I walked up to the entrance of the cave, a massive opening that had to be at least 50 feet tall. The pitch black darkness that leaked out had a sense of stagnation to it, and the unpleasant smell that followed seemed to be an indication of such.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Lead us in Leo.” Alison was being impatient, but a light chuckle from me stopped her in her tracks.

“Did you really think I was going to do all the work for you?” Alison, and then Maria and Rob all looked at me confused, so I looked at Dantae to explain.

“Really? Ok, here’s how it is. What would be the point of training or even bring you all along if Leo and I were going to kill it?” The cadets looked stunned, but Dantae didn’t relent.

“We’ve been slowing our pace this entire time so you could keep up with us.” Alison opened and closed her mouth in a useless attempt to put her frustration into words.

Finally, she asked, “So if you went full pace from the beginning, could any of us keep up with you?”

I smiled and looked at Angelina, who smiled back. “Angelina could probably keep up for a tenth of the journey.”

Her smile quickly turned into a frown, but I followed it up, “Let’s just say that if Dantae and I were serious and not just teaching you, we wouldn’t need the plane to take us.”

Angelina’s frown disappeared, but Alison’s remained. “So now what? What’s our plan then Leo?”

I smiled at my student’s inquiry. “Well, that’s for you to figure out.”

“What does that-“ Her speech was cut short as I sent all of them through the void and farther into the cave.

“Ok... so now what do we do?” Dantae asked, a smug expression on her beautiful face.

“We could, for instance,” I said, taking her hand and drawing her closer, “take our time standing guard for the kids. And make sure that Rotwing doesn’t just leave.”

She smiled and leaned into my body. “I think I like that idea.”

——

The last thing Alison saw before she and the rest of the recruits were teleported was Vanessa’s smug grin from behind Leo.

“Ahhh! What the fuck!” I hate it when he does shit like that!” Being fed up with her situation, Alison couldn’t hold her frustration any longer and screamed into the cave.

“Shut up. We don’t know what this thing is capable of other than flight and its control over photons. It could be a new subspecies of-” Angelina was interrupted by a violent gust of wind that came from the tunnel. They looked at each other then inched closer inside the deep cave.

Angelina took Rob’s hands in her own before saying, “Become my sword, and I, your shield.” Rob disappeared and two dark purple pistols replaced the young Tracker.

Not one to be outdone, Maria, along with a sighing Alison repeated the process, however instead of pistols, Maria became two matching daggers.

"Make sure you're geared up." Angelina reminded us, and started to check her own equipment; a chest holster for five black hole grenades, a thigh sheath for five photon laced throwing knives, and a packed gas mask in case any sentient survivors were found. In addition, she had two hip holsters for Rob's pistols, Tracker Unit 003: Magnate Bullet. All these were worn on top of baggy camouflage cargo pants and a black tank top under a camouflage vest.

Alison checked the same equipment and made sure to attach an extra sheath on her right thigh for Maria's knives, Tracker Unit 002: Split Personality. “Well, shall we go?”

As their journey continued, they eventually came to a dead end. They peered into an alcove, and a twenty foot and grotesque, decaying eagle peered back. One of its legs was missing and it's head was stripped down to reveal a sinister looking skull, loosely covered with feathers, accompanied by red eyes and a pair of bony spikes that protruded like horns.

Alison looked the creature up and down before deciding something. Mm. Oh, yup. That's it. That's nightmare fuel. Gross.

She didn't even have time to verbally retort as the creature had spotted them and let out another blood-curdling cry and spread its long and menacing wings.

“Well… fuck.” Angelina dashed forward towards the monster and Alison followed closely behind.

"I'll attack from the front, you take its right flank and we'll pincer it together. Understand!?" Angelina increased her own volume as another cry from the beast echoed and resonated in the cave like an obnoxious chorus.

Angelina shot at the creature, but to little effect. Whether it could tell the photon coated bullets would hurt it or it was just afraid of the noise, it created a gust of wind that knocked away the quickly traveling bullets and sent them flying back towards Angelina.

She dodged and screamed, "Fuck that!" Using her distraction, Alison neared the beast's rib cage and held up her daggers to attack.

A sudden chill came over her and she stared at the creature's decaying side. It's bones were visible, and her stomach twisted in a knot as the heads of multiple Temptations poked out from between its ribs to stare her down.

She retreated quickly, ignoring the monstrosity and Angelina's judgmental stares. "Come on Alison, what are you doing!?" Angelina screamed at Alison as her bullets were deflected once again by a gust of wind.

Alison tried to snap out of it and move but only her mind took a step forward. Her knees were knocking together and failed to stand as she tried to regain her previous bravery.

"Damn it girl!" Angelina picked her up and slung Alison over her shoulders as she left the cave.

---

"What the fuck was that!?" Angelina was pissed off, her face donning a crimson hue as she spoke. She turned away and watched the entrance of the alcove for any sign of the avian menace.

"You're a Huntress, aren't you!? A warrior for the people? What happened?" She turned back around and calmed down halfway through, but the tears forming in the corners of Alison’s eyes probably also had something to do with it.

She told Angelina what she saw, and a visible shudder went through her. "Okay, not gonna lie," she explained, "It's very possible that I may have done the exact same thing in your position. What the fuck? I wonder how many of the remaining experiments are in that thing."

"Not too many, I hope. I've fought against one of them with no host at Leo's place before, so I know how hard it is to take them down." Angelina gave her a weird look before she realized how that had sounded.

"Uhh... it was just training, nothing to be worried about."

"I'm not worried about the training," she relaxed her brow slightly, "I'm just wondering why Leo has a spare Temptation lying around in his dungeon-like basement."

Alison pondered that too, until a different thought broke its way to the surface of her consciousness.

"Wait, how did you know it was in a basement?"

She stared at Alison, and for the first time they had been together, a blank look was plastered on Angelina’s face.

"That's because... huh? Why was that again?" She looked confused, and it seemed as though panic was starting to dig its way into her thoughts.

"Angelina, do you-" Alison’s question was stopped short as the bird peeked its head out of the darkness, hiding the rest of its grotesque body from view.

With a roar, it shot its way towards Angelina, who shot right back with her pistols. The bird tried to dodge, but the momentum carrying it forward was too great as several bullets pierced its torso.

It cried out in pain and chunks of its meat fell off its breast, exposing veins and sinews underneath. The stench was similar to a full trash can that had been left out in the sun, and I tried to hold back the vomit that threatened to exit my system.

I could see Angelina holding her hand to her mouth, and her face became even paler. Rotwing didn't miss this moment of distraction and hopped at a surprisingly fast pace on its one good leg towards them.

"Alison, dodge!" Angelina called out as it's warped beak penetrated the ground Alison had been standing on only a moment before.

She got up from her emergency roll and faced the creature. Her eyes wandered to its stomach once more, and once more the heads of Temptations penetrated its soft flesh to greet her.

Her breathing sped up and she felt cold sweat fall down her back. The monster raised its head and neck, towering over her before arcing down to skewer her with deadly force.

"Move idiot!" Angelina let out a pained cry as she pushed Alison out of the way, causing the beak to brush her shoulder, and sent her tumbling in a bloody spiral.

Alison reached out and finally used her photons, causing the creature to turn warily in her direction. She willed a black hole to appear both by her side and above its neck.

She shoved her hand through and took a swipe at its neck, which it dodged and then nimbly hobbled back inside the alcove.

Seeing that, suddenly it clicked. Alison didn't need to be afraid of it, but rather it needed to fear her.

"There you go, wasn't so hard, was it?" Angelina sputtered while struggling to get up, reminding Alison of her presence.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" She took Angelina’s hand and helped her up.

She just gave Alison a pat on the shoulder, "I'll be fine, and now you have a weapon against that thing." She looked towards the cave, and Alison’s eyes followed.

"That's what separates us from those beasts, Alison. They just spread the power and the chaos that comes with the void, but we have the intelligence to control and manipulate it to our advantage."

She looked back at Alison with a smile, but was looked at with a frown in return, "Why didn't you use your power then. Why wait for me?"

The smile faltered on her face, "Because my powers are a little more... area of effect compared to yours. It's really not good for dealing with a single target like this."

She pulled Alison’s hand, "Anyway, come on! We've got it cornered now!" Together, we walked once more into the darkness.

---

Rotwing sat in a nest, which probably would have been picturesque if the eagle wasn't decaying and the nest wasn't made out of bones, most of which still had bits of flesh and blood on them.

A few human skulls lay scattered about the cave floor, and Angelina accidentally stepped on one, causing the bird to turn in their direction and let out a cautious hiss as it stood up.

Alison used the black hole and tried to cut the creature once again.

It lowered its neck to dodge, and seeing that as an opportunity Angelina shot a barrage towards its head, at which point it lifted its wings wildly to deflect the bullets once more, only to find Alison’s waiting daggers.

It screamed, and Alison felt an unexpected calm as she assessed the situation. Knowing what she had to do, she created a larger portal and stepped through it.

A sense of weightlessness left her shocked and confused, but Alison could feel the tug of photons where she had just stabbed the beast. She let the darkness guide her and she popped back into existence behind the monster. Alison looked over its wing and saw Angelina looking back at her with an open mouth as she swung her daggers down into the bird's mantle.

Rotwing disappeared with a screech, and Maria notified them that it was heading in Leo’s direction.

"Nice job." Maria and Rob both became human again. "We'll let Leo have this one, I guess.”

Maria finished stretching and put a smile on her face. "Oh man am I sore. How about you, Ally? You feeling anything?"

"What would I be... oh shit." She felt her body heat up and she could clearly foresee Photon buildup in her future.

---

A loud screech reverberated inside the cave and sent a gale force wind out through its entrance.

“Looks like it's coming Leo!” I struggled to hear her over the wind rushing past my ears, and a red glint could be seen as the monster approached.

“Dantae!” I held out my hand, and she clasped it strongly.

“On it! By the Tracker’s Oath I shall be your sword.” I started to swing her around as the massive avian approached.

Twenty feet. “By the Hunter’s Oath I shall be your shield!” Dantae’s form melted into a blade, and I continued to build up momentum.

Ten feet. The beast stuck its head out into the light, and it’s black wings seemed to tear the cave’s very darkness out with it.

Five feet. I used the void to sense the creature, and prepared for when it was right on top of me.

Zero. My rotation stopped and I applied the force straight into the oncoming Rotwing. It’s head split open at the beak, and tore halfway down its neck until both the upper and lower half is it’s head fell off.

The creature screamed in agony as the misshapen head of a Temptation worked its way up through the neck’s discolored flesh.

“Ew... I feel a little dizzy from that. Also a bit queasy.” After slinging Dantae across my back, I put my hands on my knees and bent over to regain my stomach’s tranquility.

However, in regards to concern for me, Dantae only muttered, “Dumbass.”

Rotwing took flight once again, but I realized something strange this time. Unlike when we had encountered it before, it was no longer flapping its wings to fly, instead opting to use photons to make itself float.

“In that case...” I felt the void and willed it to tighten around Rotwing, cutting off its access to photons, and subsequently sending it tumbling back down to earth.

“One of the recruits must have cut its tendons, you’ll have to thank them later.” Dantae said without a hint of gratitude in her own voice.

I shook my head and smiled. Still the same jealous woman I grew to love.

Rotwing stood once more and screamed, readying what would be it’s final stand.

However, I didn’t give it the decency to acknowledge its brave act, and cut its wings with two clean slices, followed by another wide arc that cut of its legs.

The creature stumbled to the ground, black, coagulated blood leaving its wounds and slid to a stop, the only signs of life left being the slight twitch in its neck.

I walked the few feet left between myself and the monster, and raised my blade to end it. “Goodbye, Rotwing.”

The avian's form turned into a congregation of shadows and bones, and the valley faded away into a white space with a black throne standing where the cave’s entrance would have been.

After Dantae had taken it and commanded the self-destruction of the pocket dimension, the valley returned to view, with the exception of the stone pillars, which had been replaced with a plethora of empty space leading miles down, truly fitting of its new name: “The Grand Chasm.”

I breathed in and Dantae returned to normal, gently hugging me from behind. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit sore.” Dantae started to lightly massage my shoulders when the recruits walked haggardly out of the cave, and Maria was carrying Alison on her back.

“Great, you guys are just in time! Now we can probably make it back for Thanksgiving tomorrow!” Needless to say, Maria, Rob, and Angelina all felt sick as they thought about a Thanksgiving turkey, and then thought of the giant, grotesque bird they had just fought.