Will didn’t allow himself to relax until he could make out the city of Fairbanks below him. He’d spent the last half hour of the journey with his forehead pressed against the window by his seat, eyes scouring the landscape that slid underneath the plane. He didn’t recognize any specific spot that he saw, of course, but the untamed wild nature was a comforting sight. He was finally home. Even the air above Alaska felt safer as if the land itself was welcoming them back with open arms.

He turned away from the window to share a smile with Charlisa, leaning over for a kiss. She smiled back. Almost as if by an afterthought, she lifted her hand, letting a flicker of electricity dance across her palm and down her forearm. The smile turned into a full grin, and she looked back at him, kissing him once more. She hadn’t had much of a chance to experiment with the new power save for little tests like this. Will could tell she was itching to see what she could accomplish with some time and open space.

“Just don’t bring the plane down,” he said, but the stern warning was slightly ruined by the smile he couldn’t wipe from his face.

“Yes, Alpha,” she said, smirking at the foreign word. Then her face became serious, and she stopped messing around with the power. “I hope this war doesn’t last long.”

“So do I,” Will said. “But we can’t escape it, either. All we can do is protect our own, and wait.”

“You think Togai will come to Fairbanks?” She asked, her voice quiet. “To attack, I mean.”

Will let out a sigh as he turned back to the window. He wished there was a different answer he could give her. “I’m sure he will, eventually.”

“I was afraid you’d say that.”

They were saved from having to continue the dreadful conversation by a slight bump. The wheels had touched down on the landing strip outside the Fairbanks International Airport. They leaned back in their seats as the plane began to quickly decelerate. Will felt Charlisa’s hand grip his own and, glancing over, saw that she looked a little pale. The motion couldn’t be easy on her with the pregnancy, he thought. He felt a warm glow fill him inside at the mere thought of the word, the mere idea of it. A child was growing inside her. His child.

“Hang in there,” he said quietly, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. “We’re nearly done.”

She didn’t reply, as her jaw was shut tight. She gripped his hand hard enough to turn the knuckles white, but he bore it willingly. To distract himself, he mentally reviewed the plans he’d made with Edward for their return home. They had to reach Nexus Hill safely, which was yet another challenge. Togai might not have gotten here faster than them, but he could have allies lurking in the area all the same, ready to attack if the Fire Nexus seemed vulnerable.

Apart from Edward and Charlisa, Will knew he had to protect Kenta. They’d already learned what they could about the Soul Nexus Condition, but Will still wanted to protect his friend. He’d already decided that, once they were safely home, he was going to offer Kenta his power, to recruit him into his Nexus. Charlisa had to be first, of course, because she was the most important person in his life. She was everything. But after her, he had to choose Kenta. That was if he accepted, he thought. Kenta might well decide that he was tired of the Nexuses as a whole. After Togai died, he might just disappear altogether.

Will forced the thought to the back of his mind as the plane finally came to a stop in front of the central airport building. He could see a small crowd of people gathered at the doors, waiting for them to disembark.  Quite a few of them were unfamiliar faces, he saw, but one stood out among the crowd that he recognized. He leaned closer to the window to double-check, but there was no mistaking it.

“What’s Mr. Gustkey doing here?” He asked. “Did he know we were coming back early?”

Charlisa offered a slight shrug, still looking queasy. “Dad must have told him. He’s an old friend.”

“Right,” Will said, reaching below his seat to grab his rucksack and the two sheathed swords. “I forgot.”

As they were situated towards the front of the plane, they were one of the first to exit. Will slid as unobtrusively as he could in front of Charlisa to take the lead, making sure he could cover her. She noticed, and rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. He hopped down the last few steps leading from the plain, feeling relief sweep over him as his feet hit the tarmac. Now he was truly home. Making sure his sword was easy to reach if need be, he strode forward to approach the crowd.

“William!” Mr. Gustkey exclaimed, hurrying forward to meet him. “Please, tell me everyone’s alright.”

“We’re fine,” He replied, surprised by the concern on his old history teacher’s face. How much had Edward told him of the events in New Toledo? “Nobody’s hurt, we’re all just a little tired. We’re anxious to get home.”

“You mean you don’t know?”

Will took a step back and regarded Mr. Gustkey suspiciously. Charlisa stopped by his side, equally as on guard. “Don’t know what?”

“Nexus Hill is destroyed!” Mr. Gustkey exclaimed. It seemed he’d been wanting to tell them for ages. “I’ve tried calling Edward, but I couldn’t get through!”

“Is that Robert?” Edward’s voice came from behind. Will turned just in time to see him stepping off the plane, heaving a deep sigh as he felt the cool air touch his face once more. “What brought you out here, Robert?”

“Edward!” Mr. Gustkey stepped between Will and Charlisa as if they weren’t there, and rushed forward to embrace his friend. “I’m sorry Edward. I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

“What are you talking about?” Edward asked, holding him at an arm’s length. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“That man who you captured. He got out. By the time I found out, he was already on a plane out of here.”

“Oh,” Edward said, relaxing visibly. “We already know. He’s proving to be quite the thorn in our sides, but we already know.”

Mr. Gustkey shook his head. “That’s not what I’m trying to say. Your home is gone! He destroyed it all!”

A shocked silence spread among the Nexians stepping out of the plane. Those that were stepping off were caught up in it and stood stock-still absorbing the old teacher’s words. Finally, Charlisa spoke. “Nexus Hill is… gone?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. Some kind of explosion happened, and it all burned down. There’s nothing for you to return to.”

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

“We need to defend Fairbanks,” Will said. “If Togai comes back with his men, we’re in big trouble.”

It was several hours later. He, Edward, Noratuk, James, and Mr. Gustkey were grouped around a conference table. Without Nexus hill to call their home, the owner of the local Marriott hotel had offered them comfortable rooms. Will still felt a little guilty at the warm hospitality they were being offered, as he didn’t feel like he deserved it.

“I’ve already said I agree with you,” Edward replied, his voice cold. “So stop bringing it up.”

“But we haven’t come up with any actual plans,” Will pressed on. “Saying we’re going to do something and doing it are two different things.”

This small argument, the first of its kind, surprised the others as much as it did Will. He’d never spoken in such a plain, stubborn tone to Edward before. Perhaps it had something to do with the recent change to Alpha status. But he thought it had more to do with the fact that he felt Edward couldn’t care less what happened to the people of Fairbanks. His concern was with his daughter and his Nexus, and nothing more. He only agreed to get Will to stop talking about it.

“I want someone standing guard on the roof at all times,” Edward said. He leaned over the table, placing his fists on the wood surface. “And by the door. I don’t want a stranger getting in here without us knowing about it.”

“I’m sure the owner will love that,” Noratuk said. Edward glared at her, but she showed no sign of regret. They stared each other down for several seconds before she rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll put someone on it.”

The door to their impromptu meeting room opened. They all turned to see Charlisa entering, her face a little pale and sweaty. Will couldn’t help but notice that her pregnancy seemed a little more pronounced now, or maybe he hadn’t had the chance to study it properly. He offered her a smile as she rejoined them, nodding silently to reassure him. When he returned his attention to the table, he noticed that Edward was watching the two of them closely. Nothing was said on the matter, however, as at that exact moment, the door opened again.

It was Angel, and they came crashing into the room at a dead run, completely out of breath. They were also much dirtier than usual, Will noticed. He knew at once that whatever it was, it was terrible news. But sill, he moved forward to offer them a hand as they tripped at the bottom of the small step and held them steady. “What is it, Angel?”

“He’s here,” Angel gasped, their voice rough. “Togai’s just sent us a message.”

“Why is he sending a message?” Noratuk asked. “Why not just walk into town and start attacking?”

“He probably still wants the world to think that I killed Hitori,” Will guessed. “Plus, it doesn’t hurt if the town sees them as righteous avengers and us as hiding criminals.”

“We’re not in danger of the hotel owner ratting us out, are we?” James asked. Edward shook his head, and he let out a sigh. “That’s good. What did Togai say?”

“He says,” Angel was still breathless, and was heaving for air between words. “He says that he wants to settle it. Tonight.”

“He wants us to come to him,” Will said bluntly. Angel nodded. “Let me guess. He’s in the tundra.”

Blank shock showed on Angle’s face. “How did you know that?”

“It’s what I’d do,” Will said. Of course, he knew that wasn’t the real reason. Out of all the locations in and around Fairbanks, it was the closest to the field that he and Edward saw in their dreams. He turned to see Edward now, and the Alpha nodded his understanding. “Well, we might as well get a move on.”

“We’re going out to meet him?” James asked, incredulous. “I’m sorry, but that’s the stupidest plan I’ve ever-”

“Will is right,” Edward said, cutting James off mid-sentence. When all eyes turned to look at him in surprise, a small smile touched his lips. “We were never going to back down from a challenge before, and we’re not going to do it now.”

Noratuk let out a laugh. “True. We’re not cowards.”

“But we’re also not stupid,” Edward added. He turned to Will. “Gather everyone. I want two different groups. You’ll lead one, take whoever is fastest. I’ll take the rest.”

“Right.” Will turned on his heel and bolted out of the room. He paused on the threshold and looked back at Charlisa. “Be careful.”

“You’re the one that needs to hear that, not me,” she said with a smirk. “Now go.”

First, he went to his room, to collect the two swords that he’d brought back from New Toledo. But his second stop, before anything else, was to Kenta’s room. He opened the door without knocking and stepped inside to see his friend reading. Kenta closed the book at once when he saw Will and shot to his feet. They shared a long look, and Will held out his hand. Kenta shook it.

“I know I won’t regret this,” Will said. “Let’s hope you pick it up fast.