Low Blow

Low Blow
Cadeon 
Fuck, I can't believe this is happening again. 
I race out of the tent, Lili hot on my heels. I'd ask her to stay in the tent but I know that one, it's not safe there either, and two, she'd likely get offended. 
Omega-borns are running around, so I know this isn't a joke and we didn't mishear what was said. 
What the hell is going on? Right now, it feels like we're losing this war.
I spot a group of our guys fighting off a few attackers in both forms. I head toward them but stagger to a halt when I notice that she's following. 
I can't keep quiet about this. 
"Don't get closer, Lili. It's too dangerous!"
"Cadeon, everyone has to help!" she shoots back. "This isn't the time to hide! Every bit of effort counts toward something. We've been through this before."
I look over my shoulder at the chaos once more. The fight's starting to get ugly, and we have to help as quickly as we can. I hear guns going off, which means they've brought weapons this time around. 
If anything, it makes me more nervous about what's to come. 
"I can't lose you, Lili," I say in surrender. 
Lili moves closer to me and places both her hands on either side of my face. "You won't. Have a little faith, okay?"
She kisses me briefly before running in the general direction of the fight. My heart sinks, but I have to do something. 
This time, the attackers are armed, so the situation is a lot more complicated and serious. I look around for Lili, but when I don't spot her, I start toward the attackers hurting the non-fighting Omega-borns. Their cowardice sickens me. 
Why would you attack anyone outside the battlefield?
It doesn't take me long to become fully distracted by what I'm doing. 
There are too many of them. My guess is they brought all their forces here in an attempt to squash us once and for all. It's a risk they're taking, but at the same time, we've been attacked twice in a row. The perimeter isn't as guarded as it used to be, and if they're here, it means those Gammas were killed. 
Like the last ones were. 
I give it everything I've got. I don't hold back—the fact that my father is doing this gives me the strength I need. To my right, I notice Corey struggling with three Omega-borns, so I shoot two of them from afar and let him handle the other one. 
Timmon manages to find me somehow. He's sporting a few cuts in his arms, but other than that, he's fine. "Cadeon!"
By the goddess. My desire is to tell him to head back and try to hide from all of this. I can't fathom the thought of losing my brother. 
"There are too many of them!" he claims. "There has to be something else we can do! Do you know where the Ignis keeps the weapons?"
"They were inside the house, but I don't know if they're still around. Why? What do you have planned? I need you to be careful, Tim."
"I will be," he says distractedly before racing past me. Tirelessly, I continue fighting. I cut down as many of their soldiers as I can. The only problem is that I can't seem to spot Lilieth. I have no idea where she might be, and it's starting to worry me. 
Draven shows up—I don't know where he's been, but he hasn't been around or I'd see him. He has a machine gun in his hands and he's just raining bullets on the attackers. I watch their bodies drop one by one, their own guns useless now, and that's when I realize that there are more of them in the forest. 
I race toward the tree line with a few other Gammas who perhaps noticed the same thing. The urge to shift and tear them apart is strong, but having a weapon gives me an advantage. 
I was right—there are more of them here. I think they were waiting to join the fight later on, when we were tired beyond measure. It's a good attack strategy, I'll give them that. 
Draven's Gammas are strong fighters—they were trained fairly, so there's no way they wouldn't be. I wonder if these Gammas from my father's pack are aware of what we're fighting for here. They're not privileged like the Alpha-borns and Beta-borns are. They're merely a step above Omega-borns. Yet, here they are, trying to kill us. Following orders and attacking innocents like they can't think for themselves. 
I move deeper into the forest. The area would be pitch black at this time of the night if it weren't for the moon shining high in the sky. Whenever I spot a few streaks of moonlight illuminating my path, I have the feeling that the goddess is watching over us. 
That thought has a calming effect on me. 
I find more of their soldiers. They don't hesitate to attack us, but they're easy to handle. I look past their shoulders and see a single soldier inching toward the darkness. 
I recognize him right away. 
Pushing past them, I race after the retreating figure, not wanting him to get away. The last time I saw him was ages ago—and if he's here, that can only mean that Wenton Wylde is here. 
The two are inseparable, after all. 
"Lennox!" I yell. "I saw you. There's no point in running!"
My former best friend stops, and after taking a deep breath, he turns his head to look at me. I'm hyperventilating as I watch him, fully prepared for his attack. 
I don't understand why he's trying to get away from me. 
I thought it would be the opposite. 
"Why don't you face me?" I question. "What's the point of running at this stage?"
The taunt seems to work because Lennox steps away from the shadows and takes a few steps toward me.