"Thought he was gonna fix the place up?", Del asked as JD guided the two past the huge mansion that once had been the heart of the estate, with its lake running through well groomed flowerbeds and a bridge that might as well could have been straight out of a fairytale.

But the once dreamy beauty had faded long ago. Almost no window in the house was still in one piece and nature had started to reclaim the building. Branches and ivy poured out of every crack of the washed out yellow facade.

JD shrugged.

"That was the plan. Fifteen years ago.", he mumbled and crossed the bridge.

While doing so, he threw a quick glance down into the river. It was hard to see anything at night, but as he stepped aside and let the moonlight kiss the water, a silver shimmer appeared.

It was an amulet that you had hidden down there ages ago.

"For good luck.", you had said back then. "To protect the house. When we get older, we'll live here together and help your parents out, promise?"

He still remembered the smile you had given him that day. He didn't know exactly when his feelings for you had started to grow beyond friendship, but he liked to imagine that it had been that day in particular.

A sigh escaped him.

Kait followed him.

"So... you grew up here?", she asked carefully.

JD pulled a face.

"I was born here.", he corrected. "I grew up in boarding school."

With tension in his shoulders, he guided them around the house to the back door of a smaller annex. He didn't knock nor made the effort to make his presence know before putting his hand on the wooden door.

But before pushing it open, he hesitated a moment. Goosebumps chased over his body.

His eyes jumped through the garden one last time. He noticed that it seemed untouched, no footprints nor any sign that somebody had arrived or left over the past few hours.

Confused, he frowned.

You were supposed to be here.

So why was there no sign of your presence?

JD pushed the door open.

The room that was revealed behind couldn't have been less inviting than it was. There wasn't any furniture besides a small table with some running electronics on it and small space to sleep in behind a half wall.

The only light came from a fireplace. The shimmer illuminated the room barley enough to reveal Marcus sitting in his armchair.

With a grim look on his face, the bearded man leaned forward.

"Welcome home, James.", he growled in his deep, angry voice.

It had been a while since his last visit, but JD didn't remember his fathers hair and beard to be that greyish silver. He also didn't remember him looking his age. Usually, Marcus heavy build had always done a good job hiding how many years of war he had been living through.

JD pulled a face. His eyes jumped through the room.

"Where's (Y/N)?", he asked.

Marcus shook his head.

"I thought you wanted to come together."

"I went to catch Kait and Del."

Marcus took a sip from his metal cup.

"Then I have no idea."

Sighing, JD squeezed his eyes shut.

"Dammit, you said only the necessities...", he cursed and looked at him again. "Dad, we need your help."

Marcus got up from his chair.

"I'm all done helping you.", he said, calm yet still angry about the past.

"But this time I'm not running from the COG."

"Del, you in this, too?"

With an apologetic grin, Del shrugged.

"Waist deep.", he nodded, sounding awfully proud.
Marcus frowned.

"You were supposed to keep him out of trouble."

"Now. You know that's not possible."

Speechless, JD eyed his friend, but kept himself from starting an argument he had no time for.

With an even grimmer look on his face, Marcus turned to Kait. He eyed her for a second before making a face that seemed everything but thrilled.

"I'd introduce myself, but you'll be leaving soon.", he said and pointed at the door.

But she wasn't impressed. Not taking her eyes off him, she addressed JD.

"JD, show him.", she said.

Marcus approached his son.

"Our village was attacked.", JD said.

"And my mother was taken."

"Taken?", Marcus frowned.

"Along with all our friends.", Del added.

"Dad. You should look at this."

But Marcus wasn't having it. With a warning shimmer in his eyes, he faced JD again.

"No, you look. I warned you not to join the COG.", he hissed. "What did you do?"

"Dad."

"I told you, don't go Outsider! The GOG'll hunt you down! Again, what did you do?"

He gave his son a push to the chest.

JD pulled a face.

"Just shut up and look!", he insisted and raised the crystal from the cut off hand into his field of vision.

Immediately, realisation lit up in Marcus' eyes. As he took it to take a closer look, it seemed like he remembered everything if the past all at once.

"(Y/N) showed me something like this earlier today.", he said and glanced up at his son. "How did you get this? I blew up the cave."

JD frowned.

"After your little secret meeting we met at the lab and agreed to pack some stuff up to come here. You know, like you offered.", he said, more upset about you missing rather than the harsh nature of his father. "Are you telling me, we are the first to arrive?! Where's (Y/N), dad?!"

"Like I said, I don't know.", Marcus eyed the crystal again. "Shit!"

But before they could worry too much about you, Del caught their attention.

"Uh, guys?", he said, looking at the monitor of Marcus' security system.

A group of BeeDee's approached.

Grimly, Marcus locked eyes with JD.

"I thought you weren't running from the COG!", he growled.

JD shrugged.

"Yeah, that wasn't completely accurate."

"Goddammit, James!"

It looked like he was about to strangle him right then and there as the front door suddenly began to scream under immense pressure.

Dust filled the air and cracks danced through the old walls.

Everyone drew their weapons.

The walls came crumbling down, wood shattered and for a moment everything was swallowed by dust.