The group stood in uneasy silence after Lizayon's departure. The reality of their situation was sinking in. Taken from their lives and forced to fight each other for the amusement of a cosmic tyrant. It was the stuff of nightmares.

Jen scanned the other captives, assessing their threat levels and looking for potential allies. There were 7 others besides himself, Liya, and Kaganji.

One that stood out was a petite girl with vibrant pink hair styled into twin tails. She couldn't have been more than 15, but her eyes shone with an intensity well beyond her years. She reminded Jen of himself - a survivor.

The girl noticed Jen looking her way and returned his gaze unflinchingly. After a moment, she gave a slight nod, as if signaling she would not turn on them easily. Jen decided to keep an eye on her.

Kaganji cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "We don't have much time. I suggest we introduce ourselves and share what talents we possess. The more we know of each other's capabilities, the better chance we have of devising an escape plan."

He gestured to Liya. "You go first."

Liya shrugged. "I'm Liya, as you know. I can phase through solid objects, turn invisible, and create illusions." She demonstrated by making a projection of Lizayon appear in the center of the room before vanishing it.

Kaganji nodded. "Impressive. I am Kaganji, a scientist and inventor. As I mentioned before, I have enhanced cognitive abilities allowing me to process information at a highly accelerated rate."

Jen spoke up next. "I'm Jen. I can teleport and warp physical matter with my mind."

The pink-haired girl went next. "My name is Yuna. I'm a hacker that can digitally interface with any system." As if to demonstrate, lights on a nearby control panel suddenly flashed wildly before going dark.

One by one, they went around introducing themselves. The athletic girl was Zara, an inventor that could craft advanced technology from scrap materials. An older man named Tenchi could make himself invincible for short periods of time. A quiet bald man called Turok wielded psychic abilities.

There was Elara, a healer, Darien, a cunning strategist, and Bastian, a strongman who could shape metal armor and weapons around his body.

The last was a lean, dark-haired young man who introduced himself as Elian. "I'm what you might call a mentalist," he said with an easy smile. "I can be quite persuasive when I want to be." His eyes glinted strangely as he said this.

Jen made a mental note to watch that one closely. His charm seemed designed to hide something darker beneath.

With introductions complete, Kaganji cleared his throat. "Right. Based on our abilities, I believe escape should be possible. If Jen warps us out of this facility, Yuna can hack any tracking devices to cover our escape. Zara can then craft disguises and equipment to help us survive this planet's dangers. Between the rest of us, we should have sufficient means to defend ourselves and disable any security measures."

Murmurs of assent went through the group. Finally, they had the beginnings of a plan.

"Hold on," Elian interjected. "How do we know we can trust Jen to actually get us out of here? This could be a ploy to sabotage us during the games."

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Jen tensed. Was this guy trying to sow seeds of distrust already? "I want to escape this place just as much as the rest of you," he said evenly.

Elian shrugged. "Prove it. Use your powers to retrieve that weapon over there." He gestured to an ornate spear mounted on the far wall.

Jen normally wouldn't take orders from someone he'd just met. But he needed to gain these people's trust quickly. Keeping his eyes on Elian, Jen visualized the spear and warped it into his hand in a flash of light. "Satisfied?"

Elian chuckled and held up his hands. "Just had to be sure. No offense meant." But his smile seemed more cold than apologetic.

Before more debate could unfold, the doors slid open and Raven entered again. "Time is up. The master awaits you in the arena."

The group tensed, exchanging last minute glances. This was it - time to put their plan into action. They would only get one shot.

Raven led them back to the massive arena, where Lizayon again sat upon his floating throne. The stands were now filled with shadowy figures that cheered and jeered as the contestants entered.

"Welcome to the first competition!" Lizayon declared. "You will be released into a deadly maze, filled with lethal traps and obstacles. The eight who navigate the maze fastest will advance to the next round. Use any means necessary to be among them."

Doors slid open around the edge of the arena floor, revealing passages leading into the maze. Jen turned to the others and gave a subtle nod. This was their chance. They just needed to get out of sight.

"Let the games begin!" Lizayon's voice boomed.

Jen visualized the area right outside the arena and prepared to warp. But before he could act, a piercing pain shot through his neck. He gasped and clutched the spot where his tattoo was. The skin around his snake brand burned like fire.

Cries from the others revealed they were experiencing similar agony. Jen's eyes widened in understanding. The chips - of course Lizayon would have failsafes to stop them escaping.

As suddenly as it started, the pain vanished. Jen shook his head to clear it. Lizayon gazed down at them in amusement.

"Now, now, we can't have anyone leaving early, can we? The chips I've implanted will ensure you play by the rules."

Jen cursed under his breath. So much for escaping quietly. They would need to find a way to disable the chips first.

"Enough delay!" Lizayon said. "Enter the maze or face immediate disintegration!"

Realizing they had no choice for now, the group hurried into the passages leading into the maze. Jen tried to memorize the route as best he could in case his powers became usable again.

They reached a junction where the paths diverged in different directions. Before they could coordinate, Elian gave a sly smile.

"Well, happy hunting everyone! May the best talents win." He sprinted down the left path and out of sight.

"We can't let him get too far ahead," Yuna said. "Come on!" She and some others raced down the path after him.

Jen hesitated, not wanting the group to separate. But Liya tugged his arm. "We should move too or risk falling behind."

Reluctantly, Jen followed Liya down the center path. Up ahead, he could see shimmering plasma fields blocking sections of the route. This would require careful timing and coordination to cross unharmed.

Working together, they wove between the sizzling barriers, helping each other through the gaps. Jen was impressed by Liya's agility and quick reflexes. She would make a valuable ally if - no, when - they escaped this place.

After passing through a series of cavernous rooms, they came across Yuna crouched by a door panel, prying it open with a makeshift tool. Sparks flew as she hotwired the circuits within.

"Just rigging this door to malfunction behind us," she said with a grin. "Should slow down anyone coming after."

Jen smiled back, glad to see her sabotaging the maze from within. If they made it difficult enough, perhaps Lizayon would be forced to abandon this game for being insufficiently "entertaining."

Working together, they continued navigating the maze's threats. Jen warped them across gaping chasms while Liya scouted ahead invisibly. Having allies made him feel not quite so alone against the dangers they faced.

Finally, they reached the exit, a platform that would levitate them back up into the arena. "Looks like we made it through," Jen said. "For whatever good that does us." Their predicament still seemed hopeless, but at least they had survived the first round.

As the platform lifted them up, Jen steadied himself for whatever horrors lay ahead. As long as he drew breath, Lizayon would not break him. Jen had survived too much to give up now. And with others like Liya and Yuna supporting him, he felt a flicker of hope their captor could still be defeated.

The games were only just beginning.