Tyler set quietly in his cockpit of his Arm Slave. He checked and rechecked his radar and sensors to keep himself entertained and not focus too much on where he was. He had his arm slave kneeling behind a hollowed out building, with windows replaced by wooden boards. This scene continued on throughout empty guts and skeleton of Pripyat. Tyler could feel his skin crawl as stray thoughts would begin to wonder towards had happened there. He focused on the hum of his Arm Slave's equipment and sensors as to not let himself listen to ghostly sounds of silence that the dead city offered like a melancholy orchestra. The whole area seemed to be unwelcoming. The building seemed like several stories tall monsters that glared at him and his Arm Slave as if he was an unwelcomed guest and in a sense he was. Him and his Arm Slave team had been deployed with a Mithril ground unit without the knowledge of any government knowing they were there. He tried to figure out how giant lumbering robots couldn't be picked up by satellites or sensors but all he had to do was remember where he was. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, this area was a dead urban area filled with nothing but debris, abandoned buildings, and memories best left forgotten.
Tyler's radio crackled to life. He hit the button to allow the voice to come through. He sat and waited a bit as the soft crackling of the other end dragged on with no sign of a human voice interrupting it. Ever since Urzu team arrived, their radios had been buggy and after several frequency readjustments, they finally found a frequency that would work with the interference.
"Urzu 6 to Urzu 8, I got the rest of Urzu team and the ground forces in my sights. How are things in the standby position?" The male voice chimed over the radio. Tyler felt the sudden urge to throw out a smart aleck reply of how exciting it was in his position but he decided against it since this was his first mission and his nerves also held back any quick and tacky replies.
"Nothing to report except it seems this whole city doesn't want us here." Tyler responded back. "Plus, we are screwed if they have anyone hiding in these buildings. I don't want to even think about maneuvering amongst the crap." Every moment he sat there doing nothing, he felt the buildings moved closer to him and sucked out what little air the cockpit offered. He had to deepen his breathing to compensate.
"Oh come on Roberts." Sargent Weber replied back mockingly. "You're just nervous. This is a cake walk compared to what the rest of us have faced before. You will get used to it after a bullet or two." Kurz began to laugh at his little joke but Tyler failed to find the humor in the situation. Every time someone mention bullets flying his was, he could almost feel another sight lined up right at his head. He had trained for this but one week had not prepared him for a live firefight and he felt nothing would until actual bullets came out of an actual gun.
"Shut it, Urzu 6." Tyler sighed in relief as Melissa came over the radio. "I thought I ordered radio silence until we have located exchange." The tone Melissa took was different from the one back on the submarine. She stopped being a big sister and had turned into a commanding officer. Tyler followed suit to avoid embarrassment but Kurz, being her husband, almost made this a contest to see if he could get away with pushing Melissa's patience.
"Yes, ma'am." Kurz decided to play it smart and just sit quietly like a good sniper. Tyler was relieved. He finally relaxed in his cockpit as the boredom began to outweigh the nervousness. He continued to run tests on his equipment and make adjustments to recoil compensation and balance. He had gotten so engrossed by the computers calculations that the outside world ceased to be until the sound of a chopper flew over him. He waited for his radio to click on but it never did. The sound of the rotors faded as the chopper continued on. He looked down at his radar. The chopper was flying straight towards the area Mithril thought the exchange would take place. Tyler quickly turned back his radio to see if any transmission would come through. He slowly stood his Arm Slave up in preparation. He had gathered his assistance would not be needed. He jumped as the radio buzzed to life.
"This is Urzu 7, ground forces have come into visual range of the exchange." Tyler heard Sousuke say over the radio. Tyler's hair stood up. He could almost hear the ensuing firefight. He raised his gun to have it less than a second away from firing position. It was all he could really do as Sousuke continued to talk. "Urzu 6, can you confirm how many they have."
"I see three Arm Slaves, about forty heavily armed combatants and two men in business suits. One has a brief case and the other a large black case. I assume that is the nuke. I can't see anyone hiding in the buildings." Kurz said as he analyzed the number of enemy forces. "I don't see anything to identify the group but the Arm Slaves seem to be Savages. Nothing you and Urzu 2 can't handle, over."
"Alright, Urzu 7, you and I will engage the Arm Slaves while the ground forces stop the exchange. Urzu 6, you will provide sniper support and over watch. Urzu 8, you will remain on standby." Melissa ordered. Tyler couldn't believe his ears. There were three of those Arm Slaves out there and he would just sit idly by. His patience was starting to wear thin.
"Surely I can move up and help. If there isn't that many, I will only put the odds in our favor." Tyler suggested as politely as he could. His tone was harsh but he had held it back as best he could.
"No." Melissa shot directly at Tyler's pride. "We have more experience than you and you will just make this fight more clustered. Stay back and wait for further orders. Understood?" Tyler wanted to say no but this was his first mission and the last thing he wanted to do was be the one that ended it in failure. He had to keep his calm.
"Yes, ma'am." Tyler growled. He threw himself back in his cockpit in frustration. He wanted to be in the middle of it. The urge to defy Melissa torn at him until his restrain was in shreds and barely holding back the drive to disobey. Yet, he took a deep breath and just sat quietly.
"The ground forces are in position and prepared to engage…wait…" Tyler sat straight back up as soon as Melissa sent that over the radio. Tyler could feel the time come to an unbearable crawl as he waited to hear her voice. A second became an eternity as the radio buzzed as the line remained open but no response could be heard. "Shit! They had reinforcements hiding in the buildings and Arm Slaves crouched behind them. Our forces are already engaged." Tyler could hear the sounds of booming gun fire a short distance away. He could almost feel the reverberation of some of the larger rounds in his chest. "Urzu 6, engage them now. Urzu 8, cover him." Tyler responded in agreement and sent his Arm Slave into a full sprint towards Kurz. He ducked and weaved between the buildings, taking cover every once in a while as the sounds of gunfire got louder. He could feel his heart race and violently pound against his chest. The feeling was terrifying euphoria all at once. He senses grew sharp as razor blades as each detail went unmissed. Tyler finally reached the sniping perch Kurz had taken behind a building. He was firing seemingly nonstop. Tyler went to the other side and took cover, his assault rifle raised and prepared to unload on the unlucky soul that decided to come his direction.
A resounding explosion rocked the area. Tyler ducked inside his cockpit. He thanked every deity at once when he realized it was far away enough that he didn't feel the shockwave but his mind fell into panic. His heart stopped realizing the sound came from where Melissa and Sousuke were.
"Son of a bitch, they got rockets coming from the buildings. This is Amalgam all over again." Melissa swore angrily over the radio. "We're pinned down. Urzu 6, focus on the windows. Get those damn rockets before they blow us or the ground force up. Urzu 7, take out those two Savages going for the ground forces. I will handle the two at our three o'clock" Melissa was screaming over the radio as another explosion could be heard throughout the area.
"Urzu 6, how many are they up against?" Tyler said into the radio. He wasn't sure why he was asking that question but he had an idea what he was going to do depending on the answer. Just by the sound outside the cockpit, Tyler could tell things were not going as smoothly as everyone thought.
"I can see them engaging four right now but I am detecting about three more Arm Slaves hiding between the buildings." Kurz replied between each shot he fired. "The buildings are blocking my shots at them and these old buildings are protecting the anti-armor personnel." The inner fighter had woken up in Tyler. His friends were in grave danger.
"How much longer till the ground forces finish up?" Sousuke roared over the gunfire and rockets. "I can't use my lambda with all these buildings in the way." Tyler wanted to ask what Sousuke was talking about but now wasn't the time to get an education on future weapon technology.
"They are trying but the rockets and extra Arm Slaves are slowing them down. Give them five more minutes to get secure the nukes." Melissa roared back. Tyler couldn't sit by idly and just waiting for his position to be overran. He wanted and he needed to take the fight to them.
"Let me join, Urzu 2. You and the ground forces need help." Tyler pleaded over the radio. He didn't know if Melissa would let be he prayed the situation would require his assistance. He was getting sick of sitting by as he continued to be of no use.
"No! Protect Urzu 7." Melissa fired back. Tyler couldn't believe that even now he wasn't considered capable enough to help. As Hell began to rain down on his comrades, he just sat comfortably behind an old building. He could hear the rockets continue to explode with no end in sight and the continued gun fire burst and echo about the city. He was in a true battle between two forces with no sign of either yielding. His role in all of this was just for him to sit there and do nothing.
"I can't accept that!" Tyler roared back. He could hear the silence over the radio with the excepting of the gun fire and rockets. They were either too busy to answer or were stunned by this outburst. Tyler had played the good little soldier boy but now he wanted to show he had fangs and could tear it up with the best of them. He needed to prove he deserved to be on this team and not just as an overpaid paperweight that just sat back and watched everyone else bleed.
"Silence, Sargent Roberts. You will only get in the way." Melissa fired back. Tyler felt his pride shattered. The one person he had come to trust as a sister and comrade had just told him he was of no use. He thought this would destroy him and put him back in his place but instead a churning storm began to brew in him. Anger and revolution began to brew within the depths of his mind until it could barely be contained. Another explosion roared out just as his anger had hit a peak. Tyler looked up at his screen. The artificial intelligence identified the rocket had hit Urzu 2. Tyler quickly turned to his radio.
"Melissa…" Tyler could only hear the silence. "Answer me!" Tyler heard a crackle on the radio but no reply. His heart stopped. He wouldn't accept it. She had to be alive. Tyler prayed desperately to hear Melissa curse him out.
"I'm fine but my hydraulics took a hit. I am going to try to pull out." Tyler sighed in relief as Melissa finally replied. "Urzu, 7 help the ground team withdraw with the nuke. Urzu 6, cover Urzu 7 and Urzu 8 remain on standby. That is an order Tyler." Tyler smiled and laughed over the radio. An awkward silence followed.
"Like the Hell I am!" Tyler roared as he threw his Arm Slave into a mad sprint. He had only a few meters to cover before he was in the heart of the fight. It would only take a minute for him to finally be in the thick of the fight. "I'm going in to help cover Urzu team and the ground force withdraw."
"Tyler! Follow orders!" Melissa roared over the radio. She growled afterwards as she tried to get Tyler to follow in line. She had figured his good behavior up to this point was just an act to try not to disappoint anyone but what he was doing now was reckless and he was risking his life pointlessly. She would never forgive herself if he got hurt. She only knew one person that would get him in line. "Kurz, get ahold of Captain Tessa now and tell her Tyler is trying to be a hero." Kurz just complied. He almost wanted to start taking bets on who would win the war of stubbornness between the new guy and Melissa and for once, his money was against Melissa.
Tyler dodged and weaved and he could start to feel the shockwaves from the rocket explosions. He unlocked the safety and prepared to march head first. His life held little meaning in this reality. If he sacrificed for someone, then in a very admittedly sick way, he would have one. His only regret as he dashed towards the fight was that he would never see Tessa smile again or have Melissa mess up his hair.
"Tyler, stop now!" Tyler froze. That voice coming over his radio could only belong to one person. Its usual warmth was replaced by pure harsh and unbridled authority. "As your captain, I order you to stand down. Let Urzu 2 and 7 handle this." Tyler growled and tight clinched the controls and he could feel his face strain from the rage. The voice returned to the usual sincerity and concern it showed him many times before. "Please, just stand down." Tyler's grip relaxed and he lowered his gun. He could follow orders and return to his position like the good soldier he wanted to be. Unfortunately, it just wasn't him to play the good soldier.
"Sorry Tessa, but screw that." Tyler roared back. He raised his gun once more. "I am not sitting on the sidelines and letting other people die when I can do something. Court martial me when I get back." Tyler turned off the radio and continued charging forward undaunted. For once in his life, he had a purpose before him and a clear goal. It was a far cry from becoming a therapist but what he was doing mattered. Lives were resting upon his shoulders, even if they didn't want to be.
Tyler could tell the instant he was on the battlefield. The shockwave from the rockets threatened to throw him over and he could hear the small arms fire bounce off his Arm Slave like bugs hitting a windshield. He pulled out his gun and looked for his first enemy.
An enemy Savage was trying to cross the battelfied and get into cover to fire upon Tyler's allies. Tyler made sure the only thing the enemy crossed was his sights. Tyler had his Arm Slave pull the trigger and a short burst of rounds went flying. The metal bugs flew through the air with a sickening buzz and sheared the metal and made gaping holes in the enemy Arm Slave. Tyler realized what he had done. He had killed man. The Arm Slave exploded leaving no time for anything to escape. Tyler felt a pang of guilt shoot into his stomach but he had no time to worry. It was his allies or them and he would burn the world down if he had too at this point.
Tyler moved past two more city blocks until he came upon the main battle. He saw Sousuke and his Arm Slave covering Melissa's limping machine and the ground troops. They were moving slowly and the rockets were coming closer and closer. Tyler charged towards the building that had just fired a rocket just less than a second go and unloaded on the floor that the rocket came from. He saw a massive gush of blood spew from behind the window. Another man had died. Tyler moved in front of the slow moving group. Tyler opened a private link with Sousuke. He never thought he would ever do such a thing.
"You know you are disobeying orders." Sousuke replied with no emtion as if this situation happened all the time with him. Tyler didn't have time to sit there and gawk at how calm the human machine was at this time.
"Focus on getting Melissa and the ground forces out of here and back to the submarine." Tyler sighed knowing what he was about say was usual the final words of man about to throw away his life. "I will get these guys attention." Tyler listened as he continued to fire on Arm Slaves that tried to pop out from behind the buildings and even destroying one's head. He then saw a heat signature in a building and opened fire on the location and saw another explosion of blood.
"Not a problem." Tyler sighed in relief as Sousuke continued to help the wounded group move along. Tyler moved forward and could feel more rockets fly his direction. From what he was told, he only had one Arm Slave left but the rockets continued to come from everywhere. He ducked and weaved drawing their fire onto him. Tyler looked at his sensors. A heat signature was just a block down and it had to be an Arm Slave. Tyler spun his Arm Slave around the corner and dashed as rockets blew up all around him. Each one threatened to send his machine to ground or to Hell. He ignored them and charged the position of the final Arm Slave. He rounded the corner and came to face to face with the final Arm Slave.
This Savage was different from the others. It had thicker platting and was equipped with a rocket launcher. Tyler barely ducked out of the way as a missile flew by his Arm Slave's head and destroyed the building behind him. Tyler unloaded his weapon but the bullets did nothing except agitate the pilot. Another rocket forced Tyler to duck behind the building barely avoiding death once again. He armed his machine with the anti-dagger. He peaked around the corner to see the Savage moving closer. He slowly counted to the tempo of Savage as it approached. If he did it too soon, he would be a greasy smear on the ground. If he came out too late, the Savage would see it coming and step away and bring the building down on his. He just needed one moment to put this blade in the face of the other machine. Tyler began to wait with each resounding footstep and he began to pray a rocket didn't lock onto him before then. The machine made one step and Tyler sprung his trap.
The dagger made a clean stab straight through the head. Tyler roared victoriously as his foe fell to the ground. Tyler spun around but could begin to hear more rockets launch towards him. He lunged for the enemy Savages weapon. He barely grabbed it as a rocket blew up the spot he was just in less a moment ago. He spun around to where he thought the rocket came from and fired. The building collapsed from the explosion. Tyler slowly moved his machine out into the open to see if it was safe.
He turned on his radio to earn his rightful lecture filled with foul language from Melissa. "Urzu 8 here, have you guys made it?" Tyler waited for a reply. It didn't take long for Melissa to hear his voice and every foul word she knew fought to be first in line to describe the stupidity Tyler had just displayed.
"Of course we made it you jackass!" Melissa screamed over the radio. Tyler could tell she was not thrilled with his display. "I ordered you to stay back and follow orders but you decided to show you had shit for brains and played hero. I am going to cut your balls off…" Melissa stopped as a loud explosion came over the radio. Melissa's voice grew in panic. "Tyler, what was that?" No answer followed. "Tyler, answer me." Only another explosion followed alongside an excruciating yell. "Tyler!" Melissa roared.
"Damn, a rocket took out my leg and another asshole decided to take my leg with it." Tyler groaned. His cockpit started to flash red as his Arm Slave began to fail piece by piece. His head spun from the shockwave and he could barely tell if he was on his back or face up.
"Tyler, eject and get out of there." Melissa screamed. Tyler wondered if that was possible. It wouldn't work if his machine was on its stomach and he hadn't gained enough awareness to tell if he was. He could also start to feel another rocket with his name being prepared.
"Tyler, just do it!" Tyler's eyes flew open as Tessa's voice cried over the radio. "I will not forgive if you die out there. Now get out and make your way towards the rest of Urzu team." Tyler couldn't believe Tessa was still on the line. He slowly begins to understand his situation. Somewhere a man was preparing a rocket that would serve as the final nail in his coffin. He had found a way through this life just to have it taken away. The only silver lining to the situation was that he would die for his friends. He had sacrificed himself like a real soldier. He didn't care about the orders he disobeyed. People and comrades he cared for would get to go home at the end of the day thanks to him and he was grateful. He closed his eyes and prepared to wish those he had grown fond of a farewell.
"Sorry but…hey…I…" The radio cut off into a hiss as a final explosion thundered out into the city. Everyone remained silent except a single voice screaming into the radio. Every bowed their heads as the continued their way back to the evacuation point. Kurz and Sousuke saluted towards the direction of their fallen comrade and Melissa could only take her frustration out on the cockpit that had failed to save the closes thing she had to a brother.
"Tyler!" Tessa screamed. She repeated herself until she went horse and the tears began to roll. Mardukas walked up behind her. He looked down as she huddled in her chair saying his name over and over again. The rest of the crew members on the bridge bowed their heads as a fellow brother-in-arms had been taken from them. "Please…don't go." Tessa whispered over the radio. The room and it seemed the world fell silent in respect except a single buzzing noise from a radio that had just started transmitting.
"Hey, guys…" the familiar voice began. It was panting and gun fire could be heard in the background noise. "I am really sorry to cut this whole mourning thing short but I am getting my ass shot off here and I have nothing but a pistol." Every one's eyes opened up as the voice of Sargent Tyler Roberts came over the radio. "Seriously, a rescue team would help." Tess jolted up. Melissa began to laugh in relief, Kurz snickered quietly and Sousuke quietly nodded.
All of Urzu team, except Tyler, and the staff on the command deck awaited news on Tyler's rescue. He had to stop his communication to avoid the enemy finding him. The rescue team stopped reporting in to also avoid detection. The only thing the rest of Urzu team and Tessa could do was sit and wait and pray. Each one quietly paced about the command center except Sousuke who blindly believed that Tyler would return due to the shear fact he had survived an explosion and the odds were now in his favor and Kurz was recovering from being slapped by Melissa for making a tactless joke about Tyler's odds. The room grew tenser by the second. Each tick of the clock tried the patience of those there.
A red light began to blink on the control panel of the communications officer. He turned about and said "It is the rescue team, madam Captain. Shall I put it on the main speaker?" Tessa nodded eagerly and jumped up in excitement.
"This is the rescue team, we got someone who wants to speak with you." The radio was passed around as a loud shuffling noise came over the line. It stopped and the air in the room followed and everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
"Sorry about that, guys." Tyler's voice sent cheers about the room. Tessa sighed deeply in relief. "I'll be back in a few minutes and I got a few scratches but nothing worth worrying about and hey Madam Captain…" The room fell silent and all eyes fell on Tessa, she began to blush. "I was thinking we could discuss my punishment over some lunch, if you're up for it." Tessa could only smile at the thought of them eating lunch alone.
"Of course, you are paying. That is an order."