"I smell trouble, and it won’t end well."
"That mortal is going to cause chaos here."
"It’s been ages since one dared this."
"What was his name again?"
"Sun Wukong. The one who said he was equal to heaven."
"Ah. Those days. He climbed too high, thought himself a god."
"He fell hard."
"God had to erase him. A lesson to the rest."
Voices overlapped, sharp, annoyed, curious. The lower watchers spoke freely, confident, relaxed in their seats.
"He’ll be the same."
"They always are."
"A mortal can’t walk into judgment and live."
They paused.
"Right?"
No answer came.
Then—
BAM.
Everything shook once.
They were there.
Adam stood at the front, hands loose, smile already forming. Annabeth stood just behind him, eyes bright, grin wide like she was about to watch a show. Alex stood a few steps away, arms folded, tired before it even started. Kahdijah floated slightly above the rest, calm and dangerous. Rebecca leaned back, relaxed, watching the watchers instead. David stood close to Alex, eyes darting, trying to process what he was seeing.
"You had to do it," Alex said. "You always do."
Adam smirked. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."
"This is a sacred place," Alex said.
Adam glanced around. "Looks like a waiting room."
Annabeth laughed quietly.
Souls stood lined up ahead. Some crying. Some silent. Some angry. Some confused.
Adam’s eyes flicked over them.
"Oh," he said. "Some of you look familiar."
A few souls recognized him and recoiled.
"So this is where it starts," Adam said.
A voice thundered over them.
"Leave, mortal. This place is not for you."
Annabeth blinked. "Mortal?"
Adam tilted his head. "That’s rude."
Another voice followed, calm but heavy. "You stand before judgment."
Annabeth frowned. "Wait."
She looked around, eyes narrowing.
"Fatimah?" she said suddenly.
Silence rippled.
A figure spoke again. "You know my name."
Annabeth’s eyes widened. "Then... are we in the right heaven?"
Adam laughed. "Good question."
Another voice answered, amused. "You are."
Annabeth turned. "How?"
A new speaker stepped in. "There is only one heaven."
"Different names," another added. "Different paths."
"Same end."
A deep, gentle voice followed. "All rivers lead here."
Annabeth swallowed. "Then..."
Another figure spoke, smiling in his tone. "You may call me Buddha."
David’s mouth dropped open. "No way."
Another voice laughed softly. "You humans give us many names."
Alex sighed. "I told you this would be messy."
Adam clapped once. "Okay. So this is the council."
A voice answered. "The judges."
"Top of the food chain," Adam said. "Nice."
Fatimah spoke again. "You do not belong here."
Adam shrugged. "Neither did Sun Wukong. Didn’t stop him."
A watcher snapped. "Do not compare yourself to him."
Adam’s smile sharpened. "I’m not."
Annabeth leaned forward. "So you judge everyone?"
"Yes," several voices replied.
"Even kids?" she asked.
A pause.
"Yes."
Adam’s eyes darkened for half a second.
Alex noticed. "Easy."
Adam breathed out. "Right."
Rebecca spoke for the first time. "So you sit here. Watching. Sorting."
Another voice replied. "Balance must be maintained."
Kahdijah laughed. "You call that balance?"
One of the watchers bristled. "Mind your tone."
Kahdijah tilted her head. "Or what?"
Silence.
Adam stepped forward. "We’re here to check something."
Fatimah replied. "You do not command this place."
Adam nodded. "Fair."
He smiled again. "Then let me ask."
The judges waited.
"Where do mothers who die protecting their children go?"
A pause.
Annabeth held her breath.
Buddha answered softly. "That depends on the heart."
Adam nodded. "Good."
He looked at Annabeth. "Ready?"
She grinned. "Very."
Alex rubbed his temples. "This is going to be a problem."
Adam looked back at the judges.
"Alright," he said. "Let’s talk judgment."
"There is nothing to discuss with a mortal," Fatimah said, voice firm, sharp with irritation.
Adam smiled slowly. "Good. Keep talking like that."
Several of the watchers stiffened.
"Because the longer you do," Adam continued, "the more tempted I get to erase this place."
A murmur spread.
"And when I’m done here," he went on calmly, "I’ll go to hell and erase that too. No heaven. No hell. No gods. No devils. People live how they want. End of story."
Everything stopped.
Even the souls waiting forgot to breathe.
"That," Buddha said gently, "is arrogance. And arrogance is always the first step to ruin."
Adam laughed, short and amused. "I’m not arrogant."
He stepped forward once.
"I’m capable."
Silence.
"And your real mistake," Adam said, "is still calling me a mortal."
He pointed back without looking.
"We are not mortals."
His finger shifted.
"Except those two."
Annabeth blinked. "Wait—"
Adam pointed at her and then David.
"For now," he added.
David swallowed. "For now doesn’t sound comforting."
"They won’t be," Adam said.
Alex turned sharply. "Adam."
Adam raised a hand. "Relax."
He leaned in, one whisper to Annabeth, one to David.
"Close your eyes," he said quietly. "Think of what you always wanted. Not what sounds cool. What you wanted when you were alone. Watching shows. Reading comics. Imagining you were more."
Annabeth hesitated.
David laughed nervously. "You’re serious?"
Adam nodded. "Dead serious."
Annabeth closed her eyes first.
David followed.
"Don’t overthink it," Adam said softly. "Just want it."
David’s thoughts raced.
Heroes.
Watches.
Transformations.
Power without rules.
Something that could become anything.
Something fun.
Something dangerous.
Something iconic.
His eyes snapped open.
On his wrist sat a device.
Green core.
Familiar shape.
David’s breath caught. "No way."
He lifted his arm slowly. "No way."
Annabeth opened her eyes too.
She didn’t smile.
She didn’t laugh.
She just stared at her hands.
Then at Adam.
Then at the judges.
"I don’t want tools," she said calmly.
Adam raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I don’t want borrowed power," she went on. "I don’t want gadgets."
She took a step forward.
"I want authority."
A hush fell.
"I want to decide," Annabeth said. "I want to look at something and say yes or no and have reality agree."
Alex stiffened. "Annabeth—"
"I want the kind of power that doesn’t need permission," she finished.
Nothing exploded.
Nothing flashed.
But the judges felt it.
Buddha’s tone shifted. "That is not something you give a child."
Adam smiled wider than before. "Good thing I’m not asking."
David was staring at his wrist, tapping it. "Uh... it’s asking me to select a form."
Annabeth looked at him. "Don’t do it yet."
David froze. "Why?"
She smiled. "Let them see."
Fatimah’s voice hardened. "This is blasphemy."
Adam shrugged. "This is family."
One of the watchers shouted, "Stop this now!"
Adam didn’t look at him. "You’re still talking."
David raised his arm slightly. "So if I think it... I become it?"
"Yes," Adam said.
David grinned, wide and feral. "That’s insane."
Annabeth took another step forward.
The line of souls reacted without knowing why.
"I can feel it," she said. "Everything here has rules."
She looked at Fatimah. "And rules can be rewritten."
Fatimah’s jaw tightened. "You are overstepping."
Annabeth tilted her head. "You don’t feel so untouchable anymore."
Alex exhaled slowly. "This is exactly what I was afraid of."
Kahdijah laughed. "She’s perfect."
Rebecca smiled faintly. "She really is his niece."
Adam clapped once. "Alright."
He looked at the judges.
"Now," he said, voice calm again, "you can either listen."
Or else."
David glanced at Annabeth. "So... adventure?"
She smiled. "Looks like it."
Adam stepped forward.
"And now," he said, "we talk."