Manhattan

The Condor finally reached its destination. The bright and shining city of New York came into sight, with the lights filling the night sky. Having spent several hours relaxing in the second floor, most of the crew were ready to be on land again. The Watcher pressed a button, speaking directly to the second floor below.

"We're home now. Be prepared to land."

Tetsu finished his movie just as everyone else had finished watching with him, or rather napping in the case of Jackson and Brad. The sudden voice on the intercom awoke them, and everyone was prepared to land. After a few minutes passed, they arrived above Manhattan's buildings. They would be making their landing at the helipad located on near the Protectors Tower.

After several more minutes, they landed. The ship's hatch came down. One-by-one everyone stepped outside, stretching in relief that they finally touched the land again. The Watcher escorted their 'guest' Dr. Snow outside of the ship. Blindshot turned to the older hero, with a faint smile.

"Taking our friend to the lockup, I assume?"

"He won't be able to harm anyone where he's going." The Watcher said. "We'll get answers out of him, you can be sure of that. Afterwards, we'll examine the Red Crystal to see what Mist planned to do with it."

"Sounds good to me." Blindshot said. "So can the rest of us go home now? I feel like my wife has been missing me."

"You're free to leave."

Everyone dismissed themselves from the area, leaving The Watcher to handle the task at hand with Dr. Snow and the Red Crystal. He didn't like having to work overtime at the moment, he knew Kim was wanting to see him again. The Watcher escorted Dr. Snow to the Protectors Holding Area, located near the tower. The whole way over, Dr. Snow was silent. All he had on his face was a smile, one that made The Watcher feel weary.

Once Dr. Snow was taken care of, The Watcher rode the elevator up to the top of the tower. He could feel the height of his position once he reached the top, something that never ceased to impress him. The doors slid open. Inside the skyscraper had been filled with various heroes and staff members, all going about their own business. The interior was black, a well-polished kind of metal on the walls and tile on the floors, with various computers everywhere filling the air with their light.

He kept the Red Crystal inside the briefcase as he made his way to the office. It would be there he would uncover what Mist planned to do with the valuable gem. Awaiting him were fellow members John Baen and Cobalt, who were sitting on the table when he arrived.

"Sorry I couldn't have arrived sooner." The Watcher said. "It was a busy day for me, you see."

"Yeah, I hear you." John Baen said. "But a job well done is just that."

The Watcher set the briefcase down on the table, opening it to reveal the Red Crystal. It shined brightly, looking like a true candy-red gem that it's every bit as beautiful as it was valuable. His two colleagues examined the stone closely. John Baen stroked his chin, before speaking.

"The Red Crystal... if Mist kept a hold of this, they would have enough energy power to create a catastrophic weapon."

"Good thing then that they don't have it anymore." Cobalt said.

"There was something odd about our 'friend' Dr. Snow." The Watcher said. "He was so calm, not acting worried at all that he was caught. I suggest placing the Red Crystal under extreme containment. We need to assume anything is possible with this."

"Of course." Cobalt said. "This thing has the potential to become a bomb. In fact, why don't you work your magic on it, John."

The sorcerer waved his fingers, casting a looping barrier around the crystal. The purple field spun around it, keeping it in place. The trade-off was that they couldn't access it until removed, but it also meant that it wouldn't explode if used as a trap. It wouldn't be the first time a crystal like the Red Crystal was used for that purpose.

"Well, once we look into the crystal and potentially reverse the affects, it's better to keep it in a state of balance than to risk an explosion." John Baen said.

The Watcher nodded. These crystals weren't the average type of stone used for decoration or jewelry. The Red Crystal, like the others, had properties that allowed it to produce energy. This potentially made them into sources of power that could produce weapons of mass destruction. Weapons that would be very useful to an organization like Mist.

He thought to himself how glad he was that he apprehended the gem when he could. Had Mist kept a hold of it, The Watcher shuddered to think what they would've done with such a source of power. He sat back, it was another mission completed, and any time he could prevent Mist from making a move was one he would take.

"We'll see what Dr. Snow was planning to do with the Red Crystal soon." The Watcher said. "For now, I would like to go home. I'm sure my wife misses me."

"I understand that." John Baen said. "We should all get some rest. This is something we'll take care of soon."

The Watcher dismissed himself, waving them goodbye as he left. He desired nothing more than to return home after being away for so long. He moved through the pristine black hallways of the building, eagerly awaiting his departure from Protectors Tower. There would be another time to worry about Protector business, but now wasn't that time.

Byron changed out of his blue costume, and put on his regular clothes. He appeared as a middle-aged man dressed casually, someone who could blend in with the public. Though Byron Walters' status as The Watcher was known by all, he could still seem like an ordinary person to those not paying attention, much like a Hollywood celebrity.

Through the streets he drove in his luxury vehicle until Byron made it to home. It was time he got some rest. The car parked in the garage, and it beeped as he locked it. Then he rode the elevator to the top floor where he resided. As the doors opened, Byron was surprised to see none other than Adele sleeping on the couch. A pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.

Kim ran out from the side hallway and hugged her husband tightly, which he returned the favor. They kissed, and she smiled at him. She was quick to notice that her husband was surprised to find his daughter in their home, it wasn't usual for her to be there.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Kim said. "I never get to see her like this anymore."

"I agree, but why did she come in the first place? Seems unusual to be fair."

"She wanted to talk to me while you were away."

"... What?"

"She isn't sure if she can continue being a Protector." Kim said. "Adele is having doubts that she can keep being a hero because that's what is expected of her."

"But isn't that what she wanted?" Byron said. "When she revealed her powers, she wanted to be just like me."

"But that was a decade ago." Kim said. "Things change, and she says she wanted to be a supermodel. It wasn't the first time she and I had this discussion. She feels she's in your shadow."

Byron placed his finger on his chin and thought to himself about it. He wasn't oblivious to how she felt, not at all. Adele would always say she was only being a hero because it was her job, and she never wants to take part in anything outside of it. That's why it's a rarity for him to see Adele in his home. But the last thing he wanted to hear was for her to say she wants to quit.

"Supermodel, hm? To be fair, she dresses like one in her outfit. It's a little embarassing." Byron said.

"Her choice is her choice." Kim said. "A girl loves shoes, and she is no exception."

"But anyways, she shouldn't feel ashamed of doing the right thing. It's not something you should be ashamed of. So many people out there want to be just like us, and she's one of the few who actually can be one of us."

"But she didn't want to be one." Kim said. "Maybe at first, but she grew older and her interests changed. You aren't the center of her world anymore, but the expectation of following you remained."

"Don't remind me..."

"Ask yourself: If she didn't inherit your powers, where would she be now?"

He wasn't going to answer that. Byron turned his attention to his daughter, he moved to the couch where she was sleeping. Kim didn't like what he was about to do, but she knew he wasn't going have her crashing at his home all night.

"Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty." He said as he poked at her.

Adele sleepily opened her eyes, before suddenly jolting awake at what was in front of her.

"Damn, I wasn't expecting to crash out." Adele said. "Why didn't you wake me, mum?"

"Because you looked so peaceful."

"You should probably go home now." Byron said.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too."

Adele sat up, still recovering from her nap and being awoken so suddenly. She could remember the days when she was happy to see Byron return home from work. Now, it just seems to have less of an impact. She rubbed her eye before standing up, stretching her back out.

"Well dad, I'll see you soon when my vacation is over."

"I'm looking forward to it." Byron said. "I love you."

Adele didn't respond. She moved across the living room, putting her heels back on, and then headed out the door. Before leaving, she waved goodbye, and went home to where she would go home and go back to sleep again. Byron sat on the couch, exhaling a deep breath in relaxation. The mission was exhausting, to say the least, but it was over.

Now he had something else to worry about.

It's not easy for Byron to have to deal with being the target of his daughter's frustration. But it was also a responsibility she held. To be a hero means having to do the right thing, not selfishly hoard the power to yourself. That's what Byron has been trying to tell Adele for years.

"Will she ever view me with admiration again?" Byron asked.

"I'm sure things will change when she gets older."

Byron stretched out, extending his arms in the air as he felt the relief. After all these years, he worries that he's starting to feel his age. Kim sat with him, rubbing his shoulders to ease him of his pressure. Byron felt glad he could return home to someone who loved him.

"How did the operation go?" Kim said.

"Business as usual." Byron said. "We got the scientist running the Aureus outpost, he surrendered quietly."

"Good."

They put a movie on, giving Byron the chance to unwind and enjoy good company. After about an hour, he had a hard time staying awake. He was just so relaxed, he fell asleep on the couch. It wasn't until a couple hours later where he awoke, due to Kim tapping on his shoulder.

"I'm sure you would prefer to sleep on the bed."

"Yeah." Byron said as he yawned. "Time for me to get some shut eye."

Byron stood. They moved together as they walked to their bed. During the whole time, Byron still had it on his mind what Mist was planning to do. He thought about the entire mission. His operations against Mist were constantly on his mind, and he hoped that could bring an end to the terrorists as soon as possible.

There will be another time to worry about that. For now, he just needs some rest. Byron fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow, and he would deal with Mist when he was fully awake and recharged again.