(Disclaimer: This is a bonus chapter. I dedicate this chapter to Warrock, Ciara_Byrnes, Hyrum92, and all of you who chose to support my story. You all have my sincere thanks.)
Wolfman_1963 found himself struggling to decide what mech to use in his play session. At the moment, he was standing in the middle of his recently extended hangar. With the latest streak of successes he enjoyed, the pilot had purchased a copy of every configuration of the McCain Reaper and the Gunslinger outlaw. His collection even included 3 Nova Star variants.
This variety of choice was causing his current predicament. In the end, he opted to use a method to randomize his choice. The pilot assigned a number to each mech and used the randomizer. As the number was displayed, he was pleased with the result. It was the Gunslinger Outlaw in the harasser configuration.
Wolfman had fallen in love with this design. Ever since he won the lottery and participated in the testing phase, he discovered he possessed an innate talent for the harasser mech role. The pilot seemed to enjoy the run-and-gun style of the base Gunslinger Outlaw; it suited him like a glove. Also, the constant maneuver seemed to keep his mind focused, silencing his active imagination.
Instead of going for an operation, Wolfman chose the Warlord Battles game mode. Unexpectedly, the Owltlaw design shone brightly in this game mode. It was as if the machine was built for the chaos of the battlefield. For that reason, many players began calling the design by several different names: "The Desperado," "The Devil Mech", and "The Little Marauder," amongst others.
As he logged into the waiting room for the Warlord Battles, Wolfman found a chaotic scene. Such a sight was normal in the game mode; some used this time to horse around and have some fun. At the same time, others tried to organize a force to survive the fighting. Wolfman was one of these.
It was not long before he found a group of pilots who used only the designs from The Grease Monkey Workshop. Feeling a bond of kinship, the pilot sent the group a request to join. As his request was accepted, he smiled after reading the party's name: The Monkey Troop. Once in the group, Wolfman found 3 of his friends there: John-117, Star_Blazers_Fan1232, and Ultier's Redemption.
These three were part of the fireteam during the Quagmire Operation. Wolfman had not seen them in a while and was happy to reunite with them. Closing the distance to the three, the pilot messaged them in a private channel.
Once connected, Wolfman greeted his friends. "Hello John, Star, and Ultier, it's been a while. How are you all doing?"
John-117 was the first to answer. "Hey there, Wolf, long time no see. I'm doing fine, how are you?" He was using a McCain Reaper version 2 in the harasser configuration. This machine was his favorite mech. The pilot even paid for a custom paint job, making the machine stand out from the rest.
Star's greeting soon followed. "Hey there, Wolfy. I have not seen you in a while. We need to catch up. Have you started watching the new season of Star Blazers?" Like Wolfman, Star was using a Gunslinger Outlaw, but hers was in a scout configuration. The girl was very fond of the sting pistols, because they let her punch above her weight.
Ultier soon followed with her greeting as well. "Hello Wolf, it's nice to see you again." She was piloting a Nova Star in the sensor mech configuration. While the sensor backpack the mech used was not particularly potent, she liked that the machine offered greater offensive and defensive capabilities than the normal sensor mechs.
Soon after Wolfman reunited with his friends, the Warlord for their Fation was chosen. However, they paid little attention to this. The Monkey Troop aimed to establish a fortified position and then attack the enemy from there.
This sort of setup was commonly known as a strike camp. Lately, the players on the third pilot level have been organizing like this more frequently. Since they had no heavy mech among them, the group could not bombard the enemy. However, the Monkey Troop was able to move fast. Securing a good position early will be feasible.
Having decided on a course of action, Wolfman, along with the Monkey Troop, waited for the name of the map to be announced. The entire group numbered 28 machines, most of which were copies of the McCain Reaper version 2, along with eight Outlaws and seven Nova Stars.
Although most of the Reapers were riflemen, the role composition was all over the place. There were Harassers, Sentinels, and even one Edelfrei. Likewise, there were different configurations of the Nova Star. 4 were Rifleman, the other three were a Haraser, a Sniper, and a Sensor mech. The Outlaws, however, had less variation amongst them. There were five Harassers and three Scouts.
After Wolfman noted the group's composition, the map's name was revealed. It was Niel IV, a jungle planet on the Niel system. The climate was hot and damp, terrible for long, drawn-out conflict. Luckily, this was a simulated environment, and the pilots did not have to experience the planet's actual climate.
Many people in the group, including Wolfman, had played on this map before. They all agreed to set up the strike camp in a cave system near the west side of the map. It was the perfect position if they wanted to quickly dominate the area. They only hoped the enemy was unaware of the position, but given the large number of players in each faction, this was highly unlikely.
The cave system was large enough to house a small city. Being underground, they would be protected from enemy bombardment. Also, underground rivers connected to other areas of the map, making it ideal to mount sneak attacks on enemy positions. The place was perfect for their purposes.
Once the game mode started, the Monkey Troop moved fast. Even the Eensor mech advanced quickly despite the sensor backpack, a feat made possible only by the Nova Star's parameters. The group even ignored the checkpoints along the way; Wolfman and the Monkey Troop needed to hurry before the enemy could claim the place.
Their efforts paid off. The Monkey Troop was able to claim the checkpoint in the middle of the spacious cavern without incident. After securing the space, they moved to set up some basic defenses. While their camp was not exposed, the cave system had many entrances via underground rivers and tunnels.
Conventional sensor systems were not operational because the spot was underground. However, sensor backpacks came equipped with a variety of options. Ultier chose to use the vibration sensors; it was the best choice at the moment. Grabbing the sensor spike, the pilot used the arm of her mech to drive the equipment into the dirt floor of the camp.
With that setup, the sensor suite can detect the vibrations in the floor and compare them to known profiles. Then, the system would display the information to the pilot using the G.U.I on the Heads Up Display of the mech's cockpit. Since Ultier had used this type of sensor before, setting it up was easy for her.
Once the camp was set up, the Monkey Troop split to cover more ground. Eight Mechs remained in the vicinity of the improvised base, providing protection. The others, split into groups of four mechs, move to attack the enemy faction. Wolfman was grouped with John-117, Star, and another player using a McCain Reaper version 2 in a rifleman configuration. The Game ID on top read "Spike and the Swordfish."
Wolfman set out with his group to look for the enemy. Using the underground tunnels, the group of four moved underneath the jungle, heading north towards the enemy faction's spawn point. A few minutes into the trek, they spotted an opening. To their surprise, the tunnel had taken them behind enemy lines.
As they exited the tunnel, Star sensors flared. There was a battle raging nearby, and they had come out near the flank of an enemy group. Seeing their position, Wolfman wanted to make a surprise attack. After all, such a stroke of luck can't be wasted.
However, before Wolfman could talk, John-117 spoke through the channel. "Let's go kick some black faction rears!"
Wolfman smiled. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Losing no more time, the pilot maneuvered his Outlaw and rushed forward. He skillfully moved amongst the trees in the jungle and, in a few moments, reached the site of the battle.
There was a group of around 20 enemy mechs engaging their faction. Taking advantage of the fact that they were engaging his allies without covering their rear, Wolfman started his attacking run. Using the momentum gained, he dodged and weaved through the enemy formation while shooting at the distracted enemies.
The forces of the black faction, having been taken by surprise, fell into chaos. Some of the enemy mechs tried to shoot the fast-moving machine; however, in the heat of the moment, the pilots failed to check their fire. As the light machine dodged their efforts, they ended up hitting their own forces. It all became a haze of smoke and laser fire.
Wolfman emerged from the other side, putting distance between himself and the group he had just attacked. A few moments later, the allies from the white faction attacked the mechs, distracted by the chaos. Thanks to the Outlaw's pilot, they managed to get the drop on them.
As Wolfman prepared to make another pass through the enemy line, Star's voice came through the comm-channel. "Wolfy, I'm detecting an artillery formation further north from here. They are getting ready to start firing. I'm sending you their location. Do you think you can go there and do your thing?"
Because of the information provided by Star's sensor suite, Wolfman decided to cancel his second run at the enemy there and re-directed north. However, he was a bit worried about Star; his attack had kicked the hornet's nest, and the enemy would retaliate. "No problem, Star. Tell John-117 to meet me there. In the meantime, try to stay hidden. There seems to be a lot of activity around here."
Star felt touched by his concern. "Don't worry, my Outlaw might be slower than yours, but it's not a flimsy machine. Besides, Spike is with me, and we are moving away from the previous location."
Meanwhile, back at the strike camp, Ultier was detecting a group of ten mechs approaching one of the tunnels. Since she was only seeing the vibrational data, she could not tell if they were friends or foes. She could only discern their positions. Relaying the information to one of the sentinels roaming the area, the mech moved to intercept.
The resulting firefight made it clear to everyone that the newcomers were not allies. The remaining sentinels, along with the three riflemen, moved to the tunnel entrance. Their priority was to provide support for the team member who went to scout. Once it was out of harm's way, they would fend off the intruders.
Through the vibration sensor, Ultier noticed a single mech was reaching the strike camp from another tunnel. Because of the commotion raised by the attackers in the first tunnel, she had failed to notice the lone signature. By now, the mech was nearly on the camp.
Turning towards the incoming mech, Ultier saw the enemy machine. It was a McCain Reaper version 2 in a Duelist configuration, by far this was the most nimble configuration of the Reapers. The machine was closing in on her mech at full speed. The enemy's intention was clear; Ultier was their intended target.
As the Duelist got near, it jumped, bearing its weapons in a stabbing position. They wanted to end the sensor mech quickly. However, before the machine's attack could connect, it was stopped by the shield of the McCain Reaper Edelfrei that remained behind to guard the strike camp.
What followed was an intense melee duel between the two mechs. While the duelist's attacks met the shield and armor extension of the Edelfrei, at the same time, the heavier mech's attack failed to land on the nimble machine. They were at a stalemate, and neither could gain an advantage over the other.
However, three laser shots landed on the back of the Dduelist. While engaging the Edelfri, the pilot forgot all about Ultier and her Nova Star. She took the chance to score a kill, and, raising her Warren Rifle, shot at the unsuspecting enemy pilot. The pilot of the Edelfrei could only watch in frustration as his glorious battle was stolen from him.
Having managed to score a kill, Ultier understood Star's fascination with the weapons from the Grease Monkey Workshop. It was rare for her to achieve something like this while providing support with her sensor-mech. The teen was eager to get more chances to score a few kills.
Meanwhile, Wolfman was closing in on the location that Star had pointed out. He could see the enemy position farther ahead in a clearing. As he reached the edge of the tree line, the pilot could see the number and composition of the enemy force. The group was larger than he expected.
There were around 30 mechs of various combat roles. However, at the moment, Wolfman was worried about the three Artillery mechs and the four Sentinels guarding them. The latter gave him pause. Sentinels were equipped to specifically deal with harassers like the Outlaw. Their weaponry was based on area denial rather than direct attacks. He pondered his options as he considered a way to attack.
Wolfman's deliverations were interrupted by Star. Her voice flared with excitement as she spoke. "Wolfy reinforcements from the Monkey troop have arrived. We are preparing to attack the enemy. However, we need you to create a distraction away from the heavy mechs."
A smile drew on Wolfman's face, for a moment, he forgot that he was not alone. Yet with the support of the Monkey Troop, he and his Outlaw can take on the enemy. "Roger that, I will move to the other side and make noise."
Following Star's request, he moved along the tree line, making sure to be spotted by the enemy. It was not long before he drew their attention, and they started shooting. Nevertheless, the Outlaw was fast, and Wolfman used the trees for cover. While some shots struck his machine, the armor deflected most of the damage.
Once the Monkey Troop started their attack on the heavy mechs, Wolfman dashed into the enemy formation. He wanted to keep them from repelling the attack. The Outlaw dodged and weaved among them with ease. The pilot had perfected this move while in the testing face of the mech, causing him to react with muscle memory.
Other harassers from the Monkey Troop joined the battle; John-117 was among them. Chaos fell into the enemy formation. Amid the fog of war, Wolfman moved, taking a shot here and maneuvering there; he aimed to disrupt the enemy rather than increase the kill count. His efforts were paying off.
Without warning, a notification caught everyone's attention. The leader from the Black faction was taken down. With this, the battle had ended, and the white faction won. Wolfman felt he was robbed of the thrilling battle he was waging. However, he was not upset. The pilot resolved to join another battle after reading the rewards screen.
Before the reward screen was shown, a notification sound alerted everyone. This was the sound A.M.S. used for achievements, and it was rarely heard. Wolfman watched the screen with undivided attention as the achievement image was displayed.
The image depicted a mech running and shooting while enemies fell around it. Underneath the image, the name of the achievement came into view. The Mech of Chaos. The pilots' names soon followed. Awarded to Wolfman_1963.
While the entire Monkey Troop cheered, Wolfman was in disbelief. He had never won anything like this before. In his mind, he quietly thanked the Creator of the Gunslinger Outlaw. He would have never achieved this with any other mech.
In the end, Wolfman and the rest of the Monkey Troop readied themselves for another round of Warlord Battles. The night was young, and Wolfman wanted to feel the thrill of piloting his mech once more.