After his encounter with Ras Nine, Devon made a habit of waking before dawn and hurrying down to the secluded beach, hoping to encounter the mysterious Rastafarian again. But although he waited hopefully as the morning sun rose, Ras Nine never returned.
Back home, Devon's odd behaviour did not go unnoticed by his mother Norissa. She became suspicious when her teenage son started vanishing for hours early in the mornings, barely touching his breakfast.
One evening while Devon was up showering before bed, Norissa lightly rapped her knuckles against the bathroom door.
"Everything okay in there?" she asked. "You barely talk for a couple of days now. And always rushing out the house early."
"Yeah Mama, just been doing exercise by the cliffs, that's all," Devon responded vaguely amidst the running water.
Norissa pursed her lips. "I see. Well mi glad yuh taking fitness seriously..." She couldn't help adding teasingly, "Or maybe yuh sneaking off to see a little girlfriend?"
Devon poked his head out, scowling indignantly. "What! No, nothing like that."
His mother held up her palms. "Okay okay, don't get vex now," Norissa laughed. "Just checking in on mi son. Yuh know you can chat to mi about anything."
Devon's expression softened. "Yeah Mama, sorry. Mi just focused on improving at track lately. I want to make Kamau and Rayon proud..."
Norissa blinked sadly. "Well yuh let mi know if yuh need anything." She turned to head back to the kitchen.
In truth, Norissa didn't fully believe her son's explanations. She suspected something bigger was occupying Devon's time and thoughts. Recalling the JHA agent's business card, Norissa wondered if she should call McKoy and discuss her concerns. But she hesitated to go over Devon's head. He was nearly a man now, not some little child. Norissa resolved to be patient and trust that he would come to her when ready.
The next morning, Devon was up before sunrise as usual. After a quick breakfast, he grabbed a sleepy Rex and headed out the door.
"Yuh disappearing early again eh?" Norissa commented from the kitchen, sipping her coffee. "Them cliffs not running nowhere, yuh know."
"Yeah Mama, I just like to start mi day with some fresh air and exercise," Devon replied evasively.
Norissa gave him a searching look but simply said, "Alright, stay safe." She watched pensively as her son rushed off again. The mysteries surrounding Devon's odd routines lingered in Norissa's mind, but she returned to washing the dishes without prying further. There was wisdom in waiting for the full truth to reveal itself in time.
Down at the secluded cove, Devon stood gazing out over the serene water as colourful predawn light crept across the sky. He had taken to leaving a conch shell near some tide pools as a signal for Ras Nine should the man ever return. But the shell sat untouched each morning.
With a defeated sigh, Devon picked up the conch and stashed it out of sight. Clearly, Ras Nine would not be easy to find again. He would just have to keep honing his skills alone for now through solo training sessions.
"One day I will master this energy, with or without any teacher," Devon promised himself aloud.
"Woof!" Rex yipped as if in agreement.
Settling into a power stance, Devon focused on discharging twin arcs of electricity from separate dreadlocks. They lashed and sizzled through the air wildly as he struggled to control their erratic movements.
Sweat beaded on Devon's furrowed brow from the intense mental exertion. With a shout, he crossed the arcing dread whips, guiding them to intersect at a palm tree thirty feet away. They sliced clean through the trunk in a flash of sparks.
As Devon panted from the effort, movement suddenly caught his eye from high on the cliffs. A lone figure stood silhouetted against the brightening sky, watching him. A pair of long rope-like dreadlocks fluttered in the sea breeze around his head.
Devon's heart quickened. Could it be? He stared hard at the distant shadowy observationer. For a long moment, they seemed to mutually appraise one another.
Then with an almost imperceptible nod, the silhouette turned and disappeared again over the rocky ridge. Devon grinned tiredly.
Ras Nine was out there, keeping watch over his development. When the time was right, their paths would cross again. Devon just had to stay focused and continue believing in himself.
Turning back towards the open sea, he took a deep breath and sunk into an offensive stance. Devon would be ready when destiny came calling once more. The power of The Blur was only starting to awaken.