Echoes of Failure

A few hours ago, "I welcome everyone again. It's been a month…" Alex says, his tone unusually flat as his squad gathers in room 309 after an entire month apart. His eyes sweep over the room, but they lack the warmth or camaraderie they once held. "Where is Elio?" Dan asks as he strides into the room, his gaze quickly landing on Alex. There's a subtle tension in the air, an unease that Dan can't quite place."No idea, and we don't need him, really," Alex responds, his voice cold and dismissive, as if Elio's absence is of no consequence. Dan's brows knit together in confusion, the harshness in Alex's tone catching him off guard. "What?" Dan's voice rises slightly, disbelief creeping in as he looks at Alex, searching for the friend he used to know.Alex meets Dan's gaze, but there's an unfamiliar hardness in his eyes. "He's just going to be dead weight anyway," he says, the words dripping with a callousness that sends a chill through the room.Jennifer, who had been quietly observing, snaps to attention, her fists clenching at her sides. "Hey, that's our squadmate you're talking about! The one you said was important!" she revolts, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and confusion. Her eyes are wide, her expression one of shock as she struggles to reconcile this new Alex with the one she once trusted.Alex doesn't flinch. His gaze remains locked on Jennifer, his face a mask of indifference. "Now he's dead weight," he repeats, each word laced with a brutal finality that leaves Jennifer momentarily speechless."That's my brother, dude," Lila interjects, her voice low and dangerous as she steps forward, her eyes narrowing at Alex. There's a protective edge to her tone, but beneath it, a deep hurt flickers in her eyes."Oh yeah?" Alex turns to face her, his lips curling into a mocking smirk. "Your brother supports our enemy. What about it?" His words are sharp, almost cruel, and they slice through the room, leaving a heavy silence in their wake.Lila's eyes widen in shock, her heart pounding in her chest. "What the fuck are you on, Alex? What happened to you in the past month?" she demands, her voice trembling as she takes in the stranger standing before her. The Alex she knew would never have said such things, would never have looked at her with such disdain."Nothing," Alex replies, shrugging as if her words mean nothing to him. "I just grew balls to talk back to you guys." There's a bitter edge to his voice, and the way he says it makes it clear he feels no remorse.Carly, who has been watching the exchange with growing unease, finally speaks up, her voice tinged with confusion and concern. "What is wrong with him?" she asks, her eyes darting to Lila, searching for answers. But Lila, still reeling from Alex's words, can only stare back, her mind racing as she tries to understand how everything could have changed so drastically in just one month.Suddenly, an ear-piercing emergency alarm blares through the room, jolting everyone to attention. The tension is immediately palpable as a voice crackles over the radio, urgent and commanding. "This is an emergency! There is a dungeon at a site. Every available squad, please make your way to the location presented on your rings. The dungeon is said to be at least Calamity Class!"As the location flashes on the rings of everyone in the room, a heavy silence falls. Alex's eyes gleam with a dangerous excitement as he stares at his ring, the corners of his mouth twisting into a dark smile. "Time to test my new powers," he mutters, more to himself than to anyone else. There's an unsettling confidence in his voice, a reckless hunger that sets everyone on edge.Dan's face tightens with concern, his mind racing with the implications of a Calamity Class dungeon. "It's a calamity class, we will have a hard time—" he starts to caution, his voice laced with worry. But before Dan can even finish his sentence, Alex suddenly bolts out of the room, his movements swift and determined, leaving the others momentarily stunned."What in the…" Carly's eyes widen in shock as she watches Alex disappear from sight, her heart pounding with disbelief. The Alex she knew would never act so impulsively, especially in the face of such a dangerous mission.Lila stands frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what just happened. She's seen Alex in battle before, but this… this was different. His behavior is erratic, almost manic, and it terrifies her. "He's… he's lost it," she whispers to herself, her voice trembling.Jennifer and Dan exchange bewildered looks, both of them trying to understand the abrupt shift in Alex's demeanor. The confusion is evident in their eyes, a silent acknowledgment that something is very wrong. They quickly move to follow him, driven by a mix of concern and duty, but just as they reach the door, they hear the roar of an engine.By the time they make it outside, they see Alex already speeding away in a car, the taillights fading into the distance. He's gone, leaving them behind without a second thought. Jennifer's hands ball into fists, frustration gnawing at her as she watches the car disappear. "Something happened in the past month…" she says, her voice barely above a whisper, the weight of her words hanging in the air.Lila stands beside her, her gaze fixed on the empty street where Alex had just been. "And it wasn't Arata…" she adds, her voice filled with a deep sense of foreboding. The mention of Arata only deepens the mystery, making her stomach churn with unease.Carly, still reeling from the shock of it all, looks to Dan for some kind of reassurance. "I agree, Sir Alex… This isn't his normal behavior," she says, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion. Her words echo what everyone else is feeling, but none of them have the answers they desperately seek.Dan just stares down at his ring, the location of the dungeon glowing ominously on its surface. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the unease in his chest only grows stronger. Whatever happened to Alex in the past month, it has changed him, and Dan fears they might not recognize him when they finally catch up.As Alex drives the car with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, his mind drifts back to the grueling training sessions he had with Commander Williams. The memory is vivid, as if it's happening right in front of him, every detail etched into his mind.In the training arena, Alex, eyes burning with determination, charges at Commander Williams, his body already partially transformed. His fist, now a deadly weapon, hurtles toward Williams with all the force he can muster. But the Commander, calm and composed, raises his cane with precise timing, effortlessly blocking the strike. The sound of the impact echoes through the room, the wooden cane standing firm against Alex's monstrous strength."Your willpower is the reason that he left you," Commander Williams says, his voice steady and authoritative, not a trace of exertion in his tone. His eyes, sharp and unforgiving, bore into Alex, who growls in frustration. Alex's face contorts with anger, the veins in his neck bulging as he pushes harder against the cane, but it's like trying to move a mountain.Williams doesn't budge. With a quick twist of his wrist, he deflects Alex's punch, sending the younger man stumbling backward. Alex's feet skid across the floor, but he quickly regains his balance, his breath coming in heavy, ragged bursts. His eyes flash with a mix of rage and desperation as he launches himself at Williams again, but the Commander is ready."You are the big reason he left your squad, and you are the reason he didn't obey you," Williams continues, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. As Alex throws another punch, Williams sidesteps with a fluid motion, his cane sweeping down to catch Alex in the side. The blow isn't hard, but it's perfectly placed, knocking the wind out of Alex and sending him sprawling to the ground.Alex grits his teeth, his body trembling with barely contained fury as he pushes himself back to his feet. His muscles are taut, every fiber of his being screaming at him to keep fighting, to prove himself. But Williams stands before him, the picture of calm authority, not a hair out of place. There's no mockery in his gaze, only cold, hard truth."You forgot the reason why you created the squad in the first place, Alex Firecarrie," Commander Williams says, his voice low and filled with a kind of quiet disappointment that stings more than any physical blow. He steps closer, his cane held out in front of him like a judge passing sentence. "Instead, you're just busy enjoying yourself with your squad and having sex with Taylor's daughter."The words hit Alex like a slap to the face. His eyes widen in shock, his breath catching in his throat as he stares at Williams, unable to speak. The Commander's face is inches from his own now, his cane pressing lightly against Alex's chest, right over his heart. "You are the worst leader," Williams continues, his voice deadly calm. "Someone who can't even keep his squad in check."Alex's frustration reaches a boiling point, his hands curling into fists so tightly that his knuckles turn white. His face twists into a snarl, but there's a flicker of doubt in his eyes, a crack in the armor of his defiance. He wants to lash out, to prove Williams wrong, but deep down, the words cut too close to the truth.Williams doesn't give him the chance. With a final, dismissive push of his cane, he sends Alex staggering back, his legs almost giving out beneath him. Alex's heart pounds in his chest, the bitter taste of failure filling his mouth as he watches Williams turn his back on him, the session over. The Commander's words echo in his mind, gnawing at him, tearing at the fragile confidence he had built up over the years.Back in the present, Alex's grip on the steering wheel tightens, his jaw clenched so hard it hurts. The memory of that day, of his utter failure, is seared into his mind. But it's also the day he made a vow, the day he decided that things would change, no matter what. As he speeds toward the dungeon, his thoughts harden into a single, burning resolve."I will kill all those Undergrounders!" Alex growls, his voice heavy with the weight of his determination. His eyes are steely, focused straight ahead, the rage from his memories fueling his drive. He remembers why he created the squad in the first place, why he can't afford to fail again. There's no room for weakness, no room for doubt. Only the mission, only the goal. He'll prove Williams wrong, he'll show everyone that he has the strength to do what needs to be done, even if it means becoming someone unrecognizable.