Blue Nexus #73 - They Have an Army!

          

Previously in "Blue Nexus": Kyle, Brenda, Sandy, and Professor Boomer have successfully defeated four of the Six Pillars. Together, Kyle and Brenda were able to hold their own against Rafael, who has lost his immortality and is finally vulnerable! However, just as the heroes begin their celebration, Phoenix calls in and reports that all the mages hiding in Magus Forest have mysteriously vanished! 

Kyle stared at the bright screens in the Zanderia moon base, with four of the big ones displaying four different live feeds of the brand new tower that appeared at the heart of Magus Forest, near the large lake in the center of the woods. It shot way high into the sky, like a skyscraper, and was incredible wide. The stones were a shiny black—Phoenix was going off the assumption this was some sort of magic solidified into obsidian—and glistened in the sun. There were no signs of life anywhere near the forest, either.

            Brenda, Kyle, Phoenix, the Sentinel, Prism, Sandy, and two other Zanderia heroes, Silver Eagle (Shirubā īguru was his official title, since he came from Japan), and Micro Man. Silver Eagle had bird-like abilities and could see and hear from incredibly far distances, as well as using manufactured wings and an instinctive flying ability to fly himself, while Micro Man was capable of shrinking down into small areas. He did most of the forensic and detective work for the organization while maintaining his own detective agency in downtown Hensfield, one of the major midwestern cities Kyle had visited a few times.

            Phoenix explained to them the situation but Kyle found himself just captivated by the images on the screen and trying to figure out what the hell Rafael did to all the mages. Phoenix speculated at one point that he’d absorbed their power and created the tower, but Kyle found that hard to believe. They weren’t dead, that much they were all sure of. Brenda and Sandy even mentioned they felt no difference in the magical composition of Magus Forest, so the mages were either there or someone was masking their magic rather well.

            The latter wasn’t entirely out of the question. Of the two Pillars left, one was the Reality mage. They could somehow be manipulating the feeling of magic within that area per Rafael’s wishes to throw off mages like Sandy and Brenda. Really the only way to find out what was really going on would be to contact Tania, and nobody really knew where she was. She was probably out doing the same as Riko and Lalay and getting around as fast as she could to check on the other mages around, despite most of the ones she’d been recruiting getting taken, or something, by Rafael.

            Kyle couldn’t focus on a word Phoenix was saying throughout his entire monologue. He almost forgot Phoenix was speaking except when he would raise his voice to make another supposition. His eyes fell to Brenda, who had the same look on her face, though hers made a little more sense. Her body was stitching itself back together after two—no, three—particularly difficult battles. Sandy had a similar look of shell-shock upon her face. Kyle kept forgetting that it was just earlier that day that they’d defeated John and Axel. So much had happened in just a few hours, it was absolutely insane.

            And now, this was their version of a breather: trying to assess the situation of hundreds of mages just up and vanishing without much of a trace beyond a tower popping up where they once were. Phoenix often took long pauses between his words, as if he were still comprehending the totality of everything while they spoke. Silver Eagle and Micro Man even seemed a little put-off by the situation. While they knew magic existed, they didn’t think it could grow into something this dangerous, this world-threatening. Alucard appeared to be little more than a nuisance compared to what Rafael was cooking.

            Thankfully they were fully of aware of the situation and who exactly they needed to go after. There was no doubt that Rafael’s fall would bring an end to all of this, and he was vulnerable with Dr. Luna back with the dead. Phoenix didn’t speak very much on Rafael, and instead went on and on about the composition of the tower and the disappearance of the mages.

            They all sat at the conference table for the Zanderia, taking up all the spots. When Phoenix finally stopped, he left the screens there but turned the news feed audio up just a bit to play while they finally conferred. He stood between Prism and Micro Man and let out a big exhale, finally able to just breathe after his length of a monologue.

            “Any plans?” he asked.

            Kyle still sat in complete silence, even when he noticed Phoenix’s eyes fall to him. They cut the connection after an awkward moment and Phoenix continued his sweep across the table. Brenda sighed as well.

            “We need to place the mages as a priority above everything else,” she said. “Which means we need to scout this tower out, somehow.”

            “It’ll be impossible for them not to see us coming,” Sandy said.

            “Even if I went?” Micro Man asked. He tapped his size-changing wristbands.

            “Yes,” Brenda said. “I’m sure Rafael has accounted for the area and will be away of any shifts in the magical composition. You may not be a mage, Micro Man, but every human has magic within them. He’ll notice, no matter how small.”
            “Can we scout from afar?” Prism asked.

            “Perhaps from the previous boundaries of the forest,” Brenda said. “But I’m not sure it’ll be close enough for us to make any greater guesses as to what happened.”

            “I still think it’s the absorption theory,” Sandy said. “It’s the only way he could’ve built such a structure.”

            “So all those people are dead?” Prism asked.

            “No,” Brenda said. “It’s probably something to do with his Divine magic. He probably took their magical essence from them and used it’s solid forms to create this tower.” She looked over to Kyle. “It almost seemed like he was suggesting as much when we fought.”

            “Then that must’ve taken a substantial amount of magical power to create,” Silver Eagle said. “Our time to strike is now, before he can recover.”
            “Their Shield Pillar is gone now,” Phoenix agreed. “And if he did take all their magic power, he wouldn’t have any other Shield mages to heal him.”

            “As if he didn’t recruit anyone beforehand?” Brenda asked.

            “He could be hiding all his recruits within the tower,” Sandy said. “Including the two remaining Pillars.”
            “I think we have to go off the assumption that the Reality Pillar and Power Pillar are there and are there to stay,” Phoenix said. “So if we’re to attack the tower, we need people who can match that.”

            “And match Rafael,” Brenda said. “Blue Nexus and I were capable enough against Rafael but in an environment of his own magic I’m not so sure how we would fare. Plus, if we’re away from the fight against Robbie, the Pillar of Power, who would fight him? And then who fights the Reality mage? We’re pretty untested against Reality magic.”

            “I’m sure Riko is certainly strong enough to fight someone just based on brute force,” Phoenix said. “But you’re right about that Reality Pillar.”

            “We could ask Tania,” Kyle finally said.

            “She’s too much of a wildcard,” Brenda said.

            “And the only one who actually understands Reality magic,” Kyle said.

            “And probably willing to sell us out at this point,” Sandy said.

            “Probably not,” Phoenix said. “What does she stand to gain? From what it sounds like, Rafael was basically going insane when he realized he wasn’t as powerful as he thought and he’d likely just abuse Tania until her usefulness was all done.”

            “More likely she’ll do anything just to avoid the fight,” Brenda said. “We need to plan without her. Otherwise we’ll get nothing solid.”

            “Because we have something solid now?” Kyle asked.

            “Arguing about it won’t get us anywhere,” Silver Eagle said. “The best assessment of the situation we can make now is going to be based on the abilities that Rafael possess.”

            “As a Divine mage it’s hard to say,” Brenda said. “No living person has ever interacted with a Divine mage and it isn’t as if we can do any hard research on it. However, if Divinity magic works just like other forms of magic, I may have a way around it.”

            Silver Eagle sat up in his seat. Phoenix also piqued his attention to Brenda. She sighed.

            “Through my battles with Clarke I was able to sort of have her powers leak onto mine,” she said. “She’d reached the point in Shield magic, my magic, that she was able to absorb the magic from something within a barrier rather than keep it out. Mostly that involves magic, but I’m unsure if that only works for Shield mages or if it also works against Divine mages, Power mages, and that sort of thing.”

            “And who would know that?” Phoenix asked.

            “Probably Clarke, but she’s unconscious in the Cube,” Brenda said.

            “Can we wake her up?” Micro Man asked.   

            “Do we have that sort of time?” Prism asked. “Even if we wake her up, why would she help us at all?”

            “He’s right,” Brenda said. She glanced to her scarred hand. “I stole all her magic from her, so she could never harm anyone again. She’d never talk to us. She knows we won’t resort ot torture.” Brenda closed her fists. “I have no idea what these abilities are capable of.”

            “All we’ve presented are guesses and presumptions,” Silver Eagle said. “What hard facts do we have against our enemy?”  

            “That one punch from their Power mage could probably leave a good dent along the surface of this moon,” Kyle said. “And that their leader is capable of wielding magic we can’t hope to predict.”

            “Beyond that,” Silver Eagle said. “Why must have something we can use against them.”

            He paused, but nobody spoke up. Nobody knew what to say. Kyle remained speechless. Phoenix bowed his head.

            “Alright,” he said. “We’re not getting anything done here. Blue Nexus, Shindari, Violette, go home and rest a bit. I’ll call you when we have something or need to conference again. I’m sure something will come up between then.”

            Sandy grimaced. “Afraid I can’t go anywhere, Phoenix. My home’s been destroyed.”

            Kyle sat at the edge of the bleachers, tossing a lacrosse ball between his hands, staring out at the field while the team practiced. As it so happened, he actually managed to get a concussion from his battle with Axel, though Coach only noticed because he thought Kyle’s eyes lacked that blaze of glory they often had.

            Kip and Luke were with him, dressed warm and snug while the sun continued to set. Mira was on the field as well, sitting nice and cozy with the rest of the personal trainers. They were talking amongst themselves, and Kyle could overhear they were talking about what colleges they’d gotten into thus far. Kyle could hardly think about how he hadn’t applied to any yet. It was between that and the extinction of all non-magically trained humans.

            “So what you’re saying is,” Kip said, strumming his fingers along his chin. “Is that the galaxy’s strongest force of heroes isn’t sure how take down the guy, like, only an hour from here?”

            “Basically,” Kyle said. He spun the ball in his hand.            

            “And we’re just going to pretend that going in and bashing down the walls to fight him is out of the question?” Kip asked.

            “If it weren’t they probably would’ve done that already,” Luke said. He slid his phone down into his pocket and sat next to Kyle. “Instead it’s gotten really quiet out there.”

            Kyle smiled. Look at Luke, talking like one of the Zanderia. But his best friend was right. Riko and Lalay were able to return to the moon base rather fast after the impromptu conference was over. Kyle surmised that most of the mages were being reeled in by Rafael and prepared for the final phase of his plan. The tower was his base, and now his armies were at the ready for one final mobilization.

            “I don’t understand, what’s stopping you?” Kip asked.

            “The fact that those walls might be made of real people,” Kyle said. “And if we break the walls, we might break the mages.”

            “Which would be less than good,” Luke said. Kip rolled his eyes.

            “This sucks,” Kip said. “Why’d this have to get so complicated all of a sudden?”

            Kyle gestured to the field. “It’s not too complicated for the team.”

            “They’re not the ones saving the world,” Kip said.

            “And you have?” Kyle asked.

            “We’re the emotional support that you need,” Luke said, patting Kyle on the back. “So yeah, we’ve helped.”

            “Might put it on my resume,” Kip said. “Helping the Blue Nexus counts as volunteer experience, right?”

            “I think being the Blue Nexus counts a little more,” Kyle said.

            Andreus, who had been on the sideline serving as an assistant coach of sorts for the backups, finally stepped onto the field. He hadn’t noticed Kyle, Kip, and Luke watching from the stands and Kyle wanted to keep it that way. He looked good, really focused and in control of his abilities. Hard to believe that he’d been tossing Kyle around the gym just a couple weeks ago.

            He was the only one left from Tania’s crew, the one that avoided the culling. He probably heard all about it on the news but didn’t wasn’t sure what to make of it. Kyle watched as the drill began and Andreus executed it almost flawlessly. Near the end he nearly tripped up, something Andreus never did. He had the best footwork on the team, he was like a machine.

            “Any ideas on what can be done?” Luke asked.

            “Brenda’s got something,” Kyle said.

            “Any ideas on what you can do?” Kip asked.

            Kyle shook his head. “No. Not this time. This isn’t any enemy we can just overpower this time. We need to find his weakness.”

            Luke nodded and checked his phone again. Kyle started tossing the ball between his hands, and Kip gestured on the field.

            “I wonder what everyone’s thinking down there,” he said. “Like, how do you just play sports and condition and all that knowing what’s going on?”

            “I think it’s not on their mind at all,” Kyle said. “Because they know we’ll be able to take care of it.”

            “I hope so,” Luke said, and held his phone to Kyle.

            Kyle took it with both hands and held it for both Kip and Luke to see. It was helicopter coverage from the tower, hovering high and near it. A black aura appeared around the tower, drooping down and all around the tower, creating a haze near the bottom portions of it. The reporter in the helicopter was at a complete loss for words, but Kyle recognized this magic.   

            “Is there another Demon mage in there?” Kyle wondered aloud.     

            “Well, you said that the walls were people, right?” Kip asked. “What if he’s just starting to manipulate their own magic without their will.”
            Kyle almost dropped the phone, but Luke caught before it could hit the ground. He stood up while his thoughts swam all around his head. His Zanderia communicator started pinging like crazy. Coach blew his whistle and hollered to Kyle, but he barely noticed.

            “No, that’s not possible,” Kyle said. “Not even a Divinity mage can take the magic out of someone and use it unless he first took their magic from them,” Kyle said. “Which means the walls are just the leftover residue of magic that can be bent and the mages are…are where?”

            He slapped his hand on the communicator to shut it up and immediately headed down the bleachers, Kip and Luke following behind, trying to keep up with his speed-walk. He walked about as fast as he thought. Kip and Luke called after him but he didn’t respond; or, at least, not until he was out of the reach of the stadium.

            “Does this make sense?” he asked, spinning around. “That there is a Reality barrier around Magus Forest that’s manipulating the magical energy only it’s not reciprocating energy within but energy without which would imply that the mages are no longer in Magus Forest but they’re somewhere nearby to power the tower—heh, that rhymed—which is giving Rafael the chance to use that magic on the tower. Basically…” he took a second to breathe “Rafael has stolen their magic but it would be useless without the original mage nearby. So, either we move the mages from the area or we just attack the tower head on. This could destroy their magic entirely or, more likely, give it all back to them.”

            They both stared at him, stunned. Everything around them just came to a hush. Kyle knew he probably looked absolutely bewildered.

            Laughing came from somewhere around them, though it was covered by some sort of filter. It increased in volume, and then in number. Kyle spun around, looking for the source, before Luke stopped him and Kip handed him the cackling communicator.

            “What’s so funny?” Kyle asked.       

            “Your theory,” Tania said from the other end.

            All three boys stepped back, a bit surprised. “Tania? You heard all that?”

            “You turned your communicator on, you fool,” Tania said. “I just couldn’t stop laughing that we never realized it.”

            “Well it still doesn’t explain what the magic’s doing leaking all that magic,” Kyle said.

            “It doesn’t, but it’s obvious what it’s doing,” Tania said.

            “How would you know?” Kyle asked.

            “Because,” Tania said. She hesitated. Kyle heard shuffling on the other end of the communicator.

            “Kyle, we need you to come to East City immediately,” Brenda said. “Phoenix and the others are here, too. We think we’ve got an idea.”

            Tania straightened out, nodding to everyone after she repeated her plan for the second time, just for clarification. Kyle, Phoenix, Riko, Lalay, Brenda, and Sandy all stood in an old office building that Tania had been using, initially, to hunt down recruits. She used it more for a hideout once the Six Pillars began their rampage.        

            “You’re sure that all that black mist is a demon army?” Riko asked.

            “Not necessarily demons,” Tania said. “Some of them will be full-fledged shadow monsters, which is what the mist is unfurling now. However, given that there are still so many mages left within the tower, it’s safe to guess that Rafael is giving them more power with the leftover residue from the tower. They’ll be his army’s primary force, the ones we should concern ourselves without outside the tower itself.”

            Kyle nodded, and looked to Brenda and Sandy. Her plan was sound, and her logic basically infallible. Brenda still seemed a bit on edge about it.

            When Kyle arrived in East City, Brenda had explained to him that Tania went out to seek Brenda and Sandy, offering up herself as a mage to Brenda should she be lying to them and trick them. Brenda took her for her word—Tania relied on her magic for so much of her life that ridding from her would almost be the same as just taking her life. Brenda didn’t trust her as much as Kyle, but it was a step.

            Riko, Phoenix, and Lalay came at Brenda’s request to hear the plan out, just so they could be aware of things. Kyle was a little less certain on the initial push of the plan, given what it was relying on versus what they would need to do when they actually got into to the tower itself. Plus there were so many other moving pieces—regular people having to go out and form a search party so close to the fighting.

            “The best time to attack will be dawn,” Tania said.

            “Why not now, if we have our plan?” Sandy asked.

            “He’ll be vulnerable,” Tania said.

            “He’s not now?” Sandy asked.

            “No,” Lalay said. “Right now we know Rafael is using some of his own magic to manifest this army. He’ll be tired once he’s done with it, and his ego will be far more inflated. Plus he’ll be expecting us to attack as soon as possible.”
            “Your preemptive strike on the Six Pillars has no doubt made him hyper-aware that his subordinates can be defeated,” another voice said from outside.

            They all turned around, weapons and powers at the ready. A blue light died down and Kyle felt instant relief as an old, familiar face came sauntering toward them.

            Brian smiled at Kyle, clasping his shoulder nice and tight. “Sorry I’ve missed so much, settling business with our next-galaxy neighbors can be busy work. So, what’s this about magic and monsters? Eclipse tried filling me in, but, it’s hardly making sense.”

            “Basically imagine Alucard, but a hundred times worse and almost immortal,” Kyle said.

            “Ah, great, gotta love it when the villains start escalating,” Brian said.

            Tania squinted her eyes at him, then pointed his way. “How much can you manipulate the Nexus itself?”

            “Better than this guy,” Brian said, jerking a finger toward Kyle. “Why?”

            She nodded. “How would you like to defeat one of the strongest mages to ever walk the Earth?”

            “Sounds like a nice welcome home event,” Brian said. “I’m in.”

            The sun was hidden behind the great black tower that stood where the Grand Elder’s tent once did. The ground was torn and mauled to bits, creating large unnatural hills and crevices all around the shallow remains of a once-great forest. Orange light filled the sky while the clouds from the night drifted away, parting at the tower.

            A great army of demons and mages stood in front of it, held tight on their master’s leash. A man draped in gold stood atop the tower, looking down upon the world as if they were ants under his boot. A large man encased in a blue aura watched on from a large, open window while another surrounded by green ether waited with a grim smile on his face.

            The two cameramen and two reporters ensured to keep close to cover, stalking ever closer to the army of darkness and huge tower above. Tom, the senior reporter, clasped his hand around the microphone while Ty, the cameraman, cued him up. Tom nodded, feeling the shaking in his boots. What the hell was he doing out here? This was a warzone…no, this was way worse. This was something right out of someone’s nightmares!

            He walked carefully across the dead roots and fallen tree-trunks until Ty stopped him and lined him up well for a shot near a ridge between a raised plateau and the tower itself. Tom cleared his throat.

            “Good morning east Virginia, my name is Tom Richardson,” he said. “I’m standing in the remains of an old forest where just yesterday a mysterious tower appeared out of thin air, and last night, it appeared that black mist was unfurling from all around it.” He glanced over his shoulder and saw all the…things…looking away. He sighed. “I’m reporting live on the scene to capture this incredible event. We’re not sure what this tower is doing or what stands in front of it, but we can only hope it’s on our side.”
            As if in response, a voice overhead boomed. “And thus the new day begins, my beautiful army of mages and demons alike! The day has finally come to go forth and purge the world of the unworthy and those that would stand against us to create a new world of magic. Leave none in your wake, and destroy all heroes that dare defy I, Rafael, the one true Divine mage!”

            Tom sucked in a breath and checked his shoulder again. His junior reporter was calling him over and Ty could barely hold it together. Tom rolled back his shoulders, and stared straight into the camera.

            “Do not be afraid,” Tom said. “We live in an age of heroes. Today, darkness arrives, but I promise you, heroes will stand!”
            Once again, in response, the crowd of darkness went into an uproar. Tom felt a swelling in the air, followed by a series of sonic booms, as if a rocket were coming back down to Earth. His junior reporter was screaming again, only this time, he was looking to the sky just like everyone else. Tom looked, and almost dropped his microphone.

            “And the saints come marching in,” he muttered, as Blue Nexus, Shindari, Violette, Phoenix, the Sentinel, Riko, Lalay, Prism, Silver Eagle, a woman in green, and a second man resembling the Blue Nexus clambored to the top of the plateau.

            The sun peeled around the tower and gleamed right on them. Blue Nexus and Shindari stepped up to lead the crowd.

            “Rafael!” the Blue Nexus exclaimed. “It’s over.”

            Tom smiled, feeling a pair of tears roll down his eyes as he watched the guardians of the Earth prepare for battle.

            “Indeed it is,” Rafael responded, and Tom watched the army of darkness surge forth toward the full might of the Zanderia.

Next time: The final battle against Rafael and the Six Pillars begins! The two Nexuses take on the final two pillars in “Blue Nexus #74 – Twin Nexus Pt. 3”!