Armoured core
Kai's tale

The earth continued to spin on its axis. The oceans were motionless, dead. No fish swam in the turquoise waters and oil and scraps of metals plagued the empty sea beds. The land was lifeless too; torn apart by years of war. Mud plains, dead forests and ruined cities covered the planet.
For 34 years the Core wars had raged on. When the Armoured Core battle suits were created, many people saw them as a chance to destroy the planet. And so the wars began.
Every major city and many other cities were destroyed, reduced to ash and rubble. Those who survived made small towns and villages, hiding in between the mud dunes. All across the plains, battles were waged between others in battle suits. There was no true good or evil, just chaos.

1

Kai awoke early the next morning. The distant explosions always woke him up early. He swept his long, black hair away from his eyes and got out of bed. The temporary shelter he stayed in rocked slightly as the fights rattled the planet.
Kai staggered outside. The thick mud ran down the streets of the village and the sky was red; "red with the blood of troops" they said. Kai wandered down towards a large warehouse. He had a job as a scavenger. Even though he was only fourteen and an orphan, he had to work.
The usual group of boys sat outside the doors, muttering about recent events and older news. He stood about eight feet away, rejected. He never fitted into anywhere.
The convoy that came to pick them up arrived. They climbed aboard and soon the truck was stumbling across the plains, jolting whenever it came across a large stone. Eventually they stopped and climbed out, surveying the land for scraps, bullets, weapons, whatever they could find.
"Got one!" someone yelled. It was Benjamin Rockes and he had just found a large CEK. They were rare on the mud plains, but valuable. A large crystal that powered battle suits.
Kai saw something glisten on the ground. He picked it up, hoping that it was something useful, but it was just a bronze medallion with a star carved into it. He pocketed it and carried on. He did not know why, but he felt as if it would come of value later on.
Elsewhere, Benjamin was talking with his friend, Chris Belder.
"Wait, can you hear that?" asked Chris.
"What?" Benjamin questioned.
"Engines…"
The two boys stared at each other in fear and disbelief.
"Battle suits!"
Everyone within ear range looked up and ran for the truck. Everyone got in and soon they were leaving the battlefields. Everyone, that is, except for Kai. He was too far from the group and could only hear a rumbling. But as it grew louder, Kai suspected that something was happening. Then he realised.
Kai looked for cover, but could find nothing but small boulders, but then a crater appeared. He dived in and hit something cold and hard, sending a chill down his spine. As he turned he saw a metal beast. But then he realised it wasn't a beast, but…but…but a…
A battle suit!
He couldn't believe it. The gleaming, slightly-battered armour shimmering in the low Sun. The blue band in the head which was the eyes was shattered, and the left arm was buried into the mud, but it was still in pretty good condition. If only he had the lock….
And there it was! A star-shaped medallion buried in the mud. He took it out and wiped off the mud. He pushed it into the lock…turned it…
Clunk!