The new mecha they had bought was meant for everyday use, and its fighting abilities were nothing compared to a mecha for combat. It only had a couple of quantum cannons and a long sword.
When Kilana and Yuri stepped out of their flying vehicle, Daleks aimed the quantum cannon at the huge insectoid clinging to it.
"No, not my brand-new flying vehicle!" Ender cried out, but his voice was lost in a thunderous explosion.
As the smoke cleared, the giant insectoid was still alive, although it had a burn mark on its body.
"Man, this thing's tough," Daleks said as he wiped sweat off his face. He aimed the cannon at the insectoid again, firing the rest of the quantum rounds.
The blasts made Yuri's ears ring, and she snapped back to reality with one hand covering her ears. Opening her eyes, she saw a gooey tentacle coming at her.
She reached out and knocked it away.
"Is it dead?" Ender asked.
"I'm not sure—" Daleks hesitated. He carefully moved closer to the mutilated insectoid in the mecha, breathing a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, the insectoid shed its outer layer, broke free, and tangled the mecha in an instant.
The nearly 30-foot-tall mecha was wrapped tightly by the insectoid's body and tentacles, unable to move at all.
"Daleks, are you alright?" Ender yelled with worry.
"No, I can barely breathe. It feels like my whole body's going to break apart," Daleks' voice grew faint.
"Disconnect the neural interface now. We're coming to help you," Kilana shouted.
One of the downsides of the neural interface was that the mecha's pain could be felt by the pilot.
The mecha had cost them all their savings, and Ender, Daleks, and Kilana still didn't have their own mechas. Seeing their new mecha being destroyed by the insectoid made them furious.
Ender and Kilana grabbed pieces of the wrecked flying vehicle and jumped onto the insectoid.
They frantically struck the insectoid's body, but it was incredibly tough. Smashed hits bounced back within seconds.
"It's not sharp enough to cut through," Ender panted, sweating.
Hearing this, Yuri activated Enova, which surrounded the metal pieces in Ender and Kilana's hands, transforming one side to be sharp and pointy.
With a gross sound, the metal cut through the insectoid's skin, spilling dark green liquid. The next moment, though, dozens or even hundreds of tentacles attacked Ender and Kilana.
Yuri lay on the ground, her head spinning and her body aching. With her left hand on the ground, she tried to get up but fell back down. After a short pause, she tried again, gritting her teeth.
Finally, she managed to sit up, only to see Ender and Kilana trapped by the insectoid's tentacles, their fate uncertain.
"Heh—" Yuri smiled bitterly. Just a few days after being reborn, she was already in such a desperate situation.
Her eyes fixed on the giant insectoid, and the energy from her crystal core surged wildly, piercing the insectoid's body and entering the mecha.
The next moment, the giant insectoid wrapped around the mecha let out a terrible scream. It flung Ender and Kilana with its tentacles and tried to pry its huge body off the flying vehicle.
The newly purchased mecha was now unrecognizable. Its arms and legs, as well as parts of its body, had changed into metallic sheets as thin as butterfly wings. They had just stabbed into the giant insect-like creature's body and continuously cut it into small pieces, and the mecha was now beyond repair.
After making sure the enormous insectoid was dead, Yuri fainted.
A few hours later, in the hospital room, the police were taking statements.
"You have no idea where those metal sheets came from?" The officer asked, puzzled. The nearly transparent metal sheets at the scene confused him, especially since the three teenagers couldn't explain where they came from.
"I'm certain those metal sheets didn't show up before I passed out," Ender said confidently.
"I'm sure too," Kilana agreed.
"I swear," Daleks added, raising his hand.
The officer examined them closely, searching for any signs of dishonesty, but found none.
"Those metal sheets came from the mecha; they were even still attached to it," the officer said.
"You should ask the mecha's maker," Ender was curious about the cause as well.
"Alright. We'll pause here for now," the officer stood up and said, "I'll return when your other friend wakes up."
All four of them were taken to the hospital and put in the same room. Ender, Daleks, and Kilana woke up that day, but Yuri remained unconscious.
"Omegas are just so weak," Daleks glanced at Yuri's bed, his expression filled with the superiority and pride of an Alpha.
Ender frowned, disapprovingly looking at Daleks. "She's Tuz's fiancée. I hope you can show her some respect."
Daleks brushed it off. "Tuz wouldn't be interested in her. Marrying her is just a temporary fix."
"Did Tuz tell you that?" Ender's frown deepened.
"Isn't it clear? Tuz is too proud to truly accept an Omega as his partner," Daleks thought he knew Tuz well.
Ender relaxed his brow. "That's your opinion; you don't speak for Tuz. Tuz and Yuri have similar experiences, and they might find comfort in being together, supporting each other for life. Moreover, Tuz needs someone to care for him, and his wife would be the best person. If you treat Yuri well, she can treat Tuz well too. At least, she won't take out any anger she got from you on Tuz."
Daleks was speechless, eventually mumbling, "I get it."
The sound of a wheelchair approached, and Zeek pushed Tuss into view outside the hospital room.
"Tuz, how did you get here?" Daleks looked surprised.
"I came for a check-up. I heard you guys ran into some insectoids?" Tuss entered the room, checking on Ender and the others before his eyes settled on Yuri's pale face.
"Yeah, it was a massive one. We almost lost our lives," Daleks still felt lingering fear.
"It also destroyed the mecha we bought for you," Ender sighed, clutching his chest. "And my flying vehicle is gone too."
Tuss kept a composed face. "The main thing is that everyone's safe. I couldn't use the mecha anyway. It's just a bummer about your flying vehicle. Why hasn't she woken up yet?"
"She's seriously hurt and really weak," Ender answered.
Tuss looked concerned but stayed quiet.
Yuri was out cold for two whole days and nights. When she finally came to, she was alone in the hospital room. After a bunch of tests and a half-hour chat with the police, she had no clue what Ender and the others had told them, because all she could say was, "I don't know, I was knocked out."
When the police realized they couldn't get any more infomation from her, they let her be.
"Miss Cheng, you can go ahead with checking out," the nurse told Yuri.
Yuri nodded but saw that the nurse seemed like she had more to say. "Is there something else?" Yuri inquired.
"Your arm is healing up nicely, and you could get an artificial arm. Have you thought about that?" Since artificial arms were pricey and Yuri's family had never shown around when she was here, the nurse hesitated to mention it.
"No, but thanks," Yuri responded firmly.
The nurse's expression read 'I figured,' and she reassured Yuri, "You can always get one later when you're ready."
Once the nurse left, Yuri peeked at her bank account balance and got a bit nervous, wondering if she had enough money for her medical bills. "What if I can't pay the bills? Will they keep me here in detention?"
While Yuri was worried, she opened her medical bill and found a surprise payment from two days prior. It was more than enough to cover her current costs, even leaving some extra. She wouldn't need to stress about her next hospital visit's expense.
Yuri looked at the sender's name and was shocked to see a familiar name on the screen – Tuss.