Wakko could feel his heart pounding as he looked at the door in front of him, clenching his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. He kept repeating Jayna's words in his mind.

He can't do anything to you now. Look at him with unclouded eyes.

A hand rested on his shoulder, making him turn his head to see Yakko looking at him with concern.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

The middle sibling's eyes moved back to the door, and he took a deep breath.

"Yes."

Another hand slipped into his on his other side.

"You can do it," Dot's soft voice said. Biting his lip, Wakko gave her hand a gentle squeeze. His brother did the same on his shoulder.

"We'll be here."

Wakko took another deep breath, then nodded to the guard beside the door. The man reached toward the door but hesitated just a moment.

"Would you like me in there, Sire?" he asked, his voice respectful but concerned. Wakko felt a warming sense of gratitude, and despite his tension a slight smile came to his face.

"No thanks," he said softly. "It's okay."

With that the guard nodded and pulled the door open without another word. Determined not to show any sign of weakness, Wakko narrowed his eyes a little and drew himself up as tall as he could before moving forward. Dot had released his hand, but he still knew her and Yakko were following close behind.

When he stepped inside the interrogation room, his eyes moved to the chair on the far side. There sat Man'ari, his cold eyes boring into Wakko's. His voice was just as cold.

"So, you finally decided you're brave enough to face me." A faint, nasty smile came to his face. "That was a mistake. You're terrified… I can see it in your eyes. You're just as weak now as you were before."

Wakko felt that familiar fear welling inside him, along with the urge to turn and run. But he felt his siblings move a little closer and closed his eyes as he drew in another deep breath.

He can't hurt me, he told himself. He can't hurt them. Unclouded eyes.

With that, he opened his eyes again and looked directly into Man'ari's. He wanted to be brave. He would be brave.

"I see you," he said in a low tone. The man's unpleasant smile faded, replaced by a confused frown. Before he could say anything, Wakko took a step forward. His siblings remained standing back, unspeaking as their brother went on.

"For so long, I wondered what kind of person could do the things you did, that Salazar did. But now, I think I get it. It's because there's just nothing in you. You're both just sad, empty people trying as hard as you can to pretend you're not. You do awful things because you want everyone else to be as miserable as you are, and you don't have room inside for anyone. Not friends, not family … not even yourselves."

He narrowed his eyes, his voice firm and steady.

"You're the weak one. And as much as I don't want to… I feel sorry for you."

By now the man's face was astonished, almost disbelieving. Wakko kept looking unwavering into those cold eyes, until finally they lowered to the ground. The middle sibling drew himself up taller, his voice never faltering.

"You took so much away from me, even if a lot of it wasn't real, and I'm not gonna let you take any more. I'm not letting what you did change me, I'm not letting you win. Even if I can't forget it, I'm not gonna be afraid of you anymore. No one has to be afraid of you anymore, and that's all that matters to me. I'm done with you."

With that, Wakko turned his back on his former captor and strode away without looking back. His siblings moved to let him through, then followed him. As soon the door closed behind them, the middle sibling closed his eyes and hugged himself. He felt drained and exhausted, as if he had just run a mile, but at the same time it felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Two pairs of arms wrapped around him.

"You did great, baby bro," Yakko said, and Wakko could hear the fierce pride in his voice. Dot sounded the same way when she spoke.

"You showed that creep."

A small smile came to the middle sibling's face as he nestled into their embrace, lifting his arms to return it.

"Thanks, guys," he murmured. "Not just for this, but… everything."

He felt his siblings press closer.

"You're always there for us," Dot said in a quiet but emotional voice.

"So we're there for you too," Yakko finished.

After a few moments, they drew back and Wakko could see the concern in their eyes as they scanned him up and down.

"Ya feeling okay?" Yakko asked.

Wakko nodded, the small smile still on his face.

"I'm fine… just tired."

"We better head back then," Yakko said.

Dot slipped a hand into Wakko's as the siblings headed back the way they came. The middle sibling's exhaustion kept him at a slower pace, and it was apparently noticeable because Yakko grinned and lowered himself to Wakko's level.

"C'mon, jump up."

Relieved to be off his feet, the middle sibling climbed onto his older brother's back.

"Thanks," he said softly. Some of his frustration at his lingering weakness must have crept into his voice, because Yakko spoke in an encouraging voice as he stood and started walking again.

"Cheer up, sib… you're not a hundred percent yet, but it won't be long."

Wakko sighed and nodded; he knew Yakko was right, but it was still kind of hard to be worn out so easily. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were.

"Guys, do you… think I can really be normal again?"

His brother glanced back at him with a grin, his voice teasing.

"C'mon, Wak… when've we ever been normal?"

That got a soft chuckle out of the middle sibling, and he heard Dot giggle before speaking in a similar playful tone.

"We're totally insane-y."

"And it might take a while," Yakko said, his tone still light but a little more serious. "But yeah, we think you'll be your normal abnormal self again."

Just hearing that made Wakko feel better, and the smile came back.

"Thanks."

As they headed out of the dungeon, the middle sibling found his thoughts turning to the next hurdle: his current power block. The memory of that cold, frightening version of himself still hung ominously in the back of his mind, and he was unable to suppress a shiver. Evidently Yakko felt it because he paused and looked back at him.

"Wak? You okay?"

Wakko managed a slight smile.

"Yeah… just thinking."

Even though he didn't say exactly what he was thinking about, his siblings apparently were able to guess it.

"There's no certain pace you gotta do this at," Yakko said as he started walking again. Dot nodded as she followed along beside them.

"He's right… and you've done a lot already."

Wakko let out a quiet sigh.

"Yeah, I know. I just wish I could get over this block. I feel like… it's the last thing really holding me back."

There was a moment of silence, then his brother spoke up again in a light, encouraging voice.

"Well, if there's one thing we know after all this, it's that you can do anything."

At that, Wakko's ears perked.

"You really think so?"

Dot gave him a teasing smirk.

"Start using that thick head of yours… we always did."

The middle sibling's smile grew a little bigger, feeling a deep sense of gratitude. He knew his brother and sister had always believed in him, even when all the odds were against him, and even though he had said he wouldn't let what happened change him, he felt like it had… but not necessarily in a bad way. He had never thought he could get through something like this, but he had. And honestly, deep down, he felt almost proud to know that he had. He had always harbored some doubt that he was as strong as his siblings, as his parents. But as time went by, that doubt was lessening. Maybe eventually, it would be gone.

"Thanks, guys," he said again. Yakko hoisted him up a little higher, grinning.

"You bet. I said you'd always have us, didn't I?"