She squinted at Cato with mild suspicion. “And if there was, it has to stay secret, or else it wouldn’t be hidden anymore. So no looking for it. Is that clear?”

“Okay Mommy,” Serena replied glumly.

A short time later, they were all sitting at a table eating ice cream. Or rather, watching Ashur attempt to grab his ice cream and put it in his mouth before finally realizing the only option was to eat it straight from the cone. He took to the task with relish, sticking his whole face in it and coming away covered in vanilla.

Cato Harth​