The city trembled as the mechanical horde crashed against the barricades. Sparks flew, metal groaned, and the towering warbot stood like an executioner at the gates. Smaller drones scurried ahead, clawing and blasting their way through, a fire plume rising behind them, painting the sky in shades of orange and smoke.
Inside a small, intact coffee shop, a woman sat by the window, her expression calm—too calm for the chaos unfolding just outside. Commander Rika Kane, battle-hardened, feared by machines and men alike, lifted her coffee cup with deliberate ease. Steam curled lazily from the surface, unfazed by the destruction beyond the glass.
The café’s neon “OPEN” sign flickered weakly, its defiance matching her own. The shattered world outside could wait.
Her radio crackled, panicked voices cutting through the distant gunfire.
“Commander! They’ve breached the outer wall—where are you?!”
Her gaze flicked to the street. The massive warbot loomed over the wreckage, its glowing red optics scanning for targets. A dozen smaller mechs swarmed forward, relentless in their assault. Flames licked at the sky, the city’s last defenses crumbling.
She exhaled, lazily setting her cup down on the table, watching the carnage unfold like it was morning traffic.
With a smirk, she tapped her communicator and finally responded.
“5 more minutes… they are barely inside.”
The robots would get their fight.
Just as soon as she finished her coffee.
