With Kuben now firmly neurolinked to the ION, Samael could finally witness its abilities in action and judge its true potential for himself. The ION was simultaneously one of the lowest skill ceiling Titans, and yet, one of the highest. Its sheer versatility allowed it to challenge any class without glaring weaknesses. Even among the second-generation Titans it belonged to, the ION was unmatched in this department.
Range?
The laser-mounted shoulder cannon fired at the speed of light, its damage unwavering no matter the distance. In other words - if a pilot appeared even a mile away, as long as you could aim, they were already disintagrated into a bloody mist.
Speed?
It was nn Atlas-class frame fitted with thrusters mounted across every side of its plated body. It could execute twin dashes, usually able to weave between projectile attacks or escape danger. Medium-weight armor gave it a balanced build that was neither sluggish nor hyper-agile, but perfectly in between.
Offense?
At this, Samael shook his head. From the elevated observation room, watching through reinforced glass, he found this particular titan of warfare lacking in area. He calmly flicked a switch on his right console, and immediately, a mechanical whir hummed through the room ahead.
A sleek, orange-painted rifle - easily the size of a small car - was lowered by thick, interlinked chains before the waiting ION. Samael's brow furrowed as he eyed it.
'This weapon is… underwhelming,' he thought.
Of all the primary loadouts among Post-Demeter Titans, ION's had always been the weakest. It was modeled after the L-STAR energy LMG - effective, but even seasoned pilots could endure a few shots before their flesh started to melt. Against Titans? It could sustain pressure for a time, but that was its limit. Its true value was in harassment, not outright kills.
Samael tapped his finger beside the big red button ominously labeled MICROPHONE.
Now, it wasn't that ION was toothless. The Splitter Rifle had a secondary mode - one that boosted its power dramatically. Instead of firing concentrated balls of energy, its mirror-focusing lenses would shift, turning it into a rapid-spread energy machine gun, capable of dealing reasonable damage. But that came at a cost: it guzzled energy.
And ION's most lethal strength wasn't its weapon - it was its abilities. To use abilities, it would need energy, so the pilot would have to be extremely recouseful and choose where to allocate it based on the situation.
He pressed the microphone button, his voice cold and authoritative.
"Mercenary, take the weapon. I want you to demonstrate everything - mobility, lethality, defensive capabilities. Use your entire arsenal. Don't worry about the testing room."
From within the tight confines of the Titan's cockpit, Blisk grinned. Now fully synced with the ION he was able to maneuver it with ease, allowing the Titan to reach out and clamp its massive hand around the suspended Splitter Rifle. The chains detached with a cracking sound, and the weapon slotted into place as naturally as a soldier shouldering their favorite gun.
Blisk leveled the barrel at a large, steel slab of a doorway. Sirens blared to life with crimson lights washing the room as alarms signaled the imminent opening.
"Oi, Tinman, are you ready to show 'em what you've got?" Blisk chuckled, his gloved finger resting on the trigger.
"Message to Pilot: Kuben, I was programmed ready. As humans would say… give them hell."
"Heh. I will, Tinman. I will."
The steel door slid open with a bone-vibrating hiss of hidden components, revealing three old-generation Titans standing on the other side - one Atlas, one Strider, and one Ogre.
Despite their crude looks compared to ION, they exuded raw intimidation. Their weapons were primed amd their targeting systems had already locked onto the titan standing opposite to them.
Unfortunately, these were not piloted by real people but AIs.
The Ogre lumbered forward first, its titanic armor groaning with each step. In its hands was a Quad Launcher, a weopon designed to deliver significant damage. It fired out four rockets simultaniously that moved slowly but certainly did damage.
The Atlas advanced close behind, its frame bearing a similarity to ION's own. It wielded a fully-automatic XO-16 Chaingun, firing dense 16-inch slugs at three rounds per second. It was a model known for reliable, sustained pressure.
The Strider remained in the rear, holding position. Its AI was evidently sharp, as it cradled a deadly Plasma Railgun, a long-range anti-Titan sniper capable of staggering damage. It.was slow firing but deadly and precise.
To Blisk, it was immediately clear that there were no immediate weaknesses. This was a well-rounded formation with Short, medium, and long-range covered.
But Blisk was not bothered.
ION's kit covered all those ranges too!
Tension settled into the room as Samael's voice crackled over the speakers, "The live-fire test will begin in 5… 4… 3…"
The shoulder-mounted laser cannon on ION's frame powered up, venting vapor as it reached critical charge.
"2…"
The Strider raised its railgun, the plasma core charging with a high-pitched whine.
"…1."
Boom!
A searing-hot laser carved a beam through the air, a white-hot trail burning across the room and smashing into the Strider's chassis. Superheated titanium hissed and bubbled where the shot struck, leaving a molten crater on its armor.
The Strider stumbled, its charging railgun shot veering wildly. It struck the ceiling, sending a spiderweb of fractures cascading through the reinforced white tiles above.
"Incoming fire detected. Suggest immediate countermeasures," ION's voice warned calmly.
Blisk didn't hesitate, "Aye, I've got just the thing."
He raised the Titan's palm, and a shimmering blue forcefield burst to life - the Vortex Shield. A hail of bullets and four spiraling rockets hurtled toward them, only to be caught mid-air in the magnetic field, hovering like a deadly halo.
After a short rime, the Atlas and Ogre stopped firing, not allowing him to catch any more.
However, this was already enough. With a flick of his wrist, Blisk hurled the trapped projectiles back toward the Ogre.
The rockets streaked through the room and smashed into the heavy Titan's hull, explosions licking at its faceplate and leaving charred, splintered gashes in the armor. It staggered but kept advancing relentlessly, undeterred.
"Energy low. Kuben, I recommend you recuperate and recharge. Laser Core at 40%."
"Not a problem," Blisk muttered.
He kept up steady fire with the Splitter Rifle, its glowing bolts splashing against the Ogre's chest plate, slowly eating through the thick plating.
The atlas class titan was the most annoying during this time with its never ending fire. Though the damage was not great, that machine gun was lile death from a thousand cuts. Blisk trued his best to minimize the damage by rationing his vortex shield.
Then a sense of danger overtook him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Blisk caught the telltale glow of the Strider's railgun charging once more. He could feel the pressure of its targeting system locking onto him. His Laser Shot wasn't ready yet to counter, with only four more seconds until he had enough energy to confidently use it.
So he made a snap decision.
The thrusters on ION's back and legs roared to life. With a blast of energy, the Titan surged forward, rocketing ahead and placing itself directly behind the advancing Ogre, using its bulky form as a makeshift shield.
The Strider fired.
A searing railgun shot punched through the room and directly into its own ally. The Ogre took the hit cleanly, the shot cleaving through half its back and nearly bursting through its front. The giant staggered, a deep groan emanating from its core systems as its joints faltered.
Blisk seized the moment with glee.
Closing the distance, he drove ION's fist into the Ogre's cracked hull repeatedly, using his full weight. The thick armour lates buckled as he clamped one hand around its faceplate. With a wrench of force, he tore it clean off, hurling it aside like scrap metal.
"One down, two to go."
Without pause, he shoved the Splitter Rifle into the now-exposed cockpit cavity, unloading searing plasma rounds until the interior became a mass of slagged electronics and scorched metal.
As the Ogre's corpse collapsed, a hail of suppressive fire opened up.
Rounds peppered ION's armor, gouging into its plating. The Atlas had closed the gap with the XO-16's muzzle flashing with intense light, delivering a relentless stream of rounds.
Blisk staggered under the impact, quickly activating his Vortex Shield once more. Bullets slammed into the energy field, a few stray rounds tearing along ION's shoulder plating, leaving jagged dents.
"Kuben - Laser Core at 80%. Please stand by."
Blisk gritted his teeth, but couldnt help raise hos lips into a smirk. This was invigorating!
This titan was more entertaining than anything he had ever witnessed before. Even if these three had pressured him, it was miracolouse that he was still alive, as any other inferior titan model would have been overwhelmed in an intant.