Though communications were down, the Nexus’s teleportation capabilities were fortunately still active. Without the precise communication abilities, the Titans were only able to materialize near Sanctuary’s coastline. And when they appeared, they saw the massive ship hovering near their headquarters.

  “What’s that?” asked Rachel over comms.

  “No clue,” said Tom. “But my guess it’s nothing good.”

  The Phoenix and Wyvern flew over the waters, while the Karkinos went below the surface. The Unicorn and the Raiju swam through the water, trailing after the others. Neither was well-suited for this sort of environment.

  “Purple, I want you to go high. Get some cloud cover, and give me a bird's-eye view of the island,” said Tom. “Green, you follow my lead from the sea floor. We’re going to try to get a better look at that thing. Blue and Yellow, head for the island as fast as you can. If there’s anything you can do to help, it’ll be on land, not in the water.”

  Sounds of agreement echoed across their comms. The Wyvern pulled up and rocketed off into the clouds. Tom turned the Phoenix toward the giant, black ship. On his HUD, he could see his location relative to the rest of the team, and the green dot representing Ethan was below his position.

  “Control, this is Red, do you copy?” asked Tom into the comm. He’d hoped the closer proximity would solve their communications issues, but looked like he’d been wrong.

  He focused his efforts on the ship. Its size seemed to dwarf that of Sanctuary Island, even. Tom wondered how something that big could even manage to suspend itself in the air. And where had it come from? The Phoenix turned her head toward the hull, her mechanical eyes widening and glowing with bright, yellow lights.

  [[ Scan complete. ]]

  Tom’s HUD displayed the results of the scan, but they didn’t tell him much. The word UNKNOWN appeared many times on the list.

  “What am I looking at, girl?” he asked.

  [[ Results inconclusive. Composition of the craft is unknown. Point of origin is unknown. Method of propulsion is unknown. Number of passengers, if any, is unknown. Defense capabilities are unknown. ]]

  “Is there anything we do know?”

  [[ Tachyonic profile match found in Quantum database. ]]

  “Good, that’s something. Show it to me.”

  An image of the strange, glowing crystal shard they’d discovered in the Amazon appeared on Tom’s HUD. He sighed, feeling a pit form in his stomach. “Send it to the others. Blue, you see this?”

  Silence lasted for a moment, and then Rachel said, “Yeah… So, this is all connected?”

  “Looks that way. Whoever that Shadowblade lady is, I think this is her cavalry.” Tom addressed the Phoenix next. “Is that ship receiving communications? Can you try to make contact?”

  [[ Contact already attempted and denied. ]]

  “Guess whoever’s onboard that thing isn’t the chatty type,” said Alexa.

  “You see anything from on high, Purple?” asked Tom.

  “Nothing of note. Whatever’s happening down there, it looks quiet.”

  “Yellow and I just made it ashore, and we don’t see much ourselves,” said Rachel. “It’s like they’re just…waiting.”

  “We need to get inside the facility, figure out what’s going on with Control,” said Tom. “Yellow and Purple, you maintain your positions in your Titans. Keep watch on that thing and make contact the second something happens. Blue and Green, the three of us are going inside Sanctuary. We’ll rendezvous ”

  Tom activated his Omega Gauntlet’s built-in teleportation technology. It wasn’t as accurate as relying on the Nexus for transportation, but it worked in a pinch, and that was the situation they now found themselves in. The Phoenix took over her own controls as Tom vanished from the cockpit in a crackle of crimson energy.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  He rematerialized in the Arena with Rachel and Ethan arriving almost immediately after him. The very first thing Tom zeroed in on was the entrance to the facility, and how it had been smashed open. The trio ran for the door and checked the damage.

  “Someone from that ship, right?” asked Ethan. “Has to be.”

  “Or something,” said Rachel.

  Tom held out his hand, the Flameblade manifesting in his grip. “Weapons free. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

  Rachel and Ethan both summoned their respective weapons. They followed Tom into the facility and up the steps. As they got closer, they could hear sounds ahead. A heated conversation. Tom rushed ahead and emerged onto the floor to find both Orion and Marcus held prisoner. Sylva had somehow escaped her cell, and now had Marcus at her mercy, her curved sword pressed against his throat. And Orion had been lifted off the ground by some massive creature with crimson skin and golden, tribal tattoos lining his exposed arms. One hand held Orion by the collar, the other gripped a massive warhammer that crackled with strange energy.

  “Ah, the lapdogs return.” Sylva glanced at the massive warrior. “Malakai, dispose of them. I’ll finish the mission.”

  Malakai gave a chuckle that sounded like the rumbling of the earth. He tossed Orion aside as if he were insignificant trash, then raised his hammer with both hands. He smiled as he surveyed the three Knights.

  “The legends state that the Omega Knights are the most fearsome warriors your world is capable of producing. Malakai would like to test that theory.”

  Rachel didn’t wait for him to say or do anything else. She drew back the string on her Thunderbow, and three electric arrows materialized, then launched from her weapon. Malakai swung his hammer, moving far faster than his appearance suggested he could.

  He moved for Rachel, and Ethan slid into his path. Thrusting his Aquatrident up, he held Malakai’s hammer in place, preventing him from bringing it down. Malakai growled as his eyes glared at Ethan.

  Tom went at him from behind, the Flameblade erupting with fire all along its length. He tore it across Malakai’s back, but the warrior’s armor defended him from any damage. The only thing Tom succeeded in doing was drawing Malakai’s attention. He turned and slammed his hammer right into Tom’s chest. The force threw him across the corridor and into a wall.

  He hit the ground. The armor protected him from the worst of it, but he could still feel pain. The Flameblade was just within reach. Tom grabbed it and braced the blade on the floor, using the sword to help him stand. He watched as Ethan and Rachel tried trading blows with Malakai, though mostly they tried to evade his strikes.

  This Malakai was certainly tough. Clearly stronger than Sylva. Though he seemed more like a battering ram. Tom watched Malakai fight, noting no real strategy. Seemed he just relied on his strength to hammer his opponents into submission.

  “Green, remember that first training session? The water?” asked Tom.

  “Huh?” asked Ethan after ducking under a hammer-swing. “What’s that got to do anything?”

  “Do the same thing, but this time do it to your enemy, not yourself,” said Tom.

  “Ah, I think I know what you’ve got in mind.” Rachel flipped her bow so it curved outward. The string retracted and in its place, a stream of concentrated electricity formed between the two ends. Rachel used it as a weapon, attempting to cut through Malakai’s wrist. It didn’t sever his hand, but Malakai’s recoil and growl indicated he felt the pain.

  Ethan pointed the Aquatrident up, and a sphere of water started forming above the tines. He grew the sphere larger, the water flowing around and around, tightening.

  “Don’t waste time, go!” shouted Tom.

  Ethan thrust the trident in Malakai’s direction. The sphere flew right into him. The impact knocked Malakai down and left him soaking.

  “Blue!” Tom called out.

  “On it!” Rachel flipped the Thunderbow again and unleashed a volley of electric arrows.

  The electric shock proved even stronger than before. Malakai’s entire body convulsed as the energy flowed through him, aided by the water’s conduction. Malakai collapsed to the ground, and Tom moved on him, driving the Flameblade through his head. The warrior’s eyes bulged, and then he went motionless.

  With Malakai down, Rachel rushed over to Orion’s side. She knelt beside him, staring at his body. The small blue diamond just above Rachel’s visor started glowing. Tom knew that meant she was performing a scan on him.

  “He’s alive,” she said. “Just beat up.”

  “I’ll say…” muttered Orion as he tried to sit up. “But…the other one… She has Marcus.”

  Ethan locked eyes with Tom from behind their visors. “Sylva.”

  “Yeah…said something about the heart of Quantum,” said Orion.

  “Has to be the Sanctum. She’s going to use Marcus to get her inside,” said Tom.

  Rachel looked up from Orion. “You two go on ahead. I’ll get Orion to the infirmary.”

  Tom and Ethan nodded, then rushed off in the direction of the Sanctum. They raced up the stairs—the elevator would waste time they didn’t have. But once they got to the Sanctum door, they saw Marcus pinned against the wall, with Sylva holding her blade to his throat.

  “You have one chance. Open. The. Door,” she said.

  “Get fucked,” said Marcus.

  Sylva huffed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Too ba—ARGH!”

  Sylva’s blade moved like lightning, slicing right through Marcus’s wrist. His hand fell and Sylva caught it before it struck the ground.

  “But that doesn’t mean I won’t.”

  “NO!” Tom screamed, rushing down the hall to close the distance.

  Sylva looked at Tom and Ethan. She glanced at Marcus again, then slashed at his abdomen. Marcus screamed and fell to his knees, blood pouring from both wounds. Sylva put his severed hand against the scanner, and the doors to the Sanctum parted for her.