The silence in the arena was deafening. The Executioner’s hulking frame lay motionless on the ground, its glowing red eyes dimmed to black. The conduits beneath the arena floor, once pulsing with ominous energy, now flickered weakly, their hum fading into eerie quiet.
Tempo sat on the ground, his body trembling with exhaustion. Blood stained the side of his torn shirt, and each breath felt like fire in his lungs. Greg stood beside him, his usual smirk replaced by a rare look of quiet concern.
“Think you’ve had enough excitement for one day?” Greg asked, offering Tempo a hand.
Tempo looked up, his exhaustion melting into a weak grin as he grabbed Greg’s hand and was pulled to his feet. “I’m not sure how you manage to fight like that without breaking a sweat.”
Greg shrugged, the smirk creeping back. “Years of practice. And naps.”
Above them, the arena lights began to dim, casting the massive battleground in deepening shadows. The murmurs of the confused crowd grew louder, their cheers of excitement turning to uneasy chatter.
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Cora’s fingers flew across her tablet as she monitored the energy fluctuations. Her sharp eyes flicked between the schematics she had hacked from the Syndicate’s network and the live feed of the conduits. The system was shutting down faster than she’d anticipated.
“We need to move,” she muttered, her voice steady despite the tension. “Whatever’s powering this place is rigged to reset, and I don’t want to be here when it does.”
“Is it safe to pull them out now?” a voice crackled in her earpiece.
“No,” Cora replied, her tone clipped. “Not until we’ve collected enough data. Tempo and Greg can handle themselves for a bit longer.”
Her hand froze as an unfamiliar symbol flashed on her screen—a triangular emblem with a jagged slash through it. The sight of it sent a chill down her spine, and her thoughts immediately went to Sylvia. What is this?
She hesitated, her hand brushing the earpiece as a faint tremble worked its way into her voice. “Guys, be careful in there. Something doesn’t feel right.”
A loud crash echoed through her earpiece, snapping her back to the mission.
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Greg and Tempo hadn’t made it far before the ground trembled beneath their feet.
“Tell me that’s not the reset Cora was talking about,” Tempo said, glancing nervously at the flickering conduits.
Greg’s eyes narrowed. “Doubt it. Feels like something else.”
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A low, mechanical rumble echoed through the arena, growing louder with each passing second. Greg turned toward the source of the noise, his body instinctively tensing.
From the shadows emerged a hulking figure, even larger than the Executioner. This one gleamed with pristine, blackened armor, its glowing red core pulsing like a heartbeat. Its face was a smooth, expressionless plate save for two slits where eyes should have been, glowing with the same malevolent light.
“Great,” Greg muttered. “It’s got a sibling.”
Tempo staggered into a defensive stance, his fists clenched. “I thought we took out the power!”
“Guess they had backup,” Greg replied, his tone calm but his posture alert.
The Sentinel moved with unnerving grace, its footsteps silent despite its massive frame. Tendrils of energy arced from the conduits into its core, its glow intensifying.
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The shadowy figure observed the scene below with a cold smile. “The Sentinel,” they murmured. “A bit premature to activate it, but necessary. Let’s see how well they fare.”
The subordinate at their side hesitated. “But if it fails—”
“It won’t,” the figure interrupted sharply. “The Sentinel is not like the others. This one is... special.”
They folded their hands, their voice softening as though addressing an unseen audience. “Years of work, countless resources... I won’t let them destroy this prototype.”
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The Sentinel lunged forward, faster than anything Greg or Tempo had faced before. Its serrated blades slashed through the air, forcing the two heroes to scatter.
Tempo’s vision blurred as he activated his second power again, his body protesting with every movement. The world slowed, and he darted to the side, barely avoiding the Sentinel’s strike. He retaliated with a rapid flurry of punches to its side, but his blows barely scratched its pristine armor.
The Sentinel turned toward Tempo, its glowing eyes narrowing. It raised an arm, a panel sliding open to reveal a glowing energy cannon.
“Tempo, move!” Greg shouted.
The blast erupted with a deafening roar, forcing Tempo to dive for cover as the cannon’s energy ripped through the ground. The heat singed the air, leaving scorch marks in its wake.
Greg seized the opening, rushing toward the Sentinel. He ducked beneath its swinging blades and slammed his fist into the glowing core on its chest. The impact sent a ripple of energy through the hybrid, but instead of faltering, it retaliated.
The Sentinel’s core absorbed Greg’s strike, glowing brighter as the energy seemed to strengthen it. It lashed out with its blades, forcing Greg to backpedal.
“Okay,” Greg muttered, breathing heavily. “This thing’s tougher than I thought.”
Tempo panted, his hands on his knees. “What kind of plan do you have now?”
Greg’s gaze flicked to the conduits, their flickering light hinting at their connection to the Sentinel. “We shut it down at the source,” he said. “Cora, if you’re listening, we could use some help figuring out where to hit.”
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Back at her station, Cora’s mind raced as she pieced together the data on her screen. Her fingers flew across the tablet, isolating the Sentinel’s connection to the conduits.
“Got it,” she said into the earpiece, her tone laced with urgency. “Greg, the Sentinel is pulling energy directly from Node Three. If you sever the link, it’ll lose power—but you’ll need to act fast. The connection is self-repairing.”
Greg’s smirk returned. “Fast, huh? Lucky for me, I brought someone good at that.”
He glanced at Tempo, who groaned but nodded. “Fine. I’m on it.”
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To Be Continued...
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