Phase Shift: A TitanFall Story//Preview

Flatline

   X-02 gripped his Flatline rifle tighter as he lay in the cold grass and rain, covered only by a plastic tarp.  He holds completely still, hoping the Militia patrol will move along without noticing him.  He hears the rumble of thunder and loud growl of the Militia Prowlers, large trucks used to transport units.  It was a large patrol, by the sound X-02 calculated three prowlers and seven or eight units on foot.

   He shifted his rifle slightly to get a look at his read out.  //17 rounds\\  He makes no noise, he just lay and wait, calculating every possible course of action he could take to conserve his ammunition.  He knows that because of the flatlines unique horizontal recoil, he could take out the troops on foot with four rounds, putting a few of them through two of the Militia Grunts at a time, but as soon as those Prowlers opened he would be done for.

   X-02 considered himself lucky that there wasn't any pilots with a patrol of this size.  Not that he hadn't killed pilots before, human pilots were particularly fun to fight.  X-02 had always enjoyed watching them flail around in combat, killing off the grunts and cannon fodder, they really believed that they were elite soldiers, better than the rest, but their jump kits failed them.  Every time their jump kit fired, launching them into the air, or letting them run along vertical surfaces, they were out of their comfort zone.  The moved swiftly and efficiently, but their reflexes failed them, they couldn't change direction fast enough to avoid gunfire, they made too many mistakes.  No, they merely survive, X-02 was built to use a jump kit, built to counter enemy pilots, he didn't make mistakes.

   Nonetheless, a pilot on the field would make today a lot more difficult for him.  The rain pattered against the tarp, and wind made it flap recklessly.  The convoy stopped, and  the ground units began to scout the area.  Stupid Grunts, he thought, always getting themselves into things they are unprepared for.  Just then a military boot stepped right in front of X-02. He heard the grunt yell "I think I've got something!  Maybe an old repair bot, maybe we can scrap it!"   The grunt reached down and grabbed the top of the tarp, before he could even move the tarp X-02 was on his feet.

   Firing off his jump jet, X-02 was launched swiftly into the air, he brought his knee up and the grunts helmet did nothing to protect him as a solid metal knee connected with his face, making a sickening crunch.   X-02 fired his jump jet again and lurched forward hitting the wall of the barn he had been camping in.  He ran along the wall of the barn with the assistance of his jump kit.  He jumped of the wall and felt his hydraulics compensate for his landing.  Lined up.  Before any of the grunts knew what was going on X-02 pulled the trigger on his Flatline.  He felt the rattle as the mechanics inside the gun shift the recoil from vertical to horizontal as each bullet left the chamber.  He watched the counter on his gun as he steadied it.  One, Two, Three, Four.   Seven bodies drop.

   X-02 immediately started moving again, as troops flooded out of the prowlers.  he sprinted towards the wood line. He heard gunfire behind him and dropped to his knees, his jump kit fires straight forward and he slides twenty feet into the woods as bullets fly over his head.

   "Spread out!"  The commanding officer yells as the rest of the men begin to search the wood-line.  "It has to be out there somewhere!"  The large officer raises his gun and looks through his threat scope, scanning the tree's for any sign of the pilot.  "Sir!  That was pilot, we need to report this immediately!  We aren't equipped for this." one of the soldiers says.  "We have him out-numbered and out-gunned, we can take ONE pilot.  No one here will contact command until I give the order.  Is that understood?!"  The troops grumble in agreement and the officer squint into the woods.

   X-02 palms his last pulse blade.  High up in the tree's he peers through the darkness at the officer yelling orders.  He almost laughs, 13 bullets, and one pulse blade, and this is almost going to be too easy.  He still doesn't know how many soldiers are there, he doesn't like to be surprised.  He looks down at the pulse blade in his hand.  What a waste.

   The blade slices through the air at amazing speed, arcing down and lodging itself in the officer's eye socket, splitting his bone and tearing through his brain.  The blade releases a large wave of light and a pinging sound, the information bounces back to the blade and is transferred to X-02.  He has a complete map of the area, and a count of living enemies. //22\\ He fires up his jump kit and bounces from tree to tree, headed towards the opening.  

   He jumps out of the clearing and falls thirty feet and falls to his knees as he hits the ground, he slides horizontally, and rotates his torso facing the troops near the woods.  He sprays them with a burst from his gun, letting the recoil take the bullets where they need to go on the line of soldiers.  He turns and fires off his last two bullets into the heads of the soldiers on the far side of the Prowlers.  //9\\   Nine enemies and no weapons.

   X-02 tosses his Flatline to the side.  He sprints to the back of the prowler and waits as the rest of the grunts regroup.  ---PhaseShift  at 100%---Phase Rewind at 10%---   About time, he thinks to himself, the weather isn't helping.  "Screw this man!  I'm calling it!"  The grunt starts talking frantically into his com.  X-02 jumped on top of the next Prowler and then used his jump kit.  The grunts shot into the air, trying to keep up with X-02's strafing, he arced above them and then boosted straight down onto the center grunt, his small metallic foot impaled the grunt through the chest, ripping out his insides.  The grunts are​ showered in their partner's blood disorienting them.  That was the hesitation X-02 was counting on. 

   He breaks off one of the grunts gun barrel, and rips one of the others out of his hand.  he kicks one in his side sending him rolling and X-02 hears several ribs crack and something rupture. //Status: Deceased\\  X-02 brings his leg around and kicks one of the grunts in the head, smashing his head into the head of the grunt beside him.  The grunts scatter and take cover behind the Prowlers.  //5 enemies: 3 armed {Priority}\\

   X-02 examines his new weapon.  No readout.  Grunt weapons, he shakes his head, let's hope it has enough in it to kill a few grunts, he thinks to himself. He would have laughed if he could, as if any amount of bullets is too low to kill some poorly trained human militiamen.  X-02 runs to the side of the Prowlers.  He aims around the corner and and fires two shots into the chest of the grunt closest to him. He slides straight ahead to another one of the armed grunts.  He reaches him and jumps to his feet, delivering a devastating uppercut to the man.  //Trauma Report: Shattered jaw, Multiple neck injuries, Extreme brain trauma---Conclusion: Immediate death\\

   X-02 shot the two grunts behind him with weapons.  He pulls the pistol from one of the grunts holsters and admires it.  Not bad, he thinks.  The last grunt goes to run but trips and falls to his butt.  He raises his hands in defeat and starts to panic.  "Please, have mercy.  I'll just leave, you won't have any more trouble with me.  X-02 stared at the soldier, covered in his friend's blood, fearing for his life.  //Subject analysis: Heart rate: 111, Increased breath rate.---Conclusion: Scared--Program override: Militia = Kill---Kill---Kill\\  X-02 aims the gun at the soldier. "Nooo!" and pulls the trigger.

    X-02 hears the sound of ships approaching, reinforcements.  He turns from their direction, and starts to run.  //Phase Shift Initializing\\  X-02 breaks into a sprint.  He gives one last look at the grizzly scene behind him.  He hears the rain splash on his metal frame and continues running.  He focuses on the sound of the rain as he activates Phase Shift and the sound ceases, and he too ceased to exist.