The ambush exploded around Johnny before he could fully process Trinity's words. Five against three—a chaotic surge of Trinity's team against Ryan's. The air instantly filled with the sharp clash of steel on steel, a metallic symphony of combat. Lucas, no longer bound by the need to lead, roared, a primal sound that vibrated through the forest, as he launched himself at the nearest wolf. Simon, a blur of lethal efficiency, engaged another, his movements fluid and precise.
Dylan plunged into the fray, adding to the chaotic ballet of blades. Johnny, meanwhile, found himself locked in a fierce struggle with the opposing team's prize, his every move aimed at overpowering his opponent to secure Team Four's victory.
Mona, witnessing the sudden eruption of battle, didn't hesitate. This wasn't her fight; she wouldn't be a trophy for either side. With a surprising burst of speed, she darted away from her captors, a fleeting shadow slipping through the melee. The rustle of leaves was the only indication of her passage as she vanished into the dense trees, intent on playing a game of hide-and-seek, a phantom prize determined not to be caught.
A smirk touched Trinity's lips as she watched Mona escape. She knew letting Mona go was the best move. Their objective was to take over Team Five's prize, knowing that Team Five couldn't win without their own. This strategy also meant Team Five wouldn't be hunting Mona, giving Trinity's team a chance to catch her later while their opponents were preoccupied with reclaiming their prize.
The battle raged on, a blur of motion and glinting steel. Ryan, facing overwhelming numbers, his gaze flickered towards Mona's escaping form. He knew the fight was lost the moment she bolted, a grim realization settling over him: they couldn't win this engagement. His team's own prize was close to being overpowered. In that moment, a flicker of pettiness sparked in Ryan's mind. He knew exactly how Trinity thought.
His eyes locked onto Dylan, the wolf at the back of Trinity's group. With a guttural snarl, Ryan lunged, a desperate, final surge of aggression. His sword flashed, finding its mark. Dylan cried out, stumbling backward and falling heavily to the ground, out of the game. Ryan then fired his gun wildly towards the group, not bothering to aim, simply forcing them to duck for cover. In that brief moment of distraction, he made a ruthless choice: he shot his own team's prize. If he couldn't protect them, he wasn't going to give Trinity the extra points.
Without a backward glance, Ryan spun on his heel and plunged into the depths of the forest, disappearing as swiftly as Mona.
"You're so petty!" Trinity called out, a mocking laugh echoing after him. "Some warrior you are!" She shook her head, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. They hadn't gotten a prize, but they'd freed Mona and taken out one of their opponents. It was still a win in her books.
"Why the hell would he shoot his own teammate?" Johnny asked, completely perplexed, his brow furrowed.
"Because he doesn't want us to win," Trinity replied, a thought forming in her mind that she would have done the exact same thing in his situation.
Jess grinned as she saw two wolves duck behind trees, entering her range. She didn't even bother alerting her team below, rolling her eyes at how stupid they were. Sitting up, she stretched her legs, trying to get some blood flow back into them. She was kind of getting tired of all this. Hopefully, they'd be done soon. With a practiced ease, she raised her gun. Two precise shots rang out, each silver pellet finding its mark in the chests of the two wolves. Below, she watched with satisfaction as both crumpled to the ground, out of the game.
Caldera watched with intrigue as two wolves, whom he hadn't even had the chance to engage, shot dirty looks up into the tree as they walked out of the game dejectedly.
As Trinity's team began to regroup, Thomas's voice echoed through the trees once more. "Time." It was time for a new leader.
The choice came down to Simon or Trinity. Johnny and Lucas could only watch in silence, wondering which of them would step forward to take control.
For Trinity, it wasn't even a choice. She wanted to be the last leader, where everyone would just have to listen to her. But she knew that asserting control now would be less effective than allowing the situation to play out. She'd rather keep gathering information.
"You're up," she told Simon, a hint of a challenge in her voice.
Lucas and Johnny exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why she hadn't seized control. It was more than obvious that she was looking to assert some level of authority; she always seemed to be offering her opinion.
Simon found it ridiculous. He knew she was brewing a plan in her clever little head.
Simon wondered what they should do. He wasn't used to being in control; it was a very unfamiliar position for him to be in. He wanted to turn to Lucas or Johnny and ask them what they thought, but he knew he wasn't allowed.
They might not really have an option. It seemed like they needed to confront Team Five. At least they knew where Team Five was. Going after Mona and Ryan would be a wild goose chase. Ryan was a lost cause; he wasn't a prize. Mona was worth the struggle, but they could be ambushed by Team Five or Ryan. It was better to be the aggressor, he thought.
Simon, now leading his group, made the calculated decision to ambush Team Five. He gestured for them to move, and they began to slowly, stealthily, make their way through the dense forest. Every rustle of leaves, every snapped twig, was meticulously avoided as they covered the kilometer separating them from their target.
From a distance, hidden by the thick foliage, they could see Team Five's home base. Only three members were visible, milling about.
Lucas, with his keen Alpha senses, was the first to notice the anomaly. His eyes narrowed, then widened slightly. He quickly grabbed Simon's arm, his fingers tightening in a silent command for attention. Lucas then pointed vigorously towards the towering oak where Jess was perched. Simon's gaze followed Lucas's gesture, his eyes narrowing as he pinpointed the figure high in the tree.
Simon began to ponder aloud, formulating strategies. "How do we get her out of that tree? And take out her teammates below at the same time?" Trinity listened, nodding along, her own plans already coalescing in her mind.
"Maybe we could throw something at the tree?" Simon mused, almost offhandedly, thinking of a way to dislodge Jess.
Trinity chimed in, her tone neutral, masking the tactical brilliance of the suggestion. "That would be a good distraction for the rest of her team down below. Possibly make it easier to take them out." She wanted to get Jess out of the tree, make her fearful enough to climb down.
Unbeknownst to Trinity and Simon, who were absorbed in their conversation, Lucas had been listening. A plan, quick and brutal, had already formed in his mind. Without a word, he bent down, his powerful hands gripping a large, jagged rock that required significant strength to lift. With a primal grunt, he flung it with astonishing force towards the base of the massive oak Jess was perched in. The rock hit with a sickening crack, splintering the ancient wood. A groaning, tearing sound followed as the enormous tree began to sway, then slowly, majestically, toppled.
Jess let out a sharp scream of fright as the world tilted violently. She instinctively launched herself downwards, leaping from the branch, hoping that one of her teammates would catch her.
Below, Caldera, quick as thought, moved with remarkable speed. He managed to position himself just in time, catching Jess bridal style, before holding her to his chest like a small child. The unexpected, monumental crash of the falling tree sent a shockwave through the clearing, the air filling with the sound of splintering wood and shouts of alarm.
Johnny's jaw clenched, a furious glint in his eyes as he watched Lucas. He wanted to roar at Lucas for such a reckless action that could have harmed his sister. But Thomas's earlier warning about leaders speaking flashed in his mind. He couldn't risk disqualification.
Lucas, meanwhile, looked rather self-assured, a wide smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. Even though it was unexpected, his brazen action had undeniably created a massive distraction.
Trinity seized the moment. Drawing the gun Johnny had given her, she fired two swift, precise shots. Two members of Team Five, trying desperately to avoid being crushed by the falling tree or harmed by the wood splinters fragmenting outwards, crumpled to the ground with cries of pain as the silver pellets found their marks. They were out.
Caldera, with Jess still clinging to his front, didn't hesitate. He spun, plunging into the deepest part of the forest, desperate to find a place to hide and regroup.
Simon, regaining his focus amidst the chaos, barked orders. "With me, Johnny!" With one final glare towards Lucas, he rushed the last remaining member of Team Five who hadn't gotten away. Their swords became a blur, slicing at his stomach and legs with brutal efficiency. The wolf screamed, collapsing to the forest floor, effectively out of the game.
"You're not in charge, don't do anything stupid again!" Trinity cursed, glaring at Lucas, her voice sharp. He merely smirked back, unable to retort due to the rules. "What if you'd actually crushed her? It's just a game, you idiot! Think before you act!" Lucas simply held her gaze, his eyes gleaming with unapologetic satisfaction.
Simon and Johnny made their way back to Trinity and Lucas. Simon was trying to decide which way they should go, who they should hunt.
"Time!" Thomas's voice echoed through the forest once more.
Trinity knew this was probably the last five minutes they had. And now, she was the only one allowed to speak.
"All of you, shift into your wolf form," Trinity commanded, not wasting a second in taking control. She already knew exactly what she wanted to do. They were the last team that was mostly intact; everyone else was just in small clusters.
The trio looked at each other before doing as she said, stripping nude in front of her without shame or any bit of modesty. Trinity tried to suppress a blush as she waited for them to shift into their wolf forms. Once it was done, she nodded in approval.
"Johnny, you know Jess's scent well. You're going to track her. Simon, you're going to go after Ryan. I don't care if you take them out or not, but you need to distract them." The two took off, instantly latching onto her instructions, their powerful frames disappearing into the trees.
Looking at the last, pitch-black wolf, Trinity despised Lucas, but she knew that out of the three of them, he had to be the fastest and probably the strongest. They were working with limited time. "We're tracking Mona. Now bend down, I'm going to get on your back."
Trinity knew she was taking advantage of the situation. She had wanted to ride a wolf since she got here, but there hadn't really been the time, and she wasn't sure if it was a rude thing to do. But now that they had to listen to her, there was no way she wasn't doing it.
The only sign of Lucas's irritation was the way he flash his sharp canines at Trinity in warning, which only made her smile and pet his snout uncaringly. Letting out a mild giggle as her fingers passed over the rippled skin along his snout. She knew he couldn't hurt her. Lowering himself, he allowed Trinity to get on his back.
Extending his nails through his paws, he dug into the dirt before he took off at lightning speed, a low growl rumbling in his chest. He was glad when he heard Trinity's fearful squeal before she gripped onto his fur, her sharp, talon-like nails biting into his skin.
Lucas knew that he needed to refresh himself with Mona's scent, so he headed back to Team Four's base, sniffing around where Mona had been before taking off into the forest at a blinding speed.
Trinity couldn't help the exhilarated smile that stretched across her lips. It was utterly breathtaking. Lucas was incredibly fast, a dark blur streaking through the dappled sunlight and shadows of the forest. His fur, surprisingly soft beneath her hands, rippled with each powerful stride. The way he glided through the trees, leaping over fallen logs and under low-hanging branches, was as if he could fly. He cleared vast distances with effortless bounds, the wind whipping past her ears, the scent of damp earth and pine filling her nostrils. Her hair streamed behind her, a wild banner against the green. This entire experience was something she knew she would never forget, and she definitely wanted to do it again.
"Fuck!" Ryan cursed under his breath when he noticed the wolf that was running towards him. He was at the furthest end of the forest, trying to remain hidden behind some toppled trees, thinking that he would probably be left alone.
Ryan didn't hesitate, pulling out his gun and shooting fiercely towards the wolf. But he knew it would be harder to hit him. In wolf form, they were so agile and quick. Deciding it was best to find high ground, he started climbing the tree nearest to him, using his sword to bite into the tree's base, trying to lift himself. He hoped to get high enough before the wolf leaped at him. His senses tingled with awareness, warning him that he was running out of time. With one arm holding the blade that was jammed in the tree, he used his other free hand, letting go of the tree as he swung, and fired towards the wolf that was close enough for him to hit, forcing it to jump away. It didn't want to have silver embedded in its body. He knew silver in the body of a wolf was far more painful than it was when they were still in human form. With a bit of breathing room, he made quick work of climbing back up the tree. Once he was on a high enough limb, he watched the wolf circle the tree menacingly. They were playing a useless game of cat and mouse. He knew Trinity must be in control now, using Simon to keep him away.
"We can't stop moving!" Jess told Caldera, her voice strained as he carried her.
She had wrapped her legs around his waist while her arms circled his neck, her front and his touching. But she thought it was the best way. Like this, she could still use her gun and shoot behind him, able to watch his back.
"Wolf." Jess said, has Caldera gave her an urgent look while pointing over his shoulder. Caldera hearing the pounding footfalls behind him, while Jess could vaguely make out the brown wolf that was in the distance chasing them.
Caldera knew he could outrun Johnny in his wolf form, but he wouldn't have time to shift. The second he put Jess down, she was an easy target.
Caldera ran as fast as he could, jumping over downed branches and narrowly avoiding the thick roots on the forest floor that were trying to trip him.
As Jess shot back towards the wolf, she exclaimed, "Can't hit him if you keep bouncing around!" in irritation.
In his head Caldera retorted Don't tell me how to run, I won't tell you how to shoot. Just aim. Settling on a growl because he knew he couldn't speak. wondering where she got the nerve to question him.
Sighing in irritation, Jess tried her best, while knowing that her team had likely lost. If they were lucky, it would be a tie.
With Lucas's powerful nose, he found Mona in no time. She had tried to hide herself under a pile of leaves, hoping to mask her scent. When Trinity found her, she was quick to wrap Mona's wrist with silver.
They were against the clock, with limited time. With both girls on his back, Lucas ran as fast as he could, a dark streak through the trees, trying to get back to their home base. It would only count as having a prize if they made it back.
Trinity heard the shots ahead as they were making their way back to their base at an impossible speed.
Ryan saw the black wolf carrying Trinity and Mona. With a light chuckle, he no longer focused on the wolf beneath him and aimed for Trinity and Mona.
Before he could pull the trigger, the tree he was in shook violently as the wolf below threw its body at the tree.
"Protect us!" Trinity yelled, her voice urgent. This would be the final push.
Jess caught the blur of movement as she spotted Trinity on the back of a wolf. She had to admit she was impressed and envious. She was too far away to be able to shoot at them, and for Caldera to chase them, she would then need to switch from being on his front to his back, and she just knew there was no way of making this happen.
Knowing that her team had given a very valiant fight, Jess yelled over to Trinity, "Epic!"
Trinity chuckled, hearing the words Jess yelled over to her. She could see their base in sight, knowing that she was probably slowing down Lucas's top speed with her extra weight.
"Jump," she commanded Lucas. They were so close to the base. Just as he leaped, she threw herself off his back, rolling onto the forest floor painfully. Her momentum stopped as she crashed into a tree.
"Time!" Thomas called, just as Lucas's feet touched down on their base.
Trinity chuckled with unrestrained joy as she clutched her back in pain. It was worth it. She had won! A triumphant, gloating smile spread across her face, and as she grinned, she bit the inside of her cheek. When she pulled her lips back from her teeth, a faint smear of red showed, a stark contrast against their white.
Thomas watched the daring girl who had thrown herself off Lucas's back at the last moment to give him an extra boost so he'd be able to make it back to their base, harming herself in the process. He definitely would be passing on this tape to all of the other instructors along with Trinity's father. She deserved the right to gloat.