Kaden walked into the open area of the Sentinels outpost, unloading a pack of guns.
The pack revealed a few pistols, revolvers, an assault rifle, shotguns, and a heavy machine gun.
He picked up the assault rifle his favorite and aimed it at different directions as if preparing to shoot. Then he lowered it.
He grabbed some bullets and loaded them in, before aligning the rim of the cartridge properly.
While Kaden was busy with the guns, Jaxon walked in and watched him quietly for a moment before speaking.
"Have you got any new coordinates beeping on your watch," Jaxon said.
Kaden looked up briefly, saw Jaxon, then returned to what he was doing.
"Not really, maybe" Kaden replied, while greasing the guns one by one.
"So, what's the occasion?" Jaxon asked.
"I'm just checking out the right weapons for our next mission," Kaden said.
Kaden had never used the words 'our next mission' it's was always 'my next mission' therefore by saying 'our' Jaxon thought Kaden might permit him to come along.
A spark of excitement lit up on Jaxon's face. "Finally! I get to follow you on a shade-killing mission!"
Kaden looked at Jaxon who was now dancing around excitedly.
then Kaden paused his activity watching Jaxon.
Then It hit him, he rarely let Jaxon join him on the run to save survivors from the Shades probably because he was tired of losing people whom were dear to him. He had lost so many of his men whenever the embraked on a mission to save survivors from the Shades and Jaxon was among the last set of his men.
But this wasn't one of those missions.
This was something else.
This was about the Black Archive.
"So, we're gonna kill some shades, and it'll go puff-puff, then kaboom!" Jaxon joked.
Kaden stayed quiet for a while before he then returned to cleaning and greasing the weapons.
Jaxon noticed his silence. His smile faded.
"I'm not going with you, am I" Jaxon asked after noticing the consistent silence that Kaden maintained.
"Yes and no," Kaden replied.
"You don't have to sugarcoat it. I was hoping that one day you'd bring me along, but you always hold me back." Jaxon said angrily almost about to leave.
"Jaxon, we need to talk," Kaden said.
"It's fine. I get it. I can take care of myself, you know. I'm not going to die like Silas."
"Jaxon" Kaden called out
"I said it's fine. Whenever you need me, I'll be ready," Jaxon said, turning to leave.
"Jaxon... you're going to take my place," Kaden said.
The words hit Jaxon hard. Had he heard right?
He turned back to Kaden immediately.
"What did you say?"
"I said you're going to take my place. You'll fight Shades, rescue survivors, and bring them to the outpost for treatment if needed. And..."
"You don't need to explain. I know the job," Jaxon said, a smile returning to his face.
"Kaden, I've waited my whole life for this. I mean, what are my muscles for, if not this? When do we start?"
"There's no 'we,'" Kaden said. "It's just you."
"What do you mean?" Jaxon's face fell.
"I'm going on a different mission. I agreed to help Eliya."
"For real?"
"Yes. She needs me. And the people need the Black Archive."
"Damn... I never thought I'd have to do this alone."
"You can do it. I'll train you, again, and harder. But this time, I'm training you and Eliya. She needs to be ready for whatever we face out there."
"Ohh, I see. That's why you brought out all these guns," Jaxon said, picking one up.
"Yes. Soon Eliya will choose her weapon from this collection, just like you did before. The weapon she chooses will define her aim and her skills."
"I want to join too," a familiar voice said.
Immediately the two turned
"Ryder?" Kaden said, surprised.
"Yes. I want to come with you guys... for this Archive mission."
"Ryder, it's dangerous," Kaden warned.
"Yeah, man. Are you sure?" Jaxon asked. "Your job here is to be a medical doctor."
"I know. But I'm not the only doctor here, there are five of us."
Ryder took a deep breath as Kaden and Jaxon looked at him, shocked.
Ryder noticed their faces. "Look, guys, I'll be fine. Just train me too. I'm tired of living a boring life, I need some action."
"Are you sure?" Jaxon teased him.
"I've never been more sure in my life."
"Alright, then. I'll train Eliya... and the both of you," Kaden said.
"Ryder, you have to pick your weapon now?" he added, gesturing to the guns.
Ryder looked through the load of weapons thinking hard between the shotgun and the pistols.
"Ryder you should select the heavy machine gun, so that you can blast the Shades with it!" Jaxon joked
"No way. It's too heavy. I don't like it" Ryder replied.
"Why don't non-soldiers ever like heavy machine guns?" Jaxon said with a laugh.
Then something clicked in Ryder's mind.
"Wait... I thought you have told me this before that bullets can't kill the Shades?" Ryder asked Kaden.
"Well, technically," Kaden shrugged, "maybe a million bullets could."
They all burst out laughing.
"You know what?" Ryder said.
"What?" Kaden and Jaxon replied at the same time.
"I want a tranquilizer gun."
"Really?" Jaxon asked. "You're going with that?"
"Yeah. I'll try to retrieve a tranquilizer or something to knock out a Shade. I can't shoot them and have black blood splatter all over me."
"You're a doctor, man. You see blood every day," Jaxon said.
"Yeah, red blood. Not some thick, greasy black blood. I'd rather deal with human blood than mutant blood."
"You're scared of a Shade's blood? Are You sure you're up for this?" Jaxon laughed.
"Keep asking and I might knock you out with my combat skills," Ryder shot back.
They both laughed.
"I'll get the tranquilizer gun for you tomorrow," Kaden said.
Kaden continued working with the weapons while Ryder and Jaxon chatted in the background about Shades and the danger ahead.
Later, Kaden brought out another pack of weapons. The weren't guns but rather the contained other weapons such as: crossbows, bows and arrows, slingshots, darts, and more.
Jaxon and Ryder dove in. Ryder chose the bow and arrow, he immediately stepped away from Kaden, and started testing it out while Jaxon helped him to adjust his aim.
Kaden stayed focused, working quietly.
Then Eliya arrived, walking toward the open space.
As she entered, Jaxon and Ryder noticed she looked different.
Gone was her casual look with the lab coat.
Now she looked ruggedly beautiful and ready.
Her slim figure stood out, and she no longer carried the innocent, calm vibe she had when Kaden first rescued her.
She walked up to Kaden confidently. Her top was cut short, framing her chest. She was clearly ready to train and build strength.
"Hello, everyone," she said.
"Hey..." Jaxon replied, dumbfounded. It had been a long time since he saw a woman dressed like that.
"Hello, Eliya," Ryder said with a friendly smile.
Kaden cleared his throat loudly, breaking Jaxon's stare. He didn't like the way Jaxon looked at her but then again, why should he care? Why did he even clear his throat? He cringed at himself.
"What's next? I think I'm ready to train," Eliya said.
"Welcome on board," Kaden said.
"I've got weapons here. Choose yours."
"Hmmm..." Eliya said as she looked through them.
"I think I like this one," she said, picking up a gun.
"That's a revolver," Kaden said.
"Nice. I like it. Simple and easy to hold."
"I think you're all ready," Kaden said, adjusting his watch.
Suddenly, a holographic image of a Shade appeared in front of them.
"We are gonna train with this shade" Kaden Said.
Fear flashed across Ryder's and Eliya's faces. Their expressions betrayed how scared they really were.
Jaxon, however, leaned in with interest. This would be Jaxon's fifth encounter with a Shade although it's been two years while it would be Ryder and Eliya's first encounter.
"Tonight, we face a Shade," Kaden continued
"It's stubborn, horrific, and deadly. It lives deep in the Ghost Town at Cinderfall. They say it's unbeatable. But tonight we take it down. Four of us, one monster."
The Shade in the hologram screeched and twisted as if it was coming straight for Eliya.
She froze, staring at it in awe and fear.
It wasn't real.
But the real Shade was waiting for them ahead.
She knew she couldn't turn back now