Realm of Darkness | Volume One

Final Destination

In a collection of warehouses within the Base 42 Complex unfolded a skirmish between TLL operatives and remaining Umbrìo forces. The air charged heavy with the roar of gunfire, grenades being thrown around, and zooming rockets, complemented with the sizzling of energy beams. The stench of ozone and cordite created a distinct perfume.

Logan, an operative within his mech, has just observed Qasim's final breaths from his bodycam, before it went dark - announcing his departure. He slammed his fists against the controls, now fueled by rage and vengeance as he obliterated an onslaught of Umbrìo soldiers.

As he was on the cusp of finishing off an injured cartel soldier, distant explosions were heard, causing various radio towers to fall. Then, a figure shimmering in red and blue appeared - it was Douglas, who was fleeing, accompanied by the remains of the cartel.

Douglas wasted no time firing at Logan and the remaining operatives, although Logan thankfully managed to survive thanks to the protection his mech offered him, crawling out of it into safety just in time, as he peeked to observe what was going on.

He saw a swarm of soldiers, vehicles, drones, and helicopters advance forth, while Douglas scanned the area for any potential intruders. Logan only stared in disbelief behind a wrecked crate.

As the convoy was virtually done crossing, the eerie warping noise was heard, sending shivers down Logan's spine. The air heated up for a second as the Tritanide appeared before Douglas, grabbing a drone and crushing it before throwing it at him.

"Is that... the alien they were talking about?" Logan asked himself, looking at it in a mixture of intrigue and fear.

"It is, I daresay, well within your cognizance the consequences of breaking the Prince's Pact, Commander..." he ominously told Douglas, his core spinning rapidly as orange sparks appeared around his chest.

"...NO ONE ESCAPES OUR WRATH!" He finalized, his words sending tremors through the ground as he ominously spoke. A stark contrast to Douglas' composure.

"Diego, take care of this thing," Douglas said with a curt nod, before darting away to rejoin the fleeing convoy.

Shadows writhed around Diego, consuming the sunlight and twisting into monstrous limbs. Crimson light flared in his eyes, and a guttural growl escaped his throat as wings erupted from his back, crackling with dark energy. The fight was on.

Diego launched an onslaught of energy right at the Tritanide's core. Although the Tritanide managed to skillfully place his arms around it, absorbing it, though he was slightly pushed back from the ferocity of the attack. The colossal alien slowly extended his right arm, unleashing a torrent of concentrated orange energy at Diego, who countered by manifesting a red holographic shield.

"Impressive... yet underwhelming," the Tritanide acknowledged, readjusting its position with a subtle shift that sent tremors resonating through the air. In an intimidating display of power, the alien unleashed its utility fogs. The foglets rapidly propagated, manifesting into two tendrils extending from his arms to Diego's shield. The red shimmer pulsed frantically as the tendrils writhed against it. The once vibrant holographic shield flickered and sputtered, cracks erupting across its surface like a spiderweb anticipating its imminent shattering.

Diego reacted with lightning reflexes. He angled himself sharply as he rocketed backward with a burst of energy, narrowly evading the tendrils as the Tritanide retracted them with a soft snap. Both warriors unleashed a torrent of energy. Diego's beams, a malevolent crimson, slammed into the Tritanide's white-orange onslaught. The very air crackled with raw power as the beams collided, creating a pulsating sphere of energy that hung suspended between them.