Auri wasn't sure if they really were the Red Hands. She had only heard the rumors about the group, but if she could prove that an organization that big was tied to the drug trade, the same drug keeping society from recovering after the apocalypse, it would be the scoop of her career.
Moments later, Safe Zone guards rushed out. Almost everyone left, leaving only one or two at the gate. Something was happening outside, serious enough to pull nearly all security from their posts.
Auri didn't know what it was, and she didn't need to. This was her chance.
With most of the guards gone, the restricted building at the center of the compound, the one she was never allowed near, was now almost unguarded.
She took a quiet breath, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Well, can't leave without seeing what they're hiding first."
The ones chasing Thomas and his crew were led by Darius, a high-ranking Red Hands officer they had already defeated once before. This time, he wasn't alone. He came prepared, bringing reinforcements and the confidence to finish what he started.
Darius towered over the battlefield, a walking fortress of steel. His armored Silverback Gorilla Glint made every step thunder against the ground, sending faint tremors across the fog-covered field. His metal jaw tightened as he stared ahead, focused on his targets.
Behind him marched the Red Hands' newest soldiers, experimental Glints with exposed Pink Fragment implants embedded in their bodies. Even in formation, their movements were unnaturally strong, each step leaving cracks on the ground.
But that power came with a price. The implants pushed their bodies beyond what they could handle, wearing them down the longer they fought. They were built for short bursts of combat, for endurance and survival were never part of the design.
Today, Darius would test them against Thomas's crew. He had no intention of losing. These weren't ordinary soldiers. They were the next step in the Red Hands' evolution, and this battle would show the world what they had become.
Darius clenched his metal-plated jaw. "I want this done clean. Even with the implants, I'm not taking risks."
He turned to one of his scouts, a lean Glint user known for his sharp senses. "Find the Little Fingers and give them the message. Tell them to mobilize immediately. This comes from above, not me. If they hesitate, remind them their survival depends on following orders."
The scout nodded once and disappeared into the Pink Fog without a sound. Darius watched him vanish, then exhaled slowly. He had no patience for delays. Thomas's crew had slipped away from them too many times. This time, they would have nowhere to run.
A few minutes later, the scout arrived at the Little Fingers' outpost and relayed Darius's message. Lucian Duvall, the cartel's second-in-command, listened with visible frustration. "You do realize we're stretched thin, right? Most of our enforcers are already deployed elsewhere. We can't just…"
The scout cut him off. "This is not a request, Duvall. It is an order. The higher-ups expect full cooperation."
Lucian clicked his tongue in irritation. "Damn it."
Then the scout added, "Thomas's crew is heading west."
Lucian froze. His hesitation vanished instantly. "West? Are you sure?"
"Dead sure. Why?"
Lucian's stomach dropped. That was where their leader, Veyron Moreau, was recovering from surgery. The area was lightly guarded, almost exposed. If Thomas's group reached it, even by accident, Veyron would be in danger.
"Fine," Lucian said, urgency cutting through his frustration. "We're mobilizing now."
Outside, the Little Fingers began to move, calling almost all the guards and enforcers in the Safe Zone. Inside the Safe Zone, Auri watched the sudden mobilization.
Thomas pressed his foot harder on the gas. The Hammer truck jolted forward, tires kicking up dust as it tore through the fog. He didn't like this. The Pink Zone was never empty, and now they were heading straight toward something unknown.
Bryan flew ahead to scout. After a moment, he circled back, shouting, "Those are Glints!"
Thomas frowned. "Hostile?"
"Not sure," Bryan replied. "They're stationary. Looks like a small group."
Thomas eased off the pedal as shapes began to form in the mist. A few figures stood around what looked like a makeshift camp. Then he noticed the emblem printed on the side of a nearby tent. The Traveling Medics.
He brought the truck to a stop. Iris moved ahead first, her stance cautious but not hostile. The others followed, stepping into the open.
One of the Medics turned toward them, his Glint active, faint spectral hands flickering around his arms.
"Dr. Cal?" Bryan called out.
A familiar figure stepped forward. Dr. Callahan Voss, leader of the Traveling Medics, faint blue energy pulsing from them. His Cecaelia Glint, a mutation that granted him floating appendages for precise surgical work, was active.
"Well, if it isn't Thomas and his crew," Callahan said with a small grin. "I was wondering when we'd run into you again."
Thomas's gaze shifted across the camp. A few guards in Glint form stood nearby, their stances tense but not immediately hostile. At the center was a single heavily secured tent, guarded by two enforcers surrounded by faint protective auras.
"What's going on here?" Thomas asked.
Dr. Cal exhaled. "Surgical operation. We're treating a critical patient, Veyron Moreau, leader of the Little Fingers. He's in bad shape."
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "What happened to him?"
Dr. Cal gestured for them to step closer, lowering his voice. "Residual energy. A Boss-level Fade hit him hard. His body should be healing, but the Fog energy left inside is blocking it. If we don't remove it, he'll die."
Thomas crossed his arms. "Residual energy?"
Dr. Cal nodded. "Yeah, it happens sometimes. When a Fade is powerful enough, it leaves traces of its energy inside the victim. That energy disrupts healing and eats away at the body. It's rare, but deadly."
Nevin let out a low whistle. "Wait, isn't that what happened to me? I could've died?"
"Most people don't survive it," Dr. Cal said. "But it can be removed. We're close to finishing, but we need more time."
Dr. Cal didn't recognize Nevin in his new Trickster Spirit form. He had never seen this Glint before, but decided not to ask. It didn't matter right now.
Thomas glanced at the others, a thought suddenly clicking into place. "Dr. Cal… the Red Hands are coming this way."
Dr. Cal's expression darkened. "Red Hands?"
"If they see what you can do," Thomas said, his tone sharp, "they'll force you to work for them. You need to get out of here."
Dr. Cal shook his head, his spectral appendages twitching with urgency. "We can't leave until the operation is done. If we stop now, our patient won't make it."
Thomas clenched his jaw and glanced toward the Glints guarding the tent. They weren't moving, but every one of them was on high alert. Their eyes stayed locked on Thomas's crew, ready to react at the first sign of trouble. For now, they were neutral, holding their ground as long as no one interfered with the operation.
Dr. Cal and his team had already gone back inside the secured tent. The tension in the air was thick. The Red Hands were closing in while the operation continued inside.
The procedure had reached a critical point as Dr. Cal worked to purge the corruption from Veyron's body. Thomas's fingers twitched. He didn't like this. The whole situation felt like a noose tightening around them, the calm before the storm.
Then Bryan's voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent. "They're here!"
Thomas turned, eyes narrowing as the mist shifted. Heavy footfalls approached. Multiple figures moved through the fog. The oppressive silence broke as the first Red Hands enforcers stepped out, their Glints fully active, bodies radiating a strange energy. Their movements were too precise, too coordinated.
At the center of the force, Darius stepped forward in his armored Silverback Gorilla Glint.
Darius's voice rolled through the fog. "There you are, Thomas."
Thomas did not flinch. "You took your time."
Darius's grin was metal and menace. "Had to make sure everything was in place." He swept a hand to indicate the soldiers around him, the faint glow of pink shards visible beneath their skin. "Meet the new era of Red Hands warriors. Stronger, faster, more efficient than any normal Glint user."
Thomas scanned the soldiers. Even in Glint form, their bodies showed open wounds that were not healing. Are those Pink Fragments implanted in them? Does that even work?
Darius tapped his metal jaw, as if answering Thomas before he could. "Pink Fragments implanted straight into the body. They push Glint users past their limits, increase output, reduce normal strain. These men are modified to be superior at every level." His grin widened, cruel and sure of itself. "They will crush you before you even get a chance to warm up."
Thomas scoffed and shifted his stance. "Bold of you to give away the Red Hands' method."
Darius let out a metallic chuckle. "Why not? You're all going to die here. At least now you'll know why."