I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
- Revelation 22:13
INTERLUDE
The tracking device beeped. He looked at it automatically, watching the information on altitude and speed scroll across the screen. Zero-zero. They had landed.
He'd half-suspected that the team would be moving soon, and that was the only reason he had risked entering the mansion, especially with his weapons on his back. It had been worth it; he knew more about their capabilities now.
With a sense of relief, he stopped using his telepathy to search the computer. It wasn't often that he chose to exercise that particular ability, and it always left him with a headache. Cerebro, however, was designed to be a telepathic interface as well as a traditional one. Using his telepathy was simply more expedient.
A good soldier knew when to sacrifice for expediency's sake.
He brought up his teleportation program and took a last glance at the large spherical chamber. Interfacing with Cerebro - or rather, reading their files - had brought back memories of things he had seen and heard as an infant and forgotten, things his "mother" had told him of later when he was old enough to remember. One conversation held greater relevance than usual, here in the house where they'd lived. Did live.
When he's cured, you'll bring him back?
No.
At least she hadn't lied.
When he's cured, you'll bring him back?
The phrase, spoken by a man he couldn't remember, seemed to echo around the room. Or perhaps only around his mind.
When he's cured, you'll bring him back?
When he's cured, you'll bring him back?
When he's cured, you'll bring him back?
So much concern, but that hadn't changed the outcome, had it? In the end, the choice had been made with the same dispassionate leadership that had always characterized-
"You're wasting time again," he told himself, growling. Dwelling on the past did nothing but make him want to hit things. He was done here; they would need him soon. "Bodyslide by one - Blackbird bound."
There was a flash of brilliant gold light, and then the room was empty.
END INTERLUDE