Chapter 2

The blood-moon crested in the sky, backlighting the dead tree branches above and casting shadows on the earth. The light of the make-shift bonfire seemed to set the night aflame with orange, gold and red colors. Etrius peeled off his military insignia from his uniform, and tossed it into the fire.

Around him, the Elite Team's faces were expressions of bitterness. With the notebook lost, and any evidence of The General's betrayal gone, they needed to come up with an alternative. And that meant no longer putting themselves under his command. Besides, he could get rid of them in a heartbeat if they remained there.

After searching through the endless forest surrounding the base, they found an abandoned building that looked to be there since the 23rd Century. The technology was less than modern, but it would have to do if they were going to complete this mission. With no source of transportation, and a limited supply of weapons, everything would have to be done manually.

So this is how it's going to end. Etrius tossed his darkened thoughts into the fire. Now I see where the threat lies. I've known that bastard to lie, and keep secrets, Etrius saw The General's features flash across his vision. But this? This draws the line.

~X~

A tingling, numbing sensation pricked at Nox's mind as she surfaced from her state of comatose. The room took shape around her, and she instantly began digging through the pages of her memory.

Recollections clicked into place in her mind, like pieces of a puzzle. She remembered being stuck in the cryo-chamber, and the very man who knocked her out, speaking in a low tone before she lapsed into a state of comatose.

She remembered being awakened by two guys named Etrius and Beecher, claiming that she'd been asleep for half a century. She remembered finding The General again, wanting vengeance on what he had done, before she was knocked out again by a lab accident.

Where… Am I?

Footsteps resounded from the door.

Nox stiffened. Instinctively, she searched around the room for anything within reach she could use as a weapon.

A shadow swept beneath the door.

Nox sat upright in the bed, summoning her powers and preparing for what lay beyond the door.

The door creaked open, allowing a bright influx of light in through the gap. Nox tensed—

And the same man who had saved her from Cryo-Sleep emerged into the room. He raised his hands shoulder-level, and began speaking, as if to reassure her. "Stay calm—you're safe here."

Nox still didn't let her guard down. "Mind telling me where is here?"

Etrius' mouth formed into a thin line. "Far away from that bastard that kept you imprisoned in ice. This is our base, a building that's been abandoned and forgotten for years. He won't find us here."

Nox chewed on her bottom lip to keep herself calm. The door behind Etrius opened again, and an unfamiliar rebel with golden brown eyes, long hair tied back into a ponytail, and black upgraded armor sided along Etrius. "You're awake," He said bitterly. "I can't believe Etrius brought you here. No one is supposed to know about this place."

"What did you expect," Etrius shot back. "The General had ultimate power in his hands, and he could've used it to—"

"Is this why I'm here?" Nox said coldly. "Because of my power. Just what I needed: More corrupt people wanting it for themselves."

"You're here because of corruptness. If we hadn't found you, you'd be dead by now." Etrius said, his eyes darkening, but his anger wasn't directed at Nox or Lloyd.

"We don't know if he has any other powerful means of violence," Lloyd said. "For all we know, Nox's situation could only be the beginning." He reached behind him and produced a file Beecher had given him. He handed them to Nox. "Beecher found these next to your Cryo-Chamber, and they looked important."

Nox flipped through the file pages, finding charts that held her power's strengths and disadvantages. Her eyes widened at the numbers. "My God. They kept me locked there for my powers to grow, so they could use it once they have enough."

"Good thing we stopped that from happening."

"It has information on…" My parents… She silently read the rest of the descriptions. She knew her parents had died when she was a young age, and she was sent to foster home after that. Any leads to her past seemed to have been… erased. Like they vanished off the face of the Earth.

It says here they were found by the Government, and executed for treason. They changed my name and sent me away to keep me safe. Looks like they found me. A grimace formed on her face, and her iris color materialized from a frozen sapphire to unfathomable black.

"Whoa." Etrius back away. "I did not just see that."

It took Nox a moment to realize what he meant. "My eyes? That always happens. They change color when I switch emotions, the same effect as a mood ring. I'm guessing it's another way how they found me."

Etrius paused for a moment, and then he reached into the trunk situated in front of the bed. He produced the sapphire sword Nox had used. "I'm guessing you could still use this? You were… you looked to be in a coma every time we took it out of your grip. It seems important."

Nox accepted it from his hands, and the moment she made contact with the hilt, and electrical vibe travelled through her system. The sword seemed to hum, and vibrate with power under her touch. Almost instantly, a wave of adrenaline rolled through her, charging like a battery. Her eye color faded to a light gray, and then sapphire.

"Maybe we're better off keeping this thing within sight," Nox said, struggling to control her voice with her body longing to get up and run. She set the blade down, and instantly, her shoulders relaxed. "So what happens now?"

"Tomorrow, we have to go back to our former base and find The General's notebook. It contains evidence that could give him away. And, if we can, find the cure."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Nox snatched up her sword once again, feeling rage rolling through her like a storm. She couldn't wait to find The General and make him feel the pain he caused her. "Let's go now, while they're not expecting us!"

"In this state?" Etrius scoffed. "You were just unfrozen. You need to rest."

"I've been resting for half a century!"

"We don't know what lays beyond the walls of the enemy base. Until we have the green light to move in, I suggest we wait."

Nox opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. Despite herself, she knew Etrius was right. Extracting Nox's powers could only mean the beginning – who knew what else he had hidden behind his back.

Drowning out her desire to vengeance, she sank back down into her pillow. "Fine. But just so you know, I'm the one who's going to make him pay."

Etrius watched her with understanding eyes. "I promise you that." And he turned and left.

Etrius breezed down the stairwell. But before he made it to the main hall, something sticky caught in his chest. He lurched forward, covering his mouth and coughed. When he pulled his hand away, blood speckled his palm. Blood that glowed an unearthly white.

"Etrius?" He heard Beecher's voice from the main hall.

Images of Element Evil ran through Etrius' mind. He remembered breathing in the gas before he had pulled on his gas-mask, and a shudder ran through him.

Etrius grimaced, closed his hand and turned away. "I'm fine."

~X~

An ever-present fog hung in the cold morning air, and the blood-red sun set the forest aflame in scarlet, tangerine, and gold. Beecher was situated on a tree branch that was thick enough to support his weight.

Behind him, Boomer flicked open a pocket knife, shut it, and open again with a flick of his wrist. He cast a bored glance at Beecher, but he didn't seem to notice.

Rustling sounded from the bushes overhead, and Boomer tensed. Still, Beecher wasn't listening. A deer emerged from the shadows, and Boomer hurriedly readied his shotgun. Aimed, fired.

He swore under his breath as the deer bounded away. Boomer looked at his shotgun in vain. "We need better weapons." He cast another glance at Beecher, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. "Hey!" Boomer shouted. "Could use some help over here! Breakfast isn't going to kill itself."

Beecher still had his back to him, but this time, he heard him as the safety on his weapon clicked to off. "Sorry."

Boomer raised a brow, leaped up, and caught onto one of the thicker branches. He hoisted himself up and faced Beecher. "What's wrong with you?"

Beecher uttered a sigh. "Have you seen the way Etrius has been acting lately?"

"What's new? He's always acting like he's in charge of everyone."

Beecher remained silent for a moment. "He's been acting differently. Something happened in that lab, and he's not telling me."

Boomer frowned. "What do you think is wrong with him?"

"I don't know. It has something to do with Nox," He paused for a second, and then clicked the safety off on his sniper. "Let's go back to base and get new weapons. With that gunshot, no animal is going to come near this area." He slipped off the tree and landed on the ground.

Boomer ground his teeth. "Sorry for doing your job."

They walked through the forest for some time, the familiar sound of bird now ceased to exist. The entire forest was silent – too silent. Something had to be wrong.

But there was nothing but the shrilling wind and the scarlet glare of the sun to keep them company.

However, Beecher came to a sudden stop, making Boomer bump into him. "What's—?"

"The base," Beecher said, something unfathomable moving in his eyes. "It's gone."

Boomer's brows creased together. "Am I missing something here?"

Beecher checked the compass modified to fit in his watch. "We're in the right place. Must've taken a wrong turn."

Boomer narrowed his eyes as a smile twitched at his mouth. "I know what's going on here," He marched into the open space and extended a hand. It passed through an invisible wall, showing only his wrist up. He quickly retracted his hand.

"The fuck?" Beecher stepped forward, extending his rifle. It got caught in the invisible field, and he moved it to the side, as if drawing curtains. Through the gap, the base's exterior was seen.

A dangerous smile rose on Boomer's face. "Nox hid the base from sight."

The two of them brushed past the invisible wall. When they looked back at the forest, it was as if nothing had gotten in their way. They made their way into the base, and into the control room, where Nox had her back to them, analyzing statistics on the main computer screen. Boomer caught her by surprise with a nudge on her shoulder.

Nox whirled around as Etrius entered the room. "Okay, I want to know what's going on outside the base. Why is there an invisible wall? And why haven't you two come back with food?"

Beecher scowled at Etrius' outwards irate personality.

"I'm the one who's hiding the base," Nox stated, and then she read through Beecher's brainwaves. "Beecher and Boomer need better weapons to hunt."

Beecher's eyes widened when she said this, and Nox quickly explained. "My powers grant me the ability to read minds. Not only that, but I can also levitate, and trick people into seeing things that aren't real. I only used them to a certain extent… Fifty years ago," She said the words with bitterness rising in her tone. "But now that they're grown so much without me knowing, I'm trying to be careful."

They watched as Nox double checked the base's perimeter through the security system before she turned away from the computer. "These cameras are black and white, and they don't even come with a 3D system. You guys need a ton of upgrades."

"Well it's the best we have," Lloyd's voice came from the doorway as he made his way into the room. "Nox, since you can't let that sword out of your sight," He gestured to her sapphire blade sheathed across her back, "I'll train you in swordsmanship, and martial arts combat. If you're serious about this, then you need to be familiar with modern weapons, which may have not existed in your time."

Nox held a hand to her head. "I feel old. What, did they come out a Samsung Galaxy S25?"

"You'd be surprised."

"IPhone would be jealous by now."

"Yeah, well, they're dead too."

Nox frowned. "What about Xbox? Microsoft?"

"That old shit?" Boomer laughed.

"We're getting carried away here. Lloyd, start training Nox. In the meantime, Boomer, Beecher, and I will plan an infiltration on the base and find more advanced weapons. You all know what to do."

The team saluted before heading off into different directions.