Backstory 4

**Back in the Control Room**

Chairman One and Seven have successfully defeated the Inferno Hornets with minimal injuries. They are now heading deeper into the forest.

"Good," the Chairman said before asking, "And how are the others faring?"

"Two and Three have defeated the Inferno Hornets as well, and the same goes for Four and Six. I also want to inform you that every team has found at least one stash of equipment," a man said while looking at the screen.

"Good. Let's wait until tomorrow to take any further action," the Chairman replied, resting his head in thought.

**Back in the Forest**

As the first light crept over the forest, casting a warm glow through the trees, two figures knelt beside a flowing river, drinking deeply.

"Thank god you're here, Five," Eight said, setting down his backpack and eyeing the water with a grin. "I don't think I would've found this river without you."

Five chuckled softly, watching as Eight kicked off his boots and leaped right in, splashing around before floating on his back, eyes closed to soak up the sun.

"You know, we've still got a job to do," Five muttered, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pulled out his map. "I'd like to get all this marked before we lose daylight again." He began sketching the river, carefully mapping out the path they'd taken.

"Yeah, yeah, you keep marking things down," Eight replied, letting out a long sigh of contentment as he floated. "I'm telling you, though—this sun feels like magic."

Five shook his head, amused, but stayed focused on the map. "We've already covered a good distance today. We made it here in about three hours, didn't we?"

"Give or take." Eight's voice was relaxed, eyes still closed.

Five's mind drifted to the small cave they'd discovered earlier, hidden in a narrow crevasse. Using Eight's rope, they'd climbed in and found some abandoned backpacks—mostly empty except for a grenade, some water, and a few energy bars.

"And you're sure you grabbed everything from that bag?" Five asked, not looking up as he penciled in the cave's location.

"Absolutely," Eight replied, now lazily floating along. "That little stash saved us. Two full mags—that's the jackpot compared to what we've had."

"Definitely," Five murmured, glancing briefly at the sun filtering through the canopy above before getting back to work. The forest around them was calm, for now, and he allowed himself a few seconds to take in the warmth. Then, refocused, he finished marking down the crevasse and the river on the map.

"Ready to move out soon?" he asked, glancing at Eight.

"Give me two more minutes of this sunshine, and I'll be good to go," Eight replied with a grin, already mentally preparing for whatever would happen.

Five rolled up his map and gave a nod toward the riverbank. "All right, Eight, time to get out. We can't stick around here any longer." He tucked the map away. "We've still got seven days left in this thing, and if this test is anything like the others, the chairman's going to start closing off the outer edges soon. I'd rather not find out what kind of surprise he has planned to force us deeper in."

Eight let out a sigh but waded out of the water. "Fine, fine, I get it," he said, shaking off a few droplets of water.

They started making their way through the forest, and every so often, they each bent down to draw a small star on the ground or a tree trunk.

"Think any of the others will see these markers?" Eight asked as he scratched another star into a patch of dirt.

Five nodded. "If they're smart, they will. Besides, it's a good way to make sure we aren't going in circles."

As the sun dipped below the trees, casting long shadows over the forest, they found a small clearing and set down their packs.

"This'll do," Five said, glancing around before they set up camp. The night settled in quietly around them, the sounds of the forest surprisingly calm.

"Well," Eight yawned, stretching his arms, "guess the night's going easy on us for once."

Five smirked, lying back. "Yeah, let's hope it stays that way."

And with that, they let the silence of the forest lull them into a rare, peaceful night's rest.

Well, at least for them, it was peaceful.

**In Another part of the Forest**

Near the edge of a mountain, two figures could be seen battling a pack of apes. However, these apes were anything but ordinary; at first glance, it was clear that they were made of obsidian. The sound of laughter echoed from one of the figures.

"Ha! This is fun!" Two shouted, sending a powerful kick into the stomach of one of the Obsidian apes, sending it crashing to the ground. "Come on, come on! Is that all you've got?"

"Okay, Two, you've had your fun," Three called out, dodging a swipe from another ape. "Can you get serious now? You've got to remember, I only have a few bandages left. If you get hurt, we're going to run out of healing supplies fast!"

"Alright, alright," Two replied, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "But I bet I can take down more apes than you can!" With that, he lunged at the nearest ape, fists flying.

Three couldn't help but chuckle. "Bring it on!" He dove into the fray, throwing a swift punch that landed squarely on the jaw of another ape, staggering it back.

The remaining apes, black as night with gleaming eyes, rallied, snarling and beating their chests. Two took a step back, assessing their movements. "They're getting coordinated," he warned. "We need to split them up!"

"Agreed!" Three yelled, ducking under an overhead swing from an ape and delivering a quick jab to its midsection. The creature howled in pain, giving Two the opening he needed.

With a burst of speed, Two darted to the side and grabbed a heavy branch from the ground. "Let's see how you handle this!" he shouted, swinging the branch down hard on the back of an unsuspecting ape, knocking it down.

"Nice one!" Three cheered, sidestepping another attack and catching the ape off-balance. He followed up with a rapid series of punches, each one landing with precision. "But I'm not done yet!" He spun and kicked another ape in the face, sending it reeling.

"Not if I can help it!" Two replied, sprinting forward to tackle another ape, using the element of surprise to his advantage. He wrestled it to the ground, straining against its powerful limbs.

"Remember, don't get too reckless!" Three reminded, backhanding an approaching ape away from Two. "We can't afford injuries!"

Two grinned, using all his strength to pin the ape down. "What's the fun in that?" he shot back, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But I promise I'll keep it in check!"

Just then, an ape lunged at Three from the side. "Watch out!" Two shouted, but it was too late. Three barely managed to dodge, but the momentum sent him crashing into a tree, momentarily dazing him.

"Three!" Two yelled, momentarily distracted from his own fight. He shoved the ape off him and dashed toward his partner.

"I'm fine!" Three grunted, shaking his head to clear the fog. "Just… a little surprised." He glanced back at the swarm of apes. "But we've got to wrap this up!"

With renewed determination, they coordinated their attacks, flanking the remaining apes. Two and Three moved as a well-oiled machine, dodging and weaving through the chaos, trading off attacks and covering each other's weaknesses.

The remaining apes, realizing their coordinated advantage was slipping, began to retreat, growling angrily.

"Not so fast!" Two shouted, grabbing another branch and swinging it at the nearest ape, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Let's finish this!" Three called, rallying his strength for one final attack. Together, they charged at the last two remaining apes, launching a combined assault that sent them tumbling into the underbrush.

As silence fell over the clearing, the two stood, panting but energized.

"Who took down more?" Two asked, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Let's just say we both did our part," Three replied, chuckling and clapping Two on the back. "Now, let's make sure we get out of here before more show up."

"Let's climb the mountain. We can see everything from up there," Two said, glancing at the towering rock face with a grin.

"Lead the way," Three replied, nodding. "I'll be right behind you."