Point-of-View: Kilella Floence

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"Hey, director, what's up?" I greeted as I entered her office.

"Hey, Kilella, thank you for coming in. I'll cut to the chase, I'm having some of the Aces run a training program for lower-ranked X-Warriors, and I'd like you to be a part of it too."

That sounds like a pain... 

"I'd rather not, if that's possible," I replied sheepishly. 

"You do realize how urgent things are right now, don't you? We lost over thirty percent of our X-Warriors during the attack on the Wight base camp, including several of our best...we need an increase in both quality and quantity alike," She sighed, looking stressed out and tired, dark circles under her eyes. 

"Fine, if I have to...," I gave in reluctantly, "But I'd like to be involved with the least amount of work possible." 

"...if an assignment doesn't catch your interest, you really have no motivation, huh? Well, this is important, so-," She began, stifling a yawn, before trailing off as she got a notification on her laptop, a deep frown appearing as she read the message and her eyes widened, "What the-...this can't be right, there are several reports of Wight attacks coming from the South Quadrant!" 

What? 

"Huh? But how? With all the cameras and sensors on the outside of the Sanctuary...," I remarked with a frown. 

"Well, we haven't finished it yet...the fortification is complete, specifically, we've covered the exterior with blast shields and installed weapons, and most of the cameras are up too, there are few blind spots in the north but the rest is well equipped...we haven't yet completed manufacturing the battle androids and drones, but if these Wights snuck in from the south somehow, they should have been spotted, we even have underground sensors," Frowned Director Silva, typing furiously on her keyboard, "Okay, I've sent out an emergency notice to the I-Watches of all X-Warriors, so-...damn it, now what!?" 

She'd just gotten another notification, and her expression said that it wasn't anything good... 

"I'm gonna go head for the South Quadrant, so-," I began to turn around. 

"Wait...one of the operators of the underground training maze in the South Quadrant sent a message...it just says 'help'...I don't like this. I'm accessing the operating system of the maze," She muttered, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Oh, yeah, I think I remember some X-Warriors talking about some new underground training facilities, large mazes that were to be used to simulate team battles. They were apparently located in the South Quadrant instead of the X-Warrior Zone. 

"Um...what is it?" I inquired, as her eyes widened. 

"This is...damn it, what shitty timing, some of the Level Q students are currently in the maze...the Duel Field is inactive, and the cameras in the control room aren't working, so I can't see what's going on with the operators...but it looks some of the hidden cameras are still active. Let's see...okay, looks like the students are sticking together, Kilzachs is there too," She muttered, I walked over behind the desk and next to her to see as well, as she shuffled through the camera feeds, "Oh, no, this is bad...Wights."

A group of five Wights...heading straight for where the students where. 

"Hey, is it just me, or does it seem like they're looking for the students specifically?" I inquired with a frown, "They're heading right for them."

"Don't tell me they're after-...!" She suddenly exclaimed, standing up with a start, "But how-...no, if my hunch is right, then the how or why doesn't matter, we can't afford to let them succeed. Kilella, go to the maze, NOW! Use the teleportation platform downstairs to go straight into the maze and then find the students as soon as possible, the Wights are almost upon them, hurry!"

I don't think I've ever heard her sound so urgent...

"You don't need to tell me twice, I'd have done so even if you had forbidden me from doing so...Zax is there, so I can't ignore it," I remarked, before racing out of her office at top speed. 

Damn it, I need to hurry...just hold on for a while longer, little brother, I'm on my way...!

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Point-of-View: Kilzachs Light 

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"Target located...do with the rest as you please." 

The Wights had found us...we'd moved around a few times when they started to get close, but they immediately changed course each time...no doubt about it, they were following our movements too. So, we decided to wait and confront them instead. 

We had them outnumbered, but it was going to be hard to fight in these narrow spaces, this is far from an ideal situation. They were warily keeping their distance for now, but it won't be long before they move in. And what did the one in the middle mean by 'target located'? 

"Hey, do you think you can slice them all in half with your expansive blades?" I quietly whispered to Seila. 

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," She whispered back. 

"Alright, do it as soon as you feel like you have an ideal opening," I replied, before turning to the Wights, "So, what do you want?" 

"Our target is you," Responded the one in the middle, "That is the main objective of our mission...if you're willing to give yourself up, we'll let the others go, what do you say?" 

He looked a bit different to the other Wights I'd seen before...the bottom right part of his face, including half of his mouth and a part of his right nostril, looked like a regular human, while the rest of his face and body had the dark, leathery reptile-like skin. He had long back hair tied in a low ponytail and piercing orange eyes. 

Also, wait, back up a sec...they're after me?

"You're after me? Why?" I inquired curiously. 

"Huh? Isn't it obvious? We can't very let an enemy with your capabilities live, you're far too big a threat," He replied, drawing out a sword, "A time-stopper is far too dangerous to be allowed to exist, so-."

"!" Seila suddenly exclaimed, forming and expanding her blades towards them rapidly... 

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What? Her blades went right through them. I don't mean that she pierced them, no, I mean they literally passed through the Wights as if they were holograms. No, wait...the one in front, who just spoke, had a wide cut on his torso...ohh, I see... 

"You can make yourself, as well as others, intangible...you're an Anomaly," I surmised, as Seila drew back her blades cautiously. 

"Anomaly? Oh, you sheltered humans have a name for those who develop aberrant powers," He remarked, before adding with a smirk, "Actually, that's a pretty good name for it...your powers are certainly an anomaly." 

"Powers? Me?" I inquired, with an innocent tilt of my head. 

I could feel the gazes of the others behind me...I hate this...fuck, I'd love to go back in time right now, but I can't use my powers with another Anomaly present...I still have no idea what'll happen if I try to go back in time while another Anomaly is in close proximity, and this doesn't seem like the right time to try it out. 

"Tch, don't play innocent, I can sense other 'Anomalies', and I can vaguely tell what the nature of their powers are...though it is rather confusing, one of the other Anomalies I'm sensing feels like their power has something to do with...children's stories? I'm not sure I'm reading that right...but you, I have no doubt that your power is time-related," He declared, pointing his blade at me, "Therefore, you have to die. I see that you're confused, let me explain how we're aware of you...do you remember fighting one of us who could negate Chikara, or XPE, or whatever you call it? Well, he wasn't the only Anomaly who was there...there was another, he snuck away to inform the rest of your existence, while the one you fought distracted you and kept you from noticing. Oh, and the one that snuck away...that was me."

...well, shit... 

"Goddammit, fuck me dead," I sighed, before pointing my X-Blasters at him, "Well, whatever, I'll just kill you here and now...your power is a pretty major threat too, especially if turning intangible isn't all that you can do." 

"Hah, you're a sharp one, aren't you? But no, you'll be the one who dies here." 

"This is a lot to process...dude, you're an Anom-!?" Mitchell began to exclaim incredulously, as the others stared at me in surprise too. 

"...yeah, I am. Can we talk about this lat-?" I began in exasperation, when suddenly, I felt a familiar headache... 

Oh, for the love of fuck, no, please not right now... 

I stumbled back with a groan as blood poured out of my nose, eyes, mouth and ears, my vision starting to blur. 

"Kilzachs?" 

"Hey, you okay, dude?" 

"What's wrong?" 

The others were talking, but I could barely comprehend what they were saying, it's no use, I'm blacking out... 

"Damn it, why fucking now!? Guys...buy me...some...time...," I muttered in a pained tone, before everything went black... 

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Been a while since I heard that static, but come on, could the timing have possibly been any worse... 

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...are you fucking kidding me with that shit!? What the fuck, man!? 

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Well, alright, then...the timing was awful, but I can't say I'm not intrigued to see what this new tier can do. Let's find out, shall we? 

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