The Night Before

It was late at night, but Regal Rock (Black Rock) was bustling. Within hours, the largest estate of Springfield had turned into a war fortress. Its boundary walls had been reinforced to withstand even tank bombardments. If the city's defenses fell, Regal Rock was the bastion where NWO could make its last stand.

Victor gathered his war council in the main conference room. His three five-star generals—Maverick, Valerie, and Drew were present. General Lance Baker had been temporarily inducted into the NWO as a four-star. At the same time, Clive Baron and Elsa Madison had also been promoted. Michael Bolton and the other four-stars were in attendance as well. Finally, Victor's cousin, the Governor of Springfield, was there.

A fifteen-foot wide LED screen showed the tactical positions of NWO and military troops, along with real-time feed from cameras and other sensors.

"Give me a summary of the latest reports, Mav," Victor said, leaning over the conference table.