Quinn stood at the center of a nightmare. Around him, the dust of the battlefield swirled, but the real storm was the suffocating weight to fight the people infront of him.
They were his allies—the very people he had bled for, fought for, and protected. Now, their faces were masks of vacant hostility, their eyes glowing a pulsating, toxic pink that signaled their lost autonomy.
He didn't have time to process the heartbreak. Erin was the first to break the tension. She leapt forward with a speed that exceeded her natural limits, her scimitar whistling through the air in a lethal downward arc. Quinn pivoted on his heel, the blade missing his chest by a hair's breadth. Before he could reset his stance, Sarah's spear whistled toward him. He leaped, the tip of the weapon grazing the soles of his boots as it embedded itself deep into the cracked earth.
Michael and Ray joined the fray next. They moved with a reckless, jerky aggression, throwing punches that lacked their usual finesse but doubled in raw power.
Quinn had seen the power of his allies in the past few days, they were just ordinary humans, and by this time he knew what each one of them was capable of.
But right now all of them were showing an enhanced boost of strength.
"The lady with mind control ability, can she also enhance physical attributes!"
Quinn muttered in shock.
Before they could close the distance, Quinn slammed his hands together.
"Earth Bind!" he shouted. Crude, jagged chains of stone erupted from the dirt, snaking around Michael and Ray's limbs. He didn't want to hurt them; he just needed them stationary. The chains tightened, locking them in place.
But as soon as the stone settled, Erin was upon him again.
To any outside observer, her swordplay was impressive—precise, surgical, and relentless. It didn't look like the movements of a puppet; it looked like a master at the height of her craft. Every strike was aimed at a lethal meridian or a vital organ.
However, through Quinn's evolved body, the world had slowed. He was faster, ten times faster, yet he only used them just a little notch above. He didn't want to get the attention of these scums, and probably get dragged into even more trouble.
He had already seen the surprised expressions of grazer, by the use of his multiple abilities.
Just as Quinn prepared to counter-bind Erin, a sudden, force slammed into his side. The impact sent him skidding across the wasteland, his boots carving deep trenches in the soil. It was the shield attack of an enhanced Amy with the added force of telekinesis from Grazer.
Watching from the edge of the clearing, Julius narrowed his eyes in genuine shock.
"How is he able to stand still,This boy isn't human."
Quinn scrambled to his feet, but his Dragon Eyes caught a flickering aura in the periphery. Sarah had reclaimed her spear, she was aiming directly at his head.p
The attack happened in a blur. Grazer had used his telekinesis to accelerate the spear's flight, turning a standard throw into a super fast strike. Quinn ducked down in time.
The spear tore through the air and pierced Amy's shoulder instead, who held the shield, pinning her to the ground.
There was no scream of agony. No cry for help. Only a silent, horrific stream of tears flowing from Amy's vacant, purple eyes. She tried to stand, her body forced by the mind control to ignore the fact that a shaft of wood and steel was buried in her muscle.
Quinn's gaze flicked to Michael and Ray. His stomach turned. They had escaped the earth chains, but not by breaking the stone. They had simply pulled. Their wrists and ankles were shredded, the skin flayed and bloodied where they had forced their limbs through the jagged rock.
"Did they just... rip themselves out?" Quinn whispered, his voice trembling. "They can't feel the pain. They're just... mindless beasts now."
A white-hot rage began to boil in Quinn's gut. The air around him began to hum with static and heat. "You bastard!" he roared, his voice echoing across the plains.
Quinn moved. He ran superhumanly fast and reached Amy in an instant, his hands glowing with a soft, emerald light. The wound was deep—the spear had severed her subclavian artery. Even under mind control, the sheer blood loss from her violent movements was killing her.
"Stay still, please," Quinn pleaded, though he knew she couldn't hear him.
The green light surged, knitting the artery back together and sealing the skin. To ensure she wouldn't tear the wound open again, Quinn didn't just heal her; he used his earth ability to encase her entire body in a protective, tomb-like shell of stone, leaving only her face exposed so she could breathe.
Grazer whistled, unimpressed but curious. "Healing, fire, lightning, earth, and speed? You're a regular Swiss Army knife, aren't you?"
Quinn ignored the taunt. His mind was racing.
To break the control, I have to kill the puppeteer.
He scanned the area for the woman with the needles, but a sudden gale kicked up, thick with dust and debris. He crossed his arms over his face.
When the wind finally died down, the battlefield had changed.
Quinn's heart dropped into his stomach. His friends were held hostages. Julius stood over Vorden, a silver blade pressed firmly against the boy's throat. Vorden was awake but dazed, mumbling incoherently, unaware of the edge drawing a thin line of red on his skin.
The other Scavengers held knives and short-swords over the hearts of Erin, Sarah, and Ray. One false move, one more "heroic" dash, and the blades would go right in.
"Leave them alone!" Quinn screamed, the sound tearing from his throat.
"Don't you take another step, boy," Grazer said, his voice dripping with mockery. He stepped forward.
"Please..." Quinn's voice cracked. The rage was gone, replaced by a hollow, desperate fear.
"Please don't do it. Don't harm them. I'll do anything. Just tell me what you want."
Grazer paused, letting the silence stretch until it became unbearable. Then, he broke into a low, guttural laugh that chilled Quinn to the bone.
"Anything? That's a very dangerous word to use with a Scavenger," Grazer said, his eyes glinting with a new, predatory interest.
"But it just so happens your timing is perfect. I have a new offer for you. A deal that keeps your friends' hearts inside their chests."
"What is it?" Quinn asked, his body rigid.
"We didn't come to this backwater planet for scrap beast crystals," Grazer said, stepping closer.
"We're here for something much bigger. Something legendary. You've hurt my men, and you've wasted my time, but you've also proven you're a monster in combat. You're far too valuable to kill."
Grazer leaned in, his smile widening. "We're going hunting for a Legendary-tier beast. And you, whatever your name is... you're going to be our vanguard. Join us, help us slay the beast, and maybe—just maybe—I'll let you keep your little pack of strays."
Quinn looked at Vorden's glazed eyes, at the blood smeared cloth on Amy and at the knives held over his friends' hearts. He had no choice.
Quinn has been backed into a corner.