Rise of the Collosi Hunter

The squad stood in formation near the deployment platform, the soft hum of the platform's engines rising under their feet.

A Warden officer stepped out, eyes scanning a datapad.

Six F-Class Colossi got away during the last breach, he said. No civilians in the area. You're to take them down and report back.

That was all.

He turned and left.

Torran glanced around at the others. Riva was quiet as usual, fingers already checking her gear. Lian rolled his shoulders once. Jace looked eager but kept it to himself. Korr gave a single nod.

The drop transport arrived, low and quiet. They stepped in.

No one spoke during the flight.

Sector 12 was one of the outer zones. Older buildings, most left half-collapsed. Some walls still sparked with leftover energy. The place had been damaged months ago, never fully cleared.

They moved in careful formation. Riva climbed to the rooftops. Korr kept her rifle raised. Lian led the line, hammer on his back. Jace moved with a slight bounce in his step. Torran stayed just behind the front, blade ready.

The first Colossus appeared, stepping out from behind a broken rail column. Cracked skin, glowing red core at its chest.

Riva fired first. Her arrow slammed into the joint of its shoulder. The Colossus jerked back.

Torran stepped forward and dashed in low.

The katana pierced through the ribs and hit the core clean. The light inside blinked once, then faded.

The body fell hard.

One down, Torran said.

Jace let out a low whistle but kept moving.

Two more came from the side alley.

Lian moved fast. He blocked the first with a shoulder slam, then crushed its head with one swing. Korr took out the second with a clean shot just below the throat.

Three left, she said.

Torran wiped his blade once, then turned with the squad.

The fourth Colossus was faster and leaner. It savagely charged at them.

Jace ran straight in.

The creature swiped wide, but Jace ducked under and sliced across its thigh. As it stumbled, Torran rushed in from the side and finished it with a single thrust to the chest.

They turned the corner and saw the last two ahead, moving toward the collapsed outer fence.

Riva was already in place above them. She loosed one arrow; it hit, not fatally, but it turned the creature around.

Korr and Lian followed up, pinning one of them. The other turned to run.

Torran sprinted after it. His footsteps echoed through the hollow space.

He caught up before it reached the rubble, jumped up onto a broken beam, and landed a clean slash across its spine, and it fell.

All clear, Lian said after a pause.

No movement on scan, Riva added.

The air settled.

Yay, our first mission was a success! Riva jumped up in excitement. 

They all went towards the corpse of a colossus and used it as a stool.

Call in the transport ship, Sector 12 clean. Ready to return, Lian said over the comm.

As she said this, she went towards the others.

I am picking up unusual movements from the scan, Lian said as she jolted up.

I thought the officer only mentioned 6, how is there a seventh, Korr said as she readied her rifle.

The others also braced for combat and walked towards that direction, with Korran leading them.

As the thing got closer, they were about to engage when they saw a boy their age, battered and injured all over, tumble out.

As he saw them, he smiled, then he collapsed.

Torran, being nearer, hurried to catch him before he hit the ground.

The boy was barely conscious, breathing shallowly. His clothes were torn to shreds, more like rags than anything else. Dirt clung to his skin, and dried blood marked his side and arms. One eye was swollen shut. It was a wonder he'd made it this far.

Torran gently lowered him to the ground.

He's alive, he said after a moment. 

Riva crouched beside him. Scan's reading human vitals. Weak but steady.

Jace stood back, eyes narrowing. 

No armour or weapon, just him, Korr said, watching carefully. 

Lian stepped forward and knelt beside Torran. The fact that he made it out here like this, he either got lucky or fought his way through."

The boy stirred, lips barely moving. Is… this Nova?

Torran leaned in. You're safe. We're from Nova 9.

The boy gave a small smile, more of a twitch, then passed out again.

Lian tapped his comm. Control, we've found a survivor. Teenager. Wounded, no armour, no weapon. 

Confirmed, a voice replied. Med transport en route. Five minutes.

The squad stood silently for a moment. Only the low hum of Korr's rifle filled the space.

He must've been hiding, Riva said. All this time, no suit or gear…"

Could've been part of a civilian group that didn't make it, Korr muttered.

Or something else, Torran added quietly.

Jace crossed his arms. Either way, he held on.

The med ship arrived soon after, soft lights glowing as it descended. Two medics rushed out with a stretcher, carefully lifting the boy and running a scan on the spot. One of them gave a low whistle.

Still alive after all that, she said. Kid's made of something tough.

They loaded him into the med bay, and returned to their spot.