The massive success of My Hero Academia, followed by the sale of its rights and the substantial advance for Demon Slayer, had allowed Marcus to afford a luxury he'd never imagined: a sprawling penthouse apartment with a panoramic terrace atop a prestigious residential tower in Tokyo. Tonight was the housewarming party.
The first surprise was answering the door to find Clark Kent, dressed in a simple sweatshirt and jeans, smiling shyly behind his glasses, a bottle of wine in hand.
"Clark!"Marcus exclaimed, shaking his hand warmly. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"I couldn't miss this,Marcus," Clark replied, his gaze warm. "And thank you. For everything you did while I was away."
A simple nod between them said more than any speech could.
The atmosphere was relaxed and joyful. Bruce Wayne, in a dark, discreet suit and tie worth more than most people's cars, was talking near the floor-to-ceiling windows with Oliver Queen, who was far more casual in a leather blazer.
"The'similar concept' argument was weak," Bruce commented, coldly analyzing Marcus's legal battle. "You did well to document everything. Preparation is key."
"Yeah,well, I would've just put an arrow in his desk chair to get the point across," grumbled Oliver, sipping his beer, drawing a faint smile from Bruce.
In a corner, Diana Prince, stunning in a simple summer dress, listened as Shayera Hol – in jeans and a t-shirt – animatedly recounted how Marcus had stood up to the publisher.
"He was like this,"Shayera said, imitating Marcus's imposing posture, "and he said: 'You are no longer dealing with a simple artist.' It was... pretty hot."
Diana smiled,her wise eyes resting on Marcus. "Strength of character is a weapon as powerful as any sword."
Further away, Barry Allen – who had already emptied three plates of snacks – and John Stewart – more reserved in a sober sweater – were discussing the new apartment.
"Seriously,the view is incredible," Barry said, his mouth full. "You could go jogging on this terrace!"
"It's an apartment,Barry, not a stadium," John replied with a small smile.
As the party was in full swing, Marcus took a drink and stepped out onto the terrace. Clark joined him, the two men looking out at the endless carpet of city lights.
"It's good to be back,"Clark said softly. "And to see the Earth was in good hands."
"There are many good hands,Clark," Marcus replied, raising his glass. "We're a team."
At that moment, Shayera slipped under Marcus's arm, offering him a piece of cake.
"See?"she whispered. "Everyone is here. For you. Not for Utopian. For Marcus."
He held her close,looking at the room filled with laughter and conversation. Gods, princesses, billionaires, vigilantes... all gathered here, in civilian clothes, to celebrate with him a victory that wasn't a hero's, but a man's. It was the sweetest victory of all.