After eight hours in the air, the plane began its descent. Through the cabin window, Owen looked down over the full expanse of Los Angeles—just in time to catch a glimpse of the giant "HOLLYWOOD" sign.
Once they landed and exited the terminal, Owen and Monica went their separate ways. He helped her into a cab, gave a playful "call me" hand gesture using his thumb and pinky, and closed the door for her with a wink.
Watching her cab drive off, Owen climbed into his own taxi.
"Where to, sir?" the young Black driver asked politely, turning his head.
Owen thought for a second. It was Thursday, 2 p.m.—his mother and Amanda were probably not home yet. No point going back just to sit around. He decided to visit some old friends.
"CTU."
The cab pulled up to CTU's entrance before long. Two guards by the gate approached as the vehicle stopped, blocking access before Owen could reach the building. Ever since the brutal Angel of Death's car bomb attack, CTU security had gotten serious.
"Hey, Brant, Armstrong—how's it going?"
Recognizing the familiar faces, Owen stepped out of the cab and gave the guards a warm greeting. He'd worked at CTU long enough to know everyone, top to bottom.
"Owen! Man, it's been a while…"
"Sure has. Is Tony around?"
"Yeah, his car's in the lot. He's still here," Brant said, pointing toward a gray Ford in the parking area.
"For you two—catch!"
Owen tossed each of them an orange. His hands were full with two large gift bags. They caught the fruit, laughing and trading banter. Being one of their own, Owen didn't need credentials—he passed through with just a friendly nod and a grin.
It was still the same familiar CTU Los Angeles. Nothing had changed. Glancing up, Owen spotted Tony's silhouette moving in his second-floor office.
"Look who's back!"
The moment he stepped inside, someone called out—an old field team colleague. Owen gave him a bear hug.
"Boys, I came back just to see you lot!"
The place lit up. One by one, people got up to greet him. Owen had always had a great rapport with his coworkers.
"Aisha—heads up. Neymar—this one's yours. Chloe, catch!"
He began tossing out oranges like candy. The busy operations floor quickly transformed into a cheerful reunion.
"Owen, man, you're amazing. We heard all about the 343 flight. The reports didn't name names, but we knew it was you, right?"
"Of course. I was one of the hijackers," Owen joked, prompting a burst of laughter.
"Look here—this is the medal the president personally awarded me."
Owen smugly took out his Medal of Valor. Within CTU, there were no secrets, no need for classified discretion. Everyone present had clearance to view the details.
The medal was quickly snatched up, passed hand to hand amid admiring gasps.
"So what's D.C. like?" someone asked.
Aside from being the capital, D.C. wasn't necessarily any better than L.A.—which boasted the second-largest economy in the U.S. and was the West Coast's crown jewel. Many at CTU were locals who'd never even visited the East Coast.
"Pretty great. The women are spicy," Owen quipped, earning another round of laughter.
Just then, a voice rang out from upstairs.
"You traitor! Where's my orange?"
It was Tony.
"Catch!"
Owen lobbed an orange up over the railing, which Tony caught effortlessly. Peeling it and taking a juicy bite, he nodded with approval.
"Mmm. Good stuff. Once you're done showing off, get up here and chat for a bit."
The others didn't hold Owen up. He waved and laughed, heading upstairs to Tony's office.
Inside, they sat together on the couch. Tony was still munching on the orange, wiping juice off his fingers with a napkin.
"So, how's HQ? Jack holding up?"
"Of course."
"You did good out there—killed the hijackers, recovered the plane, and prevented a bio-terror attack on U.S. soil. The news was vague. What really happened?"
Since Tony was curious—and a trusted colleague—Owen filled him in on the details, from the infiltration to the takedown and final midair evacuation.
"No wonder Jack raised White Mask's threat level," Tony muttered after hearing the full account. "So they were involved…"
The two chatted for a long while. Owen hadn't been gone that long, but the nostalgia hit hard. CTU was full of friends and shared memories—it was the place of his youth.
Leaving the building, Owen checked his watch. Almost 5 p.m.—just in time to pick up Amanda from school.
He took a cab straight to his mother's house. Before leaving L.A., he'd canceled his rental and left his belongings and car in his mother's care.
Finding the vehicle in the garage, he saw a light layer of dust. Clearly, his mom hadn't driven it. He fired up the engine. Still ran like a dream.
Owen drove toward Amanda's school. Arriving just as school let out, he didn't have to wait long before students began filing out of the building.
He spotted Amanda walking with her friend Kim, both heading toward the bus stop.
Honk honk~
He'd meant to surprise them, but they hadn't noticed him waiting. So he tapped the horn.
"Oh, Steve~!"
Recognizing him instantly, Amanda shrieked with delight, flung her backpack aside, and ran into his arms like a little whirlwind.
She's really growing up—I can barely lift her anymore…
Owen smiled wryly. That playful tackle nearly knocked him over.
"I'm so happy you came to pick me up!"
Still laughing, Owen set her down and turned to greet Kim.
"Hey, Kim."
"Hi, Owen. You two are so close…"
Owen nodded, smiling. Kim was an only child—rare in the U.S.—and often envied Amanda's sibling bond. Amanda had filled her ears with stories of her doting big brother, making it sound like heaven.
"There's a gift in the car for you. And one for Kim too."
Amanda let out a delighted "Wow!" and dove into the car.
"For me too?"
"Of course. Hop in, I'll take you home."
"Thanks."
Kim's face turned slightly pink. She climbed into the backseat beside Amanda. She did have a small crush on her best friend's brother—but Owen had a girlfriend, and Kim's father Bryan would never approve of a CTU agent anyway.
"Ladies, please fasten your seatbelts…"
Once they were strapped in, Owen started the car and pulled away, happy to be home again.
------------------
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Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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