Chapter 17: The Broodmother’s Descent

They stood alert with their weapons ready as they slowly entered the mecha arachne's lair, scanning every shadow for movement.

Liz muttered, “I have a bad feeling about this,” as she swept both her submachine guns across the holes in the wall while they walked into the shaft of light shining from above.

Suddenly, the sunlight was eclipsed above Eldon as a massive mecha arachne dropped down at terrifying speed.

Eldon caught the shadow just in time to realize what it was. He shouted, “Rachel, Liz! Watch out above!”

They both dove aside, barely escaping the giant mecha arachne as it crashed down with a thunderous impact.

A thick dirt cloud billowed from the ground as they scrambled to their feet.

Farther back, Eldon heard another sound behind him.

He turned and froze as a massive mecha spider crawled from a gaping hole above the tunnel they had come from. His voice cracked in fear as he named it—“It’s a mecha broodmother!”

Eldon shouted again, “We have a big problem here!”

Rachel and Liz looked back at the towering mecha broodmother looming behind them.

Liz turned to Rachel and said, “I didn’t expect this. The mecha arachne is all yours. I’ll try to do something about that mecha broodmother.”

Liz steadied herself as the mecha broodmother’s eight eyes glared down at her.

She shouted over to Eldon, “I’m going to need your help with this one! Can you cover me? I’ll try to take out its eyes!” She stowed her SMGs and pulled her sniper rifle into her hands.

The broodmother charged. Liz managed one good shot before it descended upon her, blasting out one of its eyes as she rolled aside, dodging the stabbing legs that tried to skewer her. She sprinted to the flank, muttering under her breath, “Seven.”

The mecha broodmother wheeled toward them, only to be met with a burst of gunfire from Eldon.

Liz fired another shot as Eldon slowed the beast down. As her rifle cracked, she whispered, “Six.”

Then the mecha broodmother’s abdomen began to quake as numerous holes opened and mecha spiders poured out, rushing toward them.

Liz grimaced, “Well… this doesn’t look good.”

She broke into a run while Eldon tried to cover her, his shots dropping each mecha spider that closed the distance.

Liz stumbled as one of the spiders fired an energy web that snared her ankle, yanking her to the ground. Her sniper rifle clattered away across the stone floor, just out of reach.

She rolled onto her back, snatched the SMGs at her sides, and unleashed a storm of fire at the advancing mecha spiders. Metal husks piled high before her, forming a grisly barricade as she shredded through each one that dared crest it.

The mecha broodmother lurched closer, its abdomen splitting wider as more spiders poured free.

Eldon glanced at the grenade launcher attachment fixed beneath his gun. I didn’t want to use this yet… only a few rounds left. But I’ve got no choice now.

He swung the weapon toward the mecha broodmother’s abdomen, finger tightening on the launcher’s trigger.

Liz was still caught. Her SMGs clicked empty, forcing her to draw her pistols. Shot after shot rang out as the towering mecha broodmother loomed directly above. She thought it was the end—until there was a…

BOOM!

The mecha broodmother shook as explosions ripped through its body, staggering it as its left legs buckled and it collapsed.

The cavern rumbled as rocks crumbled from the ceiling and walls.

Liz’s relief was fleeting. The cavern still swarmed with mecha spiders crawling toward her. Her pistols fired—

Bang… bang… bang…

Click… click… click…

She was out of ammo. Several spiders loomed above her, their legs poised to strike—only for the threat to end in an instant as two cursed beams carved through the swarm, reducing them to circuits and scrap metal.

Liz exhaled in relief, thinking to herself, Rachel really is a good person… not like that selfish Jax, who would’ve left me to die.

Suddenly, the energy web on her ankle finally dissipated and she was free.

She grabbed her sniper rifle, pushed herself to her feet, and saw the mecha broodmother still thrashing. Eldon had problems of his own, the mecha spiders enraged after his grenade strike as he caught all their aggro.

Liz sprinted toward the mecha broodmother and leapt, seizing one of the ruined sockets where she had already destroyed an eye.

As the beast regained its footing, she jammed the barrel of her sniper rifle into its main eye, which glared straight back at her alongside the others.

ash she smirked and wispered "Gotcha"

Bang… bang… bang… bang… bang… bang… bang…click...

She emptied her entire clip into its eyes, each shot driving deeper until the mecha broodmother’s head twitched and sparked. Its legs buckled and it collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.

Liz dropped beside it, drained and out of ammo, her gaze drifting toward Rachel, who was still locked in fierce combat with the mecha arachne.

She searched her pockets for any extra ammo but winced, realizing the rapid fire from the sniper rifle had dislocated her shoulder.

Using her good hand, she fumbled through an inside pocket of her jacket and found three more sniper rounds.

Eldon was in a panic, firing wildly at the incoming mecha spiders. Damn, I guess I really pissed them off, he thought as he ran, stopped to shoot, then ran again, trying to keep them at a distance and whittle down their numbers until only one remained. But then his rifle clicked empty. He checked his cargo pocket—damn, no more mags.

His eyes darted to the massive pile of spider parts around Liz’s hill of scrap.

Sprinting to the heap, he yanked a random leg from one of the mecha spiders that was blown off, just as the last mecha spider leapt at him. He drove the jagged limb into its thorax. Sparks flew as it convulsed, its sharp legs twitching inches from his face.

Eldon rolled aside and let it collapse beside him, panting. Man, I’m getting too old for this, he thought—when suddenly he heard Liz’s voice.

“Eldon, get over here and give me a hand!” she shouted.

Eldon rushed over, catching his breath. “You alright?”

Liz grimaced. “No… my shoulder’s out. Fix it for me.”

He moved to her front, grabbed her arm, and with a sharp yank—pop—her shoulder snapped back into place.

Liz’s face twisted in pain, but the relief was instant. She pulled the empty clip from her sniper, loaded the last three bullets, and steadied herself, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Rachel and the mecha arachne clashed in a fierce battle.