Lance led the two young Agents through the ruins of a rather large city. Full of buildings that were either on the verge of collapsing, or had already collapsed for various states of disrepair, and damage sustained from the war.
The perfect place for Androids to ambush them. And they all knew it.
"What's Eden like?" Tessa questioned standing in the middle of their little group as they walked.
"Since we only have Vatica headquarters to compare anything to. It is far worse when it comes to how the buildings and such are designed. Much bleaker, almost as if the city had lost hope. That's at least if you take it at face value." Lance explained as truthfully as he could manage.
"Sounds really depressing there." Tessa said indignantly.
"It's only that way due to Outlier cities having been raided and destroyed by Androids. They had no choice but to flee to the last safe place that'd accept them if they were willing to do the work." Lance explained further.
"Hopefully the state of affairs will improve if Eden is to survive the winter." Tessa said, stating a dire possibility.
"We'll ensure that it never comes down to that." Septum said from behind Tessa. He had his hands cupped behind his head as he walked. Never looking at the group as he spoke, he only looked at their surroundings. Staying silent most of the time to not risk missing a single detail.
Not like he did yesterday.
It was one of the things Tessa had noticed about him. Whenever he made a mistake, he made sure not to make it again anytime soon. It was something she noticed not only about him, but about the Agent that was leading their little pack.
Lance. He was a different kind of Agent compared to Septum. Both in skill and in rank. He was even training Septum while they were transporting her. Which couldn't be easy for him in any regards.
"I can feel you observing me. If there's something you're curious about, then ask it. I don't need you distracting me." Lance said as he continued to lead them through the destroyed streets.
"I distract you eh? Says more about you than it does me." Tessa mocked with a small snicker she couldn't help.
Lance simply stopped and pinned her with a cold, calculating look. Shaking his head knowing better than to play into her goading. "Is there something you wish to know Tessa?"
"What's your Agent designation?" Tessa said in response.
"My designation is Elite. If you're looking for something more specific. I am designated in both combat, and high risk categories. Which is why I am leading this mission." He answered without a lick of hesitation.
"So they sent small fry to take me to Eden. They must not think highly of me." Tessa said half offended, half mocking.
"Small fry that have saved your life, and treated your injuries." Lance said in a surly tone.
"Tha-"
"There are androids around us." Septum butt in cutting off their conversation. Sending the two elder Agents into high alert as they both scanned the area. Both doing a complete 360 degree circle.
All three of them saw the same three signs. The sequential well traveled pathways, Scraps, and finally signs of a long and drawn out battle having taken place. All three knew the other saw them without a single word being uttered.
Lance was the first to act by drawing his high velocity pistol. (Or H.V. Pistol for short.) Gesturing the other two to do the same. Which they did by drawing their blades. The standard issue katana that all Agents used.
"Keep on high alert. We are going to proceed, only diverting from the path if there are greater signs of battle." Lance said, keeping his eyes peeled on the path ahead of them. "Remember to keep your eyes out for anything that could alert the Androids to our position. Could be sensors, could be something more primitive."
"Roger." The two younger Agents said in response as they carefully made their way behind Lance. Taking great care with each and every step they took.
Lance kept his gaze forward, scanning the surrounding area as he walked, only deviating from his path to move around, or over signs of obvious trappings. Looking back only to ensure that they had followed his movements exactly.
Once he was satisfied, he continued moving seeing how the path separated into two other paths. Debris had bisected the once wide road, turning it into something akin to a game of chance.
Both paths were similar in design. Meticulously set up so that no one could distinguish which was the one that would lead to safety. Or which one would lead to their imminent demise. It felt almost as if they were in the middle of a game, a sick and twisted game for the entertainment of man made killers.
"Where do we go from here?" Tessa asked, peering down both paths looking for the slightest signs of danger, or difference. But even she couldn't make out anything to tell the two apart. "It just seems like one big trap to me."
"I know." Lance said simply. "The bastards are looking for entertainment."
"So what do we do? Split up, and one of us dies and the others survives?" Septum said, stating the only option he could see.
"I am not the type to sacrifice my team needlessly Septum." Lance said sternly, aiming at shutting down his subordinates' tirade. "It would be wise of you to think before you speak."
"What if we climb over the rubble in the middle?" Tessa suggested pointing to the piled rubble that separated the two paths. Mainly to keep both men from killing each other over something so trivial.
"Androids aren't the type to design a trap with multiple ways of getting through it. They aren't that creative to have multiple paths converge to the same point. So any path we see as an easy work around, is more than likely trapped." Lance said grabbing a rock that was about the size of his hand. Testing its weight before tossing it into the air in the direction Tessa had suggested. Only for the rock to be cut into hundreds of tiny pieces by invisible wires. "If those wires are sharp enough to cut a rock into pieces, it's a fair assessment of what they'd do to us if it were to connect."
Both Tessa and Septum gulped at what they had just witnessed, realizing just how dangerous their situation truly was. Even though they both knew just how dangerous the outside world truly was.
It was filled to the brim with Androids who had been so effective at killing, that they now turned it into a game to kill the remaining humans. A game that was set up for humanity to lose in a most gruesome manner; and they had no choice but to play along in the hopes of getting the upper hand in any way that they can.
"I'm going to take the path on the right, you two will take the path on the left." Lance said, cutting through their stunned silence as he walked down the path, not bothering to give them a chance to respond to his suggestion.
Septum sighed before turning to Tessa who didn't seem to take it too well that she was being ordered around. "Don't take orders much do you?"
"Not from someone who's a rank below me." Tessa said simply as she began walking down the left path with a confidence she didn't really feel. She could feel the illness coursing through her body, could feel it festering. She knew that before long, she wouldn't be able to hold her own in a proper fight. So the faster they got through this. The faster she could be treated.