Blue Nexus #59 - Decisions, Decisions

Previously in "Blue Nexus:" Despite not agreeing with Kyle and his side, Tania and Andreus agree to go to Magus Forest and see what they're all about. Tania remains unimpressed by the place, when they're beset by Rafael, the evil mage that has mastered all forms of magic, and his Six Pillars of Magic. Rafael takes down Kyle and Brenda in less than ten hits and promises to return soon and claim his rightful magic! 

            The entire spectrum of the magic colors soared by overhead until they were consumed by an all-encompassing golden light. And yet that light didn’t bring bliss or joy, it brought pain. Wretched agony coursing all around until it faded into a dull gray, leaving nothing but the feeling of limbo. Endless nothingness marred in gray tints for the sky above.

            Something rushed forward, as if the sky above and the ground below were going to collide and shatter in a million pieces. A faint voice, chanting something. It was a slow chant, methodical, and it slowed the sky above. The ground continued to rush ahead until…

            Green trees and the blue sky met Kyle when he woke up. He sat up, nearly knocking heads with a healer. The Grand Elder remained squatted next to him, holding her hands up to his bare chest while she performed the ancient incantation.

            He was speechless for a few seconds, trying to speak but no words came out of his mouth.           

            “They go?” he asked. “Where’d they go, Grand Elder?”

            The Grand Elder smiled like a grandmother would at her grandchild. She stood back up, glancing away from Kyle and to the faded bonfire.

            “I don’t know,” she said.

            Kyle expected more but did she not give. Instead she just stared at the bonfire. The healer helped Kyle get to his feet. He was dazed, but he could remain on his feet with only minimal swaying. He opened and closed his right fist a few times, freeing some of the pent-up Demon magic in his right arm.

            “That was embarrassing,” he said. “I got trashed and Rafael didn’t even put any effort into what he was doing.”

            “You couldn’t have known,” the Grand Elder said. “None of us could.” She gestured at Brenda, who was sitting at the edge of the bonfire by herself. Her knees were pulled close to her chest. “Even some our strongest were caught off guard.”
            “How do we beat him?” Kyle asked.

            The Grand Elder sighed. “If Rafael does what I expect, then he shall have one crippling weakness we must exploit. But for now he is invincible.”
            “What do you think he’ll do?” Kyle asked.

            “He’ll grow stronger,” the Grand Elder said. “There’s one more form of magic he’s yet to conquer, and I imagine he will push all of his efforts into unlocking that source. A man like Rafael does not settle until he is dead, and even then, he may strive for immortality.”

            “Would that seventh form of magic make him immortal?” Kyle asked.

            “It certainly puts him on the right path,” the Grand Elder said. “But there is a way to defeat it. Now is not the time, though.”

            “What?” Kyle asked. “Why not? If we can find him, and we use that technique, what’s really going to stop us?”

            “Look around you,” the Grand Elder said. She never lost the calm inflection in her voice. “Take in what just occurred, and ask yourself a few questions. Where did those two that you brought scamper off to? What state of mind is Shindari in? How many mages do you think would want to go toe-to-toe with defeating Rafael right now while he stands guarded by the six strongest mages in the world?”

            Kyle grimaced. “I’m not as worried about the Six Pillars.”

            “Even though one of their own did the same to you as Rafael just did?” the Grand Elder asked.

            Kyle crossed his arms, looking like a pouting child. “I wasn’t powered up all the way.’

            “All the same,” the Grand Elder said. She sighed. “Seems we’ve really found ourselves in a corner. Even a Nexus can’t help us right now.”

            “We’ll figure this out,” Kyle said.

            “I’m sure,” the Grand Elder said. “Though I fear the cost will be grave for some.”

            “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Kyle said. He turned away from the Grand Elder, getting a feel for where Tania could be. He knew she hadn’t gone too far.            

            “You’re more than aware of what collateral damage from a single mage can look like,” the Grand Elder said. “Now there are seven that are stronger than Alucard.”

            Kyle tried to ignore her, tried to shove that idea as far away from his mind as he could. He walked toward her hut, but moved around it, headed for a smaller part of the village where there were only two huts, presumably for the VIP guests.

            Tania stood outside one of the huts. The flap was closed, but Kyle knew Andreus was in there. He gestured at the flap, and Tania shook her head. Kyle moved to enter but she stepped in his way. Kyle gritted his teeth behind shut lips. He moved again but she stopped him.

            “You know I can just talk through the hut, right?” Kyle asked.

            “And you know I can make it seem like you’re not really there,” Tania said. “Give him a moment.”

            “He needs to understand that this isn’t the end of the world,” Kyle said.

            “Why?” Tania asked. “He just saw two of the Zanderia get pummeled right in front of him. How better would your Riko or Phoenix have fared? If the Zanderia can’t stand up to this threat, what hope does he have?”
            “He has you and he has these people,” Kyle said.

            “No,” Tania said. “He’s seen me, he knows about me. That means he may know about my recruits and may move to kill them.”

            “So we have to stop him!” Kyle exclaimed.

            “How?” Tania asked. “Move them here? Rafael’s just claimed he’s going to come here and destroy this entire forest. Great, so we’re just putting it off at that point.”

            “If we can make them something like an army, though, we have a fighting chance,” Kyle said.

            Tania grinned, then it grew a little more sinister. “Wasn’t it you who said this was the peaceful side of the war?”

            “There’s no peace in war,” Kyle said. “I’d hoped we could avoid it, but Rafael’s made it clear that he’s gunning for us.”

            “So now you need my help,” Tania said.

            “The world needs your help,” Kyle said. “Isn’t that the kind of power you’ve always wanted? The world at your fingertips? You’re the wildcard again, Tania.”

            “I didn’t know I stopped,” she said.

            “But you can’t decide the fate of all your mages,” Kyle said. “Let me talk to Andreus. I need to see what he thinks about all this.”

            “The fact that he’s stowed himself away isn’t telling enough?” she asked. “Give him a moment. Be a friend.”

            Kyle almost moved to go into the hut again, but Tania’s look stopped him. She wasn’t going to move, and honestly, what could Kyle say to try and alleviate the situation? Two members, arguably the strongest, of the Zanderia were throttled by Rafael’s right arm. Kyle wasn’t even sure if the guy even moved his feet at all. He manipulated the entire fight in his direction, taking Kyle and making him essentially a ragdoll. That must’ve been devastating, heartbreaking, to see the Blue Nexus get walloped like that.

            Kyle sighed. Even then, Andreus hadn’t known that Kyle was the Blue Nexus. Now he had to deal with the fact that Kyle kept secrets from him.

            “Yeah, okay,” Kyle said.

            “I’ll talk to him,” Tania said. She looked at the hut. “I’ve got my own things to mull over now, anyway.”

            Kyle nodded. Tania didn’t glance back at him, signaling Kyle to get out of there. He turned back toward the village, walking slower than before back to the bonfire. He saw Brenda still sitting there, in the ashes, staring at the gray before her. The Grand Elder was consoling a pair of other mages that were quaking where they stood.

            He realized that he hadn’t stopped trembling since he woke up. It mostly just little jitters spurring from the Demon mark. Normally it was because his body was still in shock from a fight. If he used the Nexus powers for too long, his hand would shake for hours on end because it was so used to getting a massive influx of power. This seemed similar…only that he’d just been beaten by such power.

            A gentle breeze tugged all around Kyle for a couple seconds before it came to a complete stop. The air ruptured near him and out leapt a familiar looking man. The long silver hair, shorts, and t-shirt would’ve been enough had it not been for the six glowing marks running along his arms. Oz, that mage who appeared after Kyle utterly crushed the Fire Tiger illusion.

            “Am I too late?” Oz asked. He looked around.

            The Grand Elder didn’t bother turning to face him. “Quite. He and the Six Pillars just left a few minutes ago. You may as well make yourself at home again, Oz. I want you to stay a while.”
            Oz shot a glance at Kyle, then bowed to the Grand Elder. Kyle approached Oz, but the man wasn’t nearly as interested in him as he was the people behind him.

            “You’re Tania,” Oz said. “The woman who foolishly stands against us.”

            “I didn’t know I was so popular,” Tania said. Kyle stepped away, making room for Tania. The Reality mage approached Oz, as if she were going to size him up.

            Oz smiled, waving his hand through the air. The green mark on his arm glowed. “Nice try, Tania.”

            Kyle blinked. Did he just miss something?

            Tania vanished, and reappeared from behind the Grand Elder’s hut, sulking toward the two of them again.

            “What the hell just happened?” Kyle asked.

            “Let’s hope you never have to face Vivian or Brandon, Blue Nexus,” Oz said. “They’d scramble your mind so much you might not ever be able to see or hear correctly again.” Oz gestured at Tania. “She tried to use her magic against me. Thankfully, I could dissipate the spell. Though it was a nice trick.”

            “It was instinct,” Tania said. “You’re a threat.”
            “I’m with these people,” Oz said.

            “You’re a threat,” Tania repeated.

            Oz shrugged. “Not to you. I’m not going to try and harm you. Rafael is my enemy the same as yours, so we best get to working together to stop him.”

            Tania nodded at his arms. “I’m sure you’d be a good match for him. It’s not every day you see two mages with all magics mastered.”

            Kyle stole a glance at Oz again. Was the man as old as Rafael to have mastered all six of the main magic sources? Kyle hadn’t even heard of someone who could master two pieces of magic power, let alone all of them, before today.

            “It’s not,” Oz said. “And he’s the reason I’ve gone this far with my abilities. I’m the only hope we have of defeating him.”

            Jeez, try not to sound too important. Kyle glowered at Oz, but the master mage didn’t notice him, instead keeping his attention on Tania. Tania was giving him a similar look, not giving Oz an inch.

            They stood in silence for a few minutes, locked in those poses with those same expressions. Kyle wondered if he were just trapped in some sort of time lock by one of them.

            Tania was the first to move, nodding at Oz and walking away from him. Oz did the same, but didn’t decide to leave. Tania moved back to her hut in something of a daze.

            Kyle looked over to Oz, who didn’t bother returning the look. The man was suspicious, but he was on their side. Still, the unsettling idea of someone so strong even on their side was there. What if he turned? He could overpower Tania easily. He could probably do the same to Kyle. Perhaps not throw him around as Rafael had, but at least give Kyle a solid fight.

            Brenda was still sitting near the bonfire. Kyle started to approach her, but the closer he got the more he noticed the red veil protecting her from everyone else, keeping her locked away. He stopped and turned toward the entrance of the forest.

            “We’ll get better,” he said.

            She turned her head slightly. Kyle sprinted ahead, swiping his finger of the Nexus bracelet and letting him consume the power before shooting out of the forest and freeing himself into the air.

            One of the strangest feelings Kyle ever had was going to school and knowing that not a single person knew what imminent danger the world had just been in. He’d stopped rogue nuclear missiles from hitting cities, stopped supervillains with “doomsday” weapons, and then all the high-profile ones he’d been a part of with Brenda. And while everyone at school talked these things up, it always came in remembrance. The last time the world was in serious, grave danger and Kyle was around for it was Alucard, and at that point Kyle was too busy to be at school.

            Nobody spoke about Rafael or the Six Pillars, though. Everyone gave Kyle a funny look, but nobody said anything to him about his powers. Word had no doubt spread thanks to the flooding of viral videos from their fight.

            It wasn’t even the first bell yet and Kyle already felt like the outcast. Some people got near him to try and sneak a peek at the mark but Kyle always brushed them off. He wondered how many fanatics there would be soon; how many people would praise him as the next super hero. Little did they all know, Kyle thought.

            He didn’t see Andreus in the morning at all, nor did he even sense his magical presence. Kip and Luke weren’t there to meet him at his locker like normal, but he did see them off near one of the hallways talking to one of Kyle’s teachers. Mira was another person that seemed to be a ghost to him.

            Kyle stood at his locker longer than he would’ve normally. He kept the locker open to obscure his face from anyone. There wasn’t anyone at school that bullied him, but he just felt no need for the attention. He exchanged the books and booklets he needed and then just stood at the locker, glancing in. Letting the memory of his beat-down against Rafael play over and over in his mind.

            He slammed the locker shut, stunning everyone in the hallway. All motion seemed to cease. Kyle ignored the looks he was getting and headed for the metal doors to leave when the loudspeaker decided to interrupt him.

            “Kyle Raiden, please report to the front office,” it said. “Kyle Raiden to the front office.”
            He leaned his weight on the door and let it just glide open. “How’d they even know I was here?”

            Kyle speed-walked down to the front office near the school’s entrance, moving with haste to avoid anyone taking video or pictures of him as they were wont to do.

            He breezed by the receptionist and went straight for the principal’s office, where not only did Principal Walters await, but Detective Patton and Andreus, who sat sheepishly across from Dr. Walters. Kyle slowed his roll when he came into view of the doorway. Patton, still wearing some scars from her brushes against Alucard, nodded to him. Kyle did the same to her.

            “Glad you could join us so quickly, Kyle,” Dr. Walters said. “And I’d like to get this over with quickly so we can get you boys back to class.”

            Kyle glanced at Andreus, who was staring straight ahead. Kyle checked to make sure he wasn’t in a trance. No, he was just focused.

            He took a seat next to his co-captain. Detective Patton walked around them and stood next to Dr. Walters. She nodded at Patton and leaned forward.

            “Fighting is a zero-tolerance offence here,” she said. “But you two went beyond just a brawl, assaulting teachers and police officers alike who just wanted to separate you two.”

            “Kyle didn’t do any of that,” Andreus said.

            “And Andreus didn’t mean to do any of that,” Kyle said, leaning forward. “You wouldn’t understand, but he was just consumed by his power.”

            Dr. Walters sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say just that, Kyle. The fact that Andreus wasn’t capable of controlling his powers means that any time he gets frustrated he may lash out at someone.” She bowed her head. “I can’t believe I’m even dealing with this right now.”

            “I’ll keep him in check,” Kyle said. He looked at Andreus. “If he promises to do the same for me.”

            Andreus looked over at Kyle, with the slightest glimmer of hope in his eyes.

            “Even if we could arrange that,” Dr. Walters said. “The students are in a fever pitch. Parents are even worse.”

            “You’re lucky I’ve been keeping the reporters off your tail,” Patton said. “It’s the benefit of getting promoted to lieutenant.”

            She smiled at Kyle. Kyle’s eyes opened wide. Oh, wow. Well, she did keep it together in the face of one of Earth’s greatest dangers, if not the biggest danger they’d ever faced.

            “But,” Dr. Walters said. “You’re dealing with a ravenous student body. And you’re dealing with sanctions that should put you two in jail.”

            Kyle and Andreus sighed simultaneously. Kyle looked over to Patton, who was speechless as well. “Trust me, what Andreus did was just…it was inevitable given his situation. He was being manipulated by a woman with powers beyond even our understanding.”

            “Like Alucard?” Patton asked.

            “Arguably worse,” Kyle said. “But just as strong.”

            Patton nodded. Andreus decided to chime in. “I was angry for a long time, Dr. Walters. I didn’t understand my powers, and I wanted to make it seem like it was no big deal. But it was torturing me, and then I found out about what Kyle could do, and that same woman told me he was essentially a second Alucard.”
            The principal and Patton looked over at Kyle, who didn’t meet their gaze. “We share the same style of magic, Demon magic. But we received it from two different sources. Mine, well…you’d have a tough time believing where my powers came from.”

            “And I’m sure you’ve heard all about the huge spring in mage numbers around the world,” Andreus said. “I was one of them.”     
            “I’m basically just as new to the magical world,” Kyle said.

            “So yeah we might’ve gotten loose a bit but we…it…this…”

            “I understand,” Patton said. She winked at Kyle. “It’s a growing pain, isn’t it?”

            Kyle and Andreus nodded. Kyle sat up a bit. “There are no other mages at the school, Dr. Walters. Trust me.”

            Dr. Walters nodded, but still shrugged. She gestured at her tinted windows, where she could see the remainder of the courtyard. Students milled about like animals in a play-pen, just talking and ignoring the world’s problems.

            “And what about them?” Dr. Walters said. “Perhaps if I put you two in suspension…”
            “And mar their permanent records?” Patton asked. “Deny them the sport they’ve put so much time in? That’s like punishing a baby for crying when his teeth come in.”

            “This is different, lieutenant,” Dr. Walters said. “School property has been damaged. Faculty and students were put in immediate danger.”

            You don’t even know, Kyle thought, remembering how easily Axel swooped in and walloped him in front of his gym class.

            Patton stood back. Dr. Walters stood up. Kyle looked at the camera suspended above their heads. He gestured at it.

            “Does that thing pick up audio?” Kyle asked. “The camera.”
            “No, why?” Dr. Walters asked.

            “Kyle, no,” Patton said. “We can figure this out another way.”
            “Relax,” Kyle said. “Maybe it’ll let her give me some excused absences.”

            “What’re you talking about, Raiden?” Dr. Walters asked.

            Kyle placed his left arm on the table, pointing to the Nexus bracelet. “I’m the Blue Nexus. The Zanderia will cover any expenses to the school in private. And Andreus won’t get out of line again.”

            “I can’t overpower the Blue Nexus,” Andreus said.

            Kyle flinched. He always did, even when Kip and Luke were around, when someone mentioned how he was the Blue Nexus. It bothered him that more people were figuring it out, be it through a sudden reveal that Andreus had or just Patton knowing instinctively that something was up with Kyle almost a year ago.

            Dr. Walters almost slipped out of her chair. “Oh, wow. Oh. Wow.”
            “Please don’t pass out,” Patton said.

            The principal shot a look at Patton. “You knew?” She looked at Andreus. “You knew?”   

            “Yeah,” they both said.

            Kyle left his arm on the table. “Obviously, this needs to be kept a pretty tight secret. But just know that I’ve got friends in high places, and I didn’t mean to cause anyone harm. If Andreus, or myself, ever go crazy, I’ve got the cure right here. The bracelet cuts me off from pushing myself too far with my magic.”

            “This is all insane,” Dr. Walters said. “I thought just talking about magic was going to be enough. I mean, really. Magic. That shouldn’t…shouldn’t even be a thing. And how it’s at my school, and you two have it, and then you’re a superhero? It’s too much for one day.”

            Kyle wanted to tell her not to worry, but that was like telling the Sun to stop glowing. “Just, like, don’t uh…well. Hmm.”

            “I’ll station myself at the school again,” Patton said. “One extra security guard.”

            “Students won’t like that,” Dr. Walters said.

            “Then they can deal with these two if they decide to go at it during gym class again,” Patton said. “Besides, someone has to know about his secret that can do something about it. Best to know who to call right away if something happens.”
            “I’ve always got my Zanderia communicator on me,” Kyle said. “In a worst-case scenario, of course.”

            “You’re making it sound like this is the end of the world,” Dr. Walters said.

            “To be fair,” Andreus said, but Kyle kicked his shin. “To be fair, Adelita did see one school get blown up already.”

            “And the baseball field,” Patton said, directing her words at Kyle.

            He ignored it. At that point he really didn’t have much of a choice. Stupid Lightning and Thunder Tiger…

            Dr. Walters rested her hands on the table. “Lieutenant they’re in your hands. But, I want weekly reports on their behavior. I don’t care if it’s just a single word like good or bad, but get them to me. Is that okay with you two?”

            “Beats getting suspended,” Kyle said.

            “I’ll make sure to inform your coach to exact a proper punishment for you both,” Dr. Walters said. The threat wasn’t empty, Kyle knew, but it didn’t pack quite as much of a punch as Rafael’s did earlier.

            Dr. Walters dismissed them and Patton followed them into the hallway, but stopped them short. She yanked on Kyle’s shirt, nearly dropping him.

            “That was a big risk you just took in there,” she said. “You sure she won’t talk?”

            “Yeah,” Kyle said. “But I expect to be getting called over a lot more to do some mundane crap.”

            “Eh, not a bad price for getting to stay in school,” Patton said. She looked at Andreus. “You okay, kid?”

            “I’ll be okay,” Andreus said. “I’ve been given a chance to do a lot of thinking. I really put people in danger yesterday, didn’t I?”

            Kyle nodded. “But you didn’t hurt anyone.”

            “Well, no students,” Patton said. “I’m sure your security officer isn’t pleased with the way you manhandled him.”

            “No, probably not,” Andreus said. “Kyle, uh, sorry about what happened. And sorry for not helping you against Axel, I locked up and couldn’t do anything.”
            “Honestly there was nothing you could’ve done,” Kyle said.

            Andreus pursed his lips. “Well, that’s what I want to change. I was wondering if you and I could become partners. Like you said, we need to keep each other in check. If you help me manage my powers and I help you get stronger, then something like that won’t happen again. I won’t get manipulated by Tania again.”

            “So you’ll join us at Magus Forest?” Kyle asked, but Andreus backed off a step.

            “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Andreus said. He flashed a smile. “That display yesterday didn’t really instill that much confidence in me, but…yeah, that’s something I still need to think about. Let’s just stick to private lessons, alright?”

            “Sounds good to me,” Kyle said.

            Andreus held his hand out and Kyle shook it. His arm trembled when it contacted Andreus’s arm, but Kyle ignored the little surge. Patton leaned against the wall.

            “This is so nice,” she said. “Now get to class!”

            The bell rang out overhead. Kyle and Andreus looked to their phones and sprinted out of the hallway, running through the clumps of students that watched them warily. As if they were a danger, not the thing standing in the way of the threat.

            Kyle could sense Tania nearby, but ignored her. Whether it was her or Andreus that sent Andreus back to Kyle for help didn’t matter. What mattered was that Kyle gained another person to his side, someone he trusted and had no problem fighting alongside.

            It was the first step in the right direction after dozens of steps backwards. Progress.

Next time: A magic-borne disease has come and it's infected Adelita! Kyle's closest friends don't seem that bad, but when the threat of it's spreading comes up, Kyle and Tania are forced to team up to find a cure in "Blue Nexus #60 - Diseased"!