Ava's system pinged hard—so hard it burned white-hot across her vision.
[ALERT: HEAT TRAIL DETECTED – MASS DISPLACEMENT INBOUND][SIGNATURE: ARMORED UNIT / TIER 3 FUSION ENGINE][TRAJECTORY MATCH: PURSUIT – LOCK CONFIRMED]
"Lucas," Ava snapped. "We've got a problem."
He didn't look up. "What kind?"
"The kind with treads and a fusion core. Incoming tank."
Lucas's eyes flicked left—just enough to confirm.
A second later, he turned toward Cassi, voice clipped.
"Drive. Fast."
"Oh, now you care about speed—"
"Now, Cassi."
The hummer jolted forward with a snarl of protest, tearing into the broken road like it was trying to outrun the end of the world. Behind them, Ava caught a blur of motion—shimmering heat, fractured pavement, and a low, mechanical rumble that grew fast.
Lucas threw open the side door before the wind could argue and dropped out mid-motion.
"Lucas—what the hell!" Ava shouted, grabbing for the door as it slammed shut behind him.
