Mikey slammed against the side of the boat, his legs thrashing in the cold ocean spray as the engine roared louder beneath him. The speedboat surged forward, slicing through the dark waves.
Gritting his teeth, he hoisted himself up, muscles trembling, and flopped onto the floor of the boat with a thud. He landed right at Bobo's feet.
Bobo stared down, stunned.
"What the hell are you doing here, kid?!"
Before Mikey could answer, Bobo grabbed him by the back of the jacket and tossed him onto the bench like dead weight.
Mikey gasped, catching his breath.
"I told you I was coming with…"
Bobo groaned and palmed his face, pacing back toward the bow as the boat rocked hard underfoot.
From behind, Luce shouted over the wind and crashing waves, voice sharp and angry.
"Boy! We said to stay back!"
Bobo turned, balancing as the hull bounced against the surf. His face was stone, eyes tight with fury.
"You're not ready!"
Mikey pushed himself up, grabbing the edge of the boat for balance. His voice cracked as he shouted into the wind.
"I just ran from a dozen Council soldiers to get here! I saved you back there! So what the hell do you mean I'm not ready?!"
Bobo's eyes widened.
"That was you…?"
But the disbelief quickly turned to rage. He stormed toward Mikey and grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him in until their foreheads nearly touched.
"This isn't a damn game, Mikey!"
The world shrank to the two of them—the ocean, the mission, everything else fading.
"You could've been killed," Bobo growled. "And I would've been the one who let it happen."
Mikey yanked free.
"How?! Why do you even care?! Why are you so guilty over me?!"
Bobo shouted back, voice breaking open like thunder.
"Because I ain't about to lead Desmond's son into his grave!"
That name hung in the air like a slap.
Mikey froze. Then his voice exploded from him, raw and ragged.
"He's dead! My dad is gone, so what does it matter anymore?!"
The boat went quiet. Even the waves seemed to hush. Luce didn't speak. She stood at the wheel, gaze locked forward, jaw tight. This wasn't her place.
Mikey's shoulders slumped. His voice turned low, quiet and shaking.
"This is all I have…"
He stared at the floor, fists clenched at his sides. His jacket fluttered in the bitter wind.
"I know I'm not strong. I know I'm weak. But—"
Images tore through his mind: Nadia screaming as she was dragged away… his father's blackened body in the rubble… the blows Payne delivered while Mikey could only curl and brace.
"—I want to be strong. I need you to teach me how."
He looked up, eyes shimmering with tears.
"I've lost everything. Everyone. All I have left is this. My parents' fight. Their cause. Please don't take it away from me. Please Bobo..."
The silence that followed was louder than the sea.
Bobo glanced back at Luce. She met his eyes, then gave a small shrug. The choice was his.
After a moment, Bobo turned back to Mikey.
"Fine. You stay on the boat. You don't move unless I say. If you try anything else—I toss you into the damn ocean."
Mikey nodded, wiping his face with the sleeve of his jacket.
"Yeah. Deal."
"Thanks, Bobo."
Mikey slumped onto the bench, chest still heaving from adrenaline, his limbs heavy with exhaustion. A hush settled over the boat, broken only by the steady churn of water splitting beneath them and the wind whistling in his ears.
He let his eyes drift toward the ocean—his first real look since they'd fled the tunnels. The moon hung above like a silver coin, its reflection broken across the restless waves. The sea stretched endlessly in every direction, vast and alive, glittering like liquid glass beneath the moonlight.
"…It's beautiful," he murmured, barely loud enough to hear over the water.
Luce caught the words. She glanced back, watching the way he stared—like someone seeing the sky for the first time.
"Never seen the ocean before?"
Mikey startled a bit. He hadn't realized she'd been listening. He turned to her for a moment, sheepish.
"Oh—uh, yeah… First time."
His eyes returned to the horizon, that soft, warm smile curling on his lips as the spray kissed his face.
"It's amazing… It's huge."
Luce smiled faintly and said nothing. Sometimes awe didn't need company.
Bobo, sitting at the bow, raised an eyebrow as he watched Mikey. The kid looked different—calmer, older, even if just by a little. Bobo crossed his arms and followed Mikey's gaze out to the open water.
"Yeah," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"Sure is."
Silence settled again, heavier this time. The kind that weighed on the chest if you let it sit too long.
Bobo, never one to let a quiet moment linger without throwing a wrench in it, cleared his throat.
"So, kid… about back there—"
"I know it was dangerous," Mikey blurted, already bracing for a scolding. "But it was the only—"
"Nah." Bobo cut him off, holding up a hand. "Thanks for saving our asses."
Mikey blinked. His mouth opened slightly, caught off guard.
"I don't know how the hell you pulled it off," Bobo added, shaking his head. "But thanks."
Mikey's face flushed. He turned his head toward the sea again, trying to hide the redness in his cheeks. His ears felt hot.
"It was nothin'…"
Bobo smirked.
"Yeah yeah, well that 'nothin' got us out alive."
Mikey glanced over at him from the corner of his eye, his voice soft and almost apologetic.
"Sorry I yelled at you earlier… for caring."
Bobo waved a hand, brushing it off before Mikey could finish.
"Don't worry about it, kid. I get it. You think your old man's gone, but…" He pointed a thick finger at Mikey. "A part of him's still here. Right there."
Mikey looked down, eyes wide. He hadn't thought about it like that before.
"You're a piece of him, whether you like it or not," Bobo said. "And if you wanna honor that? Keep that part alive. Stay sharp. Stay standing. Just… don't take on more than you can carry."
Mikey's throat tightened. He gave a small, solemn nod.
"…Got it."
The ocean continued to rush beneath them, wild and endless. The three of them were going to Jöten.
The boy who had crawled through shadows, bullets, and guilt sat a little taller now—wind in his hair, moonlight in his eyes, and the smallest ember of purpose burning quietly in his chest.