Why are you so weak?

Those harsh words stung even now. He tried forgetting yet the criticism wouldn't fade. He desperately longed to prove him wrong. To prove he was, in fact, strong. He'd be the strongest. So strong everyone would respect his impressive capabilities. The powerful, however, didn't lose. Neither could he.

Caiden gritted his teeth in frustration as his opponent soared above his head. Rex had taken the lead, a seeker plummeting towards the finish line with nothing or no-one to stop him. If Caiden didn't intervene he'd indeed lose. He couldn't allow himself to be made a fool of. 

Grunting, Caiden increased his speed. Fracturing the ground, he dashed through the stalagmite forest with little regard for himself. His leg scraped against one of the obstacles as the right side of his waist skidded across another of the spires. Regardless, he didn't feel a fraction of pain. His body was completely numb. If the pulsating veins and bared fangs weren't telling enough, Caiden had indeed transcended his rage.

"I WON'T LET YOU BEAT ME, BASTARD! THIS ISN'T OVER YET!!"

Rex probably would've heard his enraged roars had he not been so high up. He barely could hear himself think due to the powerful winds ravaging his eardrums. Tears flew out his eyes while his hair felt as if it'd rip off his scalp. 

But none of these problems compared to the terrifying fact that Rex hadn't an idea of how to land. True, Chase taught him how to make full use of the suit's air propulsion system. Sadly, he never got around to asking him now to properly recover from a fall. So enamored with victory, Rex dismissed the notion entirely. 

Despite his failings, he'd need to formulate a plan quickly, the ground practically calling his name. Hunting for ideas, Rex settled on using the air to propel himself to safety. Theoretically, if he released another blast of wind he'd be able to nullify the impact of the fall.

Of course, this was all purely hypothetical. As the floor got closer he crossed his fingers in hopes he'd survive. A quivering Chase watched as more wind bursts released out the soles of Rex's boots. As soon as he saw him take to the skies he couldn't contain his anxiety. 

Luckily, it looked like Rex was using his brain for once. A rare instance to be sure, but an appreciated one nonetheless. The pressurized air did wonders at keeping Rex from being reduced to a human pancake. He gracefully floated down before his feet hit the ground, a sharp bolt of pain shooting up his legs. 

Electricity assaulted his bones. I guess I should've started my controlled descent earlier. Dammit, this stings!! Caiden's advances broke Rex's concentration, the bully blitzing in his direction. It all came back at once, Rex remembering he'd yet to claim his victory. His engines' flames erupted, Rex blasting to the starting line in a burst of speed. 

He'd lost all his momentum from the fall, however, Caiden wasn't any better. The sand explosion from earlier must've really taken its toll on him. He hadn't even escaped the stalagmite forest yet. Although, the boisterous declaration displayed his undying resolve. His perpetual yearning to overcome.

"I REFUSE!!" Caiden bellowed. 

Instead of dodging, he sent an overpowering punch at a stalagmite blocking his path. Due to the exos suit's artificial strength-enhancing quality along with his accelerated speed, Caiden utterly decimated the stalagmite. 

It shattered into thousands of sharp slivers. Rex witnessed the exhibition of pure and undaunted might from the corner of his eye. His bully charged at him, his arms flailing to his sides and shoulder engines expelling the azure infernos. In an instant, he'd managed to close the distance between himself and his foe. 

"I REFUSE TO LOSE TO YOU!!"

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, anticipating the results of the high octane relay match. The competitors rocketed at them without a hint of slowing down. Despite Rex taking the lead, Caiden miraculously caught up to him. As he'd said, he refused to lose. 

They advanced together. Side by side. Neck and neck. Their destination reflected in their eyes. Shouting at the top of their lungs, the rocketing seekers propelled forward. Every seeker had seen it. The victory was decisive and clear. Launching over the finish line first was none other than Rex Hunt! He'd stolen the glory for himself, Rex holding his arms high with excitement.

"Yeah!!" he shouted.

Simon, caught in a daze of uncertainty, repeatedly nudged Seth. "We . . . We actually won?"

"Seems like it-"

"We actually won!!"

"Alright! Alright! I get it!" Seth retorted. "Stop screaming in my ear already!!"

Seekers moved to the side, giving Rex and Caiden room to come to a complete stop. The loser cursed under his breath. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was meant to win, not the outsider! He couldn't do anything but repent, biting his bottom lip as he glared at a proud Rex. 

Chase sighed in relief. He was simply happy his brother had survived his reckless stunt. He half expected him to crash into a stalagmite or plunge to his death. This was quite possibly the best outcome. Yet, he failed at battling the sadness lumbering in the depths of his heart. 

An opportunity allowing them to return to Sanctuary slipped between his fingers, Chase sulking his head in defeat. Regardless, there wasn't anything he could do now. As the older brother, he'd congratulate Rex on a job well done.

"Nice going, Rex! I never knew you could fly so well!!" Simon exclaimed, a small crowd surrounding an exhausted and slightly horrified Rex.

Barry patted him on the back. "That was awesome, dude! You've gotta teach me some of your moves!!"

"When did you master your aerial technique?" asked an interested Aaron. "Could you perhaps teach me later?"

"Hey, give him some room," Seth announced.

As he pushed the grouping seekers back Rex chuckled lightly. He'd have no issue in letting them in on a few of his strategies. Although, he wasn't sure how they'd react when he told him half of his "skills" were totally improvised. His moment of triumph ceased when the scowls of an infuriated Caiden echoed throughout the cavern, a sighing Chase trailing behind.

"Rex, you bastard! You're not getting off the hook that easily!!" he yelled, pushing the victor in his chest. "I want a rematch!! This time I won't be surprised by that damned trick of yours!!"

"Uh Caiden," Chase whispered. ". . . I think your arm is broken."

"The hell are you talking about?! My arm's fine . . ." Agony consumed him as he quickly noticed his right arm swaying lifelessly at his side. Releasing a pained growl he grasped the limp appendage, shouting and cursing outrageously. Despite the pseudo strength the exos suit provided, it didn't necessarily make the wearer invincible. When he'd punched the spire earlier his entire arm shattered without him ever realizing. Rex winced, watching the deflated aggressor clench his hand around it. ". . . And I thought . . . this day couldn't get . . . any shittier!!" he muttered.

"Broken arm, huh? Escort Cadet Caiden to the medical bay," ordered Commander Dorvan.

A pair of seekers took the injured trainee by the shoulders only for him to slap their hands away. This hardly surprised Rex or Chase, he was too hard-headed to admit when he'd been defeated. It was as if Caiden was unable to swallow his pride even after literally breaking an arm.

"Get your hands off of me! I don't need arms to race! Just legs!"

"Calm down!" a female seeker shouted. "You're not going anywhere right now! Stop throwing a conundrum!"

"She's right, kid! Calm yourself!" the other added.

Commander Zeke laughed as a team of four seekers pulled Caiden down the plateau. Neither Rex nor Chase could blame their fellow cadets for being confused and slightly unnerved by his reaction. 

In his condition, they probably figured he'd want to spend the rest of the day recovering. How sorely mistaken they were. If only they knew Caiden prior, perhaps it'd save them the effort of getting concerned. Rex predicted he'd be back to normal within a couple of days. However, it'd be nice not having to see him for a while.

"Now, regarding this race." Dorvan folded his arms, staring at the three remaining participants. He learned a great amount of information by observing them compete. Simon, in particular, astounded him immensely, he wasn't the same person as before. 

If they continued to train they'd undoubtedly become major assets to the Seeker Corps. Clearing his throat, Dorvan said, "I proudly award the win to Chase and Caiden. Congratulations."

"What?!!" everyone screamed simultaneously, Seth having to cover his ears.

"Something wrong?" Dorvan muttered irritably.

"But- Sir, we were the ones to finish first!" Rex struggled to construct appropriate sentences. Was this his sick sense of humor? If it was, he didn't find it very funny. "Why are you rewarding Chase and Caiden when we-"

"Were you not listening to me before the race started, Cadet Rex?" He cocked his head in confusion, absolutely disoriented by the commander's statement. "I said should anyone break the rules they'd be disqualified." The commander directed their attention to the hovering disc. It beamed a blue holographic image that displayed the footage from the race. In particular, it showed to them Rex touching the cavern wall with the tip of his fingers prior to shooting off the screen. "Before we started, I said you needed to place your hand on the wall, not just your fingers. As a result, you technically gained an unfair advantage over Cadet Caiden."

". . . Idiot," Seth sighed.

"Oh come on! Cut me some slack!!" Rex shouted at him.

Dorvan's eyebrows furrowed. "My point stands, Chase and Caiden are the victors."

"I see," Rex hung his head in disappointment. "Sorry I wasted your time, sir. I thought we could-"

"Wasted my time?" Dorvan repeated. "Cadet Rex, there is a reason I didn't halt the race when you broke the rules. I was taken aback by everyone's improvements. Each of you demonstrated an understanding of the exos suits' functions. Additionally, you showed your determination for winning. It'd be a crime to stop such a beautiful clash."

Rex was speechless, his jaw hanging open from the commander's uncharacteristic compliments. "S- Sir?"

"Keep training, cadet. I look forward to seeing what you'll do during next month's evaluation," Dorvan smiled.

Simon slapped Rex's hand excitedly, neither of the two boys expecting such a response from their stoic teacher. Even some of the nearby seekers wrinkled their foreheads and blinked continuously, dumbfounded at his display of kindness. They swiftly resumed their duties when he aimed an angry glare towards his startled subordinates.

"We did it, Rex!" Simon cheered.

"Yeah! We surely won't be sent to Sanctuary any time soon!!"

"Whose being sent to Sanctuary?" asked Dorvan.

"Oh! I overheard you sent people back to Sanctuary if you thought they weren't . . . Well, useful."

"Damn straight I do! But why'd you think this applied to you?" The commander was caught off guard by Rex and Simon's floored expressions. "I've already handpicked the ones I knew weren't going to benefit the Seeker Corps. Just ask Cadets Oscar and Amy. The fact you're still here is a testament to your talent. Be proud and stand tall! I have high hopes for every cadet present. Don't let me down or there'll be hell to pay!!"

". . . Wait, who are Oscar and Amy?" Simon questioned.

"Exactly,"

Rex stared at him with a blank gaze, a ghost in waiting.

"What moron filled your head with such nonsense?" Rex didn't have to explain as Commander Zeke's increasingly loud nervous whistles told Dorvan everything. They stared at him in annoyance as he continued to feign ignorance, the man refusing to stop whistling. ". . . Nevermind. Since we're all done here get back to your exercises! The evaluation hasn't finished, maggots! These guys have set an example so I expect the rest of you to follow their lead!!"

"Yes sir!" the army of rookies barked.

Once the group splintered into factions based on what exercise they were stationed prior to the race, Rex called for Seth.

"What's up?"

"The view you mentioned," Rex chuckled. "I believed you wanted to know how it looked."