WARNING: Recommended for mature audiences, contains strong violence, swearing and disturbing scenes.
Lando's ears rang as the red alarm blared. A missile had struck his Nephalem, but he wasn't panicking yet. He quickly glanced at the controls and pressed a yellow button, which malfunctioned.
He then turned his attention to Hana, his partner. "Fire at those bastards!" he barked, manipulating the blue joystick. The Nephalem roared to life.
The massive robot was controlled by two individuals, given its size. It had yellow horns and a blue exterior that almost entirely covered its frame.
It advanced towards a military truck, equipped with a missile launcher.
"Got it!" Hana shouted, her short brown hair whipping around her face.
She focused on the controls and then the screen, which displayed the devastated city.
Lando took a deep breath and pushed another button, launching the Nephalem into the air.
He gripped the joystick tightly and spun the robot around. Hana smirked and pressed a red button.
A colossal blaster emerged from the right arm. She aimed at the truck and fired, causing it to explode and flip over.
Lando landed the Nephalem and surveyed the enemy before them. They were lined up, armed with assault rifles, aiming at the robot.
"The Vultures never give up, do they?" Hana observed, to which Lando nodded. He charged forward, and the Nephalem jumped into the air once more.
Lando hit the yellow button again, and the left hand's claws sprang out. "Finally!" he chortled, landing in front of the enemy.
He swung the claws, and blood and body parts sprayed across the dirt. "Fuck! Run!" one soldier yelled, backing up and firing his rifle.
He gasped as Hana aimed the blaster at him and fired, resulting in his explosion and splattering blood on his comrades. Most of them ran for their lives, screaming, "Run for your lives!"
"That's the target!" Lando growled, swinging again and slicing several soldiers in half.
The sound of flesh echoed around their allies. Hana aimed her blaster once more and blew up another group of enemies.
Lando charged towards the man in blue and used the claws to pick him up.
The other soldiers aimed their weapons and fired, but their bullets bounced off the Nephalem.
The missiles, however, penetrated the armor, triggering the alarm.
"Auto repair complete," a robotic voice announced through the speakers. "Thanks, Azia," Lando replied, speaking to the robot.
"I thought Azia was upset with us for calling her just a piece of technology," Hana remarked, to which Lando nodded.
"Yeah, she's probably still angry." He chuckled, and the robot jumped onto a building. They began scaling the destroyed buildings while holding the man captive.
"So, he was the one we were supposed to capture?" Hana asked, still unsure.
"Yeah, that's what Aqua ordered us to do. You can't refuse the boss," Lando responded, and Hana nodded. "Right," she said, looking at the buildings.
Some were on fire, while others were buried in sand. Lando sighed. "When will this war end?" Hana gazed at the man they were carrying and displayed his image on her screen.
Lando shrugged. "I don't know." Hana examined him closely. "Looks like we have the target."
Lando nodded. "Send a message to Aqua. She'll know what to do with him." The Nephalem landed on a sandy terrain, and Lando studied the older buildings, some barely visible above the sand.
This was part of the early war. He took one last glance, watching the pinkish hue
Lando and Hana made their way back to their homeland, admiring the breathtaking metal structure that stretched for miles.
The magnificent structure glowed with stunning blue blasters and guard towers.
As they reached the gates, a bright white shine flashed, and they were greeted by Aqua, a girl with short purple hair and blue eyes with stars in the center of her eyes.
Our homeland was known as Titan City, the main district of Nephalems. Then there is Thunder Ridge, which is 50 miles away, the second nearest mainland.
"Hey there, Aqua." Lando's robotic voice boomed through the speaker.
Aqua, wearing a white uniform with blue ridges and a bandage with a Nephalem on it, smiled and welcomed them back, glad they made it safely.
She then turned her attention to the captive and cuffed him, warning him of the consequences if he tried to resist. Two guards in white armor then escorted him inside.
"Go shut down the Nephalem, we are having a feast tonight." Aqua announced.
"I was never one for celebrations, but for them, I will do it." Lando responded, and Azia teased him, knowing he secretly loved celebrations.
Hana rolled her eyes, and Aqua closed the gates as they entered.
Lando pressed the blue button, and the Nephalem powered off.
He exited through the back, and Hana followed, greeted by their waiting comrades.
"We have been waiting for 3 days, where's Johnson and Milly?" Zynkara asked.
Lando's expression darkened as he informed them of the loss of their two comrades in battle, Lando and the other there were ambushed by the enemy.
Johnson was instantly lit up with bullets and Milly tried getting into her Nephalem, but rockets sent the Nephalem into flames.
Zynkara, a seasoned captain with years of experience, used to lead their team until Lando was promoted. Their sector, B-18, was known for their powerful mechs and talented warriors, but the loss left them with only four Nephalems.
Zynkara's red hair was tied in a bun, and he had emotionless brown eyes, while Mara, a quiet girl with white hair and green eyes, listened silently.
"Let's celebrate our win together." Zynkara suggested, showing off his golden tooth. Lando smiled, relieved to be back with his team.
As Lando and Hana entered the big cafeteria filled with Nephalem controllers, they were met with loud cheers.
"THE LEGEND IS BACK!" one of them shouted, raising a bottle of beer. "LET'S CELEBRATE THIS MEMORABLE VICTORY TONIGHT!"
Lando watched as the group got rowdier and more intoxicated by the minute.
A burly guy, Zander, had to take away the beer from a yellow-spiky-haired Bale who was already very drunk. "You've had enough already, Bale," Zander said. "Give it a rest."
Bale whined and tried to get his beer back. Lando shook his head, and Hana sat down beside him, as Zander and Bale sat on the opposite side.
Zander jokingly scolded Bale for being an alcoholic and drinking too much. Mara sat down quietly.
Bale, still flushed, asked about Johnson and Milly. Lando shook his head and told him that they died on the first day of the mission. Zander and Bale's faces saddened, and the celebratory mood faded away.
Lando sighed, "Let's eat though," trying to change the topic, and everyone started to cheer up again, albeit a bit more subdued than before.
As they started to eat, Lando whispered to himself, "Celebrations are nice… sometimes."