“The doors to my kingdom, this part of the Astral Realm, is always open to you both.” She started, after Troy woke up on Nate’s arms in her throne room. The room he first met her, just a few days prior. “But to fulfill your oath, you must leave. To fight these Astral beings, you must walk in the mortal and immortal planes all at once.”
Troy frowned. “How I… I died, how can I got back?”
“Time passes oddly here, you are dead yes, but you can change that.” Hera smiled, radiant as always. “Your power can heal the damage, as long as you will it. You will be restricted in that form, your human body can only handle so much power. You must investigate the damage they have caused in that world, as well as this one.”
“I see… so where do I begin?”
She twirled her fingers, creating once again a series of pink seeds. “The powers that named me as Goddess of Motherhood can restore that connection. Bonding you to your vessel is all we need to do once more.”
And like that she flicked her fingers at him, pinning Troy’s body with those seeds. Vines exploded from his body, dragging him down, farther and father, into the light of the mortal world. He saw himself, laying low covered in Lichtenberg figures, stark white against his skin. The vines latched into his body, sinking into his skin, and through their energy and his own jump started his heart once more.
There was a flash of darkness before he awoke, gasping for breath. He felt his power ripped out, slamming into the mob of barely conscious people still held fast by his psychic command to sleep.
And then, before he could so much as stand, three sharp jabs peppered his chest, poison spreading throughout his body, dragging him once more into darkness.
“TROY!” Nate screamed at his soul before someone dragged Troy away into the night.
The darkness eventually faded, Troy finding himself in a stark white room on a bed next to a massive window that looked out into what had to be some kind of laboratory. “What?” He called out, trying to stand, only to feel the weight of a heavy collar around his throat. “What is this?” he put a hand on it, only to collapse as horrifying, agonizing lighting coursed through his blood, knocking him the fuck out.
It would only be when he felt a cool hand on his cheek that he started to recover.
A man was looking at him as he opened his eyes, with gray hair and incredibly cleanly trimmed eyebrows. He was fair skinned, with a militaristic edge to him. He was used to being obeyed,a nd he would allow no one to break a single damn rule.
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“Troy, you should not touch the collar, consider that a warning.” His voice was as intimidating as his expression, and it was because of this fact that Troy recognized him.
“Dr. Caine?”
The man nodded. “I wondered if you’d remember me, you were only six when I first started seeing you for bipolar. I do apologize, in many ways it was my treatments of you that made you what you are today.” He helped Troy stand. “You see, the treatments where designed to manage your symptoms, but they amplified your mental powers, and are why you became a Nexus.”
Cringing, Troy almost fell into the bed behind him. “How do you know all of this?”
The man quirked a brow. “Do you think Hera and her children are unknown to mortals? Psychics have been a threat to humanity for eons. In the modern day, this is but one of many institutes that monitor and correct your powers, so you do not kill or maim those around you. Come with me, I’ll explain as much as I can.”
Troy followed him out of the room, a door forming from a perfectly sealed panel. “Are you a Psychic?”
The man frowned.“No, I am a son of Zeus actually.” He sighed, radiating so much pain that no psychic powers were needed to feel them. “My father’s evils are why I do what I do. You see demigods, psychics and other such beings all get our powers from the astral plane. In my case, from the man my father possessed to create me. I can influence electricity and the weather as a whole. I try not to, due to the risks that brings about.
Now, onto you. I cannot blame you for what Victor did, and yes we know of him. Our employed Psychics went through your memories, you are actually the strongest Psychic we have ever encountered, you almost killed them just from raw force and natural defense. They saw what you did, there is no need to explain. You fixed the evils of your other self, and we do not blame you at all…
That being said, we must keep you underwraps, at least until you are safe. Your powers have too much influence, even if you were to fight the Unsealed Astral Demons, the powers released during the fight would ripple outward and kill humans, or mutate their minds. We cannot allow that. We will help you, train and eventually contain those you seek.”
Drinking it all in, as they passed men and women in lab coats, many of whom cringed at the sight of him, Troy asked. “And the Collar?”
“Power suppressant. It keeps you contained so you do not accidentally kill anyone. We know you are a good kid but that does not mean you cannot do damage if your mood swings too much or you are hurt or are practicing. This is not jail, but rehabilitation. For your safety and the world’s.”
“I am not being used… “ Troy started. “To kill others, or as a military tool, right?”
“Gods no, it was agreed many, many, many years ago that we do not intervene in mortal affairs other than to clean up. We made sure of that, a psychic wave that perpetually binds and alters human minds. Only a special few can and will know of our powers, and even fewer can use us. We are literally isolated… actually, had you not created your Alternate self, you would have noticed people ignoring you and forgetting things about you until you faded away. This way, we could take you into custody. Cruel, but needed.”
Troy stopped. “Why did no one-”
“Hera was going to. We contacted her, she was a bit distracted by your other self and thought you had time. She also thought your nexus status would render you immune to the powers of the veil put up on us. She was right and wrong, in a way… you are strong enough to burn through the veil, scarily enough. Actually, to be honest, you did burn through the veil. People are noticing what you did... and it's time you see just that means."