The Chaos Engineer

The Sentinel headquarters buzzed with activity. Operators frantically coordinated patrols, routed Sentinel units to critical points, and relayed information from the field. The city was under siege, and every second mattered.

Head Admin. Contact and dispatch the Brothers.

In a dim alley on the outskirts of the city, Tinker, the Vanguard's resident chaos engineer, adjusted his glove-like device. The contraption was intricate, brimming with glowing wires and tiny mechanical parts that clicked and whirred with an unsettling rhythm. His lips twisted into a devious grin as he muttered to himself, "Let's see how your fancy communications hold up."

The streets around him were eerily quiet, the distant sounds of explosions and screams providing a grim soundtrack. Tinker crouched down, pressing a button on his glove. The device on his wrist hummed, and with a flick of his fingers, he unleashed Mech Swarm, an ability that deployed hundreds of tiny, insect-like drones into the air.

The drones scattered with precision, their metallic wings slicing through the air as they headed toward the Sentinel headquarters. Invisible to the naked eye, the swarm infiltrated every crack and crevice of the building, attaching themselves to antennas, relay stations, and communication hubs.

Inside the headquarters, chaos erupted. Screens flickered, comm channels buzzed with static, and vital systems began shutting down one by one. Operators scrambled to identify the issue, their shouts filling the control room.

"Comms are down!"

"We're losing contact with field units!"

One of the senior officers slammed his fist onto the table. "Find the source of the disruption! Now!"

Tinker, watching the chaos unfold through a holographic display on his glove, cackled with glee. "Oh, they're so predictable. Always relying on their little toys to save the day." He adjusted a dial on his glove, increasing the intensity of the swarm's interference.

Back inside the control room, a technician shouted, "It's not a regular attack—something's physically interfering with the systems. It's coming from… everywhere!"

The senior officer's face darkened. "This is deliberate. Someone's targeting us."

Tinker's voice echoed in their comm system for a brief moment, distorted but dripping with mockery. "Hello, Sentinel dogs. Consider this a little gift from the Black Vanguard. Don't worry, though—your suffering is just beginning."

Before the technicians could trace the source, the swarm unleashed an electromagnetic pulse. The resulting surge fried circuits, shorted out screens, and plunged the control room into darkness.

The Vanguard's attack had successfully severed communication across the city, leaving Sentinel units isolated and vulnerable. Tinker leaned back against the wall of his hideout, basking in the chaos he had created.

"Now, let's see how they handle a little silence," he muttered, his grin widening as the distant sounds of explosions grew louder.