"Make way! Official business! Move it, or I’ll cite the lot of you for obstructing a public thoroughfare!"

Willy, a patrol guardsman whose uniform was slightly too tight and whose patience was perpetually thin, found himself swimming upstream through a sea of weeping adults and bewildered onlookers.

When he finally broke through the frontline of the crowd, he stopped dead. His jaw dropped so low it nearly hit his chest plate. Before him stood a small army of children. Some still being ushered off the ship by Dominik and a hovering Emelie.

Then he spotted the two figures walking down the gangway. Kurt, who looked like he had been put through a professional grade woodchipper, his clothes tattered and stained with mud and dried blood. Beside him, holding his hand with an iron grip, was the principal of the Future Academy, Diana Valentine, looking remarkably composed despite the chaos.

"Kurt? Ms. Valentine?" Willy sputtered, rushing up to them. "What in the bloody blazes is going on here? I get a report about an unscheduled docking, and I find a literal orphanage being unloaded on my pier!"

"Morning, Willy." Kurt greeted. "It’s just what it looks like. We did a bit of spring cleaning on the outlying islands. Rescued a bunch of kids. They’re going to need their parents to come fetch them."

Willy’s eyes bugged out as he looked back at the ship, where yet another wave of children was emerging. "A bunch? Kurt, me boy, this isn’t a ’bunch’! This is damn near a small army! Where did they even come from?"

"Patrol officer Willy," Diana stepped forward." I would appreciate it if you could spread the word immediately. To the bureau, the town criers, and the merchant guilds. If any parent has lost a child, or had a child taken by someone associated with the ’Church’ they are to report to the docks at once."

"What?! But I–!"

"Please, Willy. Hurry. Time is of the essence for their health. Now, chop-chop."

Willy swallowed hard, nodding reluctantly. "Right. Right away, Ms. Valentine. I’ll get the runners moving."

As he turned to leave, Diana’s voice called him back. "One more thing. Call for a carriage– actually, call two. High-capacity ones. There are some children that need to be transported to the hospital via the central teleportation circle immediately. They’ve been through enough."

"On it!" He affirmed, disappearing back into the crowd at a sprint, already blowing his whistle to clear the street.

Dominik approached them, carrying a very sleepy-looking Hope on his hip. The girl was rubbing her eyes, but as soon as she saw Kurt, her face lit up.

"She was looking for you." Dominik set the girl down.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Kurt greeted, crouching down to her level. "Excited to finally go home?"

"Yes! I miss Grandpa. I can’t wait to see him. He’s probably really worried."

"I bet he’s going to be very happy to see you."

Hope gestured for him to lean closer. When he did, she lunged forward, wrapping her small arms around his neck in a fierce, bone-deep hug. "Thank you, Kurt. Thank you for coming for us."

"Aw shucks. I’m just glad everything turned out alright, Hope."

She pulled back, her eyes sparkling with a sudden idea. "You have to come over to eat at our house! Sometime soon! Grandpa makes the best stew in the whole city."

Kurt laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "Tell you what, next time I’m in your neighborhood, I’ll stop by. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the ’best stew’."

Emelie floated over, landing gracefully beside them. She looked Kurt up and down, her expression a mix of pity and amusement. "So, Hero. What’s the plan? I’m staying here to help Dominik manage the kids."

"I’ll stay behind too," Kurt said, moving to stand up. "I can help carry the ones who can’t walk, and—"

"Absolutely not," Diana interjected. Her hand tightened on his arm. "Not looking like that."

Kurt looked down at his ruined clothes. "What? I feel fine. Emy’s healing worked wonders."

"Kurt, the principal is right," Emelie said while trying to suppress a grin. "You look like a high-ranking bandit who lost a fight with a mountain. If you stay here, the parents might mistake you for one of the kidnappers. Or worse, you’ll scare the kids who don’t know you. Go home, take a bath, and change."

Kurt turned to Dominik, pleading with his eye for a bit of brotherly support. Dominik just shrugged, looking away. "Sorry, dude. You’re a liability to the aesthetic right now. Get out of here."

"Betrayal," Kurt muttered.

Diana didn’t give him a chance to argue further and began dragging him away by the hand.

"Hey! Wait!" Kurt yelled back over his shoulder. "I’m coming back! As soon as I change, I’m coming back to help! Hope, I’ll see you later!"

"See you later, Kurt! Bye, Lady Principal!" Hope jumped up and waved.

Dominik watched them go, letting out a long breath. "Man... I felt like I was going to die. Did you see the way the principal was glaring at me?"

Emelie nodded fervently. "Terrifying. If we had tried to keep him here for five more minutes, she probably would have teleported us into the middle of the ocean. That woman is on a mission."

....

Kurt and Diana walked hand-in-hand through the outskirts of the dock crowd. Kurt was still grumbling under his breath. "Did you see that? Dom and Emy were acting so weird. It was like they couldn’t wait to get rid of me. We’ve been through a war zone together, and now I’m getting the boot?"

"You must be imagining things, Rosie. They probably just wanted you to get some rest." Diana kept her gaze fixed forward as an innocent, almost playful hum vibrated in her throat.

"I’m not imagining—wait."

Kurt stopped. He realized the crowd around them had gone silent. It wasn’t the silence of respect, but the silence of absolute, wide-eyed disbelief.

The people stood with their mouths agape, staring at the sight of the beautiful, untouchable "Crimson Flash", Diana Valentine. The woman who had turned down every suitor in the continent and beyond, is now holding hands with a man who looked like he’d just crawled out of a grave.

A group of nervous-looking men and women surrounded them.

"Ms. Valentine?" one woman whispered, her eyes darting to their joined hands. "Is... is everything alright? Who is this man?"

"Why are you holding his hand?" a man stepped forward, sounding like his entire worldview was collapsing. "Did he threaten you? Are you under a spell?"

More and more questions started to break out as more people arrived.

Kurt felt a cold sweat dripping down his forehead. He knew how shy and agitated Diana would become. "Uh, listen, it’s not what—"

Suddenly, Diana raised her free hand. The crowd fell silent instantly. Her face was turning a spectacular shade of crimson, but her voice was steady.

"Lovers," she said.

One word.

Absolute, pin-drop silence followed. Kurt himself froze, staring at her in total shock. He hadn’t expected her to just... say it.

The blush on Diana’s face reached her ears. She looked like she was about to overheat. Then–

SHWOOSH

The two vanished from the docks.

The silence lasted for exactly two seconds before the docks erupted into pure, unadulterated madness.

"WHAT?!"

"The most beautiful woman in the world?! With HIM?!"

"Did you see his face? He looks like a ruffian! A very handsome, dangerous ruffian!"

"Dammit! I owe Sarah twenty gold! I bet she’d stay single until the end of the world!"

"Lovers?! They looked like they’d been fighting a war together! That’s so romantic!"

The two lovebirds reappeared in the center of the hotel lobby. The plush carpets and quiet atmosphere were a jarring contrast to the docks. Kurt stumbled slightly, but Diana held him up.

Kurt looked at her, a slow, mischievous smirk spreading across his face. "So... ’Lovers,’ huh? That was quite the announcement, Ana~"

Diana’s face was still bright red. She looked everywhere but at him. "It was the fastest way to stop the questions! Now... freshen up. Pack your things. I’m coming back for you in two hours to move your belongings. Do not make me wait."

She prepared to teleport away, but Kurt was faster. He reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her in close.

"Rosie!" she whispered, her eyes wide as she looked around the lobby. "People are watching! The staff, the guests..."

"That didn’t stop you at the docks," Kurt teased.

She tried to argue, her mouth opening to retort, but Kurt silenced her by leaning in and kissing her deeply right in front of the new crowd.

The lobby, which had been fairly quiet, suddenly sounded like a stadium.

"Is that the kid from Room 15?!" a maid shrieked, dropping her duster.

"He’s kissing the principal of Future Academy!"

"Yeah! Get some, Kurt!" Darwin yelled, pumping a fist in the air.

Once they separated, Kurt beamed at her. "I love you. See you in a bit."

"He said the L-word!"

"Omigosh! Omigosh!"

Diana looked like she wanted the floor to swallow her whole. She turned to teleport, but Kurt held her wrist one last time, his eye sparkling with mischief. "Hey~ Say it back~"

The lobby went dead silent. Every guest and staff member leaned in, holding their breath.

Diana looked at the crowd, then at Kurt. She leaned in, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek.

"I love you too, you idiot," she whispered and put his room keycard in his hands.

Then, with a final burst of crimson light–

SHWOOSH

She was gone.

And the lobby erupted into a frenzy.

"HE DID IT! THE MADMAN ACTUALLY DID IT!"

"I’m telling the newspaper! This is the scoop of the century!"

"U-Uaaaa! I didn’t even get the chance to confess to her!

Kurt just stood there, a silly, tired smile on his face, as the cheers and jeers of the hotel staff and crowd echoed around him.