While Orfelina was celebrating with Remy about her 'accomplishment', Tulio was throwing up on the side of the road. Probably a good time for an explanation.
After Tulio gathered in the office of his sister, he watched as Cat told the school the true story to the student's dismay. Tulio remained straight faced and quiet throughout the entire thing, his eyes distant as always. He hadn't felt it necessary to tell the students that they could be facing imminent danger - most efficient way was to tell them it was a drill and get them out. Apparently Cat didn't like the idea, and Tulio had no problem with that; after all, his plan was slightly immoral to lie to the students. Shrugging that thought off, Tulio watched with a blank stare as those that felt cheated simply left. Tulio felt no pity or annoyance towards them as it was merely their choice - if they wanted to try surviving on their own, then so be it.
When Orfy stated that they were here, Tulio was one of the men to shut down the Academy before making his way outside, unbuttoning his jacket on the way. Tulio didnât know what to expect in this confrontation, but he knew that judging off of statistics this could become very violent and bloody: and the humans didnât disappoint. Tulioâs eyes scanned all of those that bashed through the gate, ready to gun down every mutant that didnât comply. And when the first shot was fired, Tulio ceased to exist: instead stood Nexus, and the battle began.
Nexus was a support fighter: he wasnât that good entirely at fighting the front lines like the rest. However, that meant absolutely nothing about his lethality in combat - tendrils snaked through units, incapacitating soldiers, piercing tanks and ripping a helicopter out of the air. Nexus knew that he couldn't stay in the back forever, as it became clear quite quickly that the battle was making its way throughout the ranks becoming the chaotic mess that happened in roughly 64 % of all the novels he read. By then, he began his own frontal attacks, using the shadows created by all the soldiers to create weapons, sneak around, become ethereal to avoid being shot.
Needless to say, however, Nexus knew he was being targeted. Sure, he wasn't the leader of the X-Men as that was Catâs position, but the soldiers could tell that letting a fighter in the back shred their units without being hurt was bad. Nexus had barely avoided a shot from a sniper by becoming a shadow when he found Tarot punching the shit out of her enemies. He had to stop and smile a little at her efforts before shooting a guy. It was then that he turned back to face his opponent when staring at the barrel of a rifle. Instincts took over instantly to disarm the man - quite literally - but he was starting to slow down due to the constant use of his powers. Nexus knew that his mutation was quite a powerful force, but as the old proverb stated, with great power comes great responsibility. In Nexusâ case, his responsibility was his health and physical weariness. If this battle didnât end soon he would be forced to resort to that and Nexus knew that he would be out for days if he did.
Nexus knew something was wrong when his eyes refocused: he had been over analyzing again, his Achilles heel in combat. He knew that he had quite the tendency to overcompensate his thought process, which led to periods where he would simply stare into space; he just hadnât realized how bad it had gotten. Nexus had barely broken out of his thought stupor to the sight of a gunman aiming his pistol at him. His eyes wide with complete shock, he knew that the human would shoot him before Nexus had any time to react, and did just that. Only, a flash of red crossed his eye below him as the shot rang out into the air, blending in with the rest of the millions of gunshots. Nexusâ heart gripped in fear as understanding dawned on him as a body struck his. Another had been taken the shot for him, but not just another: the sweet, shy Tarot had taken the bullet because of his carelessness.
Her seemingly lifeless body collide with his as she fell backwards due to the impact of the shot. Nexusâ eyes could barely register anything at all, only the mess of red hair that was against his chest. In all honesty, Nexus cannot remember the next few details completely as they blurred together; only that he watched as Tarot stirred while holding the gunman in the air by the neck, destroying him mentally in rage. Nexus had dropped the man instantly and ran to her, only to watch as the 45 caliber bullet that had drilled itself into her cranium to be pushed out.
After that, the blur of motions continued. Nexus fell to the back to attempt to stop the young fools that ran onto the battlefield from being shot, but mostly to no avail - partly because of their position, partly because of his mental exhaustion. While some peopleâs mutations drained the body, mind or emotions, Nexusâ was known to do all three, and they came in stages: first was mental, with emotional and physical bringing up the rear. As quick as the battle had begun, it seemed it had ended just as fast. Tulio looked at the dead, the sickening feeling that always fell over him when he took the life of another slowly rising to his throat. While Cat gave the instructions, instead of being an enforcer Tulio turned off all of his powers and recovered in the background, avoiding everybodyâs gaze as his thoughts drifted. Everybody moved out, and Tulio got into his stealth black Audi R8 Coupe and drove off. Tulio went out of his way to drive on good roads, but take the long way to Remyâs house.
Which brings us to the present: Tulio had jumped out of his car three quarters of the way to New Orleans and threw up. He had done a good job shutting off his mind, thinking of other unorthodox thoughts to occupy his mind, but he knew that the war would catch up to him - heck, he shouldnât have even been driving, as he had been shaking for at least half of the ride. Hence why he was hunched over the side of the road, spitting out the remnants of his meager breakfast. To make sure that nobody would divert their attention to him mentally, Tulio - being the teacher of mental preparation, after all - was able to create a fog around his mind, allowing only permitted thoughts and feelings to get through. This way, nobody would come ask him what was wrong.
What WAS wrong with him? Tulio kept recounting the lives he had taken - 39 soldiers, 2 tanks, an SUV and a helicopter, which totalled in roughly 53 men - and Orfelina getting shot. He couldnât get the image of her red hair flinging back with a perfectly symmetrical hole inserted into her forehead, and what had he done? Nothing. Just like always, Tulio was absolutely useless in the field: the training mission, Strykerâs house, and now here. It was a wonder how the man was even still alive.
After his little episode on the side of the road, Tulio pulled himself together with one simple thought, the only thought that could drive him enough to keep moving forward.: She isnât dead, you fool: be grateful. Cat and Orfy are waiting for you. It was enough to remind him of Orfyâs awkward grin as she raced out of the parking lot, one that Tulio could have sworn was somewhat directed at him. Regardless, he drove on, the rest of the ride being somewhat uneventful.
By the time he had pulled up to the mansion, Tulio wasnât even sure what he was looking at anymore. His vision was a little blurry from the fatigue, and his hands were still shaking a little: it sure didnât help that he got a shadow to drive for him for a while after he threw up so he could ârecuperateâ. What a bunch of good that did him. Shakily, he opened the door and got a foot out, his sunglasses sitting on his face due to the annoying brightness of the sun. However, his knee buckled out from underneath him, and he nearly fell to the ground Tulio steadied himself, and finally pulled himself out of the car. His vision blurred again with the sudden altitude shift, but he noticed that he was actually the second person to arrive, as Orfyâs bike was the only vehicle parked.
His thoughts grim and heavy with the weight of everything that had been witnessed, Tulio scanned the mansion with a grim satisfaction. This place will do. Unsure of where Orfelina was, Tulio looked around for her before giving up to walk towards the mansion. He probably overlooked her easily, as even with his sunglasses on, his fatigue in all three elements was quite obvious.