Years later, Ashton woke in a cluttered room, dawn filtering through a cracked blind, casting slatted shadows across a desk piled with photo albums, their pages curling with memories of market days, battles won, and faces lost. A toy wolf saber teetered on a shelf, a gift from Kael, its plastic blade scratched from mock duels, poised to trip him as he stumbled out of bed, the floor creaking under his weight. The air smelled of dust, old coffee, and the faint metallic tang of paint, a ghost of the rifts they'd fought. Lucina leaned in the doorway, her faded *Teen Titans* tee loose over her armor-scarred frame, wolf ears perked, a smirk playing on her lips. "Breakfast, dipshit," she said, her grin a spark in the morning haze, her voice carrying the weight of years fighting side by side, her presence a anchor in the chaos.
The kitchen was a riot of burnt toast, strong coffee, and bacon grease, the scents mingling in a haze that stung Ashton's eyes. Zreri sat at the table, her gray fur catching the light through a smudged window, her eyes half-lidded as she sipped from a chipped mug, deadpanning, "Burnt, as usual." Kael and Lila's feet thundered downstairs, their laughter a chaotic heartbeat—kids born of the corps, their energy a reminder of why they fought. Kael, ten, clutched a foam baton, his MARPAT cap crooked, his eyes bright with mischief. Lila, eight, waved a toy rifle, her braids bouncing, her grin fierce as Lucina's. Ashton brushed his teeth, catching a teal glint in the bathroom mirror, a nod to the dream that forged this family, the sink's drip echoing the paint rain's rhythm, a faint pulse of battles past. He smiled, the weight of high school's anonymity lighter, replaced by a pack that didn't flinch, their bond forged in paint and blood.
Kael burst in, waving his baton: "Training today, Dad? Gonna kick ass?" Lila followed, her cap slipping: "I'll smoke you both, old man!" Lucina laughed, tossing a dish towel at them, her wolf ears twitching. "Eat first, little shits." Zreri sipped her coffee, eyes soft as she watched the kids bicker over syrup, Kael smearing it on Lila's nose. Ashton joined them, the table a mess of plates, crumbs, and love, the chaos a balm to his scars. He caught Lucina's eye, her smirk a promise, Zreri's nod a vow. The corps was home, their bond unyielding, ready for whatever shit the storm threw next, their laughter echoing like a battle cry in the morning light.