Seth slid down the tunnel made by Ibidimin's blast. Tick was right behind him. They landed in the tomb, both prepared to fight.

"What took you so long?" The captain asked with a laugh. Tony stood before them with fists clenched, and his foot pressed down on Ibidimin's back. His shirt was ripped, and black coat covered in dirt.

His captive lay face down on the floor and looked even worse. Blood flowed from his nose and cuts on his face. Long strips of hair had been ripped from his scalp and used as a rope to bind his hands and feet. The precious objects, he guarded so carefully, lay smashed in pieces.

"We got a little distracted," Seth stuffed a piece of cheese in his mouth. Evidence of their fight was everywhere. Artifacts were toppled over and broken. A statue leaned crookedly against the wall. Thick yellow dust floated in the air. Ibidimin's fascinating sliver gun lay on the ground. He stooped down to pick it up and slipped the weapon in his pocket.

General Kenko stepped forward and studied him. "You're healed. I was certain you found out the secret."

"Need a little help here, I seem to be stuck." Tock's feet banged against the tunnel. Reaching in, Seth grabbed him by both ankles and pulled.

Tick grumbled, "He doesn't know when to stop eating."

When the rest of Tock's body emerged, he was still holding tight to his chicken leg. Taking a bite, he looked around with a big grin. "We missed the fun. Oh well, there'll always be another fight."

The brand burned warm on Seth's leg. A low-pitched hum caught his attention. The turquoise stick swirled up toward him. He reached out and caught it. As his arm went up, the silver web glistened through a tear in his shirt.

Fascinated by the silver molded on him, General Kenko pushed his sleeve back and touched it.

He took her hand. "We all obviously had secrets. I think I liked you better as Gertie."

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"We did what was necessary to guard you."

Tony studied his face. "Does it hurt?"

"No, but my mind still remembers the pain. Maybe, if given time, it will fade." For a second, the darkness, simmering in his brain, threatened to overwhelm him. His face turned pale, and his eyes lost focus.

"You didn't question how we took back the airship and freed my boss? Or better yet, overpowered Ibidimin." His captive let out a muffled growl and Tony shoved down harder on the man's back.

At the question, Seth's mind cleared, and he laughed. "As you asked me earlier, 'what took you so long?' It was all part of my plan. I left enough clues for Gertie."

Captain Kenko glared at him and tried to pull her hand free. "You knew who I was?"

"Not everything, but Gertie slipped a couple of times." Seth released her hand and changed the subject. "Is Thirteen here?"

"No, he's on the airship, helping Commander Guess."

"Well, if he wants the Hydelea, I need a face to face."

A second drawing of the flying man was on the wall before him. This one stood up straight and dropped a stick downward. Ibidimin had not seen this image. Seth grinned at the thought, Maybe because I leaned against the wall and blocked it from him.

He struggled to move his legs; they felt like lead. He bounced the turquoise stick on the floor. Beneath him, stones cracked like glass. A green object shot up and waited, hanging suspended in the air. About a foot long, the device had small levers and buttons on each side. Seth stuck his left hand out, and the Hydelea floated down into his palm. He blew off yellow dust and tucked it in his waistband. Next, the blue stick came toward him, changed consistency, and flowed around his left wrist.

"How did you know what to do?" Tock inquired.

Seth pointed to the image drawn above where the device lay hidden. "Ibidimin's not as smart as his ego tells him. If he had just stopped to look--," he ended his comment with a shrug.

From the floor, Ibidimin sputtered with anger. His feet pounded the ground. Tony again applied more downward pressure.

"I need to go. I'm assuming Thirteen will take all of you back?"

Tony slipped his black coat off and threw it at him. "Here take this. You need it more than I do. Cover up, not much left of your clothes."

Seth remembered his image on the wall, his pants ripped, and shirt caked in blood. He caught the coat and slipped it on. The fabric molded to his shoulders. "Where is this from?"

Kenko spoke up, "From the planet, Aster. Something my father picked up on one of his trips. Its made from a special fabric that repels light rays, knives, bullets. There's more I'm sure you will discover along the way. Ibidimin's devices are useless when you have the coat on."

The coat swirled around him. Seth laughed. With it on, he felt like conquering monsters. If his visions are real, in the future, he will. His left eye glowed green. He tapped the image on his leg and disappeared.