Hiro stared down the barrel of dozens of guns, they were completely surrounded on all sides with no chance of escape. As more agents entered the clearing, his hand was still in his pocket. "Put your hands in the air" One instructed as they moved closer.
Hiro knew it wouldn't matter. He felt the cold plastic of the phone against his fingers. With a click, the familiar rush of power surged within him, and the teal armour encased his body. His first move was to get to Ai. She was completely unarmed and unprotected.
"Stay back," Hiro warned her, raising his arms with his blasters charging.
The Canadian agents formed a semicircle around him, their weapons raised but not firing. Hiro's brow furrowed beneath his helmet. Something wasn't right. He turned to see three agents dragging AI from the brush, their gums pressed against her head, he was too late.
Suddenly, the agents parted, revealing a sight that made Hiro's blood run cold. Osamu, his hair grayed and eyes sunken in, was shoved to the front lines. He had bruising over his arms and a black eye, he stumbled forward to face Hiro.
"Hiro, you shouldn't have come," Osamu called out, his voice strained. "They won't let either of us leave this place."
Hiro already knew that, he never planned on just being able to walk out of this situation. He just needed to buy time for Kimiko to save Osamu's family. Once that was done, the Canadians would have nothing over Osamu. They could turn the tables and save Ai before getting out of there.
"I'm not going anywhere, Osamu," Hiro replied, his AI scanning the scene and analyzing the chance of survival. "Not until we can get everyone out of here. I won't give up and I won't walk away until Ai and your family is safe."
Osamu nodded, he knew Hiro had made up his mind. He tapped the old smartwatch on his wrist, and in an instant, yellow Mach armour locked itself into place, sealing the man inside it.
The two stood off, neither willing to make the first move. Hiro was focused, all his thoughts centred around one goal: draw out the fight as long as possible, until Kimiko radioed that Osamu's family was safe.
Suddenly, there was a sound of turbines cracking to life. Hiro's heart stopped as he saw a large railgun being led to the front lines, its barrel aimed directly at him.
"Hiro!" Ai cried out, her eyes glued to the massive weapon that had just been driven out.
At that moment, Hiro knew he had no choice. With a burst of speed that left a sonic boom in his wake. The trees bent, soldiers were tossed aside and the railgun was thrown off its mark. Hiro flew directly into Osamu, hitting him with so much force that sparks flew and sent them both careening toward the mill.
As they crashed through a propane tank causing a massive explosion before spiralling through the wall, splintered wood and metal raining down around them, agents inside the building fled for the exits. The screams echoed as they stumbled over debris to get away from the impending destruction. The older man was back on his feet first, his suit informing him only minor damage was caused by the assault.
"Well you certainly aren't holding back, Hiro," Osamu grunted as he opened fire, yellow energy bolts sizzling past Hiro's head. "But I get it, I bet you think I've betrayed you again."
Hiro dodged and weaved, his movements a blur as he avoided Osamu's attacks. "No, I don't think that at all, Osamu," he called back. "I know they have your family. I would be doing the same thing if I were you,"
Hiro aimed, his weak blast ricocheting off of Osamu without leaving a dent. Hiro followed the blasts and noticed an agent in a Canadian uniform actually moving deeper into the building. He wondered if another surprise was heading his way if there was another weapon or Mach tucked away in case the fight ever moved inside.
The momentary distraction let Osamu make the first move, crashing into Hiro this time, sending them both through another wall of the sawmill. As they tumbled amidst the debris, Hiro wondered just how long it would be before Kimiko messaged him with some good news.
"Just a little longer," he thought. "Kimiko will come through. She has to."
Slammed into a thick metal support beam, sending tremors through the entire build. He didn't notice the bomb until a deafening explosion hurled him forward, the shrapnel embedding itself into Hiro's Mach. He was sent flying deeper into the mill, crashing through computer hard drives and old rusting logging equipment.
Hiro's ears rang as he struggled to his feet, his teal armour dented but intact. Through the haze of dust and smoke, he realized he had completely lost sight of Osamu.
"Shit!" he gasped, knowing metal didn't normally explode like that. "I have to get out of here, they've rigged this place to blow,"
Without hesitation, Hiro activated his thrusters and shot out of the building. The scene that greeted him was pure unrivalled chaos. Flames licked at the edges of the mill, thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Canadian agents lay scattered on the ground, some moving, others ominously still.
"Ai!" Hiro whispered to himself, suddenly realizing she could have been swept up in all the commotion. "Ai, where are you?" he called, moving toward where he had seen her last.
He scanned the area frantically, his suit's sensors struggling to identify human heat signatures amongst the flames. Trees crackled and hissed as they tumbled to the ground, making it impossible to see if anyone was trapped beneath.
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"Please," Hiro begged, gliding over the scene, watching people flee in all directions. "Please be okay, Ai. I won't be able to live with myself if you aren't ok."
"Scan shows no signs of Ai" his AI confirmed as it completed its search of the area, Hiro cursed under his breath, He didn't notice the figure rising behind him. Osamu, his yellow armour scorched but functional, aimed with his blaster.
"I'm sorry, Hiro," Osamu said to himself, trying to justify what he was about to do. "But I have to do this. For my family."
The whine of the charging blaster was lost in the roar of the flames.
Tess crouched behind a fallen tree, her hair matted with sweat and soot. She pressed her finger to her earpiece, her voice low and urgent.
"All units, a bomb was detonated prematurely. The building is unstable, drop payloads and evacuate immediately. Rendezvous at camp in thirty minutes or you're on your own."
She glanced at the metallic detonator strapped to her vest, she wasn't sure the timeline she gave was one she could follow. "We won't level the place, but they won't be coming back after this."
As she watched the building burn, Tess thought about what was going to happen next. "The Japanese government is most likely already on its way with how loud this has gotten. No way these Canadians wiggle their way out of this one."
From her vantage point in the treeline, Tess watched the chaos unfold. The two Machs, teal and yellow, exchanged blaster fire in the sky. Canadian agents scurried like ants from a disturbed hill.
"Come on, come on," she muttered, eyes flicking between her stopwatch and the unfolding battle.
A sleek black car peeled into the compound, several agents raced out providing cover for an out-of-shape sweaty man. Tessa's eyes narrowed. "There goes Ward. Slippery bastard," she muttered watching the car fly away from the building as fast as it could.
Suddenly, a scraping sound filled the air drawing her attention back to the Machs. The teal Mach's thruster sputtered, clearly damaged. The yellow one advanced on it but something got in the way, and Tess's breath caught. An unarmed girl stood between them, arms outstretched.
"Damn it all," Tess growled. Her thumb hovered over the detonator. "I can't let them kill a civilian."
With a sharp inhale, she pressed the button. The world erupted in flame and thunder as the entire sawmill was reduced to dust.
---
Kimiko's eyes widened as another explosion rocked the distant compound, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the twilight sky. She continued racing through the woods, struggling with the cuffs as she went.
"Damn it, Hector!" she hissed, listening to him racing up behind her. "I don't have time for this right now. Let me go!" She spun around swinging the metal cuff at him, causing him to lose his footing and stumble back.
Hector fit the ground hard, but he was up in no time. He grabbed Kimiko and pulled her back, "Stop this right now, that area is off limits, just who exactly are you?"
Kimiko softened her expression, adopting a pleading tone. "Please, I don't have time for you right now. My friends are down there and they are going to die if you don't let me go."
"Nice try," Hector scoffed. "But I wasn't born yesterday. If your friends are down there then that makes you a Canadian agent and enemy of the world governments."
Frustration bubbled up inside Kimiko as she tried to free herself from his grasp. Finally, she leaned in, lowering her voice to a sultry whisper. "If you let me go maybe we could... come to an arrangement?" she fluttered her eyelashes as seductively as possible.
Hector's eyes widened before he shook his head firmly. "Not interested. And frankly, I'm insulted you'd think that would work."
Kimiko rolled her eyes. This guy was as by the book as they come, but maybe she could appeal to his sense of duty. "Fine. But there is a civilian down there. Her name is Ai, and she has nothing to do with any of this. I met her on the trail hiking here, she's just a teenage girl." Kimiko explained.
When she looked up at the captor she caught the flicker of recognition in Hector's eyes. "You know who she is, don't you?"
Hector's silence spoke volumes. Kimiko pressed on, her voice urgent. "So you know Ai won't leave Hiro. She's in love with him and loyal to a fault. If you know her, you know the only way to save her is to go down there and drag her away from it."
"I..." Hector started, then fell silent again.
"Are you really willing to let an innocent girl die?" Kimiko's voice was steel. "What kind of person does that make you, Hector?"
She could see the war raging behind his eyes. Finally, he moved towards her, reaching for the cuffs. "One condition," he said gruffly. "I'm coming with you. No tricks."
Kimiko hesitated, weighing her options. Another distant explosion made the decision for her. "Deal."
As the cuffs fell away, Kimiko rubbed her wrists, her mind already plotting their next move. Kimiko's fingers wrapped around the small, familiar shape in her pocket. The Tamagotchi felt warm to her touch, almost alive. Without hesitation, she activated it, and a rush of energy coursed through her body. Pink light engulfed her, materializing into her Mach armour.
Hector's jaw dropped. "You're... you're a Mach pilot?" he sputtered, his face a mixture of awe and frustration. "I had a Mach in custody this whole time?"
Kimiko allowed herself a small smirk. "Sorry, Hector. But it was a need-to-know basis."
Before he could respond, she scooped him up in her arms. His startled yelp was lost in the roar of her thrusters as they took off toward the burning Canadian base.
As they flew, Kimiko hoped she wasn't too late. Where are you, Hiro? Please be okay.
Her Mach sensors pinged, detecting two other Mach signatures nearby. Relief flooded through her as she spotted two prone figures on the ground. She touched down, setting Hector on his feet.
"Hiro! Osamu!" Kimiko called out, unable to see them threw the thick smoke.
Hector rushed past her, kneeling beside the form of a young girl. His hands moved swiftly, checking her pulse and assessing injuries. "She's alive," he announced, his voice tight with concern. "But she needs medical attention, fast."
Kimiko nodded, her eyes scanning the smoky ruins around them. Something wasn't right. Where were Osamu and Hiro?
As if summoned by her thoughts, a figure emerged from the billowing smoke. The yellow Mach armour was unmistakable, and it held the limp Mach 1 by the throat.
"Kimiko," Osamu's voice was rough, as he let Hiro slip from his fingers and crumple to the ground. "You shouldn't have come back. It's too dangerous here, you are supposed to be protecting my family."
Kimiko raised her hands, trying to calm the man down. "Your family is safe, Osamu. I got them out hours ago," she explained slowly.
Osamu's helmet tilted, skepticism evident in his posture. "How do I know you're telling the truth? Hiro is your best friend it would be easy for you to lie just to save him."
"Look I know it's hard to believe," Kimiko inched closer, doing her best to speak calmly. "If you just come with me, I can show you where they are. I promise you, I've kept my word down to the very last letter. So let's get out of here and get your family and then we can sort this all out, OK?"
Osamu's shoulders slumped slightly. "I... I don't know, I don't want to do any of this anymore,"
Kimiko took a step forward, her voice softening. "Osamu, I know. Why don't you power down? That Mach has caused you and your family nothing but pain. Let me take it from here and you and your family can go into hiding together, start over."
As she waited for his response, Kimiko noticed it was taking him longer to think it through. Could his confinement have altered his mental state? If so was he fully in control anymore? Either way, she knew she had to find a way to get them all out of there before the Japanese arrived.