WIZARDS VS ALIENS:
FAR FROM A DISTANT GOAL
WRITTEN BY ZARIUS
Disclaimer: I do not own the Wizards vs. Aliens franchise, it is trademarked by the BBC.
NOTE:This is set after the finale "All-Out War" and contains spoilers for the conclusion of series two.
Lexi breathed in the crisp and tender spring air. The frequently cold cruelty of winter had passed and she and her young son Benny J. were set to make the most of the coming year now that it's peak months were ahead of it.
Many eventful things had happened to her in a short age spent on this planet, but then, for someone who was still sixteen, in spirit, and in Nekross years, Lexi believed firmly that this sort of thing was not unexpected. She had learned a lot from her darling Tom Clark about the way human teenagers live life. Some believe themselves more fortunate for not carrying the burden of bearing and raising a child at such a critically crucial age, some believing, rather inappropriately, and selfishly, that their lives would swiftly stop before they started if they ever entertained the notion of having children
But in the tender months spent preparing herself for Benny Jr's arrival in the neverside, Lexi could only think of the monumental phase her life was entering, a phase which brought about its own unique history. The joining of two societies with sorcery.
Wizards with Aliens. Not one pitted against the other.
It felt right. It felt like this was how it should be.
Fate would test her greatly on that belief.
First by taking Benny Jr away from her, a cruel twist of the never-side was that anything conceived in that place of magic and miracles would be sealed away with it if she ever crossed back into reality. That she did, and Benny was taken, seemingly erased from sight, but never from mind and heart.
The loss was overbearing...for a time. And then, like an errant candle, the memory flickered ever so briefly afterwards, before being firmly snuffed out.
Once bonded to one another by the strength and vitality of love. Both societies slipped back in to their most comfortable language...that of war.
That is, until something stirred the memories in Tom and Lexi once again and, in order to save the planet from an endless coating of darkness, both were made to remember their time spent on the neverside. The issue was raised, and Lexi and Tom, through further hardships and great struggles, found communion with one another again, and Lexis' love for Tom, her faith in Tom, now certain, guided her towards great sacrifice, all to prevent Earth from falling prey to a coup by treacherous Nekross forces seeking to usurp her father, conquer the Earth, and feast on as much magic as their appetites would relish,
As a result of their last encounter, a beast had been awoken within Tom, and he performed not minor, but major miracles to thwart the Nekross invasion. As a reward for her ordeal, a dying Lexi was made human and mortal by Tom, with Benny Jr. restored to life and tethered to her side as a faithful companion.
If life was like the wonderful animated movies Tom said had moved him so much as a child, then this would be where the story would end. Happily.
But it's never as simple as that
Left without any of what humans call currency, left without a home, and looking like she had just stepped out of a comic con, Lexi had found it difficult to find stable work. She had spent several months holed up in soup kitchens and sleeping over at the homes of several acquaintances she had met in those kitchens. As brief a light as those days had been, it had proven to be a difficult winter
But now the Earth was turning young again, and, perhaps it stemmed from what she had experienced on the Neverside with Tom, but Lexi felt completely in tune with the searing soul of the planet as the sun rose and lavished the land with its rays. She was now partially made of magic, as was Benny, and she knew whatever trial she had been through was appropriately shamanic, a sign from the universe that, as difficult as it may appear, life does find a way.
She looked out at the play park before her, Benny Jr. playing happily on a swing opposite a tomboyish girl wearing torn jeans and a shirt that seemed slightly too big. The two were having a splendid time to themselves, all until a trio of salty characters marched onto the park and pushed both off of the swings and took possession of them.
Lexi felt like intruding and smiting these human worms down with one firm back hand, and a few other moves practised in the arts of Nekross combat, but she thought back to Tom and his pacifist nature, and it quelled her more pessimistic viewpoint, fuelled by her early, regretful history of conflict with human beings.
Benny got up, dusted himself off, checked the girl to see if she was alright. The girl immediately set about challenging the two male bullies, attempting to push one of them off the swing, only to barely budge the hulking frame of the tall boy, who laughed off the effort. The girl tried again, this time kicking the boy in the leg. This seemed to irk him enough for him to get off the swing and shove the girl some more.
Lexi admired the sheer gumption of the girl, this was someone with a true warrior spirit.
But Benny Jr. was to have none of it, he ran back to his mother and looked through her nearby shopping bag, producing a small, round object.
"Whatever are you doing child?" said Lexi
"Setting myself goals, just as dad taught me" said Benny, and ran back to the park.
He stood in front of the girl and the boys and held out the object, a football.
"I challenge you to a game. Hour long time limit. Winner appropriates the swings" said Benny.
The boys looked at each other and scoffed at the challenge. After some consultation and further mockery, they agreed to the stipulation
Benny offered his mother the chance to be goalie on his end. Lexi agreed. The Boys suddenly felt intimidated, for now there was an adult squarely on the scene who could supervise and lend some proper back-up if they chose at any point to make foul play of things.
The game went at an even pace, Benny Jr's skills were impeccable, just as Tom had taught him, his swift, suave style made light work of the bullies and he was able to score three great goals, with the next five being scored by the girl, whom a fire had firmly been lit under with the way she had been treated. By the time the one hour deadline was up, the boys were firmly pooped out and not in any mood to mount any swing, indeed they acknowledged that Benny had admirable skills and that they had more fun with this than they were making trouble for him and his young friend.
As Benny thanked the boys, the young tomboy graced him with a small kiss on the cheek and told him she would tell her friends about his ability and would ask one friend's father, who was a football coach, if he would consider letting Benny Jr. play on the team.
Benny ran back to his mother and placed the football back in the bag,
"See mother? If you set yourself targets, you can achieve more than what you intended" said Benny
"I don't think you're meant to be as literal as that, but you made your point quite clear my dear, your father would be proud" said Lexi
The two walked arm in arm away from the park and back towards the soup kitchen and shelter. No matter how bleak it would get, Benny had proven today that every far off goal is not all that distant