2
Heavy footsteps landed on the floor, each impact sending a palpable tremor through it. It moved slowly and laboriously, every step seeming to drain all its strength, yet it never wavered.
Bird let out another quiet sigh, never taking their eyes off the figure stumbling onward.
"Sherylene, do you have mimicry capabilities?" Fayan Luo kept his gaze fixed on the metal body beside him, his tone somewhat probing.
Sherylene's pale cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She turned away in a fluster, her voice barely audible. "N-no."
Beside them, Feinga rolled his eyes and gave Fayan Luo a look of undisguised disdain. "Her core engine is perfectly intact. Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"
The teasing remark sent the blush spreading all the way to Sherylene's ears. She bit her lip and said nothing more.
Meanwhile, a low rumble came from the rooftop. The enormous robot lumbered forward, each heavy step making the concrete beneath it tremble. But its violent movements proved too much for its already battered vehicle body. With a deafening crash, its massive frame collapsed completely, scattering car parts and scrap metal across the ground.
A deep-blue electronic signal shot out of the wreckage like a startled fish, heading straight downstairs.
"After it!" Axel barked. He became a streak of light, racing down in the direction the signal had fallen.
The others quickly boarded a small aircraft and cut through the sky in pursuit.
The signal moved incredibly fast. With a whoosh, it darted into Axel's home and plunged straight into the terminal's screen. In the blink of an eye, it reassembled in digital space, taking the form of a small, hideous electronic monster.
When they hurried into the room, they saw the little monster on the large screen, emitting shrill squawks into empty space as though transmitting