The air in the Unus warren smelled of damp earth, fungal decay, and something acridly alien. Water dripped rhythmically from unseen cracks in the rough-hewn tunnels, which produced unnerving sounds in the oppressive silence.
"Anything, Nala?"
Rackell Beeth spoke sharply. Her eyes, narrowed slits in the gloom, scanned the cavern ahead.
Nala Finch, perched lightly on an outcrop, shook her head almost imperceptibly. Three miniature, glowing forms, like dragonflies woven from pure light, hovered protectively around her shoulders – her Characters.
"Negative. Tracks lead deeper, but the target… it's masking its resonance signature."
"Damn chitinous slug."
Dodo Tuar grumbled as he flexed his thick arms. "Should've cornered it back in Sector Gamma."
"Stow it, Dodo," Rackell snapped. "Orders were specific. High-yield Resonance Bulb on this one." She motioned them forward. "Maya, watch the flanks."
Maya Holland nodded and followed along. Her movements were surprisingly fluid despite the bulky gear she carried. Her own Resonance Socket, visible on her exposed forearm, had a faint pulse.
They pressed deeper. The tunnel opened into a wider chamber, littered with pulsating, fleshy sacs clinging to the walls. And there, in the center, was their quarry – a creature resembling a bloated, multi-limbed termite. Its head was crowned with crystalline structures that hummed faintly.
"Target acquired," Rackell breathed. "Standard capture formation–"
Suddenly, the ground trembled. From shadowed alcoves and hidden fissures, dozens of smaller, skittering Unus poured into the chamber – razor claws clicking and multifaceted eyes glowing with predatory hunger. An ambush.
"Karking hells!" Maya swore. "Since when do Category-2 Lurkers coordinate like this?"
Dodo scoffed, already shifting his stance. "Doesn't matter. Still just Category-2s. Hardly a challenge."
"Focus!"
Rackell's roar overrode the rising panic. Her wrist flared with intense light.
"Ignis Cascade!"
Raw power exploded from her Resonance Socket as her form blurred and dissolved into a searing comet of fire that slammed into the nearest wave of attackers, incinerating them instantly.
The battle erupted.
"Partial Characterization!"
Dodo bellowed as his power flared. His left Resonance Socket, etched onto his bicep, exploded with swirling black energy that coalesced into a snarling wolf's head made of shadow. Simultaneously, his right forearm transformed, Socket glowing on his wrist, becoming a heavy, metallic gauntlet that magnetically ripped chunks of rock from the walls, melting and reshaping them into a monstrous, oversized fist. He charged forward like a beasts and began dishing out shadow and metal blows.
Boom! Boom!
"Come forth!"
Maya activated her own Characters. The marker on her neck glowed, and a powerful, finned tail erupted from her lower back, lashing out and spraying jets of high-pressure water that blasted Unus off their feet. From her other Resonance Socket, on her wrist, a crackling energy whip materialized, which she wielded to cut down creatures that got too close.
"Be careful."
Nala remained composed amidst the chaos. Her three fairy-like Characters zipped forward and expanded into translucent, hexagonal energy shields that intercepted claws and corrosive spit aimed at the team. She was the anchor, the calm eye in their storm of power.
They fought hard, Rackell's fire, Dodo's brute force, and Maya's versatile attacks were carving through the ambushers under Nala's protection. But just as they started gaining ground, the target Unus – the Termite Queen – arched its back as its crystalline crown started flashing violently.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!
A soundless wave of pure resonance disruption washed over the chamber. It bypassed physical defenses and hit their Characters directly.
Rackell's comet form flickered violently, threatening to extinguish. Dodo's wolf head howled in silent agony, the metal arm sputtered. Maya's water jets ceased and her whip dissolved into sparks. Nala's shields wavered until they began cracking like glass.
"Gah! That damned monster… Stuns the Characters!" Maya gasped while clutching her head as feedback jolted through her Sockets.
"Told you this thing was valuable!" Dodo grunted and staggered as his arm-constructs faded.
The momentary paralysis was all the remaining ambushers needed. They rushed forward, aiming for the momentarily powerless Harmonics. Flesh was about to be rend from bones.
P-THWIP!
Suddenly, the lead Unus jerked, then a neat hole appeared in its head. It collapsed twitching.
P-THWIP! P-THWIP! P-THWIP!
More silent impacts. One after another, the charging Unus dropped; precise shots were finding critical weak points. The debilitating resonance screech which had staggered the others, abruptly cut off as the Termite Queen flinched, though it wasn't the target.
Control flooded back into their limbs as their Characters stabilized. Relief washed over them.
"About damn time, Wes!" Rackell yelled towards the tunnel entrance. She was clearly annoyed despite her relief. "Taking a nap out there?"
"Woo! Nice shooting, Sniper Boy!" Dodo added boisterously as he shook off the resonance static. "Saved our asses!"
With the immediate threat neutralized and the disturbing echo silenced, they refocused on the stunned Termite Queen.
"Alright team, bag it! Don't give it a chance to attack again!"
Rackell's fiery form reigniting as she charged.
…
Miles away, perched atop a windswept, rocky peak overlooking the Unus stronghold's hidden entrance, Wes Callahan lowered his rifle. It wasn't metal and plastic, but something organic, dark green, viscous white, and vaguely reptilian, with a faint pulsing inner light. The scope was a single, unblinking, biological eye.
"Good work, Aroth."
Wes spoke flatly, almost bored. "Lock onto the Queen. Phasing shot."
Blink!
The eye in the scope seemed to dilate slightly. Wes squeezed the trigger mechanism. There was no sound, no recoil, just a faint shimmer leaving the barrel.
A 'Ghost Bullet' – pure condensed resonance – flew unseen, phasing effortlessly through meters of rock, bypassing the stronghold's crude outer walls, until it found its mark.
Inside the chaotic chamber below, it materialized directly within the Termite Queen's primary neural cluster. The creature seized violently, then went limp, stunned but intact.
"Tsk…"
Task completed. It felt less like a heroic save, more like finishing a tedious chore. Wes sighed, a puff of condensation in the cold mountain air.
"Return, Aroth."
The biological sniper seemed to dissolve, it flowed like liquid shadow back towards his wrist, where it coalesced into an intricate, dark green mark – his sole Resonance Socket.
He stood, stretched his stiff muscles, and began the trek down towards the waiting transport truck.
…
Sometime later, the rugged, armored vehicle arrived near the concealed entrance just as Wes's team emerged, looking battered but triumphant.
Dodo was hauling the unconscious Termite Queen by one of its thick legs, its bulk was scraping against the ground.
"Hey, Wes!"
Dodo grinned upon spotting him. With a grunt, he swung the heavy Unus carcass forward, and tossed it onto the ground right in front of Wes as he came out of the truck. Dust and grit billowed up, making Wes flinch back and glare.
Dodo ignored the glare. He swaggered over and clapped Wes hard on the shoulder. This was a display of forced camaraderie that always grated on Wes's nerves. "Saw that last shot! Clean hit! Right through the rock!"
"You took your sweet time engaging." Rackell cut in, crossing her arms in anger. "We were nearly overrun because of that screech."
Wes met her accusing gaze evenly. "Had to take a piss," he stated flatly. The lie came easily. Let them think what they wanted.
"Always an excuse." Maya wiped Unus slime off her cheek.
Only Nala offered a slight, acknowledging nod. "Good timing, Wes. Thank you."
Wes gave her a curt nod back. He appreciated Nala's quiet nature; it was a relief compared to the others' constant noise.
They gathered around the stunned Queen, already speculating.
"This bulb's gotta be worth a mint." Dodo prodded the creature's crystalline crown. "Premium grade for sure."
"We'll see what the Resonance Exchange offers," Rackell said pragmatically. "Split will be determined after the assessment. Standard procedure." She jerked her head towards the truck. "Alright, load it up. Wes, Dodo – get it in the back."
Wes looked from the massive Unus carcass to Dodo's expectant, smirking face. He made a show of flexing his relatively normal arms. "Thing weighs a ton. Don't have dual Strength Characters like powerhouse here." He didn't wait for a response, just turned and slid into the driver's seat of the truck, pointedly ignoring Dodo.
"Useless," he heard Maya snipe.
"Yeah, barely contributes in a fight, can't lift, and drives like my grandma," Dodo added with a laugh before easily hoisting the Unus with his remaining strength. "This is how a real man does it."
"Tsk, showoff."
Wes gripped the steering wheel with an indifferent level of animosity. He stared straight ahead, waiting for them to finish loading. Just another mission complete. Just another day as the 'One Character' idiot.