Solar Mech Wars 2: Secrets of Titan

Chapter 5: Silver Bullet

With her mech and drones prepped for action, Angela set out into the dark period, fully aware that the night ahead could bring life-threatening challenges. Her equipment was ready, her resolve unwavering, and the thermos of coffee from Rachael gave her the edge she needed to stay sharp throughout the night, even if it meant sacrificing tomorrow's morning to sleep.

As Angela settled into her stakeout, the dome's lights suddenly shut off without warning, catching her off guard despite her heightened reflexes. Quickly, she switched her Innovator's sensors to night vision, scanning the environment with anticipation. Hours passed in tense silence as she monitored the dark streets of Tailoc, her drones fanning out to cover key locations.

It wasn't until mid-dark period that one of her drones detected movement in the older part of the habitat. The signal flickered, then vanished just as quickly. Angela's heart raced as she directed her Innovator toward the location, maneuvering as stealthily as a light mech could. She let her drones do the work of tracking the movement, knowing that the element of surprise could be her greatest advantage.

Her drones soon picked up a visual on the target. The cyborg she had been hunting moved with a predatory grace, its hulking frame a grotesque blend of machinery and flesh. In the dim light, the loose cables and wires hanging from its form almost passed for fur. Its upper body was massively built, tapering into a narrow, almost wasp-like waist, supported by digitigrade legs made of cybernetic pistons and springs. The claws at the end of its elongated forearms gleamed menacingly, and its wolf-like head, crowned with eerie yellow lights where eyes should be, completed the nightmarish image.

Angela stifled a gasp at the sight of the creature—a perversion of everything she knew about robotics and cybernetics. The horror of it was palpable, but she quickly composed herself, knowing that this might be her only chance to take the monster down. The cyborg, unaware of her presence, was focused on scanning the edges of a crate house, seemingly searching for a structural weakness to exploit.

This was her moment.

Angela carefully aimed her Innovator's anti-infantry weapons at the cyber-wolfman. With precise control, she unleashed a burst of machine gun fire. The rounds found their mark, striking the creature and sending it tumbling. For a brief moment, the cyborg was caught off guard, leaking what looked like a mix of blood and hydraulic fluid. But before Angela could celebrate, the cyber-wolfman turned to face her with a snarling rage, torn between fight and flight.

The beast leaped at Angela's mech with blinding speed, but her enhanced reflexes, boosted by Rachael's potent coffee, allowed her to dodge the attack. The creature's claws barely missed the Innovator, and Angela quickly repositioned, preparing for the inevitable second strike.

The fight was on.

The Innovator was fast, but the cyborg was faster, leaping at her again. This time, Angela swatted it away with a well-timed swing of her mech's arm, momentarily stunning the beast. She followed up with another volley of gunfire, but the cyborg, now fully alert, dodged the shots with uncanny agility.

Realizing that brute force might not be enough to take down this cybernetic predator, Angela switched tactics. She used her mech's agility to keep her distance, forcing the creature to waste energy in its relentless pursuit. As she maneuvered, she looked for patterns in the cyborg's movements, searching for a vulnerability she could exploit.

Then, she saw it—an exposed section of the creature's back, where the armor plating had shifted during its last attack. Angela leaped her Innovator over the beast, twisting mid-air to bring her weapons to bear on the weak spot. Another burst of machine gun fire tore through the air, and this time, the rounds struck true.

The cyber-wolfman howled in pain, stumbling as it tried to flee. Angela's drones tracked its every movement as it bolted toward the outskirts of Tailoc. She had wounded it, but the beast was still functional.

Angela debated whether to finish it off or let it lead her to its master. Deciding on the latter, she allowed the creature to flee, following it closely with her drones. The cyber-wolfman led her to the London-Bakshi Estate, slipping through a hidden entrance in a mausoleum on the grounds. The entrance sealed shut as soon as the cyborg disappeared inside.

Angela held her position, assessing the situation. The estate was in a no-mech zone, and any attempt to enter would be a direct violation of Deputy Manners' orders. Despite the temptation to pursue the creature, Angela knew that breaking protocol could have serious consequences, both for her and the investigation.

Instead, she maintained her surveillance, positioning her drones around the mausoleum to keep watch. The dome's lights suddenly flicked on, startling Angela as the adrenaline from the night's events began to wear off. The effects of the coffee were fading fast, pulling her into an exhausted stupor.

Just then, her comms crackled to life. Deputy Manners finally responded, his voice tinged with a mix of guilt and nonchalance. "I got your message and the attachments. I tried to call you, but maybe the cyborg thing had a jamming device... yeah."

Angela knew better than to believe his excuse, but fatigue was overwhelming her. If she didn't act soon, she'd fall asleep right where she sat. With a weary sigh, Angela realized she had no choice but to return to the Tavern, her work done for the night—but far from over.