Chapter 16: A New Alliance

Chapter 16: A New Alliance

The sun was setting low and painted the desolate landscape in shades of gold. Caden heard the dry earth crunching beneath his boots as he and his team trudged on, their pace always steady, yet cautious.

A low rumble echoed from a distance, the sound of far-off explosions and gunfire. Not close; yet not far enough to be blinked at, either. The remaining students fanned out over extensive grounds: every group responsible for a given plot to hold their position against unstoppable Proximars.

Mira floated a little above the ground, her gravity field keeping her footsteps light, watching the horizon where the faint contours of a jugged cliff distantly rose. "You think the others are hanging in, or are we the only ones getting squeezed out here?"

Caden shrugged, his katana slouching against his shoulder. "If they're smart, they're hanging in. If they're not, well. Darwin's got their back."

"Real encouraging," Mira muttered, shaking her head, and Ryan turned his head in Caden's direction. "Who the hell is Darwin" Ryan asked confused. "I do not know" Caden replied with a smirk, and Ava and Mira rolled their eyes at him.

The forever-optimist Darius bellowed a laugh. "You have to admit, though-it is kind of nice that with each one it's you who feels great for the being the last man standing; well, we beat a pretty big one! Not so bad for a gang of newbs

"Yeah, until the next big one shows up," Ava said dryly, playing around psychic energy that sparked faintly around her fingers. Tired, with circles under her eyes, her normal confident smirk now a grim line. "We're going to run out of luck if we don't get a real plan soon."

Caden stopped walking, turning to his team. "We don't need luck. We need to stay sharp and stick to what we're good at. Surviving. The Proximars don't play fair, so neither do we."

None had time to respond, however, before the sound of footsteps heading in their direction snapped them to attention. Caden's hand clamped down on the handle of his katana while Mira readjusted her floating position into one of battle readiness. Ava's eyes dimly shone with the extension of her senses, and Darius sidestepped to shield the group from whatever was on its way with his broad frame.

Ryan's team emerged from behind a nearby ridge, armor dented, and streaks of Proximar blood running across every inch of their face.

"Wait," Mira said, narrowing her eyes sharp as she floated closer for a better view of the approaching figures. "Isn't that your old team?"

Caden's grip on his katana tightened as he watched the newcomers. Sure enough, it was Ryan's old squad-the same group that had turned tail and left him for dead after they lost a member of their team to a proximar. Their faces lined with fatigue, armor barely holding together, but they moved forward with heavy footsteps, placing deliberately, it seemed, as if weighed down by more than the battles they'd fought.

Ryan crossed his arms and tensed. "What??" he snarled-pleasantness did not exist within his tone of voice.

Fronting the group was a girl, tall and lean with small, black-hair cut. She walked one step out from the pack and then, hesitating a moment, cast around between Ryan and the others almost in doubt before eventually saying:.

"We were wrong," she said, in a low even voice. "Leaving you was wrong. But we're here now because we need your help."

"Help?" Ava flared, the shadow of light around her eyes edging brighter as she moved a step closer. "You weren't particularly into team when you left him to die with us at the hands of the previous proximar.

The girl winced but stood her ground. "I know. We were scared. We panicked. But you don't know what it's like out there on your own. We've been fighting nonstop since we split, and we've lost a lot of people, and we can't afford to lose more." She glanced back at the rest of Ryan's team standing behind her, silent but visibly worn down.

Darius scowled, huge arms crossing to fold as he loomed over the lot. "You're telling me you suddenly have grown a conscience and are now caring whether your teammates live or not?"

The girl shook her head. "No-I'm saying we can't make it on our own out here. You don't have to trust us, but we will cut for you-if that's what it takes."

Ryan's eyes went hard, staring into his old teammates. "And why should I believe you won't run the moment things get rough again?"

"We won't," she said, her voice shaking but resolute. "We're not asking for forgiveness. We're just asking for a chance to make this right. If we fail, you don't owe us anything."

Finally, Caden spoke up, letting out a deep sigh. "Well, this just got complicated." He faced Ryan: "Your call. You know them better than we do, and besides, I don't care if they join or not; it wouldn't affect my efficiency."

Ryan said nothing for a few moments, stone-faced, his fists clenched at his sides, before he let out a long puff of air. "I don't trust you," he said. "But I'm not gonna be the reason you die out here. You stick with us, you fight when we fight, and you don't slow us down. You screw up, you're on your own again. Got it?"

Relief danced in the girl's eyes as she nodded. "Understood."

Caden gestured with his katana, indicating for the group to fall in line behind them. "Alright then. Let's keep moving. If the Proximars find us standing here having a reunion, none of us are making it out alive."

The whole group set off, the air thick with unspoken tension. Ryan's old team walked a few paces behind them with their heads low but their weapons ready. Ava cast a sideways glance at Caden and whispered, "This better not come back to bite us." "It will," said Caden nonchalantly, smirking. "But that's future us's problem."

The rumbles of the battle rumbled louder as the group continued to move, trembling beneath their feet. Caden lazily rested his katana over his shoulder, but his keen eyes were scouring their surroundings for detail. The rough cliffs Mira had seen earlier were now looming closer, casting long shadows over the barren land.

Ryan's old team remained silent, their faces guarded as they trudged along.

Mira swam only a few inches in front, her body stiff. She cast backward; her voice cut the silence. "So, what's the plan from here on? Because a straight line really sounds to me like painting a target on our backs with big letters: H-I-T M-E.

Ava nodded, the tips of her fingers sparkling with idle psychic energy. "She's right. We're going to have to switch up our strategy if we're going to keep moving in a bigger group like this. For all we know, those cliffs could be crawling with Proximars.

Caden smirked. "Well, I was hoping they'd come to us. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down. And you all should stop asking me for plans; I don't make plans; I can't make them."

Ryan gave him a sharp look. "That attitude's not gonna keep us alive. We have to be smart about this. The Proximars are evolving, and they're not going to let us off easy just because we've got bigger numbers now.".

"Well, you are smart now create a plan to defeat an army of proximers; the military is even terming these life-threatening battles that we fight minor battles to get rid of the weak proximars while they handle the big ones." Caden said as he shrugged.

The tall girl that had been in Ryan's old team, who'd introduced herself as Selena earlier, spoke for the first time. "We scouted out this area before we came here. Just beyond the cliffs there is a cave system. It's a risk but could give us some shelter if we do get ambushed."

"Or it might become a trap," Darius said very softly. "Those kinds of caverns are just screaming with Proximar nest.

Selena hesitated but pressed on. "I know it's not ideal, but out here in the open, we're sitting ducks. The cliffs give us some cover, and the caverns give us options if things go south."

Caden raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading slightly. "Options, huh? Sounds like you've been spending some time thinking about survival methods."

Selena's eyes met his, her jaw tightening. "I have to. You don't get second chances out here. You either live or Die." and Caden nodded "Indeed, no wonder you abandoned your teammate" Caden said

The tension arced between them again until Ryan stepped forward, cutting through the conversation. "Enough. We check out the cliffs, but we go in high alert. If it is a trap, we back off. No risk we can't handle."

Caden shrugged. "Suits me just fine. Don't expect to play tour guide.

The closer they came to the cliffs, the heavier the shadows that stretched around them became. Chiller air congealed as they walked at a much more measured and purposeful pace. Mira floated upwards, scanning her gaze across rocky surfaces for even the faint promise of motion.

Suddenly, Ava froze, her glowing eyes narrowing in urgent whispers, "Something's coming.

Caden's hand tightened on his katana, his body taut as the others armed themselves. The soft clicking noise was coming from the cliffs and getting louder by the second.

Ryan cast a glance at Selena, his face grim. "Guess we're about to find out how serious you are about sticking with us."

Selena nodded, her hand sure on her sabers. "We're ready.

The clicking sounds crescendoed to a cacophony, and out of the shades of the cliffs emerged a swarm of Proximars, their alien forms glinting in the fading light.

Caden grinned, unmistakable excitement alight in his eyes. "Finally, something to keep me entertained."

"Positions!" Ryan yelled above the mayhem as the group moved into formation.

The clicks rose to cries as the Proximars charged forward, some macabre symphony across the cliffs, shining appendages glinting in the light, their eyes glowing and fixed on the humans who dared to challenge their turf.

Caden stepped forward; his katana whipped up, humming, catching the last minutes of the setting sun. "Alright, team," he said with a grin, his voice calm but electric with anticipation. "Let's show them what happens when they pick the wrong fight.

Ryan's voice barked out orders as he kept the team in order. "Mira, hold the front! Use the gravity field to keep them at bay! Ava, cover the flanks! Selena's team, support from behind! Darius, with me, focus on the big ones!

"Who the hell made you the leader, you can't just come here and take my position" Caden said gabbing Ryan's shirt "You told me to make a plan if I could, so you either follow my lead or do you whatever you want, after all you are the team's lone wolf" Ryan said as he removed Caden's hand from his top "Get to work people" Ryan said

"Got it!" Mira shouted, her eyes shining bright as she extended her gravity grasp. The ground around the swarm stirred; a number of the Proximars fought against the amazing force. A few of them stumbled, their spiked legs digging into the dirt deeper, while others pushed through, shrieking in defiance.

Ava's psychic energy flared like lightning, sending waves of force to scatter the advancing creatures. "Stay out of my range, or you're getting slammed!" she warned, her hands glowing as she focused her power.

Selena's unit moved in a dance, cutting down Proximars that managed to break through the first line of defense. She herself was a blur of motion, twin sabers cutting arcs of silver in the air as she cut down one enemy after another. She fought with precision and desperation, proving her earlier words were not empty.

Darius roared as he slammed into the swarm, his massive frame bulldozing through smaller Proximars. His hammer came down with earth-shaking force, crushing two creatures in a single blow. "Come on! Is that all you've got?" he bellowed.

Meanwhile, Caden danced through chaos, his katana slicing effortlessly through chitin and flesh. Fluid movements, almost playful, toyed with his enemies. Every strike was calculated, every step purposeful. "It is not fun to fight such mindless creatures," he said, his voice carrying over the clash of battle. "Where's the challenge? There is always a challenge.".

Ryan was not amused, however. He fought with a combination of efficiency and urgency, his spear flying as fast as the light with each one coated in flames. "Focus up, Caden! These aren't training dummies!"

But the battle just wouldn't seem to stop, not with the Proximars not willing to lie down without a pretty good fight. Their numbers were endless, and every time one of them fell, two more joined in. The team grew tighter, movements more integrated, but the pressure increased.

Above the din of battle rose Selena's voice. "The cliffs! We can get them there and hold the high ground!"

Ryan nodded, shouting back, "Everyone, fall back to the cliffs! Keep formation!

Caden's eyes flicked to the cliffs, then back to the swarm. "Not a bad idea," he admitted, his tone light despite the intensity of the fight. "Guess we'll see if it works."

It started its disciplined retreat, working its way backward toward the jagged cliffs in short steps as Mira retarded the swarm's advance and Ava and Selena covered its flanks.

As they finally reached the bottom of the cliff faces, Darius was still firm in the back, holding the Proximars off by strength alone. "Get going!" he roared, hammer circling wide in his fists.

Once the group reached a narrow pass between the cliffs, Ryan barked more orders. "Mira, collapse the path behind us! We'll hold them here!"

Mira nodded, her eyes aflame as she poured her energy into the ground. The earth beneath the swarm began to shudder and then to spider this way and that with fissures before giving way. A chunk of the path collapsed, taking a number of Proximars with it and cutting off most of the swarm.

Caden twirled his katana, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Round two, anyone?

Ryan stepped forward, his rifle up and steady. "No more games. We end this now and quickly."

The remaining Proximars screeched in unison and surged forward in one final attack.