Valtor felt his arms wrenched behind him as an officer moved in, pulling out a pair of cuffs. Remaining perfectly calm, he turned his head toward Orea. Her gaze met his instantly. For a brief, charged moment, silence passed between them — a wordless understanding.
Orea's eyes narrowed when she caught the faint glint in Valtor's. She widened her eyes in question, and his slight nod confirmed what she feared — and hoped.
She took a quiet breath, readying herself just as an officer began to pull her away.
The moment Valtor's wrists were bound and the ice cage around his legs released, he struck backward with his heel, slamming it into the officer's knee. The man staggered with a grunt, and before he could recover, Valtor shoved him aside and broke into a sprint.
Two officers lunged after him — one of them supposedly dragging Orea by the arm.
Taking her chance, Orea kicked off the ground, sprinting toward the woods even with her hands cuffed behind her.
Lynx moved to chase, but the officer Valtor had attacked barked, "Stay!" He took off after Orea himself, limping but determined.
Held firmly by their captors, Zara, Kymani, and Rowynn could only watch, hearts pounding, as Valtor and Orea vanished in opposite directions.
"What are they doing?" Rowynn whispered.
"Ruining their plans," Zara replied, then turned boldly toward the nearest soldier. "Why aren't you whisking us away? What's wrong — can't return to the barracks with half the team missing?" she asked, raising a teasing eyebrow.
The soldier's jaw tightened. Without warning, he pulled out his gun and fired.
A sharp crack split the air. Rowynn's scream followed a second later as she clutched her leg and crumpled to the ground.
Her cry cut through the chaos like a blade. Valtor froze mid-run, spinning toward the sound — just long enough for his pursuers to catch up. They shoved him forward, jabbing him roughly before trapping him between them.
"Rowynn!" Zara's voice broke as she was dragged away. Kymani fought against his captor's grip, desperate to reach the fallen girl. Even Lynx hesitated, fists clenched tight, a deep frown creasing his face as he watched her writhe in pain.
"Orion!" Rowynn's captor barked, snapping Lynx to attention. "Go. Help with the girl," he ordered, pointing toward Orea's direction.
Lynx hesitated only a moment before obeying.
As he moved, the officer yanked Rowynn to her feet. "Enough," he said gruffly. "It's just a simulation — it'll wear off."
Rowynn gasped, tears streaking her face, still trembling as the pain began to fade from her leg.
The crew was pulled into a fighter jet parked amidst the trees, identical to the one that had dropped them off. They all sat next to each other, shoulders tense, while the soldiers sat across, eyes locked like steel.
"I'm sorry this is happening… I should've done better," Valtor whispered to Orea, voice low, almost swallowed by the hum of the engines. His dark hair fell over his forehead, hiding his eyes, but the weight in them was unmistakable.
"You did great," she replied, glancing at him for a heartbeat before looking away. "We all know who ruined things".
A distance from the jet, the Lead Officer waited as Lynx approached slowly, the gear and backpacks of his teammates slung over both shoulders.
"That's all of them," he announced, dropping the items to the ground.
The officer nodded. "Well done, Mr. Orion. For a rookie, you've done exceptionally. The superintendent would be proud."
"Thank you, sir," Lynx replied, calm.
"I believe Superintendent Jeremy promised you a token of appreciation for your work?"
"Yes, sir… a private video call with my mum before meeting her in person," Lynx said, his tone rising with excitement.
"Alright," the soldier replied, pulling out a tablet. A few swift taps later, he handed it over. "Take this. She'll appear on the screen once she picks up."
Lynx turned away, eyes fixed on the device, each passing second thick with anticipation.
Then the air shifted. A subtle, almost imperceptible tension crawled up his spine. Lynx glanced over his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat. The officer had raised a weapon, finger poised over the trigger.
For a split second, they locked eyes — instinct against intent.
Before the officer could act, Lynx unleashed a gust of mist, sharp and cold. Frost shot out, crawling up the man's arms and freezing him in place, mid-motion. His breath hung in icy clouds, eyes wide in shock.
Lynx lowered his hand slowly, chest rising and falling, eyes hardening. The tablet in his grip felt suddenly heavy.
"What was that about?" he wondered, stepping closer to the frozen figure. His eyes fell on the weapon. "The neutralizer."
He staggered back, realization hitting like a punch. "He was trying to shut down my powers too… Why?!"
Glancing at the tablet, the ringing continued. He tapped frantically, but nothing happened.
"A fake call?" he muttered, tossing the device to the ground.
"No… no! This can't be happening!" Lynx yelled, slamming his fist into a nearby tree, dead to the throbbing pain that followed. He pressed his forehead against the bark. They were going to turn me in… there was no call. It was all a scam. I'm probably never going to see Mum again..., his mind rushed with thoughts.
He leaned back against the tree. "Shit! I've messed up pretty bad," he admitted, hands running through his buzz cut.
"Valtor was right about the council… and I played right into their scheming hands," he whispered harshly. "I ruined the escape and got everyone into this mess… for nothing."
Lynx straightened, eyes hardening. "I need to fix this." Without looking back at the frozen officer, he strode toward the jet.