Neo Chronicles: Nexus
Episode 48: Seems So Surreal
Table of Contents
When did Tameka learn how ta fight?
Out of all the things these demons have done, that's the most mind-bogglin' ta me.
Everything the Mystics tried ta teach us about the proper way ta hit, the proper way ta block, and the proper way ta move is the furthest thing from my mind right now. It takes years for that junk ta become second nature, and here she is kickin' my a** like she's been doin' it her whole life.
It just ain't fair!
I swing my left fist at her. Big swing. I can hear Huifang right now tellin' me that I just left my entire body wide open.
And of course, I miss. Big whiff. She ducks right under it.
Next thing I know, my arm is being clutched on. She tugs it her way then slams her fist right on the side of my elbow. I hear a crunch. Big crunch.
I cry out louder than I thought humanly possible. My elbow is broken. Everything in my mind is telling me ta get away, but I can't. I'm freaked out!
I feel a thousand tiny little pins pokin' at my skin all over. The violent breeze Tameka summons is literally puncturing holes in my skin. I can see the blood pop out of my arms and legs like tiny little geysers.
Then I feel the wind circling around my feet, and the next thing I know, I'm flung up at the ceiling. My back takes out one of the lights as it crashes up against it.
And for a split second, there's nothing. I don't know if this is me trying ta remove myself from the moment or what, but my mind just refuses ta register anything else happening right now.
Then right as my body starts ta plummet towards the floor, I snap back ta reality.
I wanna lash out. I wanna get mad. I wanna do something ta make this all go away, so I reach out my right arm and envision Tameka in a pillar of ice.
My ST just takes over the rest. The ice forms above her head. It breaks apart into a million crystals. And it all comes crashin' down on her.
Then I hit the ground with a thud. My entire body feels the impact. I black out for a second, but come to just in time ta see Tameka standin' over me unscathed. She kicks me in the gut, and I'm hollerin' out again.
This whole experience just seems so surreal. The pain I feel, the sights I see, the actions I take.
It's a reflex—me tryna raise my left arm in defense—but I'm reminded how utterly helpless I am right now.
I see Kai run up and tackle her. A mini-tornado flings him across the room over some desks. Tameka's sights are now set on him. She's got a terribly scary smile painted on her face. I say painted because I gotta remember that it's not hers. I gotta remember that she's not her. I probably shouldn't even be thinkin' of her as Tameka.
That's a demon.
I fight against a broken arm and a thousand cuts and lesions bleedin' out just ta stand ta my feet. I encase my right forearm in ice. The cold chill is a shock ta my skin, but I remember ta embrace it. I need this frozen gauntlet.
“Noah watch out!” I hear Nexus shout from behind.
I turn around and see Mr. Mayer charging at me. Then he disappears, and I hear a loud thunderous clap of sorts. Some sort of forceful wave pushes me off my feet.
Then Nexus flashes in front of me, fightin' off Mr. Mayer and Rayne. Then they're all gone again. I turn around ta try and see what's up with Kai just ta see him bein' flung at me.
There's another loud booming shockwave that rattles the room. Shelves along the wall topple over, more desks get flung back, an' the teacher's table collapses. At the center of the wave, I see Nexus getting ganged up on by all three of those demons.
Rayne swipes her claws along his back, causing him ta take a knee. He tries ta retaliate by turnin' around and throwin' a fist, but Tameka slams her fist into his cheek. Before the guy even has a chance ta hit the ground, Mr. Mayer pulls him into a clinch and knees him in the gut. I see Nexus spit up a nasty combination of phlegm and blood.
I look over at Kai, and find that he's down for the count. Still conscious, but no where near ready ta back me up on this.
I throw myself up and charge at the skirmish, crying out like a madman as I pull my right fist back.
Then, with all the might I've got left, I slam my hand on the floor, and instantly, ice trails out along the floor, and five giant pillars form above and beneath them.
But in the next instance, Mr. Mayer's right in front of me, diggin' his shin in ta my gut. I turn over, the wind knocked right outta me. And as I see him lift up his foot, gettin' ready ta stomp me out, Nexus comes in with the save.
His fist comes outta nowhere, and I'd like ta think it catches Mr. Mayer by surprise. As the two disappear before my eyes, I lie here on this floor wondering if the pain I'm feelin' will ever go away. Every breath I take feels like a vicious attack my body has to put up with. I don't know if I'll ever be able to use my left arm again. The thought of that is almost as scary as the amount of agony I'm in.
Then I look over at Kai and see that he's about ta be in for it, too, so against everything, for the umpteenth time today, I throw myself onto my feet.
Kai can barely keep up with Tameka right now. He's throwin' fire at the wind in more ways than one. None of his attacks are finding a mark while all of Tameka's are.
I start ta run towards them, but Rayne appears in front of me. She throws her kicks and swings her claws. I do my best ta evade, but I'm just way too tired. Her claws dig deep, and her kicks hit hard.
I'm about ready ta pass out, but before the lights go out, I see Nexus flash beside me. The sweat I see dripping from his head, and the heavy breaths I see him take let me know that we're both in the same boat. But seein' him push on in spite all of that gives me just the motivation I need.
Together, we fight on. He throws his punches. I shoot my ice. Rayne blocks, parries, and evades it all. But we still fight on.
Then Nexus disappears. I see Mr. Mayer run towards me, but then he disappears, too.
My mind immediately jumps ta Kai and his skirmish with Tameka. I gotta help him out.
Then, I see the room go dark. It's sudden. It's jarring. Like the lights are on, then immediately cut off. When I look up at the actual lights, I see they haven't really been touched. Light's still coming from them. But the room is still dark.
Then I see the people. Kai, the demons, me. Octavia's still knocked out. I see them, as if they're the only things giving off a light. They're shining in this dark space.
Kai's thrown my way. His back against the floor. His body covered in cuts and bruises. He can barely move. I try ta help him up. He's visibly bothered by breathing in. His breaths are shallow. I see him coughing up blood every so often. And snot. Are his ribs broken? Is that why he's holding his chest that way?
He makes his way on his feet, but tries ta push past me. It takes me a moment ta register, but it makes sense. Nexus is fighting all three of those demons by himself now. As broken as we both are right now, we gotta help him.
Nexus throws a punch at Tameka.
She dodges effortlessly.
Mr. Mayer lands a punch square across Nexus's jaw.
Nexus spits out a tooth and does a spinning back kick. He's so turned around, I don't think he even knows who he's aiming at.
Rayne dodges the kick and swipes her claws at him. They tear into his forearm.
Mr. Mayer grabs him from behind and puts him into a hold. He locks both his arms under his armpits.
Nexus can't do a thing.
Tameka kicks him across the face. Rayne knees him in the gut.
I try ta force myself ta move in and help, but something's holding me back. Something is literally holdin' on ta my legs, grippin' my broken arm, and keepin' me in place.
I look ta Kai and see the same thing. He's on fire, tryna push through the pain and break through the grip.
I look down and find out that it's these dark shadows. Almost forgot that these demons are nothin' but dark blobs. The shadows that didn't wind up possessin' people're still in the room, an' right now, they want me and Kai ta watch.
Nexus can't take much more of this. I see the light in his eyes fading. He's about ta pass out.
Then Rayne plunges her hand through his gut. God, there's so much blood. God, there's so much blood.
The thing that everyone's been talkin' about, the thing that everyone's been afraid of. Jabari ain't here ta stop it. Neither are the Mystics. We're just left here, and it happens.
After ripping out his guts, Mr. Mayer tosses his bleeding body on the floor. They killed him.
My jaw is wide open. I can't really believe what's happening. I'm frozen. Don't know if I'm afraid or mad or what, but I can't move. I don't wanna move. The shadows that were holdin' me back are gone, but I just don't wanna move right now. I don't wanna do anything.
I hear a loud, mournful cry from behind. It makes me wanna cry, because I know exactly who it is.
“CHRIS!!”
Don't tell me she made it just in time for that. Don't tell me that's the first thing she sees walkin' into this room.
I slowly turn around ta see Lynn on her knees, tears pouring down.
Some other guy's with her, too. I wanna focus on him. Where he came from. Why he's here. What's he doing with Lynn. My brain just wants ta focus on something other than what's goin' on right now, but it can't. I can't.
I turn back around and see the three demons standing over his motionless, bloody body. It's like they wanna make sure we take all this in. It's like they're taunting us. This is them sayin' our lives are completely theirs ta take.
And the sad, scary thing is...
They're absolutely right.
