Conviction

As the vibrations grew stronger, they gained an accomplice in the form of a noise. It was dull at first, but it grew louder with every passing second. It was like hearing a roar in slow motion, a roar that rumbled as it gained strength.

For once, it was Beast Boy who figured out what was happening. "Terra, stop it! You're gonna shake the whole Tower apart!"

That's what was going on, Red Robin realized. The vibrations were tremors, and the roar was the very earth under them moving against itself not unlike two sides of a fault line. Now, they were in California, and so the Tower itself was built to withstand earthquakes. Much like a reed in a hurricane, the Tower would bend enough to go with the shaking and remain upright. However, as he thought about it, because of its unusual shape, its center of gravity might not be where it typically would be.

If shaking the little island the Tower was built on until it collapsed in on itself didn't work, it could fall over as well, and how would that bode for them? If it fell in the wrong direction, they might get flooding from the ocean on top of falling debris.

"That is the point, Titan," the foreign voice quipped.

"I don't know who you are, but stop it!" Cyborg bellowed, his right arm transforming into its cannon mode. Its barrel aimed right at the thin blonde who regarded it in amusement.

"Are you going to harm this body? Harm your friend?" the voice taunted while manipulating Terra's face into a sneer. "Do you have the conviction to do so?"

As much as Cyborg was grimacing, he was also hesitating. Every second that passed and he didn't fire was another second that the tremors grew stronger. Balance for both the Tower and everyone else would become a problem shortly.

"Hey, you must be the psychic that Red was talking about! You're the one that took down BB and I think Raven!" Kid Flash accused.

The speedster was on to something; there was someone else at that construction site, one that had kept hidden throughout the fighting and this had to be the person. Without visual confirmation, no one there would have noticed a hidden pair of eyes. His theory seemed to be coming to life right before his eyes.

But wait, how was it that this psychic had control of Terra? Judging by how everything was shaking now, this person also had access to Terra's powers too. How did that work?

It was a gamble he was taking, but the teen vigilante needed answers. "How long have you been controlling her?" he demanded. "How long have you been pretending to be Terra?"

Beast Boy whipped his head up to stare at the masked teen with wide eyes. "Dude!" he exclaimed.

Terra's smirk widened. "From the moment she approached the shapeshifter. Through her I have listened to every word, every plan, every argument, and every movie night. I watched as you built your cohesion, trained yourselves, and did battle with various threats, including those from beyond the stars. Every day you grow in strength, matching the deterioration of your tastes in cinema in its growth."

So the whole thing was an act? Every second of every day? He had noticed how passive Terra had been, but he could not really say if it was normal; his only time really getting to know her had been over two years ago while she was serving as a guide through a maze of underground tunnels filled with bloodthirsty cultists. There had been helplessness there, but after all that, when she had been invited into the Tower by Beast Boy, his only point of reference for what was normal was from the shapeshifter himself.

Beast Boy knew Terra the best, and had remarked how she had mellowed out and wasn't that so great? Better than being part of the Ravagers. Had that passivity been an act as well? Then there was his own experience at being mind controlled. As brief as that was, it was like someone else was using him like a puppet, but he hadn't been fully suppressed. Could the same be true for Terra and that her true self was still in there?

"You have no right to steal our friend's will from her! You will relinquish your grip on Terra this instant!" Whoa, Starfire was yelling and she sounded pissed. She was hovering in the air, Starbolts at the ready, but like Cyborg, she did not use them.

"You have interfered in my affairs one too many times," the psychically possessed Terra replied. "Defeating my HIVE Five and terminating the financial transaction of a reliable client was an insult that could not be ignored. Retribution is necessary. It was good fortune that we were able to recover the girl from the wreckage of the Church of Blood and placing her in my thrall prior to your reunion."

So Terra had survived. But these guys snatched her up and made her a sleeper agent, a spy, and learned about them from the inside out. Their reach was greater than he thought…perhaps greater than that. Why would these people be interested in the defunct Church of Blood in the first place? And what client was she talking about? Could it be that recent events were not their first encounter with these people?

"It is such a boon. It takes no effort for me to tap into the girl's powers. Knowing that she herself will be shielded from the might of the planet itself, retrieving will be a simple matter. Should any of you survive, you may find new purpose in my service. I seek the strong and the worthy. Perhaps this will be your test for the proof."

Why was she still babbling? Could it be that Starfire incidentally triggered a monologue? Only the most narcissistic of people would do that, which was an insight for him. It would only be useful if they did survive and he could come up with a way to use it in the first place.

The tremors were strong enough that everything was starting to fall apart. Cabinet doors no longer remained closed, and everything was falling out. The beds themselves were nearly bouncing on the floor. Balance for anything with legs you might as well forget about. Red Robin had to steady himself practically leaning over one such bed, but that piece of furniture was making its way to the middle of the med bay.

Quickly, he looked around, hoping to spot something, anything really—what could any of them do really?—to stop the inevitable from happening. Destroy some walls, get outside, but they were several stories up and the fall could be brutal. Not only that, if the Tower did fall over, could they get out of the way in time? Damn it, Miguel was still here! If he didn't know what was going on…!

Just as his gaze fell on Wonder Girl, it clicked in his head. "The lasso!" he roared at her.

She made eye contact with him, then whipped out the magical rope that came with the armor. Its brilliance shined gold as she threw it out, the loop at the end falling around Terra. A hand yanked on the mystical object and the geokinetic was caught in the tightening loop.

If it truly was anything like Wonder Woman's, could the power of truth save them?

"I don't know who the hell you are, but get the hell out of her body!" Wonder Girl snarled, the rope brightening in its intensity.

Thin hands were spasming, fingers curling and uncurling. Terra's head was pulled back, eyes wide, but the yellow glow never dimmed. The thin body gave a thrash, paused, then gave another. The lasso would not release her.

"What…what is this?" the foreign voice hissed. The tremors softened, but did not abate, not entirely. There would be shudders, followed by weak vibrations, strengthening tremors, back to vibrations, and followed by a sharp shudder. "My will…will not…be broken." In answer, the magical rope brightened even more. A cry escaped out of Terra's throat, a sound that was jarring as it seemed there were two voices instead of one.

Terra's eyes shut, then slowly cracked open, glaring towards Wonder Girl. "Your power is beneath me." Vibrations became steady tremors once more. "You are beneath me."

"And I'm a teenager! Suck it!" The rope was practically blinding, not even the lens of his mask could shield his eyes from it. A dual-voice scream nearly burst the ear drums, Terra's head pulled back to the point she was facing the ceiling now.

The brightness, the screaming, and the tremors abruptly stopped and a heart-pounding silence gained control of everything. Terra slumped back into her bed, her chest rising and falling heavily. In fact, that was the only noise that made it through to anyone.

Reaching a hand out, Beast Boy's voice cracked as he ventured, "Terra?"

Cyborg was there, pushing the shapeshifter out of the way while scanning and taking measurements. He even forced open one of Terra's eyes and shined a light into it. "Physicals are all coming back positive. Pulse is up a bit, no surprise. I—"

Thin arms pushed at the titanium chest, "What are you doing?" Terra moaned, her voice back to its normal pitch. "Oh. Ohhh. My head…I got a massive headache, why are you trying to blind me?"

The lasso was a dim version of itself now. It seemed the immediate danger had passed, but Red Robin hadn't dropped his guard. Not yet. Looking to Wonder Girl, the two of them shared a nod.

The rope was not about to come off for a while.


Something wasn't right. It hadn't been right for a while, but so long as it could be ignored, then it wouldn't be a problem. At least until it couldn't be ignored anymore.

It had started sometime after that rally. From there it had been getting worse and worse. That freak whose brain could be seen through his head had caught on, but he didn't force it. But then it showed itself again, and it was much, much worse. He had been dominating those Titans long enough, but to then have just one of them put him on the ropes…

What was happening? He was suppose to be strong! H.I.V.E. had promised! Killing those kids would set him up for a long career, to be one of the most well-known assassins in the world, able to set his own price, and make bank doing it. Killing some metahumans would have cinched it.

Ravager wasn't feeling too good right now. He reclined back against the sofa he had practically collapsed on as soon as he returned to home base. For days he had been out in Jump City, barely feeling any exhaustion, but now here it was, bitchslapping him into a funk that he was finding harder and harder to get out of it.

It pissed him off. It pissed him off like nobody's business. Moving was feeling like it took effort, his breathing was shallow, and it seemed like everything in the past few days was catching up with him. He was tired, tired, tired, and damn it, it felt like there was nothing he could do about it.

Ravager wasn't done yet; those Titan pricks were still alive, right? So they needed to be dead, and to do that, he needed to get stronger. Strong enough that he would get the respect he deserved.

Time would drag on, and he would lay there, growing angrier and angrier by the minute. Where was everyone? Why was no one attending him? Hadn't he been told how special and important he was before they gave him abs of steel? Why wasn't H.I.V.E. checking over the best assassin they had ever had?

It was like being ignored all over again. Just like with his damn sperm donor, always showing up to fuck mom and then leave. Yeah, there were those "Father-Son" bonding trips but the asshole always found a way to insult and degrade him. Heh, after this was done, he might as well pay the old man a visit and show him how much of a man he was now.

But he needed to get stronger. He must get stronger. Had to be because he was nothing without it.

In what took way too long to happen, someone entered his quarters, a familiar face. Pretty, feminine, and one of the nicest people he had ever met. Stuffing him with homemade brownies, telling him he was meant for great things, believing in him. The uniform she wore wasn't that bad. She was giving him a winsome smile the second she noticed he was watching.

"I would have come sooner, but the labs were crazy. I wanted to check on you," she said.

Ravager's eyes shut, all the better to hear her voice and drink in it, but then it became difficult to open them again. By the time he was able to, she had sat down next to him. Exhaustion was really hitting hard now.

This wasn't good. He couldn't allow himself to…to…

Focus. "I…I need…more."

His voice was raspier than he had thought. This got a frown from her…her…what was her name again? He knew this. Knew the name of…knew the name of the person who had gotten him out of the hellhole that was "home." She was…she was…

It was getting harder to think now. Damn Titans, why didn't you die sooner?

"More? More of what?" she asked.

More. More. More of…he knew, just saying it out loud was…why it suddenly so hard? His breathing…getting deeper.

"Hot…" he groaned.

Like an angel, she helped with that. He hadn't been truly aware, but everything fell cooler when his mask was pulled off, shellacked hair pasted against sweat drenched skin. Ah, that was nice. Made things feel easier for a second.

"Now, what are you asking?"

What was he…oh right. That's right. "That stuff. You know, the stuff. The stuff you gave me…made me strong. I need more of it." Eyelids were heavy right now. Why was he so damn weak?

"I don't know." Don't be…don't be like that. "It's suppose to be a one time treatment." No, no, you got it all wrong. All wrong. He needed more. "Hmm, let me see…" He felt pressure from her hands against his face, forehead, neck…why neck again? "Hmm. Hmm. Well, I'll have to run this by General Immortus…" for once, he was able to force open his eyes, because the name of that one old man was enough…enough to what? Oh right, to get him riled up. Not as much as…not as much as the sperm donor, but close. "...but I think I might be able to get something whipped up."

Because his eyes were opened, he saw the wink flashed to him. Beautiful.

"You sit tight. I'll make sure you're well taken care of, and you'll get a new boost, one better than the last."

His head sank back. "...perfect…" he muttered.

He didn't see how she rolled her eyes as she stood up and left.


"Haven't I gone through this before?"

"Standard operating procedure. Next time, let us know someone's mind controlling you and we can test for that from the get go. Now hold still."

"Stop shining that light in my eye!"

Terra was up once more, Cyborg was checking her vitals—for all the good that would do—and Red Robin had taken to consulting with the others about their options. There was no doubt on what they were going to do: someone had tried to bring down their sweet new home and they weren't going to let them get away with it.

The details were important. Who was going, who would be left behind, how they were going to get there, where exactly they were going, and then what they would do once they got there. The secret lair of this secret organization was going to be well-defended and would have support from who knows how many metahumans? The fact that they were still meeting new ones meant there could be a lot more just waiting in there. Hell, there was Jinx's crew as well. Numbers were against them.

But quality had to mean something. They were holding their own under the circumstances. If they could keep playing to their advantages, they could dismantle this whole operation and save Raven in the process.

But payback, payback was a definite. Do your inventory folks, grab your heavy artillery, and don't hold back. That was gung-ho way to look at it.

How were they going to fend off a psychic, though? More than one? One had already been in Terra's head, and it was suspected it was the same one to grab Raven. But with the numbers on the enemy's side, there might be other psychics too. To be safe right now, they had Wonder Girl's magic rope looped around one of Terra's wrists. Nothing had tested it yet, but who knew if it could keep out that one homicidal psychic long enough for them and their organization to be tracked down?

Raven was who they depended on for psychic protection. Apparently, demonic energy made for a good shield against psychic powers. Now they had no such protection. This was going to be real tricky.

The last time Red Robin had faced his own loss of bodily control, it had been with Brother Blood, but that man had to do something freaky with his own blood first. Raven had been the one to break that control then.

"You know, whenever I ran into telepaths and whatnot—in the future, naturally—I found that if I thought really, really fast, it gave them a brutal headache. Then I went in for a one, two, three hit combo and down they went! They couldn't take punches to save their lives!" Kid Flash offered as the latest of many ideas thrown out.

"But that only works for you," Red Robin pointed out. "How will that protect the rest of the team?"

Kid Flash held a hand up, finger extended, mouth open, but no words came out. The hand went under a chin and rubbed, the speedster thinking long and hard. "Hmm, you make a good argument."

"We could try using Wonder Girl's lasso on ourselves," Starfire offered, though with hesitance in her voice; even the Tamaranean knew what the flaws of that plan was.

"But that would keep us close together and if we get into the wrong kind of situation, we could get overwhelmed," the teen vigilante said. This would be so much easier if Raven was here, wouldn't it? Too much specialization and not enough overlap this team had.

"Alright, checkup done, we're good to go," Cyborg announced as he stepped away from Terra's bed, leaving Beast Boy to replace him while the cybernetic teen made his way to the team huddle. "Now, I got some more good news, boys and girls. Got a hit on Raven's communicator."

"Wonderful!" Starfire praised, her spirits rising.

"That's where we get into some bad news," Cyborg added belatedly. "They're in the mountains."

Wonder Girl tilted her head to a side. "That's not too far."

"Rocky Mountains."

That shut Wonder Girl up.

"More specifically, we're looking at an area in eastern Utah and western Colorado. Not a lot of roads in that area, and some of the terrain is awful. Not awful enough for the T-car, but we're going on foot at some point," Cyborg continued.

"It's still a starting point." Red Robin turned to Kid Flash. "You'll go on ahead and scout the area out. Cyborg, you send him the coordinates you have. See if you can find the exact location, patrols, and any potential entrances and exits. Don't go just yet, we still have some logistics to cover." Had to be quick on that last part; Kid Flash looked ready to already run off but now was not the time for that.

Back to Cyborg, "Satellite imagery if you can. We need to have a good idea of the lay of the land before getting there. Get the T-car ready too. There is sure as hell not enough room in that plane." Next to Wonder Girl, "Call your mom and give an excuse why you're going to be gone for the next few days. I'll do the same."

A good excuse was going to be needed with his parents. It was almost second nature at this point to be thinking of some kind of reason or excuse why he needed to be in the Tower. Just as long as he kept his grades up and showed up enough times, his parents were willing to let him run wild, but that didn't mean there weren't expectations.

The next matter would be who was going. One reason to pick out the T-car was that it could hold more passengers. Yeah, it would be slower than the plane, and they still hadn't done any aerial speed trials with those who could fly. Damn, another shortsighted mistake. They were going to have to work on that—he was going to need to work more on that.

It would have to wait until later. First a headcount. Kid Flash brought his speed, Starfire strength, energy projectiles, and combat skills, Wonder Girl had her magical armor with all the strength, flight, and everything else it came with, Cyborg with his durability, offensive capabilities, and technological manipulations, Beast Boy had the whole animal kingdom with some thought and concentration, and Terra…

Terra had the whole planet if she wanted to, rocks, boulders, and earthquakes at her command but also potentially compromised. What if she was taken over again? It wasn't as if they could leave her behind only to have Jump City devastated while they were gone. There was no telling what that psychic could have her do and there was no way he knew to secure her mind.

At the same time, she could be used to spy on them once more, giving their enemies time to prepare for their arrival or to intercept. No matter what choice was made, it wasn't a good one. Still, he would rather have any danger or threats kept along with them; at least that way Jump could be spared.

"It's going to be a tight squeeze, but I think we can get everyone into the car," he mused.

Cyborg picked up on that. "When you say everyone," the cybernetic teen said slowly, "do you mean…everyone?"

Glancing to his teammate, the masked teen gave a nod. "For one, we need all hands on deck. Second, if there's going to be any danger heading our way, better us than it be in the city."

At first, Cyborg was confused, but then he got it, his one human eye flickering over to Terra. Thankfully, the most the geokinetic could see was his back, so his grimace was hidden from her. What he said was, "It'll be a tight fit…but if we get all the girls in the back, you and me in the front, and if the Grass Stain turns into a hamster, we should be able to make it work."

"What are we planning?" It seemed that Beast Boy was catching on. The last one too. Wonder Girl and Starfire were oddly silent, the former giving him a pointed look while one hand gripped the magical rope that had regained some semblance of calm. Kid Flash wasn't running off on the mouth just yet.

"Hey, where am I gonna sit?" the speedster blurted out. A new record for the amount of time he had remained quiet.

"Figured you'd want to keep pace besides us, but if you want a seat, we'll figure it out," Red Robin offered.

"Nah, I'm cool with a jog," Kid Flash replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hold on, are we bringing Terra with us?" Beast Boy tried to interrupt.

Looking to the shapeshifter, "Yeah, we are."

Red Robin didn't wait to see or hear the reaction from the green-colored teen. As the team had been figuring out its options and developing a plan of action, the door to the med bay had been closed, sealing them off. Now they were opening, and someone was entering. By process of elimination, it had to be Miguel. The Hispanic male was probably checking in on them, curious about the quaking from earlier perhaps.

What the teen vigilante found was an individual in a purple bodysuit, dark purple on the chest, legs, shoulders, and lower arms, with a lighter purple coloring the abdominal and upper arm regions. A purple bandana covered the upper half of the head, and flexible white lens filled in two self-made eye holes. It was hard to tell if there were boots as the color scheme seamlessly blended them with…were those trousers or was that whole ensemble one piece?

A purple-gloved hand gave a jaunty wave, and the family voice of Miguel spoke, "Ah, this is where you all were hiding! Are those earthquakes normal? I almost swore the whole place was going to come down!"

Okay, question, where had Miguel found those duds? Red Robin wasn't sure they had anything like that; it wasn't as if they had spare uniforms or some such stashed around here.

"I am much happy that you look aesthetically pleasing!" Starfire praised. "Were my measurements correct? There are no areas that are ill-fitting?"

"You put my grandmother to shame," Miguel replied, stretching out his arms and turning his torso left to right and back again. "I had no idea you were a talented seamstress!"

Ah. Of course. Starfire made it. Well that answered that.

"Okay, what's up with the outfit and please tell me it's not for a stupid reason," Wonder Girl said, staring at Miguel unblinkingly.

Stretching an arm behind his back, Miguel answered, "I'm here to the end, mi amigos. This started in my home, and I will make sure that I repay the favor at theirs, that is if you have found it."

So stupid reason it was.

However, before Red Robin could say anything, Cyborg placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't bother, Red. He's made up his mind, and it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands."

"But can he protect himself from a psychic attack?" the masked teen retorted.

He wasn't expecting an answer of any kind, maybe a protest, but an answer he got nonetheless. "What do you think my bricks are, Red Robin? They come from my mind, so I have to have some willpower to power them all." Miguel shrugged while summoning said bricks. The psychic projection, if that's what they were, floated merrily about.

But it didn't truly answer the question.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that Raven would be judging him if she was here, Red Robin said, "Are you sure about this? We're about to enter a den of individuals bent on killing us; they have a small army of metahumans, who knows what other resources we don't know about, and at minimum one psychic who was powerful enough to use mind control three states over. Is this what you really want to sign up for?"

When you put it like that…

"Sounds like fun," Miguel said cheerfully.

…of course it would make a teenager drool.

Glancing to Cyborg, "You figure out where he fits in the car."

"Christ," Wonder Girl groaned, rubbing at her forehead.

Starfire had floated her way over and was doing a quick examination of Miguel, looking over her work as it were. While Red Robin had been hoping to dissuade the Mexican teen, Starfire was fulfilling her inner seamstress, and once the teen vigilante had given up the fight, she remarked, "What name of code will you give yourself? If you are to fight at our side, you will need a name to deceive our enemies and protect those who would be placed in mortal danger if your identity is uncovered."

"And they say don't name if or you get attached," Wonder Girl grumbled under her breath.

Miguel scratched at his cheek, thoughtful. "I've been going through many of them. Trying to get the right one, you know. I'm really leaning towards…Bunker."

At this point, Red Robin was done with this. He turned to see about Terra and make sure that she was clear to get back on her feet. This was foreign territory when you got down to it. Psychic attacks were new, and mind control, well…

…well…

…it wasn't the first time.

Could it work? It might be a little crazy, but by grasping at straws, he felt desperate enough to try.

"Hey Cyborg, we might want to delay a little bit," he said, looking over his shoulder. "There's something I need you to look up, and then make. Sooner the better. This could be the trump card we need."


The second you set your eyes on the mansion, the only thing it could tell you was that it was expensive. Very expensive. So expensive that you would never have the amount it cost to buy it.

It had the view of the sea, salty winds to battle the rays of the sun, and a sheer cliff that dropped down into the cold waters below. A forest of trees and vegetation hid it from the view of the road, though it stood out starkly should one be out on boat. The nearest neighbor was nearly a kilometer away so there was plentiful privacy.

A patio of white, polished stone lined the cliff, circular in shape and wide enough to have a small gathering of some of the most elite people in the world. In fact, many of such an elite class had been here before to enjoy the view and conduct business.

A small set of stairs led to cement walking strips, and along this strolled a man in a suit. Silvered hair combed back might give the man a look of age, but a hardened face took away many of those years to give some element of youthfulness. Eyes that were sharper than any blade edges casually observed the man's surroundings, always searching for any danger. A nose that might have been broken and set more than once twitched above a small mustache which added some refinement to the man.

His gait was long and possessed strength. Down the set of stairs he strolled, approaching a long round patio table where another man, the owner of this villa, was enjoying a small breakfast while working on a laptop.

The new arrival came to a stop, standing tall while taking one of two manilla folders out from under one of his arms. Placing it on the patio table, he gave the folder a push and slid it over the other man. "Details of your next job," the mustached man announced without any pleasantry.

The folder slid to a stop centimeters away from the sitting man. Compared to the suit he wore, this man was more casual with a short-sleeved dress shirt being visible above the table. Like the suited man, this one also had hair silvered by age, though his was closer to white. Without looking away from his laptop, he picked the folder up and opened it with one hand, bringing it between himself and the portable computer.

There was no grunt, no real acknowledgement, which was fine for the suited man. They were both professionals and long-standing colleagues. Silence was not offensive here. If anything, words would have given away something was wrong.

The suited man stood there, patiently. He glanced to the horizon and the deep blue of the sea. It was a marvelous sight, but one he had grown used to a long time ago. Still, he could admire it.

"Where's the rest of the payment?" the seated man asked. No nonsense, straight the point, and little patience with games that weren't his, all of that could be heard in that one simple question.

"They want to give half now, half later. Someone doubts your skills," the suited man remarked. When he himself had read the details, he was already snorting at the power play. He could understand distrust, but only to a certain degree.

"Full payment, or they get nothing. They have a problem, I can pay a personal visit," the seated man said.

"I shall forward that along, though I have a hunch you might have to pay that visit with this one," the suited man commented.

There was a grunt from the seated man, but the opinion was heard. He had hunches, you see, and more often than not they turned out to be right. Unfortunately, that didn't mean the suited man heeded his hunches every time.

"Nothing else?" the seated man asked, a single hand tapping on the laptop computer while the other grasped a cup of coffee, still steaming. The beverage passed through lips that knew how to expertly consume it. Judging by the smell, the suited man may procure a cup for himself.

Before that, a question to answer. "There is one matter. Not a job."

"Not interested," was the swift reply.

Undeterred, the suited man removed the other manilla folder from under his arm and placed it on the patio table. "It is in regards to your prodigal son. It seems Grant may be biting off more than he can chew."

"And? I'm suppose to pull him out of the fire?" an eyebrow that barely slid out from under an eyepatch arched challengingly.

"Perhaps you would like to read first then come to a decision," the suited man recommended as he slid the second folder over.

For a moment, the folder remained on the table, untouched. Almost begrudgingly, it was swiped up and perused. The suited man remained patiently, this time keeping his gaze on the only man in this world that he trusted. Through hell and back, the two of them. They may not always agree, but where one led, the other would follow for better or worse.

Time seemed to stretch. No movement occurred between the two men. Distantly, seagulls cawed. The sun slowly rose higher into the sky. Waves crashed against the cliff below, a roaring torrent that was relentless in both persistence and power.

Abruptly, "Ready the jet, Wintergreen. We leave in twenty minutes."

Wintergreen nodded his head and turned on his heel without a word.

The prodigal son was going to have a reunion with the prodigal father sooner rather than later.