Chapter 41: Zoe Jane

Song: Zoe Jane by Staind/Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

"That's another ten pounds that you've lost, Lion-O. You can't keep doing this to yourself or you're just going to end up wrecking your body. And I don't think that you want end up like that. You haven't eaten anything in days as how Cheetara said, which is not a good thing."

I remain silent, blankly staring into the distance as Pumyra lectures me while bandaging my arms. It's always the same shit that she says to me and it's not helping me out with anything in my life. She's tried multiple times to have me sectioned because apparently my mental health has spiralled beyond control and I've become a danger to myself? Personally, I don't see what she's right about in her analysis of me. I don't eat much because my appetite has decreased as I've gotten older and, in all fairness, my insomnia has gotten worse but I've had it for my entire life so it's just a part of an everyday normal for me now.

"Lion-O, are you even listening to me? This is seriously starting to get out of hand now and I'm not sure how much more I can do for you with your mentality being in the state that it is. You've refused to see the therapist which is unlike you, and even Cheetara has come to see me about the fact that she thinks that the medication isn't working for you as best as it was. And I know about your alcohol consumption every couple of days, and you should know how dangerous it is for you to drink while you're on your medication."

"And what's the harm in having a glass of whiskey every couple of days?"

"The fact that you have as much as you do and the fact that you're actually drinking in the first place. What's happened to you, Lion-O? You used to be so sensible and all, but now you're different."

I get to my feet then, rubbing the red stubble on my chin with the palm of my hand as I try to let everything that she's just said sink in. "Yes," I start as I recline in the chair as best as I can, not at all comfortable with the atmosphere in the room, "I am different now but think about it – the amount of trauma that I've been through from my childhood up to now? Do you really blame me?"

"No, not for a single second but this whole situation is not healthy for you."

"I KNOW IT'S NOT BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT?" I lose my temper completely then, standing up and getting right up in Pumyra's face, "JUST WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?"

"What I want is for you to calm down. This isn't like you at all, and we're all worried about you. And I know that it's not helping at all with Katzeran running away but he's going to come back eventually when he realises what the real world is like."

I sigh deeply at her words, but I know that she's right. Katz ran away from home during the night about two weeks ago and despite the best efforts of the Thunderguard, nobody has found the young cat yet. It's bothering me because he's supposed to be training for his duties as King but he's out there doing Gods know what. He stole the Sword too and I can't summon it; the only thing that I know is that he's going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble when he comes home eventually.

Once I've got my prescription for my antidepressants and my heart medication, I return to the suite to find Cheetara sat out on the balcony, holding a mug of hot tea. I join her as she looks at me and the very second I look at her, I notice that she's been crying.

"You're worried."

She wipes her eyes then with a tissue before turning to face me, her expression making her look unimpressed.

"Wouldn't you be? Our firstborn is out there somewhere, he's not contacted us for two weeks and even Tigrae hasn't heard anything from him. So forgive me for being a bit snappy, but I'm worried for our son while you don't seem to be."

I sigh. She's in one of those moods.

"Cheetara, please don't start. I'm not in any kind of mood to do this right now."

"Don't start what? You're the one who started this, not me! You're always starting stuff off and it's humiliating! At this point, I feel like the only reason why we're still married is because of the kids!"

"Don't you dare say that…"

"Can't you see it? Our relationship is crumbling away and I rarely know where I stand with you hall of the time!"

"Oh so what are you going to do? Slap me? Go ahead, you freaking slap me every single time that we have a disagreement."

"No I don't! I've only ever done that twice because I lost my temper both times! Don't forget the times that you've done it back!"

I roar in fury, watching as Lola – who is sat in the background – picks all of her school textbooks up and runs from the room, dropping her homework everywhere. I turn to pick up the papers, and I feel Cheetara's eyes boring into my back.

"Why are you being so hostile towards me? I haven't done anything wrong."

"I don't know but just looking at you, knowing that you haven't even gone looking for our son once since he ran away, it makes me want to slap you. I'm so freaking angry at you! Nothing is ever more important than finding missing family but you haven't bothered once? You disgust me, and I have been wanting to say this for a week. Get out."

"Just wait a damn minute. What the hell happened to us? Look at the way that we are talking to each other. There's no respect or love anymore."

"Did I stutter? Get out!"

"Where the hell do you expect me to stay?"

"Anywhere but here. And don't think that you're coming back until you've found our son!"

"Come on…'Tara, please! This isn't like you, you've never been like this before!"

I only notice the pleading tone in my voice when she forces me out, begging like a child for some lost toy and this only makes her angrier. I see the anger on her face when she slams the door shut in front of me, locking it as I groan.

Why has she started doing this all of a sudden? I can understand wanting me to find Katz but kicking me out and belittling me is something that she has never done, ever. I make my way to the Control Room to see if anything new has come up, and I sink into the seat as I watch the telescreen. I just hope that I can find Katz soon, in order to repair my family. Everything is broken and it's my duty to fix what I've done.

—-(BORDER)—

A Week Later

"Katz, you have to try this shit, it's amazing."

I look at my friend as he holds a baggie of modified catnip out to me and I turn away again. After the experience I had in the first week I was staying here, I never want to touch the stuff again.

"Seriously? You're not even going to try just a bit of it? Dude, don't you realise just how lame you are?"

"You know that I don't smoke catnip, Pumar. I don't do anything like that because of who I am and what I'm going to be. I'm going to be the Lord of the Thundercats in a couple of years and it's not good presentation for the future King of New Thundera and Third Earth to be caught smoking catnip. My Dad would skin me."

"Ah, but your Daddy isn't here right now is he, posh boy? Come on, what's the harm? You used to be fun until your Dad started training you."

"Do you ever stop to think about the fact that yes, I have changed but I've seen things which I should never have seen given how I'm literally only a kitten? I've seen death, destruction, blood, guts, the lot. My Dad's stepmum was murdered in front of me and my aunt when we were cubs; I've been in a spacecraft crash, I've been kidnapped, I've seen people being shot in front of me. I'm not even eighteen yet but I've seen more than most people will in their lifetimes."

With that, Pumar goes quiet but draws from his cigarette heavily. I don't know why I still hang out with Pumar and his gang but he's been one of my best friends since I was a cub and I don't want to hurt him by suddenly deciding to not spend time with him. I've been staying at his home in the costal city of Catalan for the past month and I haven't spoken to or seen Tigrae for the whole time; I miss her, I miss my family.

"I'm going to have to go back at some point, Pumar. My parents are probably worried sick and if I know my Dad, then he's going to be looking for me."

"You never have to go back Katz, and you know it."

"That's the thing, I kinda do have to. I wouldn't expect you to understand fully but I'm part of the Royal Family and with me being here without my Guard, I am basically putting myself in a lot of danger. Plus, my Dad's likely going to kill me when I go home."

"Lighten up a little, Katz. You never used to be all doom and gloom when you were younger. Besides, how could your Dad ever find us? You've got the Sword of Omens with you."

I look over at the mystical weapon as it lays against the sofa, strip of fabric tightly bound around the Eye to keep my Father from summoning it. I don't agree with Pumar making me do so, and there's been a time or two where he's tried to pawn it off for money to buy more catnip.

"I don't know why I still hang out with you, Pumar. You're a catnip-addicted borderline alcoholic and you tried to sell my Family's greatest heirloom to get more money to fuel your addictions. I've stayed here long enough, I'm going back home before I do anything else to land myself in even more trouble."

"Don't leave Katzeran. ."

I groan and turn to look at him as he watches me grabbing my bags. He looks like a wreck, and both the floor and table are strewn with empty cans, bottles and pizza boxes. I pick my phone up and make my way to the door but when I open it, I see some of the ThunderGuard troops – one of which I recognise to be Raphael. How am I going to escape now?

I shut the door and try to make as quiet an escape as I can, but I feel a hand clamp down on my shoulders once I'm in the street as a cold voice snarls at me.

"You are in so much trouble, Katzeran Vaenaz T'savir K'al'iviryix!"

"Get off me!"

I slap my Dad's hand away and shove him hard in the chest, knocking him backwards into the dust as he growls in shock. However, that's when I notice the way that he looks – he looks so tired and down. I help him up wordlessly, instead tuning his voice out when he starts to lecture me.

"Dad, please don't do this here. Can't you at least wait until we get home before you piss me off?"

His expression changes in that moment from one of anger to one of shock, and he stands there for several minutes before coming after me as I get into the waiting Thundertank.

"What the hell has gotten into you, Katzeran? You've never spoken to me like that before!"

"I'm an adult now, Dad. You can't order me around anymore. Neither you nor Mum ca-"

I cut myself off at his reaction to my mentioning my mother. What's happened while I have been away?

"Katz, your Mother and I got into a fight not long after you ran away…We don't…Actually, forget it, that's nowhere near being important right now…"

He unlocks his phone and tries to call Mum then but every time he tries, she just rejects the calls. Damn, I missed something really big. I turn my phone on and am immediately inundated with missed calls, texts and notifications from my parents and my girlfriend. However, the ones that stand out the most to me are the ones left by Dad where he's begging and pleading for me to return home. In almost every one, I can hear Mum yelling at him in the background. The pain in both their voices is heart wrenching and I don't understand why I never went back earlier.

"Dad, what happened between you and Mum?"

"I told you, we got into a fight. I'm not going to say anything else about it, you can ask her when you get back home."

…

The rest of the drive home is extremely uncomfortable and awkward, and neither me nor Dad talk to each other. I don't even look at him as he drives, but I can tell just from the current atmosphere that he's extremely angry with me. I look down at the Sword of Omens as it lays there in my lap, the material tightly knotted around it to the point that neither of us could remove it with our bare hands.

"Dad, what's happened to you? You-"

"I told you, I'm not answering any questions."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

"That's not a valid reason! There has to be a-"

"Alright FINE! You want to know so bad? Well. Your Mother and I? We're getting divorced. What you don't realise with your actions is that you have drove a wedge between us and she blames me for everything!"

The last word comes as a deafening roar as I turn away, feeling my cheeks burning like hot coals. This can't be happening. My parents have always been so close – inseparable almost. They balance each other out perfectly and Mum knows how to calm Dad whenever his mental health starts to trip him up. But to hear about them fighting? Something isn't right here.

We eventually reach the Lair after about four hours and the first thing that Dad does is frog-march me back to the Suite. He's silent the entire time as he carries the Sword and Claw Shield and, when we eventually reach the door, he knocks and it opens moments later.

"Well, it's taken you freaking long enough to get off your ass and actually do something about finding him."

The tone in my Mother's voice takes me by surprise and I can't help the growl of disgust as she glares daggers at Dad, who immediately seems to wilt under her gaze.

"I-'Tara, I'm sorry…"

"Don't give me the 'I'm sorry' spiel, and don't you dare call me 'Tara again; you aren't my mate anymore! And don't you even think about blaming this on your depression and anxiety, I know that you're just fucking faking it, you poser!"

"MUM!"

Her gaze snaps to me and I swear that I see her eyes flash red for the fraction of a second.

"Get your ass in here and go straight to your damn room, I don't even want to hear you," she hisses, and then she turns to Dad, "And as for you…don't think that you're ever seeing these guys again because I've applied for full parental control. The only thing that you are to them now is a-"

"Daddy! You're home!"

I watch Lola squirming out of the door and running towards Dad who has his arms outstretched with a smile on his face – a smile that turns to a grimace of pain with a roar of agony as Mum kicks him in the chest before punching him square in the face with such force that blood begins to pour from his now broken nose. The impact of the blows knocks him back a fair distance as I look back at my Mother, and my suspicions are overwhelming me as I pull my little sister behind me with a protective growl.

"You aren't our Mother! Who are you?!"

"What the hell are you on about Katzeran? How dare you talk to me like that?"

"Our Mother never lays a hand on our Father and she certainly never, ever tries to demean him. Who the fuck are you and where's my Mum?"

I growl at the cheetah as Dad struggles to his feet, blood running down his face and dripping onto the floor. I grab the Sword from the Shield, struggling to tear the material as the person who attacked my Father goes for myself and Lola, eventually managing to shred it and swing the weapon at the attacker, slicing them on the arm before Dad tackles them.

In front of my very eyes, I watch as the cheetah changes to a reptilian Mutant. Perfect, another Mutant ploy.

"Didn't your people even learn after my Dad wiped the floor with you at the battle?"

The female reptile hisses, squirming yet unable to move.

"Our plan hasss worked through. Your mate, Lion-O? You'd be lucky if you sssaw her again…"

With a movement quicker than I can register, Dad unbuckles his hunting knife from his belt and digs it into the throat of the captive Mutant, black flames from his fire powers dancing over the blade.

"If you value your life and those of your family, tell me where my mate is and I'll spare your pathetic life."

—-(BORDER)—

An Hour Later

"Cheetara? Cheetara, where are you?"

My heart pounds in my chest with worry as I run down the rows of cells in the dungeon of the Mutant ship, the sound of my footsteps excruciatingly loud in the quiet until I eventually catch my mate's scent as the relief washes over me. I follow it to one of the furthest cells and see my wife sat on the makeshift bed, wrists chained as she looks up at me.

"Lion-O?"

I cut the lock on the bars before throwing the door open and racing to free the cheetah from her bonds. She feels really cold and her fur is matted and dirty, but I couldn't care less about that right now. The cold metal splinters as I shatter the chains, scooping my mate into my arms. And despite the fact that I know that the past few weeks was spent with an imposter, I just can't bring myself to look at her. Knowing the things that I did with that female reptile mutant…

"Lion-O, are you alright?"

I don't answer her as I get her to the Thunderstrike, not knowing how to tell her or how she's going to react once I do tell her. I sit down away from her, and the expression of worry on her face crushes me but I can't help fearing that she'll punch me if I sit next to her.

"Not really because something happened while you were being held captive… And it happened a few times…"

"I know. Trust me, I'm not at all happy about it but you didn't know. Although the fact that you couldn't tell that it wasn't me does offend me slightly…"

"Really?"

"No, of course not! I'm only joking!"

My cheeks flush bright red with humiliation. How could she ever even forgive me? I've been mating with a female reptile Mutant for the past three weeks without realising. I feel her hand gently cup my chin and she makes me look at her.

"What's going on with you, Lion-O? This isn't like you – look at how thin you're getting."

"It's nothing, honestly," I reply, simply brushing her off and retreating to the cockpit of the Thunderstrike. I can feel her eyes boring into my back as I walk away from her but I know that I…I can never face her again.

"Tygra, let's go home…"

The flight is quiet as I watch the slight drizzle on the windshield, drumming my claws on my chair.

"Look Lion-O, I know that you don't want to acknowledge what happened in the past few weeks but you're going to have to. Cheetara is your life mate and you need her support at the moment with how severe your mental health is plummeting."

"She can't help me. Trust me, she's tried. She's tried everything that we've thought of but nothing stops the invasive thoughts. The medication is the only thing that is working for me right now and it's probably not going to be long before I need a stronger dosage."

"We're trying to figure out a way to avoid that because it's concerning the amount of medications that you are already on. We're working towards cutting it down though, and some other things for you too because it's obvious that your body isn't processing the food that you're consuming properly."

I stay silent at Tygra's comment, knowing fully that the only reason why I'm dropping weight is because I don't eat anything. I don't answer him until I've left the Feliner once we return to the Lair.

"You can't help me, Tygra. You and Pumyra have tried so many different things with me and I've only gotten worse since the deaths of Lydia and Leo. I get it that you two need to try and help me but sometimes people go past the line of being able to be helped or to see reason. Just admit it, I'm a lost cause."

"No, you're not. You're mentally ill, Lion-O. It prevents you from thinking rationally and seeing reason but that's okay because we're able to manage it and we've been doing that very well for the past almost twenty years. But we can't help you if you don't want to be helped. Think about it and come back to me or Pumyra when you've made the right decision."

With that, the tiger walks away and leaves me alone in the pouring rain as my friends also go inside. He is right, I guess. They can't exactly help me out if I don't want or accept it, and my friends probably think that I'm being nothing but a stuck-up twat. Honestly, I wouldn't blame them at all if they did.

…

That Evening

"So, do you want to explain why it is that you decided to run away for a month with your Father's Sword? And not only that, but you bound the Eye of Thundera to blind it so that your Father couldn't call it? Don't you even realise just how selfish and stupid your little stunt was? I was held captive for a whole month because your Father didn't have the Sword to warn him about something being wrong. Katzeran, what if I'd been killed? What would you have done then?"

I watch my son closely as he eats his dinner, scowling harshly at myself and his Mother. He doesn't answer her question; instead, he shovels more meat and potatoes into his mouth.

"What you did was disrespectful towards myself, our family and the Code-"

"Dad, would you please shut the hell up for just a minute? I'm not in the mood to listen to another one of your smarmy-ass lectures because I get enough of that on any normal day!"

Without even thinking, I slam my fork down on the table, making Lola flinch and cower as I growl while approaching my son who stands up too. He returns my growl, looking up at me with what can only be described as pure malice and rage.

"Tell me, just who the hell you think you are to talk to me like that."

He just growls at me, rolling his eyes with a snort.

"Katzeran Vaenaz T'savir K'al'iviryix, answer me! I asked you-"

"I don't have to answer you and you know that!"

He goes to push past me but I don't allow him to do so; I grab him by the wrist and pull him back as he growls at me.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch!"

"No. I'm not going to let you go until I hear an apology!"

I tighten my grip on him as he tries to squirm away; the actions only make the Litah growl louder.

"Why are you being such a dick? I hate you! You're cruel and pathetic!You're horrible and I wish you weren't my Dad! I wish you were dead!"

I lose my grip on him then as his words sink in and sting deeper than anything I have ever felt. Cheetara comes to my side then, gently rubbing my back and arms.

"He doesn't mean it, Lion-O. He's just upset and angry. Let him calm down then see if he'll talk to you later."

"This isn't acceptable, Babe…he was doing this for weeks before he disappeared. Now he's told me that. Honestly, I'm not sure that he's ready to start the process of becoming Lord of the Thundercats. If I had ever said anything along those lines to my Father, he'd have hit me so hard that I wouldn't be able to eat anything for a while."

"Like I said, he's angry right now but you'll be able to talk some sense into him once he's calmed down. Although he did tell me that he's been plagued with nightmares of Mumm-Ra and the Mutants for a good few days."

"Really? Why hasn't he told me anything of it?"

"He told me that he didn't want you to know, but I think you should because he's had nightmares about you. The most common one is one where you have become a demonic entity with insanely powerful skills in black magic."

"Strange. I had similar ones back when the kids were very little but I never thought anything of them. Dreams don't have meanings."

"I know but it's somewhat concerning because he's developing his sixth sense and a fair amount of things that he's seen have become reality."

"The majority of the things that he's seen have been while it's happening. I'm not worried."

"Just keep it in mind…"

We clear the table then as Lola goes off to shower, and I get to work making a pie for dessert as my wife washes the dishes.

"I know that times have been tough recently but we're all here for you. How would you feel about going to the Mountain Residence for a good few weeks at the end of September? Leave for the Village around the 20th and come back to the Lair at the beginning of December? Or even January of next year if you want to spend the Festive period alone as a family because we've never done that. We could do something nice in the Village for yours and Katzeran's birthdays such as have our friends and families go to the Village."

"That's a great idea because we haven't had any time away or any kind of holiday since before Lola was born – you were around seven months pregnant with her when we were away."

"I know. And next year, we'll go away to that stunning resort in Cordia during the summer."

"That sounds like a plan that I can get behind. I'll notify the staff that we're going to be at the Mountain Residence in a couple of weeks."

I feel my wife's hand on my cheek as I look at her.

"Now there's that handsome smile that I know and love. Unlike earlier. Listen, I know what happened because those Mutants were telling me everything in all kinds of detail but I don't care. You didn't know about it and you had no way to find out the truth."

…

That night as I ready myself for bed, I can't shake the feeling that looms over my head like a cloud. There's something that I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it, mentally or physically. Everything that everyone has said to me in the past few weeks is really bugging me. I'd tried to talk to Katzeran earlier but he'd screamed at me and clawed me on my chest. I had slapped him in reaction, and he swore that he'd never talk to me again for as long as he had breath in his body.

I slip under the covers next to Cheetara, the heavy scent of our entwined musks lulling me as I get myself comfortable. My wife lays herself in my arms, head on my chest as I breathe in her scent.

This is the last time.

No it's not, I tell myself as I hold her warm body to mine, running my fingers through her long golden hair and soft black-spotted fur.

You know that it is. Listen to your body; you're nowhere near the man you once were.

I manage to tune the voice out as I shut the lights off and as quickly as I drift into sleep, I find myself wide awake again as I look at the time on the clock - it's a quarter to two in the morning.

It is time.

I sit up off the bed as carefully as I can to avoid waking my wife as she peacefully sleeps beside me. I feel the intense pangs of guilt in my gut as I take in her beauty.

"Don't you worry, my darling. We'll be at the Mountain Residence soon enough for our holiday…"

I grab my clothes from where I dumped them, being careful in getting dressed so that I don't make too much noise while fastening my thick cloak at my shoulders. I glance back at the sleeping cheetah, the moonbeams streaming in through the curtains only serving to highlight her radiant beauty.

"Darionae ty'ull c'arrn, Cheetara…forever and always. Just know that I'll be back home soon."

With that, I leave the master bedroom and look over the landing at the doors to the kids' rooms which have been left ajar. I look into Katzeran's room and see the kitten sleeping peacefully for a change.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry that I yelled at you but I only do it because I'm worried about you…"

As I make my way down the stairs, I'm sure that I hear another pair of footsteps but every time I stop, I hear nothing. I write it off as being either my imagination or the echo of my own footsteps, heading into the kitchenette to grab a quick bite to eat before leaving to do what I need to do. I finish the food and go to the door to the suite to unlock it when I hear the subtle cough from behind me. I sigh, hand hovering in thin air for a moment before dropping down to my side.

"What are you doing up? It's a school night."

I turn to look at Lola, only to see my daughter harshly staring at me. Her tail flicks at the tip and her ears are pinned back, a clear sign that she's agitated.

"I could ask you just the same thing, Daddy. Where are you going? It's two in the morning."

"It's not important, just go back to bed."

"Why? Why is it not important? I'm not a cub anymore, Daddy. You don't have to hide anything from me. Besides, if you don't tell me where it is that you're going then I'll go to wake Mummy up and then you'll be in trouble."

"Lola, there's something that I need to do - I've been meaning to do this for quite a while now and I finally have the chance. I'll tell you about it when I get back because chances are that I'll have some interesting information about it."

"You're lying - you've got that look on your face that you did when you told me about my pet rabbit dying when I was little. I'm almost a kitten now, I don't fall for things like I used to anymore."

"I know which is why you have to believe me on this Kiddo. I'll be back home before sunrise but something's come up that I need to deal with right now."

"I see…"

"Now go and get yourself back into bed, Lola. You're tired and you need to be well-rested for your school trip tomorrow. I can't believe how lucky you are, being able to get to go to the seaside for three weeks with your school. Make sure that you bring something back for me, ok?"

"Okay…Goodnight Daddy…"

"Goodnight, Princess…"

My breath catches in my throat as I watch her go back to her room after hugging her, but I compose myself. I need to be thinking straight and have my wits about me to be able to pull this off. I head out of the suite, being careful to avoid the night patrols from the Guards until I'm out of the grounds immediately surrounding the Lair. I pull my hood around myself before getting my horse from the stable, tacking him up as a driving rain starts up outside.

"I hope that you're ready for a long journey, Tydus, because we've got a lot of ground to cover before first light." I say as I fit the reins on my steed, mounting him before immediately pushing into a full-speed canter through the streets of the city under the cover of darkness.

"Actions like this have consequences, Lion-O. It's not too late for you to change your mind and turn back like it never happened. You don't have to do this to yourself."

I snort as I hear Java's voice as he materialises beside me, and I look up at the Jaguar.

"You don't understand. My own friends are passing judgement on me because I'm depressed and riddled with other mental health issues. Besides, I'm doing this in memory of my brother."

"This isn't going to bring Leo back."

"I know…"

"So why are you even doing this in the first place?"

"Because the bastard has to pay for what he's done to me, my friends and my family."

"But at what cost to you and those who you love?"

"I'm doing this for them. For my friends. For my kids. For 'Tara. Everything that I've ever done has been for them and this is too. You can't change my mind on this Jaga, I've been planning this for a while now."

With that, he gives a wave of his cloak and he disappears as I focus on the road ahead of me. The ruins of the old city are thousands of miles away and even though I have my horse, the journey will take me at least a whole day. But that's fine, because I am patient and am willing to take my time with this. But as long as my plan works then all is fine.

Mumm-Ra must pay the price for his evils, and I'm going to make sure that he does so.

To be continued…