Saturday evening arrived faster than Marcus expected.
He spent Friday taking Spoiler's advice—actually resting, catching up on schoolwork, training lightly at the dojo but nothing intense. No patrol. No operations. Just recovery.
By Saturday afternoon, he was feeling more like himself. Less exhausted. More balanced.
Turns out rest actually works. Who knew?
He met Sarah and Jackson at 5:30 PM. They took Jackson's car to Uncle Mike's place—a modest house in the suburbs, far enough from Gotham proper to feel different but close enough that Marcus had grown up visiting the city.
"Nervous?" Sarah asked from the passenger seat.
"Little bit. Haven't seen him in weeks. And I need to tell him how intense things have gotten."
"He already knows you're using your abilities," Jackson pointed out from the driver's seat. "This is just... updating him on the scope."
"Yeah. Casually mentioning I'm out there every night fighting organized crime. No big deal."
"He's your uncle. He'll handle it. Probably with a lecture." Sarah smiled. "But he'll handle it."
Uncle Mike's house looked the same as always. Small front yard, garage with the door half-open showing his mechanic tools, porch light already on despite the sun not quite setting yet.
Marcus knocked. The door opened almost immediately.
"Marcus!" Uncle Mike pulled him into a tight hug. "Good to see you, kid. Too long."
"Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize. Just glad you're here." Uncle Mike released him and turned to Sarah and Jackson. "And the support crew! Come in, come in. Food's almost ready."
They filed inside. The house smelled like home—meatloaf, baked potatoes, something sweet in the oven. Uncle Mike had clearly gone all out.
"Smells amazing," Jackson said.
"Better taste amazing after all the work I put in." Uncle Mike led them to the kitchen. "Drinks in the fridge. Make yourselves at home. Dinner's in ten minutes."
Sarah and Jackson naturally gravitated to helping set the table, giving Marcus a moment alone with his uncle.
"You look better," Uncle Mike said quietly, checking the meatloaf in the oven. "Less run down than last time. Taking care of yourself?"
"Trying to. Been pushing pretty hard lately. Sarah and my partner finally convinced me to take a couple days off."
Uncle Mike's hands stilled on the oven door. "Partner. So you're not working alone anymore."
"No. Haven't been for about a month now. Another vigilante—Spoiler. She's been operating longer than me, knows what she's doing. We coordinate now."
Uncle Mike closed the oven, turned to face Marcus. "How intense has this gotten, Marcus?"
"Pretty intense. We're running operations almost every night. Crime Alley and the East End mostly. Coordinated takedowns, strategic planning. It's not just me stopping random muggings anymore."
"Operations. Planning. You're talking about this like it's a job."
"It kind of is. We've made real impact—crime in Crime Alley is down 23% in three months. That's measurable." Marcus leaned against the counter. "I know you're worried. I know you don't like this. But Uncle Mike, I'm good at it. And I'm being careful."
"Careful. While running operations every night in Crime Alley." Uncle Mike's tone was flat. "Do you hear yourself?"
"I have a partner who knows what she's doing. I have Sarah and Jackson planning logistics. I train six days a week with actual professionals. This isn't reckless."
"It's Gotham. It's always at least a little reckless." Uncle Mike crossed his arms. "When I told you to be careful, I didn't mean go find a partner and escalate into organized operations. I meant maybe help when you stumble across something, not actively hunt for trouble every night."
"People need help every night. And I can provide it now."
"At what cost?" Uncle Mike's voice was sharp. "You disappeared for three weeks. Barely called. When I did see you, you had bruises. Now you're telling me you're out there every single night?"
"Not every night anymore. Taking rest days now. That's why I'm here—Sarah and my partner both told me to take time off."
"Good. Listen to them. They seem to have more sense than you do." Uncle Mike sighed heavily. "Look, I'm not going to tell you to stop. You're an adult. You make your own choices. But Marcus, this level of intensity? It's not sustainable. You can't keep this up forever."
"I'm managing."
"For now. But what happens when you stop managing? When you push too hard and make a mistake?" Uncle Mike's expression was pained. "I can't lose you again, kid. The first time nearly killed me. I don't have a second time in me."
Marcus felt his chest tighten. "That's why I'm being careful. Why I have a partner. Why I listen to Sarah and Jackson. I'm not doing this blind."
"You're also not invincible. Those enhancements won't save you from everything." Uncle Mike moved closer. "I need you to promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll stay in touch. Actually stay in touch—not disappear for weeks. Call me. Let me know you're alive. Let me know you're okay." Uncle Mike's voice cracked slightly. "And promise me you'll think about sustainability. This intensity—every night, major operations—you can't keep that up long-term without burning out or getting killed. You need to pace yourself."
"I'm taking rest days now. Sarah's enforcing it."
"Good. Keep doing that. And Marcus?" Uncle Mike gripped his shoulder. "This partner of yours—Spoiler. Can you trust her? Really trust her?"
"Yes. She's professional. Experienced. Smart. She's teaching me strategy and tactics. Making me better at this."
"And you trust her with your life? Because that's what you're doing every time you go out there with her."
Marcus thought about Spoiler. The coordination. The operations. The way she'd covered him during the trafficking takedown. The way she'd ordered him to rest when he was burning out.
"Yeah. I trust her with my life."
"Okay. Then I trust your judgment." Uncle Mike pulled him into a hug. "Just stay smart, kid. Stay safe. And stay in touch. That's all I ask."
"I will. Promise."
Dinner was everything Marcus needed.
Uncle Mike's meatloaf was perfect as always. The conversation flowed naturally—Sarah talking about her engineering projects, Jackson discussing his pre-med classes, Uncle Mike sharing stories from the garage about ridiculous car problems people brought him.
"Guy came in last week claiming his car was 'haunted,'" Uncle Mike said, serving seconds. "Turns out he just had a loose belt making weird noises. Charged him fifty bucks to exorcise the 'ghost.'"
"That's basically fraud," Jackson pointed out.
"That's customer service. He wanted his car un-haunted. I un-haunted it. Everyone's happy."
Sarah laughed. "I like your business model."
"Thirty years of practice. You learn to work with what people believe, not just what's actually wrong."
The evening felt normal. Easy. Like Marcus was just a college student having dinner with his uncle and friends, not a vigilante who'd been running major operations in Crime Alley.
This is what I needed. Normal. Family. Connection to Marcus Reid instead of just Revenant.
After dinner, they moved to the living room. Sarah and Jackson naturally gravitated toward helping with dishes despite Uncle Mike's protests, leaving Marcus alone with his uncle again.
"Your friends are good people," Uncle Mike said, settling into his worn armchair. "They care about you. That's obvious."
"They're the best. They keep me grounded."
"Good. You need that." Uncle Mike looked at Marcus seriously. "I meant what I said earlier. About staying in touch. I don't want to go weeks wondering if you're alive. That's not fair to either of us."
"I know. I'll call more. Visit more. I was just... I got caught up in the work. Lost track of normal life."
"Don't lose track again. The vigilante work is important. But it's not the only important thing." Uncle Mike leaned forward. "You're Marcus Reid first. That guy who fights crime second. Don't flip that order."
"Sarah said basically the same thing."
"Because we're both right. You've got abilities. You're helping people. That's good. But you're also a person who needs rest, relationships, normal life. Don't sacrifice all of that for the work."
"I won't. I'm learning balance. Taking rest days. Spending time with people. Tonight proves that."
"Good. Keep proving it. Regular visits. Phone calls. Let me know you're okay." Uncle Mike smiled slightly. "And maybe bring this Spoiler person around sometime. I want to meet whoever you're trusting with your life."
"I'll... see what I can do. She's pretty careful about secret identities."
"Fair enough. Just know the offer's there." Uncle Mike stood up, stretched. "Now, before you leave, I'm loading you up with leftovers. You're college students. You need real food."
"Uncle Mike, we're fine—"
"Not negotiable. You're taking leftovers."
They left around 9 PM, Uncle Mike loading them down with containers despite their protests.
"Real food," Uncle Mike insisted, handing Marcus a container of meatloaf. "And Marcus? Call me this week. Don't make me wait."
"I'll call. Promise."
"Good. And stay safe out there, kid. Be smart."
"Always."
The drive back to Gotham was quiet at first.
"That went better than I expected," Sarah said eventually. "He took the escalation news pretty well."
"He's worried. But he gets it. Knows I'm being careful." Marcus looked out the window at Gotham's skyline approaching. "He asked if I trust Spoiler with my life."
"Do you?" Jackson asked.
"Yeah. I do. She's professional. Smart. Hasn't let me down yet."
"That's good. You need someone reliable out there." Sarah turned in her seat. "And you heard your uncle—stay in touch. Actually stay in touch. He deserves that."
"I know. I will."
Back at his apartment that night, Marcus logged the day:
DATE: August 23
TOTAL ABILITIES: 270
UNCLE MIKE VISIT:
Updated him on how intense the vigilante work has gotten. Partnership with Spoiler, nightly operations, major coordinated takedowns. He already suspected I was using my abilities—now he knows the full scope.
HIS REACTION: Worried about the intensity and frequency. Concerned I'm not sustainable at this pace. But he understands why I'm doing it and trusts my judgment. Asked if I trust Spoiler with my life—I do. That mattered to him.
PROMISES MADE: Stay in touch. Actually stay in touch—not disappear for weeks. Call regularly. Visit regularly. Remember I'm Marcus Reid first, vigilante second. Don't lose track of normal life. Maintain balance.
KEY POINT: Uncle Mike said this intensity isn't sustainable long-term. He's right. Can't keep running operations every night forever without burning out or making mistakes. Need to keep taking rest days. Keep maintaining balance. Keep being human.
SUPPORT: Sarah and Jackson made the evening normal. Uncle Mike likes them, trusts them to keep me grounded. He's right to.
NEXT STEPS: Call Uncle Mike this week. Maintain regular contact. Continue taking rest days. Keep balancing Marcus and Revenant identities. Don't disappear into the work.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Tonight reminded me why I do this. Not just to stop crimes—to protect the life I have. The people I care about. Uncle Mike, Sarah, Jackson. They're why I came back. Can't forget that while doing the work.
He closed the app and stared at his ceiling.
Two days off. Normal time. Family dinner.
This is what being human looks like.
This is what I'm protecting.
Outside, Gotham's sirens called.
Tomorrow he'd be back to patrols, coordination with Spoiler, operations.
But tonight, he was Marcus Reid.
And that was exactly who he needed to be.
Balance. That's the key.
Revenant and Marcus. Both matter. Can't sacrifice one for the other.
He went to bed feeling grounded.
Family mattered.
Normal life mattered.
And remembering that made the vigilante work meaningful.