Chapter Twenty-Six
The End of All Things

Nexo limped slowly down the hall, everything ached dully and his vison kept getting blurry. He stopped and leaned against the wall a moment, trying to regulate his labored breathing. Then he forged on determination clearing his thoughts and sharpening his senses.
He turned into a larger room and jumped finding KK leaning over a desk catuiously arranging three colorful vials. A high backed chair sat next to him.
Nexo's moment of surprise passed and anger washed over him in a massive tidal wave.
"YOU! This is your fault, Simon's death is on your hands! Stand and pay for your crimes coward!"
KK paused then turned smootly to face him, his face inscrutable.
"Ah, the last little kink in my plan. I admire you for trying again, but it is foolish and you will be crushed in the end. Give up now, last chance."
"Never!"
"Such a shame." Regret flashed a moment in his eyes, "Then I'm going to have to smash you."
Nexo felt deadly, icy calm flow over him making his spine tingle, "Try."
"Oh, you misunderstand. You don't get the choice of fighting back." With the smile of a cat cornering prey, KK turned the chair around.
The anger and determination emptied from Nexo like lightning, leaving only a frozen stone of horror in the pit of his stomach.
"Mom!" He could only manage a pained whisper as the air rushed out of him.
"Oh, hello honey! How was school today? This nice young man brought me to visit, isn't that sweet of him."
Nexo clenched his teeth until the pain flashed down his jaw and neck, "What do you want me to do?"
KK smiled tightly and chuckled.

Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sudden Death
(part 2)


Thaddius put down his glass. It was way too quiet. The air had changed over the last hour. Now it felt like a swollen wineskin straining at the seams, and he didn't want to be around when it finally broke loose.
He stirred himself and wandered down hallways. Last he'd seen KK, his father had vaugely refered to having to take care of some business.
He had no idea where Fealon had slipped off to. Suddenly he jerked to a halt and stared at the chilled stone floor. Was that…..it was red…..and it sure looked like it. A cold feeling settled on the back of Thad's neck, some one was injured, badly, and wandering around this mad lair as well. The trail crossed his path following a diferent hallway T-ing into the one he was on.
Taking a guess he turned right and followed the obvious trail, soon enough KK's son reached a doorway that hung ajar, bits of glass and metal debris were scattered slightly out of the opening.
Thad's stomach twisted as he hurried and looked through, then all his internals seemed to leap into his throat.
His father lay face down in front of him, there was red everywhere and other colored liquids among the wreckage. Thad fell to his hands and knees and felt for a pulse, sighing in relief he found it steady. Turning his father over he attempted to wake him.
After a moment KK opened his eyes and croaked a question. "Where are they?" Thad quinted, "What?"
"Did…did you see..two children….an old lady."
"No, but you need medical attention. Let me call 911."
"No….I will first deal….with them." KK struggled to his feet and waited for his balance to return. "What are you doing down here….I told you I had business, you'll only get in the way. And see things you shouldn't." Thad's father finished darkly.
Thad felt anger spike through his nerves, "Hey I just helped you, maybe even saved your life and that's what I get!?" He huffed derisively, "I should have known. Well I came to say I'm leaving anyway…I don't want to see you again."
"You are ungrateful, I could have made you great." His father gritted.
"Just stay out of my life! It's over."
Thad stalked out, and KK began limping down the hall to finish what had begun.

Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cloud Cover

Nexo and his two ladies limped into the bowels of the deep volcano. Surprisingly KK had not locked the door to his dungeon. Then again Nexo figured KK didn't think there was much reason to. The mastermind had never dreamed that his plan would go awry like this.
Nexo and Lilly split up and started searching either side of the cell hallway. Nexo paused outside one and peered intensly at a corner darker than the rest.
"Pssst!" The shadow moved immediatly and quickly bounded over to the cell door. It was Damian.
"NEXO! What…how?!"
"I'll explain later, is Essa there too?"
"Yeah, she's back there."
"Okay...but how are you okay? KK took your powers!"
"Yeah, but we regenerate our powers, it has to do with the Fourth Wall. We'll explain that later too, the worst hurts are from being thrown around but we'll live. Now get us out of here!!!"
"Okay okay, keep your shirt on."
"I'll try." Nexo fumbled with the keys then finally released his captive friends. Essa hugged Lilly relieved to be free and the teens all began slinking back the way they came. "Can you use your powers yet?"
"Not really, I can feel a tingle at the edge of my mind but I can't get any thing for now." Nexo felt anxiety settle onto him once again as the safe escape of all these people close to him rested on his shoulders.
He trudged toward the massive cavern where they had first entered. As they arrived, the sight of light across the last several yards of grey stone perked the whole group up. Everyone moved faster eager to be free.
But Nexo hung back. A strange feeling pricked along his backbone and neck. Watching the other move forward he turned to look behind them making sure they were in the clear. His entire body stiffened into a ridged, frozen column.
KK was limping determinedly into the opening they had just cleared.

Chapter Thirty one
Sunrise

Nexo's head felt like it was filled with cotton, or helium. He wasn't sure which. The poor villagers had been standing around in clusters for an hour or so now watching as strange people swarmed around their village and through their herds.
King had shown up about two days after they had reached the village again, and just in time. Nexo had been worried about leaving their injures untreated much longer. They hadn't been able to leave as their jeep had been salvaged pretty much as soon as they had left it.
Surprising the whole group, King had arrived with the two most powerful people of their time.
Things had happened almost too quickly for Nexo to follow after that, King and The First and Second had questioned them eagerly, armored trucks holding other Fourth Wall teams had opened and let their teams pour forth the swarm all over the mountain.
A linguistics expert was included in somthing called The Fourth Wall Containment Squad, Nexo guessed that they made sure no one found out about the existence of the Fourth Wall barrier. A few helicopters had shown up as well and they were buzzing around making it even more confusing for everyone.
An ambulance was parked nearby and EMTs had been seeing to the teens injuries for a few minuites now. Nexo himself was sitting on one of the strechers getting stitches and having bandages wrapped all over him.
But his mind was on other things, his gaze rested on King and Damian who where huddled at a different strecher. They both were taking time to grieve over Simon's loss. King had been hit hard when he heard of his agent's end, and Damian was grieving all over again.
Before Nexo realized what was happening they were all being swept into separate ambulances and rocketing off back over the desert towards the city.
"Hey buddy." A kind looking EMT was leaning over Nexo, "We have a long painful ride ahead of us. So I'm going to give you something to sleep for a bit, okay?"
It wasn't really a question as the EMT prepared a syringe an applied it pretty much while he was still talking. But that was okay, Nexo felt super tired anyway.
It felt so good to close his eyes and lay still. 

Chapter Thirty-Three
Finale

The beach: Diastemer Mansion
It was silent, Thad preferred this silence. Maya was working and he was settled down to read the paper and maybe catch up on some paperwork. But the headline stopped him cold. The clock ticked and ticked loudly as he read feeling cold dread wash over him. He crushed the paper unknowingly and stared out the window, jaw clinched. His father was dead, they had found explosives as the scene. Thad knew in his gut that Fealon had had something to do with it. Fealon had killed his father, and Thad was not going to let that pass.



Ireland: Midday: The main information desk:
Lilly glanced about in awe this place was beautiful. She moved up in line and found herself at the desk finally.
A young man, 16 or so, was sitting there. "Can I help you?"
"Uh, yeah…" Lilly's words petered away as she squinted at the attendant. Thick brown, messy hair. Green eyes. Right build, right face shape…
His eyes flickered from side to sife uncomfortably, "Um…Is there something….wrong?"
A huge smile broke out onto Lilly's face, "Nope. Not a thing. I know someone who will be very happy to meet you."
"Excuse me? Listen, who are you?"
A wry smile took the grin's place, "I'm….different."
"Why…are you here. Talking to me….In this incredibly weird and cryptic way?"
"I came to, you might say, find myself..…but instead I found you."
"And what does that mean?"
Lilly leaned forward seriously, "I know your brother, and he's been looking for you a long time…….




                                                           ~Boundless~