Maury stomped down the road, a backpack over one shoulder and a jetpack on her back. As she walked, Fira came up beside her, giving her a nod.

“It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year.”

“Hmph.”

Fira put her hands behind her back. “It’s peaceful, isn’t it? I never thought Central City could be so peaceful.”

Down the road, a man stomped out into the center of the street and clapped. A wave of water flew from his hands, washing all the cars away.

Fira leaped, igniting halfway up her jump. Maury squeezed a button in her sleeve, and the jetpack lifted her into the air.

Laughing, the man threw back his head. “Now that Alpha’s dead, this city is mine! Everyone bow to the—”

A blast of purple light smashed him off his feet. He went rolling away, thrown into a nearby building. Amethyst landed beside him. “Sorry, sorry, everyone! We’ll have this cleaned up in just a moment!”

The man started to rise. With a wave of Amethyst’s hand, purple light bound his wrists and ankles. Another wave, and he hovered behind her. She gave the watchers-on a last apologetic wave, and took off into the sky, dragging him after her.

Maury clonked to the ground. Fira landed beside her, giving her a sheepish grin. “Well. It’s as peaceful as Central City can be.”

“I’ll give you that,” Maury said, chuckling.

They crossed the river, walking into the old no-man’s-land. Now, it showed the first signs of revitalization. New shops sprung up where burned-out gas stations and strip malls had once been. Trendy, overpriced apartments had already cropped up, another half-dozen under construction. A rehab center bustled with homeless people. Some of them still wandered about, but fewer than had before. Cars filled the street.

Into Old Town. Where before, only hunters and supers had wandered its streets, now the sidewalks were populated with all kinds of people. All the parking lots and roadside parking spots were packed full. Throngs of tourists watched the hunters display their skills, chopping down a giant monster into its pieces, while street vendors stood by, ready to cook the meats fresh off the beasts.

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Far beyond Old Town, a sedate Gate spun slowly. Monitoring cameras and supers alike guarded it, along with a filter that pulled Gate particles out of the air and dispersed them away from the Gate.

“That invention of yours was a great idea. I mean, we can basically control when the Gate erupts, now. Ensure everyone’s ready, so it does the least damage possible,” Fira said, looking at it.

“Yeah. Wish I thought of it sooner,” Maury grumbled.

Fira opened her mouth, then closed it. She lowered her head. “Yeah.”

They reached the fence surrounding the Gate. The guards ran over, but when they saw Maury, they nodded instead of chasing the pair off. Maury kneeled. She placed a single daisy at the foot of the gate.

“Why daisies?” Fira asked.

“Resilient things. Practically weeds. Always come back, no matter what.” Maury shoved herself up, dusting off her hands with a grunt.

Fira looked at her. “You still believe—”

“Believe? No. But hope…hope doesn’t need you to believe.”

Fira squinted. “Huh?”

“I hope there’s a heaven, of some sort. I hope I’m headed there. Don’t mean I believe in it,” Maury explained.

Fira snorted. “I don’t know how many people would agree with that.”

Maury grunted. “I’m too old to give a fuck if people agree or not.”

They both paused. Looked at the Gate.

“I still…can’t really believe Levi did it. Why? He was always so…I don’t know. Selfish? Heartless? But in the end…”

Maury shrugged. “All people are selfish and heartless when they need to be. Problem is, Levi thought that was all the time. It’s not that he had a good heart. I’m not gonna say that. It’s just that, sometimes, from the bottom of that withered, black lump in his chest…he really, truly, desperately, wanted to do the right thing.”

Fira laughed. She shook her head. “Yeah. That’s a good way to put it.”

The portal swirled. Maury’s head whipped up. She held her breath.

A strange bird hopped through. It bobbed its head, looking around it.

She snorted. “Look at me. Old as I am, still holding my breath like a schoolgirl.” She turned away, stomping over to the control panel for the filter.

The bird flew at her, murder in its eyes. Fira lifted her hand and torched it out of the air. “You still think he might come back?”

“Hope, honey. Ain’t no thinking about it.”

The Gate swirled again. Harder this time, spinning voraciously. Fira backed toward Maury, tensing. “Be on your guard.”

“Mhm.”

The Gate shook, then spat out a beast.

Fira stared, her eyes wide. She backed away. “No way.”

“What?” Maury looked over her shoulder.

A unicorn charged out of the Gate, bright pearly white, a proud horn on its forehead. It tossed its mane and let out a cry, charging toward the fences. From either side, the guards closed in on it, but it moved too quickly for them to catch it.

“Whoohoo! Ride ‘em, cowboy! Wait, that’s me. Ride ‘em, me!”

Silhouetted against the sun, a figure sat tall on the unicorn’s back, familiar and unfamiliar all at once.

Fira gasped. “No way.”

Maury’s eyes crinkled. “Heh. I knew we wouldn’t be free of him so easily.”

“Whoa! Guys! Listen, you won’t believe what happened—” The unicorn raced on, dragging the figure with it.

Fira shook her head, then leaped into the air, chasing after him. “Levi! You get back here!”