Blue Nexus #39 - Fallout

            Kyle floated backwards to move out of the way while Brenda lowered her sphere of barrier magic down around the rubble. Kyle, still watching the rubble, gave her a thumbs up. Brian, at the bottom in his Nexus form, did the same. Kyle pulled back both arms. Brenda backed up on the ground, advising the deconstruction crews to do the same. The barrier began to rise, and Brian lit it up with energy, filling the area with smoke. When Kyle saw the barrier dissipate fully he joined in as well, then formed a small lance and cast it through a larger piece of rubble, splitting it right in two.

            “All clear!” Brian shouted, leaping back.

            Two trucks backed into the alleyway, with four men following them. A crane came in as well between the two, starting to dig through the rubble that was much reduced.

            “Hey, we’ve only got one more big one if one of you wants to stay and help, we’ve got the rest!” exclaimed the construction manager from the truck.

            Kyle nodded, flicking his head to the north, where they were headed next. Brenda and Brian blasted off in that direction. Something boomed in the distant. Kyle landed on the ground, sprinting in and launching a blast at the large piece of rubble. It nearly disintegrated. Kyle sighed as the dust rushed past him. He swung his arm out with all his strength, moving it out into the sky. He coughed up a bit of dust and exited. A construction worker patted him on the shoulder.

            “You got the time?” Kyle asked.

            “Yeah, it’s about one,” he said.

            “Ah, alright, thanks man. If you need help, call!” Kyle exclaimed, and leapt into the sky. He looked around the city, thankful to get to see it again in the light of day.

He hadn’t gotten to see the city with the Sun out in three days, since he went to first find Boomer and Alucard before being forced into the Nether. Ever since he had the battle, and was asleep through much of the day and came back to help at night.

            Most of what he did was demolition, blasting the rubble to bits and making it easier to move around for the construction crews. He was trying to be more careful as some companies and crews wanted to keep certain structures around for the new building, be it for a memorial or just to reuse them if they were sound enough. Kyle wasn’t sure what the safety protocol on that was, but trusted that these people were being smart with their situation.

            Brenda was the doing the most work between the three of them. She was the one who could move larger structures easier with her barriers, but the strain eventually wore on her. Before today, she worked alone. She’d expressed her appreciation multiple times throughout the day, knowing that with the two Nexuses things moved much quicker.

            Kyle leaned back, letting the breeze push him a little as he surveyed the western part of the city. Besides the epicenter and the south, the western part of the city seemed to take the most amount of damage. It’d been where Riko and Lalay was stationed by Alucard days ago. The two of them were over there now, and that was where Kyle heard the booming coming from. Like the two Nexuses, Kyle knew that Riko was also on demolition duty while Lalay focused on transportation. Sandy might’ve been around there too, but from what Kyle understood she was mostly doing what the Sentinel had done—until he left last night—and looking for anyone seeking to do bad.

            Phoenix wasn’t in East City, which Kyle felt was a shame, but he did get to meet dozens of other smaller super heroes that couldn’t make it to the battle as they were far too busy fighting Alucard’s monsters, like the ones he found in Vermont. Most of them were not Zanderia, though Kyle couldn’t help but wonder if they should be included in the super league. After all, he thought grimly, if there had been other supers around it would have been easier for them to contain Kyle after he trashed the command center when his Demon magic took over.

            Kyle watched as a minivan followed behind a semi-truck, both hauling large crates behind them. A man on a motorcycle headed them up by twenty yards, for some reason. Several of the roads in East City were shut down for now—the hope and prediction being they would in four days—so there was no traffic that the motorcyclist needed to be redirection. Kyle then saw that, just behind them, a cement truck pulled over, with five men guiding it to a huge pit in the sidewalk that was still wet from a sprung water main. Kyle grimaced. He dropped down next to them. Only one acknowledged him.

            “You guys need any help?” asked Kyle.

            “We’ll let you know,” the one in the truck said, rolling his eyes. He motioned for another man to help him with something.

            A man in a black polo and khakis tapped Kyle on the shoulder. Kyle looked over. The man, wearing a visor as well, smiled at Kyle.

            “Sorry about them,” he said. “But it’s probably best if you split, Blue Nexus. Most of my boys don’t, uh, appreciate what you did here a few days ago.”

            Kyle tightened his jaw, but kept it shut. The visor man shrugged.

            “I know, ignorance is bliss and all that crap. I know what you really did though, and, seriously, thank you kid. Not like any of us would have done better against Alucard, I’m just happy you guys stuck around. Would’ve been too easy to just go and find your next supervillain to punch in the face.”

            “Trust me I didn’t want any of this,” Kyle said. “But thank you for understanding. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

            “I’d just be careful if I were you guys,” the man said. “I heard about a similar incident just a few miles south of here some time ago. It seems trouble follows wherever you guys have to go next.”

            “We try to contain it,” Kyle said.

            “I get that,” the man said. “Problem is I’m in a minority here. Some people think you’re just as bad as the supervillains. You’ve gotta be careful from now on, Blue Nexus. But that’s just my two cents, I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”

            Kyle smiled and nodded. The man did the same, then returned to work, order for something Kyle didn’t know to be brought out of the back of the truck. Kyle stole a glance back to the workers, who were glaring over at him. He sprinted away, shooting into the sky again.

            Not like that was the first offense of this treatment he saw during the aftermath. He was surprised that it was coming so late. Perhaps it was like a disease—starting small and just growing throughout the crowd. People were in an unstable emotional spot, Kyle knew. Some wanted to find something to blame, and with Alucard destroyed, there were only those who were left from the battle to blame. Kyle felt for Riko and Lalay, who were caught on camera causing destruction and fighting the other heroes. They had terrorized the city with a smile.

            Kyle hadn’t gotten the chance to talk with Riko or Lalay about it, yet also didn’t want to whenever he thought about it. It was a sore subject, and also one that wasn’t important to the mission they were trying to accomplish of helping get this city back on its feet. They were doing a damn good job of that, Kyle thought, regardless of the growing negativity focused on them and the results of their fighting.

            In the distance he saw another large red cube working to support a structure while a crew clambered over and worked on reattachments while a smaller blue glow stood on the street pushing away rubble. The majority of their work now was in the back part of the city, the western half of the epicenter and further in that direction. The south was redone as much as possible without individual homeowners, landlords, or corporate leaders coming down to finalize deals, and at that point Kyle wasn’t sure if the supers could be around any longer.

            They tried to delegate responsibilities in a reasonable way, with Eclipse being the interim full-time leader of the Zanderia while Riko and Lalay worked here. His voice was a constant in Kyle’s mind, calling the shots for various supers that had his mind-watching approval and guidance. Eclipse seemed to handle it well. It was oddly refreshing to have the Orionian’s voice in his mind, like it was a soothing guidance that was sorely lacked during the battle. Kyle knew, though, that at a certain point very soon, they would have to go back to fighting crime, as they all wanted to do. Sure, Kyle and Brenda would get to stick around, but Brian did a lot of his business out in the galaxy, and as Phoenix liked to remind Kyle, the Zanderia fought on other planets as well, who had their own share of tragedies.

            It angered Kyle, then, that the people of Earth could not get that. Well, some of them. The ones who asked what the hell the heroes were thinking when they were fighting Alucard and that all of this damage was their fault. Kyle just reminded himself that it was because of the Zanderia that the Earth was here now anyways, helping stall Black Nexus so that Kyle could ascend into Wave Two and overpower their foe—who, Kyle sensed, had been stronger than Alucard. That little thought tended to nibble at him whenever it cropped up, so Kyle shoved it away fast.

            Kyle moved onto a rooftop, looking for the next place where he could go help without receiving any backlash. He spotted a crippled hospital and braced to go over to it when he heard someone shriek. In an instant Kyle back-flipped off the building and blasted down, his eyes scanning for what happened. A woman was crumpled to the floor with another woman holding her as a large man was running away from them. Kyle dropped down in front of him, his landing sending him to the ground backwards.

            “What’re you doing?” he asked, his voice angrier than he wanted. “You really think this is a good idea when almost all of the Zanderia is here?”

            “Like that matters!” the man shouted, and raised a firearm. Kyle nearly flinched but remained calm, putting his hands up. The man was carrying a purse as well as wallet in his other hand, with the small firearm raised right at Kyle.

            “It matters,” Kyle said. “Put down the gun, I’m not going to hurt you.”

            “You already did,” the man said. “Room 256, Eastside Stay Apartments on Main Street and Fifth Avenue. My whole house was wiped out by you people. Not going to hurt me? I’m already dead unless I get this stuff out of this city, to someone who’ll take it and help me pay for my home, for where my kids sleep.”

            Kyle kept his hands raised and took a step toward the man. “Look man, I didn’t want any of this to happen. We did our best to contain the damage but Alucard was too strong for us.”

            “I don’t care,” the man said, and the gun trembled in his hand. At this range it would be difficult for him to miss, Kyle realized, and the shot would no doubt kill him. “I just want my house back.”

            “Then help with the rebuilding,” Kyle said. “We can’t do everything but you can definitely help us.”

            “Can’t do everything? I think you can destroy everything, though. One minute I’m tucking my baby into bed and the next we’re sliding down the ruins of our damn apartment and I’m running around looking for an ambulance because my daughter has a broken leg. All you people know is how to break things, Blue Nexus. You can’t fix any of them.”

            Kyle realized how close he was now. He could hear the gun rattling in the man’s hands, and could see his eyes wavering between the end of the gun and at Kyle, who inched toward him. Kyle bit down on his lip for a second.

            “I did my best,” Kyle said. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say but I’m also doing my best to help fix the city and this is not going to heal your daughter.”

            “It’ll pay for it, though,” the man said. “You really think people aren’t going to take advantage of this situation? I’ll never be able to pay this off. I won’t have a place to live because of you.”

            “Work for it,” Kyle said. “Work hard. Nobody wants you to fail, least of all me. What’s your name?”

            The man shook once, himself probably realizing how close Kyle was now. “Why the hell should I tell you?”

            “Because I promise I’m going to help you,” Kyle said. “I’ll help you and your daughter, I promise. And her friends, and your friends. I’m going to make sure something like this never happens again. I’m going to make sure that you have a home. But I can only help you, sir, I need you to act as well. It starts with you lowering the gun.”

            The man placed the barrel on Kyle’s forehead, and Kyle did not bother to flinch. He felt it quaking on his hand, and saw the man’s finger resting near the trigger. Kyle stared straight into his frightened eyes.

            “My name is Ryan,” he said.

            The gun dropped, and Kyle felt the weight of the world drop with it. Ryan sighed as if he hadn’t been able to breathe and Kyle smiled at him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

            “They’re working on Main right now,” Kyle said. “I’d recommend giving that back and going over to help out. Get back to work when you can, okay? I’ll be around if you need anything.”

            Ryan, still shaken, nodded. He turned around and walked slowly to the two women who were now standing next to each other, holding hands. Kyle watched the exchange, and Ryan even reached into his own pocket and held out money of his own. The women declined, and Ryan nodded. He looked at the street sign and then nodded and ran off. They looked over to Kyle, and waved at him, calling out their thanks.

            Kyle raised a hand and smiled at them, floating further into the sky. His smile stayed with him as he crossed down, looking toward Main Street to see the heavy amounts of work being done there, though only Lalay was there. Kyle raised his eyebrow and looked around.

            “That was quite brave of you, Blue Nexus,” Riko said behind him.

            Kyle spun around, floating back a few feet to give Riko some room to stand. He had his arms crossed, and some soot/ dust all over his costume.

            “Oh, thanks,” Kyle said. “How’s your work been going so far?”

            “Slow, but, it’ll take some time,” Riko said.

            Kyle nodded, aware of the second meaning. “It’ll be worth it.”

            “Indeed. Your words did inspire me, Blue Nexus, and I am grateful for them. The Zanderia itself is going to need reconsruction much like this city.”

            “Yeah, I’m aware,” Kyle said. “Kinda to blame for that.”

            Riko chuckled. “Yes, I suppose in that regard we’ll need reconstruction too. Though to be frank, I think we needed a new look in the command center anyway. No, I was speaking on reconstruction on…how we go about things.”

            “Like how?”

            “New members, possibly new leadership,” Riko said. Kyle grimaced. New members he was down for, but the new leadership he was only saying out guilt. “We were hit rather hard by these events, much harder than we ever could have anticipated. The base was destroyed, Eclipse was put out of commission, and that damned Alucard had myself and Lalay like puppets to his play. How we recover from here is a mystery to me, and that is why I bring this up to you.”

            Kyle raised his eyebrow. “Riko if you’re thinking of electing me as a leader than you’re the craziest person on the face of the Earth right now.”

            “No, but I figured I would open the floor up to you on how we should go about our business,” Riko said. “You’re bright, Blue Nexus, and is that brightness that we so desperately need at a moment like this. I’ll be the first to admit that this situation has me too rattled to be thinking fully on this.”

            “Then don’t,” Kyle said. “Just wait. If our priority is East City and the five of us keep working like this then you won’t have to wait long to get to that point. Eclipse is doing fine right now leading everyone and we just need to focus on what’s right in front of us. That was sort of how Alucard escalated his plans so much, that we were misguided in our actions. I guess if I had one suggestion then that would have to be it right now. That and evaluating our stance with bringing in new members, like Hood Nexus.”

            “I’ve already approached him, and he’s quite opposed,” he said. “Working with you and Shindari is about as far as he will go with teamwork, which I am fine with. He caused the least amount of damage here, maneuvering even Gargador away from the city before all of this occurred, remember?”

            Kyle nodded. “We’ll get better, Riko. I’m not sure how right now, but we will. The only problem is how the rest of the Earth is going to handle this. And I don’t mean the civilians, I mean the people in charge.”

            “Ah, yes, the world governments,” Riko said. He rested his hand on his chin.

            “Not to sound mean or anything, but they probably saw you and Lalay and were none too pleased about the state of the Zanderia,” Kyle said. “I’d be surprised if they don’t start coming after us with some anti-vigilante act or something.”

            “Phoenix has that much covered,” Riko said. “He’s headed to New York now to meet with the United Nations on such a subject. A shame he could not be here, but I much prefer he stand before them than myself.”

            “I don’t think that’ll be the end of it,” Kyle said.

            “No of course not,” Riko said. “I’m thankful for your optimism, Blue Nexus, and would be ungrateful if it turned to moronic optimism.”

            Kyle shrugged. “I’m just saying. Surveillance around these areas will probably increase, given how things have kind of gone down. Not too much of a fan, but hey, at least it’s not without reason.”

            “Indeed. Phoenix will do his best with them now. I would rather not think of what will come of that right now, though. I just wanted to express my thanks for before, and not bringing all that occurred up again. I feel shameful for all of it, truly, but I know to put it behind me now.”

            Kyle moved across the way and patted Riko on the shoulder. “Exactly. Come on, we need to get back to work. I’m sure it also doesn’t look too great to see us just standing here.”

            They dropped down and landed in control. They looked around, Kyle looking for someone they recognized, but were greeted by someone Kyle was not expecting to see.

            Sandy approached them from a crowd. She was wearing casual clothing, but her Combat magic tattoo ran down to her right arm’s elbow because of how much magic she’d used up over the last few days (Brenda’s body constantly healed itself to keep her marking hidden). It was odd for Kyle that she was not in her combat gear, having seen her in them for so long. Kyle had to blink to make sure that it was her.

            She walked right up to the two of them, maneuvering through a crowd as if nobody else were there. She was also covered in some dust from work. Kyle hadn’t seen Sandy at all the last few days, and she seemed to disappear before the final battle. Brian was the last one to see her, having defeated her out on the highway, but didn’t bring her up either.

            Riko and Kyle turned to face her at the same time. A gust of wind behind them informed them of Lalay’s sudden arrival.

            “Nice to see you guys here,” Sandy said, her voice a little deeper, even as her normal self. “Been a little busy so I haven’t been able to chat with you guys.”

            “Very good,” Riko said. “I’m happy to see you hard at work. What brings you this way, or were you on your way to another site to help out?”

            “I needed to speak with you, and I guess you two as well,” Sandy said. “Because I want to know: why the hell am I here?”

            “Excuse me?” asked Lalay.

            Sandy put up her hands in defense. “No, no, not like that. I mean, how come I’m not in the Cube, like all the other supervillains? I deserve to be there. Is this like some other sort of punishment that you’re making me go through, like just putting me through a ringer or something?”

            Lalay and Riko could hardly contain a chuckle. Sandy looked horrified to them. Kyle nudged back a little, knowing he could play little role in this conversation.

            “Still guilty, eh?” asked Lalay. “Kid, I feel the same.” She put a finger up to silence Sandy’s almost immediate response. “I get it. You were a part of this for a longer time. ‘The Benefactor’ duped you, big deal. Alucard duped all of us. But what you’re doing now, helping to rebuild? It’s bigger than the part you played as Alucard’s lackey.”

            “My thoughts exactly,” Riko said. “Sandy I understand that you wish to seek justice for your crimes, but this is how you bounce back. This is how you better yourself, you better these very people.”

            Sandy’s lips trembled and her arms, still raised, were still shaking. “I…I can’t do this any longer, though. Everywhere I go I’m just filled with this overwhelming guilt, and sometimes it just makes me so angry. It’s getting harder and harder to hold back. I just need to—”

            “Breathe,” Lalay said. “All you need to do is breathe.

            “And join us,” Riko said.

            Kyle flicked his gaze at Riko for a second and Sandy’s jaw dropped when he made the suggestion. Her arms fell to her side and stopped shaking.

            “Join the Zanderia?” she repeated. “Become like…you? A super-hero?”

            “Yes,” Riko said.

            “I think having a second mage would be a fantastic addition,” Lalay said. “Plus your magic style is far different than Shindari’s. Why not join us?”

            “Take a look around you! That’s why! This is all my fault, I helped cause this!” Sandy exclaimed.

            Lalay crossed her arms. Sandy pursed her lips. Kyle smiled, noticing the wheels turning in Sandy’s mind. She also crossed her arms, looking to the three of them.

            “I—I’ll need time to think about this,” Sandy said. “Yeah. Um, excuse me.”

            She brushed between Kyle and Lalay, sprinting away from the group. Kyle noticed that her face was red. He stepped back to be able to look at Riko and Lalay, who were smiling at each other. The first step into a larger team, Kyle thought. Just like they needed. Like they wanted.

            The meeting room was stuffy, and full of small chatter that, in various languages, was directed right at Phoenix. He sat in the head of the table in the middle, with the most powerful world leaders sitting around him and their translators standing behind them. Each of them had their badges or medals on to show off. Some of them were glaring at him not just because of who he was, but because of the fact that he was still able to hide his identity. He did wear a suit with slacks, but had a thin hoodie on underneath that he had up as well as sunglasses on his face. A smile also sat right on his mouth.

            The chatter quieted a little, but the meeting did not begin. Phoenix kept his groan low. He was finished recovering from the near electrocution Kyle sent him toward as well as the beating he underwent. Now he was just bored. He’d been sitting in that uncomfortable wooden chair for almost an hour waiting for them to acknowledge him with words rather than glares.

            He was, at first, a little excited to be invited to the U.N.’s emergency meeting. After all, the world governments had been sending a little bit of hate the Zanderia’s way since they first formed over five years ago. The damage control was in check—well except for that one time that Dubai was almost wiped off the map…and when the whole continent of Australia was almost submerged to become some sort of Atlantis—so the U.N. backed off. Now? They had to force their hand, and Phoenix understood why.

            Three heroes just show up and then less than a year later a school is nearly destroyed, and then an entire city is nearly destroyed with the (brain-washed) help of other Zanderia members? A definite cause for concern.

            Phoenix noticed some agents standing in the back of the room, joined by two large men, a slender woman, a teenager, and a tall woman. The agents wore the same clothing as the guards did, but were speaking very close to each other while the others looked around the room, a bored expression shared upon their faces. An elderly gentlemen entered from the door behind them, and greeted all ten of the government agents in the corner. A few men at the semi-circle table turned and waved to him, shaking his hand as he made his way toward Phoenix.

            He sat up when the man sat at the seat closest to him, sighing when he sat down. Phoenix could hear his bones creaking. He was in maybe his sixties with a very short haircut, but he didn’t look like an army man. He had several pins upon his suit, though, so he must’ve done something major during his lifetime.

            “Good afternoon, Trey,” he said.

            Phoenix was glad he was wearing his sunglasses. The gentleman could not see him flinch. He smiled in return.

            “Good afternoon to you too, sir,” Phoenix said. “Do I even bother with the formalities or are you just going to be cryptic on how you know who I am?”

            “You think we don’t already know who all the Zanderia are?” asked the gentleman. “Trey Williamson is the Phoenix, a young woman named Brenda with no last name is Shindari, and Kyle Raiden is the Blue Nexus. Soon you’ll add Sandy Bracko as your newest member. Your group is not as subtle as it may seem, Mr. Williamson, and that’s why I’m here right now to help you. I would like to make a proposition to you.”

            “Let’s hear it,” Phoenix said, aware of what it would be.

            “We would like to…sanction you,” the gentleman said. “Allow the government access to the goings-on of the Zanderia, become another of our organizations. We can assure maximum security for not only your members but also their families and they won’t know a thing. Of course we would like to individually speak with your members to inform them of this new change, but I do trust that they will agree this is the natural step. With our help a disaster such as the one in East City may never occur again, and may never even come close to occurring.”
            “You’re making it sound like this is a done deal,” Phoenix said. “And I’m not buying it. I’m all for the United Nations stepping up and helping the good people of this planet, but we’ve said multiple times that Earth is our primary concern, but not our only one. We’re an intergalactic justice force, not an international one. I’m not too pleased if Earth’s mightiest group of heroes is watched over by someone like you, though, who would try to buy out his team members.”

            “I’m not buying anyone out,” the gentleman said. “I am assuring you of your security. Not to mention that if Earth is your primary concern you’ll need to rethink your focus, to spread your wings and get more members, like Mr. Raiden and Ms. Bracko. We can add to your roster, with field-tested agents.”
            “We’ll pick our own new members,” Phoenix said. “We trusted Kyle and Brenda not off of a whim but because we knew that they wanted to do good, that they’d shown us they could do good. I’m not going to stand by and let you or one of your interns pick who gets to become one of us.” He gestured at the group of five in the corner. “Sounds like you’ve got the makings of your own team over there. Got a shady agency you’re forming?”

            “It’s not shady,” the gentleman said. “We don’t yet have an official name, but rest assured that you would keep your alien name as well as become a subsidy of our organization to help in the fight. You could still work as an intergalactic force when the time calls for it, but Earth, as you said, is the primary concern. With maximum protection.”

            “Mr. Aplin,” called the man at the center of the semi-circle table. “I recommend you find your seat now, we’re ready to begin.”

            Aplin nodded, then patted Phoenix on the shoulder. He did not bother to look up at Aplin as he walked over to his group, each of them now looking over to Phoenix—the kind in particular seeming like he wanted to fight him. Phoenix looked away to the man in the center.

            Phoenix tuned out as they listed what were basically criminal charges against the Zanderia, all of the times there was extensive property damage as a result of their actions and how nothing was ever done about it. Of course they failed to mention how the Zanderia was always moving onto the next threat because of that and could not take immediate action in relief—nor did they mention the maximum relief effort being made in East City—but Phoenix didn’t care about that.

            Instead all he could think about was Aplin, and his super group. He wasn’t afraid of them by any means—they had Riko on the Zanderia, the threat wasn’t scary—but the fact that the government would dare raise a team up against the Zanderia was a daunting one. It would divide the world, potentially. Perhaps not against the big threats like Alucard but against each other, which never resulted in anything good. Phoenix began to realize the fault in him mentioning that the Zanderia did have such a heavy focus on the other planets in the galaxy, which Aplin could twist that against him and move for the Zanderia to take their operations off of Earth and its respective Moon.

            Damn it.

            The men began to discuss things in various languages, but Phoenix was inattentive. He crossed his hands on the table and leaned forward, as if he were thinking or preparing to say something. He moved his jaw around to keep up the façade. He wanted nothing but for Aplin to take a stand so that Phoenix could tell him off in front of the sovereign world leaders. However, Aplin just stood in the corner with his super shady pals, watching Phoenix to see if he would break or something.

            “Now, Phoenix,” the head chairman said. “We understand that the Zandeira is helping in the aid right now at East City, is this true?”

            Phoenix snapped out of his daze when he heard the possible compliment. “Oh, yes. It is. One hundred percent.”

            “How long do your members intend to stay there?” asked the chairman.

            “Through the rest of the week, I assume?” Phoenix said. “I haven’t been able to make it down there myself, I’ve been tending to some injuries I sustained…”

            The chairmen began talking again, ignoring Phoenix’s remarks. He slouched forward, frowning. He strummed his fingers on the table, not realizing how loud it was.

            “Something to say, Phoenix?” the head chairman asked.

            Phoenix sat up. “Oh, no, sorry. I just didn’t realize how loud this was, my bad.”

            “Ah, my mistake. Well, we would like to propose something to you,” the chairman said.

            Phoenix looked over at Aplin, who could not suppress his smile. An agent that Phoenix hadn’t noticed stepped away from the head chairman and walked over to the group with Aplin.   

            “Let me guess,” Phoenix said, “you want to make the Zanderia some sort of coalition for the United Nations? Have a monitoring system in check or something like that?”

            “Not quite as blunt, but in general, yes,” the chairman said. “The Zanderia have run around unsanctioned and unchecked for five years, with several near-catastrophic events the likes of which the common man simply cannot comprehend. With our support, not only could your systems improve but your method of doing things would as well.”

            “Mr. Chairman, right now, on our team, our technology and systems supersede anything that your nations here have done. We have a being from the Orion system of planets—which mankind has not yet been able to read—who has brought with him a wealth of knowledge we appreciate. Our leader has helped progress us, based on how things have been done on Mars. Mars, of course, being a planet that tricked us into thinking there was no life there. Not to mention that Blue Nexus has a piece of either mysticism or technology with an unlimited and clean energy source. Mr. Chairman, besides a possible strength in numbers what exactly would us becoming a government coalition accomplish?”

            “We can regulate your actions,” he said. “An expansion of members allows for the Zanderia to have more people at an area while still having back-up. Your members Riko and Lalay would not have turned on the city with our aid. We would have sent a preliminary task force in to read the situation, then make a proper assessment and send in meta-humans as necessary. It’s how it should’ve done, rather than how it was done.”

            “You don’t understand the threat levels.”

            “You should inform us of them.”

            “Fair enough, but we still handled the situation and you have to give credit to the armed forces and police that helped with the evacuation process. You make it sound like the Zanderia is a make-or-break group, when really we came in to deal with the big guns. The monsters? The police did a damn good job of handling them.”

            “We could avoid police involvement in such situations by sending proper aid,” the chairman said. “We’re not necessarily giving you many options to back down, to be frank. Your best option is with us.”

            “So you people can regulate when we take showers, is that it?” asked Phoenix. “The Zanderia was weak this time around, I get it. It happens, even the best establishments falter from time to time. But right now? We’re getting better, and we’re helping East City get better as well. If you were regulating us, who’s to say what you would have done in the moment? Hindsight’s great to look back on these things and say, ‘Yes this is how we should do it’ but it isn’t in the moment. Blue Nexus and his allies did all that they could to stop Alucard, who caught us all off-guard. Given what all was aligned, I’m very impressed by how the situation was handled.”

            “A city was left in ruin.”

            “Better than the whole world,” Phoenix retorted. “The Zanderia is an independent entity with only one goal: to keep intergalactic peace as best we can. And damn it all if we’re not going to keep it that way. If you ever think about crossing us, Mr. Chairman, or Mr. Aplin, we will not hesitate to go through you to save an innocent’s life.”

            “Is that a threat, Phoenix?” asked the chairman.

            “It’s a promise,” Phoenix said, and stood up.

            The chairman braced himself. Phoenix looked over to the group of supers, who were all tensed up. He nodded at them, and walked out of the room. The reporters there pressed down as fast as they could on their cameras, trying to capture the moment.

            The moment the Zanderia almost declared war on the world government.

           

            It was late when the Cube opened up and allowed Kyle to float down into its airlock room, then dried off Kyle and allowed him to enter the main corridor. The villains swarmed to the glass walls instantly, banging on them as if Kyle would let them out or give them a second glance. He didn’t, instead focusing on the walkway in front of him, knowing just where it was he wanted to be.

            The Cube only grew in five occupants since he was last there, including the Tiger Trio helped finally contain and place into their own cells. Thunder and Lightning Tiger especially tried to bust out and attack him, though Fire Tiger was meditating. Kyle slowed when he passed by him. He couldn’t feel the heat, but he could feel a second sort of presence in there. He wasn’t getting out of there, though, so he just pressed on until he reached the stairwell, going down into the second level.

            He walked down the stairs, feeling a swell of cold coming in around him down the stairwell. The lights were out, as they were not automatic and Kyle did not need them since he had the glow of his aura around him.

            The second level was, as far as he knew, just put in not two or three days ago, and was one giant cell to house its sole occupant. The door was locked from the outside, obviously, but even if they did decide to escape, they had no way of accessing controls for the others since it was controlled from the Moon’s command center.

            Kyle pushed open the door, releasing the tense lock on it and stepped inside the hollow grey room. An illusion of a forest dropped down around him and something clattered gently to the ground. The room’s occupant stood up from his meditative stance, rolling back his shoulders. He was looking much better, Kyle thought. He didn’t look like he was dead.

            The room was just as tall as the previous corridor, but not quite as wide. Kyle wasn’t sure how Eclipse managed to create it—nor how he, Riko, and Phoenix went about the creation of the Cube in general—but marveled at it nonetheless. This room in particular was special, allowing for holograms or virtual illusions to appear and allow for great depth into that new world. In a way, Kyle thought it would drive a person mad…but he knew that he and Brenda would make frequent enough visits down here anyway. Plus, this was the only prisoner whose sentence wasn’t for an incredibly long period of time. If it were up to Kyle, he would be up on the surface now.

            He turned around, facing Kyle with a sullen but relaxed face. Kyle smiled at him, striding across the room to meet him. His hair was a bit shaggier, but Kyle noticed the shower in the back had been used recently. There was a pile of clothes near it as well, and the restroom door was open as well. They met in the middle of the room and shook hands.

            “I’m glad you could come,” Professor Boomer said. “The others are still busy?”

            “Less busy, but yeah,” Kyle said. “Things are going great, I wish Eclipse could get some sort of cable or satellite installed down here or something.”

            “I might have to make a new request,” Boomer said. “I would love to see what the city is like.”

            “Well you can. I can take you there right now, and then you can stay there and lead—”

            “No.”

            “Damn it.”

            Boomer chuckled, crossing his arms. Kyle couldn’t help but widen his smile. Seeing the man happy again was at least decent solace for his situation. He was almost begging, like Sandy, to be placed in the Cube. But Eclipse wanted him there only because he had immense information about the greater workings on the universe, bestowed on him by the War God Cata, as Boomer told them.

            He told them all about his dealings with Gargador and Luna, leading up to the catastrophe in East City, and how he and Cata were in league. All of that was behind him now, and he wanted to be placed in the Cube so that her influence could not reach him. Even if it did, he would be in a place where he could do no harm to anyone. The rest of the Zanderia found that reasonable, so Kyle managed to barter a temporary stay here. Boomer would be a freed man someday, Kyle knew that. And the world would be much better when that day came.

            It was odd to see things that way. He was a mad scientist just last week, and now he was one of the heroes of the big battle. Kyle was admiring him in some ways, though in many more ways he knew Boomer appreciated all that had been done for him and appreciated how the Zanderia respected his wishes.

            “Right now my sins are very fresh in the world,” Boomer said. “I just need to be here, and recollect. What I’m recollecting I have no idea, but I have the knowledge of a War God, I think I can figure it out soon.”

            “Not to mention you’re a genius,” Kyle said. “So when I come back here in a couple weeks or something are you gonna be all zen-master Boomer?”

            “Perhaps, but doubtful,” Boomer said. “I’m not looking for my inner peace, but rather just peace. A little quiet would be nice, after a life of constant work. I need just a moment, and having all my work result in such disasters, that moment will also requires solitude. Plus, I feel that this is a good place to grieve.”

            “She would be proud of you,” Kyle said. “In the end, what you did is what she wanted.”

            “It gives me hope, Blue Nexus,” Boomer said. “For the first time in my life I am very pleased to say that I have hope.”

            The two talked for another half-hour about the state of things, how the Zanderia was planning on rebuilding and restricting themselves in the wake of the catastrophe. Kyle even informed him of what Phoenix said when he returned, that the United Nations was funding some covert government organization that could possibly stand against the Zanderia and spark some sort of war on Earth because their leader was a bigoted idiot.

            “Aplin?” asked Boomer. “Don’t trust a word he says. In my earlier days he funded some of my projects. Those projects would result in what you now know as the Tiger Trio, before the days of super humans being everywhere. If he does have a group of meta-humans at his disposal they are dangerous, Blue Nexus. Aplin isn’t a man that sits idly when he doesn’t get to play with the toy he wants. He will hunt you down if need be.”

            “Well that’s certainly reassuring,” Kyle said. “But I don’t know how tough they can really be to stand up against myself, Shindari, or Riko if need be.”

            “I’m just giving a warning,” Boomer said. “Aplin will never work for the betterment of the collective mankind, but for the mankind he sees fit to better his world vision.”

            “Ah, so he’s like the crazy dictator type, then?” asked Kyle. “That’s fun, haven’t seen one of those yet. Should be interesting.”

            They talked for a little while more, this time Boomer steering the conversation as Kyle learned more about his history as a scientist as well as what made him finally decide to make the suit that could neutralize all members of the Zanderia. Kyle remembered why he and Boomer had so much animosity before—despite neither ever having met until earlier—and was relieved that it was all gone now, and that they could hold this conversation.

            Kyle felt that it was growing later in the day and told Boomer it was time he headed back to continue the relief effort at East City.

            “Good luck,” Boomer said. “Please be sure to aid in the college’s reconstruction as well. My lab’s explosion may have damaged it…quite severely.”

            “Of course,” Kyle said. “Good night, Professor Boomer.”

            “You as well, Blue Nexus,” he said.

            Kyle started to walk to the door when he heard Boomer’s foot shift and he sighed. Kyle slowed down, and Boomer sighed louder. “Damn.”

            “What?” asked Kyle, turning around.

            “I just can’t shake a feeling,” Boomer said. “My knowledge that Cata gave me created a sort of connection between the two of us, a very slim telepathic one. I understand how she works, though it’s probably not unlike how the other War Gods work.”

            “Is she on her way here or something?” asked Kyle.

            “No,” Boomer said. “Someone like Alucard is poultry compared to her power. But, one thing I do know is that a Nexus with Wave Two is an immediate target of the War Gods. I can’t shake the feeling that if rumor spreads of another from Earth, which also houses another Nexus…that the backlash is something I can’t even guess. Blue Nexus, I would exercise caution.”

            “I’ll do my best,” Kyle said, clenching a fist.

            “No, I’m serious,” Boomer said. He turned so that Kyle could see him. Much like with Fire Tiger, Kyle felt a second presence in the room, though he wasn’t sure where it was coming from. Not from Boomer, that much he was certain on. Kyle nodded once again, then reached the door.

            He stole one more look back to Boomer, who sagged his shoulders again and turned back around to sit down, crossing his legs. Kyle opened the pressurized door, and as the door closed, he could swear that he saw a thin veiled woman standing in front of Boomer.

            Shadow fell in front of him from the closing door before he could tell for certain.

           

Next time: The Blue Nexus has been missing for two weeks, but Kyle Raiden is doing just fine, coming off a pretty bad illness. The world at large might not even need the Blue Nexus anymore! Check out what happens in "Blue Nexus #40 - A Strange Case of Quiet"!