Roako's eyes were closed, listening for any movement. The sound of his heartbeat, the nervous yet steeled breath of the team. This wasn't normal, he was calm…maybe too calm.
Echoes reverberated throughout the den. Screams, howls, and roars made their way to his ears. Kael's eyes were the first to move, following the direction of the noise.
Roako looked over to Axel, who nodded his head toward Baron. It was time, the beasts would start to drop.
Baron pointed toward Loxus, urging him to stay put.
The roars got louder and more plentiful. The sounds occasionally cut off, a thud filling the silence. Kael's eye glowed green, a monocle plastered to his eye.
"They're dropping like flies. It's working, Axel." Kael's voice was low, whispering to cut off attention. He showed a confused expression, as if he was unsure of something.
Seconds passed as bodies continued to drop. A second later, a splash of water.
"Water?" Baron looked toward Kael in confusion.
Kael looked hesitant to speak.
A short breath left his body before he looked around. "The beavers. They broke through Lyssa's silk."
Loxus left his cover, walking toward Kael. "You piece of shit." His voice rang throughout the cave, agitated as his parasite spiked forward, turning into a spear. "Whose side are you on? We can't even trust you to give us info. You damn Un-" Loxus aimed the spear at Kael's throat, before Baron intervened.
"Loxus, that's enough. I'll deal with it." Baron turned towards Kael. "We almost died last time because of wrong information. You know that. So why hide it?" His hands crossed his body, looking down toward Kael.
Kael looked toward the cave before shaking his head.
Kael swallowed, jaw tightening.
"Because if I said it earlier," he muttered, "you would've rushed in to save the other Guardians."
A low rumble rolled through the cave, louder than the sabertooths' roars. Water surged again, this time, its sound was heavy. Not a splash, rather a flood rushing through the tunnels like a serpent.
Baron's eyes widened. "How many?"
Kael didn't answer at first. His monocle flickered, green light stuttering. When he finally spoke, his voice was hollow.
"Too many. They're redirecting the streams to flush the sabertooths out.
As if summoned by his words, the ground shook.
Stone cracked. Blood streamed through them.
From the darkness ahead, bodies of sabertooths burst forward. Some collapsed mid-stride as Axel's virus took effect. Others staggered, half-alive, jaws snapping wildly before crashing into stone.
But behind them, water exploded from the tunnels.
A massive shape surged forward, and bodies flowed continuously. Dozens of bodies at first, then hundreds, slammed into the cavern floor. Their armored backs grinding against the rocks, teeth chattering like clashing steel.
"I won't be able to infect them," Axel said sharply, already backing up. "Their armor will block the virus."
Loxus grinned, manic energy flickering in his eyes as his parasite crept further up his arm. "Good."
"Stay focused," Baron snapped. "Get into formation!"
The first wave hit.
Baron slammed his shield into the ground. His body hardened, iron rippling over his skin as water crashed into him. The impact sent shockwaves through the cavern, but he held firm, digging his feet into stone.
Mo raised her pendant, hands shaking. Light burst outward, forming into a barrier just as the remaining sabertooths lunged from the flood, slamming into it with bone-rattling force.
Axel fired forward, launching his virus into the remaining sabertooths. Bodies dropped, yet the beavers kept coming.
Kael cursed under his breath, deploying drones in rapid succession. Explosions rippled through the water, sending chunks of ice flying into the air. Yet they still advanced.
"Roako," Baron shouted over the chaos. "Now!"
Roako stepped forward.
The peace was shattered.
He dragged his gauntlets across the stone floor, frost screaming outward in jagged lines. The air dropped instantly, breath crystallizing mid-exhale.
Let the cold bite.
Let the ice be judgment.
Everything shatters beneath it.
The water froze mid-surge.
Beavers locked in place, mouths open, eyes wide as ice encased them. The sabertooths froze mid-lunge, suspended like statues of glass.
Roako raised his arm.
Then slammed it down.
The cavern exploded.
Ice shattered outward in a deafening roar, fragments tearing through the flesh and stone alike. Froze bodies disintegrated, shards embedding into the walls, ceiling, and floor.
For a heartbeat, it was silent.
Then something moved.
From deeper within the flooded tunnels, the ice began to crack again.
Not from Roako's power, rather from the pressure.
A shadow shifted beneath the frozen water.
Kael's monocle flared violently before going dark.
"Oh no…" he whispered.
The ice ruptured.
A massive shape surged forward, breaking through frozen stone and shattered bodies alike. Red eyes burned through the mist as a colossal sabertooth, scarred and armored with bone plating, hauled itself into the cavern.
Its roar drowned out everything.
Baron tightened his grip on his shield.
"Everyone, fall back." His voice was shaky, a grim expression crossing his face.
Roako stared at the beast, frost still clinging to his gauntlets, veins burning cold.
His body trembled, but not from fear.
From hunger.
Roako stared into the eyes of the beast. "No. I won't," he said quietly, raising his fists.
The beast charged forward.
The invasion had truly begun.
Roako slammed his fist into the ground.
Ice crept down his hand, exploding forward, into a wall of ice.
Loxus didn't waver under Baron's voice. He dashed forward, swinging into the air, waiting for the beast.
Axel reached out to hold him back, shooting out the parasite to grab hold, narrowly missing his arm. He let out a displeased grunt before calling out.
"Loxus!", his voice booming with a worried look flashing over his face.
A loud screech exploded through the cavern. Ice cracking underneath its vibrations.
The sabertooth's claw struck forward, demolishing the ice.
Loxus didn't hesitate, his parasite reacted accordingly. He swung toward the wall, off to the side of the beast. He gathered his strength, pushing off the wall, increasing his momentum, before slicing into the sabertooth's neck, colliding with the beast's bone plating.
It didn't cut past its thick armor. The parasite transformed into a spear, drilling deeper, piercing it.
The sabertooth roared out, slamming its head into the wall. Loxus couldn't brace for impact, but the parasite could.
The parasite burst out of his shoulder, warping as it surrounded Loxus.
Long black tendrils exploded out of his shoulder, orbiting around him before creating a bubble that encased him.
Loxus let out a surprised gasp before calming under the darkness.
Impact struck.
Vibrations rang, trapping Loxus within the wall. The parasite stood strong, protecting him from the brunt of the force.
Roako pushed forward, slamming a fist into the beast, freezing its leg in place.
"More." He whispered under his breath before punching again.
The ice burst upwards, striking its underside.
Blood dripped down, freezing as it shattered on the floor.
Baron boosted forward, fire coming from his boots. He slammed his shield into the beast, knocking it slightly back.
The beast roared, ripping free from the ice, leaving the parasite engraved within the wall. The sabertooth's eyes began to glow a pale, reddish hue. Saliva dripping down its tongue like it would be its first meal in years.
The sabertooth jumped back, getting a clear sight of Roako and Baron. Its fangs glistened as it bit down toward Roako, while swinging its claws into Baron.
Baron slammed his foot into the ground, iron plating his leg as it cemented him. He raised his shield, bracing for the impact.
Roako stared into the eyes of the beast, its canine dropping down. He didn't budge. Roako swung his fist around, striking deep into the side of its fang.
Ice exploded out, traveling into the mouth of the sabertooth, halting the beast.
Roako screamed out in anger, pushing his fist further. Ice continued to flow out, traveling further into the sabertooth's mouth.
Mo watched from afar, her eyes trained on the sabertooth. She locked her gaze onto the sabertooth before shooting out a pile of venom, landing in the mouth.
Axel pointed his fist toward Baron, shooting out a green virus, injecting a burst of adrenaline into him.
The claw of the sabertooth struck down, colliding with Baron's shield, before being swiftly pushed off. Fire ejected out of Baron's boots, boosting him up. Baron dashed forward, striking his shield into the sabertooth's shoulder. A crack followed as Baron struck down again.
The parasite slowly shrank, as if dazed from the previous impact. Loxus looked down at the injured sabertooth before shooting out his parasite. A tendril followed, pulling him forward toward the beast. Loxus swung his arm forward, the parasite sharpened, morphing into a spear. He struck down, digging into the skull of the sabertooth, breaking through its tough bone plating.
Loxus let out a grunt, blood streaming down his elbow.
The sabertooth remained frozen. Its eyes began to fade as it remained still, lifeless.
"Roako, Loxus, you idiots. We didn't need to fight it from the start. You put the team in danger." Baron roared out, scolding the two. He shook his head before ushering them to fall back. "Let's go. We don't know when the next one will arrive."
Roako took a glance at Loxus before heading toward the rest of the group. Scratches surrounded his body, blood dripping down him. The parasite remained vigilant as it sat still on his shoulder.
Loxus didn't notice his gaze. He simply walked forward, staring down at his hands before balling them into a fist. An indescribable, yet dark murmur exited his voice. Yet, Roako didn't look back.
Baron looked toward the beast, letting out a sigh.
"We need the materials." Baron quietly whispered before stuffing its corpse in his bag.
Their tired sighs followed, drowning out the noise. The cave had gone silent. Kael was seated on the floor with a worried expression.
"What happened, Kael?" Roako spoke first, noticing sweat drip down his face.
Kael turned his head to look at Roako before turning his head toward Baron. "It isn't just Mira and Jackson anymore. Kyri's here now… and so are Lyssa and Peli."
Roako's eyes widened. His fist clenched, tightening his grip.
Baron stood quietly, pausing slightly before nodding. "We don't know what her plan is. We have to make sure these beasts get killed. She likely wants to leave them alive."
The others looked toward him, agreeing with him, as did Roako.
Roako looked forward. The vast cave narrowed. It wasn't just beasts inside the cave. It was monsters disguised as humans as well.