Excavation Lab

Fifty minutes before Team Trinity arrived…

Most of the scientists had left the room, including Dr. Arcfield, so Lenos could give Team Grim proper instructions on how to open the gate to Sanctum. Both Theon and Lenos watched as Jester and Loki began their defense against the shades.

Lenos clicked a button on the console to mute their communication with Team Grim. He turned to Theon, “Are you sure Team Grim can handle this by themselves? This is the first time we’ve ever been in a situation like this. A lot is at stake and I just want to make sure that they can-”

“Don’t doubt Grim. They have faced far worse than this.” Theon stated. His focus was on the screen as the tracer recorded every second of Team Grim’s battle.

Lenos stayed quiet for a bit but then nodded at Theon. He turned back around and watched as Jester and Loki continued to defend Elise.

The door to the lab opened and Cyn walked through. Both Lenos and Theon looked toward his direction as he stopped in front of them. He had green curly hair with yellow tips. Behind him was a cape with the Sentinel logo on it. Only the headmaster and their advisor wore it.

“Eiano informed Vahlia and me about what has happened. Why was this not reported back to us first, or at least back to Vahlia?” He sounded upset, which got Lenos nervous. It did not help that he was stood between Theon and Cyn.

Theon walked around Lenos and told Cyn that he had sent out Team Grim to retrieve the gate key.

“How long ago was this?” He asked.

“Around an hour or two ago,” Theon responded.

“And what’s the situation now?”

Lenos looked back at the monitor and saw Loki enter the gate. “Elise just got the gate opened and Loki is going through. It seems like Jester might have his hands full though.”

Cyn took a closer look at the screen and saw Jester protecting Elise from the shades. Theon was certain that Cyn would have no trouble with Team Grim handling the operation, but then Cyn noticed the snow on the ground.

“Snow…” Cyn whispered. He looked at Lenos, “Dr. Sawano, where is that vault located?”

“The vault? Oh um, it’s located in Zone K.” He sounded worried after overhearing Cyn whisper the word “snow”.

“Zone K?!” Cyn yelled out. This alerted Theon and Lenos.

“What’s wrong with Zone K, Cyn?” Theon asked.

“As of a few days ago, Zone K was announced as a holy spot. There have been several fog sightings near our outposts on the ground. Shades feed off the substance within them and as a result, they get stronger and adapt easily.”

“What?!”

“Were you not aware?”

“No! Lenos, hurry and tell Jester about the situation. Keep Elise from knowing about it. I want her focus to be on that gate.”

“On it!”

In a hurry, Lenos went to operate the computer as Theon and Cyn continued talking.

“They won’t be able to handle it alone. We cannot afford to lose another strike team, Theon.”

Theon started to think. He was not sure if any teams at Grim’s level were available to help them. When he thought things could not any worse, they did.

“We have a problem,” Lenos stated.

“What is it?” Theon asked.

He continued to type, “I can’t connect to Jester’s commlink.”

“Have you tried Elise?” He suggested.

“I have and still nothing. I’m just receiving static!” He started to panic.

“Let me have a look,” Cyn said.

Lenos moved out of his way and Cyn started to type on the computer. As he waited for Cyn to figure out what was going on, he took a glance at Theon. He was frozen still. Lenos could only imagine the thoughts that went through Theon’s mind as the overseer of all soul strike teams. As a leader, he acted without taking the consequences into account. Now their deaths would be on his hands.

“Dammit,” Cyn said as he punched control. “It must be the fog. It’s blocking our communications with Team Grim.”

“So, Team Grim is on their own?” Lenos responded.

“Right in the center of a feeding ground,” he answered.

They both stared at the screen and watched as Jester struggled to keep Elise safe. Lenos looked at Theon once more. There was nothing but self-loath on his face.

“There has to be something we can do. Are there not any teams nearby, even ones from the other strongholds?”

Suddenly, Theon remembered that there was one team near Zone K, but he was not sure if they were ready for a task like this. However, what other choice did he have? He was not going to lose another team because of a foolish decision he made.

“There is one, but they’re going to need backup,” Theon replied.

“Who?” Cyn questioned.

“Team Trinity. They just finished an escorting mission and they’re the closest to the vault’s location.”

“That team? No, absolutely not! They’re just a bunch of kids; send Team Rare or Team Breaker.”

“I’ll have teams Rare and Breaker with me.” Theon turned around and began to walk out.

“And where are you taking them?”

He stopped walking and shifted his head slightly to the side, “To give those kids back up. If you don’t want to lose another strike team, I advise you to send Team Trinity in to support Team Grim.”

Theon left the room and there was silence. Lenos turned to Cyn and broke the quiet atmosphere.

“What should we do sir?”

Cyn sighed, “You heard the man–” He looked back Lenos. “–Send in Trinity to assist Grim. We will not lose this opportunity for mankind!”

Lenos saluted and turned to the controls. He sent out a message to Outpost Defiant asking them to send Team Trinity to the coordinates he attached to the file.

Outpost Defiant

Ten minutes before Team Trinity arrived…

Aleyos and Yuto stood in front of the gate. With them were Captain Ramsey and the colonel of the outpost. Aleyah was still inside resting in the incubator.

“We will share details with Aleyah when she wakes up. You both make sure you’re careful,” Ramsey said.

“Thank you and we will,” Aleyos responded.

“What are you going to do with the cultist?” Yuto asked.

“He’ll be kept here for questioning. I was told that the ritual he was involved with mentioned a certain name I’m familiar with, so I have to find out more,” The Colonel explained.

“Understood.”

Rem and Seth walked to the gate with the two horses Aleyos and Yuto rode when they fought against the Shai Zou Len. As they passed the horses over to them, Seth wished them good luck. They both got on and made their way to the vault to not just assist Team Grim, but all over humanity.

Sentinel Hanger

Three minutes before Team Trinity arrived…

Theon, with teams Rare and Breaker and a few more soldiers, entered the hanger to get ready for departure. They were taking soul streamers, aerial-based vehicles used by both witches and normal soldiers.

Generation 1 models were bulkier and required three people in them. The members of Team Rare and Breaker took these. The Generation 2 models were smaller and faster, but not as equipped. Theon climbed aboard his own, but before he could close the hatch, Eiano walked over to him.

“Plan on getting my soldiers killed as well, Theon?”

“I don’t have time for this Eiano!”

“Last time I checked, you were not granted access to use the streamers. Utilizing them without authorization breaks code 23. I’m sure you’re aware of the punishment.”

“I am just as much as you are, but right now I need to go help Team Grim and Trinity. They’re sitting ducks out there on that holy ground if we don’t do something now!”

Eiano walks closer to Theon’s streamer, “I cannot let you fly this thing out of here without the proper authorization.”

Theon got out of his seat and climbed out of the cockpit. He stood on the front end of the ship and looked down on Eiano. Red aura started to flow out of his body.

“Try and stop me.”

Eiano places his hands on his katana and started to unsheathe it, “As you wish.”

“Enough!” A voice yelled from the entrance.

Their leader, Vahlia, was at the door. As she walked forward, her long pure white hair danced behind her. The whole room was silent, and everyone saluted to her as she made her way to Eiano and Theon.

He unsheathed his sword, “Headmaster, I was only trying to-”

“I give you permission Commander Theon,” she said as she cut Eiano off. He felt embarrassed and refused to look at Theon.

Theon thanked her and yelled for everyone to depart. He got back into his ship, but again, before he could close the hatch, Vahlia called his name.

“Yes, Headmaster?”

“Come back alive…with everyone even if the key is lost.”

“I promise I will.”

He closed the hatch and placed his hand on the scanner. The streamer fed on his aura and turned on. Eiano and Vahlia backed away as they saw several ships fly out of the hanger.

Incubating Chamber

Aleyos, Yuto, and Jester fought against the shades with everything they had while Elise held the gate open for Loki. Little did they know; more help was about to arrive.

Aleyah Angelourus opened her eyes.