Sorry for the long wait, was writing chapters for my other fic, The Great Unknown.
Quick thing before the chapter, sorry if the formatting is out of whack, I wrote most of this chapter on an iPad, and most of formatting was lost in the copy-paste. So, sorry if there is some super odd formatting issues.
Thanks to secretbeagle312 and Guest for reviewing.
Guest: nah, this is a one shot xD
Yeah, I'm carrying on.
Anyway, enjoy.
He came to slowly, his mind still foggy from the anaesthetic.
"How are you?" Someone he couldn't see asked from off his left.
He groaned, lifting a hand to his face to rub his eyes, "Fine, I think." He pushed himself up into a sitting position.
The doctor walked around to the end of the bed, "No point dodging this." He sighed, "We couldn't reconnect the nerves and bypassing the spine would have left you with no feeling in your legs. So we had to amputate."
He nodded, swinging his new legs around so they hung over the side of the bed. He swung them backwards and forwards, before pushing himself off the bed. He landed, staggering as his new legs reacted faster than he was expecting to the fall.
The doctor cleared his thought, "As I was about to say, the robotic legs are Simulacrum level. They might take some getting used to."
James nodded, taking careful steps forwards. He could feel that they had a lot of bounce to them, almost springing forwards every step. He let out a long breath, one foot tapping out a rhythm on the floor.
He shot forwards, running much faster than he was expecting.
"James, slow down!" He heard the doctor yelling after him. He laughed, hurtling round corners, sprinting towards the perimeter. A fence appeared as he rounded a corner, he jumped, the Simulacrum legs carrying him easily over the obstacle. He landed, slowing to a halt near the front line. The Kraber had been left where Lucy had put it after he had been carried into the perimeter. He crouched down next to it, lifting the strap over his head.
The bolt slid back, a round loading into the chamber. James checked the safety, it was on. He stood back up, jogging towards the perimeter.
-X-
"Pilot, I am being engaged by hostile infantry." FN reported, his voice the heavily synthesised aggressive one that Ronin AI used.
"OK Fin, I'll be there in a second." Lucy jumped towards the wall, her jump kit firing briefly, boosting her an extra meter into the air, allowing her to grab the roof of the single story building. She pulled herself up, seeing the top of Fins chassis spin then duck out of view.
The constant rattle of automatic weapons was suddenly punctuated by a low boom, a pause of about half a second, then another. The third round whistled past her head, a screech from behind her alerting her to the Amalgamation form, which was now on the ground, withering. She shot it in the head, it stopped moving.
"Pilot, are you alright?"
She grinned, "Yeah, I'm fine."
A third boom.
"Fin, 1.5 second delay from impact to sound. Kraber. What's the range?"
"2 to 3 k. I advise cover."
She laughed, "Its fine. Coming to assist."
She leapt across the street, a black and gold Ronin model cutting its was though Amalgamites down the street.
A grappling hook shot out, latching onto the building across the next street, she pulled on the connecting tether hard, her jumpkit flailing again to push her over the roof. The momentum carried her forwards, soaring over building and landing on Fin's back. The Titans arm shot over the top of the chassis, plucking her off it.
"Transferring control to pilot." He said, "the sword is yours."
She smiled, feeling the link form again, his limbs now hers. She jumped forwards, the ground shaking where she landed, the sword decimating a wave of Amalgamites.
Electricity crackled along its length, the sword seeming to glow blue. She heard Fin growl, something she had been told was unusual. They charged the hoard, which seemed to be slowly coming apart, loosing coherence. The sword passed though them with ease, their forms coming apart, bursting under the force of the swings. She settled quickly into a pattern, the sword slapping grenades aside, before finding the launchers and removing the owners. The low boom of the Kraber continued, she could see Amalgamites dropping in ones or twos, the user was clearly competent, unlike so many pilots she'd seen in the sim training. The time delay from the shots had decreased, she assumed that the pilots was pushing up to be move of a help.
"A friendly infantry unit is engaging our targets."
She cocked her head to one side, resting it against the pilots chair, "You sure? It's not a pilot?" She was supprised, not expecting a single man to be so accurate.
"Positive." Fin replied, "The unit is designated Kappa 4-5, would you like me to open a commlink?"
Kappa 4-5. Where did she recognise the name. She thought for a moment, briefly allowing Fin to take over control of his chassis. She shrugged, "Go on. Open a line"
-X-
James ran along the rooftops, revealing in the increased mobility of the Simularcrum legs. He slid to a halt, carefully aiming past the friendly Titan. He pulled the trigger, the rifle smacking into his shoulder as the round shot out of the barrel. It punched though an Amalgamite, sailing straight though it's head and into the one behind it, lodging itself deep in its chest. The both fell, he grinned as the Titans sword swung though the space they had occupied less than a second beforehand.
"Rifleman." A metallic voice came though his helmet comms, "Good shooting."
A female voice chased the robotic one, "Yeah. Good to see you up James."
He checked the ID of the connector, Titan ID FN-6516.
"Thank you pilot, FN." he grinned, it wasn't everyday that you had a chance to impress a pilot, let alone a Ronin pilot. "Lucy?"
She laughed, "Guilty." A pause, "Didn't expect you to be up and about this fast."
He laughed, "I don't think the doctors expected me to be up either."
"How are your legs?"
He laughed, "No idea, probably in cold storage somewhere. I had to get new ones." He jumped off the roof, pushing down the road towards the Titan.
The Titan froze for a second, before resuming its slaughter, the pilot jumping over the top of the chassis.
James snapped off a shot, three Amalgamites falling to the bullet.
Lucy landed, a grenade detonating in a group of Amalgamites, blowing them apart. She drew her rifle, an old model, opening fire into the barely coherent hoard.
-X- time passes
"Human life is, after all, expendable."
The phrase rung around the empty compound, the ships having long since flown. Automated turrets rotated, their fields of fire meaning they had enough to firepower to destroy any attacking force within 1.5 hours of an assault starting.
An inspection from orbit reviled a massive foundry, large enough to supply weaponry for capital ships, a ship breaking yard and colossal storage units.
-X-
Ship bearing 275 by 56, you are entering restricted space. Withdraw.
Spyglass ignored the warning, his ship energising its main armaments
Hostile intent detected.
He gave the order, energy lancing across space. The ship detonated, the nuclear fireball enveloping several nearby vessels. Spyglass turned his weapons to the station, a nuclear missile launching towards it.
A subsystem began a broadcast on every available frequency.
The missile ignighted its engine, blue flames powering it forward.
… I have made the decision to take charge
The missile detonated, the shockwave ripping the station to shreds. A ship jumped into the system, conventional weaponry firing in small bursts, eliminating any survivors.
-X-
James ducked, the punch missing by centimetres. He responded with an rising knee, the force amplified in the simulated environment by both the jumpkit and the Simulacrum legs. Lucy flew backwards, her jumpkit flairing as it corrected her spin. She landed on the wall, pushing off it hard. James jumped, aiming to have her sail under his legs. He winced as she saw her jumpkit flair again, the kick smacking into his gut. She barely touched the ground, skipping off it, retaining almost all of her momentum, a pulse blade drawn. He blocked her first swing, landing as he did so. She danced backwards, the blade held close to her body. The second slash happened almost as fast as the first, her arm blurring forwards. James kicked it away, closing the distance in less than a second, his foot connecting with the bottom of her helmet, ripping it off, exposing the white data mesh that allowed an easier connection to a Titan, as well as enhancing the information provided in a HUD.
She carwheeled backwards, ripping off the white hood. James smiled, without her helmet, she would be much easier to knock out or kill. He jumped forwards, fist swinging for her temple.
The simulation disintegrated, the bleak landscape disolving into the black and grey of the inside of a sim pod.
Lucy's voice came over the comm, "Now bad. I can see why Nyx likes you."
He pulled the leaver above his head, the pod hissing open. Lucy stood opposite him, pulling her data mesh hood over her head, her brown hair being swallowed by the elastic material.
"Going somewhere?" James asked, partially in jest.
Lucy nodded, "You're meeting Nyx." She tossed him a data mesh hood, "Ready up pilot."
James grinned, pulling the hood over his head. Technically, he'd already met Nyx, in training, but this would be the first time he would be meating his Titan in the flesh, as it were.
-X-
"Welcome back pilot. I assume Unit Kappa 4-5 passed, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Fin turned to James, "Congratulataions, pilot."
James grinned under his helmet, "Thank you Fin. I had an excellent teacher."
A Northstar rounded the corner, her railgun stowed on a magnetic strip along her back, "Pilot Lucy, FN-6516." She waved, her voice less synthesised than the Ronin AI. A titan waving was both fascinating and terrifying, in alms equal amounts. Her hand could easily crush a man, but seeing it move in such a way was, in its own way, beautiful.
The chassis turned to James, the eye focusing on him, "Congratulations, Pilot."
"Thank you, Nyx." James strapped his jumpkit to the rest of his suit, calibration screen flickering down his HUD.
Nyx's cockpit opened, one hand lowered to provide a platform to get to the cockpit.
"Protocol One."
James jumped into the open hand, it rising to the open cockpit. James stepped forwards, turning and sitting in the chair. His hand floated over the various controls, pushing a series of buttons to close the cockpit.
"Link to pilot." Nyx's voice came from all directions,
The view screens lit up, data scrolling across them.
Potocol One: Link to Pilot
He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, a brief feeling of falling and a intense headache, then it all cleared.
Protocol One: Complete
Link established, NX-1999 is now linked to pilot James.
Protocol 2: Uphold the mission
Mission not assigned.
Protocol 3: Prtect the pilot.
Ongoing.
The cockpit opened, James stepping out. Lucy stood in the cockpit of Fin, watching Nyx as if she was expecting something odd to happen. He could tell by her stance that something had happened.
He jumped down to the deck, "What is it?"
She didn't respond for a good 5 seconds, Fin kneeling to bring her closer to the ground.
"Spyglass is back. He's killed Briggs, and Graves, and everyone else on that station."
James froze, "Both of them?"
Lucy sighed, "Both of them. We have no leaders. When we were coordinating peace talks." Her voice shuddered, emotion gripping it, "He talks of peace, but at what cost?" She stopped talking, gesturing for James to follow her. He did, Nyx and Fin staying behind.
They walked around the corner, Lucy tapping a few buttons on her wrist mounted comms system.
"What is it?"
She sighed again, "I fought for the IMC, for Spyglass and Graves. Back before I knew what that meant, before I realised what the IMC were doing to the people living on the frontier. I left after Demeter, along with more than a few others. Joined the other side, but never saw action again until I joined ACES. Spyglass is appealing to our Titans, and by extension, us. He transmitted a similar message while you were linking, appealing to Protocol Three."
"What do you mean?" James shook his head, "Appealing to Protocol Three, threatening us?"
Lucy shook her head, her shoulders dropping, "Not exactly. His proposed peace would have a complete end to all fighting. We wouldn't have to fight. It's the extreme end of what satisfies Protocol Three, but it would. So, the big question, do you trust Nyx?"
James stepped back, "Of course. Why wouldn't I, we've trained for ages together."
"That's not what I'm worried about. Do you trust her to stay with you? Even if it would mean breaking one of her core protocols?"
James nodded, "I suppose saying I'd trust her with my life is a bit far, since we've never been in combat before, but yes." He turned to walk back to Nyx, glancing over his shoulder, "What about Fin, hell, what about you?"
Lucy shook her head, "I'd never go back. And I trust Fin with my life." She followed him back over to the two titans.
-X-
"I need someone to distract New Humanity whilst I meat with my contact." Gates eyes flickered across some screens at her end, "I wouldn't normally ask anyone else, but you two aren't known to Spyglass, not very well at any rate. I don't want to risk someone with known connections to the Embers. She sent a file, Lucy opened it.
"So you want us to make a big noise." She grinned, something u didn't see very often from people now the New Hunmanity had taken over, "We're good at that." She looked over her shoulder, "James, get Nyx ready. We've got a job to do."
James head peered around the door, "What's the job? Oh, hi El."
"James." Gates nodded, "I need you two to make a distraction."
James rubbed his hands together, "Oh, you didn't have to ask." He disappeared, his voice could be heard through the now open door.
"How is he? He seems so full of energy." Gates sighed, mind drifting to Jack and BT or Tobias and Kay, rushing off again and again, barely staying put for more than a day before flying off on another mission.
Lucy shrugged, "He seems fine. Him and NX were a good pair. When do you need us to start?"
"I'll send you a burst, pink noise in 7-8 range. Have FN verify it." Gates stood, "But be ready from around 1600, local.
"We'll be in position at 1530, just to be safe." Lucy touched her helmet with two fingers in an informal salute.
Gates laughed, returning the same gesture, "You aren't military any more Luce, no need for that. Thank you for this. And good luck."
The screen cut to black, quickly returning to the screensaver. Lucy turned, grabbing her helmet and jumpkit, along with two long coats.
-X-
James walked alongside Fin, who was trying to look non threatening, his massive duffel bag holding his shotgun and sword. Nyx and Lucy were walking just behind them, Nyx having hidden her railgun in a large box, which she was carrying underarm. Both Lucy and James wore long trench coats over their standard pilot gear, the coats concealing their guns and jumpkits. Whilst pilots had become less obvious, most of those who remained pilots retained their helmets, so both had clipped their helmets to their waists.
A burst of static snapped though Lucy's earpiece.
Pilot, that is the frequency Elizebeth Gates specified.
Lucy nodded, "James, time to go."
He nearly nodded, Fin slowing and stepping to the side to allow Nyx to walk up to him.
You ready for this?
Honestly, I have no idea. You? he thought, his neural link allowing him to communicate with Nyx without a commlink.
James, I was designed from the ground up for combat. Of course I am.
He laughed, his face lighting up. He saw the signal from Lucy, a smoke grednade rolled out into the road. He ran over to a Spectre, "I saw someone run down that alley, they had a jumpkit." He pointed to the alley that Lucy had run down, counting down from 5 in his head.
The spectre nodded.
4
"Thank you for your cooperation." Its metallic voice growled, "Civilians clear the area."
3
It's voice boomed, "Potenial terrorist sighted."
2
James thumbed the control to prime the jumpkit, feeling a gentle wobble as the kit started up.
1
Civilians ran towards the end of the street, most calm, although there were a few who could be heard worrying to people they were with.
0
The smoke grenade hissed, thick grey smoke poring out of both ends. It started to fill the road, more pops could be heard as more grenades detonated, smoke rapidly filling the street. James waited until the smoke was thick up to his chin, slipping the helmet on as quickly. The modified helmet contained the data mesh, he immediately felt Nyx watching through their link.
He took three steps forwards, ripping the main cable out of the spectre, it fell to the ground, it's processor no longer being powered. He could hear the sound of a drop ship flying overhead, a metallic screach of a Reaper being deployed. He shrugged off the trench coat, jumping between the two walls to rapidly climb to the rooftops. From his vantage point, he unslung his Kraber, outfitted with a thermal imaging sight to highlight targets. A large band of spectres dropped from another drop ship, he opened fire.
-X-
Lucy hopped into Fin's cockpit, the sword slashing down, destroying the Reaper before it could engage. She could hear the low, steady boom of James Kraber as she stalked forwards, shotgun in hand. A spectre leapt out of the smoke, flying directly towards the cockpit. She fired, the massive shots anilhilating the spectres chest. It flew backwards, limbs and head spiralling off in separate directions. She spun around, sword flashing as it cut though a group of the small robotic soilders. Shot pinged off Fin's hull, nearly scraping the paintwork. A shell whistled pass the cockpit, the shooting stopped. She looked up, James jumping off the rooftop, Nyx hovering into view below him. Lucy moved forwards, giving the Titan space to land.
"Lucy, Fin, you ready for some noise?"
Lucy grinned, turning to the now landed Northstar, "Hurry up then, we don't have all day."
The Northstars railgun had a record for punching holes in capital ships, if overcharged high enough. James didn't need even a hundredth of that power.
The gun whined briefly, magnetic coils charging.
It fired.
The noise was increadable, even from inside Fin's cockpit. The sound boomed, echoing off the walls around them, the shell being launched at a shade under Mach 8.
High above them, a military satalite registered an incoming missile, it's engines flairing to move it out of the way. The round shattered the portside solar array, spinning the craft at almost 100 revolutions per minute. It tried to compensate, rotation control systems burning though pressurised monopropelant in a desperate attempt to slow the rotation. It wasn't enough, the strain on the craft ripping it to shreds.
James turned, his finger holding the guns charge as they waited for a response. They were greated by a squadron of fighters, the leader of which broadcast a quick message.
"Surrender now, you are wanted for multiple acts of assaulting authorised personnel, property damage and a count of terrorism each." The pilot of the lead fighter watch as the Ronin looked at the Northstar, which shrugged. "All units, engage."
The first ship dove towards them, it's cannon chipping the road in a line as it dove towards them. James fired, the round punching straight though the fighter craft, it's reactor detonating, a fireball forming the disappearing in the sky. Lucy stood in front of him, sword held to block as many shots as possible from hitting either of them. Two more shots reduced the number of fighters by half, leaving them with only three fighters. One of them flipped over, speeding away from the fight, turning randomly to avoid being taken out. The other two craft dove spiralling and turning to make them harder targets. James grit his teath, waiting until the craft were close. He fired one shot, the round punching though the wing of one of the craft, sending it flipping into the ground, detonating. The second craft pulled up, late. Lucy's sword flashed upwards, spearing the craft. James hopped out of his Titan, walking amougst the mostly destroyed spectre, sidearm drawn, the ocational snap of a round being fired could be heard.
A faint crackle sounded overhead, three lines of fire streaking through the sky.
James skidded to a halt, "Luce, Titans incoming."
She nodded, "I see them. Fin, hostile…"
"Titanfall detected, I know. Advise you embark." His sword hit the ground, the hilt held at the open cockpit. Lucy ran up the sword, jumping and spinning to land in the chair.
She sprinted forwards, sword batting the scorch shell aside. She dodged right, entering the phase dimension as she did. The scorch turned, tracking where it thought the Ronin was going to emerge. Lucy reappeared on the scorch's left, sword already swinging down, slicing through its left arm. It flailed around, furiously trying to aim its thermite launcher at her. A round punctured the cockpit, the pilots body annihilated.
Titan destroyed.
More streaks of flame could be seen falling from orbit, more Titans being deployed against them.
Their distraction was working.
They hoped it would be enough.
Back again, thanks for reading.
I'll try to get the next chapter out faster.
Please leave a review if there is something you liked/something I could work on, it help me get better at writing, which means you all get better stuff to read, everyone wins.
Until next time.