Inception

Chapter 40: The Russian Mech

 Soshiro followed Ichikawa just waiting for a screw or a bolt to go flying out.

But the chunky metal monstrosity which was the Russian combat suit didn't shoot out bolts or 60 year old plates of metal. And while each time it landed came with a huge, metallic thud or crunch, it...actually held up remarkably well. More than well, to Soshiro's insane surprise, because Soshiro had to amp up his own combat force several times just to keep up with the newbie Ichikawa.

"Just what is your combat force in that?" he asked through coms—which ran on old fashion radio waves. Anyone with a five buck walkie talkie could tune in if they had the right channel. Insanity.

"About the same in my regular suit," said Ichikawa. "Most of this is just the suits independent power, though. Haven't had to unlock my combat force yet."

"Cut the shit."

"No. Really." Damn Ichikawa, he didn't even sound out of breath. "If it weren't for its bad reputation, nuclear power would be everywhere. It's clean and extremely efficient."

An old memory had been itching in the back of Soshiro's brain the moment he saw the clunky, robotic suit. As he watched Ichikawa jump from the last high rise roof onto a lower warehouse in an industrial district, it finally hit him.

"Iron man," he gasped.

"What?" buzzed Ichikawa's voice.

"It's like a baby between mechs and Ironman's suit. Oh my god, it's a kids wet dream."

Ichikawa didn't answer back. Wasn't much to say to that. It was only Soshiro who was almost obsessively fascinated by the suit.

Ichikawa might have suspected it by now, but it was Soshiro's way of staying sane. If he thought too hard about what they were doing, about where Lena could be, about what could be happening to her—

"Do you have, like, laser cannons or something?"

"...Yes."

"Hahahahaha!!!"

"Sir, this isn't really appropriate. We're supposed to be on the lookout."

"Have any kaiju come up on the sensors?"

"No, but—"

"Then tell me what else that thing can do."

Ichikawa must not have the multitasking brain that Soshiro had, for he didn't give Soshiro any trivia until an hour later, sometime around noon. It was yet another miracle to Soshiro that the hulking metal beast hadn't overheated by now, though Ichikawa did call a break after running around to let out great gasps of steam from between the joints. Soshiro felt like he was in a steam punk movie.

"Well, yeah, it's fine. I haven't had to unlock any combat force yet so it's just been running steady. I'm getting a little hot, though." Another click and hiss and the helmet popped off, revealing a sweaty Ichikawa, who wiggled a bit before his arm came up out of the head hole to wipe at his head with a handkerchief.

Soshiro stared.

"So, are there, like, little steering handles in there?"

Ichikawa scoffed. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm running around with a nuclear plant run by a noob on an unsanctioned mission and jealous that you can move your arms around when I have a serious wedgie while the girl of my dreams could very well be dead. Stupid is the least of my problems right now."

"...You talk a lot." Ichikawa's hand had disappeared in his suit and came back up with...protein bars. The fucker had storage space. "Here."

Soshiro caught the protein bar and tore it open with his teeth.

It went unspoken that they had to eat quick. Though Soshiro had scrambled his tracking signal and coms and Ichikawa piloted something made before the invention of tracking, they knew better than to underestimate the defense force. Both the suits they wore was worth a small fortune, if not more, after all.

_____________________

It's all the Russian's fault.