Iron Empire

Thirteen: Silver Bullet

Report: Park
The irradiated remains of Moscow.
Russia.
A radioactive "exclusion zone".
Neutral territory, until now.

I swivelled the body of my Predator impatiently. Jackson was still nowhere to be seen and Martin had fallen oddly silent. Instead, I marched dutifully behind the jerk in a silver mech. Who painted a mech silver anyway? What kind of advantage did that get you? Certainly not camouflage.

"The highest concentration of enemies remaining in the city will be in this direction," I stated, more to continue to sound in charge than to be helpful. "They'll have Legions with close-combat weapons guarding the long-range mechs. I believe there are still Russian forces scattered around as well, so be ready for anything."

The Xiezhi's body swivelled toward me again. I could sense the pilot inside was growing impatient.

"You assume I haven't fought in a battle before?" the pilot responded, voice crackling over the comm channel.

"Am I the only one wondering what the heck is happening?" Alyx snapped.

I sighed. I'd completely forgotten that I was the only one able to hear the Xiezhi's pilot. The others were still in the dark.

I tapped my headset, switching frequencies once more.

"I can hear the Xiezhi's pilot," I replied, trying not to let frustration get the better of me. "Our newfound friend has decided to help us—for a price."

Martin was silent for a moment.

"What price?" he asked.

A piercing electronic shriek assaulted my ears, making me hiss aloud. Similar expressions of displeasure echoed my own.

"Faulty comms?" Kitt snapped. "Just great."

"Apologies," the Xiezhi's pilot rumbled, "but we are now connected via comms."

"Great," Martin replied, voice devoid of its usual enthusiasm, "now tell me about this price of yours."

"It is imperative that I speak with Marissa Mallet," the Xiezhi's pilot replied. "I wish to—"

Kedrick's shout interrupted any further conversation.

"Enemy sighted! South-southwest!"

I couldn't see the mech through the thick smog that surrounded me, but I trusted Kedrick's judgment.

"All units," Martin began, but the Xiezhi's pilot cleared their throat.

"I don't have time to wait, commander," they responded. "I will take care of it."

The high-and-mighty Xiezhi moved like a silver bullet, dashing into the fog with a sudden burst of speed. The sheer force of its movement caused my Predator to stumble and kicked up a cloud of dust, further blanketing me in smoke.

Lucas was going to freak out when he found out that I'd witnessed the Xiezhi's incredible speed first-hand. If only he knew about my time prior to the Chinese-Canadian Alliance.

There was dead silence for several seconds before the flash and rumble of lightning lit up the fog. I tasted metal on the tip of my tongue. A red flash punctuated the rumble of thunder and I saw the shadow of the Xiezhi, backlit by a chain of violent explosions.

A moment later a command capsule fired straight upwards, like a beacon into the dirty sky, and everything was still. Absolutely still.

"What the hell just happened?" Alyx asked, quietly.

Out of nowhere, a Legion came tumbling out of the fog, collapsing only a few hundred yards in front of my Predator. Its round electrical weapon had been blown clean in half by the Xiezhi's lasers, shards still faintly glowing.