Tachyon

The final bell rang, a shrill, collective sigh of freedom echoing through the halls of Blackstone High. Students burst out of their classrooms like a dam breaking, voices mixing in a tangled mess of chatter, plans, and gossip.

Kite slid his backpack over one shoulder, a half-grin on his face as he navigated the current of bodies. Just as he rounded the corner, William fell in step beside him, his voice already picking up speed.

"—And I'm telling you, man, it was so dumb! Like, what even was that? We barely even argued! And suddenly we're the ones getting detention? Mason was just—"

Kite smirked, cutting him off with a lazy glance. "Sounds like you made a new friend."

William scowled, kicking at the floor as they walked. "Yeah, a real charmer. The guy grunted at me like a caveman half the time. But—hey, at least I got out of it without a black eye. That's a win, right?"

Kite chuckled under his breath, hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the sidewalk as they passed a group of kids laughing by the lockers. It felt…normal. Almost too normal, considering the storm brewing in Kite's mind.

"Hey," Kite started, a flicker of curiosity cutting through the mundane. "You remember when Ai mentioned something about the suit's calibration? Like…there was some new system or powers or whatever?"

William perked up immediately, his eyes widening like a kid at a candy store. "Wait, really? When was this?"

"Dunno, a while back. Something about how the stone's been adapting, maybe unlocking new abilities. I didn't really think much of it at the time."

William practically vibrated with excitement, shoving his glasses up on his nose. "Dude, are you seriously telling me you've been sitting on new powers this whole time and didn't even test them out?"

Kite shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Guess I was kinda busy…y'know, saving the city."

William smacked his arm. "You're the worst."

"Yeah, yeah," Kite said, laughing. "Wanna go check it out?"

"Obviously."

The two veered off from the usual path home, cutting through side streets and alleyways until they reached the edge of Blackstone's old industrial district. The abandoned train station loomed ahead—crumbling bricks, shattered windows, and rusting tracks stretching into the overgrown distance like a forgotten scar on the city. It was the perfect place to mess around without getting caught.

Kite hopped the rusted fence with ease, landing with a quiet thud on the cracked concrete. William clambered after him, a little less gracefully but with equal enthusiasm. The air smelled like dust and old rain, the faint hum of the city distant and muffled here.

"Alright, Ai," Kite called out, tapping the side of his ear. "You've been holding out on me. Spill."

A flicker of light danced across his visor, and Ai's voice crackled through the comms—dry, precise, but with a hint of something else…a hesitation Kite didn't miss.

"Ah. Right. The, uh…calibration. Well, to put it simply, your connection to Tachyon has deepened."

Kite blinked. "Tachyon?"

William perked up like a meerkat. "Wait, like…the Tachyon field? That's real?"

Ai hummed, ignoring William's question entirely. "Yes. Individuals connected to Tachyon can manifest abilities—though only select individuals possess this link. The Quasar Stones, however, force that connection, granting Paladins access to their unique powers. Think of it like a conduit—an amplifier."

William crossed his arms, eyebrows raised. "So…that's why Kite has powers? Because the Nexus Stone links him to this Tachyon energy?"

"Correct," Ai confirmed. "Though…not only the Quasar Stones. There are…other ways one can establish a connection to Tachyon."

Kite narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. "Other ways? Like what?"

Ai hesitated. For the first time, his voice almost…glitched. "That's…information Pulsar would need to explain to you."

Kite's eyebrows shot up, the name striking a nerve. "Pulsar? You mean the whole…weird robot-dude vision thing? He's supposed to tell me?"

"That was the expectation, yes."

Kite's stomach twisted. "Yeah, well, Pulsar hasn't exactly been chatty. You said he'd come to me, explain everything. So…why hasn't he?"

A long pause. Ai's usually clipped, calculated tone faltered.

"That is…complicated. The system is…unstable. It's not ideal for Pulsar to—" Ai cut himself off abruptly. "There are…factors. Variables outside your control."

Kite squinted, suspicion crackling in his chest. "Ai. What aren't you telling me?"

"I…am unable to elaborate further at this time."

William glanced between them, sensing the tension. "Okay, whoa, whoa. What's going on here? Are we like, in danger or something?"

Ai's tone snapped back to its usual clinical precision. "Not at the moment. I suggest we focus on testing the new abilities. That is the current priority."

Kite clenched his fists, a spark of frustration igniting. But…he exhaled, letting it out. One step at a time.

"Fine. Let's see what I can do."

The wind rustled through the broken windows, carrying the scent of rust and ozone. The sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting the station in a sharp orange glow as Kite took his stance, the Nexus Stone pulsing faintly in his chest.

Kite squared his shoulders, taking a slow breath as the Nexus Stone pulsed beneath his shirt. A soft blue glow radiated from the crystal embedded in his chest, faint but steady. William stepped back a few paces, arms crossed, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Alright, Ai. What've I got?"

A faint chime crackled through Kite's comms. Ai's voice filtered in—calm, calculated, but with an undercurrent of…well, something Kite couldn't quite pin down.

"The Nexus Stone," Ai began, "is a conduit for light and energy manipulation. In practical terms, this means you can generate, control, and shape light constructs—barriers, weapons, tools. You can also absorb ambient energy, releasing it in focused bursts or beams."

Kite's fingers twitched, a pulse of light flickering along his gauntlet. "So…lasers?"

"Not quite. It's more versatile than that," Ai corrected. "Think of it as hard-light manipulation. Constructs, beams, shields, even flight—though your current control is limited. The Nexus Stone's potential is…vast."

William whistled under his breath, nudging his glasses up. "Dude. You're basically a walking flashlight. A really dangerous flashlight."

Kite shot him a look. "Thanks, man."

Ai continued, unfazed. "All the Quasar Stones grant their wielder's powers. For example: Keith's Eclipse Stone allows him to manipulate frequencies—he can absorb and output various energy signatures, shift his suit into different technological configurations, and enhance his physical abilities through waveform modulation."

Kite blinked. "Wait, Keith can do what?"

William waved a hand. "Okay, that's so not fair."

"Relax," Kite muttered, focusing on his hands. He let the energy build, a faint humming growing in his ears. Light crackled at his fingertips, coalescing into a small, floating construct—a simple disc, glowing faint blue. He grinned. "Okay, this is kinda awesome."

"It is important to note," Ai cut in, "that the Nexus Stone is calibrated to your unique bio-signature. It will not function correctly for another user. Furthermore, I have integrated a tracking subroutine—you can now sense the Nexus Stone's location, should it ever be separated from you."

Kite's eyebrows lifted. "So…if I drop it, I can just, like…ping it back?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Ai replied.

William clapped his hands, beaming. "Bro, we're like…unstoppable now. Hero upgrades unlocked!"

Kite grinned, spinning the light disc in his palm. It flickered, then dissipated as the energy fluxed. His suit's glow dimmed slightly, a quiet beep sounding in his ear.

"Your suit is approaching its time-out limit," Ai reminded. "I suggest we conclude testing for today."

Kite exhaled, letting the residual energy bleed off as the faint hum faded. "Alright. That was…a lot."

The two of them slipped out of the abandoned station, hopping the fence once more. The city was quieter now, the last rays of sunlight casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. But something…felt off.

William squinted down the street, frowning. "Hey…Kite. You see those black SUVs?"

Kite followed his gaze. A line of matte black vehicles sat parked along the curb—too sleek, too clean. Their windows were tinted pitch-black, and as Kite looked closer, a chill pricked at his spine.

"…They don't have plates," Kite muttered.

William raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that, like…super illegal?"

Kite nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. A low hum buzzed at the edge of his senses—faint, almost imperceptible, like a static pulse resonating in his chest. He placed a hand over the Nexus Stone, feeling it respond in kind.

"…There's something weird about them," Kite murmured. "Like…energy. It's faint, but it's there."

William glanced at him, concern flickering in his eyes. "You think they're connected to the Syndicate?"

Kite's mind raced. The Rose Syndicate…

A smirk curled on his lips, the beginnings of an idea sparking in his mind. "What if I could get the Nexus Stone…into one of those SUVs? Like, slip it inside somehow. Then I could track them—see where they're going, where they're based."

William's eyes widened. "You want to use the Nexus Stone as a tracker?"

Kite shrugged, the grin widening. "It's got a tracker built in, doesn't it? Let's put it to good use."

William hesitated, biting his lip. "Kite…that's kinda dangerous. What if they find it?"

Kite's grin faded slightly, his mind turning over the risks. But the thought of getting an edge on the Syndicate…of finally doing something instead of just waiting…was too tempting.

He squared his shoulders, the stone in his chest pulsing in response.

"I'll figure it out," he said, his voice steady. "Let's head home for now."

They continued down the cracked sidewalk, the black SUVs gleaming dully in the fading light. The pulse of the Nexus Stone thrummed in Kite's chest—like a promise, or maybe a warning.

Either way, Kite was ready for whatever came next.