“Watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry,” Will muttered, distracted. He stepped to the side to let James pass by him. “Sorry, just distracted.”

James made an annoying sound but didn’t reply further, too busy hurrying down the hall. Will had lost count of how many times he’d run into someone. He’d almost knocked Angel over merely ten minutes early, rushing to his room at a run to grab something he’d forgotten. They’d been the kindest by far, but even they’d been annoyed, muttering a short reply to his apologies.

The entire Nexus was in a nervous state, rushing back and forth through the dormitory building, gathering their possessions. The tournament was happening in two days, and they had to get to packing. Edward had warned them sternly not to leave it until the last second. He wouldn’t tolerate any semblance of disorder when they arrived. They brought everything they needed, or they went without. He’d check everyone’s luggage at the end, to make sure they hadn’t forgotten any forbidden items.

Most principals on the banned items list were weapons. They were forbidden to bring any to the tournament grounds, and people who broke that rule were punished pretty heavily. There were other things they were forbidden to bring, but they were Nexus-specific. For the Fire Nexus, they weren’t allowed to bring any combustible liquids. Will had learned just that day that such things were especially deadly weapons in their hands, and Hitori was taking no chances. He wanted the individual Nexuses to avoid appearing more dangerous.

“I don’t know why he cares so much about the public opinion for the tournament,” Will had said to Charlisa, minutes after Edward had made the announcement. “It’s not like anyone is going to turn out for this.”

“I don’t know,” Charlisa had replied, looking doubtful. “There are a lot of people who treat Nexians like celebrities. I think they’re attracted to our history of war and violence. Humans like danger.”

Will could understand that sentiment but still thought that it was a lot of precaution for not so much concern. After all, the Soul Nexus would be there to protect the crowd. History had already shown them to be adept at fighting against members of other Nexuses. As he thought of the Sou Nexus he turned sharply on his heel and jogged back to the common area, where Edward and Noratuk were talking quietly.

“Edward,” he said, interrupting their conversation. “What are we going to do about Togai?”

Judging by the lack of reactions on their faces, Edward and Noratuk had been talking about just that. Edward answered. “We’ve got a plan. As you know, we all have to attend. But I’m hoping that he won’t know it.”

“But he’ll know,” Will pointed out. “He knows that we all have to attend, and he knows the date. If he’s keeping track of the days-”

Noratuk held up a hand to forestall him. “We already have that in mind as well. We’ve got a plan in place.”

“Will you tell me what it is?”

“After you finish packing,” Edward said. There was a hint of steel in his voice which let Will know it wasn’t wise to pursue the subject. He nodded his understanding, and Edward looked approving. He gave a small wave. “Go on, then. Take your time, and don’t worry about dinner. I’ve got it covered tonight.”

Will moved away, hearing them begin their conversation anew. He made his way back to his room, frowning thoughtfully. What did they have in store for the crafty and strong Soul Nexian currently under guard in the old college bookstore? He was sure that they’d thought of all the potential tricks Togai could use, of course, but what if their enemy did something they couldn’t account for? He shook himself, putting the thought out of his mind. Whatever it was, they could handle it, he told himself. He had other things to take care of.

“Charlisa,” he said quietly, opening the door to her room a few minutes later. He immediately averted his eyes, realizing that he’d caught her in the act of dressing. He hadn’t seen much, just her bare back and the outline of her chest. “Sorry.”

She’d originally made a rapid movement to cover up, her face set in angry lines, but when she recognized Will, she let out a laugh. “Oh come on. Don’t be so shy. You’ve seen them already.”

“Right,” he said shyly, looking back up. She made a motion for him to close the door and he did so, stepping further into the room. “Still, should have knocked.”

She made a small wave, dismissing the need for an apology. “What’s up?”

He hesitated for a moment, having completely forgotten what he’d wanted to talk to her about. The sight of her, half-dressed, had wiped all other thoughts from his mind. He gave his head a little shake, trying to recapture the thought that had escaped him. Then it came back. “Oh, right. Do you need help with packing?”

“No, I’m nearly done,” she said. She leaned over to pick up a shirt, tugging it over. She grinned at him. “What, didn’t want me to put them away?”

He grinned in return. “Well, they are nice to look at. I can’t say I’ll ever get tired of seeing you like that.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Well, if you hadn’t been so busy with training, you could have seen them a lot more.”

“True. But maybe later. I’m just about done myself. Since we have the rest of the day, and everyone else is busy, you want to take some time off, just the two of us?”

She brightened considerably at the prospect. “Sure! It’s a nice day out, we could go on a picnic or something.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Will agreed. “I’ll make us some sandwiches. Be back in a few.”

“Now hold on,” She said, stepping forward and putting on a mock-frown. “You got to see me half-naked, and you’re just going to take off like that?”

“What else should I do?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You can’t expect me to strip and let you ogle me for a while. Besides, that was an accident.”

“Hmm.” She leaned up and kissed him, then another. “Alright. Later then. I’ll see my fill then.”

He gave her a chuckle as he exited her room, returning to his own and sitting on his bed for a bit. He looked across the room to his dresser, where his set of swords lay. Even though he’d cleaned it thoroughly, he still felt like the middle sword was… different somehow. Almost as if it were permanently bloody. He’d never thought that he would use it for its original purpose. It had been an ornament until Togai had driven him to that horrible sense of fury.

He crossed to the dresser and removed it from its stand, drawing the blade slowly. Again, it was flawlessly clean. But he didn’t know, maybe it felt a bit heavier. If he’d stabbed a normal person as he’d done to Togai, they would have died without a doubt. He’d wanted to kill his enemy at that moment. Did that make him a murderer? The logical side of him said no. He knew that Togai could heal virtually any injury and that it had been necessary to inflict that wound to weaken his enemy.

But the emotional, non-rational side of him spoke too. If you do the same to Hitori, you won’t stop short of killing. You will be a murderer. Yes, but Hitori had murdered Bai Xian, and however many others, just to establish his control over the Nexuses. That made him a bad person. Was he a murderer if he killed a murderer? Both sides of his brain answered that one. Yes. The very struggle that he’d been putting off the past two months rose to the surface now, threatening to overwhelm him.

He couldn’t escape the fact that his ultimate goal was to kill Hitori. Nothing short of that would work. He had to eliminate Hitori for the Soul Nexus to disband. Only then could the other Nexuses live freely. He tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that he’d be avenging the deaths of Bai Xian and the countless others Hitori had killed, but it didn’t help. A powerful wave of nausea rose in him, and he quickly sheathed the weapon, thrusting it back on the shelf and turning away.

Don’t think about it now, he told himself. When the moment came, he had to believe that his instinct would take over, and he could manage it in the situation. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning on his bedpost. After a few minutes, he felt nausea recede and could breathe a little easier. He finished up the rest of his packing before leaving the room, avoiding looking at the swords as much as he could. He willed himself not to think of any violence, wiping his mind blank. Thankfully, the menial task of packing made it easy.

Once finished, he made his way back down to the kitchen, where he made up several sandwiches for the picnic with Charlisa. He stuffed them into a bag along with several bags of chips and some water, then made his way downstairs. Charlisa had already finished and was waiting for him by her father. Noratuk had taken off somewhere, and Edward was talking quietly with his daughter. He looked up as Will approached, a strange look on his face.

“All done packing,” Will reported. He looked to Charlisa. “Ready to go?”

“Where are you going?” Edward asked before his daughter could reply. His tone wasn’t interrogatory, but Will still felt a cold hand clutch his stomach with the sudden question.

“We’re going up the hill,” Charlisa answered for him. “There’s a lot of trails back there, remember?”

“Ah,” Edward replied, remembering. “Good spot. Just don’t leave the hill.”

“We won’t,” Charlisa said patiently. She stood and kissed her father on the cheek. “Let’s go, Will.”

She led the way, and Will followed, imagining that he could feel Edward’s eyes on his back until they were outside. Once he was sure they were out of sight of that inside, he shivered slightly. “Still terrifies me every time we talk about dating in front of him.”

“I can’t blame you,” she said sympathetically, linking arms with him. “He’s a scary guy. I didn’t even let him meet my first two boyfriends. I thought he’d kill them.”

“I assume you’re joking,” Will replied tensely, feeling that tight feeling in his gut again.

“I am,” she laughed, bumping into him to lighten the statement. Then she turned serious and added, “Partly.”

“Great,” he said, drawing the word out. “Glad to know that I was worthy.”

“Just don’t make me mad,” she warned him, softening the words with a smile. “I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“From you or him?”

She didn’t answer, only laughing as they made their way up Nexus Hill. It was a short walk, but once they got onto the trails and walked for a few minutes, it felt like they were removed from the Nexus entirely. They continued for a while until they reached a beautiful clearing, so isolated that they couldn’t even hear traffic. To his surprise, he found a small site already prepared. There was a thick blanket on the grass, and it was clean, clearly placed there today. He looked at her with a confused air, and she only smiled. It was that inviting kind of smile that drew him in.

“I figured we should relax for the rest of the day,” she said. “Nobody will bother us up here and we can take the time to destress.”

“Why do I have the feeling that I won’t do much relaxing?” He asked. “But still, thanks. It’s been a hard few weeks.”

“I know,” she said. She took the bag from his hand and set it down. “But don’t worry. I have faith in you. I know you’ll do great at the tournament. I believe in you, so you should believe in yourself too.”

Before he could think to reply, she put her lips against his own, kissing him lightly. Just as with every other time, this simple action wiped all the worries from his mind, making him feel light in both his head and heart. She was the ultimate comfort, her warm body pressed against him. He knew that, at that moment, nothing else mattered. As long as she was with him, he could face any problem. He’d do anything to keep her. And he’d do anything to protect her.