Evolution

The pod struck the ground with devastating force, scattering debris in a perfect circle. Steam hissed from its metallic surface, now scarred and dented from atmospheric entry. Unlike the scout they'd just killed, this arrival wanted to be seen.

'Great. Because one wasn't enough.' Noah watched smoke curl up from the pod's seams. 'Universe really wants to make sure we earn our grades today.'

The pod split open with hydraulic precision. First came the legs - massive, armored things that made the scout look like a hatchling. Then arms that could have crushed tanks. Finally, that terrible head emerged through the smoke.

Its skin was ash-gray like a rhino's hide but scaled like a reptile's. The signature tail whipped behind it with lethal grace. But what caught Noah's attention, what made his blood run cold, were the horns. Two of them. Perfect obsidian crowns rising from its skull.