The Custodes

Chapter 15 - Family Relations

Nexus materialised onto a rooftop in the city, immediately spinning to look in the direction he knew the park was. For a split second he thought Neo might've somehow followed him even through the teleportation, but his worries were quelled in seeing the rooftop vacant and the park a long, long distance away from him. He took the time to drop into a sitting position and catch his breath, inhaling deeply as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't have a clue what to make of everything that had happened and it seemed to have ended up far more hectic than he had expected. Daigo had contacted him in the middle of the night to tell him that one of the informants keeping an eye out for Zuro witnessed something going on in Glensgale Park, but that they were too far away to get a good look. That was bullshit, obviously. Nexus knew full well that whoever it was was probably terrified beyond belief of what might've happened if they'd gotten any closer. Majority of those working for him were selfish lowlifes, not full time spies, but luckily the information they had relayed was enough. It took him a while to decide whether to go or not, and even now he wasn't sure he'd made the right choice. Since the Zuro incident and the hospital's collapse Nexus had been staying with Quinn, and still hadn't returned to any of his duties despite the number of days that had passed. In fact, Daigo's message was the first time the two had been in contact since it all, but both were understanding and aware of each other's eventful lives. Things between him and Quinn were going incredibly well, and Nexus had never been happier, but the issue was he still had the urge to be empowered, to feel strong either through leading a criminal organisation or by standing side by side with the most powerful being on earth at the moment. Quinn was adamantly against him coming into contact with Zuro again of course, telling him to instead continue living his life with her while Zuro went on thinking he'd died on that rooftop. Nexus knew he wanted to - knew he probably should have - but he also knew the type of person he was. He wouldn't be able to live happily or treat Quinn the way she deserved unless he were true to himself first, and so he decided to go to the park with the intention of helping Zuro out, even just a little, to prove both his resourcefulness and trustfulness at the same time. What he witnessed was an extreme shock to the system. Zuro was dead, or at least he should've been if he were anything remotely human. The first thing Nexus actually thought when he saw him was that he was a corpse that had been reanimated or some shit, but he still couldn't believe Neo and his friends had done that much damage to him. He was still fighting them but it was clear the final blow would land any moment, and when that moment was about to come Nexus simply stepped in like it was nothing. What happened after his intervention however was by far the most surprising thing. Nexus' brain was still working on properly processing exactly what Zuro had done to Neo, as well as how the hell the boy managed to just become so much more powerful. After Zuro broke Nexus' barrier for the first time in his life, the man decided he'd have to ensure it never happened again and over the course of the few days of comfort he had, he worked on reinforcing it to levels he never had before - without Quinn's knowledge of course. He knew how his powers worked and how he might be able to strengthen the barrier so spent the time repeatedly practising in order to get faster and better at doing it. It didn't take long for him to quickly become able to draw the atoms around him into the most compact structure they could possible form, not leaving a single gap in between them while still remaining entirely unseeable. And Neo broke it still. With a single punch. Nexus didn't even want to think about how much raw strength it took to achieve such a feat and if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes there was no way in hell he would ever believe Neo had done it. The only way it seemed to be possible was that he destroyed the atoms as his fist approached, most likely with the darkness that had coated his arm, but it still would've required insane power and Nexus didn't have a clue how the boy mustered up that amount of strength. One thing was for sure though, and that was that he wasn't going to underestimate Neo ever again. He had a feeling Zuro wouldn't either, assuming he was still alive of course, but Nexus was sure they hadn't seen the last of him. Someone who comes to another planet and slaughters civilians without so much as taking a moment to think about their defences is far too powerful to be beaten by a few pumped up punches. Plus, he refused to believe all his work to get on Zuro's side was for nothing. There was no doubt he'd hit back harder than ever, which would likely be the demise of Neo and his friends. It's a shame they didn't choose the right side. Nexus was perfectly happy to let Neo be, and maybe if he'd discovered his friends sooner he would've been able to recruit some of them. Instead, their powers will go to waste because of this impossible challenge they've set themselves. As long as he ended up on top, which he would, Nexus didn't exactly care. He sighed as he stood up again, ending his thinking session on the rooftop and turning his attention towards his next main issue. Not getting killed by Quinn. He really, really hoped she hadn't noticed him slip away, but if he was lucky he'd be able to sneak back in unnoticed. Quickly brushing himself off, he teleported back to Quinn's place and arrived in the pitch black living room without making a sound. Carefully and cautiously he made his way towards the bedroom door, making sure not to bump into anything or make any sort of sound that could wake Quinn up. The pair were sharing a bed now which Nexus admitted was far more comfy than sleeping on the couch, and having her so close to him was a comforting feeling to say the least. He silently opened the door, slipping inside, then freezing as he spotted the bedside lamp illuminating the room. Quinn was sat against the headrest of the bed, a notebook and pen in hand as she scribbled away, likely jotting down certain spells as Nexus had seen in the past. With a single glance over at him however she promptly shut the book, tossing it onto the nearest cabinet and setting the pen on top. She crossed her arms over her chest as Nexus simply stayed put, putting on his best poker face as he watched her. After a few seconds had passed between them Quinn's expression changed to an expectant one, but Nexus simply flashed her his best look of confusion as he stepped further into the room. "Where were you?" She asked, breaking the silence and sounding fairly pissed off about Nexus' antics. "I went out for a late night stroll. Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be awake." He answered, stopping at the end of the bed and looking at her with a perfectly neutral expression. "Oh I bet you weren't." She stated, with Nexus slowly becoming more aware that she might know what he'd been up to but refusing to let it show on his face. They locked eyes, neither of them giving anything else away about what they might or might not know, until Nexus sighed and moved to sit down on the side of the bed. "I don't know what you're trying to accuse me of. I just went a walk, I need it every now and then to try to organise my thoughts." He said with complete sincerity, loosening his neck simplemindedly as he spoke. "You know I honestly would've believed this whole act if I hadn't decided to check where you were after I realised you were gone." Quinn told him, eyes narrowing dangerously at him as though trying to see if he'd push his lie any further. "And where was I when you checked?" Nexus asked, slapping himself internally for not thinking about Quinn's searching ability. But he'd be damned if he let up at the smallest accusation. "Glensgale Park. You know, the one halfway across the city?" Her accusatory tone was very prominent now, and she didn't look the least bit amused about Nexus' continuous nonchalant attitude. "So?" Nexus actually expected to be slapped the second the word left his mouth, but Quinn merely bit the inside of her lip and gave him a look that said 'Really?'. "It's a nice park. And you know how easily I can get around the city. I just went a place that would be pretty much isolated." Nexus went on, not even pausing as Quinn stood up from under the covers, revealing cute white hemmed grey pyjama shorts and a pink short sleeved t-shirt with a small bunny printed on the front. She moved to stand in front of him, looking down at his with an extremely irritated expression "I can't believe you're still trying to lie to me. Your point would've been somewhat valid...if I hadn't found your brother and Zuro at the exact same park!" She shouted the last bit at him, planting her hands on her hips in an attempt to show her anger at him, but with the clothes she was wearing and the fact they were in stark contrast to the bland design of her apartment, Nexus couldn't help but snicker at how much she stood out, unable to hide his amusement at her apparel. "Are you serious?" She said, her expression growing even more infuriated as she caught his laughter. "I'm sorry, I just-..." He cleared his throat "...that um...was a tad bit immature. I don't know what you want me to say Quinn." "You know exactly what I want you to say! I want you to tell me you're sorry, that it was a spur of the moment thing and that you won't go near Zuro ever again." She said insistently, sounding almost like she was pleading him not to do it again. "I can't. I never promised you I'd stay away from Zuro, and I made you fully aware of the possibility of me going back. I tried to spare you from knowing I was away and worrying about me at the very least, but I can't tell you there's no way I'll get involved again. I'm sorry." Nexus said, sounding genuinely apologetic as he looked up at her, but she turned her back to him and looked down at the floor, closing her eyes. For a second he thought she was crying, but before he could even move to check she'd turned back around. "Are you happy with me Nexus? With this life with me?" She asked him, looking extremely conflicted as they locked eyes. "Yes. More than I've ever been before." He answered, which seemed to make her more upset than she was "Then why isn't that enough? Why can't you live happily? There's no need for any of this, okay? You don't need anything else." Nexus' eyes didn't leave Quinn as she spoke, and he looked as calm as ever as he started to reply "Because I'll never be fulfilled. There's no way to make you understand, Quinn, but I can't live like that; knowing I can have more. That I'm not getting what I want out of life, and that I'm not as powerful as I can be. And it's not right to do to you, either. Trust me, the last thing I want is for you to be hurt because of me. That's why I want you to try be okay with this life I've chosen, and if things work out then...we could have a future together." She stared at him for a second, not saying a word, then slowly shook her head "When will it end Nex? When will you have enough that you can be with me fully?" Nexus paused, looking at the floor for a second, before shaking his head as well "I don't know. I have no way of knowing. But it'll happen eventually. I won't stop until it does." Quinn bit her nail simplemindedly for a second, the moved over to her wardrobe and started searching through it for clothes. "What are you doing?" Nexus asked, watching her with a puzzled expression, but she didn't answer and instead pulled out jeans and a jacket for herself, pulling them on over her pyjamas while Nexus sat quietly on the bed. "You're not leaving me are you?" He asked hesitantly, almost like he didn't want to hear the answer. Quinn however just turned to look at him like he was an idiot, then spoke "No, Nexus, for fuck sake. What do you think this is? We're going to get this sorted out, I just need to talk to someone about it. You're coming with me." Nexus looked confused, but going to see whoever she was talking about seemed far better than her ending things with him. "You're being cryptic. Tell me what you're thinking." He said to her, standing up just as she zipped her lightweight jacket over her top. "I'm going to help try quench your thirst for power by helping you kill Zuro and take his place. But you need to promise me Nex. Promise me it'll end after that. That you'll be fulfilled with your organisation and your powers and go on to live as normal a life as you can with me." She said, turning to look at him with a serious expression, silently urging him to agree to her terms. Nexus stayed quiet for a second, then took a step towards her and cupped her cheek, planting a single kiss on her lips "Does that answer your question?" "Not in the slightest." She stared at him, prompting him to laugh dryly before nodding his head and suddenly looking a lot more genuine "I promise I'll do all I can to learn to be content. Though killing Zuro...it's a far harder feat than you're making it out to be." "Maybe. But if there's one person on the planet who knows how to pull it off it'll be the man we're going to see. Now lets get going." Quinn said as she took Nexus' hand and started to walk out of the apartment. Nexus didn't object, trailing beside her as they left through the front door and she turned to lock it behind her. "We're not really gonna walk the whole way there are we? Give me directions and I'll get us there in a few seconds." Nexus said, with Quinn giving a small nod of agreement. She wrapped her arm around his, telling him where they needed to go, and in the next instant they were in a very specific alleyway out of sight from any civilians that might have been strolling the streets at night. Quinn looked around, then walked over to the concrete wall of the building, examining it for a second. She ushered Nexus over, with him moving to stand beside her, then muttered a single word "Maqaug" Before he could even blink Nexus was in the hallway of what appeared to be a house, though much more confined, leading to him and Quinn standing with their shoulders touching. "Quinn, who's house is this? And how the hell did we get in?" Nexus asked her, peering down the hallway into a lit up room where he could hear some faint shuffling and scribbling of a pen. "Magic. And it's my um...uncle's place." She said dismissively, moving past him to make her way down the corridor as he stared at her in shock. "Your uncle? You have an uncle? You've told me repeatedly you have no family, that you lost your parents when you were younger. Why have you never mentioned him before?" Nexus asked her, almost too stunned to move for a second, until he realised how far ahead she was getting a quickly caught up. "You are the one person on the planet that can't complain about keeping living relatives a secret! Anyway, I'll explain later. Uncle Hector, it's me!" Quinn announced as she entered the room, with Nexus following behind as he looked around the strange room that seemed a mix between a study and a dining room. Across the room sitting at a desk was a bearded man that Nexus had never seen before, but he turned around as Quinn and him stepped inside. "You know, it's not that difficult to knock before you enter." A rugged voice came from the man, but a small smile made its way onto his face as he stood up and faced Quinn. She smiled as well, though it didn't look like she was going to hug the man she was seemingly related to. "Nice to see you again. It's been a decent while." She said to him, crossing her arms casually as she leaned her shoulder against the wall. "I've come to learn that it's pointless to ask you to visit me more often. How's life been treating you?" Hector asked her with a curious expression, giving Nexus the impression that the two hadn't spoken in a long time. "Good, actually. Got a little apartment, making a decent bit of money. I should probably introduce you to my...boyfriend. Nexus, meet Hector, my uncle. Uncle Hector, Nexus." Quinn motioned from one man to the other as she said their names, with Nexus giving a small nod to Hector as the older man simply looked him up and down "I can't exactly say Quinn's told me a lot about you, but it's nice to meet you." Hector stayed silent for a second, then muttered quietly to himself as he continued examining Nexus "You're taller." "Excuse me?" Nexus looked at him with a puzzled expression, but the man hurriedly waved him on "Anyway. I know Quinn well enough to know she doesn't stop by for family visits out of nowhere. There's something you want, am I right?" "Yes, actually." Quinn said, catching Nexus' uncertain gaze but dismissing it by looking back at Hector "There's a mass murderer from another planet roaming the streets of the city. There's no way someone like you isn't aware of it, and I'm gonna bet you know more than most." Hector looked at Quinn for a second, then snorted with amusement as he moved towards the wooden counter around the walls of the room "I know a little. Nothing of much use at the moment though. Why do you want to know?" "To learn how to kill him. Nexus has worked his way onto his side but we need to figure out some sort of weakness we can expose." Quinn explained, as Hector let out another hearty laugh which ended up patronising Quinn more than amusing her. "Have you thought about this at all?" He asked, looking a little dumbfounded at the vague plan the pair had "My niece, I love you, but you can be extremely naive at times. The world is not black and white, killing Zuro is nowhere near as simple as you make it out to be." "That's what I said." Nexus chimed, catching an unamused look from Quinn "But I'm willing to try whatever we can come up with nonetheless." Hector looked at Nexus for a second, then Quinn, then between the both of them "Zuro has caused a large amount of devastation recently, and there are plenty of people who are set on achieving the same goal as you. But I have to wonder, my niece...why exactly do you want to? I know you better than anyone despite the scarcity of your visits, and I know that you're a person who won't do something unless it impacts you directly or you have something to gain from it." Nexus couldn't help but feel a twang of affectionate amusement from hearing how similar Quinn's persona actually is to his own, though managed to keep it hidden. "You don't want to kill Zuro to stop his tyrannical ways, it's a lot more personal and a lot less righteous than that." Hector went on, his eyes staying on Quinn even as she held her arm and glanced away "So why? What do you want Quinn?" "You make me sound so selfish." She said, sighing slightly as she looked around Hector's room. "You are selfish. I'm saying it as a fact, not to put you down. I'll help you deal with Zuro, in fact I already have. But it won't happen magically, and there are important parts you two will have to play." Hector told the pair, with Nexus furrowing his brow while Quinn just looked surprised at her uncle's supposed participation in taking on Zuro already. "You." Hector said, pointing a finger at Nexus as he looked at him, almost like he was trying to judge his place in all this "You're on Zuro's side. I find it hard to believe you've switched to wanting to kill him all of a sudden." Nexus looked at the man, but his face refused to show whatever he was thinking "I want power. I sided with Zuro because he was at the top, as soon as that's no longer the case my loyalties will be broken. Recently he seems to have ended up being fairly unlucky in the fights he's been in, but I have a feeling he's only getting started. And if Quinn believes you're the only one who might know how to kill him, I'm willing to hear what you know." Hector stayed quiet for a second, but under his beard his mouth seemed to curl up with a hint of amusement "Your brother is the key. Neo and his friends are the only ones who stand a chance beating Zuro. You want to kill him, you'll need to side with them." "How the hell do you about them? And how do you know Neo's my brother?" Nexus asked insistently, sensing a sudden switch in the conversation which seemed to place Hector on a far higher podium than him in terms of who knew what. "Unimportant. But that's all I can tell you as of now, so you need to decide if you're willing to work with them to achieve your goals." Hector told him cryptically, which definitely irritated Nexus but which he stopped from showing on the surface. "The answer is no. I told you, I want to be at the top. Right now Zuro's there, so once he's been dealt with, who'd you think Neo and his friends will try take care of next? The way I see it, I'd benefit far more by letting Zuro live. Least he'd let me keep doing what I'm doing." Nexus told Hector firmly, but the man simply sighed and turned back to his counter-top, where he began prodding and toying with a few experimental objects and devices. "You're forgetting one key thing." He said eventually, not so much as turning round as he jabbed his thumb in a certain direction behind him. Nexus followed it until his gaze fell on Quinn, who was still stood against the wall as she shifted uncomfortably and tried to hide her obvious upset. She said nothing, despite knowing that both men were extremely aware of how she was feeling. Nexus looked at her for a few seconds, but tried to put her expression to the back of his head as he turned back to Hector "Quinn knows exactly what life I'm choosing and what it means for us." "Knowing and being okay with something are two completely different things." Hector stated, placing whatever he had in his hands back on the counter and spinning back around "Look at her. Look at the conflict in her eyes, I saw it the second she stepped in here. You wouldn't tell me why you wanted to kill Zuro but it's blatantly obvious now." Nexus watched Quinn as Hector spoke, trying to judge her thoughts, but she didn't even try to meet his gaze. "My niece wants a life with you, one she can't have at the moment. Her goals are selfish, she's doing this for her own happiness, but her own happiness revolves around you. The issue lies in how much you care about this mindless quest for power. She won't be with you unless you forget all about it, or overcome it, which leaves you with an important choice. You need to take the first step towards whichever path you want, paths that you can't go back from. Side with Neo, kill Zuro, and stay with Quinn, or don't side with him, continue your thirst for power, and lose her forever. It all depends on you, Nexus." Hector's words floated around Nexus' mind for a second, before he set his jaw and looked at Hector challengingly "What if I do neither? I can kill Zuro myself, deal with Neo and his friends if they get in my way, then finally be satisfied and go on to live with Quinn. It'll be harder but I can do it." "No you can't." Hector said almost immediately, suddenly not seeming too happy about Nexus' naivety "What you're suggesting is nothing short of suicide. Zuro will kill you-" "Its not just me. I have men, other people with powers, and Quinn-" Nexus realised almost immediately that suggesting Quinn fighting for him in such a way was a mistake, but before he could take it back Hector spoke "You will not drag my niece into a fight you have no chance of winning." His voice remained at the same level but it carried so much seriousness and finality with it that it was just as effective as if he'd shouted. "I don't care if you have an army at your back, Zuro will kill you all. The only people with powers strong enough to oppose him are Neo and the other six. You fight with them, or you don't fight. I've told you the stakes Nexus, what you do now isn't up to me." Hector said with a huff, looking Nexus in the eye despite being a good deal smaller than him. "I'm not going out of my way to find Neo." Nexus stated as Hector's brow furrowed in annoyance, though he was met with a look that told him there was more "But, I'll consider what you've told me. Deal?" He looked at both Quinn and Hector as he said this, with Hector murmuring something incoherent while Quinn simply gave a small nod. "Uncle Hector, what do you know about Zuro?" Quinn asked, looking at the man with a curious expression. He let out a sigh and scratched his beard, with Nexus waiting patiently to hear what he had to say, before speaking "Very little. I know about his race but...my knowledge is from thousands of years ago. Things have changed drastically since then. Zuro looks nothing like what they did back then, my only guess is that they've evolved over the years beyond recognition and taken on a more human appearance. In fact, from what I know, Zuro shouldn't even have the powers he does." Nexus glanced at Quinn, shooting her a questioning look, but she waved him off with a silent promise of telling him later. "What does that mean for us then?" Nexus asked Hector, who let out a small chuckle despite looking at him humourlessly "It means everything I know is practically useless. Which therefore means you know nothing about the enemy you're up against - or might be going up against - other than the fact that he's strong, dangerous, and evil." "Is there no way to find out more?" Quinn asked Hector, seeming desperate to figure out anything that'll give them an edge. "Other than ask Zuro himself? No, I don't think so. Though I'll keep an eye out - Neo and his friends could end up learning something. You never know." Hector answered, with Quinn giving a small nod despite sighing slightly. "Alright, thank you. If you find out anything then contact me...however you can. I think if that's all, me and Nexus will head home now." She said to her uncle, who flashed her a small smile before nodding "Stay safe then. Visit anytime." Quinn gave a halfhearted smile in return then walked towards the doorway, with Nexus merely exchanging a glance with Hector before following. "Nexus." Hector said, catching his attention just before he left the room "Make the right choice. Honestly, I can't tell if my niece is better off with or without you, so I can't sway you either way even if I wanted to. But think carefully. And be nice to your brother." Nexus watched Hector for a second, then couldn't help but laugh under his breath despite himself "You're a fucking weird old man...it makes perfect sense that my brother is somehow associated with you. I'll take care of Quinn, and thanks for the advice. I'll try make the right choice." And with that he disappeared into the hallway after Quinn, following her towards the front door which she pushed opened once he was beside her. Nexus saw the faint outline of the alleyway through the widening crack in the door, but by the time it was opened fully he was actually stood in the alleyway itself, with no sign of Hector's house or door anywhere around him. "What the hell...?" He mumbled once he was out in the fresh air, but before he could ask what had actually happened a pair of arms had wrapped around his neck and lips were being pressed hard against his. He caught Quinn as she collided with his chest, surprised but kissing her back regardless. Just when he thought she was about to pull away her mouth pushed even harder against his, her hands tugging on his neck to drag him down further into the kiss. After a few blissful seconds Quinn had to pull back for air, panting slightly as she looked up into Nexus' eyes. He still seemed slightly stunned by the sudden burst of passion, but just when he opened his mouth to talk Quinn spoke up first "Zuro's gone for now. You don't need to make your choice until the next time he shows up. I know how evenly split the decision is, and how very real the chance of you abandoning me for your desired life is, so until the day comes I want to be with you. Please do that for me. Just for a short period." Nexus stared down at her for a second, before his head slowly nodded as he tried to think of what to say. "It still doesn't have to be like your uncle said." He told her, looking into her eyes as he continued to hold her to him "Even if Zuro stays around, I'll still choose to be with you. We can still have a life together, and you can stay with me while I rise to power." Quinn looked at him with a soft, sad smile for a second, then shook her head with a serious finality "No, Nex. Living a life where you go off every single day and I sit up at night hoping to god you haven't been beaten to death on a fucking rooftop is not the one I want. Every single thing my uncle said in there was true, he really does know me far far better than I ever expected him to. I'm selfish. It's as simple as that. I would lose you before I'd choose that fate for myself, because no amount of happiness you could give me while you're there would outweigh spiralling into a wallowing pit of grief each time you're gone. If you can be honest about what you want out of life then so can I. I will leave you Nexus. Don't doubt that when you make your choice." Despite what he was being told, Nexus couldn't help but let a smile make it's way onto his face. "I wouldn't want you to be any other way. I guess we're both as bad as each other, huh?" He said with a hint of amusement, despite the twang of upset he felt in finally realising how willing each of them were to leave the other to pursue the life they wanted. What a twisted situation. Quinn brushed her fingers along Nexus' cheek, letting out a small sigh as her features grew a little sadder "Yeah. We really fucking are." Her gaze fell down from Nexus', but he quickly held her chin back up and planted a kiss on her lips, then looked back into her eyes "I'll give you what you want. To be with me until I need to make my choice. I haven't told you the details but...I'm almost certain Zuro will be out for far longer than he has been before. We'll have lots of time to kill." Quinn's face slowly started to light up, a smile plastered on her lips as she looked back at him "Well we better head back then shouldn't we?" Nexus let out a small chuckle, then tugged her a little bit closer to him as he prepared to teleport back to Quinn's apartment. Just before he did however, he paused, instead looking back down at her with a curious expression "Actually there was one last thing I was curious about. Tell me about Hector. Is he your last living relative? What exactly is the story between you and him?" "I forgot about explaining that to you." Quinn said, taking a step back out of his arms just so she could properly look at him while she told her story "You sure you want to hear about it?" "Of course." Nexus said, placing his hands in his pockets as he looked at her serious "He's part of your family - family I never thought existed until today." "Yeah well don't get your hopes up for meeting any others. He's it." Quinn said, a hint of sadness in her voice "You know my parents died when I was young right? I was a little vague about it when I told you but...I was around eight years old, I think." Nexus' eyes widened at this, and he looked at Quinn with a stunned expression "Eight? I thought you meant as like...a baby. You said you were too young to remember." "Yeah I um...lied. Sorry. It's just a lot easier than the truth. It's difficult to cope if you don't convince yourself you never knew them." Quinn gave a small shrug and did her best to smile, though it faltered and made it blatantly obvious how horrible she was feeling deep down. It was likely she hadn't discussed this topic with anyone in an extremely long time - maybe ever - and after suppressing so many thoughts for so long just to bring them back to the surface was no doubt filling her mind with a multitude of emotions. Nexus took a step towards her, about to pull her into a hug, but she quickly put up a hand to signal that she was alright at the moment. "Like I was saying, I lived a normal life up until then. Well, actually...not quite. I used to be close to my uncle you see. My parents took me over to his place a couple of times, but I think them and the rest of my relatives were a tad bit weirded out by him. He was similar to how he is now; messy, disorganised, books and strange objects and all sorts littered about his houses. I think the absurdity of it was why I enjoyed being there so much as a kid. Thing is though, there was an...accident, of sorts. I got curious and explored the house while my parents chatted to Hector, and ended up in his study where he kept all his journals and books and things. I managed to find a certain book, one he'd hidden away as best he could, though out of pure childhood curiosity I was led to it. The second I opened it my mind filled with...strange, broken knowledge. I remember the pages I opened on, and how they looked to be just mindless, unidentifiable scribbles, but I knew they had some sort of meaning. I screamed for my parents and they came running - my mind was a mess and filled with splotches of incomprehensible babble - but luckily my uncle was there to explain things. See, at this point we never knew he had powers, and to this day I don't know how he got them, but he told us that I'd gained a fraction of his knowledge that he'd somehow implanted into that book. Slowly he managed to calm me down, and I went on to gain control over what I could do and continue to learn, despite still being a kid. The 'spells', per se, still come to me completely randomly, though I know enough now not to need Hector's assistance to master them myself. Things went well for the rest of my childhood regardless of the drastic change in mine and my parents' life, but then one day...they were killed. Alongside every other member of my family. And I know nothing about it. One second I had everything, and the next a week had passed and it had all been stripped away." Quinn bit her lip, as Nexus looked at her with sympathy, despite her last few words making his brow furrow slightly. She caught his look, as well as his confusion, so willed herself to continue talking. "It sounds strange but it's the best way to put it. I have no memories of what happened that week, there's not a single speck of it left in my head. Hector took them from me, and I know he did. I 'woke up' in his home, both of us sitting alone in his study with grief tainting the atmosphere. Then he started to explain things to me. My parents were dead, my relatives were dead - all of them killed by one man. Who that man was I don't have a clue. Hector told me he was the only one left, and that he'd take care of me from that point on, but it was all too much for me. There was too much to take in, but also too much I didn't know. I figured out that Hector had stolen my memories, and when I confronted him he confirmed it but refused to return them. I couldn't live with him after that, in fact I couldn't stand to see him. I left to be on my own, told him not to follow me, and he respected my wishes. I was so fucking conflicted, and I still am. Hector went through just as much suffering and grief as I did, and still offered to become my guardian after it all. But...my stolen memories...I don't even know how my parents died. I don't know if I even got to say goodbye to them. What their final words were. And he can tell me everything I want to know but he FUCKING WON'T!" She suddenly shouted, kicking the lid of a trash can as hard as she could down the alleyway and causing it to bound down it, rattling all the way. Her fists clenched by her sides as she faced away from Nexus, back heaving with either rage or grief, though he couldn't discern between the two. Without even thinking about it he moved towards her, draping his arms over her shoulders from behind and hugging her tight. He felt her hand close around his wrist, to show she was acknowledging his presence, as her head fell back against his chest slightly. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath through her nose before speaking "Can we go home...? Please?" "Of course." Nexus said, closing his eyes for a second before in the next instant he and Quinn were back in her bedroom, the bedside lamp still on. He let his arms fall from around her as she zipped down her jacket and pulled it off, then wiggled of out her jeans as well. "Thank you...for telling me." Nexus said to her as she put both items of clothing away before turning to face him "I know it would've been easier just keeping it to yourself." "Yeah, well...you told me about Neo when you didn't have to. I figured I owed you at least a little explanation, especially after dragging you to Hector's." Quinn replied, stretching her arms in the air as Nexus tried his best to keep his gaze in check. "Speaking of, Hector and Neo know each other somehow. That is...irksome." He stated blatantly, not liking the completely coincidental alliance that he didn't have a single clue had happened. "I'll be honest, I don't know a single thing about that. It seems fair to assume that after everything with Zuro my uncle sought them out, but I really don't know why. He said he didn't know how to beat Zuro, so I have no clue what he would've told them." Quinn said, moving over to the bed and plopping down on it, patting the space beside her to signal for Nexus to sit as well. "Regardless, I don't think I'll be able to talk to Neo anytime soon, even if I wanted to." Nexus said as he took a seat on the bed beside Quinn, prompting her to rest her head on his shoulder "I kind of stopped him from taking down Zuro when he had the chance. And also might've hit one of his girl-friends a few times." Quinn sighed, though didn't seem too bothered by Nexus' villainous actions "Well, if you choose to side with him you better hope he's willing to forgive and forget. I would bake him cupcakes or something to show you're sorry." Nexus snorted slightly, shaking his head "I'd be amazed if cupcakes could mend such a complicated relationship." "Never underestimate the efficiency of dessert foods." Quinn chimed, grinning as she turned to sit her chin on his shoulder. He turned to look at her with a slightly amused smile, but before he could move any closer her forehead clunked against the side of his "You think we're pretty fucked up?" A curious expression fell on Nexus' face, but before he could ask what she meant Quinn went on "I mean like...our lives are pretty fucked up, obviously, but also...our relationship. The fact that the smallest thing could tip it to either flourishing or being destroyed completely." Nexus thought for a second, though was admittedly surprised by her seemingly random analysis of their relationship. He knew where she was coming from though, eventually opening his mouth to give his own thoughts on it "I think the odds of us even getting in a relationship in the first place was so minuscule it's unreal. And now, I don't think anything about it can take me by surprise. The fact we're so ready to drop it if it leads to bettering ourselves seems like a testament to our fucking characters if you ask me." He let out a laugh, but Quinn was too focused on listening to his response. He glanced down at her, smiling slightly "Though, if I'm being perfectly honest, it's far too philosophical and deep for me to think about when I'm this tired." "Oooo, I thought you never got tired?" Quinn said with an amused smile, leaning back slightly to give him a teasing look. "I get tired a lot, I just never complain about it. Though I feel like today I'm somewhat justified to." Nexus said with a smirk, looking right back at Quinn as he sat beside her. With an exasperated sigh she fell backwards onto the bed, letting her arms flail behind her as she looked at the ceiling "I'm kinda glad. The mental energy I used today alone was enough to tire me out. Lets get some rest." Nexus laughed and moved to sit against the headrest, though Quinn's body was in his way. "Lift me." She instructed, looking at him with an expectant expression. He let out a sigh, though smiled, then with a flick of his wrist levitated her into the air and moved her beside him before dropping her onto the mattress. "That's not what I meant dumbass!" She shouted as she was lifted, quickly punching him in the air as soon as she was dropped. "You should've been more specific!" He defended with a hearty laugh, one she couldn't help but find comfort in. They both slipped under the covers as Quinn moved to snuggle up beside Nexus, looking up at him with a questioning expression. "What?" "You're sleeping in your clothes?" She asked, furrowing her brow "Yeah, why not? I can't be bothered taking them off." "I'll do it." "What happened to being tired?" Nexus flashed Quinn a look of sceptical amusement, but she countered it with an innocent gleaming smile "I might've been exaggerating earlier." He laughed before meeting her lips with a kiss just as her hands moved to his torso, and in one swift movement he flicked a finger in the direction of the bedside lamp, causing it to turn off and fill the room with darkness.