The streets near Rave U had always been wild—a chaotic mash-up of neon lights, late-night hustlers, and the hum of mana-fueled tech. But a few blocks away from campus, the vibe shifted—quieter, darker, and heavy with tension. Selene and Ennuy rolled through the shadowed streets in their modified hover ride, their D-Mechs trailing silently in stealth mode. Matte black nano-camo shimmered faintly as the machines blended into the urban sprawl, their monstrous forms waiting for a signal to strike.
Selene kept her grip tight on the wheel, her snow-white hair catching the faint glow of streetlights. Her red eyes burned with an intensity that matched the street hustle she grew up in. “This quiet? Ain’t no coincidence,” she muttered. “Queen’s fingerprints are all over this. Chick’s been gunnin’ for us.”
Ennuy leaned out the passenger side, cerise eyes scanning the surroundings. His senses, honed by his incubi instincts, prickled with unease. “Yeah, I feel it too. Somethin’ don’t smell right. You think she’d really send hitters this close to Rave U?”
“Wouldn’t put it past her,” Selene replied, her voice cold. “But she ain’t ready for what we packin’.”
The trap sprang like a coiled viper.
A thunderous roar tore through the night as four Solaris Nova Sigma Academy mechs dropped from hover transports. Their thrusters screamed, kicking up debris and shattering the quiet. The street erupted into chaos—cars flipped, storefronts exploded, and civilians scattered, screaming. These weren’t just mechs; these were machines of war, polished and deadly, each one screaming elite military-grade power.
The Solaris mechs stepped forward like gods of destruction, their names etched in bold insignias:
Helios Vanguard: Blood-red with gold accents, its sleek frame gleamed under the dim light. Armed with a plasma lance and a rotating energy shield, it exuded raw aggression and precision.
Lunar Eclipse: Midnight blue, marked with crescent sigils. It moved like a shadow, wielding twin photon blades that crackled with deadly energy.
Aurora Titan: A walking tank in silver and black, bristling with missile pods and a railgun that could level buildings with a single shot.
Stellar Warden: Regal in white and gold, its massive energy hammer glowing ominously. A shimmering force field protected it as it advanced, unrelenting.
The pilots inside moved like seasoned predators, their machines an extension of their will. Every motion was calculated, every step a statement of dominance.
Ennuy snarled. “Queen really sent her academy dogs for us? She must be desperate.”
Selene smirked, slamming the brakes and tapping the activation beacon on her wrist. “She wants to play? Let’s show her why D-Mechs are king.”
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In an instant, their D-Mechs decloaked, towering over the battlefield. The Tyranno-X1 and Raptor-R7 stepped into the fray, their frames bristling with power. Tyranno’s monstrous bio-steel plating and sentient aura-seed enhancements made it a juggernaut of destruction. Raptor’s sleek, agile design glimmered with the ghostly hue of Phantom Black, its phasing capabilities already humming at the edge of reality.
Helios Vanguard surged forward first, its plasma lance sparking as it thrust at Raptor-R7. Ennuy’s mech ducked low, its chain-blades roaring to life. With a swift counter, the Raptor slashed through Vanguard’s shield, sparks flying as the Solaris mech stumbled. The pilot recovered quickly, swinging the shield like a battering ram. Raptor phased at the last moment, the blow passing harmlessly through its intangible form.
Above, Selene’s Tyranno-X1 launched into action, its thrusters roaring as it leapt over the battlefield. With a deafening crack, she unleashed a barrage of plasma shots at Aurora Titan. Her aim was precise, each bolt finding its mark on the missile pods. A chain reaction of explosions rocked the block, sending shrapnel into nearby buildings and igniting fires. Civilians screamed as rubble rained down, the streets now a warzone.
“Selene! Civvies are caught up in this!” Ennuy growled, his voice sharp as he parried Lunar Eclipse’s photon blades.
“I see it!” Selene snapped, her focus unwavering. “But we end this now, or more of ’em die.”
Stellar Warden charged, its energy hammer raised high. Tyranno met it head-on, claws glowing with mana energy as it caught the hammer mid-swing. The force rippled through the street, cracking pavement and shattering windows. Selene roared as her mech twisted, ripping the hammer from Warden’s grip and hurling it into a nearby building, collapsing the structure in a cloud of dust and debris.
The battlefield was chaos incarnate. Cars exploded as stray shots from Aurora Titan’s railgun tore through the street. A maglev train screamed off its tracks, plowing into a station in a cascade of sparks and twisted metal. Civilians who hadn’t fled were caught in the destruction—some crushed under debris, others vaporized in the crossfire. The air was thick with smoke, the acrid stench of burning fuel mingling with the metallic tang of blood.
Ennuy’s Raptor-R7 darted between the Solaris mechs, chain-blades carving glowing scars into their armor. Despite their advanced tech, the Solaris mechs were outmatched. Their movements were slower, their weapons less precise. The D-Mechs, infused with Monbeasticore essence, operated on a different level, reacting almost instinctively to their pilots’ thoughts.
Tyranno’s sensors locked onto Stellar Warden’s shield generator. “I got this one,” Selene growled, charging her plasma rifle. She fired a concentrated burst, the shot piercing the generator and causing the shield to flicker and fail. Ennuy seized the moment, phasing through Lunar Eclipse to drive his blades into Warden’s core. Sparks erupted as the Solaris mech crumpled, its pilot ejecting in a panic.
Seeing their leader fall, the remaining Solaris mechs hesitated. Their polished bravado cracked, fear seeping into their movements.
“Fall back!” Helios Vanguard’s pilot barked, his voice shaky. “We’re outmatched!”
The Solaris mechs retreated, their thrusters screaming as they vanished into the night sky. The battle was over, but the damage was done.
Selene and Ennuy stood amidst the wreckage, their D-Mechs battered but still towering. Around them, the streets were unrecognizable—buildings reduced to rubble, bodies strewn among the debris, and fires burning unchecked. The cries of the injured filled the air, a haunting chorus of pain and despair.
Ennuy’s fists clenched, his voice venomous. “This is on Queen. She knew what would go down, and she wanted it.”
Selene’s gaze was cold as she surveyed the destruction. “She played her hand, yeah. But now it’s our turn. And she ain’t ready for what’s comin’.”