The safehouse bunker hummed with grim purpose, its cracked walls a testament to Zenith Corp's latest assault. Alex Mercer stood by the holo-table, Valor's three orbs pulsing faintly in his hands, their shield barely holding New Haven's grid. The anonymous message—Zenith's board sees you—echoed in his mind, a chilling promise of worse to come. Dr. Voss's cryptic warning about a "bigger board" pointed to the coastal base, where Kael and Zenith's secrets hid. His parents, Daniel and Elena, patched tech nearby, their guilt over Valor's origins a quiet weight. Maya, shoulder slung, checked her staff, while Marcus, scarred and bandaged, plotted their strike. Fae, bio-tech scars glinting, sharpened her blade, her smirk a spark in the gloom.
Marcus tapped the holo, pulling up the coastal base—a fortified rig on stilts, waves crashing below. "Voss is there, maybe Kael. Heavy defenses—turrets, drones, exosuits."
Alex synced the orbs, the holo sharpening—a faint signal, Voss's comms. "He's alive. If we grab him, we get answers."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "And if it's another trap?"
"Then we break it," Fae said, twirling her blade. "Voss cracks easy—trust me."
Laura's voice crackled through comms, steady from the med bay. "Valor's strained—use short pulses to jam their tech. Don't overtax it."
Elena approached, her face lined with worry. "Alex, the board… we knew them. Ruthless, even then."
Daniel's voice was low. "They'll kill for Valor—or you."
Alex's grip tightened on his staff. "Then we hit first."
The team mobilized—Alex, Maya, Fae, Jace, and three agents. They loaded a patched skiff, the sea air sharp as they sped toward the rig. Valor's cloak flickered, its power waning, but Alex pushed it, masking their approach. The rig loomed, steel glinting under storm clouds, drones patrolling like sharks.
Fae cut the engine, drifting close. "Tunnels below—quiet way in."
They dove, swimming through icy waves to a grate. Fae sliced it open, and they climbed into damp, humming corridors. Alex's orbs pulsed, guiding them past traps—lasers singed Jace's arm, but he gritted through. A lab door glowed ahead—Voss's signal.
Inside, Voss hunched over a console, alone, his face pale. "Mercer," he gasped, hands raised. "I didn't expect—"
"Save it," Alex snapped, staff raised. "Talk—Zenith's board, the prototype."
Voss's eyes darted. "They're beyond Kael—executives, global reach. Valor's just the start—control grids, cities, minds."
Fae grabbed his collar. "Names, traitor."
Before Voss could answer, the room shook—Kael's voice boomed: "You're predictable, Mercer." Drones swarmed in, exosuits behind. A trap.
"Move!" Alex yelled, syncing Valor. A pulse fried the drones, but Kael stormed through, her pistol blazing. Maya parried a shot, her sling snapping, pain flashing across her face. Fae clashed with an exosuit, blade sparking, while Jace stunned a guard.
Alex dragged Voss to the console, forcing him to unlock it. A holo flared—schematics, not just Valor's prototype but a network of rigs, global, tied to the board. "They're scaling it," Alex breathed, horror sinking in. "Worldwide control."
Kael laughed, firing—Alex dove, the bolt grazing his leg. "You see it now—too late."
Fae tackled her, their fight a blur of steel and fury. "Get Voss out!" she shouted, dodging Kael's blade.
Alex stunned an exosuit, pulling Voss with Maya's help. Jace planted charges on the console, his arm bleeding. "Go!" he yelled, as the room sparked.
They ran, tunnels collapsing behind—charges blew, the lab erupting in flame. They surfaced, skiff rocking, but Kael's shuttle lifted off, her voice taunting: "Run, Mercer—the board's coming."
Back at the safehouse, Voss sat bound, trembling. "The board's five—faceless, untouchable. They funded Valor's origins, twisted it. Kael's their fist, but they're the brain."
Marcus's scar twitched. "Where are they?"
"Scattered," Voss said. "One's in New Haven—underground, old vault."
Alex's heart raced. "We find them—end this."
Elena's voice broke, guilt raw. "We sold them the seed—thought it was safe."
Daniel gripped her hand. "We fix it, Alex—together."
Laura patched in, grim. "Valor's at ten percent—prototype's draining it remotely."
Fae, bloodied but smirking, leaned in. "Hit the vault—cut the head off."
Alex synced the orbs, a faint pulse revealing the vault's location—beneath New Haven's core. "We go now," he said, resolve iron. "No more running."
They prepped—stun staffs, rifles, Valor's last reserves. Marcus rallied the agents, his voice steady. "This is our city—our fight."
Maya, wincing through pain, met Alex's eyes. "You're leading us to hell."
"And back," he promised, staff humming.
As they loaded the van, a holo flickered—Kael, but behind her, a new face, older, eyes cold as void. "Mercer," the man said, voice silk and steel. "You've amused us. Surrender Valor, or New Haven drowns in chaos—tonight."
The feed died. Alex froze, the board's face seared into his mind. The vault wasn't just a target—it was a trap, and they were walking in blind.