Max and Ash darted through the ruined battlefield, ducking low under fallen steel beams and leaping over scorched wreckage. The ground shook beneath their feet. Gunfire echoed, closer with each step.
Then it hit—a flash of light behind them.
Lasers screamed past, slicing through the air. The blasts chewed into the dirt and rubble around their heels. Each impact threw up clouds of dust and burning metal.
Max raised his hand. A blue shield burst to life, thin and flickering but strong enough to block the hits. Sparks scattered as the lasers slammed into it.
Ash gripped his blade tighter, jaw set.
"I'll cut them down."
He stepped forward, ready to strike.
Max grabbed his arm.
"No. There's too many."
His eyes locked onto the enemy closing in—fast-moving soldiers, armor gleaming, steps sharp and timed.
"Elites."
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"So what? You think I can't take them?"
Max slipped a device into his palm.
"You can fight. But this mission isn't about fighting. You are the fastest. get to the target. I'll hold them here."
Ash looked down at the device. His grip tightened.
'He still think am weak. I can handle all of them… just give me a chance.'
The thought burned in his chest, but after a short pause, he let out a breath and turned.
"Don't die,"
he said without looking back, then vanished into the smoke.
Max faced the incoming troopers, his expression calm. A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"Well… I guess it's about time I showed off a little."
He rolled his shoulders. Sparks danced over his fingers as he tapped a switch on his wrist.
Metal shifted.
Click. Click.
Mechanical arms snapped out from his back, each one lined with glowing circuits.
One trooper slowed.
"Tch… Combat enhancements?"
Another raised his rifle.
"Doesn't matter. He's just a support guy. Overwhelm him!"
They fired. A wave of red lasers screamed toward him. The explosions lit the field, smoke swallowing the space where Max stood.
Everything went still.
Then—
BZZZT!
A single beam tore through the smoke. It shot in a perfect line, slicing through the soldiers, then erupted far behind them.
The dust faded.
Max stood alone in the blast zone. His exo-suit gleamed under the flickering light. The shield at his side pulsed, still active, heat rolling off its surface. The arms on his back twitched like they were alive, following every movement around them.
A soldier stepped back, eyes wide.
"What… what the hell is this guy?"
Max grinned.
"You thought I was the weakest? Might wanna rethink that."
The arms shifted again. His hand snapped forward.
BOOM!
An energy blast fired from his palm. It ripped through the field, burning a path into the ground. Bodies flew, smoke trailing behind the impact. A black trench stretched out before him.
But the fight wasn't done.
New shapes moved through the haze. Their steps were sharp, tight. A tall figure in reinforced armor pointed forward and shouted,
"Surround him! Focus fire on one point—overload the shield!"
The next wave came fast. All shots aimed for a single spot. The shield shuddered, its edges cracking with thin lines of light.
Max clicked his tongue.
"Smart. But not smart enough."
The mechanical arms turned down. Two of them flared, releasing bursts of energy into the ground.
BOOOOM!
Dust and broken concrete shot up like a wall.
Smoke filled the air.
The soldiers paused.
That was all he needed.
From Max's suit, small drones burst out, slipping through smoke and fire like insects in the dark. In seconds, identical figures darted through the haze, each one moving like the real thing.
"Multiple contacts!" A trooper's voice cracked.
"Which one is real?!"
Panic followed. Lasers tore through the battlefield, carving through smoke, illusions vanishing in flashes of light.
Max's voice drifted from somewhere unseen.
"For an elite force, you guys sure fall for simple tricks."
Then—
BOOM!
An energy grenade landed in the middle of their group. Light flared. Soldiers flew backward, armor scraped and limbs tangled.
The officer snapped.
"Tch… Don't fall for it! Switch to thermal vision!"
Max's smile deepened.
"Yeah, about that..."
A wave pulsed out from his suit. In a blink, visors lit up—then burned out. White light filled their lenses. Thermal sensors gone.
Shouts filled the air. Boots scraped as they staggered. Rifles swung in every direction, but none pointed the right way.
Max launched upward, his arms gripping twisted steel as he pulled himself to the wreckage above. He crouched in the shadows, flames dancing beneath his silhouette.
"Find him! Now!"
A scanner rose.
"I—I don't see—"
A sharp shot cracked through the air. The device shattered in the trooper's hand.
Max's voice echoed above them.
"Tracking me? Nice try."
Bright lines cut down from the sky—lasers, each one aimed with care. Weapons sparked and fell. Armor sizzled. The troopers dove for cover, but their pattern fell apart.
He kept moving. One strike at a time. They couldn't regroup fast enough.
Smoke closed in again.
The officer stood stiff, hands clenched.
"This guy… He's not just some engineer, is he?"
————
Ash ran, weaving past metal and dust. His blade swung low at his side. The device in his hand blinked, steady and cold.
His eyes locked on the display. Thin red lines shifted with every step. One dot stayed still, glowing brighter the closer he got.
"Tch..."
He squeezed the hilt of his blade.
'How far is this thing?'
Behind him, fire roared. The sky flashed with bursts of red and blue. Max was still in the fight. But the sound felt distant now. Faint. Like thunder on the edge of a storm.
Ash didn't slow. His feet struck hard ground, boots sliding across scorched steel. Every corner, every shadow, he moved through without pause.
Then—something changed.
The screen twitched. The map glitched.
He hit the side with his palm. A warning appeared:
[WARNING: UNKNOWN ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED NEAR TARGET LOCATION]
Ash stared. His jaw set. Fingers curled tighter around the device.
'Unknown energy...?'
He looked ahead. Smoke twisted across the horizon.
'i don't know what am getting, but i must retrieve it and get back to them' he thought