The plasma fire scorched the air behind Dominic as he slammed his crawler's throttle forward. The wreckage of Tetramirgarannie whizzed past in a blur, the jagged landscape of twisted metal and broken mechs offering little in the way of cover. The two CMC mechs were closing in, their weapons primed for a clean kill. Dominic gritted his teeth, steering the crawler around a jagged metal pillar that had once been part of a massive mech's arm.
The crawler bucked and groaned beneath him, its makeshift frame struggling to keep up with the demanding pace. The rumble of the engine vibrated through his bones, but his eyes were fixed on the rearview sensors. The two mechs were relentless, calculating. They weren't going to let him escape.
"You really want to do this?" Dominic muttered, his hand gripping the steering controls tighter. He was no stranger to getting out of tight situations, but these weren't just any enemies. These were corporate CMC enforcers, trained for one thing: to retrieve what was theirs.
The crawler bounced over a large chunk of wreckage, sending Dominic's heart racing as the mechs fired again. One shot grazed the side of the crawler, sending sparks flying. His hands tightened around the controls. "Damn it."
The device in his pocket pulsed faster.
"Run," the voice whispered again. The urgency was unmistakable.
Dominic's mind raced. He needed to lose them—fast. He could feel the pulse of the heart, like it was communicating with him, guiding him. It wasn't just a whisper in his mind anymore. It was a presence, like a second conscience.
A sudden, dangerous idea flashed across his mind.
The wreckage of a massive, ancient mech appeared on the horizon—its hulking form half-buried beneath twisted scrap and dust. It was the perfect distraction. If he could reach it in time, he could make use of its remains.
He veered the crawler toward the wreckage, the engines screaming as they pushed the vehicle beyond its limits. He had no time to think of consequences. The mechs were almost on top of him.
"Come on…" he muttered, sweat trickling down his face as he pushed the crawler faster. The enemy mechs opened fire again, but Dominic was ready this time. At the last possible second, he juked hard to the left, forcing the mechs to adjust their trajectory. The blast missed, but the shockwave rattled his bones.
He was close now. The wreck of the ancient mech loomed large ahead. Dominic swung the crawler around the pile of debris, his fingers flying over the controls. He didn't care how dangerous it was. He just needed to survive.
With a quick twist of the steering, he slammed the crawler into a narrow crevice between two massive, rusted legs. The mechs followed him, unwilling to lose him now.
Dominic didn't give them a moment to react. He jumped out of the crawler, sprinting for the wreckage. The mechs were too slow to adjust, their heavy frames struggling to navigate the debris. He dove into the shadow of the colossal mech, ducking low as he pressed against the cold metal. The device in his pocket was now thrumming violently, its pulse matching the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
A blast from one of the mechs hit the wreckage behind him, sending debris flying in every direction. Dominic scrambled, ducking behind a massive gear housing, trying to quiet his breathing. He could hear the mechs above him, their servos whirring, trying to pinpoint his location.
"You won't get away." The voice crackled in his ear. It wasn't the CMC mechs—this was something else. The heart. It wasn't just guiding him now. It was becoming something… more.
Dominic's heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his eyes trained on the two CMC mechs above him. They were scanning the area methodically, their weapons charging, ready to fire at the slightest movement. Dominic had to think fast.
He looked around at the wreckage, his mind working quickly. There had to be something he could use—something that could turn the tide.
His eyes locked on a large, intact arm from another mech—a massive war machine that had been long abandoned. The arm was sturdy, and its weapon systems were still intact. It wasn't much, but it was something.
He had no choice.
Dominic dashed from his hiding spot, moving swiftly and silently as he grabbed the mech's arm. It was heavier than he expected, but with a grunt, he maneuvered it into position. The mechs were still scanning the area, unaware of his new weapon.
Dominic braced himself, focusing all his attention on the task. He had one shot at this. The mechs were closing in again, their weapons now trained on the wreckage where he had last been spotted. As one of the mechs raised its arm to fire, Dominic pressed the trigger, launching a barrage of magnetic projectiles from the mechs' old weapon system.
The blast struck the lead CMC mech square in the chest, sending it stumbling backward. Sparks erupted from its armor, and it groaned as its systems sputtered.
The second mech hesitated for a moment, its sensors flicking between its disabled comrade and Dominic. But that was all he needed.
Dominic sprinted toward the wreckage, heading for the only way out. He could hear the mechs struggling to get back into position, but for now, he had bought himself some time. The crawler was still in sight, just a few hundred meters away.
The voice in his mind returned, softer now but still insistent.
"Go. Now."
Dominic didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted toward the crawler, diving inside just as the second CMC mech fired, missing by mere inches. The crawler's engines roared to life as he slammed the throttle forward, tearing through the wreckage.
Behind him, the mechs regrouped, but it was too late. Dominic was already disappearing into the vast wasteland, the pulse of the device in his pocket matching the rhythm of his heart.
As the distance between him and the mechs grew, he allowed himself a single, quiet breath. He had survived. But the heart—whatever it was—was only becoming more dangerous. And the CMC was far from done with him.