"Mark, Six, Ten, and Cross, you're with me. We'll scout Point A while the rest of you scout Point B. We'll meet at the checkpoint here," I said, tapping the map spread across the hood of one of the vehicles.
"Yes, Captain!"
"Alright, Cap!"
I glanced at the vehicles stacked neatly with supplies. Splitting them between the two groups was the logical choice—if we lost contact with one vehicle, the other would still have half the supplies. We'd also bury emergency rations at our camp in case things went haywire.
"Joe will lead the other team as captain in my absence. If you encounter something beyond your control, prioritize escape and signal with a maroon flare. Your safety comes first." My voice carried authority, but I couldn't hide the worry lacing it.
"Yes, sir!"
Their response in unison eased my mind, though the tension from last night lingered in the air.
As we drove off under the glaring midday sun, the team prepared their gear. Except for Mark, who was driving, everyone checked their symbiotes and adjusted their gears. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on my mind. The ambush had been brutal. I'd barely had time to gather myself before slicing and blasting through Negrons. Yet, Cross had been snoring the entire time.
"Cap?" Cross broke the silence, her tone tentative. "So, uh...what really happened last night? All I remember is falling asleep."
"And staying asleep," I replied flatly, scanning the horizon through the window. "You slept like logs while we fought for our lives."
Ten chuckled nervously. "We didn't know, Cap. We—"
"You didn't know because you didn't wake up," I snapped. "This isn't boot camp where someone covers for you. Keep sleeping through chaos, and you'll wake up dead."
Mark coughed to break the tension. "Hey, Cap, give 'em a break. Everyone's still adjusting."
Adjusting or not, they needed to be sharper. Complacency got people killed, and this wasn't a game. This planet was deadly, and the longer we spent here, the more I wished I was back on earth, doing the casual espionage and assassination runs.
Cross started humming under her breath, breaking the silence. Mark perked up, recognizing the tune.
"Is that the old campfire song?" he asked, grinning.
"My dad used to sing it when he worked out," she said, her tone defensive.
Mark chuckled. "Well, you hum like a kid scared of the dark."
"Shut it, Mark!" Cross barked, smacking his arm.
Soon, the group started singing together, the tension easing slightly. I stayed silent, but the camaraderie in their voices reminded me why I led these people.
"C'mon, Cap," Mark called, his voice teasing. "Sing with us."
"Yeah, Cap!" Six chimed in, tugging at my seat.
"You know, I always thought you were uptight," Ten added with a laugh.
"I still am," I muttered, smirking despite myself.
Then it hit us.
A deafening BAM rattled the vehicle, throwing us to one side. Metal screeched as the car skidded, and I shouted, "Drive, Mark!"
Mark cursed under his breath, yanking the wheel. "Negrons—lots of them!"
I whipped my head around. "Four, five, six—damn it, more are coming!"
The horde closed in, their grotesque forms barely visible in the kicked-up dust. Their thick, black hides gleamed under the sunlight, claws scraping the ground as they charged.
Mark swerved, but the vehicle hit a rock and flipped. The world spun as I tumbled out of the overturned vehicle, landing hard on the uneven ground. Pain lanced through my ribs, but I forced myself upright, shaking the stars from my vision. The air was thick with the guttural screeches of the Negrons closing in, their glowing yellow eyes cutting through the dust and debris like ghostly torches.
Blood trickled down my temple as I scanned the field. Mark was pinned under the wreckage, unmoving. My chest tightened, but I shoved the grief aside. Survival came first.
"Form up!" I barked, my voice hoarse. "Everyone arm up now!"
Cross scrambled back against the wreckage, her symbiote in hand. Ten stood her ground beside her, gripping her weapon tightly, her brown hair plastered to her face with sweat. Six was a little farther off, his symbiote already humming with energy as he moved to cover our flank.
The Negrons advanced—hulking masses of muscle and blackened hide, their twisted forms vaguely humanoid but grotesquely exaggerated. Their claws gleamed like polished obsidian, and their fanged maws dripped with saliva, eager for the kill.
"Three on the left, two more coming in fast from the right!" Ten called, her voice steady despite the chaos.
"Stay sharp! Use your abilities if you have to!" I commanded, gripping my own symbiote.
The first Negron lunged, its claws arcing toward me. I ducked low, slicing upward in a fluid motion. My blade cut deep, black ichor spraying across my vest. The beast shrieked and collapsed, thrashing violently before going still.
"Captain, behind you!" Cross shouted.
I turned just in time to see a second Negron barreling toward me. Raising my hand, I channeled energy into my fingertips. A concentrated beam of violet and blue light erupted from my finger, slamming into the creature's chest. It staggered, stunned, and I finished it off with a clean strike to the neck.
"Nice shot, Cap!" Six called, but his grin quickly vanished as a Negron tackled him from the side.
The beast pinned him to the ground, its claws raking at his chest. Six gritted his teeth, his free hand glowing with a faint, golden light. With a desperate shout, he slammed his palm against the Negron's face. A blinding flash erupted, and the creature reeled back, screeching in pain as its head smoked and sizzled.
"Photon burst for the win!" Six crowed, scrambling to his feet.
"Quit celebrating and focus!" I snapped, parrying another claw swipe.
Ten dashed past me, her symbiote transforming into a jagged, whip-like weapon. She lashed out at a Negron, the blade coiling around its leg. With a fierce tug, she yanked it off balance, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Cross, take it out!" she yelled.
Cross didn't hesitate. She leaped forward, her symbiote glowing faintly as it elongated into a spear. With a sharp thrust, she drove it into the Negron's chest, black ichor pooling beneath it.
Another screech tore through the air as a larger Negron emerged from the shadows. Its hide was thicker, almost metallic, and its glowing eyes burned with a savage intelligence.
"Big one incoming!" I warned, raising my weapon.
The creature charged, but this time, Cross stepped forward, her hands trembling. Her ability flared—a shimmering blue barrier forming around us just as the Negron's claws slammed into it. The impact sent Cross staggering back, the barrier flickering before collapsing.
"I can't hold it for long!" she gasped, clutching her side where her earlier wound bled freely.
"You won't have to," Ten growled, her whip slicing through the air toward the creature. The Negron caught the weapon mid-swing, snapping it with a twist of its claws.
"Damn it!" Ten cursed, retreating as the creature advanced.
I stepped in, firing another beam at the beast. It barely flinched, the energy dissipating against its armor-like hide.
"Six, we need a distraction!" I shouted.
Six nodded, his hands glowing brighter. He raised them toward the Negron, unleashing a blinding burst of light. The creature roared, momentarily disoriented, giving me the opening I needed.
I surged forward, driving my blade into its side. The symbiote pulsed, its edge slicing through the creature's tough hide. It howled, swiping at me with its claws. I ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, and twisted the blade deeper.
"Keep it up, Cap!" Ten shouted, hurling a chunk of debris at the Negron's head.
The creature staggered, its movements growing sluggish as ichor poured from its wounds. Finally, with a guttural roar, it collapsed, its body twitching before going still.
I pulled my blade free, breathing hard.
"Regroup!" I ordered, scanning the battlefield.
Cross was slumped against the wreckage, her barrier flickering weakly around her. Ten helped her to her feet, while Six kept watch, his hands still glowing faintly.
"That's not all of them," Six muttered, his eyes scanning the treeline.
He was right. More screeches echoed in the distance, the sound sending a chill down my spine.
"We can't stay here," I said. "Cross, can you move?"
"Barely," she admitted, her face pale.
"Ten, help her. Six, you're on point. We're falling back to regroup with the others."
They nodded, and we began moving, our steps hurried but cautious. The Negrons' cries grew louder, closer.
As we reached a clearing, another group of Negrons appeared, cutting off our path.
"Damn it!" I growled, raising my blade. But before I even had the time to prepare the attack, a beam of light shot through the sky, scattering as clusters of iridescent colour filled a portion with smoke.
As the smoke died down, a red tinge remained and my eyes calmly traced from where it was shot, my mind already shouting the answers at me.
"The others?!...Shit!"