“He watched us leave the dream!” Charlie exclaims. “He left your dream! That’s why he’s not here!” 

Justin is beginning to pace back and forth in what now seems to be Captain Badass’ abandoned base. 

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” he says. 

“Why not, Dad?” 

Justin exhales slowly. “I don’t know. How would he get from here to the suns? One ship was a dream ship, so it disappeared when I woke up and it hasn’t returned. His permanent ship is on its side in the ocean on Earth. How would he get from here to the sun?” 

Joy looks around. 

Charlie taps his fingers on one of the telescopes. “He definitely has a third ship,” he says. Joy looks at him questioningly. “Because he’s not here,” Charlie explains. “How did he get here, anyway, from the Infinite Prison? And now he’s not here.” 

“Huh,” Justin says, seeing his point. 

“And you always say he always found a way to escape the Infinite Prison and get back to his ship. So maybe it’s not a third ship. Maybe it’s another way of getting around.” 

Justin bites his lips as he tries to concentrate. “Why did I create him with a way to escape? What way to escape did I give him?” He thinks for a few seconds, then shakes his head. “I can’t remember. It was too long ago. I don’t know what I had in mind when I created him except that I wanted to fight a pirate.” 

“Well, he’s gone now,” Joy says. “He’s outside the dream. I hope he found the angel’s dream.” 

Justin laughs. “Me, too.” Then, he immediately corrects himself. “No, I don’t. Remember, Joy, everyone has feelings. Even dreams.” He points at me and Master Mind. “You understand that Captain Badass has feelings. You understand how bad it would be for him to get into the angel Chrysalis’ dream, right?” 

Joy nods.

“Good. Let’s get out of here.” 

“Wait! Dad! There’s one more thing I have to do here!” 

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt