The Overarmed Behemoth
The enemy unit scouting the Ground Zero Reinforcement Lab clutched a large-caliber machine gun on its bizarre arm-like structures that resembled... well, arms. If that had been the end of it, we might've counted ourselves lucky. But its back extended out long, forming a backpack-like shape, and the real stars were the armaments dangling from it. They took up about twice the volume of the main body silhouette. From a rough scan: bazooka, sniper cannon, scattergun, flamethrower, half-moon omnidirectional grenade launcher... They were linked by cartwheel-like rails, ready for instant swaps with the primary weapon. Most striking of all, though—just one. The massive cannon mounted dead center on the rear. What the hell is that thing? I stared blankly at its overwhelming presence.
Of course, nothing like that had ever shown up in the game. An awkward silence settled over the comm channel.
I checked durability. Me at 60%, Renaissance at 40%.
Unavoidable chaos in the melee had worn us down. We got chipped this much just handling three minion-looking scrubs.... Could we even take that thing? I compulsively tapped the accelerator pedal. Then, out of nowhere, Renaissance piped up.
Renaissance sounded like he'd pieced something together.
A weapon cooked up by a corporation? Then like the Watchdogs, maybe a next-gen secret project they'd been hiding?
That was all we could glean. Either way, Renaissance held position—no retreat. Soon, the enemy fired up massive flames from its back and lurched into motion. Spotting the gatling cannon turret spinning up, I ducked behind a building.
Kr-r-rumble!! The ground shook like an earthquake as the whole area started shredding apart.
The building I'd been using for cover all this time might as well have been tissue. Shells—no, actual artillery rounds—started slamming in nonstop, ripping it apart like paper. Crunch! One punched clean through the structure, cratering the ground on impact. Big enough to call it a proper crater. Chest tightening with dread, I pushed the Nexus for all it was worth.
What kind of pervert designed that monster?
No thought of pulling back, though. Perverted taste or not, I had to admire the armament's aesthetic. Who knew I liked weapons bigger than the chassis itself? First time facing this thing—how could it not be fun? Pulsing through cover, I tracked its movements and kept mobile.
Clank! Rails shifted, swapping the gatling for the rear-mounted bazooka. I fell back, bracing for blast.
Boom!! Searing heat and a massive explosion oxidized the building. Shrapnel scored my chassis. Kabang! Another shot obliterated nearby cover, slamming down right beside me. In the split-second glance away—wham—the side of my Nexus took a brutal hit.
"Ngh...!!"
Physical jolt plus neural overload. Blood sprayed as my vision swam. Cranking boosters max, I accelerated.
Not as fast as expected.
I'd braced for the vicious supersonic agility of the Watchdogs or those last three units. But that bulk and all those heavy guns weren't pure upside—turn rate was noticeably sluggish. Missiles forced evasive bursts, but it didn't dodge; just tanked.
Massive sustained output over burst speed, then.
Still, cruise mode top speed left any Nexus in the dust. Once I'd gauged its patterns, I broke cover. Omnidirectional grenade launchers now armed on both arms—half-moons meshed into a hula-hoop shape.
Thud-thud-thud! As I emerged, it unleashed a vortex barrage in every direction. No fear—I dove right in. From below, rail cannon straight up.
Boom!! Rail shot away as grenades detonated around me, shockwaves rippling through.
Static crackled over comms. Renaissance wasn't doing great. No time to check—back to the enemy. Submachine guns full auto, missiles away.
Is this thing a damn fortress...?
Damage seemed minimal, but it was still a machine. Keep hammering shocks, and it'd break eventually.
Boom!! It swapped to bazooka point-blank. Drive systems screamed.
"Hrk...."
Swallowing hard, I desperately flanked for blind spots. Rattle-rattle! Gatling shredded everything, sound muffled through armor.
Flames erupted from ART COLLECTOR. Pilot signal intact—escape pod launched safe. Scanning for the wrecked ally, I took in the surroundings....
What the...?
Like an artillery brigade had plowed the district. Roads and buildings vaporized into smoldering ruins. Meteor-strike devastation. Shaking it off, I refocused on the enemy.
Target the sensitive drive sections.
Exploiting its sluggish speed, I looped behind. Unloaded on the arsenal-packed rear.
Vroooom! It cruise-boosted away fast. Energy dipping low, but I matched without hesitation. Beep, beep! Cockpit depletion alarm. Thrust loss imminent, speed drop soon. But before then—Bang! Rail cannon into the rear. Tiny spark from the targeted drive cluster. Energy zeroed; thrust cut. Enemy wheeled toward the road, rails shifting weapons—Crunch! Damaged drives stalled the swap midway. Arms unbalanced, chassis tilted. One awkwardly canted gatling dragged it sideways. Vroooom... Boosters flared harder to compensate.
Nice—got one in.
Slipping beneath again, tension high. Felt different from standard Nexus scraps, but grinding it down slow wasn't bad. Just as I started hammering the main body proper—Whiiiine—its movements shifted.
What? Boosters busted?
Sudden slowdown sparked the thought. But sensors spiked ambient heat—knife-to-throat dread hit.
Danger...
VROOOOOOM!!! World drowned in light.
...Enemy pulling distance. Ears ringing from thunderous boom, eyes adjusting—massive beam cascade poured down from above. Overwhelming scale. For a split second, I thought a waterfall crashed. Screeech—it swept toward me fast.
Hit direct, no bones left. Whole unit vaporized.
Life on the line, yet my lips twisted up. Only now, teetering on the edge, did I feel alive. Peering through blinding glare: that mystery mega-cannon on rear, firing laser beam. Barrel dropped horizontal, angling at me while distancing.
Then.
Straight-line beam? Easy counter. Stuck to its side, blind spot loop. Brutal heat washed over. Armor surfacing melting. Beam struggled to focus—thick core fringed with branching tendrils, like a laser show. Side streams hurt bad, but I ate it. Couple grazes dropped durability under 15% instant.
Firing recoil tanks mobility hard.
Desperate turns to track me, but pathetic compared to before. Hesitate in fear, and you'd never close. Laser grazed point-blank as I claimed rear position. One job left.
Kaboom!! Every gun blazing. Especially that unknown mega-cannon source. Even reduced, 2 seconds to swivel barrel my way. I kept shifting close-range, pounding. Finally—Bang!! Hyper-accelerated alloy slug left rail cannon. Crunch—pierced thick armor, burrowed deep into vitals. Drive systems hit for sure. Hummm—massive energy surged, ready to blow huge. Sensing it, I backpedaled fast. Then—Flash—forward blued out, colossal blast rocked the world.
Kr-r-rumble...
"Hah... hah..."
Tinnitus lingered post-explosion. Power dead, chassis tumbled into the blast's massive crater center.