Pulling up in front the house they didn't have to wait to be greeted as the five of them stepped out of the car leaving the sleeping boys in the back. Natasha and Matt stood in the doorway. Jun's heart instantly went out to them. Natasha looked paler and thinner than she remembered- Matt's face had become draw and troubled and aged since the last time she saw him.
Jun indicated for them to come over to the car.
"He's here…" She said quietly holding back her tears as reality hit her. Dyami was going home and it wasn't with her or Ken. They ran over and looked through the window. Natasha burst into uncontrollable tears- Matt pulled her tightly into his arms fighting back his own to be strong for his distraught wife.
"What did they do to him…damn it Matt I hate Galactor…" She wept and clung to his shirt.
"We do…Shhhh…sweetheart he's back with us now…" Matt whispered into her hair. "Let's get him into the house…then we'll ask what happened."
Matt's eyes met both Ken and Jun's like he was asking their permission to open the car door.
"Go ahead," Ken indicated stepping back, keeping his own feelings in check. Matt gently pried his wife from his arms and opened the door. Gingerly he picked up his sleeping son into his arms. Dyami stirred, opened his eyes and stared at Matt…
"Daddy…" He cried and wrapped his arms around his neck, and then looked at Natasha. "Mummee…" He wept.
"We're here…" She said gently touching his bald head and wiped away a few tears from his ruddy red cheeks.
Matt had noticed Jason sleeping beside him. "Do you want to bring the other boy inside too- Jafaru is in his lab, we were in the front room when we heard the car pull up…"
Joe was already picking up Jason before Matt spoke.
"That sounds like a plan to me." He said looking at Ken. Taking his cue Ken walked into the house followed by the rest of them.
Dyami was wide awake by then and had put his arms out to his mother and he clung to het like glue. "Fly in a plane…with him." He told her pointing at Ken. "Saw tigers…and birds."
Ken cleared his throat. "We just thought it would cheer them up on the way here."
"No need to explain Ken. I'm glad he had a good time flying with you." Matt said hiding a slight envious expression that crossed his face when Dyami mentioned it. Matt's injuries had kept him out of fighter planes since his mid twenties. Jun could see the longing there in him to fly again. She figured it never really left a pilot- even years after they gave it up.
"Are you hungry Dyami?" His eyes lit up and he began nodding wildly."…Lets go get you some food." Natasha said smiling while walking towards the kitchen to feed her ravenous son.
In the meantime Joe laid a still sleeping Jason onto the couch when Jafaru and his wife walked into the room, relief washed over his face.
"We didn't know what was going on…it's been weeks Ken." Jafaru said looking at Matt.
"Natasha hasn't been sleeping very well…barely eating at all…and we found out her father died in hospital just after he was admitted. "Matt looked out the window, an underlying grief still evident in his voice. "I called the number you gave me for the hospital he went to when I had a chance from a public phone…" Matt filled them in.
"I'm so sorry," Jun's said sincerely, "Anthony was a lovely man and wonderful grandfather."
Matt acknowledged her gesture. "There is not much we can do for him now. They're holding the body in a morgue…I made up some plausible reason a burial couldn't happen until we returned to Utoland." Matt's eyes fell on Ken questioning him as the when that would be possible.
"You can't go back yet Matt, we have work to do and it's going to get messy…and you're still in danger." Ken answered him. Satisfied Matt changed the topic.
"I think its time you told us why Dyami has a surgical scar down his scalp." Matt said softly as Natasha returned to the room with Dyami. For the next hour after Jason woke up Jafaru's son kept the boys entertained while Ken and Jun filled them in on what had taken place after they left.
"An implant…" Jafaru looked thoughtful. "Did you know the ISO was looking into genetic technology similar to it a few years ago but Dr Nambu had the unit shut down. He thought the ideas they were presenting him were unethical. I only found out about the project because I was being considered for the science team. I wasn't privy to details since it was top secret and you had to be part of the team to know what they were actually doing."
"Then you're the right person to see what this is all about." Ken handed him the disk. "Take care with that information Jafaru. I want it back when you've looked at it."
"You bet I will…" He turned his eyes on the Condor. "Now Joe about that DNA test- Those blood samples I took from you and Jason should be ready with the results in the lab by now." Jafaru stood up and left with the disk.
Joe looked nervous…
"I'm going with him- just make sure he didn't blotch anything." He said standing up quickly he followed the scientist from the room.
A few minutes later Joe walked back in and stood in the doorway starring at Jason. He looked like someone had just shot him yet he remained standing.
"He is mine…Jason's my son…how I don't know but he is." Joe fumbled with his words while he walked over and crouched down next to the little kid sitting on his own playing with a toy.
"Hi son." Joe's voice broke with emotion. "It looks like I'm your dad…"
"What about his mother?" Jinpei blurted out. "Who is she Joe? You must know? Common bro, no secrets between all of us remember."
Joe's face became troubled." I…I…don't know honestly…but I have to find her so she take him back I suppose."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Ryu didn't look convinced.
"Just like I said Ryu, you know despite what the women's magazines and a few nosy newspapers might say about me- I don't sleep around with beautiful women just because I can. I'm not like that." Joe became defensive and he stood up clenching his fists and began walking out of the room again. "I need a minute alone to process all of this."
Before he reached the door Jason ran after him and grabbed his hand forcing Joe to stop and look into his pleading grey eyes. "Are you…my daddy?" He spoke the words very clearly.
"It looks that way kid." Joe said softly.
Jason's eyes became blurry with tears. Then the little boy threw his arms around Joe's legs. "I want a daddy…got one now."
Joe sighed heavily and picked him up and carried him out of the room. "We need to get to know each other just for a little while, and then I have to go and fight bad guys in my racing car."
"We have to be leaving soon." Ken stood up his eyes still on the door that Joe had just walked out of. Jun knew Ken and Joe would most likely talk about it later- they always did when it was something that affected their life.
"Matt, Natasha, you need to start calling Dyami something else…Galactor know his name and the one Jun gave isn't very common." Ken said leaning against the window sill. He'd discussed it with her before they arrived and she agreed it was in Dyami's best interests to have at least his first name changed.
"I see what you're getting at." Natasha looked at her husband and then at Ken. "We could call him by his middle name- at least he's familiar with it…so we can make a gradual transition for him."
"Mark's more common too…so it won't stand out." Matt agreed.
"Then Mark is his new name." Jun said standing up. She needed to get used to it that's why she deliberately said it out loud.
"Jason can stay with us until Joe can find way to support him or find his mother." Natasha offered. "I suppose since we need to stay here a while longer."
"Yes, we have some big things going down against Galactor at the moment…enough that we might be able to bring about an end to the war very soon." Ken informed them Matt didn't pry he knew Ken wouldn't divulge information that was top secret in the ISO about the war with Galactor.
A short while later after they had said their farewells they finally stood together in a circle in the place where they had left their G machines. Once they had transmuted back into their birdstyles. Ken extended his hand…Jun laid hers on top of his, followed by Joe, Jinpei and Ryu.
Ken finally spoke their commitment out loud his voice filled with the burning passion that they all felt inside…he voiced their vow of revenge for the losses they had all suffered at the hands of Galactor. "We fight until the end…we'll get revenge for what they did to Dr Nambu, Mark and Jason and we won't stop until we finish this war once and for all. Even if it means we all die together, this time no one gets left behind."