The inauguration started right on time to no one's surprise. The room was filled with mostly angels and some other magical creatures seated towards the stage. A chorus of angels was playing violin on a much smaller stage to the left.

The soothing music played exactly for five minutes, Daniel standing with a proper poster on the stage to the right, holding a red Bible in his hands. The sidekicks were seated in front calmly but some with anxious hearts beating as this wasn’t just breaking any law to induct such a young teenager as a newly assassin, but a sidekick. Their thoughts thinking what would the other heroes think at each headquarters with this? Would this cause an uproar? Every decision Michael made had to be calculated and careful, for the wrong move could cause...civil war among the heroes of disagreement on such important matters of saving lives.

Indeed, seeming to have some teenager inducted to the sidekick didn’t seem such a problem; but having a rule bend like that without much asking other leaders in different headquarters and the Seers if that was okay with them. Even though Michael was the Archangel and made some grand moves without talking to his fellow angels, was alright, but it seemed that as the angels and heroes sat there waiting for the inauguration to start; most of them felt that the Archangel was using his status and role to have his daughter be involved in his sidekicks. Regardless of Sara being Michael’s daughter and always being an insider of confidential things that went around the headquarters and the world; that didn’t cast her out as someone “special” and could be rolled into such a title this quickly...and she was underaged.

The angel, Moses, muttered to his friend as the minutes ticked by, “Michael created rules for a reason. He has no right to do this.”

His friend complied, “I agree...but what Daniel stated to everyone was that Michael needed all the help he could get. I know she is underage, but maybe it’s the right timing?”

Moses scoffed, “Another excuse Michael can say for his favorite person to get even higher status. Isn’t being the highest ranking hero here enough...apparently not.” He rolled his eyes as he finished, “And the part demon, can’t get better than that.”

“But part angel,” stated his friend, who was Mark, “The more powerful people we have, the better chance in defeating evil.”

“Sure,” Moses said in a dry tone. He glanced at where Kate was sitting ahead of them, “I find it absurd that our leader found patience for Katerina to get the age when she could become a sidekick and not his daughter.”

Mark sighed, “I agree..however, you don’t want a hero to kill someone without permission and get an uproar from everyone else.”

“Yes,” Moses said with a wave of his hand, “But most leaders around this world just let the heroes kill whoever. Doesn’t really make a difference. Honestly, to be frank, all monsters and demons are evil.”

His friend shook his head slowly, “Moses, all the angels, and heroes look up to our leader. Even though the angels break the rules that are set in motion doesn’t mean that Michael has to. The Seers and he came up with the license and set that in motion ages ago. I know I am being hypercritical in saying Michael has mostly followed the rules all this time; when he is breaking one of them himself...but he is entitled to that once and a while. He has suffered the most and is the bravest and strongest. So, what he is doing, is not acceptable...but who he is, I think this once we can bat our eyes away and compel.” The music had stopped playing and Michael, holding out his arm, held his daughter’s hand. Sara walked out in the glorious sharp white dress that clung to her hourglass figure. Sara and Michael reached the center of the stage. Mark said softly, “You are wrong about what you said...that all monsters and demons are evil..”

Mark watched as Daniel turned to Sara and Michael, whispering softly the vows of being a sidekick, an assassin, and a bodyguard wasn’t a journey of rediscovery, but something to be proud of and learn how to work together as one and equal. The angel looked at Moses, “Monsters are another name for magical creatures—mortals with powers that are gifted from God, our Father—but the monsters term we use are meant for Lucifer’s monsters, not our monsters. We call our monsters: magical creatures. Basically meaning the same words, but a different tone setting. So you assume all these magical creatures are evil? That the supernatural and spiritual are bad?” He clicked his tongue.

Moses turned to his fellow angel, “That is not what I meant.” A grim look passed over the angel, “I knew that, Mark. What’s your point?”

Mark answered bitterly, “I used to be one of those angels who glared at Michael’s daughter. Then, recently, I realized that all that hate-loathing towards here was no good. There was no rhyme or reason for such childish thoughts.” He sighed as he saw Sara put her hand on the Bible. “I don’t think any of us have given her a chance. She has made mistakes, but she’s just more human than we want to admit.” He went back to listening to the ceremony.

Sara shakily breathed out as Daniel had asked her to make her vows in front of the Archangel and Bible, and to the world. “I, Sara, know what is my duty in this world.” She gulped down her nervousness that was shaking her very core, “Assassin. Sidekick. Bodyguard.” She glanced at her father. Michael was standing with a gentle look, “And daughter.” Her eyes went back to the Bible and then up at Daniel’s hardcore face. She gave a determined gaze at him, composing herself as she replied, “I know the dangers and ultimately the sacrifice I am willing to put on the line to save countless of lives. To defeat evil and get rid of such nastiness in this world.” Her hands were slightly gripping at the Bible, “I understand the hardness that will come in my way and I will keep standing no matter how many burdens I must bear on my soul. In the end, I know the price of having freedom from evil and monsters, but my commitment is worth the price.”

Daniel gave an affirmative nod as he handed the Bible to Michael, Sara’s hand slipping away from it. Michael stood where Daniel did. He asked with a soft stare, “Are you willing to give up your dreams for this path of being my assassin, my sidekick, and Katerina’s bodyguard?”

“This is my dream, father,” Sara beamed at him.

Michael inquired with a hidden smile, “Once you finish this vow, you cannot go back on this. This will permanently be what you are forever. Do you understand?”

Everyone leaned in their cushioned seats as they eagerly waited for the response.

Sara hesitated for a second, the barest second of the sound forever seemed scary. That this was it. At age sixteen on her birthday, she would fully work for her father and Katerina until the end of her life literally. In the depths of her heart, which ached to shout: no! The gut feeling that this was all so wrong. That it wasn’t right. Stop!

However, Michael’s daughter knew if she said no...she would be turning down an amazing opportunity of not only being a helper to the angels...but privileged, unlike any other angels and heroes to be working by the Archangel’s side. Worse of all...she couldn’t imagine seeing the disappointed and heartbroken face of her father. She answered, directing her understanding coal eyes at her father’s golden glittering eyes of full promise and hope, “Yes.”

Michael took out a golden stamp swirled with angelic runes in a black container with a glass cover John was holding. The Archangel kissed Sara on her forehead and grabbed her right hand. He overturned her hand and saw her wrist. Sara nodded as she knew what was going to happen next and embraced herself.

The runes glowed golden as the stamp was pressed against Sara’s wrists and there was a hissed as a burned mark scorched her wrist. Sara wanted to yank her hand away as Michael firmly grasped it with his other hand, the burning pain throbbing in her. She gasped softly as she felt the runes magically course into her like an unbroken bond.

Michael placed down the stamp. He stroked her hair and knelt down to her, some of the people whispered and kissed her right wrist. He muttered her name and stood up, turning to the congregation, “Please welcome our newest assassin and sidekick, Sara! “

The heroes and angels waved up, clapping their hands wildly, some of them accepting this inauguration with broken smiles.

As Sara walked into the cafeteria with her boots echoing the dome room, filled with people, clapping and giving off a scream of delight, Ricky whopping at her and Timothy gave her two thumbs up; balloons fell from the ceilings as it rained down on her. She laughed in surprise, her face shining in astonishment.

She couldn’t help but glance down at her wrist which gave out the symbol of a golden angel feather. She moved her wrist, seeing it disappear and reappear. She realized that the symbol lightened up when the light caught against it.

“Sara!” Kate shouted in exclamation with a wonderful big grin on her face. She threw her arms around her friend, “OMG. Look at you! Happy Birthday and inauguration!” She danced around her friend and gave her another hug. Sara returned the hug in a tight squeeze, nearly choking the breath out of Kate in the process.

The newly assassin blushed bright pink, her heart racing so hard that she thought it might burst. She giggled and did a small dance with her friend, “I can’t believe it!” She saw some of the heroes and angels kick the balloons playfully.

Kate muttered with a grin still planted on her face, “I can’t believe Michael knelt down at you like he was going to propose to you or some shit and kissed your wrist. Like come on, I don’t think he has ever done that before!”

Sara chuckled, swaying her head slightly in a nod, “Yeah, I’m his daughter.” She sensed excitement talking in the big room. But when Michael walked into the room, another scream of excitement reverberated throughout the spacious room. She heard an angel pat his hand against Michael’s bold shoulders with approval, “I thought this was a bad idea, but I know this is the right thing to do. I can feel it, Michael. Every time I doubt you, you prove me wrong!”

Sara giggled as she ran, “Father!” She collapsed her arms around him, “Was my speech okay?”

Michael grinned handsomely, “Sara, your vows were amazing.”

Sara flushed even brighter, “I made the vows on the spot!” She glanced as she saw long tables against the walls filled with her favorite food. The dessert table had cupcakes, moist brownies, and bonbons. The most outstanding dessert was a tall cake that had sparking tall candles. Happy Birthday and Congratulation was on top of the cake. Sara did a small gasp and whirled to her father, her dress flowing underneath her, “Dad! How did you have time to surprise me?” She saw a table with rolls of many different types of sushi, and another table with make-your-own pizzas and hamburgers.

Michael had never felt happiness exploding inside him, “When you left my office. Had forty-five minutes to make orders to the chefs around and make some fun decorations.” He leaned in as he said, “My daughter, getting so mature and beautifully by each second, my personal birthday gift to you is you can pick any jewel you like at any jewel store.” He winked at her, “Maybe when we are hunting Pitch together, we can go looking while we do so.”

Sara grinned with teeth that looked like sparkling diamonds, “You’re the best!”

Michael chuckled as he hugged her tightly, “Happy Birthday Sara. I love you so much. You mean the world to me.” He kissed her head, “I think some people will like to congratulate you. Go on.”

Kate stuffed a triple dark chocolate cupcake in her mouth as angels came to say, “Tell Sara congratulations. I got to get back to work,” or, “Your friend, I know she will do great things!” or, “Good luck on having karma on your team now.” And then Kate would kindly snap back, “Sara has always been part of our team.”

Andrew had been with her during the inauguration and left her to get food. Now, he was standing behind her, offering his plate of food and she would take a bite of his pizza topped off with olives and pepperoni. “I thought you were a vegetation?”

Kate shrugged as she finished off her slice, “I like meat too much.”

Andrew looked at Sara as eating a hamburger in five bites like the true carnivore she was, “Not as much as your friend.”

Kate smirked at Sara rolling her eyes in pleasure, “True that.” She was sincerely happy for her friend. She couldn’t wait to have Sara on missions with her again and know her friend had her back. She did admit, that Andrew was a sexier bodyguard, but she had no complaints.

She indulged in a slice of cake, feeling the moist flavor of coconut and vanilla. As she ate, she knew having Sara as a sidekick was a good call...but she wondered if this haste decision was all that wonderful.

Michael never had time to check on Sara’s powers. She looked down at her empty plate with some crumbs on it. She licked the plate, thinking: she’ll be fine. She used her powers recently when she fought me in that arena. She remembered Sara’s eyes glowing that wonderful golden as she flashed from the bullets towards Kate, and then glared at her with those beastly red eyes.

Kate hoped she wouldn’t have to see those angry flashing eyes for a long time. Something about Sara’s glowing beastly eyes made Kate shiver as if she thought that her friend might tear her in two. She was capable of that. Kate saw that of such work before.

Shit, I don’t have anything for her. But, as Kate watched the party rage for a good long time until late afternoon, she assumed that Sara would be happy enough that she wouldn’t be upset that her friend didn’t give her gifts.

Sara let out a long yawn as she gathered up her presents from some angels and heroes, feeling an amazing smile cross her face of what happened this afternoon. She had never felt so happier before. Her father asked her to do a slow dance with her, which she much obliged happily. Drinking a few glasses of champagne to make her wobbly on her feet as she went to her room.

Nathan and Timothy had come to help her gather the rest of the gifts—and Michael asked them to follow her, making sure she didn’t fall down the stairs.

Sara thanked Nathan and Timothy as they placed her presents on her bed. She closed the door and the first thing she did was strip off her shoes for her feet ached in those ankle boots. Even though they were made for comfortable wearing and running in them, after some hours, Sara was relieved to have them off her feet. She yanked off her other clothing and hopped into a shower.

Hot water run down her as she sang. She dressed into her pajamas and just as she was about to get comfortable in her bed to watch some Netflix and open all her gifts, she saw an envelope and a box in front of her door.

She went off her bed and picked up those items up and placed them on her bed. She saw beautiful cursive that was obvious of whoever had written down her name, had much experience and elegance in their writing.

Sara opened the old-fashion envelope carefully, loving the arty wax seal that had the letter L and a pentagon next to it. Sara, I want to wish you a happy sixteenth birthday. -Lucifer. PS: I would like my weapons back when we meet again. She looked over at her cloak hanging in the closet, remembering that she took those weapons away. Nice of him to do that...creepy as shit. He just wanted to inform me of his weapons. Understandable. If he had my weapons, I would want them back.

The box sitting there made Sara uneasy. She wasn’t sure if Lucifer had sent that box also and the cardboard box could have a decapitated head...or some hidden demonic small creature. Sara lifted up the box and shook it, hearing a rustling sound but no movement. The box was light in her hands.

She grabbed a gun from her bedside drawer and unclicked the safety. Probably way too much caution. She saw that the box was sealed and took out her dagger from the same bedside drawer. She jibbed her blade. Sara held her breath as she opened the box.

At first, she had no idea what she was looking at. It was brown and fuzzy and her heart dropped into her stomach as she thought it could be indeed a demonic creature...but it didn’t move at all. She then saw bedded eyes and knew with some relief that it was a stuffed animal.

There stood a white note on the bottom of the box. Sara picked up the note as it said: Here’s your teddy bear back. Happy Birthday. – Pitch.

“Don’t you love to give other people a second chance, Mr. Watt? During all this time, I have never hurt any souls, and been off the radar. I knew one day that the heroes would figure out I was alive and I thought I proved myself worthy of all the years I kept living. Don’t you believe in second chances?... Certainly, Michael’s daughter did.”

Michael watched the video over and over again as the sky was starting to become less bright. He rubbed his face in shock but there was part of him that was happy that he had the evidence of how Pitch escaped. Unfortunately, Sara did help him—Unless Pitch would be lying about it. Maybe he mistook Katerina as my daughter...many do and many hope she is rather than my daughter, Sara.

The Archangel thought chewed through his mind: Unless, there’s an insider who is helping Pitch? Michael had his doubts that someone would be helping Thomas Pitch. He trusted everyone here at the Heroes’ Headquarters...and definitely trusted all of his sidekicks.

“Oh Sara,” he knew this information would not settle well with his angels. He knew that his heroes and angels would mutter underneath their breaths that Sara should’ve not been his sidekick all alone. That inauguration was a huge mistake on his part.

Michael didn’t regret doing the induction, not one bit.

The chair rolled back as Michael stood up, feeling his pulse quicken with some anxiousness as he saw the cloak strike seven. Just as Michael was thinking the Seers were going to be late for the first time in forever, he heard the recognizable footsteps and saw figures coming to the door.

Uriel walked in with the other three Seers behind him, “Well, hello dear brother.”

Raphael said, “Hello again.”

Samuel gazed around the room, “Been a while, Michael.”

Gabriel stared harshly at Michael, already wanting answers right away, “Explain,” he flourished his hands, “This mess.”

Michael lifted his strong chin, “Pitch escaped again. He has the sword. We don’t know his whereabouts and what his next move is. My goal is to find Pitch and the sword.”

Uriel waved his hand aside, “The sword isn’t the problem, Pitch is. We need to get our hands on him now. What happened, Michael? How did he escape again?” He folded his arms on his chest, waiting with a crossed look for the Archangel’s explanation.

“I asked Timothy to watch Pitch, I trusted him. It wasn’t his fault and I misjudged and failed yet again. Not to my knowledge, there haven’t been any sightings.” He took a step forward, saying, “I already told my sidekicks, if they find him, kill him on the spot.”

“Good idea,” responded Gabriel.

All the Seers were in the room now and the door closed. Samuel was walking aimlessly around, looking at some books and pictures hung on the wall, “Lucifer isn’t involved with Pitch?”

Michael answered, “I’m positive he’s not.” The Seers had asked him that countless times and he asked himself that millions of times. “I told you what I needed help with.” His heart clutched as he spoke those words.

“Yes, you thought your daughter helped Pitch escape? You want to pry in her mind,” Gabriel said, doing a slight shake of the head, “You know how dangerous that can be. One bad tickle at the memory...she could permanently lose her memories or have her personality change completely.”

“I know the risks,” replied Michael with a deep sigh, “But there is no other choice. I need to know exactly what happened...even though I have hardcore evidence.” He went to his computer and pulled up the video, “Watch what Pitch says.”

The Seers went around him as they watched. At the end of the video, Samuel said, “I see. I find what Pitch say is strange, commenting so loosely about your daughter helping him.”

“My question is,” said Uriel, “How did he know that Sara was Michael’s daughter?”

The angels pondered on this idea for a few seconds. “I find it strange the way he talks and hold himself...makes him look like he knows all of our secrets and is confident of what he is doing. That is what makes me nervous,” Gabriel commented.

“I thought of that also,” Uriel said.

There was the rustle of the doorknob turning and the archangels turning. The glossy door went wide open and there stood Sara holding a box in her hand.

Michael was up in a flash from his chair, “Sara,” he saw her ghosted white face, “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

Sara looked down at the box, not even seeming to care that the Seers were observing her, “Father, Pitch gave me a box.” She stared helplessly at Michel, “Remember when I lost my teddy bear a long time ago, I have forgotten until now...but somehow he had it all this time. He stole my bear. How did he steal my bear?”

Of course, Michael remembered the teddy bear, he gave that stuffed animal to her as a representation of protectiveness and to have her snuggle with it when she was sad. He did wonder all this time where she had put the teddy bear, thinking she put it in her closet or in a box long forgotten.

Michael was stupefied by what his daughter was accusing Pitch of; but as he grabbed the box and looked down at the teddy bear, another whole level of anger flamed inside of him.