The mag-rail rumbled beneath their feet as the train surged forward, slicing through the underground tunnel at breakneck speed. Sparks flickered along the walls as the aging transit system fought to maintain its integrity after centuries of dormancy. Elias sat near the front, adjusting the calibration on his gauntlet as his HUD displayed a real-time breakdown of their velocity, energy consumption, and structural stability.
Marco had managed to override the system's security measures, but they weren't out of danger yet. The train's power reserves were unstable, and there was no telling what else might be lurking in these tunnels. Elias adjusted his gauntlet, running a quick diagnostic. His energy output was still recovering from the fight against the trial warden, and his systems were running at 58% efficiency. Not great, but it would have to do.
Lira sat cross-legged on a crate nearby, flipping one of her daggers between her fingers. "Alright, genius, we're moving. Now tell me you've got a plan for what happens when we actually get there."
Elias exhaled, still scanning his suit's systems. "Step one: Get there first. Step two: Try not to die. Step three: Figure out what the hell is inside the Genesis Vault before the Academy does."
Reinhardt grinned. "So the plan is 'wing it.' Classic."
Ivy leaned against the window, watching the tunnel lights blur past. "We all saw what the Academy is throwing at us. If they're moving this aggressively, it means they're scared."
Cecilia nodded. "Which means whatever is in that vault isn't just another old Vanguard experiment. It's something big."
Marco's console beeped, and he swore under his breath. "Speaking of big, I've got a new problem."
Elias turned toward him. "What now?"
Marco pulled up a holographic display of the tunnel ahead. The data feed flickered, showing a blockade. A massive, reinforced security barrier—Vanguard-grade—sat embedded deep within the tunnel, glowing faintly with residual power.
Lira groaned. "Tell me that's not a dead end."
Marco zoomed in. "Not a dead end. More like a sealed checkpoint. The Vanguard must've put this in place to stop unauthorized access to the Genesis Vault."
Elias narrowed his eyes. "Can we override it?"
Marco hesitated. "Maybe. But here's the thing—the security system is still active. Which means there's a good chance it'll read us as intruders."
Reinhardt cracked his knuckles. "Well, we're used to that by now."
Elias stood, adjusting his gauntlet. "How much time do we have before we reach it?"
Marco checked the velocity readout. "At this speed? About three minutes."
Lira stood up. "Great. So we need a way through fast."
Elias glanced at Varian, who had been silently watching the display. "Thoughts?"
Varian studied the readout before speaking. "If this is Vanguard security, then there are only two ways through. Authorization, or force."
Cecilia smirked. "So either Elias plays the role of commander, or we blow it up."
Elias clenched his jaw. The trial warden had recognized him, but that didn't mean every piece of Vanguard tech would obey. If this security system was running an older protocol, it might not see him as legitimate authority.
Marco groaned. "Alright, I'll try to patch Elias's command signal into the system, but if this thing's been locked for centuries, it's gonna take more than a fancy badge to open."
Elias tapped his gauntlet, initiating a link. "Just get me access. If this thing rejects me, then we go with Plan B."
Reinhardt grinned. "Plan B is punching, right?"
Ivy sighed. "Plan B is always punching."
The train sped closer. The barrier's lights flared brighter, detecting their approach. Warning runes activated along its surface, and a deep, mechanical voice echoed through the tunnel.
"Unauthorized entry detected."
Elias gritted his teeth. "Here we go."
Marco cursed. "Alright, I've linked you in—try the command override!"
Elias held out his gauntlet, sending out a Vanguard clearance signal. His HUD pulsed as the system scanned his credentials. For a moment, nothing happened. Then—
"Identity verification in progress…"
The barrier hesitated. The warning lights flickered. A deep hum echoed through the tunnel as the security system processed his command.
Lira held her breath. "Is it working?"
Then the voice spoke again.
"Access denied. Intruder designation confirmed."
Elias swore.
Cecilia groaned. "That's a no."
The barrier powered up its defense grid. Energy shields formed, reinforcing its structure. Mechanical turrets emerged from the walls, locking onto the train.
Reinhardt grinned. "Finally! I was getting bored."
Elias turned to Marco. "Hit the brakes! We can't crash through that!"
Marco was already on it, slamming the emergency deceleration. The mag-rail groaned, metal screeching as the train's energy thrusters fought to slow them down in time.
Ivy shouted, "Incoming!"
The turrets fired.
Elias barely had time to dodge before a pulse cannon blast tore through the side railing, sending sparks flying. Lira darted into cover, already pulling out her daggers. Reinhardt leapt forward, swinging his hammer straight into one of the defense turrets, crushing it with a single blow.
Cecilia phased through incoming fire, reappearing behind another turret and slashing through its power core with a swift strike. Ivy let loose a rapid volley of arrows, each shot piercing through the weak points in the turrets' armor.
Elias activated his gauntlet's EMP pulse, sending a shockwave of disruptive energy through the nearest security drones. Sparks erupted as they malfunctioned and collapsed.
Marco yelled over the noise. "Okay, bad news—this barrier is way stronger than I thought. I'm gonna need at least five minutes to crack the security override!"
Lira dodged another energy blast. "We don't have five minutes!"
Elias scanned the structure of the barrier, searching for a weak point. His HUD flickered, running calculations. There—the main energy conduit feeding into the shield generator.
He turned to Reinhardt. "Can you break through that conduit?"
Reinhardt grinned. "Can I? You're gonna need to rephrase that as a challenge."
Elias nodded. "Then prove it."
Reinhardt let out a battle cry, slamming his hammer into the exposed conduit with full force. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the barrier, and the energy field flickered violently.
Elias saw his opening. He charged forward, gauntlet surging with energy, and slammed his fist directly into the failing power core.
A massive pulse of energy detonated outward.
The barrier shattered.
The security system collapsed in a burst of golden sparks. The turrets powered down. The tunnel ahead opened.
For a moment, silence filled the air.
Then Marco let out a relieved laugh. "Holy crap, that actually worked."
Lira sheathed her daggers. "Well, that was dramatic."
Cecilia smirked. "Wouldn't be us if it wasn't."
Ivy exhaled. "Let's get moving before the Academy catches up."
Elias climbed back onto the train, adjusting his gauntlet. His systems flickered with low energy warnings, but he ignored them.
They were past the first obstacle.
Now, only one thing remained between them and the Genesis Vault.
And whatever was waiting inside.