Luke grinned and pressed the trigger on the club. Another kinetic blast followed, but this one wasn’t nearly as strong. It was enough to cause Raza to stumble but not let go of the club, even as he tried to pry it out of his grasp. The alien snarled as he ripped the club out of Luke’s hands and slammed it into his stomach, causing the man to gasp and double over. The Sauren cast the club aside, then raised one of his massive clawed legs, shoved it into the soldier’s chest, and forced him into the ground.
“Always with the slamming,” the titan grunted.
“Luke,” Kaiden cried as the bounty hunter cut him out of the net. “We have to get that helmet off or at least crack some more of that armor so Flynn can shoot him.”
“It’s only light armor. Can’t those bolts pierce it?” Cameron asked.
“We’re not certain they can pierce the hide deep enough to do what we need, so I don’t wanna take the chance of giving away his position until we have to.”
“What do you think we should do? He took out our front line.”
Kaiden thought about it for a moment. “One of us needs to distract him while the other gets that club, primes it, and uses it to knock that helmet off.”
“Which one of us has to distract him?” Cameron asked hesitantly.
The ace thought about it for a moment, then raised a fist. Cameron looked at him, confused for a moment before the penny dropped and he followed suit. After a quick match of rock-paper-scissors, his paper beat Kaiden’s rock. “Damn it.”
“Good luck, Kai. Get in there,” he said, though not too encouragingly.
His teammate stood and raced toward Raza as the bounty hunter followed. They both fired as they drew closer, and the Sauren fired and charged them. Kaiden dove away, rolled to the side, and scrambled up as the alien charged again. He fired two more shots before his gun was empty. With a muttered oath, he reached for another clip, but his adversary was on him too fast, slashing at him with his claws in a moment of fury. The ace ducked and strafed to the side, dropped his shotgun, and primed his pistol. Raza yanked a whip from his belt. The soldier could see an orb on the tip and immediately raised his pistol and fired. The creature raised his other arm to absorb the blast as he snapped the whip forward. Kaiden barely dodged it but heard a loud crack as the whip snapped in the air and saw charges of electricity emanate from the end.
“Oh, that is a whole new level of dickery.” He grimaced. Raza brought the whip back and snapped it again. The ace weaved around the strikes, his pistol primed, and looked for a target. When the beast went to strike again, the soldier aimed at the whip and fired, shocking the hand so the Sauren squeezed too hard and broke the handle.
“Got any more toys?” he asked snidely. The Sauren growled and stood to his full height, revealing his claws and massive body. “Oh, right… Natural killing machine.”
Kaiden backed away, and as Raza stalked forward, he looked behind him. Flynn was only a few yards away now. He glanced at Cameron and smirked, then pulled down on the trigger of the Arc pistol. Standing straight, he looked Raza dead in the eyes. “Don’t blink. You’ll miss it.”
His adversary sneered and ran forward just as Cameron raced up and swung the club from below, smashing it into his chin as he hit the switch. The alien’s mask shattered, and he was thrown several feet into the air. The bounty hunter was knocked back and lost hold of the club from the force. Kaiden was also knocked back and dropped his pistol, a shot plowing into the snow as it fell. The ace took a moment to lift himself. His body was wracked with pain, and the biting cold was getting to him now. He looked over to see the bounty hunter knocked out on the ground and saw Raza picking himself up, his head exposed and a small trail of blood pouring from his jaw.
“Now, Flynn,” he ordered as the Sauren regained his feet and charged again. “Do it now.”
Several bolts struck the beast in the throat, a few in his arms, and a couple in his face. He stopped mid-stride, looked at the bolts in his arms, then grabbed a few in his throat and pulled them out. Small dots of blood oozed from the wounds.
Kaiden smiled. “We win.”
“Arrows? That was your grand plan?” Raza hissed. “Though I admire your decision to try to kill me, you showed more planning and resourcefulness when you were throwing training equipment at me.”
“Those weren’t supposed to kill you.” Kaiden grunted as he stood and wiped some snow off his shoulder. “No way those things would do any real damage. But maybe they would burrow deep enough to get something in you.”
“What are you…you…” Raza’s words slurred. He gripped his head and stumbled forward. “What did you do?”
“Enacted a fantastic plan.” Kaiden gloated, and he motioned for Flynn to come out. “Those bolts were coated in power-sip. A great energy booster for us, but funnily enough, it seems to have the opposite effect on you, Sauren. You get real tired real quick.”
The alien snarled as he tried to stay standing. Flynn walked over with the satchel and handed a few of the net grenades to Kaiden. They activated them and tossed them at Raza. When they exploded, the nets ensnared him, binding him so he toppled into the snow. The ace walked forward and kneeled down at their adversary’s head.
“I know you’re listening in, Wulfson, I think we’ve proven ourselves, don’t you?”
Chapter Nine
“Friend Chiyo!” Genos called.
The infiltrator looked up from her tablet and waved at the Tsuna as he walked up to her. “Good evening, Genos.”
“A good evening to you as well.” Genos returned the greeting with his usual cheer. “I was wondering, have you seen Kaiden at all today?”
“No, I can’t say that I have. You do know you can check your network to find your contacts, correct?”
“Of course, but that’s the thing. Kaiden doesn’t seem to be on the academy grounds.”
Chiyo furrowed her brow. She opened her network page and looked for the ace on the map, to no avail. Curious now, she opened his personal page. His location read, Not within area.
“That’s odd. I suppose he might be on an errand or something, but it’s unlike him to leave campus.”
Genos tapped a finger on the rim of his infuser. “I see. I suppose I’ll wait for him to return then.”
“Did you need something? Can I help?”
The Tsuna shook his head. “Oh, no, it is nothing too important. I was talking with kin Jaxon, and we were discussing the upcoming Squad Test. He told me I should learn more about it and the tactics that others would use so as to be more prepared for the test. I learned that most others call it a ‘deathmatch.’”
Chiyo nodded, sighing. “It’s a nickname that’s been passed around Nexus over the years. It’s not the official title.”
“Even so, given the title, I feel that with Kaiden’s proclivity for violence, he would be one of the best to ask for advice. I wanted to ask what his plans are for the test.”
She deactivated her tablet and put it away. “To be honest, Genos, I don’t think Kaiden has much of a plan. Although in fairness, not many of us do.”
Her companion’s eyes widened. “Why is that? The test is only a week away, is it not?”
She nodded. “True, but tell me, Genos…who is your team for the match?”
“Well, I suppose since it’s a team of three, it would be me, kin Jaxon, and a third party. I would imagine one of the group, or if there are not enough to go around, Jaxon has informed me of other Tsuna candidates who are doing well in their studies. Perhaps one of them would like to join us.”
“That’s not how this test works, Genos,” Chiyo stated. “Our teams will be assigned to us on Wednesday. They are pre-chosen, because part of the test is to see how well you work with a randomized team.”
“Randomized? Oh! That is not fortuitous.” Genos sulked.
“You didn’t know about the test? You were there when we discussed it while watching Cameron’s and Raul’s Co-op mission,” she pointed out.
“I was… Yes, I rem
ember we talked about it, but I was under the assumption that it was simply a grander version of the Co-operative Test. I suppose I didn’t take the time to find out all the details.”
“It does sound like you are taking after Kaiden,” she commented.
“Not that he’s not a good person—at least to you and me—but I would rather not.”
The infiltrator giggled. “Certainly understandable.”
“The fact that I will be on a team with potential unknowns is unnerving, I must admit,” the Tsuna lamented.
Chiyo watched him sulk for a moment, and her eyes darted to the side as she released a breath. “Well, I say ‘randomized,’ but there might be more in play than I thought.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, perking up a little.
She gestured at the seat in front of her, and he sat down as she explained. “I have a tracking code on my personal file. I can see when people access it and if they change anything or what they are looking through. I got a notice just before the Co-operative Test that my profile had been copied to a different file. I didn’t think much of it at first, believing they were using it to create an early draft of a contract or something to that effect, but since it was still my file, my tracker followed it. It bounced around a couple of times, as well as being loaded into a database that is visited constantly by the academy staff.”
“Why are they focusing on you? Are you in danger?” Genos inquired worriedly.
“No, I don’t think I have to worry about the Academy wanting to do me harm since they were the ones who invited me here,” Chiyo said coolly. “I don’t think it’s anything like that. It’s much less malicious but could potentially explain how the teams are decided.”
“Please do tell…is it good?”
She shrugged. “Potentially. I looked over the teams from the last several years. Despite being told the selection process is random, a large number of students were paired with network partners and teams built in such a way that their skills and classes complimented each other. The odds that the teams would have formed this way completely randomly are astronomical.”
“So there’s a chance I may be partnered with a friend?” the Tsuna asked.
“That, or at least a team you would fit in with. I did some searching and found out about some sort of game the staff plays every year. I figured it was some sort of betting game or pool like some of the other students do around the tests. But there seems to be more involved. It would explain the database as only select teachers have access to it. Not based on standing, clearance, or division, but seemingly at random. I think they design the teams throughout the year.”
“Hmm…” Genos stretched his fingers wide and tapped them together, his palms touching. “Perhaps I could find one of these teachers and convince them to partner me with other Tsuna or within our group. Maybe we could all be partnered together?”
“Well, there are twelve of us, so the math works out. But I doubt it would be that simple. If they are keeping it a secret, it’s probably for that reason alone. They don’t want the students to try to influence their decision or possibly bribe them.”
He sighed, bubbles swimming through the tubes of his infuser. “I can only hope the ancients grant me a boon of luck, then.”
“You’ll be fine, no matter who you’re partnered with, Genos. You’ve improved so much, and your skills were already excellent,” Chiyo said encouragingly.
“Thank you, Chiyo.” He closed his eyes and made a small bow before popping right back up and tapping on his infuser again. “I suppose I won’t quite know what is in store until the night after tomorrow, but that still leaves the mysterious disappearance of our friend Kaiden.”
“I don’t think it’s much of a mystery. If he were in real trouble, he would have contacted one of us or had Chief send out an alert.”
“True, but where do you think he could have gone? Will he be back in time to learn what his group is?” Genos pondered.
“I don’t think we have to worry about him skipping out on something that concerns a test. Although he doesn’t have the best track record at attending orientations, so maybe that is a possibility.”
“Madame, a notification on your network. It would appear that Mr. Kaiden has returned to the area,” Kaitō informed her.
Chiyo brought the map up. “Looks like Kaiden has returned, Genos, with plenty of time to spare.”
He clapped his hands together. “Oh, joy. This is assuming he doesn’t disappear again. Where is he now?”
“He’s…all the way across the lake? He’s coming in fast, and there are others with him—Luke, Silas, Flynn, and Cameron. I didn’t realize they had all left.”
“We must really keep better track of our friends. They are rather hard to find once you’ve lost them, it seems,” Genos noted.
She closed the map in her ocular lenses. “They are heading toward the docks. Care to go and meet them?”
“Certainly, let us greet our friends as they arrive from their strange disappearance.” Genos stood and walked briskly in the direction of the docks.
Chiyo grabbed her bag and placed it on her shoulder as she followed Genos slowly. You know, there is a stark contrast between Mr. Genos’ demeanor depending on whether or not he’s in the Animus.
“I’ve noticed that too, but it’s rather nice to see that he can leave that behind once he’s around friends.”
It makes me think about how you’ve been acting these last few months, madame.
The infiltrator stopped for a moment. “It’s…a nice feeling to know you can trust those around you. It’s rather freeing.”
Kaiden looked at his companions. They all huddled on the opposite side of the ship. He sat with his arms crossed, tapping the fingers of his left hand on his right arm. “You guys comfortable over there? Jammed together like canned herring?”
“It’s a tight fit, sure,” Flynn muttered. “But I’m guessing it’s much better than where you’re sitting.”
The ace looked to his right. Beside him was the sleeping form of Raza. He’d been cut free from the nets but had still not awoken after the fight.
“It’s been an uncomfortable ride, yes,” Kaiden grumbled.
“Man, when he wakes up, he’s going to be pissed.” Chief chuckled. “Gotta hand it to you guys—power-sip poison darts. I would have bet an upgrade that wouldn’t have worked.”
“You saying I can take that back?” Kaiden asked.
“Oh, hell no. This stuff is mine now.” Chief refuted.
“You shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to board. Got stuck with the crap seats.” Luke snickered.
“I had hoped I could relax and take a nap. Then Wulfson dumps him next to me, and you all take the back seats.”
“They were the only ones available, mate,” Flynn reasoned. “The others were dropped into the Alaskan wilderness if you recall.”
“Oh, I remember, trust me. I hope Wulfson has to pay an arm and a leg for all the missing chairs.”
“Does anyone still have a weapon by any chance?” Cameron asked. “Just in case Raza wakes up grumpy.”
“Naw. Wulfson tossed them all in that crate and locked it.” Silas pointed over to the big crate in the corner.
“Come to think of it, he dropped a hell of a lot of those back there. Is he simply going to leave crates of weapons where anyone can stumble upon them?” Luke wondered.
“He’ll probably go back and get them or send a retrieval team. He’s the head security officer after all, and I’m guessing the Nexus security is merely twiddling their thumbs anyway,” Kaiden responded.
The intercom activated. “We’re here, lads. Welcome back to Nexus Academy. How you feeling, Raza? Raza?”
“He’s still asleep,” Kaiden yelled.
“You can’t hear the snoring?” Silas asked.
Wulfson cursed over the comm and muttered something in Swedish. “Still? We’ve been flying for almost two hours. How much of that stuff did you put in him?”
“Enou
gh,” Kaiden answered. “Now hurry and land this thing so I can get him off me and head to the showers and then my bed.”
“We still getting that prize, Officer?” Luke asked.
“You never told us what that prize was. When do we get it?” Cameron added.
“Quit pointing fingers. I’m a man of my word. I’ll have it ready the next time you come by the gym,” Wulfson stated.
Flynn dropped his head. “Oh, that sneaky bastard. If he thinks I’m coming anywhere near him before the year is out, he’s absolutely daft.”
“I’m going to see if I can get a restraining order.” The bounty hunter snickered.
“Oh, come on, it wasn’t all bad. We bonded and shit, right?” Kaiden jeered.
“Damn sure did. If I’m ever heading out to a frosty no man’s land in my skivvies, I’ll be sure to take you guys with me,” the titan promised.
Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “You said that so earnestly, I can’t tell if it was sarcastic or not.”
Silas tapped the back of his hand against Luke’s chest. “While I will certainly help you out if you need it, maybe ask a few other people if they’re game before giving me a call to trudge through the snow. That was my first time in real snow, and I can safely say I prefer the sun.”
“There was sun there,” the titan countered.
“Didn’t do a damn thing,” Cameron muttered, rubbing his hands over his arms as if he could still feel the chill.
The ship descended onto the docking pad. The hatch opened, and the group stood from their seats and walked out.
“Hello, friends,” Genos called.
“Genos! Good to see you, man,” Kaiden replied as he walked up to the joyful Tsuna.
“You were gone for some time. Where have the five of you been?” he asked with childlike curiosity.
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