Then

It had been a good day overall for Cal. He got to have breakfast with Nila. Then he spent some fun, quality time with his brother and nieces. He avoided any encounters with the the council and the interaction with Demi was practically civil. Naturally, he couldn’t have an unbroken streak of good things, so he got hit with news of another mauler massacre. It was a different gang, so that was good right? At least it wasn’t innocent people.

Things picked up after lunch with Nila. She decided to take a break from her afternoon duties and they were able to spend a few hours of quality time together. It had been a while since their schedules hadn’t lined up well ever since Cal had been roped into the mauler mission.

Emotionally refreshed Cal felt lighter as he made his way to the address he had gotten from Demi. He had timed it just right to arrive just as the sun completed its descent down over the western horizon.

The house was nondescript. A standard McMansion in a newer housing tract, four bedrooms, two and a half baths, backyard, three car garage. It differed from the majority of the homes in the small city. Most of which dated back maybe thirty years or less or more. Cal had no idea.

He rang the doorbell and waited.

Patiently.

Silence.

He rang the doorbell again and waited.

And waited.

More.

He banged his fist on the door. Which was more of a light tap from his perspective. He didn’t want to break it.

His patience was gone.

He considered forcing the door open. He could always just fix it later.

The lock suddenly clicked open.

“Okay, okay, give me a second.”

The door opened to reveal a tall, thin man with thin brown hair that fell to his shoulders.

Cal looked up at the pale man.

“What took you so long, Bennett?”

The man somehow blanched even with his skin already as pale as it was.

“I… uh… needed my breakfast drink… you know, before I see anyone else.”

“Oh really?”

“I… mean… um… it’s… I just get a little hangry.” Bennett tried to smile, but it came out mixed with a grimace.

Cal pointedly noted the sharp canine teeth.

Bennett slapped his lips shut together as soon as he realized it.

“I swear, it’s nothing like you’re thinking.”

“And how do you know what I’m thinking?”

“No, no, no!” Bennett’s eyes grew wide.

It was faint, but someone with Cal’s enhanced vision was able to see the faint red tinge to the irises.

“I told you I can’t do that. It’s just that I’m a little crankier than usual when if first wake up. Just a quick sip instantly puts me into my normal self.”

Cal nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“So, um… not to be rude… but what can I do for you?”

“What? I can’t just visit and see how you’re doing? Ask how the Watch is treating you? Ask how the research is going?”

“Of course, of course. It’s just that you’re a busy man… and…” Bennett shrugged. “I can’t complain about anything. I have everything we agreed to. And I assumed Remy was sharing everything our team was working on.”

“How very… insightful of you.”

“I… it’s pretty obvious, right?”

There was a plaintive note to Bennett’s voice that led Cal to cut the man some slack. “Relax, man. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“You mean you’re testing me to see if you can get me to snap?”

Cal wasn’t surprised to hear the sadness in Bennett’s voice. He felt a little bad about pushing the man, but it was necessary. The man’s abilities and maybe his very nature posed a potential threat to the rest of the community. He had to be tested.

It might’ve been easier just to use his telepathy to take a look into the Bennett’s thoughts, but Cal wasn’t a hundred percent certain that he didn’t have abilities or natural resistances that would’ve made such a move a mistake.

“Yes.” Cal didn’t insult Bennett’s intelligence. “I know you understand the necessity.”

“Of course, I agreed to your terms after all.”

“And don’t get me wrong. I haven’t had reason to regret our agreement this entire time.”

“So, what’s the reason for the visit?”

“Business. There’s a thing I’m investigating and I think you can help.” Cal cut right to the point. “I need you to track a blood trail.”

“Can I even do that?” Bennett squinted.

“You’re a Vampire,” Cal said flatly.

“I do have a sense of blood in my proximity,” Bennett nodded. “Why don’t you come in and we can discuss this further while I finish my breakfast. I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything for you.”

“No worries, I ate dinner before I came here,” Cal said.

“Um… before we start,” Bennett closed the door behind them, “will I have to go outside?”

Cal laughed.

----------------------------------------

“Who the fuck is this guy?”

“He’s a consultant.”

Detective Ordonez watched Bennett while the scarecrow-like man walked around the newest massacre site disturbingly like an eager bloodhound.

Cal was glad that he had insisted on Bennett filling up before they made their way across the bridge toward the Sacramento’s eastern outskirts. If the Vampire had started lapping up the puddles of partially dried blood there was no way he could’ve explained that away.

“There’s something off about him.”

Flo’s high-pitched voice didn’t fit the constantly angry look on her face. Nor did it match the immense feeling of danger that every bit of her movements gave off.

“He’s a little pale on account of not getting enough sunlight. Got that sun allergy thing. Bad for him.” Every word was technically true. Cal just skipped over the particulars.

Flo’s gaze snapped back to Cal. Her eyes narrowed even more.

“He’s got some kind of ability that I’m hoping will help find that trail that we can’t,” Cal said.

“What sort of class does he have?”

“Sorry, Detective Ordonez. That’s opsec.” Cal shrugged.

“First an intern. Then a consultant.” The detective made a noise in her throat. “Fine, but he’s your responsibility and I’m not putting this one on the payroll.”

“I don’t like this,” Flo said. “Can’t trust him or you.”

“Huh, that’s like the most words you’ve ever said to me,” Cal said.

“Whatever,” Flo stomped off and disappeared somewhere in the darkness of the apartment complex.

“Don’t step on any evidence,” Detective Ordonez called after her.

Flo flipped her the bird.

“The things I have to deal with,” Detective Ordonez said.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Jake said. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it.” The big man hurried off after Flo.

“I’m surprised you put up with that sort of insubordination. You don’t strike me as a coddler,” Cal said lightly.

“I follow orders, unlike you, Cruces. I don’t like it, but that moody teenager is our strongest fighter. When we find the mauler we’re going to need her.”

“Maybe you don’t,” Cal said. “I’m fairly confident I can handle the monster. Why expose a teenager to all this… stuff.”

“Word is that she’s seen similar. Don’t get me wrong. I actually agree with you on this much, but not my call. Richards told me himself that he wants Flo on the task force.”

“The interim governor himself. He must really be concerned about the mauler.”

“It’s getting worse. The mauler is taking out large groups of people now. Even it it’s gangbangers, my gut tells me that it could just as easily be innocent civilians.”

“True enough. I’ll go check on my consultant. He’s been at it long enough.” Cal excused himself and walked over to Bennett.

“Dude, you’re making me look bad in front of the badass,” Cal whispered.

“Okay, sorry, but I have no idea how this actually works. V—”

Cal held up a finger. “I told you about opsec.”

Bennett cleared his throat. “My abilities didn’t come with instructions on how to perform them. What I’ve learned, I’ve done through experimentation. Trial and error.”

“Seriously man, you know about the tutorials right?”

“Of course, but I need Universal Points to purchase those from the spire.”

“See, good thing I pulled you into this. You got that Quest.”

“Yes and assuming I succeed and not get killed by this Midtown Mauler, a ghastly name, then I will use some of the 5000 points to obtain some tutorials.”

“I don’t know why you’re stressing out so much about that. I thought because of your nature then you just drink some of that liquid and you’re healed.”

“Yes, but I have no idea how much damage I can sustain where that solution becomes moot.”

“Fair enough. So, picked up the trail yet?”

“Again, let me preface by saying that I’m learning as I go along. Now... there are so many different sources of blood around here, which makes things difficult. To suffice to say, I believe that I can actually find and follow a trail if it exists.”

“Great, let’s go.”

Bennett held up a finger. “I have a concern.”

Cal looked at him expectantly.

“My safety. I’m following a trail. Logic dictates that this will lead me to the mauler…”

“You’re a —, you. You have abilities. Regeneration and strength among others,” Cal said flatly.

“We’ve addressed the former and it’s limitations. As for the latter, yes I am approximately three to four times stronger than before my change. However, that still only makes me as strong as a very strong normal human.” Bennett gesticulated towards the human remains that Detective Ordonez had so graciously left untouched all day, so that the scene was undisturbed for Bennett. “My expertise is in anthropology. Not forensics or anatomy, but even I can tell that these poor people were torn apart by hand. That takes an enormous amount of strength that I don’t even want to think about.”

Cal considered it for a moment. “Fine. How about I stick close by. You scream and I’ll be right there to help you out.”

Bennett nodded stiffly. “Thank you.”

The group minus Flo, who according to Jake had said she was going to go home and to call her if they needed her, walked through dark and sometimes dimly lit streets following Bennett.

“So, you have like a blood sense ability?” Jake flanked Bennett. The two were the same height, but Jake was nearly three times wider. “Is it a passive thing, like a superpower or is it active, like a magic spell?”

“Er… I truly am not able to describe it. The closest I can explain is that it’s like smelling something, but not.”

“So, what’s your class anyways? Bloodmage? Cause that’d be sweet.”

“Uh… opsec?” Bennett said nervously.

“Your guy is bothering my consultant,” Cal said.

“Gates, get back here and leave him alone,” Detective Ordonez barked.

Cal moved up as Jake fell back reluctantly.

“Any way you can speed this up. It’s getting awkward back there with Detective Ordonez. I’m not sure, but I think she doesn’t like me very much.” Cal was sure.

“Shhh,” Bennett warned. “They can hear you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m using a small trick to obscure our words as long as we whisper. So, why not use your connection to small rodents to help widen your reach. You had a bat deliver a letter to Demi that one time.”

“I can’t just reach out to random animals in the area.”

“Explain.”

“It takes time and effort. I have to build a rapport to gain enough understanding on both sides.”

Cal slow-blinked at Bennett.

Bennett sighed. “You came to me for help, correct?” He spoke slowly.

“Yeah.”

“Would you have gone to another v—, one of my kind that say lived down this street?”

Cal shook his head.

“Exactly. We have an established relationship, which I’m incentivized to maintain for past and future benefit to all parties involved.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Cal had to restrain laughter. “So, in this analogy. I’m you and you’re the tiny rodents.”

“Yes, feel free to feel superior,” Bennett huffed.

Cal smiled. “Nah, you’re way more useful than a bat or rat.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to feel valued for my capabilities.”

Cal wasn’t sure if Bennett was being facetious.

They spent the dark hours of the night walking all over the eastern part of the city. The mauler’s trail, if it was what they were following, was winding. What was interesting and frightening was that the trail lingered near several pockets of populated neighborhoods and streets. Was the mauler scouting potential targets?

Cal could tell that Bennett was growing impatient with the amount of time they were taking. He couldn’t blame the man. Every second that went by was one closer to the bright of dawn.

Bennett stopped abruptly as they crossed into a neighborhood of row houses. “It’s gone.”

“You sure?”

Bennett’s head bobbed. “Absolutely. I can’t pick up anything. I’m sure of it.”

“Well, I guess this probably means we can confirm it’s the mauler.” Cal looked back to Detective Ordonez.

The detective didn’t look happy, which was to say she looked like she usually did, so it was hard to tell exactly what she thought of the development.

“I don’t understand?”

“Well, blood magic dude,” Jake said. “We’re in Midtown. It’s where we think these killings started.”

“Oh… okay,” Bennett turned to Cal, “so, can I go home now?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got like four hours before sunrise. Why don’t we see if you can pick up that trail again. Two more hours, then I can take you back,” Cal said.

Bennett’s shoulders slumped, but he dutifully complied.

The search was interrupted after about an hour when Detective Ordonez’s phone rang.

She stepped away, while Jake stood blocking Cal and Bennett’s view. The big man shrugged apologetically.

Cal waved it away. He was fully capable of listening in. They didn’t know that his hearing was better than a normal human.

“What’s going on?” Bennett whispered. “Do you think they’re on to me?”

“Nope. Sounds like the mauler hit a neighborhood north of here and…”

“What? What is it?”

“… also the Asian gang in the south.” Cal felt cold. They had just come from the site of a gang massacre in the north part of the city.

“Wait, what? I thought there was only one?”

“You and everyone else.”

Bennett glanced around nervously. “How far away did you say those places were again?”

“Relax, you can see in the dark. So, you’ll see it coming before anyone else,” Cal lied. “I’m counting on the advance warning when we head north.”

“But the sunrise…”

“Three hours till sunrise. You’ve got an hour left. We can push that to two and still get you back home in time. Worst case scenario, we put you in an abandoned house for the day. I’ll head back to your place grab you some drinks and we can pick up the trail tomorrow night.”

Detective Ordonez interrupted Bennett’s complaints.

“Cruces, the mauler hit two places, hit the gang to the south and a neighborhood north of here.”

“When?”

“Recently, while we were wasting time out here,” Detective Ordonez spat.

“Alright, but I’ve got to get Bennett back pretty soon. Sun allergy, remember.”

“We’re only about five blocks down from the neighborhood to the north. Can you give me a couple of hours?” Detective Ordonez’s face looked like she was chewing on some grade-F meat.

Cal looked over to Bennett.

“Sure,” Bennett sighed.

----------------------------------------

He was small, but much stronger than seemed possible. Fingernails like sharp claws made scaling the side of the building easy. Pale flesh reflected in the moonlight.

At first his escape from his prison had left him confused and frightened. That only lasted until the scent of something enticing reached his deformed nostrils. That spurred him on and he became the perfect hunter. It wasn’t something that he knew, but instinct, something within him drove him forward with uncanny skill.

His protector and jailer in one had been growing more and more careless over the last few weeks. Otherwise he would never have been able to free himself. He had appreciated the fresh meat that she had brought him on a regular basis, but deep down, he knew that nothing was more rewarding and satisfying than taking your own.

He could hear and smell them. Prey. Some slept, some engaged in some sort of rhythmic exercise that he dimly remembered hearing at some point in the past. The thought made him sad. It recalled memories of soft arms holding him tightly and stronger ones lifting him high in the air.

The hunger within him dashed the peaceful images out of his thoughts. All that remained was red and black. Hunger and death.

The screams and the taste would become his new favorite memory. He embraced the warmth. The rest fell away forever.

----------------------------------------

Flo cursed as she ran and jumped across the dark rooftops. She had received the phone call at the same time that Detective Ordonez had received hers.

Two potential mauler attacks?

The northern one was close to the detective and the assholes with her.

Flo had to get there in time. She couldn’t let them face the mauler by themselves.

That Cruces piece of shit would probably level the neighborhood in the fight. Just like what happened to her family. She knew that he or his brother was responsible. She just didn’t have the proof that she needed.

She had powers, so she needed to protect. She wouldn’t let what happened to her be repeated to some other poor family.

The memories came back unbidden. Flo cursed, a shout of pure frustration. She couldn’t escape it. She relived the moments in her dreams and they kept violating her waking hours.

“Flo, Freddie’s crying.”

Flo blinked. She was back there, then? She stared down at her younger brother. “Floyd, what’re you doing on the floor?”

“Don’t you remember? I fell when the monster crashed into our house. I wished that I saw the superheroes fighting it. It must’ve been just like the comics and movies.”

There was a strange, airy quality to her brother’s voice. She finally noticed the crying. She carefully stepped over her supine brother. She moved slowly since Floyd’s motionless legs were on the stairs. Up ahead she saw the sight that haunted her every moment.

Freddie was in their mother’s arms. She had somehow shielded him from the brunt of the collapse at a great cost.

Flo tried to look away from her mother’s unblinking eyes.

She couldn’t do it. She just had enough strength to pry her baby brother free and clutch him tightly to her chest. She gingerly made her was back down. Past Floyd’s motionless form.

“Is Freddie okay?”

Flo stared at the dark basement. The only light was from the small lantern that she somehow managed to keep safe when she had fallen down the stairs.

She was struck by a sudden realization.

“It’s okay guys,” her voice was a whisper. “Once they stop fighting we can go out the side exit. Get help… get help for mom and dad.” Tears flowed down her eyes as their image flashed across her thoughts.

“Flo…” Floyd’s voice was weak.

“Oh my god! Floyd. Are you okay? Why are just laying there? Get your butt up!”

“I… I… can’t feel…”

“Floyd? Floyd!”

Flo screamed, while Freddie cried in her arms.

Floyd never answered her.

The memory had only grown stronger ever since Cruces had joined their task force.

A While Ago

“Sssooooo… you’re Florence, right? I’m Ja—”

“What’re you? A perv? I’m like a teenager.”

“I— wha— no, No! Just trying to introduce myself since we’re going to be on the task force together.”

Flo glared and kept her mouth shut.

“Gates!”

Jake shot to his feet. “Yes, ma’am… boss.”

“Don’t bother Browning.” The hard-eyed detective gave Flo the once over. She stuck a hand out. “Welcome to the task force.”

Flo stood and shook the hand. She was careful not to squeeze too hard. Though she had to fight the urge to crush the detective’s hand to assert dominance. It was alarming to say the least. “Um… thanks… Flo is fine, I mean you can call me Flo.”

“I’ve heard good things about you.” Detective Ordonez’s face said otherwise. “You’re going to be an integral part of this case. I find the Midtown Mauler and you capture or put it down. I need to know right now if you don’t think you can do that?”

“I can handle the mauler,” Flo lied.

Time rewound to a few months in the past.

Flo had been following the man for several blocks. She had forgotten his name. Jensen, Jason, or something like that. He was a brute of a man. Huge muscles, no neck, arm sleeve tattoos. That stupid beard. It was like he hit all the douchebag marks. He also had a Class and Skills. A Warrior. He was a valuable part of their army in the fight to reclaim more parts of the city from the monsters. He was also a rapist.

It was instinctive and she could smell it on him. One predator recognizing another. Unfortunately, she needed proof and she knew that they’d overlook his crimes so long as he was more valuable to the cause. That was why she had decided make him pay for his crimes. It they wouldn’t do anything about him. Then she would.

Flo blocked the man’s path a few blocks away from the apartment complex he had emerged from.

“This is your only warning. Stop what you’re doing to those women,” Flo said.

“The fuck you talking about? Don’t know what the hell you’re on about, little girl.” The man walked around Flo.

She grabbed him, spun him around and picked him up by his shirt. She held him off the ground with one hand.

“I heard everything,” Flo said flatly.

The man punched at Flo’s arm. When that didn’t work he kicked her in the stomach.

She was unamused and unmoved.

Now there was fear in the man’s eyes. Flo could smell it coming off of him. She suppressed a grin.

“I don’t know what you think you heard, but it was all consensual.”

She heard the lie in the way the man’s pulse jumped.

“Liar,” Flo snarled.

She hurled the man into the bushes. He popped up quickly and tried to run. She pounced on him and knocked him to the ground. She pinned him to the ground.

“Oh man! You’re that girl.” The man winced as Flo ground her knee a bit in his back. “Hey, hey. Ease up. We’re on the same side. I’m a Warrior.”

“I know that’s why I’m giving you this one chance,” Flo snapped. “Stop.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s consensual. I give them extra supplies, protection and they pay me with what they can. Fair trade.”

Flo ground the man’s face into the dirt. “You will stop or else.”

The man spat out dirt and laughed bitterly. “What’re you gonna do? You ask them and they’ll say the same thing. Fuck, if you asked them they’ll say they wanted it. The extra stuff and peace of mind. You all need me. I’ve got Skills.”

“This is your only warning. Stop or I won’t protect you from the monsters in the dark.”

Flo let the man up. He ran without looking back. Something told her that he wasn’t going to take her advice.

----------------------------------------

Now

Cal didn’t have time for all these adds.

“Where are these bastards coming from? Communicator, did you run that diagnostic again? Why aren’t we picking them up with our equipment.”

“Affirmative, Designation: Honor. Second query returned the same result. Equipment is functioning properly.”

Cal heard the wince in Communicator Dreylox 7193’s voice. They weren’t used to his angry voice. He made a note to modulate his tone. Still, it pissed him off. How was the Threnosh’s super advanced technology malfunctioning? More importantly why was his telepathy doing the same?

“Honor, energy station is under heavy attack. We are unable to proceed to second objective.”

Cal heard the sounds of projectile fire over the comms.

“Damn it,” he muttered. “Copy, Telatrine, just hold on. I’m on my way.”

Cal smashed a group of corrupted with a wave of telekinetic force that pounded them into the unyielding metallic surface of the road. He zoomed over them and left the rest behind. He’d have to deal with them later or he’d get lucky and they’d disappear. They had appeared out of nowhere like they were conjured with magic. Maybe if he wasn’t there to observe them then they’d puff into smoke. Schrodinger’s monsters? Eron would’ve laughed at that.

He shook his head. Where did that come from? He had learned long ago to keep idle thoughts out of his mind when in battle. His powers relied on concentration. It was a potentially costly mistake. He was slipping.

Cal switched the channel. “Salamander, Maul, did you reload?”

“Affirmative,” Salamander said.

“Change of plans. Head for the energy station. We’re doing the good old hammer and anvil maneuver.”

He was met with silence.

“We’re going to hit them from one side, while the rest of our guys hit them from the other.”

“Understood, we will make haste.”

Cal grit his teeth. He put on more speed. He was going to see the automated defense system up and running if he had to fly Adahn over there and fight all of the corrupted by himself.

He ate up the distance with frightening speed. He had to slow down as he approached Salamander and Maul.

“Heads up guys, I’m about to pick you up.”

Maul shot a questioning look at Salamander.

“You have practiced the ‘high-speed pick up’ maneuver,” Salamander said.

“Once.”

“Try to relax your body.”

Cal grabbed both Threnosh in a telekinetic grip and accelerated.

They reached the battle in a handful of blinks of the eye.

Cal roughly dropped his passengers a short distance away from the back ranks of the corrupted. The monsters were pushing in on the semi-circle of Threnosh defenders.

The melee fighters stood like an immovable bulwark at the tip of their formation. The attracted the bulk of the corrupted, while the rest fired projectiles.

Still, their efforts might’ve been in vain if it wasn’t for the increased weight of fire provided by the automated turrets and combat drones.

Even then their ammunition wasn’t going to last for much longer.

Cal swooped down on the mass of corrupted and sent his blades flying into the thickest concentration. They sliced and stabbed at the direction of his telekinetic fingers. They moved with speed, power and precision in concert together to maximize the damage.

Maul hit the corrupted hard with a barrage from every single weapon they possessed. They had just reloaded, but they were down to half their ammunition in a matter of seconds.

Salamander leapt high into the air with a burst from the rockets at the back of their legs. As they reached the apex a pair of thin, metallic wings unfurled from their back. They didn’t provide true flight. They were just enough to glide and slow their descent. They spat several blasts of fire from their helmet’s maw into the corrupted.

Cal dropped down on the roof of a building next to the battle. His blades clattered in a bloody pile next to him. He needed to focus his power on one thing for what he intended to do next.

“Salamander, get ready.”

“Acknowledged.”

Cal only had a few seconds before Salamander glided back down to the ground. He didn’t waste any time. He pictured three strong walls. He placed them on three sides of the corrupted. Then he pushed them together.

The corrupted struggled. Against the invisible walls. Then against each other when the walls proved too strong. Some squeezed free at the open space to the rear.

“Now.”

Salamander breathed a steady stream of flame into the opening.

The corrupted screamed as one and sought the only escape possible only to run into the fiercest portion of the flame. Some desperately tried to go up. They struggled to climb up the bodies piled up against the invisible walls. They didn’t know that Cal had stretched the walls up nearly a hundred feet. There was no escape for them.

Cal floated down from the roof. He skirted the edge of rising smoke from the center of the street. His helmet had filters, but he didn’t want to get the stench of burned corrupted on his armor for later when he’d have to take it off.

The corrupted were broken and only a few dozen remained. The Threnosh shot them as they tried to flee. Any they missed ran right into Salamander, who had already glided back down to the ground.

The battle was short and easy from Cal’s perspective, but one look at his troops told a different story. Heavily damaged power armor and he counted less baseline soldiers than what they started out with.

“Status report, subcommander.”

“Objective secured.”

“Casualties?”

“Four standard infantry soldiers and one heavy soldier killed. The rest are still combat effective, though at decreased capacity. Ammunition at critical level. Designation: Adahn is awaiting your command to initialize the energy.”

“The team is ready to proceed to the next objective,” Telatrine said.

Cal took one look at the Threnosh and thought otherwise. Their unpowered armor was shredded. He could see much of the Threnosh’s strange power armor through the numerous holes.

“No, you will rearm and Drega will repair as much as they can, while you secure this location. I’ll take Adahn to the security station.”

“Acknowledged.” Telatrine’s body was ramrod straight. They immediately called in a supply drop from base camp.

Cal left them to it. He still had no intention of taking anyone else with him.

“Adahn, turn the power on,” Cal said into the comms.

“Acknowledged.”

Cal expected a sign of something that the power to this section of the city was back on. Lights or at least some kind of sound. He didn’t notice anything different.

“Status is green,” Adahn said.

“I’ll take your word for it. Get back up here and we’ll head to the security station.”

“Acknowledged.”

Cal had a decision to make. Does he go ahead with just Adahn? Or does he bring a handful of the T-Men? If so, who?

They needed to be able to defend both locations and the majority of the team already demonstrated that they weren’t capable. A similarly sized attack from the corrupted would surely overwhelm them. Cal was almost certain that the monsters had the numbers to keep up the pressure.

The corrupted had somehow proved capable of masking their numbers and locations. They had beaten both Cal’s telepathy and the numerous surveillance equipment that he had seeded all over the place. It didn’t make sense.

The T-Men he selected and Adahn would need to be able to kill quickly and in large numbers, while being capable of surviving overwhelming numbers. The problem was that he needed them to defend the energy station. Without it running, turning the city’s defenses back on wasn’t possible.

Cal made up his mind just as Adahn emerged from the facility.

“Rodinian, do you still have traps left?”

“Yes.”

“Unseen, what’s your energy reserves look like?”

“Ninety-two percent.”

“Awesome. You two are coming with me.”

Telatrine opened their mouth to speak, but abruptly shut it as soon as they saw Salamander take a step forward.

“Your orders, Honor?”

“Defend this location.” Cal looked to Subcommander Tioga Blue 635. “Call for reinforcements from the squad at base camp. Send your wounded back with the transport.” He turned to the rest of his team. “Prepare for another assault. We must hold this facility. The only back up we’ll get is from the city’s defenses.”

Cal picked up the three Threnosh with his telekinesis and zoomed off into the air. There was a slight poking sensation in his brain. Like several pins gentling pressing in a dozen areas. It was starting.