General Thompson looked at him and blinked only to hear the presidents order who was monitoring the situation remotely.
"I authorize all necessary measures. We need to bring that thing down and secure Its wreckage"
President Davis declared and general Thompson Immediattly understood what he meant which was basically this 'i want that tech for myself'.
...
MC POV
Just as I finished smoking my cigarette the pilots voice once again reverberated In my mind.
"Sir, they've engaged with autocannons, but our deflectors bounced them off. Awaiting further instructions."
I placed the ciggarette bud Into my ciggarette pack.
"Destroy them."
The co pilot's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Gladly, sir."
He took manual control of the top mounted laser Gatling gun. The weapon hummed to life, its barrels spinning.
...
Captain Elena "Hawk" Ramirez barely had time to react as she gave her order.
"Hawk Two, move in for flank, oh f*ck evade, evade!"
Too late. A stream of continous fist sized red lazer beams lashed out from the dropships top lazer gattling gun.
Hawk Two never even had time to scream. His craft disintegrated mid turn wing, fuselage, cockpit gone in one searing flash.
Ramirez swore violently as her left wing took a grazing hit. Her stick went dead, cockpit lights flashing.
"Ejecting! Hawk One ejecting now!"
Her seat blasted out just before her fighter spiraled into the sea of high rises below.
...
MC POV
I exhaled long and hard as I watched the two fighter jest get destroyed In view through the dropships cameras.
"Get me to my mom's place. ASAP."
"Copy that sir"
The pilot confirmed. Then I felt the dropkick of acceleration slam us into the next city grid. Not long after, the master chief's voice rang through the dropship after the adrenaline junkie pilot completed another combat drop.
"We're here, sir"
I stood, flexed my shoulders.
"Open the ramp."
The button slammed. The hatch hissed. Wind roared. Invicta and I stepped to the edge of the ramp and jumped from the height of ten meters.
She landed like a damn superhero, barely scuffing the asphalt. Me? I did a rough ass roll across the street.
"Tch. Showoff."
I got up with a grunt, brushed myself off. She gave me that smug side eye.
"Sounds like someone's jealous."
We bolted toward the stairwell. I punched in the code, threw the door open, and sprinted up the stairs four steps at a time. Fifth floor. My lungs felt electric. I banged the apartment buzzer.
"COMING! Stop ringing already!"
Came a familiar annoyed voice. The door opened, and there she stood. My half sister. A bit over thirty, 170 cm, still shut in skinny fat, oversized hoodie, glasses sliding down her nose. She blinked.
"Who the hell are..."
"You got even fatter and uglier, sis."
Her eyes widened. Thwack. I palm chopped her at the neck. She crumpled. Caught her before she hit the floor and handed her off to one of the soldiers charging up behind me.
Then I was in. Navigated the worn down apartment like I'd never left. And there, my mother. Seventies. Glasses. Reading a book like the world outside hadn't turned into a countdown to Armageddon. She looked up, slowly.
"…Drac?"
"Sorry, Mom."
Thwack. She didn't even get to react. I caught her gently and slung her over my shoulder like a princess wrapped in too many memories.
"Dammn youre not even gonna Introduce me first huh?"
Invicta pouted as we stormed back down and up the lovered ramp.
"First give her the anti aging beauty serum, Introductions can wait"
I said as I clicked her into a spare seat, locked the belt, then dropped into the one beside her. She looked at me sideways. Not smiling. Just watching. Calculating.
"You would destroy a world for your family, wouldn't you?"
I lit a cigarette. Let the ember flare.
"Yeah. I'd nuke it twice just to be sure."
...
A few minutes earlier
As the dropship ascended into the overcast sky, a bystander on a nearby blacony captured the entire encounter on his smartphone.
The footage, shaky but clear, showed the unidentified aircraft effortlessly deflecting autocannon fire with a shimmering blue energy shield, then retaliating with a devastating laser blast that obliterated one of the attacking jets.
The second jet spiraled out of control, crashing into a distant skyscraper in a fiery explosion. Within minutes, the video was uploaded to social media platforms, rapidly gaining traction under the hashtag #SkyShieldIncident. Viewers around the world watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded.
@UrbanObserver:
"Just witnessed a fighter jets rounds get vaporized by some kind of force field only to get obliderated by f*cking lazers. What is happening?!"
@TechSavvy2025:"That energy shield isn't any tech we know. Are we being invaded?"
@ConspiracyCorner:"Wake up, people! This is advanced military tech they've been hiding from us!"
@AlienTruthSeeker:"No way this is human made. We've just had our first contact."
@DefenseAnalyst:"Looks like a next gen stealth project. Probably a black ops experiment gone public."
@PanicPixel:"Bro... are we at war? Is this how WWIII starts?"
@MomOf3InChicago:"Can someone please tell me if we're safe?! My kids are terrified and I don't know what to tell them."
@AnonymousVeteran:"I've seen missile strikes, but nothing like this. That aircraft didn't just dodge, it disrespected physics."
@WokeWatcher007:"They just shot down our fighters like flies. What if they're testing us for something worse? I'm moving underground."
@YoungJournalist00:"Massive explosion downtown. Smoke still rising. Casualties In the dozens at least. People panicking. Government silent. What aren't they telling us?"
@RationAndAmmo:"Time to stock up. Gas. Food. Water. Ammo. EMP proof tech. This is it, people. This is The Big One."
@GeoPoliticsDaily:"Multiple foreign intelligence agencies are now reviewing the video. Analysts say this could lead to open hostilities if not addressed diplomatically."
As the video continued to circulate, news outlets picked up the story. Some called it a false flag. Others, the first strike of a WW III.
But no one had answers. Governments issued generic statements urging calm, but offered no details. No reassurances.
And in the absence of truth, fear grew leaving behind a world spinning on the edge of paranoia, haunted by the image of a shielded warbird and a silent, unstoppable retaliation.
...
President Davis sat in the Situation Room, the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. The room buzzed with tension as advisors, generals, and foreign ambassadors clamored for answers.
General Thompson cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Mr. President, we've got multiple foreign ambassadors demanding explanations. They're accusing us of deploying unauthorized advanced weaponry."
Th national Security Advisor added.
"Sir, the footage is everywhere. Public panic is escalating. We need a unified response."
Davis rubbed his temples, the gravity of the situation sinking in. He had authorized the strike, hoping to secure groundbreaking technology. Now, the world teetered on the brink of chaos.
"I made a call... a calculated risk. But now, we're facing the consequences."
"Sir we need to manage the fallout. Immediate transparency might be our only option."
A foreign Ambassador via video call demanded an answer with a ratehr forceful tone.
"President Davis, our nations demand clarity. Was this an act of aggression or a defense measure?"
Davis looked around the room, the faces of his advisors reflecting the turmoil within. He realized that his decision had not only jeopardized international relations but also the trust of his own people, seeing this president Davis sighed as he knew that after this his political carrier was over.
"Prepare a statement. Ill address the country and the world."
Hearing this evryone got to work leaving the President sulk In regret of his bad choices In life.
...
Several hours later
The podium stood tall and pristine under the heavy glow of overhead lights. Cameras clicked. Flashes went off like nervous heartbeats.
The seal of the President loomed behind, larger than life a symbol meant to inspire unity. Tonight, it felt more like a target.
President Davis stepped up to the podium slowly, the lines on his face deeper, heavier than they were just several hours ago.
His suit was crisp, but his posture slouched ever so slightly, the unmistakable posture of a man who'd been backed into a corner.
He adjusted the mic. A murmur swept through the press crowd. Then silence. Red light on the camera lit up. The entire world was watching.
"My fellow countryman… and citizens of the world. This is not a message I ever hoped to deliver. And yet, responsibility compels it."
A pause. He took a breath. No teleprompter this time. No comforting political script.
"Earlier today, our defense systems detected an unidentified aircraft moving through domestic airspace. Its technology… was unlike anything we've seen before. No ID. No known signatures. No response to hails."
He gripped the edges of the podium, knuckles white.
"I made the decision. I take full responsibility. I authorized a strike on what was assessed to be a potential threat to national security."
A flurry of flashes lit the room like lightning. Reporters started whispering. The world leaned in.