Chapter 06 Rising from the Ashes

But then... a familiar sound pierced the air. A high-pitched whistle cut through the rain and the wind.

FWEEEEEEEEE!

It was a sound she heard almost every day - a sound she knew all too well. Before she could process it, a rocket screamed through the air and slammed into the side of the Valky with a loud explosion.

KAAAA-BOOMBYATCH!

The shockwave from the blast was enough to knock Aria flat on her back. The blast drowned out the world, its force sending rubble flying in all directions. Through the ringing in her ears and the haze of dust, she watched as the Valky, that towering, unstoppable monster, stumbled. Its massive body swayed under the force of the explosion, a gaping hole torn into its side where the rocket had struck.

The creature roared in agony but it couldn’t keep its balance. It toppled to the ground, its giant form collapsing like a felled tree.

Aria lay on her back, staring at the sky as dust and ash rained. Her mind was swimming, and momentarily, she couldn’t comprehend what had happened. She blinked, the rain running down her face as she tried to clear her vision, her ears still ringing from the blast.

Another rocket flew over her head, this one hitting the Valky square in its chest, reducing the creature to a convulsing, twitching mass of flesh and blood. Its body shuddered violently. 

Then, through the haze of smoke and destruction, a giant figure burst onto the scene.

  Combelt III.

The tank mech plowed through the crumbling remnants of a nearby building, its massive arms locking around the neck of a second Valky that lunged at it from the shadows. The mech grappled with the mutant, its armor denting under the creature’s assault, but Combelt III was unrelenting. It dug its servos into the ground, pushing back against the monstrous creature’s relentless weight.

Aria barely had time to catch her breath before more mutants emerged, drawn by the sound of battle. Three more Valkys lumbered into the fray, their glowing eyes fixed hungrily on the mechs. But before they could attack, more tank mechs barreled through the rain-soaked ruins. 

One of the mechs charged forward, bypassing Aria and toward the wounded Valky she’d narrowly escaped. Its barrel still smoking from recent shots, the mech maneuvered over the convulsing creature, hydraulic arms steadying itself as it aimed at the Valky’s head.

 It pulled a massive Anti-Tank Depleted Vallen Particle Knife from its back, jamming it up into the mutant’s massive jaws. A sickening crack echoed as the blade split through bone and muscle, tearing the creature’s head in two. The Valky’s final shriek was muffled as its mouth was ripped apart, finally killing the creature.

Aria’s heart pounded as she watched the battle. Tank mechs charged into the battle, barreling into the giants with the power of finely tuned machines. Another mech advanced on a Valky that tried to swipe at it with its clawed arms. In a quick motion, the mech sidestepped, its barrel whirring as it unleashed a barrage of particle cannon rounds into the creature’s midsection. The Valky howled, stumbling back, but the mech pressed its advantage, leaping forward and ramming a massive fist into the Valky’s chest, the impact reverberating through the mutant’s enormous frame.

Yet another mech surged through the ruins, drawing two Valkys away from the others. The pilot maneuvered with expert skill, ducking beneath the creatures’ swipes, countering with precise blasts that chipped away at the mutants' defenses. The Valkys lunged at it in unison, trying to overpower the tank mech with sheer numbers, but the pilot activated the mech’s reinforced thrusters, launching it up and over the mutants in a burst of smoke. The mech landed behind them, particle cannons blazing as it pounded both creatures in the back with pinpoint shots, ripping through flesh and muscle.

One of the Valkys managed to clamp its massive hands around a mech’s torso, twisting and trying to snap the metal like a piece of kindling. Alarms blared inside the mech’s cockpit, and for a heart-stopping second, it looked as if the machine would be crushed. But the pilot activated the mech’s last reserves of strength, they forced the arms up and out, wrenching the Valky’s grip apart with a loud crack. With a surge of power, the mech twisted, using the mutant’s momentum against it, flipping the creature onto its back and slamming it into the ground with a ground-shaking crash.

 Another Valky, screeching in frustration, barreled toward Aria, its massive hands reaching for her. She tried to scramble back, but before the creature could get close, a mech intercepted, swinging its Anti-Tank Knife in a brutal arc that sliced through the creature’s arm, severing it completely. The Valky shrieked, black blood spraying from the wound, but the mech didn’t hesitate. It powered forward, ramming the blade into the mutant’s chest, tearing it apart from within as the Valky collapsed in a convulsing heap.

As the tank mechs fought against the Valkys, Aria’s gaze recognized the units storming through the wreckage. Each distinct insignia, each worn-out symbol on the armor - it was unmistakable. She’d trained with these pilots and fought beside them on countless missions. This was Alpha Squadron, the 2nd elite strike team from the base besides hers. And now, they were here, crashing through the mutants.

Combelt III with the yellow hawk emblem - Ewan’s and Edd's mech. She watched as it cleaved through a Valky’s abdomen, its hulking metal arms ripping open flesh and bone as it advanced. She remembered Ewan’s dry humor, his way of making light even in the heat of battle. Now, he fought with a deadly focus, leaving no room for error as he tore into the Valky with all the force his mech could muster.

To her right, she caught sight of Combelt III bearing a silver wolf insignia. Kael and Mishel. She would know that relentless fighting style anywhere. His mech was a blur of motion, dodging the swinging arms of two Valkys at once, firing bursts of particle rounds between each evasive maneuver. Kael was an Alpha Team strategist, the one who could read a battlefield like a map. He was drawing the mutants’ attention with decoy shots, forcing them to spread out so the other mechs could gain the upper hand.

Aria’s eyes then landed on the red phoenix mark emblazoned on another Combelt mech. Nira and Rachel. Nira charged a Valky head-on, planting her mech’s feet and grappling with the mutant’s arms, twisting them with brute strength. Aria’s pulse quickened as she watched Nira maneuver in close, jamming an explosive charge into the creature’s side and diving out of range as the device detonated, taking a massive chunk of the Valky with it.

Aria struggled to her feet, swaying slightly as the world came back into focus. Her comm crackled faintly, distorted but manageable - the familiar voices of the alpha squad broke through the static.