Rex wiped the sweat off his forehead as he ascended the winding staircase of the Central Tower, his footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. The air was thick with the smoke and tension of battle from the chaos outside, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something monumental was about to unfold. Ahead, Jefferson stood waiting by a large control panel surrounded by blinking screens and cables.
"Finally caught up?" Jefferson asked, sparing Rex a quick glance. "Took you long enough."
"Yeah, after that little 'warm-up' you left me with," Rex shot back, rolling his eyes, "I'm surprised I made it at all."
Jefferson's face softened with the faintest hint of a smirk before he turned back to the console. "Get ready. Things are about to get more… interesting."
