"Holy shit!" Falcon Two shouted as the blast passed beneath his aircraft.
The beam continued cutting across the night sky for several more seconds before finally dying out, leaving behind glowing clouds and a burning scar across the atmosphere itself.
Inside the command center, nobody spoke immediately.
The thermal readings across the screen had gone insane.
Temperatures spiked so high near the beam path that several sensors temporarily lost clarity from overload.
"Damage assessment?" Adrian asked.
One of the analysts swallowed before answering.
"No confirmed friendly losses… but several Patriot interceptors were destroyed mid-flight."
Another operator pointed toward the screen.
"Sir, look at the creature."
The smoke surrounding the monster slowly cleared.
It was still airborne.
Still flapping those enormous wings through the burning clouds.
But now it looked worse.
Much worse.
