CHAPTER 10: THE DEVIANTS INSURGENCE ARC

The alarm was heard through the compound igniting our survival instincts. Rebel’s voice snapped us to attention as she stormed into the barracks. Her eyes were flared, a mix of anger and urgency as she scanned each of us taking an impromptu roll call.

“I'm glad to see your response time was effective. Deviants have breached the Dome,” she said, her voice steady. “ Most of our frontline at the Glades have been taken down, so it's upto us.”

The room erupted into frantic motion. Everyone scrambled to gear up, adrenaline coursing through us. We wore a version of the taskforce’s uniform, which we were told we wouldn’t wear until we graduated from being initiates. Constantine stormed in, his face a mask of grim determination, his hands were charred, regenerating as we watched the blackened skin flake away, revealing fresh flesh beneath.

“Listen up,” he barked, his voice cutting through the noise. “The Dome’s outer defenses have been breached. Deviants are inside. This is a full-scale assault. We’ve lost contact with the top ranked operatives, they’re securing the perimeter but the deviants managed to slip through.”

Rin raised her hand, her voice trembling. “How did they get in? I thought the Dome was impenetrable.”

Constantine exchanged a grim look with Rebel before answering. “We don’t know how yet, but we’ll figure it out once we survive this.”

Rebel stepped forward, taking charge. “ We’re outnumbered but not outmatched. We have a plan; the special treatment initiates will guard the Elite houses and stop Deviants from infiltrating further. We have sent remaining operatives their way. The first-class will head to the Founders house with Ava exterminating any deviants in their way. The second-class and Constantine will go to protect the Regens house, they have no powers so we believe they won’t be attacked but it can’t hurt to be careful. I will go ahead relaying any information as I clear up a way for you. Remember, be smart, cover each other and do not be reckless.”

As she finished speaking, a deafening explosion rattled the walls. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling as the ground beneath us trembled. Rebel and Constantine bolted outside, without another word and we followed, fear clawing at our throats. We stepped out as Ava and Juni came running to our position. In the distance, the roar was accompanied by grotesque, twisted forms resembling anything but human. Some ran on four legs, and some had wings but they all moved with unnatural speed and their glowing eyes burned with primal fury. Their growls rose like a war chant as they surged toward us.

“Pair up and hold your ground!” Ava shouted, her voice ringing with authority. “Be ready to use everything you’ve got. No hesitation!”

As the Deviants closed in, our instructors stepped forward, their presence commanding and uniforms suddenly glowing with faint energy patterns. The air around them seemed to hum with power, and it was clear they weren’t just here to lead—they were here to fight.

Rebel unsheathed her twin blades from her sides, their edges glowing with a fierce purple energy. With a battle cry, she launched herself into the fray, moving faster than I had ever seen before. Every swing of her blades left a trail of light, cutting through the Deviants like a hot knife through butter.

Constantine followed, his entire body igniting in flames. A Deviant flew towards him, but his fiery punch obliterated it in mid-air, sending the creature’s smoldering remains into a group of its kin. "Fire force punch!" He didn’t stop, rushing deeper into the swarm, each blow creating fiery explosions that lit up the battlefield.

Ava was a whirlwind of carnage. Blades emerged from her skin, shining in the moonlight as she tore through Deviants with ruthless efficiency. When one of her weapons shattered against a particularly tough foe, another immediately replaced it, sharper and deadlier. Her movements were mechanical, and relentless, like a machine designed solely to destroy.

At the center of it all was Juni, his expression calm yet deadly. With a flick of his wrist, shimmering barriers sprang to life, repelling the Deviants’ attacks and sending them back with force. When a particularly large Deviant charged him, he redirected it sending it straight into Rebel’s waiting blades.

Despite the instructors’ heroic efforts, the Deviants kept coming, surging forward like a black tide. One of them broke through the formation, charging toward us with a shattering roar. My partner Phoebe raised her hands, her stance ready. I felt intense pressure rising within me, my veins pulsing as blood broke through my hands falling in hard droplets. But before we could act, the creature burst into flames mid-leap, its charred remains collapsing at our feet. The heat from the explosion was suffocating. When the smoke cleared, Constantine stood before us, his scorched skin regenerating instantly.

“Stay sharp,” he growled. His hands glowed like molten steel.

The instructors moved as a seamless unit, each complementing the other’s strengths. Rebel was the swift, precise striker, her blades carving paths through the swarm. Constantine was an unstoppable force, a living inferno burning everything in his way. Ava was a constant storm of cutting metal, and Juni’s barriers turned the chaos into controlled destruction.

We then heard a louder roar that shook the air. Ma went to the ground as a result as more DEVIANTS broke through charging toward us. Veronica picked Ma up as Rebel broke formation, slashing through four in quick succession before yelling at us.

“ Groups of four! Remember our training and don’t let them isolate you!”

The Deviants’ ferocity was overwhelming. One slammed into Felicity, knocking her backward, but she recovered with an elegant backflip. Before it could strike again, Chester teleported behind it, driving a broken piece of metal into its neck. Blood spurted out, splattering his uniform as he froze, his hands trembling.

“Keep moving, Chester!” Brock barked, punching down a Deviant that lunged at him before he slapped his hands on the creature's face destroying it.

Emma moved through the chaos, her glowing hands stabilizing an injured initiate. Around her, the battle raged, the sounds of clashing metal and guttural roars creating an unrelenting symphony of violence.