The soldiers didn't have much choice, they could put ideas on the table, but in the end everyone knew it was colonel Windfire the one who made the final decision. That didn't mean they have to agree with it, and lieutenant Dragonfang was clearly against the use of students as cannon fodder but, as much as she would have liked to rebuke, after the command has been issued a soldier's duty was to follow it blindly.

"Needless to say you can't tell any of this to the students or they will refuse to play their part. This meeting is over, now someone call my unit inside." Ethan waved his hand dismissing everyone.

After the soldiers got outside, Mark entered the tent alongside Tina and the rest of their unit. Needless to say, everyone in that unit survived the night, they were better prepared and possessed a bigger team, better gear and stronger soldiers.

"We are making preparations to head back into the city, but I'll need you guys to be patient. We'll send the weak students first because they are in the most danger here and we'll stay behind giving them an hour or so headstart." He said with his trademark confident smile, squinting his eyes and using an amiable tone of voice.

"But brother, you can't possibly be serious about that! We are supposed to head back first, our safety needs to be ensured. We're all the sons and daughters of important people!" Mark said, offended by his brother's lack of common sense.

"Yeah!" People in their unit agreed with Mark and they weren't afraid to say so. They were all spoiled rich students who came only after being reassured that a colonel would be sent in their unit.

"The matter is already settled, there's nothing to discuss. Now, If you excuse me, I have things to attend." Colonel Windfire dismissed everyone after leaning on his desk.

When Tina was called into colonel Ethan's tent along with the other members from her unit, Uriel was still on the phone. He watched her from a distance pretending to be very busy but without actually paying any heed to the woman on the other side of the line and then hung up the call mindlessly.

At the same time Tina was entering the tent, a man was going out and he stood in front of the group of students, what used to be a huge lively group was now a small crowd since no more than half of the ones who embarked on the incursion had survived the night.

"Alright everyone, listen up! I'm lieutenant Frostbite and I'm tasked with explaining you how are we going to evacuate this place." He shouted making absolute silence in the crowd.

"Uh, mister Frostbite, can't we just go back in the armored vehicles?" A student asked.

"It's lieutenant Frostbite and no, we can't do that. We'll depart in two big groups." He said in the most kind, reassuring and confident smile he could muster, but it was nowhere near colonel Ethan. Instead of calming the students, it only made them distrust the man in front of them.

People began complaining and asking more questions, but the lieutenant wasn't a patient man nor was he interested in replying to their questions. He had a job to do and that was all he cared about.

Before separating the two groups he needed to know how strong everyone was. They couldn't risk abandoning people with strong traits, not just because it would be a loss for the army, but also because they might have a chance at surviving and they might seek for vengeance if they realized they've been abandoned.

The students were lined up into several rows and, one by one, they were asked to place their finger on a strange device that looked like a box with a small analog screen. It was a scanner that would measure the amount of energy emitted by the ones with traits, allowing them to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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Uriel was almost at the end of his row which gave him a privileged look of what was going on. Most students would place their fingers on the machine and then curse at their luck, while others cheered loudly. Apparently, the amount of people unhappy with their traits was a lot higher than those who seemed pleased with theirs.

Medusa, Sam and Luna, coincidentally, were pretty content with their results and they were placed along with the strongest students, the ones who would be allowed to stay behind.

"What did that woman want?" Tina asked after coming back from colonel Ethan's tent.

"It's none of your business." Uriel said in a scoff, but truth be told, he had no idea what was the call about.

"It's not even a month since we broke up and you're already flirting with other girls!?"

"I said it's none of your business. Anyway, why would you care, you've been going around with Mark all day."

"You! how dare you say something like that!? He was your friend to begin with and he's been comforting me after our breakup." Her beautiful face turned into a frown.

"Come on! He's been hitting on you like there's no tomorrow and you know it!"

Soon enough their lover's quarrel became the center of attention and it was much appreciated by all the people waiting bored in line, until it was finally Uriel's turn to be measured.

"Place your finger in the device and don't take it out until I tell you to do so." A masked soldier pointed at the device on the table in front of Uriel.

He placed his finger inside and the machine did its work. A light shone and then a beep sounded.

"Ok, you can take it out now." The soldier said as he studied the results. "Go over there and wait for instructions." The soldier continued.

"Wait, is it good? am I strong or something?" Uriel asked worriedly and the soldier stared at him with pity.

"Strong? not so much, it says you're just a bit above a regular person, I'd say... you're average even considering people without traits."

"But, how is it possible!? I know I got a trait, I can feel it!" He said placing his hand over his heart.

"I didn't say you didn't have a trait, but my guess is you don't know what it does, am I correct?" After receiving a nod in reply the soldier continued. "This usually means that you did get a trait, but it's so weak it barely even modified your body. Let me put an example: If you were able to run one kilometer without getting tired, now you'd be able to run about one kilometer and a half. Now go over there and stop wasting my time."

The soldier sounded rude, but he was quite helpful. Little good it did to Uriel, though, who was left with a disappointed expression on his face. He lowered his gaze and did as commanded.

"Don't worry Uri, I've been told that your group will go back first, it will be safer."

"What? That doesn't make any sense! Bigger groups are supposed to attract stronger cryptids!"

"I said don't worry, it's the army after all." Far from reassuring him, Tina's words worried him even more. He could smell something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

The one good thing about Uriel's poor results was that it distracted them long enough to end their fight and now they were speaking normally again.

Since Uriel was almost at the end of the line it didn't take long for the soldiers to finish sorting the students and, just when lieutenant Frostbite was about to report to colonel Ethan Windfire that the preparations were finished a Titanic beast was spotted in the distance by one of the soldiers.

The creature was the size of a building but it was so far it was impossible to see it with the naked eye and it was only thanks to old school binoculars that the watchmen were able to see it.

The appearance of the creature threatened to foil their plan to abandon the weaker students in order to give the rest a chance to survive and if the colonel didn't take any measures panic would ensue.

But what measures could he possibly take? What could he do?

There was absolutely nothing a medium ranking officer like him could possibly do in a situation like that. A creature like that was bound to be too powerful for him, or for anyone for that matter. Never, since the arrival of the cryptids, a creature that size has been defeated.

The only reason why humanity was able to withstand such creatures was because they kept away from them, cowering behind concrete walls which did little to protect them but they were great for hiding the energy signature that came off from cities.

But in the case a creature like that was set on attacking a city, there was little the army, the government or all the big corporations together could do to stop it.

Just when he was about to lose hope, a new report came bringing much brighter news.

"Sir, there's an aircraft on its way here." The soldier said after performing an impeccable salute.

"An aircraft? But there's no plane available and even if there was, they wouldn't be able to land. Hang on a second, is it a helicopter?" Ethan asked.

"No sir, it's a... Zeppelin."