The locks disengaged one by one.
Heavy metallic sounds rolled through the mountain beneath the Benton estate while the enormous SS7 doors slowly separated down the center.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody even breathed properly.
Because suddenly—
this wasn't a hidden laboratory anymore.
This was something far bigger.
White floodlights activated inside the underground hangar in layered sequence, illuminating steel platforms, suspended fabrication arms, maintenance gantries, testing sectors, and launch rails stretching impossibly deep beneath the mountain.
Vincent Torres stopped walking first.
"…WHAT."
His voice echoed beautifully through the cavernous chamber.
Sebastien Mercier stared upward openly now while Victor Kane slowly folded his arms tighter across his chest.
Not defensive.
Grounding.
Because the scale of the place felt unreal.
Every surface looked active.
Alive.
Mech diagnostics flowed across transparent screens. Engineering drones moved along ceiling rails carrying tools and armor plating while hidden systems hummed softly beneath the floor itself.
And at the center of it all—
two massive covered platforms waited silently beneath layered shadows.
Leon looked toward Serena slowly.
"…this entire time."
Serena nodded once.
"This entire time."
Kael blinked slowly.
Then pointed dramatically.
"…hold on."
His eyes narrowed toward the covered platforms.
"No."
Krysta immediately grinned.
"Yes."
Ryven looked toward her quietly.
"…those are ours."
"Technically?" Krysta said carefully.
A pause.
"Mostly."
Kael looked personally offended.
"GREMLIN."
"You'll understand in a minute."
"That sentence never ends positively."
Cassian walked toward the central control platform while hidden systems activated around the chamber.
"Originally these units were still incomplete."
Victor Kane frowned slightly.
"Originally?"
Cassian smiled faintly.
"Then Wrong Sky happened."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Not painfully.
Not heavily.
Just—
real.
Because everyone inside this room understood now.
Those children almost died out there.
And the people who loved them responded exactly like Bentons always did.
They built something terrifying afterward.
Krysta tapped a command into the central interface.
The covered platforms slowly illuminated from beneath.
Then the massive protective sheets retracted upward.
And the entire room fell silent.
Because Valkrieg-0 and Umbra Rex finally revealed themselves fully for the first time.
Kael stopped moving entirely.
The playful energy vanished from him so suddenly even Vincent noticed it immediately.
White armor gleamed beneath the floodlights in layered adaptive plating lines while blue energy systems pulsed softly beneath Valkrieg's surface like controlled lightning trapped beneath steel.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Beautiful.
Beside it—
Umbra Rex stood like a monster pretending to be calm.
Black reinforced armor absorbed the surrounding light while massive integrated weapon systems rested beneath layered plating thick enough to survive direct fleet bombardment.
It looked ancient.
Predatory.
Like war itself had learned patience.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then Kael finally whispered—
"…holy hell."
Krysta looked deeply pleased with herself.
"Good reaction."
Ryven stepped forward slowly now.
His eyes never left Umbra Rex.
Something about the mech felt familiar immediately.
Not visually.
Instinctively.
Like the machine had been built specifically for the way he moved.
The way he fought.
The way he thought.
Cassian noticed immediately.
"We used your combat data from Helius."
Leon blinked once.
"…all of it?"
"Every simulation."
"Every duel," Krysta added proudly.
"Every synchronization spike."
Vincent looked horrified.
"You had access to THAT much data?"
Krysta stared at him blankly.
"I'm a Benton."
"…fair."
Kael slowly circled Valkrieg now, staring upward openly.
"…you built this for me."
Not ego.
Not arrogance.
Just quiet disbelief.
Serena softened slightly watching him.
"Yes."
The single word landed heavily.
Because Kael knew exactly what this meant.
The resources.
The secrecy.
The years of work hidden beneath the mountain.
All while he thought his family barely knew what he was becoming.
Ryven stopped beside Umbra Rex.
Then slowly placed one hand against the black armor plating.
The mech responded immediately.
A soft pulse of light moved beneath the surface.
Sebastien physically flinched.
"…did it just react to him?"
Krysta smiled wider.
"Oh good."
Victor Kane narrowed his eyes.
"…good?"
"That means the adaptive sync systems are functioning."
Vincent pointed aggressively.
"WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT SO CASUALLY."
Cassian looked far too calm.
"Because this is the stable version."
Silence.
Then—
Leon laughed quietly into one hand.
"Of course there's an unstable version."
"There were three," Krysta corrected.
"GREMLIN."
"What? We fixed it."
Kael turned slowly toward her.
"…what happened to the other three."
Krysta looked thoughtful.
"One exploded."
Vincent immediately pointed toward the ceiling.
"NOPE."
"The second became sentient briefly."
"KRYSTA."
"The third one kept trying to sync with the coffee machine."
Nobody spoke.
Then Victor Kane quietly asked—
"…how."
Krysta looked genuinely offended.
"We still don't know."
Leon physically laughed now while Ryven closed his eyes briefly like someone questioning every life decision leading him into this family.
Kael meanwhile looked delighted.
"…I love this place."
"That explains a lot unfortunately," Marcus muttered.
Krysta suddenly clapped her hands once.
"Okay."
Everyone looked toward her immediately.
"We need synchronization data."
Kael blinked.
"…right now?"
"Yes."
Cassian nodded toward the platforms.
"The systems are adaptive."
"They'll evolve based on your neural patterns."
Sebastien frowned slightly.
"You're testing unfinished military prototypes tonight?"
Krysta answered immediately.
"Yes."
Vincent stared at Leon slowly.
"…I think your future in-laws are insane."
Leon looked toward Kael and Ryven.
"They absolutely are."
Kael pointed proudly.
"Thank you."
"That was not praise."
"I accepted it as praise."
Ryven ignored all of them quietly while staring up at Umbra Rex again.
Something deep inside his chest tightened strangely.
Because for the first time—
he wasn't looking at a training mech.
Or an academy unit.
Or borrowed military hardware.
This one was his.
Built for him.
Built knowing exactly who he was.
Kael climbed halfway onto Valkrieg's platform already.
Then froze suddenly.
"…wait."
He looked toward Ryven.
Then toward Krysta.
"…dual synchronization?"
Krysta's smile widened immediately.
"Oh absolutely."
Vincent physically stepped backward.
"NO."
Cassian activated another projection.
A synchronization chamber unfolded beneath the central platform between both mechs.
"After Wrong Sky," he explained calmly, "we needed to understand exactly what happened between your neural patterns."
Marcus folded his arms tightly.
"…and if something goes wrong."
Krysta answered immediately.
"Then we learn."
"GREMLIN."
"What?"
"That answer was deeply concerning."
Kael meanwhile looked excited.
Which honestly felt more dangerous.
Ryven finally spoke quietly.
"…you already tested the compatibility."
Krysta and Cassian exchanged one look.
Then Krysta answered carefully.
"…indirectly."
Ryven narrowed his eyes.
"What does indirectly mean."
Krysta coughed lightly.
"…Helius combat recordings."
Leon froze.
Vincent slowly turned toward him.
"…they built experimental synchronization systems using your brother's academy arguments."
"Apparently."
Kael looked delighted.
"WE'RE SCIENCE."
"You are absolutely a problem," Vincent corrected immediately.
The synchronization chamber illuminated softly.
Blue light spread across the floor beneath both mechs while system prompts activated around the room.
Krysta looked toward them both now.
For the first time tonight—
serious.
"We need honest data."
No jokes now.
No teasing.
Just truth.
"Don't hold back."
Kael glanced toward Ryven once.
Ryven looked back calmly.
And somehow—
that single look carried years of trust already.
Then both of them stepped forward together toward the synchronization chamber while the rest of the room watched in complete silence.
Because nobody inside SS7 realized yet—
they were about to witness the beginning of something the Federation had never seen before.