When Jeb returned to the tent, he found the furry one with his eyes closed, hovering over Zero. Wyatt edged over to him. "We thought we'd use the Viewer to see his thoughts about The Sorceress' plans."

Jeb glared at his father, for taking over like that. But it hadn't been done yet, so Jeb nodded instead, placing the blade down on a nearby table. He stepped in front of Zero, who wasn't going to look at him.

Fine.

The Viewer dropped his hand on Zero's shoulder. If anything, Zero's reaction was sheepish. Certainly not intimidated, anyway. "Azkadellia shield his mind," The Viewer finally decided. "Raw cannot see." Not unexpected. He was probably not the first Viewer to escape Azkadellia's clutches and she'd obviously guard against them being used against her.

Zero did his patented 'whatever' sniff and Jeb leaned forward. "I'll make this easier for you if you tell us everything you know about the machine." Zero spat in his face. Still upset, apparently. Jeb wiped it off and straightened. "Bring it in."

Zero laughed. Maybe out of fear, maybe he was convinced that Jeb wouldn't hurt him. Maybe Jeb wouldn't. Let's find out. "What have you got there?" Jeb didn't answer his question or his look. He stepped out of Zero's eye line. Zero continued to laugh uncertainly, even as Jeb pulled out the spoons, making sure they scraped. "W…what is that?" Jeb didn't respond. "What, uh… what… um! What are you… um?" With most, this wouldn't work, but with Zero. Jeb knew his weaknesses. "Ok… ok. Um…"

"Hold his fingers," Jeb ordered Matthews, keeping his voice neutral.

"No. No, no!" Zero cried out as Matthews pushed him forward, his fingers flinching at old memories. "No, wait!" Matthew pulled at his grip. "No. Not the fingers! Not the fingers! Ah! Ah! Ah! Not the fingers!"

"SHUT UP!"

"I'll TALK! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

"Ah, it's too late."

"I'll TALK! Ok? It's NOT too late!"

"Son," Wyatt interrupted. Jeb waited, wondering how Zero felt about Wyatt calling him that. Zero never dared to. "Let him talk. Talk," he ordered Zero.

"The machine forms an intense beam of light," Zero talked quickly.

"Why?" Glitch asked, beside Jeb.

"It focuses the power of the Emerald onto the Double Eclipse. Locks the two suns behind the moon." He looked over at Cain. "It'll bring darkness to the OZ forever."

"Damn thing's the anti-Sunseeder!"

"Sunseeder?" Jeb repeated.

"Yeah, it's a little doo-hicky I designed to slow the suns and extend the growing season."

Jeb moved to face Zero. "How do we shut it down?"

"Ask him," he tipped his head in Glitch's direction.

"Why… it sounds like what she's using it for a whole different barrel of monkey bats!" Glitch protested. "I don't know how her machine works!"

"Part of you does… 'Ambrose'."

Jeb nearly physically jumped. "Ambrose?"

"Jeb?" Wyatt prompted.

"Our spies found out Ambrose is a codeword for the brain that runs the machine."

"My marbles are in the tower?" 'Ambrose' asked in disbelief. Zero nodded, confirming it.

"Where are they?"

"Brain room. Brain room, sublevel three. Look, I… I've told you everything you need to know. Put that thing away. Ok? Just…"

Jeb held up the spoons and clattered them. "Glad to." Zero dipped his head. He was never… Jeb brought a blade to his throat.

"What are you doing?" Wyatt asked.

"Job's not done yet," Jeb replied. "Now we can finally finish this."

"Not like this. Put it away." He pushed Jeb away.

"This is the guy that killed mother." And he's not sorry. He's never sorry! "He destroyed your life and mine."

"He deserves to die."

"Yeah!"

"I won't deny that."

"Then what?"

"Killing him won't bring back your mother," Wyatt replied finally. "And it won't honour her memory either." Jeb stared at him for a long time. Finally, he moved off and dropped the sword into the ground.

Zero watched him disappear out the tent.


"I'm sorry, son," Wyatt whispered quietly, seizing the moment between tactical meetings. Jeb was very much running the show. Which certainly helped him avoid Wyatt.

"You're probably right," he muttered back. "But that had nothing to with Mom. You just don't want me killing anyone, not even Zero."

"Not in revenge, son. I know… I realise…"

"I've killed Longcoats?" Jeb nodded. "Yeah, I have."

"But that's a job, a duty, son. This would be… a pleasure."

"You can't kill him either."

Wyatt sighed. "I guess that would be hypocritical."

"So what are we going to do with him?" Jeb asked. Wyatt shook his head. "You know, after, after he killed Mother… he put me in the Suit. For about two weeks. Two weeks later, he got me out." Wyatt stared at Jeb but Jeb had to continue. "He… took care of me. Fed me, clothed me, and trained me. Told me how they made the codes. I put that to good use. I heard what happened to you from one of his comrades. I confronted him." He let that sink for a moment - Zero and he were close enough that he could confront him. "We had this huge fight. It was over when I told him. I told him he wasn't my father. At the time…" Jeb shook his head. "I think I broke his heart."

Jeb sighed. "But I couldn't worry about that. He deserved it anyway - heartbreak. He deserved it. I left, the Longcoats let me go. I found myself at the second cabin. I remembered Louis."

"Louis?"

"Uh, just some guy pining after Mom. She gave him the brush off mostly, but kept him around, father-figure, I guess. Zero threw him in a Suit with me. I figured I could use the help? I opened it. It wasn't pretty, father. So, I…"

Wyatt put his arm around him, just enough to squeeze Jeb's arm. "Gave up, son. I understand… believe me. I understand."

Jeb looked at him for a moment, as if he had more questions. "More work to do," he said instead.


Night fell, and, apart from the guards, and Zero, the camp rested. Zero himself was left staring at the grass below, 'thinking about what he's done' as his father put it. Actually, all he could think about was Jeb. The boy was avoiding him.

Tactically, that was a very good idea. But Zero, despite himself, was disappointed. It was good seeing him again. Where did he learn to interrogate like that? Oh, yeah, him. Still, the boy put his own spin. And he tried to kill him again. Some things never change. Including Wyatt, holier than thou as usual.

He heard the tent flap and strained to look up. Despite Zero's hopes, it was Wyatt standing before him. As his hand reached for the handle of the sword.

This is it. The End Of Me. He looked into Wyatt's eyes. Wyatt stared back. Then he swung.

And missed. He missed. He hit the shackles instead. They fell to the ground. Zero pulled his hands from the uncomfortable position and looked at Cain in surprise.


"Sir. Zero's gone," Matthews kept his voice low, not to alarm anyone else. "I've checked the sentries…"

Jeb walked past him. Pulling the tent open, he saw the empty chair, shards of rope on the ground along with the restraint. A sword. He could think of only one person with the guts to disobey his orders. He saw his father, still lying against the tree.

He walked up to him and kicked him. Hard. "What did you do?"

Wyatt took his hat off his head. "I'll take you to him." He grabbed his clothes.

"He's still alive?"

Slipping his hat back on. "Yeah. Come on."

They moved together out of the camp. They walked as far as the morning's old camp and Jeb spotted his old Suit, now closed. He ran up to it. Zero peered out.

"If we stop Azkadellia, we'll be back for him in a few days," Wyatt spoke up behind him. "If not… he'll be there a long time." Jeb looked at him, before turning back. "I hope that's justice enough for ya."

"It's not my first choice," Jeb replied, though his first choice would have been Zero never having been born. "But mother would approve," he added, walking back up to join him.

Wyatt stopped him from walking past. Jeb waited for him to speak. "If you don't have heart, you have nothing." Wyatt's hand tapped once on his heart before he walked away, back to the camp.

Jeb stared back at Zero. Alone in the Suit. Gods know, as unbelievably corny as that particular sentiment might be, it held true in that case.


"Are you sure you trying to find DG is the right thing?" Jeb asked his father.

"She's alive," Wyatt replied. "I know she is. Someone in the Realm has to know how to find this Seeker. DG is the key to bringing The Witch down."

"Well, Gods willing, see you at The Tower."

Wyatt nodded, glad to see that a weight off of him. Moments passed, but it seemed sudden when Jeb hugged him. Wyatt returned the hug immediately. Jeb was smiling when they let go.

"Thank you," Jeb whispered. Wyatt smiled back, before letting him go. "Ok! Let's move it, men!"