James leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a ghost of a smile tugging at his face. Stark's schematics, Hydra's ambushes, the endless weight of secrecy — none of it mattered right now. The gift had landed exactly as intended.
[Emotional resonance elevated. Mission: successful.]
James murmured low enough only [Cortana] could hear. "Yeah. For once, I'll take that win."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rooftop had been transformed.
String lights stretched between the railings, swaying faintly in the evening breeze. Folding tables held trays of delicious food — Carlos's lonely life handy work, naturally — while Hannah fussed over balloons that caught the fading sunlight. Music floated up from a small speaker, cheerful but low, meant for a party without drawing half the neighborhood's attention.
Mindy stood near the center, a purple dress chosen by Hannah, a grin plastered across her face as she held the Nexus System baton folded neatly in her hands. Anny prowled nearby in her new harness, tail high, the small signal light on her back blinking like a pulse.
"Happy birthday, kid," James said, stepping up beside her.
Mindy's eyes shone. "This is the best one ever." She whispered it like a confession, as if afraid the night might vanish if she spoke too loud.
James only nodded. "Enjoy it. You deserve it."
A handful of Mindy's new classmates had come, shy at first but now darting between the food tables and decorations. One boy had already dared to ask what the baton was. Mindy grinned and told him it was for "sports training." She left out the part where it could snap ribs if used right.
James leaned against the railing, watching the party going as it should. The city stretched out around them, skyline lit in gold as the sun sets, traffic crawling below like veins of fire. He had chosen the rooftop for this reason. Enough open space for Mindy and her friends to play, enough height to keep them out of casual sight, and easy sightlines for him and Carlos to monitor.
[Cortana: Perimeter scan active. No heat signatures within fifty meters aside from party guests. Recommend passive monitoring only.]
"Keep it that way," James murmured.
Carlos joined him, two beers in hand. "She looks quite happy," he said, nodding toward Mindy as she showed her friends how the baton extended with a soft metallic snap. The stabilizers hummed faintly, guiding her swing into a clean arc. The kids gasped and clapped.
"She's more than happy," James said. "She's proud, she's safe and knows she has a family."
Carlos studied him for a moment. "You did good, James. A gift like that — it's more than just a piece of metal. You gave her something that tells her she belongs."
James didn't answer, but the weight in his chest eased.
Later, after the cake and candles, Mindy insisted on "testing" Anny's harness. She tapped the baton's grip twice, and the cat's harness chirped back. A small holographic arrow lit on the baton, pointing directly to Anny's location as she prowled under a table.
The kids squealed with delight. "It's like she's a superhero too!" one girl shouted.
Mindy puffed her chest out. "She's my sidekick."
Anny meowed loudly, as if agreeing.
Even James cracked a smile at that.
But the evening wasn't free of shadows.
As the kids played, James noticed something out of rhythm in the skyline. Across the street, on a balcony two stories down, a man lingered too long with binoculars in hand. He wasn't the kind of guy to be looking at birds, nor the right place to be doing so.
[Cortana: Possible surveillance. Pattern indicates lens reflection. Hostile Probability: 68%.]
James's smile never faltered as he leaned toward Carlos. "Third floor balcony, across the street."
Carlos's eyes flicked once before he nodded. "I'll take the stairwell. This will be quick."
James stayed put, watching Mindy laugh as Anny batted at a balloon string. Within five minutes, Carlos returned, brushing crumbs from his jacket.
"Not Hydra," he said in a hush. "Freelancer. Probably tipped off by someone that you'd be here tonight. He won't be watching anymore."
James didn't ask for details. He didn't need to. The poor guy must be dead or wish he was dead.
As the sun dipped fully below the skyline, Mindy stood on a chair and held up her baton like a trophy. "Best birthday ever!" she declared, her friends cheering with her.
James clapped with the others, though his eyes never stopped scanning the edges of the rooftop, the street below, the sky above. For Mindy, tonight was about joy. For him, it was about making sure nothing ever stole that from her.
[Cortana: Emotional state elevated. Subject displays increased confidence and social integration. Risk factor: she will want to use the Nexus System outside training environments.]
"I know," James muttered. "We'll deal with that when it comes."
Carlos caught some words, raising an eyebrow. "Problems?"
"Not tonight," James said. He let his gaze drift back to Mindy, who was crouched now, scratching Anny's chin while her classmates crowded around. The cat purred to the touch, the small green signal light pulsing in rhythm with the girl's adoration.
The party wound down as night settled. Parents came to pick up their kids, one by one. The rooftop grew quiet, save for the buzz of the city below. Mindy was the last one left, still holding the baton, still grinning like she'd been given the world.
She turned to James, eyes bright. "Thank you. For all of it. For the best birthday ever. For Anny's gift. For… being my brother."
James crouched so they were eye level. "You earned it. Remember — it's not the weapon that makes you strong. It's the discipline to use it right. If you forget that, the gift's wasted."
Mindy nodded solemnly, then hugged him tight.
For a moment, James let himself breathe. Hydra, Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Fraternity — they could all wait. Right now, this was the mission.
He looked at Anny, curled up in Mindy's arms, and thought of the irony. He'd armed a child and her cat. But in this world, sometimes that was the only way to keep them safe.
[Cortana: Mission report — Operation Kick-Ass Hero and Anny: Success.]
James almost laughed. "Yeah," he whispered. "Success."