Cole breathed a sigh of relief and of exhaustion. He was here – New Marias. He threw the bicycle down, discarding it in the streets. He'd been travelling for days. It had been his only means of transport and every few pedals had kept generating enough static to administer him niggling shocks along the way.

He found himself in Ville Cochon. It felt good to be back. He took a slow pace enjoying walking the streets of his hometown once again, after he was convinced he'd never see it again. He was passing by the large cathedral, St Ignatius when he stopped. This building always reminded him of the battles he'd faced within the city, of the RFI but right at this moment, although faint, he could have sworn he could hear Zeke's voice. He approached the stairs, slowly creeping up towards him. What an earth was he doing here? Cole thought.

Zeke gathered the photos in his hands, he clinked the beer bottle once more before deciding it was time for him to head home "Half as long…" he muttered and then turned to leave.

"Twice as bright" Cole replied.

The two stood looking at each other for a moment. Zeke imagining he'd gone crazy after a huge smile shot across his face and without hesitation he threw his arm around Cole.

"Good to see you too, Zeke," Cole stretched away and grabbed the bottle of beer "oh man, I am so thirsty!"

"I thought you were dead!"

"I almost was!"

"What the hell happened?" Zeke asked "I mean- the explosion, the lightning, how-?"

Cole took a long swill of beer "Remember that teleport thing Kessler could do?"

Zeke nodded,"You mean?" Zeke paused, still trying to process the concept that Cole was here, "that's awesome, man!"

"I can explain more when we get home" Cole replied "I need to hear about you, Dana and Maya too… right now I'm exhausted!"

"I was going to say- where have you been?" Zeke asked.

The two had already begun walking.

"It's a long story," Cole groaned "right after I got outta NYZ. I couldn't suppress my power anymore" Cole shrugged "… I've had to cycle most of the way, hitching a ride didn't go too well."

Zeke laughed initially before asking him the obvious "ya couldn't just teleport your way here?"

"Genius, why didn't I think of that?" Cole smirked sarcastically "I couldn't figure out how to do that again either."

"Aw man!" Zeke replied as he took another sip of his beer "too bad. Still think ya need to work on getting your ice powers back, this beer's warm… Still can't believe you're here, ya know?"

Cole laughed before turning the conversation to a more serious note "How are Dana and Maya?"

"They're back at the apartment, needed a place to crash," Zeke replied "they're coping… Maya's not said a word though."

Cole nodded.

"What happened to Heller?" Zeke asked.

"He didn't make it," Cole replied with regret "he died taking down Mercer."

Zeke sighed "he was a good man,"

The two arrived back at the apartment to greet Dana and Maya. After a long catch up the three found themselves with mixed emotions about the entire event, they'd been successful but had lost Heller. They had lost a friend and Maya a father. And Dana a brother, even if she did loath him, it was so final now and she still held onto the good memories that they had in earlier life.

The three talked on into the night, cautiously whilst Maya was in the room, planning their next course of action concerning her. Zeke and Dana did most of the talking whilst Cole overlooked. It was just as Zeke warned, Maya sat with lifeless eyes still and quiet. And whenever Cole's eyes met hers he couldn't help but be reminded of Pariah. The same dark dank stare and expressionless face.

It was then that Cole feared the worst. Pariah had told him, in his final moments, about the nature of white light and that those who are too far gone would lose their free will and that Pariah would take over, they would bend to Pariah's will, they would become Pariah. Pariah was dead now, there's no way he could have survived the blast. But if they had been too late what would this mean? Cole quickly shook away this thought - it was impossible, Maya couldn't be Pariah.

"You okay there, brother?" Zeke asked.

"I'm more than okay," Cole smiled "it's so good to be back home."

"No more super heroics for you!" Zeke replied "not for a long time!"

"We'll see," Cole smiled.

END