Echoes of Unexpectatios

An Unexpected Attack

The air in the base was still, the team scattered across various rooms, some resting, others lost in thought. The war had given them brief moments of peace, but none of them could shake the feeling that it wouldn't last. And they were right.

An explosion rocked the base, sending debris flying and shaking the very foundation beneath them. Alarms blared, red lights flashing in rapid succession. The team scrambled to their feet, weapons drawn, instincts kicking in.

"What the hell?!" Emjay shouted, his eyes darting around for the source of the attack.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the halls. The enemy had found them—but how?

Then, a slow, mocking clap filled the space. Lexa stepped forward, a smug smirk on her face. "Oops," she said casually, shrugging. "I might or might not have told one of our friends a little gossip."

The team froze. The realization hit like a blade to the chest.

"You… you leaked our location?" Kazuki's voice was sharp with disbelief.

Lexa tilted her head. "That depends on how you define 'leaked.'"

Yano clenched her fists. "How could you?"

Lexa's smirk only widened. "You're asking the wrong question. The better one is: Who was I telling?"

Before anyone could respond, a figure emerged from the shadows, their voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Let me give you a hint," the figure said, stepping into the dim light. "Their name is spelled Y-U-M-I."

The team's blood ran cold.

Yumi had been missing for months, presumed dead or captured. Yet, here she was—standing beside Lexa, her eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable.

"You…" Emjay started, his grip tightening on his weapon.

Yumi's expression remained eerily calm. "You guys didn't try to look for me when I was missing. You even celebrated, forgetting about me." Her voice dripped with venom. "Don't you think that's unfair?"

Emjay clenched his fists. "You betrayed us."

"No," Yumi corrected, tilting her head. "You abandoned me first."

The tension snapped as the battle erupted.

The Battle of Emotions

The room erupted into chaos as gunfire and screams filled the air. Amidst the battle, Crimson found himself face-to-face with Yumi.

She didn't attack him—not physically. Instead, she simply raised a hand, her eyes glowing with an eerie energy.

Crimson's chest tightened. His mind clouded, drowning in a wave of overwhelming emotion.

Sadness.

Unbearable sadness.

Tears streamed down his face, unbidden and unstoppable. He choked on his breath, his vision blurring. "W-what… what are you doing to me?"

Yumi's smirk faltered for a brief second. "I control emotions," she admitted. "But the downside? I feel them too."

Her hands trembled. Though she had inflicted sorrow upon Crimson, it coursed through her just as deeply. Her own tears mirrored his, her heart twisting in pain.

Crimson clenched his fists. "You think making me cry makes me weak?"

rage overtaking his sadness as he lunged at her. Yumi dodged, weaving through his attacks effortlessly, but his strikes grew wilder, faster.

Yumi took a deep breath, pushing another wave of emotions toward him—this time, pure terror. Crimson's vision blurred as an overwhelming fear gripped him, images of his worst nightmares flashing through his mind. He hesitated, his body reacting on instinct rather than skill.

"You can't fight if your mind isn't yours," Yumi whispered, her voice laced with power.

Crimson let out a growl, shaking his head, fighting against the panic crawling under his skin. "You think you can break me? You don't know me."

Through sheer willpower, he pushed forward, forcing his body to move through the fear. His knuckles grazed her cheek, making her stagger back slightly, but in that moment, a sharp pain struck her chest—her own fear rebounding onto her, magnified. She gasped, stumbling as tears pricked her eyes. Crimson saw the pain in her expression and hesitated for just a moment.

That moment was enough. Yumi took the chance and vanished into the shadows, escaping before he could finish the fight.

The Sharp Deflect

Elsewhere, Bleaf faced off against Lexa. She smirked, knowing exactly what she was up against.

"You can turn lies into reality," she mused, "but what happens when you're fighting someone who can deflect anything?"

Bleaf gritted his teeth. "Let's find out."

"I have an assault rifle with infinite ammo," he declared.

But the gun appeared in Lexa's hands instead.

She laughed, aiming it at him. "Thanks for the gift."

She fired. Bleaf barely dodged, rolling to the side as bullets whizzed past him. He needed a new plan. Fast.

He lunged forward, knocking the gun from her hands. They fought hand-to-hand, exchanging brutal strikes. Lexa was fast, her reflexes sharpened to perfection.

Bleaf reached for a blade laying on the ground from he explosion, a blade with a long sharp edge, he lunges at Lexa. She dodged, deflecting every strike with a flick of her wrist, her ability making her untouchable. Every attack he launched was turned back at him, forcing him to parry his own strikes.

"You can't land a hit on me, Bleaf," Lexa taunted.

Bleaf smirked. "I don't need to. I just need to make you slip."

He feinted left, then spun right, slicing just as Lexa instinctively deflected. But this time, she had no space to counter—the blade cut deep.

Lexa gasped, blood seeping from the wound, but she gritted her teeth and glared at him. Before he could land another strike, she threw a small device onto the ground, releasing a thick smoke that filled the room instantly. When it cleared, she was gone, escaping through an underground tunnel she had prepared long before the attack.

An Old Bond

Bleaf barely had time to process what had happened before another figure stepped into view.

Evena.

Her expression was unreadable, but her hands glowed with the familiar shimmer of illusion magic.

"You've changed," Bleaf murmured.

She looked at him with cold, burning eyes. "You changed, Bleaf. And I hate you for it."

Bleaf clenched his fists. "You were the one who went behind my back. I trusted you. I loved you. And you betrayed me."

Evena's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You think you're the only one who was hurt? You left me, Bleaf. After everything we had. That's why I fight against you now. Because people like you don't deserve trust."

Bleaf exhaled slowly. "Then I guess we end this now."

They clashed, illusion against reality.

They clashed, blades flashing as illusions danced around them. Evena sent false images of herself attacking, but Bleaf had learned—he struck through the right one, forcing her back.

She scowled. "You learned my tricks."

"I learned you."

But just as he thought he had the upper hand, a gunshot rang out.

Pain exploded in Bleaf's side. He staggered, barely able to keep his balance. Evena had shot him—but it wasn't fatal.

Evena crouched down beside him as he struggled to keep his consciousness. She smirked. "I'm keeping you alive for more small talks like this. It feels good to talk to someone who you used to love."

Before Bleaf could respond, Yumi and Lexa called to her. "Evena! Retreat!"

Evena sighed, stepping away. "Until next time, Bleaf."

She disappeared into the smoke that Yumi activated before.

Bleaf collapsed, unconscious.

Rebuilding the Base

The enemy had retreated, leaving destruction in their wake. A section of their base was in ruins, smoke rising into the night sky.

Kai cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "I got this."

With his super speed, he moved in a blur, gathering supplies, welding metal, and repairing walls faster than anyone could blink. The base that had been in ruins began to take form again, restored piece by piece.

By the time dawn approached, the base was standing strong once more.

As Kai wiped sweat from his brow, a groggy voice murmured, "Damn, you move fast."

Bleaf stirred awake, groaning as he sat up. He blinked at the repaired surroundings. "How long was I out?"

Kai smirked. "Long enough for me to fix everything. You owe me a thank you."

Bleaf chuckled weakly. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Speedy."

Emjay's team gathered, exhausted but standing. They had survived the battle. But the war was far from over.