I wasn't surprised when we discovered the group had relocated after one of their members went missing. People like them weren't stupid. They'd move fast and cover their tracks. What surprised me was how fast they'd regrouped.
We managed to track them down to another hideout, this time a crumbling building hidden deep in the woods. It took a little longer than I'd hoped. If what the guy we captured said was true, we had maybe two hours—two hours before this so-called weapon launched and wiped every Elite off the map. The thought made my stomach churn.
We crouched low in the forest, hidden among the thick trees and underbrush as we scoped out the scene. The group was inside, but something about them felt… different this time. They were sharper, more focused. They had to know we were coming.
"They're expecting us," Kaito whispered from beside me. His voice was calm, steady, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders.
"Doesn't matter," I said, gripping my gun tighter. "We stick to the plan."
The plan wasn't perfect—it rarely was. But it was all we had. Our goal was to separate Desmond and Catalina from the others. The two of them were the biggest threats, but that didn't mean the rest of the group was harmless. Kaito, Cherry, and Xavier would keep the others busy while Heesung, Bellarose, and I dealt with Desmond and Catalina.
"Xavier, you're up," I said, nodding toward the building.
Xavier smirked, his confidence unshaken, and slipped away into the shadows. Moments later, a loud explosion echoed from the side of the building. The distraction worked. The group inside scrambled toward the sound, their focus shattered.
"Now," I said.
Bell threw a smoke bomb into the chaos, and the thick cloud engulfed the area. In the confusion, we moved fast, splitting the group just as we planned. Desmond and Catalina stumbled out into the open, coughing and trying to clear the smoke from their faces. The others were drawn away, leaving the two of them exposed.
---
We didn't attack immediately. Bellarose took the lead, raising her sniper rifle with practiced precision. She was a force to be reckoned with—her ability to control the trajectory of objects mid-air made her almost impossible to miss.
Her first shot hit Catalina square in the shoulder. For a moment, I felt a flicker of hope. But then Catalina stood up straight, unfazed. Her wound closed itself in seconds, like it had never been there at all.
"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath.
Bell scowled, her frustration evident as she reloaded. But before she could fire again, Desmond's gaze snapped toward her.
"Bell, move!" I shouted, but it was too late.
Desmond was fast—too fast. He closed the distance in a blink, lunging at Bell with terrifying precision. But Bell wasn't just a sniper. She specialized in knockdown techniques, and she wasn't about to go down without a fight.
As Desmond swung at her, she dodged low, sweeping his legs out from under him. In one fluid motion, she wrapped herself around his torso and slammed him into the ground with enough force to make the earth tremble.
I felt a surge of pride watching her, but it didn't last long. Desmond wasn't out for more than a second. He rolled to his feet, his movements sharp and calculated. Bellarose tried to attack again, spinning into a powerful kick aimed at his head.
But he caught her mid-swing.
With a cruel smirk, he twisted her leg and hurled her into a nearby tree. The impact was brutal—wood splintered, and Bell let out a grunt of pain as she crumpled to the ground.
"Bell!" Heesung called, his voice laced with worry. He made a move toward her, but Catalina stepped in his way.
I shifted my focus to Catalina. I didn't have time to worry about Bell. Heesung would take care of her—I had to trust him.
I lunged at Catalina, aiming low to sweep her legs out from under her. But she leapt into the air, flipping over my head like it was nothing. Before I could react, she spun and kicked me hard in the ribs. I stumbled back, my breath catching in my chest.
"Pathetic," she sneered, her hot-pink eyes gleaming with amusement. "You Elites are nothing but a joke."
I wiped a trickle of blood from my lip and glared at her. "Big talk for someone who hides behind cheap tricks."
Her smirk widened, and I could see the challenge in her eyes. "Let's see if you can back up that mouth, girl."
She moved first, her attacks fast and relentless. I barely had time to dodge her punches, each one aimed with deadly precision. I countered with a kick, managing to land a solid hit to her side. Catalina stumbled, but before I could capitalize on the moment, her wound healed again.
I bit back a curse. How the hell were we supposed to fight someone who couldn't stay down?
"Akari, fall back!" Heesung shouted, his voice strained as he fought Desmond. "We need to regroup!"
"No," I snapped. "We don't have time for that!"
But deep down, I knew he was right. We were running out of options—and time.
---
Across the clearing, Kaito, Cherry, and Xavier were locked in their own battle. I couldn't see much through the trees, but I could hear the clash of weapons and the grunts of effort.
"We need to end this fast," I heard Kaito say, his voice calm despite the chaos.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. We couldn't afford to lose here. Not when the stakes were this high.
Catalina lunged at me again, her movements a blur. I barely managed to block her punch, the impact rattling up my arm. My body screamed in protest, but I didn't back down.
This wasn't just about us anymore. This was about every Elite out there.
And I wasn't about to let them down.
The forest was alive with the sounds of battle—shouts, explosions, and the clash of steel. Time was slipping through our fingers, and the weapon loomed closer to completion with every passing second.
We couldn't fail.
We wouldn't fail.