The Golden Titan stood at the edge of the battlefield, its massive form towering over the ruins of fallen mechs and debris. The once-pristine white armor was now marred with scorch marks and dents, evidence of the relentless combat it had endured. But Dominic wasn't focused on the damage; his mind was elsewhere.
The implant, still quietly pulsating in the back of his mind, had grown more insistent. The connection to the mech, the core, and now the whispers of something darker within him—it was becoming unbearable. Every movement, every attack, felt like a tug-of-war between his will and the force that seemed to rise from within the machine itself. He clenched his fists, the strain in his body evident as his control wavered.
"Dominic, get it together!" Lox's voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. "We've got more coming in, and we need you back in the fight!"
Dominic's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the approaching enemy—dozens of CMC mechs advancing toward his position. It wasn't just a few stragglers anymore. The full force of their juggernauts and assault mechs were coming for him, and the UOP's forces were spread thin.
He cursed under his breath, focusing on the moment. He couldn't afford to let the implant's influence overtake him. He couldn't afford to lose control.
But as the enemy closed in, the implant flared with intensity. His vision flickered, the world around him seeming to twist as the core's energy surged, pulling him deeper into its grasp. The implant was no longer just an interface—it was something alive, something that wanted to take over.
The Golden Titan's systems hummed ominously, and Dominic felt a surge of cold sweat run down his spine. The internal systems were glitching, the core's energy feeding back into him with brutal force. For a moment, it was as if he was no longer inside the machine at all—he was the machine.
His hands shook as he tried to steady his mind, his thoughts slipping like sand through his fingers. The battle raged around him, but all he could focus on was the war inside himself.
Focus. I have to focus. Not the core. Not the implant. The fight.
With a grunt, he forced his hands to tighten on the controls. The Golden Titan lurched forward, its cannon firing with precision into the approaching lines of enemy mechs. Explosions erupted around him, and the air was thick with smoke and the scent of burning metal. But still, the whispers continued.
"Dominic…" The voice was softer now, like a distant call. "You know what must be done."
It wasn't his voice.
His eyes darted to the mech's data stream, watching the readouts as the core continued to drain power. The mech was taking damage, but it was also feeding something into him—into his mind, his very soul. He felt the urge to destroy, to crush every last enemy mech in his path, to let the chaos consume him.
But he couldn't let that happen. He had to stay in control.
"Dominic!" Lox's voice broke through the static again, louder this time. "We're getting overwhelmed! The CMC's reinforcements are almost here! You need to hold the line!"
Dominic's gaze shifted to the horizon, where the massive shapes of CMC juggernauts were emerging from the smoke. He could see their weapons targeting him, their massive forms moving forward with the sole intent of crushing anything in their path.
He couldn't fight them all. Not like this. Not in his current state.
With one last, deep breath, Dominic pressed a button on the control panel, activating the Golden Titan's self-diagnostic systems. The mech slowed, its systems taking a brief pause to reroute power and repair the most critical malfunctions. The process was agonizingly slow, but Dominic knew it was his only chance to survive this battle.
The CMC mechs charged, their guns blazing, and Dominic's mech was forced into action again. But this time, it was different. The Golden Titan's movements were jerky, almost as if it was operating independently, its actions dictated by something far beyond Dominic's control.
He fought against it.
"Stop! You're not in charge here!" Dominic screamed, slamming his fists into the controls as his eyes burned with rage and desperation.
The Golden Titan moved forward again, its massive fist connecting with one of the enemy juggernauts. The force of the blow was enough to send the enemy mech reeling, but the Titan's movements were too sloppy, too erratic. The core was still feeding energy into him, still distorting his perception, and the implant was pushing him further toward the edge.
He could hear the implant speaking to him again, this time louder than ever.
"We can win. Together. Give in. Let me guide you."
Dominic's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the darkness creeping into his thoughts, threatening to swallow him whole. The mech's sensors flashed warnings, the system's feedback intensifying as the core began to overload.
"NO!" Dominic shouted, slamming the emergency shutoff for the core. He had to fight it. He had to stop the machine from taking over.
The mech froze for a split second, the core's power cutting out. But that brief pause was enough for the CMC juggernaut to retaliate, its massive plasma cannon firing directly at the Golden Titan.
The blast hit, and everything went white.