Mech Online: Echoes of Steel 1 (Litrpg)

Chapter 10: The Hunt

Back in the safety of their base, James said, "Scavengers, assemble!"
His voice cut through the hum of activity in the underground base like a laser through rusted metal. Jack Cooper's eyes flickered up from the holographic display that was showing the last dismal power reserves of his mech suit. Across the room, his team shuffled closer, their faces lit with the same mix of anticipation and wariness that he felt.
"Jack, you're gonna love this one," chimed a grizzled veteran whose enthusiasm for sending them into near-certain doom never seemed to wane. He slapped a map down onto the table, the digital topography springing to life and casting eerie shadows on the walls. "The 'Scavenger Hunt' only the bravest dare tackle it."
"Or the most desperate," muttered Jack under his breath, but his lips quirked upward. Adventure called, and despite everything, he couldn't deny the thrill it sparked in his veins.
"Your target is here," the grizzled veteran continued, tapping a section of the map where red blips pulsed ominously. "Uncharted territory, boys and girls. Expect surprises, and not the fun kind."
"Great, because who doesn't love lethal surprises?" Jack's sarcasm earned him a few snickers from the team. He leaned over the map, memorizing the twisted routes and potential hazards. Information was ammunition, and Jack intended to go in fully loaded.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's gear up," Jack announced, clapping his hands together. The team dispersed, moving towards their respective mechs with purpose.
"Remember, folks, we're looking for anything that can give us an edge," Jack reminded them as he approached his own mech, a towering exoskeleton of reinforced steel and circuitry, a stark contrast to his once mundane office attire. He ran his hand across the cold metal, feeling the familiar buzz of anticipation.
"Check your energy cores, people! I don't want anyone running on fumes when we're knee-deep in alien slime," yelled Sarah, their tech specialist, her ponytail swinging as she darted between the mechs with a diagnostic tool in hand.
"Energy core's green," Jack replied, tapping the glowing heart of his machine. His fingers moved deftly over the control panel, initiating the boot-up sequence. Screens blinked to life, displaying weapon systems and shield integrity. Every click and whir from the mech was a symphony to his ears.
"Repair kits stocked up, Jack!" shouted an Engineer from the supply bay, tossing him a compact kit that Jack caught with ease. "Let's not make 'em necessary, huh?"
"Plan is to not get shot at all," Jack retorted with a grin, strapping the kit securely inside the cockpit. He climbed into the pilot seat, the neural interface snaking out to connect with the ports at his temples. A shiver ran down his spine as the machine melded with his mind, his consciousness expanding to encompass the mech's formidable frame.
"Combat systems check," called out Ava Martinez, her voice steady as she guided her mech through a series of weapon tests, barrels spinning and energy blades humming.
"Looking sharp, Ava. Don't hog all the fun," Jack teased, cycling through his own weapons array—missiles locked and loaded, plasma cannons charged, and melee appendages ready to unleash havoc.
"Fun? Oh, I'll show you fun," Ava shot back, her mech mimicking a boxer's shuffle that drew laughter from the crew.
"Alright, scavengers!" Jack's voice boomed, amplified by the mech's speakers. "We've got our mission, we're armed to the teeth, and if those Xilions think they can hide goodies from us, they've got another thing coming!"
The team cheered, a cacophony of mechanized roars and human hollers that filled the base with a wild, electric energy. They were ready to brave the unknown, ready to scavenge, fight, and claw their way to victory. And maybe, just maybe, have some laughs along the way.
"Move out!" With a powerful stride, Jack led the charge, his mech's heavy footsteps echoing like thunder. The thrill of the hunt was upon them, and whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.
The horizon was a jagged line of destruction, buildings like the broken teeth of a titan's skull silhouetted against the blood-orange sky. Jack's mech crunched over rubble-strewn streets, its sensors flickering with each step as they scanned for threats amidst the chaos of Los Angeles' downfall.
"Keep your heads on a swivel," Jack ordered through the comms, his eyes darting across the HUD that painted the world in sharp contrasts of infrared and ultraviolet. Nature had made a ferocious comeback, vines clawing up the sides of structures, trees erupting through concrete, nature's own post-apocalyptic warriors battling the remnants of civilization.
"Man, this place looks like my old apartment after taco night," Kai said, the team's season soldier, from the rear. His mech, leaner and more angular, hunkered down atop a pile of debris, rifle arm extending like the stalk of some predatory insect.
"Focus, Huds," Ava chided, though her tone carried the hint of a smile beneath her professionalism.
"Roger that, Mom," Kai replied, but the humor didn't reach his eyes, which remained fixed on the heat signatures dancing at the edge of their perimeter.
A screech of twisted metal echoed through the empty streets, an alien cacophony, and suddenly, the landscape came alive. Xilions materialized from the shadows, their chitinous armor reflecting the dying sunlight in iridescent waves.
"Contacts! Twelve o'clock," Jack called out, his fingers dancing across the controls as his mech's weapons systems whirred to life.
"Got two more flanking!" Ava's warning cut through the comm channel as she directed her mech into a protective stance between Jack and the encroaching enemy.
"Let's dance, ugly!" Kai's voice crackled with glee as he squeezed the trigger, sending a high-velocity round through a Xilion's thorax, the impact resonating through the abandoned cityscape like a bell tolling the hour.
"Coordinate fire patterns, Delta formation," Jack instructed, his mind racing with tactics even as his hands piloted the mech with precision. The aliens were cunning, using the terrain to their advantage, but they hadn't counted on Jack's crew's adaptability.
"Shield wall!" Ava's mech bristled with defensive energy, shimmering barriers springing to life as alien projectiles splattered against them like rain on a windshield.
"Covering you!" Jack shouted, unleashing a barrage of plasma fire that cut swathes through the advancing horde. In response, the Xilions regrouped, their movements suggesting a sinister intelligence behind their insectoid eyes.
"Circle around, I'll flush them out," Kai suggested, already moving to outflank the enemy group. "You guys ready for some fireworks?"
"Born ready," Jack declared, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline mixed with the eerie calm that settled over him in battle. It was a dance they knew well, the rhythm of war hammering in their veins as they fought back to back, a symphony of destruction orchestrated by necessity and survival.
"Flush them, Huds!" Ava gave the signal, and in a dazzling display of marksmanship, Kai's mech dislodged a chunk of masonry high above the Xilions, raining debris onto the invaders with lethal accuracy.
"Nice one! They're scattered," Jack praised, taking advantage of the confusion as he dove into the fray, his mech's melee appendages a whirlwind of steel and fury.
"Wrap it up, folks. We're not getting paid by the hour," Ava joked, her mech pirouetting amidst the chaos, every movement a calculated strike.
"Speak for yourself. I charge overtime for extraterrestrial extermination," Kai retorted, picking off stragglers with unerring precision.
In minutes, the battle waned, and the silence that followed was heavy with the echoes of their victory. The resource the Xilions had been guarding lay before them, a glimmer of hope amid the ruins, a prize hard-fought and well-earned.
"Good job, team," Jack said, relief mingling with triumph in his voice. "Let's collect our spoils and remind these aliens they picked the wrong planet to mess with."
"Roger that, Captain Optimism," Ava replied, her mech kneeling to secure their bounty. "Next time, let's find something that doesn't fight back, huh?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Jack shot back with a grin, already scanning the horizon. There was more to scavenge, more to reclaim, and with his team at his side, there was nothing they couldn't face.
With the Xilions dispatched, Jack's team converged on the treasure trove left unguarded in the tumult. The cache was a tech scavenger's dream: rows upon rows of pulsating energy cores and stacks of advanced weapon blueprints, their edges singed but content miraculously intact.
"Jackpot," Kai whistled appreciatively, his mech's fingers deftly plucking a core from its cradle. "These babies could juice up our rigs for months."
"Or power my espresso machine for life," Ava said, her mech hoisting a blueprint with care. "Imagine it, caffeine at the push of a button in the middle of an apocalypse."
"Don't get too cozy with dreams of domestic bliss," Jack cautioned, though his eyes shone with a similar gleam at the sight of their find. "We're not out of the weeds yet."
Their mechs, now resembling metallic pack mules laden with spoils of war, trudged deeper into the desolation that once thrummed with life. Jack led the way, his mech's sensors sweeping for danger in the shadow of skyscrapers gnawed by time and neglect. Vines strangled facades, and the wind whistled through exposed steel girders, a mournful dirge for a fallen city.
"Watch your six," Jack called out as they navigated a treacherous maze of debris. His voice barely cut through the static when a loud crack splintered the air, and a section of high-rise groaned, threatening to bury them in history's dusty embrace.
"Whoa, Nelly!" Ava exclaimed, her nimble mech dancing back just as tons of concrete kissed the ground where she stood moments before.
"Seems Mother Nature's got her own eviction notice for these alien squatters," Kai observed, his mech's arms bracing against a teetering pillar.
"Keep it tight, people," Jack directed, his focus razor-sharp. A massive chunk of wall loomed overhead, hanging by rebar threads. With swift commands, he deployed his mech's grappling hooks, securing the precarious mass before guiding his team safely past.
"Man, this is worse than rush hour traffic on the 405," Ava muttered as they picked their way through the detritus.
"Except the 405 didn't try to crush you," Kai added, "though it did slowly kill your soul."
"Stay sharp," Jack reminded them, his laugh lines deepening with the weight of leadership. "We're not out of this yet."
A hiss broke through the comms, and a cloud of noxious gas billowed from a ruptured pipe ahead. Jack's mech's visor flickered, filtering the view as alarms blared warnings.
"Gas leak! Switch to an internal oxygen supply," Jack instructed, toggling the switch on his control panel. "Let's not add 'glowing in the dark' to our list of problems."
"Roger that," Ava replied, her voice tinged with humor despite the danger. "Although, I always fancied myself with a bit of a glow."
"Trust me, you're radiant enough without the toxic enhancement," Kai chimed in, his mech sealing its vents with a hiss.
They pressed on, navigating the urban wasteland with a blend of caution and daring that had become their hallmark. Each cleared obstacle was a minor victory, each step forward a testament to their resolve. And amidst the ruins of civilization, under the watchful gaze of a ravaged Earth, Jack Cooper and his team found strength in unity, laughter in adversity, and purpose in the fight to reclaim what was lost.
Jack led the charge, his mech's heavy steps crunching over rubble and twisted rebar with a rhythmic clank. The HUD pinged a warning, a subtle shift in the pattern of debris ahead catching Jack's attention.
"Wait up," Jack said, his voice steady despite the surge of adrenaline. "We've got something funky here."
"Land mines?" Ava asked, training her spotlight on the ground.
"Or worse." Kai's mech hovered closer, its sensors whirring.
Ava edged forward, but Jack's hand shot up. "Hold back!" he snapped. An unnatural silence fell, broken only by the soft hum of their mechs' idling engines.
Jack squinted at the holographic display, analyzing the anomaly. "It's a pulse trap," he declared. "Alien tech. Invisible tripwires that trigger an EMP burst, knocks out anything electronic in range."
"Meaning us," Ava murmured.
"Exactly. We need to detour or..."
"Or what?" Kai interjected.
"Or I handle it." Jack's fingers danced across the controls, activating the mech's auxiliary arm. With delicate precision, the metal limb extended, its claw delicately snipping wires unseen to the naked eye.
"Gotcha," Jack whispered as each wire gave way, the tension melting from his shoulders. "Trap disarmed."
"Nice work, Jackie boy," Kai cheered. "You're a regular Houdini in a tin can."
"Let's keep moving," Jack said with a grin, "before the party tricks run out."
The landscape grew more hostile, the shadows between collapsed structures deepening. A sudden crackle of energy lit the gloom, and before them stood the Zeraxians, silhouettes bristling with weaponry that defied human understanding.
"Zeraxians!" Ava shouted, her mech's cannons charging with a low growl.
"Spread out! Use cover!" Jack commanded, launching his mech into a forward roll behind a fractured slab of concrete.
The Zeraxians advanced, their armor sleek and sinister. They moved with lethal grace, bolts of plasma arcing from their rifles.
"Focus fire on the big one! Ava, you flank left. Kai, take the high ground!" Jack barked orders, toggling his missile pods.
"Flanking!" Ava's mech dashed sideways, servos whining as she unleashed a barrage of suppressive fire.
"Going up!" Kai's thrusters roared, his mech rising above the battlefield. From his vantage point, he rained down explosive rounds, each hit punctuated with a triumphant, "Boom!"
Jack locked onto the largest Zeraxian, its armor emblazoned with markings that screamed 'leader.' He charged his railgun, waiting for the perfect shot.
"Come on... come on..." Jack muttered, tracking the alien's movements.
"Jack! It's adapting!" Ava warned as the Zeraxian flickered, deploying a shimmering shield.
"Adapt to this!" Jack growled, firing the railgun. The projectile screamed through the air, piercing the shield and the enemy with a satisfying thud.
"Direct hit!" Kai whooped, descending back to the fray.
"Let's finish them off!" Ava called out, her mech leaping into the melee with fists like wrecking balls.
Together, they fought with a synchrony born of battles past, each move complementing the other's. Laughter mingled with the sounds of combat, a testament to the spirit they refused to surrender, even in the face of a world gone mad.
"Is that all you got, Zeraxians?" Jack taunted, his mech twisting to land a devastating uppercut on a closing foe. "Because we're just getting started!"
The dust settled around the fallen Zeraxians, their once formidable forms now nothing more than twisted metal and scattered circuits. Jack's team maneuvered through the debris, weary but victorious. As they approached the guarded vault, it became clear why the Zeraxians had fought so fiercely.
"Jack, look at this haul!" Ava's voice buzzed with excitement as she pried open a reinforced crate with her mech's hydraulic arm.
Inside, rows upon rows of gleaming boosters caught the light, alongside neatly packed nano-repair kits. Each item was a lifeline, a promise of battles yet to be won.
"Those nano-kits could patch our armor mid-fight," Zara mused, already calculating the potential upgrades in her head.
"Boosters will give us the edge we need. We'll be lightning fast and untouchable," Kai added, clenching his mech's fist as if feeling the power already.
"Scavenge everything," Jack commanded, his voice laced with the thrill of discovery. "Let's not keep these beauties waiting."
As their mechs worked, storage compartments filling with spoils, the team found a rare moment to breathe. They huddled in a loose circle, standing like metallic titans amidst the ruins.
"Nice shot earlier, Jack. That railgun has never looked so sexy," Ava said, giving a playful salute.
"Only because your suppressive fire was a thing of beauty, Ava," Jack replied with a grin, wiping virtual sweat from his brow. "And Kai... 'Boom' is right."
"Ah, just doing my part," Kai responded modestly, though his chest swelled with pride within his cockpit.
"Ghost, that hack on their shields saved our skins," Ava said, nudging Liam's mech with her own.
"Guess I'm good for something other than just my charming personality, huh?" Ghost chuckled, tapping away at his console as if preparing his next digital masterpiece.
"Your ego's bigger than your mech, O'Reilly," Dr. Hayes teased, her voice soothing even through the comm system. "But you've earned it today."
"Team, take ten," Jack announced. "Energy cells need recharging, and so do we."
They powered down non-essential systems, the soft hum of resting machines a stark contrast to the cacophony of their recent skirmish. The quiet allowed them to appreciate the bond forged in the fires of combat, a camaraderie that transcended mere survival.
"Once we get back, first round's on me," Kai declared, his serious demeanor cracking into a rare smile.
"Make it the first three rounds, and you've got a deal," Zara countered, eliciting laughter from the group.
"Deal," Kai confirmed, knowing full well the price of drinks was trivial compared to what they'd gained today.
"Hey, don't forget about the Aiden. It needs... uh, whatever it is that makes it happy," Jack added, thinking of their ever-present digital companion.
"Calculations and sass, mostly," the Aiden interjected drolly, its synthetic voice cutting through the mirth.
"Sounds like someone else I know," Jack shot back, earning a chorus of snickers from the team.
"Alright, break's over. Let's pack up and move out. LA isn't going to reclaim itself," Jack said as the mechs stirred to life, energy levels restored.
"Roger that, boss," they echoed, their voices a symphony of determination.
Together, they began the journey back, their mechs laden with resources that would tip the scales of war ever so slightly in humanity's favor.
Jack's HUD flickered as the mechs trudged through the rubble-strewn streets, their servos whining with exertion. The map pulsed on his display, marking the final section of their treacherous scavenger hunt, a zone ominously labeled 'Kraxorian Keep.'
"Keep your optics peeled, team," Jack's voice crackled over the comm, "we're in the belly of the beast now."
"Or maybe it's in ours?" Zara said, her mech sidestepping a tangle of rebar with the grace of a dancer.
"Let's hope not. I'm not keen on becoming alien chow today," Kai grumbled.
The laughter was cut short when they turned a corner and came face-to-face with the Kraxorian Warrior. Towering above them, its armored scales glinted like obsidian under the harsh light of the dying sun. It let out a guttural roar that resonated through the very foundations of the desolate cityscape.
"Okay, that's new," Jack muttered, feeling his pulse quicken, not from fear, but anticipation. This was the moment to put everything he'd learned into practice.
"Remember, aim for the joints!" he instructed, maneuvering his mech forward.
The Kraxorian lunged with ferocious speed, its claws aiming to shred metal like tissue paper. Jack swerved, the hydraulics of his machine groaning under the strain. He countered with a burst from his plasma cannon, scoring a hit on the creature's thigh, a small victory against the colossus.
"Keep it busy! I'm going for a flank!" Zara called out, her mech darting between the ruins with calculated precision.
"Busy is my middle name!" Kai retorted, unleashing a volley of missiles that exploded against the warrior's chest, leaving scorch marks on its natural armor.
The battle raged, a deadly dance punctuated by the whine of energy weapons and the thunderous clashes of metal against scale. Jack's movements became more fluid, a testament to the countless hours he'd spent mastering the controls of his mechanical extension. His former life as an office worker seemed a distant memory now; here, in the cockpit of destiny, he found his true calling.
"Jack, high five!" Zara's voice pierced through the chaos.
Confused for a split second, Jack then realized what she meant. Her mech rocketed into the air, fist extended, and as the Kraxorian turned to track her flight, Jack saw his opportunity.
"High five confirmed!" he exclaimed, pushing his mech's thrusters to the limit.
Their fists met in a crushing blow to either side of the Kraxorian's head. The force of the synchronized attack sent shockwaves through the air, and the warrior staggered, disoriented by the double impact.
"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Kai taunted, drawing the creature's attention away from Jack and Zara, giving them a moment to regroup.
"Nice teamwork," Jack praised, though his eyes never left the recovering Kraxorian. "Let's wrap this up."
"Wrapping up, aisle five," the Aiden chimed in, somehow managing to maintain its sarcastic tone even amidst the clashing of titans.
"Focus, people," Jack said, a grin spreading across his face despite the seriousness of their situation. "We've got a war to win."
The Kraxorian roared once more, its pride wounded, but Jack's resolve was unshakable. He knew the patterns now, the way the monster moved, breathed, and fought. With a deft maneuver, he slid under its next swipe, targeting the exposed underbelly.
"Say goodnight," he whispered, as his mech's arm transformed into a blade, and with a triumphant yell, he thrust upward.
The blade found its mark, and the Kraxorian Warrior faltered, its massive form beginning to crumble. It let out one final, defiant bellow before collapsing in a heap of defeated muscle and sinew.
"Is it... over?" Kai asked, his mech standing cautiously near the fallen giant.
"Looks like it," Zara replied, her voice a mixture of relief and exhaustion.
"Good job, everyone," Jack said, breathing heavily. "Now, let's see what this beast was guarding."
With the adrenaline slowly ebbing from his veins, Jack approached the cache of advanced weapons. The sight of them sparked a renewed sense of purpose within him. Each weapon was a beacon of hope, a promise of continued resistance against the alien forces.
"Los Angeles isn't going to reclaim itself," he murmured, echoing his earlier words. But now, with these new tools at their disposal, the task seemed just a little less daunting.
Jack's mech retracted its blade with a slick sheen of alien ichor, the servos in its arms whirring softly. Around him, the dust settled like a somber curtain closing on the final act of an epic saga. The fallen Kraxorian Warrior lay still, its once fearsome visage now just another relic among the ruins.
"Whoo!" Kai's voice crackled through the comm, a burst of irrepressible cheer slicing through the tense atmosphere. "We should start a scrapbook. 'The Many Deaths of Terrifying Aliens', with Jack as the cover model!"
"Only if you're the one writing the captions," Zara chimed in, her mech's hands deftly rummaging through the cache. She hoisted an energy rifle with glowing inscriptions. "Guys, these weapons are next-gen tech. This stuff could level up a city block."
"Let's not test that theory on ourselves," Jack said, his own hands running over the sleek surfaces of the armaments. The weight of the weapons felt good and solid, a tangible testament to their victory.
"Alright team, pack it up! We've got a long trek back to base, and I don't fancy a night stroll in this neighborhood," Jack said, stashing the last of the loot in his mech's hold.
"Roger that," Kai acknowledged, snapping shut his own compartment with a satisfying click.
"Hey, anyone else notices how quiet it is?" Zara asked, her tone suddenly serious.
"Too quiet," Jack agreed, a ripple of unease unsettling his earlier triumph. He scanned the desolate landscape, the eerie silence amplifying the soft hum of their mechs' idling engines.
"Maybe they're throwing us a farewell party?" Kai offered with forced joviality. "Surprise! You get to live another day!"
"Let's not wait for the invite," Jack replied, steering his mech into a steady march towards home. They moved as one, a unit bound by shared battles and the unspoken knowledge that survival was never guaranteed.
As they reached the outskirts of the dangerous zone, a flicker of movement caught Jack's eye. A shadow detached itself from the ruins, quick and purposeful, a harbinger of untold stories concealed within the crumbling concrete jungle of LA.
"Guys, on alert," Jack warned his hand instinctively reaching for the new weapon at his side. "Something tells me our scavenger hunt just got extended."
"Or maybe, just maybe, the real hunt is about to begin," Zara murmured, her mech's sensors sweeping the horizon.
With a mechanical growl, the mechs powered forward, leaving the defeated Kraxorian behind but carrying the weight of an uncertain future. As the underground base loomed ahead, cloaked in shadows and secrets, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that the battle they had won was merely a prelude to the war that awaited them.
"Next stop, LA," Jack whispered, and the comms went silent, each member lost in their thoughts, pondering what challenges lay hidden in the heart of the city they were sworn to reclaim.