WoNt LoSE

“Hey, everyone! High alert!” James’s voice echoed through the cave, snapping everyone to attention—even those who had been asleep.

Claus, his voice heavy with exhaustion, called out. “James, what is it?”

“Coco’s motion sensors picked up movement not far from here. Whatever it is, we’ll see it on the cameras soon.” James locked his eyes on the computer screens.

Cara came running in.

“Cara, get Marco.”

Without hesitation, she spun around and returned moments later with Marco in tow.

Claus turned to him. “Marco, time to put that brain to use.”

The cave burst into action. James was already calling up Coco and Alis, while Marco prepared the few foot soldiers they had left. Cara and Claus did a last-minute check on their exo-suits.

James’s voice cut through the tension. “Everyone, I have confirmation—targets 1, 2, and 3 are all en route. Alis got our message and is on her way here.”

Claus scanned the cave. “Marco, strategies?”

Marco thought for a moment before replying. “Sir, you’ll need to handle the brute alone—at least until we determine how much of a threat the others are. Our priority is holding them off until Alis arrives to assist and Coco gets here with the truck so we can evacuate our supplies and people.”

Claus’s expression darkened at the lack of options, but he knew Marco was right. “I’ll do it.”

Marco nodded. “Cara, you’ll provide backup for anyone in need—whether it’s a foot soldier or Claus.”

Cara gave a firm nod.

Everyone took their positions, bracing for their enemies’ arrival. Two soldiers lay in ambush, Claus stood at the front in his exo-suit, and Cara positioned herself slightly behind with the rest of the foot soldiers and Marco.

James, acting as both a repairman and camera operator, monitored the situation, ready to relay critical information.

As they moved down the road, they spotted The Brute and The Maniac leading the enemy forces.

Two sharp gunshots rang out.

Sharpshot and Blackout’s sniper rounds found their marks, striking two rebels hidden in the trees. Their bodies tumbled down, crashing through branches before hitting the ground.

A tense silence followed.

Both sides held their fire.

Fallo soldiers stood in formation, their weapons locked onto the rebels’ back lines. The rebels mirrored them, rifles raised, fingers hovering over triggers.

No one moved—until Claus stepped forward in his exo-suit, raising an armored arm.

“Hey, big guy! Wanna settle this like men?”

Havoc didn’t look amused. He simply waited for Sear’s command.

Sear’s voice was calm, measured. “Can you deal with him?”

Havoc cracked his knuckles—one metal, one flesh. “I can try.”

He stepped forward. The fight was about to begin.

“Well then—everyone, don’t fire on the brute. Leave him to me!” Claus’s voice rang out across the battlefield, echoing against the cave. His exo-suit whirred as he braced himself, hydraulic joints flexing in anticipation.

“Fallow, make sure your Fallo units do the same.” Havoc’s response was calm, but his eyes locked onto Claus with deadly intent.

Fallow, positioned in the back line, gave a silent nod. The order was clear.

Then—they charged.

Claus’s exo-suit thrusts fired, launching him forward with a metallic roar. Havoc sprinted to meet him, his mechanical arm clenched into a fist, his real one braced for impact.

The power of their spring made dirt and fallen leaves fly up, Then. They collided.

Claus caught Havoc’s real arm in a crushing grip, but the brute countered, driving his mechanical fist into Claus’s side. The exo-suit absorbed most of the blow, but the sheer force made Claus clench his teeth in pain.

Then—gunfire erupted.

Less dropped instantly, head snapping back as bullets tore through his head and chest. His lifeless bodie collapsed in a heap.

Flame and Clue fired in synchronized bursts from behind a fallen tree, their rifles spitting fire into the enemy lines. Slick, positioned higher, lobbed smoke grenades into the rebel formation. the smoke spreed through the bushes and the battlefield.

Fallow, crouched behind Slick, and lined up her shots. Each squeeze of the trigger sent another bullet into the fray.

See, Corp and Wo moved forwards as they fired only stopping at Less’s body, Wo reached down as his comrades fired checking for a pulse. Nothing.

Meanwhile, Sear and Pulse moved to flank, weaving between gunfire and trees. But before they could advance—

A metallic shadow loomed over them.

Cara, encased in her exo-suit, blocked their path.

“Pulse, get around them!” Sear ordered.

Pulse shot him a glare, as if he had just ordered her to run straight into a firing squad.

“How about you stop holding back and use another dose? You’ve got two left, don’t you? I’d love to fight alongside the real you—the 100% you.”

Her hand brushed against his chest—right over the Kill Dose injector.

Sear snatched her wrist and shoved her back.

“I said I’ll stay like this. And you—do as I say.”

Pulse rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before dashing away to flank.

Sear peered from cover, his knife flashing in his hand. He spotted an opening and hurled the blade—

It struck Cara’s exo-suit rifle, piercing thru it. she backed up towards the cave opening.

“Hey, James!” Cara called out, tossing the disabled weapon inside. “Fix this for me!”

Without missing a beat, she charged forward, her exo-suit’s servos humming, eyes locked onto Sear’s location.

Havoc snarled, his enhanced muscles straining as he grappled Claus. Despite the exo-suit’s immense power, Havoc matched it, inch for inch, refusing to be overpowered.

Claus gritted his teeth. “Damn it… you’re strong.”

“I know.”

Havoc wrenched free and countered, slamming his metallic fist into Claus’s chest plate. The exo-suit’s armor dented slightly under the force.

“Cara, assist Claus. Marco’s orders.” James’s voice crackled through the comms, tense with urgency.

As Claus held a grip on Havoc’s mechanical arm Cara lunged from the side, grabbing Havoc’s real arm in an iron grip. With her exo-suit’s strength, she lifted him slightly off the ground before driving her other fist into his back.

The impact dropped him to his knees.

“Havoc!”

Fallow’s scream cut through the chaos.

“All available units, focus fire on the exo-suits!”

Flame, Clue along with the snipers unleashed a wall of bullets. Cara and Claus raised their arms, blocking most of the barrage, their armor sparking from impact.

Havoc laid on the ground, groaning, tried to crawl away, his breath ragged. But a massive exo-suit foot came down on his legs, pinning him in place.

His hands clawed at the dirt. “Help me!”

The desperation in Havocs voice was unlike anything they had heard before.

Sear’s breath hitched.

His hand trembled over the second dose injector.

He could feel it—that twisted mix of fear and exhilaration.

His pulse pounded. The battlefield blurred, but one thought screamed through his head.

If I don’t do something—Havoc will die.

He started to turn the dial—

A low mechanical hum cut through the battlefield noise. Sear’s eyes flicked upward—just in time to see a shadow loom over him. Cold metal locked around his arm before he could react. A voice. a Familiar one.

“Hello there, SF to bad we meet like this.”

Alis.

The crushing grip tightened, the servos of her exo-suit whirring.

Sear felt the metal plating on his arm crumple. A sickening snap—his injectors shattered.

His lifeline—his power—gone.

He clenched his teeth. “It’s actually nice to meet like this tho.”

In a flash, he drew his knife and struck towards the hydraulics location on the exo-suit.

The blade skidded uselessly off reinforced plating.

No weak points?

Alis chuckled, the sound laced with mockery. “Surprised?” Alis smiled seems like James was right when he added the reinforcement after the last encounter with SF.

And then—she slammed him back-first into a tree. The bark cracked, splinters digging into his shirt. His lungs emptied in a ragged gasp as pain lanced through his spine, his vision flickering at the edges.

His limbs felt weak. His mind swirled.

I just wanted to hold back.

I didn’t want to go back.

But now…

His vision flickered—Havoc, barely clinging to life.

The Fallo soldiers, struggling against the enemy.

Blackout, desperately trying to provide cover fire.

I’m going to lose everything.

His hand clenched into a fist. LOsE? wE wOnT loSe.

His right hand moved to the dial on its own.

And this time—no hesitate.

The Kill Dose activated.