Swish!
Moon slid past the gates of an ever-growing trail of ice. Frosty energy expelled from his body, freezing everything in his path, while Ethan obliterated the ice sculptures with his feather blades. Watching the two fight, it was clear they had some chemistry, but in countless battles fought together.
Meanwhile, the Soldiers pushed forward under Leo's command, gunning down numerous beasts almost effortlessly while advancing. Only Evelyn was left behind with the students, as they just followed the team from behind with bored expressions on their faces.
"This is why I hate working with high-rated guardians, there is nothing for us to do and hardly any contribution points to be earned." Maya Walker complained.
"Don't worry, you will get the chance to earn a few points after the beasts at the gate are cleared." Evelyn laughed.
Her eyes occasionally glanced in Lucius's direction, but she ultimately said nothing to him. Lucius on the other hand, noticed her glances but couldn't find any hint of animosity from her or Leo. It seemed that the people involved in this plot were Ethan and Moon.
[I suspect Ethan is affiliated with the Hall family, just like Moon. The others are just solo guardians recruited by the Agency.] Lyxor explained.
'I see' Lucius nodded silently.
By the time they arrived at the gate, the small horde of beasts had been obliterated by guardians. This was a small horde that soldiers struggled with, but they were instantly obliterated by beasts.
"Gather around." Moon ordered with a stern look.
"There are four sectors within the Prime Protectors domain in Virginia, with nearly ten thousand civilians under our care. To cover more locations, we need to split up." Moon said, his gaze strangely shifting to Lucius.
[Of course we do.] Lyxor said in a mocking tone.
"Leo, you will lead Alex Briggs, Xiaolan Mei, and five troops to Sector one." Moon began delegating roles.
"Sector two will be handled by Silver Ainsworth, Mira Rivera, and me, with the support of five troops." Moon said.
"For Sector Three, Dean Hall will have Evelyn as his support and ten troops to back them up." Moon added before turning his attention to Lucius.
"And finally, sector four will be spearheaded by Lucius Blackwater, Ralph Ashford, and ten troops. I have seen you fight, and I believe you're the most capable here. Can you handle this?" Moon's voice softened.
This gesture would inflate the ego of anyone who was unaware of his intentions and force them to agree, but Lucius could see through the facade.
"I can." Lucius said with a nod.
[Humans are too predictable.] Lyxor chuckled.
"What, he gets to go alone? What about me?" Maya complained.
"We cannot leave the Facility without a strong guardian leadership. You will stay here and coordinate troops here in case another beast horde arrives." Moon explained with a rare smile. "By the way, you are our trump card. If anything comes up, you will be our backup."
Maya blushed at his words and nodded sheepishly with her face lowered.
[Women. Such weak-minded creatures.] Lyxor chuckled
'You can't make this shit up.' Lucius felt like facepalming.
"As usual, I will act as the scout." Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh causing everyone except Lucius and Silver to laugh. Their gaze met, but briefly.
… Sector Four….
The moonlight shone over the abandoned street filled with potholes, some large enough to swallow a small car. These potholes were filled with stagnant rainwater that reflected the image of the full moon
Dilapidated buildings lined both sides of the street, their façades crumbling and windows shattered. The brickwork was worn and weathered, with large patches of exposed, rusted rebar. Some buildings were boarded up with rotting plywood, their doors hanging off hinges or missing entirely.
Old, rusted cars were abandoned along the curb, their tires long deflated and bodies overtaken by creeping vines. Streetlights stood as rusted skeletons, their glass fixtures shattered or missing. A lone, tattered flag hangs limply from a tilted flagpole, its colors indistinguishable through the grime and decay.
Sidewalks were broken and uneven, with large chunks missing or tilted upwards by the roots of encroaching trees. Trash and debris are scattered everywhere—discarded furniture, torn mattresses, and plastic bags that fluttered like ghosts in the wind.
Overhead, the power lines sag under the weight of time, some snapped and hanging dangerously low. The air is heavy with the smell of dampness and mold, mixed with the faint, acrid scent of rust and decay.
"My God…" Ralph muttered, covering his nose with his cape. "Did you really live in a place like this?"
Lucius shot him a glance but said nothing. He turned to the soldiers lined up behind him and spoke.
"The fact it's quiet means something is wrong. Sector four covers three streets, so we need to split up and search each building thoroughly." Lucius said with cold eyes.
"Yes, sir!" They responded quickly.
Even a guardian in training like Lucius far outranked them, leaving them with no choice but to follow his orders.
"Move in twos." Lucius said before turning his attention to Ralph. "You will stick with them and provide support. Be careful."
"Are you going alone?" Ralph was stunned.
"I move to work better alone, and I believe these men need you more than I do. It's time for you to prove yourself to the world, not hide behind my shadow." Lucius tapped his shoulder before running away.
In truth, he simply wanted to keep Ralph away from him. He knew when the time came for his assassination, both of them would be killed.
The best he could do right now was isolate himself from the team and prepare for Ethan's attack.
[I suggest you wait for him in a building. Limiting his movements and getting a better understanding of the terrain before the battle starts. That's the best you can do now.] Lyxor advised.
"Yes. I agree with that too. I can only do my best and leave the rest to fate." Lucius sighed.
He knew the next battle he would fight may actually end up costing him his life.