Hunter Zolomone had learned one simple rule over the past week: peace was temporary.
No matter how quiet his manor, no matter how carefully he managed the children, the world had a way of intruding. Sometimes subtly, sometimes violently.
This morning, the greenhouse was alive with its usual soft chaos. The small pond shimmered under the early sun, casting golden patterns across the walls. Eli practiced levitation with tiny stones, his small concentration sparks lighting up like fireflies. Lila sketched quietly, glancing up occasionally to watch Arin practice fire control under Hunter's careful supervision. Kaia, still tentative, hovered small objects around her, trying to create patterns without sending them crashing into the walls.
Hunter leaned against the railing of the central balcony, hood pulled low over his face. Observing. Calculating. Calm as always.
Then the sky screamed.
It was not the scream of a person. Not the groan of a building. Not even the howl of some mutant or villain.
It was a whoosh of energy slicing through the clouds—a human shape plummeting toward the city like a meteor, twisting and turning in midair, arms flailing, light trailing like fire across the atmosphere.
Hunter's eyes narrowed. He moved before anyone else could react. Golden scars glimmered faintly beneath the hoodie. The system alerted him: [High-Risk Entry Detected – Unidentified Individual]
Spider-Woman appeared instantly at the manor gates, her presence unmistakable. "Hunter! That's—"
"Stay back." Hunter's voice was calm but firm. "I've got this."
The children froze, looking up at the ceiling window. The plummeting figure struck the streets with a deafening impact just outside the invisible barrier. Concrete cracked. Flames ignited briefly. Dust rose in clouds thick enough to obscure the surroundings.
Hunter moved effortlessly, gliding over the rubble as if gravity only applied to those who were less controlled. He crouched before the fallen figure, his aura brushing outward subtly. Spider-Woman could feel it from the gates—a calm, overwhelming presence, so strong it gently pressed against the city's atmosphere.
The girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen. Hair silver and wild, a faint glow radiating from her body in pulse-like waves. Eyes wide, she shivered as her aura flickered, leaving small fires dancing along the asphalt.
Hunter knelt beside her. "…You're safe. I will keep you safe."
Her eyes met his. Fear, confusion, and awe collided in that gaze. "…Who… are you?" she whispered, voice trembling.
Hunter's golden eyes shone faintly from beneath the hoodie. "…Someone who keeps people alive."
The girl hesitated. Sparks of energy flared from her hands uncontrollably. Hunter's aura expanded subtly, dampening the volatile energy like a soft, golden tide. The fires died down. Concrete stopped cracking.
"I… I can't control it," she admitted, voice quivering.
Hunter smiled faintly. "…Then you need guidance. You're coming with me."
Spider-Woman arrived, landing gracefully nearby. Her eyes studied the girl carefully, reading the uncontrolled energy. "She's… powerful," she muttered.
"Yes," Hunter said simply. "…But she doesn't know it yet."
Back at the manor, the greenhouse seemed to expand even more as if sensing a new presence. The children looked on curiously. Eli tilted his head. "Another one?"
Hunter nodded. "…Another one." He motioned toward a quiet corner room. "She will stay there until she learns control. No one goes near her unless she wishes it."
The girl stumbled forward weakly, and Hunter's hand gently guided her. "I am Hunter. This is your sanctuary. You are safe."
She trembled slightly. "…It's… beautiful."
Lila leaned over, curiosity winning over caution. "Who is she?"
Hunter's voice was calm but firm. "A guest. Learn to respect her space."
The girl's aura flared again unconsciously, lighting the room softly. Arin and Kaia stared in awe, trying to mimic her energy under Hunter's quiet supervision. The twins whispered to each other, their small telekinetic sparks dancing in the air.
Hunter's golden aura pulsed faintly as he guided the girl to a corner of the greenhouse. "What's your name?" he asked.
She hesitated, then whispered: "Selene."
Hunter nodded. "Selene, you are safe here. Trust me, and you will learn to control yourself."
That evening, Hunter was training the children with precise focus. The new girl, Selene, sat quietly at the edge of the pond, golden energy pulsing softly around her fingertips, controlled faintly by her willpower alone.
Spider-Woman appeared again at the gates. "…You're really going to keep adding to the group, aren't you?"
Hunter glanced toward her, eyes calm. "…They need guidance. It is not a choice."
Her eyes softened. "…You're impossible, you know that? You could conquer the city, but you choose to protect them instead."
"Yes," Hunter replied simply. "…Because they are alive. That is what matters."
Spider-Woman studied him, then looked toward Selene. "…Another one?"
"Yes." Hunter's gaze softened faintly. "…She fell from the sky."
"…Figures," Spider-Woman muttered, voice tinged with amusement. "…You always attract the dramatic ones."
Hunter exhaled slowly. "…I do not attract. I respond."
Spider-Woman tilted her head. "…You make everything complicated."
Hunter's golden scars flickered faintly beneath his hoodie. "…I do what must be done."
Selene finally spoke, voice soft. "…I… I can feel him. He makes the fire calm."
Eli smiled softly. "…Like a father."
Hunter's jaw tightened slightly. Not a father—but a protector. The word felt right in some ways, wrong in others.
Spider-Woman's gaze lingered on him. "…You're really going to end up with all these kids under your care, aren't you?"
Hunter's lips pressed into a thin line. "…If they survive, yes."
A small pause.
Spider-Woman shook her head slowly. "…You're ridiculous."
Hunter allowed himself a small smile. "…I've been told."
Night settled over the manor.
Hunter walked through the greenhouse silently. Plants glowed softly. Animals stirred peacefully. Eli slept at the foot of a vine-covered balcony. Lila's sketchbook was open, her pencil tracing faint lines in sleep. Arin and Kaia curled near the pond, watching Selene, who had finally managed to float small, harmless sparks above her palms.
Hunter paused. "…You are all safe. For now."
He glanced toward the ceiling window. Stars glimmered quietly. The cosmic entity that had observed him before had not returned. But the universe had shifted slightly, as if noticing the new energy in his manor.
Something told him this was only the beginning.
Above the city, unknown eyes observed. Curious. Calculating. Waiting.
Hunter exhaled. "…Then let them come. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves."
The golden aura behind his hoodie shimmered faintly, reflecting the stars above, the light from the greenhouse, and the fragile, temporary peace he was building.
And for the first time that night, he allowed himself a quiet thought: perhaps, in the chaos of the world, he could create a place where people didn't have to fear.
A place where he could teach not only power—but restraint, patience, and trust.
A place he could call… home.