The Falcon Dropship soared steadily over the vast expanse of ocean, approaching the massive island that would serve as their landing zone. From up here, it looked almost peaceful—untouched beaches, thick jungles, towering mountain ranges. If Daniels didn’t know better, he’d think they were about to land on some paradise world instead of an uncharted rock in another dimension.

  The tension from the drop was finally starting to wear off. Hayes let out a breath and unclenched his grip from the seat. “Damn. Thought we were gonna die back there.”

  “Relax,” Ramirez smirked. “Textbook drop. We’re golden.”

  The radio crackled to life as Captain Lewis patched through.

  “Falcon-4, I want you and Gunship-7 to split off from the main formation. Sweep around the perimeter, make sure there’s nothing we missed before we land.”

  The pilot, Lieutenant Calloway, acknowledged. “Roger that, Command. Adjusting course now.”

  As the Falcon banked left, breaking off from the main group, the crew settled in. Everything was going smoothly.

  Then the radar pinged.

  “Uh… what the hell?” the copilot muttered, tapping his screen. “We got four fast-moving contacts, closing in from above. They’re coming in way too fast for birds—”

  The ship’s sensors screamed warnings.

  “Brace! BRACE!”

  Without warning, the clouds above them exploded—four massive shapes burst from the storm cover, diving at them like missiles.

  Daniels caught a glimpse of gleaming scales, massive wingspans, and eyes burning like molten gold before one of the creatures slammed full force into Gunship-7, tearing through its hull like paper.

  The comms filled with screams.

  “MAYDAY! MAYD—”

  The gunship spun wildly, flames spewing from its engines before it detonated mid-air, sending burning wreckage spiraling toward the ocean below.

  “HOLY SHIT!” Hayes yelled.

  The marines were freaking out.

  “What the hell was that?!”

  “No way—NO WAY that’s natural!”

  Agent Lokei, meanwhile, just let out a dry laugh. “Another hellhole planet. Just my luck.”

  The Falcon shook violently as the pilot armed weapons. “We are engaging! Hold on!”

  The gunship alongside them opened up with its rotary miniguns, spitting out a hailstorm of lead. A missile launched from its side bay, streaking toward one of the attacking creatures.

  BOOM!

  The missile hit its mark, blasting one of the dragons in the chest. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar before plummeting in a smoking heap.

  Another dragon swung around, its speed insane—far too fast for anything this big to be natural. With a snap of its wings, it dodged the gunfire like a fighter jet, then spun mid-air and spewed a jet of blue fire straight at the gunship’s cockpit.

  The ship barely veered away, but not fast enough. The flames melted through the hull, frying the cockpit instantly. The gunship spiraled out of control before slamming into the ocean below.

  “Two down! Two down!”

  Calloway gritted his teeth. “Screw this! Missiles away!”

  The Falcon fired its last two warheads. One found its mark, blowing another dragon apart mid-air. The other missed as the final beast dove below them, avoiding the blast entirely.

  Then, before anyone could react—

  A shadow fell over them.

  Daniels looked up just in time to see a massive dragon, twice the size of the others, with scales as dark as night and wings large enough to blot out the sky.

  It let out a deep, ear-shattering roar—then slammed straight into them.

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  The Falcon pitched violently, alarms screaming as the impact ripped apart their left engine. The ship spun out of control, flames bursting from its hull as it hurtled toward the surface.

  “We’re going down! WE’RE GOING DOWN!”

  The last thing Daniels saw before they hit was the island rushing toward them—

  Then everything went black.

  Everything was dark.

  Daniels felt like he was floating, weightless, lost in an endless abyss. Then—like a match striking in the void—a memory ignited.

  A city in flames.

  He stood frozen on a crumbling street, his legs refusing to move, his voice strangled in his throat. Around him, buildings collapsed like sandcastles against a raging tide. Smoke choked the sky, turning it into a suffocating haze of gray and red.

  And then—the screaming.

  He turned toward the familiar voice—his mother.

  She was trapped beneath debris, reaching toward him with bloody fingers, her face twisted in terror. His father was beside her, trying desperately to pull her free. But it was too late.

  A shadow loomed above them.

  The air rippled with sheer power as a figure descended from the sky, crashing into the ruins of their home with the force of a meteor.

  An Allied Super.

  The massive, armored warrior rose from the wreckage, his eyes glowing like embers beneath his cracked helmet. He exhaled slowly, his breath distorting the air around him. A man-made god. A walking apocalypse.

  Daniels couldn’t move.

  His father turned, eyes wide with desperation. “Run, son! GO!”

  Before he could react, the Super moved.

  Faster than a bullet.

  With a single, effortless swipe of his arm, he smashed Daniels’ father aside, sending him crashing through a burning vehicle. His mother screamed as the Super raised his fist—then brought it down.

  A sickening crunch.

  And then—nothing.

  Daniels’ breath hitched. His knees buckled. He tried to move—tried to fight, to do anything. But he was rooted to the ground, trapped in place like a spectator in his own nightmare.

  The Super turned.

  He hovered in the air for a moment, studying the destruction around him, his face unreadable beneath his cracked visor. The bodies. The ruined lives. Then, slowly, he turned his head toward Daniels.

  A cruel smirk spread across his face.

  “This is all your fault.”

  Daniels’ heart stopped.

  The Super shot forward like a missile, grabbing Daniels by the throat and hoisting him into the air. The world blurred around him, the heat of the fire searing his skin.

  “You and your precious Union did this, boy.” The Super’s voice was filled with venom, with contempt. “You fought for tyrants. And look where it got you.”

  Daniels struggled, kicking, trying to break free. But the grip was unbreakable, like a vice crushing his throat. His vision darkened, his breath fading.

  “This is what you deserve.”

  The Super’s fist pulled back, glowing with pure, burning energy—

  “DANIELS!”

  A voice cut through the nightmare like a blade.

  His surroundings shattered like glass.

  Suddenly, the fire, the Super, his burning home—all of it was gone.

  Daniels gasped as reality slammed back into him.

  He was lying in the wreckage of the Falcon dropship, his body aching all over. The sun burned overhead, and the humid air of the island filled his lungs. Someone was shaking him.

  “Daniels! Get your ass up, now!”

  His eyes snapped open to see Corporal Hayes crouched over him, his face smeared with dirt and sweat. The sound of distant gunfire and explosions filled the air.

  They weren’t safe yet.

  Not even close.

  Daniels coughed, his body aching from the impact, as his vision slowly adjusted to the chaotic scene before him. Smoke billowed from the wrecked Falcon dropship; pieces of its hull scattered across the dense jungle floor. The rest of the squad was scrambling to regroup, checking their weapons, and trying to process the madness unfolding around them.

  Hayes grabbed him by the shoulder, hauling him to his feet. “What the hell is happening?” Daniels managed to gasp, his head still spinning from the crash.

  “The pilot’s dead,” Hayes said grimly, motioning toward the cockpit, where the mangled body of the unfortunate pilot was still strapped in. “We’re on our own.”

  The rest of the squad was accounted for, their faces pale but determined. Above them, the sky was

  Daniels turned toward Lokei, who was dusting himself off like he’d simply tripped on the way to the bar. “Alright, spook, I think you owe us some answers. What the hell were those things?”

  Lokei exhaled, adjusting his collar like this was just another day in the office..

  “That’s impossible,” one of the marines muttered. “Nothing biological should be able to keep up with a goddamn fighter jet.”

  Lokei smirked. “Well, I do have one theory.”

  “Which is?” the sergeant asked, keeping an eye on the sky.

  Lokei shrugged. “Nanotech enhancement. Some kind of artificial augmentation. Something’s boosting those things past the limits of biology. Could be genetic engineering, could be nanobots r

  The marines exchanged uneasy glances. Throughout the entire Multiversal War, they had seen mutants, alien horrors, machines of war designed to wipe out entire civilizations. But nothing like this.

  The radio crackled with screams as another dropship was torn apart mid-air, its flaming wreckage spiraling toward the ocean.

  Daniels grimaced, checking his rifle. “Well, no point in sitting here pissing ourselves about it. They’re coming for us, whether we understand them or not.”

  Hayes smirked, slamming a fresh magazine into his weapon. “Damn right. I say we show these things what Union marines do best.”

  Lokei cracked his neck and pulled out his sidearm. “Tell you what, boys—if we survive this, I’ll buy you all a beer.”

  The squad chuckled, despite the madness around them.

  Then, the dragons dove from the sky.

  A monstrous shadow descended through the smoke and sunlight, its massive wings ripping through the trees, shattering the jungle around them. Claws the size of swords reached for the squad as its mouth opened, revealing a glow of pure energy building in its throat.

  “LIGHT ‘EM UP!” the sergeant roared.

  The air erupted in gunfire and flames as the marines opened fire. The battle for survival had begun.