The four Sentinels advanced as one, synchronized in motion like components of a single will. The ground quaked beneath their steps, and the very air around them shimmered with distortion. Each movement radiated precision. They weren't just machines—they were hunters. Designed not only to defend, but to erase.
The one with the halberd swung its weapon in a wide arc, unleashing a ripple of force that cracked the floor between them. The impact alone nearly knocked Vasili off his feet at the rear of the chamber.
Alexander reacted instantly. His shadow spear shattered into tendrils that coiled into a barrier, absorbing the blast. The shadows writhed violently, struggling against the pressure. He twisted his wrist, and the tendrils reformed, lunging outward like serpents. They struck the nearest Sentinel, wrapping around its limbs to immobilize.
Noctis flanked from the left, flickering into existence behind the floating figure. His blade carved downward—only to pass through an afterimage. The Sentinel blinked away mid-strike, reappearing directly above him and unleashing a concussive pulse. The blast sent him spiraling down into the stone floor below, cracking it open on impact.
"Noctis!" Alexander called, eyes scanning.
"I'm fine!" came the reply, though it was strained.
Alexander hurled himself into the fray, colliding with the second Sentinel mid-charge. His fist, cloaked in condensed shadow, smashed through its arm guard. Sparks flew. The Sentinel retaliated with a jab of violet light, grazing his ribs. Pain seared across his side, but he kept moving, twisting with the blow and slamming a counterpunch into the Sentinel's chest.
"Vasili!" he barked. "What are we dealing with?"
Vasili ducked behind a console, barely avoiding a burst of shattered stone. Data streamed faster across his handheld device. "Four different combat protocols. They're guarding something—probably the core's true function. I can shut them down, but I need time!"
"Then we buy you that time," Alexander snapped, shielding Vasili with a wall of shadow that absorbed a volley of plasma bolts.
Noctis rose from the rubble, blood trailing down the side of his face. His cloak fluttered in tatters. "I'm good. Mostly." He vanished again, blinking behind the halberd Sentinel to strike its spine.
Alexander darted between attacks, his instincts sharpened beyond mortal limits. His mind raced with every movement. He began noticing patterns. Every Sentinel, despite its unique fighting style, obeyed a collective rhythm. They moved like one organism, following a sequence.
"Disrupt the cycle!" he shouted. "Throw off their sync!"
Noctis created a phantom image of himself using shadow mimicry, drawing the attention of two Sentinels. They launched into a synchronized strike—only to realize too late that they'd targeted an illusion. Their attacks collided midair, staggering both.
Alexander seized the opening. He surged through the gap and tackled the unarmed Sentinel with the mask-like plate in its chest. His shadow-covered fist punched into the core with brutal force.
A shudder passed through the facility. The walls groaned, and the floating obelisks flickered. The countdown hovering above the sphere froze in place.
The Sentinel spasmed, energy rippling out from its core like a dying sun.
Vasili's voice rang out, half-shouted. "That one's the control node!"
"Then finish it!" Alexander roared.
The remaining Sentinels launched into motion—desperate. The halberd swept down in a blinding arc. The floating figure unleashed a wave of magnetic force, pulling debris and metal into a shield. The third unleashed a beam of focused heat that carved a trench across the chamber.
Alexander summoned every ounce of his power.
The shadows responded—not with chaos, but with clarity. They surged upward, spiraling like a cyclone around him. Tendrils sharpened into lances. Armor plated itself across his limbs.
He thrust both hands forward—and the darkness enveloped the control Sentinel.
There was no scream.
Only a burst of white light.
It spread across the chamber like a wave. The light erased sound for a moment. Then came silence.
When it faded, all four Sentinels stood frozen—locked mid-motion, eyes dim, weapons stilled.
Smoke drifted from Alexander's back as he stumbled to one knee, breathing hard.
"It's done," Vasili confirmed, scanning furiously. "System… reset. Signal disruption contained. Satellites stable."
Noctis reappeared beside Alexander, catching him before he collapsed entirely.
Alexander looked at the still Sentinels. "We're not alone in this anymore. Someone's watching us. Someone knows."
Before Vasili could respond, the projection overhead shifted again.
This time, it wasn't alien.
It was human.
A red skull insignia flickered on the display.
The HYDRA symbol.
It pulsed once—mockingly—before vanishing into static.
Alexander's fists clenched. "They were watching."
Vasili stared at the interface in horror. "They're inside. The override wasn't alien. It came from Earth."
Alexander's breath slowed as his gaze swept the dark chamber. "This place… wasn't just hidden. It was repurposed."
Noctis looked toward one of the walls, where a hidden panel had partially opened during the fight. Inside was a decayed SHIELD crate—its emblem barely visible, slashed and marked by a different insignia overlayed crudely.
"Hacked. Long ago," Noctis said grimly.
Alexander approached the crate, brushing the dust away. "They knew about this place before we ever came. And they've been using it. Watching what wakes up."
A deep silence followed.
Outside, the jet roared to life on auto-pilot.
From the edge of the canyon, hidden among the rocks, a figure in black tactical armor lowered a high-powered communicator. His eyes narrowed.
"Target confirmed," he said into the device. "He survived."
His voice was cold.
Measured.
Familiar.
The wind howled.
End of Chapter 90
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