Chapter 3
Colin

Colin sprinted through the halls, weaving between classmates, his heart pounding. He had to find Tyree—he couldn’t wait to show him what Razor could do. He skidded to a halt when he saw Jenkins, the academy know-it-all, heading his way.

“Jenkins! Have you seen Tyree?”

Jenkins stopped, puffing his chest out in that annoying, self-important way. “It’s Corporal Jenkins,” he corrected.

Colin huffed impatiently. “I don’t have time for this. Where’s Tyree?”

Jenkins smirked, clearly enjoying Colin’s frustration. “In the gym.”

Without another word, Colin sprinted toward the gymnasium. When he entered, he saw Tyree shooting hoops by himself, the sound of the basketball echoing in the empty space.

“Tyree!” Colin called, jogging over.

Tyree arched an eyebrow. “Where was this hustle during drills?” he joked, shooting the ball.

“Do you still have your watch?” Colin asked, his breath still catching up with him.

Tyree lifted his wrist, the watch still snug around it. “Yeah, why?”

“Have you done anything with it?”

Tyree frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Colin stepped back, excitement bubbling up inside him. “Watch this,” he said, raising his wrist.

‘Alright, Razor, let’s show him!’ Colin communicated telepathically.

“No.”

‘What do you mean, no?’

“Someone could walk in. It’s not secure.”

Colin clenched his jaw in frustration. He looked at Tyree, who was watching him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. “You alright?” Tyree asked, clearly wondering what Colin was waiting for.

“Tonight. Field. You’re going to see some crazy stuff,” Colin said.

Tyree chuckled, tossing the basketball into the net. “I think you’re sleep-deprived.”

“No, seriously! You’ve got to trust me.”

Tyree raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem convinced. “And when nothing happens, I get to mock you without mercy?”

“Deal,” Colin said, grinning. ‘Razor, we better put on a show tonight, or Ty’s going to think I’ve lost it.’

“Don’t worry. He won’t be disappointed. Tell him to bring my brothers. It’s time for us all to wake up,” Razor replied confidently.

Tyree
Later that night, Tyree and Colin stood under the dim floodlights of the academy’s football field. The night air was cool, and the field was empty, save for the two of them. Tyree crossed his arms, a skeptical smile on his face. “Alright, Colin. I’m ready to be disappointed,” he said, half-joking.

Colin, however, had a glint of excitement in his eyes. He raised his wrist and pounded his fist into his palm. Almost instantly, a brilliant blue light surged from his watch, enveloping his body in a sleek suit of armor.

Tyree’s skepticism vanished in an instant. His mouth dropped open as Colin’s transformation completed, the glowing armor shimmering in the moonlight. “What the—” Tyree walked over, tapping the armor to make sure it was real.

Colin flexed his arm, drawing the broadsword from his side. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Tyree’s astonishment quickly morphed into excitement. “Does mine do that?” He glanced down at his own watch, eager to see if his would activate in the same way.

“Wake up your buddy,” Colin said to Razor with a smirk.

“CRUSH, wake up already!” Razor commanded.

Tyree jumped as he felt a sudden surge of energy from his watch. A voice boomed inside his mind, powerful and blunt.

“You’re Tyree, I assume,” Crush said. “I am Crush.”

“Colin! Is yours talking to you in your head?” Tyree asked, now more alarmed than excited.

Colin couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, mine does the same thing.”

As the blue light covered Tyree’s body, he could feel the armor forming around him. Red and white energy coursed through his limbs, and within moments, he stood in his own suit of armor. Tyree’s breath caught in his throat. He looked down at his belt, where two pistol swords gleamed in the low light. “This is incredible!” he said, pulling out the swords and marveling at their design.

“Careful with those,” Colin warned.

But Tyree wasn’t listening. His mischievous grin returned, and before Colin could stop him, Tyree aimed one of the pistols at the goalpost.

“Tyree, don’t—”

ZAP! A blue ball of energy shot from the pistol, striking the base of the goalpost and sending a shockwave through the metal. The post glowed blue for a moment before it exploded, the top half crashing down onto the field.

Both boys stood in stunned silence, staring at the debris.

Tyree blinked. “Oops.”

In the distance, headlights cut through the dark. Colin’s heart sank. “That’s the night patrol. Run!” he shouted.

Colin
The two of them sprinted off the field, the bulky armor making it awkward to move as quickly as they wanted. Colin led them into the trees at the edge of the campus, ducking into the shadows just as the patrol car rolled up to the destroyed goalpost.

Colin crouched low, the metal of his armor clanking softly. “Razor, get this armor off me,” he whispered urgently.

The armor retracted in a flash, leaving him in his regular clothes.

Tyree gave him a look. “Why’d you do that?”

Before Colin could answer, Tyree’s armor retracted as well, causing him to slump in disappointment. “Oh, come on!”

“We can’t sneak back if we’re clanking around like tin cans,” Colin muttered.

Tyree sighed but followed Colin’s lead. They crept through the woods, sticking to the shadows as they made their way back to the dorm. Once inside, they flopped onto their beds, but neither could sleep. The thrill of the night still buzzed in their minds.

Tyree kept staring at his watch, a grin plastered on his face. “These things are insane. What do you think they were doing in that storage room?”

“We don’t remember much,” Razor communicated. “We barely remember our previous masters.”

Colin relayed the message. “Razor says they don’t remember.”

Tyree reached under his bed and pulled out the spare watch. “What about this one? What’s it called?”

Before Colin could answer, Tyree’s face changed as a new voice entered his mind. Crush had clearly taken notice.

“You’re wasting your time, Tyree,” Crush’s voice rumbled, sharp and impatient. “That one won’t work for you.”

Tyree frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you can’t handle more than one of us. One Cipher alone generates too much energy for a human.”

“But—” Tyree started to argue, holding the watch.

“No ‘buts.’ You barely grasp the responsibility of handling me,” Crush snapped, his voice hard and cold. “You’re already unsure. That’s why you fired recklessly. We are not toys.”

Tyree flinched at the harsh words, his jaw tightening. “I’m not unsure,” he shot back, defensively.

“Prove it,” Crush challenged. “Take this seriously. Or don’t bother at all.”

The silence between them was thick with tension. Tyree placed the extra watch down, biting back the urge to argue further. Colin, sensing the shift, didn’t interfere but kept his eyes on his friend.

“Your friend has a long way to go,” Razor added quietly to Colin. “Crush has little patience for the uncertain.”