𝐃𝐈𝐋𝐅 || 𝐉𝐮𝐣𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐮 𝐊𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧

Chapter 6

The kids spend a couple of hours very, very carefully petting Alisa, who's still under light sedation, mostly so she doesn't try to walk around on her broken leg. They leave the reserve that afternoon- the kids reassured and weirdly hyper. Toji chooses to unleash this energy letting them fight about what they want to be for Halloween. He's tried to explain that they don't have to have a group costume, but they insist, every year. They also usually spend a week arguing about it.

There's a vicious rock-paper-scissors tournament in the back seat, which ends the fight in a surprisingly early decision- they'd been waffling back and forth between five different choices. Toji's relieved that Batman and Catwoman is at least an easy choice. He'll run by the party store- without them, he'd learned from the shitstorm of 2010- and pick up the costumes, no problem.

Well, at least, it works in theory until Halloween night, when Megumi and Tsumiki insist that Toji has to dress up too.

"You have to be Alfred, Dad. Batman needs Alfred!" Megumi insists, crossing his bat-arms.

"I don't have a costume," Toji protests.

"Yes, you do," Tsumiki whines. "Alfred wears a suit, you have a suit!"

"He has that towel thing, we can take that from the kitchen," Megumi adds, with the air of someone holding all the aces.

Which is how Toji ends up wearing his only good suit with a dishtowel over his arm, following his kids around the neighborhood as they beg for candy that will make Toji's life a nightmare for the duration of its existence.

Which is absolutely why they knock on a completely average door and Y/N answers it.

"Ms. L/N!" Megumi shouts, deliriously excited.

"Hey, Batman! What are you and Catwoman doing out tonight? Evil doers on the streets of Gotham?" Y/N asks, crouching down to their eye level. She glances up at Toji with a grin. "And you needed Alfred, too? All hands on deck!"

"No one else has known who he was," Tsumiki breathes out, impressed. Toji's not sure if he's pleased or unimaginably embarrassed. "All these moms kept saying James Bond, but duh, James Bond doesn't have a towel thing."

"Well, he's a little young for Alfred," Y/N explains. "Now, down to the really serious business."

Both kids perk up.

"What do you want from this giant bowl of candy?" Y/N brings it out from behind her and god, she's probably going to let them take handfuls.

Megumi and Tsumiki exchange gleeful looks, but Y/N lifts it up at the last second.

"I do have a fee, however- group picture." she says solemnly. "All my students are required."

Toji moves to step out of the frame and Y/N raises her eyebrows.

"Excuse me, group photo." Y/N pulls her cell phone out of her pocket. "Alright, say 'crime fighting',"

"Crime fighting!" the kids chorus, and Toji feels a single involuntary eyebrow rise. The flash is blinding for a phone and Toji is still blinking spots out of his eyes as the kids are picking all the good stuff out of the bowl and lining their bags with candy.

"How's the haul this year?" Y/N asks.

Toji rolls his eyes. "Significantly better now," he says as Megumi picks out all the almond joys. God, what a weird kid. "Is this where you live?"

"Oh, no, this is my dad's house. He's always out on Halloween, you know, catching miscreants engaging in youthful misdemeanors. But he feels bad that there's no one ever here to give out candy, so, here I am."