---Red---

Sitting on the edge of Smith Tower's rooftop, I let my legs dangle over the abyss. The late afternoon sun beats down on me, its warmth contrasting with the crisp breeze that whips past. The city sprawls below, its noise muffled by the height. I take a deep breath, trying to clear my head. I don't get many quiet moments like this, and frankly, I've been savoring them more and more. Too much chaos lately.

The buzz of my commlink shatters the peace. I glance at the display, seeing Kylen's name flashing. Of course. I press the button to answer. "What's up?" I say, my tone calm but a little clipped.

"We've got a situation," Kylen's voice comes through, direct as always. "Claire's picked up another ship. It's tied to the same energy signature as the first one. It's crashing in Utah tomorrow, and we need to be there before it hits the ground."

I sigh, leaning back on my hands and looking up at the sky. "Sure thing, but it's not gonna be that easy. You want me to rally the team? They're scattered all over the damn place."

Kylen's voice tightens. "What do you mean?"

"Well," I start, running a hand through my hair, "Hail's probably drunk off his ass in some bar. Alyse? She's at the race track, still doing research with the scientists or whatever. And Keegan?" I pause for effect. "Keegan's off with Kat, heading to find his dad."

"His dad?" Kylen's voice sharpens.

"Yeah," I say, stretching out the word. "Turns out he found out you and I kept that little tidbit from him. Not thrilled about it, by the way."

There's a pause on the other end, long enough that I can almost hear Kylen pinching the bridge of his nose. "Dammit," he mutters. "That's going to complicate things."

"You think?" I reply, dry as desert sand.

"Do you know where they are?"

"Nope. I imagine they're at the prison, we'd be lucky if he even wants to come with us. Utah's still on the agenda, though, right?"

"Yes," he says firmly. "We'll pick everyone up on the way. I'll start with you."

"Great," I say, standing up and brushing off my pants. "You know where to find me."

"Red," Kylen adds, his tone softening just a fraction. "Keep me updated if you hear anything."

"Always do," I say, ending the call.

I take one last look at the city before heading for the helipad. Whatever comes next, it's going to be a long day.

---Kat---

The prison looms ahead like a hulking gray tombstone, cold and uninviting under the waning light. Keegan hasn't said a word since we got out of the car, but his body language says it all. His hands are jammed in his jacket pockets, shoulders hunched like he's trying to make himself smaller.

"Keegan," I say, keeping my voice light as we approach the entrance. "Are you sure about this? I mean... it's okay if you're not."

He doesn't look at me. His jaw is tight, his eyes fixed on the doors ahead. "Yeah, I'm sure," he mutters. "I just need to see him, that's all."

I follow him inside, the air shifting from chilly to stale and sterile. The smell of bleach and something metallic lingers. A guard at the desk glances up, indifferent, as we approach.

Keegan clears his throat. "Uh, I'm here to see Joshua Blackwell," he says, his voice steady but low. "He's... he's my dad."

The guard raises an eyebrow but doesn't question it. "ID?"

Keegan fumbles for his wallet and hands over his driver's license. The guard looks it over, types something into the computer, and nods. "He's available. Room three. Wait there, and they'll bring him to you."

"Thanks," Keegan says, barely audible, before heading down the hall.

I trail behind him, my boots scuffing against the polished floor. He pushes open the door to the meeting room and steps inside. It's as bleak as you'd expect-harsh fluorescent lights, a table bolted to the floor, and a thick glass partition with telephones on either side. Keegan sits down stiffly, gripping the edge of the table like it might disappear under him.

I take the chair next to him, not saying anything. This is his moment, and I'm just here for support. Or damage control.

The door on the other side of the glass opens, and two guards escort a man into the room. He looks older than I expected, gaunt and jittery, his hair thinning and streaked with gray. He glances around nervously before sitting down and taking the phone on his side.

Keegan hesitates, then picks up his. "Are you... Joshua Blackwell?" he asks. His voice is firm but careful, like he's trying not to break something fragile.

The man squints at him, his eyes darting like a trapped animal. "Who's asking?"

Keegan swallows hard. "I'm your son," he says simply.

Joshua blinks, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Kevin?" he finally says, his voice cracked and uncertain.

Keegan lets out a sharp breath, clearly trying to keep it together. "Keegan," he corrects, his tone clipped. "It's Keegan."

Joshua nods slowly, his expression brightening a little. "Right, right. Keegan. Of course. Great to see you, kid. Last time I saw you, you were, what, two? Three?"

Keegan's knuckles whiten around the phone. "Nine," he says through gritted teeth. "You left when I was nine."

Joshua scratches his head, laughing nervously. "Oh, right. My bad. Got mixed up with... my other kid, I guess."

I watch Keegan's face shift, the hope draining from his eyes. He doesn't say anything, just lets Joshua's words hang in the air like a bad smell.

Then Joshua leans forward. "Hey, listen. You got any money on you? I could really use a little something-"

That's it. Keegan slams the phone down, the crack of plastic against metal making me flinch. He stands up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Twelve years," he snaps, his voice trembling with anger. "Twelve years, and you can't even remember my name. You don't ask how I've been. You don't care. All you want is money."

Joshua starts to say something, but Keegan doesn't give him the chance. He storms out, the door slamming shut behind him.

I glare at Joshua through the glass. "You don't deserve him," I say, knowing he can't hear me. Then I follow Keegan out.

He's sitting on the steps outside, his face buried in his hands. His shoulders shake, and I realize he's crying. It's the first time I've ever seen him like this.

I sit down next to him, unsure of what to say. "Murdering people and dealing drugs will do that to someone," I offer weakly, trying to break the tension.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Keegan lifts his head, his eyes red and furious. "Don't, Kat," he snaps, his voice raw. "Just... don't."

I nod, biting back any more comments. We sit there in silence until the low hum of a helicopter fills the air. I glance up to see it descending nearby, the wind from the rotors kicking up dust and loose paper.

Alyse leans out the open door, motioning for us to get in. Keegan stands, wiping his face quickly, like he doesn't want anyone else to see.

Without a word, we climb into the helicopter. The door slams shut, and we're airborne before I can catch my breath. Keegan stares out the window, his jaw tight, his fists clenched. I don't try to talk to him. He's not ready, and maybe I'm not either.

---Hail---

The whiskey burns going down, but I like it that way. Keeps the edges sharp. I spin the glass on the bar top, watching the amber liquid catch the dim light of the overhead bulbs. The bartender-a gruff guy with arms like tree trunks-eyes me warily. Probably wondering how much longer I'm planning to take up space.

"Another," I say, tapping the bar.

He doesn't argue. The glass is refilled, and I take my time, savoring it. Somewhere deep in my pocket, my communicator buzzes against my hip. I ignore it. They can wait.

The buzz comes again, longer this time. Persistent. With a sigh, I pull it out and glance at the display. Kylen's name flashes across the screen. Of course.

I down the rest of the whiskey in one go before answering.

"What?" I bark.

Kylen's voice is steady, as always. "We've got a situation. I need you to rally with the others. I'm picking you up in five minutes."

I snort, leaning back against the bar. "Yeah, good luck with that. Alyse is off playing mad scientist, Keegan and Kat are on some daddy issues field trip, and I'm not even sure where Red is. Oh, and me? I'm busy." I swirl the empty glass for effect.

Kylen doesn't bite. "You've got five minutes, Hail. Be outside."

The line goes dead. I glare at the communicator before stuffing it back into my pocket. "Put it on my tab," I tell the bartender, grabbing the bottle this time.

"You can't take that!" he calls after me as I push through the door.

"Watch me," I mutter, stepping into the daylight.

The glare hits my eyes like a slap, and I pull my scarf up higher, shielding my face. I barely make it halfway down the block before the roar of helicopter blades drowns out the street noise.

Kylen, punctual as ever.

The helicopter descends, rotors whipping up a whirlwind of dust and trash. Claire leans out, her expression one of exasperated patience. "Get in. Now."

I hold up the bottle in mock celebration. "You interrupted happy hour. Hope this is worth it."

Her glare could cut steel. "Just get in, Hail."

With a dramatic sigh, I climb into the chopper, taking a seat opposite Red, who looks just as thrilled to see me as I am to be here.

"We've got a lead," Red starts, launching into the details. Something about alien ships, government intervention, and how time is of the essence.

I can't help but laugh. "Aliens? Really? People still believe that crap?"

Red's frown deepens. "What would you consider us to be?"

That gives me pause. I tilt my head, considering, then nod. "Oh, yeah. Fair point." I take a swig from the bottle.

Alyse pipes up from the front, clearly unimpressed. "It's four in the afternoon, Hail."

I raise the bottle in a mock toast. "Happy hour somewhere."

Keegan, sitting beside me, rolls his eyes. "And after all that, you're still drinking?"

"You wanted me here," I shoot back. "This is what you get."

He grabs the bottle from my hand and reads the label. "Vodka? Seriously?"

"Oh fuck off," I reply, snatching it back. "Go work out your daddy issues, kid."

That earns me a glare. Without warning, Keegan smashes the bottle over my head, shards scattering across the cabin.

I laugh, mostly out of shock, as he storms toward the back. "You're gonna pay for that," I call after him, shaking the glass from my hair.

Red groans, rubbing his temples. "Kylen, how much longer to Utah?"

Kylen laughs from the cockpit. "Long enough."

Red slumps back in his seat. "Great. Just great."

I grin, leaning back. Maybe this mission won't be so bad after all.

-

---Red---

The helicopter blades thundered above us, cutting through the last of the night as the sun crept over the Utah horizon. My body ached from being crammed into the tight cabin all night, but as we descended, the sight of the crash site jolted me wide awake. Smoke still hissed into the air, and the sand around the ship had turned black and glassy from the heat. Whatever hit the ground had hit hard.

I leaned forward, peering out the window. The ship was massive, a jagged, angular beast half-buried in the earth. The surface shimmered faintly with a deep purple glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. My gut twisted. Void energy. A lot of it.

Kylen pointed out the window, his voice sharp over the headset. "Look at that signature. It's off the charts."

Claire's voice chimed in from her seat, calm but tense. "This is worse than we thought. The energy readings suggest the core is still active."

Hail, slouched in his seat and reeking of vodka, squinted at the wreckage. "Active? You mean it could blow up or something?"

"Or something," Alyse said darkly.

The helicopter touched down, the sand whipping around us in a choking cloud. I stepped off, shielding my eyes against the grit. The heat hit me like a slap. This place was a furnace.

Keegan and Kat were the last to disembark, Keegan's usual scowl even darker after his run-in with his dad. None of us had gotten much rest, and it showed. But we didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Spread out," Kylen ordered. "Check for anything unusual. And keep your guard up. That much void energy could mean trouble."

Trouble was putting it lightly. The air practically vibrated with dark energy, and as we approached the ship, my unease only grew. The hull was covered in strange glyphs that seemed to shift when I tried to focus on them. The closer I got, the heavier the air felt, like gravity itself was pushing down on me.

"This thing isn't just a ship," Claire muttered, her eyes scanning her tablet. "It's a void conduit. It's pulling energy from... somewhere else."

I opened my mouth to ask what the hell that meant when the unmistakable sound of engines roared in the distance. A convoy of military vehicles kicked up a dust storm as they barreled toward us. Jeeps, trucks, and armored personnel carriers. At the head of the convoy was a hulking figure in a camo-patterned uniform. General Stellen.

"Oh, great," I muttered. "Just what we need."

The vehicles screeched to a halt, and soldiers poured out, weapons raised. Stellen marched forward, his face like stone.

"This is a restricted site," Stellen barked, his voice carrying over the din. "Stand down and let us handle this."

Alyse stepped forward, her chin high. "General Stellen, with all due respect, this ship is emitting void energy far beyond your scope of understanding. You need to pull your men back and let us take control of the situation."

Stellen's lip curled in a sneer. "I'm not taking orders from you, Ms. Smith. Not after the stunt you pulled at the last crash site. My men are staying right here."

"If you stay," Alyse shot back, "you'll only make things worse. You don't know what you're dealing with."

The two squared off, tension crackling in the air. I could see the soldiers gripping their rifles tighter, and for a second, I thought this was going to turn into a firefight. Then the ground rumbled.

Everyone froze. The rumble grew into a roar, and the ship's surface began to shift and warp. Panels slid open, and from within the shadows, creatures began to emerge.

They were small, no bigger than wolves, but their twisted forms were enough to make my skin crawl. Matte black skin stretched over wiry frames, long claws clicking against the ground. Their jaws were impossibly wide, filled with rows of jagged teeth. And their eyes... their eyes were pure void, endless and empty.

Spawn.

"Open fire!" Stellen shouted, and his men unleashed a hail of bullets. The Spawn darted forward, their movements a blur. They teleported in bursts of void energy, blinking in and out of existence like living shadows. The soldiers were struggling to keep up, their shots going wide as the creatures closed the distance.

"Team, engage!" Kylen yelled.

I didn't need to be told twice. Flames erupted in my hands as I hurled fireballs at the oncoming swarm. The heat seared through the air, catching a few Spawn mid-teleport and reducing them to ash. But for every one I took down, three more seemed to take its place.

Hail was next to me, swinging his ice sword in wide arcs. Frost coated the ground as he fought, slowing the Spawn but not stopping them. Alyse stood back, sending bolts of lightning crackling through the horde, while Keegan teleported around the battlefield, his batons flashing as he struck as Kat and Claire took the fight from a far, firing arrows and clouds of poison.

It wasn't enough.

The Spawn kept coming, their numbers overwhelming. I caught a glimpse of Stellen's men being dragged down, their screams cut short as the creatures swarmed over them. The situation was spiraling out of control.

"We need to fall back!" I shouted, barely dodging a swipe from a Spawn's claws.

"Agreed!" Kylen called. "Everyone, to the helicopter!"

We fought our way back, covering each other as best we could. Hail blasted a wall of ice to slow the Spawn, buying us precious seconds. The helicopter's blades were already spinning as we piled inside, breathless and battered.

"Go!" Kylen yelled to the Claire, and the helicopter lifted off just as the Spawn swarmed the spot where we had been standing moments before.

As we gained altitude, I looked down at the chaos below. The soldiers were being overrun, the Spawn tearing through their ranks with brutal efficiency. Stellen's voice crackled over the radio, screaming for reinforcements, but it was too late.

I leaned back in my seat, trying to catch my breath. The team was silent, the weight of what we'd just faced settling over us. The Spawn weren't just mindless beasts. They were organized. And if this ship was a conduit, it meant Vermidia's reach was growing.

This wasn't just a crash site. It was a warzone. And we were woefully unprepared for what was coming, Vermidia's full on invasion.