Chapter 9:

“Well, here they come they’re heading straight towards us.” E57 casually said despite the tension of the situation the numbers of Building E have found themselves at currently. Though he spoke without any indication of worry in his voice nor expression even as the threat near closer to them.

Over the distance another hint of a flash came then, Boom~! Another explosion near their position pulling dust of the ground and into the air covering the area in a dust cloud hindering the group’s vision.

“One, you know where my Toy Box is at!?” E107 cried out under E57 who was covering him with his body and over the loud discharging explosions around them, despite not knowing where E101 was or if he could even hear him. However, he wasn’t too worried about that he knew E101 heard him.

“They should be arriving any minute now along with the rest of the convoy that was with us they were right behind us!” E101 voice rang over the explosions. Then as if on cue E107 heard the familiar hissing sound of jet engines blared out from behind them. Then came the rush tide of wind sweeping over E107’s group, dust flew after and the rags and clothes the group wore flapped frantically in gust of air.

Looking skyward, E107 saw the source of the turbulence as roaring jet bikes shot over head of the group. Most of which were rushing towards the oncoming War Mechs coming their way, the distance closed between the two groups in mere seconds. Gunfire rang out and like a swarm of murder hornets or bees, E107’s kinsmen riding their jet bikes were darting, weaving around the frames of the Mobile Armors or War-Mechs. It’s mostly these two names that E107 heard the people back at base say, but which names was it he couldn’t care less. The secondary group of jet bikers number hang back from the assault, hovering just overhead one had a large container trailer near the rear.

The four jet engines blaring at the sides of the container, slowly the craft lowered itself in front of E107’s group. The turbine winds kicking up more dirt from the soil covering the area slightly in a dust cloud, landing neatly in front of E107. Who alone remained undisturbed by the dust floating in the air and was looking intently at the trailer container’s inner content. As if sensing his will the container bleep a green light and the rear began to opening, unveiling its contents to the outside world. Standing at the ready was a two-and-a-half-meter tall humanoid object, it stood proud from the dust particles from the outside realm rushing over it.

There were more such objects kneeling right behind the first one, E107 walked to it with steady steps unbefitting of one needing to rush in a dire situation. Yet still he languidly strolled into the container, upon reaching it, though fist he halted in his steps looking back down at his hands still gripping onto the salvaged weapons he had just procured. Before he promptly tossed them aside skidding across the container floor. Turning his attention back to his original destination, he hit a switch at the side and the object opened revealing its hollow innards. E107 climbed inside feeling the series of cushioning gambeson touching his body as he tucked his tiny limbs inside, though because of his small stature he barely took up any room within. That was of no concern to him however as his fellow numbers tweaked the suit a bit, assuming one with mechanical knowledge could call the process that if they were to see it.

With bits of wire and parts that could be salvaged they were able to make workable controls for E107. However, through unknown means he was still able control the suit like he was moving his own body.

Unknown to him or his kin he couldn’t understand that the suit has a neuron impulse unit that allows him to control the suit via electrical impulse to servos that control the movement of arms and legs. Once tightly secured inside and the suit closed around him, he flexes his own fingers within the hollow gap of the suit. This action also done by the suit as at the same time, after a few more motions performed he judged it to be satisfactory and stood a step after another until, he was now outside the container.

Others such as E101 and E57 who too donned their suits strolled up after him.

“Alright let’s get on with it we still have a job to do.” E107 spoke through his suit. Several plates on his suit’s armor shifted revealing a mechanism within it blared into life. Jetting out smoke before intensifying in plumes of hot fire, as retractable wheel assemblies deployed itself under the armored feet. He turned towards the battlefield and shot forwards wings of pure light blared behind him as he guided along the uneven ground. Other wings of light shot out followed after him.

During the time E107 was donning on his armor;

[Damn it hold still you little shits!] Boom-Boom the roar of a War Mechs handheld rifle can be heard even from within the safety of his cockpit. David heard Alice’s frustrations pouring through the comms, he couldn’t blame her he too was beginning to feel the same sensation rise in his gut. The little rats were proving to be more of a problem than he had originally anticipated. In truth he was honestly surprised that instead of scurrying away like the vermin these runts were, instead however they came right at him! Wheezing around them like flies, the runt flew on their jet bikes engines blaring. Their firearms did little to scratch his War Mech’s armor plates but they were too fast.

Boom-boom on the shots went careful shots as the group didn’t wish to hit one another in the confusion.

[These little runts are beginning to piss me off~!] this time Rose’s voice came over the comm. At the corner of his eyes the screen that displayed her War Mech she like the others were being swarmed by the jet bike whirling runts her massive cannon booming at the after images of the runt that was at the spot, she shot at mere seconds ago.

[What the hells with these brats they’re not the others at all~!] Martha voice then came. David found himself agreeing with her. No one not even other crazed mercs will steel balls would dare to tackle a squad of War-Mechs with jets bikes and anti-personal rifles. It wouldn’t do anything, and yet here these lowlife rats whom no one cares about are attempting it. He would have found the act amusing if it were not beginning to annoy him that is.

“The cornered rat will bite the cat huh?” he mused to himself however, for some reason that wasn’t the reason, he knew it, he could feel it. This wasn’t an act of desperation.

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[What’s with these runts?!] Boom-Boom! [It’s like they don’t have any fear!] Alice’s voice boomed through the comms once again filling the rest of his thoughts. Yes, fear or rather in this case the lack of it. Or it could be that these rats are simply crazy.

Warning runes began to shine more brightly as more small arms fire ricocheted off his unit’s thick armor plates. He couldn’t use his main weapons being so close to the rest of his party, and had resorted to using his anti-personal turrets installed along his frame. However even then, it was difficult to swat the flies buzzing about all around him. Then it hit him these waring runes were not the buzzing flies around him it was a warning rune of another set of approaching objects.

Switching his sights to another section of his screen display Hud, seeing the new figures being displayed on the holo monitor. He saw what was approaching, thruster flares blaring behind them a dozen or so were Gen 0 Mobile Armor suits. The first designs of the Mobile Armors or War-Mechs Suits as many people like to call them in the modern age, mostly due to the size difference.

“What are-.” He barely could get the words out of his mouth before more alarms blared all around him. His armor suit shook slightly from the sudden impacts, he nearly lost his footing due to that. Through his connection to his armor, he even felt the pinging sensation of the impact on the armor plates as if it were his own body. Thus, he knew the impact wasn’t from small arms fire, he could sense it, he could feel it.

[Ah, they’re clinging onto me!] Rose’s voice boomed through the coms. David turned his head his armor head unit turned to look in her direction, what his monitors showed him. The more scurrying rats have now joined the fray. The newcomers were now swarming Rose’s unit, they swarmed up the giant’s legs like arboreal simians. Bearing make shifted weapons of varying sizes stabbing into the gaps, between the armored plates. Other rats not wearing the skeel suits with their wiry fingers wedged into spilt cracks and unbelievably were pulling the metal apart.

Thunk! ‘Ah~!’ a forceful impact came from an angle he didn’t see, knocking against his head unit hard forcing his eyes close. As if his own eyes were affected, he felt a sensation similar to something now lodged in his left eye. When he opened them again, he realized the impact has destroyed the left side camera monitor. Now he was blind on his left side. The aggressor on the hover jet wheezed past, on reflex he scythed the rat with precision blast of fire out of the air. He then cut down two of them coming at him from the back, with the help of his sensor camera. The situation was now escalating out of control, this was supposed to be a quick easy fun.

[Get them off me! Get them off~!] Rose’s voice now more desperate and panicked sounding, unlike her usual proud and dominating tone that David was so used to. Looking back, he could see the terrible event playing before him. Rose’s unit was now pinned one of the knee joints was damaged seeing this, the hungry predators around them like smelling the blood of a wounded prey doubled their efforts. David tried to maneuver his unit towards her was hindered by the ants that were swarming him. Desperately trying to get them off him he was even forced to use his own cannon arms in an attempted to swat them off. He in the mere glances that he could spare to his other companions, saw that they too were in the same boat as he. Alice and Martha both swatting away the few rats that they could but to no avail as the pest wouldn’t relent in their assault to drag them down.

“Girls we’re leaving now!” David cried out to his team as he the drove his machine harder to escape the engines roaring with power. He forces his unit down a path and broke away from the melee the rest follow him all but one. Then he sudden caught the sight of something flying past his vison. Flying past the gun fire as well as the other rats this figure was fast, faster than its peers too fast for this tight space. Yet this didn’t seem to hinder it, weeping past he speeding hover jets and other skeel suits leap and flying about this figure shot straight for Alice. Like a cannonball this armored figure crashed onto the last joint that keep her unit upright. It cracked and Alice fell hard to the ground with a loud thud. Her units form half shielded from the dust that rose from the impact.

The skeel suit thrusters still blaring fired an anchor, the hook claw latched onto an edge of an armor plate swing the suit around. It lands heavily on the mobile armor’s chest area, where the entrance to the cockpit, the force of the impact caused the whole unit to shake under it armored feet. Not long after it planted its feet down it armored hands began to hammer down the entrance way. Other rats by this point too were swarming to that location. With a well-placed punch, a dent appeared from there the skeel suit unit pulled at that and the cockpit down was ripped off its locks.

[Kay~! You little shits! Bang-bang! Get away from me help me, David!] the sound of Alice’s side arm rang as the skeel suit stepped back, the rest of the rats seemingly all converged on this singular prey. Giving up purist of the others the fastest one to reach the open cockpit received a bullet to its head as it reward. As did the next and the next one.

[Alice!] Alice and Martha both cried out as their units turned around to back into the melee. That is if David had not fired his rear harpoons, latching onto them dragging them along. Due to his tank’s trends gunning at full power there was no way to resist the pull.

[We can’t help her. We still have a job to do.] David said solemnly the words felt bitter on his tongue. He didn’t hear the burst of outcries from the two. As his attention was solely on the rear cams displaying the last moments of Alice time on this world.

Bang-bang! Alice’s side arm boomed over the comms as her cries followed after. [No-no get away! Get away~! Save me David Save M-] her voice was cut short as the skeel frame opened and out shot a small hand that grabbed the hand that held her side arm. The other went for her throat, pulling her by the neck out of her safety hole. The figure in question was so petty, how could such a tiny thing hold up a grown adult suspended up in the air, like she was weightless.

With a sickening crutch he heard through the comms, Alice’s body twitched its last few motions before it hung limply held up only by that tiny hand. Then with the other hand another sound which made his stomach turn came, the other hand grabbed at Alice’s head then a tearing wrench of flesh came. Once then twice then like a toy doll the figure ripped Alice’s head free. Blood ran over their hands running freely like a flowing river. Then with another turn of events that will forever burn into David mind. The figure turned to face his fleeing back it was then he got a good look at the abomination yes, an abomination. That was what came to his mind the figure was but a child, no different than other rats he has seen over the years but this was one was otherworldly. That thing had the face of an innocent child, so angelic, that shouldn’t be here in a hell hole of a place such as here. A being that should be at a warm loving home tended and cared for by its parents, that’s what he would have thought if it were not for the for the vile cruelty dancing in their eyes.

The eyes were the worst part of it all. That gaze that……thing gave…...it seemed to transcend the fabric of reality itself. Its eyes didn’t seem to be staring at the backs of his War-Mech but was instead seemly staring through it and looking directly at himself. Allow with the effect of magnification that his screen was projected at, it seemed more face valued like it was standing right in front of him. If that didn’t give him a chill the next action that thing took did.

It gave a hellish smirk as it then raised Alice’s head up, the blood still pouring from the severed neck. While keeping it gaze on him, it began to waterfall drink Alice’s blood, one gulp then a second then a third. Before it then smacked its lip licking the few remaining dripping lines of crimson fluid down its lips. Licking its lips in such a provocative and seductive but equally inhuman manner, which only intensified that fact of it being a fearsome predator, and not some delicate flower. Then it mouthed a word at him.

At any other times David would have taken that provocation who was he to back away from a challenge, he was David Scorn of Apollo’s Chariot. He wasn’t some nobody to mess with. However, this time he didn’t. He didn’t take on the provocation like he would usually he found himself out of focus, he obeyed it. He listened to that thing, something that a person of his caliber of work know not to make. He no longer saw that monstrous thing; he only saw his bed before him. An image of Alice lying on his bed appeared in his mind’s eye. He smiled bitterly at first then he began to laugh to himself, because in a life-and-death situation, all he could think about was her perfect curved body. Her red hair blazing beautifully in the rising suns ray and the warm she provided for him through the night. However, her head was turned at an impossible way her body was faced away from him, but her head was facing him. Her lips voiced the same word that thing mouthed to him.

Run.

Was what was being relayed to him and so that’s what he did. For the first time in a long while David Scorn of the most feared Apollo’s Chariot, did the unthinkable for someone of his career.

He ran.