Around 5.30 pm Akira started wrapping up her work and got ready to leave for Katherine's house. She booked an Uber which was supposed to arrive in another nine minutes. So she decided to call up Vikram as she didn't want him to worry about her.

"Hey there. I am taking an Uber now. So please don't send your driver to my office ok?"

"Fine, I won't argue with you. Just text me once you reach to let me know you are all safe ok", Vikram said.

"Jeez Vikram, it's a kids party. You think they are going to eat me up or what?", Akira said and chuckled.

"God knows if you try saving all of them from some apocalypse or something. You don't have a glorifying track record of safety and I guess I don't need to remind you of that time and again", Vikram said all annoyed.

"Oh really? You better watch out my boss's boss's boss. Someday you might need me to save yourself. Huh", Akira said and sneered.

"You will save me? Oh wow. Joke of the century. Enlighten me how?", Vikram asked.

"Well, first of all, are you forgetting the episode with your ex-girlfriend and your movie plan? Who saved you? I did. And what about the time you went backpacking with your friends and I lied to your mom that it was a science trip funded by the school? Who saved you? Oh wait, I did. How ungrateful of you", Akira complained.

Vikram just laughed at the way Akira was trying to prove herself so innocently. Then he said,

"Fine fine, you win. I lose. Come and save me tomorrow for dinner. You can't say no as you have already canceled upon me today".

"Ok ok. You are forgiven. What to do? My heart is so big and I am so magnanimous", Akira said and laughed.

Her phone started buzzing with another call in waiting.

"Hey gotta go now. My cab is here. Will send you pictures from the party", Akira said and left the office premises.

---

Akira reached Katherine's place and rang the doorbell.

"Hey !!! Come on in !!!"

"Kate!!! Your Supergirl is here", Katherine said and welcomed Akira inside.

"Hiii Aunty!!!", Kate came running and gave a hug to Akira.

"Hiii!!! How's your hand? Healing well?", asked Akira.

"Yeah see", Kate said and showed her elbow to Akira. She had a cute Ben10 band-aid on her elbow.

"Good good!!!", Akira said and gave a pat on Kate's head.

"Where is my gift aunty?", Kate asked all curiously.

"Kate!!! Didn't I tell you earlier? You can't ask for gifts like that," Katherine said and was embarrassed with Kate's behavior.

"I am sorry Akira. My daughter is a bit over-curious sometimes", Katherine said reluctantly.

"It's ok. She is just a kid," Akira said and took out her gift from her bag and flashed it in front of Kate.

"Here you go", Akira said and gave the gift to Kate.

Kate who had hung her head low after getting rebuked by her mom, beamed up instantly. She was indeed a pure innocent soul.

Akira and Katherine both had a great laugh after seeing Kate's reaction.

"So how's the arrangement? All done? Or you need my help with something?", Akira asked while following Katherine towards the dining area.

"Well, they all want to hear some story or something. An unruly bunch of mini-zombies I must say and are legit killing me with their random requests. Now that you have come it's your turn to bear the burnt. I have to arrange for pizza for all of them, so can you please take care of this", requested Katherine.

"Sure thing !!!", said Akira and moved towards the dining area where all the tiny tots were busy raging some sort of Civil War.

They were all dressed super pretty in amazing frocks and skirts and whatnot. Seeing them all bubbling with happiness and joy, Akira flew back in time when she was also young and naive and her only concern used to be Voldemort. She was a big-time Harry Potter fan. She saw the kids bustling with energy and felt like all the weight on her chest had evaporated. She then clicked a selfie with all the kids in the background and sent it to both Mike and Vikram.

Meanwhile, Kate had already opened her present and screamed out of excitement,

"I got a storybook and its the Velveteen Rabbit. Mom look I got the Velveteen Rabbit. You remember dad used to read this out for me when I was a small baby", Kate said and ran to Katherine and showed her the book.

Katherine fondly gave a kiss on her head and then said,

"Go and play with Akira Aunty now. She will help to arrange games for you." Then she looked at Akira with an unsaid emotion and Akira instantly understood that she had to take charge of the situation immediately. She wanted to ask about Kate's dad as she didn't see him yet, but refrained from asking anything after seeing the way Katherine reacted.

"Ok now, who wants to see a bit of magic?", asked Akira tuning towards the tots.

"Me, Me, Me", all the kids started screaming unanimously.

"Ok then brace yourself to see some levitation in action", Akira said and then took out a balloon from her bag. She took a piece of paper and then tore it into small pieces and kept on the dining table. Then she blew the balloon. Once she was done, she lifted her head up and saw that all the kids had surrounded her with their eyes filled with curiosity.

She laughed in her head and said,

"I can't do magic alone. I need a volunteer. And since the birthday girl is here I am just gonna pull her up to help me", saying this Akira held Kate's hand and brought her close and asked her to stand in front of her. She rubbed the bottom of the balloon on Kate's head a couple of times and kept chanting on and on,

"Wingardium Leviosa Wingardium Leviosa Wingardium Leviosaaaaaaa"

Then she lifted the balloon up and screamed,

"Avada Kedavra"

and hovered the balloon on top of the paper bits without even touching them.

Slowly the paper bits started clinging to the balloon, like magic. Like there was some magnetic pull.

All the kids went ballistic and started screaming,

"Avada Kedavra".