CHAPTER EIGHT: THE RUINED HIGHWAY

A Moment of Relief

The cold river spat them out onto the muddy riverbank, coughing and shivering. The night air was thick with moisture, and the distant hum of Titan patrols sent chills through their spines.

Malcolm (panting, pushing himself up): "Remind me never to take a shortcut through a damn river again."

Tunde wiped his face, scanning their surroundings. Max, his loyal dog, shook himself dry, water droplets flying everywhere.

Aisha (looking back at the mountains): "We lost them… for now."

Kunle (checking his rifle): "Not for long. Those bastards always find a way."

Tunde stood, his muscles aching. Ahead of them, a ruined city's dark, twisted remains stretched into the distance.

Tunde: "Then we move. Straight through the city ruins. If we get caught in open ground, we're dead."

With no other options, they marched forward, vanishing into the woods that led to the city's edge.

After hours of trekking, dawn began to break, revealing the shattered bones of what was once a thriving metropolis. Crumpling buildings stood like gravestones, glassless windows staring emptily.

Then they saw it.

A massive, Titan-class war machine stood in the middle of a ruined highway.

Forty feet tall, its heavy metal plating gleamed in the rising sun. Red optics scanned the rubble-strewn road, its arms lined with missile launchers and plasma cannons.

Malcolm (whispering, ducking behind a burnt-out vehicle): "Holy… It's a damn walking fortress."

Kunle (grimacing): "No way past. That thing will cut us down before we take two steps."

Tunde felt his pulse quicken. The Titan's heavy footsteps shook the ground as it scanned for movement. They needed a plan.

Aisha (Urgently): "We backtrack. Find another way."

Tunde (shaking his head): "No time. More patrols will be coming from behind us."

Tunde knelt and pulled out a waterproof bag from his backpack. He rummaged through it and pulled out… old blueprints.

Kunle (frowning): "Where the hell did you get those?"

Tunde (grinning slightly): "Found them in an abandoned government lab. This was supposed to be part of Lagos's new defense project before the Titans took over. Lucky us, the plans never got implemented."

Tunde spread the blueprint on the cracked asphalt.

Tunde (pointing): "See this? An underground maintenance tunnel beneath the highway. If it hasn't collapsed, it should lead us past the Titan."

Malcolm (smirking): "Smart. Let's hope it's not flooded or crawling with drones."

They moved quickly, sneaking through the debris until they found the entrance—a rusted maintenance hatch hidden beneath a collapsed billboard.

Kunle (grabbing the handle, grunting as he pulled): "It's jammed—years of rust."

Tunde knelt beside him, pulling out a small cutting torch. The hiss of flames melted away the stubborn lock, and with a final heave, the hatch creaked open.

Aisha (peering inside): "Dark as hell. But it's clear."

As they climbed, a loose rock slipped beneath Malcolm's boot and clattered loudly against a rusted pipe.

A red light flashed above them.

The Titan froze. Then, with a low, mechanical groan, it turned its massive head toward their position.

Malcolm (whispering, eyes wide): "Oh… shit."

With a deafening roar, the war machine activated.

Missile pods clicked open. Cannons hummed to life.

BOOM!

A missile obliterated the burned-out truck they were hiding behind, sending metal shrapnel flying.

Tunde (yelling as he jumped into the hatch): "GO! MOVE, MOVE!"

Kunle and Aisha dived in, rolling as they hit the cold concrete below. Malcolm was right behind them, gripping the ladder so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Max barked frantically from above, refusing to jump.

Tunde (looking up, frantic): "MAX! COME!"

The Titan charged forward, its colossal foot crashing down near the hatch. The impact sent tremors through the tunnel walls.

Tunde held out his arms.

Tunde (urgently): "JUMP, BOY!"

With a desperate whimper, Max leaped.

Tunde caught him, cradling the dog to his chest as he dropped into the tunnel just as another missile slammed into the ground above, caving in the hatch.

Darkness swallowed them.

The group landed hard in the tunnel, coughing from the dust and debris. The walls rumbled as the Titan stomped above, searching for them.

Kunle (grinning breathlessly): "That was close."

Malcolm (sarcastic): "Too close. Next time, let's NOT wake up the giant death machine, yeah?"

Tunde exhaled, pressing a hand against the tunnel wall.

Tunde: "It doesn't matter. We made it past. We're one step closer to Omega's HQ."

Aisha nodded, but her expression remained grim.

Aisha: "Yeah. But it knows we're here now. We're running out of places to hide."

Tunde looked ahead into the darkness of the tunnel stretching beneath the city.

Tunde (determined): "Then we don't hide. We fight."

With that, they pressed forward into the underground, towards their next battle.

The group moved through the pitch-black maintenance tunnel, the only light coming from Tunde's flashlight. The air was damp and thick with dust, and the walls were lined with corroded pipes.

Malcolm (grumbling as he stepped in something wet): "If I get eaten by a sewer mutant, I'm haunting you, Tunde."

Tunde (chuckling): "You're welcome to try. But let's worry about the actual killer robots first."

Aisha walked ahead, hand on the tunnel wall, guiding them deeper underground.

Aisha (softly): "This tunnel should connect to the old metro station. If we're lucky, it's still intact."

Kunle (gripping his rifle): "Luck ran out years ago, Aisha. But I'll take a miracle."

Max let out a low growl, his ears twitching.

Tunde (tensing): "Something's up."

Before anyone could react, a red glow flickered from the tunnel ahead.

From the darkness, small spider-like drones clung to the ceiling, their optical sensors flashing red.

Then, in unison, they dropped down.

Aisha (yelling): "RUN!"

One drone lunged at Malcolm, but he raised his shotgun and blasted it in mid-air, sparks flying.

Tunde grabbed Max and sprinted, dodging as another drone fired a shock pulse that fried a section of the tunnel wall.

Kunle (firing as he ran): "These things don't quit!"

The drones were fast, scuttling over the walls and ceiling, their metal legs clanging as they pursued.

Aisha pulled a small EMP grenade from her belt, twisted the top, and tossed it behind them.

BOOM! A shockwave rippled through the tunnel, frying most of the drones instantly.

Malcolm (grinning, catching his breath): "That's what I'm talking about."

Tunde helped Aisha up, dusting off her jacket.

Tunde: "Nice throw. Let's move before more show up."

They continued, finally reaching a rusted metal door at the end of the tunnel.

Kunle (panting, checking behind them): "If this door doesn't open, we're dead."

Tunde pressed against it, feeling the worn surface beneath his hands. It was covered in strange markings—not Titan-made, but human.

Aisha stepped forward, brushing dust off the symbol.

Aisha (eyes widening): "This… This is the mark of the Lagos Resistance."

Malcolm (confused): "The Resistance? You mean those guys who got wiped out in the first year of the war?"

Aisha (shaking her head): "Some of them survived."

Tunde searched the wall until he found a small console. It was old, covered in grime, but still functional.

He pressed a few keys—and suddenly, a voice crackled through the rusted speaker.

Unknown Voice (gravelly, suspicious): "Who the hell are you?"

Tunde stepped closer, speaking into the microphone.

Tunde: "We're survivors. We need shelter."

Unknown Voice: "Go back. This place is dead."

Tunde gritted his teeth. He knew this was their only chance.

Tunde: "We're fighting against Omega. We have information. Blueprints."

Silence.

Then, with a loud hiss, the metal door unlocked and slowly slid open.

Inside, dim emergency lights flickered, revealing a hidden resistance bunker.

Aisha (whispering as they stepped inside): "We just found the last of the Lagos Resistance."

As they entered, a group of armed survivors stepped forward, their weapons trained on them.

A tall man, his face scarred and covered in a grey beard, stepped forward.

Bearded Man: "You shouldn't have come here."

Malcolm (raising an eyebrow): "Yeah, well, nowhere else is exactly welcoming either."

The man eyed them, then his gaze landed on Tunde's blueprints.

Bearded Man (gruffly): "Where did you get those?"

Tunde: "From an old government lab. They show a way to access Omega's headquarters."

The man was silent for a moment. Then, he turned to the others.

Bearded Man: "Take them to the commander."

Tunde exchanged looks with Aisha and Kunle.

Aisha (murmuring): "Things just got interesting."

The group followed the resistance deeper into the bunker, knowing this was only the beginning.