The corridors of the complex were hauntingly silent as Axel's squad marched back to their barracks. Adrenaline still coursed through their veins from the day, their boots echoing off metal walls. Every one of them bore the weight of the Commander's words—team fights. What lay ahead would push them to their limits in a manner never before witnessed.
"That fight was something else," Ava said, breaking the silence. Her voice was light, but the strain behind it was clear. "Cyrus was throwing everything he had."
"He's strong, I'll give him that," Kaid replied, rolling his shoulder to ease the tension. "But he fights like he's got something to prove."
"Doesn't matter," Axel said calmly, his tone firm. "He didn't win."
"Sure, but he's not finished," Lila whispered, looking over her shoulder as if she sensed Cyrus watching her. "You could see the way he stared at you, Axel. He's going to strike at you again."
"He can try," Axel answered matter-of-factly, his eyes never wavering.
As they took a turn, certain figures came into view out of the gloom up ahead. It was Cyrus and his crew. Their keen eyes glinted in the cold bright fluorescent light, their stance open but feline.
"Why, look who it is," Cyrus leaned in, his sneer sharper than ever, although his body still showed the bruisings of his battle with Axel. "The golden crew, back from their moment in the spotlight."
Ava snorted, crossing her arms. "Jealous much?"
"Jealous?" Cyrus replied, his grin low in his throat. "Of what? You won one fight and now you're invincible? Newsflash—you're not."
"You sound really bitter for a guy who couldn't close the deal," Kaid snapped, tension creeping into his voice.
Cyrus's grin teetered on its fulcrum for half a beat before he recaptured it and pushed on it. His gray eyes clashed with Axel's. "You got lucky, Sage. Next time around, it'll be different."
Axel stepped forward, his stance steady. "If there's a next time, we'll see who's lucky."
The tension in the air was electric, the hallway feeling smaller with every passing second. Cyrus's team shifted slightly, their expressions unreadable but alert. Axel's team didn't back down, their resolve reflected in their rigid postures.
Save it for the games," one of Cyrus's teammates told him, speaking low and level. "You'll have your turn in due time."
Cyrus smiled again, his eyes lingering on Axel for a moment longer before he took a step back. "He's right. Not now." He waved to his team to get moving. "See you all in the arena.".
As Cyrus and his men vanished from sight around the curve, the tension did ease somewhat, but it never did completely fade away.
"Well, that was a blast," Eli grumbled, running his hand through his hair.
"They're counting on us to slip up," Atlas said, his voice firm but unbreakable. "We can't let them.".
"We won't," Axel said, glancing back over his shoulder at his team. "But we have to be prepared. They're not the only ones we'll be dealing with, and this isn't all about them. The Commander's taking notice. Everyone is."
They nodded, the seriousness of his words weighing in around them as they continued on.
In their room, the team collapsed into their bunks, the fatigue of the day finally catching up with them. The dull whine of the facility's systems was the only sound in the silence as they sat in contemplative quiet.
"We need to have a plan," Atlas finally spoke, a plan that resisted the one-strength nature of a team match.
"I can work close quarters," Kaid replied, squatting. "But we need to work out how to watch each other's backsides."
"Lila's our best bet for ranged cover," Ava contributed, looking over at her. "Your marksmanship's good, and you can keep us pinned down at range."
Lila nodded, her face stern. "I can do that. But what about the rest of them? We don't know who we're up against."
"Doesn't matter," Axel replied, his tone flat but commanding. "We play to our strengths, cover each other's backs, and improvise. That's all we can do."
"Easier said than done," Eli snarled, though no ill will was in his voice.
"It's not going to be easy," Axel answered, his own sharp eyes locking into each of theirs. "But we've been through harder. We can do this."
The team looked at one another, their resolve slowly forming as they let Axel's words sink in.
"Okay," Ava said, her smile a tiny one. "Let's put on a show."
The tension in the room dissipated slightly as the team settled into the night, their minds already set on the challenges to come. Whatever it was that the Commander had begun, they would meet it as a group.