"I've always admired her, you know." Kez spoke softly to his wolf, Shadow, as they lay in the shade of an old oak tree.
"Who?" Shadow replied.
To an outsider, the scene was silent, but Kez's telepathy allowed for a conversation as clear as any spoken word.
"Lia. The short lady with the purple eyes," Kez replied, incredulous that he even had to explain. "Just look at her go, coordinating various groups of people like it's nothing. Even the kids from her class are getting involved loading supplies."
"That's a real alpha," Shadow remarked, letting out a heavy sigh as he lowered his head onto Kez's legs. "And she's not even female." He paused, his ears twitching. "I'm going to miss you, Kevin. Come back safely, please."
"I'll miss you too, my friend. You make sure my friends here in the Iron Faction stay safe, okay?" Kez reached down, running his hand through the wolf's thick fur. "I've placed a monitor on your collar that will alert me if you start feeling anxious."
With those final thoughts, Kez drifted off for a much-needed nap. His talents might not have been useful in the chaotic rush of the tavern, but he knew he would be hard at work the moment they touched African soil.
The rest of the community was a hive of activity. Levi had a crew of technicians digging through heaps of old electronics for parts. They were building everything from signal scramblers to perimeter alarm systems, while Levi simultaneously controlled his nano-bots as they performed last-minute diagnostic checks on the warp gate.
Aisha was a whirlwind of green, bottling tonics and tinctures for the team and the community. She had been bragging for weeks about a new plant variant she'd developed—a powerful stimulant designed to energise the team for the brutal battles ahead.
Jax, meanwhile, was busy and not at all thrilled about it.
"Fine! I'll fix the damn wall! I know I've been putting it off for months!" he grumbled, exhaling an enormous, pungent cloud of dagga (Marijuana) smoke. To be fair, he had spent the last few hours using his kinetic powers to reinforce the walls on the outskirts of their community. They weren't meant to restrict travel, but to act as a first line of defence should the worst happen.
At the centre of the commotion was Lia. She was everywhere at once—coordinating, planning, and inspiring the people who would be left behind. She knew her physical abilities weren't on the level of her companions, so she contributed with the sharpest weapon she possessed: her mind.
By the time The Hand were ready to leave, the sun had set and the biting chill of the night had moved in. Most of the community had already turned in.
The Hand assembled in their new battle gear. No more helmets to hide behind. The only identifying feature they shared was the bright red fist insignia emblazoned on the backs of their jackets. As the voices of the community faded, replaced by the rhythmic chirping of crickets and the shifting shadows of the night, Lia broke the silence.
"Levi, wait a moment." Her voice was tense. "I have a bad feeling about going directly to South Africa. Let's head slightly further north. Namibia."
"Sure thing, boss," Levi responded, his tone as monotone as ever.
He touched his wrist, closing his eyes for a heartbeat before removing a small metallic ring and tossing it onto the sand. It expanded instantly to seven feet in circumference, levitating with a deep, resonant hum. A brilliant blue light erupted from the centre, the energy so intense it agitated the very atmosphere. A sudden gale stripped leaves from the trees and kicked up thick clouds of dust.
"I always hate this part!" Aisha yelled over the roar.
One by one, The Hand stepped into the light. Once the last of them crossed the threshold, the glow vanished as if it had never existed.
They emerged into a desolate nightmare.
Their feet sank into fine, powdery sand, and they were immediately swallowed by a thick, unyielding mist. It was impossible to see more than a few centimetres in any direction.
"Seriously, Levi? The Skeleton Coast?!" Lia was unimpressed, the frustration evident in her voice.
"Didn't have much time to re-calibrate," Levi responded flatly.
Suddenly, Lia's eyes flared with a familiar purple hue, the light piercing through the heavy fog. "Guys, this could get a little rough…"
Before she could finish, the team had already snapped into combat formation. Jax stomped his feet, kicking up sand that swirled and hardened into a suit of jagged stone armour. Aisha's vines tore through the frozen earth beneath the dunes. Levi's nano-bots began a high-speed orbit around his waist, and Kez swung his rifle around, his pupils narrowing into the predatory slits of a hawk.
Finally, Lia drew her energy saber. The blade hissed to life, glowing with a purple light that matched her eyes.
"People of the Mist! We are not here to fight you!" Lia called out into the void.
"How do we know you're not aligned with Apex?" a voice drifted back, sounding as if the mist itself were speaking.
"Look for yourselves! See the emblems on our clothing!" Lia shouted. "We are The Hand—the ones Apex wants dead. The ones who defeated him once before. I am Oracle."
Meanwhile, in Cape Town, Aiden was in his private quarters, admiring his sculpted reflection in the mirror. The moment was short-lived.
"Lord Apex!"
Nkosinathi burst in, his anxiety palpable. "Our scouts reported a warp gate opening on the Skeleton Coast in Namibia."
Aiden let out a low, dark chuckle. "How are we progressing with our preparations?"
"We have recruited or subjugated most of Southern Africa, sir," the King replied. "Small pockets remain, but the main source of resistance is in… Namibia. The People of the Mist faction. They are small in number, but mighty."
The nonchalance melted off Aiden's face. His features twisted into a mask of pure rage.
"How the hell did Lia know that?!" he roared, his voice causing a tremor that shook the foundations of the building.
He took a breath, his stone skin pulsing. "Our plans don't change. We wait for them to come to us. I suppose it is time I addressed our subjects." Aiden snorted, a sneer of amusement returning to his lips. "If The Hand survives the Mist, I doubt they'll survive the desert. Now leave, King. I must prepare."