“Will!”
The call came when Will and Charlisa were less than fifty feet from the front door. Even without turning to see, Will knew who it would be. Still, he took a deep breath before turning to see Kenta jogging over to them. His white robes were flapping as he ran, and he adjusted them awkwardly before speaking, sounding a little breathless.
“You never told me you joined the Fire Nexus,” he said. “Mother told me you were in town, but I just assumed you were taking time off before college to go on a vacation.”
“You didn’t think to mention that you were joining the Soul Nexus,” Will pointed out. “And trust me, you could have known about me if your Master had told you. He already knew.”
“It must have slipped his mind,” Kenta replied. “Master Hitori is a busy man, after all. Most of my training is done with Togai-san and the other Lieutenants.”
Will snorted derisively, his previous temper starting to surface once more. “Please. That man doesn’t forget anything.”
Kenta was starting to look a little awkward, obviously noticing Will’s foul mood. “Well, perhaps he didn’t know that we were friends, then.”
Will opened his mouth to reply at once, but Charlisa nudged him with her elbow, not too gently. He winced, then changed tack. “Right. Probably.”
An awkward silence fell upon them. Seeking to fill it, Will gestured towards Kenta with one hand. “This is Kenta, Charlisa. Kenta Takamaru, my oldest friend in Japan. Kenta, this is my girlfriend, Charlisa Ambrose.”
Kenta offered Charlisa a polite bow. She tried to return the gesture, but couldn’t match the casual grace needed. “Hello, Kenta. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
“All good, I’m sure,” Kenta said quickly. It was much more like the kind of response he used to give. Even his cheeky grin showed itself for a moment, matched by Will. Then he snapped back to his formal attitude. “The honor is mine, Charlisa-san. I’m overjoyed that Will has found a wonderful partner.”
“What did you want, Kenta?” Will asked abruptly. “Sorry if I sound rude, but we’re hungry.”
Kenta pursed his lips, trying to organize his thoughts. Talking had always been so easy between them, Will thought. Now Kenta had to weigh his words ahead of time, to not let Will in on any of the secrets of his Nexus. Not that he was alone in that. Will thought of Edward’s proclamation against the Soul Nexus. If they both continued down this path, they’d end up fighting each other.
“How have you been?” He asked. “You seemed a bit depressed when you left last time.”
“That’s because I was going back to high school,” Will explained. “Anyone would be unhappy about that. But I’ve been fine. Just training hard, I’m sure you know.”
“Of course. I’ve been training day and night, with little rest. I thought I was already a good fighter, but I don’t compare to Togai-san and the others.”
“Yes, Togai is a good fighter,” Will said. When Kenta tilted his head in confusion, wondering where Will had gotten that impression, he waved one hand in dismissal. “Never mind. Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t stop to talk to you before leaving. I’m not upset with you, I promise.”
“You mean it?”
“I do,” Will said, meaning it. “It’s just been a long day, and we are truly hungry.”
“Alright,” Kenta said, accepting his words. “There’s a new hibachi restaurant down the road. I know you like those.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
They parted ways then, Kenta giving him a farewell wave that he matched, then running back to the building. Charlisa sent her father a quick text, letting him know where they’d be and pulling Will along again. He went willingly, his mind buzzing with all that he’d seen, heard, and learned over the past few hours. He couldn’t figure out how he felt about Kenta being wrapped up in all this. The slightly anti-social but gifted martial artist had been his close friend since his first trip to Japan. He didn’t want him to be an enemy.
“He’s messing with your mind,” Charlisa said, dragging him back out of his mind. He wasn’t sure if she meant Hitori or Kenta. “He’s trying to break your focus. Don’t let him.”
Will reached the door of the restaurant first and pulled it open to let her through first. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
She looked at him in silence for a long moment, noting the determined look on his face, then nodded and stepped inside. “Good. I don’t want to lose you.”
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-
Will let himself into his hotel room a few hours later, crossing quickly over to his bed and flopping down on top of the covers. He breathed in the mild scent of the detergent used on them, wishing it could clean his mind of all the heavy thoughts weighing him down. Just two months ago, he’d been a mostly normal, if slightly eccentric, high school student, about to graduate and pick a college to attend. He’d had a secret crush and a few good hobbies, and he’d liked his life.
Now he was one of just over a hundred powered individuals in the world, a member of one of the dangerous and mysterious Nexuses. Such a short time for such a drastic change. He rolled onto his back, letting out a long sigh. Maybe it wasn’t too late to get back to a semblance of normal, he thought. But then again, if it weren’t for the Nexus, he’d never have gotten the courage to go out with Charlisa. Hell, he would have been too terrified to even talk to her much. Even as a fellow Nexian, she’d still had to take the lead.
He grinned to himself as he thought of that first day now. Alone in his room, she’d cornered him and kissed him. It still had that dream-like quality to it. There was no denying it. Life was better now, even if it was stranger. Definitely better. He thought of trying to apply to a college, to spend another four years of his life dying of boredom, learning some reasonable skill for a reasonable future, and snorted derisively. No. He was a fighter. He needed excitement, and the Nexus provided no shortage of that.
He got off the bed, pulling the shirt off to take a shower. He hadn’t realized just how tired he’d been until then and suppressed a yawn as he cleaned himself quickly. Maybe Charlisa would come by before he turned in for the night. It was a pleasant enough thought as he dried his hair and got into bed. He let out another long sigh, staring around at the immaculately clean white walls around him. It really was a nice hotel. Shame he didn’t get long to enjoy it.
He wasn’t exactly sure when he’d drifted off to sleep completely, but his mind returned to the distorted and terrifying dream he’d had before. He stood alone in a burned wasteland, his friends and family dead around him. He continued to shout Togai’s name, calling for him to come out. Why was he dreaming this again, he wondered. He’d already proven to himself that Togai wasn’t the one who’d attacked him. Sure, he was an odd fellow, and something about him sent chills down Will’s spine. But he wasn’t guilty of attacking him or the Fire Nexus.
Without warning, the dream evaporated and was replaced by a hazy, silver mist. Try as hard as he could, Will couldn’t seem to see through it. He had the sense that someone was there, just out of view, and that they could see him clearly. He had a distinct impression that he was being watched. Even as the thought occurred to him, a soft, toneless voice whispered into his ear. “Did you really think it was Togai who was responsible? Tsk, tsk. He can’t see the grand picture as I can.”
There was the faintest twang to the voice as it ended as if the speaker was from the American South. Will turned towards the voice, frowning as he tried to peer past the silver mist blocking him. But apart from the vague outline of a man, he couldn’t make out any details. “Who are you?”
“Shh,” the voice said. “Don’t worry about that just now, you’ll learn soon enough. For now, rest.”
“Don’t toy with me,” Will said. “You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the one that attacked me.”
“Yes,” The voice said. “It was necessary. You will play a very important role in the events to come, Will. But do not fret. I know you are ready. I have always known you would be ready.”
“You know me?” Will asked, racking his brain. He didn’t know anyone who talked like that, he was sure of it. “I don’t know you.”
“No,” the voice agreed. “You don’t know me. But I know you well. I’ve known you for longer than you’ve known yourself. I know your part, my child. I regret the pain I will inflict upon you. But if I don’t, you will never grow strong enough to change the world.”
Will felt his temper flare at that and didn’t bother to hide it. “Fuck you! Don’t you dare come near me, or I’ll kill you!”
Without meaning to, he shouted the last few words out loud, shooting straight up in bed. But more alarming than that, he wasn’t alone. There was… someone in the dark room, only visible as a blurry outline. It lunged forward even as Will kicked his covers off, and he felt an iron grip close around his throat, cutting off his next shout. Will tensed his throat, protecting him from the crushing pressure, and kicked out with one foot. He connected with the side of the stranger’s head, and he felt flesh there, not a mask. With a rush of adrenaline, he broke the grip holding him and rolled away.
“Big mistake coming here,” he growled. He took a deep breath. “You’re surrounded by us now.”
He opened his mouth to shout for someone to wake up and help him, but the stranger pounced, slamming into him before he could. He caught Will around the middle, slamming him against the wall and then back around onto the ground. He could hear the man’s heavy breathing and feel the chill touch of his hands as he closed them around Will’s throat once more. Was he trying to kill him now? He thrashed desperately, trying to break the grip once more. He couldn’t manage it, and he was starting to go weak as he was denied oxygen.
“Now listen here,” the voice said, infinitely more disturbing now that he was hearing it in real life. “All of us have a part to play, Will. Yours is coming soon, and it will take a lot from you. It will hurt. It might even be too much. But you’re my best bet if we’re to avoid destruction. Don’t let me down, now.”
Will could barely make out the words the stranger was saying. The very edges of his vision were starting to blacken, a surefire sign that he was beginning to pass out. Without seeming to struggle, the stranger lifted him. Again, his voice, soft and toneless, was the only sound he heard in the night.
“I mean it, Will,” the stranger said. He took a step towards the window, still holding Will by the throat, and a shaft of moonlight fell onto his face, illuminating half of it. It was the strangest face he’d ever seen. Incredibly pale, with short-cropped dark hair, bushy brows, and black eyes. His mouth was thin and seemed to take up too much of his face to be normal. Something about it struck him as familiar, though he couldn’t imagine when or where he could have seen it.
“Do me proud, Will,” the man said, smiling up at him. He seemed genuinely proud of Will, despite the violent attack he’d just launched. “I believe in you.”
Then he turned, and threw Will through the window.