《Omega Knights: A Tokusatsu Superhero Adventure》


 Catastrophe

    [[ WARNING! WARNING! SYSTEM FAILURE! ]]


    Tom Stone ignored the shouts of the system and pulled hard on the stick. The large jet designed in the image of a giant phoenix was sluggish to respond as he tried to pull up from an uncontrolled descent.


    ¡°C¡¯mon¡­c¡¯mon¡­¡±


    He could feel the same emotions as the ship¡¯s essence. It was a wondrous fusion of modern technology and a mysterious energy source that could only be called magic. They were called Titans, and they were more than just machines¡ªeach contained the essence of a mythical creature that had a link with its pilot. Tom could sense that the Phoenix was terrified, which only added to his own fear. Was there any possibility of surviving this outing?


    ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, girl. But we¡¯ve got to get back to the others. You¡¯re the Phoenix, right? You always bounce back. Not even death can stop you.¡±


    Strange enough, but his pep talk seemed to do the trick. The controls started responding. Tom felt the bird¡¯s orientation change. They were rising back up through the air. He smiled behind the emotionless helmet that covered his head and patted the console.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Now let¡¯s help our friends.¡±


    He throttled up and the Phoenix Titan responded, its rear thrusters rocketing back towards the site of the battle. The fiery, crimson wings tore through the sky, rocketing closer to his destination, when a welcome surprise greeted him as a voice coming through the speakers.


    ¡°¡ªed Knight respond. Red Knight, do you read?¡±


    Finally, the crackle of restored communications. Tom let out a sigh of relief and responded. ¡°Red Knight, online and back in the fight.¡±


    ¡°Status report.¡±


    ¡°The Phoenix Titan¡¯s seen better days. She¡¯s scared, Control.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push the Titan past her limits. A strategic retreat is advised.¡±


    ¡°A retreat? Are you fucking high?¡±


    ¡°You mind repeating that, Red Knight?¡±


    Tom sighed. ¡°What I mean is that my team needs me and I¡¯m not about to give up on them.¡±


    There was a moment of silence and then the last thing Tom wanted to hear: ¡°The team is gone, Red Knight.¡±


    Behind the visor of his crimson helmet, Tom¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his sockets. The team gone? Impossible. He wouldn¡¯t believe it. He couldn¡¯t believe it. There was no way he was the only one left.


    ¡°Red Knight, did you copy? I said your team is gone. Strategic retreat is advised. Please respond.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not turning back, Control.¡±


    ¡°Red Knight, you must return to base immediately! That¡¯s an order!¡±


    ¡°Then you can write me up for insubordination later, but I¡¯m not giving up on my friends.¡±


    ¡°Red Knight! Red Knigh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Disable comms,¡± Tom ordered the Titan. The crackle of Control¡¯s frantic orders was suddenly silenced. Tom took a deep breath. ¡°Better.¡±


    Concern emanated from the Phoenix. She was worried not only about Tom¡¯s uncharacteristic insubordination, but also the fate of the rest of the team. Tom tried his best to calm the spirit housed in the robot.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. We got cut off from communications when we were blown back. More than likely, that¡¯s also what happened to the others,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll see. We¡¯ll get there and everything will be fine. Now come on. It¡¯s time to save the goddamn day.¡±


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    The heads-up display marked the location of the enemy on a holographic map. Tom pushed on the stick and the Phoenix burst through the clouds. The massive wraparound monitor gave a panoramic view of what was right in front of the Titan, and as the clouds parted ways, Tom could see a serpentine monster below. It was black and covered with scales, with the head of a snake. The long neck extended down into the body of a giant lizard. The neck was wrapped around a giant crab-like robot. Giant pincers adorned the robot, which had shades of green. This robot was another of the Titans and piloted by the team¡¯s leader, Scott Taylor.


    ¡°See, what¡¯d I tell you?¡± Tom asked his Titan. ¡°Karkinos is still active, which means so is Scott. Gonna take a lot more than a creepy snake monster to finish off the Green Knight.¡±


    The Phoenix remained unconvinced but didn¡¯t protest. Tom tried to survey the rest of the ground as best he could. He couldn¡¯t see the rest of the team from this vantage point.


    ¡°No sign of the others yet.¡±


    Concern emanated from the Phoenix, and Tom again had to play a soothing role.


    ¡°I know we have no sign of the others. But we had no sign of the Green Knight until just now, so don¡¯t lose hope. Instead, how about we give our pal some help?¡±


    The Phoenix slowed its descent, holding out its wings far to the sides. Crimson energy started coursing from the Titan¡¯s eyes and chest, flowing out to its wings. A fiery aura surrounded the mechanical beast, drawing the snake monster¡¯s attention. As the creature looked away from the Karkinos Titan, the Phoenix swooped its wings forward, unleashing the fiery energy in a massive discharge of elemental power and knocking it back into a mountain.


    Tom attempted to open a secure comms channel with the Karkinos Titan.


    ¡°Green, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°What took you so long, Red? You napping on the job?¡±


    Tom chuckled at Scott¡¯s ribbing. ¡°Nah, just didn¡¯t want to upstage our fearless leader. Thought I¡¯d give you a chance to prove yourself.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Guess I gotta do everything myself around here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the status of the others?¡±


    Silence came as a response. Tom checked to make sure the line was still open. ¡°Scott?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, okay? And stick to call signs.¡±


    ¡°Phoenix, can you locate the others?¡± asked Tom.


    The map appeared on the HUD once again, pinpointing the locations of the other team members.


    ¡°I need visual.¡±


    The Phoenix turned its head around, trying to see the rest of the team. Lying just off to the side and sprawled out on the ground was the Wyvern Titan, a pink robot with large wings and a serpentine body. Near the Wyvern was the Unicorn Titan. A yellow equine robot with a large horn knocked over on its side. And covered with rocks was the Raiju Titan, a blue robot that resembled a gigantic wolf.


    ¡°Titans are down. Vitals?¡±


    There was a buzzer-like sound and then the phrase [[ SIGNAL NOT FOUND ]] flashed on the HUD.


    ¡°Signal not found¡­doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re gone¡­could just be transmission damage.¡± Tom¡¯s attempts at reassurances weren¡¯t convincing. He didn¡¯t even really know if they were for Scott or himself, but he was sure neither believed them. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯ve seen better days. The Karkinos, too. Not sure how much more we can take.¡±


    A warning blared as the snake monster


    ¡°It¡¯s back!¡±


    The snake monster went on the offensive, tackling the Karkinos Titan from behind. Its neck extended, wrapping around the Titan¡¯s pincer arm and squeezing. Even in his cockpit, Tom could hear metal being rent until the pincer snapped right off.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Scott!¡± Tom flew back into action, readying the Phoenix¡¯s weapons. ¡°We need another elemental blast!¡±


    [[ Insufficient power, ]] came the computer¡¯s response. [[ Utilizing the Phoenix Flame without proper cool-down could cause catastrophic damage. ]]


    ¡°Well, what goddamn choice do we have?¡±


    The snake continued slithering around, expanding its body to impossible lengths. It continued wrapping itself around the Karkinos Titan, and the sound of metal crunching beneath it was torture for the Red Knight.


    ¡°Reroute all power to the Phoenix Flame.¡±


    [[ Utilizing the Phoenix Flame without proper cool-down¡ª ]]


    ¡°I know, dammit! Just do it now!¡±


    Warnings continued to flash across the HUD as Tom pushed the Phoenix Titan to its limits. He could feel the Phoenix¡¯s fear mixed with a sense of betrayal, but it was the one shot he had left. The only way he could save his team.


    Once again, the Phoenix spread its wings and unleashed a powerful burst of crimson energy, which consumed the snake. Instead of releasing the Karkinos, the creature only coiled around the Titan even tighter, screeching and throwing its head back in pain.


    Tom was losing control of the Phoenix. It started diving into free-fall, with warnings continuing to flash. He pulled the emergency eject lever, and the canopy flew off. His chair shot up into the air and into relative safety due to the ejection.


    The parachute opened and Tom descended from the sky as he watched the Phoenix Titan crash into the snake and the Karkinos. There was an explosion that engulfed all three of the massive behemoths.


    ¡°Scott!¡± Tom tried to activate his helmet¡¯s comms. ¡°Scott, do you read me?¡±


    Static was all that filled the space of his helmet. Once Tom landed to safety, he pulled the parachute off and darted for the flaming wreckage. Finally, the snake¡¯s charred corpse loosened from the Karkinos, but all that remained of the two Titans was flaming metal.

 Survivors

    The air was thick with the stench of smoke. Tom Stone¡¯s crimson helmet only provided the barest of protection against the odor. Towering plumes of smoke tainted the sky as flames danced and devoured hungrily, consuming everything in their path.


    Tom Stone dug through the twisted and mangled metal that had once been two giant mechs called Titans. The red one had been his own Titan, the Phoenix. The Karkinos Titan had belonged to Scott Taylor, the leader of the Omega Knights.


    ¡°Red, do you copy?¡±


    Control had re-established contact through the comms in his helmet. Tom ignored the pleas to answer as he pulled torn sheets of metal and knocked over debris. With his Omega Force armor, the fire couldn¡¯t hurt him. But even if it could, he wouldn¡¯t have stopped.


    After several minutes of digging, he noticed an arm clad in green. Tom focused on the arm, digging out the surrounding metal, until he was looking at the Green Knight.


    ¡°Control, this is Red Knight. I¡¯ve found Green.¡±


    ¡°Red¡­listen to me.¡± The voice had softened compared to when Tom was disobeying orders from the Phoenix cockpit. ¡°We¡¯re¡ªwe¡¯re not picking up any vitals¡­¡±


    ¡°Then your fucking system is broken. I¡¯m looking right at him.¡±


    Tom stared into the emotionless black visor. He gently nudged the figure, careful in case of any broken bones.


    ¡°Scott, it¡¯s me. We made it out.¡±


    No response came from the Green Knight. Just that black visor staring blankly back at Tom.


    ¡°Scott¡­?¡±


    Tom shook Scott with some added firmness. No movement.


    ¡°Scott, this isn¡¯t funny¡­¡±


    Tom reached down and found the mechanisms to release the helmet. It dissolved into microscopic nanomachines and retreated into the rest of the suit to reveal Scott¡¯s head. And what Tom saw was Scott¡¯s eyes fixed in a fearful but blank expression.


    A tightness gripped Tom¡¯s chest. For the briefest of moments, it felt like he forgot how to breathe. As he stared at the lifeless body, his head kept running with different scenarios.


    Just keep watching. He¡¯s going to gasp for breath any minute now.


    That gasp never came. Tom fell back, his helmet-covered head resting on one of the torn pieces of the Karkinos.


    Now he¡¯ll wake up. He¡¯ll stick his head right above mine and say something like, ¡®Why are you sleeping on the job?¡¯


    Tom closed his eyes.


    Just concentrate. You¡¯ll hear him move soon.


    At first, there was just the crackle of the flames dying out. But then, a new sound. Something that seemed to resemble footsteps. Tom opened his eyes, a sense of hope and relief suddenly inflating his chest.


    ¡°Tom¡­?¡±


    Someone calling out his name. But it wasn¡¯t Scott¡¯s voice. Tom sat up and looked around the field of destruction. Moving closer to him was a figure clad in blue armor. Tom got to his feet and the Blue Knight ran towards him. Once close enough, the Knight embraced Tom, but he kept his arms at his sides.


    ¡°Oh thank god¡­they said you survived¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡­?¡±


    The Blue Knight broke the embrace and reached hands for the helmet. It dissolved just as Scott¡¯s had, retreating into the suit and revealing the face of Rachel Kim, a young woman of Korean descent with short, black hair.


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    ¡°Control. They said¡­¡± Rachel¡¯s voice halted. She closed her eyes to hold her composure. ¡°Emily, Michael¡­Scott. They¡­¡±


    Tom tilted his head to the side, staring at her through his helmet¡¯s visor. The helmet¡¯s HUD identified her name and rank within the organization.


    ¡°What about them? Scott¡¯s right here. He¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Rachel took a deep breath. ¡°Tom¡­Scott¡¯s dead. They all are. We¡¯re¡ªwe¡¯re the only ones left.¡±


    Tom shook his head and went back over to Scott¡¯s body. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not possible. We¡¯re¡ªwe¡¯re the Omega Knights. That power¡­it makes us special. We¡¯re different!¡±


    He kneeled by Scott¡¯s body and put his hands on his fallen leader¡¯s chest. Rachel watched in stunned silence as Tom tried to perform chest compressions. He attempted CPR, trying to blow into Scott¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to work,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯re different¡­¡± he said. ¡°Not like others. We¡¯re special, we¡¯re¡­we¡¯re¡­¡±


    Rachel kneeled down beside Tom. She put a hand on his back, trying to stop him. ¡°It¡¯s too late for CPR.¡± She grabbed his shoulders to try easing him away. Tom broke from her and went back to his futile attempts at resurrecting the dead.


    ¡°He can make it!¡±


    ¡°Tom, that¡¯s enough! You¡¯ve got to stop!¡± Rachel¡¯s tone grew more forceful. She managed to pull him up to his feet, but Tom shoved her back and returned to Scott¡¯s body. She sighed. He would not give in willingly. ¡°Dammit¡­¡±


    ¡°We can save him! The Omega Force, it can¡ª¡±


    Rachel closed her eyes as the nanomachines flowed from her armor and reformed her helmet over her face. She held her arm out and energy coursed from the armor into her palm, forming a blue-tinted bow with a line of blue light serving as the string. Rachel drew the string back and an arrow of pure electricity forged itself. As she took aim at her target, lining up Tom in her sights, the HUD on her visor warned her that a fellow Knight was in range.


    ¡°I can see that¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°Hopefully he¡¯ll understand why I had to do this.¡±


    She released the string and the electric arrow flew from the bow. The arrow struck Tom right in the back. His body seized up, the electricity surging through his body, arms flailing. He fell unconscious on top of Scott.


    Rachel lowered her arm, the bow disassembling into the nanites and returning to her armor. She opened up her comms channel back to headquarters.


    ¡°Control, this is Blue Knight. I¡¯ve had to incapacitate Red. He just¡­¡± She stopped herself, not sure of how to answer. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°Copy that, Blue Knight. We have a team en route to you right now. As soon as you get back to headquarters, the Quantum Group is going to require a full debrief as we undergo damage assessment.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to confirm, though¡ªyou¡¯re absolutely certain that you and Red are the only survivors?¡±


    Rachel closed her eyes behind her visor, swallowing her own emotions. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain. I¡¯ve got visual on Green right now and I checked Yellow and Pink before I met up with Red. We¡¯re the only ones left.¡±


    There was a moment of silence on the other end. Rachel almost questioned whether they heard her. Before she could say something, Control came back with a response.


    ¡°Thank you for the confirmation, Blue. Please stand by until the team arrives.¡±


    ¡°Sure, standing by¡­¡± she muttered as she closed the comms channel. ¡°Just sit here and twiddle my goddamn thumbs, I guess¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Dr. Candace Wu, a middle-aged woman with her hair tied in a tight bun atop her head, strolled with purpose down the corridor. By her side was Agent Marcus Kane. He was a good foot taller than her and built like a tree trunk. His craggy face bore the marks of a lifetime of service, and the only other sign of his age were the bits of gray at his temples.


    The pair were silent as they entered a darkened room with just a single beam of light in the center. Marcus gestured for her to go forward.


    Candace stepped into the light and three massive, holographic screens appeared around her, showing the images of three individuals cloaked in shadow.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotten confirmation,¡± said Candace. ¡°Scott Taylor, Emily Dawson, and Michael Gray have all been killed in action.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the damage assessment, Dr. Wu?¡± asked one of the three.


    ¡°All five Titans have suffered extensive damage. The team is examining the wreckage right now. There¡¯s no telling how long it will take to get them operational again.¡±


    ¡°And the Titan spirits? We need to ensure the Omega Force can be transferred to the chosen successors.¡±


    Candace looked at the screens in disbelief. ¡°We lost three of our own today. Three heroes who¡¯ve proven themselves in battle at least a dozen times over. Can we please just¡­take a minute?¡±


    She heard a grunt of disapproval from Marcus.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option, Dr. Wu,¡± said another of the three mystery figures. ¡°The Quantum Group is all that stands before this plane of existence and breaches from hostile worlds. The Omega Knights is our first and only line of defense.¡±


    ¡°We understand how¡­sensitive this is, Doctor,¡± said the third. ¡°But we must put our personal feelings aside for the good of humanity. The Omega Knights must stand at a constant state of readiness. Agent Kane, do you have the successors lined up?¡±


    Candace sighed and lowered her head. There was no talking with them¡ªemotionless avatars who couldn¡¯t care less about the people they burn through.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Marcus. ¡°We¡¯ve got the potentials marked and ready for approach.¡±


    She stared at him in disbelief. Candace knew he could be cold when he was in professional mode, but even in this situation?


    ¡°Then begin the recruitment process.¡±

 Fallout

    ¡°Tom, it¡¯s time.¡±


    Thomas Stone¡¯s green eyes looked up from his seat. He sat in a lounge area, waiting to be summoned by the Quantum Tribunal, the mysterious leaders of the Quantum Group. And now, Marcus Kane had emerged and called his name. Rachel Kim was by his side and she moved away from Marcus.


    Tom and Rachel exchanged silent glances. Their eyes lingered for a moment before she broke the gaze and sat in an empty chair. They hadn¡¯t spoken since the incident¡ªnot since Rachel had incapacitated him. Tom bore no grudge, though. He hadn¡¯t given her much of a choice, and he knew that. But he also wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it.


    Tom stood and left the seating area, joining Marcus. The older agent led him through the corridors of the Quantum Group¡¯s central compound, which was known as the Sanctuary. Marcus didn¡¯t speak to him. It had been him communicating with Tom over comms during the battle, and Tom had ignored his orders. Tom had been with the Omega Knights for just over a year. And though Marcus wasn¡¯t an easy person to get close to, Tom knew enough about him to know that Marcus would not have liked that insubordination.


    Yet, he said nothing. One emotion Marcus wasn¡¯t shy about expressing was anger. If he was keeping a lid on things right now, that meant one of two possibilities. The first was that he realized Tom had been correct and didn¡¯t want to admit it. The second was that he was waiting until he felt it was the opportune moment. Tom assumed it was the latter and not the former.


    Each footfall brought them closer to what the support staff half-jokingly called the Sanctum. The place where the Quantum Tribunal met with their operatives. Tom was sure that once he met with the Quantum Tribunal, they¡¯d thank him for his service and issue him his discharge notice. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to keep him on after his flagrant disregard of orders and even had a mental breakdown in the field.


    Part of him even welcomed it. Michael, Emily¡­Scott. All gone. All because he wasn¡¯t strong enough to save them. What good was he to the organization now?


    They reached the Sanctum¡¯s entrance. Marcus placed his hand on the scanner and after a moment, the door unlocked and slid open. He stepped in first, with Tom following a few paces behind.


    Once in the darkened room, Tom saw the single beam of light shining down in the center. Marcus stood by the door, hands clasped at his waist. He gave a simple nod. After pushing his hand through his short, brown hair, Tom stepped toward the light.


    As soon as Tom moved into the beam¡¯s path, three holographic screens appeared in a semi-circle around him, the silhouettes of the Quantum Tribunal displayed on each. This was the most anyone ever saw of the Tribunal, just a vague outline, mostly concealed by shadow. And never in person, always through some other means of communication. They had no idea if the members of the Tribunal were even human¡ªfor all Tom knew, they could be aliens broadcasting from deep within Area 51.


    ¡°Knight Stone,¡± said one of the Tribunal. ¡°We¡¯ve reviewed the relevant diagnostic data from the incident and spoken with both Agent Kane and Knight Kim.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like a simple, run-of-the-mill breach, the kind of thing we¡¯ve handled dozens of times in the past,¡± Tom began. ¡°We first thought we were dealing with a simple Level 3, possibly a Level 4, so we summoned the Titans as per protocol. But then things escalated, and it became clear this was a Level 5 situation.¡±


    ¡°If you determined it was a Level 5, why had you not attempted fusion?¡±


    ¡°During the fight, the Phoenix Titan was blown clear of the battlefield.¡±


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    ¡°And how did that happen?¡±


    Tom sighed. ¡°I launched into an attack too early. I became overzealous.¡±


    There was a moment of intense silence. Tom could feel their judging eyes boring into him. But they said nothing and simply indicated for him to continue.


    ¡°By the time I could return, things had gone far south. Only Scott¡ªKnight Taylor¡ªwas still active.¡±


    ¡°You were ordered to retreat, were you not?¡±


    Tom gave a nod. ¡°I was.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you disobeyed that directive. Why?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave my¡ª¡± he hesitated, ¡°¡ªmy teammate behind.¡±


    Another uncomfortable silence lingered. Tom and Scott had kept the full extent of their relationship a secret from the Quantum Tribunal. The rest of the team had known, of course. But the leadership was far from what could be termed progressive, and Scott in particular was worried about what it would mean for their positions within the organization.


    ¡°I understand that I violated a direct order. Three Knights are dead now because I wasn¡¯t able to marshal an adequate strategy,¡± said Tom. ¡°I¡¯m willing to accept whatever punishment the Tribunal feels is warranted.¡±


    Another beat of silence. Tom wished he could see the faces of the leadership. Not because he cared about their identities, but he desperately wanted some sort of read on how they were reacting to his statement.


    ¡°No punishment shall be forthcoming, Knight Stone.¡±


    Tom couldn¡¯t have heard what he thought he did. He looked up, a quizzical expression etched on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you say that again?¡±


    ¡°You performed as well as could be expected. As team leader, Knight Taylor was responsible for calling for a retreat when the situation turned bad. He did not and so you were simply reacting as best you could.¡±


    ¡°While your own insubordination is far from acceptable behavior, it is understandable, given the extenuating nature of the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°But¡­I lost it afterwards¡­Rachel had to¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re well aware of Knight Kim¡¯s role in incapacitating you. Normally, your actions would be grounds for disciplinary measures, but again, this was a unique situation. She herself spoke favorably of your performance in the field.¡±


    ¡°However, we do believe both you and Knight Kim will benefit from some trauma counseling, which the Quantum Group will happily provide for you.¡±


    ¡°Both yourself and Knight Kim will be retained for active duty and we will begin preparations for new acquisitions to fill in the open slots on the team.¡±


    Open slots? thought Tom. That was a hell of a way to refer to three dead operatives. Heroes who had saved the world dozens of times over. And now they were just swapping them out as if they were broken components.


    Expendable. That¡¯s what they all were. But Tom had known that going into this job and he accepted it, anyway.


    ¡°And the field commander?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°That is a discussion for another time. For now, focus on your counseling and you will be informed once a new leader has been chosen and the new recruits located.¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed, Knight Stone.¡±


    Tom gave a nod and stepped back. As soon as he was out of the light, the holographic screens vanished. He turned around to face Marcus, who had already opened the door and walked through it. Tom followed, but then once he set foot outside the door, Marcus grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the corridor wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t drum your ass outta here,¡± said Marcus as he jabbed a finger toward Tom¡¯s face. ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight, Stone¡ªI have operational command over this team. I¡¯ve been playing this game since you were shitting in diapers. So the next time that I give you a goddamn order in the field, you¡¯d better fucking listen!¡±


    To stress his point, Marcus punched Tom in the stomach. It knocked the wind out of him and he was bent over for a moment. The punch wasn¡¯t as hard as Marcus could have managed, and Tom¡¯s own enhancements from the Omega Force prevented him from feeling too much discomfort. More than anything, he felt shock. But Marcus¡¯s intention was more to make a point than to be detrimental.


    ¡°If you ever disobey one of my directives again, then those floating heads are gonna be the least of your fucking worries, kid.¡± Marcus straightened his jacket and wiped some spittle from his lip. ¡°I trust we won¡¯t have to have another conversation like this again, will we?¡±


    Tom didn¡¯t respond with words. Instead, he just gave a nod of understanding. That seemed good enough for Marcus, because he nodded as well and then stepped a few paces back.


    ¡°Glad we could clear that up,¡± he said. ¡°Now go back to your quarters. Once they have something new to tell you, you¡¯ll be summoned.¡±


    Tom started walking down the corridor. As if he wasn¡¯t feeling bad enough about what had happened, now he had to deal with two physical punishments from the people he was supposed to be working with.


    No one ever said this job was going to be easy.

 Succession

    The Sanctuary was on an island in the Pacific. Isolated enough to allow for the Quantum Group to operate in relative secrecy, but also large enough that the island had enough space to run the operation. Besides the Sanctuary itself, which was at the top of a mountain range, there was a large clearing at sea level that provided space for a variety of training situations.


    After speaking with the Quantum Tribunal, that was where Tom went next. He tried to seek out Rachel, but she hadn¡¯t waited for him in the lounge and she wasn¡¯t in her quarters or anywhere else in the compound. That only left what the Knights themselves referred to as the Arena.


    The Arena served as a training ground for the Knights to hone their skills. As it comprised a large swath of the island, it allowed for different terrain¡ªfrom forests to plains to beaches, part of the mountain range, and even a portion of the surrounding ocean. Warm air blew in from the Pacific and with the sun shining over the mountains, its rays shimmering down over the waves and the green leaves of the forest, this would normally be a perfectly serene area to spend some time.


    But that wasn¡¯t how Tom felt as he entered the area. The Quantum Group¡¯s technology allowed for holographic representations of different enemies and also additional obstacles, if the program called for it. And those disruptions transformed what would otherwise have been a scenic location into something far more deadly.


    Rachel wore her blue Omega Knight armor. The Omega Avatar for her was the lightning-based Raiju. Upon transformation, she gained access to the Thunderbow, a weapon capable of firing bolts of electricity. She also had superhuman speed and agility, which she exhibited as she dodged between holographic sentries firing hard light projectiles at her.


    Her movements were a blur as she entered the forested area. Rachel jumped from tree to tree, the sentries trying their best to match her pace. Each sentry was a circular drone with two turrets extending to the sides, barely larger than a mid-sized dog.


    Tom watched from the sidelines. He didn¡¯t equip himself with any armor, but instead wore a casual uniform consisting of white pants with red trim, a black shirt, and a red jacket with an omega symbol prominently featured over the left breast.


    The sentries were ganging up on Rachel. There were six in total and two hovered above the tree line, while the other four moved about the perimeter. Tom saw they were engaged in a pincer-like formation to strike at her from all sides.


    Instinctively, he brought his left arm up. The sleeve slid back, revealing the large wrist device that looked like a smartwatch, but was actually the Omega Gauntlet. It was what enabled the Knights to tap into the Omega Force for their transformations. He was just about to transform and come to Rachel¡¯s aid when, suddenly, a bolt of lightning flew from the tree line, striking one sentry hovering above. A chain lightning effect followed, arcing to the second high sentry.


    Two of the sentries monitoring the perimeter moved up. That was when a blue blur accentuated with lightning moved from the forest. Rachel slowed down just enough so Tom could see as she fired a bolt at close range.


    The two that moved up now went lower. Rachel pulled back the thin hard light laser that served as the Thunderbow¡¯s string. Two lightning arrows formed, both aimed in different directions. She released the string, shooting each arrow directly into the targets.


    Only one sentry left and it moved around the perimeter to engage. The sentry opened fire with both turrets. Rachel¡¯s movements were quick. She spun the bow around, using it to deflect the hard-light bullets. The firing stopped for a moment and Rachel used that opportunity to rush towards the sentry. She flipped the bow around and changed the setting on the string, turning it from a simple hard light object into a hot cutting laser. Wasting not a second, Rachel relieved the sentry of each turret. Then she raised the bow above her head and brought it down, the laser slicing right through the center of the sentry.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Rachel finished her task as the light particles that formed the sentry dissipated. She turned off the laser and her armor absorbed the nanites that made up the bow.


    At that moment, Tom made his presence known, giving a soft clap. Rachel started at first, but then she relaxed when she saw him. Electricity crackled around her body and her armor retreated into the Omega Gauntlet on her wrist. The uniform she wore under the armor was the same as Tom¡¯s, only blue where he had red.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± Rachel sighed and sat down on a rock, ¡°but not good enough to have saved the others¡­¡±


    Tom shook his head and moved into the Arena. ¡°That¡¯s not on you.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I got distracted, and that earned me a sucker-punch. If I¡¯d been on the ball, that wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±


    ¡°This is on me, not you. I charged in when I should have hung back. If I wasn¡¯t so stupid and headstrong, then I wouldn¡¯t have been knocked out of the fight¡­¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not my fault, then it¡¯s definitely not yours,¡± she said. ¡°Scott wouldn¡¯t want you to¡ª¡±


    Tom held up a hand. A simple gesture telling Rachel that he didn¡¯t want to hear another word. ¡°I didn¡¯t come to dissect what happened.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she said. ¡°So, why are you here? Because if it¡¯s to get some training in, then I¡¯d prefer to just work out alone for now.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I just¡­I wanted to say thanks.¡±


    Rachel shrugged. ¡°For what?¡±


    The Heads told me what you said about me.¡±


    ¡®The Heads¡¯ was shorthand for ¡®Floating Heads,¡¯ a term the Knights used to refer to the Quantum Tribunal. Never something they would say in the Tribunal''s presence, but it helped to personalize them a bit, as otherwise, no one knew anything about them.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking out for you or anything like that. I just told them what went down.¡±


    ¡°Well, I appreciate it nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Tom¡­¡± Rachel sighed. ¡°I take my job very seriously. If I thought for a second you were in any way responsible for what happened, I would have said as much. So when I tell you it wasn¡¯t your fault, I sincerely mean that.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s some comfort¡­¡± Tom sat on a nearby rock. He bent over to pick up a small stone and tossed it at the water. It skipped twice before sinking beneath the surface.


    ¡°They tell you what¡¯s next?¡± asked Rachel.


    He took a breath and then nodded. ¡°I believe their exact words were ¡®new acquisitions to fill the open s¡ª¡¯¡± He almost choked up as he tried to say it. ¡°¡®¡ªopen slots.¡¯¡± Tom scoffed. ¡°Slots. As if Scott, Emily, and Mike weren¡¯t people, but just...things that could be replaced.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they meant it like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what it sure as hell felt like.¡± Tom¡¯s mind also flashed back to his encounter with Marcus Kane. His hand instinctively touched the spot where Marcus¡¯s fist struck. For a moment, he wondered if he should tell Rachel about that encounter, but he dismissed that thought as quickly as it had come.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose they said anything about the new field leader?¡± asked Rachel.


    Tom glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Why would she ask about that so soon? There was no doubt Rachel was ambitious. She herself descended from a former Knight. But worrying about that now, when they were the only ones left? It was too much, and he almost wanted to call her on it, but also kept that to himself. It would just be the two of them and whatever rookies the Group chose to succeed their fallen comrades. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be divided.


    ¡°They just said a decision would be coming,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s gonna be you.¡±


    Rachel tried to hide the grin that formed on her face. That just raised Tom¡¯s heckles even further. Still, he held his tongue.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got the pedigree. You¡¯ve proven yourself in the field. Who else would it be?¡± he asked. And despite his problems with Rachel¡¯s insensitivity, he believed that. It wasn¡¯t going to be him and no way they¡¯d pick one of the newbies.


    As if on cue, both their Gauntlets pinged. Tom and Rachel raised up their arms and exchanged looks. Tom tapped his Gauntlet to answer the call, and a holographic projection of Marcus Kane¡¯s head appeared above the Gauntlet¡¯s face.


    ¡°Knight Stone. And I see you¡¯ve got Knight Kim with you. Good, what I have to say concerns you both,¡± said Marcus. ¡°The Tribunal has made a decision regarding the field commander.¡±


    Tom looked at Rachel and was about to congratulate her. But Marcus cut him off before he could speak.


    ¡°Congratulations, Knight Stone. You¡¯ve been promoted.¡±

 New Blood

    One lone man stood in the training dojo. The muscles beneath his brown skin tensed and rippled as he breathed and stretched, his head bowed. Slowly, he exhaled and once he did, sprang from his stance into a spinning aerial kick.


    He landed in a fighting stance, then almost instantly pivoted on the ball of his foot, launching his opposite leg into a series of rapid kicks at different heights.


    Another turn, now into a complicated kata comprising punches, elbow strikes, and palm chops. He concluded with one last jump, a spin, and then landing in a crouch.


    The sudden sound of one lone person clapping shocked him. He stood and cast his gaze around the small dojo. His eyes fell on a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in a crinkle-free black suit with a fedora who moved forth from the shadows, his clapping ending gradually with each step.


    ¡°Ethan Jackson,¡± said the man in the suit.


    The young Black man walked over to the side of the mat where a towel and a squirt bottle waited. He picked both up, then wiped the sweat from his face with one hand as he drank water from the bottle with the other.


    ¡°Who wants to know?¡± asked Ethan.


    The man stepped into the light. His craggy face had the marks of age and battle and Ethan could see some gray hairs at the temples beneath the brim of his hat. He reached inside his jacket and took out a small silver card case. From that, he produced a single business card and handed it to Ethan. The young fighter was apprehensive as he took the card with one hand and examined it.


    ¡°¡®The Quantum Group¡¯?¡± asked Ethan. That name and a phone number in a smaller font were the only things printed on the card. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You can think of us as a sort of NGO,¡± said the man. ¡°And we¡¯re interested in recruiting you.¡±


    Ethan held the card out to return it. ¡°Thanks, but I can¡¯t see how you¡¯d have much use for me.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve actually had our eye on you for some time. You¡¯re one of our prime candidates for an exclusive project.¡±


    ¡°What sort of project?¡±


    ¡°The sort of project that benefits the entire world.¡±


    Ethan raised a skeptical eyebrow. ¡°Right. Thanks for thinking of me, but you¡¯ve got the wrong guy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been ten years, hasn¡¯t it?¡± asked the man.


    Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Nobody believed you when you tried to explain what you saw that night. After half your life, you¡¯ve probably managed to convince yourself that you were just¡­hallucinating. In a state of panic.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell you are, but I¡¯ve had just about enough of this.¡±


    The man was unfazed, not even as Ethan took a menacing step towards him.


    ¡°We¡¯re the ones who can help you understand just what exactly it was that killed your family.¡±


    ¡°And how will you do that?¡± asked Ethan.


    The man turned towards the door. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, call the number on the card. When you¡¯re prompted, give your name. Further instructions will follow.¡±


    ¡°And if I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°Just pretend this never happened. But if you do that, you¡¯ll never know the truth.¡±


    <hr>


    Located in Tampa, Florida, the Shady Oaks Retirement Community went above and beyond by offering constant care to its residents in need, while simultaneously supporting the independence and capabilities of its other residents. They also had a volunteer program for students, which is what drew this particular University of South Florida student.


    Olivia Reyes had light brown skin and long, dark hair that she kept in a ponytail. She came to Shady Oaks about three times a week after class for two hours each day. Olivia would come and play games with them, read to them, or just listen to stories about their lives and see photos of their children and grandchildren, most of whom lived out of state. The residents had taken a liking to the young pre-med student, and spending time with them was worth more than a college credit and something to put on her resume.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She¡¯d completed her duties for the day and bid farewells to the residents and the staff. Olivia left the retirement home and walked to the nearby bus stop, when she saw the bus had been early and was already pulling away.


    ¡°Oh crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!¡±


    Olivia ran for the bus, waving to flag it down. The driver didn¡¯t see her and just kept on going. Olivia tried to chase after the bus, but it proved to be a futile gesture.


    ¡°Damn!¡± She kicked a nearby fire hydrant to vent her frustration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you hate when that happens?¡±


    Olivia turned around at the sound of the voice. A broad-shouldered man in a suit and fedora sat on a nearby bench, peering over an open newspaper. All she could do was just nod. She went into her purse for her phone.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to call an Uber¡­¡± she muttered, wondering if her strained bank account could afford the charge.


    ¡°How about I do it for you?¡± he asked as he folded his paper and stood from the bench.


    Olivia felt put off by the stranger. She gave him a forced smile and shook her head. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really no problem. And maybe in return, you could do something for me.¡±


    Olivia took a few steps away from him as he approached. ¡°Umm¡­no, that¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°I think you are, Olivia.¡±


    Olivia started to get defensive when she heard her name come out of the stranger¡¯s mouth. ¡°Okay, who the hell are you? I swear, I¡¯ll call the cops right this instant if you come any closer!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m a recruiter. I represent an NGO called the Quantum Group.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Look us up later. But for now, all you have to know is that we¡¯re interested in having you join us.¡±


    He took a silver case from his jacket. When he opened it, Olivia could see a collection of business cards. The man took one and handed it to her.


    ¡°What¡¯s this number?¡± she asked when she read the digits beneath THE QUANTUM GROUP.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you get in touch with us if you¡¯re interested in moving further,¡± said the man. ¡°We can give you an opportunity to do a lot more good than reading bedtime stories to a bunch of old farts a few times a week.¡±


    Olivia waved the card in his face. ¡°You creep up on me, you insult my work, and you think I want to have anything to do with this Quantum Group?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t seem stunned or taken aback by her reaction. Instead, he just spoke very matter-of-factly and said, ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Must be tough,¡± he called after her. ¡°Working three different jobs and taking out insane amounts of student loans just to afford a decent education. We could help you with that¡­¡± The man crumbled up the newspaper and tossed it in a nearby garbage bin. ¡°But like you said, you don¡¯t want anything to do with us.¡±


    Olivia stared at him as he walked off into the distance. That was when the sound of a car horn startled her. She turned around and saw a car waiting at the curb with an Uber sticker on it.


    ¡°Are you Olivia Reyes?¡± asked the driver. ¡°I¡¯m your Uber.¡±


    Olivia looked down at the card again.


    <hr>


    The young twenty-year-old woman stood on the Michigan Avenue Bridge overlooking the Chicago River. Her burgundy hair, cut in a short bob that just reached the bottom of her ears, framed her face as she stood on the Michigan Avenue Bridge overlooking the Chicago River. Her green eyes absorbed the sight of the sun reflecting off the river¡¯s surface. She wore a GoPro strapped to her head.


    One of the Chicago tour boats moved towards the bridge and with a burst of energy, Alexa Monroe leaped onto the upper deck. The passengers gasped and made room for her. Her feet had barely touched the surface before her legs propelled into a run.


    A member of the crew shouted at her, but Alexa just smiled and jumped onto the railing, using it as a launching pad for a gravity-defying vault. Her nimble body propelled through the air, soaring to the edge of the Riverwalk.


    With catlike precision, Alexa landed on an empty patio table that belonged to one restaurant along the riverwalk. She pounced from one obstacle to another, seamlessly flowing through the urban landscape.


    Passersby paused in awe, captivated by Alexa''s agility and fearless spirit. Pedestrians and diners at riverside cafes cheered and applauded as she effortlessly leaped between lampposts, showcasing her mastery of the urban environment. Her parkour moves blended seamlessly with the rhythm of the city, creating a mesmerizing dance between the human body and the architectural landscape.


    As she reached the end of the Riverwalk, Alexa executed a perfect backflip, landing on the concrete steps. She took a moment to catch her breath, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, and smiled.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    She stood to acknowledge her admirer. Applause was common, but few people hung around for a chat after one of her escapades. There was something odd about the man in the suit and fedora, something she couldn¡¯t put her finger on.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°You¡¯re Alexa Monroe.¡±


    Alexa raised a brow. ¡°Yeah¡­and who are you?¡±


    ¡°Someone who¡¯d like to offer you a job and an opportunity. To do something more with your skills than just conquer urban playgrounds.¡±


    She gave a shrug. ¡°What if I like conquering urban playgrounds?¡±


    The man gave a cryptic nod. ¡°I know you do. Adrenaline junkie, right?¡±


    Alexa balked at the man¡¯s brashness. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m offering you is the change to do something more. To be something more. But even if it¡¯s just adrenaline you¡¯re interested in, then¡­¡±


    He reached into his jacket, took out a silver case, and produced a single card, which he handed to her.


    ¡°We offer that, too.¡±


    Alexa looked at the card with the words THE QUANTUM GROUP embossed on the front with nothing other than a phone number.


    ¡°Call that number if you¡¯d like to know more.¡± The man touched the brim of his hat and then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

 Tension

    Leader.


    Tom Stone checked his appearance in the mirror for around the fifth time as he contemplated that word. How was he the leader? After the way he freaked out on the battlefield, he had no business being in this position. And it wasn¡¯t as if they didn¡¯t have another option.


    That ¡°other option¡± started knocking at his door. Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them and glanced at the framed photo on his dresser of him and Scott when they took a trip to Thailand together.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re watching out for me¡­¡±


    The knock came again, a little more intensely. Tom went to the door and opened it to find Rachel standing on the other side. She wasn¡¯t always the warmest of people, but her stoicism was at a higher-than-average level.


    ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t want to be late.¡±


    She used a clipped tone and avoided prolonged eye contact with him. Didn¡¯t even wait for him to step out of his room before she started walking down the corridor. Tom shut the door behind him and moved with a quickened pace to catch up with her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t take them long to find three recruits, did it?¡± he asked in an attempt to start come conversation between them.


    ¡°The Group keeps a list of potentials on-hand. It¡¯s always being updated when new potentials are identified so that whenever a new Knight is needed, the process moves fast.¡± Rachel then added with a bit of harshness, ¡°You know this.¡±


    ¡°I do. I was just trying to make conversation.¡±


    They came to an elevator bay. Rachel hit the button to go up.


    ¡°I hate small talk. Another thing you already know.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Tom whispered. He tapped his foot and watched as the numbers on the elevator display ticked down. It felt like it was taking longer than usual to arrive.


    The doors opened, and the car was empty. Rachel stepped in first, and Tom walked in beside her. She hit the button on the console and the doors closed. Tom looked up, watching as the elevator rose past each level.


    Of all the team, Rachel had been the one he¡¯d never really connected with. His relationship with Scott had been passionate. There was also Emily, who was the first of the team Tom had really struck up a friendship with. And Michael was so easy-going that no one ever had problems talking to him.


    Rachel was a different story. She liked to keep to herself. Her family had been involved with the Quantum Group for generations, so she took this responsibility more seriously than anyone else. So it was understandable why she felt snubbed by the Tribunal¡¯s decision. Tom felt the need to clear that air between them. Even though he was now the leader, he¡¯d still need her help with these new recruits.


    ¡°Hey Rach¡­¡± he began, chancing another attempt at conversation. ¡°I just wanted to say that I think the Heads made a mistake,¡± he said. ¡°If I were the one deciding, I absolutely would have picked you over me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, but I want you to know where I stand on this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I know. Thanks.¡±


    They moved a few more steps in a silence that felt like a wall between them. Tom tried to think of something else to add, something that would break that tension.


    ¡°I want us to be cool with each other is all and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­my god.¡± Rachel stopped and pivoted toward him. ¡°Exactly what part of ¡®I don¡¯t want to talk about it¡¯ were you unclear on?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°No, I get it, I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°You got the job. What¡¯s done is done. Let¡¯s just forget about it and move on. Okay?¡±


    Tom nodded. ¡°Okay. I just¡ª¡±


    Rachel gave an exasperated chuckle. ¡°I swear, if I hear you say the words ¡®I just¡¯ one more goddamn time, I¡¯m going to shoot you with another arrow. It¡¯s done. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She sighed and turned, continuing on the walk down the corridor. Tom sighed and followed, though walking about a step or two behind her to give her some space. He¡¯d make this up to her somehow. He just had to figure out what that would entail.


    They didn¡¯t exchange another word until they arrived at the Nexus. While their Omega Gauntlets enabled them to teleport virtually anywhere on the planet, the Nexus was the focal point of that transportation system. It was a large, round room. Even the air smelled different in here, crackling with the otherworldly energies of the Omega Force. In the center of the room was a massive circular platform, constructed of sleek metal and with ethereal tendrils of energy arcing between the crystal strats.


    Several control stations were set up at different points surrounding the platform. Here, Quantum Group technicians monitored the Nexus for any abnormalities and ensured the system worked without a hitch. Dr. Candace Wu stood between terminals, looking at the screen of her tablet. Once she spotted Tom and Rachel, she clasped the tablet to her chest and approached.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re both here.¡± Candace smiled at Tom. ¡°Congratulations. I¡¯m sure Scott would¡¯ve been proud to know you¡¯re picking up the mantle.¡±


    Tom gave a half-hearted smile. The intent behind the words was nice, but especially after the terse exchange with Rachel, it just made him feel like shit.


    ¡°What¡¯s the story on these three?¡± asked Rachel.


    Candace looked at her tablet again. She made a few motions, and a holographic image of the three recruits appeared in front of them. The one of the left grew larger than the others to highlight it. It was a young white woman with short, burgundy hair.


    ¡°Alexa Monroe from Chicago. Twenty-two and a social media influencer. She trained as a gymnast from the age of twelve, but she eventually parlayed that into parkour. She¡¯s been identified as a candidate for the Wyvern.¡±


    ¡°You really think a social media influencer can keep quiet about all this?¡± asked Rachel.


    Candace shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t make the choices. If the Tribunal has confidence in her, I guess that¡¯s what¡¯s most important.¡±


    The figure in the center grew larger, this of a Latina woman with long, black hair.


    ¡°Next up is Olivia Reyes. Nineteen-year-old college student from Tampa. She¡¯s studying to be a social worker and has been identified as a Unicorn candidate.¡±


    ¡°What does she bring to the table?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°The Unicorn tends to identify with candidates who have a high degree of empathy. My guess is that¡¯s why she¡¯s been selected,¡± said Candace.


    The last image highlighted a Black man with a compact Afro hairstyle and a full beard.


    ¡°Ethan Jackson is from Vancouver. Twenty years old, working as a personal trainer. Amateur MMA fighter, even won some tournaments.¡±


    ¡°Now this is one that makes sense,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°In more ways than one,¡± said Candace. ¡°Ethan¡¯s from Phoenix, but was sent to live with relatives in Canada ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°Phoenix¡­?¡± Tom scrunched his brow. ¡°You don¡¯t mean the Phoenix Incident, do you?¡±


    Candace gave a solemn nod. ¡°His family was killed in that breach. Only he survived.¡±


    ¡°So he saw it?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Yeah, he did,¡± said Candace. ¡°And according to this, when he tried to tell his story, everyone thought he was just in shock and hallucinating.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s he going to react when he finds out he was right all along?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Think he¡¯ll feel vindicated or cheated because the truth was kept from him?¡±


    Candace sighed. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what we¡¯re about to find out, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s supposed to be Scott¡¯s replacement, is that it?¡± asked Tom as he studied Ethan¡¯s holographic image. ¡°The new Karkinos Knight.¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s replacing Scott, Tom. No one can replace him,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°Tell that to the Heads,¡± said Tom.


    Candace glanced down at the tablet and swiped across it. The holographic images vanished. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what¡¯s happening. The Quantum Group¡ª¡±


    ¡°Right, right, the Quantum Group¡¯s responsible for the Omega Knights and we always need a team ready to defend against the breaches,¡± said Tom. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it all before, Doc. Doesn¡¯t make it any easier to swallow.¡±


    Tom started toward the platform.


    ¡°Anyway, I guess since I¡¯m now the leader, that means I have to put on a smile and welcome these replacements into our team.¡± He looked at Rachel. ¡°You coming?¡±


    Rachel glanced at Candace and then ascended the steps to the platform, stepping up beside Tom.


    ¡°Do I need to remind you that you were once the new guy?¡± she asked. ¡°These rookies aren¡¯t responsible for Scott and the others.¡±


    ¡°No, I know exactly whose fault that is, so thanks for reminding me of that.¡±


    Rachel frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Tom gave her a hard stare. ¡°¡®I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡¯¡±


    Rachel muttered something under her breath as the platform crackled to life. Energy arced from between the crystal strats and their Omega Gauntlets glowed. In short order, their bodies broke apart, transformed into energy, and then the crystal strats absorbed them, causing them to vanish.

 The Omega Force

    Tom Stone stood with his hands clasped at his waist, trying to maintain a stoic expression as they waited in the large meeting room. The walls were sterile white with a round table in the center of the room. Somewhere along America¡¯s west coast, a neutral and nondescript office building was the chosen location. According to the Quantum Group, the best approach was to ease new recruits into this world rather than teleporting them directly to Sanctuary Isle. So they would rent out office space whenever they needed to put new recruits through orientation.


    Rachel was by Tom¡¯s side. He stole a glance at her every now and then, but she just stared straight ahead into space. She was still upset about the Tribunal¡¯s decision, and it had been understandable. Even though he had nothing to do with it, he knew that repairing the rift between them was not going to be easy.


    They both wore their casual Quantum Group uniforms. Tom¡¯s had red trim on it while Rachel¡¯s had blue. And when the doors opened, they both looked at the entrance.


    Tom recognized the three from Candace¡¯s briefing before they teleported in. Marcus Kane led the recruits into the conference room. Ethan was first to follow, then Olivia, and finally, Alexa brought up the rear. All three wore suits, clearly thinking this was something more akin to a job interview. They were about to learn just how different their situation really was.


    ¡°Ladies, gentleman, I¡¯d like to present you with two of our members. This is Thomas Stone and Rachel Kim,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Should you accept our offer today, you¡¯ll be working with them.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how you doin¡¯?¡± asked Ethan as he stepped up to Tom and offered his hand.


    As Tom looked down at the recruit¡¯s hand, he could see Scott¡¯s face flashing in his memory. Ethan was to be the new Karkinos Knight¡ªScott¡¯s successor. His replacement. This arrogant bastard believed he was worthy of stepping into the shoes of¡ª


    ¡°Umm, my name¡¯s Ethan...¡±


    At that moment, Tom realized that Ethan still had his hand extended.


    ¡°Sorry, my mind was somewhere else.¡± Tom gripped his hand and gave it a firm shake. ¡°Tom Stone.¡± His tone was more curt than he¡¯d intended, but thoughts of Scott were still front of mind.


    ¡°Right, well¡­nice to meet you.¡± Ethan¡¯s stare lingered on Tom for a few moments before he then introduced himself to Rachel.


    Once the other introductions were completed without incident, Marcus called everyone to sit around the circular meeting table. He stood near the table and placed a round device that resembled a hockey puck, but with a few blinking red lights and a screen in the center. Marcus took out his smartphone, and the lights turned to a solid blue.


    ¡°Ethan, Alexa, Olivia. Welcome to the Quantum Group,¡± said Marcus as a beginning to his presentation. ¡°What you¡¯re about to learn here is going to be more than a little surprising for you. When I approached each of you, I said that we¡¯re an NGO. And while that¡¯s technically true, there¡¯s a bit more to it than that¡­¡±


    The device¡¯s screen lit up and a holographic projection of the globe appeared above the table, slowly rotating.


    ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s this?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°This is the planet. Or a holographic representation of it,¡± said Marcus. ¡°You see, what you know about the universe is woefully limited.¡±


    The projection zoomed out to show the entire Milky Way galaxy. And then further to show the larger universe. And further still, until it was just a giant sea of stars with one indicator noting Earth¡¯s position.


    ¡°This is what you think of when you think of the universe. A vast plane laid out like this. Though it¡¯s actually more like this.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The universe map collapsed in on itself until it formed into a spiral-like formation, linked to different areas and constantly rotating, not unlike a cosmic DNA strand.


    ¡°The universe extends beyond the limitations of three dimensions, unfolding in a fourth-dimensional structure that we call the Spire. This is the most accurate representation we¡¯ve managed to come up with to explain our reality. All of time and space are linked together in these very specific, yet undefined ways. And one of the unique features of the Spire is that it¡¯s never static¡ªit¡¯s constantly changing.¡±


    As Marcus spoke, the image changed as well. The blinking dot that represented Earth moved all throughout the spire to illustrate how it changed.


    ¡°Time and space are not linear constructs,¡± Marcus continued. ¡°They¡¯re intertwined threads within a massive multidimensional framework that we¡¯re only beginning to scratch the surface of.¡±


    Three other spires appeared, and it was clear to see the differences in the configuration. There were different dates stamped. One was ten years ago, another was five years ago, a third was six months ago, and the final one¡ªthe original of them¡ªwas stamped with that day¡¯s date.


    ¡°Due to this shifting configuration, it means different planes come into phase with Earth at different times,¡± said Marcus. ¡°The dimensional barriers, like the one you see here, act as natural safeguards, preserving the integrity of each world. However, when two worlds draw too close and align, their barriers merge, creating a potential breach.¡±


    A simple image appeared of Earth. Then another planet. There was a kind of shield covering each world.


    The two worlds came closer and began orbiting in sync. As they did, the barrier between them connected and then merged together. The two worlds moved closer until they were intersecting each other.


    ¡°This critical moment triggers a breach,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Now, during a breach, nothing might happen. In fact, most breaches go by without an incident. But every now and then, the two worlds come into complete sync and a rift forms in the dimensional wall. When that happens, sometimes things escape into our world.¡±


    Ethan raised his hand, and Marcus gestured for him to proceed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­not so sure I understand all of that. But when you say that sometimes things escape into our world? Could you maybe be a bit more specific?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re about to see,¡± said Marcus.


    An image appeared of a massive creature. It seemed like a tyrannosaurus, but its head looked like that of a shark. Its arms were also larger, with razor-sharp claws and a barbed tail.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Alexa nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw the monster. Ethan and Olivia were equally spooked by what they saw.


    ¡°This was taken from footage of a breach about six months ago. And this is one of the chief roles of the Quantum Group,¡± said Marcus. ¡°We monitor the vibrational frequencies of adjacent dimensions and try to reinforce the dimensional barriers using quantum-temporal stabilization matrices.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­yeah, quick question?¡± Alexa raised her hand. ¡°What does any of this mean?¡±


    ¡°Think of it as barricading the door. That¡¯s all you really need to know,¡± said Marcus. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t always work. And when something breaks through, like this ugly fucker, then we have to send it back or get rid of it. And that is where you come in.


    ¡°The Quantum Group has existed in some form for centuries,¡± Marcus continued. ¡°A long time ago, Quantum mystics learned of what we now call the Omega Force. This is a multidimensional source of energy that flows all throughout the Spire and we utilize it to bestow abilities on five warriors. We call this group the Omega Knights.¡±


    The image changed to show the five Omega Knights, each clad in form-fitting armored suits complete with helmets. All five wore identical suits, the only difference being the weapons they wielded and the colors of their armor.


    ¡°The Omega Force allows each knight to become an avatar of their Titan, the spirit of a legendary creature that also links them to a specific element,¡± said Marcus.


    With an image of a flaming bird behind it, the Red Knight appeared first. ¡°The Phoenix Knight is powered by fire.¡±


    Next was the Blue Knight with a bluish wolf that had lightning arcing off the strands of its fur and glowing azure eyes. ¡°The Raiju Knight has the element of electricity.¡±


    Following the Blue Knight was the Green Knight. A large, crab-like creature with giant pincers appeared. ¡°The Karkinos Knight¡¯s element is water.¡±


    Fourth was the Yellow Knight and behind them was a horse with a horn jutting forth from its forehead. ¡°The Unicorn Knight commands the element of earth.¡±


    The fifth was the Purple Knight and in the background was a thin, serpentine creature with wings. ¡°And finally, the Wyvern Knight utilizes the element of wind.¡±


    The holographic display vanished, and Marcus gestured to Tom and Rachel. ¡°These are the only active Knights at the moment¡ªTom is the Phoenix Knight and Rachel is the Raiju Knight.¡± Marcus turned to the three new recruits. ¡°We¡¯re asking you three to complete our team and help us protect our world from the rest of the multiverse.¡±

 The Call

    When Marcus had finished his explanation of the Quantum Group, its mission, and the Omega Knights, the conference room grew still as the grave. Judging by the looks on the faces of the three new recruits, Tom estimated they understood very little of Marcus¡¯s presentation. He¡¯d felt the same when he sat through this same pitch during his recruitment. It wasn¡¯t every day that someone informed you about the existence of the multiverse and then told you that you had been chosen to defend it.


    Alexa looked around the room, the first of the three to show any movement. Finally, she broke the silence with a gentle chuckle and followed it up with, ¡°So, where are the cameras?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°I know a bit when I see one. We get all excited and jazzed up, you tell us it¡¯s all a joke, and then we look stupid on TikTok,¡± said Alexa. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°No bit, it¡¯s real.¡± Tom felt it was his place to add some level of authority to his statement, so he added, ¡°And it¡¯s not something to enter into lightly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about superheroes fighting space monsters,¡± said Alexa. ¡°If that were real, wouldn¡¯t someone have noticed something by now? How come I¡¯m not seeing this stuff all over CNN?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another aspect of the Quantum Group¡¯s mission¡ªwe keep these things quiet,¡± said Marcus.


    Alexa shook her head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not even possible.¡± She held up her smartphone. ¡°Just about everyone all over the planet has access to a camera that¡¯s perpetually connected to the internet, and everyone¡¯s trying to get noticed by sharing something wild or crazy. You really mean to tell me no one¡¯s ever captured one of these things on video?¡±


    ¡°People have also captured Bigfoot on video. How many believed that?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    Alexa paused and studied Rachel¡¯s expression, waiting for the crack of a smile. When it never came, Alexa felt less confident in her statement. ¡°Wait¡­is Bigfoot real?¡±


    ¡°These breaches tend to occur in sparsely populated areas,¡± Marcus interjected. ¡°We don¡¯t actually know why, but our researchers think it¡¯s got something to do with the lack of molecular interference as the dimensions cross. The breaches look for the paths of least resistance. Places with a lot of buildings and people mean a lot more interference.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t account for everything. There¡¯s still the chance that something could be caught on camera,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, and we try to deal with that as best we can,¡± said Marcus. ¡°We use Quantum resources to control the narrative. Scrub social media, convince people it¡¯s all nonsense. Paradoxically, technology is actually making our job a bit simpler. Now that anyone can create videos out of nothing but a text prompt, it¡¯s a lot easier to convince people that if they see a giant monster on YouTube, it¡¯s just a hoax.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Why us? I¡¯m not any kind of fighter and I don¡¯t know anything about multiverses or space aliens. I¡¯m just a student.¡±


    ¡°So was I,¡± said Tom. ¡°We¡¯ve come from all different walks of life.¡±


    ¡°I understand the confusion. You want to know why out of eight billion people, you were the one chosen,¡± said Marcus. ¡°And the truth is, we don¡¯t really know. The Omega Force and the Titan spirits are sentient. They choose the potential avatars. Our job is just to monitor those potentials and reach out to them if their number is called up.¡±


    Ethan raised a questioning brow. ¡°Monitor? Care to elaborate?¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯ve got hidden cameras on you or anything,¡± said Rachel. ¡°The Quantum Group keeps an eye out for the people who might need to be called up at some point.¡±


    ¡°And how have you been monitoring us?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Public records, mostly. From the time you¡¯re identified, we keep an eye on where you end up moving and what you do with your life. The Omega Force suggests the potentials, but we make the final decision. For instance, a potential avatar who ends up in prison for murder isn¡¯t someone we¡¯d approach. Or someone who becomes too famous.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s say we say yes to this. What do we get out of it? And how long is it for?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°You have to leave behind your life as you know it¡ªat least temporarily¡ªand we¡¯ll provide an explanation for why that is. Research fellowship, Peace Corps, backpacking trip¡ªthese are just some examples of cover stories we¡¯ve come up with in the past. All Knights reside at what we call Sanctuary Isle, our base of operations. You¡¯ll draw a salary and your living expenses are paid by the Quantum Group.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°That ultimately depends on you,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Some will only stay a year or a few years, others have stayed on as long as ten years. In most cases, the choice is up to you. And once you complete your tenure, however long that may be, we¡¯ll provide you with a kind of farewell package to help you reintegrate into civilian life.¡±


    ¡°¡®In most cases¡¯?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°Sounds a bit ominous.¡±


    ¡°There have been circumstances where Knights were dismissed from the group. The Omega Force isn¡¯t perfect and some people¡ªthough they have the potential¡ªjust aren¡¯t cut out for this. A few times it¡¯s been for insubordination or abuse of power. This job can also take a toll on people and there are those who, though they¡¯ve wanted to stay on, just weren¡¯t able to keep up the pace,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°In all these situations, the person who leaves is still alive,¡± said Olivia. ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything about the ones who don¡¯t survive.¡±


    Marcus took a breath, but before he could answer, Tom spoke up. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a possibility. That¡¯s exactly what happened to your predecessors.¡±


    Silence fell over the room. Tom allowed the silence to linger before he continued.


    ¡°Like I said, this isn¡¯t something to enter into lightly. It¡¯s dangerous. Probably the most dangerous job you¡¯ll ever do. You may never live to spend any of that money you get paid for this work.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s all I needed to know¡­¡± said Olivia as she stood from the table.


    ¡°But,¡± Tom wasn¡¯t done, ¡°it¡¯s also probably the most rewarding thing you¡¯ll ever do with your life. And I¡¯m not talking about the money or even the power. There¡¯s something to be said for knowing that the world only exists because of the work you¡¯ve done. No one will ever acknowledge it, but you¡¯ll know. And surprisingly, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be alone, either,¡± said Rachel. ¡°We¡¯re all in this together. We even have retired Knights come in and advise us on occasion.¡±


    Tom looked at Olivia. ¡°Give it a chance. You might be surprised at how much this actually appeals to you.¡±


    Olivia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m just trying to become a doctor, make some difference in the world.¡±


    ¡°Saving the world is making a difference,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Yeah but like I said, I¡¯m no fighter. I don¡¯t even like violence. I get squeamish about stepping on spiders.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll go through training. We won¡¯t just drop you in the field without knowing what you¡¯re doing,¡± said Marcus. ¡°And once you bond with the Omega Force, you¡¯ll be infused with centuries worth of muscle memory. Once you get in the field, it¡¯ll feel like second nature to you.¡±


    ¡°That just creeps me out even more,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°She brings up a good point,¡± said Ethan. ¡°What if after all this, we still say no? Then what happens to us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll wake up in your home with no memory that this meeting ever happened,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°How do you do that? You gonna lobotomize us or something?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°We have technology far beyond what¡¯s available to the rest of the world,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s completely harmless with no long-term effects.¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have to think this over?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take you to Sanctuary Isle. Once there, you¡¯ll have twenty-four hours to see what the operation is like, get to ask any questions, and we¡¯ll introduce you to the Titans,¡± said Marcus. ¡°And if at the end you¡¯re still not interested, then we¡¯ll send you back with no memory. But if you do decide to stay on, that¡¯s when the real fun begins.¡±


    ¡°Can we leave before that? Like, right now?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°If you wish,¡± said Marcus.


    Ethan rose from his chair. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got me curious. And I have some other questions that I¡¯d like answered. So count me in for seeing more.¡±


    Alexa scratched the back of her neck before she slapped the table. ¡°What the hell. I¡¯m up for trying something new. Show me what you got.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Marcus turned his attention to Olivia. ¡°Ms. Reyes?¡±


    Olivia chewed on her lower lip while avoiding Marcus¡¯s gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this Omega Force chose me, but I¡¯m pretty sure it chose wrong.¡± She trailed off, leaving an opening for another sentence. She looked up at Tom. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to learn a little more, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then we¡¯ll prepare for transport to Sanctuary. Twenty-four hours begins now,¡± said Marcus.

 What Lurks Beyond

    Against the backdrop of a sea of stars, an almost imperceptible ship moved through the innerspace of the Spire. Constructed from sleek, black metal, the ship appeared as a dark void moving over the expanse of celestial bodies. Massive, jagged spires adorned the exterior, almost like black horns jutting out from the surface.


    The ship, known as the Obsidian Dreadnought, housed a formidable force that had traversed several layers of the Spire to reach its destination. Deep within the bowels of the ship was a room forbidden to all, save the vessel¡¯s commander and his lieutenants.


    In this spherical chamber, the three lieutenants surrounded an ornate pedestal, above which floated a shimmering crystal. The strange object pulsated with an otherworldly glow, almost mesmerizing to the lieutenants.


    ¡°We¡¯re close.¡± The one who spoke was a rail-thin man, almost emaciated. Robes hung off his body that appeared too heavy for him, but somehow he moved freely despite them. Long, silver hair spilled down his back and where his eyes should have been, there were only dark crevices. His face was almost skeletal in appearance, with a thin layer of skin stretched across his bones.


    ¡°So you say, Draven. I¡¯m still not convinced that this Nexus Shard of yours can properly navigate the Spire.¡± That response came from the sole woman in the group. Whenever she moved, her lithe figure, draped in a form-fitting dark suit that had a strange shimmer to it, caught everyone¡¯s attention. Her black hair hung in a long braid and her eyes were not unlike those of a shark¡¯s, both a sharp contrast to her pale skin. Her back housed twin crescent-shaped curved blades and she stood with her arms crossed.


    ¡°My dear Sylva, I¡¯ve been studying the cross-dimensional energies of the Spire since before you were born. All the research I¡¯ve done has led to just one, irrefutable conclusion¡ªthe Nexus Shard is the one known artifact that is capable of navigating the Spire. And now, it¡¯s in our possession.¡±


    Draven¡¯s voice had an almost sing-song quality to it as he spoke, betraying his own excitement. But Sylva rolled her dark eyes.


    ¡°Legends and hyperbole, this is what we¡¯re staking everything on,¡± she said.


    ¡°And what would you have us do?¡± asked Draven. ¡°Continue hopping from dimension to dimension in the hopes that someday, we might reach the one inhabited by the Quantum Group? We¡¯d die before we came close.¡±


    Sylva grunted her response. ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. I just think there should be more certainty before embarking on this risky a gambit.¡±


    ¡°High risk comes with high reward,¡± said Draven.


    ¡°It also comes with the prospect of losing everything we¡¯ve struggled to build these long years.¡±


    The third lieutenant stood as a silent sentry, towering over the others. His arms were bare, displaying golden tribal tattoos etched on crimson skin and stretched across bulging muscles. There wasn¡¯t a speck of hair to be found anywhere on his body, with the tattoos reaching all over his bald scalp and face. His eyes were the color of amber and bore a weariness at again having to listen to Sylva and Draven¡¯s bickering. This was obviously not the first such argument he¡¯d been privy to.


    ¡°I sense Malakai and I are kindred spirits in this discussion.¡±


    This fourth voice belonged to their commander. The three lieutenants turned to face the tall, imposing figure of Lord Xerath. His skin was pale and his physique lean, yet muscular. Intricate patterns of glowing runes adorned his bald head, and his eyes bore the appearance of molten gold. His cloak almost lingered behind him as he moved towards the pedestal to examine the Nexus Shard.


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    ¡°Then might I ask where you stand on this, my lord?¡± asked Draven.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony, Draven. All in this chamber are equal,¡± said Xerath. ¡°We¡¯re united in the goal of ending the Quantum Group¡¯s meddlesome tactics once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Sycophantic language aside, Draven poses a good question¡ªwhere do you stand on this?¡± asked Sylva.


    Xerath considered the question for a few moments. It was rare for Sylva and Draven to come to agreement on any single point, so it warranted an answer.


    ¡°Sylva is right to be cautious, but Draven is correct that we¡¯ve come too far to turn back now,¡± he said. ¡°The Obsidian Dreadnought is home to denizens of thousands of realms. The one thing we all have in common is that we¡¯ve all lost so much due to a shared enemy. And with the Nexus Shard, the stage is set to settle old debts.¡±


    ¡°Will the Quantum Group sense our arrival?¡± asked Malakai.


    Xerath shook his head. ¡°No, the Nexus Shard should hide our breach.¡± He paused for a moment and then added a cautionary note. ¡°At the very least, it will delay our discovery. Give us the opportunity we need to set the plan in motion.¡±


    ¡°The Quantum Group has been seeking out breaches for centuries,¡± said Malakai. ¡°There is the possibility we are unable to evade detection.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that, Lord Malakai, and it¡¯s an eventuality I have already prepared for,¡± said Xerath. ¡°Our plan is simple¡ªwe will distract their dogs as we begin to make our move.¡±


    ¡°Provided Draven¡¯s magic actually works,¡± added Sylva.


    Draven turned the cavernous black holes that served as his eyes towards the assassin. ¡°It will work. Once more, I have studied¡ª¡±


    Sylva sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve studied the ancient scrolls and performed the kind of research we¡¯re all too feeble to understand. Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Xerath¡¯s eyes flashed to signify his growing frustration at the squabbles. ¡°Both of you, remember your places. There is none in all the worlds we¡¯ve traversed who knows more about the Spire and its workings than Draven.¡±


    ¡°Precisely, thank you, Lord Xerath.¡±


    ¡°And there is no greater warrior I¡¯ve seen on any world than Sylva,¡± added Xerath. ¡°Those skills will prove of prime importance once we inevitably confront the Quantum Group¡¯s hounds.¡±


    Draven tossed a quick glance at Sylva. ¡°Or to put it another way, when we need some stabby-stabby, we¡¯ll call you. Until then, let me do my work.¡±


    Sylva held up her hands and shook her head. ¡°Fine. I hold concern, is all. If this fails, all our efforts will be for nothing. And the sacrifices of billions of people across multiple dimensions will go forgotten.¡±


    Xerath focused his gaze on the shard once more, monitoring the energy pulses it gave off. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re taking a substantial risk by using the Nexus Shard to attempt a controlled breach. As far as we¡¯re aware, nothing even remotely like this has ever been attempted before in any verse.¡±


    He turned from the shard to address his lieutenants.


    ¡°However, when I brought each of you onboard, I told you the risks. We¡¯ve all known that this mission has a high capacity for failure. But Draven was correct when he noted that the riskier the gambit, the higher the reward. Sylva is also not wrong that we mustn¡¯t lose sight of what¡¯s at stake should we fail. That¡¯s why it¡¯s all the more crucial that our mission proves successful.¡±


    Sylva sighed, but then bowed her head. ¡°I have pledged my blades to your service, Lord Xerath. Despite my concerns, I will honor that promise until the final breath leaves my body.¡±


    ¡°This is not for me, Lady Sylva. This is for all those who fell before. A day of reckoning is coming for the Quantum Group and all who serve them.¡±


    Xerath gestured towards the pedestal. ¡°Lord Draven, please begin.¡±


    Draven nodded and held his hands out, reaching for the Nexus Shard. He held them on either side of the crystal and it responded as if it could sense his presence. The pulsating glow softened and dimmed. Sparks of light appeared in the dark crevices of Draven¡¯s eyes and other-dimensional energies manifested around his arms. The energy channeled into the shard and it responded by feeding its own power back into Draven¡¯s skeletal hands.


    Malakai cast his gaze across the chamber, looking for the source of a low noise, almost like the growl of a beast waking from a long slumber. Sylva¡¯s hands instinctively went to the hilts of her blades, but she hesitated instead of drawing them.


    And Lord Xerath just stood and watched, the runes along his scalp humming along with the pulses of the Nexus Shard.


    ¡°I can feel it¡­¡± he whispered under his breath. ¡°The reckoning is at hand¡­¡±


    Outside the ship, strange energies circulated all around its massive hull. In the recesses of space, there were no witnesses to the strange phenomena. The energies punched a hole in the fabric of reality and pulled only the Obsidian Dreadnought into another dimension. That tear knit itself together seamlessly, as if nothing had ever occurred.


    And there was not a shred of evidence that the Obsidian Dreadnought had ever existed in that space.

 The Tribunal

    Sanctuary Isle¡¯s location was a closely guarded secret. The Nexus¡¯s teleportation systems handled virtually all transportation to and from the island. The most the Knights knew of the island¡¯s location was that it was presumably somewhere in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Somewhere near the equator would account for the year-round warm temperature.


    Tom had often wondered if some of the higher-ranked members of the Quantum Group, like Marcus and Candace, knew the location. Or if they too were kept in the dark. He¡¯d never tried asking them, and they never volunteered that information. His guess was that even they were in the dark.


    The revelation that teleportation technology was not just science fiction was surprising enough for the three recruits. But even that paled compared to what the trio was about to encounter once they stepped into the portal that led to Sanctuary Isle.


    After transporting to the Nexus, Marcus led the group to the roof of the compound. The mountains on the northern side of the island formed the majority of the compound, where it was built. And here was the zenith, providing an expansive view of the surroundings.


    Olivia was the first to step up to the guardrail and lean over to take in as much of the view as she could. Alexa stepped up beside her, and based on her background, Tom assumed she was thinking about all the different activities she could attempt in these surroundings. Ethan seemed the most stoic of all, but Tom noticed even he had a moment of his jaw slackening and his eyes widening.


    The mountain range extended from the north along the ease and west coasts of the island. The mountains curved inwards as their peaks sloped down, providing a massive alcove in the southern part of the island. There was a range of environments there, from a small forested area, a beach, and plains. That was where the Arena was situated.


    ¡°Welcome to Sanctuary Isle, home of the Quantum Group,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± whispered Olivia.


    ¡°And if you agree to stay on twenty-four hours from now, this will be your new home,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Got just about everything you¡¯d need, too. Recreation, exercise facilities, and, of course, your own private quarters. There¡¯s a dining area that¡¯s open around the clock. New meals are only prepared during the day, but there¡¯s always plenty of food on-hand if you get hungry during off-hours. Plus, with the Nexus¡¯s technology, there¡¯s no limit to where on the planet you can go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± said Ethan. ¡°If you can teleport, why not just continue on with your normal lives?¡±


    ¡°Most of the support staff do just that,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Do they know what goes on here?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Not a clue. They think this is just some sort of military facility. And we have NDAs for them regarding any technology they see here.¡±


    ¡°How come they can go home, but we have to live here?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Operational security. We can¡¯t risk suspicion falling on any of the Knights,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Giving your boss or your family some ridiculous excuse for why you have to run out during a breach could raise uncomfortable questions and cause a delay that might end up being catastrophic. We just can¡¯t take that risk. The job we do here is too important.¡±


    The doors to the compound opened, and Candace emerged. She walked towards the group and Marcus gestured towards her.


    ¡°This is Dr. Wu. She¡¯s our chief science officer on the island and in charge of your well-being,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Just Candace is fine,¡± she said and went to each of the three to make a quick introduction. ¡°Now, I¡¯m guessing Agent Kane told you everything you need to know about who we are and what we do. So the next step is to begin the initiation. And for that, we have to visit the Sanctum.¡±


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    ¡°Sanctum? What¡¯s that?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the actual power behind this operation resides,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Or at least where they actually speak to us. Who knows where they really are.¡±


    Tom felt his stomach drop at Rachel¡¯s caustic remark. He risked a glance at Marcus and saw that the lead agent didn¡¯t seem all that happy with her comment himself.


    ¡°So what is this real power?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the Quantum Group?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called the Tribunal. We don¡¯t really know much about them. They communicate with us through the Sanctum, but we have no way of knowing where they really are.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about them?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°No one does,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°If you know nothing about them, how do you know they¡¯re all on the level?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°I can understand some degree of secrecy, but this?¡±


    ¡°We know they¡¯re on the level because we¡¯ve seen what comes through those breaches,¡± said Marcus.


    They left the balcony and returned to the complex, where they boarded the elevator and descended through the mountains and moving underground. The duration of the trip seemed longer than it should have been. Tom didn¡¯t know how far down the Sanctum was. All he knew for sure was that it was below sea-level.


    Marcus and Candace led the trio into the Sanctum, while Tom and Rachel took up the rear of the group. They still hadn¡¯t spoke, and Tom continued to grow uncomfortable in her presence. Soon, they would have to clear the air. Somehow or another.


    Inside the darkness of the Sanctum, a large beam of light shone down from the ceiling. At Marcus¡¯s direction, Ethan, Olivia, and Alexa stepped into the light. The instant they did, three holographic screens showing the silhouettes of the Quantum Tribunal appeared.


    ¡°Ethan Jackson.¡±


    ¡°Alexa Monroe.¡±


    ¡°Olivia Reyes.¡±


    ¡°Welcome all three of you to Sanctuary Isle.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Ethan, trying to study the silhouettes as if he could glean some clue as to their identities.


    ¡°We three represent the leadership of the Quantum Group. We are called simply the Quantum Tribunal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but who are you? Or what are you?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Our identities are unimportant, Recruit Jackson.¡±


    ¡°We are here to bestow upon you the power of the Omega Force.¡±


    The transparency on the holographic screens increased, making them almost invisible. Three beams appeared behind the screens, each shining a spotlight on some sort of object.


    ¡°Please step towards the lights and retrieve your Omega Gauntlets.¡±


    Ethan and Olivia exchanged nervous glances, but Alexa stepped up to the light. She reached for the small object under one spotlight and picked it up, studying it.


    ¡°Looks like some kind of smartwatch?¡±


    Ethan moved next and examined the second object and he found it was the same as Alexa¡¯s. Olivia was the last, but she eventually joined the others and picked up the final gauntlet.


    ¡°Put them on,¡± said the Tribunal.


    Alexa brought the object to her wrist and the band tightened around it. The band was a perfect fit, but there seemed to be no latch of any kind. ¡°Wait a sec, how¡¯s this come off?¡±


    ¡°It responds to your mental commands.¡±


    Ethan and Olivia each put theirs on as well. And just like with Alexa¡¯s, the bands tightened around their wrists, molding to the size and shape of their respective limbs. The device¡¯s screen glowed for each¡ªAlexa¡¯s had a purple glow, Ethan¡¯s was green, and yellow for Olivia.


    ¡°The Omega Gauntlets connect you to the Omega Force. Through these devices, the Omega Force will flow through you, enabling you to summon your armor, access your weapons and powers, and communicate with your Titan.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­are they glowing so much?¡± asked Ethan.


    In response, nanomachines flowed out from the gauntlets. They swarmed over the three, interlocking with each other and forming the base layers of the armor. The nanomachines flowed out from the gauntlets in response, quickly swarming over the three and interlocking with each other to form the base layers of the armor. It took only a matter of seconds for the nanites to complete the armor, but the three new recruits felt a minor shock that lasted longer than that.


    ¡°The armor protects you from most forms of damage and enhances your abilities, while also giving you access to your weapons and powers. Only when the armor is enabled are you able to utilize the full spectrum of your abilities, which you will learn about in time.¡±


    ¡°It responds to your thoughts to expand or retract as needed, as will the other abilities you¡¯ll discover in your training.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s helmet retracted away from his face. ¡°Whoa, they¡¯re right. I just thought that I wanted the helmet off and it was gone.¡±


    Alexa and Olivia followed suit, their helmets also retracting. Olivia took it a step further by retracting her entire armor, the nanites shrinking back down into the gauntlet.


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± asked Alexa.


    Marcus stepped forth from the back of the room. When he spoke, the three turned to him.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to meet your Titans,¡± he said. ¡°Get ready, you¡¯ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.¡±

 The Enclave

    Far below Sanctuary Isle, even lower than the Sanctum, existed the Enclave. It was a large area where maintenance and repairs were conducted on the machines imbued with the spirits of the Titans themselves. Many technicians handled the physical work, but the Enclave as a whole was overseen by the mysterious Orion.


    He appeared to be in his 70s, with long, silver hair and a matching beard. But his true age was a mystery. No one now on Sanctuary Isle predated his tenure, and rumors suggested that he lived for centuries instead of decades. Some even suggested he himself was a former Knight from long ago and hence why he had a deeper connection with the Titans than anyone save for the Knights themselves¡ªand even that was up for debate.


    Orion, for his part, never confirmed nor denied any of the rumors. Around once or twice a year, someone would get up the nerve to ask him about them and he would just smile and respond with, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be something?¡± before walking away.


    As he sat in his office, clad in a pair of coveralls, he monitored the progress on the screens surrounding his desk. He enjoyed watching the Titans being worked on. It was soothing to him. He could understand these mythic creatures and the machines that housed them. They made sense to him in a way that humans never did.


    A buzzing noise drew his attention away. The only places that were truly restricted on Sanctuary Isle without permission were the Enclave and the Sanctum itself, and that buzzer signaled someone requesting access. Orion pushed a button to deactivate the buzzer and trigger a holographic projection of Marcus Kane.


    ¡°Agent Kane, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± asked Orion with a sneer. He wasn¡¯t very fond of Marcus Kane. To Orion, Kane was a washed-up soldier who¡¯d never amounted to anything. Now he used his position in the Quantum Group to fool himself into thinking he had some merit.


    ¡°We have the new recruits here. They¡¯re ready to meet their Titans,¡± said Marcus.


    Orion sighed. ¡°You know as well as I do that once the shells are operational, I¡¯ll tell you. Did you get a message from me?¡±


    ¡°No, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you know that the shells aren¡¯t fucking ready. Now stop distracting me and let me get back to work.¡±


    ¡°Stop being such an asshole, Orion. You know these recruits have to get acquainted with their spirits and you also know they don¡¯t need the shells to do that. So open the goddamn door already and stop being a pain in my ass.¡±


    For most of the Quantum Group¡¯s employees, the well-being of the Knights was the primary concern. They were, after all, the warriors that defended this plane from breaches. But Orion prioritized the Titans over all else. Their mechanical shells could be repaired and Knights could be replaced, yet the spirits of those Titans were what gave form and substance to the Omega Force. Without them, there would be no Knights and no Omega Force.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for the Titans if their shells are restored first,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°You want me to pull rank? Fine. This comes directly from the Tribunal.¡±


    The Tribunal. Orion always dreaded whenever they issued their demands. But he had little choice other than relenting. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll meet you at the entrance.¡±


    Orion hit another switch, granting Marcus access to the elevator that was the only way into the Enclave. With a wave of his hands, the holographic screens all disappeared, and he stood from his desk to go meet them.


    His office was on a catwalk across from the elevators. Below the catwalk was the heart of the Enclave, where the Titan shells were kept and maintained. Once Orion had crossed the distance, the elevator doors opened with Marcus and the Knights, including the two existing ones.


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    ¡°I¡¯d like you all to meet Orion. Around here, we call him the Caretaker. He¡¯s in charge of the Titans, which includes maintenance on their physical forms.¡±


    ¡°We call them shells,¡± said Orion. ¡°Right now, only two of the shells are in working order. The others are still being repaired after the last battle.¡±


    ¡°Let me introduce you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± said Orion, cutting off Marcus. He pointed at Ethan. ¡°Green.¡± Then his finger moved to Olivia. ¡°Yellow.¡± And finally, Alexa. ¡°Purple. That¡¯s all I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± asked Olivia, who looked a bit taken aback by the impersonal nature of Orion¡¯s introductions.


    ¡°Young lady, I¡¯ve lost count of how many people I¡¯ve seen wear those gauntlets. Some retired, some had less-than-pleasant ends. Keeping track of you by your colors is just easier,¡± said Orion. ¡°Let¡¯s just move on from here, okay? I¡¯d like you all gone soon so I can get back to my work.¡±


    Orion turned his back on them and strode towards the catwalk. He could hear someone behind him mumble, ¡°what an asshole,¡± but he didn¡¯t give it any mind. The sound of footsteps followed behind him, but didn¡¯t look back at them. Orion stopped at the middle of the catwalk and gestured over the railing.


    ¡°These are the shells being worked on right now. This is the Karkinos¡¯s shell.¡±


    The Karkinos Titan was a massive beast of a robot, colored shades of green with some silver and gold trim. The Karkinos Titan boasted four massive legs on each side and wielded two enormous arms that ended in giant pincers.


    ¡°So this is mine?¡± asked Ethan as he stared over the railing.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t things¡ªthey¡¯re sentient beings,¡± said Orion. ¡°You don¡¯t own them, Green. The power is theirs, you¡¯re just borrowing it.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you need us if they¡¯re so special and we¡¯re so useless?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°That¡¯s a question I¡¯ve often asked myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a symbiotic relationship. The Titans need human hosts for their powers to be channeled, and Orion knows that,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Whatever, Kane.¡±


    Orion turned to the other side of the catwalk and pointed down into the bay. Robots moved around, welding and repairing a golden horse-like robot with a giant horn on its head.


    ¡°Right here is the Unicorn¡¯s shell.¡±


    Olivia moved beside Orion. He glanced at her and saw her eyes were large with wonderment. It almost gave him a feeling of admiration for the young woman¡ªalmost.


    ¡°And if you look just back there, you can see the Wyvern¡¯s shell.¡±


    Alexa climbed onto the railing and peered off into the distance. Its serpentine body was being outfitted with new wings.


    ¡°Whoa, badass,¡± she said.


    ¡°They will be. But now, they¡¯re basically just lifeless hunks of metal,¡± said Orion. ¡°Only when the Titans take possession are the shells capable of doing anything more than just standing there and looking imposing. Without the Titans, these things would be inoperable.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Omega Force powers all this, but it sounds like you¡¯re saying the Titans are the source?¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°The Titans are part of the Omega Force. You can¡¯t have one without the other. The Omega Force is just the river that transports the Titans to their destination,¡± said Orion. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He led them from the catwalk and down an adjoining staircase. As they descended towards the ground floor, they could get a sense of the massive scale of the Titans. Part of that was intentional on Orion¡¯s part¡ªhe wanted them to feel insignificant in the presence of these magnificent feats of engineering. That sort of humility was necessary for them to understand their place in this larger enterprise.


    Once on the floor of the Enclave, Orion led them across the bay and to a series of sealed doors, one after the other. Each door was color-coded with an appropriate light above it¡ªred, blue, yellow, green, and purple.


    ¡°These chambers are where the Titan spirits reside while the shells are being worked on,¡± he said. ¡°The spirits require some sort of containment or else they could dissipate into the ether. That means either the shell or this chamber.¡±


    ¡°Your Gauntlets allow you and you alone access to your respective Titan,¡± Orion explained. ¡°The bond between Titan and Knight is an intensely personal one. Closer than even a parent and a child. They will become one with you and you will know each other¡¯s deepest thoughts, fears, desires, and secrets. Anything other than complete trust with your Titan will result in an imperfect bond. If that happens, the results in the field could be unpredictable, if not catastrophic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s basically just a dramatic way of saying you have to trust your Titan,¡± said Tom.


    Orion scoffed as he side-eyed the team¡¯s new leader. The Tribunal actually picked him over the Blue Knight. Disappointing, but not altogether unexpected, given what Orion knew of the Tribunal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to do today, so let¡¯s move this along,¡± said Orion.


    The three new recruits stood in front of the doors with their respective colors. As they stepped closer, the Gauntlets around their wrists glowed and the doors opened. Each one hesitated for a moment before stepping into the waiting darkness.

 Bonding Process

    Darkness greeted Ethan when he stepped into his chamber. A green glow surrounded him, taking on a texture not unlike water. He reached his hands out to touch the glowing, emerald waves around him, and it felt and behaved as if it were actual water.


    In the distance was a spot where the green seemed to coalesce, merging into a massive form that looked unclear from his vantage point. Ethan walked towards it and with each step, it seemed to come into focus. Something from the green reached out towards him and he held his hand to meet it. When the green trail touched his hand, it had formed into a tentacle.


    Ethan focused on the tentacle for a few moments before he looked up at the green, now staring right into the face of the Karkinos. He had a massive jaw and two gigantic eyes that turned toward Ethan, a brighter glow emanating from them.


    His mind was awash in images stretching back centuries. Ethan watched the various Green Knights throughout history, each one bonding with and drawing upon the Karkinos¡¯s power. In that brief moment, Ethan could understand the breadth of the Titan¡¯s experience, even if he could never remember any of the specific details once this encounter ended.


    The Karkinos spoke no words, but the intent was clear. The Titan had opened itself up to Ethan, and now it was his turn to do the same.


    For years, Ethan had held onto the trauma of his family¡¯s mysterious end. Trying to piece together what he¡¯d witnessed and being told that his memories were nothing but a child¡¯s imagination trying to make sense of the trauma. He remembered the fire, the heat of the flames. And through the smoke, he could see something. Glowing red eyes, towering high above him. Back then, he thought it had been a monster. Whenever he told that to people, they dismissed it as a child trying to make sense of a senseless trauma.


    But through this connection with the Karkinos, Ethan learned just one sliver of the truth¡ªhe hadn¡¯t imagined what he saw. Within the flurry of images, he saw a child crying amidst the ruins of a house, pulling desperately at the arm of a father who would never wake again. The image changed again and Ethan watched as the Karkinos¡¯s massive pincer clamped around the neck of a beast cloaked in shadow.


    Ethan shook his head, the images leaving his vision, and he saw himself once again staring into the ethereal face of the Titan. The Karkinos still had the same fixed expression on his face, but Ethan could swear he sensed something more from the Titan.


    ¡°You were there¡­¡± Ethan whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine it¡­¡±


    The Karkinos didn¡¯t respond with words. If someone asked Ethan later how he knew what the Karkinos felt, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to articulate how he interpreted this. But he could feel some sense of deep regret coming from the Karkinos.


    Ethan¡¯s mind raised more questions. Just how long had the Quantum Group watched him? And if they hadn¡¯t kept the truth of these breaches a secret for so long, could they have given some sort of warning to the victims, like his family?


    This alone gave Ethan reason to accept the bonding. He needed those answers.


    <hr>


    Alexa stepped inside the darkened chamber, unable to see even a step ahead of her. An impossible flow of wind started moving through the chamber, coming from all sides. As Alexa felt the breeze tickle the hairs on her arms, she could see the wind visualized with trails of purple.


    She didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but she felt herself becoming weightless, moving as one with the wind. Alexa started moving through the air, the purple trails flowing past her and carrying her up higher into the darkness.


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    Most influencers became that way because they wanted fame or money or attention. And there was a part of Alexa that did live off that adulation. But more than anything else, it was the freedom that lifestyle provided her. She¡¯d seen how the nine-to-five grind and the chains of expectations could damage a person and she swore to never live that kind of life.


    The freedom of performing these death-defying stunts for a paying audience not only freed her from those same chains, they also let her fully embrace life. But all the parkour stunts in the world didn¡¯t compare at all to what she felt right now.


    There was another presence in here with her. She held her arms out in front of her and the purple trails flowed along her arms, coalescing before her eyes. The form that took shape was vaguely humanoid, but with a much thinner, more serpentine body. He had arms, but the fingers attached to the hand stretched out impossibly long, with flaps of skin linking each digit together and forming giant bat-like wings. He had what looked like the head of a dragon, with his mouth opening wide and his tongue snaking out towards her.


    Alexa almost recoiled until the flood of memories came over her. She had seen what the Wyvern Titan had seen in its long life, though the images came too fast for her to process. She felt the emotions that bonded the Wyvern to previous Purple Knights. And she could sense just how free the Wyvern felt as he soared through the air.


    Through the Wyvern, that sense of true freedom she¡¯d always desired seemed closer to her than ever before. All she had to do was agree to share everything about herself with this strange being.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± she whispered, and the Wyvern let out a jubilant screech to indicate his approval and acceptance of her as well.


    <hr>


    The darkness that greeted Olivia was all-encompassing. She couldn¡¯t see anything, not even her hands, as she waved them in front of her face. It was almost too much for her and she wondered¡ªnot for the first time¡ªjust why she was here.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she called out into the void, just to be greeted with her own echo. ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    Her echo trailed off into silence and for a few moments, there was nothing. Olivia tried to turn around to step back outside the chamber, but she couldn¡¯t find the exit.


    ¡°If this is some kind of weird hazing thing, I¡¯m really not in the mood!¡±


    Again, just silence.


    Olivia huffed. ¡°This isn¡¯t going well. Here I thought I was getting some sort of job offer and instead, I¡¯m dropped into the middle of something out of a comic book.¡±


    The ground shook. Just a brief tremor, but it almost knocked her over. Olivia stood still after the tremor had subsided, bracing herself for another. Once she was sure it was safe, she stood upright.


    And that was when another tremor hit. This one reverberated with alternating levels of shocks. Olivia thought for sure this barrage of quakes would bowl her over, but surprisingly, she maintained her footing.


    She noticed that a flash of yellow light accompanied each tremor. Olivia crouched to prepare for the next quake and when it came, she saw that the light was reverberating from a spot in the distance. She moved closer towards it between the tremors, finding that they were coming sequentially. There was a kind of rhythm to them.


    Olivia moved closer and she could see the source of the light. Something banged on the ground and each time, a tremor reverberated out. As she approached, the light briefly illuminated the features. The closer she got, the more features she saw, until she realized it was a giant horse. No, more than a horse¡ªit had a horn jutting out from its forehead.


    The Unicorn whinnied and ceased stomping. She focused her eyes on Olivia, her body glowing bright yellow with softer golden hues shining off. Carefully, the Unicorn trotted towards her.


    Olivia reached a hand out for the Titan. Hesitation filled her as she extended her hand towards the Unicorn, uncertain of its response. She reached for the Unicorn¡¯s head and laid her fingers on the tip of the horn. Once her flesh made contact, her eyes widened as images flooded her memories. Images of the Unicorn¡¯s past and all the battles she had been in, all the previous Knights she¡¯d bonded with.


    There was so much violence in the Unicorn¡¯s past. How could she look beyond that all? But there was more than that. Olivia saw through the Unicorn¡¯s eyes all the people that had survived thanks to the Titans. This was an opportunity to save not just a handful of people, but to protect billions.


    Until now, Olivia had been uncertain about this whole endeavor. She wasn¡¯t a fighter, she abhorred violence. But that firm resolve seemed to be what drew the Unicorn to her. And through this Titan, Olivia was now beginning to understand what her place in this entire system would be.

 Leap of Faith

    Marcus Kane stood beside Tom and Rachel with the three new recruits lined up across from them. He glanced at his watch and saw it read 7 AM. It was clear that none of the three was used to getting up this early. All of them wore training clothes that had the omega symbol emblazoned on them.


    ¡°Welcome to Day One, newbies,¡± said Marcus. ¡°We¡¯re going to be doing a mix of training activities over the next month. Some of them will just be with you three, some of them will be with the senior members of the team, and some will be individual. We¡¯ll be testing and training different aptitudes with these excursions. Some mental, some physical. The point is not only so you grow accustomed to your new powers but also so you can think on your feet and work as a team.¡±


    Marcus turned around and gestured to the door behind him. It opened up, revealing a large, round room. The room¡¯s height extended high, about two hundred feet up. There was a large spire in the center of the room, with platforms at various heights moving up the spire.


    ¡°The first task is a simple one. No transformations or powers needed for this obstacle. All you have to do is climb from the ground all the way to the platform at the top of the spire,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± asked Alexa with a grin. ¡°See you all at the top!¡±


    ¡°Alexa, wait! You¡ª¡± Tom had started to warn her about the challenge, but Alexa had already darted into a run before he could finish getting the words out. He sighed, knowing that she¡¯d realize the truth pretty quickly.


    Alexa jumped to grab hold of the first platform and then it was a quick hop to the second, just a short distance from the first. When she made the jump from second to third, the platforms shifted and the third platform moved just out of reach.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Alexa grabbed the edge of the third platform with one hand, dangling above. The platform sped up, rotating around the spire, and Alexa¡¯s grip faltered.


    Alexa cried out, but her fall was broken when she vanished in a flash of purple light. She rematerialized right with the rest of the Knights, landing on her butt.


    ¡°Ooph!¡±


    ¡°Your Gauntlets have been programmed to automatically teleport you back to the beginning if you fall. When you¡¯re up on the spire, if one of you falls, all of you fall,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was trying to tell you before you ran off,¡± Tom said to Alexa. ¡°It¡¯s a team exercise. We have to work together to get to the top.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s my bad, no big,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°At the start, it¡¯s no big,¡± said Rachel. ¡°If it happens when we get further up, we have to start all over. This game doesn¡¯t have any checkpoints.¡±


    ¡°But you two did this once before, right?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°You know how this thing works?¡±


    Tom shook his head. ¡°Each time you start from the beginning, the pattern randomizes.¡±


    ¡°We can only fit about two to a platform at a time, maybe three. If we go over the weight allowance for a platform, it¡¯ll retract into the spire,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Limiting ourselves to two per platform should be within the weight restriction.¡±


    ¡°Also a time limit on how long the platform will stay active with only one person on it. If anyone gets too far ahead or if anyone falls behind, the platforms will also retract,¡± added Tom.


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    ¡°Oh, and just to make it extra fun? The spire throws in a few random changes,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll be watching.¡±


    With Marcus¡¯s exit, the platforms began rotating around the spire at different speeds. Rachel studied the movements, observing the speeds and also when they intersected.


    ¡°First two are moving at more or less an equal level of speed, but that third one¡¯s whipping around pretty fast,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Then four is slow, but pretty high above three¡ªtoo high for a simple jump.¡±


    ¡°And that fifth platform keeps changing speed,¡± said Tom. ¡°Okay, so we¡¯ll have to partner up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take up the rear on my own,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°In that case, Olivia will follow me and then Ethan and Alexa,¡± said Tom. ¡°First two should be simple to traverse, third¡¯s faster, but shouldn¡¯t be too difficult if we time it right. But to reach the fourth, we¡¯ll need to work together. So Olivia, I¡¯ll give you a boost, then you help pull me up, then I¡¯ll help Alexa, and so on.¡±


    ¡°What about that fifth one?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°As long as we stay two by two, we should be fine. Just don¡¯t miss your cue to jump or the platform might retract.¡± Tom looked at Olivia. ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°If I say, ¡®no,¡¯ can we just skip the whole thing?¡± she asked.


    Tom gave a grin and shook his head. ¡°Not how it works.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Olivia took a deep breath. ¡°I guess I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯m gonna get, then.¡±


    Tom ran towards the first platform and jumped, quickly ascending it. Olivia joined him and when the second came around, Tom jumped first. Once it circled back around to Olivia, she followed.


    ¡°Whoa, duck!¡±


    Tom pulled Olivia down as the third platform whipped over their heads. ¡°The second and third are close together, so be careful!¡± he called out to the others, just as Ethan and Alexa were on the first platform.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re gonna have to be quick here. Watch me and do as I do,¡± he said.


    Olivia swallowed and nodded.


    Tom watched as the platform circled around. He held his arms up and grabbed onto the platform, letting it pull him with it. He scrambled on top and looked back at Olivia.


    ¡°Arms up and get ready¡­now!¡±


    As soon as Tom commanded, the third platform passed by and Olivia grabbed it. Just as it had done with Tom, it pulled her off the second platform. Tom gave her a hand to help her climb up. They both looked at the fourth one.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna boost you up, okay? But I need you to tell me when the platform is coming, because I won¡¯t be able to see. And then once you get up there, I need you to hang over the edge so I can reach you.¡±


    Tom cupped his hands and squatted. Olivia put one foot in his hands and put her hands on his shoulders, climbing onto him. She started watching the platform and when she thought it was within range, she called out.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    Tom lifted her leg, pushing her up. Olivia sprung from his boost and just barely snagged the edge of the platform. She hung for a moment and struggled, the muscles in her arm straining to pull her onto the platform. Once she made it, she fell on her face and caught a breath.


    ¡°Olivia!¡±


    ¡°Right¡­now the hard part¡­¡±


    She looked over the edge and saw that Ethan had now joined Tom on the third platform. Olivia tried to position herself on the platform so that she was sure she was secure on it and that Tom¡¯s weight wouldn¡¯t pull her down. She hung her arms over the edge just as Ethan boosted Tom up.


    Tom¡¯s hand came within reach of hers, and Olivia grabbed his wrist. Tom used her arm as leverage to raise up his free hand, and then he grabbed the platform¡¯s edge.


    Just below them, Alexa joined Ethan on the third platform, and he helped pull her up. And below them, Rachel was waiting to ascend to the third.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and help the next person up, but that means you have to jump to the fifth platform. You got it?¡± asked Tom.


    Olivia watched the fifth platform. Sometimes it moved quick, other times slow, and then other times it would alternate between those speeds mid-rotation. She watched, waiting for the right time to jump. But whenever she was about to jump, the platform would change up its speed.


    ¡°Olivia! We have to move now!¡± called Tom.


    ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re running out of time!¡± shouted Alexa.


    Olivia felt the pressure on. It was now or never. She closed her eyes and sprung up, but at that moment, the platform sped up and it slipped right out of reach.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she called out as gravity took hold and pulled her further from the platform and down towards the ground. There was a flash of yellow energy and then she landed harmlessly back at the start point with the rest of the Knights there, too.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± shouted Alexa. ¡°It was right there! If you hadn¡¯t hesitated, we could¡¯ve made it!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I could get to it. I was trying to time it just right,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°You wait too long and you miss your chance,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°All right, calm down,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Nice effort, but not quite,¡± came Marcus¡¯s voice over the loudspeaker. ¡°Back to start, try again.¡±

 Elemental

    The spire training went on for several hours. There were a few instances when they got close, but in the end, reaching the summit proved too daunting a task. After the final failed attempt, Marcus called a lunch break.


    The cafeteria was well-stocked with a variety of food. The five Knights sat together, but otherwise they would have seemed like total strangers. In many ways, they were. No one talked about the failed attempts to reach the summit or proposed any solutions. No one even questioned the veteran members. That came as something of a shocker to Tom¡ªwhen he first joined, he had a thousand questions and wouldn¡¯t shut up. Why were they so quiet?


    After lunch, they assembled outside on a grassy plain sandwiched on three sides between the mountain range, a forest, and a small beach. The five Knights lined up in front of Marcus. There was a tension amongst them after the failed attempts to complete the spire.


    ¡°The spire was just the first stage of your training,¡± Marcus began. ¡°Obviously you¡¯ve still got a way¡¯s to go before you can conquer that one. But for the afternoon session, we¡¯re gonna switch things up a bit. That¡¯s why we came here to the Arena. This is where a lot of our training with the powers occurs. Has a nice, wide-open space, a few different types of terrain, and it¡¯s equipped with hard-light holographic projectors to generate just about any sort of opponent you¡¯ll face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already met your Titans, but now, we¡¯re going to show you just some things that connection makes possible. Knight Stone? Give a demonstration of what you can do.¡±


    Tom nodded and stepped forward. He held his bent arm in front of his chest and touched the Gauntlet with his free hand. The Gauntlet glowed with a red hue of energy and the nanites slithered out from their housing, coating his body and interlocking together to form the red armor of the Phoenix Knight.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to shout your Titan¡¯s name or strike any fancy poses or anything like that, huh?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a kid¡¯s show,¡± said Tom.


    The helmet altered his voice, making it deeper and distorted with a slight echo. Tom held out his hand and a beam of red light surrounded his closed fist. It extended and took the shape of a sword, with flames flickering along the length of the blade.


    ¡°The Flameblade,¡± said Tom, holding the sword up so the rest of the group could see. ¡°Each of you has your own specific weapon, linked to your Titan and possessing the power of your element. To summon it, you just have to visualize it and it¡¯ll appear. This will allow you to channel your elemental powers through the blade. Watch.¡±


    Tom turned away from the group and swung the sword in a downward motion. An arc of flame moved in the blade''s wake, following along the path until it struck one of the nearby trees and caused it to light on fire. Drones appeared almost instantly to extinguish the tree before the fire could spread.


    ¡°Knight Kim?¡±


    Marcus looked at Rachel. She nodded and used her Gauntlet to transform, too. A blue glow emerged from her Gauntlet and the nanites swarmed over her body, locking into place until the Raiju Knight stood ready. Rachel stretched her arm out and a blue bow materialized in her grip.


    ¡°Thunderbow,¡± she said, holding up the weapon. She turned to another tree and pulled the blue light that connected each end of the bow. An arrow forged of lightning materialized in the nocked position. Rachel released the string of light and the arrow shot through the tree like a thunderbolt, leaving a singed hole in the center.


    ¡°Knight Monroe, you¡¯re up next,¡± Marcus ordered.


    Alexa gave a nod and stepped forward. She reached for her Gauntlet and placed her hand on the face and closed her eyes.


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    ¡°Feel the connection with your Titan, visualized your armor,¡± said Rachel.


    Alexa did, concentrating on the memory of meeting the Wyvern. And sure enough, a purple glow emerged from her gauntlet and she could feel the nanites covering her body from head to toe. It was a unique sensation compared to last time. Before, Alexa felt uncomfortable. But after meeting with the Wyvern, it felt as comfortable as putting on PJs.


    ¡°Good, now summon your weapon,¡± said Marcus.


    At first, Alexa didn¡¯t know what he meant. She couldn¡¯t visualize something if she didn¡¯t know what it was. But then, an image appeared in her mind. She didn¡¯t know if this was the right way to do it, but she continued to focus on that image. And sure enough, a purple glow appeared in her hand until she held a purple whip with a long tail.


    ¡°The Zephyrwhip,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Give it a go.¡±


    Alexa had never used a whip before, but that muscle memory Marcus mentioned earlier kicked in. It was as if her body¡ªor, more accurately, the armor¡ªknew the exact motions. She cracked the whip, and it generated a powerful burst of wind that sliced through one tree.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    ¡°Good work. Knight Reyes?¡±


    Olivia still stung from her failure this morning. And though others had fouled up in the successive sessions, she still felt most responsible for setting the tone. This time, she hoped she could do something right. How hard could it be, after all, to just transform and conjure a weapon? The others seemed to manage just fine.


    She held up the Gauntlet and concentrated on it, thinking back to the beautiful Unicorn she¡¯d met before. While she focused her thoughts on the Unicorn, the Gauntlet hummed with a yellow glow and soon Olivia felt the nanites coat her body. She still wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable doing this, and perhaps that was why to her it felt like it was taking longer to armor up.


    Once she was in her armor, she concentrated on the weapon. Again, she thought of the Unicorn and it gave her the image she was trying to summon. Sure enough, a yellow rod of light appeared in her hand, turning into the solid form of a long staff.


    ¡°Terrastaff,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Try it.¡±


    Just like with Alexa, Olivia felt nature taking over her body. She slammed the end of the staff against the ground and tremors reverberated out from the point of impact.


    ¡°When you get more control, you¡¯ll be able to do a lot more with those vibrations,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Knight Jackson? You¡¯re the last one.¡±


    Ethan held up his Gauntlet, thinking about the Karkinos. That same familiar glow, but green, surrounded his Gauntlet. The nanites swarmed over his body, forming the Karkinos Knight armor over him. Once armored up, he wasted no time in summoning the weapon the Karkinos showed him, a trident forming in his hands.


    ¡°Aquatrident,¡± said Marcus. ¡°See what it can do.¡±


    Tom turned away, avoiding watching as Ethan summoned the powers and weapons that once belonged to Scott.


    ¡°Whoa, this is pretty badass!¡± Ethan held the Aquatrident up, forming a ball of water above its three tines. ¡°Look at me, I¡¯m like Aquaman, but better!¡±


    The ball grew larger, the water flowing around. Ethan was starting to come off as the star pupil of the new class. And then Ethan lost control and the ball burst open, dumping water all over him.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Aquaman just talks to fish,¡± said Alexa with a chuckle.


    Ethan thrust the trident in Alexa¡¯s direction and a burst of water appeared above the tines. The water sprayed from the points, acting as firehoses. Once the water struck Alexa, it was strong enough to bowl her over, her short bob flattening against her forehead and neck.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be?¡± asked Alexa, a playful feeling taking over her. She jumped to her feet and snapped the whip three times, sending out three cutting arcs of solid air.


    Ethan thrust the trident towards each, water spheres forming to intercept and break the path of the air blades. He focused on Alexa, the two of them both smiling beneath their helmets. Though neither could see that, they were still both able to feel that same rambunctious spirit.


    Not everyone felt the same, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± shouted Marcus.


    The bass of his voice was enough to bring both Ethan and Alexa to attention. Marcus jabbed a finger at each of them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a damn game, all right? I¡¯m here to train you to use these powers so you can save the goddamn planet. You wanna play around, you do it on your own time and without these weapons. They¡¯re far too important to be used frivolously.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Agent Kane. They were just having some fun,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t Disneyland. If you can¡¯t get your shit together, we¡¯ve got a long list of potentials. One of them will certainly be able to. Understood?¡±


    There was silence. The newbies looked to the vets for some idea of how they should respond.


    ¡°Knights, are we understood?¡± Marcus asked again, his impatience obvious in his enunciation.


    Murmurs of uncertain acquiescence followed.


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯re clear,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Now, I want you to start practicing with these powers until using them becomes as natural as breathing. Get to it.¡±

 Growing Pains

    In Tom¡¯s estimation, the afternoon training session went pretty bad. Everything started off great, too. The new recruits seemed to take everything in stride. Meeting the Titan spirits went off without a hitch, but then it went off the rails during the climbing exercise.


    And then there was the Arena. That absolutely could have gone better.


    Following the tongue-lashing, Marcus told the team to take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, training would resume on an individual level. Everyone else more or less retreated to their quarters, and Tom was no exception.


    But he would not rest. Tom chose to continue training in his own way. Besides the facilities for training their abilities, the Sanctuary also held a conventional gym with standard exercise equipment. Though their powers gave them superhuman physical attributes, being in good shape helped lessen the strain placed on the body and heart.


    Tom dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, pulled on weightlifting gloves, and put his earbuds in place as he began his exercise playlist.


    After a quick stretch and warm-up, he loaded up weights onto the power rack and laid on the bench. It was at a moderate level for him, but he wasn¡¯t after power this time¡ªhe was focusing more on endurance today.


    Tom gripped the bar in both hands and raised it off the rack. He sucked in a breath as he lowered the bar until it almost reached his chest, then he exhaled as he pushed it back up. In his mind, he kept track of the reps, silently mouthing the number of each completed lift.


    His earbuds pumped the sounds of AC/DC into his head, fueling his movements. He lowered the bar for another rep, then raised it up. Normally, this was how Tom could escape from his troubles and silence his mind, but it wasn¡¯t working this time. Try as he might to drown out the thoughts that had been plaguing him since they lost Scott and the others, they still crept in.


    ¡°Not sure how much more we can take.¡±


    Scott¡¯s final words kept playing on repeat in his ears. The image of the Karkinos being crushed by that other-dimensional serpent. And the fearful expression that Scott¡¯s face was fixed in when Tom found him.


    That last one especially proved invasive. Tom had trouble picturing Scott in happier times. Whenever he tried, he just kept seeing that agape mouth and those bulged eyes. He must have been utterly terrified in his last moments. And now that memory was the last image Tom had of the man he¡¯d loved. The man he still loved.


    Tom had become so lost in his own world that he failed to concentrate on his actions. Without even realizing it, he¡¯d stopped counting and his body just kept pressing the bar as if on auto-pilot. He didn¡¯t even realize what rep he was on, but he¡¯d pushed himself past his goal.


    He felt fatigue in his biceps and pectorals. The bar became almost impossible to lift high enough to reach its resting spot on the rack. Tom exerted all his strength to push, but realized his muscles were no longer capable of responding. His grip tightened, and he pushed as hard as he could, but his muscles were about to give out.


    And then, something spared his arms. Someone came and raised the bar up, then set it down on the rack. Tom¡¯s arms fell limp to his sides, like wet noodles. He stared up at the bar and the ceiling lights beyond it for a few moments, blinking while his lungs struggling to catch up.


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna use free weights, you should really have a spotter. It¡¯s dangerous to do this on your own.¡±


    Tom shut his eyes, a feeling of embarrassment falling over him. It was a voice he had only been introduced to recently, but he recognized it. Not only was he stupid enough to lose track of what he was doing, but he had to be saved by one of the new recruits. So much for making a good first impression as team leader.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Once Tom pulled his back off the bench, he saw Ethan standing in front of him, a face towel held in an extended arm. Tom took his earbuds out and then reached for the water bottle on the floor. As he drank the water, he accepted the towel from Ethan and wiped the sweat from his brow and cheeks, then moved on to his arms.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked between gulps of water. ¡°Figured you¡¯d want to unwind after Marcus chewed you out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to do. Lifting weights is my way of unwinding. Helps me forget about the rest of the world,¡± said Ethan. ¡°It¡¯s just me and the weights. Feels kind of like my own personal form of meditation.¡±


    Tom could relate. And yet, he kept quiet, avoiding an obvious opportunity for some male bonding with the only other guy on the team. Instead, Tom just gave a nod and took more sips of water.


    Ethan, obviously not getting any sort of reception from his attempt at connection, decided to take another track with the conversation. ¡°Though speaking of Marcus, what was that all about?¡±


    Tom shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s just Marcus.¡±


    ¡°I get he¡¯s all about professionalism and taking things seriously. But you don¡¯t think his reaction was a little extreme?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But considering it from his perspective, he¡¯s responsible for our training and he just lost three of us. This is how he deals.¡±


    ¡°Flipping out because Alexa and I were having some fun is a coping mechanism?¡±


    ¡°What can I tell you? Marcus is all about that stereotypical alpha male bullshit. He doesn¡¯t do so well with healthy expressions of emotion,¡± said Tom. ¡°My read is he¡¯s just overcompensating to guarantee that doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°I guess that tracks,¡± said Ethan. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Tom glanced up at him. ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°They were your teammates. How are you dealing with it?¡±


    Tom sighed and stood from the bench. ¡°Just fine.¡±


    ¡°What was that you just said about healthy expressions of emotion?¡±


    Tom stretched his arms out as he walked over to a lat machine and set up the weights. His arms still ached from the bench press, so he set the load at a lower level than his usual. He replaced the bar with a rope and started to perform tricep pushdowns. The pain was there, but he pushed past it, hoping Ethan would get the hint.


    ¡°Tom¡­?¡±


    He didn¡¯t.


    Tom released the rope and let the weights crash down with a loud slam. He looked in Ethan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re a nice guy and everything and I know you¡¯re just trying to reach out and do the bonding thing, but I¡¯m really not in the mood, okay?¡±


    Ethan had a look of surprise on his face¡ªlikely from the sound of the weights suddenly dropping, but just as possible, it was from Tom¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Sorry, I just thought that with us being the only guys in the Knights that¡ª¡±


    ¡°That we¡¯d strike up a friendship?¡± Tom looked away and scratched behind his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but this isn¡¯t a high school football team. We¡¯re not here to make friends, we¡¯re here because we¡¯ve got a job to do.¡±


    Ethan now seemed to take offense, as exhibited by the narrowing of his eyes. ¡°Well, excuse me all to hell.¡±


    ¡°You want a piece of friendly advice? Then I¡¯ll give it to you right here and now,¡± said Tom as he stepped closer and pointed a finger in Ethan¡¯s direction. ¡°Don¡¯t get too attached to anyone around here. This place is a meat-grinder. You never know how long it¡¯ll be before you or someone else gets slaughtered.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t think we should learn to work together and trust each other?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°To an extent, but you get too personal, it can cause problems. The Omega Force may give you powers, but it can¡¯t make you invincible and it sure as shit can¡¯t bring you back from the dead. At best, it just gives you a fighting chance against the things we face.¡±


    Tom loosened the straps of his gloves and pulled them off. He picked up his water bottle and headed for the locker room.


    ¡°Keep it professional and maintain your distance, Knight Jackson. That¡¯s a piece of advice I wish to Christ someone had told me when I first came here.¡±


    In the locker room, Tom stripped off his sweaty clothes and left them in a pile. He went into the showers and allowed the hot water to pour down his body. As he did, he closed his eyes, his mind still drifting to thoughts of Scott.


    He didn¡¯t truly believe what he¡¯d told Ethan, but he wished he had. And he was going to try as hard as he could to make it his policy going forward.


    Tom was the leader now, and that meant he had responsibilities to the team. He couldn¡¯t afford to let his emotions get the better of him again, not after what had happened the last time.

 Bonding

    Olivia had felt restless after Marcus dressed down Ethan and Alexa. Tomorrow was supposed to be the start of one-on-one training with mentors, though who those mentors were, Olivia had no idea. Marcus remained tight-lipped on that front.


    She wanted a leg-up on the session, though. After a quiet dinner in the cafeteria, she slipped out and went on her own to the Arena. Olivia yearned to put her newfound powers to the test, eager to discover the extent of her capabilities before the serious training commenced. The last thing she wanted to do was to humiliate herself in front of everyone else. Tom and Rachel were already veterans, and Ethan and Alexa seemed more comfortable with these devices than she did. Olivia would have to get better if she wanted a place on this team.


    The Arena appeared to be empty. There was a computer console near the doors leading out to the training area, and she¡¯d inspected it briefly. They didn¡¯t seem too difficult, but she didn¡¯t want to mess around with the controls. Besides, right now, she just wanted to see if she could summon these powers.


    Olivia stepped out into the Arena and double-checked to see if there was anyone else here. When she saw there wasn¡¯t, she got ready. As she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she activated her Gauntlet and allowed the Omega Force to flow through her, the nanites swarming from the device to form her yellow armor.


    ¡°Okay, now what?¡± she whispered to herself.


    Olivia had watched as Ethan and Alexa seemed to take to their weapons and powers almost as if it were second nature. But as she summoned the Terrastaff into being, there was hesitation in its formation. She saw the crackle of yellow light, just as before, but it vanished almost immediately.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± she asked in frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying too hard.¡±


    Olivia recognized the voice, and she rolled her eyes, thankful her helmet¡¯s black visor concealed them. If it were Tom, she would have felt more relaxed¡ªhe seemed nice, albeit nervous.


    Rachel Kim was the opposite. Her confidence was obvious in everything she did¡ªhow she spoke, her stride when she walked, just her demeanor in general. She exuded an air of superiority, making others feel small in her presence. And Olivia rationalized that maybe Rachel was right to feel that way. It was a little strange to her they were told Tom was the leader when Rachel appeared the more capable of the pair.


    That same confident gait was president as Rachel walked down the small hill to join Olivia in the valley, dressed in the standard Quantum uniform.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice place, isn¡¯t it? I like coming out here to train on my own,¡± she said. ¡°Helps me stay sharp, and it¡¯s more peaceful when there¡¯s no one else around.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see any sort of reservation list. I¡¯ll leave you to it, then,¡± said Olivia, about to power down.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not here to kick you out,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I saw when you leave and was curious what you were up to.¡±


    ¡°Is that part of the training? Spying on the newbies?¡±


    Rachel scoffed and shook her head. ¡°I get the impression you don¡¯t like me much.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s shoulders sank. She was grateful for the helmet, so Rachel couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know you well enough.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not the easiest person to get to know. After what happened to the others. And then...¡±


    Her voice drifted off. Olivia got the sense there was something more on Rachel¡¯s mind that she wasn¡¯t willing to discuss. And just as quickly as it came up, Rachel changed the subject.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re having trouble with all this, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re out here alone.¡±


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    ¡°Understatement,¡± said Olivia, and then she added, ¡°but yes. I honestly have no idea why out of everyone in the world, I was tapped. Ethan¡¯s a fighter, Alexa¡¯s an athlete, but me¡­¡±


    ¡°If being a Knight was only about physical ability, they¡¯d staff up the team with a bunch of Navy SEALs or something. But it¡¯s about more than that.¡±


    Olivia shook her head. ¡°Come on, be real. We¡¯re here to fight monsters. I¡¯m trying to be a doctor, not a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Doctors have always served in the military,¡± Rachel noted.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± said Olivia. ¡°This isn¡¯t my deal. I want to help people, to heal them. Not¡­kill monsters. I don¡¯t want to kill anything.¡±


    Rachel nodded. Olivia couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it, but something in her new teammate¡¯s expression suggested that she¡¯d struggled with something similar in the past.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about this the wrong way. How do doctors heal the body?¡±


    Olivia shrugged. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the med student. How do doctors heal the body?¡±


    ¡°Science. Medical treatments.¡±


    ¡°Right. You help the body fight off invasive organisms. You eradicate disease and infection and bacteria in the body using tools like drugs and surgery,¡± said Rachel. ¡°You get what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Olivia nodded. ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that¡¯s what we do with the planet, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Those breaches and the monsters they bring over, that¡¯s the illness. We¡¯re the tools the planet uses to fight off those invasive organisms. You¡¯re still a healer, Liv. Just a different kind of healer. Because now, you don¡¯t just have a handful of people as your patients. You¡¯ve got an entire planet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice way of looking at it.¡± Olivia looked down at her hands. ¡°But I still can¡¯t feel comfortable with these powers or this armor.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°I tried that already.¡±


    ¡°Humor me.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Olivia sighed and closed her eyes behind her visor. ¡°Okay, they¡¯re closed.¡±


    ¡°Now hold out your hands. And think of yourself not as a superhero in a weird costume. Instead, think of yourself as a surgeon picking up a scalpel.¡±


    ¡°This is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­shut up and try, okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Even though she thought it ridiculous, Olivia pictured herself dressed in scrubs with a mask and cap. She imagined she was standing in an operating room over a patient and she reached for the scalpel.


    ¡°Now, think of the Unicorn.¡±


    Olivia pictured the Unicorn standing beside her in the room.


    ¡°Why would a unicorn be in the OR?¡±


    ¡°We can do without the commentary,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I know how stupid it sounds.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do¡­¡± Olivia muttered under her breath.


    Still, she kept picturing the Unicorn beside her in the OR. Without her even thinking of it, the Unicorn nudged its head against her shoulder, urging her on. A spark of light appeared at the tip of the Unicorn¡¯s horn and it began to project, illuminating the scalpel. Olivia held it up, examining the scalpel as it turned bright yellow.


    ¡°Liv¡­¡± said Rachel. ¡°Open your eyes.¡±


    Olivia opened her eyes and nearly jumped when she saw the Terrastaff in her open palms.


    ¡°Holy crap¡­it worked?¡±


    She looked at Rachel, who just smiled and gave a nod.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be one with the Omega Force and your Titan. Once you just give yourself over to it, the Titan will do the work. But you¡¯ve got to want it. You have to feel comfortable with your Titan.¡±


    Olivia retracted the helmet to reveal her face. ¡°How am I supposed to do that? Orion said we need to have a personal bond with our Titan. I¡¯ve never even felt that comfortable with any actual person, let alone some sort of ancient mythological beast spirit.¡±


    ¡°Right there¡¯s the problem¡ªyou¡¯re already throwing up barriers between you and your Titan,¡± said Rachel. ¡°You have to let go of what separates you. Doesn¡¯t matter that the Unicorn is ancient, doesn¡¯t matter that it¡¯s ethereal. You two now depend on each other for survival. The Titans can¡¯t exist in this world without us to serve as their hosts and we can¡¯t survive these breaches without their power. It¡¯s a symbiotic relationship and you have to treat it as such.¡±


    ¡°Does it just¡­come easy to everyone else or what?¡± asked Olivia.


    Rachel scoffed. ¡°No, absolutely not. It took me time before I felt comfortable enough to trust my Titan without question. It¡¯s like any relationship¡ªtime is going to be necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but with a person, you build trust by spending time with them. How do you build trust with a Titan?¡±


    ¡°In exactly the same way.¡±


    ¡°But they don¡¯t have physical forms, right? Do we have to spend all day in those weird chambers?¡±


    ¡°You can, but you don¡¯t have to.¡± Rachel held up her arm, turning it so her Gauntlet was facing Olivia. ¡°This gives you access to your Titan whenever you want. You can spend time with them in your dreams or when you¡¯re meditating. The more you do, the more comfortable you¡¯ll feel with each other. And that will strengthen the connection between you both.¡±


    Olivia looked down at the Terrastaff. Rachel watched as she examined it and then slowly turned it in her hands.


    ¡°Want me to show you a few moves?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s head snapped in Rachel¡¯s direction. ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for that¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± Rachel smiled as she activated her Gauntlet. A blue light emitted and soon Rachel clad herself in her armor.

 The Riot Act

    After the previous session, Alexa had spent the rest of the night avoiding the others. She took her dinner in her room and remained there for the rest of the night, deciding to go to bed early. She woke up before dawn to find it was still dark out and decided to put more effort into her work. After treating herself to a cup of coffee from one machine in the cafeteria, she went out to the Arena.


    The way Marcus spoke to her left her feeling unnerved. She wanted to prove that she was more than some flighty thrill-seeker, like he obviously thought. More than anything, she just wanted to rub it in his face.


    The Arena¡¯s controls were pretty simple to use. Alexa could program a sentry program, and then she activated her Omega Gauntlet. The nanites swarmed over her body and locked together, completing her transformation into the Purple Knight.


    Once she stepped out into the Arena, the holographic sentries hovered towards her, each one armed with miniature turrets. There were three in this first round, and she thought that would be enough of a challenge to start. She held out her hand and visualized her weapon and the suit responded, forming the Zephyrwhip in her grip.


    One sentry came directly at her and began firing its light-based rounds. Alexa leapt and dodged a few of them, but the other two sentries quickly added their firepower.


    She swung the Zephyrwhip, cracking it to deflect several projectiles. Alexa turned and ran for the trees, hoping to use them as cover. The sentries pursued her into the forested area.


    Alexa retracted the whip, and it flowed back into her armor. The closest branch that looked capable of bearing her weight seemed too far off the ground¡ªat least with her normal abilities. They¡¯d said the Omega Force gave them enhanced physical capabilities when in armored form, and she decided to put that to the test.


    She sprung from her dash, her hands reaching for the branch. Her instincts told her she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it, and she visualized herself falling back to the ground. But in reality, Alexa was surprised when, looking above the branch, she could easily reach and grab it. Almost as if everything had moved in slow-motion.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± she whispered to herself. She looked back and saw the sentries were in pursuit. ¡°No time for reflection.¡±


    Alexa drew on her parkour skills and leapt to the next branch, quickly pulling herself up. She continued moving from branch to branch until she found a length of vine connecting two trees. But just as she was about to jump for it, a sentry intercepted her, blocking her path.


    The sentry readied its weapons and Alexa allowed her instincts to take over. It seemed as if the armor knew what to do in that moment. The Zephyrwhip regenerated, and she held it spinning in front of her, all in about a second or less. With the whip spinning, it created a shield that deflected the sentry¡¯s rounds.


    The whip spun faster, now generating a wind burst that threw the sentry back. Alexa let her conscious mind take control again, and she remembered the training with Ethan earlier. She cracked the whip and a razor-sharp concentration of air cut through the sentry, causing the holograph to de-pixelate and vanish.


    Alexa jumped for the vine and grabbed hold. She dangled over the far drop to the ground below and moved, hand over hand, to cross to the next branch. When she heard a noise, she glanced to her left and saw one sentry there. Then the other sentry to her right.


    ¡°Okay¡­maybe not my brightest idea¡­¡±


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    She saw the guns being primed for fire andAlexa knew she had no choice. She let go just before they opened fire. Amidst: Amidst the crossfire between sentries, one escaped while the other fell.


    Reappearing, the Zephyrwhip targeted the vine with its cable. The whip wrapped around the vine and retracted quickly. As Alexa was being pulled up, the sentry followed her, firing at her again.


    She let go of the Zephyrwhip, the resulting momentum sending her flying into the air. She grabbed the vine and swung around it a few times and then released.


    The sentry still chased after her. Alexa turned in mid-air towards the sentry and summoned the whip again. She cracked it in the sentry¡¯s direction and the whip snared the turret. Alexa pulled hard while retracting and she and the sentry were on a collision course with each other.


    Alexa landed on top of the sentry, using the whip to rein it in. The sentry responded violently, trying to hurl Alexa off its back. They flew straight towards a large tree and just before colliding, Alexa jumped off.


    The sentry smashed right into the tree and dissipated.


    Alexa laughed at her success, but then gravity took hold. Gravity pulled her back to the ground, and she lacked time to react with the whip. Alexa landed on her back with a loud thud.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a unique way of waking yourself up.¡±


    Alexa frowned behind her visor when she heard Marcus Kane¡¯s voice. ¡°Great¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    She stood as Marcus approached, holding two paper cups with plastic heat lids. He wore his Quantum training uniform that day. For a moment, Alexa thought he was going to admonish her for using the Arena without supervision, but he held out the cup.


    ¡°Most people just use coffee. Care to try?¡± he asked.


    Alexa powered down, her armor breaking into the individual nanite components and retreating into her Gauntlet. Slowly, she reached a hand towards him, still not sure if the offer was genuine. In the end, she accepted the coffee and then quickly turned away with a whisper of ¡°thanks.¡±


    She stared at the cup and carefully sipped the drink. It was hot and bitter, but the jolt of caffeine was welcome. After a moment of savoring the taste, she realized he was looking at her. ¡°How long were you watching?¡±


    ¡°Long enough to see you take out three sentries,¡± said Marcus. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we hadn¡¯t gone over the Arena¡¯s controls yet. So how did you¡ª¡±


    Alexa sneered. ¡°Right, because how could some influencer figure out the complexities of a computer system? It¡¯s not hard to use when there are a bunch of pre-programmed routines. I just chose a low-level one that seemed challenging enough.¡±


    Marcus gave a cough. ¡°You didn¡¯t quite think ahead when you went for that vine, did you? Or the fall.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I got the job done.¡±


    ¡°True, though if you¡¯d had some forethought, you might have been able to figure out a more effective strategy without landing on your ass.¡± Marcus realized he was going on too long. He stopped and sipped the coffee before he added, ¡°Either way, it was pretty impressive.¡±


    Alexa looked up at him, somewhat in surprise. She¡¯d only known him a short time, but this sort of praise seemed uncharacteristic. ¡°You think I¡¯m impressive?¡±


    ¡°For a rookie, that is,¡± he added, as he noticed the look in her eyes.


    Alexa gave a scoff. ¡°Right. For a rookie.¡±


    ¡°I spoke to Ethan last night. Tried to speak to you, too, but you seemed pretty intent on keeping your own company.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I wasn¡¯t in the mood for another tongue thrashing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually why I wanted to talk to you,¡± said Marcus. ¡°I can get a bit¡­intense at times.¡±


    ¡°A bit?¡±


    Marcus frowned. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s my job to give you the skills you need to survive. Maybe that means I¡¯m not as tolerant or as fun as you might like, but I¡¯m doing it for your own good. It¡¯s my job to keep you alive.¡±


    Alexa waited for something else, staring at Marcus and wondering if he was going to elaborate further. When he didn¡¯t, she just arched a brow and said, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That was more than just tough love. You were a complete and utter jackass yesterday,¡± she admonished. ¡°I get that you think you¡¯re just doing your job, but freaking out just because we were having some fun was ridiculous.¡±


    Marcus looked shocked at first, but he narrowed his eyes quickly. ¡°People don¡¯t talk to me that way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why you¡¯re an asshole.¡± She handed him back the coffee cup. ¡°And for the record, I like cold brew. Not that you would¡¯ve bothered to ask.¡±


    She stormed away from Marcus, leaving him alone in the Arena. Once she reached the doors and entered the compound, she leaned against the wall and sighed.


    Only the second day here and already she¡¯d made an enemy of her boss.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t think ahead, do you?¡± she asked herself.

 Into the Fire

    After his encounter with Alexa, Marcus returned to the compound and went straight to the cafeteria. The Quantum Group provided Sanctuary Isle with a well-stocked cafeteria and staff on-hand twenty-four hours a day. He was just about to refill his now-empty coffee cup when he heard a familiar voice utter the phrase, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Doc,¡± he said, and quickly nodded to Candace as he filled his cup from the coffee dispenser.


    Candace studied his reaction and then asked, ¡°You okay, Marc?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°You just seem a bit more laconic than usual.¡± Candace filled up her own cup and then followed him to an empty table in the cafeteria. ¡°Which I admit, I didn¡¯t think was possible.


    ¡°Just a¡­trying morning is all.¡± He sat down at the table and sipped the black coffee. ¡°I¡¯ve got a morning session with the team and for the life of me, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m gonna get through it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re wondering the same thing,¡± said Candace. ¡°I heard about yesterday.¡±


    Marcus rolled his eyes and huffed a ¡°Great¡­¡± before taking another sip. ¡°Like I haven¡¯t heard enough about it.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re in a mood?¡±


    Marcus held out his arms in a shrug-like gesture. ¡°How do you know when I¡¯m in a mood?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been working together for ten years and I know how you act when you¡¯re annoyed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always annoyed.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­more annoyed than usual.¡±


    He scoffed and then nodded. ¡°Okay, fine. You got me. I¡¯m in a mood. Happy?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°I was feelin¡¯ a little off about yesterday, so I went to talk to Jackson and Monroe. And Jackson¡­he heard me out. Said he could understand where I was comin¡¯ from and that he¡¯d also try to do better.¡±


    ¡°And Alexa?¡±


    ¡°She locked herself in her room. Found her training this morning and tried to extend an olive branch, but she slapped it away and read me the riot act.¡±


    Candace paused and ruminated over the information. ¡°When you say you ¡®extended an olive branch,¡¯ what exactly do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I tried to bring her some coffee.¡±


    ¡°I like coffee as much as anyone else, but when I¡¯m pissed at my wife, it takes more than that to set things right,¡± said Candace. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much the same thing I said to Jackson. Said I can get a bit intense at times, but that¡¯s because I¡¯m supposed to give them the skills to keep them alive.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± said Candace. ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then she got pissy and stormed off,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Weird, right?¡±


    Candace blinked a few times and her lips moved, as if she were trying to suss out what to say next. She shook her head and then said, ¡°So¡­let¡¯s see if I¡¯ve got this all straight in my head. You overreacted during a training session, and then your way of making things right with them was to explain why they were wrong to be annoyed?¡±


    Marcus shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what happened. I was just explaining that¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he started to realize the problem. ¡°What I mean is I told them I¡­you know, I¡¯m¡­¡± He paused to clear his throat. ¡°¡­intense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that part just fine,¡± said Candace. ¡°When was the part when you apologized?¡±


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    ¡°Apologize?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, apologize. It¡¯s that thing you do when you want to admit that you did something wrong and you feel bad about it,¡± said Candace. ¡°Typically summed up with the simple phrase, ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡±


    Marcus appeared incredulous. ¡°What am I apologizing for? Keeping them alive?¡±


    Candace sighed. He was a hard man with a head even harder than that. The indirect approach was clearly not going to work.¡°You¡¯re apologizing for being a dick on their first day when they¡¯re just starting to learn how to use these powers.¡±


    ¡°They were acting like this is a game. It¡¯s not. While there have been exceptions, a Knight¡¯s life expectancy isn¡¯t very long. You just don¡¯t get it, Doc.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it?¡± Candace started to feel her own anger beginning to bubble up, but she kept a lid on things. ¡°Did you forget that I¡¯m the one who patches them up after missions? That I¡ª¡± She paused, swallowing to suppress the emotion she¡¯d started to feel in her throat. ¡°I see the bodies when they don¡¯t make it back?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t how I meant it. I just meant that I¡¯m¡­y¡¯know¡­¡± He sighed, struggling with the words.


    ¡°You¡¯re really something.¡± Candace shook her head and stood from the table. ¡°Marc, I love you. But for someone as tactically smart as you are, you can be a stunning dunce at times.¡±


    ¡°Fact is, I don¡¯t feel I did anything wrong.¡± Marcus gestured to himself as he spoke. ¡°Maybe I overreacted, okay. But it¡¯s still my job to keep them alive and that means I need them to focus on what I¡¯m trying to teach them instead of horsing around.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the better question is why did you overreact?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°I just told you why.¡±


    ¡°If it were Emily and Scott, would you have acted the same way?¡±


    Marcus looked as if he was confounded that Candace would even ask that. As if the answer to the question was so obvious, it shouldn¡¯t need to be asked.


    ¡°Of course I would.¡±


    Candace looked at him cross-eyed. ¡°You would?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Whatever you¡¯ve got to say, just come out and say¡ª¡±


    Marcus was interrupted by his smartwatch beeping, as was Candace. They both looked at their respective devices. Marcus¡¯s device displayed an urgent summons from the Quantum Tribunal. He looked at Candace and her expression showed that she got the same summons.


    ¡°What do you think this is about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Fuck if I know, but probably nothing good.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Are you out¡¯ve your goddamn minds?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with your orders, Agent Kane?¡± asked one of the Quantum Tribunal.


    ¡°I thought that much was obvious,¡± said Marcus. ¡°These rookies have had their powers for less than a day and already you want to send them out on a mission? We still have countless training scenarios to run them through before they¡¯re field-ready.¡±


    ¡°We understand your trepidation, Agent Kane,¡± said another of the Tribunal. ¡°But the fact of the matter is the situation is urgent.¡±


    ¡°Much as I hate to do so, I¡¯ve gotta agree with Kane,¡± said Orion. ¡°Not only are the rookies too green for this, but the Titans won¡¯t be ready for deployment for at least another week. They¡¯ll be going in with half their strength.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve determined this mission is classed as a Level 2. Even without their Titans, they should have sufficient power to complete the task.¡±


    ¡°What about the lack of training?¡± asked Marcus. ¡°Knights Jackson and Monroe have some skills, true, but Knight Reyes would be completely out of her depth.¡±


    ¡°We also aren¡¯t yet aware of how well the bonding process has worked. There are still tests and observation that needs to be done to ensure that these Knights have fully bonded with their Titans,¡± added Candace.


    ¡°We appreciate the three of you sharing your concerns with us in such a candid manner. This sort of open and constructive dialogue is necessary for the Omega Knights to properly function,¡± said the third of the Tribunal.


    ¡°However, the final decision on when and where to deploy the Knights ultimately falls to the Tribunal and we have determined this breach is of sufficient danger that the Knights must be deployed.¡±


    ¡°What if we just sent Knights Stone and Kim? Surely they could handle a Level 2 by themselves,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°A Level 2 necessitates the intervention of no less than three Knights.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then let¡¯s just send Jackson with them. He¡¯s already got some fighting skills and of the three, he seems to be in the best headspace. Monroe and Reyes should really undergo more training before they enter the field.,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°If Knight Jackson had obtained more training, that would be acceptable. However, given their lack of proficiency, it would be best for all three to accompany Knights Stone and Kim.¡±


    Marcus jabbed a finger towards the holographic projections of the Tribunal. ¡°We just lost three Knights and now you¡¯re dead-set on losing three more? Do you have any goddamn idea how stupid this is?¡±


    The three members of the Tribunal exchanged silent glances and turned back to Marcus.


    ¡°You have your orders, Agent Kane. Should you be unwilling or unable to execute said orders, we can find someone who is.¡±


    Marcus narrowed his eyes and looked at Candace for some support. Her eyes were sympathetic, but she ultimately shook her head and mouthed the words, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He then looked at Orion, but the old man just kept staring at the Tribunal, not even acknowledging Marcus¡¯s stare. They were serious about their threat¡ªno matter what Marcus said, they were going to proceed. And if he stood against it, he¡¯d just be fired and someone less competent would take his place.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he begrudgingly said. ¡°But if this goes south, it¡¯s on your heads.¡±

 First Mission

    Tom was in the middle of a post-workout morning shower when his Gauntlet started buzzing. He turned off the water, quickly dried himself off, and then dressed in the Quantum uniform. Almost as soon as he stepped out of the locker room, he saw Rachel quickly moving down the hall, barely stopping to talk to him.


    ¡°Did you get the alert?¡± she asked.


    He nodded and walked beside her, matching her speed. ¡°What do you think, Level 1?¡±


    ¡°Has to be. The newbs barely know how to turn on their Gauntlets.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± said Tom. ¡°No way they¡¯d put untrained Knights out in the field. Especially not so soon after¡­¡±


    Tom¡¯s voice trailed off. He almost said, ¡°after I screwed up,¡± but stopped short. He was the leader now, he had no business burdening Rachel or anyone else with his own regrets and failures.


    They continued down the corridors and were surprised when the three new recruits met them at the next junction. Rachel cocked a brow as she noticed the blinking alerts on each of their gauntlets.


    ¡°You got summoned?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Is that what this means?¡± asked Ethan as he held up his gauntlet. ¡°Summoned for what?¡±


    ¡°Usually it means we¡¯ve got a mission,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°But¡­we just got here. They¡¯re not sending us out already, are they?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s gotta be a mistake,¡± said Tom. ¡°It¡¯s too soon for you three to go into the field. Maybe they just want you to monitor us so you can see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    Tom and Rachel led the group to the Nexus. When Tom saw Orion was standing in the Nexus with Marcus and Candace, he knew something must be wrong. Orion almost never came to see the Knights off. He was primarily concerned with the Titans. Tom always got the impression that Orion thought of the Knights as expendable.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did the new recruits get an alert?¡± Tom phrased the question with an intentionally authoritative tone, though to his own ears, it sounded like he was putting on airs.


    Judging by the look Marcus gave him, the tone hadn¡¯t gone over well. But he said nothing and focused on the content of the question. Marcus looked down at the tablet he held. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with a Level 2 threat.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Level 2 mean? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly wrong, but protocol says a Level 2 threat requires at least three Knights,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°There are eight levels of threat classification,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Level 0 is the least dangerous one. Conventional military force is sufficient to handle these threats and Quantum has operatives contracted for those breaches. A Level 1 means at least one, possibly two Omega Knights are needed. Level 2, as stated, necessitates at least three Knights. Level 3 requires all five Knights, Level 4 is for Titan intervention, Level 5 requires Titan fusion¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Titan fusion?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get to that later,¡± said Marcus. ¡°And then Level 6 is for extreme measures.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only seven. You said there were eight levels. What about Level 7 threats?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the most serious threat classification we have, but no Level 7 threat has ever been recorded,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Thankfully.¡±


    ¡°If this is a Level 2, then we don¡¯t need everyone here,¡± said Tom. ¡°Rachel and I will handle this by ourselves.¡±


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    ¡°Not an option,¡± said Marcus.


    Tom scoffed. ¡°How is it not an option? It¡¯s the only option we¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve spoken with the Tribunal already and they said they want all five of you to go,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± Rachel gestured to the three recruits. ¡°They¡¯re nowhere close to being ready! They¡¯ve barely had any time to train with the Gauntlets or weapons. This is like putting someone who just learned how to swim into an Olympic competition.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I know this is a dangerous situation. I know they aren¡¯t ready for it. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then you know this is suicide!¡± Rachel moved closer to Marcus and even though she was a good foot shorter than him, she met his gaze with equal intensity. ¡°We just lost three Knights and now you want to send three more into a meat-grinder?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna back off right now, Knight,¡± said Marcus. ¡°I don¡¯t like this any more than you do and I said the exact same thing to the Tribunal, but these are the orders.¡±


    Rachel looked at Tom for support. He felt unnerved about being in this position. Obviously, she was right, but he¡¯d already crossed Marcus once and he wasn¡¯t willing to do it again. Plus, what would it say if the newly appointed leader started flouting orders right before his first mission?


    ¡°Orion, there has to be some Titan support ready, right? If it¡¯s a Level 2 and Rachel and I went in with just our Titans¡ª¡±


    ¡°Already thought of that. The Phoenix is still undergoing repairs. Raiju might be battle-ready, but that¡¯s a big might,¡± said Orion. ¡°We don¡¯t have the Titan support we need just now.¡±


    ¡°How about you ask us what we think?¡± Ethan interjected. ¡°Seeing as how it¡¯s our lives you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Candace. ¡°Omega Force or no, they still have the right to refuse to join.¡±


    ¡°Fine. If any of you want to back out, then now¡¯s the time,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Just know that we don¡¯t have any back-benches here. If you choose to sit out the game, you choose to sit out the season.¡±


    ¡°Just be straight¡ªif we say no to this mission, we get kicked out,¡± said Alexa. ¡°Or am I wrong about that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± said Marcus, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.


    There was some clear tension between those two and Tom couldn¡¯t help wondering about the story behind it. Something to look into later¡ªif Alexa remained a member.


    ¡°So, now¡¯s your chance,¡± said Marcus. ¡°You¡¯ve heard what we do and now you¡¯re being called up. Question is, do you want to be a part of this or would you rather go back to your old lives? Are you willing to step up and make a difference?¡±


    Tom looked over the three new recruits. He was pretty positive that Ethan would say yes. There seemed to be something driving him, though Tom wasn¡¯t sure what that was. And Alexa appeared to thrive on risk. Even though she¡¯d expressed some trepidation and apparently had a conflict with Marcus, she was more likely to stay than leave.


    But Olivia was the real question mark. She admitted that she wasn¡¯t very enthused about fighting in the first place and in the training sessions they¡¯d had so far, she was definitely the most reserved. If any of the three were going to leave, she seemed the likeliest candidate.


    ¡°I¡¯m still in,¡± said Ethan.


    Alexa gave a nod as well, but Tom again noticed a glance between her and Marcus. Almost like she was daring him to say something.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll stay. I like what I¡¯ve seen so far, so let¡¯s take it to the next level.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s two.¡± Marcus looked at Olivia and the eyes of everyone else followed his lead.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t stopped¡­the people there will be killed, right?¡± she asked.


    Marcus nodded. ¡°These creatures aren¡¯t typically known for their docility. So stands to reason. And if whatever¡¯s there isn¡¯t stopped now, it¡¯ll spread further.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m in,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Good, now we can move forward.¡± Marcus made a few taps on the tablet and a holographic projection of a globe appeared in the room. He highlighted an area in Brazil on the projection. ¡°We¡¯ve pinpointed the breach to somewhere in the Amazon. The tree coverage is pretty dense, so our satellites haven¡¯t been able to obtain any actual footage of the breachers. But there are multiple life signs. Any one of these doesn¡¯t register energy levels on a scale befitting a Knight response, but together, they definitely rank as a Level 2. You will transport in, locate the threat, and eliminate it.¡±


    The globe vanished and Marcus continued. ¡°Remember, you¡¯ll have no Titan support. Knight Stone is in command and both he and Knight Kim are the senior officers. The rest of you will follow their lead and focus on support and rescue efforts. Is that understood?¡±


    Tom nodded, though his nerves silently echoed their defiance in his head. This wasn¡¯t just about throwing the newbies into the deep end of the pool¡ªit was about him, too. He was facing the first real test of leadership.


    ¡°Good, then suit up and get ready for transport,¡± said Marcus.


    Rachel was the first to step forward, activating her gauntlet and the nanites rapidly generated the blue armor of the Raiju Knight. Tom followed next, generating his red Phoenix Knight armor. Ethan and Alexa followed with the Karkinos Knight¡¯s green armor and the purple armor signifying the Wyvern Knight. Olivia was the last, her yellow Unicorn Knight completing the team.


    The five young heroes stepped up to the transport platform. The Nexus crackled to life, and in a flash of energy, they vanished from Sanctuary Isle.

 Ambush

    It was dusk in the Amazon. The air was still and everything seemed at ease. But then, a tear in the fabric of space and time disrupted the quiet air, a crackle of energy forming. It started to expand into a wider doorway, providing a link between two corners of the world. One by one, the five Omega Knights stepped through the passage connecting the Nexus to the rainforest. The futuristic armor worn by the Omega Knights would have been drastically out of place in the Amazon, except for the fact that no one was around to notice the discrepancy.


    They materialized in a clearing and were instantly met with a reason for the quiet. Bodies were scattered across the forested landscape. Olivia gasped as soon as she saw them and her instincts as a caretaker took control. She immediately went to the closest body¡ªa man in his twenties¡ªand found no signs of life. His skin was red and lined with boils. When she checked the other bodies around, she found they were all in a similar condition. There were at least two dozen, and that was just what they could see.


    ¡°My god¡­all these people¡­¡±


    ¡°How did they die?¡± asked Rachel as she knelt beside Olivia and the corpse.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Though if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would¡¯ve sworn it was insect bites.¡±


    ¡°Have a look over there.¡± Alexa pointed to some mechanized harvesters and skidders not far off. Trees cut into logs were stacked together and had been being prepared for transport on large trucks before the workers were attacked. ¡°These guys were loggers. Maybe they got what they deserved.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°Whatever their job, they didn¡¯t deserve to die like this.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re making it harder for all of us to breathe,¡± said Alexa. ¡°I¡¯m just saying I¡¯m not going to shed any tears.¡±


    ¡°They might be scumbags, but that¡¯s still a bit harsh,¡± said Ethan.


    Alexa shrugged. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m not too broken up over these guys. You read some of the stuff they¡¯ve been up to down here, and you realize they¡¯re pretty terrible people.¡±


    ¡°I can promise you no matter what damage these people were responsible for, it¡¯s nothing compared to whatever came through that breach is capable of.¡± Tom tapped a few commands on his Gauntlet. The helmet projected a heads-up display into his retina, searching for energy signatures. ¡°My suit¡¯s sensors are picking up some unusual activity deeper into the forest.¡±


    ¡°What do we do about all of them?¡± asked Olivia, gesturing to the bodies.


    Tom sighed and looked away. ¡°May sound heartless, but it¡¯s too late for them. We need to keep moving and stop whatever did this before it causes even more damage.¡± He started in the direction of the energy signature. ¡°Blue and I will take point. The rest of you stay behind. Pay attention to your HUDs. They¡¯re keyed to alert you of any extra-dimensional energy signatures.¡±


    Rachel rose from beside the corpse and moved next to Tom. The two of them started to press forward. Olivia lingered another moment, still feeling uneasy about leaving the bodies just to lie here. But she eventually stood and followed behind Tom and Rachel. Ethan and Alexa followed next.


    As they progressed deeper into the forest, there was a cascade of chittering noises echoing all around. Like cicadas or grasshoppers, but more intense. The chittering increased to deafening levels, Alexa even instinctively yet feebly pressing her hands to the sides of her helmet.


    ¡°God, that damn sound¡­isn¡¯t there some way these fancy suits can cancel that out?¡±


    ¡°Seems it¡¯s too intense for that, just have to bear it,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Never expected it to be this loud, though¡­¡±


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    Ethan moved behind the group, his head on a swivel to get a sense of the surroundings. His HUD was pointing in several different directions at once. ¡°Tom, is my HUD broken or am I using it wrong? I don¡¯t know where to look.¡±


    ¡°No names in the field, Green. Stick to color or Titan designations,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Excuse me, Red.¡± Ethan huffed. ¡°Can you answer my question now?¡±


    Tom was about to scold Ethan for not knowing how to use the system, but two things stopped him. The first was that Ethan hadn¡¯t yet received the proper training¡ªhe just got this suit yesterday. The second was that Tom¡¯s sensors were now showing multiple readings.


    ¡°Your suit¡¯s not broken, Green. We¡¯ve got multiple signatures. Multiples of multiples, in fact.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± muttered Ethan. ¡°Yellow? I think you were right about insect bites killing that guy.¡±


    ¡°What do you¡ª¡± A gasp from Olivia cut off her own sentence.


    The chittering was coming from all around them. And above, they looked up to see a swarm of massive insect-like creatures. Their chitinous bodies were pale yellow with gossamer wings. Giant red eyes composed of hexagonal shapes gazed upon the Knights and mandibles extended from their jaws, twitching in anticipation.


    ¡°Everyone get ready!¡± Rachel shouted as she herself wasted no time. The Thunderbow instantly formed in her hand and she drew back the string to conjure several electrified arrows into existence, nocked and ready to fly. The arrows flew from the bow, chained together by bands of electricity pulsing between them. Each one struck one of the insectoid creatures, the electricity jumping between several targets and incinerating their chitinous bodies.


    A group of creatures descended around Tom, closing in on him. He swiftly kicked the closest. Another came at him and he ducked to avoid its path. Tom righted himself and summoned the Flameblade. Fire forged around the edges of the sword and he sliced through one of the insects, burning it to ash. The others were quickly made short work of in equal measure.


    Alexa darted as a group gave her chase. She jumped and then used a tree trunk as leverage to jump higher. The insects flew behind her and she swung on one of the branches, her legs knocking a few of them off-course. Alexa released the branch and flew through the air. Her hands reached for another branch, but she just missed it and fell to the ground. Once she hit the forest floor, the insects swarmed her.


    ¡°Get off!¡± she screamed as their mandibles tried to dig for her flesh. The armor was strong enough to protect her, but the onslaught alone was terrifying enough. Alexa swatted them away with her hands and tried to roll free. But for every creature she knocked back, five more came to replace it.


    Water flooded over her, flushing away the insects. Alexa sat up and saw Ethan with his Aquatrident. He used it as a pole to propel him forward, his feet slamming into one insect. Then he raised the trident over his head and slammed it down into the beast.


    Alexa got back up and summoned the Zephyrwhip. As another group converged on her, she swung the whip, its tail striking down one of the insects. Others came at her, though, and when she tried to use the whip on them, she found that she missed just as often as she connected.


    Olivia had summoned the Terrastaff, but mostly she relied on it for defensive purposes. She swatted away the insects as they came at her, trying to keep them at bay. There were too many of them, though, and the HUD¡¯s alerts were more distracting than helpful.


    Tom finished off the group he was fighting and moved to assist Olivia. His flaming sword quickly cut down her antagonists, giving her a reprieve.


    The insects seemed to have no end. Rachel found her arms starting to tire with all the shots she had to take. It seemed that whenever she took out one, another was ready to take its place. It wasn¡¯t just mindless swarms, the insects just knew when to move forward and when to pull back. They had some way of communicating with each other and only one conclusion made sense.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hive¡­¡± she whispered to herself. And then she spoke louder for the rest of the team to hear. ¡°Guys, they¡¯ve got a hive mind!¡±


    ¡°Great, so what¡¯s that mean?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°If they¡¯re an insect hive, they probably have a queen,¡± said Rachel. ¡°We kill the queen, we destroy the hive.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so where¡¯s the queen?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Inside the nest,¡± said Tom. ¡°Everyone, get behind me.¡±


    Once the Knights closed ranks around Tom, he raised the Flameblade up. He summoned the Phoenix¡¯s power into him, channeling it through the Flameblade. Tom started waving the sword around, flames trailing the blade and swirling together until they formed into a sphere. With a final thrust into the center of the flaming sphere, it shot up towards the insects and exploded, creating an explosion that would be seen from miles away.


    The explosion incinerated a number of the insects and the remaining ones engaged in a retreat. Tom pointed at the fleeing creatures with the tip of his sword.


    ¡°We follow them, we find the nest.¡±

 The Nest

    There were certain other benefits that came with access to the Omega Force. Beyond the specific elemental powers that were granted to each Knight, there were also additional secondary abilities that were connected to them. Rachel, as the Raiju Knight, could move at near-superhuman speed, an ability she put to use in following the insectoid creatures.


    She stayed just far enough behind so she wouldn¡¯t draw their attention. But she doubted whether they would have noticed her, even if she did get too close. The hastiness of their retreat suggested they were in something of a panic to escape the flames Tom used to incinerate their brothers. And if they really were a hive mind, as Rachel had suspected, they would have felt that pain of burning alive.


    Rachel quickly scaled a tree and sprang from the trunk to the lowest branch that could support her weight. She swung from it a few times before releasing, a blue streak against the horizon. Rachel grabbed another branch and flipped from that, next taking hold of a vine and swinging over the rear of the fleeing creatures. She pulled herself onto that branch and watched as the creatures moved towards a large hill. They scaled it with ease and started climbing into small entrances throughout.


    ¡°Blue here,¡± she said, communicating with the rest of the team. ¡°I think I found the nest.¡±


    Once the rest of the team had caught up to her location, Rachel dropped from the tree and landed in front of them. She turned and gestured towards the large hill.


    ¡°Right there. Though I¡¯m not sure how you expect to get the queen to emerge.¡±


    ¡°Thought I¡¯d try scaring them out with fire,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°After that inferno you just generated, it¡¯d be pretty hard,¡± said Rachel. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big nest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to get your lighting to arc all the way through it, either,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about me, I was thinking about him.¡± Rachel pointed at Ethan.


    ¡°Me?¡± asked Ethan, pointing at himself. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Remember that sparring match?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°Summon the Karkinos¡¯s water and flood the nest.¡±


    Ethan looked up at the hill from behind the visor of his green helmet, then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can manage something like that. Maybe Tom¡ª¡±


    ¡°We use color callsigns in the field, Green,¡± said Tom.


    Ethan sighed. ¡°Maybe Red would stand a better chance with his flames.¡±


    ¡°Your powers aren¡¯t infinite. If you overexert yourselves, the Omega Force needs time to recharge. We can¡¯t afford to have our leader collapsing right before a big fight,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°They¡¯re still new to these powers. We can¡¯t push them too far,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°And exactly how long do we keep the training wheels on?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°This is a risky gig, we all get that. But we can¡¯t play it safe forever. If¡ª¡± she groaned, ¡°¡ªdo I really have to do the color thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Fine, if Blue thinks Green can handle it, then I¡¯m all for that.¡±


    ¡°I suppose the words ¡®chain of command¡¯ don¡¯t mean much to you people¡­¡± muttered Tom before looking at Olivia. ¡°How about you? Got something to add, since this is now a town hall?¡±


    Olivia didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to add ¡®don¡¯t be a jackass,¡¯¡± said Rachel. ¡°You¡¯re the leader, not a dictator. Our opinions still matter. That¡¯s what our last leader understood.¡±


    It was impossible for Rachel to read Tom¡¯s features behind the blank visor. But his body language softened when she brought up Scott. She hadn¡¯t wanted to take things to that level and she instantly regretted it. Someone had to say it, though, and without Marcus here, she had to play the bad guy.


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    ¡°Control, this is Red, do you copy?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you really going to narc me out over this?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°This is Control, Red. We¡¯re monitoring you from our end,¡± came Marcus¡¯s voice in all of their helmets.


    ¡°Then you know the situation. What¡¯s the best course of action?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Red, this is Doc.¡± The voice was Candace¡¯s now. ¡°From analysis of your energy levels, I have to concur with Blue. If you attempt a flame attack of this magnitude, it will leave you hampered once the queen emerges.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear myself.¡± Marcus returned to the conversation. ¡°Green will flood the nest and the rest of you stand by and be ready once the creatures emerge.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Control. We¡¯ll go silent from now unless something else comes up.¡± Tom pointed up at the hill. ¡°Okay, we head to the peak. Once there, Green will force them out and we have to be ready for anything.¡±


    Tom pushed past Rachel and headed for the hill. Ethan and Alexa followed him, but Olivia lingered behind, standing by Rachel¡¯s side. She gently put a hand on Rachel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Rachel pulled away from Olivia¡¯s empathetic gesture.


    ¡°Looks like you two have some unresolved issues to work out,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just overcompensating because he¡¯s fucking terrified,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s catch up.¡±


    Rachel and Olivia jogged to regroup with the others. The hill wasn¡¯t very steep, but it was still tall and took some effort to climb. There were several holes along the route and they could hear chittering noises coming from inside.


    ¡°Good bet they know we¡¯re here,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°Just hurry, sooner we get to the top, the sooner we can finish this job,¡± said Tom. ¡°And once we return to Sanctuary, we¡¯ll train you three like you should have been before going into the field.¡±


    The last comment was in a hushed voice, but the others could still hear. An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air as the group finished the rest of the climb. After about twenty minutes of climbing, they finally reached the top. There was a larger hole than the others they¡¯d passed at the summit and this would be the best place to flood.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Green,¡± said Tom. ¡°Weapons free, everyone. Be prepared for anything. We don¡¯t know how long this will take.¡±


    Ethan stepped up to the hole and conjured the Aquatrident, green energy pulsing out from his hands until it formed into the weapon. He pointed the three trines towards the hole and began to concentrate. Just as before, he summoned the power from the Omega Force and the Karkinos, imagining water spurting from the points of the trident. A few drops started to leak out at first, but then they stopped.


    ¡°Any time now, Green,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t exactly Superman the first time you tried this sort of thing,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°The Heads say they¡¯re ready, they should be ready,¡± Tom countered.


    ¡°You two really just need a goddamn room,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Wow, you really have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Whatever, just stop distracting me.¡±


    Ethan concentrated as hard as he could. Behind his visor, his eyes were clamped shut, trying to visualize a flood flowing through the holes, overflowing at the top. And soon, he heard the sound of rushing water. Ethan opened his eyes and saw water pouring out from the trident, flowing into the giant hole.


    ¡°Hah! It¡¯s working!¡± he shouted. ¡°You hear that, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    There was something garbled in the water. It started seeping through the holes as the nest overflowed. The chittering noises from before were muffled, but growing louder.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± shouted Tom as flames started to surround his sword.


    Insectoid creatures emerged from the holes, swarming out by the dozens. The Knights went on the defensive as they poured from the nest. They screeched in anger and came at the heroes, who did their best to defend themselves from snapping mandibles and piercing stingers.


    Rachel drew her bowstring as fast as she could manage, barely allowing enough time for a lightning arrow to fully form before launching it. Olivia kept near her, swatting at any buzzers that came too close with her staff. Alexa ran across the hill, forming a kind of perimeter to keep them in, her whip moving too fast to see.


    Tom stayed at the summit beside Ethan, forming a ring of fire with the Flameblade. The insectoids seemed most interested in Ethan, as he was the one responsible for destroying their home. And despite their harsh exchanges, Tom wasn¡¯t about to let another Knight fall on his watch.


    The entire hill suddenly began to shake. Ethan pulled the trident up and stared into the surface of the water, now resting just below the opening. And the water was rippling with each tremor.


    ¡°Get off the hill!¡± Tom shouted as he grabbed Ethan¡¯s arm and pulled him away.


    The rest of the Knights watched as the two came running down the hill and they retreated in similar fashion. The insectoids took to the air, moving in unison. They darkened the sky, slithering across it. Soon, they descended again, moving to block the Knights.


    And then, the rumbling increased. The chittering of the insectoids was deafened by a louder chittering, and the hill itself started to move. Massive chitinous arms burst through the ground, pulling something large from beneath the hill. And the team watched in horror through their visors as a beast about ten feet tall emerged from the remains of the nest, its screeching piercing the meager defenses the helmets provided and reaching the Knights¡¯ ears. Massive, gossamer wings fluttered, shaking off wet mud and raising the creature above the ground. The hexagonal shapes that made up the giant red eyes flared with anger as the beast took in her foes.


    The Queen had arrived.

 The Queen

    The Queen stood revealed, her appendages flailing in anger as the remnants of her flooded nest fell around her. Her thorax had a thick, yellow shell and had massive mandibles that were almost tusk-like in appearance. Massive red eyes lined with hexagonal patterns spotted her prey as the smaller creatures she called her children formed a perimeter around the Omega Knights.


    ¡°Okay, so we got her attention,¡± said Olivia. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Now we finish it.¡±


    Tom brandished his sword and rushed the Queen. He jumped, raising the Flameblade up in a reverse-grip. Fire surrounded the mystic sword, pointed right at the Queen¡¯s thorax. The Queen just watched this strange human¡¯s defiance and in a simple movement, swatted him aside with one of her appendages.


    The sword¡¯s flame extinguished as Tom flew through the air. He went well beyond the perimeter formed by the insects and the rest of the team couldn¡¯t even see where he landed.


    ¡°That¡¯s why Level 2s require at least three Knights,¡± Rachel grumbled.


    The Queen chittered as the long antennae twitched in the direction of the four remaining Knights. The insects around the perimeter moved in for the heroes and once more, the three rookies and their now sole veteran were faced with the onslaught of their horde. But the Queen added another wrinkle to the battle. As the Knights tried to fight off her brood, her wings started vibrating, creating a shrill sonic wave that emanated out from her at the center.


    The helmets provided some measure of protection against her sonic attack, but it was nowhere near sufficient. The continuous ringing tones rattled their skulls and threw off their equilibrium. Olivia and Ethan were the first to fall to the ground. Alexa and Rachel had slightly better control over their balance, but even they succumbed not long after.


    Cries from Candace and Marcus over their communication systems went unanswered. The intensity of the sonic wave overpowered the comms and it seemed that the Quantum Group was on the verge of losing yet another team of Knights.


    Olivia braced her hands, palm-down, on the ground. She could barely concentrate with the intensity of the sound, but it was the only thing she could hope to try. Her hope was it would provide at least some small respite before the insects could burrow through their armor and into their flesh. Already, she could feel their tiny claws trying to dig at the nanite-fused suits.


    Clutching her eyes, she imagined the Unicorn Titan she¡¯d briefly met on Sanctuary Isle. She pictured the yellow energy emanating from his horn, arcing all around her and moving through her body, flowing towards her palms. From her hands, she imagined the energy moving into the ground.


    Tremors started to shake the landscape, but they were of a greater intensity than the ones from the Queen¡¯s emergence. And the tremors were quickly accompanied by the sound of rock scraping against rock. Slowly, the Queen¡¯s sound became muffled¡ªnot enough to completely block it out, but at least for the team to regain their balance. As the four stood, they saw that they were surrounded by a wall of earth.


    ¡°Liv¡­you did this?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Color signs in the field, Blue,¡± said Olivia with a satisfied smile behind her helmet.


    A smile tugged at Rachel¡¯s lips as well. And now, she could hear the pleas from Control in her ears again. ¡°Blue copies, Control.¡±


    ¡°Thank Christ¡­¡± muttered Marcus, almost too low for Rachel to hear.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got one angry insect Queen here, Control. Don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any hope of Titan support?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Still not an option,¡± said Orion, perhaps the first time Rachel can recall hearing him on a Control line.


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    ¡°Damn, was afraid of that¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Red? He with you?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°Negative, we were separated.¡± Rachel hesitated to ask the question that her mind was screaming at her. It took a minute to get out, and in almost a choked voice she asked, ¡°He¡¯s not¡­I mean¡­is he¡­?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still reading his vital signs. He¡¯s alive, but not responding to our calls,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°So it¡¯s down to the four of us then,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got to finish this together. Purple and Blue, you¡¯re on insect-watch. Keep the brood away from us, don¡¯t let them get too close. Use water and wind to hold them back.¡±


    Rachel then looked at Olivia. ¡°Yellow, I need you to keep the Queen off-balance. If she¡¯s distracted by the earth moving beneath her feet, it¡¯ll hopefully keep her from trying another sonic attack.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± asked Ethan.


    Rachel conjured the Thunderbow, nocking a lightning arrow against the string. ¡°I¡¯ll finish her off. Do whatever¡¯s necessary. Everyone clear on what their part is?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± said Ethan.


    Alexa flashed a thumbs-up. When Rachel looked at Olivia, the Yellow Knight gave a nod.


    ¡°Okay, drop the shield and we¡¯ll go to work.¡±


    Olivia brought the rock walls down and each of the Knights did their assigned part. Alexa swung the Zephyrwhip, generating gusts of wind around the perimeter to keep the insects from getting too close. A few did manage to break through, and Ethan was ready for them with the Aquatrident. Sometimes, he would unleash high-pressure water beams, others he would just stab with the trident and finish them off in a more conventional way.


    Olivia stood facing the Queen, whose sectional eyes glared at her. The Yellow Knight slammed the Terrastaff into the ground. Vibrations moved from the end of the staff into the ground, keeping the Queen from maintaining her footing. Just as Rachel had surmised, the constant quakes kept her too distracted to be able to use her wings again.


    With the Queen distracted, Rachel came into the battle next. She drew back the Thunderbow¡¯s string and released the instant a lightning arrow appeared. Rachel continued with the onslaught of arrows, launching lightning bolt after lightning bolt. And soon enough, the Queen took notice, chittering her annoyance at the Blue Knight.


    The Queen¡¯s massive appendages came after Rachel. They were sharpened at the end, like massive pikes. If even one of them struck Rachel, she doubted her armor could protect her. Rachel ran from the Queen, dodging and rolling to avoid those massive legs. Olivia did her part to try to help by sending more shockwaves in the Queen¡¯s direction. It worked for a time, but not enough.


    Rachel was starting to doubt the effectiveness of her plan. If her arrows weren¡¯t going to cause much damage to the Queen, then she was running low on options.


    ¡°Control, I could use some advice over here!¡± she said as she dove into a roll to avoid one of the Queen¡¯s legs.


    ¡°No need, Blue. Cavalry¡¯s coming.¡±


    Tom¡¯s voice echoed in Rachel¡¯s helmet, confirming his return before he reappeared on the battlefield. His Flameblade cleanly sliced through one of the Queen¡¯s arms, eliciting an ear-splitting shriek from the monster and causing her to stumble.


    ¡°Was starting to think you were dead,¡± said Rachel.


    Tom glanced at her. ¡°Not gonna get rid of me that easily.¡± He looked up at the Queen. ¡°I think there¡¯s only one way to finish this up¡ªhave to go for the head. But I need help getting up there.¡± Tom glanced at Olivia. ¡°Can you give me a boost?¡±


    ¡°I can try,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Purple, get over here!¡± Rachel called out. ¡°Green, stay on crowd-control.¡±


    Alexa finished off one of the insects she¡¯d been contending with, her whip splitting it in half. She snapped the whip and created some winds around to keep the others off her back and then she ran to join her teammates.


    ¡°Yellow¡¯s giving Red a boost, I want you to steady him with your winds,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Can you manage?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll help Green with the perimeter,¡± said Rachel, running to use her Thunderbow on the insects and preventing them from getting too close.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± said Tom.


    Olivia slammed the Terrastaff into the ground and a portion of the earth beneath Tom suddenly sprung up. It could only go so high, but it was all he needed for a jump. As he was in the air, he could feel the wind steadying him, raising him up as if they were cradling a child.


    The Queen¡¯s eyes were now right in front of him. She glared at him and Tom could see his reflection a hundred times over in the hexagonal shapes. He swung the Flameblade and thrusted it right between the Queen¡¯s eyes.


    She roared her defiance as Tom jumped onto her head, dragging the sword behind him. He ran over the top of her head, the sword pulling behind and slicing through the Queen¡¯s chitinous armor. Tom pulled the sword out and dropped to her shoulder, then cut into her neck before jumping off and flipping in the air.


    He landed in a crouch as the Queen burst into flames, her screams echoing throughout the rainforest. As she went, so did her brood, collapsing in the middle of the battle until the only live creatures left on the field were the Knights.


    ¡°We did it?¡± asked Alexa, as she surveyed the dead monsters. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re not done yet,¡± said Tom. ¡°There¡¯s something I need you all to see.¡±

 An Ominous Sign

    Tom took command of his team once more, leading the Knights past the carcasses of the lifeless insectoid monsters. They covered the entire ground, making it difficult to find even a simple foothold.


    CRUNCH


    ¡°Ugh¡­these things are disgusting¡­¡± muttered Ethan as he pulled his foot out of a carcass he¡¯d stepped on. The insect¡¯s gooey insides clung to his boot, and he had to try to scrape it off on a tree.


    ¡°Where are we even going, Red?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°The target¡¯s been eliminated, so why not just let Quantum handle the clean-up? We¡¯re all exhausted and could use a shower.¡± She looked back at Ethan still trying to scrape off his boot. ¡°Some of us more than one.¡±


    ¡°I know Quantum can handle the clean-up, but this could be very important and I want to make sure we confirm the danger¡¯s over before we issue an all-clear to Control,¡± said Tom. ¡°Now, when I got separated¡ª¡±


    ¡°You mean when you charged in without a plan like a jackass and got thrown aside?¡± asked Rachel.


    Tom grunted and paused before answering. ¡°That¡¯s not how I¡¯d characterize it.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d call it courageous. As if the rest of us can¡¯t defend ourselves.¡±


    Tom shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to argue with you, Ra¡ªBlue.¡±


    He heard a snicker come from Ethan when he¡¯d almost referred to Rachel by her name. Tom shot him a look, but with his eyes concealed by the black visor, it lacked the impact he intended.


    ¡°Would anyone mind if I turned the focus back to the mission? Just for a minute?¡±


    He held his arms out as he turned to look at each of the Knights. No one offered up any objections and Tom finally felt comfortable enough continuing.


    ¡°Thank you. As I was saying, I landed somewhere around here. The impact must¡¯ve been pretty hard because I know I lost consciousness for some period. Don¡¯t know how long I was out for, but when I came to, I noticed there was this odd light coming from nearby. A pulsating orange glow. So naturally, I went to check it out.¡±


    ¡°We were all fighting for our lives but you thought you¡¯d take a detour and get distracted by a shiny object?¡± asked Rachel.


    It was becoming increasingly difficult for Tom to maintain his cool. Rachel was really trying to needle him and he was getting sick of it. He could understand her anger at being passed up for promotion, but he had no say in it. And for her to keep on like this made her come off like a spoiled child.


    ¡°I thought it was something that could be of use, if you must know.¡± Tom moved over toward an area with some low vegetation. He drew his sword and cut through the plants until the rest of the group also started to see that glow he¡¯d describe. He led the way toward the glow and it became more pronounced the deeper they ventured. They soon came to the mouth of a cave, the strange light¡¯s rhythm briefly illuminating the rocky interior.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I found this,¡± he said, moving into the cave.


    The rest of the team followed, but they¡¯d barely made it more than a few steps inside until they too saw the artifact that Tom had seen. It was some sort of crystal shard and the glow appeared to be coming from inside it. Even stranger was the fact that it was floating right in the middle of the cave.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d like to know,¡± said Tom.


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    ¡°Since To¡ªSince Red is showing this to us, I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and assume this isn¡¯t normal for a breach?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Every now and then, there may be some unusual characteristic to a breach,¡± said Rachel. ¡°But I¡¯ve dealt with over a dozen of them and I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±


    She stepped closer to the strange shard and gently held a hand up, slowly moving her fingers almost close enough to touch.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± said Olivia. ¡°If this is unusual, do you really think you should touch it before you know what it is? What if it¡¯s¡­I don¡¯t know¡­radioactive or something?¡±


    ¡°I already scanned it when I first found it. No harmful radiation detected, nor any bacteria or viruses that could pose a risk. Even if there were any of that stuff, your armor should protect you,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°¡®Should¡¯ seems to be doing a lot of lifting in that sentence¡­¡± muttered Alexa.


    Tom continued, despite Alexa¡¯s comment. ¡°The only thing is it¡¯s emitting some pretty strong tachyon readings.¡±


    ¡°What are tachyons?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full details, but it¡¯s connected to breaches,¡± said Tom. ¡°Every time there¡¯s some dimensional breach into our world, you¡¯ll find tachyonic particles closest to the point of breach. Keeping track of these particles is one of the ways the Quantum Group finds out about breaches.¡±


    ¡°You think this has something to do with that bugapalooza we just fought?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°I think it¡¯d be the coincidence to end all coincidences if it weren¡¯t somehow connected,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°We should take it back with us to Sanctuary,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Quantum¡¯s gonna want to examine this thing in as much depth as they can.¡±


    Rachel reached for the shard and once she made contact with it, there was an odd form of feedback. Her mind was flooded with images that she couldn¡¯t even make sense of. She hadn¡¯t even realized that her teammates were shouting at her as her body violently shook. A crackle of energy came next and Rachel was thrown away from the shard, hitting the cavern wall.


    ¡°You okay?¡± asked Red as he came to her side first.


    Rachel sat up and rested her back against the wall. ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯m fine, I guess.¡± She shook her head to try to clear it.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Rachel climbed back to her feet, ignoring Tom¡¯s offer of a helping hand. She returned to the shard and stared at it. There was a strange symbol carved into the surface of the crystal. Nothing Rachel had ever seen before. Was that one of the images in her vision? What was her vision? She had seen some images, but they weren¡¯t clear. And then, without even realizing it, she¡¯d forgotten them completely.


    She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and said, ¡°All I remember is I touched the crystal, then I was over there.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do about this?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Obviously we can¡¯t touch it, so we¡¯ll have to let the clean-up crew exam it and see if¡ª¡±


    Rachel interrupted Tom by reaching out and taking the crystal in her hand. Tom watched her movement in stunned silence and after staring at her for a few moments, he finally started speaking again.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°We need to take it with us,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°It just blasted you across the cave the last time you touched it, what did you think would be different?¡± he asked.


    Rachel shrugged and studied the pulsating crystal. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But for some reason, it was different.¡±


    ¡°Uhh yeah, that should be a red flag right there,¡± said Alexa. ¡°Why was it different the second time around?¡±


    ¡°Could be there was some built-up energy in it that was released when I touched it that first time,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Whatever the case, what I said before still stands now¡ªQuantum¡¯s gonna want to examine this and see how it¡¯s connected to this breach.¡±


    ¡°Have you guys never seen a horror movie?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°Whenever there¡¯s some creepy artifact exhibiting strange behavior, you let that shit fucking lie! When you take it with you, bad things start happening.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a horror movie, Purple,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Giant bug monsters, hello?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got a point. This crystal seems a bit dangerous, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°All the more reason why we need to get it away from here,¡± said Tom. ¡°If it¡¯s dangerous, then we don¡¯t want it hurting anyone who might stumble on it.¡±


    ¡°Or worse, triggering any further breaches,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°So now you think the crystal caused the breach?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°How would it have done that?¡±


    ¡°Which came first, the breach or the crystal? That¡¯s the question,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired to deal with existentialism. Let¡¯s head back to Sanctuary Isle and we¡¯ll let the scientists figure it out,¡± said Tom. ¡°Control, this is Red Knight. Five ready to return to the Nexus. We¡¯ve also got something interesting for the brain trust to start examining. Think they¡¯ll find it very stimulating.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, Red. Bringing you home. Stand by for transport.¡±


    The Omega Gauntlets crackled to life and began to spark with interspatial energy. In a flash of light, all five of the Omega Knights were whisked away from the Brazilian rainforest and summoned back to the Nexus on Sanctuary Isle.

 Raising the Stakes

    After the Knights returned to Sanctuary Isle through the Nexus, they were permitted to shower and change into more comfortable clothing. But while the Knights had an opportune chance to relax, Marcus, Candace, and Orion were left to contemplate the mysterious artifact that Tom had discovered in the Amazon.


    The three of them were standing in Sanctuary Isle¡¯s research laboratory. The strange crystal had been handled very delicately with tongs and placed carefully in the scanning equipment. Throughout it all, the crystal never stopped pulsating with its mysterious energy.


    Candace sat at a nearby computer terminal, watching the results of the scan go through, while Marcus and Orion stood near the crystal itself, almost mesmerized by its odd behavior. Marcus broke himself from his trance and finally addressed Orion.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here longer than most of us, you ever see anything like this?¡±


    Orion shook his head. ¡°Granted, I normally stay down in the Enclave. But if something like this had cropped up before, I¡¯m pretty sure even I¡¯d have heard about it.¡±


    ¡°The scanners seem just as baffled,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be connected to the breach, though. Somehow linked with those giant insects. Right?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°You¡¯d think, but the tachyonic profile doesn¡¯t match what we recorded when we discovered the breach,¡± said Candace. ¡°In fact, the particles here seem to have a multitude of provenances and¡ª¡±


    Marcus rubbed his eyes together. ¡°Doc, at the end of the day, I¡¯m little more than a grunt. I don¡¯t understand any of this science speak, so just give me the idiot version.¡±


    Candace stood from her terminal and approached the two men. ¡°Everything that comes from a specific universe belongs in that specific universe, kind of like shared DNA. If a child is given up for adoption, their DNA wouldn¡¯t change¡ªit would still link them to their biological parents. A tachyonic profile works the same way.¡±


    ¡°It identifies which universe birthed us,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Exactly. And while we can¡¯t map the Spire, we can use tachyonic profiles to figure out whether something came from our universe or another. But this crystal is odd. It¡¯s like it has hundreds of biological parents.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s such a thing even possible?¡± asked Orion, as he scratched his beard.


    Candace shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s just the thing¡ªit¡¯s not possible. To answer Marcus¡¯s question earlier, not only has Orion ever seen this, but no one has. At least not as far as the Quantum Group¡¯s records are concerned. We¡¯re swimming in uncharted waters here.¡±


    Marcus turned back to the crystal. ¡°So, what do we do about you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, we need further analysis. I¡¯m wondering if we shouldn¡¯t try some outside contacts?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°You can¡¯t show this to anyone outside of Quantum,¡± said Orion. ¡°Any sort of contact like that risks exposing ourselves to the world.¡±


    Candace gave an incredulous huff. ¡°I think you¡¯re being just a little dramatic. We have safeguards in place to ensure that no sensitive information about Quantum will get out.¡±


    ¡°If you poke the bear while he¡¯s asleep, there¡¯s still a good chance he¡¯ll wake up and kill your ass,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°We have to figure out what this thing is and how it¡¯s tied to that breach.¡± Candace glanced at Marcus. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to reach out to the Tribunal, see what they say,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Color me fuckin¡¯ surprised¡­¡± muttered Orion.


    Marcus grunted and glared at the old man. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say to me, you might as well just come out and say it.¡±


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    ¡°What¡¯s the point? You already know,¡± said Orion. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a yes-man. You couldn¡¯t even shit without asking for permission first.¡±


    ¡°I could knock your ancient ass out without asking permission,¡± said Marcus.


    Orion held out his hand and beckoned Marcus forward with a wave of his fingers. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s do it, tough guy.¡±


    Candace moved between the two and held her hands up to both of them. ¡°Can you two at least pretend to have maturity levels higher than teenagers? Marcus is right, we should probably check with the Tribunal before we do anything. I just believe that getting an outside perspective on this is what¡¯s best, but I know that decision¡¯s not mine to make.¡±


    ¡°You two suit yourself. I still think risking exposure is recklessly stupid,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°Good, your position¡¯s been noted. So how about you go back down to your basement already?¡± asked Marcus.


    Orion gave a dismissive wave as he turned to the door. ¡°Fine by me. I¡¯ve got more important work to do, anyway.¡±


    Marcus stared daggers as Orion left the room. ¡°Don¡¯t let us keep you.¡±


    ¡°Never do!¡± he shouted back.


    The automatic door slid shut behind Orion and Marcus rolled his eyes. ¡°Asshole.¡±


    ¡°Would probably say the same about you. You sure seem to be on a roll with riling people up lately.¡±


    Marcus ignored her comment, turning his attention back to the shard. ¡°Is there anything else you can tell me about this thing?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re changing the subject.¡±


    ¡°Could we concentrate on what actually matters here? Such as the potential world-threatening crisis on our hands?¡±


    Candace scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡¯s what this is. All we know for sure about this thing is that we know nothing about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in this business long enough to know that when something about a breach is unprecedented, it gives me cause for concern,¡± said Marcus.


    A buzzing noise filled the room, the signal that someone was requesting access to the lab. Candace approached the console and answered the summons with the touch of a button. A holographic screen appeared, showing Rachel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Something we can help you with?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°I was just wondering if you knew anything about that crystal shard.¡±


    Candace muted the microphone and glanced at Marcus. ¡°Should we bring her in?¡±


    Marcus nodded. ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt to get the input of someone who was there. And she¡¯s far and away the smartest of the group. She might know something we don¡¯t.¡±


    Candace dismissed the screen and hit a switch to unlock the door. With a hiss, the metal door slid to the side and Rachel entered the lab. She was dressed in comfortable clothing, a pair of loose pants and a baggy sweatshirt. Her short hair was damp from a fresh shower.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, but I¡¯m more interested in this thing.¡±


    Rachel walked toward the crystal¡¯s containment unit. She gently placed her fingers on the protective glass and the shard responded to her touch with some changes in its pulsation pattern. Turning from the unit, she cast inquisitive glances at the two senior officers.


    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±


    Candace explained the bizarre tachyonic profile. Marcus watched Rachel¡¯s face, trying to discern her reaction. Rachel remained stoic, so if she found the explanation confusing, her face showed no indication.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­odd,¡± she said once Candace finished.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me.¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if there¡¯s anything you saw in the field that could help us figure out this puzzle,¡± said Marcus.


    Rachel¡¯s head dipped, finger resting on her chin. Her mind focused on the memories of the event. After a few moments, she looked up and met Marcus¡¯s gaze. ¡°There wasn¡¯t really anything out of the ordinary. We fought some monsters, we won, and then Tom told us about this.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°Yes¡ªno.¡± Rachel stopped herself when she remembered her experience. ¡°I touched it and¡­something happened.¡±


    Marcus stepped closer. ¡°What?¡±


    Rachel opened her mouth and then shut her eyes, as if she was frustrated that the words weren¡¯t coming. ¡°I¡­this is going to sound completely strange.¡±


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re a superhero who fights giant monsters from other dimensions,¡± said Candace. ¡°I think we left strange back several exits ago.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Well¡­if I didn¡¯t know any better, I could¡¯ve sworn the crystal was trying to communicate.¡±


    ¡°Communicate how?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°I just saw this flash of images that I couldn¡¯t make sense of.¡±


    Marcus pressed for more information. ¡°What kind of images?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I have no idea. They all went by so fast. I remember seeing them, but I can¡¯t remember anything I saw. And I know that sounds weird.¡±


    ¡°Was there anything else?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°There were all these images and then I was thrown by a discharge of energy. But after that, I could touch the crystal without any problem.¡±


    Marcus and Candace exchanged glances. A silent worry passed between them, both shaken by Rachel¡¯s encounter with the crystal. Yet before either could offer anything else, Rachel had another bombshell.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the symbol?¡±


    ¡°Symbol?¡± asked Candace. ¡°What symbol?¡±


    Rachel tried to look around the shard. ¡°There was this strange symbol in the crystal before. But I don¡¯t see it there now.¡±


    Marcus appeared confused. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing any symbol when we brought it in.¡± He looked at Candace. ¡°How about you?¡±


    Candace stared at Rachel and then looked at the crystal. Finally, she shook her head. ¡°No, I never saw anything. Do you remember what the symbol was?¡±


    Rachel placed her fingers on her forehead. ¡°I mean¡­kind of?¡±


    ¡°Could you draw it?¡± asked Marcus.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time you had a meeting with the Tribunal,¡± said Marcus.

 The Tribunal Meets

    Rachel had never been a fan of the Tribunal. She felt disconnected from them. Vague guidance and confusing summations were customary. From what she¡¯d been told by her own family, that¡¯s how they¡¯d always been.


    And that was before she¡¯d been snubbed for promotion. It wasn¡¯t possible for her opinion of them to sink any lower. So she felt annoyed when Marcus told her to speak with them.


    Now she stood before the three vague, floating images. With the shadows obscuring their details, she pictured them as large black blobs hovering in the air. Even though she knew both Marcus and Candace were in the room as well, she still felt completely alone in that situation.


    ¡°Knight Kim,¡± the center Tribunalman began. ¡°Agent Kane tells us you have information regarding the recent breach.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much information I can provide,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Truth is I don¡¯t remember any of what I saw. All I know is that when I touched the crystal, I saw something.¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane referenced a symbol. What can you tell us about it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it was a symbol of. I¡¯d never seen it before, but it was on the shard.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re certain this wasn¡¯t some sort of hallucination? Nor a visual mirage? A trick of the eye, so to speak?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. It looked like it was carved into the crystal¡¯s surface.¡±


    ¡°Did any of your teammates remark on this symbol?¡±


    ¡°No one said anything about it and I didn¡¯t bring it up.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Rachel sighed. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m really not sure. I didn¡¯t even really think to mention it. And it wasn¡¯t until I saw it just now in the research lab that I noticed the symbol was gone. I guess I had just assumed it was a feature of the crystal before I saw it wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe you could replicate the symbol?¡±


    ¡°Since I spoke to Dr. Wu and Agent Kane an hour ago, I¡¯ve been trying to see if I could draw it. But whenever I put pencil to page, I just freeze up. It¡¯s like a word on the tip of my tongue.¡±


    Silence filled the air for a few moments. Rachel tried to study the obscured faces, but with no use. She looked over her shoulder at Marcus and Candace both standing in the rear of the chamber. Their faces offered no guidance. Rachel wondered if the Tribunalmen were conferring with each other.


    ¡°We don¡¯t follow, Knight Kim. What do you mean by ¡®on the tip of your tongue¡¯?¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes expanded. ¡°It¡¯s¡­a common expression. You know, when you can¡¯t quite say the word you¡¯re thinking of. That¡¯s what it¡¯s like when I try to draw the image.¡±


    ¡°So you cannot replicate the symbol. Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything you can describe about the symbol?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Not really, no. If I saw it again, I¡¯d definitely recognize it.¡±


    ¡°We believe an examination might be in order.¡±


    ¡°Examination?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°What sort of examination?¡±


    ¡°The link between Titan and Knight, as you know, goes quite deep. We believe a session with your Titan could provide some insight into these images you saw, but cannot recall. Would you be willing to submit to such a procedure?¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t quite understand. She thought the link between Knight and Titan was always present. But it sounded like they were proposing something different.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what is the procedure exactly?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Similar to the first meeting you had with your Titan. You would enter the chamber and you would connect with the Titan on a deeper level.¡±


    ¡°I¡­guess that¡¯d be okay?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but I feel I have an obligation,¡± said Candace, moving beside Rachel. ¡°This is more invasive than first contact. You¡¯re essentially talking about a mind meld with the Titan. That¡¯s only been attempted a handful of times in the past and it¡¯s very risky to the Knight.¡±


    ¡°We appreciate your professional opinion, Dr. Wu. However, this is something of great concern to the Quantum Group¡¯s mission and we must explore all possible avenues.¡±


    ¡°Risk is part of an Omega Knight¡¯s duties.¡±


    ¡°Not unnecessary risk,¡± said Candace. ¡°We don¡¯t know how important this symbol even is. I say we need to explore other options first.¡±


    ¡°And what sort of options would you recommend?¡±


    Both Candace and Rachel could hear Marcus behind them, sucking in his breath through clenched teeth.


    ¡°We need to bring in some outside experts,¡± said Candace. ¡°I¡¯m just a medical doctor, I¡¯m not a physicist. We need someone with experience in quantum physics to weigh in on this. Talk with people at CERN or something.¡±


    ¡°We already have trusted physicists who are part of the Quantum Group, Dr. Wu.¡±


    ¡°We will be happy to share the findings with them, but that is as far as we are willing to take it.¡±


    ¡°Moving beyond the confines of Quantum secrecy risks the integrity of our mission.¡±


    ¡°I understand your apprehension, but what choice do we have? This thing is unlike anything we¡¯ve ever seen,¡± said Candace.


    The Tribunal grew silent in light of Candace¡¯s impassioned plea. After a few beats of silence, one of them spoke again.


    ¡°Agent Kane, what is your recommendation? Do you concur with Dr. Wu?¡±


    Marcus sighed and stepped forward. He tossed a look toward Candace that Rachel could only describe as apologetic before he returned his attention to the three floating images and spoke his mind.


    ¡°While I understand Dr. Wu¡¯s frustration, I think consulting with anyone outside the Group at this stage would be premature,¡± he said. ¡°The security of the Group and the sanctity of the mission is of paramount importance. I think a three-pronged approach is best. First, we consult with our own experts within the Group. Second, we send a recon team back to the site of the breach to see what else they can find. And third and finally, Knight Kim communes with her Titan to see what sort of images can be reproduced from her subconscious.¡±


    Candace¡¯s glare toward Marcus was so intense, Rachel wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she saw lasers firing from the doctor¡¯s eyes. She imagined the two of them would have it out later once they were away from the Tribunal. But Rachel herself couldn¡¯t let this go without first speaking her own mind.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said, holding up her hand. ¡°But considering it¡¯s my mind and my Titan we¡¯re talking about here, do I get a say in it?¡±


    The chamber grew silent again. Candace gave an audible sigh, suggesting that she knew what Rachel was about to say and didn¡¯t approve. Rachel wasn¡¯t even sure she approved of what she had in mind. But beyond the need for the Group to know about it, Rachel had her own curious itch that needed scratching.


    ¡°If the only way to reproduce what I saw is by communing with my Titan, then that¡¯s something I¡¯m willing to do,¡± she said. ¡°But Dr. Wu mentioned previous instances when this was attempted. I¡¯d like to know what I¡¯m getting myself into first and read up on those cases.¡±


    The Tribunal grew silent, reflecting on Rachel¡¯s request. The way their shadowy images just hung there, apparently staring at her, left her unnerved. If she at least knew whether or not they were communicating with each other or if this was some delay tactic, she¡¯d feel better.


    ¡°We regret to inform you that your request cannot be fulfilled.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Those records are highly classified.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the power to declassify any records you want?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°That power is in our purview, yes. But there is protocol to consider.¡±


    Rachel sighed. The Tribunal was a slave to protocol. She supposed it made sense. That protocol had worked for them for centuries, so who was she to say it should be thrown out the window?


    ¡°Yes, but this is something that directly impacts me,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I believe I have the right to know the risks.¡±


    Silence again lingered. But the Tribunal¡¯s answer ultimately remained the same.


    ¡°We apologize, Knight, but we cannot break protocol.¡±


    ¡°If you wish your mind to be set at ease, then the question to ask yourself is this: do you trust your Titan?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°Without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Then trust that your Titan also has your best interests in mind.¡±


    ¡°There is risk in communing on this level, but with great risk can come great reward.¡±


    ¡°You are uniquely suitable to such a union.¡±


    If I¡¯m so unique, then why did you pass me over for leadership and choose Tom instead?


    That¡¯s what Rachel wanted to say to the three floating heads. It wouldn¡¯t do any good. They were set in their ways and nothing would change any of that. Rachel had her own theories about why she was passed over and she wasn¡¯t quite ready for a confrontation like that just yet. She felt that no good would come from it anyway, so what was the point.


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d reconsider,¡± said Rachel. ¡°However, I know this is a unique situation. So I¡¯m willing to put aside my own concerns for the good of the mission.¡±


    She glanced back at Candace, also giving her an apologetic look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll commune with my Titan.¡±

 A Shade Approaches

    Another mission so soon after the previous one was an unexpected occurrence, but Tom welcomed the opportunity to keep himself busy. Marcus had briefed him about an hour prior, informing him that he was being asked to return to the site of the breach and investigate once more. Since Tom was the only one in the briefing, he naturally assumed this meant it was a solo mission. Another thing he welcomed. After what happened at the last mission, he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to work with the others.


    But when Tom arrived in the Nexus, surprise greeted him¡ªnot only Marcus, but also Ethan waited. The two Knights exchanged glances that showed neither was happy to see the other. Tom turned from Ethan and approached Marcus.


    ¡°Marcus, can I have a word?¡± he asked.


    Marcus drew in a breath and then nodded. He led Tom off to the side, just out of Ethan¡¯s earshot. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You told me this was just a simple investigation. That¡¯s barely a Level 1. There¡¯s no need for two Knights to go on this job.¡±


    ¡°We also thought the last threat was a Level 2 and it turned out to be a 3. Besides, two sets of eyes are better than one,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Maybe Ethan will spot something that you miss, or vice versa.¡±


    Tom shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with this.¡±


    Marcus gave a nod and then said, ¡°Well okay, so what are you comfortable with? Should I arrange for a massage? Maybe a spa day?¡± He slapped the back of Tom¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a goddamn Omega Knight. More than that, you¡¯re supposed to be the leader. So start acting like it.¡±


    Tom winced from the blow. It didn¡¯t hurt much, but more the sting of another abusive incident. ¡°If I¡¯m the leader, then shouldn¡¯t I have some say in how things run around here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the field leader. Know your role, Stone,¡± said Marcus. ¡°That means it¡¯s your job to turn this group from a collection of random misfits into a cohesive unit. The last leader understood that when he took the job.¡±


    Tom felt another stab of pain at the mention of Scott. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°That was a low blow.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s also the truth,¡± said Marcus. ¡°You think he got along with everyone when he became leader? He had to deal with personality conflicts and he took that responsibility seriously. Didn¡¯t try to pass it off.¡±


    Tom huffed. He hated Marcus at that moment. Not only because of the unfavorable comparison to Scott, but also because he spoke the truth. Scott had told Tom himself about how he had to find a way to get everyone to trust each other. And now, that job had fallen to Tom.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Tom walked toward the Nexus platform where Ethan waited. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him in order to break the ice. ¡°So it¡¯s just us, huh?¡±


    Ethan sighed and then said, ¡°I guess so.¡± He glanced across at Tom. ¡°That gonna be a problem for you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Tom then hesitated before he returned the question. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cool. I¡¯ll try not to get too attached or anything,¡± said Ethan, throwing Tom¡¯s own words back at him. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want you to feel like I¡¯m trying to bond.¡±


    Tom rolled his eyes and then whispered, ¡°Well, when you put it like that, now I sound like an asshole¡­¡±


    ¡°Hunh, go figure,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Okay gents, we¡¯re just about ready for transport. Time to armor up,¡± said Marcus.


    Both Tom and Ethan activated their Gauntlets. The nanites flowed from the housings on their wrists, swarming over both men. Within seconds, the nanites had completely covered them, interlocking with each other, cladding their hosts in the Knight armor.


    ¡°Transport begins in three¡­two¡­one.¡±


    As soon as Marcus finished that last word, the Nexus flared to life. Energy crackled from the diodes and flowed toward the platform. Tom and Ethan became bathed in the other-dimensional energy and were transported instantaneously.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The light of the teleportation effect briefly blinded them and when it faded, the Nexus had given way to the site of their battle with the insect creatures in the Amazon. They weren¡¯t alone this time¡ªother individuals clad in protective gear explored the area, holding various types of scanning instruments.


    ¡°So what are we supposed to be looking for?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°And who are these guys?¡±


    ¡°Quantum sends these guys in after we¡¯ve taken care of a breach to see if they can figure out how and why it occurred and try to seal any cracks in the dimensional walls,¡± said Tom. ¡°As for us, we¡¯re looking for anything strange.¡±


    ¡°Strange like two guys in matching, color-coded nanotech suits?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you see anyone else like that, it¡¯d be a cause for concern, if not confusion.¡± Tom tapped his helmet. ¡°You¡¯ve got environmental scanners built into your suit.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how do I use those?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°The suit is fully integrated with your central nervous system. Basically turns you into a cyborg, for lack of a better term. So really, you just have to think it and pay attention to what the HUD says.¡±


    ¡°Think it¡­okay¡­¡± Ethan tried focusing his thoughts on the idea of turning on the suit¡¯s environmental scanners. After a few moments, he threw his arms out to the side. ¡°I¡¯m thinking and nothing¡¯s happening.¡±


    ¡°Takes some time for the suit to fully bond with you and correctly interpret your commands,¡± said Tom. ¡°Just keep trying. It takes some people a little more practice than others.¡±


    Tom activated his suit¡¯s scanners and started looking around the environment. He attempted to locate any signs of tachyonic activity. There were some residual readings from the breach, but nothing that seemed unusual given the situation.


    ¡°Is that a dig?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That whole ¡®some people need more practice¡¯ thing.¡±


    Tom sighed and turned to face him. ¡°That¡¯s not at all what I meant. It¡¯s just a fact that not everyone adjusts to this at the same pace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure. And I bet you were the golden child right from day one, huh?¡±


    Tom shook his head. ¡°No, that was Rachel.¡±


    Ethan paused and then cocked his head to the side. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the legacy around here. Family has a long history of serving the Group, even had a Knight somewhere in her own ancestry,¡± said Tom. ¡°Basically, she grew up on Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Well, that makes sense. Explains why she was on the ball last time we were here,¡± said Ethan.


    Tom stopped and sighed. ¡°Yeah, because I fucked up. I get it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    Tom glanced back at Ethan and pointed a finger. ¡°Yeah, you did.¡±


    Ethan relaxed his posture. ¡°Okay, so maybe I did.¡±


    ¡°And for the record, I know she should be the leader,¡± said Tom. ¡°No one was more surprised than me when I got tapped.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how things work around here. We don¡¯t question the Heads.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Heads¡¯?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call the Tribunal. Y¡¯know, because they¡¯re basically just floating heads to us.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you question stuff?¡±


    Tom shrugged. ¡°A lot of stuff with Quantum is compartmentalized. So we don¡¯t have all the facts to know what¡¯s behind a decision.¡±


    ¡°I can get that in terms of mission secrecy¡­but this is about who works best in the field,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Seems like we should all have a say in something like that. Or at least be allowed to question it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, but that¡¯s not the way it is,¡± said Tom.


    Something flashed across Tom¡¯s HUD. He jerked his head in the direction it came from.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, some sort of spike in the tachyons,¡± said Tom. ¡°As if something just breached.¡±


    ¡°If it were a breach, wouldn¡¯t they know about it on Sanctuary and tell us?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Maybe the sensors haven¡¯t communicated the message yet, or maybe the breach was too small to be of any significance,¡± said Tom. ¡°Either way, we should go check it out.¡±


    They walked from the area where the Quantum team continued to gather readings and investigate the scene. The tachyonic trail of the energy spike Tom detected led them deeper into the rainforest. After about twenty minutes of walking, they came to a rushing river that led over the edge of a cliff into a waterfall. Tom searched the area, trying to find some sign of the energy signature.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, this is where the trail ends. But I don¡¯t see anything.¡± He looked at Ethan. ¡°How about you?¡±


    Ethan scanned the area and shrugged. ¡°I got no¡ªARGH!¡±


    Tom immediately went to Ethan¡¯s side when he suddenly and mysteriously keeled over. The way his back had arched forward made it seem like he¡¯d been attacked from behind. Tom examined Ethan¡¯s back and found there was a gash in the armor that the nanites were desperately trying to seal up. But Tom couldn¡¯t see any sign of the assailant.


    ¡°We¡¯re not alone¡­¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda figured as much.¡± Tom stood and held out his hands, generating the Flameblade in his grip. He raised the fiery weapon and moved into a defensive stance. ¡°Whoever you are, best come out right now before I get pissed!¡±


    A laughter echoed through the forest, almost like the sound of a brook. The light seemed to catch something moving swiftly across the landscape. Tom tried to follow the movement, but it was too quick for his scanners to detect or for his eyes to spot.


    And then Tom felt a searing pain across his own back. He fell to his knees and rolled, getting back up and facing the threat.


    A figure shimmered into view. Lithe and covered from head to toe in a black suit that seemed to reflect the sunlight. Long, raven hair hung in a tight plait. Her eyes, shark-like and predatory, fixed on the two Knights. A mask covered the lower portion of her pale face and she held a crescent-shaped sword in each hand.


    ¡°I think we just bumped up a level,¡± said Ethan.

 Darkness Rises

    The doors to the Enclave parted and Rachel was greeted by Orion. The old man generally had an annoyed expression whenever he was forced to interact with anyone, but there was something different in his eyes this time around. Almost as if they displayed some concern.


    ¡°I wanna go on record as saying that I¡¯m against this.¡±


    Rachel rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I expected as much. But this is what the Tribunal decided on.¡±


    She walked from the elevator down the catwalk over the area where the Titans were being serviced. Orion rushed to catch up to her and match her stride.


    ¡°A Titan/Knight interface that goes this deep has only been attempted a handful of times. We¡¯re talking throughout the entirety of Knight history,¡± he said. ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re getting into?¡±


    ¡°I spoke to the Tribunal, but they said the records are classified.¡±


    Orion groaned. ¡°Of fucking course they did¡­don¡¯t want anyone knowing just how dangerous it is.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any other option,¡± said Rachel as she descended the metal stairs. ¡°I saw something when I touched that crystal and I have to figure out what it is.¡±


    Orion chased after her down the stairs. ¡°I get that you feel this is important, but we can wait until we have more information.¡±


    Rachel stopped and turned to face the old man. ¡°Listen, I know your primary concern is the Titans. And I understand this may be risky, but the one assuming most of the risk isn¡¯t Raiju¡ªit¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°It ain¡¯t Raiju my concern¡¯s with.¡± Orion looked around to see if anyone was within earshot. ¡°The Heads don¡¯t want me telling this story, but I know about when this last happened. About fifty years ago, with Nicholas Barnes. He interfaced with his Titan, Wyvern.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­and?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°What about Barnes? Did something happen to him?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­at first,¡± said Orion. ¡°But a few days later, he started having nightmares. A few weeks later, those nightmares became hallucinations while he was awake. He started talking crazy.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± asked Rachel.


    Orion shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was just gibberish. Random sounds, grunts, clicks, that sort of thing. He had to be put in isolation while we tried to figure out what was wrong.¡±


    ¡°And then? Did you figure it out?¡±


    Orion looked away.


    ¡°The Tribunal didn¡¯t speak a word about any of this,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I deserve to know what risks there are. So if you know something, you need to tell me. Please.¡±


    ¡°He was able to break free of his restraints and escape isolation,¡± said Orion. ¡°Then he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. He marched into the Sanctum and cut his eyes out.¡±


    Rachel covered her open mouth in shock.


    ¡°He said it was all the Tribunal¡¯s fault, screaming as he was dragged away,¡± said Orion. ¡°Obviously, his powers were stripped and he was put in a psychiatric hospital.¡±


    ¡°My god¡­¡± Rachel whispered.


    ¡°The bitch of it is he actually outlived his teammates. He¡¯s still alive¡­if you can call being doped up to the gills living.¡± Orion resumed eye contact with Rachel. ¡°So you can see why I¡¯m worried. Raiju will be fine, you might not.¡±


    Rachel felt a smirk tug at her lips. ¡°And here I thought you were an ornery old bastard who didn¡¯t give a shit about any of us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m still ornery as fuck. And I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say I give a shit,¡± said Orion. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have to deal with all the clean-up.¡±


    Rachel patted Orion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your secret¡¯s safe with me.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°But you¡¯re still gonna be stubborn about this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±


    Rachel moved over to the vaults containing the Titan spirits. She walked over to the chamber with the blue light above it. As she approached, her Gauntlet started to glow with a faint, azure aura and the chamber door opened. Blue light spilled out from the opening and Rachel stared into it, hesitating.


    ¡°This won¡¯t make ¡¯em change their minds about you!¡± said Orion.


    Rachel paused and did a half-turn towards him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Tribunal.¡± Orion took a few steps closer and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sure on some level, you probably hope that by stepping up in the field when Tom was incapacitated or by showing how willing you are to sacrifice for the cause that the Tribunal will come to realize they made a mistake. But that¡¯s the thing about those floating heads¡ªthey¡¯re more stubborn than a drunk toddler throwing a tantrum. They will never admit they were wrong.¡±


    Rachel was stunned by Orion¡¯s frankness. Not because he was so willing to speak poorly of the Tribunal¡ªhe actually had a reputation for that. But the insight he had into Rachel¡¯s character was unexpected. She wasn¡¯t even consciously aware of what she was doing, yet now being confronted by it, she realized it had the ring of truth.


    Still, she was stubborn herself. ¡°This has nothing to do with that. Tom¡¯s the leader and I¡¯m fine with it.¡±


    ¡°Just know why you¡¯re doing this and understand the benefits only go so far,¡± said Orion.


    Rachel nodded and stepped into the blue light. The door closed behind her and she was now in some kind of deep, dark void. Flashes of bright blue light cast only brief bursts of illumination. The air crackled with azure bolts of lightning, striking various points around her.


    She closed her eyes and concentrated, visualizing her Titan before her. The lightning converged on a single point. It started with a few quick bolts, but then more came. They soon lasted longer, extending continuously. The point where the bolts met became an orb of blue energy, slowly growing larger. It expanded, taking on the form of a creature standing on all four legs.


    The figure took shape. It was a giant blue wolf with streaks of white in his fur. Many of his hairs stood on end, sparks of electricity forming on the tips. The wolf¡¯s blue eyes fixed on Rachel and he licked his lips and whined in appreciation.


    ¡°Hey, Raiju, I know it¡¯s been a while since we met like this,¡± said Rachel. ¡°But I need your help. I need to remember what I saw and to do that, I have to go deeper into my mind.¡±


    Raiju grunted and shook his head.


    Rachel reached her hands for the large wolf¡¯s head and gently stroked it. ¡°Please. This is the only way we can do it.¡±


    The wolf¡¯s eyes pleaded with hers, his voice continuing to issue whines of denial and protest. Rachel shut her eyes and pressed her head against his.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    The Titan seemed to give in and Rachel soon felt a surge of energy rush through her. She gasped as her eyes bulged and she watched flashes of memories streak across her mind. Opening herself up to the Titan like this meant not only could her own memories be accessed, but she could also access his. And when the interface went deeper than before, there were no filters, no safeguards. Rachel experienced all memories simultaneously. She saw visions of past battles Raiju had been involved with, but instead of Raiju on the field, she saw herself. Brief images of an amalgam of her and the Raiju.


    And then the symbol. Rachel observed it right in front of her. It was the exact same one she¡¯d seen on the crystal when she touched it. The image was so clear to her now. She memorized every stroke and every angle of the strange rune.


    Something else happened. A dark presence hovered over her. All the memories melted away into blackness and Rachel started falling through the void. She reached her hands out to grab something¡ªanything. Rachel cried out for Raiju, but she couldn¡¯t see him or feel him.


    She felt utterly and completely alone. Rachel landed hard in a grassy field. Dew from the grass moistened her hands and she looked up to see stars dotting the night sky. She wasn¡¯t sure at first if it was a memory or a dream. But as she surveyed the sky, she noticed something odd.


    ¡°Two moons¡­?¡±


    The ground violently shook. Rachel turned around and she saw a village of some sort just ahead of the field. She didn¡¯t recognize either the material the houses were constructed from nor had she ever seen that particular architectural style anywhere.


    Quakes continued. Cracked started to form in the ground. Rachel watched in horror as the houses in the town collapsed, one after another. Screams of terror emanated forth. Instinct took over and pushed Rachel toward the village. As she ran, she soon saw others fleeing in the opposite direction. They were panicking, but they also looked very different.


    Rachel stopped and watched as they ran. Their skin was chalk-white and they had some sort of tribal tattoos across their bodies. She¡¯d never seen anyone like this before and she couldn¡¯t determine what exactly they were.


    The sound of an explosion. Rachel turned again and saw a bright ball of fire illuminate the sky. It grew larger and larger and she could feel the heat emanating from it. She turned away and closed her eyes, futilely holding up her arms in defense as the fire consumed her.


    <hr>


    The door to Raiju¡¯s chamber burst open and Rachel was thrown out. She hit the ground by Orion¡¯s feet, rolling from side to side, her arms and legs swinging with wild abandon as she screamed.


    ¡°Fuck, I hate being right all the damn time¡­¡± the old man muttered. He hit his own wrist-mounted communicator. ¡°Get Doc Wu down to the Enclave, now!¡±


    Orion knelt down by Rachel¡¯s side and tried to restrain her. The flailing subsided, but her screams continued echoing throughout the Enclave.

 The Shadowblade

    Moments ago, Tom and Ethan found themselves on the receiving end of an ambush. Their assailant was a thin woman with pale skin and black hair, wielding twin crescent-shaped swords. Tom psychically commanded his suit to perform a scan on their attacker, but the HUD read different tachyonic signatures.


    ¡°Whoever she is, she¡¯s definitely connected to the breach and that crystal,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Oh really, you think?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Tom held the Flameblade in a defensive stance, turning his attention to the threat. ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I am Sylva, current bearer of the title Shadowblade,¡± she said.


    ¡°Okay Sylva, this here¡¯s the Flameblade,¡± said Tom, gesturing to his flaming sword. ¡°Last time I checked, shadows don¡¯t hold up so well against light. So you might want to put the weapons down and have a conversation with us. No need for any further violence.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret wasting time like this¡­¡± muttered Ethan. ¡°She doesn¡¯t strike me as the diplomatic type.¡±


    Sylva lowered her arms to her sides, though she still held the crescent blades. She began to lower herself to one knee.


    ¡°See? Not everyone¡¯s out to destroy the world, Green,¡± said Tom.


    Something in Sylva¡¯s eyes disturbed Ethan, though. He summoned the Aquatrident and held it at the ready. Sure enough, his suspicions quickly justified themselves. Rather than getting down on the ground, Sylva¡¯s arms moved up in a dramatic arc. The twin blades flew from her hands, spinning like buzz-saws and cut through the air.


    Ethan¡¯s caution paid off. The blade was fast, but thanks to his quick-thinking, he could deflect it. Tom didn¡¯t prove so lucky¡ªthe second blade caught him by surprise and he had no time to deflect. An attempt to evade the blade wasn¡¯t enough, and it cut across his shoulder, sending sparks flying.


    Tom recoiled, pulling back the shoulder. His HUD blared a warning for an incoming projectile from the rear. Spinning on his heel, Tom saw the blade had reversed course and came at him for another strike. It then split off into half a dozen duplicates. Tom¡¯s eyes widened behind his visor and he tried to deflect all six of the flying blades with his sword.


    He managed to strike a little more than half, but the last two still hit their mark¡ªone cutting across his torso and the other his arm.


    All six blades converged back on their mistress, and she reached up and grabbed one. The other five vanished, dissolving into black smoke. She waved her free hand and the blade Ethan had deflected flew back into her waiting palm.


    Sylva struck the butt of each hilt together. They merged into one, transforming into a double-bladed sword.


    ¡°Is it a violation of protocol to tell the leader ¡®I told you so¡¯?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± said Tom, grunting as he got back to his feet. He patched into the Quantum Group¡¯s communication network. ¡°Control, Red Knight transmitting. We¡¯ve encountered some unexpected resistance down here, might be in need of some back-up.¡±


    ¡°Ahh yes, the Omega dog calls to his master,¡± said Sylva. ¡°I wonder, what did the Quantum Group promise you for your servitude and silence? Riches? Accolades? Women?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not the last one, I¡¯ll tell you that much,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°How does she know about the Quantum Group? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be a secret?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°And I thought these monsters were all mindless creatures?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s much your masters don¡¯t tell you, puppy,¡± said Sylva.


    ¡°Okay, then how about a deal?¡± asked Tom. ¡°We all put down our weapons and you educate us on what we don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I imagine that would require more time and energy than I¡¯m willing to spare,¡± said Sylva.


    Ethan gave a chuckle. ¡°I think she just called you stupid, Red.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty rude of her. Maybe I should do something about that.¡±


    Tom brought his legs together and held the sword right in front of him, the blade pointing towards the sky. His muscles tensed and he lowered his head, focusing all his energy on the Flameblade. The metal absorbed the flames surrounding it and it turned bright yellow, glowing with the heat building up inside. Tom leaped into the air and spun, swinging the sword down towards Sylva. He held it in a reverse-grip and descended like a meteor. The blade didn¡¯t strike Sylva, but it hit the spot right in front of her, generating a massive explosion.


    Ethan recoiled, instinctively holding his hands up to defend himself. A deafening sound punctuated the explosion. As the smoke cleared, Ethan saw Tom kneeling in the center of a newly formed crater. The sword had cooled, the blade embedded in the ground. Tom¡¯s hands were wrapped around the hilt.


    No trace of Sylva.


    Tom leaned on the sword to pull himself up. He drew it from the ground and shook the dirt loose from it. Ethan went to the edge of the crater and looked in.


    ¡°Holy shit, what was that?¡±


    ¡°We can channel our powers in pretty extreme ways. Though the bigger the attack, the longer the cooldown.¡± Tom glanced around. ¡°You see where she went?¡±


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°I think you might¡¯ve vaporized her, man.¡±


    Tom sighed. Some of what Sylva had said sparked his curiosity. He wished he could have learned more about her story. But he supposed he could choose no other path.


    The same cackle from before returned. Tom looked around, using his suit¡¯s sensors to try to pick up something. A shimmer of light and Sylva appeared at the edge of the crater, just behind Ethan.


    ¡°Green, look o¡ª¡± Tom had tried to warn.


    Sylva¡¯s actions were faster than his words. She sliced across Ethan¡¯s back with her double-bladed sword. Ethan¡¯s back arched forward, the momentum from Sylva¡¯s blow sending him into the crater beside Tom.


    Ethan hit the ground and Tom examined the wounds. The armor had defended Ethan well enough and the nanites had already begun repairing the surface damage.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, was that pathetic display of power the best you could muster?¡± asked Sylva with a laugh.


    ¡°Control, this is Red Knight once again requesting back-up,¡± said Tom. ¡°I think we might be looking at a Level 2 at least.¡±


    ¡°We read you, Red. There¡¯s a bit of a situation we¡¯re also dealing with at the moment, so we¡¯re going to need you to hang in for a little longer,¡± came Marcus¡¯s voice over the comm.


    ¡°What sort of situation is that?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Blue Knight has been incapacitated. We¡¯ll dispatch Yellow and Purple as soon as possible but until then, you and Green will have to do this on your own.¡±


    Tom felt shock at Marcus¡¯s story. How the hell did Rachel end up incapacitated?


    ¡°What¡¯s the word?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Just us for a little longer,¡± said Tom. ¡°You up for it?¡±


    Ethan held his trident in both hands and glanced up at Sylva, then back to Tom before nodding. The two Knights leapt from the crater, flipping over Sylva¡¯s head and landing behind her. She kept her back to them both and separated her double-bladed sword, returning to the twin crescent blade configuration.


    ¡°Come on, give me a real fight,¡± she said, still facing in the opposite direction.


    Ethan rushed forward, thrusting the Aquatrident at Sylva¡¯s back. She dodged to the left, moving so fast with an image trail left in her wake. Sylva swung her blade, hooking it between the trident¡¯s tines. She used her strength to force the trident onto the ground.


    With his grip on the trident, Ethan bent in the same direction. He tried to raise it up, but Sylva was definitely stronger than she looked. Sylva then executed a perfect axe kick, throwing Ethan¡¯s head back. He lost his grip and fell, the trident clattering to the ground.


    Sylva sheathed her crescent blades and kicked the trident. It flew into her waiting hands. Before Ethan could get off the ground, Sylva put a booted foot on his chest and forced him down. She held the trident poised over his helmet and tapped the visor.


    ¡°Are you prepared to answer for the Quantum Group¡¯s crimes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Lady, I have no clue what the hell you¡¯re talking about!¡± said Ethan. ¡°I just got this job.¡±


    ¡°A pity then. Nothing but a lamb your masters have thrown to the slaughter.¡± Sylva raised the trident up. ¡°No matter.¡±


    Tom attacked Sylva from behind, slashing at her back. She lurched forward and rolled on the ground, dropping the Aquatrident. Tom offered a hand to Ethan, who accepted it and stood. Ethan grabbed his weapon and brought it back to bear.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel so good when someone hits you from behind, does it?¡± asked Tom.


    Sylva jumped to her feet and drew her crescent blades. She slid one leg forward and bent the other, holding the swords in an attack stance. Before she could launch her next attack, the ground started to violently quake. She stumbled and struggled to maintain her footing.


    Tom smiled beneath his helmet. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the cavalry calling.¡±


    Flashes of purple and yellow came out of nowhere. and Sylva realized that two more Knights had joined the fray. Alexa drew the Zephyrwhip and threw it forward, the cable wrapping endlessly around Sylva¡¯s body.


    When Alexa pulled it taut, Sylva¡¯s arms pinned to her sides. And that allowed Olivia to come in next, slamming the butt of her Terrastaff right against Sylva¡¯s head. The staff channeled seismic vibrations into Sylva¡¯s skull. The warrior fell to the ground, unconscious. And the team stood over her fallen form, looking amongst themselves.


    ¡°So what now?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°Do we kill her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not killing anyone,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that about the giant bees,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°That was different,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not killing her¡ªnot yet, anyway,¡± said Tom. ¡°We¡¯re taking her back with us.¡±


    ¡°Why waste time?¡± asked Alexa.


    Tom tapped his helmet. ¡°Check your scanners. She¡¯s giving off the same type of bizarro readings that we got from the crystal shard. Either that¡¯s a hell of a coincidence, or she¡¯s connected. And I want to know how.¡±

 The Prisoner

    Consciousness returned to Sylva. She awoke on a very firm, almost rock-hard cot resting on an alcove in a small room. Instinctively, her hands went to her shoulders for her crescent blades, but they were gone. The walls were metal and a toilet and sink combo were affixed to the wall near the alcove. A small divider provided some privacy for the toilet as across from the alcove was a translucent wall. The air distorted just the tiniest fraction as Sylva stared at it.


    She climbed off the cot and approached the wall. Sylva slowly brought her hand up to it and she could feel energy in what looked like empty air. As she brought her hand closer, she felt a tingle of electricity.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡±


    Sylva looked around the room for the source of the voice. After a moment, she realized it was being broadcast over speakers.


    ¡°Show yourselves, cowards,¡± she said.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be time for that later. Until then, why don¡¯t you tell us about yourself? What were you doing in Brazil?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t answer to disembodied voices,¡± said Sylva. ¡°If you want to hear my tale, you¡¯ll look into my eyes as I tell it.¡±


    Sylva returned to the alcove and climbed onto the cot. She sat cross-legged and rested her hands on her knees before closing her eyes in apparent meditation.


    <hr>


    Marcus stood beside Tom, Ethan, and Alexa in front of a monitor array in the security hub. The other monitors focused on different cells just the same as Sylva¡¯s, albeit they were all empty.


    ¡°She seems nice,¡± he said.


    ¡°She¡¯s connected to that crystal, I know it,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Our scanners back up what you picked up in the field, so I believe it,¡± said Marcus. ¡°What I want to know is how she¡¯s involved. Breaches are random and uncontrollable. The chances of two unrelated breachers with the same signatures occurring in the same relative area are¡­¡± Marcus paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know the exact statistic, but I do know it¡¯s pretty damn rare.¡±


    ¡°Has it ever happened before?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°Possibly. But if it did, it was definitely before my time. And I¡¯ve never come across anything like that in the records.¡±


    ¡°She called herself the Shadowblade. That mean anything to you?¡± asked Tom. ¡°She said it was a title of some kind.¡±


    Marcus pursed his lips as he thought. After a moment, he shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t ring a bell.¡±


    ¡°She mentioned something about Quantum¡¯s crimes. You know anything about that?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°What kind of crimes?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t specify. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea what crimes she¡¯s referring to,¡± said Marcus. ¡°We¡¯ll let her stew in her juices for a minute. After about a day or two, I¡¯ll go in and start questioning her.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else think she gave up pretty easily?¡± asked Alexa.


    Tom scoffed. ¡°You weren¡¯t there earlier when she handed both Ethan and me our asses.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you said you set off an explosion at point-blank range and it didn¡¯t even faze her,¡± said Alexa. ¡°But then, Liv¡¯s able to take her down with one strike of her staff?¡±


    ¡°If her plan was to get her ass stuck in a cell, then mission accomplished.¡± Marcus glanced around the room and at the three Knights. ¡°Where is Reyes, anyway?¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯s in the infirmary,¡± said Alexa. ¡°Wanted to check in on Rachel once we got back.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of, what happened to Rachel?¡± asked Tom. ¡°How did she get incapacitated? Something go wrong during a training session?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Marcus drew in a breath, dreading the words about to come from his mouth. ¡°She tried to interface with her Titan to access her memories of the crystal, see if we could find out what symbol she saw on it. But the procedure overwhelmed her and she¡¯s been unconscious ever since.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Tom turned his body toward Marcus. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to explain this to me. What do you mean she was trying to interface with her Titan? She¡¯s done that a thousand times.¡±


    Marcus shook his head. ¡°Not like this. This was on a much deeper level, allowing her and the Titan to access each other¡¯s subconsciousness. It¡¯s a very delicate procedure that¡¯s only been attempted a few times in the past.¡±


    ¡°Why only a few times?¡± asked Alexa.


    Marcus sighed and looked down, his shoulders slacking. ¡°Because it¡¯s very high-risk for the Knight. Potentially even deadly.¡±


    Tom grabbed Marcus¡¯s shoulder and forcibly turned the commander to face him. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell us about this? I¡¯m the leader, I should know when one of my teammates is putting themselves at risk!¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck off!¡± Marcus shoved Tom off him.


    ¡°Whoa there!¡± said Alexa. ¡°You really are an ass to everyone, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Marcus pointed an accusatory finger at Alexa. ¡°Stay out of this!¡± He faced Tom next. ¡°And you¡ªthis wasn¡¯t my call. It came from the Tribunal.¡±


    ¡°I still deserved to know,¡± said Tom.


    Marcus scoffed. ¡°Fuck off, Stone. You¡¯ve been the leader for all of ten minutes. You¡¯re no Scott Taylor, so stop acting like you are.¡±


    That comment pushed Tom to the edge. His instincts had kicked in and all the rage and guilt he¡¯d felt over Scott¡¯s death now bubbled to the surface, bleeding into his rational mind until he could only see red. Tom hadn¡¯t even realized what had happened next¡ªas if he¡¯d blacked out in that brief moment. But the next thing he realized, Marcus was on the ground, blood dribbling from his lip. Tom felt a stinging from his right hand. He looked down, surprised to see his fingers clenched in a tight fist.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± muttered Alexa. ¡°If I knew we could punch him, I would¡¯ve done that¡­¡±


    ¡°You fucking little shit!¡± screamed Marcus, standing again. ¡°You think you¡¯re gonna get away with that? I¡¯m going to see to it that your ass is drummed out of this outfit!¡±


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± Tom stuttered, trying to process what had just happened.


    Marcus returned the punch, striking Tom¡¯s jaw. Pain radiated from the point of impact, though Marcus didn¡¯t have the Omega Force enhancing his strength in the same way Tom did. It still hurt nonetheless. If a real fight broke out between them, Tom knew he could easily tear Marcus apart. But he hadn¡¯t actually wanted to hit the man, he¡¯d just lost himself momentarily. And he wasn¡¯t about to escalate things any further than he already had. If Marcus wanted to flail around like a child, let him do it. Tom just allowed Marcus¡¯s punch to stand and he pretended it hurt more than it actually did.


    ¡°Pack your fucking bags, Stone.¡± Marcus turned from the monitors and stormed out of the security hub.


    Once the door closed, Alexa turned to Tom. ¡°Wow! I guess I misjudged you. I never would¡¯ve thought you had that sort of defiance in you.¡±


    Tom felt a brief surge of pride through him at Alexa¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t expect to be praised for standing up to Marcus like that. But guilt quickly supplanted pride and the gravity of what he¡¯d just done started sinking in.


    ¡°Can he actually do that?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°Kick you out, I mean?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Tom and then he thought, But he can make my life a royal pain¡ªand probably will.


    ¡°What are you gonna do then?¡±


    ¡°One crisis at a time, okay? We¡¯ve got enough to deal with between Miss Shadowblade in there and now whatever happened to Rachel,¡± said Tom.


    And whether he liked it or not, he¡¯d have to try to make peace with Marcus. It certainly wasn¡¯t like him to go against authority that way¡ªhe¡¯d been a Marine before becoming a Knight and never did anything like that.


    Tom then noticed that Ethan had been silent this time. He didn¡¯t even seem to react when the altercation with Marcus had occurred. Instead, Ethan continued to just stare at the monitor array.


    Evidently, Alexa had realized it herself, because she voiced Tom¡¯s own thoughts: ¡°Yo, Ethan. You still with us? Blink twice if you need help.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked Ethan. He turned from the monitors and blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes. ¡°Sorry, I guess I kind of zoned out for a minute.¡± He then looked around the room. ¡°Hey, where¡¯d Marcus go?¡±


    Alexa¡¯s jaw went slack and she and Tom exchanged worried glances. ¡°Umm¡­him and Tom just freaking punched each other, dude.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°How the hell did I miss that?¡±


    ¡°You¡­sure you¡¯re okay?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Maybe you should go lie down or something?¡±


    Ethan rubbed his eyes again before looking one last time at the monitor array. ¡°Yeah¡­maybe you¡¯re right. Probably just exhausted from the fight or something.¡±


    Alexa and Ethan left the room together, but Tom lingered for a few moments. He checked on the monitor for Sylva¡¯s cell one last time and felt disturbed when he saw her staring right into the camera. Her mask was on and her dark eyes felt like black holes. Tom almost had trouble pulling himself away, but he finally managed.

 The Patient

    Rachel lay unconscious in the infirmary bed, machines monitoring her vital signs. The regular beep of the heart monitor provided some comfort to Olivia as she looked at her new teammate. The new recruit watched from her chair as Candace reviewed Rachel¡¯s scan results on a tablet.


    ¡°Is she gonna be okay?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    The door opened, interrupting Candace before she could get into her statement. Tom stood at the entrance, his forehead creased. His feet shuffled in with awkward, uncertain movements. Olivia couldn¡¯t help but think what a far cry he looked now from his behavior in the field. Then he had the utmost confidence, perhaps an overt amount. But now, he looked like a scared kid.


    ¡°I just heard about what happened,¡± he said. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°I was just about to tell Olivia here that the strange thing is she¡¯s completely fine,¡± said Candace. ¡°As far as the machines are concerned, she¡¯s just sleeping.¡±


    ¡°But I thought something happened to her? Marcus said she was overwhelmed by her Titan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only reason we know there¡¯s something not right about this,¡± said Candace. ¡°Orion said the chamber burst open and she flew out, screaming. Took several people to restrain her long enough for me to administer a sedative. She¡¯s been out ever since.¡±


    ¡°What do you think¡¯s wrong with her then?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure. One thing we know for certain about the Titans and the Omega Force is that there¡¯s an incredible amount we don¡¯t know.¡± Candace sighed. ¡°Interfacing with the Titan in the way Rachel did is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pretty rare, so I¡¯m told,¡± said Tom. ¡°Anything we know from those times it¡¯s been tried?¡±


    ¡°Not really. The Tribunal said those records are highly classified.¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t give any info?¡± he asked.


    Candace shook her head.


    Tom scoffed. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that typical¡­¡± He walked over to Rachel¡¯s bedside, then reached his hand for her limp one and gave it a gentle caress.


    ¡°Are you guys close?¡± asked Olivia.


    Tom glanced up at the new recruit and gave a soft smile. ¡°Not as much as I¡¯d like. Rachel keeps her own counsel. But we get along.¡± He then added in a softer voice, bordering on a whisper, ¡°Most of the time.¡±


    ¡°This must be tough on you, being the new leader and all,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°For now, anyway,¡± said Tom.


    That caught Candace¡¯s attention and her head jerked in Tom¡¯s direction. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Tom drew in a sharp breath. ¡°I had kind of an¡­altercation with Marcus just now.¡±


    Candace folded her arms, holding the tablet she used to monitor Rachel close to her chest. ¡°What kind of altercation?¡±


    Tom sighed. ¡°I sort of¡­¡± He hesitated and looked down as his cheeks flushed. ¡°Punched him in the face.¡±


    A disgruntled sigh escaped Candace¡¯s lips. She rubbed her forehead. ¡°He¡¯s really making the rounds, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Tom looked up at her, the red fading from his face. ¡°You mean yelling at the newb¡ªthe new guys?¡±


    Candace nodded. ¡°He apologized to Ethan but when he tried with Alexa, he made it worse.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his problem, anyway?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Survivor¡¯s guilt, I think,¡± said Candace. ¡°He feels responsible for what happened to Scott, Emily, and Mike. And because he¡¯s emotionally immature, he bottles up his feelings until they explode.¡±


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    Olivia shook her head. ¡°My father was like that. Used to drive me nuts.¡±


    ¡°I think most of our fathers were.¡± Candace turned her attention back to Tom. ¡°What did he do to set you off?¡±


    ¡°We were arguing about this, actually.¡± Tom gestured to Rachel. ¡°I said I should¡¯ve been looped in before she did it. He argued back and then he basically said I wasn¡¯t as good a leader as Scott.¡±


    Candace tsked, then sighed. She whispered something under her breath that Olivia couldn¡¯t quite make out, but it didn¡¯t sound flattering toward Marcus.


    ¡°Here I thought you¡¯d be chewing me out,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± Candace pointed a stern finger. ¡°You absolutely should have handled that better. But I¡¯m also not going to say he didn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here long, but I can¡¯t imagine that hitting Marcus is gonna be considered a good thing.¡±


    ¡°If you believe Marcus, I¡¯m about to get kicked out,¡± said Tom.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Can he do that?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Candace. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be any repercussions. The Tribunal will no doubt want a meeting about this.¡±


    ¡°And Rachel?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°That¡¯s the big mystery,¡± said Candace. ¡°We just have to wait until she wakes up.¡±


    Olivia felt Tom¡¯s eyes on her and she met his gaze. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just that I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so worried about someone you just met.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really nice. That first night, she helped me with some one-on-one training,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Why, are we not supposed to care about other people? Just be cold, emotionless killers?¡±


    Tom held up his hands in defense. ¡°Whoa, easy. I¡¯m not saying that at all.¡± He lowered his arms and his shoulder sunk. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s not something you see a lot. But I actually think it¡¯s great that you care so much.¡±


    Olivia turned her gaze away, feeling embarrassed about her mistake. The violent part of this job still made her uneasy. That no doubt made her more sensitive to any talk about her own concerns for others.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°And thanks.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. Now let¡¯s just hope that Rachel wakes up soon,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve got that breacher in a cell. Has she said anything yet?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°No, not yet.¡±


    A beep from his Gauntlet interrupted Tom. He looked down at the display and frowned.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°The Tribunal is requesting a meeting,¡± said Tom. ¡°Right now.¡±


    Olivia looked at her own Gauntlet, but saw only a blank display. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything on my thingy.¡±


    ¡°That means it¡¯s probably about Marcus. They¡¯re not always big on wasting time,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Go on, we¡¯ll call if there¡¯s any change in Rachel¡¯s condition,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°Thanks, Doc.¡± Tom turned to Olivia. ¡°You gonna stay here?¡±


    The young woman nodded. Tom returned her nod and then left the pair alone in the room with the comatose patient. Olivia moved closer to Rachel¡¯s bedside and brushed some strands of her hair, tucking them behind her ear.


    ¡°Hey Dr. Wu, mind if I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Candace.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± asked Olivia.


    Candace took a breath and thought. ¡°About¡­twelve years, I think?¡±


    ¡°Have any of the Knights died since you came? Y¡¯know, other than the three we¡ªour three predecessors?¡±


    Olivia had almost said ¡°replaced¡± but stopped herself. What a terrible thought, suggesting that anyone could be replaced. Though in this organization, that seemed almost normal.


    Candace removed her glasses and looked down. She didn¡¯t have to say anything else, Olivia knew exactly what that meant.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    After taking a breath, Candace composed herself and put her glasses back on. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think this job is easy. It¡¯s definitely not. The Omega Force, the armor, the Titans¡ªsure, they all increase your odds of survival. But something on this scale¡­the risk will always be there. It¡¯s inescapable.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Olivia looked down at Rachel. ¡°She wasn¡¯t even in battle and look what happened to her.¡±


    ¡°But having said all that, I also don¡¯t want you to believe that being a Knight is a death sentence,¡± said Candace. ¡°Did I know Knights that have died? Yes. Does that mean you will die? Not necessarily. I¡¯ve known many more Knights who retired peacefully.¡±


    ¡°And what happens to them after they retire?¡± asked Olivia.


    Candace shrugged. ¡°It depends. Believe it or not, many of them have gone on to work for the Quantum Group in other areas based on whatever their skills are.¡±


    The doctor studied Olivia¡¯s features. The young woman¡¯s lips tightened and her brow furrowed. She had something on her mind, of that Candace had no doubt.


    ¡°Penny for them? Your thoughts, I mean.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s head jerked in Candace¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡­I dunno. I¡¯m just wondering if this is the right thing for me.¡±


    Candace patted Olivia on the shoulder and the younger woman gave a smile at the gesture.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shame in admitting it¡¯s not,¡± said Candace. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first to decide this job isn¡¯t a good fit.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Olivia. ¡°I committed to this, I¡¯m gonna see it through. At least for a little longer.¡±


    An incessant and sudden beeping noise sparked from the machines connected to Rachel. Candace¡¯s attention focused on her tablet. She tapped different commands on the screen, trying to make sense of the readouts.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening to her?¡± asked Olivia.


    Candace shook her head. ¡°I have no idea, her brain activity just shot up like a rocket! And I can¡¯t see why.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes popped open and her torso popped up at a straight angle. She sucked in a dramatic breath and looked around the room, her eyes moving at a frantic pace.


    ¡°Rachel, what is it?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Rachel turned her head toward Olivia, eyes nearly bulging. She then shook her head and said simply, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. None of us are. And I think I know why.¡±

 Ramifications

    The door to the Sanctum had never seemed so imposing to Tom. With each footfall, he felt the weight of the situation pulling him down. Marcus had no doubt gone straight to the Tribunal after the altercation. Tom felt certain his tenure not only as leader but as a Knight in general was about to end.


    He stepped closer to the door and raised his hand for the palm scanner. After a moment, the doors opened and Tom stepped into the darkness. He could see Marcus standing off to the side. Marcus stood outside of the center spotlight, but the cast light from that provided the slightest bit of definition to the contours of his body. That left most of him concealed by shadow, which made the elder commander even more imposing than usual.


    Tom glanced at Marcus for a brief moment, but Marcus wouldn¡¯t look at him. The permanent scowl on his face had an added intensity now. Tom looked away from Marcus and stepped into the spotlight. The three shadowy heads of the Quantum Tribunal appeared around him.


    ¡°Knight Stone, we apologize for the urgent summons, but we thank you for your prompt arrival.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have much of a choice, did I?¡± Tom thought to himself.


    ¡°We have received some distressing news about an interpersonal conflict between you and Agent Kane. If it pleases the commander, we would like Agent Kane to repeat his report for the record.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡± Marcus stepped closer to the three heads, though still kept a distance from Tom. The spotlight switched over to him and the Tribunal turned their attention in his direction.


    ¡°You may begin, Agent.¡±


    ¡°I was in the interrogation room with Knights Stone, Jackson, and Monroe. We were discussing the altercation with the enemy combatant known only as the Shadowblade. During our conversation, the topic of Knight Kim¡¯s recent incapacitation was raised. Knight Stone asked for an explanation for the incident, which I provided. Knight Stone then became aggressive and challenged my authority. When I reprimanded him, he escalated the situation from the verbal to the physical and assaulted my person.¡±


    Once Marcus completed his report, the Tribunal¡¯s silence hung in the air. In unison, the three large heads turned in Tom¡¯s direction and the spotlight fell upon him once again. Tom closed his eyes for an instant at the sudden, bright intrusion.


    ¡°Knight Stone, would you care to respond to these allegations?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s leaving a few things out,¡± said Tom. ¡°The reason I became aggressive is because Agent Kane has been controlling my team with a heavy hand as of late. He verbally assaulted both Knights Jackson and Monroe after a training session. Furthermore, I felt that as team leader, I had a right to be informed about any risky maneuvers my teammates are asked to undergo. I was not informed of Knight Kim¡¯s Titan interface, nor was I made aware of the risks in advance.¡±


    ¡°Your concern for your teammates is admirable, Knight Stone. However, the interface was ordered by the Tribunal. Our dictates override the needs of leadership, either field or operational, to be informed.¡±


    ¡°Particularly if time is of the essence, as it was in this situation. You and Knight Jackson were on-mission. We had an urgent need to determine exactly what Knight Kim had seen in Brazil.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the appropriateness of Agent Kane¡¯s words, physical assault on a commanding officer is never warranted. As field leader of the Omega Knights, you must hold yourself to a higher standard.¡±


    Tom felt that same anger bubbling inside him. His fingers curled into his palm, but he took a deep breath to center himself. With his arm raised, Tom pointed a finger in Marcus¡¯s direction and then added, ¡°And is it ever warranted for a commanding officer to assault a Knight? Shouldn¡¯t operational leaders be held to the same high standard as field leaders?¡±


    The Tribunal grew silent for a long, pregnant pause.


    ¡°Please elaborate, Knight.¡±


    After the¡­the incident when we lost Knights Taylor, Dawson, and Gray, Agent Kane physically assaulted me just outside the Sanctum.¡±


    The Tribunal once more grew silent and turned their attention¡ªand the spotlight


    ¡°Would you care to respond to this allegation, Agent Kane?¡±


    ¡°During that battle, Knight Stone ignored a direct order and put himself and his Titan at risk. I warned him that such a breach of the chain of command would not be tolerated.¡±


    ¡°I believe his exact words were something to the effect of, ¡®I¡¯ve been doing this since you were shitting in diapers,¡¯¡± said Tom. ¡°Then, to emphasize his point, he punched me in the abdomen.¡±


    Another moment of silence. Tom wondered if during those pauses, the Tribunal somehow communicated amongst themselves.


    ¡°We have no record of any report of this incident, Knight Stone.¡±


    Tom sighed. ¡°That¡¯s because I made no report.¡±


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    ¡°So we see. And during this most-recent altercation, Knights Jackson and Monroe were both present?¡±


    ¡°They were. They can corroborate my report,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Very well. Then we shall invite both of them in to provide their own accounts.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea,¡± said Marcus.


    The Tribunal addressed Tom. ¡°Knight Stone, do you have any objections to hearing testimony from Knights Jackson and Monroe?¡±


    Tom paused. Alexa and Ethan were both in the room when he¡¯d punched Marcus, and they had no knowledge of his last encounter with him. They no doubt had a dim view of him¡ªEthan in particular. But this was the situation he¡¯d put himself in and now he¡¯d have to live with the consequences.


    ¡°Knight Stone?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any objections.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Summon Knights Jackson and Monroe at once. The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can move on to more important matters.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°You are certain of this, Knight Jackson?¡± asked the Tribunal.


    Ethan stood in the center of the three floating images, his arms clasped at his waist, head tilted forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be more help. But for whatever reason, I was¡­somewhere else when it went down.¡±


    Tom watched from the side of the room and saw Ethan¡¯s brow furrowed in thought.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what exactly happened,¡± said Ethan. ¡°My attention was focused on the prisoner, and I guess I was aware that Tom and Marcus¡ª¡±


    ¡°Knight Stone and Agent Kane,¡± corrected one of the Tribunal.


    ¡°Please use the official titles when you are in this chamber, Knight Jackson.¡±


    ¡°This is to ensure the record is kept accurate and impartiality is maintained.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I could hear Knight Stone and Agent Kane arguing, but I really wasn¡¯t paying attention to it. If I¡¯m being completely honest, then I can say I just didn¡¯t care what they were fighting about. Just seemed like a pissing contest from my perspective.¡±


    ¡°Did you witness when Knight Stone accosted Agent Kane?¡±


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°No. Like I said, I was focused on the prisoner and I just¡­spaced. Maybe I was tired after the battle, the adrenaline drop and everything. Because it wasn¡¯t until Alexa said something to me that I snapped out of it and then I realized that Marcus had gone.¡±


    ¡°Allow us to confirm the events of your testimony, Knight Jackson.¡±


    ¡°You were physically present in the room when the altercation took place. You recall hearing the two individuals in question arguing.¡±


    ¡°And yet, when the punch was thrown, you were unaware of it? Or even when Agent Kane left the room?¡±


    ¡°When you put it like that, you make me sound like an old guy with dementia.¡± Ethan chuckled at his own joke, but he then swallowed the laughter when he saw the Tribunal didn¡¯t find it too funny. ¡°I apologize. I wish I could be more help, but I just really don¡¯t know what had happened.¡±


    ¡°One additional question, Knight Jackson. You say your attention was focused on the prisoner¡ªwhy?¡±


    Ethan drew in a breath and hesitated before answering. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t really know. The stuff you¡¯d shown us before of the creatures we faced, the thing we fought in Brazil before¡­they were inhuman. But this¡­Shadowblade? She looked like a normal person¡ªor, relatively normal, I should say.¡±


    ¡°And you found this¡­intriguing?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. She¡¯s so different from what we¡¯d been shown up ¡¯til now. And she could even communicate with us,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I guess I was just trying to figure out what her deal is.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Knight Jackson. You are dismissed.¡±


    Ethan gave a nod and turned toward the door. He didn¡¯t glance at either Tom nor Marcus. Something about Ethan¡¯s explanation of why he¡¯d fixated on the Shadowblade felt¡­unfulfilling to Tom. Assuming he¡¯d get out of this situation, Tom knew there was more to investigate.


    The Sanctum door opened again after Ethan had left, but this time, it provided passage for Alexa. She stepped before the Tribunal and awaited their questions.


    ¡°Knight Monroe, do you understand why you¡¯re here?¡±


    Alexa nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea.¡±


    ¡°Please state what you know.¡±


    ¡°There was an argument between Knight Stone and Agent Kane,¡± said Alexa. ¡°Knight Jackson and myself were both in the room when it happened.¡±


    ¡°Can you recall the substance of the argument?¡±


    ¡°Knight Stone was concerned about the well-being of his teammate,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°And Agent Kane¡¯s demeanor?¡±


    Alexa bit her lower lip, but said nothing.


    ¡°Knight Monroe? Would you like the question repeated?¡±


    ¡°No, I heard it just fine,¡± said Alexa. ¡°Do I have permission to speak candidly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane seemed¡­dismissive toward Knight Stone¡¯s concerns.¡±


    Tom could hear Marcus¡¯s whispered utterance of ¡°The fuck?¡± He felt a little surprised by it himself.


    ¡°And what occurred next?¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane became agitated and then he left the room,¡± said Alexa.


    Tom looked up in surprise. The Tribunal grew silent for several moments.


    ¡°Knight Monroe, is it your testimony that you witnessed no physical altercation between Knight Stone and Agent Kane?¡±


    Alexa looked down again and rubbed her chin. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t recall, no.¡±


    ¡°What do you recall?¡±


    ¡°I recall Agent Kane¡¯s belligerence and I felt Knight Stone¡¯s anger rooted understandably in concern for his teammate,¡± she continued. ¡°But other than that, I just ignored the argument. I didn¡¯t feel like it was something I should get involved with.¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane has testified that Knight Stone physically struck him. Do you dispute his account?¡±


    Alexa gave a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not disputing anything. But if there were any punches thrown, I didn¡¯t see them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± shouted Marcus, moving from the wall. He stormed up to Alexa and jabbed a finger in her direction.


    ¡°Agent Kane, please restrain yourself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pissed because I was hard on her the other day, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane, do not make us repeat ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But this is a goddamn set-up!¡± Marcus shouted as he faced the Tribunal.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±


    All three members of the Tribunal spoke in one unified voice. It reverberated through the Sanctum, striking like the hammer of the gods. And instantly, all voices silenced themselves.


    ¡°Knight Monroe, we thank you for your testimony and you are now dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Alexa whispered politely and then left the room.


    Tom watched her go, his own mind awash in confusion. She¡¯d just lied for him, seemingly as a way to get revenge on Marcus. And though she may have just saved his job, a part of him felt uncomfortable with how she did it.


    ¡°Due to lack of corroborating accounts and the circumstances we presently find ourselves, it is the decision of the Tribunal that no disciplinary measures shall be taken against Knight Stone.¡±


    Tom stood upright and gave a salute. ¡°I thank the Tribunal for their unbiased decision.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be fucking serious!¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Knight Stone, you are dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Agent Kane, please remain for further discussion.¡±


    ¡°We would have words regarding your demeanor during these proceedings.¡±


    Tom headed for the door, but he could feel Marcus¡¯s eyes on him and also heard the words, ¡°This isn¡¯t over¡­¡±


    Seemed him and Marcus were in full agreement over something.

 The Other Side

    Once leaving the Sanctum, Ethan had planned to go to the cafeteria and grab some food. But instead, once he got in the elevator, he found himself choosing a different floor. Heading back to the detention level. The doors opened and he proceeded down the corridor, toward the only cell with an occupant.


    A translucent energy field provided the only barrier for the cell. Sylva remained in the exact same position as before¡ªsitting upright on the cot with her legs folded under her, eyes closed in apparent meditation. She hadn¡¯t moved a single inch. Once Ethan stopped and looked into her cell, she opened her onyx eyes and locked her gaze with his.


    ¡°I wondered how long it would take for one of you to come,¡± she said. ¡°You can torture me all you like, I won¡¯t tell you anything.¡±


    Ethan scoffed. ¡°Who said anything about torture?¡±


    ¡°That is the way of the Quantum Group.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Am I?¡± Sylva cocked her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re the emerald one, are you not?¡±


    Ethan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How¡¯d you¡ª¡± He stopped himself, realizing he just gave away his identity. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to lie to me. You have the same posture and proportions as the emerald one.¡±


    Ethan sighed. He imagined that wouldn¡¯t play well with Marcus or the Tribunal. But denying it clearly wouldn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Okay, you got me. Yeah, I¡¯m the green one. Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fitting color for you, given your inexperience.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m inexperienced?¡±


    ¡°The battle. You have training, but not with the Quantum abilities or equipment. This much was made clear to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, joke¡¯s on you, lady,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I know exactly what I¡¯m doing here.¡±


    Sylva gave a laugh. It had an almost otherworldly tone to it, something that made Ethan¡¯s skin crawl. And yet, it also possessed another quality. One that Ethan couldn¡¯t explain, but found intriguing. She stood and slowly approached the barrier. Ethan instinctively took a step back.


    ¡°You fear me?¡±


    ¡°We kicked your ass, what have I got to fear?¡±


    ¡°I had you at my mercy. Your allies cowardly attacking me from behind is what won that battle. Or have you forgotten?¡± she asked.


    Ethan clenched his hand, starting to feel anger rise up in him. But he held back. Drew in a long breath through his nostrils. He fell back on his martial arts training and remembered what his mentors had taught him¡ªstay centered, don¡¯t allow the enemy to cloud your focus with rage.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t here for torture, then why have you come?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you enjoy being mocked? Perhaps it¡¯s a fetish of some kind?¡±


    ¡°More curiosity than anything else,¡± said Ethan. ¡°How do you even know about the Quantum Group?¡±


    ¡°Because they told us when they came to my world.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t go to other worlds, we just protect ours from breaches.¡±


    ¡°Is that what your new masters have told you?¡± asked Sylva.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it myself. First with some sort of bee monsters, and then you,¡± said Ethan. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, would you?¡±


    ¡°There are many worlds in the Spire, worlds that have evolved in ways quite different from yours. The creatures we¡¯ve seen on our travels are as varied as their number.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°So you did send the bees? You triggered that breach?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°What do you know of the history of the Group, emerald one?¡±


    ¡°Just¡ª¡± Ethan stopped. He realized he was about to say ¡®just what I¡¯ve been told,¡¯ and he knew that would play right into Sylva¡¯s narrative. ¡°I know enough.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Clearly not. I can sense you¡¯ve a warrior¡¯s spirit, but your inexperience and your ignorance are overriding whatever honor you might have possessed.¡±


    ¡°Then how about enlightening me?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°If I¡¯m so ignorant, then tell me what it is I don¡¯t know, but should.¡±


    Sylva pulled off the mask that covered the lower half of her face. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but be surprised by how stunning her features were. The paleness of her skin contrasted perfectly with her ebony hair and predatory eyes. Her prominent cheekbones provided the perfect frame for her features, but her lips remained firm in a stoic expression. Definitely a far cry from the monstrous creatures the Group had convinced him constituted all the breaches.


    ¡°I was but a child when Quantum came to my world,¡± she said. ¡°I watched as their mechanical beasts leveled my city and their soldiers murdered my family.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s own memories came to the fore. Once more, he saw that shadowy beast with red eyes towering over him, as he stood in the wreckage of his family home.


    ¡°I recall waking in a pool of blood, the bodies of my friends and family surrounding me,¡± she continued. ¡°But that was just the beginning. What came next was even worse.¡±


    ¡°What happened next?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°The Overseers were brought in. They claimed they were there to rebuild our society. We were told that what happened to us was in response to a breach. That the destruction of my home was done to eliminate the despotic forces that threatened their world.


    ¡°Of course, it was all a lie. And the Overseers were not as interested in rebuilding our society as they were in exploiting our resources. We were forced into hard labor, and the Overseers and their machinery stripped our world of valuable materials. Eventually, our water became polluted and our air almost unbreathable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, bullshit,¡± said Ethan. ¡°You really expect me to believe all that?¡±


    Sylva cast her eyes around her cell. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your technology. I look at this prison cell. Just how big is the scale of this organization? How do they find the resources to sustain it?¡±


    Ethan hadn¡¯t considered that aspect of it. He¡¯d been so wowed by technology and the features of the Quantum Group that he¡¯d never stopped to consider the mechanics of how it operated. And it had been in existence for centuries. Sylva raised a very interesting point¡ªjust how did the Quantum Group fund its activities? A global organization with their own private island, staff all over the world, and technology that¡ªto Ethan, at least¡ªcame right out of science fiction.


    ¡°So how¡¯d you become the Shadowblade? How¡¯d you learn to fight like that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°My experiences drove me to seek vengeance. Eventually, I was found by a group that offered such a chance. A great warrior brought us together from disparate worlds all harmed by the Quantum Group. Most of us are refugees, but some were offered the chance to become warriors. I trained relentlessly, determined to be one of the leaders of this movement. And eventually, I earned the title of Shadowblade and the power and prestige that came with it.¡±


    ¡°What warrior?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°You shall see, soon enough,¡± said Sylva. ¡°He is coming¡­they all are. What you¡¯ve experienced so far is just a small taste of the horrors we shall inflict on the Quantum Group in retribution for their own barbarous actions.¡±


    Ethan took a few steps back from the cell.


    ¡°You doubt my words?¡± asked Sylva.


    ¡°Anyone can spin a yarn,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Until you show me some proof, why should I believe anything you say?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not much I can do from inside this cell. But perhaps if you were to release me¡­?¡±


    Ethan chuckled. ¡°Yeah, nice try. I wasn¡¯t born yesterday, Sylva. I¡¯m not about to trust you just based on some sob story.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself, emerald one.¡± Sylva returned to her cot and sat on it. ¡°I have told you my tale. Seek out the information for yourself, and see whether or not what I¡¯ve told you rings true. I care not what you believe¡ªthe end will be the same, regardless.¡±


    She folded her legs under her and resumed her meditation. Ethan moved away from the cell and went back to the elevator. He couldn¡¯t help but dwell on Sylva¡¯s story. She came off as sincere in her telling, so he couldn¡¯t dismiss it out of hand. And now, he did have questions about the Quantum Group. Ethan felt certain that he couldn¡¯t trust Sylva without question, but he¡¯d also felt disturbed by the Quantum Group¡¯s secrecy regarding many aspects of this operation. Hell, he didn¡¯t even really know who it was he¡¯d agreed to work for. The Tribunal was just three shadowy, nameless figures. He didn¡¯t know where they came from, what they did, or what their interest was in overseeing this organization. Ethan didn¡¯t even know if they truly were the ultimate authority of the Quantum Group, or if they were just figureheads answering to someone else.


    And if other worlds in the Spire had people like Sylva, it raised another prospect¡ªmaybe the Tribunal wasn¡¯t even human? How else would they have access to something like the Omega Force?


    Ethan entered the elevator and pushed the button for the living quarters. Only one certainty existed in his mind¡ªhe had questions, and he¡¯d find the answers to them. Didn¡¯t matter what rocks he had to kick over to do it.

 Titan Training

    A giant mechanical beast burst through the clouds, diving toward Sanctuary Isle. Large, purple wings tucked in, and the dragon-like robot screeched as he rocketed at the island below. Inside the robot¡¯s head, Alexa Monroe gripped the flight stick with one hand, pushing it forward as far as it would go. She¡¯d throttled up to full speed and watched on the massive monitor in front of her as the land grew closer.


    ¡°Oh fucking hell yeah!¡± she screamed from behind her purple helmet.


    ¡°Ease up on the stick, Purple. You¡¯ve still got a way¡¯s to go before you and the Wyvern are in perfect sync.¡±


    Alexa heard Orion¡¯s voice over the speaker and grimaced. ¡°Gonna take all the fun out of this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The Titans may look like robots, but that¡¯s just the shell,¡± said Orion. ¡°Those are living, sentient spirits powering them. Every bit as real as you or me.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡± Alexa gently eased the stick back and the Wyvern responded, leveling off. Through the Titan/Knight bond, she could feel the Wyvern¡¯s own emotions. A sense of serene calm came over the Titan and he let out an appreciative screech.


    Alexa flew low over the Arena, where another Titan ran through the open field. The Unicorn turned her robotic head in the Wyvern¡¯s direction, her eyes flashing with a golden hue. The Wyvern glided right alongside the four-legged mechanical creature, suspended just a few feet off the ground.


    ¡°How you doing in there, Liv?¡± asked Alexa.


    Tom¡¯s voice broke into the conversation. ¡°Remember the call signs, Purple.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna throw up¡­¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare!¡± chided Orion.


    Alexa laughed and throttled up, pulling ahead of the Unicorn. The ground beneath the Wyvern transitioned from a grassy plain to a sandy beach, and then the gentle ocean waves that lapped the shore. As the Wyvern glided over the ocean, he dipped his body into the surface. Water rose up on either side of the Wyvern, leaving twin trails in his wake.


    ¡°Whoooo!¡± said Alexa. She could even feel the sensation of the water as if she herself had skidded through it.


    Alexa became so lost in the feeling that she didn¡¯t notice the bubbling of the water just ahead of her. A massive, mechanical arm with a green pincer on the end burst forth from the surface. The pincers opened wide and Alexa had to react fast. She tilted the Wyvern to the side and he passed right through the pincer.


    She pulled up to loop around and on the return path, Alexa saw the large, crab-like form of the Karkinos Titan rise up from the ocean.


    ¡°Nice try, Green,¡± said Alexa, this time remembering to stick to the naming convention. ¡°But you¡¯ve gotta work fast if you want to catch me!¡±


    ¡°That a challenge, Purple?¡± asked Ethan.


    Alexa felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. ¡°If you¡¯re up for it, crab-boy.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Stay focused, both of you,¡± said Orion from the Arena¡¯s control room. ¡°This first stage of the training is just focused on movement¡ªyou and your Titan getting comfortable enough to easily move across the field. We¡¯ll handle combat situations later.¡±


    Tom stood beside him, arms folded over his chest. ¡°Not at the rate things have been going so far.¡±


    Orion turned off the mic and glanced over at him. ¡°Something up with you, Stone?¡±


    Tom shook his head. ¡°First, those monsters and then that witch we¡¯ve got in a cell. The rooks already had to go out in the field before they had much chance to train with their powers, and I¡¯m afraid the same might happen with their Titans.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Orion turned his attention back to the screens in front of him. Three holographic monitors displayed readouts of the Titans and the Knights piloting them.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we may not have to worry,¡± he said. ¡°Have a look here at the sync scores. Jackson and Karkinos already had a strong bond going in, and it¡¯s only gotten better. Monroe and Wyvern are moving along nicely¡ªher brashness is actually working in her favor.¡±


    ¡°What about Olivia and Unicorn?¡± asked Tom.


    The old man frowned and stroked his long, silver beard. ¡°That¡¯s a different story. The bond started off pretty strong, just a little behind Jackson and Karkinos. But since she got in the driver¡¯s seat, the sync score¡¯s dropped like a shooting star.¡±


    Tom lowered his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Maybe the Omega Force was wrong about her.¡±


    Orion narrowed his eyes at Tom. ¡°The Omega Force doesn¡¯t make mistakes.¡±


    ¡°We know that for certain?¡± asked Tom. ¡°How many Knights have died since you¡¯ve been here? Who¡¯s to say those weren¡¯t mistakes?¡±


    ¡°You think that¡¯s true of your late teammates? Even Scott Taylor?¡±


    Tom¡¯s intense gaze fixed on Orion. ¡°Watch it, old man.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t Marcus Kane, I¡¯m not trying to pick a fight with you, kid,¡± said Orion. ¡°Just pointing out the logical conclusion of your argument.¡±


    Tom sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just¡­tense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit. Clench any harder, you¡¯ll be shitting diamonds.¡±


    Tom felt a chuckle escape at that remark.


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t sweat it,¡± said Orion. ¡°People¡¯ve said worse about me. Both behind my back and right to my face. Don¡¯t give much of a fuck what others think.¡±


    ¡°Back on topic, how do you explain Olivia¡¯s situation? If she¡¯s not bonding with the Unicorn, then isn¡¯t it possible that a mistake was made? Not saying the Omega Force screwed up, but maybe whoever¡¯s interpreting it. We don¡¯t know anything about that side of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a possibility. But I think you¡¯re just freaking out because you¡¯re in over your head,¡± said Orion.


    You¡¯re right about that, Tom thought to himself. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge that out loud. After his arrogance got him sidelined in Brazil, he felt even more unworthy of the title of leader than before. He had high confidence that everyone on Sanctuary all thought the same thing¡ªthey should¡¯ve picked Rachel.


    ¡°You¡¯re harder on us than most around here, what makes you so sure Olivia¡¯s doing fine?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°This.¡± Orion swiped the three screens away and they minimized. He waved his hand and brought up another one, showing a different sync score, one that was lower than Olivia¡¯s.


    ¡°Where¡¯d this come from?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°From the records. Taken from another rook¡¯s first Titan session,¡± said Orion.


    Tom sighed. ¡°Let me guess. That¡¯s from my first session, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Orion stared at the young leader and then laughed. ¡°Man, they¡¯ve really done a number on your self-esteem, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Then whose is it?¡±


    ¡°This was from Pierce¡¯s first session.¡±


    Tom blinked a few times and stared at the score in disbelief. He turned his incredulous expression on Orion.


    ¡°Close your mouth before you start catching flies.¡±


    Realizing his jaw had been open, Tom shut his mouth. He pointed at the screen. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that is Caleb Pierce¡¯s first sync score?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too young to have hearing problems, Stone,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°But Caleb was¡ªis a legend. One of the longest-serving Knight in recorded history,¡± said Tom. ¡°How could Olivia¡¯s sync score be higher than his?¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect right out the gate is the point here,¡± said Orion. ¡°If the Unicorn thinks Reyes is the one, then she¡¯s the one. She knows better than us what¡¯s good for her.¡±


    Tom folded his arms across his chest and directed his attention back to the field. He thought back to his own first encounter with the Phoenix Titan and how challenging he¡¯d found her. In the time since, their bond had grown stronger.


    No shit, that¡¯s how it works with people, too, he reminded himself. He¡¯d been so fixated on getting them in fighting shape, he supposed he hadn¡¯t given them much time to just work together as a group. And wasn¡¯t that what a leader was supposed to do? Beyond just shout commands and kick their ass, wasn¡¯t he supposed to bring them together as a team?


    ¡°Hey kid, one more thing,¡± said Orion. ¡°What I said about nobody being perfect right out the gate? That¡¯s advice for you to take to heart.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking the same thing. I¡¯ve got to prioritize building trust between the five of us.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. But also, you¡¯re new to this yourself,¡± said Orion. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a born leader. No such thing as a born anything. I don¡¯t give a damn if it¡¯s the arts or sports or leading an interdimensional defense force¡ªeverybody sucks ass at first. The ones who succeed? They don¡¯t quit when they¡¯re knocked down¡ªthey get back up, learn from their mistakes, and try again.¡±


    Tom cocked a brow at the old man. ¡°You¡¯re being uncharacteristically nice right now. You aren¡¯t dying or anything, are you?¡±


    Orion chortled. ¡°Nah, I just heard about what you did to Marcus.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­that¡­¡±


    ¡°Others may give you shit about it or say it wasn¡¯t appropriate or some such bullshit. But honestly? The sonnuva bitch had it coming.¡±


    Tom felt a smile tug at his lips. He¡¯d been convinced he was about to get booted out of here. But now, after he¡¯d learned he actually had support, he started to feel better about his situation.

 Night Out

    Rachel couldn¡¯t sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw memories from her interface with the Raiju. She couldn¡¯t quite piece them together, all she knew was that the Omega Force had some connection to the crystal shard they found in Brazil. And with that came more questions.


    When she heard the chime and familiar buzz from her Omega Gauntlet, she actually felt a bit of relief. It was just past eleven at night, and the only reason for such a late-night call was if a breach had been detected. Rachel climbed out of bed and quickly changed from the T-shirt and shorts she wore to bed into her casual uniform.


    When Rachel stepped into the hallway, she saw Olivia also emerging from her room. The newer Knight regarded Rachel with a questioning glance. Rachel just shrugged, and then started down the hall toward the elevator. Strangely enough, the message on the Gauntlet¡¯s display just said ¡°ARENA NOW.¡±


    Rachel and Olivia boarded the elevator, but then it stopped on the next floor down. The doors opened and revealed Ethan, dressed in a tank top and shorts. He had a towel around his neck, and judging from the wet marks on his shirt, he¡¯d just been pulled from a workout.


    ¡°You know what this is about?¡± he asked as he boarded the elevator.


    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a breach. But why send us to the Arena?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then we sure don¡¯t,¡± said Olivia.


    The elevator continued its descent in silence. Once they reached the ground floor, Rachel led them in a quick jog toward the Arena. Alexa met them on the way, and the four went together.


    Past the control room, they stepped out onto the grassy plains of the Arena. Rachel wondered if a breach could even occur within Sanctuary¡¯s borders and if that¡¯s why they were here. She half-expected some sort of monstrosity stomping around the Arena. But what she and the others found was a still and perfect night. A crisp breeze hung in the otherwise warm air, making it the ideal temperature.


    ¡°Over here!¡±


    A voice called out from beyond the hill. Rachel recognized it as Tom¡¯s, and she ran for the hill with the others following. Down the hill, the grass faded into the sands of the beach, and Rachel came to a stop, surprised along with the others at the sight before them.


    Five towels lay out on the sand, surrounding an unlit campfire of dry wood. Nearby stood a large cooler with three large pizza boxes right beside it and a Bluetooth speaker. Tom stood there in his armor, wielding the Flameblade.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Rachel.


    Tom raised his sword and the blade ignited. He pointed the blade at the campfire, and it lit the wood ablaze. With the fire lit, Tom retracted his sword and the armor, revealing his attire of a T-shirt and what looked like swim trunks.


    Tom opened the cooler, revealing a collection of beer bottles, some wine coolers, and a few soft drinks and water bottles. He reached inside and took a beer for himself, twisting off the top.


    ¡°This is a chance for us to relax for a night.¡± Tom took his phone from his pocket and after tapping a few times, music started to pump out from the speaker. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ what kind of pizza is in those boxes?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you all wanted, so figured I¡¯d go safe. One¡¯s just cheese, there¡¯s a meat lover¡¯s, and the third¡¯s all veggies.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve gotten more of the meat stuff, because I could polish one of those off myself.¡± Alexa smiled and then rushed for the pizza, looking through the boxes until she found the meat lover¡¯s and helped herself to a slice.


    ¡°No Hawaiian, I assume?¡± asked Ethan.


    Alexa rolled her eyes and, with a mouthful of pizza, mumbled something that sounded like she disapproved of Ethan¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll remember that for next time. How about a drink?¡±


    Tom gestured for the cooler. Ethan bent over and reached in, taking a beer out for himself. He twisted off the top and when Tom held his bottle out, Ethan tapped his against it.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Thanks for doing this, man,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Liv? Rach?¡± asked Tom. ¡°You in or out?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some cheese and one of those wine coolers,¡± said Olivia.


    Tom took out a wine cooler and then helped Olivia find the cheese pizza. Once she was situated on a blanket next to Alexa and Ethan, Tom turned his attention to Rachel.


    ¡°I know you just got out of an ordeal, so if you¡¯d rather pass, it¡¯s cool.¡±


    This type of thing wasn¡¯t typically what Rachel went in for. She had trouble connecting with others, and she never clicked with the previous three Knights in the same way that Tom did. But it was Tom who helped change that and brought her closer to the group. Though she was worried about the visions, Rachel supposed a night off could do them all a lot of good.


    ¡°You¡¯re just worried I¡¯m gonna drink you under the table, Stone.¡± Rachel smiled and then took a beer from the cooler. Tom smiled back and the pair joined the three new recruits on their respective towels.


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you guys, it was fucking crazy!¡± said Alexa. ¡°Marcus, he¡¯s just on a tear, right? Screaming right in Tom¡¯s face. And then Tom, I swear to god without missing a beat, just clocks the shit out of him!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Rachel protested, her jaw hanging open with her eyes wide. ¡°That did not happen!¡±


    Alexa nodded while sipping her beer. ¡°It happened. Ask Ethan, he was there.¡±


    Ethan looked down at his veggie pizza and shook his head. ¡°Actually, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about us being monitored out here, the Tribunal won¡¯t know what you said,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°I was being honest at the¡­I dunno, the trial or whatever that was,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I really was just kind of¡­zoned out.¡±


    ¡°I sure wasn¡¯t,¡± said Alexa. ¡°I had to stop myself from cheering. But of course, I told the floaty guys that I didn¡¯t really see anything.¡±


    ¡°We call them the Heads,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Though not to their faces, obviously.¡±


    Olivia chuckled. ¡°The Heads? That¡¯s a little silly.¡±


    Rachel shrugged. ¡°I think Caleb came up with it.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Mike always said it was his idea.¡±


    ¡°Mike said a lot of things,¡± said Rachel with a smirk. ¡°But I remember Caleb saying it before Mike even turned up.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, I thought you joined after them?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s been doing his homework,¡± noted Tom.


    Alexa leaned in close to Ethan¡¯s ear, put her hand up to her mouth, and shouted, ¡°Nerd!¡±


    Ethan laughed and gave her a playful push back onto the sand. Alexa landed on her back and chortled. She sat back up and helped herself to another slice of pizza.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I came after your preds,¡± said Rachel. ¡°But my family¡¯s been part of the Quantum Group for a really long time. So I basically grew up on Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°I thought most of the support staff weren¡¯t aware of what goes on here? That they¡¯re transported to their homes?¡± asked Olivia. ¡°But you lived here?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. My dad was a high-level technician here. Helping out with a lot of the technology, so he pretty much had to be on hand. My parents were divorced, though, so I¡¯d spend about half the year here with my dad, and the other half with my mom back in Vancouver,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°What about school and stuff?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°There are some private tutors that come in and out. Although most of the support staff are kept in the dark and unaware of what really goes on outside the main facility, some obviously have to be more keyed in and, of those, some have to live onsite.¡±


    ¡°Okay, my turn, I¡¯ve got a question.¡± Alexa looked at Rachel and Tom. ¡°And I hope you guys won¡¯t be offended by it.¡±


    Tom shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see why I would be.¡±


    ¡°We fight giant monsters, I think we can handle a simple question,¡± added Rachel.¡±


    ¡°Good, so remember you both said that.¡±


    Alexa took a swig of her beer, presumably for liquid courage. Rachel already felt a tinge of regret for giving the green light.


    ¡°Okay, here goes.¡± Alexa sighed. ¡°If Rachel¡¯s been here longer, then why was Tom made leader?¡±


    Rachel forced a smile, and she thought it must¡¯ve been too obvious, so she covered it up by taking a bite of pizza. She and Tom exchanged glances. She thought about what to say, but before she could swallow her pizza, Tom spoke up.


    ¡°Sexism.¡±


    The lively atmosphere became quiet. Though the music still played through the speaker, it just faded into the background for all of them. Rachel slowly swallowed the pizza, looking at Tom with surprise. He met her gaze.


    ¡°The Tribunal is really old-fashioned. That¡¯s what Scott warned me about when we first got together. He said we should keep our relationship a secret,¡± said Tom. ¡°And though there have been female Knights all through recorded history, not once has a woman ever led the team. The Tribunal had two choices, and instead of picking the more qualified candidate, they chose me.¡±


    Rachel tried to respond, but words failed her. She¡¯d suspected as much herself, but to hear Tom state it in such a blunt fashion caught her by surprise.


    He made eye contact with her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t say anything sooner. I know I should have. But I was just¡­I don¡¯t even know what I was thinking at the time.¡±


    Tom shook his head and finished off his beer. He stood from the towel and brushed some sand off his body.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I think I¡¯m starting to get a little tired. I¡¯m gonna go on up and get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you brought us all out here. You should stay,¡± said Olivia.


    Alexa and Ethan both gave comments of agreement. Rachel still felt stunned by his admission, so when she offered her own encouragement, it rang as hollow to her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine, really,¡± said Tom. ¡°But you guys, stay out here. Finish up the pizza and just leave the bottles in the trash bag. I¡¯ll come get it in the morning. And feel free to connect your phone to the speaker.¡±


    Tom walked off from the beach back toward the facility. The rest of the team watched him leave and then Alexa was the first to move. She took a fresh beer from the cooler and sat back on the towel, very close to Ethan.


    ¡°So¡­that¡¯s a little awkward, huh?¡± she said.


    Understatement, thought Rachel.

 Morning Light

    Ethan¡¯s eyes felt like weights hung from them. He blinked a few times, and once he could finally open his eyes, he saw a blurred scene. A throbbing pain reverberated behind his forehead, and he pinched his nose to try to relieve the pain. The parched sensation in his mouth was like a drought, and his tongue the texture of sandpaper.


    The rooms on Sanctuary were equipped with a small galley and a cabinet overhead housed some utensils and dish ware. He took a cup, then filled it from the sink, and drank the entire contents in one, rapid gulp. A sigh of refreshment escaped his cracked lips, and he refilled the cup again for another drink.


    Ethan turned his back to the sink while drinking, and he choked on the water when his eyes fell on his bed. A young woman lay naked beneath the sheets with her back facing him, her short, burgundy hair splayed out on the pillow.


    ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± Ethan said between coughs, trying to clear the water from his throat. He set the cup down on the sink and rubbed his head, trying to remember what had happened.


    His memory recalled him and the others going to the beach and meeting Tom for a surprise party. He recalled the pizza and the beer¡ªtoo much beer, he thought. They were having a great time, and then things got serious for a moment. Tom left, but they stayed out there¡­


    Ethan had trouble recalling the specifics. But he had flashes of him and Alexa moving closer to each other until they were soon sharing the same towel. His stomach rumbled, and a queasy sensation started to bubble up¡ªliterally.


    Knocking the cup over, Ethan rushed for the bathroom. He made it just in time to raise the toilet seat. The half-digested pizza and beer poured out of his mouth, staining the toilet bowel with an unsightly shade of brownish yellow.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    Ethan coughed a few times, clearing the last of the bile and vomit from his mouth. He pulled some toilet paper and wiped his lips, then dropped it in the bowel and flushed. Slowly, he rose up from the floor to address Alexa, who stood in front of his bathroom door, holding the bedsheet wrapped around her body closed right at her chest.


    ¡°No¡­not really.¡±


    He washed his face and cupped his hands beneath the stream. Ethan sucked up the water, swished it around his mouth, and spat it back out. His hand pulled the towel from the rack and he dapped his face clean. As he dried off, he noticed the wet clothes hanging from the shower rail.


    ¡°Did¡­did we go swimming?¡±


    Alexa nodded. ¡°Yeah, after Liv and Rachel left. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°Bits and pieces mostly.¡± He looked back at Alexa, then down at himself. For the first time, he became cognizant of his own nudity. Ethan grabbed a towel hanging from behind the bathroom door and wrapped it around her waist.


    Alexa offered a shy smirk, something a little out of place for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already got a close-up look at it last night.¡±


    Blood rushed to Ethan¡¯s cheeks and he hoped the blushing wasn¡¯t very obvious on his dark skin. ¡°So¡­the two of us¡­¡±


    Alexa nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± She bit her lower lip and broke eye contact with him as she held up three fingers.


    ¡°Wow¡­I¡­umm¡­I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    She perked up at that and looked at him with a cocked brow. ¡°For what?¡±


    Ethan had trouble thinking of an answer. ¡°I¡­uhh, well, I was really drunk¡­and you were, too¡­and¡­I¡­uhh¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you feel like I¡­y¡¯know¡­took advantage of you.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Alexa just stared at him in disbelief for a few moments, then she laughed.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­what¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Ethan, come on. I¡¯m a big girl and I can make my own decisions,¡± she said. ¡°If anything, I took advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but maybe we should talk about things?¡±


    Alexa shrugged and moved from the bathroom back to the main area of Ethan¡¯s room. Ethan followed her, then watched as she started looking through his drawers. She continued to hold up the sheet with one hand, while the other rummaged through his clothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± she asked. ¡°We hooked up, it was fun, why don¡¯t we just leave it at that?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, just seems¡­¡± Ethan sighed, trying hard to find a way to express his thoughts. He¡¯d never been in this sort of situation, so he had no frame of reference for how to navigate it. ¡°What are you doing in my drawers, anyway?¡±


    She took out one of his green-trimmed Omega jumpsuits and quickly dressed in it. It was a few sizes too big for her, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°My clothes are still drying and I can¡¯t very well walk to my room with just a sheet covering me,¡± she said. ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll bring the jumpsuit back later.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay? We don¡¯t gotta talk about anything?¡± asked Ethan.


    Alexa smiled as she approached him. She stood on her toes to reach his height and give him a light kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet of you to ask, but we¡¯re good,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never had a one-night stand before.¡±


    ¡°The nice thing about them is there¡¯s no overthinking necessary,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    <hr>


    True to his word, Tom went out to the beach soon after waking to clean up what was left behind. But when he got there, the beach was already spotless. All that was left were the remnants of the campfire he¡¯d built.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    Tom spun to see Rachel walking towards him, holding two cups of coffee.


    ¡°Was starting to think I¡¯d missed you.¡± She handed him one of the cups. ¡°Two sugars, no cream.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Tom accepted the coffee and took a sip, relishing the bittersweet taste as the warm liquid flowed over his tongue. ¡°You guys cleaned up before you went in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We all gathered everything up, then Liv and I took it to the trash. And don¡¯t worry, your speaker and cooler are in my room. I¡¯ll bring them over later.¡±


    ¡°Only you and Liv handled the garbage?¡± asked Tom.


    Rachel smirked. ¡°I think Alexa and Ethan were otherwise occupied.¡±


    ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t expect a team romance to kick off that fast.¡±


    ¡°Alexa doesn¡¯t strike me as someone who¡¯s big on wasting time,¡± said Rachel.


    Tom drew in a breath. ¡°Guess not.¡± He stared out at the ocean, listening to the sound of the waves lapping the shore.


    ¡°What the hell was that last night?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°Telling the others the Heads only picked you out of sexism.¡±


    ¡°It was the truth,¡± said Tom. ¡°I always knew you were right for this job. Nobody was more surprised than me when they picked me. Hell, I was expecting to be kicked out. After what I did.¡±


    ¡°What you did was do everything in your power to try and help your teammates,¡± said Rachel.


    Tom sighed. ¡°No, I charged in and got separated from the others. If I¡¯d been there¡ª¡±


    ¡°You might¡¯ve died, too,¡± said Rachel. ¡°You aren¡¯t responsible for what happened to Scott and the others.¡±


    ¡°I still freaked out when I realized what had happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so would anyone in that situation.¡±


    Tom¡¯s head snapped toward Rachel. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±


    Rachel blinked a few times and looked away. She took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Different circumstances.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s it different?¡±


    ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t in love with one of the victims.¡± Rachel looked at Tom. ¡°Even when you tried to bring me out of my shell, I still¡ªI kept them all at a distance.¡±


    She looked down, digging her foot into the sand. ¡°A good leader is about more than being the smartest or the strongest. A good leader has to be connected to their teammates. And I don¡¯t really know how to do that.¡± She glanced at Tom. ¡°You do. You proved that when you and I first met, and you proved it last night.¡±


    Tom sighed and sipped his coffee. ¡°I somehow doubt that¡¯s what the Tribunal was thinking.¡±


    ¡°I agree. There¡¯s no question in my mind why they made their decision,¡± said Rachel. ¡°But the right choice is still the right choice¡ªeven if it¡¯s for the wrong reasons.¡±


    It was a nice sentiment. Tom appreciated the effort she¡¯d made to reassure him, even if he still didn¡¯t believe it. At least now he felt a little more comfortable in his new role.


    ¡°And hey, if you really wanna prove you¡¯ve got what it takes?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°I think I could use your help with something.¡±


    Tom glanced down at her. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°That interface with my Titan. It showed me some pretty wild memories,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I think there are some things about that crystal that the Heads aren¡¯t telling us. I¡¯ve got a hunch they know more about what¡¯s going on than they¡¯ve led us to believe.¡±

 The Looming Darkness

    Between the folds of reality, the Obsidian Dreadnought remained stationary, waiting for the proper opportunity to strike. Lord Xerath moved through the ship¡¯s levels with a confident gait. Passengers existed on multiple levels, all refugees from different worlds. His hands were clasped behind his back as he entered the mess hall, observing the variety of different beings all joined together. Conversation filled the room to an almost deafening level, and that made Xerath smile.


    A plate of food hit the ground right in front of Xerath¡¯s feet. The gruel-like substance splashed on his pristine boots. Xerath looked around for the source of it and saw a young boy with green skin arguing with his father.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of this shit!¡± screamed the boy.


    ¡°Lower your voice!¡± his father hissed, and then looked up at Xerath with large, red eyes. The father bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the disturbance, Lord Xerath.¡±


    Xerath approached the table where the boy and his father sat. The rest of the people seated around them got up and moved away. The boy turned his head toward Xerath and narrowed his oval-shaped eyes. He blinked, the lids sliding horizontally.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Xerath.


    ¡°What do you care?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± the father growled in a hushed voice. He looked at Xerath and bowed, this time speaking in a normal tone. ¡°His name is Andirs, my Lord. I can¡¯t apologize enough for his behavior. He¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    Xerath held up a hand to silence the father, keeping his attention on Andirs.


    ¡°You¡¯re frustrated, yes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be?¡± asked Andirs. ¡°Spending all day on this stupid boat, nowhere to go, nothing to do. And the only thing to eat is this¡ªthis fucking slop.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t speak to Lord Xerath that way!¡± shouted his father, reaching over the table and grabbing Andirs by the collar of his raggedy shirt.


    Lord Xerath held out his hand. The runes on his bald head began glowing as his eyes burned like melting gold. The father¡¯s hand pried itself away from the boy¡¯s shirt, and the father was forced back to his seat by Xerath¡¯s power.


    ¡°There will be no violence against any under my protection,¡± he said. ¡°That was part of the terms you agreed to when you boarded, was it not?¡±


    The father¡¯s eyes sunk and he nodded, appearing even smaller than before. But Andirs still looked at Xerath with a hint of youthful reticence.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re some kinda god or something?¡± he asked.


    Xerath chuckled. ¡°You have fire in your belly, Andirs. Nurture it. In the future, it will serve you well. Just as mine served me. But until that day, mind your father and understand that all of us must make sacrifices for the time being. Should our plans succeed, you¡¯ll soon have a far greater selection of food.¡±


    ¡°And when¡¯s that gonna be?¡± asked Andirs.


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer, but we¡¯re moving in the right direction,¡± said Xerath. ¡°Until then, patience.¡±


    ¡°Forgive the intrusion, Lord Xerath.¡±


    A high-pitched, almost lyrical voice he recognized as belonging to Draven. Xerath turned and the skeletal man approached, slightly hunched over.


    ¡°We have word on the Shadowblade,¡± said Draven.


    Xerath nodded and glanced back at Andirs. ¡°Remember what I said, young one.¡±


    Andirs remained silent as Xerath left, walking alongside Draven. Once the pair left the cafeteria behind, Draven directed Xerath toward an elevator. Inside, he spoke frankly.


    ¡°Why must we have such rabble onboard?¡± asked the strange man. ¡°Without the resources needed to sustain their lives, our plan could have already been put into motion.¡±


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    ¡°The Obsidian Dreadnought is full of victims, Draven. All of us have an equal stake in this mission,¡± said Xerath.


    Draven tightened his lips. ¡°Perhaps if we were training them as soldiers¡­¡±


    The runes on Xerath¡¯s head pulsed and Draven was thrown up against the elevator wall. Xerath calmly turned to face Draven as the mage struggled against his psychokinetic grip.


    ¡°We have the Menagerie, that¡¯s all the force we need to overcome our enemies,¡± said Xerath. ¡°I¡¯ll burn through every one of those creatures and stand on the front lines myself. But what I will absolutely not do is turn these broken and desperate people into fodder for a war machine. We are not Quantum, Draven, and you¡¯d best remember that.¡±


    The runes powered down and Draven fell to the elevator floor. Xerath offered a hand. Draven accepted it and allowed his leader to help him stand.


    ¡°Do we have an understanding?¡±


    Draven drew in shallow breaths and nodded. ¡°Yes, Lord Xerath.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said Xerath. ¡°Then I trust this is a conversation we won¡¯t have to have again.¡±


    The doors opened, revealing the Obsidian Dreadnought¡¯s bridge. Xerath stepped out first, moving from the elevator up to the command deck. Technicians operated the ship¡¯s machinery, supervised by Malakai. The third and final of Xerath¡¯s lieutenants cut a massive figure.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard from Sylva?¡± asked Xerath as he approached Malakai.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve recorded a psychic beacon from her. It contains a message,¡± said Malakai.


    ¡°Play it.¡±


    Malakai signaled to one of the technicians. A holographic projection of Sylva appeared before them, sitting cross-legged in a meditative pose. Though her mouth was closed, her voice could be heard.


    ¡°I have been taken prisoner by the enemy. Thus far, they have not attempted to extract any information from me. Only one of their minions has spoken to me, but his attempts at questioning were laughably insignificant. The first phase of the plan is complete and I am in place. I await the signal for the next phase. For the Obsidian Dreadnought.¡±


    The image vanished at that statement. Xerath smiled at the message. Everything was going according to plan. He turned to Draven. ¡°And the crystal?¡±


    ¡°The Nexus Shard is connected to it,¡± said Draven. ¡°It will work, provided Sylva can complete her assignment.¡±


    ¡°She will. Sylva became the Shadowblade for precisely this moment.¡± Xerath turned his attention to his larger lieutenant. ¡°Malakai, I want you to go down to the Menagerie. Select something that will provide enough of a distraction. We need Quantum¡¯s attack dogs and their mechanical monstrosities drawn away from the group¡¯s base.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Lord Xerath. For the Obsidian Dreadnought.¡± Malakai touched his fist to his breast and bowed. He tossed an expression in Draven¡¯s direction before venturing to the elevator.


    Neither Malakai nor Sylva were enamored of the strange advisor. Xerath had freed both of them from the clutches of the Quantum Group. Both had been forced into a life of slavery¡ªfor Sylva, it was the mines. And Malakai had been a gladiator, fighting for his life against fellow prisoners to provide the Overseers with entertainment.


    Draven, on the other hand, had never experienced the same kind of horrors the three of them had. Xerath had found him after years of searching for a way to navigate the Spire. Draven described himself as the Dimensional Arcanist and claimed to have discovered the secrets of the Quantum Group. So far, he had proven himself correct. It was because of Draven that they were able to locate the Nexus Shard. But Draven wasn¡¯t a believer in their cause. He had his own reasons for joining Lord Xerath¡¯s cause. What those reasons were, he remained tight-lipped about.


    Xerath knew Draven couldn¡¯t quite be trusted. The mysteries around the Dimensional Arcanist troubled him, but he also knew he had no choice. Without Draven by his side. he never would have come this far.


    ¡°Are you certain a confrontation with the Quantum Group is wise?¡± asked Draven. ¡°They¡¯ve proven a formidable force all across the Spire. With the Nexus Shard, there¡¯s so much more we could accomplish.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing else worth accomplishing. My entire life has been dedicated to the destruction of the Quantum Group,¡± said Xerath. ¡°They took everything from me, Draven. Honor demands I claim vengeance.¡±


    ¡°Vengeance won¡¯t bring them back.¡±


    Xerath closed his eyes. The memory of tiny bodies consumed in fire pushed itself to the fore of his conscious mind. He could even smell the burnt flesh. Those images fueled his hatred and drove him to push forward.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t. But it will end their threat once and for all,¡± said Xerath. ¡°And once the Quantum Group and their world are destroyed, we can build a new world on the ashes. We can use their resources to create a utopia, just as they promised us they would do.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s too soon to strike,¡± said Draven. ¡°If you won¡¯t use the refugees as cannon fodder, then wouldn¡¯t it be best to expand the Menagerie?¡±


    ¡°The Menagerie has enough beasts for our purposes. Sylva is in place. We¡¯ve all waited long enough,¡± said Xerath. ¡°The time is now.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± said Draven with a slight bow. ¡°I will ensure the Nexus Shard is ready to make contact once Sylva completes her mission. Should you need me, I¡¯ll be in the Nexus Chamber below preparing.¡±


    As Draven turned to leave, Xerath called after him. ¡°For the Obsidian Dreadnought, Lord Draven.¡±


    Draven paused and then said somewhat unenthusiastically, ¡°Yes. For the Obsidian Dreadnought.¡±


    Xerath took his seat on the command deck. He activated the controls on his armrests, bringing up holographic displays of the Obsidian Dreadnought¡¯s readings. All appeared to be in order. Soon, he would have his vengeance.


    The time to strike drew nigh.

 Seeking Answers

    Rachel didn¡¯t want to waste any time investigating her suspicions. Once leaving the Arena, she brought Tom to the Enclave. No one had been on Sanctuary Isle longer than Orion, and if anyone would have some leads, it was him.


    Outside the entrance to the Enclave, Rachel pushed the call button. A moment later, a holographic projection of Orion¡¯s head appeared in front of them. He looked between the both and then said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Rachel was interested in seeing how the newbies did with their first Titan session,¡± said Tom.


    Orion¡¯s projection vanished and then, the doors opened, granting them access to the Enclave¡¯s elevator. Tom and Rachel boarded, waiting for it to take them down. The doors opened again, and Orion waited for them at the Enclave¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you had to come down here, I could¡¯ve just sent you the results,¡± he said with his characteristic tone of annoyance.


    ¡°I know, but I wanted to get your insight into the results,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± He beckoned with his finger. ¡°This way.¡±


    Orion led them back to his office. He sat at his desk and brought up the results from the training session. There were no chairs for Tom and Rachel, so they had to just stand behind him¡ªOrion didn¡¯t want to encourage visitors down here. He brought up holographic screens around his desk, showing video recordings and status readings of the recent Titan training session.


    ¡°My assessment is what¡¯s on these screens. Green and Karkinos have the strongest bond, with Purple and Wyvern a close second. Yellow¡¯s still got a way¡¯s to go before she and Unicorn are completely sympatico, but she¡¯s got a high natural sync score as a base, so there¡¯s nowhere to go but up.¡±


    ¡°And how are the Titans themselves? No problems after the repairs?¡± asked Rachel.


    Orion shook his head. ¡°Everything¡¯s within normal range. They may still be in a bit of shock from losing their previous pilots, but they¡¯ll adapt quickly. They always do. And the repaired shells are in pristine condition.¡±


    He waved his hand to collapse the screens and spun his chair to face Rachel and Tom. ¡°Now, how about you tell me the real reason why you came down here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°I may be old, but my mind¡¯s sharper than it¡¯s ever been. All three of us know you didn¡¯t need me to explain these results to you. So how about we cut the bullshit and you tell me why you¡¯re really here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re interested in some history, and figured no one¡¯s better equipped to help in that area than you,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Orion tugged at the silver hairs of his beard. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with that interface, would it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it is,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I can¡¯t quite explain what it was I saw. The memories were overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°No shit, that¡¯s centuries¡¯ worth of information crammed into your tiny human brain all at once.¡± Orion jabbed a finger at Rachel. ¡°And you¡¯ll recall that I warned you about that.¡±


    ¡°I know, you told me about Barnes,¡± said Rachel. ¡°But you have to know something else. If Barnes and I saw the same sort of thing¡­¡±


    ¡°You must remember something,¡± said Orion.


    Rachel drew in a breath and held it, closing her eyes. She tried to focus on something in the memory. The intensity of Raiju¡¯s memories weighed heavily on her, but she needed to focus on something. They flashed so quickly through her mind, blurring past her vision.


    ¡°Rach?¡± asked Tom, putting a hand on her shoulder.


    Rachel opened her eyes in a gasp. Disorientation clouded her mind, and she looked around to remind herself of her location. She fixed her stare on Orion and then said, ¡°Death. That¡¯s what I remember.¡±


    Orion sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not a helluva lot to go on.¡±


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    ¡°How about you?¡± she asked. ¡°You work with the Titans, you have to know something about them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a caretaker, not a confidant. I work with them in the same way a zookeeper works with the animals at the zoo,¡± said Orion. ¡°Not like we crack open a few brewskis and shoot the shit after you¡¯ve all gone to bed.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been here? Really?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°A long time.¡±


    She shoved his chair back against his desk, causing the contents on the surface to rattle.


    ¡°Rachel!¡± shouted Tom.


    ¡°The hell¡¯s gotten into you?¡± asked Orion.


    ¡°Enough with the cryptic bullshit,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Just answer the fucking question!¡±


    ¡°Take it down a notch,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to take things easy,¡± said Rachel. ¡°We¡¯re kept in the dark far too damn much around here. If we¡¯re going to change things, if we¡¯re going to be able to do our jobs effectively, then we need to start demanding some respect.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Orion.


    Tom¡¯s head snapped in Orion¡¯s direction, looking at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°The truth is I¡¯ve got no idea how long I¡¯ve been here,¡± said Orion. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I came here, where I came from, nothing. As far as I know, I¡¯ve always been here.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡± asked Tom. ¡°What are you?¡±


    Orion shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know that, either. You¡¯ve heard those rumors about me, right? That I¡¯m an ex-Knight or that I¡¯ve been around for centuries? I got no way of knowing if they¡¯re true or not. I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯m human¡ªfor all I know, I could be a goddamn alien or even a fucking robot.¡±


    ¡°How do you deal with something like that?¡± asked Rachel.


    Orion turned his chair toward his desk. He waved his hand and brought up holographic images of the five Titans. ¡°I take it one day at a time. Keep focused on my work. The Titans are what matter most to me. Primal, simple. No worries about existential bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you know?¡± asked Tom. ¡°How far back can you remember?¡±


    ¡°At least as far back as Barnes, and I know that I was as old then as I am now,¡± said Orion as he swiveled his chair back in their direction.


    ¡°What do you remember about that time?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Pretty much just what I already told you. Barnes interfaced with Wyvern and went nuts. Started having nightmares, then hallucinations, talking gibberish, all of that. Until finally¡ª¡±


    ¡°He cut out his own eyes,¡± said Rachel.


    Orion nodded. ¡°Right in the Sanctum.¡±


    ¡°And you were around when that happened?¡± she asked.


    ¡°More than that¡ªI saw it myself. I was in the kitchen when Barnes came in and grabbed the knife. I followed him, trying to get his attention. And when I caught up to him in the Sanctum, it was just as he stabbed himself.¡±


    Orion closed his own eyes and put a hand up to his head. ¡°I¡¯ve clearly forgotten a lot of shit in my life, but I¡¯m pretty sure that image is seared into my brain.¡±


    ¡°Did he say anything?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Just that it was all the Tribunal¡¯s fault,¡± said Orion. ¡°That¡¯s about all I know.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be some record of it, though,¡± said Tom.


    Orion turned back to his desk. He brought up a new screen and a holographic keyboard appeared on his desk. Orion did a search of the records for Barnes and found his file. Once he opened it, an image of Nicholas Barnes appeared before them¡ªboth in and out of uniform. Rachel noted the dates of his tenure, then recalled her own family¡¯s history.


    ¡°He served with my grandfather?¡±


    Orion double-checked the dates himself and brought up the list of Knights active in that period. And sure enough, the Red Knight was a man of about thirty.


    ¡°Yup, John Kim,¡± said Orion. ¡°Never knew him, did you?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°No, he¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember¡­¡± said Orion, a hint of melancholy in his voice. He tried to cover it up by shifting gears. ¡°Anyway, Barnes was about twenty when he was recruited. Only about a year in when he tried the interface.¡±


    ¡°Does it say why he interfaced?¡± asked Tom.


    Orion scrolled through the file. There was an incident report, but when he tried to open it, an ACCESS DENIED message appeared on the monitor.


    ¡°File¡¯s locked,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°There a way we can access it?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Nothing I¡¯m aware of.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, he¡¯s still alive, right?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°You said he outlived his teammates.¡±


    Orion nodded. ¡°Oh yeah, he¡¯s still alive. Full of drugs and kept in a nuthouse, but he¡¯s alive.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe we can talk to him?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the part about the drugs and the nuthouse?¡± asked Orion. ¡°He¡¯d be in no position to talk to you. It¡¯d just be a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°It might be worth it.¡± Rachel looked at Tom. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance we could get something out of him, some sort of hint of what he saw, it might explain what I saw.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, I¡¯m pretty curious about him pinning blame on the Tribunal,¡± said Tom. ¡°What is it he believes is their fault? The idea to interface in the first place, or something more?¡±


    ¡°Damned if I know,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°We can¡¯t access his records, so talking to Barnes is the only recourse we have left,¡± said Rachel. ¡°He¡¯s in an institution of some sort, do you know where it is?¡±


    Orion turned his attention back to the file. He went to a section labeled STATUS and found the information they wanted. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be a monkey¡¯s goddamned uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a mental institution that¡¯s funded in part by Quantum,¡± said Orion. ¡°And get this, we¡¯ve got a friend on the inside.¡±


    Orion opened up the file on the New Horizon Psychiatric Home. He navigated over to the employee list and pointed at one. Rachel read the name and smiled.


    ¡°Caleb Pierce, Head of Security.¡± She turned to Tom. ¡°That settles it. Caleb can help us in to see him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it,¡± said Tom.


    They headed for the door, but before they could open it, Orion called out to both of them.


    ¡°You two be careful,¡± he said. ¡°Quantum had that file locked for a reason. If the Tribunal learns what you¡¯re up to, they won¡¯t be too happy.¡±

 Into the Past

    Though he¡¯d only retired relatively recently, Caleb Pierce had still become a legend in Omega Knights history. Most Knights served for an average of three to five years, and some had gone on for as many as ten. But Caleb was among a select group of Knights who had served for more than a decade, eventually leaving in his fifteenth year. He¡¯d been a remarkable leader, training many Knights during his tenure.


    Both Tom and Rachel counted themselves among that group, plus each had a more personal connection with Caleb. For Tom, Caleb was his predecessor and he¡¯d found himself in the shadow of that legacy. Rachel first met Caleb when she was just a child, and he¡¯d become one of her closest confidants during her time on Sanctuary.


    A close call in the heat of battle finally ended Caleb¡¯s career. Fortunately, the Quantum Group had other options for Knights who survive to retirement. Through their holdings in many different industries across the world, there was no shortage of positions a former Knight could be eligible for. Caleb¡¯s posting of choice ended up being the New Horizon Psychiatric Home, located just outside of Portland.


    Tom and Rachel hadn¡¯t informed anyone they were leaving. They just told the technicians at the Nexus that they had a personal task to attend to. The technicians knew more than most at Sanctuary, but they¡¯d still been trained not to ask too many questions. Even among those who knew the true purpose of the Quantum Group, secrecy still ruled the day.


    They¡¯d teleported to a secluded area about a mile or so away from the institution, and walked the distance to reach the grounds. A gate barred access, with a video intercom system set up right outside the gate. Rachel pushed the button and waited for an image to appear on the screen.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked the receptionist.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to speak with Caleb Pierce,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°This is a private facility, miss. We have procedures to follow to ensure the well-being of our patients.¡±


    ¡°Tell him it¡¯s Rachel Kim and Tom Stone,¡± she said.


    ¡°As I said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, just tell him,¡± Tom chimed in. ¡°If he says he can¡¯t see us, then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    The receptionist visibly sighed on the video. ¡°Please hold on.¡± The video vanished and they waited.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Tom. ¡°If they say no, do we hop the fence and break in?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but we have to talk to Barnes. So if that¡¯s the only option, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll go with,¡± said Rachel.


    The sound of gears turning drew their attention to the gate. It parted, sliding open to provide them access to the facility. They walked up the driveway and to the front entrance. A few buildings, none higher than five stories, comprised the New Horizon campus. A smaller, one-story building stood at the front, and it was here that they saw Caleb¡¯s familiar face. He was a tall man with a shaved head dressed in white, but what struck Rachel the most was how much older he seemed. He¡¯d retired just before his fortieth birthday, and it had only been just over a year since he left. Yet somehow, he looked like he¡¯d aged quite a bit in that time. Even before he retired, he¡¯d already begun showing his age.


    ¡°Rachel! Tom!¡± he said with a smile and his arms held open. ¡°Talk about your pleasant surprises!¡±


    Rachel ran up and embraced him. When he hugged her back, she noticed that his grip wasn¡¯t as strong as it had been before. Not only did he look older, but he felt weaker. She supposed some of that had to do with the removal of the Omega Force, but she didn¡¯t expect this much of a difference. Tom and Caleb hugged next, and Rachel watched his expression¡ªhe also seemed surprised.


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    Once Caleb broke from the hug, he laid a comforting hand on Tom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I heard about Scott and the others. I¡¯m really sorry, I can only imagine what you must be going through.¡±


    Tom offered a weak smile and patted Caleb¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks, I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been in contact with Marcus about coming over to Sanctuary soon to help train the newbies. So imagine my shock to hear that you were both here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­not a social call,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Did you know that you¡¯re not the only former Knight here?¡± asked Tom.


    Caleb¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yeah, I did. Come to my office.¡±


    <hr>


    Caleb¡¯s office as Head of Security wasn¡¯t very large. Just a basic L-shaped desk with a computer, a phone, a tray with various folders, and some framed photographs on the wall. Rachel noticed that they were mostly from his time with the Knights. Didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d had much of a life outside of Sanctuary.


    Two chairs were in front of Caleb¡¯s desk, and he instructed them to sit. He sat behind the desk, looking at them both. ¡°So, what do you want with Nicholas Barnes?¡±


    ¡°You know how he ended up here, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Tom.


    Caleb nodded. ¡°Interfaced with his Titan, and it drove him over the edge.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± said Rachel. ¡°I just did the same thing. And I need some help making sense of the images I¡¯ve seen.¡±


    Caleb¡¯s mouth opened, then his eyes narrowed. Finally, he closed his mouth, his lips tightening. They shifted into the beginnings of a scowl, but remained mostly straight.


    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± he asked.


    Rachel and Tom told Caleb about what had happened in Brazil, and the strange crystal they¡¯d found. The Tribunal felt the best way to access her memories and the strange symbol she¡¯d seen in the crystal was through a Titan interface. But Raiju instead flooded her mind with images she couldn¡¯t make sense of.


    ¡°Barnes is the only one we know of who¡¯s still living that¡¯s tried an interface,¡± said Rachel. ¡°He could probably provide some insight.¡±


    Caleb held up a hand. ¡°Putting aside the stupidity of a Titan interface¡ªthey knew about Barnes, there¡¯s no way the Tribunal should have allowed that to happen.¡± He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think speaking with Barnes is going to help you out much.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Because the man¡¯s been catatonic for decades,¡± said Caleb. ¡°He just stays in his room and sits in front of his window. I¡¯d say he stares, but he doesn¡¯t have the eyes to do that. He doesn¡¯t talk, doesn¡¯t react. An orderly has to spoon-feed him all his meals and that¡¯s the only time he shows any sort of reaction.¡±


    ¡°Can I see him?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°We came all the way here from Sanctuary¡ª¡±


    ¡°You teleported here, it¡¯s not the same thing as hopping on a plane,¡± said Caleb.


    ¡°Maybe not, but Barnes is the only hope we have of getting some sort of answers about what Rachel¡¯s seen,¡± said Tom. ¡°C¡¯mon, Caleb. We¡¯re really at a loss here, and I think something bigger¡¯s coming.¡±


    ¡°When we couldn¡¯t find out anything about the crystal, the Tribunal sent me back to Brazil with Ethan¡ªthat¡¯s one of the new guys,¡± said Tom. ¡°And we were attacked by some woman. She was a damn good fighter, and after we took her down, we brought her back to Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°You think that breach, the crystal, and this mystery woman are all connected,¡± said Caleb.


    Rachel nodded. ¡°And we think my visions might be connected, too. But to find out more, we have to make sense of those visions. So please, just let me talk to Barnes alone. Ten minutes, that¡¯s all I ask. If I can¡¯t get him to say anything, then we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Caleb scratched his chin. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m the biggest fan of this idea. But I suppose if the Heads sent you here, then they must think there¡¯s something to it.¡±


    Rachel and Tom exchanged silent glances. Caleb¡¯s eyes darted between the pair, and he pointed at each in turn. ¡°The Tribunal doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re here, do they?¡±


    Rachel sighed. ¡°No, they don¡¯t. We were worried they wouldn¡¯t want us investigating.¡±


    ¡°Barnes¡¯s file is locked. We can¡¯t see what¡¯s in his records. The only hope we have of finding out what he knows and what he saw is by getting the answers straight from his mouth,¡± said Tom. ¡°Please, Caleb. I¡¯m supposed to be the leader here, but I¡¯m in over my head. I¡¯m not as good at this job as you or Scott.¡±


    Caleb rubbed his bald head. He reached a hand for his phone, and picked up the receiver.. ¡°Look, maybe if we give Marcus a call, and if I¡ª¡±


    Tom reached out and pushed down on the phone¡¯s hook. ¡°Marcus and I aren¡¯t on the best of terms right now. And that¡¯s a whole other story. I think on principle alone, he¡¯d order us to come back right away.¡±


    ¡°Caleb, there¡¯s something else to consider.¡± Rachel drew in a breath. She hadn¡¯t wanted to address this aspect of the situation. The idea filled her with such dread, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to contemplate it. But the possibility was real. ¡°Barnes went crazy after his interface. I have to know if the same thing¡¯s going to happen to me. Will you help us?¡±


    Caleb¡¯s eyes drifted down to the phone, and then over to the pictures on his wall. He sighed.

 The Lost Knight

    Caleb knocked a few times on the door to Nicholas Barnes¡¯s room. No answer came, and then Caleb scanned his keycard on the reader beside the door. The lock released, and he pulled the door open for Rachel and Tom. They both entered, followed by Caleb, who closed the door behind them.


    Barnes was just as Caleb had described him. Seated in an old recliner, positioned in front of a closed window. He wore sunglasses and dark pajamas covered by a black robe. Barnes¡¯s hair was as white as snow, with most of it on the sides of his head, and only a few stray hairs on top.


    Rachel knew Barnes¡¯s age was seventy, but just like Caleb, he seemed older. She¡¯d never considered the effects this kind of job had on a person. But now she thought about how both Caleb and Barnes, and she thought of her grandfather. Rachel had always wished she could have met him. Rachel had seen photos of her grandfather, and he always seemed far older than he really was. She wondered if it was just the stress of the job that aged Knights, much like the presidency.


    ¡°Hey Nick, it¡¯s Caleb.¡± He circled around and knelt down in front of Barnes. ¡°Now, I know you¡¯ve got a busy day of focusing on the window, but some friends of mine have stopped by to pay you a visit.¡±


    Barnes should no reaction to Caleb¡¯s voice or presence. No movement of his lips or fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet them, Nick. This is Tom and Rachel. They¡¯re both Knights, just like we used to be,¡± Caleb continued. ¡°As a matter of fact, I helped train them both. I¡¯ve known Rachel since she was a kid, and Tom¡¯s my successor.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve talked to him before?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°More like talked at him. Our conversations tend to be pretty one-sided.¡± Caleb looked at Barnes again. ¡°Hey Nick, you wanna hear something interesting? You and Rachel have a connection. Remember John Kim? That¡¯s her grandfather.¡±


    Rachel stared at Barnes¡¯s face, hoping for some kind of a reaction. But he remained so still, she wondered if he was even alive.


    ¡°Rachel has some things she¡¯d like to talk to you about,¡± said Caleb. ¡°I¡¯ll let her take it from here, okay?¡±


    He stood and backed away, allowing room for Rachel to come in. She pulled up a chair from a nearby desk and dragged it in front of Barnes. Rachel sat down and leaned forward, looking at her reflection in the lenses of Barnes¡¯s sunglasses.


    ¡°Hi, Nick. Hope you don¡¯t mind if I call you that. But I¡¯m Rachel,¡± she said. ¡°And Caleb was telling the truth, I¡¯m John¡¯s granddaughter. I never got to meet him, though. He died when my dad was just a baby.¡±


    No reaction. Rachel looked back at Caleb and Tom, but they didn¡¯t provide any insight. Tom could only shrug, while Caleb gave her an ¡°I told you so¡± look. She focused on Barnes once again.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t come here today to talk to you about my grandfather,¡± said Rachel. ¡°You see, Nick, you and I have another thing in common. Seems we¡¯re the only living people who tried to interface with our Titans.¡±


    She noticed Barnes¡¯s finger twitched. Was it because of what she said or just an involuntary movement?


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about what I saw. Because to be honest, I¡¯m not quite sure what it was,¡± she said. ¡°I remember battles, though. Lots of battles. And people who¡­I don¡¯t know what they were. It didn¡¯t seem like it was Earth. What I really want to know is¡ª¡±


    Barnes sat up straight. He turned his head and focused on Rachel. His lips moved, but instead of speaking, he coughed.


    ¡°Do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± she asked. ¡°What did you see, Nick? Do you know anything about the symbol in the crystal?¡±


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    Nick reached his hands for his sunglasses and pulled them off. Rachel stared right into the dark cavities where his eyes had once been. She felt as if he were staring at her, even though he no longer had that capability.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it¡­¡± said Barnes. ¡°Do you know the truth?¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡± asked Rachel. ¡°Fifty years ago, you said something about it all being the Tribunal¡¯s fault. What did you mean?¡±


    Barnes¡¯s head jerked in random directions. As if he were trying to catch sight of something, but it always remained just out of view. His mouth continued moving, though no sound emerged.


    ¡°Nick, can you hear me?¡± asked Rachel, speaking at a louder volume. ¡°What did the Tribunal do?¡±


    Barnes began to ramble. ¡°It¡¯s not what they said¡­none of it is what they said¡­¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°The Omega Force¡­the Titans¡­all lies¡­¡±


    He slumped forward in his chair, remaining silent for what felt like an eternity. Rachel held up her hand, and with a great deal of caution, moved it toward Barnes¡¯s face. She set her fingertips on his cheek, trying to get something more out of him. A new fear gripped her¡ªwhat if he had just died?


    But just as her fingers were about to touch his skin, his head snapped up again. Rachel jumped and retracted her hand.


    ¡°The shadows gather¡­the dragon waits¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°Sylva, the prisoner,¡± said Tom. ¡°She called herself the Shadowblade. Could that be what he¡¯s talking about?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but then, what¡¯s the dragon?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°No, the shadows are not here yet¡­but they will be,¡± said Barnes. ¡°Nothing is as it seems. No heroes, no villains¡­¡±


    Barnes reached forward and grabbed Rachel¡¯s head. Caleb and Tom moved forward, but she gestured for them to hold back. Rachel stared into the vacant sockets, and she could have sworn she saw something inside them, something she couldn¡¯t describe. Whatever it was, she felt a great sense of foreboding weigh down her thoughts.


    ¡°From beyond the farthest star, the harbingers come,¡± said Barnes. ¡°Time is in flux. The past future is gone, the present future is changing. There is no roadmap.¡±


    ¡°Now he¡¯s just talking nonsense,¡± said Tom.


    Barnes¡¯s head snapped in Tom¡¯s direction. ¡°You have no lines in this play.¡±


    Rachel reached for Barnes¡¯s hands and pulled them from her face. She held them in her grip, gentle but firm. Rachel tried to make some sense of what Barnes had said to her, but she could barely piece it together. Maybe Tom was right about ¡°the shadows gather¡± being a reference to Sylva. Though her own instincts told her it held a different meaning.


    ¡°Remember the dragon, he¡¯ll provide you counsel,¡± said Barnes. ¡°But beware who you trust. Old friends make the best enemies.¡±


    A beeping noise interrupted the proceedings. Both Rachel and Tom looked down to see their Omega Gauntlets flashing lights. They stood, and exchanged glances with each other, then Caleb. He gave a nod and gestured for the door.


    ¡°You guys go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Tom. ¡°Oh, and Caleb? I hate to ask, but¡­¡±


    Caleb provided another nod. ¡°I got it. If they ask me anything, you stopped by for a visit. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    Tom smiled at Caleb and left the room. Rachel stood and patted Barnes on the shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back later, hopefully we can talk more.¡±


    She approached Caleb and gave him a hug. Caleb returned it without hesitation. Rachel enjoyed being in her old mentor¡¯s presence once more.


    ¡°Thanks, Cal,¡± she said. ¡°I needed this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Caleb. ¡°Now get out of here, you¡¯ve got a job to do.¡±


    She nodded and left the room, joining Tom in the hallway. The pair quickly left the New Horizon facility, then found a spot away from prying eyes. Once they confirmed the coast was clear, Tom initiated the call and a holographic projection of Marcus materialized.


    ¡°Do either of you care to explain to me what you¡¯re doing at a retirement home?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Caleb works here. We came by for a visit,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°You could have waited. We¡¯re discussing potential dates for him to speak to the rest of the team.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we¡¯d known that, we would¡¯ve,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this later. Right now, you¡¯re both needed immediately.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°We have a Level 4 threat.¡±


    ¡°Level 4?¡± asked Tom.


    She could hear the concern in his voice. And if that weren¡¯t enough, his eyes were wide enough to indicate his fear. That was the threat level that ended up taking out Scott and the others.


    ¡°You see the urgency,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Suit up, the Nexus will lock onto you and transport you to the breach location, where you¡¯ll rendezvous with the others.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯ve already been sent?¡± asked Rachel. To a Level 4? she added in her mind.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any time to lose,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Get moving, now!¡±


    Rachel and Tom both nodded at each other. They activated their Omega Gauntlets. The nanites swarmed over them, and just as they finished locking in place, the Nexus zeroed in on their location. In a flash of light, they were gone.

 Titans Unleashed

    Tom and Rachel materialized on a plateau overlooking a beautiful forest that flowed down into a sandy beachfront as pristine, blue water lapped the shoreline. If not for the circumstances, this small, uninhabited island in the Pacific would look like the perfect, scenic vacation spot.


    The pair were already clad in their respective red and blue armor, and they were met by their three new teammates. Ethan, Olivia, and Alexa were armored up as well.


    ¡°Control, this is Red Knight. Blue and I have just arrived and we¡¯re with Green, Yellow, and Purple,¡± said Tom. ¡°What¡¯s the sit-rep?¡±


    ¡°Breach was detected several miles off the coast from your current position, Red. Visual confirmation, over.¡±


    Tom¡¯s thoughts activated his helmet¡¯s built-in telescopic vision. Something was out in the middle of the ocean, but too small to see from where he stood. His visor activated its zoom feature, enlarging and enhancing the target. What he saw made him gasp.


    He had no sense of the creature¡¯s scale, but it towered over the surface of the water. Its legs were forged of solid rocks, as were its shoulders and chest. Jagged spikes sprouted from the shoulders, and each arm was composed of a different element. Flowing magma and dancing flames covered the left arm, while the right arm looked like solid ice with water flowing around it. The abdomen contained a miniature tempest, with air tightly whirling around. The head itself looked like an ethereal skull made of electricity, with lightning bolts arcing off from the center.


    ¡°Visual confirmed, Control. You seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡± asked Tom.


    A hesitation came before Marcus¡¯s voice responded over the comm. ¡°Yeah, we see it. Level 4 designation looked appropriate, could possibly be a Level 5.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re definitely going to need the Titans for this,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Titan request received and approved. Stand by for arrival.¡±


    The air exploded with multi-colored bursts of energy and sonic booms of air displacement. The Unicorn materialized first, his mechanical legs and hooves stomping on the ground while yellow energy swirled around it, coalescing around the horn. Next came the Raiju, letting off a snarl while blue lighting sparked all along his wolf-like frame. The Karkinos appeared third, his massive pincers waving in the air, green trails following them. A screech from above signaled the arrival of the Wyvern, his purple frame tinged with sparks of similarly colored energy. And finally, the cry of the Phoenix as she flew above, flames edging around her mechanical wings.


    ¡°Confirm Titan arrival, Control.¡± Tom glanced at each of his teammates, focusing especially on the three newcomers. ¡°Just like in training, all right? Activate your bucklers and picture your Titan in your mind.¡±


    Tom¡¯s hand went to the silver-lined belt around his waist. In the center of the belt was a round, red gem. Each of the Knights had one in their own color, and it acted as a teleportation link directly to their respective Titan. Once they each touched it, the gem glowed with their color, and they were engulfed in a field of energy. The five chromatic streaks shot for each of the Titans, and within moments, all five of them were seated in their Titan¡¯s cockpit.


    Once inside, Tom took a deep breath, his right hand wrapping around the Phoenix¡¯s flight stick. The fingers of his left hand brushed along the armrest, and he could feel the Phoenix¡¯s emotions flow through him.


    ¡°I missed you too, girl,¡± he said. This was the first time he¡¯d been inside the Phoenix¡¯s cockpit since the death of Scott and the others.


    ¡°Phoenix Titan, good to go,¡± he said.


    ¡°Raiju Titan, online,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Karkinos Titan, primed and ready,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Unicorn Titan, all set,¡± said Olivia.


    ¡°Wyvern Titan, let¡¯s rock and roll,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°Heading out to sea for a closer look at what we¡¯re dealing with,¡± said Tom. ¡°Purple, stay on my six.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your wingman, Maverick,¡± said Alexa with a snicker.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I always identified more with Iceman,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°And here I thought that was just me,¡± said Rachel.


    Tom gave a chuckle. The Phoenix projected a smaller view screen showing his rear view, and the Wyvern lining up behind him.


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    They soared over the pristine waves, and the figure in the distance grew larger. Even though Tom had gotten a look at the Elemental from the shore, up close proved more terrifying. The Elemental raised its right arm, and a jet-stream of water flowed at the Phoenix.


    Tom pulled back on the stick, trying to avoid the water. Instead, it caught the Wyvern, and the purple Titan spun through the air.


    ¡°Purple! Do you copy?¡± Tom shouted. ¡°Control, you have a lock on Wyvern?¡±


    Before Marcus could respond, Tom heard Alexa¡¯s voice over the speakers.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Just got a little shaken up, but I¡¯m still in the game,¡± she said.


    Tom breathed a sigh of relief. He circled around the Elemental, targeting it from behind. Crosshairs appeared on his view screen, locking onto the Elemental¡¯s back.


    ¡°Locked on, firing.¡±


    The Phoenix screeched as she came to a stop in mid-air, lingering for a moment. She unfurled her mechanical wings out to the sides, and red energy built up, flowing along the feathers. The wings folded forward, pointing at the Elemental, and concentrated streams of white-hot flames burned through the chasm that separated the two.


    Flames engulfed the Elemental, and the monster growled with a sound unlike anything Tom had heard before. With a spin, the electric skull faced Tom and shot twin lightning bolts from its eyes.


    Too fast to evade. Tom could do nothing more than brace as the electricity surged through the Phoenix. The Titan¡¯s mechanical body shuddered and quaked, and he could feel a muted form of the Phoenix¡¯s pain through their bond.


    ¡°Lay off the boss man, freak!¡± shouted Alexa.


    Tom watched on the view screen as the Wyvern came in for an attack. The Wyvern¡¯s wings flapped at the Elemental, and with each flap came a sickle of hard air.


    Whoosh!


    Whoosh!


    Whoosh!


    Each one sliced off chunks of the Elemental¡¯s ice arm, but water flowed into place and quickly froze again to replace the severed parts.


    ¡°Purple, lead it to the shore!¡± said Rachel. ¡°Five on one are better odds than two.¡±


    Tom kicked himself for not thinking of that himself. He¡¯d been too wrapped up in the moment. But he quickly recovered and issued an order of his own. ¡°She¡¯s right. Green, the water¡¯s your element. Meet us halfway and help pile on.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± said Ethan.


    The Wyvern and Phoenix both circled around the Elemental to goad it. The beast roared and swiped at them, but they kept out of its reach. Once they¡¯d sufficiently taunted it, they rocketed back toward the island. Tom confirmed in his rear view that the Elemental had taken the bait.


    With each of the monster¡¯s footfalls, waves crashed out for the shore. Tom couldn¡¯t help but be grateful that this island was uninhabited. Who knew what sort of damage those waves would cause if there were any people living on the island?


    Just ahead, Tom noticed the Karkinos moving out into the water. Both the Wyvern and the Phoenix broke off from their flight paths, flying around the Karkinos. The Elemental had to face the crab-like robot head on, however.


    Raising itself above the water, the Karkinos¡¯s legs positioned it to strike; its massive pincers targeted the Elemental¡¯s rocky legs. With tremendous mechanical force, the rock was broken, and the Elemental fell into the ocean. Steam rose up from the surface once the flaming arm hit the water.


    The pincers grabbed hold of the chest and raised the Elemental up above the water. The Karkinos¡¯s arms coiled back, then hurled the Elemental onto the shore. Once the Elemental¡¯s body reached land, electricity engulfed it, courtesy of the Raiju. And then that was compounded by the heavy footfalls of the Unicorn. With each stomp of his hooves, quakes struck the Elemental. Both the Wyvern and the Phoenix piled on, adding their fire and wind powers to the onslaught. Karkinos came last to the party, but added his own jet-streams of water to blast at the beast.


    The Elemental screamed an unearthly sound. And when it did, it unleashed the combined force of all of their abilities. Wind, earth, fire, water, and electricity. All five lashed out in concert, knocking back the Titans.


    The earth formed around the Elemental¡¯s lower extremities, rebuilding the legs that the Karkinos had broken off. It grew even larger than before, towering well above the mountain peaks of the small island, and far over the Titans.


    ¡°Okay¡­that doesn¡¯t look good,¡± said Olivia. ¡°What now?¡±


    Tom paused to consider the options. Piling on wasn¡¯t working, they¡¯d have to escalate. ¡°We have to fuse.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve only just started learning how to pilot the Titans. You really think we¡¯re in a place to achieve fusion?¡± asked Rachel.


    Marcus¡¯s voice broke in. ¡°There¡¯s no other option. This is on the verge of a Level 6. You have to attempt fusion now.¡±


    Tom drew in a sharp breath. Fusion was a complicated procedure and only reserved for dire situations. It required complete trust and cooperation not only between each Knight and their Titan but also between all of them. That meant ten distinct souls had to come into complete synchronicity. It proved challenging for even the most experienced teams, and this group had only recently begun to trust each other.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a go.¡± Tom hesitantly reached a hand for the fusion lever and pulled it down. ¡°Fusion sequence activated.¡±


    Audio confirmations came from each of the other four. The Titans all lined up in formation in preparation for fusion. Karkinos stood in the center of the configuration, with the Wyvern hovering just a little above him, and the Phoenix above the Wyvern. The Raiju and Unicorn both lined up in front of the Karkinos. Lines of energy arced between all five of the Titans, and their mechanical bodies started to shift in preparation.


    But then, something went wrong.


    [[ ERROR! ERROR! FUSION DISRUPTED! FUSION DISRUPTED! ]]


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s happening?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°We¡¯re not in sync,¡± said Tom, then whispered. ¡°Oh shit¡­we can¡¯t fuse¡­¡±


    <hr>


    Aboard the Obsidian Dreadnought, Lord Xerath stood and watched. The scene of the Knights battling the Elemental that Malakai chose played out as a holographic image before him. A smile spread across his lips.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Lord Malakai.¡±


    Malakai stomped his hand to his breast and bowed. ¡°Thank you, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Lord Draven, I trust you¡¯ve deciphered the coordinates from Sylva¡¯s psychic beacon and the shard?¡± asked Xerath.


    ¡°Yes, Lord Xerath,¡± said Draven from beside him.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Xerath. ¡°Open the breach. Today, we destroy the Quantum Group.¡±

 Attack on Sanctuary

    From the Nexus, Marcus Kane paced behind the technicians monitoring the battle. Five holographic screens were arranged around, providing views from each of the five Titans. The same error message flashed across all five screens.


    [[ ERROR! ERROR! FUSION DISRUPTED! FUSION DISRUPTED! ]]


    ¡°Damn!¡± muttered Marcus.


    Candace Wu stood off to the side, her eyes downcast. Orion leaned against the wall behind Marcus, his arms folded and wearing a blank expression. Marcus looked at him, his jaw clenched.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the Titan expert, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°So why don¡¯t you tell me why those robots aren¡¯t responding?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not robots,¡± said Orion. ¡°Fusion is only possible if the entire team is operating as one cohesive unit. They need to be in total sync with their Titan and with each other. Clearly, they aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How do we get them to do that?¡± asked Marcus. ¡°That monster¡¯s not going to stop itself, they have to fuse.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± asked Orion, holding out an open palm.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you¡­I don¡¯t know, override them or something? Force them to fuse?¡±


    Orion raised a brow and then blinked a few times. ¡°That¡­may be just about the dumbest fucking thing I¡¯ve ever heard you say. And that¡¯s not a low bar.¡±


    Marcus took a few menacing steps toward Orion. Candace moved to intercept him.


    ¡°Am I going to have to put you two in a time-out?¡± she asked. ¡°What sort of an example are you setting if you constantly go to pieces whenever things get tough?¡±


    Marcus drew a breath and nodded. She was right. He turned back to the screens, trying to think of what could be done about his people. He tapped the earpiece he wore.


    ¡°Red Knight, this is Control, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hear you, Control.¡±


    Marcus heard Tom¡¯s voice both in his ear and through the speakers in the Nexus.


    ¡°We¡¯re having some problems with the fusion process,¡± Tom added.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we see on our end, too.¡±


    ¡°Open to suggestions, Control.¡±


    Marcus closed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re working on it. Until we can figure something out, just try and stay alive. Work together. Once we¡ª¡±


    The screens all deactivated. Marcus¡¯s jaw fell loose. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, sir,¡± said a technician. ¡°We lost the signal.¡±


    ¡°Well, fucking fix it!¡± barked Marcus. ¡°We¡¯re the Quantum Group, not AT&T!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re trying, sir,¡± said another technician. ¡°But it looks like we¡¯ve got some interference.¡±


    ¡°What possible interference could disrupt our signals?¡± asked Marcus.


    ¡°It¡­looks like a breach.¡± The technician¡¯s brows knitted together as he turned his chair to face Marcus. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna like it.¡±


    ¡°Just show me,¡± said Marcus.


    The technician turned back to the controls. All five of the previous screens vanished, replaced with one, large screen. It showed a map of the Pacific Ocean with a blinking red dot and BREACH DETECTED flashing across the screen.


    ¡°That¡¯s not any breach, that¡¯s here,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°Get me a visual on the shoreline!¡± shouted Marcus.


    The screen changed again, showing a satellite view of the waters surrounding Sanctuary Isle. A glowing tear hovered in the sky high above the ocean¡¯s surface, and a large, black ship with spikes protruding emerged.


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    Orion stepped away from the wall, his posture stiffening. His arms fell loosely at his sides. With slow steps, he came closer until he stood right beside Marcus, whose own mouth gaped.


    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡± asked Orion.


    ¡°I was about to ask you the same question,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting multiple tachyonic readings off it, sirs,¡± said the technician.


    ¡°What sort of defenses does the island have?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°There¡¯s an armory, but that¡¯s about it,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± asked Candace.


    ¡°We¡¯re a secret organization on an uncharted island in the middle of the ocean. The idea that anyone would attack us here was unthinkable,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ve gotta start brainstorming, because the unthinkable is on our doorstep,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry, too,¡± said the technician. ¡°We just got a notice of a breach in the facility.¡±


    ¡°Okay, everyone else stay put, I¡¯ll go check it out,¡± said Marcus.


    ¡°Not without me,¡± added Orion.


    Marcus had just been about to protest, when a glare from Candace caused him to swallow his words. ¡°Fine.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Control? This is Red, do you read me? Copy?¡± Tom slapped the console in frustration when he heard no reply. When he felt the Phoenix¡¯s annoyance at his reaction, he gently tapped the flight stick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, not your fault.¡±


    He opened up a channel to the rest of the team. ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact with Sanctuary, and fusion¡¯s a non-starter. So we¡¯ll have to find some other way to take this thing out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Any idea as to how?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°Each part of it is a different element, so how about divide and conquer?¡± asked Rachel.


    Tom nodded. ¡°Yeah, good idea. Purple, you take that fiery left arm, and the right arm is mine.¡±


    The Phoenix and the Wyvern twisted in the air and flew in opposite directions. They turned and went for the Elemental from both sides. As Tom pulled the Phoenix closer, she opened her beak and let loose with a fiery jet-stream. Wyvern did the same, but in his case, it was powerful winds.


    The Elemental tried to pull away as the flames melted its ice arm into nothing, while the winds kept the fire on its magma arm from igniting.


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s a start. Yellow, do something about that windy torso,¡± said Tom.


    The Unicorn charged back toward the mountain and pointed his horn at the large rocks. Golden energy pulsated around the horn, and chunks of rock flew off. The Unicorn turned back toward the Elemental, rushing forward. Each fall of his hooves triggered a tremor. The boulders flew right into the Elemental¡¯s windy tempest of an abdomen, clogging it up, and evidently causing it discomfort.


    ¡°Blue, you¡¯re up next. Do what you can about those legs,¡± said Tom. ¡°Yellow, give Raiju a boost.¡±


    The Raiju rushed toward the shoreline. The Unicorn pointed his horn at the ground, and a portion of the sandy beach rose up, springing the Raiju into the air. Lightning crackled around him, and he pointed his head at the Elemental. The Raiju growled, ball lightning firing from his eyes and striking the Elemental¡¯s legs, shoulders, and chest. Scorch marks were left, and the Raiju continued the onslaught, the rocks breaking from the creature.


    ¡°Green, that head is all yours, pal,¡± said Tom.


    The Elemental collapsed on the ground, and the Karkinos rose up from the water. The Karkinos raised its pincers, drawing up water from the ocean. He gave a chittering noise, and then the water rushed into the electric skull. The Elemental screamed as the water caused its electric head to dissipate.


    ¡°How about that?¡± shouted Ethan over comms with laughter. ¡°Who needs fusion, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky, this would¡¯ve gone a lot easier if we could merge,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°We¡¯ll work on that, be ready for next time,¡± said Tom. ¡°Now we just have to work on re-establishing contact with Sanctuary.¡±


    <hr>


    Once the Obsidian Dreadnought came within close enough range, it transported Malakai down to the island. He materialized in the Arena and crossed the distance to the facility¡¯s entrance. Malakai reached behind his back, detaching the large hammer from his armor. With a switch, the hammer expanded, growing even bigger, and with spikes popping out of each end. Malakai swung the war hammer at the door, bursting right through it.


    He followed the psychic signal in his head, each footstep echoing like thunder. Malakai ascended the stairs in the emergency exit until he found the level he sought¡ªthe detention area. But once he kicked open the door, he found he was expected. Two humans stood before him. One looked ancient, with long, silver hair and a full beard. The man beside him had a wider frame and bits of gray on the sides of his short haircut. Both held some sort of gun, aimed at Malakai.


    ¡°You came to the wrong island, fucker!¡± said Marcus Cain before both he and Orion opened fire.


    The rifles were some sort of energy weapon. They fired lasers in short bursts. Malakai just grinned as he deflected the blasts with his war hammer.


    Within a few moments, the laser fire stopped. The guns appeared to be prone to overheating, and Malakai smiled.


    ¡°Malakai¡¯s turn.¡±


    He raised the hammer above his head and brought it down hard, sending a tremor through the ground. Orion lost his footing right away, and Malakai went for him next. His speed defied the expectations set by his size. His hand grabbed Orion by his collar, and Malakai lifted him high in the air.


    ¡°You pathetic humans, so soft and squishy,¡± said Malakai. ¡°Why did we ever fear you so?¡±


    A beeping noise came next. Malakai grunted, then turned his head. He saw Marcus standing nearby, holding a metal orb with flashing red lights.


    ¡°Maybe because we can be pretty damn ruthless when we set our minds to it,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Now put him down, or all three of us will end up vaporized.¡±


    Malakai scoffed. ¡°You bluff.¡±


    ¡°Try me, you oversized sack of¡ª¡±


    Marcus swallowed his words once he felt someone grab him from behind. A curved, black blade appeared, suspended right in front of his throat. And then he heard a familiar silken voice.


    ¡°Now may not be the best time for insults,¡± said Sylva.

 The Cavalry

    Though communications were down, the Nexus¡¯s teleportation capabilities were fortunately still active. Without the precise communication abilities, the Titans were only able to materialize near Sanctuary¡¯s coastline. And when they appeared, they saw the massive ship hovering near their headquarters.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Rachel over comms.


    ¡°No clue,¡± said Tom. ¡°But my guess it¡¯s nothing good.¡±


    The Phoenix and Wyvern flew over the waters, while the Karkinos went below the surface. The Unicorn and the Raiju swam through the water, trailing after the others. Neither was well-suited for this sort of environment.


    ¡°Purple, I want you to go high. Get some cloud cover, and give me a bird''s-eye view of the island,¡± said Tom. ¡°Green, you follow my lead from the sea floor. We¡¯re going to try to get a better look at that thing. Blue and Yellow, head for the island as fast as you can. If there¡¯s anything you can do to help, it¡¯ll be on land, not in the water.¡±


    Sounds of agreement echoed across their comms. The Wyvern pulled up and rocketed off into the clouds. Tom turned the Phoenix toward the giant, black ship. On his HUD, he could see his location relative to the rest of the team, and the green dot representing Ethan was below his position.


    ¡°Control, this is Red, do you copy?¡± asked Tom into the comm. He¡¯d hoped the closer proximity would solve their communications issues, but looked like he¡¯d been wrong.


    He focused his efforts on the ship. Its size seemed to dwarf that of Sanctuary Island, even. Tom wondered how something that big could even manage to suspend itself in the air. And where had it come from? The Phoenix turned her head toward the hull, her mechanical eyes widening and glowing with bright, yellow lights.


    [[ Scan complete. ]]


    Tom¡¯s HUD displayed the results of the scan, but they didn¡¯t tell him much. The word UNKNOWN appeared many times on the list.


    ¡°What am I looking at, girl?¡± he asked.


    [[ Results inconclusive. Composition of the craft is unknown. Point of origin is unknown. Method of propulsion is unknown. Number of passengers, if any, is unknown. Defense capabilities are unknown. ]]


    ¡°Is there anything we do know?¡±


    [[ Tachyonic profile match found in Quantum database. ]]


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s something. Show it to me.¡±


    An image of the strange, glowing crystal shard they¡¯d discovered in the Amazon appeared on Tom¡¯s HUD. He sighed, feeling a pit form in his stomach. ¡°Send it to the others. Blue, you see this?¡±


    Silence lasted for a moment, and then Rachel said, ¡°Yeah¡­ So, this is all connected?¡±


    ¡°Looks that way. Whoever that Shadowblade lady is, I think this is her cavalry.¡± Tom addressed the Phoenix next. ¡°Is that ship receiving communications? Can you try to make contact?¡±


    [[ Contact already attempted and denied. ]]


    ¡°Guess whoever¡¯s onboard that thing isn¡¯t the chatty type,¡± said Alexa.


    ¡°You see anything from on high, Purple?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Nothing of note. Whatever¡¯s happening down there, it looks quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yellow and I just made it ashore, and we don¡¯t see much ourselves,¡± said Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re just¡­waiting.¡±


    ¡°We need to get inside the facility, figure out what¡¯s going on with Control,¡± said Tom. ¡°Yellow and Purple, you maintain your positions in your Titans. Keep watch on that thing and make contact the second something happens. Blue and Green, the three of us are going inside Sanctuary. We¡¯ll rendezvous ¡±


    Tom activated his Omega Gauntlet¡¯s built-in teleportation technology. It wasn¡¯t as accurate as relying on the Nexus for transportation, but it worked in a pinch, and that was the situation they now found themselves in. The Phoenix took over her own controls as Tom vanished from the cockpit in a crackle of crimson energy.


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    He rematerialized in the Arena with Rachel and Ethan arriving almost immediately after him. The very first thing Tom zeroed in on was the entrance to the facility, and how it had been smashed open. The trio ran for the door and checked the damage.


    ¡°Someone from that ship, right?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°Has to be.¡±


    ¡°Or something,¡± said Rachel.


    Tom held out his hand, the Flameblade manifesting in his grip. ¡°Weapons free. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    Rachel and Ethan both summoned their respective weapons. They followed Tom into the facility and up the steps. As they got closer, they could hear sounds ahead. A heated conversation. Tom rushed ahead and emerged onto the floor to find both Orion and Marcus held prisoner. Sylva had somehow escaped her cell, and now had Marcus at her mercy, her curved sword pressed against his throat. And Orion had been lifted off the ground by some massive creature with crimson skin and golden, tribal tattoos lining his exposed arms. One hand held Orion by the collar, the other gripped a massive warhammer that crackled with strange energy.


    ¡°Ah, the lapdogs return.¡± Sylva glanced at the massive warrior. ¡°Malakai, dispose of them. I¡¯ll finish the mission.¡±


    Malakai gave a chuckle that sounded like the rumbling of the earth. He tossed Orion aside as if he were insignificant trash, then raised his hammer with both hands. He smiled as he surveyed the three Knights.


    ¡°The legends state that the Omega Knights are the most fearsome warriors your world is capable of producing. Malakai would like to test that theory.¡±


    Rachel didn¡¯t wait for him to say or do anything else. She drew back the string on her Thunderbow, and three electric arrows materialized, then launched from her weapon. Malakai swung his hammer, moving far faster than his appearance suggested he could.


    He moved for Rachel, and Ethan slid into his path. Thrusting his Aquatrident up, he held Malakai¡¯s hammer in place, preventing him from bringing it down. Malakai growled as his eyes glared at Ethan.


    Tom went at him from behind, the Flameblade erupting with fire all along its length. He tore it across Malakai¡¯s back, but the warrior¡¯s armor defended him from any damage. The only thing Tom succeeded in doing was drawing Malakai¡¯s attention. He turned and slammed his hammer right into Tom¡¯s chest. The force threw him across the corridor and into a wall.


    He hit the ground. The armor protected him from the worst of it, but he could still feel pain. The Flameblade was just within reach. Tom grabbed it and braced the blade on the floor, using the sword to help him stand. He watched as Ethan and Rachel tried trading blows with Malakai, though mostly they tried to evade his strikes.


    This Malakai was certainly tough. Clearly stronger than Sylva. Though he seemed more like a battering ram. Tom watched Malakai fight, noting no real strategy. Seemed he just relied on his strength to hammer his opponents into submission.


    ¡°Green, remember that first training session? The water?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Huh?¡± asked Ethan after ducking under a hammer-swing. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do anything?¡±


    ¡°Do the same thing, but this time do it to your enemy, not yourself,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Ah, I think I know what you¡¯ve got in mind.¡± Rachel flipped her bow so it curved outward. The string retracted and in its place, a stream of concentrated electricity formed between the two ends. Rachel used it as a weapon, attempting to cut through Malakai¡¯s wrist. It didn¡¯t sever his hand, but Malakai¡¯s recoil and growl indicated he felt the pain.


    Ethan pointed the Aquatrident up, and a sphere of water started forming above the tines. He grew the sphere larger, the water flowing around and around, tightening.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, go!¡± shouted Tom.


    Ethan thrust the trident in Malakai¡¯s direction. The sphere flew right into him. The impact knocked Malakai down and left him soaking.


    ¡°Blue!¡± Tom called out.


    ¡°On it!¡± Rachel flipped the Thunderbow again and unleashed a volley of electric arrows.


    The electric shock proved even stronger than before. Malakai¡¯s entire body convulsed as the energy flowed through him, aided by the water¡¯s conduction. Malakai collapsed to the ground, and Tom moved on him, driving the Flameblade through his head. The warrior¡¯s eyes bulged, and then he went motionless.


    With Malakai down, Rachel rushed over to Orion¡¯s side. She knelt beside him, staring at his body. The small blue diamond just above Rachel¡¯s visor started glowing. Tom knew that meant she was performing a scan on him.


    ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± she said. ¡°Just beat up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say¡­¡± muttered Orion as he tried to sit up. ¡°But¡­the other one¡­ She has Marcus.¡±


    Ethan locked eyes with Tom from behind their visors. ¡°Sylva.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­said something about the heart of Quantum,¡± said Orion.


    ¡°Has to be the Sanctum. She¡¯s going to use Marcus to get her inside,¡± said Tom.


    Rachel looked up from Orion. ¡°You two go on ahead. I¡¯ll get Orion to the infirmary.¡±


    Tom and Ethan nodded, then rushed off in the direction of the Sanctum. They raced up the stairs¡ªthe elevator would waste time they didn¡¯t have. But once they got to the Sanctum door, they saw Marcus pinned against the wall, with Sylva holding her blade to his throat.


    ¡°You have one chance. Open. The. Door,¡± she said.


    ¡°Get fucked,¡± said Marcus.


    Sylva huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Too ba¡ªARGH!¡±


    Sylva¡¯s blade moved like lightning, slicing right through Marcus¡¯s wrist. His hand fell and Sylva caught it before it struck the ground.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Tom screamed, rushing down the hall to close the distance.


    Sylva looked at Tom and Ethan. She glanced at Marcus again, then slashed at his abdomen. Marcus screamed and fell to his knees, blood pouring from both wounds. Sylva put his severed hand against the scanner, and the doors to the Sanctum parted for her.

 The Fallen

    Tom felt paralyzed. All of time seemed to stop once Sylva¡¯s blade cut into Marcus¡¯s flesh. In that instant, Tom felt as helpless as he did when he had to watch Scott, Emily, and Michael die in battle. Another flood of emotions. His rage directed at Sylva for what she¡¯d done, but also his own guilt over his interactions with Marcus. They¡¯d clashed so many times that Tom had secretly hoped the grumpy bastard would just¡­go away.


    But not like this.


    ¡°Marcus!¡± Tom ran to the elder man¡¯s side as he collapsed on the floor. The stump where his hand had been continued to pump out blood, as even more flowed from the wound on his abdomen.


    ¡°Tom¡­¡± said Ethan, clearly having trouble himself at putting words together. ¡°The Sanctum¡­¡±


    In that moment, Tom had almost completely forgotten about Sylva and the Sanctum. Right now, he tried to worry about Marcus. Tom tore Marcus¡¯s shirt open, then ripped strips of cloth off it. He tied one of the strips around Marcus¡¯s arm, trying to stem the bleeding from his severed hand.


    ¡°What about Sylva?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Fucking go!¡± shouted Tom. ¡°You need me to wipe your ass, too?¡±


    Tom immediately regretted those words, but there¡¯d be time for apologies later. Ethan didn¡¯t offer another word, just ran into the Sanctum. Tom activated the scanner on his helmet, and the diamond flashed blue as it did its work. The results of the scan appeared on Tom¡¯s HUD.


    Marcus¡¯s blood pressure dropped at a precipitous pace. He had to try to stem the bleeding as much as possible.


    ¡°Hey kid¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna do much¡­¡± whispered Marcus, his voice straining.


    Tom shook his head. ¡°No, there has to be¡ª¡±


    He stopped, then looked off to the side. The Flameblade, which he¡¯d dropped in the chaos. Tom sprung from the ground and ran to its location. His feet slid across the floor as he tried to stop, and he grabbed the sword¡¯s hilt. Running back, he nearly toppled over as he got back down on the ground. Tom held the sword with the blade pointed at the ceiling. Flames erupted all along the metal, and Tom concentrated, trying to increase the temperature as much as his powers would allow. The flames soon receded, but the blade now had a slight glow to it.


    Tom grabbed Marcus¡¯s arm and held it up. He brought the sword close to the stump and looked at Marcus. With a thought, Tom¡¯s helmet retracted so he could look Marcus in the face.


    ¡°This is gonna hurt¡­¡± he said.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes were heavy-lidded, but he gave an almost imperceptible nod. Tom pressed the hot metal against his skin, and Marcus¡¯s entire body stiffened. He tried to scream, but his voice proved almost impossibly weak. The scent of burning flesh filled the air, and Tom had to suppress his desire to vomit.


    He pulled the sword away and examined his handiwork. It had worked, the wound was closed. Tom didn¡¯t know how much damage he might¡¯ve done in the process, but at least the bleeding had stopped.


    ¡°Now for the other one¡­¡±


    Tom charged up the Flameblade again, heating the sword once more. He looked down at Marcus¡¯s abdomen. The length of the blade combined with the placement of the wound made this more challenging.


    ¡°Okay¡­I think I got it.¡± Tom positioned himself perpendicular to Marcus. He pointed the sword straight ahead. ¡°What I need you to do is to get on your knees, and then¡­kneel forward.¡±


    Tom stared at the blade, waiting for Marcus to do as he said. But Marcus remained propped up against the wall. Tom looked over at him.


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    ¡°Marcus, c¡¯mon. I know it¡¯s gonna hurt, but I need you to work with me.¡±


    Tom stared into Marcus¡¯s eyes. They¡¯d shut completely.


    ¡°Marcus...?¡±


    <hr>


    Ethan followed Sylva into the Sanctum, the door shutting behind him. He gripped the Aquatrident tightly in his hand as he entered the pitch-black room. His suit adjusted to the lighting, shifting things into night-vision for his benefit. And he saw Sylva in the darkness, approaching the beam of light in the center of the room. Ethan pointed his trident at her, summoning up a powerful waterfall to surround her. She stopped, then turned to face him, staring at him through the cascading water. Sylva pulled the mask from her mouth, staring at him with her black eyes.


    ¡°The green one,¡± she said. ¡°Fitting it¡¯s you who¡¯s made it this far.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you get any further, Sylva,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard my tale. You know what the Quantum Group did to me,¡± she said. ¡°To my people. My world.¡±


    ¡°I know what you said, but that doesn¡¯t stand for a whole lot. I¡¯ve seen no shortage of people who make shit up to justify their actions.¡±


    ¡°Then let us ask your masters,¡± said Sylva, gesturing toward the beam of light in the center of the room.


    Ethan glanced at the light, then back at Sylva. ¡°Your people have caused a lot of damage today. That man you mauled? I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s going to survive. So forgive me if I¡¯m not so keen on giving you the benefit of the doubt, you psycho.¡±


    Sylva closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Her image fluctuated, as if Ethan¡¯s eyes were out of sync with each other. The next thing he knew, she was no longer in his watery prison, she was right in front of him.


    Ethan raised up the Aquatrident, but Sylva grabbed it. She used his own strength against him, flipping him on his back and taking the trident from him. Sylva brought the weapon down, halting herself with the tines just inches from Ethan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You will see. And then, you will learn.¡±


    Sylva tossed the Aquatrident aside, then moved into the beam of light. Ethan got to his feet, but before he could take a step toward her, the shadowy holographic images of the Tribunal appeared around her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked one of the Tribunal. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this intrusion?¡±


    She drew her blades from the sheaths on her back. ¡°My name is Sylva, and I¡¯ve earned the title of the Shadowblade. I¡¯m the consequence of your actions.¡±


    ¡°These terms mean nothing to us.¡±


    ¡°Varilia,¡± she said.


    Silence fell over the Tribunal.


    ¡°You recognize that name, do you not?¡± asked Sylva. ¡°That was the name of my world. Before Quantum came and destroyed it.¡±


    Ethan stayed in the shadows, studying the holographic representations of the Tribunal. The giant, floating heads cloaked in shadow maintained their silence. For Ethan, the silence had something to say. He couldn¡¯t determine if it proved Sylva¡¯s claims, but it no longer seemed so unbelievable.


    ¡°Have you nothing to say in defense of your crimes?¡± asked Sylva.


    ¡°We do not need to dignify your half-truths with an answer.¡±


    ¡°¡®Half-truths¡¯?¡± Sylva repeated. ¡°Was it a half-truth when I watched my family slaughtered by your soldiers and your mechanical monstrosities? Was it a half-truth when I was forced to rape my planet¡¯s resources for your benefit? Was it a half-truth when I watched my people choke on the toxic atmosphere you created?¡±


    ¡°There is much you do not understand about your homeworld.¡±


    Ethan couldn¡¯t believe what he¡¯d just heard. His helmet disassembled into its nanite components, retreating from his face. He moved behind Sylva, staring at the faces of the Tribunal. Their darkened eyes fixated on him.


    ¡°Knight Jackson.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true?¡± He pointed at Sylva. ¡°Did the Quantum Group destroy her world? Steal its resources? Enslave their people?¡±


    ¡°The situation is far more complicated than you understand.¡±


    ¡°The fuck it is!¡± shouted Ethan.


    ¡°Varilia had the potential to be an enemy world.¡±


    ¡°The potential?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°You mean they didn¡¯t even pose a threat, you were just basing this all on whether or not you thought they might someday, somehow pose a threat?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve heard enough of their lies.¡± Sylva raised her arms, bending her elbows. She threw her arms forward, and the twin curved blades flew from her grip. They whipped around the Sanctum, silver streaks cutting through the darkness of the room.


    The blades sliced into the room¡¯s hidden technology, and Ethan could hear electricity crackling as wires frayed and split, as metal was cut to shreds. He watched with a mixture of uncertainty and fear as the images of the Tribunal flickered until they completely vanished.


    The twin blades returned to Sylva¡¯s waiting hands. She sheathed them behind her back, then turned to Ethan. Her eyes regarded him carefully, and she extended an open arm.


    ¡°Jackson is what you are called?¡±


    He hesitated and then answered, ¡°Ethan, actually.¡±


    ¡°Ethan.¡± Her features softened as she spoke his name. ¡°You know the evil they¡¯ve done. There¡¯s nothing this place has to offer other than lies. You no longer have to serve as their puppet. Instead, you can come with me.¡±


    ¡°And then what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This was but a communications array. But with your help, we can avenge my people and my world. One world in recompense for many. We can build something better from the wreckage,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m offering you a chance at something better. What say you?¡±

 Conflict

    Ethan stared dumbfounded at Sylva¡¯s outstretched hand. Asking him to join her, after what she¡¯d done? But he also wondered whether it really was that crazy. The Tribunal had essentially confirmed her story, albeit with some rationales on their part. He wasn¡¯t sure what to believe.


    The door opened behind Ethan, and he spun around, his instinct pushing him into a battle stance. Standing in the open doorway was Tom, the Flameblade clutched tightly in his grip; the metal engulfed in fire. Even with Tom¡¯s face hidden behind the helmet, Ethan could still sense the seething rage that practically emanated off his teammate.


    Tom pointed at Sylva. ¡°You are so fucking dead.¡±


    Sylva pulled the mask up over her mouth, then reached behind her back and drew the twin crescent blades. ¡°We¡¯ve done this dance once before, little toy soldier. It took all five of you to defeat me, and even then, it was because I wanted to be. What makes you think you will prevail now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure as hell gonna try.¡±


    ¡°Tom, wait,¡± said Ethan, holding up his hand as he stood between the pair. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more going on here than you realize.¡±


    Tom wouldn¡¯t listen. He crouched, then sprung into the air, flipping right over Ethan¡¯s head. In his descent, he brought the Flameblade down, but Sylva met his strike by hooking his sword between her twin crescent blades. She locked his weapon in her own grip, then tore it from his hands.


    Sylva moved from defense to offense, her crescent blades whizzing through the air. Tom used his gauntlets to deflect her strikes, sparks flying with every single blow. She almost got him down, but Tom blocked, then thrust forward to break her stance.


    He flipped over her as she stumbled back, then kicked her right in the center of her spine. Sylva tumbled forward, but skidded to a stop and turned. She hurled both her blades at him. Tom dodged each of them, but they came around again. Ethan watched as Sylva apparently controlled their flight path, spinning and whipping them so fast around the room that he had trouble keeping up.


    He wasn¡¯t alone. Tom also struggled to track them. So engrossed in the swords, Sylva¡¯s attack caught him completely off guard. She sprung into him, tackling him to the floor. Her strength proved greater than her slim frame suggested.


    Sylva had Tom pinned beneath her, and she battered his helmet-clad head with her small fists. Ethan watched, paralyzed. He wanted to do something, but he couldn¡¯t move. Should he even try to intervene? At that moment, he still tried to process what the Tribunal had said.


    One of Sylva¡¯s hands went straight up, and a crescent blade flew into her waiting palm. She gripped it and brought it down.


    The diamond in the center of Tom¡¯s helmet let off a bright, crimson light. Sylva recoiled, blinded by the sudden influx of light. He pushed her off and rolled across the ground. Tom retrieved the Flameblade. As he rose to a fighting stance, he brought the sword with him, now ready to fight again.


    Sylva summoned the second crescent sword. She slammed the hilts together, and they fused into one, double-bladed weapon. Tom twirled the Flameblade, a fiery trail following his movements. He slashed through the air, and a wave of fire extended off the blade, slicing its way toward Sylva. But she managed to spin her own weapon, and the gust she created caused the flaming sickle to dissipate.


    If they keep this up, they¡¯ll kill each other, Ethan thought. He glanced across the room at his Aquatrident, still in the spot where Sylva had tossed it. Ethan rushed for it. once he got his hands on the weapon, he raised it up, and slammed it into the floor.


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    Twin columns of water descended around both Sylva and Tom, temporarily holding them at bay. Tom turned in his makeshift prison to face Ethan.


    ¡°The hell¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear what she told me before,¡± said Ethan. ¡°The Quantum Group isn¡¯t what we¡¯d been told.¡±


    ¡°Like I give a shit what lies she had to say,¡± said Tom. ¡°Are you really going to believe some interdimensional psychopath?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Tom. I¡¯m not so sure she is psycho,¡± said Ethan. ¡°You weren¡¯t here a few minutes ago. You didn¡¯t listen to what the Tribunal said. And before we push things too far, we have to figure out just what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Tom held the Flameblade in front of him, both hands gripping the hilt. Heat energy radiated off the flaming metal, and the watery prisons Ethan had formed evaporated into mist. Tom tossed Ethan a glare, then swung his sword back at Sylva.


    ¡°Tom, stop!¡±


    Ethan moved faster than he ever thought possible, putting himself between the two. He brought his trident up, holding it at both ends of the long staff. Tom¡¯s sword struck the green metal.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let you kill her, not until we have all the facts,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°What is this, she have you under some kind of mind control?¡± asked Tom.


    Ethan shook his head. ¡°No, nothing like that. I just know that there¡¯s more going on here. You have to trust me on this.¡±


    ¡°Your sympathy is very touching, Ethan,¡± said Sylva. ¡°Time is not our friend, I¡¯m afraid. Perhaps at some point, you will have another chance to consider my offer.¡±


    Tom stared at Sylva, then turned his head to Ethan. Even with the helmet concealing his features, Ethan could still feel the judgmental nature of Tom¡¯s stare.


    ¡°What the hell is she talking about? What offer?¡±


    ¡°She asked me to join her, but it¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    Tom didn¡¯t wait for Ethan to finish. He pulled his sword from the trident and thrusted it toward Ethan¡¯s chest. Ethan could barely react in time to deflect that blow, too. He summoned his helmet back on, the nanites closing in over his head.


    ¡°The Obsidian Dreadnought awaits. Another time, Ethan,¡± said Sylva before vanishing from the room.


    ¡°You happy now? You helped her escape,¡± said Tom. ¡°How long have you been working with her? Was it before or after we took her prisoner?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re paranoid. I¡¯m not working with her, I just know there¡¯s more going on here than we realize.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    Tom leaped into the air, then brought the Flameblade crashing down. Ethan back-flipped a few times to avoid the strike. Once he landed on his feet, Tom had crossed the distance, his sword a flurry of red and orange. Defending himself, Ethan tried to counter Tom¡¯s strikes, but the red Omega Knight proved too fast. His rage fueled his adrenaline, and Ethan didn¡¯t know what, if anything, he could say to get Tom to let up.


    Ethan slammed the Aquatrident on the floor and a sudden wave of water appeared out of the ether, then crashed on top of Tom. The force of the water separated the two, with Tom rolling on the ground. The fire surrounding the Flameblade had been extinguished, and steam rose off the metal. Tom got back to his feet, holding the sword down by his side.


    ¡°Are you ready to cool off and listen?¡± asked Ethan.


    ¡°Marcus is dead,¡± said Tom.


    Ethan gasped. Marcus¡¯s injuries were severe, he knew that much. But with Tom there, Ethan figured he was in good hands. That he could survive. Or maybe Ethan had just told himself that out of misplaced optimism. While still trying to process his shock, the word ¡°What?¡± slipped out of his mouth.


    ¡°You heard me.¡± Tom pointed an accusatory finger. ¡°And you just helped his killer escape.¡±


    Before he could form a coherent response to what he¡¯d just heard, Ethan had to get on defense again. Tom rushed him again. This time, Ethan¡¯s reactions were too slow. Tom¡¯s sword scraped across Ethan¡¯s chest, the metal sparking against the armor. Tom followed up the slash with a roundhouse kick to Ethan¡¯s head, and he went flying.


    Ethan hit the wall. He lost all sense of position, and his vision shook. After a moment, he realized he was on the floor, and tried to get back up. But another blow to his head brought him right back down. He couldn¡¯t see where the attack had come from, but he knew it had to be Tom. Blows rained down on Ethan¡¯s head, and he couldn¡¯t even raise his arms up to defend himself. He wondered how long the helmet¡¯s integrity could stand up to the force of a fellow Knight.


    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to find out. Relief came almost as quickly as the strikes did. Ethan felt hands on his body, helping him stand. He retracted his helmet, and he looked to his side to see Olivia helping him stand.


    ¡°You okay?¡± she asked.


    He took a breath and nodded, though he didn¡¯t feel the least bit okay. ¡°Where¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Ethan answered his own question when he looked away from Olivia and saw Tom being restrained by Alexa and Rachel. He finally relented, and they let him go. Rachel stepped in the middle, her helmet retracting.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve separated you two, who¡¯s gonna tell me what the hell happened?¡±

 Revelations

    After Rachel got Orion to the infirmary, he told her Candace and the other support staff were in the Nexus. She quickly dropped by them to tell Candace about what had happened and the doctor wasted no time in going with her to check on her new patient. Rachel excused herself¡ªOrion was in good hands, and she had to get to the Sanctum to provide support for Ethan and Tom.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Rachel stopped in her tracks at the sudden voice in her ear¡ªAlexa¡¯s voice. She sent back her own transmission. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that weird, insect-looking¡­whatever,¡± said Olivia. ¡°It just disappeared.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t find any trace of it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in the skies, nothing on land. It¡¯s just gone,¡± said Alexa.


    Rachel didn¡¯t know whether that qualified as good or bad news. ¡°Okay, you two better get in here. Meet me at the Sanctum.¡±


    She went to the stairwell and ran up the next few flights. Rachel got off at the Sanctum¡¯s level and rushed through, but she stopped when she saw the body in the hall in front of the Sanctum¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡±


    Rachel ran over to Marcus¡¯s body and fell to her knees. She checked his pulse, but judging from the amount of blood that drenched his clothes and pooled under him, she knew the answer even before she found an artery. Rachel wrapped her arms around Marcus¡¯s lifeless form and held him tight. She¡¯d known him even before she became a Knight. They¡¯d never been particularly close, but he¡¯d been a constant in her life. And now, he was just gone. She kept waiting for his gruff voice to croak out a command, tell her she was squeezing him too tight. But nothing came.


    ¡°Rache¡­¡±


    She looked up to see Alexa and Olivia standing nearby. Olivia was the first to retract her helmet, her eyes already beginning to water. Alexa¡¯s helmet retracted next. Her eyebrows angled and she bit her lower lip, then looked away. Alexa had clashed with Marcus, so Rachel figured seeing him like this no doubt raised complicated feelings.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Olivia.


    Rachel steeled herself and stood, turning toward the closed Sanctum door. ¡°Orion said that Sylva bitch had taken him, so I¡¯m guessing this is her handiwork.¡± She held out her arm, the Thunderbow forming in her grip.


    Alexa activated her helmet and manifested the Zephyrwhip. Olivia was slower to act, but she restored her helmet and also summoned her Terrastaff.


    Rachel gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief at the chaos and the unexpected scene before her. With Tom pummeling Ethan. And no sign of Sylva.


    Rachel wasted no time in taking action. She retracted her weapon, then rushed over to her two teammates. Rachel tried to pry Tom off of Ethan, but his fury seemed relentless. It took Alexa¡¯s help before they were able to pull Tom back. And still he struggled, forcing them both to summon all their strength to restrain him. Once he¡¯d calmed, Rachel and Alexa released him. Rachel saw that Olivia had helped Ethan to his feet, and she moved in the middle of them. After retracting her helmet, Rachel regarded both of them with the sort of stern gaze a teacher might use on a pair of unruly students.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve separated you two, who¡¯s gonna tell me what the hell happened?¡± She turned to Tom first. ¡°For starters, why were you beating the crap out of Ethan?¡±


    ¡°A better question would be why did he help Marcus¡¯s killer escape?¡± asked Tom, pointing at Ethan.


    Rachel¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She huffed, then turned to Ethan. ¡°The hell¡¯s that mean?¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened. I just didn¡¯t want him to kill her before we could get to the bottom of everything,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°The bottom of what?¡± asked Olivia.


    Ethan looked at Olivia, then regarded his other teammates. His eyes finally settled on both Tom and Rachel. With a sigh, he said, ¡°There¡¯s a lot we have to talk about.¡±


    <hr>


    With the dust settled, the entire group gathered in the cafeteria. Through a holo-link, both Candace and Orion joined from the infirmary. Ethan wanted them to hear what he had to say, too. But no one was quite prepared for the story he was about to tell.


    ¡°When she was our prisoner, I had a chance to speak to Sylva. She told me about her world, a place called Varilia. She said that the Quantum Group invaded and killed massive numbers of people. Then, they subjugated the survivors and forced them into slave labor, stripping the world of its resources.¡±


    ¡°And you believed that shit?¡± asked Alexa, her posture stiff while she avoided looking Ethan in the eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to believe. At least, not at first,¡± said Ethan. ¡°But when I followed her into the Sanctum, she confronted the Tribunal. And once she said the name of her world, they got real quiet.¡±


    ¡°They were probably shocked by the level of bullshit,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°Tom, can you hit pause? We agreed to give him a chance to talk.¡± Rachel looked at Ethan. ¡°Did they say anything? Deny it?¡±


    ¡°No. In fact, sounded more like they were equivocating,¡± said Ethan. ¡°So I asked them directly. They said her world had the potential to be an enemy world.¡±


    ¡°The potential?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°Exactly my reaction,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I tried to get more info, but Sylva destroyed the Sanctum and the link to the Tribunal before they could say anything else.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡± asked Olivia, her shoulders sagging. She looked at Rachel and Tom. ¡°Did you know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, because I don¡¯t think we can trust anything Ethan says,¡± said Tom. ¡°How come he never told anyone about this conversation with Sylva until now?¡±


    ¡°Because I thought it was bullshit, too,¡± said Ethan. ¡°And then we got swept up in other stuff.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she got into your head somehow,¡± said Tom. ¡°You saw her teleport away like that, who knows what other powers she has?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure it¡¯s bullshit.¡± Rachel looked at Tom. ¡°Remember what Barnes said?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Barnes?¡± asked Olivia.


    ¡°A former Knight, tried to interface with his Titan like I did and it drove him insane,¡± said Rachel. ¡°He¡¯s still alive and Tom and I went to see him. He said it was all lies. And I remember from my own visions¡­it didn¡¯t like they were happening on Earth.¡±


    ¡°So¡­it¡¯s true?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°We¡¯re working for the bad guys?¡±


    ¡°Did you know?¡± Tom asked the holographic projections of Orion and Candace. ¡°Have you known what we were part of?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything even remotely like this,¡± said Candace.


    Tom fixed his gaze on Orion¡¯s projection. ¡°And you?¡±


    Orion shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if I¡¯m being honest, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me. No one knows a whole lot about the Tribunal, or how far the Quantum Group stretches.¡±


    ¡°Stripping resources from other worlds? Could explain why the Quantum Group has access to so much cutting-edge tech and how they can afford all of this,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Okay¡­what, then?¡± asked Alexa.


    ¡°Sylva told me she was part of a group of survivors gathered together by a great warrior to get revenge on the Quantum Group.¡±


    ¡°Was that the big guy?¡± asked Orion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Seemed like she was giving him orders,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say who their leader is, but my guess is you¡¯re right. All she would say is that he¡¯s some great warrior. Sounded like someone to be scared of,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Yeah, but what do we do?¡± asked Alexa. ¡°If we¡¯re working for the bad guys, then do we¡­I dunno, switch sides now?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that simple,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Sylva talked about building something better from the wreckage, and she said one world in recompense for many. Whatever it is they¡¯re here for, I think it goes beyond just the Quantum Group.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what the Quantum Group may have done in the past, we all know what we¡¯ve done. And I don¡¯t know about any of you, but I think I would¡¯ve remembered if I were involved in any genocides,¡± said Rachel. ¡°We can feel sympathy for what¡¯s been done to these people, but that doesn¡¯t mean we let them destroy another world. The rest of you can do what you want. But I¡¯ll still fight, if that¡¯s what needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°No secret how I feel about what happened to them, but two wrongs don¡¯t make a right. I¡¯ll fight,¡± said Ethan.


    ¡°Fighting¡¯s not my first choice, but I also don¡¯t want anyone else getting hurt,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Me, too. I¡¯m onboard.¡±


    ¡°She killed Marcus. That alone needs some kinda response,¡± said Alexa. ¡°And who knows what else they¡¯re up to? I¡¯m in.¡±


    Tom faced away from the group. He rubbed his chin as he stared at the wall. ¡°All this time¡­I thought that Scott and the others¡­I thought they died for something. That they were heroes. But in the end, it turns out we¡¯ve all just been puppets.¡±


    He took the Omega Gauntlet off his wrist and set it on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m done being used.¡±