The plane hummed softly as it soared through the skies, autopilot handling the controls. Inside, the seven of them rested in the aftermath of their battle. Some were seated, lost in thought, while others sprawled out, letting the tension of combat ease away. Leon, sitting near the cockpit, took a sip of water, his gaze distant.
“Where’s Rex?” Leon asked, breaking the silence.
Baluka glanced over at him, her voice calm but tinged with weariness. “Hanako and Emi were healing him. His wounds were severe, and even his own healing abilities weren’t enough.”
“I’m fine,” a voice called out.
Everyone turned as Rex emerged from the infirmary room. He wore a black and red uniform, with fresh bandages covering his left eye. His hair was shorter now, and scars littered his body like battle trophies.
Leon raised an eyebrow, smirking. “You’ve looked better.”
Amber elbowed him sharply. “Leon, shut up.”
Rex ignored the exchange and spoke, his voice flat and emotionless. “Where are we heading now?”
Leon leaned back in his seat. “I uploaded coordinates to the system while I was on the casino’s computer. It gave us a location. We’re heading there now.”
Baluka glanced around, noticing someone missing. “Where’s Nur?”
Leon gestured toward the back. “He’s resting.”
Rex walked over to Nur’s unconscious form. Without hesitation, he slapped Nur across the face.
Nur jolted awake, startled. “What the hell was that for?”
Rex stared at him for a long moment. The anger on Nur’s face faded as he realized something. “Are you better now?” Rex asked, his tone calm but probing.
Nur hesitated before nodding. “…Yeah.”
Rex turned without another word, heading to the co-pilot seat. He stared out the window, lost in thought.
Nur rubbed his cheek, glancing at the others. “Is he okay?”
Emi sighed. “He’s been like this since we started healing him. I think he feels like he’s gotten weaker.”
Hanako, now in her human form, stood up. “I’ll talk to him.”
She walked over to Rex and sat beside him. He didn’t look at her. “What do you want?” he asked.
“You need someone to comfort you,” she said softly.
Rex’s gaze didn’t waver from the window. “When I was pulled down, I was fighting Shadow. What were you doing? Neo was still there.”
Hanako hesitated, looking away. “We didn’t fight. He just… talked to me. About my parents. He said he used them as test subjects when they were just normal foxes.”
Rex finally turned his head to look at her. He studied her expression and could tell she wasn’t lying. With a sigh, he reached out and patted her head before standing up. “We’re here.”
The plane landed softly in an open field. The group disembarked and walked toward a small cabin in the distance. As they approached, they noticed a young girl gathering vegetables on a nearby farm.
“Leon, where are we?” Rex asked, his voice steady.
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“Ukraine,” Leon replied.
Seven heads snapped toward him in unison.
“What?!” Amber exclaimed.
“But that’s impossible,” Baluka added, her voice laced with disbelief. “Ukraine’s a nuclear wasteland after World War Three.”
Before anyone could respond, Hanako spoke up. “Guys… the girl’s gone.”
They all turned to look where the girl had been, but she had vanished.
“Don’t move,” a voice ordered.
Behind Emi stood a young woman, a gun pressed firmly against the back of her head. “How did you find me?” she demanded.
Leon stepped forward, his hands raised slightly. “We were at the casino. The computer there had information on your location.”
The woman hesitated before lowering the gun slightly. “Who are you?”
“We’re the Elite Force,” Emi said confidently, spinning around to face her.
The woman studied them for a moment before introducing herself. “My name is Fadia Cross.”
Rex’s eyes narrowed at the name. “Carlos told me about you.”
Her expression changed, her eyes widening. “Wait, you know Carlos? How?”
Rex stepped forward. “I’m the fifth Dark Flame user.”
Fadia’s demeanor softened. “Come inside,” she said. “I’ll prepare some tea.”
The group followed her into the cozy cabin. As they settled in, Fadia handed out cups of tea. Amber sipped hers and smiled. “This place is nice.”
“Thank you,” Fadia replied with a faint smile.
After a moment of quiet, Leon spoke. “Neo is back.”
Fadia nearly dropped her tea. “Of course he is. He hates staying dead.”
Leon nodded grimly. “His mind was transferred to a machine after he was killed. Now he’s a walking robot.”
Rex leaned forward. “You and Carlos fought him before. Do you know how we can stop him?”
Fadia sighed, placing her cup down. “There’s a machine in the Locke mansion in Africa. It’s called Remus. It can disable his system controls.”
Baluka frowned. “What is it?”
“A device capable of severing system-level commands,” Fadia explained.
Leon furrowed his brow. “The Locke mansion? Are you sure?”
Fadia nodded. Leon and Rex exchanged a long, knowing glance before Leon abruptly stood and stormed outside. Through the window, they could see him yelling and gesturing in frustration.
“What’s his problem?” Emi asked.
“He’s mad because the Locke mansion is involved,” Fadia said.
“Why? Can’t we just ask for the machine?” Emi pressed.
Fadia and Rex exchanged glances before responding in unison, “No.”
Rex elaborated. “The Locke family runs all of Africa. They’re one of the two most powerful families in the world. They fund most of our operations. If we ask, they’re not just going to hand it over.”
Fadia interjected, “There might be a way. Rex, as a Dark Flame user, you could demand it. They wouldn’t refuse someone like you.”
Rex nodded. “Understood.”
Fadia glanced at the group. “For now, all of you need to clean up. There are showers upstairs. You’re making my cabin smell.”
The six of them exchanged sheepish looks before heading upstairs, leaving Leon to cool off outside.
Rex stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his scars illuminated by the faint light. He ran his hand over them, trying to erase them with his flux energy, but they remained. With a sigh, he stepped out, his uniform back on, bandages covering his left eye.
Amber was waiting outside. “Sorry it took so long,” Rex said.
Amber smirked. “No problem. I was thinking of joining you, but I decided against it.”
Rex raised an eyebrow. “Everyone used up the hot water.”
“Maybe I should’ve joined after all,” Amber teased, stepping closer. Her fingers gently traced his scars before resting on his cheek. “Are you okay? Your eye… it seems sad.”
“I’m fine,” Rex replied, gently removing her hand.
Amber’s tone softened. “Rex, what does your life mean to you?”
He looked away. “My life was forged as a weapon to kill Yeagers. That’s all it’s ever been.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. We could run away,” she said, her voice almost pleading.
“Where would we go? There’s nowhere to run in this war,” Rex replied.
Amber sighed but smiled faintly. “Promise me one thing: if we win, you’ll live.”
Rex hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”
Satisfied, Amber walked into the bathroom, leaving Rex alone.
Downstairs, Hanako and Fadia were talking when Rex joined them. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“I was telling her about her parents. Carlos freed them and took them to Japan. They’re safe in the woods,” Fadia said.
Rex paused, a faint voice in his head replying, “Of course I did,” Carlos said.
Before he could respond, a wave of energy surged toward the cabin. The group ran downstairs, tense and alert.
“He’s here,” Leon growled.
“You need to leave now,” Fadia urged. “Get to the plane and go after Remus. I’ll hold him off.”
“No!” Hanako protested. “I still have questions.”
Fadia smiled faintly. “Don’t worry about me. Go.”
The group hesitated before running outside. Rex stopped, turning back to Fadia. His eye glowed faintly as Carlos spoke through him. “Good luck,” Carlos said, pulling her into a brief hug. When Rex regained control, he turned and joined the others.
Fadia stood alone in the cabin, tears threatening to fall. She steadied herself, pulling out a pair of chained knives. Wrapping the chains around her wrists, she sat calmly, waiting for Neo’s arrival.