Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The next day, Rex was already stationed by the subway entrance, scanning the dimly lit surroundings where the Aegis Sentinel squad had been wiped out the night before.

Several other squads were positioned around nearby subway entrances, ready to intercept in case the Void Crawler emerged.

Just in case, the hulking Mauler Juggernaut was on standby too, its massive frame looming nearby, ready to respond if any other giant infected decided to make trouble while they were down below.

Rex tapped his foot impatiently.

"Cleo! We’re waiting on you! Come on, I can’t wait to get down there and have my ass handed to me!"

He called out, grinning, though he was only half-joking. Cleo had kept him waiting nearly an hour while finalizing updates to the assembly factory construction.

Cleo finally appeared, letting out an exasperated sigh as she joined him.

"Alright, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with,"

she said, though the look in her eyes was steely.

Rex turned to Squad 201, his face serious but his tone still light enough to keep the soldiers on edge.

"Squad 201, listen up! Today, the princess herself,"

he gestured grandly at Cleo, "

will be joining us down there. So I want you all to show her what we’re made of. We’re going to take out that zombie boss and make it look easy!"

He pointed dramatically at the dark, gaping subway entrance

. "Now move out! Clear those tunnels before anything ugly down there has a chance to stain the princess’s beautiful eyes!"

While Rex looked entirely pleased with himself, Cleo just rolled her eyes, barely hiding a smirk. He always had a flair for the theatrical, and by now, she was well past being surprised by it.

Following the orders, Squad 201 began descending into the subway in a wave formation. The first team of five slipped in, moving quickly and quietly. A minute later, another team followed. Cleo observed their tactical movement with a hint of surprise.

"I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to be so methodical with this,"

she said, her eyes tracking the steady rhythm of the deployment.

Rex shrugged, grinning.

"Hey, we can’t just rush in there like idiots. The infected have the home-field advantage down there. If we all charge in at once, we’re sitting ducks. But if we go in waves, each team has the space to react. Keeps things tight, controlled."

Cleo raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed.

"Well, shall we? Lead the way, my lord,"

she added, giving him a small, sarcastic bow.

Rex laughed, then returned the bow with exaggerated courtesy.

"With pleasure, my lady."

Together, they descended into the subway, darkness swallowing them as they moved deeper. The only lights came from the flashlights mounted on the Aegis Sentinels’ helmets, casting eerie shadows along the rusted tracks and crumbling walls.

Rex’s night vision kicked in, turning everything into shades of green, but the atmosphere remained oppressively still.

"This place is downright creepy,"

he muttered, peering into the shadows.

Cleo walked beside him, flanked by four Aegis Sentinels, her fingers flying over her holo-display as she checked the status of the squads ahead.

"Any word from the first wave?"

Rex asked, keeping his voice low.

"Negative,"

Cleo replied, glancing at him.

"No sign of enemy movement yet."

Her screens flashed in rapid succession, processing data faster than any human could track.

The silence dragged on as they ventured deeper into the tunnels, minutes stretching into hours. The oppressive weight of the subway pressed in around them, the stale air thick with dust and decay. But just when it seemed like the emptiness would go on forever, Cleo’s expression changed, her eyes narrowing.

"Hold on,"

she said, her voice tight.

"I’m picking up distress signals from the team ahead of us. They’re under attack. Let’s move!"

Without waiting for a reply, Cleo broke into a run, and Rex sprinted alongside her, adrenaline kicking in as they hurried toward the ambushed team. As they turned a corner, Rex’s HUD lit up with proximity alerts of enemy signatures, fast and erratic, swarming over the first wave of Aegis units.

In the dim glow of the Sentinel lights, he saw them: twisted, shadowy figures darting in and out of the darkness. They were the Swarmers, small, wiry infected with elongated limbs and hollow chests filled with venomous fluid, moving like a pack of rabid animals. The Aegis units were holding a defensive line, but the Swarmers’ speed and agility made them nearly impossible to hit.

Rex clenched his jaw, assessing the situation. "Squad 201, form up, and cover them! Aim for the torsos; those things are carrying venom."

Cleo quickly patched into the Aegis unit feeds, her fingers flying as she analyzed the swarm’s movement patterns.

"Their movements are unpredictable, but they’re following a loose pattern. If we can funnel them into a choke point, we might stand a chance."

Rex nodded, then shouted over his shoulder,

"You heard her! Draw them toward the east tunnel intersection! Set up a bottleneck!"

The squad moved as one, adjusting their positions. The Swarmers, sensing their targets shifting, redirected, racing after them with chilling speed.

Just as the Swarmers began closing in, the team reached the narrow intersection Cleo had marked. The Aegis units took defensive positions, plasma rifles blazing as they funneled the creatures into the confined space. Finally, with the Swarmers forced into single-file, their advantage was neutralized, and Squad 201 picked them off one by one.

The last of the creatures dropped, and the tunnel fell silent, the only sound their ragged breathing echoing through the darkness. Rex looked over at Cleo, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "

Well, that was fun. Ready to find the main event?"

Cleo gave a small, satisfied smile.

"Lead the way, My Lord."

Rex straightened, glancing once more at the darkness stretching ahead. Somewhere down here, the Void Crawler was lurking, waiting...

Just as Rex was lost in thought, a series of explosions shook the subway tunnel, sending massive chunks of debris flying in every direction. The force of the blasts collapsed sections of the tunnel in seconds, burying Rex, Cleo, and several Aegis units under a mountain of rubble.

In the chaos, Rex reacted instinctively. Activating his overdrive mode, he unfurled his powerful wings and wrapped them around Cleo, creating a protective cocoon just as the debris crashed down around them. Dust and darkness filled the air, and for a moment, all was silent.

When the dust finally settled, Rex flexed his wings, sending rocks and debris flying off in every direction. He lowered his gaze to Cleo, checking for any signs of injury. "

You alright, Cleo?"

he asked, his tone soft but urgent.

Cleo took a steadying breath, nodding.

"Thanks to you,"

she replied. But before they could even take in the extent of the damage, a low, guttural roar echoed through the darkness.

Rex glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight: the explosions had attracted a horde of infected, and now hundreds, no,

thousands

of drone zombies were swarming toward them, their eyes glowing with hunger in the shadows.

Rex grinned, drawing his newly upgraded Claymore.

"Well, it looks like the whole city came out to give us a warm welcome. Can’t blame them; being this handsome is a curse."

Cleo shot him a look, rolling her eyes as she summoned her weapons. "

This might not be the best time for jokes, Rex."

"There’s always time for a little humor, my lady!"

Rex laughed, spinning his claymore as its laser-coated edge hummed to life. Cleo’s enhancements had made it deadlier than ever, the blade now glowing with a lethal golden sheen.

Cleo shook her head, focusing on her own preparations.

In each of her hands, she summoned a short sword, while four more swords floated in a formation behind her, each blade crackling with a different elemental energy: flames flickered along one blade, electricity arced from another, acid dripped from a third, and the last was cloaked in a black, shadowy flame that sent shivers down Rex’s spine.

He decided he probably didn’t want to know what

that

one did.

Rex swung his Claymore, cleaving through the first wave of zombies that lunged toward him.

"I’ll take the front! Cover my flanks!"

With a powerful beat of his wings, he launched himself into the heart of the horde, slicing through dozens of zombies with every swing. His wings battered the infected away like they were nothing more than leaves in a storm, clearing space as he tore through the swarm.

Rex fought like a force of nature, a whirlwind of raw power, scattering limbs and bodies as he pushed forward.

Meanwhile, Cleo took a more graceful, lethal approach. She ran along the wall of the collapsed tunnel, her movements precise and fluid, slicing through the heads of zombies with an almost effortless elegance.

Each step was calculated, and each strike was deadly. When she landed back on the ground, her floating swords formed a protective sphere around her, spinning and weaving to create a deadly barrier. Flames incinerated anything that got close, lightning arced out and stunned the infected, acid melted through rotten flesh, and the shadowy flame seemed to consume the very life of any zombie foolish enough to approach.

For a few intense minutes, the two of them held their ground, carving through the horde as wave after wave of infected fell. But just as they were beginning to tire, Rex caught sight of movement in the distance.

His scanners detected several movement sources that weren’t hostile, and his HUD detected them in a green color. Rex finally could breathe since the reinforcements were finally here.