‼️ PAUSED ‼️ ❝ 𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘 ❞ ~ [ᵂᵉˡᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᴴᵒᵐᵉ/ᴿᶠ ᵂᵃˡˡʸ ˣ ᴼᶜ]

[𝟐𝟗.] 𝐔𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜

               _______ 💉 ______

  
  
As the team stealthily infiltrated the building, the echoing silence was shattered by the sudden onslaught of worn-down autobots, their automated guns blazing with unexpected hostility.
  
  
  
Panic surged through the team as a jolt of fear gripped one of the soldiers. 

In a regrettable twist of fate, they mistakenly triggered a smoke grenade, unleashing a thick fog that swiftly enveloped the surroundings. 
The unfortunate teammates without gas masks found themselves in a coughing fit, struggling to breathe amid the opaque haze.
  
  
  
Walden, caught in the chaos, coughed as the smoke seeped into his lungs. 
Reacting quickly, he covered half of his face to shield himself from the suffocating cloud. 

The cacophony of gunshots reverberated around him, signaling the commencement of an unexpected firefight. 
  
  
Instinctively, Walden lowered his head to avoid potential stray bullets.
  
  
  
Disoriented by the smoke and unable to discern friend from foe, Walden was suddenly yanked backward by his shirt. 
Startled, he stumbled, only to find Vincent crouching beside him. 

In the midst of the chaos, Vincent forcefully placed his gas mask over his face, ensuring the head experimenter's safety amid the chaos.
  
  
  
Through the muffled sounds of coughing and gunfire, Vincent barked out orders to the team, rallying them to adapt to the obscured battlefield.
The soldiers, equipped with enhanced visors, responded with disciplined coordination, their training guiding them through the dense fog.
  
  
  
  
Dialogue echoed through the smoke as Vincent shouted,
  
"Stay together! Use your visors, and watch your angles!" His commands cut through the disarray, providing a semblance of order in the chaos.
  
  
  
  
Walden, still adjusting to the borrowed gas mask, heard snippets of dialogue from his teammates. 
  
One soldier yelled, "Cover me, I'm advancing!" Another responded with, 
  
  
  
"Hold your positions, we've got them on the run!"
  
  
  
  
Vincent, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity, led the charge. 

"Keep moving forward! We need to find their control center!" The urgency in his voice conveyed the gravity of the mission.
  
  
  
  

 
  

  
As the team pressed forward, the smoke began to dissipate, revealing the aftermath of the skirmish. Disabled autobots lay scattered, their once-menacing presence neutralized by the team's coordinated efforts.
  
  
  
Vincent, with a nod of approval to the team, acknowledged their triumph over adversity.
Amid the lingering tension, he addressed Walden, 

"You good? Any injuries?" Walden, still catching his breath, managed a nod.
  
  
  
  
With the immediate threat neutralized, Vincent refocused the team on their mission. "Let's move forward. We've got an objective to secure." 
  
  
  

  
  
  
The team stealthily infiltrated the Ground Floor, meticulously scanning the area for the elusive weapon they were tasked to retrieve. Despite their expertise, the surroundings offered no clues or hints, leaving the commander frustrated.
  
  
  
"Shit... Where the hell could the 'relic' be?" Vincent's voice echoed with a tinge of frustration, his brows furrowed as he surveyed the unyielding environment.
  
Kneeling down beside a team member, they began inputting a barrage of digital-technological codes, their eyes narrowing in concentration.
The room remained devoid of any promising lead.
  
  
  
Walden observed his commander's determined efforts, a sense of concern etched across his features.
Unaccustomed to this covert environment, he felt the weight of responsibility to maintain focus, knowing that Vincent relied on him to stay sharp.
  
  
Approaching Vincent, Walden inquired, 

"Any possible leads?"
  
  
  
  
"Unfortunately not. We've gained access entry to their surveillance system...
Though, there's not much intel to know on what exactly the relic may look like." Vincent responded, frustration evident in his tone.
  
  
  
  
The commander continued to scratch his chin, eyes fixed on the screen. 
The lack of information hampered their progress, and the elusive 'Lightbane' remained an enigma. 
  
  
Vincent voiced his discontent,  "LightBane, as said by the Head Director.
What could that mean, what could it look like, moreover, why didn't he just specify everything..."
  
  
  
  
"Well, if you think about it, light is known for burning or lighting things up, intentionally or naturally.
It could be a flamethrower or something similar, something... something that can set materials ablaze."
  
  
  
"Sounds about right." The commander nodded, acknowledging Walden's interpretation.

As the team continued to assess the newfound relic, the facility's alarms intensified, signaling an impending security lockdown.
  
  
  
The same woman — Akira, approached the group, her presence was acknowledged with a glance from the team members. 
The commander, still grappling with the complexities of the newly discovered relic, welcomed her insight.
  
  
  
"And wouldn't bane mean destruction and chaos?
If we mix them both together, you'd have a 'flaming destructive' device, or relic, for that matter." She explained, her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on the laptop screen displaying intricate jargons and characters.
  
  
  
"Flaming destruction and chaos, huh? 
Fits the Director's taste for dramatic code names."
  
  
  
  
As the team continued to assess the newfound relic, the facility's alarms intensified, signaling an impending security lockdown.
  
  
"Time's running out. We need to move," Vincent declared, urgency lacing his voice. The team quickened their speed through the dimly lit corridors as the semblance of the Lightbane was finally unveiled.