Third Person

The first thing to break the silence was Cody's glass of soda, shattering on the floor as it slipped out of his grip.

Tanith had no relation to Joe, she never met him before or even seen a picture, that she knew of at least, but even she could feel her heart breaking. Dread that wasn't hers filled up her heart until it almost became unbearable.

But this was only a fraction to what he was feeling.

"W-... What?" Cody's voice became barely a whisper when he spoke. Anyone who heard it wouldn't be able to recognize it if they hadn't watched the words leave his mouth. "He's... He's dead? You can't be serious... Tell me it's a joke! Is it April First? Tell me you're kidding. TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE!" Sudden anger rose out of his throat as he spoke. Everyone in the room flinched, even the guards. Cody's normally warm, brown eyes suddenly started to become an electric blue.

Professor nervously cleared his throat. "I'm so sorry... I wish I could say those things but I can't lie to you."

"NO!" The king crumbled to the ground, Rasmus instantly supporting him before the rest could move. "LIE TO ME! I DON'T CARE JUST-" He whimpered and put his head in his hands, tears started to drain out of them. Slowly, his head raised until they met Tanith's eyes. With liquid at the brim of them, he started plead. "Tell me I'll see my brother again! I don't care if you lie, just say it." His voice shook.

It took everything in her power to not go with his wished. Instead, she lowered herself to his level, her own eyes starting to blur. "I can't... Cody, I'm so sorry."

Tanith watched as his heart broke, and in turn, hers did too.

"... Sorry doesn't bring him back..." Cody mumbled under his breath. His fists tightened and blue lightning started to spark off his body. Right next to him, the Nexus reacted and started to do the same. Everyone but Rasmus flinched as it did. Without warning, a shock pulsed through his body and both Rasmus and Tanith backed away.

Cody staggered to his feet and ran down the stairs, most likely to his room. All the one's who loved him could only watch as he did.

"... I'm going to talk to him." Professor Pikalus said and didn't wait for the others as he descended down after him.

The hybrid so badly wanted to follow, but her hesitation was caused by the fact that she'd have nothing to say. When it came to Joe, she was helpless. The scientist was on his own for this one.

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It wasn't hard for Professor to find him. He was exactly where he'd thought he'd be.

Cody was curled up in his room, back against the nightstand next to his bed and kept his body close, as if he was afraid of something hurting him. He sobbed loudly and stayed in a never ending battle of wiping his tears away, only for them to come back. As Pikalus entered the room, Cody didn't notice he was there because he was too loud to even hear him.

Without a word, he sat down besides him and sighed. Finally, Cody noticed him but said nothing. In fact, they said nothing for at least ten minutes and together, they cried. Cody more than Professor but Professor still did, nonetheless. Of course he did, Joe was his friend too after all.

"Cody-" He began but Cody immediately cut him off.

"I can't do this anymore... I don't want to be king if he's never coming back."

"Cody-" He tried again, but still nothing.

"I thought I was just holding down the fort until he came back but now... Now he's gone. My brother! I never even said goodbye! I..." He put his face in his hands. "I-I never even said goodbye!"

Professor sighed and put his arm around Cody's back. "Cody... I get it."

"DO YOU?" His face whipped around to meet the Irishman's. "YOU DIDN'T LOSE A BROTHER!"

Professor didn't want to make it worse, but he couldn't help it when his fist tightened. "BUT I LOST A FRIEND!" Cody's muscles stiffened. A breath hitched in Professor's throat as he gulped. "And I don't want to lose another one." His eyes avoided Cody's.

The two of them began to stare at the floor in front of them, tears still falling despite both trying to stop it. Cody covered his face and let out an agonized scream. "Why does this have to be so messy?" He demanded, but the scientist couldn't answer. Who could have an answer like that?

"I mean sheesh! We're in a war right now and before we can go to war, this happens! Why now? It could have been weeks ago, or in the future, but it has to happen now? Joe-" At the very mention of his name, Cody's voice broke. His body began to shake as Pikalus patted his back softly. 

"Why'd he have to die?" His voice suddenly became ghostly, like the person Professor was with was no longer Cody, but a shadow of him. Sparks flashed in his flippers as he curled them.

After a long moment, Professor answered. "I don't know..."

Time passed on before the king made his decision. "I'll protect Atlantis." Professor was surprised at the steadiness in his voice. In Cody's eyes, a fire seemed to start. "I'll protect it to my last breath, but I don't want to do this anymore. I'll lead the army, but I've gone through enough. I want a break."

"Of course. I'll get Rasmus to take over while you-"

"A long break. Away from Atlantis."

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Even after ten minutes of Professor absence, Tanith could still feel the imbalance of Cody's emotions.

Nyanta went to check on the people, which only left Rasmus and Tanith. Tanith herself was sitting in front of the Nexus, gazing into the blue energy and watching it flow endlessly, expanding and retracting, every once in awhile it would spark, making her flinch but soon, it would go back to normal. Tanith half expected it to lash out at her, but it never happened.

Just looking in it, there was something so familiar. A presence, one that the Nexus created. What was about it that made her feel so... Different? Tanith couldn't understand it, but the more she watched it, the more she couldn't shake the feeling that it was alive.

She sighed and turned around, then paused.

Rasmus stood a foot or two from the thrones and kept his gaze on them, then slowly looked up at the mural above him. The mural of Poseidon.

His head lowered, making something tug at Tanith's heart strings and he trudged over to the stairs before sitting down on the first step. Seconds later, she approached him and sat down besides him. He glanced over but didn't say a word.

"You holding up?" She asked. Rasmus sighed and shook his head.

"Fine." He replied, voice steady, but there seemed to a strained part of it. It didn't take long for the hybrid to catch on.

"I was so worried about Cody that... I forgot he's your family too." She admits. Once again, the rooster didn't say anything, but when tears start to fall from his face, Tanith knows she got it right. She carefully placed her hand on his back, trying to make sure that nothing will send him over the edge.

"... Cody and... Him- are the last of my best friend's legacy." Rasmus knew he couldn't say their names without choking up so he didn't even try. "They're the last remaining family I have left, and now it has gotten even smaller."

Rasmus hated feeling weak, and he hated people seeing him like this, but he couldn't stop his head from turning to Tanith and spilling it all out. "Many years ago, Poseidon left to take care of unfinished business, and never came back. He died out there. His wife did the same. We have no idea what happened to her, or if she's alive at all, but she disappeared, and only their sons were left, but they were lost for years. Then they came back, and I thought I was given another chance to keep them safe. And then Joe leaves."

He takes in a breath before going on. "But he would keep in touch, sending letters when he could. I thought it would be different for once but now..." Rasmus couldn't finish his thought as something caught in his throat. He tried to stop himself, but the councilor could only listen as the words left his mouth.

"How come everyone I love leaves me? Is there something wrong with me?"

Rasmus covers his mouth, afraid that if it isn't covered, it'll say more against his will. Silent tears flow from his eyes as he looks anywhere but Tanith's eyes. He hated feeling weak, and now he was helpless.

Why couldn't he control his feelings? He couldn't stop his family from dying, or Atlantis from being attacked, or help anyone else, so why can't he control himself? Why couldn't he control his own feelings?

Why?

"... Do you want a hug?" Rasmus blinks in surprise and finally meets the blue eyes. Rasmus has never been much of a "Touchy feely" person, but for the first time in a while, it sounds appealing.

He doesn't say any words, nor does he have to, but he actually hugs Tanith for a moment, just a moment, before breaking away.

No need to act any more vulnerable than what he already feels.

They sit in silence, but the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs gets them up pretty quickly.

Professor and Cody come up, but both's eyes clearly have been crying for a while. Cody stumbles and sits on his throne. His face is blank and emotionless, but Tanith knows better from what she's feeling in her heart.

Bonding might have been useful sometimes, but right now it was bringing her down, big time.

Rasmus left her side and walked over to Cody. Cody's eyes barely lifted as Rasmus stopped, but still gave him his attention. "I'm going to go make sure everything is ready for the war. Get ready to lead and... We'll get through this." Rasmus whispered to him, cupping his cheek with his wing before leaving. As Tanith watched, she checked Cody, but still found him just the same as before.

An idea formed in her head. Not her best idea, but it was worth a shot.

Tanith walked a couple feet in front of Cody and took out her staff. Though the penguin didn't seem to notice or care much, Professor raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was trying to do. Tanith closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The red stone on the top of her staff began to glow until she let out a blue pulse. A wave of calm swept over the land, and as Professor let it sink into him, he opened his eyes to a strange sight.

Tanith was frozen there and began to clutch her head with her hands. Tears started to endlessly flow from her eyes as she squeezed them shut. Violent sobs broke from her mouth as she crumbled.

Pikalus quickly launched himself forward and steadied her before she fell. Her breath became ragged.

"What the heck? What's going on?"

"I-I..." Tanith could barely talk without more sobs getting caught in her throat. Professor's eyes narrowed.

"Pull yourself together woman!" He was not going have two friends break down today. When she didn't stop, Professor decided he'd take more drastic measures to catch her attention. "SNAP OUT OF IT!" He screamed and fired his gun in the air.

Both Cody and Tanith flinched, and suddenly the hybrid stopped. She blinked in surprise, taking deep breaths until meeting Professor's eyes. "S-" She cleared her throat. "Sorry about that..." Her voice was hoarse from sobbing.

"What was that?" He demanded.

"Well, I tried getting Cody to cheer up with a calming spell but..." She trailed off and glanced at the moping king behind them. "Remember when I explained this to you? In "A Friend In Need"?" He blinked in confusion. Right... She thought to herself. Don't break the fourth wall.

"When Cody was poisoned by the snake thing? I explained that when I do the calming spell, I take in a lot of emotions of everyone around me so they can feel peace, and then get rid of it. For that short period of time, I have all of those emotions, so I have to get rid of them as quickly as possible. However, if I get really strong emotions that I can't get rid of, I lose myself in that emotion."

Tanith paused for a long time and slowly turned her gaze to Cody. "I got lost in his sadness." She said quietly, and Professor understood.

Though the king looked emotionless on the outside, he was truly dying on the inside.
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Cody was done.

He was done with being sad, with all of this responsibility and most of all, this war. He didn't want any of this, and yet it happened anyways, because life was a butthole. But Cody was done with playing Life's little game. He wasn't going to let them have the last laugh.

His city was protected by the most dangerous man in the world.

A man with nothing to lose.

Or at least a man who felt like he had nothing to lose.

The portal was breaking down, and any second, Cody knew it wouldn't protect them any long and they'd be at war.

Atlantis' army surrounded it, ready to fend off the creatures wishing to take it down. You could see the portal slowly breaking down, and the soldiers were becoming restless. Each was ready to do anything to keep their city safe.

Anger was filling up in Cody, consuming his every thought as time ticked down. He stood in front of them all, with Professor and Tanith to his back, and was fully ready to charge when needed. He wanted to kill all of them, because it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered.

Then there was a call. The Nexus was calling to him, reaching out and whispered promises of power, and he listened to its every word. Power began to fill up inside of him, and almost spilled out when his fist clenched.

Cody only then noticed his eyesight seemed... Off. Almost everything seemed to have a red tint to it. The energy began to spill out like an overflowing dam and out of the corner of my eye, Professor did a double take but hit Tanith in the process.

"Ow!" She protested, glaring at him but then the look dropped in an instant when she glanced at me. Both shared the same look: Shock.

"C-Cody?" Professor stuttered. Cody whipped around, accidentally glaring but he couldn't stop himself from from it. Rage still boiled within the king, and as he felt a spark, they took involuntary steps back.

"Your eyes... Why are they blue?" Cody heard him but ignored the comment. The call of the Nexus only grew stronger and his muscles contracted. Cody crumbled into a ball, causing his pair of friends to rush to his aid, but when the hand reached out to help him, he slapped it away. He could hear the final cracks of the portal shatter.

Cody's body turned light as air as the power suddenly became the closest it could to stable. His body shot up and the energy only wanted to be released. Cody had two choices: Release it or keep it in. Cody had a feeling deep inside of him that releasing it would have consequences, but he didn't care.

As the army spilled into Atlantis, Cody let out a scream and released the power. All went white.

And... Cody couldn't feel anything. So empty. Like he was nothing at all. So fragile, that he could fade in seconds, and he almost did. However, the slightest of pulls brought him back to reality.

Cody's eyes flicked open, and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

The army trying to get into Atlantis was being enveloped in a white and blue energy beam, and disintegrated. Each vanished before his very eyes as they did, but the army kept trying to get in, most not realizing the danger of death if they did. This beam traced back to one source.

Cody. Cody was staring at himself.

This Cody, if it was Cody at all, was letting power drain from himself, spear in hand but didn't seem to do much other than glow. No, this power was coming from his very body.

Cody reached out to himself, but then nearly screamed. His hand- no- his whole arm had a white glow and was see through. Cody looked down at his body, only to see the same thing.

He was a ghost. Or at least a spirit out of his body. Whether he was dead or not was up for debate but Cody didn't feel dead.

He blinked and searched for more clues of what happened, and stopped at two helpless figures behind him. Tanith and Professor both stared but had different reactions. Professor looked at his actual body and had a look like Cody was a bomb that needed defusing. Tanith was just plain horrified.

"Holy..." Professor whispered. "Cody can do that? How does he even have this power?"

Tanith didn't respond to him, but had her own things to say. "I always knew he was powerful." Cody couldn't tell who she was talking to: Professor or herself. "From the moment I met him, I could feel his power, but this? I could have never predicted this. This is insane! Professor, we have to stop him!"

Professor looked at Cody's form and then the portal and whistled. "He's single handedly destroying an army that was looking to destroy Atlantis, why stop him?"

"Because he's dying!" She screamed, whipping around to face Professor. "Think about it, the Nexus is powerful, but so destructive! It breaks down the water so everyone can breathe, it breaks down the language barrier so everyone can understand each other, it sparks and can defy time itself, it's destructive and that energy is going through Cody's body right now! It's going to stop his heart, and that's if it doesn't turn him to dust, just like the army he's fighting!"

Cody watched as Professor's eyes widened. "Oh... Okay, let me-" He took a step forward but then my body began to do more. It released blue sparks, similar to the Nexus' and it surrounded it, like a huge dome.

Both hesitated but Tanith put up her shield. "I'll get us close." She reassured him and began to move, taking the bubble with her. As they neared closer, the dome and the lightning met, and immediately two things dropped: Tanith and her protective magic. She let out an ear piercing scream.

With only seconds to react before the lightning struck, Professor Pikalus grabbed her fallen form and hauled the two of them off to the side.

"Today just isn't your day for magic, huh?" He joked.

"Apparently not." She replied, voice strained. Looking up, they both stared at my body, which kept going on with the power received. "We can't stop him." She whispered. "He's going to kill himself."

Professor said nothing, but didn't need to.

Cody, in spirit form, watched the whole thing unfold and his mouth hung open. Suddenly, his form was being tugged at again and he let himself get swayed. Traveling a short distance, Cody found himself in the throne room, face to face with the Nexus.

And then it spoke.

"Hello Cody Maverick." It came out of nowhere but echoed around the room. Oddly enough it was feminine. It sounded almost familiar, not a voice he'd ever heard before, but there was something so familiar about it.

Cody blinked. "What the-? Who am I talking to?" It couldn't be...

"You call me, "The Nexus"" They responded. "A fitting name really. But I did not take you here for small talk. Cody, you are here to make a choice."

Cody wasn't sure what was more confusing: The Nexus talking or the statement they made. "Choice? I really don't understand what you're talking about, but can we go back to the whole, "I'm the Nexus" thing? I'm wicked confused."

The Nexus almost seemed to... Laugh at him. "You always were my favorite from your family, Cody. I cannot explain much on that part, but onto the choice part. Cody, I gave you a choice today. I offered power, but I tried to warn you of the cost, but you didn't listen. Tanith is right, your body is dying, fading as we speak, so I'm giving you a choice. Quite possibly, the last choice you'll ever make."

Cody gulped. It almost sounded like a threat when they said it. "What? What choice?" He couldn't help how shrill it sounded.

"It is this: Do you want to fade, or rise up again?"

It should have been so simple, but Cody felt like there was a catch. "... What would happen if I chose fade?"

"You'd die. Your body would fade, and you'd die. No more pain and hardships in life, you'll finally be done."

Cody didn't want to admit out loud how nice that sounded. A chance to forget his worries. "And if I rise?"

"You'll be in a lot of pain and have to recover all the damage done to your body. You'll have to deal with the guilt of killing thousands, and you'll have to run your city. If if you tried to leave, you wouldn't be at peace doing it. You'll be in so much pain. Your brother would still be gone."

"But?" Cody asked.

"But you'll live. I can't guarantee your life will be better, but you'll live and have the chance to make it better. You'll have your friends and families support as you do as well. So what say you? One will bring your guarantee peace, but the other could be so much better, but is a risk. Life or death, what will it be, Cody Maverick?"

Cody began to think. It was taking every ounce of him to say it, but he managed to get the words out.

"I will rise."

His body was suddenly yanked back and into himself, and pain overcame him. His eyes blinked, everything going dark. He could still feel the power coming out of him, but with his last effort, he shut himself off from the Nexus. He crumbled once again. Faint voices screamed his name, but they were so far away.

Cody began to wonder if he was too late, but soon he couldn't quite think at all.  

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WOOOOOO! THIS CHAPTER WAS A TRUE MONSTER, BUT I HATH SLAIN IT!

A TON of things will be explained next chapter, but I promise there was a point to all of this. Something very important actually, but when you'll get it is beyond me.

Anyways, HOLY CRAP! SO MUCH GOING ON AT ONCE! Much important details and many will be brought up later. I can't wait! I have so many things planned so just you wait!

I hope you liked this! Be sure to comment your thoughts and such, and I'll see ya later!

--JustAnAtlantisWriter