The Guardian Of The Multiverse: A Hero's Burden

Before the Credits Roll

(Marvel, DC, and all images, manhuas, and anime mentioned or used in this story belong to their respective owners. The main character, Karito/Adriel Josue Valdez, and the story itself belong to me.)

By the time Pantheon reached its eighth episode, Adriel and Peter had spent several uninterrupted hours on the sofa.

Neither of them had moved much beyond occasionally reaching into the bowl of popcorn or making a comment about whatever was happening on-screen. It was the closest either had come to relaxing since arriving in Piltover.

In the kitchen, Vi and Vander's conversation had finally settled into something quieter. They had spent hours trying to fit years of separation into a single afternoon, moving between painful revelations, awkward explanations, and the occasional story that left one of them laughing.

Eventually, Vander's newly restored body reminded him that it required food.

Vi glanced toward the living room.

"So, what are we having for dinner?"

Peter reached for the remote and paused the episode before Adriel could pretend he had not heard her.

Adriel looked at him.

Peter shrugged. "Don't look at me. You're the one everyone expects to feed them."

"I made pizza not that long ago."

"And now you've established a precedent."

"That's not how that works."

"It is in this house."

Adriel sighed and leaned back, considering his options.

He could make something simple, but feeding everyone was rarely simple. Vi and Vander were here, Jinx would eventually return, and Artoria and Ace could eat enough food between them to bankrupt a restaurant.

After several seconds, an idea came to him.

"Chicken Alfredo wraps."

Vi's face brightened immediately.

"That sounds fucking amazing."

Her enthusiasm caught Adriel off guard.

She had been smiling ever since reuniting with Vander, but this was different from her usual sarcastic grin. There was an open energy to her now, something lighter and almost infectious.

She looked genuinely happy.

That was all Adriel could have asked for.

"All right," he said, pushing himself off the sofa. "Chicken Alfredo wraps it is."

Peter settled back into his seat.

"You know where to find me."

"You could help."

"I helped by pausing the show."

"That isn't helping."

"It preserved your viewing experience."

Adriel flipped him off as he headed toward the kitchen.

Once there, he allowed Passive Knowledge to search for something close to the meal he had imagined. The ability sifted through an impossible amount of information before settling on a short recipe posted to Instagram by a woman who appeared remarkably enthusiastic about creating different kinds of food.

The recipe was simple enough.

Two pounds of boneless chicken breast seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and avocado oil. A creamy sauce made from butter, minced garlic, whole milk, mayonnaise, freshly grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, parsley, and several of the same spices. Flour tortillas and shredded mozzarella would finish the wraps before they were toasted in a skillet.