The atmosphere inside Julian's concealed observation post was one of detached analysis. After witnessing the collapse of the summit and the absurd decree of the Arbitrator, the team had regrouped in a secured room on the upper floor of a derelict office building overlooking the plaza. The tension below was a distant spectacle.
"So, the arbitration devolved into a gladiatorial announcement, and then the prize threw a tantrum," Veronica summarized, leaning against a cracked wall with her arms crossed. Her tone was dripping with contempt. "A summit of fools, led by a brute, a coward, and a mad scientist, mediated by ghosts with a god complex. How utterly predictable."
"The 'tantrum' is the critical variable," Celestia stated, her eyes fixed on the faction leaders. "The Core's transformation aligns with no known pattern. It is an active hostile entity now."
