As Keon stood there, still processing Victor Jhon's words, he felt a sudden shift in the air beside him. Without warning, Azira's hand landed lightly on his shoulder, a warm, yet slightly predatory touch. Her grip was firm, but it wasn't painful. Keon froze for a split second before his instincts kicked in.
"Hey, little guy," Azira's voice was smooth, teasing, her grin widening as she leaned in closer. "Mind if you introduce yourself?"
Keon's eyes widened, his reflexes firing faster than his mind could process. Without thinking, he shot out his hand, activating his Rift Barrier with a sudden burst of power. The force of the energy sent Azira stumbling back, her hand flying off his shoulder as the invisible wall pulsed around him. The impact was enough to send a jolt of surprise through her, and she staggered slightly, her tail flicking behind her in a rapid movement.
"Gah!" Keon let out an involuntary sound as the energy surged through him, his body reacting before he even had time to register the danger. He quickly adjusted, stepping back and turning toward Azira, his eyes wide with a mix of apology and confusion. "Sorry! Reflexes. Didn't mean to—"
Azira blinked, taken aback by the sudden display of power. She steadied herself, eyeing Keon with an amused grin.
"You've got some bite to you after all," she said, not at all offended, her tone still playful. "I can see why Victor picked you."
Keon took a moment to catch his breath, his heart racing. "I—yeah, well... you should've warned me you were getting that close." His voice was slightly shaken, but he quickly regained his composure. "But, uh... to answer your question, my name's Keon."
Azira tilted her head, eyeing him for a second longer. "Keon, huh?" she repeated, as if testing the name on her tongue. "Well, Keon, don't get too comfortable in that shell of yours. Things are about to get real interesting around here."
Keon's mind was racing, but he said nothing, only nodding slowly as his Rift Barrier began to fade, leaving him standing exposed but on guard. He hadn't expected a simple introduction to go down like this, but then again, things in this world never seemed to be simple.
Keon stood there, still recovering from his reflexive reaction to Azira's sudden approach. He wiped his hand on his pants, trying to shake off the tension in his shoulders. He hadn't expected to react that quickly.
Azira, brushing off the slight disturbance like it was nothing, flashed him a grin. Her sharp eyes gleamed as she leaned in slightly, crossing her arms. "Alright, little guy, since we're all here, guess it's my turn."
She placed her hands on her hips, standing a bit taller as she squared her shoulders. "I'm Azira Voss, or as some like to call me, the Shark-Woman. But don't let the name fool you," she continued, her voice smooth, playful but with a layer of seriousness just beneath the surface. "My Espria lets me shift into any creature—half or full. So, don't be too surprised if I suddenly look like something straight out of a nightmare. Could be a shark. Could be a dragon. Could be something… else entirely."
She gave him a wicked grin, as though daring him to test her capabilities.
Before Keon could say anything, another loud explosion echoed behind them. The ground trembled, dust flying in all directions, and a cloud of smoke billowed in the air. Keon turned instinctively toward the noise, bracing himself for what was coming next.
Azira didn't flinch. Instead, she straightened, rolling her neck in a slow, deliberate motion. Her tail flicked behind her, glistening in the dim light.
"Darlic, get your ass over here!" she shouted, her voice carrying with an unshaken authority. "We don't have all day, and you're not the only one who can make things explode around here!"
The air crackled with energy as the rumble of the explosion still echoed in the background. Keon couldn't help but glance over at the scene behind them, but his attention snapped back to Azira as she began to walk away from him, her tail swishing with every step.
Keon raised an eyebrow, the pieces slowly coming together. This wasn't just a team—this was chaos embodied, and he was in the thick of it now
Sure! Here's how that could go down:
---
Azira's footsteps were light but purposeful as she moved toward Darlic, her gaze fixed on him. The magma-covered man had momentarily stopped his destructive spree, his glowing, molten body radiating heat that made the air shimmer. He seemed lost in his own world as he continued to tear apart the robot, oblivious to the world around him.
Azira didn't let that stop her. With a smooth, fluid motion, she reached up and transformed her arm, her skin shifting and hardening into sleek, razor-sharp scales that gleamed in the dim light. She swung her arm, and with a sickening smack, the edge of her scale-covered hand connected with Darlic's head. The impact was so intense that a cascade of molten lava spilled out from his cracked head, sizzling as it hit the ground.
"OW!" Darlic yelped, his voice a mixture of surprise and pain, even as he staggered from the force of the blow. The lava flowing from his head dripped like a cracked, broken pipe, sizzling against the stone floor beneath him.
Keon's eyes widened at the sheer violence of the exchange. His jaw dropped slightly as he instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, as if trying to stifle a gasp.
"OOH!" Keon muttered under his breath, his wide eyes fixed on the scene before him. He could hear the smack from this distance—an audible crack that resonated through the air, and it made him wince.
Azira was unfazed, her tail flicking behind her as she took a few steps back, clearly satisfied with the result of her intervention. Darlic, rubbing his sore head, shot a glare at her. "What the hell was that for?"
Azira's grin didn't falter. "That's for making us wait, hothead. You're still in the middle of a tantrum, and we've got work to do."
Darlic just grunted, his molten body shifting slightly as he glared at her, but he didn't argue.
Keon, still feeling the aftershocks of the moment, blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. "This woman hands are rated M, I need to be careful around her"
Darlic grunted one more time, the molten rock slowly beginning to recede from his body. As the sizzling lava melted away, his form began to shift and solidify, the intense heat dissipating into the air. His glowing skin faded, revealing smooth, pale skin beneath, as if the magma had been merely a second skin.
In moments, he stood fully transformed, no longer a lava-coated behemoth, but a man with striking, sharp features. His eyes burned an intense crimson, glowing slightly in the dim light as he glared back at Azira, but now they seemed less chaotic, more controlled. His hair was a silvery white, falling smoothly around his face in sharp contrast to the intense heat he exuded.
Keon couldn't help but stare for a moment, surprised by the drastic change. Despite the fiery persona Darlic had just shown, the man was undeniably handsome—his features now smooth, almost angelic. He wore the same type of dark, formal suit that Keon had seen on the others, its sleek lines hugging his frame perfectly. It looked identical to what Keon himself wore, as if they were all part of a uniform. The kind of uniform that didn't belong to just anyone.
Darlic's lips twitched slightly, his eyes narrowing at the others. "Happy now?" he muttered, his voice a low, smooth baritone that was worlds apart from the gruffness he had displayed earlier.
Azira gave him a sarcastic wink. "Much better. Maybe now we can get some real work done."
Keon, still trying to process everything, glanced down at his own suit, then back at Darlic. Something about this felt… strange. He was surrounded by beings with power, transformation, and strange abilities—yet here they all were, looking so much alike now in their matching uniforms.
He raised an eyebrow, feeling more and more out of place, but decided not to say anything for now. His instincts were on high alert, trying to piece together what this strange team was really about.
Keon slowly walked toward the group, his steps deliberate as he processed the information flashing across his system. As he approached, he caught the tail end of Azira's introduction.
"Oh yes, this is our new support, Keon. Don't forget to introduce yourself," Sharkwoman said, her voice light but firm as her gaze flicked toward him.
Keon's eyes momentarily flickered to his system as he closed the distance between them, a familiar beep sounding as new information loaded.
System Analysis: Target Identified
Name: Darlic Voln
Title: The Magma Warrior
Espria: "Magma Form"
Notable Traits: Magma Control, Heat Resistance, Lava Manipulation, Increased Durability
Status: Calm, Observing
Keon paused, and a question tugged at the back of his mind. He looked from Azira to Darlic, then back again. His thoughts raced, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Wait, new? What happened to the last one?"
Azira's gaze flicked toward him, unfazed. "The last one? They were... reassigned. You're the new support now. You're up, Keon."
Keon frowned slightly, trying to piece together the implications of what she had said. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but something in Azira's tone seemed to imply that there was more to the story.
Darlic, still with his glowing red eyes and white hair, stood quietly, giving nothing away.
Keon glanced back at his system once more, processing everything.
"Reassigned? Just like that?" Keon murmured under his breath, though Azira had already turned her attention back to Darlic, not offering further explanation.
Keon stood there, still processing what Azira had said. His confusion deepened when Darlic suddenly broke the silence with a low, frustrated growl.
"No, you've got it wrong, kid," Darlic said, his voice dark and filled with resentment. "The last support went rogue. That bastard... he killed two of our team members in cold blood."
Keon's eyes widened as Darlic's tone grew heavier. The magma warrior's red eyes glowed even brighter with the anger behind his words, and his usual calm demeanor was replaced with a dangerous edge. "In cold blood," he repeated, as if the memory still burned him.
Before Keon could respond, Azira's sharp voice cut through the air. "Darlic!" she snapped, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She swiftly swung her arm, which had now morphed into a scaled, tail-like appendage, and smacked Darlic upside the head with a loud slap.
"Ouch!" Darlic grunted, rubbing the spot where the hit had landed. "What the hell, Azira?"
She gave him a pointed look, her expression unamused. "What did I tell you? Not to bring them up to the new kid."
Darlic winced at her words, though his gaze remained on Keon, his expression hardening once more. "Yeah, yeah. My bad. Don't mind me, kid. Just... don't trust anyone too easily around here. Not everyone's as reliable as Azira."
Keon stood frozen, trying to digest the weight of what Darlic had just said. It wasn't just a rogue; it was someone who had gone far enough to kill teammates. The tension in the air was palpable as Keon looked between the two, now fully aware that the team's history was far more complex—and dangerous—than he had initially assumed.
Azira, noticing the hesitation in Keon's eyes, gave him a reassuring nod. "Forget about it, Keon. We've all got our stories. But you're with us now. And we don't go around betraying each other. Got it?"
Keon nodded slowly, still trying to absorb the gravity of the situation. "Got it..."