The four teens spawned in the waiting room; they were still missing two players for the operation to start. They took the time to learn about their machines. All four of them had reached the 3rd pilot level. Even Mark, who was only able to play at The Pit, had recently upgraded. This was reflected on their mechs.
Scarlet was using her Harpy Raider. A flying light mech with a humanoid, feminine figure. The flight system of the mech was large, which allowed the mech good maneuvering. It had two good-quality laser pistols as main weapons and a retractable spear as a secondary weapon. Scarlet's mech had a B-grade rating.
Mark was using his new Prescott M3 deluxe. A humanoid rifleman specialized in assault. This variant had stronger armor plates, an improved sensor suite, a more powerful rifle and secondary weapon, and a heavy laser pistol. It also had the option to join both weapons and use the heavy pistol as a modular attachment to the rifle. Steve approved of his new Machine. The mech had an A-grade rating.
Alex's mech was called Majestic Peri. It was a medium-sized mech with an elegant design. In white and soft blue colors, it looked more like an exhibition mech than anything. The medium-sized machine had a flight system attached to the back. It looked like majestic wings. A long-barreled rifle matching the colors of the mech was attached magnetically to the right thigh. The secondary weapon was a heavy laser pistol, which was magnetically attached to the left thigh. Alex's mech had an A-grade rating.
Steve's mech reflected his personality. The machine's name was The Neo Argonaut. It wielded a one-handed sword in its right hand and a heavy laser gun in its left hand. Officially, the mech roll for this machine was recognized as a harasser. Unofficially, geeks and fans of Holo-vids and light novels called this a Hero mech. Following the Standards of such a label, Steve gave the machine a loud paint job. It had a red, blue, and white colored pattern with yellow accents thrown in for good measure. The machine had good mobility and decent protection for its level, but it had heating problems. The mech had a B-grade rating.
It was not long before two more mechs spawned in the waiting room at the same time.
The first was a light humanoid mech with a sensor suite backpack. The machine was painted in neutral opaque colors. This was done with the intention of blending with multiple environments. A laser pistol that looked to be of good quality was the mech's main weapon. As a secondary weapon, the machine carried a vibrating knife on a magnetic holster strapped to the chest area. The Game ID on top of the mech read Cougar Bait. Steve and Mark both released a chuckle once they read the name.
The second Mech had a sniper configuration. It was a slender machine. The armor plates covering the humanoid shape were thin, which meant that it had little endurance. Mark, however, was able to deduce that it uses a combination of mobility and stealth to deter enemies. It was covered in a green camouflage pattern that was opaque, and it seemed to absorb light. The mech's main weapon was a long rifle, almost as long as the mech was tall. By the modules attached to the weapon, Mark suspected it was a tiny mass driver. The game ID read The Phantom Pain.
Weirdly enough, they received a request to merge parties for the Operation. Given the fact that this rarely happens, Mark was inclined to agree. After asking the other, Mark accepted their request. The group had very little time for interaction, since the fire team was completed, the operation began.
The fire team spawned in a desert map, the sand at their feet had a light red color, and rock formations with deeper red tones were scattered around the expanse. There was no vegetation visible for kilometers.
Steve complained. "Dam! Why did it have to be the Desert of Penthia? This place is a heat management pain."
Most of the fire team was a bit bummed about the area map. Desert environments made operating laser weapons a living nightmare. Most of them had a laser weapon load-out.
The majority of people used laser weapons because bullets limited the number of shots you can take, plus they added weight to their machines in the form of the actual bullets and the canisters that carry them. Also, if the canister or magazine were shot during combat, an ammo explosion was likely to incapacitate the entire machine.
In his past life, Mark had been to the real Desert of Penthia. The young man had been on an actual operation conducted by the Lishean Armed Forces (L.A.F.) during the war. In his mind, the simulation did not come close to the actual dessert.
Trying to cheer the mod a bit, Mark decided to give some advice. "Steve, the key to fighting in the desert is to time your shots. Don't go out spamming your trigger. Also, try to look for shade. Use the shadow of the rock formations; the area is cooler."
"Since when are you such an expert in deserts?" Steve asked in a sarcastic tone.
"It's not that I'm an expert, it's just logical," Mark argued, trying to cover his usual blunders.
Their conversation was interrupted by the announcement of the operation. The screen projected the name and objectives of the action.
Operation: Smuggler's Run.
Site: Desert of Penthia.
Objectives:
1. Destroy the smuggler's convoy.
2. Incapacitate a minimum of 65% of the smuggler's forces.
3. Recover a minimum of 40% of the smuggler's Cargo.
4. Secure Oasis town
5. Eliminate the Smuggler Boss.
"It's the Smuggler's Run mission, I've done this one before," Scarlet added, wincing a little. "I hate this mission. The Smuggler Boss always gets away."
A cheerful male voice interrupted their conversation. "People, the timer already started. Let's move, the convoy will pass through the region soon. Let's talk while we move to the ambush point."
"Hey there, Bait, can I call you Bait? I'm not calling you Cougar," Steve started a playful banter.
"Sure, every buddy, call me Bait, I don't mind, besides, I would not call me cougar either," Bait seemed to have a sense of humor.
"Why not call him cougar?" Scarlet asked with an innocent question.
"Because men are idiots, you can call me Phantom." The pilot of the green sniper Mech added.
As Phantom walked towards the ambush point with the others, the armor plates of her machine started changing color. Mark was interested in this feature.
"Is that dynamic camouflage?" Mark asked with a bit of excitement in his voice. In his mind, that machine had to be an A-grade.
"Yes, it is, what of it?" The female pilot answered in a defensive tone.
"I think is a good option for a sniper mech. Looking at your setup, I'd say that Bait is your spotter; he goes down to the battlefield and paints the targets using his sensor suite. You then use your mass driver to take them down. It's a good strategy." Mark analyzed their mechs and guessed their combat style.
"Wait... How did you know my rifle is a mass driver?" Phantom was surprised by Mark's deductions.
"The same way he knew to use the shadows to fight in the desert. ... It's best if you don't ask," Steve added to the conversation.
"Do we split to cover more ground, or do we stay together?" Scarlet asked while using the H.U.D. To look at a map of the region."
Thinking about a strategy, Mark proposed a plan of action. "Let's stay together. We will hit the convoy first and then move to secure Oasis town. The smuggler Boss retreats from the convoy to Oasis town once he has taken enough damage. I mean, if that's OK with everybody."
The rest of the party seemed to agree with him. The mechs moved to a ridge near the area where they spawned. This area was perfect for the ambush; it had plenty of cover and shadows to cool down. There were a few good vantage points where Phantom could set up a sniper's perch. Acting as a group, they decided to devise further strategies.
"Alex, Scarlet, you two have flying machines. Can you take care of the hovercraft the enemy uses as escort?" Mark asked the pair.
While Alex nodded, Scarlet agreed with the suggestion. "Leave them to me. They will not know what hit them."
Bait joined the planning session. "Why don't you let us take care of the vehicles? Phantom and I will take the one in the front first, then the one in the back. That will cut their escape route. We will then concentrate our fire on the remaining vehicles."
"Can you take the front part of the truck while leaving the cargo untouched?" Mark asked the pair.
"Yes, I can," Phantom answered in complete confidence.
"Steve and I will draw their attention. Steve, remember to shoot sparingly with your gun, use your sword more." Mark planned his part of the fight.
"Will do, Marksman, will do," Steve answered, imitating Phantom's tone.
As the team was getting ready, a line of 12 hover trucks was moving along an improvised road. They were being escorted by 15 mechs and 20 small crafts hovering like flies around the convoy. The group unknowingly moved into the area of the ambush.
An explosion engulfed the front part of the first hover-truck. A loud noise like thunder was heard after the smoke started to come out. Before the convoy was able to react, the cabin of the last truck exploded, and a thundering sound followed.
The hovercrafts lifted and tried to form a search pattern to find the enemy, but soon after lifting, laser fire came from above. Two machines came down from the sky.
Alex and Scarlet started their attack run. Since they were moving at great speeds, the gush of air assisted in cooling their lasers, but not by much. The two flying mechs dived, fired a couple of shots, and then lifted again. Each of them was able to take 2 or 3 hovercrafts in their first dive. These machines were not very durable. After lifting again, they will maneuver to set another pass.
Mark and Steve rushed out of their cover positions. Taking advantage of the confusion, they both shot at the nearest mech to them. The machine went down in an instant. Mark moved to higher ground while Steve kept rushing towards the mechs around the convoy. As soon as an enemy machine gets close to the loud-mouthed teen, his friend will provide support. Steve used the chance to finish the machines with his sword or the heavy laser pistol. Every so often, the cabin of a hover truck exploded.
After the seventh hover truck was incapacitated, Bait's voice was heard on the comm channel. "People, we have incoming, a large heat signature moving fast. It's the Smuggler Boss. By the way the machine is moving, it will be here in 40 seconds."
"Bait, you think you can paint the mech?" Mark was brewing a plan in mind.
"I will need 10 seconds max to paint it. Can you keep it in the ground for that long?" Bait, caught up to what Mark was planning
"We will try," Mark answered. "Steve, how are you doing?" Mark asked while shooting at a mech that was closing on Steve.
"I have a couple of scratches and laser burns, but nothing major. My heat gauge is doing fine for the moment." Steve answered while slashing down the mech Mark just shot at.
"Alex, Scarlet, what's your status?" Mark started to fire the heavy pistol attached to the rifle, letting his main weapon cool down.
" A and I are both fine, no major damage to report, also we just took down the last of the hovercrafts," Scarlet reported the flying machines' status while Alex nodded to her comm-cam.
"Well, you think you can make a pass at the smuggler Boss when he arrives, you have to be careful, his mech is also a flier. Once you made your run disperse in opposite directions," Mark's plan was falling into place.
"Scarlet caught up to Mark's thinking. "You want to confuse the Smuggler Boss by attacking it from multiple fronts."
"Phantom, once the target is painted, you know what to do, try clipping its wings," Mark revealed his plan to all the team members.
"Roger that, Guardian." Phantom prepared for the moment her rifle tore through the Smuggler Boss.
The roar of engines could be heard at a distance. A silhouette moved among the clouds, and the dark figure approached in haste. With a whistling noise, the machine started descending. The Smuggler Boss had arrived. The mech he was using was an avian Machine that looked like a massive vulture.
With two very sharp talons, it came down to tear its enemies. The first mech it spotted was Steve's machine, probably because of the colors.
"Steve, it's going for you, be careful!" Mark warned his friend.
The loud teen decided to taunt the ferocious machine coming at him. He lifted his blade, pointing at the Smuggler Boss and screaming. "Come and get it, you overgrown turkey!"
As the vulture was getting close, Mark started to shoot at it. He landed a few shots on the surface of the enemy mech. But the vulture's armor plates, which were arranged to resemble feathers, repelled the young man's efforts.
The Smuggler Boss attempted to grab the colorful mech in its sights, but at the last second, Steve spins his machine to the side and evades the attack. Using the same force of the spin, he slashes with his sword. Some of the armor plates of the flying machine fell to the ground.
As Steve was engaging with the Vulture, dust and sand were rising, forming a cloud. Mark, wanting to prevent this, decides to shoot one of the engines of the enemy's machine. Taking a second to aim, he fired his rifle and the heavy gun attached to the underside at the same time.
The shots hit the smuggler's Boss, a small explosion occurs, and Vulture falls to the ground. Steve tries to take advantage of this and attacks with his sword. But the Smuggler Boss uses the wing of the mech to repel him. With tremendous strength, the vulture slashes its wing at the colorful mech, sending it flying backwards.
At the same time, Alex and Scarlet descend and start firing. Seeing that the enemy mech was grounded, they decided to hover and assist with their lasers.
A weapon bay opens in the back of the Vulture, and two missiles come out. The missiles were aimed at the flying machines.
Alex and Scarlet maneuver their machine, scrambling in opposite directions, but the missiles follow them. Both Alex and Scarlet started firing at the missiles. As the projectiles were hit, their head blasted into smaller missiles, which started chasing the mechs again.
Alex, piloting her Majestic Peri, saw that there were too many missiles for her rifle and decided to use another method. Two weapon ports open on the head of the Majestic Peri, one on each temple; a Gatling gun came out of each one. Using the Gatling guns as point defense guns, Alex shot down all the mini missiles.
Scarlet, upon seeing the fragmented missiles coming at her, deployed countermeasures of her own. The Harpy Raider turned slightly and accelerated. From the bottom of the humanoid machine, a compartment opened. A hidden dispenser started ejecting flares. Most of the mini missiles were caught on the flares. Scarlet easily shot the few that remained.
On the ground, Steve was lying on the floor, the back of his mech was leaning against the cargo compartment of a downed hover truck. Taking advantage of the vulture's pause to launch the missiles, the loudmouth teen takes a few shots with his heavy laser pistol.
At the same time, Mark fires his rifle and pistol combo, while most of the bullets were not doing much damage because of the heavy armor plates, they succeeded in confusing the Smuggler Boss. With an explosion, metallic feathers flew all over the place. The vulture falls to the sand, without movement. The sound of thunder soon followed.
Steve, amazed by the events, exclaimed. "Did you see that!?"
"Yes, Steve, we already talked about this. Phantoms rifle is a tiny mass driver." Mark answered his amazed friend.
"No, Mark, not that." With the mech's hand, Steve points upwards. "Scarlet's mech craps flares!"
Scarlet protested, "Shut up, that is a strategic device, mechs don't crap!"
A series of chuckles and giggles erupted in the group. Mark was trying to suppress his own laughter, looked around, focusing on his surroundings. The young man saw that they still had a few straggling enemies to deal with.
The remaining enemy mechs posed no real threats to the team. A few minutes later, all of the enemy forces have been dealt with. The team examined their states.
"Steve, your mech seems to be the one in the worst condition of all. How are you doing?" The young man used his sensors to scan his friend's machine.
"Well, parts of my armor are almost trashed, but the mech is still functional. I have sections without armor, but not many, and the sword arm is only 37% effective. Even though my mech took a nasty fall, mobility is unaffected. " An Idea came over the loudmouth teen. "Hey, Marksman, you think we can use the shop to repair my mech after we finish the operation?
"Yeah, I have no problem with that, but do you think you can do it?" Mark asked his friend while confirming his report.
Steve, with a smug look, responded. "I have been reading the manuals for the shop. Besides, I can use the droids to ease the labor. All we need is the repair rights, and we can start."
"Why don't we discuss that when we finish the operation?" Mark and the other started to move towards Oasis town.
With the Smuggler Boss taken care of. The fire team used their coordination to make quick work of the smuggler forces at Oasis town. Bait and Phantom took care of the gun emplacements around the enclosure. Alex and Scarlet dispatched the hovercrafts that took flight to defend the fortified town. Mark and Steve used lure and switch tactics to deal with the ground machines. In the end, it took them less than 10 minutes to secure the town.
The action was over, and the team ended the operation with a 96% completion. While they did not get the coveted 100% completion bonus, they did get a 3,000 voucher bonus for team coordination. Since they seem to get along with the newcomers, Mark decided to invite them to the shop. The entire team returned to the Grease Monkey workshop.
Returning to the workshop, the Cat butler decided to purchase various repair rights for the most common machines and the repair rights for all the machines of the team. Mark left Steve at the repair control room and gave a tour to their new guests. Bait and Phantom followed him closely; they were both using their real likeness, wearing military academy outfits as avatars. This was common practice between military academies.
Both of them were about Mark's current age. Bait had tanned skin, brown eyes, and black hair. His physique looked well-trained and was about two fingers shorter than Mark's. Bait's face hinted at his Hispanic descent.
Phantom had an athletic, feminine figure. Her ebony skin seemed to glow with the reflection of the light. The fine features of her face looked a bit out of place with the military uniform.
As they toured the facility, they ended up at the design lab. Bait was not too impressed with the place, but Phantom seemed to like it. As they examined the design library, Phantom saw the McCain Reaper.
"This mech is based on the McCain series? My dad is a fan of these." Phantom commented.
"Well, the design was chosen by Steve, and I just made a few changes from its basic configuration." Mark modestly replied.
"You turned a D-grade mech into a B-grade mech. I would not call that a few changes." Bait added, looking at the stats of the mech status.
"Well, to me, these were minor changes; it actually took me a few hours to make that." Mark was not boasting. It was the truth. "In fact, I started designing an improved version of the Reaper." Mark showed the work he did with the hand actuators.
Phantom seemed to know something about mech design and commented on Mark's work.
Are these hand actuators? These are better than the ones my mech has, and mine were built for precision. This also gives the mech grip strength."
"My goal is for the new Reaper to be an A-grade mech for the first level." Mark defined his goals for the new design.
"Do you mind if I show this design to my father?" Phantom wondered while looking at Mark, eyes showing interest.
"No, I don't mind, in fact, show him the blueprints." Mark copied the blueprints and sent them to Phantom using a few hand gestures.
Are you sure? These are valuable." Phantom wondered if Mark did not value his own work, or if he was just boasting.
For his part, Mark had ulterior motives to hand her the blueprints. The more his technology spreads, the better for him. Even if it meant that people pirated his creations. To get the Techno Points, he needed to design the technology, not fabricate it.
Bait turned back from the catalog, "Phantom, we have a message from the academy. We need to go." Bait had a frustrated look on his face.
"Don't worry, Bait, as soon as your mechs are ready, we will send them to you. " Mark eased the face of his newfound friend.
Bait and Phantom waved goodbye as they banished with a flash. Mark went back down to the repair shop. There, he found Steve working on the mechs. He was using the repair droids with the automated routines. Alex was sitting beside him, reading the manuals for the repair shop. Scarlet had decided to take a break and went back to the real world. Mark was inclined to do the same.
As the young man removed the V.R. Helmet from his head, he checked the time on the charger's digital clock. It was 11:55 am. Mark decided to have lunch and then return to A.M.S. To keep working on his project. He set an alarm around 5:00 pm. The young man had plans, and he needed to prepare for the surprise visit his mother would receive.