At a Broadway theater, five children sat close together, forming a unique little scene of their own.
Clap clap clap clap… The moment the song ended, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.
"Miss Julia's performance was absolutely incredible! I'm going to become an opera singer just like her one day!" Mary Jane's eyes sparkled like tiny stars as she gazed at the beautiful woman on stage.
"She really is amazing. Even on a global scale, Miss Julia is one of the best opera singers in the world," Harry Osborn commented. Unlike Mary Jane, he was born into wealth and had been exposed to the arts since childhood, so his praise carried weight.
"We really have Athena to thank for this. If she hadn't gotten us the tickets, we never would've had the chance to see this." Gwen Stacy smiled gratefully.
"It's nothing. My parents couldn't make it anyway, so I figured it'd be a waste not to use them. And besides, didn't Harry buy two extra tickets?" Athena said.
"Yeah, thanks, Harry," Peter Parker chimed in, giving his best friend a thumbs-up.
"They're just tickets, no big deal," Harry said, rubbing his nose modestly.
Immediately, he received two looks of disdain and one of admiration. Peter and Gwen shot him the classic "rich boy" glare, while Mary Jane gazed at him with open adoration. Broadway tickets weren't impossibly expensive, but for a group of kids, they were far from affordable—especially for a performance by a world-class soprano.
As one act ended and the next was about to begin, strange sounds began to leak through the theater's excellent soundproofing.
Bang!Boom! The noises came one after another, mixed with what sounded like roaring.
"What's going on out there?"
"Is this part of the show?"
"No… the ground's shaking!"
Panic spread through the crowd as more people realized something was wrong. The audience began to surge toward the exits, chaos erupting inside the theater. Athena and her four friends were tossed about like a small boat in a stormy sea.
"Miss! Are you alright?" The Saint of Crane, Cletia, pushed through the crowd to reach them. On either side, the Saints of Cerberus, Dardi, and Hercules, Algeti, formed a shield to keep the children from being trampled.
"I'm fine, Cletia. What's happening outside?" Athena asked. For some reason, she didn't feel afraid at all—only calm, as if she somehow knew she would be safe.
"It's alright, Miss. Just a minor incident, it'll be over soo—"
Boom!
The wall of the opera house exploded inward, sending chunks of debris flying. Two massive figures—one green, one yellow—tumbled through the opening, locked in a brutal fight, utterly oblivious to the panicked humans around them.
"Ahhh!"
Mary Jane screamed. She was just an ordinary girl, and the sight of such monsters was more than she could process.
"Miss, I must get you all out of here. It's not safe," Cletia said urgently.
"Alright," Athena nodded. Under the protection of the three Saints, they began moving with the crowd toward the exit.
"That was terrifying! What are those things?" Mary Jane gasped once they were outside.
"I don't know—but they must be superhumans," Harry said gravely.
"Like the X-Men?" Peter asked, unable to hide his excitement. He was a huge superhero fan—especially of Iron Man.
"That means it's dangerous," Gwen added, keeping her composure like the daughter of a police captain she was.
"Everyone, we should get you to safety," Cletia said firmly.
"Thank you, we'll—"
"No, Cletia, Dardi, Algeti—can you help those people?" Athena suddenly interrupted, pointing toward the wounded civilians scattered among the wreckage.
"Miss, your safety comes first."
"We can save them after we make sure you're safe."
"That's right—you can't risk yourself."
The three Saints were moved by her compassion. Even though she hadn't fully awakened, she was still the same goddess who loved humanity and the earth deeply. But their mission was clear—Athena's life took priority over everything else.
"No. Go help them. I'll be fine. There's no danger here," Athena said firmly, her youthful face filled with rare seriousness.
"This…" The three hesitated. They wanted to obey—but to leave her side went against every instinct as her guardians.
"Don't worry, Cletia—we'll look after her!"
"Yeah, you can count on us!"
Peter and the others puffed out their chests, trying to sound brave.
"…Alright, I'll trust you," Cletia finally relented. If they refused, Athena would only keep arguing and waste precious time.
"Let's go!"
The three Saints exchanged looks and split up to rescue civilians. Athena smiled faintly, satisfied, and ran off with the four children.
But at that very moment, another crash shook the air. The weakened wall burst apart again as the Hulk was hurled across the street, crashing through several buildings before vanishing into rubble. The Abomination emerged, striding forward proudly.
"This is the fight I wanted! You're no match for me, Hulk!"
Then, for some reason, he stopped—right in front of the five children.
In an instant, Peter, Gwen, Harry, and Mary Jane's legs gave out. Even Mary Jane didn't scream this time—her mind had gone completely blank.
They had tried to be brave, but they were still just kids.
The Abomination frowned. For reasons he couldn't explain, looking at them irritated him deeply. Was it disappointment? A hunger for a stronger challenge? Or simply a cruel urge to destroy?
Whatever the reason, his rage demanded release. His massive hand rose, ready to crush them.
"Miss!"
Cletia and the others saw it happen—but they were too far away. Their Saint Cloths materialized in blinding flashes of light, but they knew it was too late. Terror froze their hearts—they could already see Athena's death before their eyes.
Then the impossible happened.
Athena did not flinch. Her gaze was firm, her golden aura flaring around her—radiant, sacred, and filled with authority.
The Abomination froze. In his eyes, she was no longer a child, but a divine being beyond comprehension—untouchable, unyielding, holy.
But rage drowned his awe. Enraged that he had hesitated, he snarled and swung his giant fist down with killing intent.
The wind howled, her hair whipped across her face—but Athena did not move. Her calm, stern eyes seemed less like a child's and more like those of a mother scolding her wayward son.
"Die, you little—"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, an invisible force slammed into his abdomen, hurling him through several buildings before disappearing into the distance.
Standing before Athena was Melin, his right hand poised in a flicking gesture, eyes cold and filled with restrained fury.
"Lord Melin! We have failed to protect you—please punish us!" Cletia and the others dropped to one knee instantly.
"Lord Melin! We failed in our duty—please punish us!" From another direction, the Saints of Lizard, Misty, and Lyra, Arugoru, rushed over to kneel as well.
They had thought Athena was safe with Cletia's team nearby. They hadn't expected her to command them to rescue civilians—or that disaster would strike at that exact moment.
"Lord Melin. Lady Athena," another golden light descended. Mu appeared beside them, bowing respectfully.
"Handle your own mistakes," Melin said coldly. "That yellow brute—I don't want to see him again."
"Yes, sir!"
The five Silver Saints scattered, following Mu's orders to rescue the wounded civilians. As for the Abomination—he would deal with that personally.
They all knew that Melin was angry—and barely holding back his killing intent. If he unleashed it, the entire city might crumble.
"It's alright."
The gentle voice washed over Melin like a breeze through burning coals, cooling his rage and softening his expression.
A small, delicate hand reached out and held his. Their fingers intertwined—large and small—and they stood facing each other, eyes locked.
"Athena…"
"I'm fine. But it's still too soon, Melin. Please wait for me. I'll come back soon."
"…I'll wait. No matter how long it takes."
As her light faded, Athena's body went limp, and she fell softly into Melin's arms.
"Wha… what happened to me?" she murmured in confusion. Though her voice and face were the same, the aura around her was completely different. Her brief awakening was over; she was once again an ordinary little girl.
For some reason, she didn't recoil from Melin's touch—something unusual for her. Instead, she felt warmth and safety in his arms.
"It's alright, little one. Go with your friends and find shelter," Melin said gently, though every instinct told him to keep her close. He knew… it wasn't time yet.
"O-okay… thank you, mister," Athena said shyly, her cheeks flushed as she stepped back politely.
"Alright, kids," Melin said, turning to the others. "Get out of here. It's not safe."
"Huh!?" The four kids, who had been frozen the entire time, finally snapped back to reality. They nodded frantically and followed Athena, running toward safety.
But as they ran, one thought echoed in all their minds—who was Athena? And who were those armored warriors?
As Melin watched them go, he stood silently, lost in thought.
"'Mister,' huh?" he murmured with a faint smile. "Heh… Athena, I hope you won't be too embarrassed when you wake up."