The captain stands steady and still hasn`t drawn her warrior weapon. I heighten my hearing to make a pass over the mission room. I scan for the dull hum of any hidden cameras or listening devices. It`s clear, I`m not being monitored in here so I let my senses go. It`s risky to let my eyes glow brighter, but I don`t want to miss a thing.

　　I spot Kane in the shadow of a tree trunk. Instead of using the terrain as cover, he uses the shadows. Paired with his eerie stillness, he appears almost invisible in plain sight. I press against the window. None of the elites have summoned their weapons. Some of the more well known family weapons were mentioned in our history lessons at the academy. Iva`s will be some variation of a spear.

　　The Blaze demons are on alert, agitated. They chuff small balls of fire from their snouts that extinguish in the air immediately. A demon`s instinct is to attack and hunt. No matter how many times they`ve been through this same scenario, demons will always follow their mindless, base instincts.

　　"Advance." Her command is swift.

　　She crouches low into a fighting stance and Kane moves out to join her. All at once, the white glow of warrior weapons being drawn ignites around the arena. Fletcher has a metallic silver compound bow with metal arrows locked and loaded. Right below him, Luce stands without her warrior weapon drawn, still gripping her cannon. Iva is across from her leaning against a double-sided spear with blades that curve at the ends. Addy has moved from behind the boulder to the center with the others. She stands with her sight fixed in the captain and Kane`s direction. Each hand grips a crossbow in the same silver metallic design as her twin`s.

　　Kane`s grunt through the comm-link pulls my attention to the far wall. He has revealed himself to the herd of Blaze demons. A double-ended scythe, one of the most impressive warrior weapons I`ve ever seen, twirls in his hands before him. He advances through the demons, spinning his scythe to create a path to the captain. I`m up on the balls of my feet, wishing I was down there with them.

　　A deep intake of breath comes from the Blaze herd. They ready to make a path of their own with their fire breath. Just as their inhale reaches its peak a loud crack sounds and sparks fly off the beam next to the captain. Startled, the herd exhales dark smoke instead of fire.

　　The white furious glow of the captain`s warrior weapon slithers along the ground before her. It`s a metallic whip. It buzzes with energy and crackles as she coils it tight, ready for another lashing. As soon as Kane reaches her side, they take off in a sprint towards the rest of the squad. Kane leads, the captain follows lashing her whip behind her to keep the demons from pouncing.

　　"Flick incoming!" Addy shouts into the comm.

　　An arrow flies from Fletcher`s position. Shiny silver streaks shoot through the air and explode apart with the direct hit. The arrow releases a metallic net with a neon green glow, entangling the Flick. Whatever it`s made of is neutralizing the Flick`s ability to teleport. The demon blinks and squirms but it remains trapped on the ground.

　　"Not anymore." Fletcher chuckles.

　　"Fletcher." The captain rebukes with a steady breath as Blaze demons chase her to the rest of the squad.

　　"Sorry, captain. I meant, neutralized." He says.

　　Addy peers up, gives her brother an eye roll, and then goes stiff. I clench the windowsill, trying to identify the threat. With a gasp, she throws herself back, flat to the ground. She thrusts her crossbows straight up and shoots off two rapid shots. A tiny screech sounds when one of her arrows clips a Flyer`s leather wing. The hit changed its trajectory before it got to its target, Fletcher`s perch. He lets another arrow loose capturing the Flyer.

　　"Flyer, neutralized." Addy reports as Iva stands over her, arm stretched out to give her a hand up.

　　"Iva, down!" Luce shoots her cannon directly where Iva was standing.

　　He`s now face down on the ground, lying alongside Addy. The cannon releases a metallic net similar to what came out of Fletcher`s arrow. It cages the second Flick. I watch it blink, and reappear, unable to escape. These nets are game changing. Not only do they keep the demons from escaping, but they have some kind of inhibitor technology.

　　"All Flicks neutralized." Luce calls, placing her cannon against a tree.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

　　She tilts her head to the side, letting her long hair slide to her left. A bright white light escapes from her right shoulder blade as she reaches back and retrieves her warrior weapon. A white metallic handle with a thick plated chain that looks like scales rises out of her skin. She pulls it free and twirls her wrist, making figure-eight patterns in front of her. At the end of the chain is a silver spiked mace. It`s mesmerizing and deadly, just like Luce.

　　"Incoming." Kane says.

　　The three Blaze demons race toward the rest of the squad, their protective skin ignited. Iva and Addy stand on either side of Luce. The bright swing of Kane`s scythe leads the pack with the captain`s spinning whip keeping the demons from charging.

　　Just as the herd crosses the shimmer in the trees, the protective flame of their skin goes out. Their thick, leathery bodies skid to a halt as if hit by an invisible wall. The collective intake of breath from the demons is in sync as they eye the warriors before them. The demons rear back on their hind legs to launch their long deadly flames. I wait for the squad to take cover, but they stay side my side in an offensive formation. The demons exhale all at once, and I can`t help but press harder against the window.

　　What should be a long-range stream of acidic fire turns into short stuttered puffs of smoke the demon`s strain to choke out. Iva stabs one end of his spear leaving it impaled in the ground before swiping at his wrist device. The clank of metal echoes around the room and metallic nets shoot up from the ground capturing the demons inside. That shimmer in the trees must come from the devices that held the nets.

　　"Huh." I puff out and sink back into the closest chair.

　　My mind spins. I never knew this technology even existed. An invisible border that inhibits the demon`s abilities and houses nets. Why isn`t the guard using this tech to protect the wall? The squad didn`t even have to fight or risk close combat. How many warriors die every day because they don`t have access to these devices? I feel nauseous. With this technology, we have a chance of eliminating the demons completely.

　　A loud thud from inside the arena pulls me back to my feet. I push my powers back to my center and remove my goggles. The cold silver hue of my natural eyes reflects in the observation window.

　　"And Flyer makes six." Fletcher boasts over the comm.

　　He`s hanging from his legs, dangling upside down from the beam he used for his perch. He launches off the beam into a double flip to stand next to the Flick he netted, curled at his feet.

　　"Every time? You just gotta do your flips every time." Iva asks with a head shake.

　　Everyone grumbles at Fletcher, but I can see Kane give him a quick smile and wink.

　　"Hey, don`t hate me because I`m amazing."

　　"Good work, team." The captain cracks her whip into a long sword before it retreats into the small of her back. I`ve never heard of a sword whip as a warrior weapon.

　　"Addy, time?" The captain asks, pulling her goggles down to hang around her neck.

　　"Ten thirty-one captain." She beams back.

　　The hum of the evacuation system kicks in and the fog starts to thin. Bright overhead lights blink on and shine down over the arena. The science team pours in wearing lab coats, rolling carts of equipment or gripping clipboards. Metal cages roll to a stop underneath the observation window. Technicians in gray jumpsuits detach sections of the arena floor and roll the simulated terrain out the back exit doors.

　　"Good work. Squad dismissed. Oren, head to weapons." The captain commands through the comm-link and looks up to where I stand.

　　I give a nod and watch the science team take the cannon from Luce and retrieve the net traps from the floor. I take my time putting my ear piece and goggles away to get a better look at the technology. I need to learn more about these traps before I leave. The rest of the squad files out of the arena.

　　"Stop!" An older thin man in a white lab coat holds his hands up for the lab techs to freeze.

　　His footsteps are rapid as he races to stand in front of the incapacitated demons on the ground. He looks from the Blaze demons to the Flicks and over the Flyers repeating his assessment several times. All the while, his lips move quickly, but no sound comes out. He looks like a mad scientist mumbling to himself in a rumpled, stained coat, his thin blond hair standing up wild.

　　A young female in a lab coat that covers a baggy gray jumpsuit walks toward him. She adjusts her wide round glasses too much and her heartbeat flutters rapidly. Her dark hair is pulled tight into a high bun, and she grips her clipboard like a shield.

　　"Dr. Quinn, is . . . is something wrong, sir?" She asks.

　　"Just look!" He waves his arms wildly at the demons.

　　She follows his pointing but looks confused.

　　"Look close." He pulls her by the elbow toward the demons. "What do you see, Jane?"

　　I look over the demons again but I`m just as lost as jittery Jane.

　　"Uh," she stammers, "the inhibitors are subduing them?"

　　"Very good. But why are they so still?"

　　He paces back and forth, watching the demons. "No resistance, no attacking the nets. But why? We used the same frequency and settings we always have."

　　"No weapons touched them, no injuries from hand-to-hand combat." The captain adds. Her body stiffens and her hands curl into fists at her sides as she absorbs what the doctor observes. "It`s not the inhibitors."

　　The captain takes a few more steps back from the demons before leaning down at eye level with them. This is the first time I`ve seen these devices in action, but from their reaction, the demons aren`t acting normal. The doctor turns to look behind him. He surveys the empty ground, then looks back to the demons again. He does this repeatedly, checking out a different area each time. The captain and Jane join him.

　　"They`re focused." The doctor says. "But on what?"

　　I lean against the window, trying to figure out what`s in the demon`s line of sight. On the captain`s third look back, her eyes land on me in front of the observation window. Her arched brows crinkle together and my instincts twitch, telling me to walk away. She looks back to the demons and I follow her gaze. The demons lay still, their heads turned up at an angle. Six set of milky orbs are set on a singular focus; they`re all focused on me.