Chapter 9: Unseen Forces
The air was thick with smoke and dust as Carter's team moved through the wreckage of the industrial zone. The behemoth leader had been taken down, but the victory was short-lived. They had barely caught their breath before the next wave of enemies arrived.
"Stay sharp," Carter ordered, his voice low but urgent. "The behemoths won't stop until they've wiped us out."
Sierra, standing a few paces behind him, nodded grimly. She was still shaken from the battle with the leader, but she hid it well. Her eyes were locked forward, scanning the horizon, ready for the next attack. Carter noticed the slight tremble in her hands as she gripped the controls of her mech. She was pushing herself hard, and he knew it was only a matter of time before fatigue began to take its toll.
"Scanners are picking up more movement," the comms officer reported. "It's not just the behemoths. Something else is out there. We can't get a clear read on it."
Carter's eyes narrowed. "Something else?"
"Could be a trap," Sierra muttered, her voice tight. "They've done this before—lured us in with smaller attacks and then hit us with something bigger."
"Whatever it is," Carter said, glancing at her, "we have to be ready. Stick to the plan and stay in formation."
The team advanced cautiously, the sounds of their boots crunching against the rubble echoing through the silent city. The distant rumble of behemoths was a constant, but there was something else now—an eerie, almost unnatural quiet that hung over the battlefield. It was as though the world had been holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
Sierra's mech moved beside Carter's, and for a moment, they walked in sync. Carter could feel the tension between them, a tension that had been growing since their earlier conversation. She had given him her promise, but something in her eyes told him that she wasn't sure she could keep it. And he wasn't sure how he would manage without her.
"Any updates on that unknown signal?" Carter asked the comms officer again, his voice tight with impatience.
"It's still unclear, sir," came the response. "It's... It's coming from below the surface."
Carter stopped dead in his tracks. Below the surface?
"Digging underground?" Sierra's voice was a mixture of disbelief and concern. "That's something new."
The comms officer confirmed. "Yes, sir. It's too deep for our scans to penetrate, but it's definitely moving closer."
"We need to move," Carter said, his mind racing. "Get to higher ground and prepare for a possible ambush. Stay alert, everyone."
The team quickly shifted positions, climbing to a nearby elevated platform, which offered a clearer view of the surrounding area. From here, they could see the open streets, the remains of collapsed buildings, and the dark shadows stretching across the landscape. But they could also see the ground begin to crack in a few places, as if something enormous was shifting beneath their feet.
Sierra's mech stood beside Carter's, the two of them keeping a close watch on the area. The ground trembled beneath them, and Carter could feel the vibrations in his bones. Something was coming.
Without warning, the earth exploded in a shower of debris. A massive creature emerged from the ground, its colossal form rising like a mountain, its hide dark and leathery, covered in spikes and armor-like plates. It was unlike any behemoth they had encountered before. This one was something new—something evolved.
The creature let out a deafening roar, shaking the ground with its sheer force. Carter's heart pounded in his chest as he quickly analyzed the situation.
"Everyone, fall back!" Carter barked, the command coming before he even realized he had spoken it. "Get to cover and spread out!"
Sierra's voice crackled through the comms, urgent and sharp. "We can't just run! We need to fight!"
"I know," Carter said, gritting his teeth. "But we need to figure out how to deal with this thing first."
The creature surged forward, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it charged at them. It moved faster than its size should have allowed, its movements erratic and unpredictable. The team scattered, trying to find higher ground, but the creature's reach was nearly impossible to escape. It swung its spiked tail, knocking several of their mechs off course.
"Sierra, watch out!" Carter shouted as he saw her mech narrowly avoid the creature's tail.
"I've got it!" Sierra yelled back, her voice filled with determination. "I'm going in."
Before Carter could stop her, Sierra's mech charged forward, aiming straight for the creature's exposed underbelly. She fired her weapons, trying to penetrate the creature's thick armor, but the creature reacted with surprising speed, twisting its body and slamming its massive tail into her mech.
The impact sent Sierra's mech sprawling to the ground, sparks flying from the damaged systems. Carter's heart leaped into his throat as he watched her mech skid across the rubble.
"Sierra!" he shouted, fear and anger flooding his chest.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice shaky but defiant. "Just... give me a second."
Carter gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around the controls of his own mech. He couldn't lose her. Not like this.
"We need to work together on this," he said through clenched teeth. "Focus fire on its weak points. Hit it with everything we've got!"
The team responded immediately, their mechs moving into position. They began coordinating their attacks, trying to break through the creature's armor. But it was like trying to bring down a mountain.
Carter glanced at Sierra's damaged mech, still struggling to regain its balance. She wasn't giving up, and neither would he. Together, they had faced countless enemies, but this—this was different. This creature wasn't just a monster; it was a force of nature.
"Sierra!" Carter called again, his voice urgent. "Get clear! I'm going in!"
She didn't hesitate this time. As Carter's mech surged forward, he felt a rush of adrenaline flood his veins. They had one shot at this. One chance to stop the creature before it overwhelmed them all.
He fired a concentrated barrage of missiles, aimed directly at the creature's underbelly, targeting the exposed joints in its armor. The creature roared in pain, but it didn't go down. Instead, it charged at him, its enormous body moving with terrifying speed.
"Sierra!" Carter shouted again, his eyes locking onto the massive beast as it bore down on him.
But just as the creature was about to crush him, Sierra's mech leaped forward from behind, firing a direct hit at the creature's weak point. The explosion rocked the battlefield, sending the creature stumbling backward.
It was enough. The beast let out a final, desperate cry before collapsing to the ground, dead.
Carter's breath came in ragged gasps as he surveyed the battlefield. The team had won. But it had come at a cost.
Sierra's mech had been damaged, but she was alive. For now.
As the team regrouped, Carter's gaze met hers. There was no need for words. They both knew how close they had come to losing everything.
But for now, they had survived.