Nexus

by ARYA GREENGRASS

Alexander Thompson is an average guy who just wants to finish college and take care of his Mom. And then he gets hooked up with the Celestial Forge, and then all he wants is to play around with his powers. He never wanted to save the city, let alone the world, but when you are presented with a power with near-unlimited potential, things tend to...escalate.

1. Chapter 1

NEXUS

CHAPTER 1

Friday 8th 2011

Brockton Bay

My name is Alexander Thompson, son of Michael and Susan Thompson. Most people call me Alex, though most adults I know liked calling me by my full name.

I was an average young man. I was average in looks, at least compared to my cousins. I was only slightly above average in height, though even that sometimes made people give me a second look whenever I passed them. I had a warm caramel skin tone, and I kept my hair in a tightly cropped afro that curls gently at the edges. I had a narrow face, with a small, slightly crooked nose, one of the few features I took after my father.

I knew I had the potential to be eye-catching if only I gave my looks some attention or had time for the gym, if how my cousins looked was any indication, as I had inherited the same absurdly rich genes from my mother's side. However, given the trajectory of my life, my looks were the last of my worries.

I was no genius, but I had gotten a good education, which put me just above the average resident of Brockton Bay.

Living in Brockton Bay was a chore; that chore became even harder when you were black. The city was rotten to the core, despite having almost the highest number of heroes; these were far outnumbered by the villains. The racist Empire, the ABB, and the Merchants were only the major villain groups. And that was not even counting other minor villains. This was a city where merely walking on the streets was asking for trouble.

Growing up, my life had never been easy. I was five in 1998 when my father was killed during the Slaughterhouse Nine's visit to Brockton Bay. I don't remember a lot of what had happened then, but I remember my father dragging himself home with his guts spilling out of his stomach, one arm missing, and one of his legs dragging on the floor. He had literally crawled his way home just to see his wife and son one last time.

My mother and I had been huddled in the basement, hiding away from the chaos and destruction all over the city as the combined forces of the heroes and villains worked together to push out the Slaughterhouse and the Teeth. They had succeeded, leaving the city barely standing while those left behind tried to return it to relative order. It was in this state of relative order that mother and son had lived for the next years.

Mom worked herself to the bone to raise me and support both of us. Being one of the few people with a relatively high education, she managed to get a job working as a mechanical engineer with the Protectorate. Her job brought a hefty salary, which allowed me to study from elementary school up to college. I was a tech enthusiast and was going to be the greatest electrical engineer the world has ever seen.

And then just as I started college, my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer. She got bedridden only a few weeks later and had to leave her job, and while the Protectorate paid for the hospital bills, there were other things that needed to be paid for, not to mention I had to take care of myself as well. I dropped out and got a job at an electronics store along the boardwalk, where I worked for most of the day before visiting my mom in the evening every day. Her condition rapidly deteriorated by the day, and I was forced to watch her waste away right before my eyes.

Not even Panacea, the miracle healer of Brockton Bay, could help her as she apparently couldn't heal anything that involved brains. Other than to confirm that she indeed had brain cancer.

Within two weeks after the diagnosis, she turned from a beautiful and vibrant _if overworked_ woman to a wisp of a human being, bald, almost with no teeth, and the only thing left of the woman that had raised me was that special smile of hers which made her pale sunken cheeks stretch over her skull that she always managed to force out whenever I visited her at the end of my shift every day.

The last two months had been the worst days of my life. Every day I left my shift to visit her in the hospital, dreading the day I would go there only to find that she was no longer alive. And every time I found her, my heart always broke at the obvious pain she was trying to hide from me.

I had never wanted to be a parahuman, having witnessed time and again how their actions affected innocent people. Every parahuman fight always resulted in collateral damage, and more often than not, some innocent bystander got injured or died as a result of their fights. And worse still, nothing was ever done about them. The villains did whatever they wanted, and those who were arrested spent mere hours in custody, only to walk out later. Villains with known body counts walked the streets without anyone doing anything about them. Hookwolf and Lung being the leading examples.

I despised parahumans and their games of cops and robbers, but in the last two weeks, I had prayed for a parahuman power. It didn't even have to be fancy or anything, as long as it allowed me to heal my mother. But if anyone heard my prayers, they did not deign to answer. The days passed, my mother wasted away, and my despair grew.

And then one day, still working my shift at the store, I got a call from the hospital. My mother, the one person I truly cared about in this wretched city, had passed on. The following days were a blur; I barely remembered the funeral, and many of the people there were members of the Dockworkers Association who had known my Dad and, through him, Mom. My friends, Mike, Jason, and Jessica, came, but we didn't talk much. They buried her in the city's cemetery, and then I returned to the empty house full of the ghosts of my parents. Brian and Aisha had been there for the funeral and had even stayed for some time, coming with me back home, but they had their lives, which were not going any better than my own, and left soon, once they made sure I got home safe.

I had never been close to them that much. Brian and I had been close growing up given that we were age mates, but after dad had died, our families drifted apart. both had their problems; my mother and I were struggling to stay afloat, while the Laborns were grappling with problems of their own.

Brian and I met now and then over lunch, sometimes Aisha would also come along, but there wasn't much of a relationship like one would expect between cousins. In fact, this had been the most contact I had had with my cousins since those months after Dad's death.

I had just bid them goodbye and closed the door when I stumbled as I felt something pass by my home. It was like a presence only felt mentally, and my mind had tried to reach for it, but it wasn't quite strong enough.

"The hell was that?"

Only a few hours after burying my mother and I was already going insane.

I sank into the couch as I took in the house my parents had left me. It was a moderately sized house, one of the better looking houses in the neighborhood, on a road a few blocks off Lord Street. Outside, it was homey, two stories, with an unkempt lawn and equally messy porch. On the ground floor was the living room, a sitting area, a kitchen, dining area and sliding doors leading to a messy backyard. It had four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom and one communal bathroom.

The air conditioning hadn't worked in weeks, in fact, the electricity had been cut off due to the bill accumulating too much. I will have to find money to clear the bills and then have someone look over the wiring given how long it had been off. The garage had Dad's old 1967 Chevy Impala which hadn't been moved ever since the night before his death, and while the rest of the house was in good condition, none of the utilities were working. No water, no electricity, gas, cable, or AC, the fridge was empty as I had been living off fast food as long as mom had been in the hospital, and the kitchen hadn't been touched in weeks either. There was dust everywhere, and the house was in no state for occupation.

I hadn't had time for cleaning. Leaving early in the morning to go to work, and squeeze in as many hours as possible for any bonus I can get before going to the hospital to be with my mom. By the time I would come home, I would be too tired for anything that wasn't a shower and sleep.

"Mom would kill me if she saw the house in this state." I chuckled. "Right, I should probably get to it."

Bracing myself, I started cleaning, starting with my parents' bedroom. I collected most of my mom's personal stuff and put them in boxes which I carried to the attic leaving the room almost bare, with only the basic stuff that didn't have any direct attachment to her. After that, I moved my stuff from my bedroom to the master bedroom and organized it as well as I could. Once I had cleaned it as thoroughly as I could, I moved on to the second bedroom.

It was a testament to the state of the house that by the time I was finished with the upstairs, it was already late evening and my stomach picked that time to remind me that I hadn't eaten anything since morning. It was not quite dark yet but the sun was setting, fast. Which meant I only had about two or three hours max before the streets of Brockton Bay were no longer safe for someone of my skin color.

Grabbing my wallet and an old jacket, I locked the house and left.

-NEW-

I picked some takeaway from the closest restaurant, not willing to risk walking by myself once the sun had set. It was only two blocks away but it gave me some time to take my mind off the chores waiting for me at home and my mother's death. I had not been hit as hard with her death as I had expected. Perhaps it was because I had seen it coming weeks ago, or perhaps I was still processing it.

Whatever the reason, my head was actually very clear in a long time. It was like a weight that had been weighing me down had suddenly disappeared, the constant despair and dread of mom's impending death had really taken a toll on me and only now that I'm no longer feeling it did I realize how much.

It was freeing, walking the streets in the late evening. By this time the sun had almost disappeared over the horizon and a cold breeze from the bay was sweeping over the city. People were rushing to their homes in order not to be caught out once night came.

I took my time, music playing on my headsets as I leisurely strolled back home. I arrived about thirty minutes later. By this time, it was dark and all the houses in the neighborhood had their lights on, mine being the only one dark due to not having power. I would have to do something about that soon, though given the state of my account, it will probably not be any time this week or even the next. I was probably left with just enough to feed me for a week or two and payday wasn't in another three weeks.

Speaking of, I am going to have to return to work tomorrow.

Reaching home, I used a torch I had bought while out for light and sat down at the dining to eat while going through my phone. I had condolence messages from my coworkers, and my friends from school. Having been immersed with mom's situation, I had neglected my friends, having almost completely cut myself off from everyone. It was good to see that they hadn't forgotten me completely.

I was, for the most part a loner, preferring to spend my time in books and computers. I didn't do sports, always the nerdy black kid who somehow managed not to be a target for bullying. It didn't do favors for my social life, though I managed pull a few people around me that later stuck around despite me being a colossal bore.

I disposed of everything and went upstairs to sleep but just as I opened the bedroom door, that feeling from earlier came by again, I almost dropped the torch as I felt the presence again. Something colossal passing by, and my mind once again reached out, this time the force with which it did was a little stronger than last time but not quite strong enough to connect. I let out a breath as the feeling left me and sank down on my bed rubbing my temples.

"Seriously, what's happening to me?"

Was it some kind of parahuman effect? Was I being mastered? Why would a parahuman even target me? I was a nobody, mom might have worked with the Protectorate, but I doubt her job was anything interesting enough to garner a parahuman's interest. Dad had been the Chairperson of the Dock Workers' Union, I didn't think it would be enough to make me a target for someone.

After a few minutes of nothing else happening, I slipped into bed and was asleep in minutes.

-NEW-

Saturday 9th 2011

"Alexander Thompson?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me."

Turns out missing work for two days, even with notice was an express ticket to losing one's job. Who knew? Most certainly not me, I mean this was Brockton Bay and all but surely missing only one day isn't enough to get you fired, right?

Actually, it just might be. Selling phones, laptops and stuff isn't exactly an exclusive job but I surely thought that I had built myself enough rep with the store owner to keep my job after the two months I had worked there but sadly it wasn't the case. Which meant that I was now out of a job, with a limited supply of cash and no idea on where to start finding out.

I had been at home wallowing in self-pity when I got a call from someone telling me I had some documents to sign, and to meet them at some fancy law firm. And here I am.

"Name is Donald Self and I was your parents' attorney." The slickly dressed gentleman said, offering his hand. "I'm sorry about your mother, Mr. Thompson."

I shrugged. I didn't know what to say so I kept my mouth shut. Once I had taken a seat, he continued.

"Your father left you some money in a trust account which would become fully yours on your reaching majority." He told me. "Your mother also contributed after she joined the Protectorate. All you have to do is sign these documents and you will have access to it."

"I won't be eighteen until February next year."

"When your mother found out about her… condition, she initiated the process that would emancipate you upon her death." The lawyer explained. "Once you sign these, you are considered an adult and therefore legally own the house, the car and any other properties that may have been left for you by your parents." He gestured at an envelope on the table between them. "This contains the licenses registered in your names. Also, should you wish to retain my services as your Attorney, you may sign here."

A few minutes later, I walked out of the law firm offices with a new bank account, legal owner of my home and a 1967 Impala. I didn't know the first thing about cars but even I knew that a car sitting for over ten years wasn't something that can get back on the road easily, but in memory of my parents, I just might do everything in my power to get it running again.

Returning back home, I went back to cleaning the rest of the house.

Took me the rest of the day to finish up with the inside, leaving only the garage, the lawn and backyard. By the time I was done, it was night outside, the night life of Brockton Bay was already in full swing. While I lived in a relatively safe neighborhood, it was still part of Brockton Bay and the occasional siren was just routine.

I was about to turn in for the night, not willing to risk a walk out for supper this late, and my phone had shut down so I couldn't order from the few restaurants that were willing to brave the Brockton Bay night conditions. And so with my stomach growling, but feeling satisfied as I took in how everything was clean and well organized, I trudged my way upstairs, the steps squeaking with every movement.

"Gonna have to find a handyman for these." I mutter to myself. "The lawn and backyard as well now that I think about it."

I had just reached the top step when there was a hard knock on the door. I froze, wondering who might be looking for me at this time of the night, not that it was too late but it was late enough that I wasn't expecting anyone on official business. And I wasn't close enough to anyone for them to come seeking me out at this time.

Another aggressive knock pulled me out of my thoughts and I switched off the torch. As my eyes adjusted to the relative darkness, I came down as silently as possible, passing by the fireplace to pick the fire poker. I was no fighter, hell I have never thrown a single punch in my life, having managed to study all the way to collage without getting into even a brawl, but if anyone wanted to attack me in my own home, I would go down swinging.

"Who is there?!" I called as I slowly approached the door, fire poker firmly gripped in both hands.

"Brian!" The familiar voice of my cousin called and I almost collapsed in relief.

I made to speak again but the feeling from yesterday suddenly returned. It didn't catch me off-guard like the last two times but I was still startled and nearly dropped the poker. My mind reached out to the something and connected. I could just tell that from now, I'll never suffer burnout, grow overly bored, lose inspiration, or have any of my work suffer because of exhaustion. So long as my basic needs are at least barely being met I can keep happily churning out work day after day.

As that knowledge sunk in, this time I did drop the fire poker which hit the floor with a loud clang.

"Alex! You okay in there?"

This would have to wait. I would deal with it and its ramifications after dealing with my cousin.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good."

I unlocked the door and saw him. He was tall, taller than me, though not by too much, he was wearing black riding leather and held a biker's helmet in one hand.

"Hey cuz." I greeted him with a forced smile, still shaken from what had just happened. "What brings here this late?"

Brian was a big guy, with clear muscles accentuated by the clothes he was wearing, and I knew he was also a pretty good fighter, working out and training at his dad's gym whenever he could. Anyone stupid enough to jump him would be doing it on their peril.

He peered into the dark house. "Don't you have power?"

I waved him off.

"It was cut off some time back but I'm gonna handle it tomorrow. Was supposed to do that today but got caught up with cleaning and organizing stuff."

"You should have called, we would have been happy to help."

I shrugged. "It was nothing I couldn't handle. It also helped me keep my mind off things."

"Right." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Aisha isn't here, is she?"

"Aisha?" I asked with a frown. "Why would she be here?"

"Dad called me that it was getting late and yet she wasn't home and when I last spoke with her, she told me she was with you." Brian explained. "She even gave me some dude I spoke to claiming that he was you. I felt something was a bit off so I decided to come and see for myself."

Yeah, Aisha was a bit of a troublemaker.

"Sorry cuz, I haven't seen her since yesterday."

He sighed again. "Yeah, sorry for disturbing you."

"It's alright man." I replied with a smile. "It's your little sister, so I understand. What are you gonna do now?"

"Guess, I'm gonna have to track her down, wherever she is."

"Good luck with that, man." He nodded and bid me goodnight. I was about to close the door when I paused. "Hey, Brian, you guys have the same phone type, right?"

"Yeah, 'tsup?"

"Well, there is this site I created some time back in high school. It can help you track another person's phone though it must be one you connect with a lot, either through messages or calls." I told him, silently prompting him to give me his phone.

I took the offered phone and opened his browser, put in the website and log in details. I put in Aisha's number and the site started searching. "Basically, our phones are connected, not just through the network but in the phone's system, those numbers you contact most are imprinted in the phone and can be connected to again in the right circumstances. My site creates these right circumstances and since I imagine you communicate with Aisha a lot, it should be easy to create a link with her phone so long as it is switched on. Unfortunately, if the phone has even the weakest kind of protection, it may not work as this is as basic as trackers can get."

It took a few seconds before a pin thankfully appeared over the map. Zooming in, I felt my eyebrows rise. "Hey, isn't that_"

"The Palanquin, fuck!"

The Palanquin was a night club just a few blocks from here actually. Though I could understand Brian's frustration of having his thirteen-year-old sister in a night club. How she even managed to be allowed in there, I can only guess.

"Good luck man."

"Yeah, I just might need it." Brian shook my hand. "Thank you Alex, you have saved me some time and probably some money as well."

"No problem, man. I might not be that close with Aisha but she is still my cousin and I care about her."

He made to leave but hesitated. "You know, if you need anything, you just have to ask me."

"I'll keep you in mind."

-NEW-

Now in the privacy of my bedroom, I was free to freak out about my circumstances. I had managed to keep it together in front of Brian but now, the implications of what had happened truly sunk in.

"I'm a fucking cape." I breathed, head in my hands. "I'm a fucking cape, with the power of never getting exhausted. Or can't get bored while working, and need only the bare minimum of sustenance, or sleep for that matter."

Now I was no cape geek, in fact I despised capes and their stupid games, but even I knew of trigger events and I know for a fact I never experienced anything even close to what trigger events are supposed to be like. What even would be my classifications?

Stranger? Thinker?

Honestly, it didn't matter. I had no intention of telling anyone about my weird powers or dressing up to be some hero. These powers changed nothing, and tomorrow, I would wake up and keep living my life as I had before. First, I would use my new funds to pay for the utilities, take care of the lawn and backyard, and then reenroll in college and finish my degree. There was enough to last me through my time there, and by the time it was finished, I would have time to get a job, one I wouldn't be fired from by just missing a single_

I froze as the now familiar presence passed by again, my mind poised to reach out again.

What the fuck was happening?! I already have a power! Was it evolving?

My mind connected, and I felt a rush of knowledge. Suddenly, I had years of experience designing clothes. I could come up with clothes that are not only intimidating and show the power of whoever is wearing them but also fashionable and make the person look organized and official.

…..

Yeah, fuck that. I'm going to sleep.

-NEW-

AN: JUMPCHAIN PERKS THIS CHAPTER

I Can Whip Something Up (My Life As A Teenage Robot) (100CP)

Working late nights and filling out strange requests is just another Tuesday for a Scientist of your caliber. This perk ensures that you'll never suffer burnout, grow overly bored, lose inspiration, or have your work suffer because of exhaustion. So long as your basic needs are at least barely being met you can keep happily churning out work day after day.

Putting on the Reich (Indiana Jones) (200CP)

They may fear your tenacity. They may hate your cause. They may even oppose your beliefs. But one thing remains constant: A begrudging respect for the aura of organization and sharpness you give off. You have an excellent sense of how to design uniforms that are not only intimidating and show the power of your group, but are also fashionable and make your group look organized, official in a way. It's time to show them who's Boss.