Even though Marlon had spoken those words in a quiet, low murmur, Lucian's sharp ears caught every single syllable.
Lucian immediately threw his head back and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Axel succeeded! He successfully dismantled the Earthshaker!"
A sudden, absolute silence fell over the perimeter as everyone froze in place.
Then, just a second later, the surrounding military personnel erupted into wild, triumphant cheering.
The surviving squad members shouted the loudest, having personally experienced the suffocating helplessness of staring down the active superweapon just minutes prior.
Commander Luke was visibly overcome with relief, clapping his hands together with a wide, bright smile.
He had already accepted with a heavy heart that thousands of innocent civilians were going to lose their lives today.
But now, that terrible tragedy would not come to pass.
