Solus: Path Of The Forsaken

The hum of the enemy patrol grew louder with every passing second, vibrating through the air like a warning bell. Ishizaki crouched low behind a cluster of jagged rocks, his knife gripped tightly in his trembling hand.

"Distance: 200 meters," Solus said in his mind. "Hostiles moving in a standard search pattern. Detection imminent without evasive action."

"Great," Drax muttered, his sledgehammer resting across his lap. "What's the plan, kid?"

Ishizaki's chest heaved, his body screaming for rest. His mind raced, but the pounding in his head made it hard to think. "We split up," he said finally. "Draw them away from the kids."

"No way," Drax said firmly. "We're not splitting up. Not now."

The stranger, crouched beside the group, scanned the horizon with sharp eyes. "We don't need to run," she said. "There's a drainage channel up ahead. If we can reach it, we'll have cover."

"How do you know that?" Drax asked, his tone suspicious.

"Because I've been here before," she said simply.

Evading the Patrol

The group moved quickly and silently, staying low as they weaved through the ruins. The hum of the patrol grew louder, accompanied by the faint whirring of drones overhead.

"Drones are sweeping east," Solus said. "Pathway to the drainage channel remains viable."

"Go," Ishizaki whispered, his voice strained.

The stranger led the way, her movements quick and confident. Drax stayed close to the kids, his hammer at the ready. Ishizaki followed at the rear, his legs shaking with every step.

They reached the edge of the drainage channel, a narrow trench lined with rusted pipes and overgrown vegetation. The stranger dropped into the channel first, motioning for the others to follow.

"Hurry," she said.

Drax lifted Mei into the channel, then helped Hana and Ryo down. Ishizaki stumbled as he climbed in, his vision swimming for a moment before he steadied himself.

"Detection radius decreasing," Solus said. "Hostile units within 100 meters."

Ishizaki glanced at the kids, their wide eyes filled with fear. He forced himself to stand taller, gripping his knife tightly. "We'll be fine," he said, though the words felt hollow.

A Narrow Escape

The group moved cautiously through the channel, the sound of the patrol growing fainter as they put distance between themselves and the main search area.

For a moment, it seemed they were safe—until the faint hum of a drone grew louder overhead.

"Stay down," Ishizaki whispered, pressing himself against the wall of the channel.

The drone hovered above them, its red eye scanning the area. The kids huddled together, their small frames trembling as Drax stood protectively in front of them.

The stranger knelt beside Ishizaki, her hand brushing against the device in her chest. "If it spots us, we're dead," she murmured.

"I know," Ishizaki said, his jaw tightening.

The drone's eye lingered for a moment, then turned away, its hum fading into the distance. The group let out a collective breath of relief, though the tension in the air remained.

"Too close," Drax muttered.

"Let's keep moving," Ishizaki said, though his legs felt like they might give out at any moment.

A Shocking Discovery

As they moved further into the ruins, the group stumbled upon something unexpected: a massive drone, its sleek metallic frame half-buried in the ground. Sparks flickered from its damaged circuits, and its once-glowing eye was dark.

"What is that?" Hana asked, her voice small.

"A combat unit," the stranger said, her expression unreadable. "Looks like it didn't make it back to the facility."

Drax approached cautiously, his hammer at the ready. "It's not going to wake up, is it?"

"Unlikely," Solus said. "Unit appears nonfunctional. Cause of damage: external force."

Ishizaki frowned, stepping closer to inspect the drone. Its frame was marked with deep gashes, as if it had been attacked by something far larger and stronger.

"Something took this thing down," he said quietly.

"And whatever it was, it's still out there," the stranger said, her tone grim.

Solus's voice broke the silence. "Unit data core detected. Potential for extraction and analysis."

"Do it," Ishizaki said.

The stranger knelt beside the drone, prying open a panel to reveal a faintly glowing core. She pulled it free, her expression darkening as she studied it. "This thing's connected to the facility," she said. "If we can decode it, we might get a map—or a warning."

Cliffhanger – The Danger Grows

As the group prepared to leave, a sharp chime echoed from the drone's core.

"What's that?" Ryo asked, his voice trembling.

The core's glow brightened, pulsing with an eerie rhythm.

"Alert," Solus said. "Signal detected. Enemy units converging on this location."

The stranger cursed under her breath, shoving the core into her bag. "We need to move. Now."

Ishizaki gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand despite the weight dragging him down. "Then let's go," he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his chest.

The group moved quickly, the hum of approaching drones growing louder as the shadow of the facility loomed ever closer.

The sharp chime of the drone core echoed through the air, followed by the faint hum of engines powering up in the distance. Ishizaki's chest tightened as he glanced at the glowing core in the stranger's hands.

"They're coming," she said, her voice steady but grim.

"How many?" Drax asked, gripping his hammer tightly.

"Multiple units converging," Solus replied. "Estimated time to contact: two minutes."

"Then we run," Ishizaki said, his legs already moving despite the protest from his aching muscles.

The Pursuit Begins

The group sprinted through the ruins, the hum of approaching drones growing louder with every passing second. Ishizaki gritted his teeth, his knife clutched tightly in his hand as he forced his body to keep moving.

"Host vitals deteriorating," Solus said in his mind. "Further exertion will result in collapse."

"Noted," Ishizaki muttered, though he didn't slow down.

Hana stumbled over a loose rock, and Drax caught her before she fell. "Stay close!" he barked, his tone harsher than he intended.

"Give her a break," the stranger said, glancing back. "She's a kid, not a soldier."

"We're all just trying to survive," Drax shot back.

"Focus!" Ishizaki snapped, his voice cutting through the tension. "We don't have time for this."

The group turned a corner, and the terrain ahead opened into a wide expanse of cracked pavement and jagged rubble. In the distance, the faint glow of the facility's towering walls was visible through the haze.

"Facility perimeter detected," Solus said. "Proximity: two kilometers."

A Desperate Escape

The first drone appeared over the ridge, its red eye locking onto the group. A high-pitched whir preceded the burst of plasma fire that streaked through the air, striking the ground near Drax's feet.

"Keep moving!" Ishizaki shouted, his voice hoarse.

Drax swung his hammer at a second drone that swooped low, the impact sending it crashing into the rubble. Sparks erupted from its frame as it twitched and fell still.

"Two down," Drax muttered, gripping his hammer tighter.

The stranger pulled a small device from her belt, pressing a button that emitted a burst of static. The nearest drone faltered, its flight pattern wobbling before it crashed into the ground.

"Where'd you get that?" Drax asked, his tone suspicious.

"Does it matter?" she replied, her gaze fixed ahead. "Just keep running."

Ishizaki stumbled as his legs gave out momentarily, but he pushed himself upright with a grunt. The kids' wide eyes were filled with fear, and Hana reached out to steady him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I'm fine," Ishizaki said, though the weight in his chest told a different story.

Nearing the Facility

The terrain became more treacherous as the group approached the facility. Strange energy fields shimmered in the air, their faint glow pulsing in time with the hum of the facility's defenses.

"What is this place?" Drax asked, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the landscape.

"Advanced perimeter defenses," Solus replied. "Purpose: to deter and eliminate unauthorized intrusions."

"Great," Drax muttered. "And we're walking straight into it."

The group slowed as they reached the edge of a collapsed bridge that spanned a deep ravine. The facility loomed in the distance, its massive structure almost otherworldly in its design.

"There," Ishizaki said, pointing to a faintly glowing entrance on the far side of the ravine. "That's our way in."

"It's guarded," the stranger said, her tone grim. "Heavily."

"Suggestions?" Ishizaki asked, glancing at her.

She hesitated, then nodded toward a narrow pathway that wound down into the ravine. "We go low. Stay out of sight until we're closer."

Drax frowned. "And if they spot us?"

"Then we improvise," she said.

Cliffhanger – A Costly Escape

The group began their descent into the ravine, moving cautiously along the narrow pathway. The sound of drones searching above them was ever-present, a constant reminder of the danger they faced.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the air as the ground beneath Hana gave way.

"Hana!" Ishizaki shouted, his heart lurching.

Drax lunged forward, grabbing her arm just in time to stop her from falling into the darkness below. The strain on his face was evident as he pulled her back to solid ground.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice softer than usual.

Hana nodded, her eyes wide with shock.

"Detection radius increasing," Solus said. "Enemy units are converging on this location."

"Time to move," the stranger said, her voice urgent.

As they scrambled toward the base of the ravine, the hum of drones grew louder. Ishizaki glanced back, his stomach sinking as he saw several red eyes glowing in the distance.

"They know we're here," he said quietly.

"And they're not stopping," the stranger replied.

The group pressed on, their exhaustion mounting as the shadow of the facility loomed ever closer.