Astraea pushed herself off the carved stone slab. The dark fissures across her pale skin flashed with a violent, unstable violet light.​"I do not submit to terrestrial organisms," Astraea declared.​She slammed her bare palm against the ancient altar. The kinetic shockwave bypassed Silas completely and struck the structural supports of the cavern.​Massive stalactites detached from the ceiling. Heavy basalt boulders rained down around them, shaking the very foundation of the earth's crust.​The falling rocks violently crushed the remaining titanium fragments of the Zero-Day engine into flat scrap metal.​Silas sidestepped a falling boulder. He kept his gray eyes locked entirely on her fluctuating body.​Astraea forced her quantum synapses to fire through the agonizing pain. A new, jagged blade of pure starlight materialized rapidly in her right hand.​The weapon hissed, burning the oxygen out of the surrounding air. The ambient temperature fluctuated wildly between absolute zero and

The heavy steel doors of the Aegis Sanctum buckled inward with a loud, metallic screech.​Dust rained from the cracked ceiling. Emergency lights flickered, casting a red glow over the lobby.​Rex wiped blood from his jaw. He slammed a fresh thermal cartridge into his plasma rifle.​"They breached the outer perimeter," Rex reported, his bionic arm whirring loudly. "The automated turrets are completely offline."​Seraphina stood beside him, fingers hovering over her dual silver blades.​"Hold the line," Seraphina ordered.​Through the ruined glass entrance, dozens of heavily armored mechas surrounded the facility. The giant robotic suits aimed their rotary cannons directly at the front doors.​A man in a pristine military uniform stepped from behind the tactical shields. He held a digital megaphone.​"This is General Kaelen of the Global Defense Council," his voice boomed over the speakers. "Your leader is dead."​Rex gritted his teeth. He leveled his rifle at the general's chest.​"The