The explosion hit like a wave, an instant shockwave that slammed the team into the walls. The air was filled with the acrid scent of burning circuitry and the hum of a collapsing network. The room, once bustling with lights and screens, was now a charred husk of metal and rubble.
Grimm's ears rang, his body slammed to the floor. For a moment, he couldn't see, couldn't think—just the chaotic noise of an ever-decreasing countdown ticking away in his mind. He forced himself up, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs, the dizziness clouding his vision.
"Reyes!" Grimm shouted, his voice hoarse. "Reyes, talk to me!"
There was a rustling from the debris, and then Reyes's voice, strained but alive. "I'm... I'm fine, Grimm. Just a little scorched, but I got it. The link is down. Kessler's satellites are offline."
Tanya was the first to her feet, scanning the surroundings with her rifle raised, ever the soldier even in the chaos. "Grimm, we're not out of the woods yet. Specter's still alive."
Grimm nodded, pushing himself up, fighting through the haze in his head. He could barely hear the sounds of sirens outside, the distant thrum of drones still patrolling the skies. They hadn't won yet. Not by a long shot.
The seconds ticked by, each one pulling them closer to the impending devastation. They had destroyed Kessler's connection, but they hadn't stopped the storm. The world was still on the brink, teetering on the edge of something worse.
Grimm looked at Reyes, who was now gingerly pulling himself away from a scorched console. "You sure this is over? Kessler... he's not out yet."
Reyes wiped the sweat from his forehead, still catching his breath. "The satellites are dead, Grimm. No more global strikes, no more automatic overrides. It's done."
Tanya's sharp gaze swept the room once again. "And Kessler?"
Grimm clenched his jaw. "Not done yet. He's probably got a fallback plan."
"Fallback?!" Bull barked. "What's left, Grimm? We've taken down his satellites. His plan's ruined."
"No," Grimm muttered, shaking his head. "He won't let it end like this. Kessler always has something else in play."
Just as Grimm finished speaking, a voice crackled through the ruined comms.
"Captain Mercer. You think you've won? You've only delayed the inevitable."
Kessler's voice was smooth, calm, like he was watching the entire world burn from some remote, unreachable place. The screen flickered back to life, revealing Kessler's calm face. His smile, though, wasn't one of victory—it was of someone who was still in control, despite everything that had happened.
Grimm felt a fire spark in his chest. "You're done, Kessler. I'm coming for you."
Kessler didn't flinch. "You've already come for me, Captain. But you won't find me. My phase two is still in motion, even without the satellites. You'll never stop it. The future is already written."
The screen went black again, leaving only the echo of Kessler's words in the air.
Grimm turned to the team. "We need to move. Now. Kessler's not just going to roll over."
"We've got no intel on where he is," Tanya said, checking her rifle. "How do we even begin?"
Grimm exhaled, his mind racing. The pieces weren't adding up yet. "We find his command center. We find Kessler. The rest won't matter."
"But—" Reyes started, his eyes wide with the realization of what this meant. "You're talking about going straight to his HQ? You know that's going to be like walking into the lion's den."
"I know," Grimm said, his voice hard. "And we'll walk in prepared. We've got no other choice."
Bull slammed his fist into the wall in frustration. "This is insane, Grimm. We've been through hell already. We're not even sure how much time we've got."
Grimm's gaze locked on his. "We do this now, or it all goes to hell. You want to let Kessler get away with all this? With millions of lives on the line?"
Bull paused, a grim look crossing his face. He clenched his jaw. "Alright, Captain. Let's end this."
The team gathered their gear, weapons checked, ready to move. They were going to take the fight to Kessler, no matter the cost.
The journey to the heart of Kessler's operation was nothing short of hell. The streets were crawling with enemy forces—PMC operatives, Helix enforcers, and the occasional rogue government asset. The air was tense, thick with fear and the sound of distant explosions. The city was on lockdown, and no one—except Kessler—knew what was coming next.
They moved in silence, cutting through back alleys, avoiding patrols, and staying low. Every corner, every shadow could hide an enemy. Every second was a reminder of how close they were to the edge.
Reyes was the first to break the silence. "Grimm... I've been running diagnostics on everything Kessler's touched. There's something bigger going on here. He's not just a puppet master pulling strings. He's controlling more than we've seen. A network of allies—some of them we've never heard of."
Tanya raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"
"I don't know. But I think we're about to find out. Kessler's been using them for years. Global power players who've stayed in the shadows. Phase two was just the beginning. If he activates them..." Reyes trailed off, his face grim.
Grimm turned to him, his gaze steely. "We'll stop him before that happens."
They reached the heart of Kessler's empire—a heavily fortified complex in the city's core, a towering building hidden under layers of camouflage and encryption. Armed guards patrolled every entrance, the walls lined with armed drones.
Grimm knew this was it. The end of the line.
They moved into position.
"On my mark," Grimm whispered, his voice low and steady.
Tanya adjusted her scope, her eyes narrowing. "Ready when you are."
Grimm's fingers gripped his weapon tight. "This is it. Time to finish what we started."
The final assault on Kessler's stronghold had begun.