It's day sixty-four on the Arkvault, a seven-mile zoo of cosmic snowflakes, and we're E-rank Earthly Ramblers knee-deep in Habitat-411's desert, battling snake-like eel pests that slither through sand like caffeinated noodles. My red-and-black suit hums, boosting me fivefold, plasma pistol blazing, glowing blades slashing, power fist sparking with faint flux. Fiona's white-and-black suit glows, her flux staff's arrows zapping eels like cosmic darts. Dmitri's orange-and-black suit shimmers, his magma spear scorching, shield flaring with fire and wind. I'm Coach Bounce, ready to squash pests and climb to D-rank.
Hours grind by, eels swarming like a sandstorm. We're overrun at times, tails whipping our legs. Fiona, her flux blasts erupting like mini supernovas, clearing waves. "Eat that, snakes!" she yells, her braid swinging, eyes flicking to me with a shy grin. My flux-reinforced strikes grow sharper, blades carving eels with gym-honed precision. Dmitri's shield blocks a surge, but he's panting. "Last push," he grunts, charging his shield with fire and wind, slamming it into the sand. The ground quakes, vibrations ripping through. "Now, Alex!" he shouts, collapsing. The queen eel bursts up, a massive, writhing beast, scales glinting, twice our size and meaner than a skipped leg day.
Fiona's staff shifts to sword mode, flux blade humming as she dives in, slashing the queen's flank. I channel flux, my power fist glowing, and smash its head, dodging snapping jaws. "Teamwork, Ramblers!" I yell, blades slicing its tail. The queen thrashes, but Fiona's arrows pin its side, and my pistol blasts its eyes. With a final flux-punch, I crush its skull, sand exploding. "Game over!" I pant, high-fiving Fiona. Her touch lingers, cheeks pink. Dmitri, recovering, smirks knowingly. My bracelet logs: Incident: Queen KO'd. Query: Boss battle badge?
We trudge to the rocky village, stone houses looming like boulders. The rocky leader, a massive, slow-moving alien with glowing cracks in his stone skin, greets us via bracelet. "Pests gone. You have our thanks." He clasps my hand, then jerks back, eyes wide. "Are you… human?" I laugh, flexing my suit. "Hundred percent Earthling, mate!" He rumbles, "I felt earth energy—elemental power." I blink, confused. "Say what?" He explains, "Your touch absorbed my earth essence. You may have earth elemental powers, like us, but we are slow, and our control weak." I scratch my head. "I've got flux, mate, and my potential's a big '?????'" His cracks glow brighter. "A human with flux and earth? Rare. Ask your Guild—other species master earth better. You could learn."
We teleport to the Guild dome, its red pulse throbbing. Fiona's staff dims, Dmitri's spear cools. The clerk, a luminous alien, scans our report. "Pest extermination complete. Earthly Ramblers, promoted to D-rank." I whoop, "We're moving up, Ramblers!" Fiona's grin matches mine, Dmitri nods, smirking. I ask, "Earth elemental training—possible?" The clerk's eyes flicker. "No specific affinity in your scans. Training's possible, but costly—1,000 credits per hour. Waste of Guild time otherwise." My jaw drops. "A thousand? I'm not made of credits!" My bracelet pings: Promotion: D-rank. Query: Elemental savings plan? "Cheeky," I mutter, but I'm already planning missions.
Back at Habitat-382, we collapsed inside our flats—Units 57, 58, 59. Fiona's smile lingers, her hand brushing mine. "Good fight, Coach," she says, blushing. Dmitri's smirk says he's onto us. I grin, flux and earth tingling in my veins. "More missions, more credits, more powers!" Unseen, the sleek alien in dark metal reports, he is understanding himself more, asked for elemental training he told the Elder.