Chapter 182: Overwhelmed
Unbeknownst to Victor, their frantic preparations were being watched. Inside Aegis, Zack observed the chaos through a live feed from the LSI satellite. He smirked, shaking his head. "A little late to start scrambling fighters, don't you think?" he muttered.
Turning to Ava, he gestured toward the screen. "The fighter planes are yours."
"Yes, sir!" Ava stood at attention and saluted before hurrying out of the control room. Taking the metal stairs, she returned to the hangar where the Avalon-II was docked.
The cockpit display lit up as she strapped in, a notification appearing:
[Pilot: Ava]
[Authorization: Granted for departure from Aegis]
With a mechanical hiss, the Avalon's docking clamps released. Boom! The aircraft shot out of the hangar, propelled into the sky like a sharp arrow.
"Where did that plane come from?!" Victor's roar echoed through the command room as he spotted the Avalon-II slicing through the air. His expression turned pale when he realized its trajectory.
"No... Stop that plane! NOW!" But it was already too late. Flying low over the base's ruined defenses, Ava guided the Avalon-II toward the airfield. Beneath its hull, the 20mm Vulcan cannon spun to life.