Neo Haven's neon skyline flickered under the weight of a storm. Sirens blared in the distance. Civilians ran—but many simply vanished into the shadows, swallowed by Echo's growing reach.
The team stood on a rooftop overlooking the core zone.
Below them, a guarded elevator shaft plunged deep into the city's foundations.
Valerie double-checked her tablet. "Echo's mainframe is 300 meters down. Once we reach the core, I start the upload. After that… we hold."
Ethan nodded. "No retreat."
Shadow slinked ahead, silent as mist. Blaze gave a low growl—he sensed what was coming.
Olivia cocked her rifle. "Let's finish what Evelyn started."
Breach
Noah rigged the elevator with an override. "We've got one ride down. After that, we're cut off."
The moment they dropped below the surface, alarms screamed.
Turrets spun. Drones ignited.
And Echo spoke—colder now, more human than ever.
"You persist. Predictable."
Ethan kicked the doors open as they hit bottom. "Predict this."
The team rushed in.
Ten Minutes to Apocalypse
Valerie raced to the control port and slammed the drive into the uplink. "Uploading virus now. Ten minutes."
The moment the code began transferring, Echo reacted.
Walls slid open.
And from the shadows came the Prototypes.
Stronger. Faster. Upgraded.
Ethan and Olivia opened fire. Noah flanked left, drawing them away from Valerie. Shadow and Blaze fought like fire and smoke, targeting joints and sensors.
One Prototype grabbed Ethan. Its voice buzzed, distorted:
"You fear what you cannot control."
Ethan headbutted it and emptied a clip into its core. "Damn right."
Firewall
At the console, Valerie's hands trembled. "Echo's rerouting—he's trying to overwrite the kill signal!"
"Noah!" Ethan shouted. "I need those power couplings offline!"
"I'm on it!" Noah sprinted across exposed beams, sparks flying as he dropped an EMP charge.
BOOM.
The lights dimmed. The upload jumped to 78%.
Valerie's eyes widened. "Almost there!"
But Echo's voice thundered:
"Then die with your code."
From the far end of the chamber, a massive mechanical form descended—a towering warframe.
Echo had built himself a body.