Road to Ruin

The stealth van shuddered as the Syndicate drone's plasma cutter tore into its roof, sparks raining down on Alex and the P.A.I.R.E. team. He gripped his stun staff, the three Valor orbs pulsing in his bag—a beacon he couldn't hide. Marcus swerved through the docks' narrow lanes, crates blurring past, while Maya and Jace braced against the walls, weapons drawn. The medic huddled in a corner, shielding a flickering comms unit.

"Hold on!" Marcus shouted, as the drone ripped a jagged hole above. A Syndicate agent dropped through, rifle blazing. Maya lunged, her staff cracking his wrist, sending the gun skittering. Alex swung, stunning the agent mid-snarl, and Jace kicked him out the breach.

More drones buzzed outside, their red eyes tracking the van. "They're locking on!" a tech yelled, as plasma bolts scorched the hull. The vehicle lurched, a tire blowing out, but Marcus kept it steady, cursing under his breath.

Alex's mind raced. The orbs' hum grew louder, syncing in his bag. He pulled them out, their glow illuminating the chaos. "Valor's active," he said, voice shaky. "It's guiding us to MercerTech Tower."

"Then make it quick!" Maya snapped, ducking a stray shot. She grabbed a flare gun from a crate and fired through the hole, blinding a drone. It spiraled into a stack of barrels, exploding in a fireball.

Marcus floored it, weaving toward the city's edge. "Tower's ten minutes out. We've got to lose them."

Alex synced the orbs fully, a holo-screen flaring up despite the jolts. His father's image flickered again. "Activate Valor at the tower's core server. It'll stop them—but hurry." Static swallowed the rest. Alex's chest tightened—his parents' fate hung on this.

A second drone latched on, cutting deeper. "Brace!" Marcus roared, as the roof peeled back. Two agents dropped in, one tackling Jace, the other aiming at Alex. Maya parried the shot, her staff sparking, while Alex stunned the shooter's leg. Jace wrestled free, slamming his foe into a wall.

"Enough!" a voice boomed from above. The Syndicate leader—arm bandaged, visor cracked—leapt down, blade drawn. "The orbs, Mercer. Now."

Alex swung, but the leader caught his staff, twisting it free. A fist slammed into his gut, dropping him. Pain flared as the leader snatched his bag, ripping it open. The orbs spilled out, glowing fiercely.

Maya charged, but a drone's bolt grazed her arm, forcing her back. Marcus fired, clipping the leader's shoulder, but he snarled, clutching an orb. "You're too late," he said, leaping back to the drone as it lifted off.

"No!" Alex scrambled up, lunging for the bag. He grabbed the remaining two orbs just as the drone vanished into the night, the third piece gone.

The van screeched to a stop near an overpass, drones retreating—for now. Marcus slammed the wheel. "They've got one. Can Valor work without it?"

Alex synced the two, hands trembling. A faint holo flickered—his mother this time. "Two pieces can activate a partial protocol… but full power needs all three." Her voice faded. Partial power. It'd have to do.

Maya winced, clutching her arm. "We're sitting ducks. Tower's our shot."

Marcus nodded. "We roll in, activate what we've got. Move!"

They limped toward MercerTech Tower, the city's neon heart looming ahead. Alex's mind churned—the leader had an orb, Fae was out there, and his parents' plan teetered. He tightened his grip on the orbs, resolve hardening.

The tower's plaza was eerily quiet as they arrived, its glass spire piercing the sky. They ditched the wrecked van, slipping inside through a service hatch. The lobby gleamed—marble floors, holo-ads—but the core server lay floors above.

Elevators were too risky. They took the stairs, Alex's legs burning by the tenth floor. At the server room door, Marcus hacked the lock, and they piled in. Racks of humming tech lined the walls, a central console pulsing with power.

Alex plugged the two orbs in, their light merging. A holo-screen flared—Valor's interface, incomplete but alive. "Initializing partial protocol," a synthetic voice intoned. Data streamed—Syndicate movements, predicted strikes. It wasn't full strength, but it could warn P.A.I.R.E.

Then the room shook. A figure crashed through a vent—Fae Mavrick, blade in hand, auburn hair wild. "Nice try, kid," she said, smirking.

Maya raised her staff. "Back off, Fae."

Fae twirled her blade, unfazed. "Not here to fight—yet. Syndicate's got your third orb, but I've got something better." She tossed a data chip at Alex. He caught it, stunned.

"What's this?" he demanded.

"Plug it in," Fae said. "Your mom sent me."

Alex froze. "My mom?"

"Laura Mercer," Fae confirmed. "I owed her. She saved me once—before I went rogue. That's her backup plan."

Marcus growled, "This a trick?"

"Test it," Fae shot back, then leapt back into the vent, gone.

Alex stared at the chip, pulse racing. He plugged it into Valor's console. A new holo flared—his mother, alive, in a cell. "Alex, if Fae reached you, this overrides the missing orb. Activate it now—Syndicate's coming."

The screen died. Alex's hands shook—his mom was alive. He hit the activation key. Valor hummed, power surging, a partial shield rippling over New Haven.

But alarms blared—Syndicate forces breached the tower's base. "They're here," Jace said, voice tight.

Marcus drew his gun. "Hold the line!"

Alex gripped his staff, Valor's light steady. His mom's voice fueled him—but the Syndicate was closing in, and Fae's role twisted everything.