Rain lashed the van as it tore through New Haven's outskirts, the safehouse's distress signal a relentless pulse in Alex Mercer's ears. The three Valor orbs glowed dimly in his lap, their shield fraying under Zenith Corp's dark grid, activated by Kael in the catacombs. His parents, Daniel and Elena, were trapped at the bunker with Laura, under siege. Maya clutched her wounded shoulder beside him, her face pale but fierce. Fae drove, her bio-tech scars glinting, while Jace rigged a drone in the back, his leg bandaged but hands steady. Alex's arm throbbed from Kael's blade, but fear for his family burned hotter.
"Five minutes out," Fae said, swerving past debris. "Zenith's hitting hard—drones, ground troops."
Alex synced the orbs, the holo flickering—a coastal base blinked, Kael's shuttle heading there. "She's got the prototype's core," he said, voice tight. "But we save the safehouse first."
Maya nodded, staff ready. "Marcus'll hold—he's tough."
Jace grunted, arming the drone. "Barely. They're outnumbered."
The safehouse emerged through the storm—a concrete bunker nestled in a ravine, its defenses ablaze. Zenith drones strafed the roof, plasma scorching steel, while suited troops battered the gates. Marcus's voice crackled over comms: "We're pinned! Get here now!"
Fae floored it, ramming a drone mid-air. "Hang on!" she yelled, as the van skidded into the fray. Alex leapt out, staff crackling, stunning a Zenith guard. Maya followed, her strikes precise despite pain, while Fae's blade carved a bloody path. Jace launched the drone, its stun rounds scattering drones above.
"Core room!" Alex shouted, sprinting for the entrance. Inside, the bunker shook—lights flickered, walls cracked. Agents fought desperately, blood and sparks mixing. Marcus stood at the core, pistol blazing, a gash across his brow. Laura fired beside him, her calm unshaken.
"Alex!" Elena called, helping Daniel barricade a door. Their eyes met, relief and fear colliding.
"Hold the line!" Marcus barked, dropping a suit. "They're after Valor!"
Alex synced the orbs, a pulse rippling out—Zenith's drones faltered, but their grid pressed harder, New Haven's shield buckling on the holo. "They're draining us," he said, panic rising. "We need to counter it."
Laura tossed him a datachip. "Override code—plug it in, boost the shield!"
He dove for the console, dodging a plasma bolt. The chip clicked in, Valor's signal surging—New Haven's grid stabilized, pushing back the dark pulse. But Zenith troops breached the hall, led by a new figure—a towering man in a sleek exosuit, his voice a low growl: "Give us the orbs, Mercer."
Fae lunged, blade clashing with his armored fist. "Try me, tin can!" She was fast, but he hurled her into a wall, cracking stone. Maya stunned his leg, slowing him, while Alex swung, staff sparking off the suit.
"Keep him busy!" Marcus yelled, rallying agents. Daniel and Elena joined, their rifles unsteady but defiant, buying Alex time.
He worked frantically, rerouting Valor's power. The orbs blazed, a shockwave erupting—Zenith's troops staggered, their exosuit leader stumbling. "Now!" Alex shouted, as Jace's drone dive-bombed, exploding in a stun burst.
The leader retreated, his troops dragging wounded. "This isn't over," he snarled, vanishing into the rain. The bunker quieted, save for the hum of Valor and ragged breaths.
Marcus slumped, blood dripping. "Nice save, kid."
Laura checked the holo. "Shield's holding—for now. But Kael's core is active."
Alex's heart sank. "Coastal base—she's there."
Elena gripped his arm, voice fierce. "You can stop her, Alex."
Daniel nodded, weary but proud. "We're with you—always."
Fae staggered up, smirking despite bruises. "Round two, then. Let's crash her party."
They patched up fast—med-gel for Marcus, a sling for Maya. Alex synced Valor, the coastal base's signal sharpening—a fortified rig off the shore, Kael's stronghold. "She's building the prototype," he said, dread coiling. "If it goes live—"
"City's hers," Jace finished, grim.
Marcus rallied the team—ten agents, battered but ready. "Small strike—hit the rig, take the core."
As they prepped, a holo flickered—Kael, her icy gaze piercing. "Mercer, your shield's a flicker. Surrender, or New Haven burns in twelve hours."
The feed cut. Alex's fists clenched. "She's bluffing."
"Or not," Fae said, blade gleaming. "Let's find out."
The van rolled out, sea air sharp as they neared the coast. The rig loomed—a steel fortress on stilts, waves crashing below. Drones patrolled, lights glinting off turrets. Alex synced Valor, cloaking their approach, but a chill hit him—the orbs flickered, a new signal interfering.
"Trap," Maya whispered, staff tight.
"Always is," Fae replied, grinning.
They boarded a skiff, cutting through choppy waves. Halfway, the water erupted—submersible drones, Zenith's trap sprung. "Brace!" Alex yelled, as a drone rammed them, the skiff tilting. He swung, stunning its hull, but another fired, grazing Jace.
Fae dove into the surf, blade slicing a drone's core. Maya pulled Jace aboard, blood soaking his leg. "We're exposed!" she shouted.
Alex synced Valor, a desperate pulse frying the drones—but the orbs dimmed, nearly spent. The rig loomed closer, Kael's silhouette visible on a platform. "Welcome, Mercer," her voice boomed.
Then a holo flared—Daniel, patched through, voice urgent: "Alex, the safehouse—Zenith's back, with something new. It's not Kael's rig—it's a decoy!"
Alex froze, the skiff rocking. Kael laughed, her trap clear. The real fight was behind them—and they'd walked right into it.