The Ironhawk Gunship screamed through the upper atmosphere, its interior packed tight with STF specialists strapped into drop seats. Armor plates gleamed under red cabin lights. Weapons were checked one final time. No one spoke much; this wasn't a routine deployment.
One of the soldiers stepped forward carrying two armored cases.
"Commander Ian. Blade. Your gear."
They snapped the cases open, magnetic locks releasing with a hiss.
Optimus looked around.
"Uh… where's my gear at?"
The soldier hesitated.
"Sir, the full set was hard to transport. We had to load it onto the second gunship. It should be waiting planetside when we land."
Optimus stared at him for a moment, then sighed.
"Figures."
The Ironhawk shuddered as it broke cloud cover.
Below them lay Aurelion Peaks.
The gunship slammed down onto a scorched landing pad carved into the mountainside. The moment the ramp dropped, chaos poured in.
Soldiers ran in every direction. Officers shouted commands over overlapping comm channels. Smoke drifted through the air, carrying the scent of plasma burns and shattered stone.
"Perimeter! Secure the eastern ridge!"
"Medic, over here!"
"Where's command?!"
Ian, Blade, and Optimus stepped off the ramp, instantly assessing the battlefield.
A soldier sprinted up to Optimus.
"Sir, your suit's over there!"
Optimus jogged off toward a weapons crate surrounded by technicians.
Ian and Blade moved forward, weaving through troops until they spotted a pop-up command tent. Inside, a group of officers crowded around a tactical table, holo-maps flickering erratically.
Blade stepped in.
"Captain. What's the threat looking like?"
The Army Captain, dirt smeared across his face, looked up sharply.
"Civilians and soldiers report a single massive individual tearing through the city. Took out three platoons without slowing down. Before he vanished, he said."
He swallowed.
"'Bring me the STF.'"
Blade glanced at Ian.
"Sounds like Eldrathor all over again."
Ian nodded slowly.
"Probably the same type of enemy."
At that moment, Optimus came running back, fully armored now, plates locking into place with a low mechanical hum.
"Alright. I'm ready."
Ian turned to the Captain.
"We're going in. Keep your men back and provide support if needed. Don't engage unless ordered."
The Captain snapped a salute.
"Yes, sir."
The three Greats moved deeper into the city.
Aurelion Peaks rose directly from the mountains, carved into the cliffs themselves. White stone terraces climbed upward in perfect harmony, sharp Roman geometry blended seamlessly with flowing Egyptian curves.
Clear, light-blue water spilled through the city in controlled cascades, flowing between platforms, plazas, and courtyards before vanishing into the depths below. Against all logic, lush vegetation thrived, green vines clung to stone, mountain trees rooted in narrow terraces, and gardens bloomed where no life should have survived.
Optimus slowed, taking it in.
"Blade… if I were you, I would've stayed in this place."
Ian nodded.
"I know. It's so peaceful, even in times of invasion."
Blade exhaled softly.
"After living here your whole life, you get tired of it. Sure, it's beautiful… but it gets old. I needed a change of scenery. And my job forced me to move anyway."
Optimus laughed.
"Oh yeah. I forget, we forced you to move."
Blade smirked.
"Pretty much."
They rounded a final stone archway,
And stopped.
Bron Krakos
In the center of a massive training ground, the stone floor cracked and scorched, stood a single figure.
Bron Krakos.
He was towering, taller than any man should be, lean, brutally muscular. He wore only a battle skirt, secured with a thick leather belt. His feet were bare, wrapped in cloth tape from sole to calf, the bindings stained and frayed from countless battles. His forearms were similarly wrapped, the tape biting into rough gray skin.
His eyes glowed a deep, predatory red.
The air around him felt heavy, like gravity itself had thickened.
Bron slowly turned to face them, a faint grin spreading across his scarred face.
"Looks like I have the First's two students…"
His gaze slid to Optimus.
"And the fastest being to ever fight."
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he shifted his weight.
Ian's hand rested on his weapon.
Optimus squared his stance.
Blade's eyes narrowed.
The Ascendant had found them.
And this time,
He wasn't testing.
He was challenging.