[1-200] THE MECH TOUCH

Chapter 25: Wartorn Instance

Melinda felt an overwhelming desire to crash in their faces. She forgot she was playing a game, she forgot that her real life wasn't at stake, she even forgot to take note of the Marc Antony in order to write a report. No, the only thing in her mind was to bull through their firepower.

Her HRF-plated shield started to crack from all the ballistic impacts she received. The laser beams exacerbated the damage by melting the cracks wider. The shield was thick but eventually the fact that it was made out of inferior metals and received a deluge of firepower couldn't prevent the bottom half from cracking away.

"Fuck!"

The loss of that section threw her off balance, and some sharp-eyed shooters immediately lowered their aim, hitting her legs. She could manage the laser fire, but the heavier cannon shells further threw her off-balance. Only through skillful piloting did she manage to stumble past the initial seconds. After she regained her balance, she charged forward and closed in on the enemy trenches. She raised her other arm and held up her mace.

"Bash their heads!"

Ragged warcries escaped the throats of the other players in their team as they finally closed the distance. They lost 9 mechs throughout the run, but they finally made it to the trenches where the enemy's ranged superiority ceased to offer a decisive advantage. The enemy team possessed a clear lack of close-ranged fighters. However, a heavy striker appeared before Melinda and fired his over-sized shotgun at her approaching form.

"I can still take it!" Melinda said with gritted conviction as she felt her tattered shield fall into pieces. She flung the remainder at the shotgun mech, causing it to flinch for a split second. Her mech's raised arm began to fall, allowing the mace to travel in a dangerous downward arc towards the enemy's head.

The heavy striker's shotgun crunched as Melinda feinted her attack, successfully deceiving her opponent as she slipped her mace further downwards and cracked his main weapon. However, the lunging strike left her open to a counter attack, an opportunity the heavy striker took as it raised both its arms. The glowing hot holes on top of the wrists spewed a gout of flame as searing as a spaceship's engine exhaust.

"Ahh!"

Melinda awkwardly rolled away, throwing mud and burning liquids in every direction. Just as the striker adjusted its aim, a barrage of cannon shells impacted its torso, pushing it back and spoiling its attempts to take its opponent out.

"Thanks Janet!"

"You're welcome!"

Before the other mechs in the trench ganged up on her, Melinda was determined to finish off the striker. She got into its face and smashed the mace against its left wrist, disabling the flamethrower. Still moving forward, she used her free hand to grab the mech's other arm, keeping it from turning the remaining flamethrower in her direction.

She then bashed her mace against the enemy mech's face to disrupt its main sensors before bashing lower in order to disorient the pilot sitting in the cockpit. The heavy striker's armor largely held against her mace, but the amount of force she was putting in strained the pilot to the point of almost passing out. The shock waves passing through the armor could be deadly in itself once it gained a certain level of strength.

Sure that she knocked out the pilot, Melinda dropped the unresponsive heavy and turned to face a pair of medium laser riflemen. They had qualms about firing at her when she stuck close to their ally, but its defeat left them with a clear line of fire. As she stormed over, Melinda raised her own fists and charged up the power of her laser cannons.

The three exchanged laser volleys. Both sides tuned up their weapons so the damage they all took caused a couple of systems to malfunction. Nevertheless, Melinda remained steadfast, closing the range until she got into melee range. The two riflemen discarded their rifles and unsheathed their combat knives, but before they could do anything, Melinda shoulder bashed one mech while pounding her mace against the other mech's grip, redirecting its path.