The subway tunnel trembled with distant energy — not mechanical, not electrical.
Something else.Something bigger.
APEX crackled violently in Kayden's vision.
"Commander—Citadel Recovery Team closing in.Commencing environmental override in—7… 6… 5—"
"Wait— what override?!" Alex shouted, voice cracking.
Phineas's tablet flickered back to life for one horrifying second.
A single message displayed across the screen:
ASCENDANT CITADEL:BLACKOUT PROTOCOL — ACTIVE.
Then the screen died.
Alex staggered back."BLACKOUT WHAT?! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!"
Before anyone could respond—
The entire world above them went silent.
Not quiet.
Silent.
The distant hum of the city?Gone.
The vibrations of passing trains?Gone.
The low-frequency electrical buzz every human is used to hearing subconsciously?Gone.
Phineas's breath hitched."Kayden… this is impossible. Cities don't go THAT quiet. Not even during a full grid failure."
APEX pulsed with a terrified light.
"Blackout Protocol disables ALL surface-level signal pathways.Communications: null.Traffic control: null.Civilian networks: null.SRD systems: null."
Alex blinked rapidly."Wait— wait— SRD's systems too?! They're shutting EVERYTHING down?!"
APEX stuttered.
"Correction:Not shutting down everything.Shutting down everything… except access routes to YOU."
Kayden felt his chest tighten.
"APEX… how wide is the blackout radius?"
APEX hesitated — which was worse than any clear answer.
"One-point-eight kilometers… expanding.Growth rate: accelerating."
Phineas inhaled sharply.
"A two-kilometer shutdown radius?! That's not a recovery team—that's a capture zone.The Citadel is isolating your entire sector."
Alex's voice cracked into panic.
"But people live up there! Cars! Hospitals! Everything— they're just— shutting it ALL off because of Kayden?!"
Phineas whispered, horrified:
"Alex… the Citadel does not care about collateral."
Then—
BOOM.
A distant explosion shook dust loose from the tunnel ceiling.
Phineas's eyes blew wide.
"That wasn't a bomb. That was a TRANSFORMER blowing from forced overload."
Another BOOM echoed.Another.Another.
One by one, the city's infrastructure was collapsing like a controlled demolition.
Alex covered his ears."MAKE IT STOP— PLEASE MAKE IT STOP—!"
Kayden pulled him close, grounding him with a steady arm.
"APEX," Kayden said, voice level despite everything,"How long until they reach us?"
APEX's glow dimmed.
"…12 minutes."
Phineas cursed under his breath."We need to move. They're dropping us into a funnel. Hard."
Alex looked up with wet eyes."A funnel?! Like— like herding animals?!"
Phineas nodded grimly."Yes. They're driving us toward one point. One meeting point."
Kayden's jaw tightened.
"The woman on the roof."
Phineas swallowed."Or someone even higher-ranking."
APEX began glitching violently — as if the Citadel's signal was hitting it directly.
"Commander—Citadel communication bleed—Systems unstable—Reco— reco— reco—"
The glitching word repeated, stuttering like a heart misfiring.
Alex grabbed Kayden's arm, terrified."Kayden— APEX is going to break—!"
Kayden steadied APEX with one hand — not touching it, but anchoring it.
"APEX. Stay with me."
APEX flickered, struggled, then stabilized—
Barely.
"Commander…Citadel density increasing.Surface-level blackout now at 3.2 km."
Phineas froze.
"Three kilometers?! That's half the district! Kayden— do you understand what that means?!"
Kayden did.
If the blackout grew any wider…
The Citadel wouldn't just be isolating him.
They would be claiming an entire part of the city just to reach him.
Alex looked at Kayden with trembling fear.
"Kayden… what do they WANT with you…?"
Kayden didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because right then — at the far end of the tunnel — a new light appeared.
Blue.
Cold.
Controlled.
A perfect circle of Citadel blue formed in the darkness like an eye opening underground.
Phineas whispered, "No no no no— is that—"
Alex clutched Kayden's shirt."TELL ME THAT'S NOT A PORTAL—"
Kayden stared, breath slow, ready.
"It's not a portal."
APEX confirmed in a trembling voice:
"Citadel access node.Recovery Team arrival point."
Heavy metallic footsteps echoed through the tunnel.
Slow.
Measured.
Absolute.
Alex's voice dropped to a terrified whisper.
"Kayden… they're already here…"
Kayden stepped in front of Alex and Phineas.
His eyes hardened.
His voice, steady and controlled:
"Then we don't let them take us."
From the blue circle of light, a silhouette appeared.
Tall.Armored.Unmistakably Citadel.
The Recovery Team had arrived.