The next two days were filled with reports concerning the effects of the Backstab virus. Not only had most of the robots been destroyed, but the other resistance members who were working on the plan had managed to eliminate many of the military's assembly plants and other installations. Jack feels better than he has in a month, not just because he will not be seeing many of Aku's robots for a while to come, but because he knows now that, while he has a great many enemies, he also has a great many allies.
Once Hiro was recovered enough for them to make the trip, Ng arranged to have him, Jack, Juanita and Y.T. smuggled to another member of the resistance in a village some fifty miles from the Hub. Jack is glad to be back in the fresh air and away from the city, although Y.T. seems to miss it a great deal. Apparently she's never lived outside a city before, and she does not know any other way of life. Jack feels pity for her, but he knows she will not appreciate the sentiment so he does not mention it. She has forgiven him for the loss of her hoverboard and he does not want to risk rousing her temper again.
Now that all has been settled, Jack has decided that it is time for him to move on. Juanita has even provided him with a destination. "You might want to head for Djar-mel-eb. It's practically a byword for anyone seeking reputable magicians or wise men. And not-so-reputable ones." She smiles. "You'll be sure to find someone who can help you there."
"Look around for a guy named Mauri Fetreb too," Hiro suggests. "He's one of us."
"But above all, watch your back," Y.T. concludes. "If half the stuff I've heard about that place is true…"
"Most of it is," Juanita confirms.
"Yeah. Well, it's pretty crazy. So just keep that in mind."
Jack wonders how bad the place is, that it can be described as 'pretty crazy' by someone who has lived all her life in the Central Hub. He decides not to ask. "I will. Thank you."
"No prob," Y.T. assures him.
"But before I go," Jack says, "I have one more question for you."
"I bet I know what it is," Y.T. says, looking at him hopefully. He nods at her, indicating that she should state her guess. "You want to know what we're going to do now that we're…what's it again, persona non grata with the law. Right. Except it's more than one persona."
He would not have said it in quite that fashion, but her guess was accurate. "That is more or less what I was going to ask, yes."
Hiro shakes his head. "Don't worry about us. We don't have any long-term plans yet, but we have connections. We'll find something." As far as Jack could tell, his confidence was genuine.
"Then I wish you the best," he replies, and bows respectfully to them. Hiro returns the bow, Juanita nods to him, and Y.T. waves.
"And the same to you," Juanita says. "Until we meet again."
Jack does not know if they will meet again – in fact, it is quite unlikely, and she knows it. He feels some sadness at this, for it is not the first time that he has had to part with good friends. His life, he sometimes thinks, is not just about his quest, but about leaving people behind so that he can follow it. Though he has had to say his goodbyes many times, he has never gotten used to doing it. But he does not say that. It is not something that he says to anybody. He simply departs on his way, and hopes that the three of them will find their own.
~The End~