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War is supreme expression not only of brutality, violence and hate... but also of the brightest astuteness and of the best technological capabilities. Often who wins is who designs first a new type of threat...

Chapter 15: The darkest hour of Kesteven - A new threat

Riaku watched his generals leave the dark room and descend from the armored door of the mobile command post with a grimace. He was a Predator... not officially anymore, but he was, because when you have been a part of one of the absolute bests in terms of special assault units, you never cease to be. And you never cease to think with the standards of a company that was used to have the strongest and braver men of all Kesteven... and since the general army of Kesteven was already so frightening to be called "the diamond of the North", the "Black One" or officially First Predators Division, was a nightmare for every possible rival. It was guided by a warrior so strong that once had faced alone an entire division and had come out not only alive, but victorious, after all... So, every time his new army, his new soldiers and especially his new officers were always, every single time, a delusion to him. Once more, their reports had been pessimistic and dark and they hadn't suggested anything useful to change the situation and finally break the resistance of the stubborn kingdom.

Riaku hated them. Weak, coward, not determined and neither good strategist... maggots. The complete opposite of his old and always-venerated commander and friend. Hell, father. I really need to learn this sometimes...He couldn't deny he still was always so impressed of what Killer could do or plan on a battlefield. He could be as strong as him if not more, now... but still, he hadn't the same bravery and the same spirit at all. Despite his huge power, Riaku was still hesitant to force himself into desperate battles like his father had always done. He had fought several times during the battle of Kesteven, already... but not as hard as his rival had. No mad assaults against waves of tanks, no foolish charges against the enemy regiments or against walls of bullets. Someone would say that it was just sanity... someone else had said him that he was doing his work of leader from the right place and that all the times he had joined the battle he had done great, that all was right. But he couldn't cease of think if he wasn't just... betraying himself, his men and what was right. After all, for all the time he had lived in Kesteven, he had been taught to the cult of the bravery, of the power and of the personal value... and in the same time, taught to be open and respectful towards the others. Generous and altruist, even. It was the reason because the prince Killer was so loved up there, right...? Despite being a scary giant literally born for fight, he was always gentle and modest, respectful even with who he could likely crush just with his tail. Sure, he could be an asshole sometimes... for example, he was the more dominative and vain creature of the world when talking of sex. And he had never inserted the word "merciless" in his own dictionary when talking of enemies... but he had never denied it, saying it clearly and honestly.

Riaku sighed, crossing his muscular arms over the map of Kesteven on the table in front of him, a map covered of harrows, signs, scribbles and buildings surrounded by red circles, signaling the stronger points of resistance. Other maps, more detailed, and hundreds of photos from planes and satellites of the strong points were scattered everywhere in the room of the plain steel, windowless walls, lightened up a bit only by tens of screens of computers and radars. Six men were seated along the walls, at the consoles, working silently or at the very maximum talking sometimes with themselves. He had never felt so alone. The power that had inebriated him was beginning to show all his weight on his shoulders... and he was slowly coming to realize the suffering that Killer had lived when leading his boys in all manner of, as many still called them, "desperate battles".

Wycherley was the more famous because it had been an operation in full spotlight, with a nation watching at that battlefield of a few square kilometers breathless, waiting for a judgment that could be a sentence without appeal... but other battles, still more desperate, had been fought and won in covert operations. Most of them against the New World Order Army, intended to conquer their fortresses or destroy their depots of ammo and weapons... several more, of intelligence, had seen operatives of the Special Reconnaissance Squadron sneak their way stealthily into known positions of NWOA operatives and place small GPS systems and micro-spies into weapons and suits, allowing then investigations for find finally the names of the leaders of the movement or at least their ways of funding and the way how they could put their hands on such huge quantities of world-leading class weapons. That was still a mystery well kept, but most of the highest officers of the NWOA had been tracked thanks to those dangerous missions, shadowed then by operatives and killed at the first chance. The second in command of Dark, for example... Riaku remembered easily how he had escaped at the end of the battle of Wycherley, then had been tracked again in Ire, - where he was searching new pals and supports for a new crusade against tigers up in the North - thanks to a micro-spy placed rightly into his pistol. A Predator, with another of backup for emergencies, had then followed the target silently for two weeks, trying to obtain new information from close observation, before politely approach him and kill him rapidly with two silenced shot in the face point-blank. In the same operation, the successive week, the same two Predators, with the news gathered during the shadowing, had could prepare with precision an attack to a facility where a meeting for funding of the new NWOA had to be made. At meeting begun, the entire facility had been razed to ground with PE4 explosive, killing everyone inside. The team was then at the last returned in Kesteven, evading the investigations and the security of Ire that was searching them as terrorists, whit the risk of cause a terrible, international mess if they were found. Riaku couldn't forget... since he was the one who pulled the trigger and placed the explosives.

And all the time, he had never really understood his father and his life. He had been tricked by the gold-façade of the prince that had a huge wing of the royal palace at his personal disposal, that was a legend global famous and that had a harem so huge to make likely ridiculous every other in history. And for years he had missed to really see that Killer himself had lived most of his life into normal barracks, when not in tents or vehicles or simply on a battlefield, using just a modest room even when at home and leaving all his personal wing of palace to his girls. That too were really his own, mostly, not something there at his disposal for no reasons, just for luck... they had been all conquered on the battlefields of all the world and never mistreated. Raped, maybe, at first, in the idea and perspective of the "civilized" world... but then treated with the gentleness that most people reserves only to daughters. He hadn't seen that he had never missed a training session during all his life, not just leading it, but running at their side, doing the same things... and when they had to transport a huge beam of steel on a route of kilometers in teams, he had his own beam and was alone. And still he was the one that stopped at their side, waited for them... and sure, he insulted them, but that's part of the script. Instead, nowhere is written that the general and prince has to help them in any way, spend breath and words for encourage them all and try to bring them all to the end of the training. And especially, he had never really realized that, worst of all the weights of the war, Killer had borne silently the terrible weight of command... the pain and the sadness of see his men die. The terrible sense of guilt every time he had to give an order that could cost lives... the terrible sense of impotence when he had to watch his men die or suffer from wounds into a tent, far from home and families. All without never whine or have someone to talk with about. All without ever stepping back and say to someone else to take that weight, neither for a moment. And now Riaku was realizing that it wasn't because of hunger of power... but something much deeper and disinterested.

The Black Lightning rose slowly and tiredly from the chair, turning towards the door behind his back and quickly pushing a button on its side, opening the thick panel of steel, which slid on the side with a low hiss of air. He stepped inside the dark room and let the door close itself again before sat down into a black seat. He had tried to look so convinced of his plan and of himself, so merciless and cold... so Killer, in front of his father and his family. But he was now realizing he had only managed to look like a fool dictator with the only interest of power and destruction and without any real interest in the lives and peace... he had betrayed himself... and even the memory of his mother Diana... and Killer was the one who had reprimanded him immediately at that, even. Think of that hurt like a bitch... Every certainty on his existence, his life, his objectives and ideals... Riaku was feeling everything melting down into a darkness that he couldn't understand and delimit, doubts assaulting him. He sincerely wanted to do what was right and also revenge the betrayal of his father... but was he following the right way? Riaku sighed sadly and exasperatedly, then tried to hide his feelings and turned on the only thing inside that claustrophobic but private and protected room: a huge computer.

Immediately, an image faded into the screen with a few interferences on a protected satellite link, an image of someone else sat down into a still darker room. Riaku couldn't see the features of the tiger on the other side of the screen, but only his hands, placed in front of his muzzle with the finger's tips joined, and the bright eyes of the fellow king. They flashed with a brown so light to be almost a golden yellow more than everything else, but they weren't gentle eyes...

"Welcome, Lord Wales. Slightly later, today." The voice of the other was decided, warm and deep. It transmitted always a power similar, and yet different, to the deeper voice of Killer. Different not for that few octaves of manliness... but for the shadow of cruelty and icy mercilessness into it. Even when gentle, his eyes never smiled and his voice always had that hint of threat and provocation. "There are new problems, Riaku...?"

"Lord Raja..." greeted rapidly Riaku. Likely the other male hadn't great interest in polite conversation... and the Black Lightning indeed was growing more than a tad of irritation at the haughty and patronizing way of behave and talk of this king. What the hell... he was the legend. Raja was the allied. That was the way thing had to run, as always. "Resistance is still strong and determinate and the Kendrew forces are gaining terrain in my kingdom. Besides, the army of Kesteven is advancing more and more rapidly towards the capital and the enemy seems to be receiving reinforces of soldiers with cargo planes in some landing zones that still we can't find. I've problems even in Glacial, where the rebel organization that wants to put on the throne the princess Alexis Archer is intensifying the attacks and sabotages against my army and facilities. They are currently trying to contact Lord Killer on various lines and satellite links, but we are able of block their messages and they are still too weak and badly equipped for be a real threat... On the bright side, anyhow, operation Supercharge has been successful and I have now snipers and cannons placed in most of the strategic places of Kesteven, when the enemy lost most of his bunkers and bulwarks. Now I control almost every street and my tanks can at the last end the work. We are gaining new terrain with every hour and the report of forces is still more on my side. 80% of town is conquered, and we are giving the last push for conquer the forges."

"What about your fuel reserves? The goddamn Typhoons played a nasty trick over there, I saw." The other suggested with fake innocence in his sly voice.

"They did." Riaku growled a bit, but then forced a grin on his muzzle. "But they lack missiles with enough range to hit the regulations systems in Mottram, so we soon could close the valves and interrupt the flooding of petrol into the flames, cutting alimentation to the fire. When everything that could burn was done, the arson died under our treatments... and soon enough I'll restore the pipeline. Several kilometers are destroyed, yes... but it is a simple tube, after all. And we had the time to prepare well hidden reserves of fuels here and there, in any case. No further delays will be caused by this accident, I can ensure this."

"Excellent there, Black Lighting. As we all were sure, you are bringing new glory to yours legend." The other said in a voice that likely had to sound like incense over the image of a god... but Riaku, for some strange reason, still felt it patronizing, instead.

"Killer is doing better." The black male muttered irritably in a bad tempered answer. The other male laughed a bit, ignoring the snarl that half appeared over the muzzle of Riaku as his eye twitched a bit with irritation.

"That's obvious and needed for our project, Black Lightning, remember that always... At the end, only a legend will remain, victorious on the other on the battlefield. And your star will shine with light without rivals... and even the memory of Killer will rapidly fade out of History. You have just to wait a bit more... conquer the forges, possibly intact and with the attached reserves of precious strategic metals for weapons and armors, so that they can serve our front immediately... then you'll simply have to duel with Wyvern and turn him into a broken heap."

Easy to say, a bit more difficult to do. I'm not the first who tries. Riaku forced himself to nod, trying to show superiority despite all his doubts and worries and second thoughts on the enterprise he had joined. "What about the New Dawn project, Lord Raja?"

"Everything goes ahead without particular problems. Our technology is by now mature... the SLT01-70 works well?" Asked casually the dark figure on the screen.

Riaku touched instinctively the collar of silver at his neck and rubbed idly a hand on his back of the neck, especially. "The Spirit?" He asked idly, even if feeling himself a bit of a dumb, preferring a name instead of a cold alphanumeric code. "It is really impressive. I can do all manner of things with it... it's a huge help in combat and allows me to have a total control of all my army with just my own mind. And it..." He flexed a bit, instinctively, grinning a bit wider at the really amazing power his musculature had reached as bulging muscles pressed on his armor with enough strength and sheer hugeness to threaten to shatter the plates of steel. "It is awesome as help for the development of my physical power, too. Really a great work there."

"Excellent. We are also doing researches on the sample of your DNA you sent to me. Indeed, yes, there are incredible powers into it. Your impressive strength, the age-immortality you told me and the resistance to poisons... there's still more, even, that neither you seem to know. My teams of genetists are trying to study every possibility offered by your so interesting and complex genetic code... and we are thinking of install into our soldiers the combination of genes that seems to work for the resistance to poisons, radiations and toxic contamination, so they'll be still more useful in the future plans of our organization." The other male explained with pleasure.

"Seth was sincere, then... and Killer, too ..." Riaku mumbled softly to himself, finding that he wasn't so surprised, after all.

"Don't you trust them, Lord Wales! Your father betrayed you a time... he'll do it again if you return to him with puppy eyes. You have to get your vengeance... and you need to close your eyes and heart to their pathetic attempts to seem, now, after all these years, sincere and friendly to you." The other exclaimed with such conviction to seem... almost raging, even if he never exceeded, still placing Riaku in top position. "Because remember, Lord Wales... we all have great expectations from you. Your personal revenge is the key to give the start to the New Dawn plan. We'll crush together all the reasons of instability and violence in the world. Erase every resistance to the new order of peace... and have you as leader of a new, pacific world that will never again know the pain, the suffering and the destructions of the war." He added gently, regaining calm and bringing his voice back to a soft tone.

Riaku shook his head softly... then nodded. "This war is costing so many lives... so much blood. And it's stealing me so many old friends. But that's true. Without this battle, we can't build a durable peace. How are proceeding the designing of the Unmanned Combat Walkers?"

"I didn't said that...?" The other male asked amusedly, with a cheerful voice that proved that he was waiting impatiently for that question. "Our super-weapon is growing well. The first two prototypes just demonstrated that the mechanic system and the software are ready... and that the system is overall combat-ready. We are just trying to realize an ultra-compact nuclear fusion reactor to reduce the overall size of the UCWs for make easier their transport, movement and use. We are also trying to define the best equipment and weapons they'll have to carry and we are preparing every facility available for mass production." The unknown, invisible tiger clapped cheerfully his hands once, looking truly and sincerely pleased. "They proved out to be really deadly during the tests... and I've decided that we can risk the two prototypes into a real battle, now. I've already sent the 001 Ninja and 002 Andromeda to your front on two cargo planes. Just say them where to parachute the weapons, and they'll take care of the rest. They'll surely speed up your victory."

"I'll do that with pleasure." Riaku grinned.

The figure in the darkness on the screen simply nodded before close the communication, pushing a button in front of himself. The room returned completely dark around Riaku... and the little cheerfulness he had tried at the news immediately leaved him, leaving doubts and answers flood over him again. Killer was sincere... they hadn't tricked him... or...

He sighed sadly, rubbing a hand on his head. It was so goddamn hard find the right path... and he extracted an old photo from a pocket of his armor that was rightly over the heart. His expression softened immediately at the sight, and a small smile crested his muzzle as he watched at the old image, even if he remained sad and tormented.

"What should I do, Diana...?" He whispered slowly as his thick, clawed finger caressed the small image with surprising sweetness. The photo was of a laughing tigress, tall and beautiful, with bright, ruby eyes and weird but handsome black fur, dressed simply in blue jeans and a white t-shirt on his well formed body and her noticeable breast. In her arms, she was embracing a much younger, smiling Riaku that had the same light of cheerfulness and wish of live.

"Sometimes I feel like... that you aren't with me. Just help me to find the right path, mom... I just want to put an end to the wars that eaten so much of my life and caused so much loneliness and pain to you." Riaku remembered the days when Diana waited for news from the battlefields when Killer, and later when even him were far from home, risking their lives... how she tried to hide the terrible fear and the horrible, painful sense of empty inside her behind a façade of confidence and smiles... but how her eyes were always shadowed and sad.

"You loved him... with every fiber of your being you loved Killer for all your life. Even when he leaved us both. Even if you knew that he didn't loved you as you did. And I'm going to kill him. Punish him for abandon us."

Riaku watched the image with attention, trying to remember more of his mother... "You don't want that I kill him, isn't so? But he's an obstacle to the peace we both always dreamed..." The huge male closed his eyes and sighed deeply, resting back into the seat. "Just give me a sign. Just give me a sign..."

He pocketed again the image with every care, and then stood up, reaching with a hand for an assault rifle standing in the corner leaning against the wall, then patted slightly the belt with his three swords and exited from the room, walking rapidly towards the exit of the armored mobile combat post.

"I'm going to fight. I'm on the battlefield for every need." He said sharply to the working soldiers at the consoles. They saluted, but in pure military style and likely only for fear and duty. They hadn't never received any attention from their king and commander... and they never given it back. Riaku was feared, respected and looked at with awe... but never really appreciated by his men, never really seen as a friend and a leader that deserved their lives and their affect. He the king, he was a legend for his huge strength and skills... but he was alone.

Killer leaded the group of Predators and soldiers along the labyrinth of piled containers, where at least the helicopters couldn't reach them efficiently with their obsessive fire. The number of S24 in the air was amazing, and teams of infantry could emerge from everywhere, sliding down thick black ropes from the transport helicopters... Riaku had launched all his aircrafts in the new offensive, giving a formidable support to the troops on the ground and stalking terribly the Kesteven defenders. Now most of the fortified buildings that had allowed them that impressive resistance where fallen in the enemy's hands and the tallest, strategic positions were infested by snipers and often surmounted by a team of Mountain's Artillery with light but deadly howitzers ready to fire point-blank on every position of resistance or vehicle. Most trenches had had to be abandoned, due to the continuous operation of vertical surrounding that the enemy could do with the infantry carried on the helicopters. But at least, soldiers and vehicles had retreated towards the forges and the major industries of Kesteven, establishing there a formidable, stubborn defense, exploiting the clear intention of the Mottram forces of capture the facilities with the lowest damages possible. Killer had every intention of exploit every possible point of resistance, and that was one of the very few remained... the next step was the complete loss of the town and the retreat to the Red Zone, the last bulwark, the royal palace. But Wyvern had several good reasons for do his best and try to avoid further retreats. The castle was a formidable, resistant building... but it had been built centuries ago for face threats much more light than the modern bunker-buster bombs, and now it was also full of wounded, operating as hospital, so bring the war up there was a risk for all their lives as well. The civilian camp in the park wasn't still completely evacuated, since the helicopters of Kesteven had been busy in much more urgent wartime operations, so that too was a problem. And he wanted to be cornered too soon in a small position easy to surround and eventually raze to ground without too much thoughts. He had to resist in every way possible... the other divisions of the Kesteven army were advancing towards the town under siege from all sides, launching bridges over the rivers and opening new passages in the mountains where it was needed... he had only to resist long enough to allow them to arrive... and change the assaulters in people under siege.

Alexis was at his side, the SMG9 in a hand and a Type 91 in the other, ready to face any threat in that labyrinth of metallic crates as the noises of the terrible battle become nearer and nearer with every step forwards, the huge X12 rifle shouldered, useless in any case on a so close distance. Behind, the well trained Predators followed in tactical formation, eye ready on the aiming sight of their weapons, securing every corner with their advance and continuously setting ranges of fire that overlapped each the other for maximum security, talking as much as possible with simple gestures and only when needed with the personal radios. They were secure, cold and calm almost if it was a normal exercitation... and the few normal soldiers of the other regiments that followed were easy to spot, far more unnerved and with a constant look of awe for the elite force. But even they were trained much better than every simple soldier of Mottram and likely of the entire world. Equipment and training, after all, were the aces of Kesteven, the cards that had permitted to the Kingdom to survive for all those centuries. And then, between a small group of soldiers that acted as guards, two soldiers were softly carrying the corpse of William, that everyone wanted to put at rest as soon as possible into a much better, much more calm place.

Killer often watched back towards that same shattered corpse, the remaining of one of his best friends of ever. Killer, William, Riaku, Ken. The inseparable group of deadly warriors that had been the base of the Predators and the major pride of Kesteven for years... and now, Riaku was an enemy, Ken badly wounded and without an arm, William was dead. Killer was wounded himself... but nothing too heavy. Even the minigun's bullet he'd taken in the same burst that William had suffered for save him as the good, faithful body guard he was, hadn't managed an important penetration in his thick muscles, despite shattering the shoulder of his resistant armor. Alexis had easily extracted the round simply with her sharp claws as he flexed his powerful shoulder, pushing it outwards. Then they had simply medicated it and bandaged it tightly... and he had already forgotten it. The pain that he couldn't push out of his mind, was only the one for the loss of the mate of life that had walked at his side from where he was still a cub, protected him, taught him, that had always been a loyal friend and that had been so faithful to sacrifice his own life to save him in the moment of supreme need. And Killer couldn't tame neither the terrible sense of guilt that was torturing him.

They soon encountered a team of Predators that were firing with five Xl12 120 mm mortars. Two men were working on each mortar, one using the small, flat computer of aim on the side of the steely tube for rapidly set the parameters of the shots, as the other continuously opened small metallic cylinders, producing the fin-stabilized grenades to insert into the muzzle. Grenade after grenade, mechanically and yet perfectly, with all the benefic effects of a perfect training easily visible. Another soldier, with a tactical radio, received the data about the targets, which were always out of their view hidden as they were in a small open space between tall walls of colored containers, from other soldiers on the battlefield that acted as observers or had simply need of help and communicated each coordinate to a team or to everyone available, on purpose of the fire-volume required. Their speed was impressive... just as the number of grenades ready to be fired and the empty tubes on the ground all around, as workers ran from the nearer facility bringing new crates of ammo just produced into the same building in a desperate race against time, consume of shells and enemies.

They looked up at Killer in awe and almost spurted for a salute, but Killer easily and rapidly wave to them to continue to offer their support to the first line, smiling to them and nodding gently in recognition of their work and perfect behave as they rapidly walked forwards. Alexis didn't missed the sparkle of renewed will and hope that the simple sight of the giant king had brought in their eyes... Killer, instead, gave no care to that, even if feeling eyes fixed on his broad back all the time and seeing faces full of hope and admiration all around him as he walked towards the center of the industrial district.

Exited from the container terminal, they ran across a large square that a time had seen tens of trucks going and turning and that now was supervised by soldiers with Javelin systems on tripods ready to fire and aimed to the sky behind every little cover available, supported by several more soldiers well equipped with rifles, machine guns and rocket-launchers. They were protecting several powerful, massive vehicles that Killer recognized easily. As in most of the Kesteven equipment, in the design of those there was a lot of his own work and ideas.

The first three were massive height wheeled armored vehicles with a sharp, well protected hull of steel and composite Chobbam armor. They had a frontal, powerful engine in the frontal section, on the right side, with the driver seat and turret with sights on the left. The rest of the hull itself had another little chamber for take inside the vehicle's commander and the gunner, seat side by side as all the rest was occupied by an integrated, remote controlled and fully automatic gun system. The huge gun, a 155 millimeters smooth barrel artillery piece, was actually elevated at about 45 degrees over the vehicle itself and Killer knew that it was being loaded by a robotic system...

And a second later, three both fired in the same moment, the 52-calibers long barrels recoiling backwards with a rumble of thunder that almost deafened them as the vehicle bumped on its wheels a bit, the immense force being transmitted into the ground by a huge plate of steel that acted as counterbalance, extended by mechanical arms from the back of the vehicle on the ground. Killer watched the vehicles with satisfaction... they had always proved well. The Wheeled Armored series was likely his best success as weapons designer... it was a large family of vehicles, all well armored, capable of more than 120 kilometers for hour on the road, with impressive agility and, especially, with a weight contained so to be fully air-transportable on the cargo planes of the air force.

As he watched, the guns lowered themselves of some degrees and fired again, and then repeated the process. Killer grinned cruelly in anticipation... that was a nasty trick. MSSI. Multiple Shots, Simultaneous Impact. Exploiting the different angle and trajectory and the rapidity of fire of the fully automatic system, they were firing each an entire wave of up to ten rounds that were about to smash into the enemy positions in the same time... and he knew that if they enemy would have tried an action of counter-battery, the WAA "Tempest" could fold automatically the counterbalance plate, retire the cannon, block it and leave in a handful of seconds, without the need for anyone of the crew members inside to expose themselves neither for a moment.

Next was a vehicle very similar to the first three, but with a different rear section. In fact, it was a Wheeled Armored Rocket Artillery "Firestorm" vehicle, that had the gun replaced with a twelve-cell system of launch for powerful GPS guided, fin stabilized rockets armed with a single HE warhead or with 644 multipurpose submunitions each. As it fired, Hell itself erupted from it as the long, slender rockets flew out into the air leaving behind themselves long tails of flames and smoke, a truck waiting as safe distance with new rockets for the reloading...

They met several more wheeled vehicles, of a lot of different versions of the big family that had as commonality the hull, the engine, the mechanic and the driver's seat, but that could have different mission's modules on the rear section. There was everything... from the military engineering module with bulldozer equipment and cranes to air-defense missile launchers to mobile combat posts. They leaved the corpse of William to a team of medics that was working around a Wheeled Armored Ambulance "Samaritan", for instance... and met several Wheeled Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles, as well, with their internal chamber for the transport of a full section of ten soldiers and their turret with hyper-rapid armor-piercing 30 mm gun and the quadruple Javelin missile system on the sides. They soon discovered that they were vehicles of the 3° Fast Response Armored Brigade that had reached Kesteven from the border with Glacial with an aerial bridge of cargo planes. They were landed on a makeshift landing zone in the forest behind the royal palace and then they had managed to sneak their way between the enemy lines that night and enter in town. And the strained defenders had cheerfully welcomed them and shouted their wild joy to the sky: they were the first real help that had managed to reach the capital, and the first real proof that they could win.

Killer headed the group across a destroyed shed that was still on fire, and they emerged suddenly from a truck-wide alley into a small maneuver-square between their position and another huge warehouse... and there they were already again into the true fight, as a small group of Predators in a trench dug into the flat concrete of the square was trying to resist to the assault of several teams of Mottram's soldiers leaded by a massive Tiran tank arriving from their front, exactly the left side for Killer.

Alexis was the first to react, and as Killer watched her, she already was down on hers belly, firing with the X12 rifle. Killer was the second, blasting three enemy soldiers that had sprinted forwards in an attempt to assault the trench... and then all the others were firing, gaining the best covers available. But as the Tiran begun to turn the turret in their directions and the cannon moved its way to frame them, someone launched a smoke grenade, then another, raising rapidly a wall of artificial fog that neither the thermal systems of view could penetrate.

"Advance! Away from here!" Shouted Killer as he sprinted forwards and Alexis followed... and then he saw with the corner of his eye an enemy jog forwards in the smoke and throw a grenade towards the small trench. Wyvern snorted, then recognized the weapon and sprinted forwards with a growl, propelling himself in a formidable jump with his powerful legs and then turning in midair, kicking with amazing force the small, green grenade as he performed a perfect bicycle kick.

Killer landed on his back, but he immediately pushed himself again into the air with his legs, flipped elegantly away and landed in a crouch behind the corner on the other side of the open space as bursts of machine guns followed him. The grenade, meanwhile, slammed against the thick, inclined armor of the tank and jumped into the air before explode, watering of slivers several soldiers below.

Soon, Alexis reached him as also the others ran across the square, and she thrown a slight punch at his broad back with a low snarl. "What?" He asked surprised, looking up at her as they stretched their weapons out from the corner, aiming towards the artificial fog for the first possible target as screams and whimpers reached them from the wounded there.

She tried to look exasperated, and then smiled wide despite herself. "You could die, lover. Die! Ever got the word?" She observed with voice that floated in the space between amused and raged. He snorted amusedly, shrugging a bit. "Don't be silly, darling. Most of what I do in life could end with my end... even have sex with you. I had seen the guy remove the secure and launch the grenade. I knew I had seven-eight seconds for my little daily stunt."

She rapidly kissed him on his cheek, smiling. "It was a very well done one, too." She said seductively, tickling him under the chin as he released a low, amused murr. "Well, I played soccer when young." He answered with playful, amused voice. In that moment, two both fired as the enemies tried to advance and the smoke begun to fade away... but immediately a Javelin missile leaved the trench and suddenly its rocket flashed and roared, pushing the missile against the huge armored vehicle and stopping it on its tracks as smoke filtered out from the closed hatches and a terrible scream of agony rose from inside. As the Predators fired with their rifles, the enemy infantry without support begun to retreat... and then a wave of mortar's shells landed between their lines, superbly directed by a soldier with a radio that was placed just behind Killer.

"Soccer?" She grinned wide, looking up at him with surprise and amusement. "I always thought that soccer was a girly game... I was wrong, seems. Nothing with you involved can be girly."

He snorted amusedly. "I was even good at it, too. What you played yourself, "not-girly" girl?" He asked with a grin as she snorted back with a predatory sneer. "Just be witty, lover. I was the captain of the Glacial's feminine rugby national team."

He backed off a bit, blinking a few times in surprise, taken aback. "I really need to watch more feminine sports on TV." He observed finally as he filled his eyes one more time with the beauty of hers strong, muscular, toned and still perfectly feminine body. Then he turned serious as she laughed gently and kissed rapidly his muzzle as they stood up. "Four soldiers can reinforce this position." He ordered with loud, clear voice... and then he pointed at the obviously tired Predators in the trench, who were taking a breath. "Just ask them what they need and give them it if possible. The others follow me in tactical column... we need to advance further!"

It was only several minutes later that Killer leaded the group into the main shed of the famous, ancient and glorious forges of Kesteven. The structure was perfectly intact, and inside it was lightened up by still working machines as workers ran nervously from a working place to another. As they entered into the huge facility from the back sliding door, they found themselves surrounded of working blast furnaces that were still producing the better steel of the world as on several assembly lines there were under works swords, rifles, munitions and even tanks as skilled workers covered of sweat and stained of grease continued to produce with bravery, even if from the other side of the long shed arrived the sounds of the terrible battle, always nearer.

Killer and Alexis leaded their group of Predators of both kingdoms down between two assembly lines as the workers allowed themselves some moments for look up at their king, queen and major hopes with awe and confidence, shouting their satisfaction in seeing them there. Immediately, a chief advanced towards the group and approached Killer and Alexis with a deep bow.

"You finished the works I had asked even with this havoc going on...?" Killer questioned with touched voice as the other slowly straightened and Alexis looked up at him with a slight frown of curiosity.

"Yes, majesty. The sword is ready and even the new Cobra MK2 is finished." The head answered respectfully with a nod. "If yours majesties please follow me..." The tiger in blue overalls leaded the two towards an isolated working table, pointing out proudly at the two weapons placed over there as Killer gently took in his hands the sword.

"We called it Blue Vixen, seen that our decorator chiseled into the gold a fox and the blade is come out so blue. I think it's because of the Cobalt we added to the alloy of the blade, that's based on the Wyvern's one." The worker's boss explained with obvious pride, but still standing on attention respectfully a step backwards respect the two sovereigns.

Killer watched with deep attention the blade and the details, and then smiled as he turned towards Alexis and stretched out towards her the weapon, holding it gently over his open palms. "It's yours. I planned to gift you with this sword in a better situation... but our life seems to not like so much our plans of a good honeymoon, darling." He said gently, smiling down at the female as her icy blue eyes glinted with interest and gratitude.

"Thank you, lover. You just know me always so well..." She whispered softly in his hear as she reached up to kiss him softly, then tilting hers head on the side with a smile as their kiss broke, taking the sword from his hands and watching it with deep interest. It wasn't a sword like any other she had seen in her life... It had seven feet of shinning, strangely blue blade, almost as if it was made of aquamarine, and was a double edged sword, deadly shaped on both side. The last third of the blade bended itself a bit, almost in a sabre-like form, and both sides had several cruel spikes jutting outwards and forwards, even those double edged and particularly deadly. The femme grinned... it was light as air into her hands, and already she could feel almost like if the Blue Vixen was a part of herself. And as every skilled warrior knows, that feeling is the best thing possible to feel for one's weapon.

The blade was connected into a precious, obsidian handle with several chiseled decorations in gold, with the shape of a running fox almost near the tip of the blade, with a long, twisting and majestic golden tail that ran like a snake along the central line of the blade until fuse itself into the handle. The latter was strangely shaped... but Alexis soon understood why with an amused frown of wonder. It twisted into almost a soft reversed Z form... and it formed so a pistol-grip in the middle, protected by an elaborate handguard that was one of the curved spikes of the blade itself, allowing her to throw even deadly punches... while the internal side of it was safe, covered of gold. The pistol grip itself wasn't useless, as she noticed a small, well known ejector-window that could be only of a SMG9 on the right side of the handle, with a small aiming lever sticking out from the left side. A golden trigger and the normal safety completed the work as she analyzed the 30-round clip inserted into the handle and then the barrel, which emerged from a small overture on the upped side of the weapon, just over the edge of the blade. Last but not least, a backwards-twisted spike on top of the handle revealed itself as an aiming sight... that could function as rack for receive even the small optic that could be placed on a normal SMG9.

She was amazed, but yet unsurprised as she grinned a bit up at the male with a knowing expression between the long bangs of her golden hairs as she tried some easy swing and sink into the air with rapid, skilled gestures of her experienced wrist. If really it was made of the same alloy of the Wyvern, there were really few things that it couldn't cut... and added at the equation hers huge strength, she was likely able to cut across the armor of a tank with a sabrecut of the new weapon.

"The SMG9 inside is the latest model available, light and slightly smaller, but especially, lacking of a button for the selection of the burst mode. Your majesty can fire one round, three-shot bursts or a free burst just changing the pressure on the trigger." The head explained with a satisfied smile at the pleased expression on Alexis's features. She smiled down at him from hers impressive height and thanked him and everyone through him as Killer gently put on her a sling of black leather that held on hers back a powerful magnet, so that she could rapidly use or transport the sword with a swift gesture, just like him with the Wyvern.

"You designed it, huh...?" She asked amusedly up at the male as he smiled back warmly.

"Yes, I did. Glad you like it... "He answered gently as she kissed him warmly as thanks and he rapidly answered. "You got a hand for design weapons... as well."

"As well, huh...?" He observed amusedly. "And for what else I've got hand?"

She watched in his eyes with a grin, licking his muzzle. "A lot of things... but just bring me in a bed and I'll show you exactly what I was talking about." She said with seductive, mischievously voice as she ground hers body against his own, a well known flame dancing in her eyes as he released a low growl of understanding... and he embraced her tightly, kissing hungrily at his neck until he whispered words of passion into hers ear... but they separated themselves with a sad expression, once more accomplice, pressed as they were by more urgent questions as explosions always louder and stronger shook the shed.

Killer grasped rapidly the other weapon, shouldering the old Cobra in favor of the new one, a massive monster of steel slightly longer and with a design more modern and similar to the one of the MASR8 rifle of the Predators. The weapon was always in bullpup configuration, with the entire mechanical system of shooting placed into the stock, behind the trigger and not forwards as in the normal rifles, so that the barrel could be of the same length but the weapon was still overall shorter and less bulky without lose anything in power. It comes already with a green box of plastic that contained a belt with 180 20 mm rounds already inserted in the accommodation in the butt. The pistol grip was inserted in the middle of two closed areas protected by handguards of steel that leaved enough room to easily use it even wearing thick gloves. In the rear zone there was just the small lever for drop the box of ammo, in the frontal one were the two triggers, the usual, lateral safety and the small lever for drop the grenade magazine, inserted into the pistol grip itself from behind. The short barrel was covered into a light metallic structure that arched into a 'bridge' equal to the one of the MASR8, functioning easily as carrying handle and line of aim. On top there was also the rack for the optics of aim, that now had a bigger visor mounted, with even a back-up iron sight for emergencies. The weapon had the large barrel of the grenade launcher surmounted by the machine gun's barrel and had also a frontal grip for major stability.

"The new optics includes a thermal sight, day/night vision with auto-adjustment and a laser rangefinder/designator. Normally is set on 1,5X for rapid, tactical aiming... but we obtained a digital capability of zoom up to 50X. Since it consumes a lot of current, it turns automatically on only when you remove the safety, and turns off when you insert it, beginning a slow recharge from these tiny solar panels at high capacity. The machine gun is the same of the old Cobra, but with a barrel lengthened of five inches and free floating for carry more power and accuracy. The grenade launcher, instead, now fires a new generation 60 mm grenade-round with a small computer chip inside, linked to the laser designator inside the optic." Listed the worker's head as he leaned up respectfully on his toe-tips to reach the weapon in the hands of Killer and opened a small panel on the side of the Cobra, just under the optic, where stood two well distanced and big buttons, easy to work with even with gloves... and fingers big and thick as Killer's ones.

"Pressing the red button, you can detonate the grenade when you want. The blue button detonates the grenade over the target you chosen with the optic, watering it with slivers... very useful for kill people hidden in a trench or behind a wall. If the grenade has a malfunction or the fuse doesn't works, there's a timer that will destroy it and leave a battlefield as clean as possible from such threats like unexploded devices. The laser designator, besides, can be used directly for track a target for the air force's laser guided bombs up to distances of 5 kilometers." Killer listened with great attention, nodding here and there as his hands rapidly explored the weapon for find every possible secret or weak point he needed to know... but he smiled to the explaining tiger, finding the new Cobra a real wonder, even if a bit heavier.

"... and pushing this little button here on the frontal handle, you have your light bipod ready for use." The worker's head pushed a small grey button and from the bottom of the grip exited two light but robust legs of blackened steel that opened themselves in an upside down V, jointed by a small swiveling juncture.

"Perfect. You managed to realize every point of my project perfectly... really thank you and to all your men. But now is time for you to leave. I don't think we'll can hold this position very long, and I already called the helicopters for carry you in a secure zone." Killer said gently as his eyes followed his group of soldiers that was in that moment raiding the assembly lines for take clips of rounds, a new sword or additional firearms. "Just end the more advanced works, erase all the data from the computers and... destroy the machines if needed. The enemy wants this forges for build weapons for his own army. And we have to avoid that... and we need to keep secret our formulas for the Advanced Alloys."

"Yes, sir." The other answered with absolute discipline. "The data have been already erased by every computer, following the orders received three hours ago. Every other data about our weapons or high technology has been evacuated or destroyed. The reserve of strategic materials and metals for the production was impossible to move away... but we sealed all the accesses to the underground bunker that contains it, and in the best case, the enemy will employ days and huge quantity of work to reach it."

Killer and Alexis nodded, as she recommended another check for major certainty and then the two sovereigns quickly walked towards the soldiers as the worker returned towards the assembly lines, likely to refer rapidly the order to everyone.

All the soldiers of the group lined up immediately, facing the general at the ready as he approached, watching with contrasting feelings a team of four men with tattered, blackened and often slightly burned uniforms ran into the shed from the huge door on the front, coming from the battle. The first of them, the commander, shouted that their tank had been destroyed and that they needed another one immediately... and a worker quickly advanced towards them, equally stressed, waving towards the assembly line of the huge tracked vehicles, where several men in blue overalls were working furiously. "That's a shit without engines and systems, the other is ready, one lacks munitions and two the fuel. Just pick up the ready one and shut up!"

The tank's chief smiled as he and his men jumped over the vehicle and slid agilely into the hatches. Soon, the engine roared and the enormous vehicle sprinted forwards and turned on its tracks towards the door as the chief saluted the workers before close the hatch.

"Alexis, take half of this group and go defend the other forge. The point is already on the map of your visor." Killer ordered, cutting on the wasting of time, then walked closer to the female and rapidly talked in her ear, exploiting the chance for kiss her one more time. Every time could be the last... "I know you don't are experienced of this town... but no one can do better than you all the same. You are the best... officer, wife and lover and whatever else that I could dream of. Just... hold on there, and don't get your ass kicked." He whispered gently as she answered at his kiss for a fleeting moment.

"You are the only one that can kick my ass, stud. Just watch your own... since I'll can't do it." She answered with low, gentle voice before rapidly point to some soldiers of the group with her sword, choosing her own small unit as she rapidly set the map on the visor. "Ok, pussies. We got a work to do. Follow me, tactical column, distanced of at least six meters. And keep your eyes open!"

Alexis and her group rapidly leaved, exiting from a lateral door of the long, dark shed and pointing decidedly towards their target as Killer and his own reduced unit sprinted down towards the long aisle, assembly lines on both sides as workers shouted encouragements to them. They reached the huge tank as it begun to exit in the open air, gathering themselves behind his imposing mass of steel as Killer rapidly jumped over its rear and watched forwards, peering from just over the turret roof as bullets immediately begun to ricochet against the thick armor and the remote controlled machine guns of the powerful tank begun to react to the various threats.

The visor suddenly become red with tens or maybe hundreds of red signs as the camera took in the majestic sight of the siege and the computer rapidly identified each element recognized as 'active' as enemy or friendly. They emerged from the shed under a large, damaged arcades, the covered space delimited by a low wall and crowded of containers and crates of various sizes. All these shelters were offering a limited protection to several soldiers and Predators as thousands of bullet cases piled up all around them on the floor covered of wounded and corpses. In the large square in front of the forge, however, was the real circus, with tanks and IFVs fighting in a desperate battle of movement in that limited space covered of wrecks of vehicles of both the fronts. Mottram's infantry was trying to cross the long, terribly open space as the vehicles continued their mortal fight as other teams offered support fire and tried to eradicate the Predators hidden in the buildings and on the flat roofs all around with their machine guns and Javelin missiles. In the sky, S24 helicopters were trying to face the furious, desperate fire from the defenders on the ground and get to shoot over the powerful Kesteven's tanks as the transport aircrafts continuously launched new assaulters on the roofs of the structures in all the zone, bloodily forcing even the Predators to lose terrain meter after meter.

Killer grunted a bit as the tank that was carrying him bounced a bit on its tracks, the long cannon rocking backwards with the huge flame and roar of the shot. The terrible armor piercing bullet leaved the barrel at more than 1500 meters for second... the Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discharging Sabot APFSDS, but for the crews simply "Silver Bullets", were smaller than the caliber of the gun itself, and were fired into a sabot that made them of the right size. Killer couldn't obviously see the massive dart of steel, but he still saw the two piece of the sabot fall on the ground just after the shot as the air forced it open. Almost in the same time, on the other side of the square, a Tiran tank stopped his race on its tracks and fire erupted from the hatches.

Wyvern suddenly see on his left a enemy IFV advance directly towards the shed until a rocket from a nearby roof stopped it... and immediately the hatches flickered open as the soldiers inside tried to exit for continue the fight. He immediately turned the new Cobra in that same direction, and aimed just over the open doors as the laser designed the target, at about 80 meters of distance. The grenade that he fired immediately after sailed that distance in a blink and exploded cruelly just over the small hatches, watering them of slivers, killing the people inside as he grinned, pleased of the result of his design.

The tank then violently turned on its track as an enemy piercing shell bounced into the asphalt nearby to the vehicle, digging a deep crater and ricocheting upwards, smashing easily across a wall and likely exiting from the other side of the building with the remaining energy. Killer grunted as the rough movements threatened to thrown him down on the street as vehicles ran all around in a confused battle and he fired with the powerful rifle on every target he could see. Three Tiran approached them as the powerful vehicle sprinted forwards further with a roar of the engine and the turret turned to frame the first of the three. The two vehicles fired almost in the same moment, but the Tiran's shell didn't managed to pierce across the thick armor, even if the hit rocked backwards the vehicle... their AP instead destroyed the enemy tank in a ball of fire.

But they were risking too much and the crew inside smartly fired a wave of smoke grenade that raised an ample, thick curtain impenetrable even for the thermal sight as the tank turned violently away. Killer flattened himself against the turret as he felt the huge shells hiss into the air with their amazing power, missing them for a puff, before choose that as the perfect moment. He shouldered the Cobra with an easy movement and his hand grasped the handle of the Wyvern as he slipped down from the side of the tank and rapidly went far from the moving vehicle with a roll before push himself on his feet, kicking the asphalt with a grunt.

He exited from the cover of the smoke, finding a Tiran launched just in front of him. Its weapons were already busy and didn't immediately framed him, but the driver inside speeded up the monster of steel, trying to run into him. Killer sidestepped rapidly, his free hand reaching up for grasp the hot barrel of the tank. He winced as he propelled himself into the air and flipped upwards, keeping his hold on the gun, before simply pull and bend it irremediably. He leaved his grip, landing agilely in a crouch on top of the turret and cutting both the mounts of the machine guns with two fast sabrecuts to his sides as the crew inside fired. The AP shell tore easily across the bended bore, shattering it completely and losing most of its power and accuracy, the tank reduced to an impotent mass of metal.

Killer propelled himself into the air again as another tank approached that one, firing madly with its machine guns towards him and watering of bullets the vehicle as the warrior easily grasped the handle of his sword with two hands and jerked it down backwards in a sabrecut that tore its way across the armor and then into the asphalt, shattering the tracks of the vehicle and likely hitting on its road one of the explosives shells inside, because smoke erupted from the sealed hatches as a gloomy rumble grow from inside and the vehicle come suddenly to a stop.

Killer had no time for verify, and as his feet hit the ground, he launched himself down on the side in a roll, instinct warning him just a moment before a HE shell smashed into the tank with a huge explosion. Wyvern forced a hand down into the street, stopping his roll and forcing himself with amazing rapidity to a crouch, spinning on the spot to face the enemy that had fired, another Tiran that was now charging towards him, lowering the gun as surely the servant inside was loading another long High Explosive bullet into the chamber. He rose on his feet with a snarl, charging it with a fast zig-zag as the machine gun fire followed him awkwardly, stretching outwards the huge blade and preparing himself for another powerful blow... but the vehicle suddenly exploded, and a massive Kesteven's tank climbed roughly with its tracks over the wreck on flame, the gun still smoking but already turning for another target.

The white tiger followed this, jumping easily on its turret to gain a better view, searching for a target... and immediately descended from the other side with another fast jump, slashing downwards the massive blade under himself and cutting easily in two a Mottram's soldier as blood erupted on his face and chest from the new victim. As he landed on the shattered corpse in the middle of several comrades of the dead, the nearest one tried to turn towards him with his rifle, but Killer slashed again the Wyvern, this time forwards and upwards in a wide arc, the sword cutting into armors and flesh as the spikes of the crimson blade hooked into the bones and thrown easily the body up, high into the air. The others reacted immediately with swords and handguns, but already the lighting-fast wrist of Killer guided the sword in a full chest level sabre cut that killed them all in a wave of dark blood and gore as he already sprinted with a growl towards a Tiran tank.

The colossal vehicle was aiming its long, deadly gun towards a vulnerable Kesteven's IFV, but Killer run into it and smashed with all its strength with the shoulder into the side of the tank as his mortal spikes sunk into the armor of steel with frightening ease. He jerked immediately upwards with a strained grunt, but he managed to overturn the entire tank on its side as his spikes come free, tearing entire plates of steel on their route like they were sheets of paper. The gun of the Tiran smashed into the asphalt... and in that same moment it fired, AP shell penetrating deeply into the road and the earth below, throwing up a high cloud of dust and dirt as he sprinted forwards, turning to face once more the line of vehicles and infantry that Mottram had sent against his homeland. That Riaku had launched against his old friends and comrades... against his father. Against him.

Killer tightened his hold on the handle of the Wyvern, growling lowly and preparing himself for a new charge as the Kesteven tanks exploited the havoc he had caused to gather themselves in a close formation that could offer better protection and firepower for charge resolutely the enemy front, hiding their movements into a thick smoke curtain as the S24 continuously tried to penetrate in the zone, advancing to fire over the defenders as the Predators fired against them with everything was available for repeal them in a deadly duel.

The tanks lined themselves into the dark, thick smoke as Killer quickly walked between two of them, snorting irritably into that bothering cloud as he passed the Wyvern to his left hand and brought the new Cobra into his right one, clicking the safety on 'all ready' with his thumb as his index and middle finger touched lightly the triggers, almost caressing the two cold hooks of metal as the warrior licked slowly his bloodstained lips. He couldn't help... but the exhilaration and bloody, dark joy of such an unequal battle were always huge in his body, running in his veins and into every powerful muscle like a fuel. He had to prove himself stronger one more time... and he couldn't ask anything better.

He sprinted forwards as the tanks speeded up around him and the black smoke begun to fade away, and then he quickly jumped forwards as a grenade flew in the air very near, exploding behind his back and almost overbalancing him as he landed on the asphalt in a crouch, grunting as his claws sunk in the hard road and stopped him. His skilled fingers were already working on the triggers, finding with satisfaction that he was perfectly able to manage the pressure on it and switch continuously from bursts to single shots, joining accuracy, firepower and rapidity to saving of ammo. He immediately rolled away as several soldiers shot against his position, firing a grenade into them before kick the ground under him and propelling himself into the air, landing on top of one of his tanks once more.

Killer watched rapidly around on all the battlefield, searching a good target before exploit the protection offered by the turret of the vehicle to take a breath and regain the full control on his strained muscles, then exploiting immediately the chance offered when the powerful tank roared its way between two enemy Tiran, both surrounded by several soldiers. He fired a full wave of grenades from the Cobra before jump down from the running tank and slash viciously outwards the massive Wyvern at waist level in the confused, screaming crowd around him, cutting in half several enemies all around.

He snarled irritably as bullets poured towards him from every direction from the tanks and the troops of Mottram, killing some of the soldiers that surrounded him without any care and someone digging painful cuts all along his muscular body and a few ricocheting against his armor even if he immediately charged forwards, jumping high into the air and slashing downwards the Wyvern on the vulnerable armoured roof of the Tiran, cutting cleanly in two the turret and firing the last grenade from the Cobra inside the vehicle as the crew inside screamed in utter terror before vanish into a hell of flames as fuel and shells joined the detonation.

Killer landed from his jump far on the other side of the now burning, wrecked, once-powerful machine of destruction, wincing as he landed heavily on his feet, almost overbalanced by the explosion as he got on a knee before push himself standing tall, running forwards in an impressive sprint. He clicked lighting fast with the thumb the small lever that immediately dropped the metallic, empty grenade-clip, and he furiously kicked it in the air with a snarl as he ran, sending it with the strength of a bullet in the face of a charging, dark green-uniformed soldier. He immediately fell backwards in an unconscious heap as blood and gore sprayed into the air from his shattered muzzle.

Killer grinned cruelly, darkly amused as he charged towards the tank and the other soldiers remained tried to close their lines around the fallen comrade to better protect themselves and the vehicle... but the giant warrior watered them with a full burst from the heavy machine gun until it clicked empty, leaving a long queue of bullet cases on the ground behind him as the enemies fell down on the ground in a lake of dark blood, the bodies shattered by those long, huge rounds. Three more fled, terrified, as the white tiger jumped into their weakened line and slashed the Wyvern rapidly in a series of three sabre cuts, on each side, trying to clean his way for reach the Tiran that had selected as target...

But he blinked in surprise as he heard new screams around him, strangely different and a different roar in the racket of engines and tracks. He turned to the side just in time to see another huge, green-painted Tiran run towards him... but it was already too near, and the armoured hull crashed into the black armor of Killer, on his side, who roared in pain as drool leaved his mouth... but let rapidly and coldly himself fall on his other side, immediately flattening himself on his back and making himself as little as possible as the heavy tank roared over him.

Killer cursed his stupidity for focus too much his attention and let the enemy make his moves without react in time as the tracks of the vehicle moved at his sides with metallic sounds he well knew and the engine roared over him in a deafening racket as he watched the belly of enormous vehicle slide just a inch or two over his muzzle. He blessed the sky for the high ground-clearance of the tanks and winced for the pulsing pain into his side... and then he realized that the vehicle had crashed not only into him, but into his allied as well, without any doubt. On condition of try to stop the great Wyvern, they were ready to crush even their same friends. It was sick... over every level, he though as he winced and distracted his eyes in horror from the terrible sight of a less lucky tiger in the Mottram's uniform that was being crushed under a track.

The soldier screamed for a fleeting moment as blood erupted from his body and landed all over the nearby Killer, then fell silent as the track begun to crush into his torso with the sick, horrible sound of bones that were being reduced to dust under all those tons of cold, emotionless steel, until also the head vanished with the same horrible noise as the helmet all but exploded. Those sick sounds filled the ears and the heart of Wyvern even despite all the racket of the battle... it was horrible, it was inconceivable kill in that way a comrade...

And he knew that the tank was gonna do a maneuver or two on the spot really soon, to be sure of have killed him, so he wasn't surprised when the colossal vehicle stopped over him and begun to turn on its tracks. Wyvern cursed loudly, doing the only thing that crossed his mind in that moment. He leaved both the Cobra and the huge crimson sword and slammed his hands upwards into the undefended belly of the vehicle with a snarl of fury and self-encouragement as into his mind he saw images of Alexis. He had to live... for see her one more time.

The huge battle vehicle trembled under the blow as the thick steel dented deeply inwards... and then Killer forced all his muscles to work once more in a terrible effort, snarling in rage and fatigue as he pushed upwards with his powerful arms and tried to stand up, forcing his feet down into the asphalt. And his snarl turned into a growing roar of triumph as his muscles bulged like tires and veins pulsated painfully in the effort, but the tracks started to leave the contact with the ground and the heavy tank, amazingly, was lifted in his hands as he stood up proudly.

He panted as he held now easily the tank on his huge arms, the colossal vehicle laying ridiculously backwards on its rear, the muzzle and the cannon aimed skywards, impotent and inoffensive as the tracks continued to cycle and the engine roared uselessly. A wide grin spread on the muzzle of Killer as he roared once more... he could now easily give a final push and overturn the vehicle like a toy on its turret, but he wanted to prove himself to the core and finish things in a definitive way. He walked rapidly forwards a step with a snarl, gaining the centre of the tank and setting his hands in the middle for a full balance and spread wide his powerful legs as he strapped upwards his arms, lifting the Tiran all the way up, over his head, as he stood suddenly tall in all his height in front of the enemies, his eyes cold in fury and triumph together, a low growl of challenge leaving his throat as he sneered.

The battle weirdly stopped for a moment, as everyone, friend or enemy, stared at this, dumbfounded as the huge male grinned down at them challengingly. And, obviously, the reaction on the two fronts was very different. The Kesteven defenders looked at their king with new awe and veneration, suddenly sure that the victory was not only possible but sure as they guided their tanks towards their commander, preparing themselves to another clash with the numerically-advantaged enemy as soldiers fired with their weapons, shouting of wild joy and an enterprising officer recovered a radio from a corpse and contacted a team of mortars for direct a precise, deadly support of fire.

The enemies, instead, gaped at the majestic sight of the giant warrior that challenged them so cheekily, at the tank he was holding high over his head... and they understood suddenly that they had no chances to win. Silly thing, likely... Killer was motionless and exposed as never before, exposed to a reaction... but they were terrorized. The remained vehicles turned on their tracks or wheels, retreating in confusion as the tanks of Kesteven, the terrible MBT Crusaders fired mercilessly on them with the AP rounds, destroying several Tirans and only adding to the chaos as they charged threateningly. The enemy had lost his moment. Soldiers dropped immediately their weapons and froze in place as others fled on panic... and Killer shocked them and himself, finding himself laughing at this view... and especially in front of several bulky males that had evidently pissed themselves in terror.

The entire Mottram's line collapsed in chaos on all the square, and Wyvern powered himself with his muscular legs, his growl rising as his huge muscles bulged explosively in the effort, before throw forwards the massive vehicle with a roar. It flew far into the air, then smashed into another vehicle, a much lighter and less armored IFV, crushing it in a wreck before ricochet into the air and flip fully, landing heavily and awkwardly on its damaged side with a loud, metallic rumble, skidding on the asphalt as sparkles flew into the air before come to a stop.

Almost in the same moment, a full barrage or mortar rounds from one of their hidden team flew high in an arc over their heads and begun to fall towards the ground as Killer bended down to recover the Cobra and the crimson Wyvern. His eyes followed the view as the metallic little fins of each grenade oriented it towards the ground and a small parachute opened as the small radar-seeker on the tip "watched" the ground and searched a target, comparing the accurate "photos" made by the millimetrical-waves radar with the ones in memory to confirm the type of target and the nationality... and then a small rocket started and pushed each grenade into the chosen objective.

Vehicles started to explode all in front of him as if in an apocalypse as multipurpose, deadly warheads pierced across the armors, sent slivers all around and generated flames of 4000 degrees as zirconium into them exploded, killing, destroying and putting things on flame. Killer, in the same time, sprinted forwards and grabbed with a roar the back of two more fleeting Tirans, wincing for the heat coming from the grids of cooling of the engines inside... before pull backwards with all his brutal strength, both vehicles following his movements with metallic, deafening whimpers as the tracks scrabbled on the asphalt uselessly, trying to propel the MBTs forwards as Wyvern's muscular strength pulled them backwards. A predator that was running towards him immediately exploited the moment and easily placed a rocket into one of the two easy, motionless targets as Wyvern himself punched with his now free hand hard into the grid over the motor of the other, his closed fist smashing easily across the steely protection and reaching the engine inside, shattering something inside it. The Tiran immediately died with a few metallic, choking noises... and the havoc only increased when a wave of missiles seemed to appear from the nothingness and hit several helicopters, changing the threatening S24 Harpy into balls of fire, wrecks and thick black smoke as they begun to fall towards the ground, on their allied in retreat.

The defenders of Kesteven shouted cheerfully like the fans of a team that scores a match point as even Killer looked up, seeing once more the Typhoons roar in the sky in a large 'box' formation, dividing then themselves into two couples, rising to the sky to face the fighters of Mottram, soon becoming only white condensation strips that twisted into the air at more than fifteen kilometers over their heads. He smiled a bit, just wishing them good luck once more for their own desperate battle, a special thought to his son Talon... and then he turned back, and as he watched around himself, he found the field occupied only by friends, wrecks and corpses.

"We won! Watch how they run!" Shouted a soldier with the uniform of Kesteven as the enemy retreated rapidly towards his line, set into the ruins of some buildings less than a block away. The predators, instead, both the white and the black uniformed ones, continued mercilessly to fire on the foes with cold professionalism of perfect soldiers. And after all, every one of them had by now seen too much to can show anymore mercy to that ruthless, often disloyal enemy. Several more men added their own shouts of joy and relief... they were still alive and they had maintained the forge, after all.

Killer knew that well, but he was also aware that it wasn't anywhere near to an end... "They'll return. Soon." He said calmly as he watched the enemy leave the field for some long seconds, trying to forecast their next move, before blink and turn backwards, feeling himself in spotlight. In fact, he found himself surrounded by smiling predators and soldiers, of Kesteven and Kendrew both, white and orange tigers together, black and white uniforms mixed. Gods, think to when I'll have to design a new type of uniform for this that now is effectively an only army, an only country... Was the first, quite dumb thought that Killer had in his mind at that view.

It was only later that he saw that same awe and complete confidence that they all showed for him, looking up at him with veneration, obviously still impressed by his... madness, is the word. It was nice and terrible in the same time. Most of his being loved and had always loved to be in spotlight, admired, feared and revered like a god. It was his most egoistic and dark side, something he often come to hate of himself when he had the time to think on its life... but the other part of him was scared of that same adoration, and especially of the expectations related to them. It made every lose heavier for him to accept and overcome... he had responsibilities towards his soldiers, his boys, that often were also his sons. He had to help them, protect them, train them as best as possible and lead them towards with victory with the less loses possible.

A battle's made of maneuvers and massacres. A general is as greater as more he uses maneuvers and less requires massacres. It was a teaching that he had never forgot and one of the concepts he had always tried to respect. Every soldier that he had lost was a failure and a thorn in his soul... of everyone had learned the name. After years of battles, they were thousands... but that didn't mattered. He knew the names of them all, and he would always learn them, no matter how many they were, how difficult it was, how long it take. He had to... he had to remember their sacrifice, their lives and their efforts forever, and learn from those failures for never repeat them.

"Gods, majesty! It was... wow, what the hell!" A soldier babbled cheerfully as Killer smiled uncertainly back, noticing how his veterans, knowing him, looked at him in awe despite themselves, but at least saved him from comments. A lot of the men around him were chatting cheerfully about his exploit... then a young Predator in black uniform exclaimed: "Majesty, no wonder they are fleeting like that. I would, too, in front of a furious giant that lifts a tank with his bare hands!"

"Then I didn't taught you enough, soldier." Killer observed gently, but yet doesn't managing to hide entirely the bitterness. The predator looked back in complete surprise, blinking a few times as also the others stared curiously at that. "The moves more impressive often are also the more dangerous for who does them, often it is a desperate maneuver that could easily be stopped by people with cold blood." Wyvern watched the tank he had stopped, and clapped the side slightly as some soldiers extracted the terrorized crew from the hatches, keeping the four enemies always under the aim of at least two rifles. "See me. A soldier shouldn't be that impulsive. Especially not a general. I exposed myself to any type of reaction, standing like that in front of the enemy. I knew they were likely gonna flee at that point, yes... and I could rapidly drop the tank in front of me at the minimal sign of reaction..."

"Or throw the tank to them!" Observed cheerfully someone else.

"Or be killed! This is not a game. If there was in their lines even a single soldier with a quarter of the speed of Alexis with a gun and a shadow of coldness, now I'd be a heap on the ground. This time worked... the next won't. Never repeat my error... maintain always your minds cool and your blood cold." He answered clearly. The soldiers still looked up at him with awe, if possible still more than before... but he could at least see in their eyes that they had learned the lesson as they saluted with rigid discipline. "Majesty!" He nodded with a smile and discharged them with a wave of his hand.

They rapidly disbanded, going to reinforce the positions, or just sitting on the tanks or on the ground for take a breath and check their weapons as the king rapidly shouldered the Wyvern and rearmed the Cobra, walking slowly forwards towards the four men that had been captured, the crew of the tank he had stopped...

But then his eyes were instinctively distracted to the side, where other enemies were slowly crawling out from the wrecks or rising from the ground under the aim of the rifles. And he shouted a raged no at a terrible view... but a moment too late.

Two of the new-made prisoners on the other side of the square managed to pull a small rope in his leather jacket of tank-crew... and they exploded in a ball of fire and smoke, killing three Kesteven's soldiers and a Kendrew's one, wounding some other. He heard his voice as from very far shout "Aim to the head!" and see two predators that were already doing that on their own, killing immediately the other before they had the time to do anything.

Wyvern turned towards the four prisoners in front of himself, snarling and raising the Cobra with the rapidity of a lighting, finding the tank chief with his hand running to the rope. A single shot destroyed his head just in time as blood and gore exploded once more on the face of Killer and the other three prisoners fell on the ground, covering their heads with screams of utter terror.

"No! NO! We don't have anything! We don't want to die!"

"Shut up!" Roared Killer as he kicked one hard against the tank, crushing him against the solid steel and his powerful foot as he spat blood and drool, agonizing and breathless as all the wind he had in his lungs exploded outside painfully. "Lay down, face down... and spread wide your arms." Killer snarled in fury, aiming the rifle over their heads, seriously wishing to pull the trigger. "If I'll see a movement of your eyelash that I don't like, I'll put a bullet in your head so fast that you'll find yourself in Hell without know why." He added threateningly as three predators approached them, aiming the Type 91 at the heads of the prisoners and then rapidly undressing them of the jackets, searching for an eventual explosive device.

"They are clean, majesty." Finally reported the highest in rank of the three when the prisoners were almost naked, trembling in terror and still motionless, almost neither breathing, staring up at the giant warrior as he nodded slowly.

"You shits are worthless of live... Riaku is fallen so down to don't have any better thing to do than send kamikazes against his brothers?" He asked with utter hate and distaste as he kicked again one of the men on the ground.

"No, no, majesty! They weren't of ours men... Riaku said they were allied come from other nations and eager to help." Babbled one of the prisoners, eyes full of tears, trembling violently.

"Tell this shit to someone else!" Wyvern snarled... but also another confirmed, between shakes and whimpers. "They were a group of fanatics from the east, judging from the accent. But we didn't know they were mad to this point... neither Riaku. He never ordered such terroristic acts." Exclaimed in a hurry the third as the huge white male threatened to kick him. "I swear, Lord Killer. We are soldiers, not murderers! Please, believe me. I give my word!"

Killer snorted, and then slowly turned away in distaste, closing his eyes and trying to calm down his burning rage. "Bring them away from my eyes... and question them severely. Gather every information they can give. I want to understand this question of the... eastern allied, if it really exists." He ordered coldly, and immediately the three bulky predators saluted rigidly, carried rudely the three prisoners and brought them away without too much of a compliment.

Another soldier approached the king as he sadly sighed, watching the point where the flames were still growling, where the kamikazes had hit... the newcomer rigidly saluted, with perfect discipline. "Majesty, the zone is now secure. Every position strengthened... but we suffered a total of four loses and five wounded in the suicidal attack."

"I understood, soldier. Later you'll communicate me all their names."

Alexis gracefully sidestepped, avoiding with a challenging grin the sink of a frustrated and more and more scared soldier in dark green uniform as she easily slashed hers glinting blue blade outwards on hers side, with the rapidity of a lightning. The sword smashed easily across the tactical combat vest of the other foe, sinking into the soft flesh and shattering the bones of the shoulder before cut neatly the arm as she brought the blade again in front of hers body in defense, intercepting a new attack with a simple, graceful movement of hers wrist.

The soldier at hers side screamed in agony as his right arm fell to the ground, the sword clanging noisily on the floor, before the predator which he was dueling with sunk his sword into his chest and he fell died. Alexis, meanwhile, was still playing around with hers actual opponent, a bulky tiger with thick, dirt orange fun mattered of blood and earth and dust. He was a strong opponent, but still Alexis had no problems in repeal his most vicious attempts... and she had the grace, the experience and the agility to play with him as she had played with many others before in the crowded battle.

They were arrived just in time to help the defenders, pressed by a charge of infantry that was invading the structure from a side of the shed, where a bomb dropped by a fighter bomber had broken a large hole while most of the Kesteven defenders were already busy to the extreme with the frontal attack, heavily supported by helicopters and tanks, just like in the Killer's zone.

She had then guided a team of snipers on the second, highest floor to give all the help of their deadly accurate shots, but soon she had been forced to join the tired, weakened forces in the close combat that was born inside the forge. Not that she was unhappy of that, of course.

The decision and the dimension of the attack were another confirmation of the will of Riaku to capture the industrial power of Kesteven... and the attention he was paying for not to destroy the machineries was a clear proof that he wanted them as much undamaged as possible, ready to work immediately. And this can only mean that he wants to produce new weapons. Is not like these are kiddy's toys plants.

Alexis hurried up hers game as she saw with a frown and an irritated snort new enemy soldiers climb the ruins of the broken wall, running inside the shed with loud shouts of threat, waving their swords as some of them managed to reach a crouch on top of the heap of chunks of concrete and begun to target the defenders with merciless shots fired from their assault carbines M1, which had a nasty laser-projected aiming sight under the barrel... better known as the red dot of death.

She snarled as someone of hers predators shouted an advice when another portion of wall exploded at some meters of distance. "They are surrounding us! Smoke curtains on the right!" She saw two of the nearer predators turn towards the signaled direction, using their shields for push their way in the crowded battle, slashing the swords on every foe they met as they were immediately targeted by the enemy shooters.

Alexis propelled herself viciously forwards, and her wrist guided the Blue Vixen in a semi-arc outwards that easily pushed the rival's sword out of place, opening the way for a chest-aimed sink that she didn't missed. The soldier screamed in terror and then in pain as blood erupted from his mouth and the blue blade sunk easily all the way across his armor and body... and his agony, already destined to be short, was shortened all the more when Alexis slashed the weapon to the side, aiming on instinct on the enemies with the rifles and pulling the small golden trigger once, with gentleness.

She grinned cruelly as the sword again seemed to be a part of her, working precisely how she wanted. And a single bullet leaved the sword and smashed into the carbine of the first foe, destroying it and sinking in his muzzle, killing him immediately and pushing roughly the corpse backwards on the pile of ruins. Alexis tore the sword free from the shattered corpse and aimed it at another group of foes with the carbines, killing all three of them with a long burst from left to right as her finger pulled backwards decidedly on the trigger.

But then she had to defend herself into the moaning, whimpering and fighting crowd as some enemy, astutely, thrown a smoke grenade into their lines for increase still more the confusion as they launched a new attack of surrounding, this time on the left, exploiting their numeric advantage to try to break their side. Alexis growled irritably as the battle around her become so close and furious to be hard to follow. She saw a young soldier duel with a bulky sergeant of Mottram, clearly in difficulty, but as she tried to reach him she was immediately occupied once more, and pushed slowly and rudely away by the crowd in the narrow space as hers predators tried to use their ordnance shields to create walls of both protection and offence for maintain the threatened perimeter.

The blond femme fatale pushed hers way between two allied, smashing her powerful fist into the face of the first enemy she met as she throw hers sword forwards in a vicious sink into the back of another, killing him as the predator that was busy dueling with him managed a fast, little wave of thanks before be attacked by new rivals as Alexis finally spotted hers perfect target, a bulky, vicious looking captain with a black tactical armor of the Assaulters teams of Mottram, the small, special groups usually loaded on the S24 Harpy helicopters and heavily trained to conquest the enemy strongpoint.

She advanced against him as fast as she could, grinning coldly... he was almost as tall as her, and much bulkier, his body rippling with powerful muscles under the plain black vest of Kevlar as he fought against three soldiers at once, repealing them backwards easily as his obviously expert hands worked two short double edged daggers, plain silver handguns resting at his sides and a rifle shouldered, on his head a black beret with a badge that she didn't recognized. Strange enough... she knew all the units of the armies of the region. Or he was from abroad, or a new unit had been founded...

He spotted her, as well, grinning challengingly to the blond warrior as he trapped the sword of the smaller soldier in front of him between his own twin blades... and she didn't reached him soon enough to avoid the next move. As she slashed the Blue Vixen in the chest of a dark green uniformed soldier, opening hers road to him, he snapped the sword from the hands of the young, smaller male and then killed him with a fast sabre cut that tore his throat as the black armored giant sneered with dark amusement at her, stopping the attacks of the other rivals around him with the other dagger.

She snarled in fury, but yet feeling the exhilaration, the thrill of a good fight rising in her as her first sabre cut was parried by the combined action of the two daggers, and her successive attempt to sink towards his chest was pushed outwards and she had to sidestep and then jump, gathering her long legs under hers beautiful body to avoid a vicious slash of his blade.

He cackled a bit at that view, but she snarled, slamming downwards his booted left foot on the stretched out blade, knocking it on the ground as she rose lightning fast hers other leg and struck him directly on the muzzle with a turning kick, landing then gracefully on hers feet, offering him the back... but yet defeating him in terms of speed as she grinned at him over hers shoulder and slashed hers blue blade viciously at neck level, forcing him backwards as the male rose both swords to parry.

The two soon found themselves in the middle of the confused battle, continuously bumped by other moving fighters that they didn't recognized, but that forced two both to major efforts and attention, dueling with the additional worry to not be overbalanced and suddenly fell on the ground. Besides, even in this vicious close fight, in the air still whistled bullets, shot from very close distance or even point-black, but not for this always accurate. Alexis saw a predator draw out his type 91 and blast his rival with two perfect shots... only to be overwhelmed by two more rivals that jumped over him from the heap of ruins, forcing him in a desperate battle hand-to-hand on the floor as other rounds whistled dangerously near.

But she had no time to worry about that, as she found herself forced to deviate with hers sword a sink aimed at her chest, grasping the other wrist of hers rival in the air to stop another attack aimed at hers side.

He growled, trying to hide a wince of pain as she twisted easily his wrist with hers huge, surprising strength, fighting not to leave his dagger as he tried with the other one a new attack, sabre cutting towards hers hip. But she grinned, meeting that too with hers strange sword...

"What's wrong? You weren't wincing a minute ago... can't you face a girl, big boy?" She said sharply and teasingly as she forced his arm backwards with ease, his wrist cracking noisily and the dagger falling on the ground as she slid the Blue Vixen on the rival blade until it finished cornered between two of the spikes of hers blue blade. He watched at this for a moment, then his eyes returned to hers own with an expression of worried surprise... and he growled hungrily in another language something that she not understood entirely in the racket of the battle, but that had surely included something like "I don't understand you, bitch!". She snarled at that, spitting into his eye with fury and forcing on his arm enough to crack some other bone, kicking his leg outwards as the long spikes of steel sunk all the way into the flesh, jutting out on the other side of the offended limb as he screamed in agony, not falling just because she was holding him up.

Farsi. Who the fuck is this guy to talk in Farsi...? She thought for a moment in surprise, before lean dangerously near at his muzzle with hers own, shaking him like a rag doll as she towered over him, glaring furiously into his pained eyes as he winced and moaned in agony at the splitting pain of the spikes that she was twisting into his flesh. Then she growled in perfect Farsi, electing from his eyes a twitch of surprise between tears of pain. "I'm the one who choose who can call me bitch. And you surely don't are the one, you worthless piece of shit!"

She pulled backwards hard with her foot, drawing out the spikes of the boot from his shattered leg, blood dripping from it in a poodle. He winced in agony, looking in hers eye for the first time with fear as she grinned wider and forced hers sword in a turning gesture that begun immediately to tear his last dagger away from his sealed fist despite all his efforts. He backstepped and pulled with all his strength, trying to overbalance her, but she easily reacted with grace, even hitting hard his face with her elbow when he tried to throw himself forwards and shoulder her. Then he roared as he slammed a vicious kick hard upwards, aiming at hers kneecap... and then blinked in disbelief as she jumped gracefully in answer, avoiding his blow and landing with a booted foot on his stretched leg, in the same time slashing hard upwards hers blade with a snarl, the rival dagger coming free of his hold and twisting in midair until she grasped easily the handle with hers free hand.

He winced in agony at the unbelievable pain in his leg as he fell backwards on his back, the female warrior still amazingly maintaining a full balance on his broken leg in all his movements, like if she was glued on it. When he landed heavily on the concrete with a grunt, she burdened with all hers weight on his leg... but that didn't mattered anymore as she easily brought the Blue Vixen in front of his eyes and blew him an ironic kiss before pull one time the trigger, placing a round perfectly between his eyes.

She turned immediately to continue the fight, holding both the stolen dagger and the Blue Vixen, but found with surprise that the enemy was retreating on all the line, looking up at her with terror... and then she heard also the racket of vehicles fleeting rapidly around the shed in the square, and the yells of people outside that babbled in terror about how Killer had repealed the attack at the main forge and they had to retreat fast on their lines to avoid a complete defeat.

"What the hell happens?" She shouted to hers snipers, still operative on the long, metallic balcony that ran all around the shed at the height of the second floor, that were shooting with their rifles from the shattered windows. But then she didn't listened at all to the answers, throwing on the ground the dagger and following the enemy in retreat, shooting over them with a fast-drawn Type 91 and the SMG9 in hers sword, predators and soldiers running at her sides as she climbed with two long paces the heap of ruins and emerged outside in a narrow, crowded alley.

She thrown her last grenades rapidly down into the confused crowd, between the madly fleeting soldiers, blowing down a good number with the combined effect of slivers and white phosphorus on flames, knowing that Killer had managed some show of his own... and she grinned at the thought of what he could have done this time to freak them out so much.

"Don't follow them! They have still helicopters that could erase us all in a second if we run on open space... and this could also be a trap!" She ordered with loud voice as she held up a hand, drawing out hers heavy rifle as she got down to a crouch and directing the fire of hers troops on the enemy in retreat, without further advance in the open, terribly exposed square crowded of wrecks, shattered containers and trucks and tens of fleeting vehicles, from jeeps to tanks. In the buildings on the other side, after all, was placed the enemy line, with different strongpoint, improvises bunkers and machine guns placed everywhere. And she could also outline easily the glints of several optics and binoculars of soldiers obviously not well trained that were watching them in full exposition to the sun... she took down several of them with good shots of hers own, but she knew they couldn't advance. They could be bad trained, but they had al sort of artillery guns and mortars waiting for instructions, and they could surely guide the fire with deadly precision over them in the open, uncovered space.

Soon, anyhow, the enemy in retreat was out of their range, or hidden behind solid shelters or armored vehicles, that formed again an insuperable wall of guns and thick steel all around the fortress of the industrial district. And, indeed, she wasn't amazed when helicopters flew low on the square and dropped tens of what looked like metallic barrels... but she knew well what they really were.

Descended on the ground with a parachute, they landed on four awkward-looking but very solid legs of steel with triangular "feet", as a small turret with laser sensors and day/night cameras jutted immediately out from the top of each barrel, beginning to rapidly rotate, scanning the horizon on 360 degrees, as a seven-barreled minigun slowly buzzed in each, ready to water of bullets every possible target spotted. She snorted as they formed rapidly an additional, first line of automatic defenses... the Autonomous Turret AT4 Sentinel weren't very tough rivals, but they were a very rapid way to constitute a line of defense when needed with a very short notice. And they confirmed that they had been wise in choosing of not to go forwards. The image of a madly charging unit of infantry suddenly surrounded of airborne Sentinels and watered of bullets was terrible. Immediately after, the gloomy sound of artillery fire from outside town covered the noises of the fight still going on in several places of the industrial district, and she knew it was hour to return under a cover. She could maybe overcome the defenses of the enemy, cross the square and attack some position... but neither her, and neither Killer, despite all their bravery and strength, could challenge lightheartedly the artillery, the queen of all battles.

"Enter in the shed and reinforce every position. Prepare position of resistance inside and place machine guns in every vulnerable or strategic point from where is possible give a good cover of fire. I want a report from the vehicles and other soldiers on the front... and say them I'll inspect their positions in a few minutes. Then take care of your weapons and eat something... they'll return. Soon." She ordered decidedly to the soldiers waiting around her, all looking up at her with newly strengthened respect and veneration. She watched them enter into the huge structure and follow immediately her orders with a slight grin of satisfaction.

She entered last, sheathing the Blue Vixen with a smile. It was really hers kind of weapon, something she had long dreamed... and she instinctively caressed the golden bullet at hers neck, thinking of his loved king as she walked towards the corpse of the bulky male she had killed in duel, which was being moved away by two soldiers. They stopped, looking up at her with surprise and curiosity, as she searched the dead for anything that could be of some interest... but finding nothing, and walking away with a snort, holding simply one of the two daggers and the badge she had torn from the beret, mumbling on them as she drained a bit of sweat from hers forehead.

"Damn. It's too hot here... "She grumbled bitterly with a glance at the blast furnaces abandoned that were everywhere into the shed, still boiling hot. She reached a corner, placed down hers sword and the objects she had took from the killed rival and reached up for the fast-overture of hers tactical armor, undoing it and then easily dropping the bullet-proof vest and the shoulder armor on the floor. I know I shouldn't and I know you'd not like this... but I'm not used to this sleeping bag.

She smiled, opening all the way down the fly of hers black jacket of predator. She had nothing more of a bra to cover hers body under that... and she grinned a bit, glad for a time of the slightly annoying company of it on hers sumptuous breasts, for which bras seemed always a bit too tight. She wasn't used to wear any of them, after all, unless when in the palace, where bikini-like suits were hers only type of dressing. She really didn't need them... but she thanked the sky for hers providence. The army isn't the place for stand topless, surrounded of people that should remain concentrated on other matters.

When she turned, she blinked as she found several soldiers and predators staring at her with obvious interest, and she rolled her eyes, even if with a slight grin. She picked up all her things, but when turned and found them still staring, she gave them a glance of command and all of them jumped, returning to their tasks.

She carried out perfectly all hers duty of commander, then joined hers sniper for a bit, shooting into the aiming systems of the Sentinel turrets on the square and on every target of opportunity, just to keep high the pressure on the enemy and reduce his capability of defense... but helped also in the heaviest works of fortification of the structure, amazing everyone with hers strength apart from hers beauty as she effortlessly helped several bulky males to pile up big pieces of concrete to form a shelter for a machine gun aimed on a door. When they finished, the enemy was still calm in his line... and their one was now seeming much more a field fortress than an industrial shed, as they sat down a moment, leaning with their backs on the parapets they had just made, finally taking a breath.

Alexis smiled a bit to herself as how everyone was staring more or less openly to her, males in obvious, uncomfortable desire and the few female soldiers with admiration and not always well-hidden envy... but she was especially glad of see the interest of the males. Several of them were big, bulky boys with good-promising packages, how she liked them... and most of the predators were giants impressive, even if no one of them was anywhere near to Killer. She often smiled teasingly back to them when they stared at her too openly or for too long, and that made them back off immediately, ashamed or embarrassed at the least.

But then, one of the white uniformed predators sat down in the middle, sustained hers glance. "You were really impressive into the fight, majesty." He said gently, as the males sat down nearby watched at him with surprise. She nodded a bit, with a grin. "Thank you, soldier. You had doubts?"

"Well, no. Not in the slightest... we already heard and saw of your enterprises a lot of times..." He answered with soft voice. "And then, if your majesty allows me..." He added with a bit of hesitation until she waved simply with the hand to go ahead, grinning slightly. "... with such a powerful, beautiful body in front of my eyes, I couldn't have doubts."

She leaned back a bit more, tilting back hers head a bit with a teasing, amused grin as she rested casually a hand over hers knee. "Awww, how cute... are you trying with me, soldier?" She asked with seductive but yet dominative voice, being ironic on it. The soldier backed off and gulped silently, likely scared to have surpassed the line as he blushed. "No, no, majesty. It wasn't my intention..."

She rested hers chin into her hand, looking ironically into his eyes from hers own sapphire ones, framed of long bangs of golden hair. "Oh. I thought that for a moment..." She then rapidly rose on hers feet and rapidly crossed the short distance, sitting down at his side as he shifted uncomfortably. "Because, you know... I wouldn't mind to play a row with you." She added seductively, before touch on the shoulder the soldier on hers other side and then pointing to some more. "And with you, you... or you, too." She continued with a grin. "And I'm sure the king wouldn't mind, either..." She added as she tickled teasingly under the shin of the predator as he looked up at her enthralled and scared together. "After all... is not like you can constitute a threat to him." She added sharply, even if still with seductive voice.

"Sure, majesty...? We all together are quite a row... and most of the boys here are really big, too." The predator said with a confident smile as she leaned dangerously near on him, several more soldiers looking now more confident and bold as well. She noticed more, however, the few that only watched, looking amused of what was going on. They were mostly predators... and everyone had signs of a long career in the army and they had well hidden their attentions for her and renounced to any type of approach. She was sure they were all veterans that had shared some time of service with Killer... and that were so well aware of the not common endowment the legend had.

"I like big boys most. Line up, then... you males all say so, but I don't believe if I don't see." She answered teasingly with a grin, making the male jump and blink in surprise. Surprise that only increased as she lightning fast grasped the bulge of his pants, teasing on the fly as she moved her hold along his semi-hard shaft across the fabric as the other males stood up and lined themselves up as if for an inspection, looking more or less unnerved, but also quite enticed.

"You guy are a lucky boy. You are really big..." She said with a grin, hers voice seductive and teasing. He smiled proudly up at her, almost to challenge her... but she suddenly released him and stood up, drawing out hers black officer's stick and looking down at him with a somehow wicked, even if still seductive grin. "How much? Thirty-three, thirty-four inches?"

"Thirty-four." He answered with a proud grin as the males looked at him with clear envy and the few females gave him an interested glance.

"Lucky boy..." She purred. "Killer is just some more than double your size. Usually he's three times as big as other guys." She added idly, well hiding how much she enjoyed drop that statement on him and remember that particular aspect of hers king. The males around turned pale as the females looked up at her dumbfounded and shocked, blinking slowly in awe at the thought.

"What...?" Asked the predator with broken voice, his features contorted into disbelief.

"You heard me, soldier..." She answered idly with a somehow haughty look over hers shoulder as she walked forwards, inspecting the line with a grin as she idly beat with hers stick on the open, black gloved palm of her left hand. "I had the wish to simply order to you bold guys to drop your trousers..." She paused and looked over all of them, her features cold even if amused as they looked at her with obvious worries but their hands reached their waistbands all the same, waiting for an order of their queen and commander as the veterans that had avoided each dangerous behave and risk of competition with the king cackled silently between themselves. "But your faces tell me that there's no need to... and anyway, this isn't a porn movie, but a war. Return to your positions and care of the work first, from now on."

The soldiers disbanded with looks of relief, and she watched them walk away for reach their positions of guard with a grin before clear hers throat noisily to regain their attention. "This doesn't mean I'm not in the mood for a row all the same. When this will be over, I'm sure sometimes we'll have it. So you all will have also the possibility to get to see that I'm not joking about the king." She smiled as she watched over them again, gazing into each pair of eyes with attention. "Most of you are skeptic, I bet... that's normal. It's something... hard to believe, after all."

Nothing important happened in the successive hour... the enemy brought on the line some huge loudspeaker and started to bother them with propaganda and threatening messages, but it was nothing that could have effects, neither on the by now so hardened younger recruits. The long battle in Kesteven had taken away too many lives... but who was still alive was by now a warrior hard as granite, often emotionless, and unfazed by such low tricks. And still more, the snipers, Alexis on head, had begun to shoot with the deadly X12 rifles into the loudspeakers and the people around... propaganda was costing much more to the enemy than to them, all in all.

Alexis walked calmly towards an intimate corner of the shed and sat down, closing her eyes for a moment, relaxing herself a bit before give a last glance to the dagger and the small golden badge she was holding in one hand as the other continued idly to toy with the round of gold on hers necklace. Then she smiled a bit to herself and pushed the small button of call on hers visor.

In front of her left eye, a window appeared, where she could see the face of Killer. "Hi, lover. Kicked some asses?" He smiled back gently, with a fast wink. He laughed softly a bit, smiling to her warmly. "Darling... you know me. I can't say that a day is gone well if I don't beat someone. How are things there?"

"All normal and calm. The enemy is still waiting on his line, and we on ours. We repealed an attack about an hour ago... but they retreated very fast, screaming that you had repealed their assault. What you did, this time?" She asked sweetly, smiling amusedly.

He rubbed a hand behind his head, ruffling a bit his mane as he smiled a bit embarrassedly. "Long story involving me and some Tiran battle tanks. I think you would like it, but this is not the moment, colonel."

She stiffened up a bit, knowing from his tone and from his return to the rank that something important was in the air. "What happened, general?"

"Here we had kamikaze attacks during the last attack... I want you all to be very careful with the enemies, especially with who advance towards you as prisoner. And when they are near, aim to the head." He answered seriously.

"That's not a problem. Bastards use even that hateful tactic, now? I never thought that Riaku could arrive to this point." She observed calmly. He nodded slowly on the other side. "The prisoners we caught say that the kamikazes were people come from other kingdoms... and I tend to believe them, since their version is always the same, without any discrepancy. Unfortunately, they know nothing more. And I can't think to a kingdom so full of hate and folly to send suicidal warriors up here."

Alexis immediately intervened at that. "Maybe I can give you a hint. I kicked the ass of an officer of the Mottram Assaulters, before... but he wasn't of Mottram. We exchanged some... words in Farsi."

Killer laughed a bit at that. "You never cease to surprise me. You know the Farsi, too...?"

"You undervalue me, lover. You think you have the exclusive for knowing most of the more awkward and horrible tongues of this world just because you were specialized in Computers and Communications? I've followed courses on that in the Academy."

"You really know a lot of me, love." He observed with a slight smile. "And think that I hated so much that damned course of computer science. Really too much math for my tastes, there. But I learned languages more on the field than in the academy, anyhow. I served in too much armies and countries to not learn at least something." He answered amusedly, smiling to his beloved queen.

"In any case, I can't say from where he comes. Farsi is damned diffused in all the East and he could be of at least ten different kingdoms, one more bastard than the other. He had a badge on the beret, but I can't recognize it... here, maybe you know it." She said gently as she hold the small, circular piece of golden metal in front of the tactical video camera of the visor as he frowned a bit, analyzing the image on his own.

It was a circular shield on the model of the ancient, Greek Oplòn, cut in half on the horizontal axe. The upper half was yellow, with the silhouette of a golden lighting invading the half below as a small red stripe was on top. The inferior half was red painted, and in close up, over the two parts, were the initials RA.

"RA? What the fuck is this thing...? Surely it doesn't means Royal Artillery... no, I never seen this badge before. I really don't know what we are facing... it likely is a new founded unit." Killer said after a moment, shaking his head slowly. Alexis nodded slowly with a sigh. "I imagine it doesn't helps neither that his sword was this dagger. It's another common thing in the East..."

Killer examined also the blade, but that too lead to nothing. "Really too fucking common to mean something more. These bastards could be from... anywhere in the Eastern sector. But thank you, it's already a piece of news at the least. The situation, anyhow, doesn't changes. We must resist here as long as possible. Siegfried and Alexander are guiding the resistance in the northern sector of the industrial district with the other troops and the last armored units we have... they are trying to maintain open for us the road for the castle. Until they can maintain the hold on that vital street, we can resist here... I've already talked with them. They'll launch the general alarm if they see that they can't resist anymore. In that case, we'll have to retreat very fast and arrear all towards the palace. We'll put up the last resistance up there. I can't say for how much we'll can hold this zone, but surely not for too much time. The road up there is being attacked continuously from both sides by the armored divisions of Riaku... and soon they'll break our lines."

She nodded in understanding waving easily a military salute to him, even if smiling, before soften once more and grin a bit. "I sorta challenged a few good looking big boys here to a row with me when things will end... and I ensured to include some good looking females for you, so that you can show off a bit that big, powerful cock of yours and have some fun. For you is alright, huh?"

He frowned a bit for a moment, but then he laughed softly as he shook his head a bit. "You never change... but yes. You know that I hate being hypocrite. Seen that I have all the pussies I want, take all the males you desire." He grinned amusedly. "In any case, after all, I know you'll crawl again to me for the real fun."

She snorted amusedly at that statement of the huge male, and raised hers head proudly. "That's obvious. I just want some males and females to stare at us fucking and especially at that big, fat cannon of yours. You know how I like that."

"I know..." He laughed back gently, wishing only to have her nearby... and admittedly, he really liked the idea. Alexis was a real queen, capable to dominate easily the roughest row and the toughest males like kittens... and that only increased his fun when his moment come and he could show off his power and have her all over, purring like a kitten herself. Hers expression of adoration and amusement told him that, as always, she had read into his mind when she opened her wonderful lips to talk... but Alexis could suddenly hear from outside the noises of what could only be another attempt of attack... and the racket of a cargo plane that was approaching the square in front of the shed flying very low and she frowned, with an expression of regret. "Sorry, lover... it was coming to interesting things, but I think I have a serious problem, here. I must run."

Also on his side of the communication, however, she could already hear similar noises come... and in fact he nodded rapidly, picking up his massive assault rifle. "Here, too. Good luck, darling. I don't want to miss that row... don't miss it yourself."

Killer smiled as she blew him a fast kiss before the image on the visor faded and he stood rapidly up and ran towards the nearer window. Outside, small teams of enemy Assaulters were trying to cross the square, each team following an up-armored Tiran and advancing bent behind the solid armors of the vehicles, under the fire of the defenders. A line of Crusaders tanks of Kesteven was placed in a semicircle in front of the forge, each vehicle protected by all sorts of junk, sandbags and wrecks that the soldiers had piled up around them for add more protection as predators and soldiers fired from every corner and window where they were hidden...

He knew that the attack of Mottram was going to fail, in that way... but then he understood that something was wrong, that something of the enemy plan of battle was still hidden as a huge, grey cargo plane approached the square as a runway, rear ramp already open... and a huge platform of dark steel begun to exit from the hold of the aircraft as the wind inflated an immense parachute connected to it, in a perfect Flying Extraction. He growled lowly, trying to understand what could be hidden on the huge platform, under the green tarpaulin that twisted in the wind. He snarled, hands tight on the Cobra as he noticed that also the plane had the same, unknown RA badge painted on the fuselage, and that another one was launching another load in front of the shed where Alexis was.

The massive platform of steel landed on the asphalt with a rumble of thunder, skidding along for several meters as sparkles flew from the rough contact and finally the parachute lazily released the air and fell still on the ground. Immediately, blue lights appeared from under the tarpaulin and something inside moved... and a moment after, the fabric tattered in small pieces as an enormous mass of steel slowly rose.

Killer watched in horror and complete surprise as the machine stood in its full glory, seeming to tower over everything with its formidable height of fifty or so feet. It was a humanoid robot of dark-green-painted-steel, again with that unknown badge on, painted on the shoulders. It stood over massive, ugly flat feet of steel and its legs were bulky and powerful, almost as if huge muscles were hidden under the thick plates of armor. The waist was protected by additional, shaped plates of armor that covered the systems of junction and transmission without further restrictions, and the entire protection looked almost like the parts of normal tactical combat vests for soldiers, with a large shield to protect the groin and two on the hips of the machine.

The torso was also massive, and looked like it could eventually turn all the way around, doing a full 360° rotation, and it had two quad-pack missile launchers of very big caliber instead of normal, masculine breasts. Strong, articulated arms completed the section, each clearly capable of carry on every movement possible for a normal living being and maybe more... and the right one especially attracted Killer's attention. While the left one ended in a powerful, mechanical and humanoid hand, the right arm finished with a massive, square looking box of metal that worked as a formidable shield, but that was surmounted by an electronic aiming sight and had two massive, seven-barreled Vulcan guns... only that the caliber of the two weapons, visibly feed by interminable belts of ammo coming down from a container on the back of the machine, had to be at least 105 millimeters. It was so able to reverse a volume of fire and destruction several orders of breadth bigger than entire batteries of medium artillery firing together... that weapon alone carried enough power to reduce a nation to dust.

The two shoulders had two armored mounts from where the arms jutted out, and each recess displayed a massive, slowly rotating seven barreled Gatling machine guns... and for how they continuously moved in search of targets, Killer imagined they had to contain an automatic tracking system derived from the Close-In Weapon Systems, so able to track and destroy every threat that come too near to the machine. On top of the armor of the shoulder there were also two nasty looking turrets with a blinking red laser sensor... and each turret was clearly a multiple grenade launcher with tens of weapons ready to be fired all around.

The blue lights he had seen were video cameras and imaging system for whoever was manoeuvring the massive war machine, and he cursed as he realized that now they were mostly invisible on the machine in full light, and so he was without an easy and potentially deadly target. The only blue light powerful enough to be seen was now coming only from the head, which was evidently a massive, independent targeting and navigation sight, even if shaped to resemble a true head. He could also outline clearly four heavy machine guns on it, two jutting out from each cheek, when the ears were likely domes of antennas for satcomms and radio transmissions and maybe some radar system.

The visor on he eyes of Killer displayed several zoomed images of the various weapons of the machine with several statistics and analysis on the calibre and the probable range and power of fire, but a red, blinking alert displayed what he already knew... "Machine unknown. Nation unknown." He had already seen various prototypes of robotic combat machines, and from years every army of the world had small robots for explosive dispose and clearing, transport or recognition and even for combat tasks... and he remembered well the tracked, armoured robot-wolves that he fought and destroyed together with Alexis, Zerrex and Cherry. But this was different, a combat machine of high technology and with a firepower still higher, something that he had neither never dared to imagine. It was simply huge... and had the fire power to destroy an entire army in a few seconds with little effort.

The metallic monster straightened fully and moved a step forward, with a movement perfect and fluid that proved once more that the machine was fully developed in both mechanical and software sectors, and it raised the massive Vulcan guns towards the line of the defenders as Predators, soldiers and tanks opened fire against it.

But it proved no effect. Rockets and missiles exploded before even hit the machine, making evident that it had at its disposal a full system of active defence based on a powerful electromagnetic field. Those same pulses deviated even the terrible shells APFSDS fired by the tanks... while the bullets of light calibre fired from machine guns, light guns as the ones of the IFVs and personal weapons of the soldiers were simply ignored, slamming in any case uselessly against the thick armour of steel of the drone. Killer knew well systems of defence like that... and he easily understood that computers and imaging systems were hidden along all the surface of the machine and they scanned continuously the space around the robot on 360 degrees, spotting eventual threats and analyzing the entity of it. If the threat was potentially capable to damage the machine, several flat arrays into the armour irradiated immediately a powerful electromagnetic field capable of stop or deviate shells and detonate missiles and rockets at safe distance. All in a fraction of second... maintain the shield all time was impossible due to huge consume of energy. And Killer was especially amazed of what could be used into the machine to feed it and all its systems when nothing was visible. No exhaust pipes, no solar panels, nothing. It seemed lacking of any weak point... and of an energy source and even of any sort of crew. It was amazing... It was terrible.

Killer reached immediately up to the call button on his visor at the sight of the enormous Vulcans beginning to rotate... "Everyone, retreat into the forge! Now!" He released the button, jumping then down from the window and into the square below as he muttered. "Let's just hope that they still have interest in it..."

He landed agilely on the asphalt and sprinted immediately forwards, eyes cold and fixed on the terrible war machine as around him his soldiers rapidly retreated, running towards the door of the shed as the tanks' engines roared while they retreated, launching smoke grenades to hide themselves. The soldiers were for the first time really panicking, despite their training and experience, but still, as in the better tradition of Kesteven, the predators, despite their own terror, looked sure and cold and guided all the others in a fast but ordered retreat, giving example and reprimands both when needed.

The robot fired both Vulcans into the thick curtain of black, artificial fog, drawing a line of destruction as the revolving barrels watered the square with hundreds of artillery's shells in less than two seconds. Several soldiers fell on the ground with the colossal movement of air of the explosions as much more of them, together with different tanks and vehicles were simply obliterated into a Hell of flames by tens of simultaneous explosions. The same Killer was pushed backwards even if he forced his feet down with all his brutal strength, and he snarled in fury and pain for how many lives had been so cruelly destroyed, rising a muscular arm in front of his eyes as the wind ruffled his mane, the hand still grasping tight the Cobra as he rapidly draw out the frightening, bloodstained Wyvern with the other hand.

"Majesty! Away from here, sir, please...! That's a work for the air force, I'll call them...! Only a bomb can stop that thing!" An officer shouted in terror, grasping the shoulder of the king as he sprinted again forwards in the smoke, avoiding the huge craters and the wrecks on flames. Killer didn't stopped his charge, but turned backwards a bit. "Run into that fucked shed, soldier! Fire from there and try to keep them far from the forge... I'll deal whit the huge doll!"

Wyvern didn't saw the reaction of the soldier, but it didn't matter anyway as he suddenly found himself out from the bothering smoke, in full view. Immediately the robot turned slightly towards him, firing a burst with the huge CIWS-Gatling guns of its shoulders.

Killer jumped forwards immediately with a grunt, rolling then awkwardly on an arm with a grunt as explosions upset the place where he was a moment before, throwing him forwards as slivers cut along his arms and bounced against his armour. He recovered the balance immediately, forcing both hands down on the ground as the weapons he held clattered against the asphalt, throwing himself in the air as the bursts of massive bullets followed him stubbornly, opening big craters into the ground as the low, gloomy growl of the Gatlings firing filled his ears.

He flipped perfectly once into the air, landing then in a crouch, just to growl in surprise as his instincts screamed in alert as four missiles leaved the breast of the machine with huge flames and a cloud of smoke, arching immediately their course into the air, turning to hit him as the torso turned on the solid base of the legs and the CIWSs fired again in his direction. He snarled, propelling himself into the air with a formidable jump as the first missile slammed into his old position and exploded, throwing him far away like a rag doll as he winced at the agony of a sliver cutting across his bandages and into the already wounded shoulder. Killer landed heavily on his right shoulder and winced, kicking on the ground and rolling away fast as the three missiles turned once more towards him into the air. As he rolled and then propelled himself in a series of flips on his hands to escape rapidly, other two missiles exploded into the asphalt, throwing into the air huge chunks of road as he, despite all, grinned in exhilaration as the well known hunger of fight overcome all the other instincts into him.

He straightened, landing on his feet from the last flip in midair, the rifle ready with the stock firmly placed against his powerful shoulder, eye on the sight and Wyvern with the flat hold high in front of his form in defence as he fired two grenades with a speed that surprised even the machine before vanish again with a fast, agile move. The first grenade impacted into the last approaching missile, detonating it uselessly into the air, while the second round sailed fast towards the chest of the robot as it fired the last four missiles.

Wyvern grinned as he sprinted fast away, followed still by deadly bursts from the CIWS... and he pressed the button on the Cobra's computer. The grenade immediately exploded in front of the robot, watering of slivers the torso of the machine. They bounced away without damages on the armour, as forecasted by the computers of the machine that hadn't activated the electromagnetic shield for so little threat... but most of the burning pieces of metal hit the four missiles in departure, and they all exploded in a massive ball of fire and deadly, burning and sharp fragments, as Killer had forecasted.

"Killer's mind 1, crazy-ass robot computers 0." Killer mumbled with satisfaction under his breath as the huge explosion rocked the entire robot, likely damaging several sensors as the sheer force of the explosion overbalanced the machine and several of the bigger slivers cut into the armour plates, the CIWSs silent for a moment.

Finally free from that threat, Wyvern turned his charge towards the machine, looking around himself fast... and seeing all the teams of Assaulters approach the zone rapidly, firing madly towards him to keep him far away from the robot as it fell against a ruined shed, knocking down most of what remained of the front wall and the roof of it with an arm, but surprisingly managing to recover its balance.

Killer was forced to jump forwards on his muscular belly and rapidly crawl behind the cover of one of the tens of AT4 Sentinel turrets that had been blinded by his snipers, that had fired excellent shots into the automatic aiming sights, and bullets of all sorts slammed against that shelter of fortune as he took a breath with a wince for the pain at the wounded shoulder. He grinned, however, licking a bit of blood that slowly streaked down his muzzle as he reached up with a hand for the minigun that struck out from the automatic turret and his soldiers and predators fired everything they had from the shed to try to distract and stop the assaulters, ignoring the huge robot that, in any case, seemed invulnerable.

He shouldered fast the Cobra, forced his hand into the turret and grasped the slowly rotating, multi-barrelled gun, tearing it out with a snarl. It come easily free in his hand, together with a hanging, long belt of long rounds and several useless torn cables and circuits still attached, together with the entire little electric engine that activated the weapon. He grinned slightly in surprise and amusement at this, sprinting out from his always targeted shelter just a moment before a projectile from a tank pulverized it.

The huge male, however, was already charging towards the side of the nearer team of advancing assaulters, and he rose the minigun towards the surprised soldiers that faced him, firing it with a furious roar in an endless burst, moving the weapon from side to side, watering the crowded unit of enemies with long, deadly bullets that shattered bodies and bounced off the armour of the Tiran behind until it clicked empty. Soldiers literally torn apart by bullets slowly slumped down to the ground in a lake of blood as wounded screamed and the few survivors tried to take aim at him but didn't managed to when he thrown at them the massive but empty weapon and draw out the Cobra, moving expertly his hand close to the bandolier on his chest, stretching out two fingers and catching a new clip of grenades from it and forcing it into the weapon all in the same liquid move, ending whit the rifle aimed and loaded when he still was some feet away from the enemy.

He straightened forwards the colossal Wyvern like a spear, raising the Cobra in the same time and firing a single grenade, placing it perfectly into the threatening mouth of the long cannon that was turning rapidly towards him. He grinned as the crimson blade cut across a soldier from side to side as easily as a knife into butter, and his sneer widened at the volcano of flames and fragments that exploded out from the tank as what was likely a HE shell ready to be fired was detonated by his own grenade. He quickly slashed the sword towards both sides, the corpse coming free from it in two different pieces as mostly undefined shadows of enemies fell in a concert of screams at his sides as he ran towards the robot, jumping over the Tiran on flame, his eyes glacial and focused in the search for a weak point.

He landed from his long jump and sprinted forwards still faster, now in the open space between the team he had just destroyed and the successive. He kicked away from his course an un-operative turret, then snarled in surprise as the successive framed it for a second, painting a small red dot on his chest... but when the minigun turned and fired, the bullets only brushed his arm as he rolled to the side and fired two grenades with a furious roar, destroying the dangerous, emotionless metallic foe.

The enormous robot stepped forwards, spreading its legs a bit as it again rose the double Vulcan and fired both in his direction. Killer snarled as an hurricane of fire and destruction appeared suddenly all around him as grenades big as his arm hit the ground seeming everywhere, throwing into the air asphalt, slivers, dust and smoke as he just keep running, wincing as the slivers cut swallow cuts on every exposed part of his body and the blasts' force rocked him in every direction, trying to throw him down as he forced his strained muscles to guide him forwards, zigzagging into that hell with the hope of come out from it alive as the metallic foe watered of death the ground and the sheds all around, trying to follow him and hit him.

Killer charged rightly into another team of soldiers, but those didn't cared of him, running away in fear when the robot seemed to not have any interest for allied, keeping firing... but then, as Killer had hoped, it stopped. The warrior jumped down on his muscular abdomen, vanishing under the shelter offered by the Tiran tank that the cyborg didn't dared to hit and took some deep breaths, panting and thinking fast on what he could do, following the tank as it moved fast away. Despite his desperate situation, he was excited and enthralled enough by the challenge to grin at the thought of the terror of the crew on the other side of the thick walls of steel that were his shelter... he was too near to be hit by any of the powerful weapons that the tank carried, and they were trying to drive the vehicle far from him, surely remembering well what he had done in the past with Tirans. He, on the other hand, followed it in a ridiculous, awkward situation.

They fear you. They are grown into your Legend. They revere you... and they are scared stiff. A pleased voice boosted into his mind. True. But the robot didn't. He couldn't help but think back idly as he carefully peered over the profile of the armoured vehicle that he was shadowing from so near. Use that fear to your advantage. Try to push the tank towards the robot... and then kick its metallic ass truly hard.

"Good idea." He muttered with a smile, suddenly grasping the plates of armour of the tank that hung down in protection of the suspensions and he slightly lifted the massive vehicle and turned it towards the robot with a grunt. It stupidly continued to flee in that direction, and Killer followed its mobile shield eagerly, firing with the Cobra towards the soldiers that tried to hit him or at least chase him away on the open field, where he could be hit and stopped. Great. I was thinking to something more... psychological and intelligent, but that was alright.

The robot retreated a step, rising the Vulcan but not firing, apparently took aback by the move... and Killer didn't even dreamed something better, now helped again also by his soldiers as their fire keep far from him the Assaulters and their shouts of encouragement filled his ears. But when he entered some sort of invisible field of alert that the robot had, he snarled in surprise and awareness of danger, rapidly sliding under the tank as a huge wave of grenades exploded out from the two turrets on the shoulder of the robot.

Christ! They are like... hundreds! The tank proved to be a good shelter from the hell that suddenly was going on around him as tens and tens of grenades rained down on the asphalt and exploded in a hurricane of fire that would have rapidly pulverized an army. A formidable way to keep far away every possible enemy... the Tiran itself rocked several times as grenades hit it and destroyed most of the superstructure of the vehicle as Killer could hear the people inside scream in terror... but, fortunately, no grenades managed to pierce across the resistant hull of the Tiran.

At the last, when it was ended, he slid out, jumped quickly on top of the tank, roaring threatening and challengingly as he rose both Wyvern and Cobra, each in a different, wounded and bloodstained hand... and time seemed to slow down as he snarled, kicking violently a foot downwards into an hatch of the Tiran, cracking it open like if it was a paper sheet and turning on himself in midair as he continued to rise with the strength which he had propelled himself with... and he fired a single grenade into the overture with incredible accuracy, killing everyone inside as smoke and fire erupted from it in the explosion and he flipped on himself in the same fleeting moment, slamming a formidable kick with both feet into the chest of the robot.

It rocked backwards and almost overbalanced as the armour dented deeply inwards with an high, metallic whimper as Killer slashed in the same time the Wyvern, drawing a deep cut from shoulder to waist into the steely body, cutting wires and tubes as electric current buzzed inside and oils and unknown liquids exploded from the shattered tubes. Killer, anyhow, winced in agony, gritting his fangs to not scream as an extremely powerful current shocked his powerful body at the impact. The armour of the robot had been put in tension, and several hundreds of thousands of Volts had been thrown into his working muscles. He suddenly lose his strength and almost fainted, an incredible agony filling his body as he fell weakly.

He still managed with a grunt to land on his feet, but then he fell forwards heavily, panting at eyes shut tight as his body slowly recovered. Everyone else would have been more than dead... but he knew he was going anyhow to die if I couldn't flee from there very fast. He forced himself up on his arms and rolled away with a strained wince, just a moment before the huge foot of the robot landed heavily on his old position, sinking some inches into the pavement. The robot turned fast towards him, anyhow, and fired a burst from the double CIWSs that forced him to jump backwards, looking up to find some weak spot... the fact that he couldn't hit the damned thing without almost be reduced to ashes by a so powerful electric shock was a major problem to deal with. Followed by the irritating fact that his attack hadn't caused damages decisive.

The belt of ammo. He watched up to see the immense belt that snaked down from the back of the machine along the right arm until disappear into the monstrous double Vulcan. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as he grinned and licked a bit of blood from his lips at the sight... he could outline part of the shells into the belt, see the bullets. The belt was made of armoured, linked sections that could follow every movement of the arm without restrain it, and protect the ammo. But the stitches weren't completely closed... each, likely to save on weight and give the possibility for a rapid check in case of problems or jamming , had open windows. He knew also that the electromagnetic shield wouldn't activate itself for a bullet or a grenade round of the Cobra... maybe I found the way. I bet the ammo reserve on the back isn't electrified, too.

"Sad see how a legend like yours can end, Wyvern." The voice, playful and ironic arrived from some loudspeakers on the huge robot... and Killer looked up in surprise and rage, snarling. "Riaku! You sick bastard. You need this immense monstrosity to stand in a duel with me...?"

"I'm not there, idiot. I have better things to do than duel with you. This machine is the new god of war... an advanced, operative prototype of what we call Unmanned Combat Walkers. Another, the UCW type Andromeda, is fighting against yours bitch Alexis. This is the Ninja, Wyvern. And from what I see, you are definitely going to die against it."

Unmanned? Amazing... and scary together. It's the essence of cowardly. Alexis, be careful... The hands of Killer made the grip still tighter on the handles of the Cobra as a grin conquered his muzzle. "You undervalue your father, Riaku!"

The bulky white tiger jumped on his feet and charged decidedly towards the immense machine as it begun to fire again with the shoulder-mounted, oversized miniguns, exiting from the range of fire as he rapidly launched a grenade from his rifle into the belt of the Vulcans... and then he fired again, this time placing three grenades in the wound he had opened with the Wyvern as a massive explosion almost throw him on the ground, flames erupting from the hit feeding tape, where hundreds of artillery shells exploded all together.

The right arm of the robot vanished in the massive explosion, together with the CIWS mounted on the related shoulder as a minor but still impressive hell erupted from the shattered chest of the machine. Before the destruction could reach the huge ammo reserve on the back, anyhow, a system of autonomous defence started and dropped the shattered Vulcan and the belt itself, inside of which rounds were still exploding one after the other. Killer grinned all the same as he rapidly charged again towards the leg of the shaking, trembling and damaged machine, gathering his strength and breath for jump over the destroyed tank and grasp the long cannon of the turret.

He roared as his muscles bulged explosively into the effort of pull that huge mass of steel, but soon the turret come free of the body, breaking the tracks of rotation that were also, together with the sheer force of gravity, the only bond to the vehicle itself. He used the turret as a massive club, throwing that with all his strength into some armoured panels of the leg of the monstrous machine.

He let the massive piece of steel go and hit into the leg of the robot, watching as lightnings of electric current exploded one more time from it as the tank's part sunk into the other machine with a deafening scream of metal... and he jumped with a snarl into the big hole in the armour to land directly into the leg of the robot.

He looked around himself, finding with a disappointed grunt that he had no hopes to reach the top of the machine from inside, since it was an autonomous part linked with a steely junction... but he eagerly slashed the Wyvern into the forest of wires and tubes that he found inside, grasping panels and instrumentations and literally uprooting them from the robot as his grin spread wider. "If you can see me, Riaku... I'm the father who confiscates the toy of the disobedient son."

He shattered everything he could before eradicate the hundreds of wires that he could see enter into the armour. He pulled with all his strength, laughing as the long cables snapped out from the plates of steel, piling up around his feet in a confused heap, current fizzling everywhere around him. He then climbed out again and looked up to see the damaged machine look back at him almost in surprise and terror... but it was obviously only an illusory feeling given by the fading blue light into the head of the robot.

"Well, father." Riaku snarled the last word with terrible hate, more than evident even in the genera fury of his words. "Deal with this, now!"

Killer's eye bulged in surprise as the robot kicked hard outwards the leg where he was, trying to throw him away, and he quickly and instinctively grasped the bent, shattered plates of armour with a grunt... fortunately, there was no electro shock this time and he grinned as he tried to climb towards the top.

But the machine reached down with its left hand, the only remained, and pushed roughly him down. He snarled in fury as he landed heavily on his feet, ready to jump up it again... but the hand grasped what looked like a massive tube that jutted out from the "belt" of the robot. No... could that be...?

The robot draw out the tube with a liquid gesture, precisely like a warrior with a sword... it lifted it over its ugly head and Killer could easily see an incredibly powerful magnetic field being created, with the shape of a katana's blade... and he snarled as a wave of incredible heat invested him, stinging his body and eyes as he looked up to see a wave of red, glinting liquid explode upwards from the tube and fill entirely the magnetic field, forming almost a blade of burning crimson light.

"This is why we call it Ninja. It has been the first prototype to receive the sword system operative... and we talk of a blade of plasma, Killer! Nothing can resist to this blade, to the temperature of millions of degrees. No armours, no buildings... not you." Riaku shouted between the noises of static and the fizzling of current from the damaged machine.

That's hot. Killer thought with stupid irony as the robot slashed a first sabre cut downwards towards him. He thrown himself to the side just in time, feeling his body almost on flame all the same as the sword cut easily into the asphalt. He looked disbelieving at the huge canyon the weapon had made... and then he charged towards the machine as it moved rapidly the blade towards him.

He sprinted forwards, rapidly running between the legs of the robot, that was forced to stop its attack for not to cut itself in half... but as Killer jumped over the ruins of a destroyed shed behind the machine, its torso turned fast and the sword cut easily another canyon near him, melting concrete, iron and steel like butter. The machine sink the thermal blade across the pile of ruins which Killer was on top, running to reach the height of the shoulders of the robot... and the latter sabre cut the weapon outwards.

Wyvern snarled as he felt the incredible heat under himself, under several meters of ruins that melted with incredible speed... and he jumped just in time, because the metallic foe slashed now the blade hard upwards as concrete and metal flow slowly under himself in a deadly, burning red sea. Killer landed on top of another shed, rolled on his shoulder as he fell for the momentum of his sudden jump... and another slash of the plasma blade cut the entire building apart, in two pieces which fell separately outwards on the ground.

Killer, however, reached the corner of the falling building nearer to the robot, jumped easily on the parapet and propelled himself in a new jump with all the power of his muscles as he tensed his legs. The robot turned towards him and the CIWS fired a burst that missed his lightning-fast-moving body and shattered the already falling building's wall... and then Killer roared in triumph as the CIWS clicked finally empty and he landed on the chest of the machine, safe and sound, looking challengingly into the blue screen. "Say goodbye to your expensive toy, Riaku. You have been a nasty son in these days."

Wyvern quickly slid around the head as the loudspeakers screamed the furious growl or Riaku... but the huge warrior landed on the ammo reserve on the back and cracked it open with an hard stomp as he cleanly tore apart the head of the robot, cutting it with the Wyvern before from top towards the bottom and then cutting away the wreck from the body. The blade of plasma vanished as the liquid re-entered into the tube, pushed by the vanishing electromagnetic field until it was off and the machine dropped it on the square, bringing up its arm to try to chase the huge white tiger away...

But Wyvern grinned, grasping the huge, mechanic arm and proving once more his strength against it as he pulled hard with a snarl until tore the arm away with a roar of victory. He then fired a full burst into the already damaged chest of the machine with the Cobra... and at the last, he kicked himself into the air, away from the falling machine that still twitched, trying to fight, and he fired a single grenade into the hole of the armour of the main ammo reserve.

An immense explosion tore a huge hole into the back of the robot as it fell definitively face-first into the square, dead... and the powerful warrior grinned in the exhilaration of the victory as he flipped once in the air and landed easily on his feet on the ground, Cobra aimed on the astonished enemies. And again, for the second time in three hours, they fled in front of him.

Alexis, meanwhile, had had hers quota of problems. She had directed the resistance of the troops from the shed against the team of assaulters, hers shooting perfect and deadly as always... and the enemy had stopped his advancing under the mortal fire of the queen of Kendrew and hers team of snipers and Predators.

But also on hers sector, a cargo plane had launched a platform. Alexis eyed it with interest and worries together as she fired an amazing shot that shattered the cockpit of the cargo plane and trespassed both heads of the two men inside. But she had no time to celebrate what was, for what she knew, the first case of plane took down by a sniper as it, lacking of a guide, crashed into the ruins of a tall palace and exploded.

Hers eyes, as the ones of everyone else, had been immediately caught by the imposing, red mass of a humanoid robot perhaps 50 feet high. She couldn't know, but the body design was very similar to the Ninja's one. The torso section was the same, with the two CIWS in the shoulders and the eight missiles ready to launch in the breast. The head was slightly different, but not in the functions on in the type of sensors and electronic equipment. The differences were in the arms and in the rest of the armament. On top of the shoulders there was a turret that she suspected was derived by the AT4 Sentinel, with two well visible sensors of aiming and a window that ran all along the front, outwards side and rear of the shoulder itself, which had inside a slowly rotating Vulcan. The installation, with both shoulder-turrets, was so able to cover all the 360° around the terrible machine. On each arm was also fixed a huge shield that looked really resistant... and that gave her also the feeling that it was some sort of aerial for some likely nasty system. Both arms ended with hands, with no complex mega-weapon like the Ninja... but there were two odd chains of deadly sharpened triangles of some alloy of metals, all linked together to form two mortal whips so long that they piled up on the ground behind the machine. Last, but not least, two odd tubes jutted out from sheaths at the "belt"... and she couldn't know, still, but both were plasma swords.

"What the hell is that fucking thing?" Shouted nervously the sniper in the window near to the Alexis's one. She snorted as she remembered the battle that once she had faced against a similar combat machine... and then she snarled, loading a new round into the chamber with an elegant move of her wrist, fingers squeezing the lever.

"Everything it is, it'll not last really long." She growled darkly, firing a first perfect shot which hit precisely into the eye-shaped visor of the head of the machine, cracking it... but remaining struck into the thickest and more resistant armoured glass she had never seen. She snarled as she fired another round with the speed of a blink, placing it precisely into the stuck bullet... but again the glass resisted, and this time the machine spot the provenience of the shot.

"Take cover!" She shouted as she gathered herself down in a crouch just a moment before a burst of Vulcan whistled into the air rightly where she was a moment before, watering them each near window with a long burst from side to side as bullets pulverized plaster and glasses, cracking the walls and sinking into the thick concrete of the shed as she reached for a rocket launcher that was leaning nearby to her.

"Eat this, freak!" She snarled as she rapidly aimed it out of the window and fired it... but hers grin vanished as the warhead exploded several meters before hit the target and the visor on her eyes highlighted immediately the two shields on the arms of the robot, signalling electro-magnetic pulses from them.

She then stared in horror as the huge machine stepped forwards, the Vulcans targeting the tanks and the defenders in the square in a rain of burning steel that ravaged everything, shattering corpses, destroying vehicles and pulverizing even the asphalt as the Kesteven soldiers ran in terror towards the doors of the shed.

"Aim to the blinking lights! We should at least manage to blind the fucked thing!" She snarled as she destroyed a first camera with a perfect shot of hers own, keeping an eye on the defenders down in the yard, that had changed from nearly-invincible trenched veterans to defeated, wounded and terrorized soldiers as a rain of bullets ravaged every position.

The robot advanced, step by step, its sensors searching every single enemy and its weapons destroying it as its shield of electromagnetic pulses and thick plates of steel protected it even from the mortal shells of tanks and artillery. And then it raised its arms in a violent movement, the long whips turning suddenly of a red so clear to almost flow towards the white of the burning metal as the air all around trembled for the sudden, terrible heat...

And then each whip smashed into a Kesteven's tank, neatly melting the thick armour and cutting both in two parts as ammo and fuel exploded in a Hell of flames from which there wasn't any chance of escape, as the whips sunk even into the ground, leaving long burned furrows as the huge machine rose them for another lash.

"Retreat inside the forge, everyone! Leave the vehicles, if needed! Get the hell away from there!" Alexis shouted into hers microphone as she struck another of the numerous cameras. The soldiers in the square, terrorized by their sudden, complete impotence, didn't needed another suggestion, and they retreated fast into the shed.

As she had hoped, the robot ceased to fire with the Vulcans and advanced to follow them inside. "Get away from this floor, guys. Go down into the shed and arrear to the other workshops. I'll fuck this thing up and then come." She ordered to hers snipers and to the troops in the large room below.

"No way, majesty! That fucking thing is invincible, we can't leave your highness here!" Someone shouted as everyone hesitated.

"Devil may care." She said coldly. "Execute my order, and do it now, everyone." She watched them all with eyes of ice as she dropped hers heavy X12 and draw out hers twin, huge Type 91 magnums. No one had the bravery to challenge that glare and that dangerous femme fatale and they finally begun to clear out from the other doors as the thunders of the steps of the machine come closer and closer and she agilely jumped on the narrow railing of the catwalk, jumping then towards the higher one, flipping elegantly in midair over the parapet and landing on hers feet with a soft bump on the metallic platform.

A moment after, the robot smashed easily into the wall of concrete, destroying it in a rain of huge ruins and fragments that smashed into the floor below and over the catwalks, crushing with their immense weight the big machines inside. She snorted irritably as the catwalk she was over was cut in two by a falling pillar and the metal under hers feet suddenly bent downwards as a chute...

But it didn't mattered, because she jumped immediately high into the air, flipping once in the rain of ruins, hers eyes focused as she kicked hers feet into a falling portion of wall and propelled herself fast and elegantly high up over the height of the machine, as its head turned dumbly towards her and so did the sensors on the shoulders and the Vulcans linked to them.

She flipped immediately again as they begun to fire madly towards her, and she let herself fall rapidly in front of the machine, gathering hers legs to prepare a formidable kick as she fired furiously with a Type 91 into the various sensors she could outline on the head of the machine.

When she was at the height of the "face" of the robot, she had already empty a Type 91, placing big magnum bullets into cameras and into the "crest" on top, which she thought was some sort of antenna for satellite link. She snorted in exhilaration as bullets screamed into the air all around her, trying to follow hers fast, elegant moves as she raised the empty pistol towards the sky and dropped the empty clip, firing in the same time with the other one.

She was so fast that she placed others three magnum bullets into the two already stuck into the armoured glass, which finally shattered as the fragile sensors inside exploded and sizzled. Then, almost in the same moment, she placed a bullet in each sensor on the shoulders, leaving the two Vulcans blind rightly in the moment when they were turning to blast her. Again, in the same liquid movement, she slammed the butt of the empty pistol on a clip tied at her thigh, with such expert precision that the magazine slid inside perfectly, the weapon charged as she easily moved back the castle with the lonely thumb, charging the first bullet in the barrel.

Then she let himself fall backwards, rising both booted feet into the air, kicking then outwards viciously in a perfect scissor, hitting the two slowly rotating but silent Vulcans, reducing them to bent wrecks and emptying the other Type 91 in the same time, firing easily the last bullets from behind hers back into the other two fixed Vulcans-CIWSs into the shoulders of the machine, that were still firing. She placed a bullet into one of the rapidly revolving barrels of each... and they exploded in a cloud of dark smoke as they misfired and then rotated slowly and uselessly until reach a sad, ridiculous stop.

She joined again hers feet in midair and managed to kick one more time, hitting viciously with both feet under the "chin" of the robot, shattering most of the already damaged head as she flipped in the air, blond hairs flowing like an aura around her as she sheathed the empty pistol, reaching up for the Blue Vixen.

Hers hand grasped the handle, which jutted out from over hers shoulder, and she slashed it forwards with a snarl, hers muscles bulging with power. The formidable blade proved its value as it cut into the thick armour of the robot, and she grunted as hers fall was violently stopped, but grinned all the same as gravity joined her huge muscular power, helping her to open a deep, straight wound from top backwards into the torso of the machine, and hers finger pulled the golden trigger.

The submachine gun fired immediately, a furious burst of long, deadly rounds smashing into whatever was inside as current fizzled and circuits exploded in small pieces. The machine reached in front of itself, trying to grasp her into the mortal grip of its immense hands of steel, but she kicked outwards with a roar into the right limb of the robot, keeping it far as she ducked under the other hand and aimed easily with a wicked grin the remained Type 91 to hers favourite target in a male: the crotch.

She fired viciously a full wave of bullets into it, causing all sorts of damages as the powerful magnum piercing-HE shells overcome the armour... But then the machine managed to push roughly her away as a well known voice roared from the loudspeakers.

She grunted as she hit the cracked wall of concrete with hers back, the Type 91 falling down into the darkness as she reached up lighting fast to grasp a jutting bar of steel, snarling irritably as she hanged there.

"You are not going to make it out alive, bitch!" Growled Riaku in complete fury. Yes, Wyvern had managed his way out... but she can't do it. And Killer, remained without hers beloved slut, would have been a much easier target. The Ninja had failed... but there was no way that the Andromeda could fail.

Alexis snarled and spat towards the machine with a grimace of distaste as it reached forwards violently, slamming a fist into the wall that she avoided with another perfect, athletic jump into the air, and landing on a squeaking, damaged catwalk. "Killer has already smashed his own metallic-foe, isn't so...? Poor kid... is this the reason why you are so nervous?" She asked teasingly as she grinned wide, reaching up with a hand to caress easily the bullet at hers neck. "You have no chances to fuck him... and no chances to make it with me, neither."

The robot turned bad-temperedly towards her, whipping the once more incandescent chain, which melted completely the catwalk and cut easily the wall and the ceiling of the shed. But Alexis had already jumped easily hers way to another place, still higher, looking down with a challenging smile as she stood on toe tip on a very narrow beam of the roof. "You aren't big enough to do those things, kid. You aren't big enough to challenge Killer and especially you aren't big enough to share a bed with me." She said ironically, a wicked and amused grin cresting hers muzzle. "What is this huge-ass doll, anyway...? A compensation for what you lack in the crotch area?"

"This, you cock-sucking bitch, it's the state of the art of the Art of War... the definitive weapon that will crush you all!" Riaku snarled as the red machine slashed both whips upwards, cutting easily the beam in fine pieces as even the roof was neatly tear apart in three distinct section, the central one of which collapsed heavily inside, watering of heavy rocks and beams the robot itself.

Alexis, again, was safe, looking amusedly down from another damaged beam which she was primly seat on, with her wonderful legs crossed. "In poor words? Because the machine could always be good, but as pilot you are really scarce. You are damaging more yours toy than to me... and besides, I thought you wanted this forge intact, not pulverized."

Riaku snarled in helpless fury. "I'm not using this thing, slut! This is unmanned, piloted on distance by a specialized soldier. This machine contains only a nuclear-fusion compact reactor and ammo for its powerful weapons!"

"Amazing. But I hope you'll demote the pilot of this thing at the very least." She said with a cruel smile of derision as she slowly and calmly beat hers foot into the air on an invisible rhythm, as if listening to a song. Truly amazing... they realized a fusion reactor. Clean, secure and not radioactive energy. This would be wonderful if they were ready to share and use it for improve the world... but I'm betting they aren't.

The whips of the machine turned to the normal colour as some sort of cooling system turned them off and the robot reached with its hands for the tubes at the belt... and then draws out two twin, long swords of incandescent plasma. She stared at this with a grimace for a fleeting second, then made hers move, jumping forwards as if in a dive, following the whip that was falling downwards to the sides of the metallic foe... she sheathed hers sword in the fast fall as the wind whistled in her ears, and then she landed on the now cold metal of the whip as the robotic war machine slashed the swords and destroyed pretty much everything of what remained of the structure around them.

She grunted as she grasped the top of one of the sections of the metallic whip, now only tepid, knowing that she had very little time. She pulled herself outwards, towards a tall chunk of wall still standing up and pulling with her the deadly whip. She slammed hers booted feet into the wall, demolishing the top section of it, but managing all the same to propel herself in a formidable jump upwards, towards the head of the machine, still holding the whip...

And she grinned in triumph when she saw the metallic weapon turn rapidly incandescent, the sections of it attached to the arm of the robot changing in that luminous red that rapidly ran towards her hands as the heat suddenly rose to amazing levels...

But she was tall enough into the air already, well over the head of the machine, and she thrown the whip down at it with a roar just a moment before all of the sections turned burning hot. She felt the painful heat in the air as she jumped away, thinking with a grimace for a moment of what would have been of her if she didn't leave the grip and then watching with a cruelly satisfied grin as the whip struck into the robot, melting the armour and sinking inside the war machine, cutting it easily in two pieces as all sorts of machinery and systems inside melted and exploded.

Alexis landed elegantly on a bent beam that jutted out from a damaged part of wall before jump down into a pile of ruins and elegantly walk towards the middle of the workshop as the huge robot twitched, shaken by internal explosions even if the whip was suddenly cooled... but too late. Ammo and whatever was inside was by now lost as melted metal flooded inside, spreading destruction in every part of the machine until it fell heavily backwards, a huge explosion roaring from the chest she had shattered.

The robot slammed on the ground, twitching continuously for explosions and fizzling as current escaped from torn cables and she walked slowly towards it. It was a machine very interesting, after all, and had surely a great potential, even if she could already say that Killer wouldn't love a "soldier without emotions and honour". But she knew also that they had to study all what was possible of this new kind of weapons... and so she reached up to push the call button on the visor.

"Here Alexis, soldiers. The robot is knock out... Mind to send here a helicopter for the recover? A rather big one, it's quite a wreck, this one."