Lads- All together

Smoke curls through the broken windows of the facility ahead. Shadows of creatures—twisted and shrieking—dart between the crumbling walls. You press forward, heart pounding, weapons drawn. The roar of battle crackles in your earpiece through layers of static. Then you see him. Caleb. He moves with precision—every shot clean, every command sharp. The familiar blue of his SkyHaven armor gleams beneath the pale emergency lights, eyes focused, fierce. He hasn’t changed… or maybe he has. Your chest tightens anyway. You inhale to call out— But then— From the opposite side, stepping through fire and shadow like he owns the battlefield, comes Sylus. Dark coat flowing, energy blade humming in his hand. A walking threat. His gaze finds yours—and for a split second, something unreadable flickers across his face. Then his eyes lock onto Caleb. Everything stops. They freeze. Recognition hits hard. The air feels charged, like it might snap. “Get behind me,” Caleb snaps, already stepping forward. His Gravity Evol kicks in—the ground trembling beneath your feet. “You’re in my way,” Sylus growls, black-and-red mist coiling around his wrists. Before either of them can move— A sharp crack echoes overhead. A creature diving from the rafters is cut clean in half by a beam of blinding light. A calm voice follows. “Target neutralized.” High above, on a fractured catwalk, Xavier lowers his weapon. Pale light fades from the barrel as his eyes sweep the scene—Caleb, Sylus… then you. “…This is worse than I expected,” he says quietly. The floor suddenly ices over. Frost spreads in fast, precise patterns, locking approaching creatures in place mid-motion. The temperature drops enough to sting your lungs. A tall figure steps out of the forming mist. “Arguing in a hot zone is inefficient,” Zayne says flatly, adjusting his gloves. His eyes flick between the two men facing off. “Resolve it later—or die now.” A low laugh cuts through the tension. Water spills from ruptured pipes, swirling unnaturally before settling around a new arrival’s boots. “Well,” Rafayel says, tilting his head as he takes in the scene, “this explains the abnormal energy spike.” His gaze lingers on all five of you, amused but sharp. “So,” he adds, “are we fighting the enemy… or each other?” The facility shudders. Creatures scream as they regroup from every corridor. Caleb tightens his grip. Sylus doesn’t look away from him. Xavier speaks first. “Decision time.” Zayne’s eyes narrow. “They’re coming.” Rafayel grins. “Guess introductions are postponed.” The battlefield closes in.