With five minutes to spare, Will stepped out onto the docks, sword still drawn. He took careful stock of his surroundings. A clock on the very edge of the wooden structure, its face reading 11:46. There was also an old thermometer, its thin red needle hovering just above sixty degrees. The random thought struck Will that it was a warmer night than expected. He turned slowly on the spot, trying to spot any strangers as he moved closer to the water.
“I’m surprised you came.”
Three figures emerged into view from around another of the small buildings at the edge of the river. Two of them were supporting the third, which Will recognized immediately as his father. Cameron had a nasty-looking cut on his forehead, and he was slumped as if he’d been knocked unconscious. Will glared at the two men holding him, taking note that he didn’t recognize either of them. They were clad in the ornate gold and green robes of the Earth Nexus. So Bai Xiao was involved, Will thought. Either that or their hidden enemy could give Nexus powers freely.
“I’m here,” Will agreed. “I’ve come alone in peace, so let my father go.”
“And have you attack us the instant he’s safe?” The man said, his voice sneering. Not Chinese, Will thought. Taiwanese. Maybe he wasn’t involved with Bai Xiao, who lived exclusively in Hong Kong. “No, I think we like you docile. Stay where you are now, as you can see, you’re outnumbered.”
It was true. Appearing all along the river bank, Will saw about fifteen different people moving slowly towards him. They were from Earth, Water, and Air Nexuses. He even spotted one man wearing Fire Nexus furs. He focused on that man particularly, feeling rage flare up once again. “Take those furs off, fake. You haven’t earned them.”
“Oh, you don’t know what I’ve done for these furs,” the man said, grinning up at Will. He sounded like an Alaskan. Will managed to restrain himself from leaping at the man, but it was a close-run thing.
“Now, now,” there it was. The undeniable evidence. Proof that Tobias had told the truth. Will turned again, almost as if in slow motion, to see Kido Togai walking into view, his thin face split by an amused smile. “This is lovely banter, but I think we’re on a schedule.”
“Koshinuke!” Will spat, throwing the Japanese word for coward. “Release my father right now, or I will kill you.”
“You could try that,” Togai replied, drawing a blade of his own out of his sleeve and pointing it threateningly at his father’s back. “But you know what will happen if you move even a single step towards me.”
The fake Fire Nexian laughed at that, the sound relaxed. “Oh boy, you’re truly cornered now, young man.”
Will glared at Togai, feeling his hatred for the man continuing to rise like lava, scorching his insides. He needed to get his father away from Togai and the two Earth Nexians. If he couldn’t do that, then he couldn’t count on backup. Worse than that, his father would die. He gripped the handle of his sword more tightly, measuring the distance. Definitely too far for him to cross before Togai could thrust his katana. Will felt a strong breeze against his face, but its cooling effect did nothing for the heat emanating from him. He wasn’t sure if the steam rising in the air around him was from his rage or his heat.
Suddenly, the gust disappeared. It was such a small thing, but also so unexpected that it registered as unnatural to Will’s senses. Togai noticed the moment too, it seemed, and he glanced toward the three figures that were dressed in normal clothing. That would be the Air Nexians, Will confirmed. But they, who had also caught the strange fluctuation, shook their heads. It wasn’t them. Somehow, Will knew what was coming before it did. It was as if some instinct inside him told him to glance up, just in time.
The two Air Nexians Cornelius and Kiera were there, suspended above the group, their hands out and their faces contorted in concentration. Will opened his mouth to tell them to stop, fear overrunning his anger. They’d kill his father! But his shout was drowned out by the torrent of air they released from their hands. Four thin columns of air blasted down, striking Togai and the two Earth Nexians with incredible power, slamming all three into the ground with grunts of surprise. The fourth stream of air curved in a bewildering pattern around the enemies, and picked Cameron Andrews up, scooping him and carrying him out of reach in the blink of an eye.
“Hell yes!” The fake Fire Nexian shouted, fire leaping to his hands. “Now this is exciting! Come on, Edward!”
Edward? Will watched, as if in slow motion, as the man himself ran into view, his hands igniting, and understood, though he couldn’t know how it had happened. The man wearing Nexus furs wasn’t an enemy. He knew Edward and had infiltrated Togai’s gang of Nexians. But then Will stopped caring about the circumstances, the tiny details. The Fire Nexus was rushing out of cover, two and three at a time, their hands already releasing deafening blasts of fire. Angel and Charlisa darted out together, taking out one enemy apiece, punching a hole in their line. They were quickly followed by James and Emmet, who took down three more. In rapid order, the fake Nexians fell, leaving only Togai.
“Don’t touch him!” Will barked, his senses catching up to the moment. “He’s mine!”
Kido Togai, just then getting to his feet, looked around to see himself outnumbered. His smug smile was gone, replaced by an angry sneer. “Damn you, Edward!”
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He moved to strike the nearest Fire Nexian with his sword, but he’d taken his eyes off Will for two long. Will charged forward, rage and fear both falling away as he found himself, faster than he could think, within striking distance of Togai. He thrust the blade deep into the man’s side, almost completely skewering him with a yell. Togai screamed in pain at the touch of the cold steel, but almost immediately moved to cut back at Will.
Will jumped back to avoid the blow, forced to let go of his sword as he did so. The other Nexians, frozen by the attack, watched from a safe distance as Togai pulled the sword out of his side with a grunt. Blood splashed across the wooden panels of the docks, but in an instant, the wound was gone. He threw the sword aside and glared at Will.
“Oh, you’re going to die now,” He sneered. “I’ll kill you, then get away.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Will snarled, still calm despite being unarmed. “You’re alone now, Togai.”
“Not for long,” the Japanese man said. “I have nearly fifty more, loyal to me. They are in the area, and they’ll be here. We’ll burn Fairbanks down tonight, I think. We don’t need you barbarians anymore.”
In a flash, Will ran forward. Normally, he wouldn’t dare charge someone with a weapon if he was unarmed himself, but something told him he could manage it. Ignoring the shout of surprise from those watching, he hurled his fist directly into Togai’s face. In that split second before the man was knocked back, Will could see his hand. The electricity was back! Then Togai went flying, landing on the ground nearly three feet from where he’d started, his sword falling from his limp hand. Will let out a yell of rage and continued forward, his body charged.
Togai was on his feet in an instant, already healed, and parried Will’s punch. But then his knee slammed into his opponent’s ribs, and he heard a nasty crunch as they gave. Togai staggered to the side, blinded by Will’s angry flurry of blows. He was hit again, in the stomach, then again, in the face. For some reason, he was too slow to react to Will’s hits. It was all he could do to keep healing himself. Even Will couldn’t understand it, but he didn’t stop to think about it.
In the space of a few heart-stopping seconds, Will had beaten Togai to the very edge of the river. Suddenly, he felt the rush of power leave his body and knew that he’d reached his limit. A second later, he felt his Condition break and fell to his knees. That was it, he thought. Togai would kill him now, and then flee. He couldn’t even beat Togai with his new power. Togai, seeing him run out of power, let out a victorious yell and raised his fist, the skin glowing with some unknown power.
An explosion appeared behind Togai, hitting him in the back and knocking him flat. Will looked around for the source and saw the unknown fire-user, the one that had called for Edward. His hands were up and coated in red flames, but he didn’t release any fire from his fingertips. Instead, a fire built between his palms shrank out of sight, then reappeared an inch or two above Togai’s prone form, causing another explosion. The force of it dented the ground, crippling Togai.
Ignoring the wave of nausea that came with his Condition breaking, Will dove forward and tackled Togai as the man rose to his feet. He slammed him back into the rocky shore of the river and hit him across the face with as much strength as he could muster. Togai grunted at the impact, and Will hit him again. He still stirred, feebly, and his hand began glowing again. With a yell, Will struck him for the third time. Finally, he went limp, the light disappearing from his eyes as he fell unconscious.
“Holy shit, boy,” the new Fire Nexian said. “That was some fight. Remind me not to cross you.”
“Thanks,” Will gasped, flopping down onto his back. “Who are you, exactly?”
“The name’s Michael,” the man said, offering Will a hand to his feet. “Michael Evans.”
“Will,” Will said. “But you probably already knew that.”
“As a matter of fact, I didn’t,” Michael said. “Edward’s kept me hidden. I only talk to Noratuk, to let her know what that rat Togai has been up to.”
Suddenly, Noratuk’s mysterious trips into town made sense to Will. “Well, thank you. If only I’d known we had an inside man, I wouldn’t have been so worried.”
Charlisa ran over, almost knocking him over with the force of her hug. “Well done, Will!”
He hugged her back fiercely, kissing her on the forehead. Only one concern was still on his mind. “Where’s my father? Is he safe?”
“He’s okay,” Kiera Lawrence had returned, supporting Cameron on a gentle breeze. “Sorry I didn’t warn you, I wanted to get him away as quickly as possible.”
Will shook his head at the apology, feeling gratitude for the girl filling him. “It’s fine. Thank you so much for saving him. Thank you too, Cornelius.”
The stern-faced man in the business suit nodded solemnly. “Just doing what I could for a friend.”
Edward was there then. After greeting Michael with a handshake, he turned to Will. “Good fight. When did you learn to do that?”
Will knew he was talking about the electricity. “Tonight.”
He couldn’t help letting out a snort of laughter at the astonished look on Edward’s face. “I was about to tell you when you told me what happened to my father. I think it’s a focus thing. I’ll try to teach you.”
“That can wait,” Edward said, cutting him off. “We need to lock Togai up. Everyone else is already scanning the city to try and find the Nexians he mentioned.”
“Oh right,” Will said, “I don’t think I can help with that. But hopefully, there aren’t that many.”
“You go back home and rest,” Edward said. “Charlisa, take him there. Take Cameron with you.”
Will nodded and looked to where his father, still unconscious, was being put into the passenger seat of the black car. With Charlisa’s help, he hobbled over to the vehicle himself. He paused as he reached the door. “Thank you, Edward.”
“Of course,” The Alpha said seriously. “We’re not letting family come to harm. Any family. Cameron is one of us because of you.”
Will smiled at that, then climbed back into the car. Cornelius came over to drive, and soon they were peeling out of the lot. Will finally let himself relax then, laying his head on Charlisa’s lap. She stroked his hair with her hand, speaking quiet words of comfort as they drove away.