The shrill ring of the phone sliced through the silence as members of the UN secret task force continued to gather data on the Machs. Tessa, hearing the ring from their emergency line, snatched up the shaking phone from its slot in the wall. The voice on the other end – a man speaking perfect English in a hushed whisper, "I can confirm the presence of a Mach pilot and Hiro at Kintakomi park in Toyone. I was a planned set up but the Canadians."

"And what is the status of their mission, did they succeed in the capture or destruction of any of the Machs?" Tessa asked, straightening her seat.

"Things have gone sideways," the informant hissed, and she could feel him looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "The Mach is on the loose and there is concern the operations leader may resort to killing captives to draw it out."

"Understood," Tessa replied, her tone level but her mind racing. She hung up and pivoted on her heel, she made her way to Nia's office as fast as she could.

Nia was poring over screens filled with data when Tessa approached, she cleared her throat to get Nia's attention. "We've got a lead on the Machs," Tessa announced cutting right to the chase. "Toyone. This may be our chance to clearly implicate Canada in all of this."

Nia's brow furrowed, her lips pursed as she weighed out the pros and cons. "You think we're ready for that? We don't exactly have a way to get out of there if we get caught."

"What don't we ask the boy genius? I am sure Hector could think of a way we can gather intel without putting agents in the range of fire." Tessa's suggestion made sense and Hector had been talking about stealth drones.

Hector strode into the room moments later, his sandy hair dishevelled from hours of strategizing. "What's the situation?" he asked, bright blue eyes scanning their faces for clues.

"We need to decide whether to go to Toyone where a confirmed Mach has been sited along with Hiro or sit this one out," Tessa said, jerking her thumb toward where Cheng stood across the room, arms crossed, a grimace sculpting his features. "I'm in the minority here,"

"Without knowing the full extent of those cybernetic suits, we can't say they won't be able to spot us if we attempt to record the situation," Cheng called out, he seemed defeated already.

"Listen," Tessa countered, stepping closer to him, "the Canadians and Japanese are tearing each other apart trying to snag Hiro. We can use that. While they're distracted, we can gather data on Machs."

"Or we could just get killed," Cheng shot back. "I say we hang back. We have our informant there. We can get a full debrief from him tomorrow when it is all over."

Nia nodded in agreement with Cheng, her gaze steady. "He's right. This one is too dangerous. We need more intel on the pilots, their moves, their weaknesses."

Tessa rubbed her temples, her frustration as clear as day. "How do you suppose we gather this intel if we can't even see what is happening on the ground?" she asked through gritted teeth. "We'll play the waiting game. But if we wait too long then they will crush us, you know as well as I do that eventually a mistake will be made and we will be outed."

"I'm with Tessa," Hector chimed in, after watching them argue. "A debrief only tells us what the informant knows and can be biased based on their own experiences at the time. Video footage doesn't lie and isn't afraid, to tell the truth, besides with an active Mach who is to say the informant makes to morning?"

"What if we just send one drone?" Tessa asked, turning back to the screens, "Just so we can add some more footage of the Machs in action, to better understand their fighting techniques."

"Just one," Nia relented, she couldn't argue that more footage wouldn't benefit them.

---

The wind whipped over Nori's Mach suit as it hurtled away from the greenhouse battleground. Hiro, clutched in Nori's iron grip, had a distant look in his eyes as he watched the ground vanish from view. He wondered if Ai would be ok and if Naomi had planned all of this from the very start.

"Nori stop,!" Hiro finally broke through the roar of the engines, signalling for Nori to land. "We've got to go back!"

Nori sat down with a thud, the earth cracking beneath the weight of his Mach. He released Hiro, who stumbled but quickly regained balance. "Back there is suicide, Hiro! We've got a shot at getting out alive. Let's not waste it on...on collateral damage."

"Collateral damage?" Hiro's voice rose, tinged with disbelief. "Naomi, Kazuki, Ai—they're people, Nori. Not NPC is a video game. We have to save them, it's my fault Ai and Kazuki are in this mess to begin with."

"Here we go again, Mr. Righteous!" Nori threw his hands up, exasperated. "You think you are what? Some kind of hero? All you ever do is put yourself in the line of fire for people who would leave you for dead in a heartbeat. You should be more worried about yourself."

Hiro flinched as if struck, the words felt like being cut with a sword. He took a minute before he spoke again. "I don't care what other people would do," he shot back, his eyes locked on Nori. "It's about doing what I can when I can. And right now, I can make a difference."

"Hiro, they have your Mach. You aren't safe down there," Nori sighed, as he looked deep into Hiro's eyes. He could tell arguing with Hiro would be like trying to bend steel with bare hands, futile and painful. "Fine. But if you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Nori, I... Thank you," Hiro said with a small smile, he reached out and touched Nori on the shoulder. Nori looked up at him and with a nod reactivated his Mach suit.

"Let's go save these morons then," Nori muttered, already dreading the lecture he'd get from Mao for going back in after he was out. But deep down, a part of him knew he could never let Hiro down, Hiro was the one person who ever saw any value in Him.

"They're my friends," Hiro corrected, as he climbed back onto Nori's back. "I know we can do this if we work together."

"Sure, the power of friendship and all of that," Nori rolled his eyes, his Mach's engines roaring back to life. "I'll distract Hisoka, you find your Mach." And with that, they took flight, not toward the decaying greenhouse. As they got closer Hiro prayed they weren't too late to save everyone.

---

Leaves crackled softly underfoot as Naomi led Ai through the dense woods, they paused every so often to make sure they weren't being followed and to look for any signs of traps. "Did Hiro really kill Masumi's uncle?" Ai whispered as they ducked behind some trees, her soft features twisted in thought.

"Yes," Naomi replied without missing a beat, her green eyes scanning the foliage for tripwires or sensors. "But in fairness, he had no other choice. Daiki's Mach suit malfunctioned, becoming like a nuclear bomb. If Hiro hadn't killed him the entire city of Tokyo would be gone."

"Wasn't there another way?" Ai insisted, clutching at the fabric of her jacket, "I mean, did he really have to kill him."

"Life doesn't always offer you a clean solution to your problems," Naomi said, her tone carrying the weight of hard truths. "He saved millions but he had to take a life to do it. In war, we operate in shades of grey. That day Hiro..." She trailed off, her gaze momentarily distant. "Hiro had to make a choice and in my opinion, he chose right. His choice is why I am so interested in him. He could have ended it their wiping out both sides but he saved us all."

They came to the edge of a clearing, the grass swayed in the breeze. Ai continued walking, but Naomi's hand shot out, holding her back. "We can't cross here. We'd be sitting ducks."

"Then what do we do?" Ai's eyes searched Naomi's face, clearly afraid for her life.

"Can you climb a tree?" Naomi asked, eyeing the towering oaks that bordered the clearing.

Ai blinked, confusion etching her features. "Why?"

"Because that's the last thing they'll expect." Naomi explained as she handed Ai a compact package labelled 'thermal blanket'. "Once we're up there, we wrap ourselves in these to avoid detection."

Understanding dawned on Ai, and with a determined nod, she followed Naomi's lead, scaling the rough bark. They climbed higher until the forest floor vanished into the darkness of the night.

Wrapped in the metallic blankets that muted their heat signatures, Naomi turned to Ai. The latter's breath came in quiet puffs, her eyes reflecting the stars above. "Now, we wait, we watch, and we plan."

"We are going to survive this right?," Ai whispered, trying to reassure herself.

"Without question," Naomi agreed, her voice low but firm. "Because when the time comes, we act."

---

Nori's Mach sliced through the night sky with an electric hum, its stealth mode shielding them from view. As he approached the greenhouse, Nori settled down in the woods a few feet away.

"Warning: multiple hostiles detected in proximity to Mach 1," the AI's voice calmly informed Nori. "Probability of collateral damage is high."

"Give me options," Nori hissed, following Hiro's gaze which was fixed on the figure bound to the post, the blonde hair unmistakably Kazuki's.

"Strategic elimination of threats recommended," the AI proposed.

"Hiro's not going to like that one very much," Nori muttered, but they needed to clear a path to Hiro's Mach, so Nori charged forward. His Mach's thrusters ignited as he burst from the tree line, guns blazing. The agents raced to find cover in the dark.

"Thanks, Nori," Hiro mumbled, racing right to his tied-up friend. He looked over his shoulder trying to see if anyone had spotted him, fingers working frantically at the ropes binding Kazuki. That's when the ominous whine of a charging blaster filled the air.

"Freeze, Hiro," Hisoka commanded as she pressed her blaster to the back of his head, her white armour glistening in the moonlight.

Hiro turned to face her. He took in her Mach armour, not impressed by the view. Kazuki's dark eyes were wide with fear, as he watched the woman charge her weapon.

"Put it down, Hisoka. You won't shoot me," Hiro's voice was steady, but inside, his heart raced.

"That's true," she admitted, her finger itching on the trigger. "But I'll splatter him across this pretty little garden before you can blink." she turned the gun on Kazuki.

"Tell your friend to stand down or Kazuki will die right here." Hiro's brown eyes flickered from Hisoka to Kazuki, and at that moment, he made his choice. He turned toward Nori and in that moment felt something hit him hard from behind.

"Good boy," Hisoka cooed mockingly. "Now cuff him so he can't cause any more trouble."

Kazuki scrambled towards Hiro, forcing his hands behind his back. He stuffed the cuffs onto Hiro with trembling hands and stepped away from him.

"Why Kazuki?" Hiro choked as his world continued to spin.

"Because he knows what it takes to get out of this alive," Hisoka laughed, echoing off the glass. She levelled her blaster at Hiro's exposed chest. "Now Nori will do whatever I say."

Trees exploded into splinters and leaves as Nori's Mach burst through the foliage. The impact sent Hisoka staggering, her finger slipping from the trigger and sending the shot soaring inches from Hiro's face.

"Damn it, Nori!" she cursed, regaining her balance.

Kazuki, seizing the momentary chaos, bolted towards the treeline, his thin frame disappearing into the trees. But his freedom was short-lived; Canadian agents emerged from the shadows, their weapons trained on him. Kazuki, with an exasperated sigh, raised his hands in surrender, his dark eyes tracing the ground.

"Really thought you could get away, huh?" an agent taunted.

Between Hiro and Hisoka now stood Nori, his green eyes ablaze with reckless determination. "You have an incredible Mach," he admitted, taking in Hisoka's suit. "I can't wait to destroy it."

Hisoka was unimpressed by the young man's threat. "Please, you don't stand a chance," she scoffed. "Don't make me laugh."

"Care to test your theory, Naomi had her fun with you," Nori said with a smirk hidden behind his visor. "Now it is my turn."

"Shut up you stupid boy!" Hisoka hissed through her com. "You don't have the full situation, you see I have Hiro's Mach," She held up the old cell phone like a trophy. "If you destroy me, you destroy it."

Nori laughed in a way that made everyone uncomfortable. "Destroying that thing would solve a lot of my problems" He leaned forward, the servos in his suit whining with tension. "You'd be doing me a favour. Means I wouldn't have to babysit Hiro every time he decides to save someone."

Hisoka's confidence wavered, her armour suddenly feeling less like a fortress and more like a trap. Nori's Mach, designed for brutal close combat, loomed over her, she remembered its scyth from the embassy footage. She knew it would slice through her defences like paper.

"Fine." Hisoka's words were clipped and edged with frustration. "Looks like I will have to kill you first. You're not nearly the challenge you think you are."

"Finally" Nori's voice was a growl. "Let's cut the crap and get to the fighting."