“Is Selia okay?” Susan asked after breakfast on Saturday morning. Selia kissed Nil after finishing her meal and departed. The woman hadn’t said much about the recent Symbiotech developments around anyone but Nil. Her unusual silence hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“None of this can be easy for her,” Shawn commented. He lazily moved the last of his oatmeal around his bowl. “First, the cataclysm killed her siblings and parents while she was on holiday in Brazil. Then she gets back to Argentina and finds that almost all of the rest of her family have met the same fate. Symbiotech before she could reunite with the survivors. Selia invested a good deal of her earnings since becoming a Summoned in finding any trace of them.”
“I didn’t know that.” The more Nil learned about his new girlfriend, the worse he felt about his initial cold treatment of her. Adam’s words couldn’t be more correct. The fact that she wasn’t more socially inept, bad with boundaries, and often inappropriate was a miracle. She didn’t talk often about the time between the cataclysm and escape from Symbiotech, but the scarring was a large part of why they had bonded.
We’re both equally fucked up.
Nil didn’t dare compare his scars from watching Aisha’s murder and the damage the visage had done to her experiences. However, he kept it as an excuse to himself when questioning whether he had moved on from his last ‘relationship’ too quickly and the rate at which he and Selia had developed.
“She’s not wrong.” Susan sighed. “It’s a seriously fucked up situation, and I get her doubts. This new task force leader is one of the bastards who had a hand in firing Katherine and me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was involved in the coverups and is changing tunes now that he needs to cover his own arse.”
“Have you spoken to her?” Nil asked.
Susan nodded. “She couldn’t be more pissed off. Katherine intends to push the matter with her boss. They’re an independent agency and not UK-based. If she can convince them to uncover and leak something big, it could do significant damage to the bastards trying to protect the bigger names.”
“Do you really think something will come of it?” Shawn dropped his spoon, and it clinked noisily in the ceramic bowl. “If someone high up in the government is involved, do you think an intelligence agency can afford to piss them off? Great Britain is at the center of Summoned sports and coordinates EU forces containing the North African and West Asian wastelands. I wouldn’t be surprised if her agency has contracts with the government.”
“I won’t pretend to have answers to your question, Shawn,” Susan replied, her tone icy. “I’m reporting what a common friend told me, not predicting the future. I’d appreciate it if you’d watch your tone and not jump down my throat.”
“I’m sorry,” Shawn said, softening after an intense stare-down. “It’s frustrating to see one of the last real friends I have like this.”
“It’s alright. Just remember we’re all on the same team.” Susan patted Shawn’s soldier. “I won’t pretend to know Selia as well as you do, but she’s now my friend too. Symbiotech cost me my job and killed Nil’s last girlfriend before sticking him with a ghost for seven-plus years. I also want to see them burn. That’s why I joined the CIT. The government isn’t going to do jack shit because they’re invested or embarrassed about their oversight. However, if the Nexus is the one that brings everything to the light…”
“They can’t afford to strike back or cover it up,” Nil completed Susan’s thought for her. “That’s the hope. Failing that, I say we do whatever we can progress in realms, build up our reputation with the Nexus and fuck off to somewhere better.”
“Good idea.” Susan nodded. “Preferably somewhere warm with a beach.”
“Did you ascend, by the way?” Nil asked. “You feel different?”
“My ability is Silver Realm now. Layla gave me a quest related to the investigation. There is another ascension token waiting at the end of it.”
“Congratulations,” Shawn said, rising from the table. “I’d better go. Selia wants me to help her train for Shervon Grey.” He paused, hovering awkwardly for a moment. “Thank you for being there for her, Nil. Adam used to be her person for venting and discussing all the sensitive stuff. I’ve never been good at that kind of talk.”
The man left without waiting for a reply.
“You’ve made some interesting new friends.” Susan leaned back in her chair. “And a new girlfriend. As much as I love Katherine, I think Selia is a better match for you. It's just surprising you moved on so quickly.”
“Well, Katherine and I never really got past friends with benefits, did we?”
“I’m not passing judgment, Nil. Just a little leg-pulling between friends.” She shook her head. “I expected better from Katherine. She should’ve called you after you got back from the quest, but she thought it would be easier if you two hadn’t communicated instead. Just a call or a check-in would’ve been nice.”
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“It’s not a big deal,” Nil said. “A clean break is better for everyone. I did call her once in the middle before making things official with Selia. It—”
“That’s why you’re a decent guy. You’ve got my respect for being upfront and open about everything.” Susan checked her watch. “Are you doing much training prior to your match today?”
Nil shook his head. “Nothing besides stretches, weapon drills, and meditation. Any ranks gained in the final hours won’t do me any good to matter.”
“You’re more likely to mentally exhaust yourself from pushing too hard,” Susan reached across the table and took Nil’s hand. “I wasn’t around for your last much, but I’ll be cheering you on this time around. Come back alive, alright? It’s not just Andrew, your family, and your girlfriend that will be all broken up if you don’t make it.”
“Thanks, Susan.” Nil smiled. “That means a lot to me. I didn’t just close myself off to romantic relationships after Aisha but friends too, and lost a lot of people as a result. It’s nice to have friends like you in my life again.”
“It's the same here, and it's not just because you saved my life—”
“You saved mine afterward, so we’re even on that front.”
“Nonsense. It’s a commander’s job to protect their subordinates and that’s what you were on the quest. When you saved me, Nil, you were a civilian risking his neck for someone you didn’t even know. It highlights the type of person you are. I’m glad the Nexus agrees.”
I bet she’s the one Yggdrasil wants.
“Let’s take these fuckers down together,” Nil said, taking his hand back. “Alright?”
Susan nodded. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
----------------------------------------
The first two sessions with Watcher only focused on Nil’s cultivation technique, which left him frustrated. He had parted with one of his three valuable vouchers to get better at Qi Projection and Qi Shaping and start training in Qi Manipulation. He couldn’t help but feel the strange, cryptic man was taking him for a ride to gleam into his life and uncover information regarding his friends. Then during Friday’s session, they finally made progress in the desired fields.
In the hours before his match, Nil sat in the garden repeating the exercises Watcher taught him. The purpose of the spherical maelstrom below his navel wasn’t just to contain and regulate the energy flowing through his body. Nil also drew directly from it for the techniques. The circulation around his body continued, intensifying or slowing, but it never stopped. Emission proved easier when he didn’t have to interrupt the flow. Instead of redirecting the current, he only skimmed its contents or helped it swell in the desired region.
Since emission no longer desired all of Nil’s focus, he also had an easier time molding and controlling the energy. It still tried to break free and diffuse into the environment, but as long as Nil kept it a couple of inches from his body and remained focused, he lost none of it. In fact, unless the energy interacted with any other surfaces, disintegrating or affecting it in any way, Nil was able to reabsorb it without losing much.
The growth made training easier and swifter. He no longer needed to interrupt his flow to recover Brutal Battery’s stores. The reabsorption wasn’t as efficient when he created anything more than an eyeball-sized sphere. Since he had practiced and used the three-finger blade a fair amount, just manifesting it didn’t result in too big an energy loss. However, anything more, trying to modify or grow, or free-form emission and shaping cost him dearly. Nil was still nowhere good enough at Qi Manipulation to put into practice and still couldn’t think of how to utilize it without significant cost.
Technically, Furball’s launching and controlling of his hair counted as manipulation. It was the telekinetic or instinctual control over an object or energy. Unless Nil created energy whips or tethers, he couldn’t think of how to use the techniques in combat. However, all three of the fundamental techniques went hand in hand. Knowledge and use of one made the other easier, and each of them worked hand in hand, regardless of one’s preference.
“Emission comes first,” Watcher had exclaimed. “You have nothing to shape or manipulate without emitting it first—unless you have an external Qi or energy source of course. Most like to think that just being able to emit energy is enough, but the key is efficiency. You need to be able to emit how much you need at the time you need it, at just the right time, without losing too much in the process. Release too much, and you deplete yourself too quickly. Too little or too slow, and you don’t have enough for whatever you might need.
“Next is shaping. Its purpose isn’t just to mold your emissions into the desired form. Shaping is what you need to contain everything efficiently so it doesn’t diffuse into the ether. Even your blasts—which are basic emissions—need shaping to ensure you focus energy in the necessary space and direction.” Watcher drew a point surrounded by concentric circles in the dirt. “Most of your current emissions have you throwing energy all over the place.” He erased most of the drawing, leaving a cone. This is what you need.”
“Finally, we have manipulation. Its application might not seem obvious since your talents lie in shaping first and emission second. As a close-range fighter, you’re unlikely to use it much in combat.”
“I’d like some ranged options, though,” Nil had said.
“So get better at emission. Project your energy further or shape projectiles. Shoot them at enemies, or use your monstrous strength to throw them.” Watcher erased his artwork. “Emission is the fundamental of control. The better you’re at it, the easier it will be to bend energy to your will, control the flow through your body, and guide it into the desired shape while minimizing loss. If your talents lay in manipulation, you’d whip foes with energy or create saw blades like your next opponent and either zig zag them at your foes or program them to revolve around you.”
Even though Nil was tired, sweaty, and frustrated with his new teacher, he had committed the conversation to memory. It wasn’t just vital for his training and understanding Brutal Battery and the Source better. Nil also wished to pass everything he learned on to his friends for the sake of a better functioning team on equal footing.
Nil was fine being no one of importance, fate, or destiny and just the person who brought those marked by such concepts together. He wished to be more, but in his own way, and ensuring all around him found the strength to succeed and positively change the multiverse felt appropriate and like the right thing to do.