Testing Apex Suit

Back at Mansion No. 9, a cylindrical aircraft roared out of the garage, tearing through the air with incredible speed. It raced toward Zack, its streamlined design slicing through the sky.

Apex engaged its air control system immediately upon exiting the Mansion. Flaps deployed on either side, adjusting the flight trajectory as it zeroed in on Zack's position. In seconds, it reached him, soaring past him briefly before diving to match his freefall speed.

The onboard scanner locked onto the subcutaneous positioning devices implanted in Zack's hands and feet. "Scan complete," Ego reported.

With ease, Apex unfolded mid-air, its armor plates shifting and moving like a living organism. Each segment snapped into place, encasing Zack's body as he fell. The last piece to lock in was the helmet, plunging Zack into darkness for a moment before the HUD display lit up with a soft hum.

50 meters above ground, Apex's thrusters roared to life. The sudden burst of energy propelled Zack upward with a sharp turn, the maneuver so abrupt it defied normal physics. A sonic boom echoed as Zack broke the sound barrier.

"Yahoo!" Zack's exhilarated shout pierced through the comms.

The suit picked up speed rapidly.

 "Mach 2… Mach 3… Mach 4… Mach 4.5!" Ego's calm voice announced.

"Let's hit Mach 5!" Zack grinned as adrenaline pumped through his veins. The HUD filled with data, the numbers climbing steadily as the suit's boosters pushed harder.

"4.6… 4.7… 4.8…" Ego's updates came slower now as warnings began flashing across the display. High-temperature alerts lit up the HUD, warning of the strain on the thrusters.

"Activate impact beam thrusters!" Zack shouted, determined to push the limits. Six additional boosters—two more than a standard MV-02W—popped open across Apex's back and sides. Flames erupted as they ignited, sending Zack rocketing forward.

"Mach 5.1… Mach 5.3… Warning: Thrusters at critical levels. Continued acceleration will melt the jet nozzles," Ego cautioned.

Gritting his teeth, Zack dialed back the power, reducing speed to a comfortable Mach 4.5. "Noted. Extreme speed is possible but can't be maintained long-term," Zack murmured, making a mental note.

Back on the ground, Zack returned to Mansion No. 9, landing smoothly in the garage. The distance he had covered in just twenty seconds was staggering—more than thirty kilometers, averaging over a kilometer per second.

Inside the basement, Apex automatically disengaged, its armor pieces folding back to let Zack step out. The golden sheen of the suit gleamed under the basement lights, drawing Zack's attention.

"This gold's too flashy," he muttered, shaking his head. The Ultralium alloy, boasting a purity of 99%, gave the armor an almost ostentatious brightness. While the material made the suit nearly indestructible, it also screamed wealth—a little too loudly for Zack's taste.

"I need a new paint job," he said, opening the holographic projection interface. Light blue holograms flickered to life, replacing the outdated 4K screens. Zack navigated through various paint schemes, simulating different colors on the armor.

"Silver and gold's a bit too much. Pure black's sleek but too plain for Power armor. Hmm… silver and black with gold accents—perfect. Just the right mix of style and intimidation."

Mechanical arms and insect-like drones got to work, spraying the suit with its new color scheme. When they finished, the silver-and-black body gleamed under the lights, the subtle gold highlights adding a sharp, polished edge. "Now this," Zack said, admiring the suit, "looks like it's ready for war."

With the paint job complete, Zack loaded Apex with missiles and other weapons. The time for testing was over. Now it was time to use the armor for its real purpose.

Looking at the suit, Zack's expression turned cold. His thoughts drifted back to the group that had attacked the Mansion. "Your turn is coming… Ego install weapon system." 

After Zack finished speaking, the basement came alive as robotic arms and mechanical Ants swiftly installed customized micro-missiles and cluster missiles into the weapon slots of the Apex armor.

Ever since experiencing the raw thrill of MV-02Ws, Zack had developed an almost obsessive fixation on firepower. The Apex was a testament to that obsession—a true juggernaut among personal armors. Aside from the standard palm pulse cannons, the Apex boasted a brand-new high-power impact beam emitter on the chest. It packed massive destructive force, capable of both rapid strikes and sustained attacks, though its energy consumption was a major drawback.

For added firepower, each forearm housed an anti-armor penetrating missile launcher, with one missile per launcher. The wrist-mounted laser launchers from previous models remained, but their power was significantly boosted. Zack upgraded the batteries to a triple-surround system to handle the increased output.

Missiles were where the Apex really stood out. Each shoulder had a honeycomb-style missile bay loaded with 42 micro-tracking missiles—84 in total. These were complemented by spiral ground-attack missiles located on the chest, designed for carpet bombing. Zack configured the system to drop eight missiles at once, with a total capacity of 24.

For defense, the Apex included a crotch-mounted decoy launcher containing 60 heat source decoy bombs to intercept incoming enemy missiles. Each launch deployed 20 decoys, providing three uses per mission.

In terms of melee, Zack abandoned the arm blades from MV-01 and Mark 2, as well as MV-02W's saw-chain sword. Instead, he introduced an electromagnetic whip cord stored at the waist. Powered directly by the reactor, the whip generated intense heat and sparks when swung, capable of slicing through most materials with ease.

Overall, the Apex struck an impressive balance between portability and raw combat power, marking a significant leap forward in personal armor design. "Only one problem," Zack muttered as he donned the suit and compared it to the MV-02W. The Apex stood taller at 2.8 meters. Its thicker armor, needed to accommodate the Armory, added to its size, though the sleek, aerodynamic design kept it from appearing overly bulky.

"Brother, are you going out again?" Annie asked as she walked into the basement and saw Zack testing the new armor. Her curious eyes sparkled as she leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah," Zack replied with a nod. "Just running some field tests."

"You'll leave me in charge, right?" Annie asked confidently, her tone serious despite her youthful demeanor.

Zack couldn't help but smile. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "That's right. The house is yours while I'm gone."

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Annie replied with a determined nod.

"Oh, by the way, how's that drone project coming along?" Zack asked, remembering their earlier conversation about weapon designs. He'd tasked her with creating a weapon of mass destruction, and she'd proposed a swarm of bombing drones

.

"There are still a few bugs to work out, but it's coming together. I think it'll be finished soon," Annie said with a grin. Designing robots and drones was her forte, and she was clearly excited about the project.

"Good to hear," Zack said, giving her an approving nod before heading upstairs in the Apex.

He made his way next door to Mansion No. 8, where Ava was. Zack found him crouched next to a flower pot, carefully spraying water on the leaves and wiping away dust with a paper towel. The sight of the stoic Ava tending to plants so delicately caught Zack off guard. "Let's go," Zack said, opening the door without preamble.

"Alright," Ava replied simply, standing up without a fuss. His cold demeanor didn't change, but Zack now knew he had a softer side.