The night sky over Cubao ignited like a second sun.
At precisely 2100 hours, Overwatch's attack begun.
The first shells screamed through the air—155mm HE rounds fired from the M109A7 Paladins perched along the perimeter of the MOA Complex. Each shell struck the crumbled ruins of the old Araneta district like a hammer from the gods, detonating in thunderous blooms of flame, shrapnel, and shockwaves that shattered what remained of concrete towers and skeletal malls.
Each impact cratered the earth.
Each detonation scorched the air.
From the MOA Command Center, the digital map flickered with each confirmed strike. Heat signatures lit up like fireworks—dozens of red markers around the Colossal Worm's coordinates flared and vanished as the outer symbiotes were incinerated by the first barrage.
"Paladin battery report," Marcus called over comms.
A gruff voice returned, thick with adrenaline. "Raven Battery to Command, twenty rounds out. All tubes green. Reloading."
