Survival

Thanos gritted his teeth, every muscle in his body screaming in protest as he tried to move. The shadow of the mech's foot loomed over him, and he knew he had only seconds to act. Drawing upon the last reserves of his Qi, he forced himself to roll to the side just as the mech's foot crashed down, narrowly missing him.

Desperation fueled his movements as he scrambled to his feet. He couldn't afford to wait for backup; he had to keep this thing occupied until help arrived. Thanos took a deep breath, feeling the energy surge through his veins, and launched himself at the mech again.

This time, he aimed for the joints, the weaker points in its armor. He struck with precision, each hit infused with as much Qi as he could muster. He allowed his Qi flow to his hands and targeted behind the knees. He was quick on his feet avoiding the hits aimed at him. The mech's movements became slower, more erratic, and he knew he was making progress. But it wasn't enough. The mech's cannon arm swung towards him, and Thanos barely had time to react before a blast of energy sent him sprawling.

"Think, Thanos, think!" he muttered to himself, his mind racing. He needed a plan, a way to disable this thing before it crushed him. His eyes darted around the field, searching for anything that might give him an advantage. Then he saw it: a cluster of large, mutated plants with thick, vine-like tendrils.

An idea formed in his mind, and he acted on instinct. He channeled his Qi into his legs and sprinted towards the plants, dodging the mech's attacks as best he could. When he reached the plants, he tore at the vines, wrapping them around his arms and infusing them with Qi. The vines pulsed with energy, becoming extensions of his own power.

The mech charged at him, and Thanos stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. As the sword arm came down, he lashed out with the vines, wrapping them around the mech's limb and yanking with all his strength. The mech stumbled, and Thanos seized the opportunity. He leaped onto its arm running on to its back, using the vines to pull himself up, and began hammering at the exposed shoulder joints with his Qi-infused fists.

Sparks flew as the mech tried to shake him off, but Thanos held on, his determination unwavering. He could feel the energy draining from him, but he pushed through the exhaustion. Finally, with a loud crack, one of the mech's arms fell limp, disabled. Thanos let out a triumphant shout, but his victory was short-lived.

The mech's remaining arm swung around, catching him off guard and sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, his vision blurring. He struggled to get up, but his body refused to obey. Just as the mech loomed over him, ready to deliver the final blow, a loud roar echoed through the field.

A massive explosion rocked the ground, and Thanos saw a flash of blue light as the mech was thrown backwards. Dazed, he looked up to see Sam and the rest of the squad rushing towards him, wielding heavy artillery.

"Hang on, Thanos! We've got this!" Sam shouted, aiming a large, glowing cannon at the mech. He fired, and the blast hit the mech square in the chest, sending it crashing to the ground.

The rest of the squad joined the fight, their combined firepower overwhelming the mech. It struggled to rise, but a final, concentrated blast from Sam's cannon put it down for good. The mech lay still, smoke rising from its ruined form.

Thanos let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. Sam and the others ran to his side, helping him to his feet.

"You are not okay" Sam said, his face etched with concern.

"I've been better," Thanos admitted, wincing as he tested his limbs. "But I'll live. Thanks for the save."

"We couldn't let you have all the fun," Amina said with a grin, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's get you patched up."

As they made their way back to the bus, Thanos felt a mixture of exhaustion and pride. They had faced their first real threat and come out on top, but he was confused and so were the other members of his crew. They helped him into the van.

"What the hell was that Thanos?" The man behind the wheel asked,

"Did you get the other kids to safety Broody?" Thanos asked.

"Yeah I did, again what the hell was that, a rogue mech hasn't been heard of in years."

[This is Broody Jones, dark skin, braided hair. 18 years old. Member of squad 5 rookie team of the war gods military academy.]

"Should we check it out ?" Broody asked.

"No. Captain told us to get out of the area. So we get out of the area, the higher ranks will be here soon. Get us out of here Broody." Broody nodded and drove them back to the academy.

Back at the base, Thanos received medical attention and debriefed with Captain Obinna. The captain listened intently as Thanos recounted the encounter, nodding thoughtfully.

"It wasn't one of ours." Thanos said with a serious expression.

Squad 5 were in the room where Thanos was receiving medical attention. They stood around and listened as Captain Obinna questioned them.

Thanos sat up on the hospital bed, he had dislocated his right wrist when he was knocked back by the mech so it was bandaged up.

"The mech, it wasn't one of ours." Thanks stated with a serious expression. "Have the enemy begun attacking."

Captain Obinna frowned, "that is for the higher ranks to handle. You're too smart for your own good Asemota."

Thanos scoffed, "so I'm right. What do we have to do?"

"You have to rest and recover and resume activities in a week. Jones will cover your duty while you're in bed." Captain Obinna said and turned around to leave.

"You did well, Squad 5," Obinna said finally. "You kept your cool under pressure and protected the civilians. That's what being a soldier is all about. But you're still 4 years short of experience to be part of the war."