Anand tracked a simulated Oghrodi through a virtual landscape. He wasn’t going to get surprised again. No matter how quickly an Oghrodi moved or if it broke line of sight, Anand could find it. The surrounding debris didn’t hinder him. With his treads Anand easily circumvented them. Every once in a while he’d briefly check his map to make sure everything was going according to plan. So far, the plan had gone flawlessly and the Oghrodi was surrounded.

Anand uttered a single command. “End it.”

“Roger,” Ray said and leapt through a nearby window.

Fire erupted from his shield and scalded the Oghrodi. It screamed and swiped at the shield. Ray quickly let go and weaved into the creature’s reach. With an ignited blade, he cut his target. It stumbled back but grabbed Ray so he couldn’t move. With its free hand it slashed through Ray’s torso. With a single attack it ripped the Glaive apart. Ray vanished in a burst of polygons and the creature turned to Anand.

“Horus, you still there?” Anand asked.

Eve replied calmly, “I’ve got eyes on it.”

A beam of light streaked off the top of a building and pierced through one of the creature’s legs. Another shot followed shortly after but the creature leapt away. It looked around ferociously. Eve was perched on the roof of a building. The Oghrodi ran up the side and Anand gave chase. Though he could match the creature’s speed, Anand’s attacks missed. Eve tried to deter the Oghrodi with a flurry of bullets. Unfortunately, it was unphased and easily reached her. With one hand it gripped her head and leapt down to the ground. Anand heard a grotesque crunch as Eve’s body shattered and only the beast remained.

The Oghrodi turned to look at Anand. He grimaced and raised his fists. Electricity crackled as bolts danced against his knuckles. He leapt off the building and used his momentum to engage the Oghrodi. It stopped the attack short while simultaneously retaliating. With a single punch, the beast knocked the wind out of Anand. He didn’t have a chance to compose himself before the Oghrodi’s fist crashed through Anand’s helmet.

Anand gasped as he awoke in the simulation pod. Sweat dripped from his brow and his body shook uncontrollably. He stumbled out of the pod and rushed to the bathroom to vomit. Anand felt weak. The walls were his only support as he shambled back to the sink. His face was pale with sunken eyes. The soulless gaze looking at him in the mirror reminded Anand of the first Oghrodi he’d ever encountered. He cleaned himself off and walked out to see his friends waiting.

“Are you okay?” Eve asked.

“You look like a wreck, buddy,” Ray said.

Anand felt himself shaking in place. He was sure he’d lost weight from skipped meals and lack of sleep. He couldn’t even think of new tactics with the bit of energy he had. But Ray and Eve’s concern would only cause more stress.

Anand nodded weakly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay,” Ray said disheartedly. He put an arm around Anand as they walked back to the simulation room.

“This is exactly why I told you not to speed through the training,” Boss sighed as he watched a replay of the simulation at the control station. “The Oghrodi grow exponentially stronger as you improve. I’m sure the ones you’re fighting are even stronger than real world Oghrodi.”

Anand let out a grunt. “We can still beat them.”

“Are you kidding me?” Boss asked. “You look like a damn corpse. Your glasses barely stay on your face! At this point, I don’t even think you can be part of the mission.”

“No!” Anand yelled. “I have to be. Please, we only have a week...”

Boss got out of his chair and eyed Anand.

“You can’t beg to be on the mission and expect it to happen,” Boss explained. “Right now you’re as much a danger to yourself as you are to everyone else. What happened to all our training? You need to start listening to me! Am I clear?”

Anand nodded.

“Alright.” Boss took a deep breath. “I am the one who says if you can or can’t join the mission. Director Graves won’t challenge me on my decision.”

The group remained silent.

“Eve, Ray. Get back in the simulation. Anand, take over the control console.”

“You want me to take a backseat?” Anand asked.

“Did I say you could question me?” Boss replied angrily.

Anand said nothing and sat at the console. Eve and Ray entered their pods and loaded into the simulated city.

“Alright, Eve, we’ll start with you. I’ve noticed you rely heavily on Anand and Ray to fight and only engage when the enemy starts coming at you. You have the capability to battle from a much farther distance you expect,” Boss said then turned his attention to Anand. “Place a target two miles away from Eve. Then, place nine more directly behind it at one mile intervals.”

Anand looked around the console. It was a more intricate version of the tablets he had grown accustomed to using. He clicked a few keys and started placing dummies around the city. It took him a couple of seconds to understand how to change their properties and finally place ten dummies in a row, one mile from Eve.

Boss checked the targets before he continued. “Good. Eve, do you see the targets?”

“Kinda? They’re really small,” she replied.

“Focus. You don’t need your rifle to aim. That big eye on your helmet isn’t just for show.”

Eve stood still and leaned on the roof’s edge. She groaned and sighed while everyone else just waited. After a minute she let out a small gasp. Seconds later she laughed.

“Holy cow, it’s like I’m next to it.”

She started constructing a weapon but Boss stopped her.

Boss explained, “I had Tori make some modifications during the last maintenance. Get steady footing and issue the command: Burst.”

“Command for what?”

“Try it. Keep your eyes on the target.”

Anand saw a large beam erupt from Eve’s helmet and travel across the city. It burned through the first dummy but missed the others. The beam tilted upwards and then dissipated. Eve had lost her footing and fell on her back.

“That was awesome!” Ray yelled. He had leapt behind debris when he saw the attack.

“Yeah,” Eve muttered. “You could’ve told me I needed my claws to stay still.”

Boss replied, “My mistake. I didn’t realize how powerful the force was. Though, it goes to show how strong that attack is. The laser takes about ten minutes to recharge so you can’t use it too often.”

“I’ll have to find the right openings to use it then.”

“Exactly.”

Ray was antsy and blurted out. “Do I get something like that?”

“You already have a secondary function for your weapons.” Boss answered. “Equip your shield and aim the flamethrowers away from you, then ignite them.”

Ray steadied his footing before six pillars of fire shot out of his shield.

“Good, now use the ‘Thrust’ command.”

Ray repeated the word and immediately the pillars shrank into more focused blazes. Ray started skidding back. He slowly moved his center of gravity and flew backwards.

“Whoa! I hadn’t thought of using the fire for thrust,” Ray cheered. “Oh, I know!”

He awkwardly maneuvered and placed his feet against the shield. Then, he aimed the face of the shield downward. He hovered in place and laughed heartily.

“It’s a fucking hoverboard! This is so cool!” Ray whooped. He flew forward at high speed. It was nowhere near Anand’s but it was much faster than running. He jumped off and landed hard on the ground.

“Wait, how do I stop it?”

Boss let out a chuckle. “The shield is part of your Glaive. You can command it even when it is not in your grasp.”

Ray held up his hand and commanded his shield that was still flying through the sky. The flamethrowers adjusted and sent the shield back to Ray. It slammed onto his arm and seamlessly reconnected. The force sent Ray flying backwards. Even once the thrusters disengaged, the momentum carried Ray a few more yards.

“You’ve gotta be careful using them against yourself,” Anand said. “We don’t want you knocking yourself out.”

“Indeed,” Boss agreed. “Ray and Eve, you will be training these abilities for the next few days. Anand, on the other hand, will work on analysing and assessing situations to assist you.”

“How am I supposed to lead if I’m sitting on the sidelines!” Anand complained. “What about my training?”

“This is your training,” Boss said sternly. “You need to learn to assess a situation on a larger scale. You don’t have a choice. Like I said, you need to do what I tell you.”

Anand was fuming but kept quiet.

Boss turned his attention to Ray and Eve before he continued. “I’m leaving you two in Anand’s capable hands. Run a couple tests and head home for tonight. I want to see you bright and early tomorrow.”

Boss stepped back from the microphone and nodded silently at Anand before leaving.

Anand sighed loudly. “Alright, I’m going to set up some dummies for you. Eve, yours are scattered across the city. Use your lens to find them, then destroy them in as many hits as possible. Try to weave your laser in there as well. Ray, your targets are spread out less but they’re all moving at various speeds. Learn to control your thrusters and take them down. We’ll go for half an hour. I want to take some notes on how to use the console before setting up anything specific tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Ray and Eve replied in unison.

The screen flashed as the two Glaives attacked the dummies Anand set up. He tried to watch intently but felt himself dozing off. He hadn’t relaxed ever since Arjun went missing. Every day that passed was a blur. He’d even missed a handful of classes due to all the time in the simulations. This was the first time Anand got a chance to catch his breath. It was soothing.

He was shaken awake by Eve. She and Ray smiled softly at Anand and helped him to his feet. They had finished training and used overrides to exit their simulation pods.

“Let’s get you home,” Eve said.

“Are you coming back to CahlU, yet?” Ray asked.

“Not until this mission is over. Mom and Sonia need me,” Anand answered groggily.

While his friends used the teleporter, Anand waited. His destination was the parking garage. From there, he walked to the nearby bus stop. He had difficulty staying awake on the bus ride home. Even walking the few blocks from the station to his house was a challenge. He didn’t feel aware of anything until he stepped into his house.

Sonia ran to him and said, “You might want to go to your room.”

“Huh?” Anand said groggily. “Why?”

“Beta, are you home?” Priya asked.

“Yeah.”

“Can you come here?” She said from the living room.

“Sure.”

Sonia shrugged and walked upstairs.

“What’s up, Mom?” Anand asked.

Priya asked in a serious tone, “Did you go to the GDF today?”

“Yes? I had work.”

“Your job is so dangerous. Can’t you work for someone else? I’m sure other people are hiring.”

“I could but it’s not worth it,” Anand said and began to walk away.

“No! It is worth it!” Priya yelled.

Anand was taken aback.

Priya continued, “Your life isn’t in danger at stores. You could go to a normal university and come home like other kids. You wouldn’t be surrounded by monsters from who knows where.”

“Aliens typically come from space. And either way, I’m a pilot. The BEARs are incredibly safe even in combat,” Anand replied nonchalantly.

“Don’t lie to me! I’m not stupid,” Priya screamed. “I’ve seen videos of those machines being eaten. You’re not going back to the GDF!”

Anand sighed and looked closely at his mother. Her eyes were wild and her hair unkempt. It was obvious she hadn’t left home all day. She’d been spiralling worse than Anand over the last few days. Anand’s heart sank at the sight. He could feel himself tearing up but held back. Priya was one of the toughest people he knew. She was always calm… except when her kids were in danger. Anand knew he was asking a lot from his mom. He had no right to cry now.

“I have to!” Anand pleaded. “I need to help get everyone back.”

“Leave that to people with more training!”

“I have- They need me to help!”

“Tu ek bachcha hai! You should not be worrying about guiding others. Tu nahin ja sakata! I forbid it!”

“I’m not a kid!” Anand yelled back. “Just because you won’t admit that doesn’t mean it’s not true! I can’t sit back and do nothing! What about Dad?”

“Please, Anand,” Priya said softly. “Please. I can’t… I don’t know what I'd do if you go missing too.”

Anand grumbled but couldn’t muster the energy to fight. “Alright...”

He slumped to his room and sat on the edge of his bed, burying his head in his hands. He was about to lay down when there was a knock at his door.

“Hey, Bhai?” Sonia asked softly.

“What?” Anand growled.

Sonia sighed and opened the door. “I miss Dad. Now, Mom is going crazy. You’re thinking something but won’t tell me what. I’m scared.”

Anand looked at his sister and frowned. She hadn’t acted like this since she was a child. He softened his tone and said, “That’s fair. I get why Mom’s worried but she’s overreacting. I’ll try to calm her down tomorrow.”

“Don’t you have work?”

“Mom will stop me and I don’t have the heart to overpower her.”

“You’re just as stressed as Dad usually is.” Sonia chuckled meekly and approached Anand. She fished candy out of her pocket and handed a piece to Anand. “That’ll help.”

Anand could see Sonia had been crying. She was just like their mom in that regard.

“You know this is why you have trouble sleeping, right?” Anand said while fiddling with the candy.

“Sure it is,” Sonia replied and left. “Night.”

“Yeah, night.”

Anand’s head was swirling with thoughts and ideas but nothing concrete enough to consider a viable plan. He wasn’t sure talking would help but couldn’t think of a way to prove that he would be okay. Anand didn’t feel okay, but he knew he would be as Volt. Something about his Glaive gave him confidence that he couldn’t put his finger on. As he tried to think of ways to describe it, he fell asleep.

“Anand!” Sonia yelled while banging on his door.

“Hold on!” He groaned while rolling out of bed. His eyes were caked in sand but he felt refreshed. He rubbed his eyes while opening the door. “What is it?”

“Your boss is here...” Sonia said.

“What?”

Anand saw his disheveled self in the mirror behind his bedroom door.

“Aw, man. Uh, keep him busy,” he said. “I need to clean myself up.”

Anand brushed past his sister and quickly stumbled through his daily routine. He heard her leave and after changing followed her lead. As he passed the front door, he peeked outside. A car he didn’t recognize sat in the driveway. Anand didn’t need to guess whose it was as he recognized Boss’ voice in the living room.

“Good afternoon, Anand,” he said calmly as Anand entered. Boss was wearing his captain’s garb and carried himself regally.

“Good morn-” Anand paused when he saw his mother preparing drinks in the kitchen. “Good afternoon, Captain.”

“I came by to discuss what happened to your father. Priya mentioned that you wouldn’t be returning to the GDF.”

Anand frowned and whispered, “I… I don’t want to quit. But, I don’t know what to tell Mom to convince her.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle it,” Boss said and nodded again as Priya entered the room with a tray of drinks. “Thank you.”

“Seeing you up close… You’re not much older than Anand,” Priya said softly.

Boss chuckled. “I’m at least a decade older than him, with far more experience. But I’m used to many people targeting my age as a way to diminish my accomplishments. No matter my age, it will always be too low for me to be taken seriously.”

“The people saying it will always be older than you.”

Bossed hummed in agreement. “Exactly. I can’t do anything about what others say. I can only make sure I do my job properly.”

Priya sighed. “Why are you here, Captain...”

“Marino. But, you can call me Richard.”

“Why are you here, Captain Marino?” Priya asked.

“It’s my job to meet with some of the people who were directly affected by the stolen Runner,” Boss answered. “I assure you, we will get your husband - and everyone else - back safely.”

“You’re surprisingly calm.”

Boss shook his head and explained, “I’ve simply moved past the initial panic I felt after hearing the news. One should not succumb to emotions during moments of high stress. Don’t you agree?”

Priya sighed heavily and nodded. Even if she was the type to succumb to her emotions, she knew Boss was right.

His tone softened. “Mrs. Desai, if you had the ability to change the outcome of a situation, what would you do?”

“It would depend on the situation,” Priya replied.

“Saving hundreds of lives,” Boss said candidly.

The words seemed to ignore Priya’s actual feelings. She took a deep breath to remain calm and answered.

“I understand. But you are forgetting that the ‘ability’ to change the situation comes with the risk of Anand’s life. I don’t like that sacrifice and Arjun wouldn’t either.”

“My team and I will be there to support Anand.” Boss paused. “To be honest, he and his team are quite capable without us.”

Priya hesitated and asked, “What kind of parent would I be if I let my son do this?”

“One who believes in her son.”

Priya’s demeanor softened. “Does your mother believe in you?”

“She did. My parents passed away a long time ago.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

Boss waved his hand and brushed off the response. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not here to talk about myself. I’m here to ask you to let Anand help me. I need him. He’s-”

“Driven?” Priya offered.

“Yeah.”

Priya chuckled. “Everyone always says that first. ‘He works so hard.’”

“He can also kick butt!” Sonia chimed in.

Boss nodded. “And that was with minimal training. His drive makes him one of our best new agents. He spends every day trying to be better than the last. That includes now, when we’re preparing for the oncoming mission. I need that on my team.” Boss clasped his hands together and pleaded. “Please, Mrs. Desai.”

“Even if I say no, he’ll go behind my back and join you,” Priya replied sadly.

“But his heart won’t be in the battle without your approval,” Boss explained. “He needs people’s trust. And the trust of certain people means more than others. What do you say?”

Boss kept a straight face, waiting for a reply. Everyone sat in silence for a minute while Anand awkwardly paced outside of the room. He didn’t hear anything else but saw Boss leave. Anand quickly entered the room and looked at Priya. She stood up and held Anand’s hand. He looked down at his mother. He hadn’t realized how short she was. Or rather, he never realized he outgrew her.

“You’re standing taller,” Priya said. Her voice cracked. She nudged her son towards the door. “Focus on your training. Extra hard until this job is done, okay?”

Anand tried to think of something to say but could only muster a quiet, “Yeah.”

He stumbled backwards towards the door and saw Sonia grinning ear to ear. She hadn’t smiled like that in his recent memory. Outside, Boss was waiting in his car looking at Anand. He got in.

“What’d she say?” Anand asked. “I was listening in but didn’t hear her.”

“She made her wishes clear.”