Not A Small-Town Girl

----

Danielle felt uneasy. Despite the apparent safety, there was

no way Matthew would have made it this far through the

maze of traps. Could it be...?

Before she could finish the thought, the ground shook, and

a deafening sound echoed through the cave.

Danielle instinctively shielded her parents and Xavier,

holding her gun in a ready position.

The sound seemed mechanical, like armored soldiers—at

least twenty of them.

As expected, a group of twenty soldiers in iron masks

marched toward them, moving like machines—robotic and

unyielding.

They were clearly coming for Danielle and her family.

Danielle steeled herself. Her parents and Xavier were

helpless, and she knew she would have to fight.

----

Without hesitation, she opened fire. But the bullets

ricocheted off their armor, falling uselessly to the ground.

Danielle’s eyes widened. ‘Are they wearing full-body

armor?"

She holstered her gun, drew her dagger, and dashed

forward. She slashed across one soldier’s chest, but the

blade barely left a scratch. These were no ordinary

enemies.

“Mom, Dad, Xavier—get back!" she ordered as one of the

masked figures lunged for her heart with an iron fist.

If the punch landed, she’d be dead for sure.

"Danielle, look out!" her father cried, his face pale. Her

mother, Vivian, was crying helplessly, desperate to do

something but feeling powerless.

----

In that instant, Danielle reached out and blocked the blow.

The impact pushed her back several steps, and she

stumbled.

These creatures were indestructible, impervious to blades

and bullets alike. At this rate, she’d be worn down to

nothing.

----

Danielle studi@d them as they

continued teattack. There was no

sign of selfawareness in their

move s. Only one weak spat

seemed apparent—their heads¢the

orbyares not covered by arnaor.

----

Without thinking, she bolted forward,

aiming sttaight for one soldier’s oO

head. But j ust as she was aboutto

strike-the soldier dodged with

speed that made her eyes widen in

shack.

----

‘How the hell were they so fast?’ she thought.

Other soldiers were already targeting Howard and the

others. Their speed was terrifying—Danielle feared they’d

snap their necks in the blink of an eye.

She rushed to her parents’ side, delivering a powerful

sidekick that sent one soldier crashing to the ground. Butnoveldrama

now, the soldiers were surrounding them, closing in.

The soldiers formed a tight circle, trapping them in an iron-

like grip. Danielle’s eyes flashed with cold fury.

With a flick of her wrist, a flurry of silver needles shot out,

hitting the pressure points of the soldiers. One by one, they

froze in place.

Danielle seized the opportunity, grabbing two vials from her

bag. "Mom, Dad, Xavier—cover your noses and mouths,"

she instructed.

----

The moment the vials were mixed, she flung the powder

into the air.

The soldiers staggered, their movements sluggish. Seizing

the chance, Danielle led her family through the gap in the

encirclement.

"Stay hidden. Don’t let them see you. I’ll take care of them,”

she said, her eyes cold and deadly.

She had no idea what these

creatures wee, but one thing was

certain—they were immuneto =-™

conventiGnal weapons. Someones

was ng the strings behind I this,

and.she had a feeling that this ‘cave

wayne trap meant to leadthem all

Héte.