Nexus collapsed against harsh concrete, toppling back as Ruby was thrown from his body. Ruby groaned in pain as she laid against the harsh surface, trying to recover from the shock. "Ow, did you have to pull me in like that, you asshole? Genis wouldn't have followed us."
Nexus sighed, sitting up to run his fingers through his hair. "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Genis is a wild card, too. I don't know what he's willing to do to ensure that I don't get to you."
Ruby stared at Nexus with a bland, quizzical expression. "Well, no fuckin' duh! You want to mush our souls together! Genis understands that we're individuals now. And let's not even mention the fact that your big boss wants us dead now?! You gonna try and kill me?" Ruby grit her teeth, returning to her feet. "Try it. I'll zap your ass out of the atmosphere with or without Safire."
Nexus nodded his head, slowly returning to his feet. "Yes. You would be able to if we were in the Inbetween." Ruby took a confused step back before Nexus shifted his glowing, golden eyes to her. "But I'm not going to kill you. I ended that man's life, and I..." He sighed. "I cannot live with that knowledge."
Ruby hummed, cautiously stepping around Nexus, sizing up his intentions. "Rufus? Who would have thought that the deity that split an infant's soul in two would have a conscience? I'm utterly shocked!" She taunted.
Nexus growled, whipping his heated glare toward Ruby. "I didn't mean to kill him! It was never my intention! I saw the bastard who trapped me in an eternal prison sentence and lost my head."
"You think that's an acceptable reason?!" Ruby curled her hands into fists, the creases in her nose raising with the anger. "YOU KILLED HIM!" Ruby reared her arm back, landing a devastating blow to the side of Nexus's face. He was thrown back as Ruby stumbled to her feet, shaking with adrenaline. "His death is on your hands. You think that I'm going to listen to this? You wanted to talk to me? TALK!"
Nexus rubbed his jaw, returning to his seated position. "You're right. I won't deny that Rufus would still be alive if it weren't for me. But I refuse to kill again. That's why I brought you back. Maybe if you two were kept separate... Serina would spare you."
Ruby's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked around her surroundings for the first time. The air felt stiff and stagnant, and the soft grey outline of buildings surrounded her. She stumbled toward the edge, collapsing to her knees when the East River came into view. Her breathing shuddered in stunned awe. "The Brooklyn Tower... Why would you bring me back home?" Ruby turned back toward Nexus, visibly concerned. "What about Safire?"
Nexus returned to his feet, brushing his ethereal robes down. "I brought you back to watch over you. Genis will remain on Teralu with Safire, watching over her to ensure that Serina doesn't come for her. And I will protect you."
Ruby scoffed coldly. "Right. Safire will be safe from your deity boss when he can't even defeat you in the state that he's in. You must be out of your fucking mind. Take me back, right now. Serina seemed to be subdued by our power, so if we work together, we can-"
"Die?" Nexus cut her off, approaching Ruby with clenched fists. "If Serina wants you dead, there's very little that can stop her. What I'm doing now could be sealing your fate as well as mine! Don't be stupid. Stay here, and we'll figure something out."
"No." Ruby stepped toward Nexus, causing him to step back. "I'm not going to be commanded by someone who caused every problem we're now facing. If you hadn't meddled in the first place, Safire and I wouldn't be separate people! Now you can bring me back to the other half of my soul, or find out exactly why you shouldn't fuck with mortals!" Ruby grabbed a tight grasp of Nexus's cloak, yanking him inches from her face without warning. She let out a heated snarl. "Because we're fucking crazy."
Nexus was clearly taken aback, slowly raising his hands as he processed the blatant threat from a mortal. "I didn't expect such hostility from someone who has no idea what they're up against. If I take you back, even with Genis, myself and your power, we still might lose."
"What's this 'we' bullshit?" Ruby's eye twitched. "Do you really think that we would let you anywhere near the group we've made? It's us, against you. It's been that way since the beginning. You can't expect to act like an antagonist, then suddenly switch up because of a hit! You were ordered to kill me, so bring me back to Teralu and let's have a fairer fight. I would never trust you."
Nexus sighed, letting his arms fall limp by his sides. "I don't want to kill anyone. Would the man who split a soul in two to ensure both children lived be someone who'd take a life on purpose? I could have given Safire's entire soul to your body, but I didn't. I let you both live. And I don't want Serina to kill either of you!"
Ruby shoved Nexus back, approaching to press her foot down against his chest. "And why should I care what you did? Good boy, you split an innocent infant's soul in two, split me and Safire up, sent me away to a world that I didn't belong to, then tried to undo it. I don't trust you, and I never will."
Nexus brushed Ruby's foot from his chest, staring up at her with an expression she'd never seen before. A pitiful mixture of helplessness, pleading, sorrow, and desperation. "You don't have to trust me. All I'm asking is for you to allow me to keep you both alive. At least until the harmonic period passes through the Inbetween, and all planetary alignments from the two dimensions shift once more. Please."
Ruby sighed deeply, massaging her temples as she felt a raging headache beginning. "And what do you want me to tell the others? Do you really think that Jasher is going to let you near him after you killed his essential adoptive father? You're almost too cruel in asking."
Nexus returned to his feet slowly, only able to offer a meagre shrug. "In the grand scheme of things, he doesn't really get a say. If you have me on your side, your chances of surviving Serina raises. Not a guarantee, but the dynamics shift. I'm going against her in doing this. I'm risking far more than my home. But I disagree with Serina so much so that I am willing to throw it all away. Killing a mortal is wrong. In every shape and form."
Ruby groaned, beginning to pace. "And how am I supposed to trust a damn thing that you say? Up until now, you have not been someone that I can trust. Your words don't match up, and nothing has been right since you showed your face! What am I supposed to do?! Go along with what you're telling me and betray my friends, or stand with my friends and take the risk that you're not lying!"
Nexus cleared his throat nervously. "I know that it's a big decision. But the alternatives are, have me on your team to have a fighting chance or shun me, and face Serina alone. You're powerful. But Serina is far more experienced."
Ruby cried out, pulling at her roots as the answers did not come cleanly. "FINE!" Nexus perked up slightly. "I'm not saying that you can tag along, but I am telling you to return me to Teralu, to the exact place where you stole me, and I'll talk to the group about it."
Nexus nodded his head, holding his hand toward Ruby for her to take. "I cannot guarantee that if shunned, I'll stop following you. So you might want to mention that to the others."
Ruby's expression fell into bored irritation. "You sly bastard. There was never a choice!" Nexus merely shrugged before falling backward toward the rooftop. Ruby yelped as they fell through the portal, landing directly onto the grassy field within the protective shield. "You could get in the whole time?!"
Ruby began to mercilessly wail on Nexus, beating her fists down onto him as Odeen, Safire, Jasher, and Vatic came running toward them. Odeen grabbed Ruby's arm, pulling her off Nexus to wrap her in a strong, protective arm before he slammed his foot down on Nexus's chest. "You bastard! How dare you take her from my side!"
Ruby couldn't help but feel some sense of smug appreciation that Odeen was so quick to defend her. Safire yanked Ruby from Odeen's arms, pulling her over to study her face cautiously for any differences. "Are you okay?! Did he hurt you in any way?!" Jasher circled Ruby, as though he'd know if something was off with her. Nexus simply laid on his back, staring at the sky in boredom, Odeen's foot pressing down against his chest.
Ruby chuckled dully, pulling Safire's hands off of her. "It's alright, guys. I'm fine. Nexus just wanted to talk. As it turns out, his big boss wants me and Safire dead." The group fell silent in shock. "Yeah, crazy, right? Well, it gets crazier. Nexus wants to join the team and protect Safire and me from Serina until after the harmonic period."
Nexus nodded in agreement. "During the harmony period, when the first 6 planets on Teralu line up, the harmonic period begins at the same time. This happens once every 20 years or so. The first 6 planets line up on Earth at the same time, and the Inbetween is bathed in a strong magic that increases deity's abilities tenfold. That is when we'll have the strongest chance to fight back. But we can't do it here; we need to reach the peak of the planet before that time. That way, we are the closest to the planetary alignments. Seeing as I left my body, I'll be far stronger than usual. I should be able to help."
Odeen twisted his heel suddenly, digging it down into Nexus's chest, only able to rouse a mild wince from him. Odeen spoke to Ruby through gritted teeth. "Do you believe a word this lying deity says?"
Ruby shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "Not a single word. He's done nothing but harass us since the moment I answered his call. But it's not like he's going to leave us any time soon. I say we keep him where we can see him. One sign of misplaced hostility, and Safire and I can blast him into next week."
Odeen nodded hesitantly, pulling his foot from Nexus. He stared down at the deity with a chilling glare. "If you hurt anyone on this team, I will personally see to it that you beg for death. I can see you now."
Nexus brushed his chest down, merely rolling his eyes. "Right, I'm terrified of a mortal threat. Where the hell is Genis? If we're going to be working together, there are some ground rules that I need to set with him."
Odeen scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Genis has been on our side since the beginning. If anybody is going to be setting ground rules here, it's us. I hope you enjoy razor worms, because you're grounded to the floor. Come up the boulder, and find out who's behind me and what he's capable of." Vatic simply gave a cocky smirk. "Genis will return soon. He went to look for Ruby. While we're waiting, you're to lie in the grass and wait."
Odeen took Ruby's hand, ushering her toward the boulder as the rest followed his lead. Ruby stared up at Odeen with a small smile, resting her head against his arm. This caused a stutter in Odeen's pace, nearly resulting in a stumble. Ruby's soft tone as she spoke sent a ripple of pounding palpitations through Odeen's chest. "Thanks for standing up for me. That bastard had it coming."
Odeen felt his lips tighten to hide the purely blissful smile from his face. "I'd do it again. If anybody dares to attempt to take you from my side." He helped Ruby up to the tip of the boulder, holding her hands in his own. "I'd vanquish them singlehandedly."
Ruby felt her face heat, their hands still clasped together. The others, blissfully unaware of Odeen's declaration, began to discuss schedules to watch Nexus around them. Ruby squeezed Odeen's hands, whispering tauntingly. "What if it were between me and a rubber duck?"
Odeen tilted his head to the side, causing Ruby to chuckle, pulling the small glass duck trinket from her pocket to hold up toward Odeen. His breath hitched as he stared at the gift he'd given Ruby. "You kept it... I had my doubts. Well, we call that our sacred gift from the gods. But if it were between you and the gift." Odeen pushed Ruby's hand down, gazing into her eyes with a brand new expression of admiration and trust. "I'd save you first."
Ruby snorted, starting to laugh heavily as her forehead thumped against Odeen's chest. "You idiot. You big, meat-brained, surprisingly adorable idiot." Odeen wrapped his arms around Ruby as the adrenaline began to wear off. The shakes began to set in soon after, leaving her shivering in his arms. "Never let me do that again. Sometimes my own stupid antics scare me, too."
Odeen unclasped the clips to his cloak, wrapping it around Ruby's shoulders to bathe her in a sudden, comforting warmth. "I will never let you run off unsupervised with a crazed deity again." Ruby sighed in relief, staying warm and comforted in Odeen's arms.
Jasher and Safire were trying desperately to ignore the mushy scene behind them, left in uncomfortable proximity to the sweet scene, even if Ruby and Odeen's words were unintelligible to them. Vatic, however, was in tears, staring at them with admiration. "Finally. My sire found his love." Odeen shot a sudden scowl toward Vatic, sending a chill down his spine and causing his head to whip around back to Nexus. "Would you look at that, a patterbug. It must be coming close to winter. Haha..."
Jasher turned his gaze toward Nexus, his eyes narrowing as he drowned out the background noise, grinding his teeth together. "I finally have you where I want you now, you little fucker..." Safire pressed her hand to Jasher's back, giving him an understanding nod. They knew what had to be done, and both were prepared to act on it.
-End of chapter 22-