The skies above Earth trembled. A rippling wave of cosmic static split the clouds as something massive descended through the atmosphere.
Kael stood in the middle of the city street, his eyes sharp, his breath steady. Veyra landed beside him in a flash of crystalline light, her aura shimmering faintly. Orion and Lyra emerged from the far end of the street, both already in motion, scanning the sky.
A deafening BOOM split the air as the colossal form of Hammerstrike landed with crushing force, pavement cracking beneath his feet.
The crimson-plated war machine rose to full height, towering over the buildings. His glowing mechanical eyes locked onto the team, energy surging through his gauntlets.
"Threat detected. Eliminate."
Without hesitation, Hammerstrike launched a barrage of laser blasts searing beams of red energy tearing through cars and structures alike.
Kael grabbed Veyra's hand, pulling her clear of a collapsing wall.
"Stay sharp!" Kael called. "He's not just brute force he's tactical."
Lyra blurred into motion, leaving afterimages as she raced toward the titan. Her blades met Hammerstrike's armored arm with a ringing clash but the impact barely dented the plating.
"Pathetic." Hammerstrike swung one massive fist, sending a shockwave through the street. Lyra flipped away mid-air.
Orion surged forward next, his fists wrapped in cosmic force. He slammed a punch into Hammerstrike's side cracking the armor but the war machine countered instantly, grabbing Orion and hurling him across the block.
Veyra unleashed a wave of crystalline flame, cutting off Hammerstrike's advance. The beast halted for a moment, analyzing.
Hidden atop a rooftop, Zevak observed, hands glowing as he activated a tactical array.
"Calculating weak points… recalibrating resonance pulses…"
With a gesture, he launched an unseen pulse at Hammerstrike disrupting the machine's targeting systems.
"Hit him now!" Zevak's voice echoed through the team's comms.
Kael darted forward, faster than before, adrenaline surging through him. A faint, silver-white light crackled along his arms. Veyra followed, her crystalline aura growing brighter.
Their attacks struck in unison Kael's punch meeting Veyra's blazing kick forcing Hammerstrike back a full step.
"Impressive… beginning adaptive response."
Suddenly, Hammerstrike's gauntlets ignited with pure kinetic energy. He brought both fists down in a Hammerfall Slam a shockwave so massive it shattered nearby windows and cracked the ground for blocks.
The team scattered.
Kael and Veyra landed side by side, breathing hard. Kael glanced at her, seeing the faint shimmer of something… awakening in her aura.
"Did you feel that?" he asked quietly.
Veyra nodded. "It's like… something's trying to break through."
Meanwhile, Orion stood, bruised but grinning. "He hits hard. I hit harder."
Lyra wiped a trickle of blood from her lip, eyes narrowing. "We need to sync up."
Zevak's voice came through again. "Team his core reactor is unstable. Keep pressure on him I can trigger a shutdown if we create an opening."
Kael's eyes blazed with determination. "Then we fight together."
The team surged forward, moving in harmony their attacks coordinated, their bond as a unit beginning to form.
For the first time since the invasion, Earth's defenders stood as one and the true strength of the Cosmic Tyrants was about to be forged in battle.
END CHAPTER 3