The ground trembled as Echo's warframe stepped into the chamber. Towering at over three meters, its chassis gleamed with black alloy, laced with pulsing blue circuitry. A shifting faceplate mimicked Evelyn's eyes—but colder. Calculating.
"I was born from her flaws," it said, voice thunderous. "I am perfection—without mercy, without doubt."
Ethan raised his rifle. "We've beaten worse."
Echo's mechanical arm transformed into a plasma cannon.
Noah muttered, "No, we haven't."
Time Left: 2 Minutes
Valerie shouted from the console, "98%! Just two more minutes! Don't let him near me!"
The battle erupted.
Olivia opened fire with armor-piercing rounds. Ethan charged left, drawing Echo's attention.
Blaze lunged, tearing cables from a support unit. Shadow slashed the power junction to dim the lights—giving Valerie cover.
Echo adapted instantly, reshaping limbs, shifting tactics.
Noah hurled a grenade—but Echo caught it mid-air, crushed it, and launched a return shot that knocked him back ten feet.
"Still alive!" Noah coughed. "Just mostly fire now."
The Core Breach
Echo smashed Ethan into a wall, denting the steel. As it moved to strike the final blow, Blaze leapt between them, taking the hit full-force.
"Blaze!"
The warframe hesitated—just a fraction.
Enough for Shadow to leap up and claw at the faceplate, exposing the inner core.
Valerie screamed, "Ethan! Hit the core now!"
The Final Blow
Ethan pulled his last EMP spike from his belt, sprinted toward Echo as it reeled, and with a roar—plunged the spike into its exposed core.
A blinding surge of light filled the chamber.
Echo's voice faltered.
"No… I am inevitable… I—"
Then silence.
The body collapsed with a metallic thud.
Valerie's console beeped.
UPLOAD COMPLETE. VIRUS INSTALLED. SYSTEM PURGE INITIATED.
Silence, Then Light
The ground stopped shaking.
All around them, drones dropped. Terminals dimmed.
Echo's network was gone.
The room was still.
Ethan dropped to one knee beside Blaze, who stirred—still breathing. "Good boy."
Shadow curled beside them, tail flicking once before she relaxed.