The Custodes

Chapter 39 - The Battle Of The Blind Man

Neo

The boy awoke with a gasp, shooting straight up and reflexively grabbing the nearest thing as tight as he could. That nearest thing happened to be Kelsie's arm, and when she let out a sharp gasp his eyes instantly shot up to her face - bringing him to his senses and prompting him to remove his grip.

"Where-..." He'd meant to apologise to Kelsie, but his mind was moving so quickly and so instinctively that the moment passed before he'd even realised it "Where is-" He was struggling to get his words out, panicked gasps escaping him as he tried to speak. 

Neo looked around, finding Synthia and Axel standing over him - concerned looks on both their faces - while Quinn and Daigo stood a little further away, peering down at something on the floor. 

"Where's Zuro?! And Kayla?! And Noah?!" He asked, a sickening feeling building in his stomach as he realised they were missing his two best friends; as well as the most dangerous man on the planet.

"Neo calm down." Kelsie said, as Synthia laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly "Noah and Kayla are fine. Nexus is dealing with Zuro right now." She told him simply - like that would answer all his questions.

For a second Neo though he'd heard her wrong.

"Did you say Nexus is dealing with Zuro?" He asked incredulously, pushing himself to his feet suddenly and unintentionally knocking Synthia's hand away from his shoulder. That was when he realised exactly where they were. On a random rooftop high above street level.

Neo moved over to Quinn and Daigo, realising that they were staring down at the street below rather than just the ground as he had initially thought. He let his gaze join theirs in watching what was happening below - finding Zuro and Nexus locked in a rapid whirlwind of combat, almost too quick for him to perceive. 

He stared, mesmerised, as his brother singlehandedly held off the biggest powerhouse that had ever existed. "What-...how is he doing that?" He said aloud, as Daigo and Quinn didn't so much as glance in his direction.

"I don't know." Daigo muttered, his fists clenching and unclenching anxiously at his sides "But look at him. How the hell did we manage to beat that?" "Because 'that' was a cocky façade more set on toying with us than actually finishing the job." Quinn answered, her expression like steel as she refused to give even a single emotion away "Him down there is the real Nexus. The one who takes his opponent seriously."

"Yeah..." Was all Neo could really add to that. He tore his eyes away from the fight down below, instead turning back to Kelsie, Synthia and Axel as he looking around at the other surrounding rooftops "I'm guessing there's a reason but someone better explain. Why are we not down there helping him? And also, once again, where the hell are Kayla and Noah?"

"Kayla woke up in a frenzy." Kelsie explained, standing up a little woozily as she steadied herself of Synthia's shoulder. Neo expected Axel to be the one who helped his girlfriend out - but the man seemed too deep in his own thoughts to even notice her.

"She said there was something she had to do. But she needed Noah to take her there. As soon as the boy woke up, she explained it to him and they both disappeared. That's all I know." She finished, letting out a deep sigh as she ran a hand through her brown wavy hair. Neo noticed Kelsie's features twitch ever so slightly, like she was in pain, but just as he was about to ask about it the girl started talking again.

"As for your other question. We're not helping Nexus because he told us not to. He was extremely clear about it. Until he gives a signal, we do not help him." She said firmly, like there was no way she was gonna let the others argue the case.