The reception hall glittered with light and warmth. Chandeliers cast soft golden hues over round tables, each decorated with white roses and small golden ribbons. The air buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the occasional awkward attempt at small talk between heroes and civilians.
At the head table, Chris and Paige sat hand in hand, radiant and relaxed after the ceremony. Beside Chris sat Cecil, stoic as ever, though there was a rare trace of a smile tugging at his weathered features. Across from them, Missy Cooper and Erica Swanson kept Paige company, with Missy already plotting her toast.
At a corner table, the Big Bang gang were still reeling.
Howard raised his glass. "Still can't believe we're sitting at the same wedding as the Guardians of the Globe. This is insane."
Raj nodded, misty-eyed. "It's like… every comic book dream come true."
Penny rolled her eyes. "You guys are still on this? The ceremony's over. Eat some cake."
Sheldon sniffed, unimpressed.
"Please. The only one I barely respect is Red Rush. And that's because he's a transparent derivative of DC's Flash — who, by all measurable accounts, is faster, more iconic, and vastly superior in narrative significance."
Leonard groaned. "Sheldon, you're surrounded by actual superheroes and all you can do is complain they're not original enough?"
Sheldon adjusted his tie smugly. "I'm not complaining. I'm simply making an empirical observation. This wedding is historically significant — albeit for Chris and Paige, not for the cosplay Justice League knockoffs you're all fawning over."
Howard snorted into his drink. "God, you're lucky you're not saying that loud enough for Immortal to hear."
The room burst into polite applause as the Maid of Honor, Missy Cooper, stood for her toast.
She flashed a grin. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Missy, Paige's friend and the twin sister of Sheldon — yes, that Sheldon."
The crowd chuckled. Sheldon scowled.
Missy continued, "Now, Paige is brilliant. Beautiful. The kind of woman who could've had anyone. But she picked Chris, which makes sense, because he's literally the only guy on the planet who can keep up with her. And more importantly—he's patient enough to survive my brother. For that alone, I say, welcome to the family."
The room erupted in laughter, Sheldon muttering about "unnecessary character assassination" as Missy raised her glass. Paige and Chris shared a smile, squeezing each other's hands.
Then came the Best Man. Cecil Steadman rose slowly, cigar tucked behind his ear, and walked to the podium. The room fell silent, a mix of curiosity and respect for the man who ran the Global Defense Agency.
He set his glass down, eyes scanning the room before settling on Chris.
"Most of you know me as the guy who doesn't trust anyone. And that's true. I don't. Not the Guardians. Not the Supes Vought parades around. Hell, half the time I don't even trust myself."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"But Chris Reeves? He's different. I knew him before all this. Back in the war, before the accident, before the powers. He was just a kid with big dreams about making the world better. When he disappeared, I thought we'd lost him forever. When he came back… he hadn't changed. Stronger, sure. Smarter, definitely. But still the same man."
The room stayed hushed, listening.
Cecil's voice softened.
"Once, he offered me something no mortal should ever have — eternity. I turned it down. Because someone's gotta stay human. Someone's gotta grow old, keep their feet on the ground while gods fly overhead. That's my place. His place… is here. Protecting this Earth. Making miracles look easy. And tonight, marrying Paige."
A wave of applause washed through the hall. Glasses clinked. Paige dabbed at her eyes, Chris nodding his gratitude toward Cecil.
But Cecil wasn't finished. He leaned on the podium, eyes narrowing as though peering back through time.
"I remember… it was back in World War II. Before the world knew about aliens, before the GDA was more than a dream. That was when I met Chris. Just two young men trying to change the world."
The lights seemed to dim. The chatter faded. Cecil's gravelly voice carried the weight of history.
"We thought we knew what we were up against. We had no idea what was coming."
The scene dissolved into sepia-toned memories. Soldiers shouting. Bombs falling. The crack of rifles. And through the haze, two young men — Justin Reeves and a much younger Cecil Steadman — standing shoulder to shoulder as an otherworldly shadow fell across the battlefield.
Cut to Flashback.