Consequences

[Nox]

The words were barely out of his mouth before fury turned on its heel and belted him in the face. Nox's jaw stung with the pain of Sage's knuckles connecting. At least someone had taught the hacker to throw a punch. Nox still had the power and the pain floated across his awareness of it, but he knew it was there - he knew it'd hurt later. Skinny kid had some bite to him. Not that he should be surprised.

Sage threw the second jab towards his rib cage but Nox wound him up in air and turned him quickly away from him and pressed him against the pillar that held up the stairs. His voice sounded odd to him as he told Sage to calm down - but not in those exact words. It always amazed him how things were so different with the power coursing through his veins. He sounded oddly like Aria does when she goes into battle mode, it made Nox wonder if it was one and the same thing.

Nox should be angry but he wasn't. Sage was a junkie just not the kind that did drugs. Sage's wallet rang and Nox used a weave of air to bring it to him and he answered. "Nothing to worry about Sasha."


Sage struggled against the bonds and he spoke through grunts. "What happened to my stuff?"
Sage continued to try to move but Nox wouldn't let him. Air and his hand between his shoulder blades kept the hacker from moving even though he probably could if Nox weren't cheating.

"You hear him?"


Sasha sighed over the line. "Put me over speaker." Nox complied. Sasha started a few moments later. "Someone came in and took Bryan, Sage. They tried to access your server, Bryan didn't give them the codes. It started a wipe. They tried to stop it by unplugging it and then the whole server started frying - literally. We all heard the first bang in the den - even over the music. They kept calling him Phaser. Sage they thought he was you. But everything's gone - there's nothing in your apartment. They couldn't put the fire out fast enough."

Nox knew that feeling all too well. He'd felt the loss of everything he owned - everyone he loved was gone and Nox tried not to let his feelings show - he wasn't sure how much he achieved but at least Aria wasn't there to feel everything. Nox interrupted Sasha before she could continue on. "If I take away that thing he plugs into his head am I going to have a problem? His doctor said he can't use the thing in his head. He got a message on his wallet and then tried to plug in. He's not happy with me right now."


"I wouldn't if I were you. I'd be like taking his safety net from him. But that's your call. Nox, he'll die if that thing gets any worse. Whatever he's doing now, will only get worse."

Nox laughed dryly. "Pretty sure I can take hacker boy here. Though he does have a nasty right hook."


Sasha gasped. "He hit you? Jesus Christ, Sage. He's only trying to help. Let him call me back when he's feeling better. I gotta go. We are still scrambling after the fire."

Sasha hung up and Sage began his struggle again and Nox let him go backing up three steps holding the hardware he'd confiscated in his fist while he waited those few moments for Sage's reaction.