“JD!” was all Marc managed to croak as he felt himself pulled by the waist into oblivion. But it wasn’t oblivion. He crashed into the person pulling him who crashed into another keeping them both upright. Marc watched in horror as JD turned his back to him and the room blinked out of Marc’s vision. He pulled, trying to get out of whoever’s arms, reaching to open the portal again and return to JD even while not fully understanding what was going on.

“Hey!” The voice was soft but stern, “calm down, I need you to chill.”

Marc turned and looked at the woman as she let go of his waist. The chain still clinked around his neck as he took in the small room and the people watching him. There was a bank of surveillance monitors and computer systems along the wall. Two women sat at them watching intently the battle between JD and the arsonist, another woman was the one who had pulled Marc through, and then a man behind her, the one that kept them from falling.

“I know it’s scary and disorienting to come through the portal, but I promised JD he wouldn’t have to worry about you.” The woman with short cropped blonde hair tried to reassure him.

“That guy, h-he...” Marc stuttered, “c-an blind JD!”

“How?” the man asked. “Tell me.”

“I-I’m not sure. I wasn’t able to figure it out. I know it works best if he’s touching you but it doesn’t have to be skin-to-skin, but he also starts by looking in your eyes. It’s disorientation. Dizziness, nausea, tunnel vision and if it goes on too long blindness and eventually unconsciousness.”

Aaron was concentrating on the flashes of Marc’s memories trying to understand their suspect’s powers. Suddenly one of the other women exclaimed, “Shit! JD, JD you’re falling!”

Marc pushed through the others and grabbed the mic, “Ace! You need to levitate! Concentrate on breathing, ok.”

There was a grunt of confirmation as Marc watched JD’s descent slow. “He’s trying to burn you, but just keep breathing, concentrate on breathing. Your vision will clear.” Marc waited with everyone else, all holding their breath. They watched as the two stopped falling completely. They listened to the struggle slowing down as JD’s breaths slowed. The pair turned over in the air, almost unfolding as they did. JD now held the man by the forearms as he hung there.

“Is the ground clear?” JD asked as he held on to the other man literally dangling him just over 10 feet from the street. Confirmations came from Briggs and Bryce that the ground was cleared. JD released the man to fall to the street, following behind with handcuffs at the ready. The man hit the ground on his feet and instinctively rolled. His feet were already bound with zip ties but as he came out of his roll he tried to pull himself away. JD came down on top of him, hard, knocking the wind out of the man. He grabbed the man by one wrist, latching the one end of the cuffs onto it, and then the other. He pulled out 2 more zip ties and effectively hogtied the man by tying the cuffs to the ankles.

The one woman sitting at the monitors took her mic back from Marc. “OK, JD, Aaron’s already called in to respond to the fight, he’ll be on scene to arrest the both of you.” She turned smiling at Chris and jumped up to hug her. “We did it!” The third woman sighed audibly before excusing herself.

Marc’s face drained of what little color there was as he heard the women celebrate. He watched as JD removed the radio he had been using and crushed it, destroying his link to law enforcement. The man who had just been in the room showed up on the cameras, pointing a gun at JD barking out orders for him to surrender. Tears started streaming down Marc’s face as JD was hauled off in handcuffs to a police cruiser. He turned and looked at both of the women who finally noticed him, and the desperate look on his face.

Chris reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “We’re not going to let anything happen to JD. But we need the public to see this. We want…”

“We need to talk, but first we have someone to evaluate your injuries and we’ll get you cleaned up and fed.” The other woman, Dianna, interrupted and took control, producing a pair of bolt cutters to remove the chain from Marc. It fell to the floor, the ruckus completely unheard by Marc as he reached to feel his unburdened neck with shaky hands. “Come on,” she said pulling with a gentle hand on his arm, “we’ve a gifted doctor waiting. Uh, we’re not sure if we’re going to prosecute the kidnapping, but we’re going to document everything in case, ok?”

Marc nodded as he allowed himself to be led out of the surveillance room. The hall lights were super bright compared to the room they had just been in. Marc could feel the rough carpet under his bare feet as he was led to a makeshift examination room. The doctor was waiting inside, wearing a simple polo and worn jeans, his thinning grey hair floated like a halo around his tanned head. He took one look at Marc through his bifocals and offered his hand as introduction.

“You can call me Dr. Rob. I understand you’ve been through a lot over the last month. I’ll do my best to not traumatize you further, but we need to get through this. Do you want one or both of these ladies to stay?”

Marc considered the two women for a moment. Both had kind faces, but Chris, the one who had pulled him through the portal, reminded him of his mother. He tugged her sleeve and asked her to stay. She smiled softly and nodded. Dr. Rob pulled a curtain around to allow Marc to change into a hospital gown. His clothes were collected in evidence bags and the examination started.

Hours later, Marc was showered and dressed in new clothes, carefully spooning some chicken soup into his mouth. He listened as Chris explained the situation, how they were law enforcement but all hiding their abilities. She reassured him that they had no intention of prosecuting JD or Marc for Vigilante’s actions. They discussed the offer to work with them in the future, and even mentioned their hope that Marc and JD would look into law enforcement as careers.

“So JD is still being held right now, did you want to go home or wait for him?” Chris asked after the long discussion.

“Home, please. I really want to see my mom.” Marc fidgeted with the strings on the new hoodie, anxious to go home. The ride was quiet as Marc watched the world pass by through the tinted windows. The sun was down, street lights were on. He wondered what time it was. They pulled up to Marc’s house and he hesitated, taking in the scene. The two houses he called home stood in front of him. In his mother’s house a single light was on, in JD’s there was a light on in every room.

As he stepped out of the car saying a quiet goodbye to Chris, the front door to JD’s home opened. Tasha ran out to him, yelling at the top of her lungs, “Marc is home! Marc is home!” He couldn’t even process the scene before she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her tear stained face into his body. In quick succession, everyone of JD’s house came out clamoring to hug him. He felt so overwhelmed, but it wasn’t until his own mother stood, waiting for him, that he broke down. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Together they crumpled to the ground as Marc repeated quietly, “I’m home, mama, I’m home.”

She pulled away and brushed his hair from his eyes. Cupping his face in her hands, new tears streamed down her cheeks. “I dreamt of you, every night. I had faith that JD would find you, and, now, here you are.” She hugged him tight again, truly wanting to never let go.