Generation Antihero - Shorts

Here's to the new chaos

The next day already both came back home with their new daughter. As soon as they walked through the door, Jurij ran towards them pumped with joy, hugged his parent's legs and took a fascinated look at his little sister. Ilus also approached them and simpered: "Later on she'll surely grow to be a beautiful woman like her mother. But for now she's wrinkled and lined like her father". Zigz couldn't even get mad. He just repressed his tears: "I know...". Shota squealed: "Aw, she's so adorable". Kiki offered: "Would you like to hold her?". In a sugar rush he took her: "Of course. Hey there, little girl". She opened her blue-green eyes and observed her new surroundings overwhelmed. What interested her most was Shota's colorful hair.

Ilus couldn't remain tough for long. He just snatched Talita from Shota's arms to greet her cordially. While pulling a funny face he changed his voice to a silly tone: "Hello". He laugehd for himself, carried her over to his desk, where he laid down a pillow to put her on, and introduced: "Welcome to your home. We can get loud from time to time, but basically we're all friendly. And we are going to protect you". Afterwards he tickled her hands and played around a little. The resilient gang watched their soft-gone Chef with twisted looks. Henry was blushing red at that. Teasing Dexter nudged his side.

Shark went over to Zigz and Kiki to give them a hug: "You did a good job". Kiki laughed, while Zigz was still drained. His voice cracked a lot: "I think I'll never get such a great christmas present ever again...". Shota smiled: "For many this year has been the best christmas of their life's. Not much has happened, but the feeling of fellowship has never been stronger". Kiki raised her eyebrow: "Oh yeah? How did our grinch behave?". "We're not going to talk about that", he nodded off smiling. -"Did anything happen?". -"It's great to see you've managed the birth so well". Since Shota knew exactly, some days later Zigz would have made a huge wave out of it.

~~~

Almost completely drunk Shota and Lucky stood in front of a TV and belted Born This Way by Lady Gaga out. Most part of the gang clapped along the beat and laughed at them. Exceptionally Ilus let them be, new year's eve was just once a year after all. And everyone being batshit drunk under his surveillance at home he much rather took than what happened in the year prior. After the song he announced: "In ten minutes it's midnight. We should head out to light the fireworks".

Excited everyone jumped out of their seats to gather outside in the forecourt. They parked the cars and motorcycles away just for safety. A few members popped the sparkling wine bottles open and poured glasses up for everyone to be ready at midnight. Though Ilus opened the children's tea for himself, Henry joined him out of love. Shark took a sceptical whiff of his glass and asked Zigz: "Is this still good?". "It's supposed to smell like that, it's alcohol", he nodded. He rather gave his glass away and joined the children's tea gang with Kiki.

They put a hearing protection on Talita, Jurij held her close. Shota smirked: "I remember when Yasuo was born. I always refused accepting that I was having a sibling. Until the very day of his birth. But when I held him in my arms for the first time, I swore to myself to forever look after him". Jurij said all angel-like: "But my sister is pwetty". He shrugged: "It wasn't an insult towards me". Zigz nodded sarcastically: "Great protection you're doing there".

Koi himself didn't even hear this conversation, he just waited for the countdown to introduce the new year. A few from third league were ready at the firework batteries, since those were safer than rockets, and didn't loose track of time. Ten seconds before midnight they lit the batteries and ran back to the others. There were loud bangs everywhere and the new year started. While most clinked their glasses together, the couples exchanged a few kisses. Mischieviously grinning Lucky stood beside his best friend: "Happy new year". Koi was very well able to read from his eyes what he wanted and refused: "You drank too much, dream on". Defeated he accepted them merely clinking their glasses too.

With such a huge team it took a while for the clinking to quiet down. Almost all fireworks were done after ten minutes. Right before the great finale, Chef held a speech for all his boys: "I'd like to have everybody's attention! A happy new year to all of you, first off. The past year, plus a few months, have been something entirely new and wild. I think all of us have learned a few things, about ourselves and our fellow co-workers. And... I have shown myself from a really soft side, from which I didn't even know I had... Already before I've laughed a lot with you guys, but right now I can't count myself as any happier. I have fantastic and highly talented workers, who are also my friends. Now, I know that among you there sometimes are rising tensions. We won't ever have it easy. For all the years to follow we'll be challenged. But as long as we stay tog-". Right behind him a firework battery, that was meant to be done, re-fired suddenly.

Startled he jumped to the side and everybody gazed at the charred box. Ilus found his point anyway: "Even simple things like that will always be able to kill us. Just look out for yourselves and each other. I only wanted to say that we should use this new year to fight against our weaknesses, fears and problems of the past more easily in the future. Have a good time tonight, we'll see each other again tomorrow night for the next shift. Good luck trying to manage your hang-overs". Shark got the honor of lighting the last firework, but made sure that the prior battery was now really, actually done. They watched the colorful lightshow altogether, standing side by side.

Not having lost the last drunk hope, Lucky asked to his side: "What do you think will happen at this year's end?". "Nothing that has happened the last few days", Koi nodded bluntly. The tipsy thoughts gave up and he changed his actual topic: "Does that mean you'll celebrate together with us then?". He side-eyed him: "Fine, I will".

[End of the christmas short]