The Outpost

Shadow watched as Lilia entered the building. He moved at a slower pace. Every movement Shadow made was precise and well-thought-out. It had to be; he was an assassin. He was the person who would clean up the aftermath if anything went wrong.

But quite frankly, everyone could go to hell for all he cared.

Everyone except for her.

Lee.

How he loved that name. It fit her so well. She makes that face whenever she hears that name. It tasted like blackberries and cheesecake. It was so…. addictive.

She was his everything, his reason for being, his only salvation, his precious flower. His entire everything was hers and hers alone. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered to him. The whole world could burn for all he cared. Even the rest of his teammates could die, and he wouldn't feel a thing. Shadow smiled. Even that sudden burst of fear, she projected, thrilled him to no end.

Shadow could feel others' emotions, but he had none. He could only decipher emotions by taste or smell.

What good were emotions anyway? It was nothing to him.

However, it had one helpful expectation: it made it easier to trace potential targets, and when they bleeding out at his feet, they had such a sweet scent, too.

His medium, a pair of daggers, had such a sweet sent to them too.

"We'll talk more later." Lee's telepathically brushed against his mind.

It took all his willpower not to follow Lee, although he knew she would get upset if he didn't comply.

 

He casually strolled into the shadows, taking Lee's parting words to heart. Everything turned grey. Danger screamed at him, waiting for him to step into their grasp.

Shadow's teeth gleamed like a wolf. Come and get me. I will welcome you with open arms.

***

"Don't touch me!" Statson sneered at the guard. He deliberately used his body to tower over the knee-quivering guard.

"Sir, you and your companion can't bring firearms into the party," the guard managed to get out. "It's standard policy."

"Don't sir me!" Statson growled out. "We are the fucking WMP; your policies have no authority over us. I can arrest you right now for suggesting taking our firearms, you whiny little wannabe."

"But sir, I mean…." The guard stuttered out.

Statson's methods weren't very diplomatic, but it was amusing.

Rachel heard footsteps behind her. She looked back to a middle-aged man in a wriggled military uniform, blanched. Oh no! Statson would not like him.

"What is the problem, Jeffries?" The man commanded.

"It's um, Darrel, Sir," the guard Darrel corrected. "Um, they won't surrender their weapons."

"Now, Now, Jeffries." The man patted the guard's shoulder. "We have no authority with the WMP. They can do what they please."

"But, Sir, you said no exceptions." The man glared at the guard. "Yes, yes. There are no issues here." The guard backed up in a hurry.

"My name is Major Hatten, the leader of Compound 14," the man introduced himself. "I welcome you...."

Statson's face had gotten even redder. In response, Rachel plastered her fake smile, perfected with years of practice, and stepped forward. "I am Officer Lui, and he Is Sergeant Statson; it is a pleasure to meet you." She held up her hand.

His gaze raked over her slowly before he took her hand. "Ah, the Lui family. I see they followed into the family business." He formed a knowing smirk. They must be proud."

Okay, I hate this guy.

"Yes, they are." Rachal lied. She was all too aware of what her family thought of her.

"Come, come, we have a party to enjoy." The Major leads them into the

"Welcome! I am honoured to introduce our special guests from the city of Tawa, WMP Officers Statson and Lui." The clapping was a little forced because no one wanted to be in the presence of someone with the authority to shut down their compounds.

"It's Sergeant," Statson growled, but the Major had already moved on to greet the next person. "No, military men would never allow their dress uniform to look like that." Statson shook his head in disgust. Then he patted Rachel's shoulder. "Thanks, Girly, for earlier. If you hadn't stepped in like that, I was about to deck the guy."

Rachel waved her hand as if it were no big deal. "He's very unpleasant; I see why you wanted to hit him," Rachel answered.

However, when her family was mentioned, she couldn't help but think. Her family barely tolerated her existence. She was but a tool for their ambitions. And the funny thing was they were far worse than Major could ever be.

Statson looked at her in silence before answering. "Girly, you know you are more than your family's name, right?"

Rachel widened her eyes in mock shock. "Why are you turning sentimental on me all of a sudden."

Statson chuckled a little, holding up his hands in defeat. "Yeah, yeah, I'll drop it for now. Come, let's get a move on. Here's hoping that alcohol will numb the pain of being here."

Rachel walked along with him, passing people dressed like they were at a costume party. They looked cheap except for the jewelry they were showcasing. Those were all too real. Where did they get those from? But honestly, it was nothing compared to the parties she attended in Towa.

"Don't look so shocked, Girly," Statson whispered. His large hands clapped around a mug twice the size of hers, and she would bet her last dollar that there was enough alcohol to take down a bull. "There were a lot of things left behind during the Lumeye Wars. Unclaimed merchandise like those expensive rocks fell through the cracks. And there are a great deal of private sectors willing to buy."

"It's how the world works," she added in a clinical tone. "Everyone's always looking for a profit."

"You're learning, Girly, you're learning," Statson said, chugging down his drink. "We're not going to leave this room without being spotted. Major Shiny Suit Pants made sure of that. But even here, there should be signs." He paused. "Remember what I taught you? Look, listen, and try to pick up on the tiniest thing that stands out.

"You still feel it?" Rachel asked, but it was more of a confirmation.

"Like a war tank, Sweet Cheeks, like a war tank with no breaks."

She was about to comment but got distracted by Major Hatten. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I regret to inform you that Headmistress Maria Weatherly, the leader of Compound 8, couldn't attend. So, instead, she has graciously sent her representatives, two top students, Bryson Thornton and Drucilla Thierry, and their escort, Mr. Chesterfield. Ladies and Gentlemen, remember, for they not only represent Compound 8, but they represent our future. So be sure not to pry them with drinks; they are still underage," he joked, playing the crowd like an opera performance.

The crowd ate it up if the clapping and the happy expressions were indications.

"Well, someone was eating shit with a silver spoon," Statson commented.

Rachel nodded in agreement. She had heard that Major Hatten was trying to unite the compounds under his leadership. She could almost see him shaking hands and kissing babies.

Rachel noticed that everyone seemed to gravitate towards the Major and the two students. It made Rachel curious, and she moved to get a better angle.

What she saw made her gasp.

Major Hatten was beaming, and no wonder. He was standing beside a great-looking couple.

A young man and woman, a year or two younger than Rachel…eighteen, nineteen? It was like looking at fire and ice standing side by side. Impossible to behold but so hard to look away from.

The male had chiselled good looks, his blond hair slightly spiked with blue streaks. He wore a tailored suit that matched his cold, arrogant blue eyes. The young man was well-built as though sculpted by ice.

The female had wild, unrestrained, flaming red hair and deep, expressive green eyes that danced from one person to another. And her face: a goddess wouldn't even compare. She wore a light green dress with gold-edged trimming that flowed with her graceful form.

Between them, their grey and brown escort was barely noticeable.

He stinks of government, but why here? Rachel had seen enough of those types of people to last a lifetime.

"Well, well, well," stated Statson, forcing her to drag her eyes away. "It looks like Major Shiny Pants has plans to win them over to his side," he snorted. "But it looks like those kids have their own ideas."

"What does that…."

Before she could finish, the world rocked with a loud bang, then shouts and screams filled the room.

Holy frig!

***

Well, Lilia was right; she found quite a lot of traps. They weren't hard to find. What she hadn't accounted for was that when setting off one trap, she inadvertently set off a chain of traps…who knew?

Lilia got a face full of the blast, tumbling from one direction to the next. Lilia ended up coughing dust with her back on the floor and could just imagine a Lilia-sized hole staring right at her…if she could see anything.

Every bone in her body ached, but it could have been much worse. Even for a Lumeye, her durability was better than average.

Yep, for this instance, being a Life Elemental was great.

Even so, she clenched her teeth in pain when she tried to move but pushed through until she was standing. There was no time to waste.

After she and Shadow split from Terran and Heather, they were supposed to stick with the plan. It could have gone a bit better or a little less painful. Instead, Lilia could hear the guards' fading footsteps, moving toward where she first set off the trap. This was good because her limbs would take a minute to work.

"We felt that from here…you, okay?" Druid's faint voice carried past her ringing ears. Oh, right, the link. It was still working, but Lilia must have received more damage than she thought because the connection phased in and out. Was it malfunctioning?

Oh, please don't break, Lilia begged to herself.

Bryson cursed, "…the fool is okay…an idiotic…to do. You…”

Lilia barely understood what Bryson was trying to say; she got the gist. For once, she agreed with him; she was a fool. Lilia had the habit of taking the most dangerous jobs and being the protector. She thought her body was durable enough to withstand the damage. Usually, she was right. But she kept forgetting that she wasn't just risking her own life but the lives of the others, as well.

And what about my sister? I'm such a dummy.

Lilia tried to connect with the others. "Hello! Hello!" Lilia waited, but no one responded. However, there was nothing wrong with the connection; the others should still be able to communicate. How long that will last? Who knows, but fingers crossed, and hopefully she could b

Lilia felt chills running down her spine. Something was wrong!

She didn't notice before, but now her senses were screaming.

First, since her eyes still had dust, she noticed the smell. It smelled like copper and blood, fresh and old. It was overwhelming, gagging.

Touching the stoned wall, feeling her palm slip against the surface.

Before her eyes cleared, Lilia already knew what awaited her, but the sight couldn't prepare her for the horror.

Bodies parts, young and old, male and female, were all around Lilia. It was horrible, and she couldn't escape it. There were no doors, just a hole in the ceiling.

Lilia looked up to get a closer look. It was a hole but a shute. She must have fallen through by accident.

 Oh, no! Her eyes widened in realization, seeing her surroundings in a new light. This place is a frigging garbage dumping site.

Who would do this? Major Hatten? Was this his doing? Her eyes changed with fury. Her thoughts raced. If it were, he would pay for this. No one deserves to be treated like garbage.

Lilia's hands were trembling as she grabbed the camera from her vest, knowing that the Headmistress would want evidence. However, everything within her was crying. She just wanted to get out. It was too much for her to handle.

Please help! Anyone! Please help!

Lilia's ears picked up something. What's that? Not the guards. They are still circling the same area. Something else, but it felt off. Why do I hear only movements? No breathing, no heartbeat?

Then something crashed through the wall: a man and he was huge. A Vine tattoo crawled up his neck, but other than his odd movements, she never saw any Vine survivor who could crash through the wall like it was nothing.

As the man moved closer, Lilia could only look on in shock, but her reflexes kicked in just as he tried to smash her like a bug.