The morning light crept through the blinds, painting thin gold lines across the room.
Max blinked awake slowly, the soft hum of the city still lingering outside. For a long moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling — half between dreams and the quiet reality he'd built.
Then the smell hit him — coffee, eggs, something slightly burnt.
He smiled faintly. "She's at it again," he muttered.
When he stepped out of the small bedroom, the living area was already alive with motion. Lumia stood near the counter, hair tied up, sleeves rolled, working the pan with practiced ease. She glanced over as he walked in.
"Morning, sleeping legend," she said with a teasing grin.
"Morning," Max replied, rubbing his neck. "Didn't think you'd be up this early."
"I've been up since six," she said. "Someone has to keep this place running."
He chuckled. "You know, you could hire one of the bots or a maid, right? I heard Peter upgraded the domestic AIs last week."
Lumia shot him a look. "And let a program burn the toast instead of me? No thanks."
She flipped the eggs, the motion sharp and sure. "Besides, I like doing it myself. Makes the place feel human."
Max nodded, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah… I get that."
Across the table, the others were already stirring. Rize sat with her hair a tangled mess, lazily scrolling through a holo-feed, while Malaika was helping Mu Qing prepare fruit on the side counter. Lan Xue was quiet, her eyes distant but calm as always, and Gwen — bright as ever — was adjusting the holographic clock projection on the wall.
"Morning, boss," Gwen said, flashing a grin. "You look half-alive today. Improvement."
"Appreciate the vote of confidence," Max said dryly, grabbing a cup of coffee.
Peter wandered in a few minutes later, hair messy, still pulling on a jacket. "Did someone mention coffee?" he mumbled.
"Second shelf," Lumia said automatically.
He nodded and poured himself some, yawning as he sat beside Rize. "Big day, huh?"
Max raised a brow. "You mean the launch?"
"Yeah. Feast's reopening," Lumia said, sliding a plate in front of him. "Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter, and Training — the name fits, right?"
"It fits," Max said. He leaned against the counter, watching her move with that same quiet determination she'd always had. "You've done good with it."
She smiled faintly but didn't look up. "We've done good. It's not just me anymore."
"Honestly it was Aunt May idea" Peter added as they nodded, as she is also the Director of it too.
They all sat together as they ate the breakfast and then left for the Feast grand opening.
The ride to the FEAST center was quiet, but it wasn't the kind of silence that felt heavy — it was the calm before something good. The morning light poured through the van's windows, streaking across their faces as the city slowly came alive.
Outside, the streets were rebuilding — vendors setting up stalls, repair drones buzzing over scaffolds, kids running with patched-up hoverboards. It wasn't perfect, but it was alive.
Peter sat up front, hands on the wheel, a grin tugging at his face. "Can't believe it's actually happening," he said.
Lumia nodded from the passenger seat. "Took long enough." She glanced in the mirror. "You sure about the speech, Pete?"
Peter groaned. "You had to remind me."
Rize smirked from the back. "You'll be fine. Just smile and say something heroic — you've got practice."
He rolled his eyes. "That's Spider-Man, not public speaker Peter Parker."
The group laughed, even Gwen, who was checking her wrist display, chimed in. "Relax, the whole city's rooting for this place. Even Stark sent over a few drones to help manage logistics. You can't mess this up."
"Great," Peter muttered. "Now I have to live up to Stark-level expectations."
"Don't overthink it," Max said quietly. He sat near the window, watching the city blur by. "Just talk like you always do — honest, simple. That's what Aunt May believed in."
At her name, Peter's expression softened. "Yeah… she'd probably tell me to stop worrying and get to work."
"Exactly," Lumia said with a small smile. "And she'd probably have everyone fed before the event even started."
They all chuckled.
When they arrived, the sight took their breath away.
The FEAST Center stood tall — clean lines of steel and glass, the white letters gleaming proudly against the sky:FEAST — Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter, and Training.
Below it, a large banner fluttered in the wind:"For those who fell, for those still standing."
Crowds had already gathered. Journalists, workers, volunteers — even kids holding signs of hope. The smell of fresh paint mixed with the faint aroma of food cooking inside.
Max stepped out first, stretching slightly, taking in the scene. "You really pulled it off," he said quietly.
Lumia joined him, eyes tracing the building's edges. "We all did. May started it, we carried it forward."
"Feels right," Gwen said, smiling softly. "Like… closure."
Peter cleared his throat, straightening his tie — which was still crooked. "Alright. Let's do this before I lose my nerve."
"Speech time," Rize teased, just as Aunt May walked toward them.
"My beautiful children," she said warmly, pulling each of them into a hug. They embraced her in return, the moment soft and full of quiet affection.
Then she turned to Peter, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Peter," she said, hugging him a little tighter.
"It wasn't just me," Peter replied, sensing the weight of her emotions.
"I know," she said with a gentle smile. Then, turning to Lumia, she added, "That's why, Lumia dear — take care of this idiot for me."
Lumia smiled back. "Don't worry, my beautiful Aunt. You'll be right here with us."
"Okay, now speech time," Rize chimed in again, grinning as Peter shot her a look.
He glared at her good-naturedly before making his way to the podium. The murmurs of the crowd quieted as he stepped up, a light breeze tugging at his jacket.
Peter looked around — at Lumia, at Max, at the others — and then up at the sign above the building. He took a deep breath.
***
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