Battle Of Planets

Chapter 93: Something is a miss
Tyson stood atop the castle’s stone wall in the simulated battleground, scanning the chaotic fight below. His team—Lara, Shaun, Ken, and Bee—were locked in yet another desperate struggle against waves of goblins, all to protect the floating crystal at the center of their stronghold.The drill was modeled after one of the tournament maps, a brutal test in which Rangers had to do this exact thing—defend the crystal with their lives on the line. And for the fourth time in a row, they were failing.

Tyson’s jaw tightened as he stood guard beside the fragile, glowing stone, the thing he hated the most in this scenario. The goblins overwhelmed them each time, shattering the crystal before they could complete the wave.

Beside him, Ken fired his pistol with sharp precision, picking off goblins trying to scale the walls. Below, Bee and Lara fought off swarming enemies at the base while Shaun stood on the same wall as Tyson, furiously analyzing the battlefield, trying to devise a plan before they lose again.

Ken let out a triumphant laugh. ”Did you see that? Thirty-three goblins down! That’s gotta be a record.”

Tyson barely glanced at him, too irritated to care. On the other hand, Shaun ignored Ken completely, his attention locked on Bee, who was getting overwhelmed by four goblins. For a fighter, He was proving to be a terrible one.

”Yeah, that was amazing,” Tyson muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, without warning, he shoved Ken off the wall.

Ken yelped as he tumbled down, cursing loudly. ”The hell, Tyson?! You wanna fight? Get down here, you jerk! I’ll show you who’s boss!”

Tyson clenched his fists, barely holding back his frustration. The endless fights, the repeated failures, and Ken’s nonstop bragging were getting on his nerves.

”One chance, Tyson! I will beat you to a pulp when I get that chance!” Ken shouted, unaware of the sneaky goblin who jumped onto his back and began bashing his hammer-like weapon against Ken’s helmet. ”Ahhh! Get away from me!”

”Serves you right,” Tyson laughed. ”Go on, goblin! Beat his ass!”

”Sergeant,” Shaun interjected, rubbing his temples. ”I think we need to come up with a proper strategy before attempting this map again.”

Tyson clenched his metallic fist and punched the stone wall in frustration, knocking loose a small chunk of stone. ”I don’t want to do this over and over again. Why can’t we skip it?”

Shaun sighed. ”If we slack off, Sergeant Alex will clear it before us.”

Tyson’s expression darkened. ”To hell with Alex! That jerk made my life miserable. Nancy still hasn’t spoken to me, you know.”

Shaun tried to stifle a laugh, but before he could respond, a sharp scream echoed through the battlefield.

Bee was struggling, his armor nearly destroyed as he dragged himself toward Lara. Unlike him, she was cutting down goblins with effortless precision.

”We’ve got jokers on our team,” Tyson muttered. The next moment, he leaped down from the wall. ”I hate you, goblins!”

”Sergeant!” Shaun shouted. ”You’re doing it again! You’re following the same pattern—”

But Tyson wasn’t listening. He tore through the goblins at a blistering pace, his movements fueled by irritation. Lara smiled as she was eager to fight alongside her idol.

Ken, watching the chaos unfold, raised his pistol. ”Oops, stray blast, my dear Sergeant. You can’t blame me.”

Without warning, he fired multiple energy rounds at Tyson, deliberately missing but forcing him to dodge here and there. Tyson turns a deadly glare on Ken. ”Seriously, Ken? I’m going to kill you.”

”It was a prank, I swear!” Tyson was already charging at him. ”Sorry, Sergeant!” Ken yelped, bolting in the opposite direction while Tyson began beating him.

The siren blared across the battlefield. The next moment, the entire simulation collapsed into darkness.

The team jolted awake inside their pods, blinking against the harsh white lights of the training facility they were training in. A technician stood nearby, shaking his head. ”Maybe next time, guys! you can do it”

Tyson got up from the pod, visibly frustrated. ”I can’t do this today. I need a freaking break.”

He quickly changed into his casual clothes and stormed out of the simulation room. The rest of the team followed, exchanging glances but saying nothing.

Outside the training hall, Tyson glanced at his phone. Still no reply from Nancy. His jaw tightened. She’s really mad at me...

Just as they exited the headquarters, the unmistakable roar of an engine turned everyone’s attention. A sleek new sports car gleamed under the street light, revving loudly as cadets gathered around, drawn in by the spectacle.

”I guess Sergeant Tim finally bought his dream car,” Shaun commented, watching the show unfold.

Tim sat inside, revving the engine proudly so the sound could echo across the courtyard. ”This beauty’s got a 6K powerhouse engine plus a nitro booster,” he boasted with a grin. ”Awesome, right?”

The cadets nodded enthusiastically—some took pictures, others admired with shiny eyes.

”Huh, what’s there to brag about?” Ken scoffed, nodding toward the corner where his custom bike stood. ”My bike still outclasses that overpriced toy. That right there? Absolute beauty.”

Lara rolled her eyes. ”Why do boys always have to talk about cars and bikes?”

”Not all boys talk about them,” Shaun interjected. ”Some talk about jets as well.”

”Wow,” Lara said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ”Thanks for the completely useless info, Shaun.”

Tyson glanced at his phone one last time, jaw clenched. At least they were supposed to meet in an hour—he’d have to find a way to convince her again. Damn it, Alex really pulled that on me... So this is how he felt all along? Tyson shook his head.

Suddenly, a message popped up on his screen, auto-launching a map. A red dot blinked, moving steadily along a highway toward the city walls.

”What is that?” Lara asked, peering over his shoulder. ”A tracker?”

Tyson stared at it momentarily, confused—then his eyes widened. ”Nancy?”

”What?” Shaun stepped closer, concerned.

”She’s not supposed to be out there! She should be at home. What the hell is she doing on the highway?” Tyson muttered, panic rising in his voice. ”Something’s wrong.”

”Wait, what do you mean?” Lara asked, her face pale now.

”She’s in danger,” Tyson said, locking eyes with Shaun. ”Tell my father—I’m going ahead. We don’t have time to waste.”

Without waiting for a response, Tyson bolted. His mind raced. I won’t make it on foot. Even the patrolling rangers won’t locate her in time unless they know exactly where she is. I can’t sit around waiting. If I do... who knows what they’ll do to her?

Just then, his eyes landed on the sports car still revving in the courtyard—Tim’s pride and joy.

Tyson sprinted toward it and jumped into the passenger seat.

”Whoa! I’m still testing this baby—” Tim cut off as he saw Tyson’s face. ”Yo, what’s going on?”

”Drive. Now.” Tyson shoved his phone into the dashboard port, and the car’s screen lit up with the tracker feed. ”My girlfriend’s in danger. We’re going after her.”

Tim glanced at the screen and whistled. ”That red dot’s movin’ fast. Heavy vehicle, most likely. This ain’t just some prank.”

”Then let’s catch them,” Tyson growled.

Tim didn’t need to be told twice. He hit the gas, and the car tore out of the courtyard.

Back near the entrance, Shaun and the others stared in shock.

”What the hell just happened?” Shaun muttered, trying to process it all. Then he shook himself. You’re a cadet. You still have a job to do. He turned and ran. I have to get the message to General Rogers—fast.

Lara hesitated, staring in the direction the car vanished. Her heart pounded. She wanted to go after Tyson, to help—but he was already gone. Just as she turned to chase on foot, Ken pulled up beside her on his bike.

”Get on,” he said, sharply. ”I want to save that beauty.”

Lara climbed on, grabbing his shoulders. ”Go.”

Ken revved the engine. ”Hold on tight, or don’t blame me if you fall.”

They sped off down the street, hot on the car’s trail. Bee, meanwhile, stood in disbelief, still near the entrance.

”Seriously?” he mumbled. ”No one thought to give me a ride?”

He threw his hands up. ”Unbelievable. Boss just grabbed the girl and ditched me. Freakin’ traitor!”

Shaun passed through the gates and rushed toward the lift, panicking. However, the lift was still in service, so he dashed toward the stairs and began climbing faster and faster... He had no idea what was going on, but he had seen Tyson’s reaction. That guy never shows panic unless something was happening. This must be serious, and he must fulfill his duty.

When he reached the top floor, he bumped into Captain Barns on his way to the General’s office.

”Hey kid?” Barnes smiled, but then he saw his panicked face. ”What’s going on? Are you all right?”

Shaun hugged the Captain since it was the first time he had seen him after that battle. He was out of the hospital, safe and sound. ”Captain, thank God you are fine,” but then he looked around.”Sorry, I have to meet the General now.”

”I going that way; follow me,” Captain Barns said, as he led Shaun to Edwards’s office.