Chapter 7: Caught Off Guard

Alarms blare loudly in Leon's ears as groaning metal and sparking wires resound in the background, the Old monster gnawing into his mech's left arm. Red lights flash from the various display ports lining the interior of the mech, warning him of the mounting damage and steadily decreasing chassis integrity.

He swaps his rifle for his axes and starts hacking at the monster, but it doesn't relent; continuing to gnaw at his mech's left arm as the weapon carves gashes along its flank that bleed disintegrating black ichor. Leon curses and activates his flight systems, and forcibly alters the monster's course from wherever it was originally going.

The sudden change in direction sends both mech and monster smashing into free-floating rocks, their bulk and speed turning the obstacles into dust and pebbles.

"Let go, damn it!" Leon curses, axe swinging even as he burns through his energy stores; trying to dislodge the beast whose jaws clamp hard on his mech's limb. "If you were edible, I'd turn you into fucking bird tartare! Fuck off!"

"Leon! Leon, come in!" Barcus' voice buzzes through the comms. "You're getting farther and farther away from us! Turn around!"

"I have a big monster biting into my arm and it's dragging me away!" Leon barks back. "I'm doing what I can to try and steer it away from the storm clouds, but–!" an electrical panel blows out in a shower of sparks. "Gah! Shit!"

"Hold on son, we're coming!" Barcus assures him. "Just, try and keep out of the storm!"

"I'm trying, damn it!" Leon grits out struggling against the Old monster's superior flight capabilities. He raises his axes and brings it down as hard as the mech can. "Bitch!"

The monster screech roars and finally releases the limb it was biting into. But its talons grip Leon's mech and hurl it away, his flight system straining to correct its course even with Leon's help.

The mech hurtles through the air and smashes head-first into a floating rock, bouncing off and cartwheeling through the sky. Immediately, the mech's visual sensors sport a big crack and the comms fall silent, prompting Leon to curse louder even as he heaves hard to get the mech under control as it continues to fly out of control through the air.

It clips another floating rock, and something heavy breaks. Alarms scream at him as the mech integrity readings go down another 15%, leaving his mech's integrity at 40%. He glances at his loadout and notices the empty equipment slot where the rifle used to be.

Finally, he wrestles back control of his flight systems and slows his trajectory to a stop. He forces down the bile and works through the dizziness, axe drawn as he spots the Old monster and its remaining fodder; circling around for another pass.

//ENERGY AT 30%// his systems warn him.

Leon glances at his system readings, feeling his stomach fall at the large red 'ERROR' sign next to the comms system– replacing the previously green and equally large 'NORMAL sign.

"Fuck." he spits out. "Fine. Fine! "

He guns his thrusters and zooms forward as fast as his mech can go. He cocks back his axe-wielding arm, unflinchingly charging towards the approaching Old monster; whose maw opens wide as it screech-roars furiously.

"Come on!" Leon roars back. "Let's see who dies first!"

Mech and monster fly towards each other, coming closer and closer to a mid-air collision as the moments pass.

Leon eyeballs the distance, trusting his gut as he eyeballs the distance; gripping his control sticks tight. 100 meters to impact. 90 meters. 80.

'Not yet.' he thinks with Leos Kleins' voice. 'Too early and I'll miss. Too late and it'll clamp its jaws on the cockpit. Either way, I'd die.'

70. 60. 50.

'This is a battle of nerves and reflexes. The first side to chicken out and the one late to react will be the loser.' Leon grits his teeth. 'It's all or nothing with this hit. Either I waste my second life and die here, or miss out on a family dinner.'

40. 30. 20.

"And I never miss a family dinner if I can help it!" Leon roars, jerking his controls. "Rraaaagh!!"

With 15% left in his energy gauge and 10 meters away from his opponent, Leon burns through the rest of his energy gauge and briefly overloads his mech's flight system to boost sideways; out of the charging Old monster's path. Time slows down as he brings his mech to a spin, using the momentum to lift his axe and bring it down on the passing monster's flank.

It bites deep and the monster screams. The mech lurches as the monster's momentum pulls it along, and Leon is pressed into his seat by the G-forces exerted, however minor.

Despite that, he laughs.

He laughs as the Old monster's bulk starts to disintegrate, his last bit of defiance winning him the battle and securing him another kill. He laughs, even as the monster's leftover momentum carries him forwards; into the storm clouds. He laughs even as tears well up in his eyes as his mech's energy gauge reads 0% and he falls into the strong winds.

Then there is naught but darkness, the howl of strong winds, and the incessant roar of pouring rain as his mech is carried away into the storm to Saint-knows-where.

=X=X=X=X=X=

Barcus Fou Bartford is no stranger to sorrow.

In fact, it could be said that he and sorrow are old friends now; what with the lot he drew in life. Married to a woman who despises him, unable to provide the best for his children, allowing one of them to be all but sold to some greedy harlot before being sent to die in some distant battlefield. Each and every time he beholds yet another failure to his duties as a father and family head, the mountain's worth of self-hatred in his heart grows.

What kind of family head cannot meet the bare minimum to provide for his own family? What man allows himself to be ruled by the capricious greed of a woman he didn't love? What sort of father just allows his own flesh and blood to be sold off to die in some distant battlefield?

But he nurtured hope, that his shortcomings could be made up for in love and wisdom; to see their childhoods pleasant and full of joy while their adulthoods had his knowledge to help navigate.

Nicks, Jenna, Finley, Collin, even Luward and Merce despite them being from Zola's loins.

And then there was Leon. His third son, the most surprising child, and boy within whom he saw the light of ambition burn brightest.

He was a source of many headaches and troubles, but they were small headaches and minor troubles; the sort boys his age were supposed to get into. But there was something about him that made Barcus listen when he spoke, a certainty in his words and a knowing glint in his gaze that made the older man consider his input.

Oh how Barcus wished he could have seen him grow. Seen how his boy could have changed things.

That would no longer be the case.

"...Lord Bartford." Captain Derek greets. "The fleet has assembled. Losses have been tallied– I have the numbers here."

"Leave it on the captain's desk in my cabin, captain." Barcus says, watching the dark clouds swirl and light up with lightning. "I will read them later, after the storm clears."

The winds are powerful, too powerful for any ship in his fleet to sail through unharmed. Any attempts to do so would see his vessels thrown about like children's toys and his men flung off decks like leaves in autumn. Even Armors wouldn't have been able to navigate it, let alone an outdated model like the one Leon had piloted.

But still he watches the roiling clouds. Still he waits. Still he hopes.

His son was different, powerful in a way words couldn't quite describe. Perhaps, however fleeting, there was a chance of him surviving those winds. Perhaps he was in there right now, fighting for his life against the raging winds. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

"He was a good son, my Lord." Captain Derek says. "Braver than any man I knew, and much kinder. A responsible lad, even; would've made for a fine leader and husband to any woman."

Barcus chuckles, managing to keep the sadness out of his voice.

"He would have been, yes." he nods. "How are the repairs proceeding?"

"Apace, my lord. We should have this fleet ready to move in about a day's time."

The storm would be calm enough to traverse through by then, though the winds would still be strong enough to blow men overboard if they were unsecure. He could perhaps delay the search for the day after, waiting for the wind to settle down fully– play it safe and risk no more lives than he already had.

But would Leon survive that long? Would his boy live long enough in the harsh environment to see his father come for him? Was his Armor even functioning, and still usable?

Was this going to be a rescue mission or a corpse recovery?

"...steady as she goes then, captain." Barcus decides. "We made for my son once the winds die down and not a moment later."

"Aye, Lord." the man nods. "I'll let Joshua know of this development."

The Baltford patriarch nods and resumes his vigil over the dark clouds; hoping against hope that he need not bury his son.

=X=X=X=X=X=

//WARNING, DAMAGE CRITICAL. TAKE EVASIVE ACTION//

"I fucking know that, damn it!" Leon screams at the display, wrestling with the controls as the winds batter at his mech and carry him around like a toddler would a toy. "Gah! Stupid outdated MT! No wonder ACs phased you out, nobody can pilot you worth a damn!"

He struggled mightily as he heaved, straining unaugmented muscles to bring the mech to heel or at least make sure it didn't smash into the floating rocks and isles caught in the powerful winds. The urge was there, to reinforce his muscles with magic and use brute force to seize control… but that ran the risk of damaging the controls and rendering the mech inoperable.

His past life's memories come back, of Leos Klein, fresh from a Human+ enhancement surgery, training in a sim pod and immediately ripping out the control sticks when he did his usual sideways quick-boost jink to evade enemy fire. That lesson cautions him now, and he struggles unaugmented to regain control of his vehicle.

The mech jostles violently as it impacts another free floating rock at high speed. Metal and armor crumple around the point of impact, and his mech's integrity reading goes down another worrying 10%.

//WARNING, DAMAGE CRITICAL. TAKE EVASIVE ACTION//

"Shut up!" Leon demands, pulling at the controls as hard as he could. "Fuckity fucking fucky fuck-stick–!!"

//ENERGY AT 30%//

"I swear to the Saint, if this day doesn't get any better–" Leon curses, swerving in and around the larger rocks and isles as best he could. "I can't see jack shit in here! How the hell am I supposed to navigate through this?!"

He consults his memories, runs through every possible plan, accounts for as many factors as he could think of. Simply outrunning this storm would be impossible and his mech hadn't the durability to weather through it; which left him with the choice of seeking shelter. But there was neither dock nor ship in the midst of this storm, and if he left his mech the free floating debris around him would turn him to paste.

But then he notices an isle with a crevice on its left flank. It isn't a particularly large crevice, but it looks big enough to fit his Armor in. Not all of it, but enough to cover the vital parts; the engine and flight system, the Armor's sole functioning arm, part of the weapon store… and the cockpit.

Another rough collision rips off his mech's left arm, already pried loose from the hydraulics connecting it to the mech's shoulder.

//WARNING, DAMAGE CRITICAL. TAKE EVASIVE ACTION//

"Not like I have any other choice." Leon grits out, using the last of his energy to fly towards the isle. He dodges incoming rocks and winces as some of them scrape across his mech's armor, such was their proximity. "Come on–!"

Once he got within range, his gunned his thrusters; consuming the last 10% of his energy to quickly close the remaining distance all but lodging himself into the crevice shoulder first. Metal groans and red lights flash in his displays, but Leon ignores them in favor of securing his position by wedging the mech's right arm and leg into place as tightly as they could possibly fit into the crevice itself.

Then he pulls himself into it, pulling the mech's torso as deeply as it could go into the gap. Fortunately, there's enough room inside to engulf the entire torso section; shielding the mech's most important parts and himself from the rocks being swept about by the winds beyond.

Leon double checks his positioning, makes absolutely sure he wouldn't be dislodged out of his little nook, and all but slumps into his seat with a sigh of total relief.

At least he was safe here. He'd figure out how to get home later, right now he needs to make sure his vehicle out of here and he himself remains alive and intact.

//WARNING, DAMAGE CRITI–//

He punches the display, glass cracking and knuckles bleeding. He sighs loudly and buries his face in his hands.

He is still alive. That's all that matters.