Kael stood atop the final Lantern Maw, his fist buried in the creature's ruined face. Black ichor coated his knuckles, still warm, still pulsing. Bone cracked beneath his blows until the skull gave in with a sick snap.
He rose to his feet, chest rising with each breath. Smoke curled from his arms.
"That was fun."
he turning toward the wall.
Then he froze.
Max.
The one-eyed brute had him pinned. Each of its fists came down like falling mountains, shaking the earth with every strike. Cracks spread across the battlefield. Max's body was half-buried in the crater forming beneath him, motionless under layers of broken soil and stone.
The creature stopped. Breathing heavy. It turned its gaze to the wall and began to move.
Then—rumble.
It paused and looked back.
From the shattered earth, Max began to rise.
His armor was torn, pieces dangling from exposed circuitry. Sparks jumped across the gaps. Dirt and blood clung to him like war paint.
