The dim glow of the overhead lights cast long shadows across the safe house's worn wooden table. The remnants of their late-night meal were scattered across its surface—half-eaten takeout boxes, crumpled napkins, and a few empty soda cans rolling slightly whenever someone shifted their weight. Outside, the world remained oblivious to the four figures sitting in the heart of the hidden sanctuary, but inside, for the first time, they felt a semblance of belonging.
Damian leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head with a satisfied sigh. "Well, I'd say today was productive. We're officially fugitives from both the living and the dead. Fantastic milestone."
Audrey exhaled, rubbing her temples. "That's not exactly something to celebrate, Damian."
"Isn't it, though?" Damian grinned, grabbing a can of soda from the stash he had conveniently "borrowed" from their last supply run. He cracked it open with a loud hiss. "Come on, we could be brooding in separate corners right now, all moody and tragic, but instead, we're here, having a nice little dysfunctional family dinner."
Kenzo, seated across from him, merely lifted an eyebrow. "I wouldn't call it a family dinner."
"Because it's missing the bickering parents vibe?" Hana asked, flicking a stray grain of rice off the table.
"No, because I wouldn't consider any of you my family," Kenzo said dryly, taking a sip of water.
"Ouch," Damian clutched his chest dramatically. "Kenzo, you wound me."
"You'll live," Kenzo replied, unimpressed.
Hana snorted. "To be fair, we are all technically... not really alive."
Damian sat up suddenly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He grabbed his can, lifting it high. "Well then, to being undead and slightly terrifying!"
Audrey sighed, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Really? That's your toast?"
Damian grinned. "You got something better?"
She considered it for a moment, then finally shook her head. "Fine. To being undead and slightly terrifying."
"That's the spirit!" Damian beamed as he clinked his soda against Audrey's water bottle. Hana smirked and followed suit, tapping her drink against theirs. All eyes turned to Kenzo, who looked between them, unimpressed.
"I refuse to partake in this stupidity," he said flatly.
"You're already part of it by sitting here," Hana pointed out.
Kenzo sighed, shaking his head before raising his glass ever so slightly. "Fine."
Damian let out a victorious laugh. "Kenzo, did you just—did you just join in on our toast?"
Kenzo merely rolled his eyes, but there was a rare glint of amusement in them. "Shut up and drink your stolen soda."
The room fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, save for the soft clinking of their drinks as they set them back down. It wasn't much. It wasn't normal. But it was theirs.
Hana leaned back, arms crossed. "So, is this our life now? A bunch of undead misfits hiding in a safe house, bringing down corruption from the shadows?"
Audrey nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. This is our life now. We have a purpose, and we have each other. That has to count for something."
Kenzo exhaled quietly, staring down at his drink. He'd spent so long in isolation, drowning in his own ghosts. Now, somehow, he had ended up here—with them. He wasn't sure what it meant yet, but for now, for this one moment, he let himself exist in it.
Damian grinned. "Well, if we're stuck together, we might as well have some fun along the way."
Hana smirked. "Fun? With Audrey running this operation? Doubtful."
"I heard that," Audrey said, crossing her arms.
"And?" Hana raised an eyebrow.
Audrey sighed. "And unfortunately, you're right. We do need to stay focused. Tomorrow, we go back to work."
Damian groaned. "You know, for someone who just toasted to being undead and terrifying, you're a real buzzkill, Audrey."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Damian had a way of bringing levity to even the darkest of situations, and as much as she pretended to be exasperated by it, she knew they needed it. They needed him.
Kenzo watched the exchange in quiet amusement. Maybe this wasn't the worst place to be after all.