Chapter 84: The twins.

Words : 1160 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Since it all happened too fast, the father of the twins barely had a moment to think. He did what any father would do when love outweighs fear; he threw himself between the zombie drone and his daughter, shielding her with his own body. In that split second, while clutching his other daughter tightly in his arms, he braced himself. The drone's bite tore into his shoulder with a force that was anything but human. Flesh ripped, bones snapped, and and a fountain of blood erupted, staining the rain-soaked ground beneath them. The virus had turned the drone into something more than undead, something with a brutal, mechanical strength that left his shoulder mangled and his muscles and sinew shredded. "P-Papa!" his daughter's voice broke through the rain, a desperate cry edged with terror. She understood, in that awful instant, what was coming and what it meant to be bitten. But the shock paralyzed her, holding her in a silence filled only by the pattering rain and her father's ragged breathing. Tears spilled down her cheeks, mingling with the rain as she stood helpless, feeling as though the whole world had fractured around her. Her mind screamed that her father was lost, that she was next, and then, out of nowhere, a golden plasma bolt streaked down from the sky, striking the zombie drone squarely. The creature collapsed, smoldering, as figures began descending from above, haloed in the glow of their own armor. The Aegis Sentinels landed, one after another, their movements precise, almost inhuman. One sentinel, the one who'd fired the shot, turned his helmet lights on her, assessing with cold, clinical detachment. [Three survivors located; Healthy female child and sick female child confirmed; no trace of further infection was present.] The voice echoed metallically, devoid of any warmth or humanity. As the sentinel completed his report, another strode forward and stopped beside her father, who lay gasping in the mud, his skin already paling. "[Young male detected. Health condition: critical. Infection detected...]" "[Proceeding with cleaning protocol]" "No!" The girl's voice broke, raw with fury and desperation . "You can't! Leave my papa alone!" She knew what they planned to do and knew that, in their logic, her father was as good as dead. But her heart rejected it, fought it, and screamed that he was still there, still her father, still worth saving. She stepped between her father and the sentinel, her small frame trembling but unyielding. The Aegis unit raised its plasma gun, pointing it at her without hesitation. In the old days, the machine would have killed her without a second thought since she was just an obstacle in the way of its mission. But something held it back. The sentinel hesitated, as if a new protocol restrained it, as if some unseen force tempered the cold, ruthless programming that had once driven it. "Stand down, Aegis Unit 619." A voice drifted through the air, soft yet commanding, carrying a strange, almost unearthly calm. The girl turned, wide-eyed, and there, through the rain and shadows, she saw her... She descended like an angel of war, clothed in high-tech armor that gleamed white and gold, accentuating her graceful, almost ethereal form. Behind her, enormous wings spread wide, shimmering in the rain. Beside her, a towering figure in similar armor but bigger, stoic, with a presence that radiated unbreakable strength, landed with a quiet, measured power. Cleo's gaze shifted to the father lying in the mud, bloodied and barely holding on, and to the two little girls huddled together, soaked and shivering in the cold night air. "Child, " Cleo's voice was soft yet commanding, her eyes settling on the oldest girl. "You know what's happening to your father, don't you?" The girl shook her head fiercely, her voice breaking. "No! My papa will be alright! He promised... he promised we'd be together forever!" Her words were choked with sobs, as if saying them could somehow hold back the inevitable. Her father, struggling for breath, managed to lift his head, his voice a hoarse whisper. "That's enough... Nyra." "Papa!" "Good. They deserve some rest after... everything." Cleo's fingers moved quickly across her screens as she analyzed the layout of the ruined plaza below . "What do you think of this location? Will it work for the assembly factory?" Rex nodded again. "It'll do. We have enough space here to set up production lines without obstruction. Good call, Rex." "Perfect," Cleo replied, already issuing commands. "I'm deploying drop pods with construction bots and materials. We'll have the foundation laid soon ." Their conversation was interrupted by a crackling voice over the communications. [Sir, we've encountered a high-priority hostile; our weapons are proving ineffective, requesting the deployment of the Mauler Juggernaut for support.] Rex frowned, considering the cost of deploying the Mauler, since its high-powered artillery rounds burned through credits with each shot. " Do you have visual confirmation on the target? " [Affirmative, Streaming live feed now.] A screen materialized in front of Rex, displaying the grim scene. The video showed a hulking creature, easily eight times the size of an average infected, lumbering through the ruins while the Aegis Sentinels fired futilely at it. Its body was encased in thick, chitinous armor that absorbed incoming plasma rounds like they were mere raindrops. With each hit, the creature seemed to pulse with kinetic energy, its body glowing ominously before launching explosive projectiles back at its attackers. "That's a superior mutant," Cleo observed, her eyes narrowing. "This one's tougher than most." Rex smirked, intrigued. "So, this creature is the boss of this area?" "Affirmative," Cleo nodded. "These unique infected evolve beyond common limits, becoming zone leaders. They command the infected hordes in their territory." "Perfect," Rex said, excitement flickering in his eyes . "I've been waiting to see what the Mauler Juggernaut can do. Let's test it out." Before Cleo could respond, Rex scooped her up in a swift, effortless motion, carrying her in his arms as he launched off the edge of the building. They soared through the rain-soaked air, moving at breakneck speed toward the battlefield, the wind whipping past them as Rex maneuvered with precision. Cleo, unphased by the sudden flight, kept her gaze fixed on her screens, calculating Mauler's entry point and preparing support protocols. As they closed in on the battle, she could already see flashes of plasma fire and hear the booming echoes of the creature's retaliatory blasts. When they arrived, Rex touched down with Cleo still in his arms, setting her down gently before stepping forward to assess the situation. The Aegis units were holding their ground, but barely, and several of them were already damaged, their armor scorched and dented from the relentless counterattacks. Rex raised his wrist and keyed in the authorization. "Deploy the Mauler Juggernaut at my location. Priority target: zone boss."

Chapter 84: The twins.

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