Among the members making up Team 4’s combat fighting force – most were actually from Dark Mercenaries. A powerful organization and one of the top ranking Mercenary groups around. Yet; even with this advance team’s majority actually hailing from the Coalition’s leading company; not everyone sported the blackened emblem tattoo’d secretively onto their left wrist. Some hailed from Bright-Burn Mercenaries, like Dawan.

…

Coalition member # 24: “Hey.

…

Psst! Hey! Are you listening to me?! Heeey! Hee-”

Coalition member # 25: “WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?! I’m trying to think! Unlike you, I don’t wanna be the next decapitated corpse lying around here!”

Coalition member # 24: “(Nobody wants to be the next victim you stupid pile of shit - for – brains! Plus thinking isn’t going to stop them from killing you!)

...I wanted to ask you what your thoughts were, about their deaths. Do you think the Heroes really did this? It seems far too devious to be the work of a hero.”

Coalition member # 25: “...No. Heroes are humans too. Remember why this Coalition was formed? To REPLACE the group that failed before us. The numbers. F they ‘failed’ then it also means they ran into trouble. That would hint to us that they probably fought against the Heroes or other staff before fleeing. Either way, it tells us if a ‘Hero’ was harboring a grudge for the first attack, and somehow stumbled upon our invasion, we’re royally fucked. Because they might let their emotions overwhelm their own sense of judgment and...well, do that. *Points to decapitated corpses*”

Coalition member # 24: “Wha- but … really? I would think what with them being a HERO that they would have more control over their emotions and sense of duty. Besides, if there were some casualties, wouldn’t the whole entire school struggle to hide it from those reporters hounding the campus in the early afternoon? I just don’t see Heroes ‘killing’ so easy. Whether they do it or not, I don’t really care about; but in this specific situation...We lost our scouts. The ONLY casualties were our scouts. Doesn’t this feel...”

Coalition member # 25: “...Fishy? I wont...deny that. It could be that a coup is about to happen so one of the groups can frame the previous Mercenary group, the Numbers’ failure, on being the same exact cause of a participating organization’s demise. There really isn’t enough evidence revealed yet as to why they failed. Not only that, but we ARE still competitors outside of this mission, even more-so when in comes to killing the children and receiving the client’s extra pay.

Furthermore, I don’t see it as unreasonable to strike while we’re split up like this, if two or more organizations formed a sort of secret alliance to eliminate one or two specific organizations taking part here, today. But…”

Coalition member # 24: “(Gods above, this woman talks too much.)...I ...I see-”

Coalition member # 25: “BUT! There are some problems with that! First! Heroes have grown a bit darker over the years, mainly because of the results from the 2 ‘wars’. They hold many grudges against the Villains for the horrible crimes they’ve committed, leading to many who’ve gone astray and become vigilantes instead. If such a hero was a teacher or staff member here, and this attack pushed them over the edge, then it isn’t unreasonable at all to assume a ‘hero’ is responsible for the deaths of our scouts. If there was any one way to cripple us best, it was taking out our scouts and following up by cutting communications. Plus, remember when we tried to escape from this place? We got called cowards, but in the end, wound up right back where we started.

This is my second theory; If it isn’t a Hero, then it may have been a very intricately devised trap from a tech and magic specialist. Somebody or a group of them maybe; who are true experts at setting up mechanical devices that incorporate magical enchantments inside of them – if such a defense mechanism was left behind, then a LOT of mysteries are solved immediately!

1)The Numbers Mercenary organization failed because of this trap.

2)Tech - designed heroes mostly aren’t above body injuries, so losing our arms is actually not that rare, especially if this trap was done to protect those civilian kids. Being brutal may be a way to send a message to others in our line of work.

3)The trap could have gone haywire and instead of taking their arms off, it took off their heads. Being automatic and not controlled by humans means problems are bound to arise.

4) A lack of actual heroes on the scene is probably because there WERE NONE! No heroes were there because a trap was all that was necessary, and it didn’t react to our trap drones since it only reacts to human presences nearby. And my THIRD THEORY-”

Coalition member # 24: “(AAAH! There’s more?! Please, I’m sorry I asked, so just save me from her long-winded torture!)”

Coalition member # 25: “Third and most important; Security are not heroes, but retired military personnel or similar qualified fields. They are allowed to kill. Remember the 60 or so security that suddenly went missing, according to one of the other Teams? Maybe this was a ruse to fool us.

I mean, heh, think about it a bit. The decapitated corpses that lost their heads. Although I don’t know where the heads are-”

Coalition member # 24: “Maybe the killer or killers brought it with them to their bosses as proof? Just like the extra pay job that needs us to bring back a child’s head as proof.”

Coalition member # 25: “...Maybe. Anyways don’t interrupt me. Although their heads are missing-”

Coalition member # 24: “Or they could’ve rolled away somewhere far over there-”

Coalition member # 25: “STOP. INTERRUPTING!”

Coalition member # 24: “...Okay, fine.”

Coalition member # 25: “Okay…! Now, where was I…”

Coalition member # 24: “(S...Should I tell her? No. forget it. She said not to interrupt. Let her brood over it. Serves her right!)”

…

…

…

Coalition member # 25: “Ah! Yeah - That’s it! I actually almost forgot! Although the heads are missing, those scouts were made up entirely of Dark Mercenary members. Those of us from the smaller companies could never hope to win against them! Unless-”

Coalition member # 24: “Unless we teamed up with the Spectral Daggers, who’re also participating…”

Coalition member # 25: “...That’s true...bu-but I still have a feeling th-”

[*SLASH!*

Aaah! Help! Hel-]

...

A bout of screams are heard in the distance, interrupting various chats circulating among the separate cliques born within Team 4. Some of these talks were about the mystery attack that interrupted their mission, and others were in regards to the scouts, primarily whether anybody knew the 39 unfortunate casualties. Most of all, they were questioning who in their right mind would begin killing villains, if this was really done by Heroes!

…Only the final scream and sentence was heard by the bickering duo from Bright-Burn Mercenaries. As they both looked around, they saw various expressions of fear and confusion riddled on their comrades’ faces. 25 slowly turned her head – clearly scared out of her wits over the possibility of another assault beginning so soon after the previous one ended. Her hand stopped trembling for just a second, and she twisted her head in the direction to face the scream, while her built-up resolve had yet to crumble.

And what she witnessed, were headless scout corpses standing straight, and facing three mercenaries. Then, those mercenaries turned. When the various battle-ready Coalition members saw their eyes, some couldn’t help but scream. Their eyes had no pupils! They, and the thirty – nine headless bodies behind them walked with a funky creak to their step. They couldn’t help but look odd to the Coalition Vanguard of 5,000- no. Of 4,958 now.

The most surprised of all, was Dawan. He didn’t even notice three of his own subordinates had left their position! He only gave them all 5 minutes while he and the other elites of the seven Organizations discussed their next move! Too many things were happening at once!

Yet, the corpses didn’t even give him the luxurious chance to shout for his subordinates to attack without mercy, the corpses that couldn’t walk without limping over, suddenly picked up speed and charged! Without warning, they all pulled out the same dagger and struck!

The first to be stabbed were defenseless to the unsuspecting strike. Their comrades looked on with fear, yet these men and women were all still professionals. Even with a deep-harboring fear of the unknown currently taking place all around them, they managed to steel themselves with the single resolved thought, ‘It’s either them, or me!’

But before they could strike, the 42 who received a cut or stab from those sharp, glimmering blades became swallowed up by a radiant white glow.

*Vwish!*

After the light show, they returned, wearing the same cut or stab wounds, but as they too, turned their heads…

Lifeless sockets missing their pupils, revealed themselves to the next few rows of would – be murderers. Team 4, now had 4,916 advance members remaining.

---