The tension at the camp had shifted.
Kael was recovering. Ravager was being patched. The girls of Siren Squad were quieter, sharper in their eyes, and more alert than ever. Their respect for Kael was no longer uncertain—it was carved in stone.
But the two remaining members of Siren Squad, Dante and Roan, weren't as... reverent.
In fact, they hated it.
---
Campfire Unease
Dante sat sharpening a blade, his jaw tight, his motions unnecessarily aggressive. He glanced toward the medbay where Kael had just finished a short walk under Ryssa's watch.
"Didn't realize we were all supposed to worship the guy," he muttered.
Roan scoffed. "They treat him like a god. He bleeds like everyone else."
Tyren, passing by, caught the tail end of the conversation. His expression didn't change, but the moment lingered like flint against stone.
---
The Spark
That evening, Kael joined everyone near the perimeter to discuss the next course of action. His presence was quiet—no speech, no salute. Just silence and eyes that had seen more than they let on.
Ryssa handed him a field tablet with topographic maps. "We've identified another Kaiju cluster toward the south ridge."
Kael nodded, studying it. "Good metals there. Tyren, we'll take Brawler and flank from the western bend—"
Dante stepped forward, voice sharp. "You know, last I checked, you're not squad leader."
Silence.
Tyren raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say, blade-boy?"
Dante's eyes burned. "Yeah. I do. I've been in Siren Squad longer than any of you. Roan and I trained for command. And now we're taking orders from some washed-up trash pilot with a martyr complex?"
The insult hit hard. Everyone froze.
Kael didn't even look up from the map.
Roan added with a sneer, "You might impress the girls with your brooding and death stares, but don't act like this planet belongs to you."
Tyren stood up, slow and deliberate. "Wanna repeat that?"
Roan snorted. "Did I stutter?"
The air turned electric. Rynn stepped forward, but Ziya pulled her back. Misha grabbed her sidearm just in case. Ryssa clenched her teeth.
Tyren's fist cracked his knuckles. "You think you could last five minutes out there on your own? You think you could've taken on the gorilla and bat? Hell, you were busy trying not to piss yourselves while we were out there bleeding."
Dante stepped forward.
That was when Kael finally looked up.
Just one look.
Flat. Cold. Controlled.
"If you think you're better," Kael said, "you're free to leave."
Dante blinked.
Kael stood up fully, despite the bruises and healing ribs. His voice didn't raise. It dropped—lower than a growl.
"Pack your things. Walk south. Or west. Doesn't matter. But if you think this is about squad ranks and pretty medals... leave."
Roan scoffed. "What, you think we'll die without you?"
Kael looked him dead in the eye.
"I don't think anything. I don't care."
The words were delivered like a gunshot.
"Live, die, run, fight—your choice. But if you stay in this camp, in my radius, under my air, then you shut up, listen, and follow orders. Or I'll throw your mecha into a Kaiju pit myself."
Tyren grinned. "Say it again, captain. That was fun."
Kael didn't blink. "You heard me the first time."
---
The Fallout
Later that night, Ryssa found Dante and Roan whispering outside the camp border.
"You're lucky he didn't break your jaw," she snapped.
Dante frowned. "He's arrogant."
"No," Ryssa replied. "He's alive. That's the difference. He knows what it takes to stay alive on R22. You don't."
Roan looked down.
"Also," she added, "Misha saw you hesitate during the last fight. You froze. You don't get to challenge the man who saved your squad."
Dante said nothing.
---
Meanwhile
Inside the Ravager's tent, Kael and Tyren were checking the repairs.
"You went soft," Tyren teased.
Kael wiped grease off his fingers. "Did I?"
"You could've dropped him."
Kael shrugged. "Not worth it."
"You think they'll leave?"
Kael paused. "They won't. Not because of pride... but because they're scared. Too scared to leave, too proud to listen."
Tyren smirked. "Reminds me of a certain someone, two years ago."
Kael ignored him.