30. P O W E R : Homecoming

EPILOGUE

THE PRODIGAL RETURNS

It was 8:30 P.M., and the sun had already set outside the airplane windows. Everyone was quiet as the aircraft descended toward the Capital City of the Northwestern Safe Haven. They could see the mass of reporters that had gathered on the building upon which the plane would land, cameras already flashing as they eagerly awaited the emergence of Safe Haven's prodigal son.

Addison rested his face on his hand, staring out the window absentmindedly. "It's even prettier than I remembered," he remarked, his eyes on the brilliantly-lit city below.

"Ja?" Gustav chuckled. "Well, it has had some upgrades."

"No kidding," Kia breathed, her face plastered against the window. "This place looks amazing. I mean... wow."

"Indeed," D'kala agreed, craning his neck to see past Kia. "I can't wait to see it from the ground."

"Hey, losers! Buckle up!" Taxi ordered, her voice emanating from the group's watches. "We're touchin' down!"

Addison turned away from the window, straightened up in his seat, and exhaled as he buckled in. "Here we go," he whispered. "Back to work."

"You ready for this, Adds?" Damian asked him, leaning over the back of his seat.

Addison slipped on a pair of sunglasses—the same pair he wore as Vision—and turned, flashing a half-grin at Damian. "Not at all," he responded. "Let's do it."

-

The camera flashes increased tenfold as the Retrieval Team began exiting the plane—and so did the volume of the reporters voices. Their many questions jumbled together in an incoherent mess of words as they swarmed the team members, shoving microphones in their faces.

"Ow, my eyes!" Savvira wailed as Camilla hugged her close to her chest.

"It's alright, baby," Camilla told her soothingly. "It's okay." Then she glared at the reporters and shouted, "Show a little decency, you jerks! We just got back!"

"Yeah, clear a path, idiots!" Taxi snarled, shoving reporters aside.

Koko put an arm around MacKenzie and held her close as they moved through the crowd. "Good to be home, huh?" he murmured to her.

"Mhm," MacKenzie mumbled, nodding.

"You tired?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'll get you home."

D'kala and Kia came out next to the sound of cheers from many of the reporters. Kia, of course, didn't hesitate to pose for the cameras, while D'kala smiled and shook the hands of those who offered them.

Damian and Sahara disembarked behind the couple, looking around at the reporters uneasily. Damian glanced over his shoulder into the plane, a nervous look on his face, but Sahara nudged him and motioned to the others. Damian nodded and followed her, leaving the final passenger to get off the plane on his own.

And when he did, a hush fell upon the entire crowd.

Dressed in attire synonymous with his "Vision" persona—black leather jacket, black pants, green striped scarf, and sunglasses—Addison Chokshi/Derschwitz/Woods looked around slowly, an unreadable expression on his face.

The reporters stared at him with their mouths open for a long moment.

Then the cameras lit up once more, flashing faster than ever as a cascade of questions rushed over the so-called "prodigal son". The reporters flooded around him, blocking off his path to the other members of the Retrieval Team. Seeing this, Damian moved as if to help Addison escape, but D'kala held out his arm and shook his head.