Victor silently cursed the internet before pointing at an empty seat opposite him. “Please sit. As you may have heard, I was in prison for the last twenty years. I would like to hear more about her.”

His daughter hesitated, before finally sitting down. They talked. Victor told his daughter about her mother. Her reputation, her codename, her determination and fierceness, her ability with all sorts of firearms, and her loyalty to her friends. In turn, Vicky told him about what a wonderful mother V was. How V took care of her, read stories to her before bed, and taught her how to shoot. His daughter laughed how Victor’s stories finally answered some questions she had.

She always wondered why her mother was so good with guns.

Then, she told him about Victoria’s last days. The cancer, the painful treatment, and how Victoria gave up on them when the doctor told them the cancer had spread too far. Her mother travelled a lot in her last few years, she said she wanted to see the world in her last days. Victor thought V was trying to build a nest egg for her daughter. According to the information he has, V was very active before finally disappearing for good.

He did not tell his daughter that.

He just smiled as she regaled him with tales of her happy childhood, and how much she missed her mother. Victor was glad. Honestly, he did not know V for long. Their paths crossed and they had fun. Victor and Victoria, they had many laughs about their names but neither of them thought their relationship was serious. At least, Victor never did, and he believed V thought the same.

He may have been wrong about that.

Victor wondered why she decided to have their baby. He shook his head. That does not matter. V sounds like a wonderful mother, and that was all that matters.

Victor had to press Vicky to talk about herself. His daughter did not think of herself as anything special. She went to college on a sports scholarship but her career as a footballer was short-lived as she just wasn’t good enough to be a professional. After graduating with a useless degree, she came back to Glowing Falls and helped V run the coffee shop. Vicky said her mother loved the shop, so she took it over after V’s passing as it was part of her mother’s legacy. Victor had to stop himself from chuckling.

V probably created the coffee shop as a front to launder money.

Time passed, the rain stopped, and Victor saw the time on the clock hanging on the wall. It was almost time for him to leave. He needed to tell her, and he had no idea how.

Vicky continued talking as Victor desperately tried to think of a way to tell her who he was. Finally, in desperation, Victor opened his storage ring. Vicky stopped as Victor took out a suitcase and placed the box on the table between him and his daughter. Victor had prepared it in case he ever needed to go on the run. Now, he was giving it away.

“There is a hundred thousand inside. It’s yours. I will get someone to leave you a contact number. If you ever get into trouble, call that number and I will do my best to solve it for you.”

Vicky’s jaw dropped, and her eyes glazed over. When her mind finally registered what Victor said, she reached for the suitcase and opened it. She saw the money and looked at Victor. Victor waited. Moments passed before Vicky got control of herself enough to ask.

“Why? I know you knew mum but…why?”

Victor looked at his daughter and gave her a sad smile. “Because I was never there. She was the mother of my child, she did a great job, and I was never there. I am sorry.”

Vicky’s eyes widened once more, and Victor saw the misty message that told him the task was done. Victor nodded and stood up. He put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder as he walked past her. The door slides open. Just as he was about to leave, his daughter finally shouted at him.

“Wait! Wait. What are you saying? Are you my father?”

Victor turned and looked at his shell-shocked daughter. He gave her a nod.

“I know this is a lot to take in, so take your time. If you ever want to talk, just call. I would be happy to answer all your questions. But if you want to live your life without me, I shall understand. The choice is yours.”

Silence filled the coffee shop before Victor turned and left the coffee shop. This time, his daughter did not stop him.

The rain had finally stopped, and Victor walked along the wet streets to the centre of town. Most of the heroes and villains had already left, and Victor was one of the last ones still in town. He saw the teleportor almost immediately. A young hero who stood up stiffly as Victor approached.

“Master Fist, are you ready to leave?”

“Yes. Portal Train, right? I need to go to two places. They told you -”

“Yes!” The young hero visibly winced when he realized he had just interrupted Victor. He was nervous. “Sorry, Master Fist. Central Command told me of your wishes. Haiku Community Hospital first, then Velocity City.”

Victor nodded, and Portal Train activated his power. His body disappeared, and a round portal appeared where his body was. Victor hated portals, but he stepped through without a word and landed heavily on an asphalt road. It took Victor three steps before he regained his balance. He looked around and notice he had landed near the entrance of a hospital. The portal he came out of disappeared and Portal Train appeared in the flesh. Victor had to admit he was impressed. No wonder hero academies grabbed everyone with a teleport power.

“I will be waiting here for your return to Velocity City, Master Fist. Take as long as you need.”