Blue Nexus #60 - Diseased

            The first ambulance at dawn woke Kyle, but only for just a few moments. By the time he heard three more coming to town he was already flying through the air as the Blue Nexus, keeping the mask normally at his neck now strapped tightly around his mouth and nose. He drifted through thick fog over Adelita, barely able to see anything as his tears welled up so much for some reason.

            He could only see the little lights of the sirens below. Few people were driving out on the streets. The Sun hadn’t come up over the hills surrounding the town yet, and Kyle feared it would make little difference for their visibility anyway.

            Kyle burst out of the fog cloud suspended over the town. Its appearance seemed normal, but those four ambulances certainly weren’t. Perhaps it was just that the cloud was too thick and a few drivers had accidentally crashed into a brick wall or a tree?

            His aura consumed him and Kyle dropped through the sky. He held himself in a thinking pose while he fell. No, that wouldn’t be it. Adelita had a good driving record, few accidents. Most of them were caused by teenagers, and it was way too early for anyone to be going to school, let alone driving there.

            He landed atop one of the taller buildings, flashing his aura to a police car that was coming by. The car slid to a halt at an intersection. Kyle leapt down next to the cop.

            The cop kept his window rolled up. Kyle gestured for him to roll it down but the cop shook his head. The policeman took to his phone, then pressed it against a window.

            “Might get sick like everyone else,” the note said.

            Kyle shrugged, confused. The policeman erased the message and typed something else, pressing it against the window.

            “Severe illnesses being called in around town,” policeman said. “Outnumbered. Could use some help.”

            “Where do I start?” Kyle asked.

            The policeman gestured behind him, to the small-town apartments. Kyle nodded and blasted in that direction. He placed his feet on the ground and eased to a stop. He moved his little mask—one the Sentinel suggested adding to his costume—to cover his mouth and approached the complex.

            He knocked on the door to the front office, and even though the sign read as closed, a woman frantically answered. She opened the door quick and Kyle leapt in. She slammed the door shut, sighing.

            “Blue Nexus, thank goodness,” she said. She coughed, hunched over. Kyle helped her over to the reception desk.

            “How’re you feeling?” Kyle asked. “Like, is it a cold, a fever, what?”

            “It’s like a cold-cough,” she said. She sneezed on Kyle’s sleeve but the Nexus aura fizzled the germs away. “It’s not just me, though. I’ve been getting calls all morning for more medicine. Everyone’s running out and nobody wants to go out in a fog like this.”

            “The fog might be what’s causing all of this,” Kyle said. “I’ll contact the Zanderia to see if a super-villain is behind this.”

            “It’s not the fog,” the receptionist said. “Everyone’s sick already, even if they haven’t gone outside.”

            “Maybe they opened a window?”

            “Everyone’s just sick,” the woman said. “Some people took a little longer to feel ill.”

            “Are you keeping everyone in doors?” Kyle asked.

            “Involuntarily,” the woman said. “But some are going to have to leave if they need to get to work. Cold doesn’t stop everyone.”

            Kyle nodded. He rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do about the businesses, perhaps I can get them to let everyone have a sick day today. Then I’ll attack the fog.”

            She smiled warily at him, then coughed profusely again. Kyle opened the door the slightest amount to let himself out before shooting through the air again. He veered down to the nearest store he saw—the marketplace.

            He landed near someone in a nice shirt, pants, and tie. A key sat in the keyhole but the man couldn’t turn it; nor could he stop coughing.

            “Sir it’s too dangerous to be at work today,” Kyle said. “You need to go home, get some rest.”

            “How is everyone else supposed to get their medicine?” the man asked. “Their food?”     

            Kyle grimaced. Damn, he was right. If everyone in town was sick, they all would need medicine at some point. Kyle allowed the man in and sealed the door behind them. The man continued coughing while he walked across the store to the pharmaceutical area.

            But nobody could go outside. The fog wasn’t letting up, and it sounded as if people would only get worse as the day went on. How, though? What sort of illness was bred from a thick cover of fog and affected everyone, regardless of their position in the town?

            Kyle left the store, flying into the air again. It’d been years since super-heroes appeared and civilization adapted, which meant that doctors had to adapt as well.

            The nearest doctor was just a few blocks away. Their office seemed to be open, as the cross on their logo was well-lit despite the thickness in the air.

            Kyle flipped and touched down softly in front of the door. He tried opening it but the door rejected him. Kyle tried again, careful not to pull too hard, but the door once again refused.

            “Oh, come on,” Kyle said. He knocked on the door to no reply. “The doctor’s taking a sick day, this is great.”
            “Hey!” someone downtown exclaimed.

            Kyle turned. That someone sprinted through the fog at a pretty high speed, with part of their body glowing. He clenched his fists, moving his hands up defensively.

            Andreus tore through the cloud of fog, coming clear into view. Kyle’s stomach dropped. He leapt over to Andreus. The two met halfway.

            “What are you doing out here?” Kyle asked. “You’re going to get sick. Get back inside!”

            “No, I won’t,” Andreus said.

            “The Nexus has me covered, not you,” Kyle said.

            “No, it’s not because of that,” Andreus said. “Or you’d be sick when you woke up, right? Unless you sleep as the Blue Nexus…”

            Kyle shook his head. “No, wait, what are you saying?”

            Andreus pointed to the mage mark glowing on his arm. “This is what’s kept me safe. I feel fine, I feel normal. But every normal person I’ve come across so far has been super sick.”     

            “Are people actually walking around outside?” Kyle asked.

            “Yeah, they’re all coming here,” Andreus said.

            “The doctor’s not here,” Kyle said. “He’s sick. The marketplace is open but they’ll be out of medicine in no time. Is there a lot of people?”

            “Just some of the parents in my neighborhood,” Andreus said.

            “Anyone from school?” Kyle asked.

            “I saw some of your friends headed up the hills,” Andreus said. “But they looked fine, too.”

            “Damn it,” Kyle said. He poked Andreus in the chest. “Meet me at the high school in fifteen minutes, and go alone.” Kyle started walked away. “Tell anyone you see the get back inside and stay in bed resting!”

            He shot off through the sky almost at maximum speed, ripping through the sound barrier and landing atop the hill to his house in seconds. He stayed transformed while he hit the ground, but sprinted up to the house like normal. He rushed through the front door.

            “Grandma, grandpa!” Kyle exclaimed. He maneuvered through the living room to the master bedroom, opening the door.

            Grandpa sat upright in bed, smiling at Kyle. He put his finger to his lips and pointed at Kyle’s grandmother, who was still asleep.

            “How are you?” Kyle mouthed.

            “Just fine,” his grandpa mouthed back. He gestured at the TV. Kyle slithered across the room to squat next to his grandfather.

            “Seems like everyone else isn’t,” Kyle said.

            “How are you doing?” his grandfather whispered.

            “Fine,” Kyle said. “Just normal.”

            “You’re not sick like the rest of them?” Grandpa asked.

            Kyle shook his head. “Can’t seem to explain it. Maybe everyone just had a really bad dinner last night.”

            “Kyle, please,” Grandpa said. “Not too long ago there was a demon destroying the community college. Something’s afoot. Try to stay away from all of it.”

            “I’ll do my best, grandpa,” Kyle said.

            Someone knocked on the door. His grandfather looked over at it curiously. Kyle moved across the room, shutting the door quietly on his way out so Grandma wasn’t stirred. Kyle tip-toed across the room and opened the door, shutting it behind him and walking right into Kip and Luke. Kip almost fell back on his longboard.

            “What the hell are you two doing outside?” Kyle asked. “How are you not, like, dying?”

            “Well that’s why we came here,” Luke said.

            “To find out why we aren’t, like, dying,” Kip said.

            Kyle shrugged. “No idea. My grandparents are doing fine as well. So’s Andreus, I just saw him downtown.”

            “But everyone else is super sick?” Luke asked.

            “Could be that someone is trying to mess with me real bad,” Kyle said. “Doesn’t make sense that everyone I know would be immune to this.”
            “Any idea what this is, anyway?” Kip asked. “Besides some of kind of weird weather anomaly.”

            “Nope,” Kyle said. “Could be magic, could be some sort of airborne illness, some sort of machine someone engineered without anyone knowing. And I have no idea where to start looking is the worst part.”

            “I’d suggest the old ACC campus,” Luke said. “Remember when Alucard attacked East City? There seemed to be some weird veil hanging over the city. Maybe if we retrace his steps we can get some answers.”

            “Good thinking, but I doubt Alucard has anything to do with this,” Kip said.

            “Well we need to start somewhere,” Kyle said. “Even if it isn’t Alucard, it could be someone trying to mimic him. Someone that maybe saw a pair of high school kids with magic powers shredding a gymnasium apart.”

            “That’s a messed up someone,” Kip said.

            “Sadly there are a lot of those,” Kyle said. He patted Kip on the shoulder. “Come on, I said I’d meet Andreus at the high school. He can come along, too.”
            Kyle went into the garage and got his board. The three rolled down the hill with practiced expertise and slid down the rest of the empty roadways. Kyle had them pull over near the school as a cop car came to a sudden rest. Kyle held his hand up.

            He knocked on the window. The officer inside, the same from before, sneezed and banged his head against the steering wheel.

            “Get inside, kids!” he exclaimed.

            Kyle shook his head. “You too.”

            The officer drove off, but stopped, then kept driving. Kyle waited until he was around the corner to get going again.

            Andreus sat on one of the benches in front of the school, his Power mage mark still glowing. Kyle felt the wavering of the Demon mark underneath his sleeve, but it didn’t feel abnormal. Andreus waved to them, then gestured at the parking lot across the way. Some faculty were standing, out in the open, talking.

            “What’re they thinking?” Kyle asked.

            “What are you thinking?” Andreus asked. “They’re going to get sick.”
            “Except not really,” Luke said.

            “Luke and I haven’t felt sick at all yet,” Kip said. “And we can’t guess why.”
            “Could be some sort of attack against me,” Kyle said. “My grandparents aren’t sick at all, either. Thankfully they’re still oblivious to, well, me, but still. It’s freaky.”

            Andreus nodded. He stood up, letting his hulking body tower over Luke, who shied away after trying to shoot down Andreus. Kyle smiled.

            “What about them, then?” Andreus asked.

            Kyle looked over to the faculty. Even through the fog Kyle could tell they didn’t look great. Most of them were leaned against cars as a means of support while others were hunched over, not really able to stand up straight.

            “I doubt they’d listen to us anyway,” Kyle said. He gestured at Andreus. “Has anyone else tried coming by?”
            “I think everyone at school is going to go ahead and assume school’s cancelled,” Andreus said.

            “I’d agree,” Luke said.

            “And I think it’s best we stay close to the news,” Kip said. “In case any stories break.”

            “Kip, we’re going to be breaking the stories,” Luke said. “Besides us and Kyle’s grandparents, we’re the only ones not affected by this. Any news reporter in town, or anyone that comes to town is going to—”

            “So basically we’re isolated,” Kyle said. “And need to figure this out fast. Last I checked the fog cloud wasn’t moving at all but a nice tug of wind might change that and push it toward East City.”

            “Then we’re screwed,” Andreus said.

            “Which means that our priority right now is figuring out what this thing is,” Kyle said. Kyle placed his hands on Kip and Luke’s shoulders. “These guys had the idea of swinging by ACC to see if anything is left from Alucard’s attack, anything similar.”

            “And I had the idea of calling Tania,” Andreus said.

            Kyle did everything in his power not to let his face muscles contort into contempt “Great.”

            “No point in just waiting for her, though,” Andreus said. “Let’s go.”
            They walked through the fog across the street, cutting across the small park and through around the elementary school. Andreus broke into a jog as he claimed to sense something, though Kyle didn’t pick up much. Still, the three other boys followed Andreus to the main campus.

            The crater met them there. Andreus stopped at its rounded edge. Kyle stopped as well, but Kip and Luke almost kept going had Kyle not caught them.

            “Forgot what it looked like,” Andreus said.

            “Yeah, it’ll mess you up pretty good,” Kyle said. “But what were you sensing just now?”

            Andreus shrugged. “It’s gone, now, whatever it was.”

            “Whatever it was might’ve been a bit important,” Kyle said. He looked over at Andreus, who didn’t look back. “But we’ll find it anyway.”
            “Right,” Andreus said.

            “Come on, let’s get down there,” Kyle said.

            “Is that safe?” Luke asked.

            “Is that really a question to be asking right now?” Kyle asked, and took his step down into the crater.

            He slid down the side along with Andreus, while Kip and Luke climbed down carefully. Dust flew out from behind them. Kyle picked up his feet and controlled his descent on the way down with a jog, making sure to avoid any stray pipes or fragments of the building. Andreus stopped near him. Kyle waited for Kip and Luke before proceeding.

            The crater looked much smaller from above. There were no remnants of there ever being a secret facility here, or even of there just being a building. It was clear that this crater came from unnatural causes but it was equally clear that it would not be going anywhere for the time being. Perhaps a company could come along and make use of this great hole in the ground, but nobody wanted to soil the memory of what happened. It served as a reminder for the town.

            “Getting anything?” Kyle asked.

            “No,” Andreus said.

            “There’s not even a concentration of the fog down here,” Kip said. “It’s just so thin.”

            “Like whatever put the fog on the town only meant to hit the surface,” Kyle said.

            “So you’re saying that people in their basements wouldn’t be affected?” Luke asked.

            “Maybe,” Kyle said. “If this crater weren’t so deep. We’re way below ground level right now.”

            Andreus kicked a piece of rubble away. “Wonderful.”

            A green flash in between all of them blinded Kyle momentarily before it simmered down and Tania appeared, examining the rough ground at their feet.

            “Your senses must be thrown off, Blue Nexus,” Tania said. She stood up. “I’ve been here this whole time.”

            Kyle nodded. “And?”

            “And what?” Tania asked. “I’ve come here for the same reasons you have. Well, in a way. I know why you and your friends are not harmed, but I don’t know how to get rid of this fog.”

            “Have you seen this before?” Andreus asked.

            “Of course,” Tania said. “But never to this scale. You have your friend here to thank for that.”

            “What?” Kyle asked.

            “Again, in a way,” Tania said. “This would have happened much later and probably at a worse time. When you attacked Rafael in Los Angeles it forced him to awaken his powers. That same rupture is what I told you is the Awakening, which shattered magical barriers around the world. It brought out Andreus’s latent powers. Two mages in a small town is a big deal, especially when that small town is so close to a magical hub and is constantly mixed with cosmic energies beyond magic.”

            Kyle nodded. “Basically Adelita just got a bad mix of everything and it’s finally catching up with us.”

            “Precisely,” Tania said. “Thankfully, mages are used to this sort of exposure.” She gestured at Kip and Luke. “And since your friends are often so close with you, you’ve spared them for now.” She shook her head. “But as the day goes on that protection is going to wane.

It’s thinning as we speak. Even Andreus may become infected by the fog.”

            “Leaving just the two of us to fix the entire town,” Kyle said, and Tania nodded in affirmation. “Then we need to think and move faster.”
            “How?” Andreus asked.

            “By finding someone who can, I don’t know, cure the disease,” Kyle said. “It’s a sickness, it can be cured.”

            “It’s magic-borne,” Tania said.

            “Then Brenda can do it,” Kyle said.

            “It’s magic-borne,” Tania repeated. “That’s a temporary fix. Whatever magic is in this disease is melding with the people of this town. You cannot cure someone of magical powers.”

            “Can we suppress them enough to possibly find the source, then?” Kyle asked.

            “I’ve already told you the source,” Tania said.

            Kyle pursed his lips. “No, I get that. I mean suppress their powers enough to weaken them and then get rid of them before the bond becomes too much. Maybe the fog is acting as some sort of engine for the disease, if we get rid of that then we can get rid of how fast this process is taking before bringing in a healer.”           

            Tania nodded. She placed her hands on her hips. “Maybe.”

            “It’s the only thing we’ve got,” Kyle said.

            Tania didn’t move. Andreus gestured at Kyle. “Do you know anyone that might be capable of that sort of power?”

            “I do,” Tania said. “Or at least a doctor knowledgeable in magic. They may know a technique or two to teach one of us or Shindari, should she decide to show up.”

            “She will,” Kip and Luke said.

            “Where’s this doctor?” Kyle asked.

            “East City,” Tania said.

            Kyle swiped his finger over the Nexus bracelet and was already in the air. “Name?”

            “Trevor,” Tania said.

            “Last name?”
            Tania smirked. “I don’t know everything, demon Nexus.”

            Kyle shook his head, blasting off through the skies at top speed again. He made sure to break the sound barrier once more as he got into the open air and wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything around him.

            He broke free of the fog and was out in the sunlight. He turned, looking at Adelita. It was as if someone draped a thick gray coat over the entire town, then covered it in a see-through dome. Kyle grimaced, but continued, propelling himself forward.

            The roads headed to East City were mostly vacant thanks to the complete lack of drivers out on the roads of Adelita.

            Kyle tapped his ear and static filled his hearing for a moment before a friendly voice came in nice and clear.

            “Blue Nexus, what is it?” Riko asked.

            “I need to know the location of a doctor in East City,” Kyle said. “First name is Trevor.”

            “On it,” Riko said. “What for?”

            “Adelita’s been hit by some magical disease,” Kyle said. “If you can, contact Shindari and send her our way, possibly with another Shield mage or two to help her out.”

            “That bad?” Riko asked.

            East City came into view, looking like the beautiful metropolis it was as always. “Yeah,” Kyle said. “It’s freaking me out, dude. Never heard of something like this.”

            “We’ll get it sorted out,” Riko said. “Trevor Richards, four blocks south of Nexus Tower.”

            “Thanks,” Kyle said, and tapped his ear again to cut off the communicator.

            Kyle slowed his roll down significantly and headed up a bit more into the sky so he could avoid the buildings. The Blue Nexus was, for the most part, a welcomed site in the city, but he preferred not to accidentally crash into any cranes or buildings.

            Nexus Tower was the same tower that Alucard took up during his final battle with Kyle, Brenda, and Brian, named aptly after the hero that defeated Alucard. Kyle liked the praise but didn’t really need it; he was just happy to have saved everyone.

            He stopped at the tower and looked south, straining his vision for—doctor’s office! A man stood at the door while two others spoke with him. Kyle leapt off the tower and free-fell for a few dozen feet before retaining control of his descent and bringing himself closer to the office.

            Kyle stopped and hovered high over the doctor’s office. He waited for the two patients to head off before dropping down lightly onto the ground. The doctor, his badge giving him away as Trevor, stopped, startled.

            “Holy crap, you got me there,” Trevor said. He braced himself against the door. He wasn’t that old, probably in his mid-thirties, and had a youthful look and attire about him. “Oh, wow, almost gave me a heart attack.”
            “Sorry,” Kyle said. “Happens to everyone, but, it’s urgent, so I had to.”

            “Urgent?” Trevor asked. “What’s happening?”

            “Nothing here, in East City,” Kyle said. “But in Adelita, things are getting bad. Very bad.”

            “I saw it on the news, it’s unreal,” Trevor said.

            “It’s not,” Kyle said. “It’s magic.”

            Trevor blanched, keeping himself braced against the door. He broke his gaze away from Kyle’s.

            “Magic, really?” Trevor asked.

            “Dr. Trevor, if you can please come with me,” Kyle said. “It’s getting serious, and believe it or not it’s going to get worse.”

            “I’d love to kid, but, I don’t know if I’m capable,” Trevor said.

            “There’s only one way to find out,” Kyle said.

            “No, not like that,” Trevor said. “I just…listen, magic isn’t as grand and wonderful to me as it might be for everyone else. Magic killed my brother, Brandon. Crushed my family.”

            He slumped back inside but Kyle’ caught his jacket sleeve. “I get it. Magic and so much more has made my life miserable sometimes. But there are hundreds of families in Adelita right now that might end up worse if you don’t just try, doctor. Please.”

            Trevor tried to break free of Kyle’s grip, but that proved impossible. Kyle gestured toward Adelita.

            Trevor slinked off his jacket and tossed it onto a chair. “I’m going to be out for a while,” he called back inside. “Get the reserves in.”

            Kyle approached him, wrapping his arms around Trevor’s body. “Thank you, doctor.”

            “I hope it counts,” Trevor said.

            Kyle let his aura envelope the doctor and shot up into the air. Trevor screamed loud right into Kyle’s ear. Kyle picked up the speed. Trevor was protected by the Nexus aura so he wouldn’t be ripped to shreds by the speed they were moving. His voice, sadly, didn’t carry with the wind, so while he screamed for Kyle to slow down or to stop or to get closer to the ground, it was right in his ear.

            The fog cloud of Adelita appeared and Trevor stopped screaming.

            “What is that?” he asked.

            “The problem,” Kyle said.

            He ducked his head and the two shot into the cloud. Kyle was blind for a second until his eyes adjusted to the surrounding area.

            “Do you need me to take you to the marketplace to get any drugs or anything you may need?” Kyle asked.

            “I’m not sure,” Trevor said. “Sometimes my brother would get sick and all he needed was basic medicine, and other times I had to treat him with specific herbs.”

            “Just let me know,” Kyle said. “We’re going down over that, in that crater.”

            Kyle dipped down and soared toward ACC, flying low over the high school. Thankfully, the faculty was gone, hopefully back in their homes.

            Kyle stretched out his legs and slid down to a halt. He held Trevor tight until the momentum was gone and then let Trevor go.

            The man sprawled onto the ground, gagging, but no puke came up. He spun to face Kyle.

            “What?” he asked.

            “Space powers,” Kyle said. “Helps with the flying.”

            Tania appeared behind Trevor, along with the other three boys. “This Trevor?”
            Trevor spun to face her. He panicked for a second, then calmed down. “Reality mages, right. My brother was a Deception mage.”

            “Was?” Tania asked.

            Kyle waved her off. “Doctor Trevor, this is Tania, an expert Reality mage,” Kyle said. “And Andreus, a fresh Power mage.”

            “Yeah, I recognize you,” Trevor said. “You were on the news fighting that, uh, Demon mage, right?”
            Andreus nodded. “Yeah, that was me. Thanks for noticing.”
            “And you’re not feeling ill, are you?” Trevor asked.

            Tania shook her head and explained the situation. Trevor tried to throw in a few medical terms when she was done but it went over all their heads. Luke tried to seem smart by tossing around a few anatomy key words, since he was taking the class, but Trevor just patted him on the shoulder condescendingly.

            “What we’re dealing with here is an outbreak of something minute,” Trevor said. “Not necessarily a virus, but something fast and small enough to get around quick.”

            “You make it sound sentient,” Kyle said.

            “It’s magic,” Trevor said. “It probably does have a mind of its own. That’s the problem. Treating it is going to be a pain in my butt.”

            “I thought you said you’ve dealt with this stuff with your brother?” Kyle asked.

            “I have,” Trevor said. “But his diseases were more of an amplified version of a regular disease, not one that sprouted from his magic.”

            “That might be the case here,” Tania said. “We haven’t exactly been stocking up on patients.”

            “Then we should head for the doctor’s office,” Trevor said. “I’m sure they’re lining up at the door.”

            And sure enough, Kyle thought. The six of them jogged across town—Trevor not wanting to attract too much attention lest he get overwhelmed—to the doctor’s office. There were about a dozen people there, all of them adults and all of them looking horrible. The door to the office was still closed.

            At Trevor’s request, Kyle shattered the glass for the door and Tania used her magic to silence the alarm. Trevor allowed the guests in, settling them into the lobby.

            “I know this isn’t your normal doctor, but just roll with it,” Kip said as he and Luke held the door for the patients. All of them looked at Kyle in awe while he spoke with Trevor about what medicines and tools he would need.

            Kyle rushed to the back to get them, but found that he wasn’t alone. He stopped, waiting. Someone groaned in one of the bathrooms. Kyle quietly approached the door, and when he touched the handle, the door shot right open.

            A doctor, kneeling in front of the toilet, had his hand outstretched for the door. His eyes widened, and not at the appearance of the Blue Nexus.

            “How did I do that?” he asked.

            Kyle gulped, feigning a smile. “Magic, sir. You just used magic.” 

Next time: While help continues to pour in to suppress this magical anomaly, the odds continue to stack against our heroes! But when help appears in the strangest of forms, will it spell their great escape from the problem, or just another road sign to war? Find out in "Blue Nexus #61 - Divinity Rises"!