The attack came at 3:47 AM.
Slade was awake when the first explosion rocked the headquarters. He was on his feet before the second blast, his weapon in his hand, his mind already racing through tactical assessments. The building shook again. Alarms blared. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"Everyone, to the command center!" Slade shouted.
The team moved with practiced efficiency—Kane covering the east flank, Sloane securing the perimeter, Ember checking the medical bay, Lyric running to her station. Dante was already at the security console, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
"We've got multiple hostiles," Dante reported. "At least twenty. They breached the outer wall. They're moving toward the main entrance."
Slade's jaw tightened. "Who are they?"
"The fragments. They're making the
