The Collapse

Chapter 6: Steel Clash

The walk back to Ember's camp was no more than ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity spent in silence.  Alder's mind raced a mile a minute with thoughts of what to do. He still had his goal in mind, one he had worked for almost his whole life. 

Getting that Iapetus was all he needed to focus on right now, not some girl he had just met. But something about her drew him in. She was special, somehow. He could feel it in his chest.  

Suddenly, a metallic clanking brought Alder back to reality. He grasped Ember's leather jacket and yanked it, getting her attention. He motioned for her to follow him, and they both ducked behind a destroyed APC on the outskirts of her camp. The clanking steadily increased until it seemed to be right on top of them, then paused. Alder took a moment to risk a glance over the back of the vehicle. What he saw took his breath away.

A massive machine towered thirty feet over the rusting vehicles on the highway, holding its position for the moment.  Though most of the original red paint had been scraped off, someone had slopped on a large, orange number 13 on the chest of the machine. A tire-sized 'eye' sat above the main chassis, scanning for threats, while a smaller periscope-style lens sat on the left shoulder. A green glow emanated from between the legs, revealing the power source, two batteries. And in its hands sat a massive automatic machine-cannon, which was brandished like it was no more than a toy.

An Iapetus. His Iapetus.

The war machine scanned its surroundings carefully, as though it was searching for something. The joints groaned as the titan of a machine shifted its weight to the right. Without warning, an office building seemed to explode as another machine, this one skeletal-thin and wielding a mighty broadsword, lunged in an ambush on the first machine. Alder snapped from his amazed stupor and barely managed to whip his head back before a brick ricocheted off the armored vehicle.

Caught off guard, the Iapetus held an arm out to shield itself. The broadsword glanced off the thick armor as the spindly rig danced around the outstretched arm, latched onto a battery in the front and pulled, ripping it out with what must have been tons of force.

 The larger mech staggered backwards, blindly firing as its primary power went offline. Tungsten-tipped shells tore into the lightly armored machine as the broadsword swung again, smashing into the chest of its opponent and sending it spiralling down. The seemingly victorious behemoth stood to its full height in a final breath, then collapsed onto its back, smashing several automobile husks as it went down.

Both Ember and Alder remained behind cover until the dust settled, then cautiously approached the fallen leviathans. The man recognized the new machine as well. It was a light model, born for conducting reconnaissance patrols and raids. 

A Themis.

As they approached, the Iapetus managed to lift itself up for a moment, before crashing back down onto its hands and knees. The machine made a loud hissing sound, before the battle-worn chest opened, dropping a fully suited man onto the cracked asphalt. He uttered a choked groan as he struck the ground, clutching his side in pain.

Alder curled his hand around his rifle tighter and tucked the butt into his shoulder, preparing for combat. Enemies had faked injuries before, and carelessness didn't get him to twenty years of age. 

 The pilot's head fell back onto the asphalt and turned to face the approaching pair.  The helmet covering his face seemed to glow as he caught sight of the newcomers, leaving a golden light on the ground. Alder nearly squeezed off a shot before three words, barely audible over the labored breathing coming from the helmet's air filter, froze his trigger finger's itch.

"Come here, kid."