The sound of grinding metal filled the air as the Federation mechs marched toward the depot. Their massive, mechanical legs thundered with each step, and their heavy cannons began to glow, charging up for an attack. The mechs were towering beasts of war, armored to the teeth and bristling with weaponry. Red lights blinked across their steel bodies, marking their cold, unfeeling gaze as they locked onto the Black Star Mercenaries.
Kaylar cursed under his breath, his hand tightening around the grip of his rifle. "They weren't supposed to respond this fast."
"Yeah, well, plans don't always go as expected," Sans replied nonchalantly, spinning the bone in his hand. His glowing blue eye flickered as he sized up the approaching threat. "Guess we'll just have to wing it."
The Black Star Mercenaries scrambled to position themselves behind cover, their weapons primed and ready. The air crackled with tension, and for a brief moment, the night was eerily silent—like the calm before the storm.
"Alright, people, don't panic!" Kaylar barked, taking command of the situation. "Hold your positions and aim for the weak spots! We've taken down mechs before, and we'll do it again!"
The Black Stars nodded, steeling themselves for the fight. But Sans? He just stood there, hands in his pockets, as calm as ever.
One of the mechs suddenly roared to life, its massive cannon glowing bright blue. With a deafening blast, it fired a beam of energy straight at the mercenaries.
Sans barely moved, casually sidestepping the beam as it obliterated a stack of crates behind him. The explosion sent debris flying, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Guess it's time to get serious," he muttered, his grin widening.
Without warning, he summoned a barrage of bones, sending them flying toward the approaching mechs. The bones sliced through the air like arrows, striking one of the mechs in its joints. Sparks flew as the bones pierced the armor, causing the mech to stagger.
One down, two to go.
Kaylar, impressed by Sans's effortless attack, gave him a nod of approval. "You've got some tricks up your sleeve, huh? Keep it up—we'll need every bit of help we can get."
Sans simply shrugged. "Eh, I'm just getting warmed up."
The remaining two mechs retaliated, their cannons whirring as they unleashed a barrage of missiles and energy blasts. The ground shook, and the air was thick with smoke and fire as the depot became a battlefield.
Despite the chaos, Sans moved through it all with ease. His glowing eye flickered as he summoned more bones, deflecting incoming attacks and sending them back toward the mechs. His movements were fluid, almost lazy, but there was a precision to his attacks that left the Federation machines struggling to keep up.
"Not bad for a skeleton," Kaylar called out, firing his rifle at one of the mechs, aiming for the exposed wiring in its leg.
"Yeah, well, I've had some practice," Sans replied with a chuckle.
One of the mechs, now heavily damaged from the relentless assault, stumbled forward, its systems sparking and malfunctioning. Kaylar seized the opportunity, charging forward with a grenade in hand. He slid under the mech's legs, tossing the explosive into an exposed vent on its underbelly.
"Eat this!" Kaylar shouted as he scrambled out of the way.
The explosion tore through the mech's core, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap of twisted metal. The mercenaries cheered, their spirits lifting as they realized they could win this fight.
But the last mech wasn't going down without a fight.
Its red sensors flashed ominously as it powered up its heavy cannon. The massive barrel began to hum with energy, and the air around it shimmered with heat.
Kaylar's eyes widened. "Everyone, get down! It's about to—"
Before he could finish, the mech unleashed a devastating blast of energy, aimed straight at the mercenaries' position. The blast tore through the depot, leveling entire sections of the building and sending a shockwave that knocked several mercenaries off their feet.
Kaylar grunted as he hit the ground, but when he looked up, he saw something strange.
The blast hadn't reached the mercenaries. Instead, a shimmering barrier of bones floated in the air, blocking the deadly energy with ease. At the center of it all was Sans, his glowing eye burning brighter than ever.
"Eh, not bad, but I've seen stronger attacks," Sans said with a lazy grin. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the barrier forward, crashing it into the mech like a tidal wave.
The force of the attack sent the mech stumbling backward, its systems overwhelmed by the sheer power of Sans's magic. The mercenaries watched in awe as the mech's armor cracked and shattered, its energy core flickering weakly.
"Time to wrap this up," Sans said, summoning a single, massive bone in front of him. With a quick snap of his fingers, the bone shot forward, piercing the mech's core with a resounding crack.
The mech stood still for a moment, its systems whirring in confusion, before it collapsed in a heap of sparking metal. The battle was over.
Kaylar stood up, dusting himself off as he looked at the wreckage. "Well… that was something."
The rest of the Black Star Mercenaries slowly got to their feet, their eyes filled with disbelief as they stared at Sans. None of them had ever seen anything like it.
Sans, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed. He yawned, stretching his arms. "You guys okay?"
Kaylar walked over to him, a grin spreading across his face. "Okay? We just took down three Federation mechs thanks to you. I'd say we're more than okay."
The other mercenaries began to cheer, their spirits lifted by the victory. They gathered around Sans, patting him on the back and offering thanks. But Sans, ever the laid-back skeleton, just waved them off.
"No need to make a big deal out of it," he said. "I'm just here for the ride."
Kaylar shook his head, still grinning. "Well, you've more than earned your place with us, stranger. You ever need anything, you come to me, got it?"
Sans gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Sure thing, boss."
Quest Complete: Survive the Chaos.
Reward: 50 Experience Points.
As the mercenaries gathered up their spoils and prepared to head back to base, Sans glanced at his interface. Another notification blinked in front of him.
New Quest: Meet the Leader of the Black Star Mercenaries.
Sans raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "Well, looks like there's more to this crew than meets the eye."
With the battle behind him and the promise of new adventures ahead, Sans stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets and followed Kaylar back toward the Black Star hideout, curious to see what the future had in store.