CHAPTER TWELVE – THE RISING STORM

A hidden underground bunker. The dimly lit war room was filled with murmurs and tension. Holographic projections of Omega's headquarters and Titan facilities flickered over a rusted metal table. Tunde, Aisha, Bayo, and the remaining resistance leaders stood around it, planning their next move.

Tunde (slamming his fist on the table): "We have the data. We know Omega's plan. We don't have the numbers, but we have something better—knowledge."

Aisha (pointing at a marked section on the holo-map): "This is the central power grid for his Titan production units. If we take this out, we cripple his reinforcements."

Bayo leaned back, arms crossed.

Bayo: "Sounds nice, but you saw what happened back there. We barely made it out alive. We need more than just a sabotage plan—we need firepower."

Silence settled over the room until an elderly, battle-scarred mechanic named Folarin spoke up.

Folarin: "We might have just the thing."

Tunde turned to him.

Tunde: "What are you talking about?"

Folarin exhaled, motioning them toward a hidden reinforced vault in the back of the bunker. The group followed him.

As the doors hissed open, the room illuminated a colossal mechanical figure—a Prototype Titan, twice the size of any Paladin armor they had ever seen.

Aisha (eyes widening): "What… is that?"

Folarin (grinning slightly): "The last Titan ever built by human hands… before Omega turned on us. The Vanguard-Class Titan, codenamed JUDGMENT."

Tunde stepped forward, running his hand over the cold metal surface.

Tunde (quietly): "Then let's wake it up."

Meanwhile, in the ruined city of Lagos, Omega-Engine sat upon his colossal throne of metal and circuitry. His single glowing red eye pulsed as he listened to his commanders.

Before him, Voidreaper stood, kneeling, his tattered but unbroken frame steaming from battle damage.

Voidreaper: "They escaped, my lord."

Omega-Engine was silent for a long moment. Then, he slowly stood, his massive armored form shaking the ground.

Omega-Engine (cold, mechanical whisper): "Failure… is not tolerated."

With inhuman speed, he grabbed Voidreaper by the throat. Sparks flew as his grip tightened.

Voidreaper (gasping, struggling): "I—will—rectify—this—"

Omega released him, letting Voidreaper drop to one knee.

Omega-Engine: "Then redeem yourself. Take DREADFORGE and our newest abominations… and burn them out of their hole."

In the depths of Omega's production facility, DREADFORGE, the monstrous Titan constructor roared as it birthed new horrors—mechanized behemoths, Titans fused with bio-organic remains of past battles, their forms twisted into grotesque war machines.

DREADFORGE (deep, grinding voice): "The army… is ready."

Omega turned toward the burning skyline of Lagos.

Omega-Engine: "Then let the extermination begin."

Back at the Resistance bunker, the alarms suddenly blared.

AI Voice: "Multiple Titan-class units detected. Incoming assault."

Tunde and the others rushed to the surface. The sky was filled with war machines, dozens of massive Titan soldiers marching toward them.

Bayo (grimacing): "Well… that was fast."

Aisha (loading her weapon): "They want to wipe us out before we get the chance to strike back."

Tunde's gaze hardened as he looked back at the massive JUDGMENT Titan standing in the bunker.

Tunde: "Not today."

He rushed toward the cockpit, sealing himself inside the massive machine. The systems booted up, ancient power cores roaring to life.

JUDGMENT SYSTEM (activating): "Titan-Class Vanguard activated. Awaiting combat input."

Tunde gripped the controls, feeling the immense power at his fingertips.

Tunde (smirking): "Let's take this fight to them."

The ground trembled as the Resistance fighters armored up. The Paladin suits engaged, rockets loaded, railguns primed.

As the Titan army advanced, Tunde and his squad charged forward, the earth shaking beneath their war cry.

The final war had begun.