Will didn’t bother to limit his power output on his way back to his Nexus. Now that he knew that he had nearly infinite reserves, he could afford to let loose. So he blasted down the middle of the streets, the wind whipping him across the face. He had to slit his eyes to see properly how fast he was going. As he ran, he could see the flickers of electricity that stretched behind him. He looked like a superhero from one of those popular comics, he thought with an inward laugh.

The scene was almost exactly as he’d left it, which surprised him. He expected to see a fight taking place over here as well, or at least to see Togai in the vicinity. But there was no sign of him as Will shot right past the outward group of Nexians. They shouted in surprise, too slow to do anything to stop him even if they’d wanted to. He slid to a stop beside Edward, Noratuk, and Charlisa, letting out a long sigh. He was a little out of breath, but nothing too severe.

“You’re back fast,” Noratuk pointed out. “I’m assuming by the look on your face that you weren’t successful.”

“What happened to your clothes?” Charlisa asked, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You look like you got buried alive.”

“That’s not too far from the truth,” Will said, glancing down at his clothes. They were indeed stained with dirt and blood. He caught Charlisa looking at the blood in particular. “Don’t worry, it’s Togai’s and not mine.”

“So you did get him!” Noratuk exclaimed, a delighted expression forming on her face. But as Will shook his head, she snorted in annoyance. “What did he do now?”

“He’s an Alpha,” Will answered. Complete silence fell over the group at those words, not just the command group. “I hit him a lot, but I couldn’t finish him. Not without learning about his condition.”

“You can't do it, Will-san.” Will turned to see Kenta approaching. He seemed to have recovered a bit, though his face was still pale. “You don’t know his condition, and he could kill you with ease.”

“Glad you mention it,” Will retorted. “You’re going to tell me what you know about your Condition. I need that information.”

He glanced edgily at Edward, then added, “Besides, he can’t kill me either, since he doesn’t know my Condition.”

Noratuk gave another snort, this time of derision. “Will, you’re a tough bastard alright, but you can still be What the hell are you doing!?”

Will had lifted one of the swords to the inside of his elbow and made a deliberate strong cut. Noratuk sprang forward, ready to tend to him, but stopped in her tracks. She blinked down at where the blade rested on his skin, then up to his face, then back down. “No.”

He offered a shrug, now turning to Charlisa, who looked astounded. “I think Tobias did it. He mentioned that he had a ‘gift’ to give me and that he’d done it on the train ride here.”

“That’s why you were in so much pain,” Charlisa guessed. Will nodded. The same thought had occurred to him. “So you and Togai are in a stalemate.”

“It certainly seems that way,” Will said. “But Edward, I think we should leave. If he’s not coming after me or Kenta, then we should go.”

As he waited for the Alpha to reply, he noticed that something felt different between the two of them. He hadn’t gotten a chance to notice any change since their arrival, what with the excitement over the tournament and then Togai’s announcement. But now he could put a finger on it. He no longer felt that strange pull in his core, the thing that had linked him to Edward since he’d gotten his flame. If anything, there was a hint of rivalry there. Probably because he was an Alpha himself now, he decided.

“But why you?” Edward asked. “There are many other Nexians on the planet. Why you, and not one of them?”

It wasn’t an accusatory question, but Will still took a half-step back. He could tell that Edward didn’t approve, though he couldn’t begin to guess at the reason. “I don’t know why. I didn’t want it, that I know for sure.”

Edward let out a long breath, looking around at his Nexus. Abruptly, he changed the subject. “I agree on moving out. For the time being, we don’t have any serious injuries, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Will nodded, then turned as he felt something touch his back. He turned to see Charlisa looking up at him, her eyes sharp and scrutinizing. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was judging something in her mind, weighing what she knew about him now against the Will she’d known over the past few months. Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, she smiled up at him. He returned the expression, and for a moment the stress and fear of the day faded away. It was remarkable how a simple thing like her smile could make such a difference.

“More importantly,” Noratuk put in, clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Togai will likely know your Condition well, Edward. We can’t risk having you out in the open just now.”

He nodded, surprising them all. “Everyone makes their way to the train station! We’ll move as a group. Keep an eye out for any enemies!”

Those who had been sitting shot to their feet at once, reacting to the tone of command. They gave a general chorus of agreement and began moving, packing up the few supplies they’d taken out. Edward looked at Will again as they began to form up, and jerked his head unmistakably to the side. Curious, Will followed him, stepping out of the earshot of the others.

“I need you to make me a promise, Will.”

He stared into Edward’s dark eyes, feeling a flare of concern. “Of course. You’re still my Alpha. I will do anything you require of me.”

Edward slowly shook his head. For the first time since they’d met, he could detect a hint of sadness in the Alpha’s eyes. No, he thought, it was something deeper than that. Resignation. “What’s wrong, Edward?”

“Have you had any strange dreams lately?” Edward asked. “A dream involving a field of ash?”

Will nodded slowly, the vivid image of that dream coming to him. “I have. You’ve seen it too?”

“Yes. You feel the same to me now as you did in that dream. That means it will happen soon.”

Will knew at once what he meant. He felt his throat tighten in panic and shook his head. “We don’t know that will happen. We’ll have every chance to stop that from happening. You’re not going to..”

He couldn’t finish the horrifying thought. Edward was still shaking his head. “I am going to die, Will. I see it now. There are parts of that dream I have seen. I do things that I’ve never done before. Well, I would do them, but I never hope to.”

Will blinked in confusion, but Edward held up a hand. He wasn’t interested in explaining further, not just yet. “So I want you to make me a promise.”

Will bit his tongue to stop the flood of reassurances he wanted to let out. “Of course. What do you want me to do?”

“Make sure that Charlisa survives.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Will answered immediately. “I’ll never let anyone harm her. And if someone tries, I’ll kill them.”

“Good. But listen to me carefully. There is one more thing you must promise.”

“Anything.”

“When I am gone, you must take them with you.”

“Th-them?” Will asked, his voice faltering. By way of explanation, Edward glanced over at the Fire Nexus, waiting patiently for them to rejoin the group. “Oh. Of course, I will.”

“Good,” Edward said. “I knew you would, but it puts me at ease to hear it out loud. They’re your family, just as much as they are mine. Watch over them, and make sure you keep them safe.”

“I will,” Will promised. Edward extended one hand, and Will grasped it firmly. They shook on it, sealing the promise. “I’ll protect them all.”

Charlisa and Noratuk stood alone at the head of the group as they returned. Both women had the same strange, wondering look on their faces as the two Alphas, old and new, drew level with them. But nothing was said at the strange moment as they all began walking forward. Will only spared a moment to give Charlisa a hug and kiss before hurrying on ahead, using his speed to scout out safe paths for them. He did pause once he was a fair distance away, however, to retrieve his phone and notify Felix that they were leaving, and ask him to get out safely. Felix replied at once, saying that the fight was over and they were on their way home at once.

 

————————————————————————————————————————————

 

They reached the train without an issue, which came as a great surprise to Will. The small collection of human staff, including the conductors of the trains, were alarmed at how weary they all looked. They were particularly alarmed at the sight of Will as he appeared, and began running for the train doors to seal themselves away. It probably didn’t help that Will raced around to cut them off, blocking their access. They gave a collective scream of fear and jumped away.

“I don’t care what you think of me,” Will told them coldly. “I’m not guilty of what Togai accused me of, but I’m not wasting time explaining it to you. I just need you to drive us out of here.”

One of the conductors took a step forward, staring at him defiantly. “What if we don’t want to help you?”

Will lifted one hand, letting a spark of electricity travel between his fingers. He didn’t care much about preserving his image just then. “You want to help us. Just take us back to the airport, and you can be on your way. I promise your safety. But if you refuse, you’ll still take us. You’ll just be a little burned.”

“You won’t harm us,” The man said, lifting his chin. “You can do away with the threatening, boy. I’m no idiot, I know you’re not a killer.”

That proclamation took him by surprise. He was completely willing to shock the man if he had to, but the simple, albeit angry statement that he believed in his innocence set Will back on his planned speech. “You believe me?”

“Of course I do,” the man said. “We Alaskans stick together.”

After that, there was no more discussion. The Fire Nexus loaded onto the train as a group, with a guard watching in all directions. No attacks came, however. Eventually, it was just Will and Charlisa left behind. She pulled him onto the train after her, leading him to the same empty compartment they’d used on their way here. Once inside, she closed the door, then shoved him down into a chair.

“I’m not telling you what Edward and I discussed,” Will said at once. “No matter how many times you ask.”

“I don’t need you to,” she said. “I have a pretty good idea what he said.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, settling back into his seat. “Are you okay? How’s the, uh,”

As if to finish his sentence, he gestured at her stomach. She snorted. “I’m fine. And don’t you start worrying about me?”

“Too late,” he said with a smile. “I’ll always watch out for you.”

“Of course, you will,” she said. She crossed the small compartment and sat herself sideways in his lap, resting her head against his own. They kissed for a few long, blissful seconds, then pulled away. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything,” he said, staring into her warm dark eyes.

“Can you give me your power?”

He found that he wasn’t all too surprised by her request. He’d thought about it several times already since discovering that he’d become an Alpha. He took her face in both of his hands and pulled her in for another kiss. Then, several seconds later, he put one hand on her chest. If he’d tried to think of how it worked until then, he would have been clueless. But now, at the moment, it felt completely natural, as if he’d always known the answer.

He felt a shiver run up his spine from his very core. It crept its way through his chest, into his shoulder, and finally into his hand where it rested just below her neck. With a quiet pop, flickers of electricity left his hands, dancing across her skin before being absorbed. She shuddered at the sensation, and went weak, leaning against him for support. He held her close to him as he felt the bond taking effect, watching the small arcs that appeared around her body. Finally, she became still and pressed against him more firmly. They fell asleep together, in that same position. The last thing he heard was her voice murmuring into his ear.

“I’ll be with you forever, Will.”