That morning, the apartment felt livelier than usual. Angel, Leon, Dylan, Jin Hou, and Miranda were preparing to head to the Vanguard headquarters. After making sure everything was ready, they left together.
On the way, Dylan couldn't help but tease Angel.
"Hey, going on a group date like this feels kinda fun," he said with a smirk.
Leon just shook his head, holding back a chuckle, while Miranda shot Dylan a sharp glare.
"If you keep talking like that, I'll make sure you never get a date at all," Miranda scoffed.
Angel could only smile awkwardly, still not used to this kind of lively atmosphere.
---
When they arrived at the Vanguard headquarters, they were greeted by Nadien, who was busy monitoring several large screens displaying the captured havoc spider spacecraft.
"You're right on time," Nadien said without looking away from the screen.
Leon stepped closer. "Are those the havoc spider ships we captured?"
Nadien nodded. "Yes. We managed to secure about eight of them from the last attack. We expect to get more."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "But how are we supposed to operate them?"
Before Nadien could respond, a voice emerged from the shadows.
"That's why I'm here."
Everyone turned to see a humanoid spider standing there with long legs and agile movements.
"My name is Stuc," it said in a raspy voice. "I'm one of Mora's subordinates. So, you're the humans chosen for this mission?"
Leon frowned. "You're one of them?"
Nadien quickly explained, "Mora has made a temporary alliance with us. He's lending some of his subordinates to help handle the havoc spider threat. Stuc is assigned as the pilot since only he can efficiently operate the spacecraft."
Miranda eyed Stuc suspiciously, but the spider humanoid remained calm.
"You can trust me. For now, Mora has no intention of fighting humanity," Stuc said flatly.
---
Once preparations were complete, Leon, Dylan, Jin Hou, and Miranda got ready to board the havoc spider ship with Stuc.
"I'm coming too!" Angel insisted.
Nadien stopped him. "Angel, it's better if you follow later using teleportation. In case something goes wrong, you can move quickly."
Though reluctant, Angel nodded, understanding the reasoning.
As they boarded the ship, Dylan tried to take the pilot's seat, but Stuc quickly shoved him aside.
"Don't mess around, human. This isn't a toy."
Dylan huffed. "Relax, I was just curious."
Leon just chuckled at his antics.
The spacecraft shot off at breakneck speed. Stuc activated the stealth mode and high acceleration, reducing the travel time to Mars to just one hour.
---
When they arrived on Mars, they disembarked, and Leon sent a signal for Angel to teleport. A flash of light appeared, and Angel stood before them.
"Are you guys okay?" Angel asked, concerned.
Leon patted his shoulder. "We're fine. Now we just need to figure out what's going on here."
They began exploring the area, looking for any signs of battle. Mars' surface was eerily quiet—too quiet. Jin Hou knelt to examine some disturbed soil that looked like the aftermath of a skirmish, while Miranda stayed alert at the rear.
Stuc suddenly froze, sniffing the air like a predator.
"Something's wrong... we're not alone," he whispered.
A rumbling sound echoed from behind a collapsed structure. A swarm of small havoc spiders emerged from the shadows, their red eyes gleaming with malice.
"Get ready!" Leon shouted, activating his Khodam powers. Dylan prepared his tiger claws, while Jin Hou gripped his golden staff, which could extend at will. Miranda stepped forward, her red dragon aura enveloping her.
Angel's eyes narrowed as the havoc spiders approached.
"Havoc spiders are weak against lightning," Angel said, immediately transforming into Valkery. Her plasma wings sparked with electricity as a fierce aura surrounded her.
Leon smirked. "Good to know. I have that element too."
He shifted into his Fenrir form, becoming a towering white werewolf. His fur began to glow with flowing streams of electric energy, crackling like flames along his body. His elongated claws were surrounded by white lightning, and his fangs gleamed menacingly.
Dylan grinned, not wanting to be outdone. "I've got lightning too."
He transformed into his Black Tiger form. His muscular physique became slightly slimmer, but his sleek black fur was coursing with dark, intense electricity, surging through his body.
Jin Hou remained calm. "I don't need to change my form for lightning."
He stomped the ground lightly. "Raging Cloud!"
A white cloud appeared beneath his feet, solid enough for him to stand on. The cloud absorbed the surrounding electric energy from Fenrir, Black Tiger, and Valkery, storing it within itself.
"With this cloud, none of your electricity will go to waste," Jin Hou explained, controlling the cloud to gather the dispersed lightning, intensifying its power.
Miranda, watching the transformation of her companions, couldn't help but feel left out. She didn't have a lightning element. A thought crossed her mind, and she couldn't help but smirk.
"If I can't use lightning, I'll just change my approach," she whispered.
In the next moment, Miranda transformed into a stunning black dragon. Her glossy scales shimmered like onyx, and her wings stretched wide, exuding a majestic presence. The most notable change was the gravitational distortion around her; objects around her seemed to bend slightly.
"This form allows me to manipulate gravity. I may not have lightning, but speed and control are on my side," Miranda declared.
Angel couldn't help but smile. "That's impressive, Miranda. With your speed, we can corner them easily."
Leon glanced at the incoming horde of havoc spiders, their metallic legs clattering against the Martian ground.
"Alright, everyone. Let's hit them with a combination attack. Valkery, you take the lead. Charge them up, Jin Hou, and unleash it through the cloud," Leon commanded.
Valkery nodded and soared into the air, her wings glowing brighter as electricity crackled. Jin Hou maneuvered his cloud to follow her, absorbing the massive amount of lightning she released.
Leon and Dylan positioned themselves at the front, their bodies sparking, ready to pounce at the first sign of the enemy breaking through.
Miranda hovered in the air, her wings creating a gravitational field to slow the spider swarm.
"Gravity Distortion!" Miranda roared, causing the spiders to move sluggishly.
Jin Hou's cloud, now fully charged, began to pulse.
"Ready... now!" Valkery shouted.
The gathered lightning from the cloud shot out in a massive arc, striking the havoc spiders directly. The combined force of the lightning, boosted by the gravitational distortion, created an explosive wave that obliterated the front line of spiders.
Dylan and Leon took advantage of the opening, charging in with their claws crackling. They tore through the remnants of the horde with brutal efficiency.
Miranda swooped down to crush any survivors with her powerful wings, while Jin Hou kept the cloud moving, delivering continuous bursts of lightning.
Within minutes, the battlefield was clear, and the group regrouped, breathing heavily but triumphant.
"That went smoother than expected," Leon muttered, brushing off his fur.
Dylan chuckled, patting Miranda on the shoulder. "Your gravity trick was genius. Slowed them down just enough for the lightning to hit."
Miranda puffed her chest proudly. "Of course. I'm not just here to look pretty."
Angel glanced at the fallen spiders, still sparking from the residual electricity.
"We make a pretty good team," she said, smiling.
Jin Hou nodded in agreement. "Combining our abilities was the right choice."
Just then, Stuc approached from the spacecraft, his eyes widening at the destruction.
"You really wiped them out... impressive," Stuc admitted.
Leon smirked, wiping off some dust. "We had a good plan. Just had to execute it right."