The base was unusually lively, with everyone in a good mood—except Logan. His birthday was in a few days, and his team wasn't about to let him forget it.
Matthew was the worst offender. "Nineteen already? Damn, Logan, you're getting old. Next thing you know, you'll be complaining about back pain and taxes."
Logan, barely looking up from his seat, exhaled. "Matthew, you're six months younger than me. Shut up."
William, leaning against the kitchen counter, smirked. "You do act like an old man sometimes, though. Always brooding, always serious. Maybe we should get you a cane for your birthday?"
Jessica grinned. "Or a retirement plan. Gotta start early, you know?"
Even Elsa, who usually backed him up, was laughing along. Logan just shook his head, resting his chin on his knuckles.
But then Elsa leaned closer, her expression shifting into something unreadable. "Actually… Logan, there's something important I need to tell you."
Something in her tone made the air shift. The jokes quieted down as Logan sat up straighter. "What is it?"
Elsa hesitated, biting her lip as if unsure how to say it. Then, with a deep breath, she looked him in the eyes and said—
"I'm pregnant."
Silence.
Logan blinked. The words took a second to register. His mind suddenly rewound through every moment of the past few months, calculating probabilities, assessing possibilities—
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Matthew's expression crack. His lips twitched, struggling to hold back laughter. Jessica covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. William was taking a sip of water, visibly trying not to choke.
And that's when Logan knew.
He turned his head back to Elsa, who was already grinning. "Gotcha."
Logan leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "I hate all of you."
Matthew lost it first, cackling. "Oh, man. The look on your face! You went full calculation mode! I bet you were already planning a whole escape route."
William chuckled. "To be fair, that would've been a huge birthday surprise."
Jessica wiped a tear from her eye. "I don't think I've ever seen Logan look that shook before."
Elsa laughed, leaning into him. "You're lucky I love you. Otherwise, I'd keep this joke going for days."
Logan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really am killing all of you."
The teasing continued, but eventually, Logan let himself laugh along. It had almost been a full year since his first mission. So much had happened—his life had changed in ways he never expected.
But somehow, despite everything, he had people around him who made it all worth it.
Even if they were insufferable sometimes.
After the chaos of Elsa's prank settled down, the team eventually went back to their usual banter, but Logan remained lost in thought. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as the voices of his teammates blurred into the background.
Almost a year. It felt both long and short.
He thought back to that first mission—the one that marked his entry into this world as a triggerman. The rogue client, the middleman, the blood on his hands. It had been clean, efficient, just as his father had trained him to be. And now, after everything—the cartel politics, the battles, the death race, surviving a C4 explosion—he was still standing.
"You're brooding again," Elsa murmured, nudging him with her knee.
Logan smirked slightly but didn't deny it. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"How much has changed." He turned to look at her. "How I almost died multiple times this year."
Elsa rolled her eyes. "You mean how you've survived multiple times."
Logan exhaled, his gaze softening. "Yeah. That too."
The room had started to quiet down, with William checking his weapons at the table, Matthew tinkering with one of his gadgets, and Jessica scrolling through her phone while making side comments.
Then, Matthew broke the silence. "Alright, so what's the plan for the big day? We throwing a party, or is Logan gonna be all emo and refuse to celebrate?"
Logan shot him a look. "I don't do 'emo.'"
"You brood way too much for someone who doesn't do 'emo.'"
Jessica smirked. "He's right, though. Are we celebrating or what?"
Elsa grinned. "I think he deserves a celebration. We could do something small, just us."
William nodded. "Something low-key. Logan's not really the 'huge party' type."
Matthew sighed dramatically. "Boring. But fine, I'll allow it."
Logan smirked. "Didn't realize you had a say in it."
"Of course I do. I'm your best friend." Matthew grinned, then added, "Also, you still owe me for saving your ass in the death race."
"I saved you, dumbass."
"Technicalities."
Elsa shook her head, laughing. "So it's settled then? Small celebration, just us?"
Logan exhaled, nodding. "Yeah. Sounds good."
For the first time in a while, he felt a strange sense of peace. He didn't know what the next year would bring—more missions, more fights, more risks—but for now, he had this. A moment of normalcy. A moment where he wasn't just Grey, the cartel's deadly triggerman, but simply Logan.
And that was enough
The team gathered together, still chatting and exchanging jabs, but there was an unspoken understanding in the air. Even amidst their playful banter, it was clear that they had become more than just teammates. They had become a family, for better or worse.
As Logan leaned back in his chair, listening to the conversations around him, his mind drifted back to the day he first met each of them.
Matthew – the smart-ass, always with a joke or a gadget in hand, yet a deep loyalty that he showed when it mattered most.
William – the more serious one, with an unshakable confidence and raw strength. He might not say much, but when he spoke, you listened.
Jessica – his grounding force, the one who kept everyone in check, always organized, always thinking ahead.
And then there was Elsa.
She had become his anchor in so many ways. She was the one who saw him as Logan, not just the Esper with an arsenal of powers and skills. It was the way she looked at him—like he was just him—not a weapon, not someone to be used. That was something Logan hadn't had in a long time.
Elsa caught him lost in thought again, her eyes softening. "Hey," she said gently, placing a hand on his arm. "I get that it's a lot to process, but don't forget. You've got us."
Logan's lips twitched into a small smile. "I know."
As the conversation shifted, Matthew chimed in again, smirking. "So, Logan, you gonna tell us what you're getting for your birthday? Or do we have to guess?"
Logan shot him a look. "You're not my parents. Don't start with the birthday wish list."
"Come on," Matthew teased. "I'm just curious. You've got all this money now, do you actually want anything?"
Logan sighed and leaned forward. "No. Honestly, I don't need anything. I've got the things that matter."
"Like Elsa?" Matthew raised an eyebrow, and the team collectively laughed.
Elsa blushed, but her hand found Logan's again. "You know it."
William gave Logan a playful nudge. "It's good to see you smile again, man. I mean, you're still brooding half the time, but it's progress."
Logan chuckled softly. "Progress is overrated."
Elsa gave him a small, affectionate squeeze on his hand, as if silently telling him to stop resisting. He was surrounded by people who truly cared about him. It wasn't a perfect world, and he wasn't a perfect person, but at least, for now, he had this.
As the evening went on, and the laughter continued to fill the room, Logan found himself more at ease than he had been in a long time. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay. Even if tomorrow came with its own battles, he wasn't going to face them alone.
"Alright, alright," Matthew said, standing up. "Enough of this sappy stuff. Logan, just make sure you don't end up in some disaster on your birthday."
Logan shot him a look, half-exasperated, half-amused. "I can't promise anything. But if I end up in a mess, I'll drag you all down with me."
The team laughed, and for a moment, it felt like they could face whatever came next. After all, they had each other.
And that, Logan thought, was all that really mattered.