Hector walked up to Throttle, whom was now starting to figure out what was going on.

"Am I... Dead?" Throttle asked, a wave of despair passing over him.

"Not quite yet, Throttle, though you've come really close. Right now, you're in between life and death, Like I was during the speed master competition." Hector spoke. "I've been watching you and my little brother for quite a while since you two met." He smiled. "He looks up to you like he did to me. He trusts you, cares about you and your bros, and I have a feeling he'd do just about anything for you and them. Winning Kaido's challenge proved it not only to me, but to the souls he cheated over the years. Now their spirits are avenged by my brother as well. I know he did this not just for me, but for you. I can tell he doesn't want to see you go, and not just by his tears." Hector pointed to Manuel, whom was still trying to revive Throttle as his body lay on the dock. "He sees you as family. Something I know you miss dearly."

Throttle looked at Hector. "How do you know that?"

Hector then looked back at Throttle, his eyes cool and calm. "Because I've met them. The afterlife is full of many strange things, but I cannot tell you all that there is. You must find out for yourself." The light then shone behind Hector again, and Throttle could see shadowed silhouettes of Martian Mice. They were outlines of his family that he lost during the Plutarkian war!

" You've done a lot of good in your life, so let's just say I'm the gatekeeper to the good side." Hector explained. "I'm here to let you know that you now have to make a choice. You can either come with me, and experience the afterlife now, or you can stay with Manuel and your bros, and wait to experience it later. The paths are open, but you have to choose. However, I must warn you; Each choice has a consequence."

Throttle looked at the silhouettes, then back to the docks. Takumi had grabbed Manuel's hands, stopping him from administering the CPR.

"Manuel, I'm sorry, he's gone..." Takumi began to say.

"NO!" Manuel cried, trying to wrestle his hands out of Takumi's grip. "He can still be saved! He is not gone! He can't..."

"Manuel, stop!" Takumi barked. "There's nothing else we can do for him! I'm sorry, but we've done everything we can... We've lost him..."

Manuel looked down at Throttle, and broke down. "Throttle, I'm sorry!" He buried his face in Throttle's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "I should have been here sooner! It's all my fault! Dammit, It's all my fault!"

Throttle was moved by this, only it ended up trapping his heart between a rock and a hard place, so to speak.

"...Do you have any idea of what would happen if I chose to go?"

Hector sighed. "I was granted some foresight before I came to you, so I can tell you. But you will not like it."

Throttle looked again at the Dock. The sight was tearing him apart inside. "Please. I need to know the consequences before I make a decision."

Hector looked at Throttle, hand in the pockets of his cargo jeans. "The consequence of staying behind is you'll have to live through the rest of your years. I will not lie, they will be long and hard, but it will still be rewarding. During that time, you will cross paths with Manuel on multiple occasions. You will keep in touch and develop a bond more of a family than friendship like you have with Carbine, Stoker, Modo and Vinnie. They, along with Takumi and his friends, will see this bond, and begin to unite with you and Manuel. It will be tough at times, but not impossible."

"And if I go now?" Throttle asked.

Hector looked at Throttle with a serious face. "If you choose to go now, things will destabilize more than they already have. The regenerator will get back to mars, but at a high price. The freedom fighters will start to fall apart due to your death, and all of Mars will blame humanity for it despite the good people like Charley and my brother have done. My brother will be ultimately devastated that he could not save you and will commit suicide in three days after you leave for the afterlife, and Hesus will blame Yuya and Kaido, killing them in revenge. That will land all of them in a bad situation, so to speak. That road also leads to xenophobia, and eventually, nothing but stardust will remain..."

Throttle looked again to his family then back to Manuel and the others.

"Remember, all I offer is the foresight and the choice. Nothing more." Hector said.

This was hard. A chance to be with his old family, or wait and create a new one. Throttle was at an impasse. But then he looked at Manuel and the others. He saw tears run from both Vinnie and Modo's eyes. Even Stoker's staunch defense had dropped, tears falling from his eyes as well.

"Stoker... What are we going to do?" Vinnie asked, his tone quiet.

"I don't know, Vincent... I don't know..." Stoker said, trying to wipe away the tears with his hands.

Throttle knew then, despite how badly he wanted to see his old family, that he could not go on to the afterlife yet. He looked at Hector.

"Tell my family I'll have to catch up to them later, and that I'm sorry. I have to stay. Tell me how I can get back in my body..."

Hector smiled, glad that Throttle had made the right choice. "Very well. Look down at your body, and imagine being at one with it. Close your eyes. Imagine you are actually laying on the dock, and your soul will then descend back into your body, and you will wake up. And Throttle..."

"Yeah?" Throttle asked.

"Take care of my little brother for me." Hector patted him on the shoulder. "Our family is now part of yours."

With that, Hector walked back into the light, and it disappeared.

Throttle then closed his eyes and did exactly as Hector told him to. He imagined being on the dock. The next thing he knew, he felt pain across his chest, and he was coughing up water!

#

Manuel felt Throttle's body shake. He lifted his head off of Throttle's chest to see him coughing, gasping for air!

"Throttle?" Manuel immediately got up and helped Throttle sit up, as he coughed up the remaining water in his lungs. It was a miracle!

"...Manuel, I'm okay." Throttle said as Manuel checked his pulse to make sure it was normal.

After realizing that Throttle was okay, Manuel punched him in the shoulder.

"Don't ever do that to me again, you lucky hot-shot!" Manuel then seized Throttle in his arms, and chocked out  sobs of relief before starting to calm down. Throttle just patted him on the back.

"Hector says hi." Throttle said softly.