Soldiers of the Dark Future Chapter 3

"ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE." The residing artificial intelligence notified as the Bodydropper known as Raven Dark completed the activation sequence. Automatically, the wired jacks above him began to move on its own and inserted itself inside the surface of his helmet that possessed slot plugs and the eyeware strapped over his eyes.

In an instant, his vision illuminated, revealing the dark streets of Quezon City. Momentarily, he was in a shocked trance due to the sudden invasion of the Battle Walker's operating system to his mind, leaving him with a quickened heartbeat and anxiety. But slowly, the sensation was fading away.

Quezon City was an example of how the mighty had fallen low. The historical Holotexts described it as a 'second paradise', a recreational leisure city that had been reduced into nothing but a dried up wasteland in the Great Unload. He recalled, from the Holotexts, how the Chinese and American troops devastated the area before turning against themselves. It appeared as if they had just simply decorated their own fighting arena.

Raven Dark moved forward; his ten-foot tall Battle Walker with a large chest compartment surged forward, red optical eyes glowing. Its right shoulder-launcher extended, loaded with antipersonnel mini rockets, activated at standby mode to automatically fire at the slightest of movements within the shadows. It was designed to kill organic targets, be it animal, bystander, or those corporate bastards they had been seeking.

He doesn't worry about the Flatliners deployed with them; the weapon sensors of his Battle Walker was designed to distinguish friend from foe.

To his left, a trio of shadow moved. His heightened senses detected it and he immediately turned. Nightvision optics already picked up three men in white battle armor, their helmet possessed the logo of a downward red triangle--the logo of the world's leading apple juice company, HappyDrink Inc., a Dutch-based corporation.

The trio opened fire, their bullets struck the Enclave Battle Walker but it did little against the Bodydropper. Raven Dark turned, decided that the antipersonnel mini rockets was too precious to be wasted against minimal targets, raised his Vulkan light machine gun rifle instead, gripped by the powerful hands of his Battle Walker.

He spotted them hiding around a corner of some dilapidated establishment with a blown out glass window. He locked onto them and moved a couple of inch further to see them completely. He could hear their fearful screams as he opened fire and painted the wall behind them red.

Then it began.

More bullets slammed onto his armored back. Raven Dark turned, the Battle Walker faced them. He raised his rifle and fired at the quartet of HappyDrink Inc. soldiers, sending their armored body parts flying almost everywhere.

Then to his northeast above a red two-storey bricked building, a pair of armored soldiers stood with rocket-propelled tube launchers loaded with programmable homing missiles. They aimed at him.

No time to move, no time to dodge. He activated the antipersonnel mini rockets and let the AI kill them.

The payload assailed the air with a whistle and he managed to turn enough to see that the two of them detonated in bright orange light and red spray. They were too slow and they paid the price.

Something large and powerful landed on the road ahead of him. Raven Dark turned to face the bastard, whoever the fuck he is. Beyond, a hunched form was seen, the same height as his Battle Walker. It was painted in white, also bearing the same logo of HappyDrink Inc.

An enemy Bodydropper.

It drew a very long sword from its waist and charged. Raven Dark opened fire but the bullets landed onto the bastard's forcefield generator.

"Fuck! Enemy Bodydropper detected!" Raven Dark yelled over the comms, hoping that the other Enclave Bodydroppers or Flatliners could hear him. He let the rifle hung by its sling as he drew out his large titanium knife.

There was no way to kill the bastard other than to get close and pry his chest compartment open, then kill the B-Dropper inside.

He charged, parried the strike of the Battle Walker. He grinned, the bastard is a youthpunk fancy boy. He wondered where did he took his drivecourse? He raised his left foot and sent it at the right kneecap of the enemy Battle Walker. In an instant, the Battle Walker went limp as servos and pistons bent inwards due to the exerted pressure. Raven Dark raised his knife, aimed at the surface of the Battle Walker's chest compartment.

He ripped it open with a downward thrust, exposing the B-Dropper within.

Raven Dark smiled sadistically as he sent his Battle Walker's right knee cap against the bruised ribcage of the enemy Battle Walker, sending it lying with its back to the ground. The corporate Bodydropper resisted weakly as he swung the sword upwards but Raven Dark wrestled the weapon away from the corporate Battle Walker's hand.

Standing over his enemy, he raised the sword, tip aimed at the exposed Bodydropper within the Battle Walker's chest, and impaled him, pinning both the human pilot and his vehicle to the asphalted road where he will rot for a long time.

"Enemy Bodydropper terminated." Raven Dark notified as he took a step backwards and retrieved his fallen titanium knife. He sheathed it and continued his patrol duty.

[END]

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(Soldiers of the Dark Future Tale)