“Each Nexus that has recruited a new member, please send them to the front.”

Will gave a little start when Hitori said these words, and took an involuntary half-step back. Hitori had appeared, virtually out of nowhere, in the direct center of the room. Will didn’t see him enter, and he’d definitely been looking out for the man. Given what he now knew about the man, he was especially unnerved by the sudden appearance. He didn’t want to approach, for fear that he’d give away his sudden fear. But Edward and Charlisa didn’t give him a choice in the matter, both shoving him in the small of his back. Richard too stumbled forward, as if he hadn’t wanted to approach either.

“Go,” Charlisa hissed. “You have to do your indoctrination.”

That was a funny word for it, Will thought, as Edward reinforced the order quietly, and he found his feet carrying him out into the open space. He felt so many eyes on him, much more than before. The concentrated gazes of nearly a hundred powered people were pressing in on him, sizing him up, trying to gauge his potential from afar. He blocked them out as best as he could. Think of it like a tournament, he thought. Nobody’s watching. You’re just here to do your best, and that’s it. The thought helped considerably. Lifting his head, he strode purposefully forward until he stood within arm’s reach of Hitori.

Apart from him and Richard, there were six other new Nexians. Three wearing the ornate green uniforms of the Earth Nexus, two young people from the Air group, and, to his surprise, Felix, from the Water Nexus. Will looked at him in mild bewilderment, to which he responded with the usual cheeky grin. Had the world not known of his existence until this very year, then? Will couldn’t reason that one out in the moment, but he assumed, correctly, that he should act as if they did not know each other. Hitori smiled down at them all as they approached, bowing in welcome. Of the group, only Will and Felix returned the gesture.

“Please, turn and face your Nexus,” Hitori said. Will did so, turning to view the family that had taken him in. “Look upon your comrades.”

Edward met their eyes, first Richard, and then Will, and nodded. It was such a tiny action, he thought, but it filled him with pride. In his mind, it was as if Edward were reaffirming his choice in him, but in a much more public setting. He nodded back, hoping that his leader knew what it meant. He was silently pledging his never-ending loyalty. Noratuk seemed to understand it, and she bared her teeth in an approving grin. On Edward’s left, Charlisa was beaming. She met Will’s eyes, and mouthed a silent I love you.The words bolstered him more than Edward’s nod.

“These are your families,” Hitori said. “These are your comrades, the most powerful connections you have. They are made yet more powerful because, unlike the family into which you were born, you chose this.”

All the Nexians, every last one, made a noise of agreement. The Nexus’ reply, claiming their own. “See how they accept you. Accept them, and you shall find a home. Serve them, and you shall find strength. Protect them, and you shall find peace.”

Now came the part that Will hadn’t been expecting. Each of the Alphas rose to their feet, at least the ones who hadn’t been standing. Half a second later, their Nexuses rose as well. Will’s field of vision seemed to narrow until he could only see the faces of his new family, all determinedly showing their support of him. As one, they each raised a hand. He could faintly hear Hitori’s voice behind him, saying something. But it didn’t matter in the moment, not compared to the actions of the Fire Nexus.

A warm glow seemed to be emanating from Edward’s body, slowly spreading to encapsulate the entire Nexus. His eyes were glowing with an intense light, a light that was matched by both Noratuk and Charlisa. Then Will realized that they were literally glowing. Each member of the Nexus was enveloped in a faint reddish-orange aura, and it was this that heated the air between them, almost to an uncomfortable degree. The heat washed over Will, engulfing his body in an instant. It seeped into his very core, flowing through his veins and filling him with its power. It was more heat than he’d ever felt in his life, and he looked down at his hands, surprised to see the glow matching him as well.

Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Edward and the others lowered their hands, and the glow faded. But the heat inside him remained, as did the feeling of confidence and power it had given him. He glanced quickly to the side, noticing Richard’s own look of surprise. So he’d experienced the same thing, he thought. It looked like all the new Nexians had. Hitori was speaking again, but now his voice was clear as day, ringing out in the expectant silence of the hall.

“You have chosen,” he said. “This is your bond, from now until the day you die. You have chosen.”

Again, the Nexuses growled in agreement. Then they applauded. Charlisa, Noratuk, Edward, James, every last one of them. Here was the acceptance he’d been longing for, he though, a single tear breaking free and sliding down his cheek. He wiped it away hurriedly, feeling his skin burning hot to the touch, and smiled at them, then at Richard beside him. It was hard to consider him an adversary in that moment, a thought apparently shared. They grinned at each other, both thrilled to have experienced this moment.

“William Andrews,” Hitori said, and he jumped. “Of the Fire Nexus. Richard Coffee, of the Fire Nexus.”

Hitori continued, introducing them all in order. Felix Smith, of the Water Nexus. Ronald Higgins of the Fire Nexus. Lai Yin, Lai Yang, and Hu Wenzhang of the Earth Nexus. Then there was another round of applause, and they were instructed to return to their Nexuses. Will walked back, guided by Charlisa’s inviting smile, suddenly feeling as if his legs were made from jelly. As before, he felt horribly exposed. But he found the safety in numbers quickly, and the number of eyes staring at him seemed to reduce, until it was only his Nexus. They greeted him, slapping him on the back or punching him on the shoulder. Charlisa gave him a tight hug, kissing him lightly.

“Well done,” she said, her voice a little rough as if she were holding back tears. “Now you’re really one of us.”

Just then, Will felt a strange tingling sensation, like someone had shocked him. It raced from the points at which the Nexians had touched him, and shot down to his feet in the blink of an eye. He gave a small start of surprise at the feeling, then spun around as if to try and find the source. He’d been shocked before, and the feeling wasn’t entirely different. Charlisa put a calming hand on his shoulder.

“Relax,” she said softly. “That’s the residual power you’re feeling. It will go away after a few minutes.”

He took a deep breath to steady himself. “Okay. Sorry, didn’t expect that.”

“Nobody does,” she replied with a smile. “Even if we tried to warn you, you wouldn’t have been prepared.”

“Now,” Hitori said, getting everyone’s attention again. “Before we begin the assessments, I have two new policies to share with you.”

Will listened intently, as did the others. Once Hitori was sure he had their attention, he continued. “First, I am lifting the ban on travel to other Nexus camps. If you have the Alpha’s permission to enter, you may do so.”

A mutter of surprise rang out around the room. Bai Xian stood, his face perplexed. “Why now? You made that rule so that you could monitor attacks.”

“That is why I made it,” Hitori said, nodding in agreement. “But I feel enough time has passed, that we can be sure of peace. We’ll keep a close eye on it, of course, but you are now free to travel back and forth. It is my hope that this will lead to a new closeness between the Nexuses. We could all take the chance to learn from each other.”

Will frowned at that, and turned to Charlisa. “I wonder why he’s lifting it now. Does he really think that we’re willing to travel to an enemy’s camp?”

“It was Rachel’s suggestion,” Edward said. As Will turned to him, he was sharing a quiet nod with the Alpha of the Water Nexus even now. “Now that we’re allowed to travel, she can send Felix and Olivia to Fairbanks, to train with us.”

Will knew where he was going with that plan at once. “You’re going to send me to Miami, aren’t you?”

“Eventually,” Edward confirmed. “I’ll wait until after the tournament. But it won’t be just you.”

Will opened his mouth to ask another question, but he was forestalled by Edward’s raised hand. He nodded in understanding. Later, then. Hitori was speaking again, and he hurriedly listened in.

“The second policy,” He said, speaking hesitantly as if he wasn’t sure of his words “Is that each Nexus should immediately begin working on improving their neighboring communities.”

He looked around at each of the Alphas, who had regarded this announcement with a puzzled silence. Edward and Bai Xiao seemed alarmed and annoyed at the order. Kevin Williams looked faintly curious, and Rachel’s face was inscrutable. Of course, she’d already taken great strides to accomplish that, Will thought. Maybe she was what had caused Hitorit to make this exact announcement.

“Now,” Hitori said, rubbing his hands together, looking pleased that the awkward moment was over with. “Before we get on with the assessments, are there any grievances?”

Grievances? Will glanced over his shoulder at Edward, whose face hadn’t shifted at all. If he had complaints, he wasn’t going to register them. None of the other Nexians looked much like speaking up at all. Will frowned. He thought about the time that he’d been attacked, both in Alaska and in Miami, and his frown deepened. Charlisa, noticing his rapidly souring mood, put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look down at her.

“What’s wrong?” She said quietly. “You look pissed.”

“You want to raise the complaint about the attacks?” Edward asked, clearly catching on. When Will hesitated to answer, not wanting to appear impertinent, he gave a small shrug. “If you feel it would help, then go ahead. Anyone can raise a complaint.”

Will hesitated again, not sure. Would it help to complain about people attacking him when there was likely no evidence, and no way to track down those involved? The reasonable part of his brain said no, of course. It wouldn’t have any tangible benefit. But there was the constant suspicion of his attacker’s identity, he thought. Even as that came to mind, he felt his eyes sliding over the faces of those present, and locking onto his target. Suddenly, he was certain.

“Well then,” Hitori said, after several seconds had elapsed. “Since there are no-”

“I have a grievance,” Will said. In his haste, he spoke louder than intended, and all eyes in the room swiveled to stare at him. Trying to ignore the pressure of about a hundred eyes, he stepped into the open space. 

Hitori looked slightly taken aback, but recovered quickly, hoisting an ingratiating smile onto his face. “Certainly. Who is your grievance against?”

Will glanced back at Edward again, as if looking for reassurance. Both he and his daughter, looking faintly curious, nodded. He took a deep breath. “My grievance is against Kido Togai, of the Soul Nexus.”

A murmur of surprise rippled through the room. It was matched by Hitori, who immediately turned to look at his lieutenant. “Against Kido-san? What is your grievance?”

“That he organized members of an enemy Nexus to attack me and my family,” Will said, his voice breaking slightly out of tension. He took another deep breath to steady himself. “Also, when those attackers failed and we moved to capture them, he attacked us himself. Then again, recently, when I went to visit Miami and the Water Nexus to find the attackers.”

Now the muttering was more confused, and Will thought he even detected an undertone of anger. That was most prominent among the Earth Nexus. Hitori looked back at his lieutenant. “Kido-san, how do you plead on this accusation?”

Togai came off the wall against which he’d been leaning, his eyes focused intently on Will. He’d never spoken when he and Hitori had come to Alaska, so his voice, soft and melodic, caught Will by surprise. “I have no recollection of this, Master Hitori. As you know, I only leave our home when you do.”

“Well, Will-san,” Hitori said, turning back to him. “Do you have any evidence to support this claim?”

Will took another deep breath. “I do not.”

“You make an accusation against me without evidence?” Togai replied, his eyebrows raised. “To what end?”

“This is most irregular,” Hitori added. “Will-san, why did you not report this attack when it happened? Edward-san, is there truth to this attack?”

“There is,” Edward answered, speaking calmly. “I witnessed the end of the attack myself. I was the one who chased the masked stranger away. If I’m understanding Will’s words, he thinks that Togai is the same stranger.”

“I do,” Will said, glad for the show of support. “I may never be able to discover who the Water Nexians were, but I know in my heart that I fought Togai.”

“And how do you suggest you prove your case?” Togai asked. “Without evidence, it’s just your word. And, forgive me for saying, but you are a newcomer. There is no trust to your words.”

“I believe him,” The voice came from the Water Nexus, and Will turned in time to see Rachel stepping forward. “I think Will is an honest boy, and would not lie. He truly believes that Togai is responsible, I think.”

“I do,” Will said again. Then, before Hitori or Togai could speak, he continued. “I don’t have evidence, and I probably never will. But I have one way to confirm my own suspicions, if I will be allowed. Then I can be certain.”

An expectant silence fell over the room, and Will looked at Edward and Charlisa again, his fists clenched. He could tell that they understood what he had in mind. After a few seconds of silently staring, Edward nodded. But still, Will didn’t act. He looked to Charlisa now, who looked troubled. Then she nodded too. He turned back to Togai, who was waiting for his next words.

“I challenge you to a match, Kido Togai!”