TMC Oneshots

Capture the flag

"Get back!" Alex hissed, jumping back into the black shadows of the Ezera forest.

"Alex what is it- oh." Jordan stuck his head into the bush they were currently hiding behind, and abruptly took his head out.

"Jordan is it really that bad?"

"Bear, we're surrounded. Completely. There's no way out of this." Jordan groaned, running a hand through his hair, which was currently full of random twigs and green leaves after two hours of tree hopping.

Dix tapped him on the shoulder impatiently. "Jordan. Your gift-transcendence. Hello?" She tapped him on the head, then crossed her arms triumphantly.

Bear rolled his eyes towards the canopy of trees above him. "Well let's move then!"

Alex smirked, stretched a little, brushed down her exercise clothes before pulling herself into the nearest tree. "Let's get going. After all, it was your idea to bring Capture the Flag to Medora, Jordan."

Jordan groaned, then sighed, then followed Alex into the tree. "Freyan Capture the Flag was so different."

"Well for one, Sparkie they didn't have gifts." Dix shot back, clambering up onto the mossy tree after him. "Move it." She pushed Jordan further up the tree to make room for Bear.

"I can't Alex is-" Jordan protested.

"Alex is waiting for you." Alex crossed her arms, further up in the tree. "Ok, ok." And with that, the party of four, known as the Prestigious Unicorns, or PU (the name was supplied by Jordan), advanced into the trees, jumping, swinging their way to the final flag.

Capture the Flag in Medora worked like this:

Teams of four were made, then assigned the first flag to capture, as well as the list of other flags. The whole campus was considered their playing grounds. The first team to capture all the flags, head back to the Library and hand them in won. The twist was, gifts, weapons and non-lethal fighting were allowed. Of course, the whole day had been assigned to the task, just suggesting at how hard it would be.

"Shoot." Alex brushed back wisps of her hair and stayed perched precariously on the thin branch she was squatting on.

Further down the tree, tired and weary after the whole day Dix, Bear and Jordan sighed unanimously. "What's the problem?" Bear croaked out, his voice hoarse as they had run out of food and water supplies long ago.

"Team of four-as we guessed. But they're guarding their flag. It's not hanging out the back of someone's pocket." Dix wanted to get this day over and done with and groaned internally at the tiredness that overwhelmed her every few seconds.

Alex paused, thinking quickly and carefully. "Teams of two, to start off with. Once you're two-thirds of the way there, split into individuals. Merge back into twos once someone is close too or has obtained the flag. Run and get the hell outta the place once we've got the flag. Understand?"

"Yeah." A collective reply was murmured as teams were decided. "Dix and I," Alex stated firmly. "We'll go on the offence, distract them enough for you two to grab the flag. Jordan use your gift."

"Easy peazy lemon squeezy." Jordan replied lazily, throwing an acorn in the air and catching it casually. "Let's win this dam thing."

Of course, their plan only half worked. After having crept down the tree, and positioned themselves correctly, Bear sent a nod to Dix before Jordan activated his gift on them. Steeling herself for what was about to come, Alex shot straight ahead, for the final flag. With Dix close on her tail, Alex notices the four students guarding the flag that was firmly pushed into the ground.

Without hesitation, she summoned A'enara and leapt towards the flag. Blue blade met steel, and Alex engaged with the fighter who she hadn't realised was a graduate of Akarnae, and had obviously been in Karter's class, judging by his skill level. Darrius had failed to remind her of this it seemed, but Alex wasn't going to lose. A fierce battle was underway, before , swiftly she overpowered the man, shrinking A'enara to a dagger and casually holding it under his neck.

In his defence, he didn't whimper, but he did elbow her in the stomach. Hard. Winded, gasping for much-needed air Alex hissed at the use of dirty tactics and realised that this game was going to get a lot harder. Using every inch of their fighting skills, Dix and Alex successfully riled up the rest of the team, sprinting round and round, delivering a few swift blows here and there, keeping the other team on their toes, buying Bear and Jordan enough time to nick the flag. Or at least, that's what they hoped.

In that time, Jordan and Bear had waited for the right moment. Then, they sprang, Jordan always keeping a hand on Bear, and nimbly, they tugged at the flag. Since it was actually attached to a post, it wasn't an easy tug an' go. With a heave, and a grunt Jordan and Bear managed to heft it three centimetres out of the ground. Three. Every time they tried to pull it out, an invisible, gluey substance prevented them.

Bear took a deep breath in, knowing the risk, and yelled "ALEX. FLAG. DISTRACT."

But now the other team knew they were there. "C'mon Alex." Jordan muttered.

Alex pivoted and aimed for all four teammates, who were coincidentally in a straight line. "Oh, this is gonna leave a fine bruise." She barrelled straight into them and tackled the first, and after that, well, it was like dominoes. Bear and Jordan snatched up the flag, as the gifted person was now somewhat occupied with someone's butt in their face. Bear bellowed out a warning, and they ran.

Sprinting as fast they could, panting, pumping their legs, their arms, their lungs. Dix snarled every time a biting pain erupted from her cut thigh. Jordan whipped his head around in concern, but she waved him off and gasped out "Keep running. I am not losing this game." Her eyes hardened with determination, as they rounded the corner to see another clutching all their flags, sprinting to the Library as well.

Alex sped up, her heart racing as the competitive blood in her veins gave her that extra adrenaline. And of course, she caught a glimpse of his face as they screeched through the Library doors. Kaiden. She pushed herself harder, determined to win Breathless, she skidded towards the front desk when she felt the last flag being pressed into her hand, and a few seconds later she heard an 'oof' from behind, as an invisible force of three slammed into Kaiden's team.

She panted wildly and threw the flags down onto the desk of the librarian. "So," he lowered his gaze at her sweaty, messy state. "It seems we have a winner."