"Anyone else think this is stupid?" Rachel asked.
Right on time. She probably would’ve spoken up faster if everyone hadn't already been trying to avoid her eye contact.
"What's stupid?" Ollie asked.
"This." Rachel waved her hand around, gesturing to everyone in the train car. "Us heading to Prosperity Sector while Gale's off by himself in... where did Erin say? Justice Sector?"
"Courage Sector," Lily said, still watching the lights pass by the window, avoiding Rachel's eyes.
"Right. Courage." Rachel sighed. "Point is, he's alone. What if-"
Kyle snorted from his seat across the aisle. His feet were propped up on the empty chair next to him, leaving dirt marks on the upholstery. "Rookie can handle himself. We've got our own shit to deal with."
"But we're stronger together," Rachel said. "You said it yourself. We got used to being a six-person team."
"Yeah, and Erin shot that down real quick," Clyde said, munching on a Twinkie he'd pulled from god knows where. "No use crying over it."
"Bullshit. You guys don't even just accept whatever Jonathan tells you to do." Rachel turned to Ollie. "You can't seriously agree with this. Splitting up is how people die."
"Look, I get it. You're worried about Gale. We all are. But Erin has her reasons," Ollie said. "And those reasons will get us back to Earth faster than whatever the fuck I come up with. None of us knows this shithole of a place except her."
"Which she won't share," Rachel muttered.
"She doesn't need to," Lily turned around from the window. "Maybe we should trust her judgement. We were all just lucky stumbling around this place until she came along."
Rachel stared at Lily. "Since when are you team Erin?"
"I'm not. But I've been thinking about what she said. If our team falls apart when one person is missing, that's a problem."
"It's not about falling apart," Rachel said. "It's about being at our best. Gale brings something to the table none of us can replace."
Kyle laughed. "Oh please. What's he got that's so special? Kid can barely shoot straight."
"He sees things differently," Rachel said. "Notices details we miss. He's new to all this, so he has a different perspective than any of us."
"That doesn't make him special," Kyle said.
Rachel's fist clenched as sparks flew out of her knuckle guards. "That's not what I mean."
"Rachel," Ollie said softly but firmly. "I think what Kyle's trying to say is that we shouldn't put Gale on a pedestal. He's good, but so are we. And right now, our mission is to secure the Prosperity Sector's core."
"While Gale runs around alone collecting whatever for Erin's mystery project?" Rachel said. "Doesn't that bother any of you? She won't even tell us what it is or what's it for."
Clyde finished his Twinkie, crumpling the wrapper and tossing it onto the floor. "Jonathan would have said that info is above our pay grade."
"Exactly," Kyle said. "Doesn't matter what the fuck it is as long as we get out of this rift. Who cares."
Rachel's voice grew louder. "That's not it. There's something else going on. Erin's hiding something about why Gale specifically needs to do the missions alone."
"So what if she is?" Lily asked. "Does it change our job?"
"It might," Rachel said. "What if he gets hurt all alone, huh? And then he'll just be hurt out there without any backup. Or worse."
"Kid's not stupid," Kyle said. "Give him some credit."
"It's not about being stupid," Rachel said. "It's about not having all the information. None of us do."
Ollie leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Look, I get your concern. But we finally have a guide that'll get us through this rift. An unclassified, uncategorized, unexplored rift, mind you. She clearly knows more about this place than anyone. If she says Gale needs to do those missions alone, I'm inclined to trust that."
Rachel stared at him. "You can't be serious."
"I am," Ollie said. "And I think our focus should be on the mission ahead. The Prosperity Sector Core won't capture itself."
"Besides," Lily spoke up, "Gale can take care of himself."
"Know what I think?" Kyle swung his feet off the chair, the train's vibration making his boots thump against the metal floor. He looked Rachel dead in the eyes. "I think you got shit in your pants about this kid."
Rachel's hands stilled, and then clenched into a shaking fist. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Kyle leaned forward. "Ever since we met you, it's been 'Gale this' and 'Gale that.' Back at the deep dark, you kept yapping about how Gale could see things with his eyes closed. Like who gives a fuck? Everyone's got their thing."
"That's not what I meant."
"Kid's tough, sure. But so are you," Kyle said, tone growing firmer by the second. "So why treat him like he's made of glass? He ain't special."
Rachel turned to Lily.
Lily looked away, trying her best not to show any expression on her face. "He's not a child, Rachel."
"I'm not treating him like a child," Rachel said, heat rising in her cheeks.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"Bullshit," Kyle said. "You're treating him like he needs a babysitter. Like he can't wipe his own ass without you hovering. We all see the way you look at him."
"Kyle, don't bring this up," Ollie said.
"No, let me finish." Kyle waved him off. "We're all professionals here. Or supposed to be. But you, Rachel? You need to grow the fuck up and treat this rift raid like actual work instead of a field trip with your boyfriend."
Rachel glared at Kyle. "I'm treating this rift very seriously."
Kyle's voice dropped lower. "Your emotions are clouding your judgement because of whatever one-sided feelings you got for Gale. Everyone here knows you two aren't together, so why are you so fucking insistent and biased toward-"
"-BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT HIM!" Rachel shouted, suddenly standing up. She looked at each of them before sitting back down in her seat. She whispered, "Isn't that enough reason?"
The train lurched to the right again. But even though she wasn't holding a railing, her balance didn't even budge. Her eyes turned to Kyle, and then to Clyde.
Ollie saw both the twins look away. They both knew what she meant. The two of them had their own little club that they didn't let anyone else in, not even him. But she wouldn't say that. Rachel's too soft. She'd let Kyle hit all the soft spots on her, but she won't hit him back where it hurts.
"Sorry… Rachel," Clyde said, still avoiding her gaze.
Ollie pushed himself up and moved to sit beside Rachel.
"Everyone knows you care about him," he said. "We all do, in our own ways. But this will be the last mission where we're split up. After this, we get the hell out of this place. Eventually, these missions Erin gave us will just be a forgotten memory."
Rachel wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "You don't know that."
"I do," Ollie insisted. "One more core, then we're gone. That's what Erin said."
"And if there are more missions where Erin tries to split us up, we can talk to Gale about it." Lily finally looked at Rachel. "Erin doesn't control him."
"Doesn't she?" Rachel asked.
Kyle scoffed. "As much as I hate to say it, that kid's got more backbone than you give him credit for. He makes his own calls."
"I know he does," Rachel said. "That's what worries me. He'll take on too much by himself because he thinks he has to."
"And that's why we need to prove that blue bitch wrong," Kyle snorted.
The train's wheels clattered over a junction, the car swaying side to side. Through the windows, the tunnel walls gave way to an open cavern, revealing glimpses of distant structures under the artificial daylight of the rift.
"Right. She might just become asshole #2 if she comes back to Earth with us," Ollie said. "After this mission, we stick together. No matter what Erin says."
Ollie's ears popped as the train descended into Prosperity Sector. The sudden pressure change always bothered him more than the others. He worked his jaw, trying to clear it while peering out of the window.
The transit hub came into view, and Kyle beat him to it just as he was about to whistle himself.
Unlike the utilitarian designs of the other sectors, this one screamed excess opulence that trumped even when he first entered the Ann Family estate to negotiate a deal.
Enormous pillars stretched upward into a vaulted ceiling that had to be at least six stories high. They weren't arranged in any practical defensive formation but in perfect rows that created sightlines all the way through the massive space.
The train slid to a smooth stop alongside the platform, and the doors hissed open.
Ollie stepped out first, his boots clicking against what looked like polished black stone. It looked like black marquina but had a lustre that couldn't be matched by just simple polishing. Walking over to the nearest pillar, it was made of a white material that was cool to the touch. It was veined with gray and gold streaks. Without the golden streaks, it would've reminded him of top quality marble. On each of the organic flowing edged design of the pillar were a variety of gildings in gold, silver, and bronze.
Hold on. That wasn't silver. It was platinum. Too bright to be silver. And everywhere he looked, these three colours were the hallmark of the colour palette.
"Guess we know where all the budget went," Kyle said, stepping up beside him.
There were no flesh growths on the walls. No signs of battle. Just pristine excessive opulence stretching so far ahead he couldn't see the entrance to the defence hall of this sector. The only signs of trouble were the massive bloody footprints that crossed the black stone floor, which would probably lead them to the entrance.
Rachel stepped out last. She sighed as her eyes scanned the surroundings. "All this just for a train station?"
"Prosperity," Lily said. "Name kind of gives it away."
"Three guesses where the creatures went," Clyde nodding towards one of the bloody footprints.
Ollie materialized Prudence from the storage box into his hands. "Alright, let's move out. Single file. Lily, take point."
Lily nodded, stepping ahead with her Deagle drawn. She moved silently to the first pillar, her back pressed against it. Her eyes swept the space before she signalled them forward.
"Stay sharp," Ollie whispered. "This place is too quiet."
"Always is before the shit hits the fan," Kyle muttered.
They advanced from pillar to pillar, the distance between each one giving Ollie more time than he liked in the open. Their footsteps echoed despite everyone trying their best to muffle as much of the sound of their feet. It was practically impossible with the large echoey space and the polished stone floor.
Lily continued following the bloody trail, moving from pillar to pillar.
It was total silence. There was no sound coming from anywhere. Only their steps were deafeningly loud against everything.
After twenty minutes of slow progress, they finally spotted something that looked like an exit. A set of dark wooden double doors with ornate handles at the far end of the hub where the footprints led.
Lily held up a closed fist, bringing the whole team to a halt behind the last pillar before the door. She glanced behind her, looking at Ollie. She pointed at her ears and then towards the door.
Ollie nodded.
Lily crept forward, crouching beside the doorframe. She pressed her ear against the wood, listening intently for several seconds. When she pulled back, she shook her head.
It would mean she couldn't hear anything through the door. Must be the material used then.
Ollie motioned for the rest of the team forward. They stacked up on either side of the door. Rachel and Lily on the left, Ollie, Kyle, and Clyde on the right.
Catching Lily's eye, he made a circular motion with his finger, then pointed to the door. She needed to create a silence sigil so that it wouldn't cause noise when the door opened.
She nodded, understanding the motion. Her right index finger went up to her mouth as she closed her eyes and silently mouthed something inaudible.
In half a second, a sigil appeared above their heads. Each of their breathing could no longer be heard, meaning the sigil was working. Complete total silence.
She placed her hand on the knob, turning it slowly. The door swung outward without a sound. Lily peeked through the narrow gap. After a five-second scan, she eased the door closed again.
The team huddled close as Lily held up three fingers, then pointed through the door. She spaced her hands to indicate their positions: left, centre, right. Then she made a motion like she was standing guard and three fingers pointed to the far wall, drawing a rhombus shape in the air.
'Flesh pounds. Three of them. Guarding a door with a rhombus access panel. Probably the entrance to the defense hall.'
That was everything Lily signed.
Ollie nodded, then laid out their approach. He pointed to Clyde, then the left target. To Lily, indicating the middle one. To himself and Kyle for the right. Finally, to Rachel, mimicking opening the door and ducking.
Standard breach procedure. Quick, clean, and efficient. Something that everyone was used to. Don't mess this up.
Everyone nodded, weapons ready. Ollie held up three fingers, then two, then one.
Rachel grabbed the door handle. She took a deep breath, then pushed it open and dropped prone.
The hallway beyond stretched fifty metres to another set of doors. Three massive flesh pounds stood with their backs to them, staring at the access door. Before the flesh pounds could even react, the action had already started.
Clyde's Trebuchet fired silently in the sigil. As the bullet travelled out of the silence sigil's bubble, it whistled through the air as it punched through the left flesh pound's upper centre mass. The top half of the flesh pound disappeared as a spray of red mist exploded.
Lily's deagle charged up from a glowing blue into a blinding light. A lance of blue light shot forth, striking the middle flesh pound dead in the centre. A large hole gaped through its torso, seared from the inside. It dropped down afterwards.
Ollie squeezed the trigger on Prudence. A massive muzzle fire flashed through the space as his rifle bucked hard. Bullet aimed for centre mass. Kyle also fired his Ballista, three shots, all aimed at the metal bucket head of the right flesh pound. The right one had its chest shot through and its head exploded.
All of this happened at the same time. No breaths were wasted and all three flesh pounds dropped simultaneously, crashing onto the floor with wet thuds.
"Clear," Ollie said, advancing with his rifle still raised.