[dcs_p]But he was also full aware of what might be coming back at him. The Nexus was
a new design after all. It was probably sporting a similar configuration as
teammate Melissa Fox had on hers. Her Mech was likely to be from the same
factory as the machine before him.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]In no time, the enemy confirmed Marc’s suspicions. An array of pulse lasers
jumped out at him, lighting the night air as they melted armor from the Spider.
Most hits scored along the chest, but one crossed over his cockpit’s ferroglass
for a brief moment.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Rotten luck. It would all be over if he took that kind of damage again.
Marc took the Spider into a run. The Mechs legs pumped faster and faster as he
approached the edge of the shed. He was almost out of room. It was hard to
get much speed in such a short distance.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The Mech’s footsteps echoed across the ferrocrete floor, audible through his
external mic pickup. Marc flipped them off. In seconds, he might be able to
collide with the Nexus.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He fired the jump jets again and the Spider began its ascent. It smashed into the
25-ton Nexus. The enemy hadn’t moved.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]But the Nexus had fired its lasers once more. Bright light filled Marc’s cockpit
again. This time it forced its way in completely.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Andrew watched as the Spider collided with the Nexus only a second after it
jumped out from the shed. The Nexus was firing back even as it was hit, but
Andrew could not see any of the damage from his location. He watched in a grip
of fear as the Nexus and Spider collapsed together in a heap of twisted metal
limbs. The Spider rolled off of the smaller Mech as if it were a limp body. The
Nexus didn’t move at all.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]A bolt of man-made lightning jumped out to kiss Devon’s Direwolf Mech. The
sting hit his machine in the chest, just below and to the right of his cockpit. As the
impact pushed his Mech slightly backwards, a shuddering crackle of explosions
rippled across the 100-ton machine’s back. Somehow he’d gotten himself
surrounded.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Not so hard to believe. They are all over this base.
Devon could now see both attackers on his viewscreen. One had been lurking in
the depths of the drainage system to the southwest, near the Dropship port. The
Mech must have had some ranged weapons to hit him from so far back. He was
guessing it was retrofitted with more of new RAC autocannons that were all too
popular amongst the Denouncement and other Blakists.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The particle projection cannon, or PPC that had pushed him backwards just a
second ago came from the east. His HUD had already identified that Mech as a
Lightray. With his current weapons loadout, a Direwolf A setup, Devon knew the
Gauss rifle would provide a nice reply to the Lightray’s long range invitation. He
spared no time, triggering the weapon and watching the shell smear its way out
of the left arm’s barrel.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The Lightray’s damage registered on the Direwolf’s HUD. The shot had
simultaneously ripped off its right arm and knocked it to the ground. Murderous
coward. Devon was growing tired of his enemy’s dishonorable tactics.[/dcs_p]