***********We all gathered along the edge of the water, nerves on edge, waiting to see if the "Thing" would resurface. I looked over all of us, the six of us were dirty, bruised and beat up, but relived that it was all finally over. Wait SIX! "WAIT GUYS, WHERE'S KENDAL?! DID ANYONE SEE HER GET CLEAR?!" I shouted. My chest tightened at the thought of us losing one of our own. We haven't even gotten close to end and we already down one member.*********

The atmosphere on the beach was one of dread and despair. We had waited for what seemed like days but really it had just been an hour. All of us we dealing with the loss in different ways. Most of us we're sitting on the sand bank while Tara and Jason had retreated to the tree line for privacy. "We can't go like this. We can't go not knowing when we're going to lose someone else or if some new thing is going to leap out at us and take another friend. I can't go on living like this." Kevin whispered, silent tears streaming down his face.

Kelly and Will pulled him into a tight two sided hug. "Well isn't this sweet. All of you crying about little old me. Too bad that I'm not dead." Said a familiar voice, dripping Southern drawl from my right. I turned toward her voice to find Kendal lying further down the sand bank in her metal form. We all stood there shocked while she slowly stood on shaky legs and started to make her way to us. 

I hear a loud sob and pounding behind me. An ecstatic Tara sprinted past us and launched herself towards her friend, sending them both crashing into the ground. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!!" She sobbed. Kendal awkwardly patted her on the back. "It's good to see you too doll now get off me, you're really heavy." She grunted, sitting up. Kevin walked up and gave her a soft kick in the leg. "Hey moron, don't go scaring me like again." He said, wiping tears as he walked back to his spot. There were various signs of agreement at this. 

"Now all boys leave. Its time for Kendal to clean up a little and have some time with her girls here." Kelli announced.  "Go on shoo!" she shouted, pushing us towards the forest. And you better not try to peek or else. She sent, glaring at us till we vanished into the tree line.

Meanwhile/ Somewhere else in the Arena

I watched everyone from my perch in the ancient tree's gnarled, black branches; its ruby leaves giving of a bitter coffee smell that I loved. My team had just made camp for the day in this small glade. We consisted of teens like me named Tempest, Aries, Hive, Sting, and Viper; We had discarded our human names when the Lab Coats turned us into these freaks, it was a sign of our dedication to each other. 

The glade had a river running along the back, a pale shape darted under the surface that I assumed was Tempest and Aries sat on the edge watching her swim. Hive was somewhere resting, he still hadn't recovered from that telepath's attack, with Sting looking after him. Then there was Viper, "What do you want Viper?" I said, sensing her behind me. 

I turned and faced the tiny asian girl who had a smug look that distorted her usually beautiful, petite features. Viper was the only one of us that could pass as a human, while the rest of us were stuck with our animalistic forms she could shift back in forth; ironically the change had made her human form even more stunning than before. 

"I found another one of those Warp Holes in the cave a little east of here. Don't know how much longer it'll stay open, still looks fairly new though. You'll never guess where it leads. Right to those newbs, we can teach them who's in charge and end the competition all at once! Killing two birds with one stone if you ask me." I took a second to process this, I felt a truly excellent plan forming in my head. With a sneer on my face I told Viper to get the others, its time to give the newbies a taste of whats in store for them. 

Leaping down, I let out a low powered sonic blast the softened my landing, watching as Viper landed next to me and gathered everyone.  "Okay everyone change in plans. I know that we're tired, but we've got work to do, a Warp Hole opened up near the newbies, and the boss has a plan that'll show them who's in charge." Viper announced. 

I cleared my throat and glanced around the circle. Tempest was grinding her shark-like teeth together looking murderous, Viper just stood there watching me,  Aries just watched looking bored and playing with the fur on his legs, Sting was watching Hive with a plain expression, but his twitching antennas gave him away. I my eyes focused on Hive, the african boy looked pale, haggard, and tired; he was  the only one sitting and his gaze lifted from the ground, connecting with mine. "I don't wanna hear it boss, I'm fine. My hive is fine, we've already replaced the drones that we lost and I'm ready to pay that telepath back." he said in a steely voice. I let out a defeated sigh,"Fine, but Sting is going to be keeping eyes on you. So listen up this is the plan..."