10 days before Riko Rexton's death.
Riko stood cuffed in the centre of a hollow room. He squinted, each wall was so white it was nauseating. Just him, a giant mech and an old man in a suit; each sickly in their own way.
The man's sleazy cologne didn't help, a mix of pineapple and maybe oak; or perhaps blackcurrant and birch.
He looked up towards the digital countdown above.
Only a few minutes away from the first match of The Death Guarantor.
"So are you gonna uncuff me or what? I can't fight for your damn planet with my hands tied."
The director walked up to him, staring into the boy's eyes. The old man's face was masculine, his hair sparse. He patted Riko on the shoulder.
"Wheres my manners?" He said as he pulled a key from his pocket, unlocking the cuffs.
Riko stretched his arms out wide, whilst taking a deep breath. Then brushed his long messy hair out of his face, gazing up towards the mech.
"Been a while huh… Puppy-Cat." He said Pressing his hand against the cold metal leg.
It stood nearly forty-two feet tall— surprisingly small for most modern day mechs. Its pinks were pale; a mix of design choice and age. However the blues and silver still glimmered, reflecting the harsh lighting around them.
Riko bounced on the spot for a few seconds before unzipping his jumpsuit to his waist, tying it around him like a belt. Then looked over towards the director's towering gaze.
"Hey what if I just lose the fight, Let your planet burn?" he said softly before starting his ascent up the mech by hand.
The director suddenly started laughing and clapping, the echo of suit cuffs clashing echoed through the hollow room.
"You?— You're too much of a coward to die."
Those words paused Riko in place.
Ha…
He might be right.
He shared a chuckle before finally reaching the cockpit.
He sat in a weathered seat, buckling his belt. Then took a deep breath, and bit his lip before connecting a wire to his neck.
"Rexton to comms,"
[Lumi] Co, reading.
[Veig] status, reading.
Riko closed his eyes, drifting into the darkness– escaping the feeling of thoughts, breath and the blood running through his veins.
"Okay. Shifting- neural link."
[comms] copy.
Riko suddenly opened his eyes, but the view was different– these weren't his eyes, they were Puppy-Cat's.
[Lumi] Fast… Okay, check motion control.
Puppy-Cat stepped back.
Puppy-Cat stepped forward.
Then it clapped, metal slamming against metal, the sound so sharp the director was forced to cover his ears.
[Lumi] Okay, we're just waiting for the gate to open. Then you make your entrance.
Another boy in the same jumpsuit walked into the area. His hair and gaze pitch black.
"Why would you choose a kid like that?"
The director smirked, eyeing down the mech.
" Bacteria is the hardest organism to kill. Don't worry Luseix, when he dies you will represent us."
Suddenly the gates slid apart, opening up to a city.
The light hit first.
An entire city sprawled inside the arena— streets, towers, suspended rail lines, all glowing under floodlights and holograms. Above it arched the invisible barrier, visible only where it bent the air, separating the blaze of the city from the darkness of the stands beyond.
A Roar from the thousands of onlookers in the stands stretched across the streets.
Cheers huh?
You hear that Pup, maybe fighting in this stupid tournament is worth it.
Puppy-Cat stepped out into the arena, holding its arms up in the air, pulling in the crowd's cheers.
The sound of another gate opening could be heard across the makeshift city.
This time the roar from the crowds multiplied, enough to make the ground shake beneath.
[Lumi] Full-Summer already?
"You know it? Mechs basically a celebrity. Star aspect… pretty sure it would fetch a pretty penny, although I doubt that matters for you princess."
Puppy-Cat drew two swords from its back.
"The other gate must be on the other side of the city. You got eyes on Full-Summer?"
[Lumi] Heat signature getting closer 12 O'clock. Watch—
But before Lumi could finish her sentence Full-Summer appeared in the sky just above Puppy–Cat.
It dived down— the gold and yellows painted across the mech, made it look like a crashing star.
Puppy-Cat dived out of the way, opening its stance holding the two blades forward.
"I can't let it touch me. I'm pretty sure its star aspect produces heat radiation… I heard it can even make dense metal catch fire and spread."
Full-Summer Jolted back to its feet leading to the crowds roaring to grow louder, the two fighters were now face to face. Only a few feet from each other.
It then lunged in for a tackle towards Riko's mech mid section, where the mech is most narrow.
Puppy-Cat slipped to the side dodging the grapple and swung one of its swords down towards its now arched neck.
Suddenly Full-Summer's Torso twisted, leaving its upper body now facing the swing. It caught the blow with both hands and the sword suddenly caught on fire.
Puppy-Cat dashed out of reach and stabbed the inflamed sword into the concrete ground, sheltering the fire.
"Hey princess, Can you find where the heat signature is most unique in that thing?"
Then pulled the sword back out from the concrete, the flames were gone.
[Lumi] What are you aiming for its Star-core?
"Ahhh, Just let me know."
Full-Summer grabbed a street light which set ablaze from its grip, then threw it towards Puppy-Cat.
Puppy-Cat quickly replied by batting away the lampost with one of its swords, then burrowing it into the concrete before the fire could spread again.
What an annoying aspect.
Shitty pilot though, I should end this quickly.
He immediately sheathed one of its swords again, and picked up a nearby car, wielding it like a shield.
"Hey, comms on that heat signature?"
[Lumi] Give me a moment…
Both of the Mechs stood still analysing each other; their faces didn't show emotion but the tension was clear.
Huh…
What fight is that bastard watching.
Riko immediately dashed towards Full-Summer, jabbing its sword towards the mech.
It lifted it arms ready to catch the blade—
Puppy-Cat paused mid motion, instead whacking Full-Summer with the car, sending it crashing across the street.
The crowd jumped out of their seats like they all simultaneously grew cramped; but instead of groans it was cheers.
Riko raised its arms like a preacher indulging the cheers but Full-Summer jerked back to its feet.
He can take hit.
[Lumi] The mech is surprisingly cold despite its star aspect. The only signature I can find is in the upper left chest area but that's the pilot, I cant find any heat signature that would be the star core.
"Thats fine." You could almost hear Riko's smirk.
Full-Summer smashed its fist together like a boxer testing their gloves, suddenly its hand lit on fire and it dashed towards Puppy-Cat.
"Shifting manual, Purtana take the legs."
Full-Summer threw a hammer.
Puppy-Cat stuck in place used its sword to block the attack.
[Lumi] Huh you shifted already, that's impossible…
"Princess take the legs!"
There are two ways to pilot a mech; neural link and manual. When in manual the main pilot can only control one half the mech: upper or lower.
Fully-Summer threw itself towards Puppy-Cat again with the hope of just touching the mech once.
Puppy-cat shifted to the right dodging the attack but stumbled, Full-Summer turned— both mechs now face to face again.
[Lumi] Sorry.
PERFECT.
The bolts.
The lining of metal.
The rust and wear of frequent movements.
Things I can only see with my own eyes.
In the blink of an eye he stabbed a blade into Full-Summer's upper left chest.
The blade pierced through the other side —
Leaving the tip red.
Mechs don't bleed.