Chapter One - The Day the Water Died

The city breathed — restless and teetering on the edge of collapse. Jayden Kross led Delta-V, twenty strong, down cracked pavement stained with memories of conflict. Their boots struck the ground like thunder, a heartbeat of defiance in a world unraveling.

His eyes scanned the squad — faces weathered by battle but burning with fierce loyalty:

Mira, sniper and razor wit, eyes that missed nothing.

Tariq, the squad's heart, a joker masking scars with laughter.

Lena, silent but deadly, the ghost of every firefight.

Cruz, the mountain, calm in the storm with a hammer of a fist.

Kai, the tech wizard, fingers dancing over gadgets and weapons with almost supernatural speed.

Dara, medic, steady hands and a quiet strength no one questioned.

Rafe, demolition expert, fearless with a grin that dared death to come closer.

They were brothers and sisters in arms, battle-forged and unbreakable.

Up ahead, a battered taco van offered a brief glimmer of normalcy. Cheers erupted.

"Taco run!" Tariq grinned, tossing coins.

Jayden allowed himself a rare smile. "Enjoy it. We might not get another."

But shadows lurked beneath the surface — memories of lost family, the creeping dread of a city turned against them.

Later, Jayden and Mira slipped off toward the public bathrooms. Mira nudged him, playful. "Still the boss, even on the throne?"

Jayden smirked. "Always."

Inside the dim bathroom, Jayden stepped into a stall, the cool air a brief relief. But then the water died.

Stepping out, he saw ten squadmates at the sinks, hands splashing — and then the water stopped.

Silence — heavy and suffocating.

Then came the pull.

Porcelain mouths yawned wide, dragging his friends beneath with sickening gurgles.

Jayden's throat closed. "No!"

From the drains, grotesque metallic heads emerged — the Sinks — twisted, glowing, monstrous.

The bathroom door slammed open — ten more rushed in, terror sharpening their breaths.

Jayden grabbed a rusted pipe and swung with desperate fury.

The Sinks snarled, blocking escape.

One lunged at Tariq. Jayden grabbed the pipe beneath it and yanked hard.

The creature screamed, sucked into darkness.

"Pipes! Pull the pipes!" Jayden ordered.

Hands grasped metal, yanking monsters into oblivion.

"Move!" Mira shouted, eyes scanning.

The squad fought through a rising tide of Sinks in the park.

"Van!" Cruz shouted, pointing.

They battled through snarling claws, pipes clashing like thunder.

Kai hacked into the van's system from his tablet, fingers flying. "Give me ten minutes tops!"

Jayden wiped sweat and blood from his brow. "Make it count."

Engines roared alive. The squad piled in, breaths ragged.

Claws scraped the windshield, desperate to drag them back.

Jayden climbed onto the roof, pipe swinging in brutal arcs.

The city blurred — screams, splashes, growling monsters.

At the army base, soldiers evacuated civilians, tension choking the air.

"Delta-V, report!" barked the commander.

"Most intact," Jayden said, voice tight. "But the city's... changing."

A child's cry shattered the tension.

"A kid's trapped!" Dara shouted, already moving.

They surged forward — hope driving their feet.

From shadows, Simks appeared — darker, faster, more brutal.

The squad fought tooth and nail, strength draining.

Jayden's breath caught — the end closing in — until a thunderous roar shook the ground.

Five towering mechs crashed into the night, metal giants blazing with energy and weapons that sang death.

The ground trembled beneath their power.

The mechs tore through the Simks with terrifying precision.

Jayden collapsed, heart hammering — survival was only the beginning.

Behind his eyes, a flash — a memory of his sister, lost to this nightmare years ago. This war was personal. It was vengeance. It was hope.