The news of the Berlin event, which the global press quickly dubbed the "Serpent's Fall," did not just break; it shattered the fragile new reality of the post-Vulture world. There was no official GAC press release, no triumphant announcement. There was only the stark, undeniable, and terrifying satellite imagery: a perfectly circular chasm in the heart of Berlin, from which a column of ancient, living wood had erupted and torn apart a structure that was not supposed to exist.
This was followed by a single, anonymous data leak, almost certainly from Jack Wilson's desk, that showed the world what the GAC had fought. It showed General Adler, a monster on a throne of steel. It showed the schematics for the "Hive Queen." It showed the mad, terrible ambition of the "Perfect Race" project.
The world, which had been preparing for a war against the stars, was suddenly forced to confront a monster that had been born in its own heart. The reaction was a global wave of shock, horror, and a new, profound respect for the shadowy organization that had acted as the world's scalpel.
News Montage
CNN:"THE BERLIN BUNKER: Rogue General's Secret War Exposed. Who are the Global Awakened Coalition, and are they our saviors, or our new masters?"
BBC:"A SHADOW SUPERPOWER: The GAC's surgical strike in Berlin demonstrates a level of international coordination and power that surpasses any single nation. Experts ask: who holds them accountable?"
AL JAZEERA:"THE SERPENT'S HEAD: While the world's governments debated, the GAC acted. A new paradigm of global power has emerged from the ashes of Adler's fortress."
Pan-European American Alliance Emergency Council (Secure Video Conference)
The faces of the Alliance's political leaders were pale, drawn, and furious. The Serpent's Fall was not just a military disaster; it was a political cataclysm.
"Adler was a symptom!" a French minister spat, his face a mask of rage. "The real disease is Director Thorne! The Chimera Project, the Titan, the Sentinel program—it all happened under his watch! His ambition created this monster!"
"Thorne has vanished," an American general stated, his voice a low, grim baritone. "The moment the Berlin data leak went public, he dropped off the grid. His security clearance has been revoked, his assets frozen. We're hunting him, but the man is a ghost."
The Alliance, once the arrogant, undisputed leader of the world, was in chaos. Their most advanced military projects were now a source of global shame, their most ruthless director was a fugitive, and their technological supremacy had been proven to be a hollow shell. They were wounded, exposed, and for the first time, afraid.
The Kremlin, Moscow
The Russian President stared at a single, still image on his holographic display. It was a thermal satellite photo of the Spree River, taken during the raid. A perfect, unnatural field of absolute zero, a signature he recognized with a chilling certainty.
"Petrov," he murmured, the name a soft, dangerous whisper. "He used it."
The general beside him nodded grimly. "He acted outside of our command, Mr. President. And he succeeded. The GAC did in one night what our entire intelligence apparatus failed to do in a year. They are not just a collection of gifted individuals. They are a weapon."
The President was silent for a long moment. "Our policy of isolation has been rendered obsolete," he finally said. "We cannot treat them as an enemy. Not yet. We will not be their ally. But we will watch them. Open a back channel. Let them know we are... observing. We need to know if this new global weapon can be aimed."
EAC Directorate, Shanghai
Director Chen and Mei-Ling stood before a similar display, but their faces showed not fear or suspicion, but a quiet, profound satisfaction.
"It is done," Chen said, a rare note of finality in his voice. "They have proven themselves. They are everything we hoped they would be: decisive, powerful, and most importantly, independent."
"The world is afraid of them," Mei-Ling noted, her expression analytical. "They see a new, unaccountable superpower."
"Good," Chen replied, a thin smile touching his lips. "Let them be afraid. Fear breeds respect. For too long, the world has looked only to the West. Now, they will have to look to the GAC." He turned to her, his expression hardening with a new, global purpose. "Our support must be absolute. Whatever they need—resources, intelligence, political cover—they will have it. The GAC is the shield. And we will be the hand that helps to hold it."
The dust of Berlin had settled, and in its place, a new world order had been revealed. The GAC was no longer a desperate coalition. It was a throne of power, waiting for its kings and queens to fully claim it.