The Unbeatable

As Slick and Fallow hurry toward the warehouse, on the other side the pilot sprints through the forest. Behind her, a slow, eerie whistling follows, growing closer with every passing second.

She pushes herself harder, lungs burning, until she finally stops, pressing her back against a tree. Gasping for breath, her eyes dart through the shadows. Silence. The whistling has stopped.

A sudden thunk—a dagger embeds itself into the bark beside her face. “EEK” she exhales sharply at the sight

“Not bad, little lady,” a voice drawls, smooth yet taunting. “For a pilot, you’ve got some decent endurance.”

Her gaze follows the sound up a tree a few meter in front of her. Sitting on a thick branch, Sear dangles a second dagger loosely from his fingers. When their eyes meet, he lifts his hand and waved, wiggling each finger individually in an unsettling motion.

“You’re a creepy guy,” she mutters, yanking the dagger from the tree. She twirls it once in her hand before pointing it at him. “And pretty dumb, too. you seriously—giving a weapon to your enemy?” she pointed the dagger towards him

A low, amused laugh echoed through the trees as Sear jumped off the branch and lands on the dirt below and started to slowly step forward.

“An enemy?” he scoffed, his grin widening. “You couldn’t even beat me in an Exo suit. Heh… you really think you stand a chance now?”

The pilot swallowed hard, a flicker of hesitation flashing across her face. Still, she felt how her grip on the dagger loosens, . I have to try at least, even tho i don’t have much training ill give it my best shot, with that though she tightened her grip of the dagger

“ Maybe I do.”

Sear chuckled, clearly entertained by her defiance. “Heh. Alright… let’s do this.”

Raising his dagger, he held it over one side of his face. I must say this is most amusing. Sear twisted the dagger into a reverse grip, his fingers tightening around the handle. The pilot kept her blade straight out in front of her, her stance more defensive.

They began circling each other, slow and deliberate. The pilot hesitated, unwilling to make the first move. Meanwhile, Sear’s eyes gleamed with amusement—he was enjoying every second of the fear in her face. “How is this funny to you? You might die here, you know.”

Sear let out a low chuckle, tilting his head. “Well, if that’s the case, my dear… at least I’ll die with a smile.”

At those his smile words vanished, he twisted his knife and lunged. The pilot barely sidestepped in time, her heart pounding. She retaliated, slashing toward him—but Sear was no fool.

As his missed strike left him open, he tossed the dagger in front of himself, letting it sink into the ground. In the same fluid motion he laid down the ground and kicked her away making her hold her stomach as she backed away because of the pain. “oOo close one my Lady” Sear almost pushed himself up looking at her holding onto her stomach in pain “i must say it was a good attempt” Sear brushed off any dirt he got onto himself all while She was regaining her breathe. “you really need to stop talking Mister” She bit down on her teeth before she started sprinting towards him with the knife far in front of herself an attack almost made to fail, Sear dodged her attack and caught her wrist with his left hand “i must say that was a way worse attempt”. Before she could do anything, he reinforced his grip with his right hand and twisting hard.

A sickening pop, was heard from her hand.

The pilot’s dagger slipped from her fingers as a sharp, searing pain shot up her arm.

A short but pained scream escaped her lips, sharp but stifled. She clutched her limp hand, trying to straighten it out as agony coursed through her nerves.

Sear straightened up in front of her, watching with slight amusement. “you shouldn’t make an attack with a dagger that far ahead, you wont have any power behind it” Sear looked at the struggling women in front of him “Just shut up would you” she almost cried out. SF scratched his left eye as he looked at her and sighed

“Here, let me help you.”

Before she could resist, he seized her hand and yanked it back into place.

“AARGH—!” She bit down hard, her face contorted in pain.

SF grinned. “There you go. Good as new.”

He scooped up both daggers before he looked at her now leaning against the tree, he walked up and grabbed her hand again as she tried to pull it away from him to no succses, SF placed one of the daggers into her hand before letting go, SF took a few steps back allowing her to stand up straight. Sear pushed her back against the tree once she did.

“Now then… try again.” His eerie smile widened, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Sear stretched out his arms, leaving himself completely open as he took a few more steps back.

“Look ill even make it easy for you.”

His grin had changed—it was no longer just taunting. Now, it was the mischievous smile of a child who had just gotten away with something they shouldn’t have. Pure, twisted joy.

The pilot didn’t hesitate this time. She gripped the knife with both hands holding it close to herself and with that she lunged straight for him.

before she could hit, Sear sidestepped, sweeping his foot under hers.

She hit the ground hard the dagger embedded itself into the dirt.

“You okay there, girly?” His voice was sickeningly playful. “Looks like you took a little tumble.”

His usual taunting smirk returned, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Need some help getting back up?” His tone almost sounded genuine but the sarcasm in his laugh made it clear it weren’t.

She exhaled sharply, pushing herself to her feet. “No thanks, I’m all good.”

As she stood, a small, unexpected smile tugged at her lips.

Sear blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Well, would you look at that? A smile.” He tilted his head, intrigued. “I must say, it suits you… almost as well as fear.”

Throwing his dagger into his other hand, he took a defensive stance.

She wasted no time. This time, when she slashed, their blades clashed. Sparks flew as the blade scraped against blade.

Sear took a step forward, pressing his dagger against hers. Despite using both hands, she struggled to hold him back—his strength was overwhelming. Slowly, her own blade was forced back toward her shoulder.

“So, tell me,” Sear mused, his breath steady, his smile unwavering. “What was that little smile about earlier?”

She clenched her teeth, her arms trembling. “Oh, nothing.”

Then, she let go of her knife with one hand making sear’s blade scratch her cheek.

“I just remembered something my dad gave me.”

Confidence flashed in her eyes.

Before Sear could react, she reached into her pocket and drove a taser straight into his stomach.

“You really think that will wor—”

His words cut off as electricity surged through his body. His muscles locked up, his limbs twitching uncontrollably as he fell to the ground.

Then, to her surprise—he laughed.

A broken, breathless chuckle escaped his lips as he twitched on the ground.

“What’s so funny now?” she asked, confused.

His grin flickered, but didn’t fully fade. “My documents listed no weaknesses… clearly, that was a lie.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I have no idea what that means, but… whatever.”

She jammed the taser into him again. His body jerked, and this time, he fell completely still.

“Is everyone alright?” Havoc called out, his voice sharp with urgency.

“I’m fine,” Pulse responded, raising a hand.

Havoc turned, scanning the warehouse. “Clue? Flame? You two good?”

A voice answered from across the room. “Havoc, get over here! I think Stinger’s wounded!” Clue shouted.

Havoc rushed toward them, pushing past Clue and Flame. “Give him some space!” he ordered, dropping to his knees beside Stinger’s motionless body.

His breath hitched. A deep stab wound was located on his shoulder, Havoc narrowed his eyes—one of Sear’s blades?.

Havoc pressed a hand over the bleeding wound, trying to control it and hide it. His jaw clenched.

“Clue, Flame, contact the sniper team and Fallow’s group. We need a meet-up. Now.” His voice was low but firm.

Flame hesitated. “But… is Stinger okay?”

Havoc didn’t look up. “He’s unconscious and losing a lot of blood. Blip is our best chance to keep him from suffering permanent damage.” He paused for a moment, his grip tightening. “So please—just go and call Fallow’s team.”

A beat of silence.

“Y-yeah, of course, Captain.” Clue nodded, worry clear on his face as he hurried toward the radio.

Then, a voice interrupted.

“No need to call. We’re here.”

Havoc’s head Snapped up. His breath caught in his throat. His eyes locked onto Raven’s— limp, and motionless body. His hands, still stained with Stinger’s blood, began to shake.

“Is Raven okay?” Havoc asked, his voice slightly panicked despite his efforts to remain calm.

“She’s fine,” Slick answered, walking in behind Fallow. “She just went into shock and passed out.”

Havoc exhaled in relief but didn’t let his guard down. “Good. Where are the others?”

Havoc ripped a piece of his shirt to use as a makeshift bandage for Stinger’s wound.

Slick’s expression darkened. “If you’re talking about Fall, Edge, Mortuus, and Blip—” He trailed off, his eyes filled with hate as he looked down. “They’re all dead. Up on that edge. You didn’t send backup in time.”

Havoc’s face stiffened, the weight of the loss sinking in. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, his tone firm. “But we need to focus. We’ve got two people down here.”

Slick’s voice cracked with emotion as he walked past Havoc, muttering bitterly. “Blip’s only dead because he promised to keep Raven alive” Havoc’s eyes narrowed while he looked at Slick “Your sorrow don’t seem to genuine to me”

Havoc stood up suddenly, grabbing Slick by the collar. “Firstly, we never heard you needed backup. Secondly, don’t talk like Raven being alive is a bad thing.” His voice wasn’t angry, but stern and commanding.

Slick’s eyes burned with mistrust. “We called for backup, We called Sear. And seconds after, we heard bullets firing. You left us out there.”

Havoc’s grip loosened, his jaw clenched. He had no easy answer for Slick’s accusation. “We never heard you needed backup. I’m sorry, but I’m sure Sear had a good reason not to tell us.”

He paused, searching Slick’s eyes. The air between them thickened with unresolved tension. “But we have a chance to save Stinger. So focus. This is far from over.”

As they began patching up Stinger’s wounds, Havoc’s mind raced. He couldn’t shake the nagging question—why hadn’t Sear said anything about Fallow’s team needing backup?

He wanted to believe Sear had his reasons. why would Sear stab Stinger. Havoc forced himself to stop thinking about it. But the more time went by, the less certain he became.

And something else gnawed at him.

Why ain’t Sear back yet?

A faint flicker of light burned through SF’s eyelids as he stirred. His head throbbed. When he finally forced his eyes open, the dim interior of a hunting cabin came into focus—aged wooden walls, dust swirling in the air, and the scent of damp earth.

His arms ached. He was tied.

He sat in a rickety wooden chair, wrists and hands bound tightly with duct tape. Across from him, a woman with long blonde hair lounged in another chair, watching him with quiet amusement. behind her, a camera blinked red—the unmistakable recording light.

SF exhaled sharply. “Uh… hi?”

The woman tilted her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

He blinked. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

She gestured at him. “For starters, your hair color is fading.”

SF glanced up, catching sight of his hair. His red hair was already fading back to its natural color. The serum was wearing off. He needed a fresh dose—fast.

Still got one left in my injector… but I can’t activate it like this.

His eyes flicked down to his bound hands. Damn. No way to reach the injector.

Panic crept in. The scar—the one keeping him hidden—was fading too. If it disappeared completely, he was done. No more hiding. No way normal life outside the lab in the future.

Think. Think.

“Hey.” The woman’s voice snapped him back. “Stop squirming. You’re not getting out of that. I tied you up myself.” She leaned back, confidence dripping from her tone.

SF inhaled, masking his nerves. “Fair enough. But how about this—you untie my hands?”

She stared blankly at him.

“Yeah. Thought that’d be your reaction,” SF muttered.

With a sudden move, he kicked the ground tipping himself backward. The chair slammed against the wooden floor, splintering under his weight loosening his arms and legs. As he hit the ground, he swung his legs forward, kicking the table with full force.

The woman fell as the table lurched toward her, knocking over the camera.

SF rolled up to his feet and bolted for the door, hands still bound. He reached for the handle—

Locked.

Crap.

He turned, chest heaving. The woman was already on her feet, now holding one of his own daggers.

“I told you,” she said, stepping forward, “you’re not getting out of here.”

SF’s eyes flicked between the dagger, the locked door, and his bound hands. He needed time.

Then his gaze locked onto the metal door handle.

His jaw tightened.

There’s only one way.

Before the woman could reach him, SF slammed his forehead against the door handle.

Pain exploded through his skull.

Again. Again. Agin

Blood dripped into his eyes.

The woman hesitated. “What the hell are you—”

SLAM.

A sickening crack echoed through the room. His vision blurred. He barely felt it anymore.

He slumped against the door, hair matted with blood. His breath came in uneven gasps. The serum might be fading—but now, so was his identity.

The woman just stared, wide-eyed.

SF let out a weak, bitter chuckle. “What? Never seen a guy break his own face before?”

The girl set SF upright in the chair, this time tying his legs together as well. She adjusted the camera, standing it back up before turning to him.

“You must be really messed up in the head if you do something like that to yourself,” she said—not with sympathy, but curiosity.

SF exhaled sharply. “It’ll heal.”

she scoffed. “Really? It will heal?” She leaned forward, hands pressed against the table. “The left side of your face has a dent, and you’re saying it’ll just heal?” She gave him a skeptical look before glancing down at the table. “Anyway, I have some questions for you.”

SF’s expression remained blank. “What for?”

“Well, you just wiped out fourteen people from my cell. I need to bring something back to the rest of them.”

SF tilted his head slightly. “Ask away. I might not answer, but I can’t stop you from asking.”

She looked at him, almost—not quite—disappointed. “Okay, let’s begi—”

“On one condition,” SF interrupted. “I get to ask questions too.”

He wanted answers just as much as she did. It was only fair that they both had the chance to share what they knew.

She considered it for a moment before responding. “Fine. For every question you answer, I’ll answer one as well.” Her tone softened just slightly.

SF gave a small shrug. “Sounds fair to me.”

Alis folded her arms. “Okay, let’s start off easy. Why did you kill everyone at the warehouse?”

SF blinked at the question that clearly weren’t an easy one. “Your version of ‘starting easy’ needs to be studied.” It was a weak attempt at humor—one that didn’t land. He sighed. “I have to assume it was our orders.”

“Whose orders?” she pressed.

SF’s eyes, once white, faded back to their original blue, the pilot picked up on this looking deeply into his eyes. He met her gaze and smirked slightly. “Isn’t it my turn for a question?”

She looked frustrated but eventually gave in. “Sure. Go ahead.”

“Thanks. What should I call you?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You really want to waste a question on that?”

SF shrugged. “I guess you and I have different versions of ‘starting easy’.”

After a brief pause, she relented. “Fine. Call me Alis.”

“I guess it’s only fair I return the favor. You can call me SF.”

Alis scoffed. “That’s not a name.”

“It’s one of my names,” he countered. “And I highly doubt ‘Alis’ is your real name either.” He hesitated, his voice quieter when he added, “Beyond SF, I sometimes go by… Sear.” He looked down, something like shame flickering across his face.

Alis studied him before shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll call you SF, even though it’s a stupid name.”

“Appreciate it,” SF said dryly. “Next question: how did I end up here?”

Alis frowned. “What do you mean? You followed me like a creep through the forest and then you los in a fight.”

SF’s brows furrowed. “I remember getting tased. Twice. But after that, the rest of the night is a blur.” He paused, then added, “Also… sorry for being a creep, I guess.”

His voice was monotone, his face unreadable, making it impossible to tell if he was sincere.

Alis stared at him. “Okay, yeah. You have some serious issues.”

She grabbed his daggers from a nearby table and set them in front of him. “Why daggers?”

SF smirked faintly. “I used to carry guns, but somehow… I always forget them. Or lose them. I was trained with daggers, so maybe that has something to do with it.”

Alis frowned, unsure of what to make of his answers. Before she could ask another question, SF’s radio crackled to life.

“Hey, Sear. You good? We might need you back here so we can evacuate.”

Havoc’s voice remained calm, but there was a hint of concern underneath.

Alis’s eyes flicked to the radio before turning to SF. “Who is that, one of your friends?”

“That’s H2. Or Havoc. He’s the captain of my squad.” SF saw no point in hiding it.

Alis’s expression hardened. “Alright, then. I want you to respond and tell him I need that exo-suit repaired. You do that, and I’ll let you go.” She held the radio in front of SF’s face, waiting for his answer.

SF simply nodded.

Havoc had just finished his call with Sear when a voice called from the doorway.

“Hey, Havoc! Stinger is stabilized.”

Slick stood by the entrance, relief evident on his face.

Havoc walked over and saw Stinger’s eyes half-open.

“Everyone, leave us for now,” Havoc ordered, his voice unusually firm. No one questioned him.

Once they were alone, Havoc leaned closer. “Stinger. Tell me what happened.”

Stinger’s breathing was weak, but his voice, though strained, was clear. “It… was… Sear. He did this.”

Havoc’s jaw clenched. He placed his metal hand over Stinger’s wounded shoulder, eyes locked onto him.

“I want you to be quiet about this for now. That’s an order.”

Stinger eyes moved frantically, fear flickering in his eyes before he gave a slow nod.

“Good. Now get some rest.”

Before the tension could settle, a new voice broke through.

“Hello, party house! guess who the best sniper is”

Blackout strode in pointing onto himself, a grin plastered on his face, Sniper slung over his shoulder. He looked around the grim warehouse, frowning.

“Huh. Guess it’s not much of a party after all.” He scratched his cheek absentmindedly, clearly missing the mood.

“Hey, H2, you there? This is SF.”

Havoc’s radio crackled to life, Sear’s voice cutting through the static.

Havoc’s eyes narrowed. H2? Not Havoc? and not Sear Something’s off. Havoc looked at the radio his thoughts lingering

“Yes, I’m here, SF. You good?”

A few seconds of silence followed.

“As good as I can be. I’m captured and strapped to a chair.”

Havoc’s grip on the radio tightened. Captured? How the hell is he calling me, then? Before he could ask, an unfamiliar female voice cut in.

“Hi, Havoc, right? I need you to fix my Exo suit. If you don’t, I’ll kill SF. You got that?”

Havoc’s stomach dropped. The pilot? She’s alive? Sear failed?

His voice remained steady. “Yeah, I got it.”

His gaze shifted toward the two broken Exo suits—the one Blackout had shot the core out of and the one he had personally torn to pieces.

“Slick, Fallow, and Flame, start fixing the suit. Pulse, Blackout, and Clue—you’re with me.”

He turned toward the hole in the wall where Sear had rushed out earlier.

“Wait, we’re actually giving her the Exo suit back?” Slick’s voice was filled with doubt.

“If we have to, yes. But me and the others will track her. If we fail, we’ll need the Exo suit as leverage to get SF back.”

Havoc and his team followed the tracks through the forest. If it weren’t for Pulse’s tracking skills, we’d have lost this trail awhile ago. havoc thought to himself

They reached a clearing where signs of a battle littered the area.

“Whoa, look at this. These cuts—Sear’s daggers, no doubt.” Blackout traced the deep slash in a tree trunk with his fingers.

Clue examined the ground, spotting signs of a struggle. “Something doesn’t add up. Sear had the upper hand, but he still got captured?”

The same thought had been nagging at all of them.

“He must’ve gotten overconfident and made a mistake.” Havoc’s voice carried a hint of disappointment.

“Maybe, but if that’s the case… where’s the blood? There’s none.” Clue’s observation was unsettling.

Havoc didn’t have an answer.

“You guys done with your little discussion? I found more tracks.” Pulse’s voice was lighthearted, as if the tension didn’t weigh her down.

“Great work, Speedy.” Blackout smirked.

They pressed on. Eventually, the trees parted, revealing a small hunting cabin nestled in the woods.

Havoc picked up his radio. “Hey, woman. We see your cabin. Wanna change the deal?”

A short silence.

“No. I was going to give you the location soon enough anyway. Just bring the suit.”

Havoc exhaled sharply. “Fine.”

soon after sending their position, Raven arrived—awake and in the repaired Exo suit.

“Raven. Good to see you’re okay.” Havoc smiled, but his expression turned serious. “Where are the others?”

“They left for base with Stinger when Sharpshot arrived. He needed medical attention.”

Havoc nodded, processing the information. Then, he picked up the radio again.

“So, how do we do this?”

A short pause.

“Send one of your people over in the Exo suit, and I’ll trade SF for it. Only one of you, though.”

Something about her overconfidence made Havoc uneasy.

“Can I speak to SF?”

Another silence.

Then—

“H2, it’s me. Listen, just do as she says.”

Havoc frowned. What the hell is going on with him?

“Got it, SF.” He ended the call.

“Are we actually handing over the Exo suit?” Pulse asked.

“No. We have to assume SF is out of combat. His Invicta serum has stopped working. If he still has more injections, that means he can’t activate them himself.” Havoc paused, deep in thought. “The kill dose. The lab can activate it.”

He picked up the radio.

“This is Captain Havoc, EU Unit. Unit 2, requesting activation of S2-SF Kill Dose.”

A short silence.

“Unit Havoc, this is Carol. The kill dose is unresponsive. Something must have damaged it.”

Havoc’s heart sank.

“Understood. Havoc out.”

He thought for a long moment, then opened a hatch in his arm, pulling out a small metal injector filled with Invicta serum

He walked over to Pulse and placed it in her hand.

“Pulse, you’ll take the Exo suit over, then jump into the cabin and inject SF with this.”

Pulse grinned, twirling the small round container between her fingers.

“Got it. I’ll do my best.”

Without hesitation, she climbed into the Exo suit.

Alis watched the Exo suit approach, then turned her gaze to SF.

“Looks like our little time together is coming to an end.” There was an odd hint of genuine emotion in her voice.

“Yeah. Fun while it lasted.” SF smirked, glancing at his restraints.

Meanwhile, Pulse adjusted to the suit’s movements, testing its arms and legs as she advanced. When she was close enough, she smashed through the wall with brutal force and immediately jumped out of the suit.

Alis was caught off guard.

Pulse landed a devastating kick to her stomach, enhanced by the mechanical strength of her legs. Alis staggered back and fell to her knees in pain.

Pulse wasted no time. She rushed to SF, grabbed the chair, and spun it so he was no longer facing the table. Her bright eyes met his.

“Hi, P2.”

“P2? What are you—” SF blinked.

She reached down and ripped open his shirt, revealing the damaged kill dose injector attached to his heart.

SF’s breath hitched. A flicker of fear crossed his face as she drops the normal dose on the floor.

“P2… what are you doing?”

Pulse didn’t answer.

Her hand wrapped around the cylinder.

“Good night, SF.”

She twisted the valve of the kill dose.

A surge of Invicta serum flooded his system.

SF’s entire body convulsed as the serum reignited within him. His dull blue eyes instantly turned back to their shiny white.

Pulse watched with a satisfied smile.

“And good morning, Sear.”

She gently placed her hands on both sides of his face, feeling the warmth return to him.