Kinetic Assault Engine

The fight had been trudging on for several hours. the heart of the city was ablaze with gunfire.

That's where we were. War hadn't changed with the dawn of the H.A.M.M.E.R. System to destroy ballistic missles. It just kept it on even terms for everyone. Nobody wanted to take it down. It would leave them just as exposed as everybody else. Nobody liked the thought of nuclear bombs raining on their rooftops. That was good. It just made the military scientists get...creative.

When my dad was a kid, Mechs were the stuff of movies, cartoons, and videogames. Now they were real, powered by a modified version of Kinetic energy recently discovered by Republic scientists.

I should probably mention the civil war that split the U.S. into several nations. The Republic of Texas is the largest, and I happen to be on their side. The Republic of California has been testing our borders lately and actually had the nerve to invade one of our cities.

It was a bad move.

I'm a mech pilot. Unit 03 of Kinetic Assault Engine Division, Squad 2. Codename Shade. And yes, my baby is black.

I pressed my back against a building, and felt my hands involuntarily grip the rifle tighter. There are no controls in a KAE. The pilot's brain is directly linked to the cybermuscles and nerves in the KAE, or as we call them, Runners. Everything we want done, the Runner does. Everything the Runner feels, we feel. The pain sucks, but it makes your reaction time better, once you're used to it.

A few rounds clipped off the corner, splashing me with concrete. That didn't feel pleasant. I whipped around the corner and popped off a shot. the enemy Walker took my round square to the face a dropped like a rock, spewing Flex Gel all over its companions. It varied in color from Mech to Mech, but it was always gross stuff, but it helped you keep moving.

As I resumed my position, I got a call over the Com system.
"Nice shot, Shade. Now look at this."

"I'm kind of pinned down right now, Redeye. I can't look."

"Skim across the street when I give the word."

"We're not supposed to do that until we have to." I wanted to.

"I won't tell if you don't....Go.....NOW."

I launched myself across the street with a K-pulse. Halfway through, a looked up at the enemy position. Right as I looked, the air near my head exploded as a Magnesium round streaked by and tore the upper half of a Walker off, sending Flex Gel spraying into the air like a fountain while molten metal dripped to the ground.

As soon as by back hit the opposite building I started breathing again.
"You're lucky I trust you. Now move positions before they drop an artillery round on your head. I'm sure that was called in."

"Already on it."

Redeye was cocky, but he was a good shot with the Gauss Rifle. It had a maximum Range of 20 miles, and automatically compensated for gravity and curvature of the earth. Just aim and fire. Of course, Redeye was a maverick and would always get really close so he could see the hit. He once snuck behind enemy lines for half an hour so that he could shoot the commanding Walker in the head at point blank range. It was stupid, and it almost got him killed, but it scared the Californians so bad that they surrendered right there.

Nutjob...

I popped off another shot to finish off the last Walker holding the line and ran forward to regroup with the rest of the squad. I grabbed a Ballistics sheild that was laying on the ground near the downed Walkers for my own collection. It was black, so it matched.

I was about to keep moving when I heard the groan of machinery and turned to see a Walker with hands raised above its head. I swore and dropped to a knee, ejecting my Quicknife out of my wrist and into its torso. It gave me just enough time to grip the handle and tear upwards. I got deep purple flexgel in my left eye...well, the Runner's left eye, but who cares?

It was still mostly functional so I jammed my rifle under its chin and fired two rounds before it could shove me off.

Drenched in Flex Gel and getting tired, I trudged further into enemy lines, where the rest of my squad awaited.