The Greatest Mecha-Chapter 54: The Day Of The Duel

A thick pool of red filled the entire hall, the metal walls cracked and showing smears of blood. The light bulbs that illuminated the hallway flashed at short intervals, the only sound in the place being the distant growls of a creature.

The creature moved slowly through the pool of blood, it’s steps heavy, with each move it creaked and growled. It’s body was not covered in flesh or fur or skin but thick hard metal that showed signs of damages on it. It’s form huge and similar to that of a heavy mech, it’s eyes a shade of black, its mouth dripping blood from the human torso that it had in its mouth.

Just like that Alto woke up from what had to the worst nightmare he had ever experienced. His face soaked in sweat and his head heavy, he tried to catch his breath but it slipped away from him every time. He reached for his chest to try to relieve it from the stress but his hand was stopped by something that bound him to the bed.

Alto’s eyes widened, as he came to the realisation that he was strapped to the bed by the hands with what happened to be handcuffs. "What the fuck is going on?" He screamed as he tried even harder to free himself but he found it hard to. "Have I been kidnapped?" He hissed out a second later as his head stung greatly.

The lights in the room went out causing him to go quiet, they came back on a few seconds later and this time he was not alone. Around him were a group of men wearing white lab coats and looking down at him with souless eyes.

"Who are you and what are you doing to me?" Alto asked.

They started to whisper to themselves and he could hear what they were saying. "The subject is showing signs of skin deterioration, I suggest we increase the dose."

Another of the men in lab coats stroke his chin and looked down at Alto with a wicked smile. "I agree, if he dies then our efforts over this one has been wasted."

They all nodded in agreement as darkness engulfed Alto once more, this time he screamed as he jolted back to life. He was greeted by the ceiling where a bright bulb illuminated the room, he could feel himself on a bed but he was no longer restrained. The room he was in was white, the first thing he heard was a familiar voice.

"Oh you’re awake." Eleven said as he walked up to the bed. "You’ve been asleep for a while day now, the doctor said your brain suffered serious stress. Have you been using anything lately."

Alto’s eyes beamed open, "Are you suspecting me of using stimulants? Heck no, the last thing I remember was being with the professor in her transport pod and now I’m here."

Eleven’s face showed a bit of pain but later straightened out. "You passed out in there and she brought you back to receive medical help. Apparently the doctors said your brain was close to having a seizure, just what have you been doing to yourself?"

Alto sighed as he let himself melt into the bed, he bit his lower lip and thought back to the pains he had been feeling since he got the designer’s eye. But when he really thought about it he knew the problem was not from there, it started the moment he got the mech designer protocol and started to work in the game designer office for a very long time. Not talking enough break and having enough sleep might have been a cause of this but the stress put on him by the designer’s eye was enough to amplify the pain he felt in his head.

Alto was afraid that he could have caused irreparable damage to his brain had he still persisted in his work. A though slipped into his mind then. "Isn’t today the day of the duel?"

Eleven looked at him intently for a while and said, "Yes it is. Don’t even think about going."

Alto looked at him, his eyes still a bit heavy to keep open. "Eleven sir, if I don’t go the professor might get in trouble. Even if I’m not well, at least I should show up."

The look on Eleven’s face was cold and indifferent, almost empty. But within his eyes held a look of admiration for this young man. "They said you might say this, so they offered to go in your stead. Rest easy brother, you will need your energy in more days to come."

Alto was confused, "I don’t understand who is taking my place in the duel?"

"Your friends." He said simply.

Within the training room was a packed room filled with many officers of the second rank as well as members of the officers from the battleship, the general himself stood in the middle of the training room with Kendall standing before him. The general towered like a giant over everyone in the room and exuded a prescence unlike any other.

"Where is the offender, does he mock me even further with his absence?" The general boomed in rage.

The room went quiet, at one corner were the cadets, Amy, Kram, Vexar and Denise. Amy’s eyes darkened as she took the first step forward to challenge the opponent, another figure took a bold stride forward and upstaged her grand entrance. It was the striking figure of Kram, Amy froze in shock as she watched his proud back going farther away from her.

As he walked forward he drew the eye of everyone in the training room with the general included. General Duncan did not take this bold entrance lightly, "And who is this maggot?"

Kram stopped a few feet away from the General and locked eyes with him. "The twerp can come because he currently fighting for his life in the med bay and I hear that there’s no rule against it so I’ll take his place in the duel."

The general was about to object when the crisp voice of professor Alberta cut through the air like a blade. "I approve of this, since the child can not participate in this fight at the moment I believe you will accept this."

The general growled unable to oppose the matter before him.

Kram faced Kendall who had a mad smile on his face, clearly feeling elated for them to face off again in the ring. "I’ll break your leg this time."

Kendall nodded. "We will see mad brute."