The engine rumbled as Thomas's crew drove along a ruined highway, their newly upgraded mobile safe zone rolling smoothly over the cracked pavement. The faint shimmer of the safe zone field surrounded the truck, powered by the white fragments embedded in its core, pushing the Pink Fog away. They felt safer now, more in control, with options on how to handle whatever the road threw at them. But just as that confidence settled in, they came across something they hadn't prepared for.
A blockade.
Thomas eased on the brakes as the crew spotted an improvised barricade made of rusted cars and scrap metal blocking the road. It wasn't random. Someone had built it.
"Yeah, that's a trap," Nevin muttered, squinting at the barricade. "Looks like the usual stop-and-rob setup."
Bryan, still in his Winged Tiger form, flew above the truck and scanned the area. "No movement yet, but something feels off."
Iris shifted her stance, her gaze fixed on the barricade. "So what's the plan? Push through or deal with it?"
Thomas cracked his knuckles. "Let's see who's stupid enough to try this on us."
As the truck slowed to a stop, figures stepped out from behind the wreckage. Glint-formed scavengers, armed and tense, spread out across the road. Their glowing eyes fixed on the truck through the fog. Thomas and his crew understand that they weren't here to talk. They were here to take supplies, Pink Fragments, anything of value, and they were ready to do it by force.
At the front was a mantis-like scavenger, a wiry man with a scar across his nose and long, blade-shaped arms. His joints bent at odd angles, clicking softly every time he moved. Each step was quick and precise, his head tilting side to side as he studied the crew through the fog.
Beside him, an armadillo-like scavenger with thick, armor-plated skin stomped forward, each heavy step cracking the pavement beneath his feet. Further back, an owl-like scavenger perched on a rusted car, its hunched frame covered in ragged feathers. Its long, bony arms ended in sharp talons, and its glowing eyes tracked the truck's every movement. They were Glints, humans who used their transformations not to fight the Fades, but to hunt and prey on other survivors.
Thomas leaned an elbow against the truck's window. "You could move the barricade instead of wasting our time."
The mantis-armed scavenger laughed. "That's cute. Here's the deal. You hand over your supplies, and we let you live."
Nevin exhaled sharply. "Why do they always start with that line?"
Thomas smirked. "And it never works."
Thomas's crew had been about to switch escort rotation when they spotted the blockade. Bryan was supposed to revert to human form and rest, but with possible enemies ahead, he stayed transformed. He kept low in the air, wings spread, ready to strike if needed. Iris and Nevin were already outside the truck in their Glint forms, standing guard while Thomas remained in the driver's seat, watching through the windshield and waiting for the first move.
The scavengers didn't bother replying. They attacked. The mantis-like one lunged first, his blades slicing through the air. The armadillo brute charged straight ahead, his plated body crashing toward the truck. Above them, the owl-like Glint launched into the air, circling as it searched for an opening.
The first scavenger barely took a step before Thomas burst out of the truck. His body reshaped in an instant, runes flaring to life as he transformed. While charging forward, he grabbed a chunk of debris the size of a chair and leaped, slamming it into the mantis-like Glint's chest mid-air. The blow sent the scavenger crashing into a pile of rusted scrap.
Nevin followed up, his control over fog energy now far sharper than before. He hurled a glowing sphere that exploded on impact, throwing another scavenger backward. The rest turned in alarm, only for Thomas to meet one of them with a heavy kick to the gut, knocking him off his feet.
Above, Bryan dove from the sky, his Winged Tiger form colliding with the owl-like Glint. Their talons and claws locked mid-air as they tumbled toward the ground in a storm of feathers and dust.
Iris moved in from her position, ready to strike, but stopped when something felt wrong. The remaining scavengers turned toward her all at once. Their stance shifted, less defensive and more feral. Their eyes glowed brighter, and their movements grew wild, as if something about her presence pulled them in and tore away what little control they had left.
She barely had time to react before several scavengers rushed her.
"Uh, guys?" she called out, dodging a wild swing. "They're ignoring you and coming straight for me."
Thomas slammed another scavenger into the ground before glancing over. "What?"
Then he saw the way the scavengers' eyes locked on Iris, their movements growing frantic and uncontrolled.
A faint red aura was radiating from her, pulling them in.
Iris gritted her teeth as another scavenger lunged at her. She kicked hard, sending him crashing to the side. "This is new."
Bryan landed beside her, wings stirring up dust. "It's your aura," he said. "It's doing something to them."
Iris clenched her teeth as she fought, blocking another strike. She had been curious about how Nevin could control his fog energy and form those energy balls. She had tried it before, but it never worked. Now her fog energy was leaking out on its own, drawing the scavengers to her like a signal.
Nevin joined in, knocking out one that got too close. "Not the best time for a breakthrough, Iris."
"I know that!" she shouted, ducking under another attack. The scavengers were swarming her mindlessly, reacting to her presence alone.
Thomas realized what was happening and charged in, knocking the last few scavengers aside with brute force.
"Back in the truck!" he yelled.
No one argued. Within moments, they were back inside. Bryan, still in his Winged Tiger form, latched onto the harness and lifted the truck into the air, clearing the barricade in one strong flight. Below, the remaining scavengers stumbled through the dust, howling in frustration as the crew escaped into the fog.
Inside the truck, Iris pressed her hands against her temples, trying to calm the lingering strain from her transformation.
Thomas glanced at her from the driver's seat. "You okay?"
She let out a slow breath. "Yeah. I just need to learn how to control my Glint."
From above, Bryan's voice came through the radio. "Preferably before you get mobbed again."
No one spoke after that. The road stretched ahead, quiet except for the hum of the engine. Each of them was lost in thought, realizing they weren't just dealing with the dangers outside anymore. Their own powers were starting to turn into another kind of threat.
Hours later, they reached another settlement, a fortified outpost built within the remains of an old truck stop. It looked safe enough from a distance, but as soon as they arrived, the unease in the air was clear.
The locals were tense. Something had them on edge.
Thomas parked the truck, and before anyone could step out, a trader hurried over. He was sweating despite the cool breeze, eyes darting nervously toward the fog. "If you're planning to rest here, make it quick."
Bryan frowned. "What's going on?"
"Red Hands," the trader said quietly. "They've been spotted near this area. They usually stay in their own territory, but lately… they've been pushing out. Different moves. More organized."
Thomas's expression hardened. "Organized how?"
"They're setting traps, ambushing convoys, cutting off trade routes. Used to be they'd just raid whoever crossed their path, but now they're planning things. Waiting. Watching." The trader swallowed hard. "Some say they've found something new, something that lets them move through the fog without fear."
The crew exchanged uneasy looks. They'd seen what the Fog Repeller could do, and if the Red Hands had found something similar, that changed everything.
Nevin sighed. "Perfect. So now they're getting bold."
Thomas folded his arms, his tone firm. "Then we make sure we stay ahead."
The trader shook his head. "The Red Hands aren't like the usual gangs out here. They don't stop until they get what they want. If you're smart, you'll steer clear."
The crew said nothing. As they prepared to move on, the warning hung heavy in the air. The Red Hands were no longer just a minor threat they were becoming a major force. And the next encounter wouldn't be anything like the last.
Thomas was about to press for more details when a younger man came running up, breathless and wide-eyed.
"Elder, we got a problem."
The old man turned sharply. "What now?"
"The scouting team hasn't returned," the younger man said, catching his breath. "They should have been back hours ago."
The old man cursed under his breath and rubbed his temples. "Damn fools. They knew the risk."
"Stuck in the fog?" Thomas asked.
The younger man nodded. "They weren't supposed to be out long. Something went wrong."
That made Thomas pause.
"If their people are still out there," Iris said, glancing at Nevin, "they might be close to their timer. Then who knows, they might turn into Fades after that."