If you want to watch Kaiju fights, Gale had the best seat in the house. His guardian could sit safely in orbit while capturing images so detailed you could see the bolts straining on the mechs. As ever it was a torturous experience. His comrades were fighting for the fate of the world, for all humanity and he was stuck on the sidelines.

  Sora didn't say it would be like this. She promised it would be hard, and he was ready for that. He'd be at every wave from end to beginning, until he could finally shut off the source of the kaiju. He thought that meant he'd be fighting, like Clay, like Sora.

  No instead he was stuck out here in space, as some ridiculous kind of support. Little more than an admin for humanity's real heroes.

  One of which he was going to lose before she was born if he didn't do something. It didn't matter all the heroics and feats he'd already seen her pull off. If she was lost now, none of it would matter. The whole war he'd been fighting would collapse into impossibility. It'd already happened. Him even existing was proof that they could fail.

  They could, but it wasn't going to be while he watched. "Cherry, you just spent all your energy on that attack. That basically means, you're done. You've got nothing but hand to hand combat left."

  "With that thing?" Cherry cried. She had reason to worry. The monstrosity before her was 600 feet tall, easily, even hunched over. Twice the Size of Cherry's Guardian, and as tall as any sky scraper in the city. It was easy to describe it as a skeleton, but it was also wrong. It's limbs were too long to be human, and the skull on the right side had a weird swirling pattern like excess plaster on some kind of model. There was just too much of it, too many teeth, too many ribs, too long limbs. All of it moved, without a hint of skin, muscles, or organs clinging to it's form. It was awful, but Gale had seen worse.

  He couldn't help but smile. The Cherry he knew was a mean thirty-something veteran, a hero. It was cute to see her like this as a child, then sad. Look what the war had made of her. Thirty minutes ago this girl was probably going to go on to have a family, a life.

  "That's why I'm going to transfer you power. My Guardian can borrow energy from somewhere else in your timeline and move it to you."

  "Timeline?"

  What were Sora and the bots doing down there? None of these pilots had any idea what they were getting into. "I'm sorry but there's no more time to explain." That thing's reach could cover half the city. "Activating Energy Transfer."

  New Skill Added

  Name: Generative Pull

  Rank: 3

  Effect: Guardians are connected to themselves throughout all points in time. Borrow energy from a future point to refill a Guardian's power.

  It worked like a charm. Metatron made a link from 09 across two points in time. Cherry's empty cells gratefully drank up the available energy. The screen of Gale's Guardian showed that Cherry now had 7/10 energy cells back up and running.

  "Don't use it all now, I'm still trying to get someone else out here for you." That thing was way out of Cherry's league. She could probably score seven critical hits on the monster and not do a thing. He suspected it's what trashed Rex and Princess, it didn't make sense that they'd go down to those crawlers, not with their experience.

  Cherry had been back tracking this whole time, smashing through buildings and cars to get away from the skeletal monstrosity looming over the city. She'd taken what he'd said about the restart to heart. It was a good thing too. As she waited the beast decided to take a swipe at Cherry. It's long arm stretched out to the horizon and swung. It blasted through the buildings as if they were blades of grass, a wave of wind debris and terror swept the city aside. Buildings crumbled, cars were blasted into the sky, and people died.

  Gale could only gawk at the destruction from his vantage point, it was like a forest had been cleared away. He often wondered how the Kaiju could have destroyed the world. There was his answer, with a brush of their hands.

  Thankfully whatever malevolent intelligence was in that skull had misjudged Cherry's will to live, and her self respect. She'd thrown herself bodily out of the way of the attack, and into the Hook river. Normally Gale wouldn't recommend that kind of acrobatics in a Guardian, but he recommended getting hit even less. She was alive and that's all he needed.

  "The school!" Cherry cried, and she drugged her Guardian out of the river. It groaned in protest, as water was ejected from sensitive mechanisms. "It got the school."

  "It got everything Cherry." Gale whispered, there had to be more than a few pilots in that blast. If anyone was capable of coming to her defense they'd just missed their shot. He looked to the mechanisms in how own Guardian, somehow he was going to have to figure out a way to beat this thing with just Cherry.

  Then from amidst the great dust cloud that was One Week City a blue beam of light shot out, and engaged with Metatron.

  Gale looked at the signal and smiled. "Clay you're approved, get in there." With a wave of his hand Gale sent Lancelot's transmittal beam back down to Earth.

  In a moment the leveled city had a new feature in it's skyline, Lancelot, Guardian 06. Opposed to 09's bold orange color scheme, Lancelot was the white knight of group. White paint, trimmed with silver it gleamed in the cool light of the spring. It looked like victory itself, with a massive sword and shield held in both hand. They would endure, Humanity would survive one more day.

  There were Stronger Guardians on the roster, but Lancelot had the most levels on him. Cherry's 09 had been reset when ownership had been transferred, but Clay was under no such restrictions. Lancelot had been his from the start. That meant he was the only pilot who could go blow for blow with this thing.

  "I guess it's no use running from a thing like that." Clay winced.

  A warning appeared on Gale's display. "Clay you're bleeding."

  "No duh." The pilot grunted. "Something flew through me down there. I need a reset and fast."

  Gale clocked the annoyance in his voice, and chocked it up the hole the size of a quarter running through's Gale's rib. They were lucky Sora's people had sprung for the sitting models. He couldn't imagine Clay doing must standing in his condition.

  Regardless Gale activated life support on Clay's Guardian. Soon his cockpit would be swarmed by small mechanical spiders who'd do their best to patch him up, and keep him breathing for the fight.

  Gale couldn't figure why Sora had left so many important features to him. Why wouldn't the pilots have control over their own first aid? He always supposed if they were knocked out during a fight they wouldn't be able to activate it, but shouldn't something like that be automatic?

  "Alright, what am I dealing with here Margo?" Clay asked as his guardian made a few stretching movements.

  Cherry stayed silent.

  "Margo?"

  "Margo's gone." Gale said finally.

  "I guess she really was the smart one." Clay sighed. "That's good, after this I want out too. You're lucky I'm even here after you fucked up the last wave."

  Clay's last wave was Gale's next. What could have happened to make them lose two pilots? "I don't know anything about that, but we need to focus on the monster in front of us. I'm sharing the specs." He should have let Clay know that Margo hadn't quit, she'd died. There was no backing out of this war, for Gale for all of them the only options were to fail, or win. Of course it seemed this Margo person had found a third option.

  No.

  Abandoning her Guardian to Cherry was no different than failing the human race.

  Let Clay think what he wanted for now, they needed him into this fight too bad.

  Name: Gashadokuro

  Level: 5

  Health: 10

  "You didn't run a full scan?" Clay voice was shredded with annoyance.

  "It costs energy for me to do it."

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  "Typical." Clay barked. "Fine, newbie stay behind me and wait for an opening. Then let it rip with that cannon, that's how Margo and me did it."

  "My name is Cherry!"

  That caught Clay's attention. "From One Week Academy?"

  Before an answer could come the skeleton made it's next attack. It raised it's arm and brought it's boney hand down on top of Lancelot like it was squashing a bug.

  Faster than you'd think a mech that size could move, Clay brought his shield above his head.

  New Skill Added!

  Name: Bulwark

  Rank: 2

  Cost: 1

  Effect: Subtract 2 damage from any targeted attack against the Guardian.

  Lancelot's Energy: 18/20

  Lancelot's Health: 17/20

  Clay Grunted over the comm as his mech absorbed the impact and the damage. The pilots received feedback whenever their mechs took damage. It wasn't pain per say, but their brains did interrupt the sensation as 'bad' which was functionally the same thing.

  It was a big blow. but with it Gale already had this fight mathed out, and Clay was coming out on top. "Let him have it."

  Clay roared and swung his sword at the boney hand still trying to crush him.

  It was a direct hit, but no damage was done. Lancelot's sword bounced right off the monster's bone.

  Gashadokuro's Profile Updated:

  Armor: 2

  "It's armored." Clay grunted. That data from the attack had already been collated by Metatron and dispersed to the other guardians. If they ever faced this thing again they would know, of course if they did face it again it would be in the past. Time travel really sucked sometimes. This is why Gale using his Scan ability could have been useful they'd find hidden abilities traits from these creatures, but it wasn't that simple. The reset, closing the rift, leveling up, all of it flowed from Metatron. Every bit of energy he spent on a scan translated into lives lost, forever.

  Clay reeled back from the reflected force of his attack, as he did the skeleton lifted his hand just enough to bring it back down on Lancelot.

  Lancelot's Energy: 16/20

  This time Clay was able to absorb the whole hit.

  But there was something wrong, Clay's vitals were not looking good. The spiders should have patched him up by now. "Gale you're in the red, what's happening."

  Gale groaned in pain. "It's attacks are doing something to me." He growled through his teeth, the pain must of been immense. He shouldn't have been able to feel pain that intensely in The Guardian. "I feel like I'm dying."

  "You are." Gale kicked himself as he red Clay's vitals. Heart rate, brain activity, blood sugar, it was all dropping. Somehow Clay weighed fifty pounds less than he had two hits ago. It was like he was starving to death before their eyes. Their Guardian's should have been able to pick up on any tag along effects the skeleton's attack might have carried, poison, or radiation, but not this. These things, The New Gods sometimes they had abilities that defied science, at least the science Sora knew. The only word for whatever this thing was doing to Clay was Magic.

  "Clay, it's attacking you directly."

  "No shit, what do I do?"

  "Don't get hit and kill it faster." Gale worked a few sliders on his monitor. "You're not brain dead yet, I'm completely disassociating you from your body. You gotta push through."

  Clay grunted. "That's better, ugh but I can still feel it."

  "That's impossible." Gale assured him.

  "Then you get down here and fight this thing. Whatever, I'm pushing through."

  "Cherry hold off." Gale said, as she saw the blonde aiming at the beast's skull. "We need Clay to deshell this thing before you attack, or it's all going to bounce off."

  "How do we do that?"

  New Skill Unlocked

  Name: Armor Piercer

  Rank 1:

  Effect: For each point of energy spent, ignore one point of armor.

  The edge of Lancelot's sword now glowed with the blue and deadly light of a laser, thin and deadly.

  New Skill Unlocked

  Name: Armor Shredder

  Rank: 3

  Cost: 2

  Effect: If the Guardian inflicts damage with this attack, permanently remove 1 point of armor from the target.

  Lancelot's Energy: 12/20

  Even a simple sword and board mech like Lancelot was hungry for power. There wasn't a guardian in the fleet that didn't feel the oppressive restraints of their power plant. Even so every bit of it was put to good use. Now the laser that lined the sword seemed to change shape. It appeared as spikes all along the edge of the sword, which soon began to rotate like the teeth of a chainsaw. It was a ridiculous sight, and so satisfying to watch.

  Clay swung the shining and roaring sword once more, this time he chewed through the monstrous enamel protecting the bones, and broke through to the black marrow writhing within. It spewed and landed on the Guardian like thick slime, but could find no purchase. It simply ran off like foul water.

  The great monster roared, and reared back in shock and pain.

  "Ya didn't like that did ya?" Clay cackled.

  Gashadokuro Health 8/10.

  It did not. The stupid thing sucked on it's finger like it'd never experienced pain before. Still roaring the thing gripped it's ribcage and began to yank on it. The bones cracked and hinged open. It brought itself back as if taking in a deep breath. "What's it doing?" Cherry asked, subtly positioning Clay between her and the monster. From all around the city, in the rubble, and in the safe places too, streams of red light flowed into the air, and into the beast like ribbons. It was like a cartoon character inhaling the scent of a freshly cooked pie. As grotesque as the skeleton was, the streams of light were almost beautiful.

  Only Gale could see the true horror of what was happening. Each of those ribbons was a soul, or at least a life. He could see it on his radar, in the same dethatched way all his data presented itself. Little red dots on a screen, just blinked out of existence. The entire city, all life for miles, just shriveled, and died, and for what?

  Gashadokuro Health: 10/10

  So this thing could fix it's broken finger.

  Clay had no taste for the creature's dramatics, or it's wounded ego. He charged in before it was even done devouring souls. This time he struck at the thing's thigh, hopping to chop through it's leg, but the whirring of his incredible laser chainsaw could only cut so deep.

  Lancelot's Energy: 9/20

  Gashadokuro Health 8/10

  "Now Cherry!" Gale yelled, and to his delight the girl had been waiting for it.

  She roared again and mentally slammed back down on the lever. Seven more shots echoed from her cannon one after another. unlike the small and fast crawlers, the skeleton was an easy target. Cherry didn't have to lean on her luck as six shots thundered into the skull of her foe. One managed to punch through the skull entirely, and leave out the back, creating a satisfying third eye in the thing's hideous visage.

  Gashadokuro Health 2/10

  "Yeah!" Gale screamed, "that's what I'm talking about!" To his shame Gale's thoughts returned to Cherry, and the normal life that was promised to her just an hour before. He couldn't help but think what a waste that would have been. "Clay finish it off."

  He was already on the move. The Gashadokuro squirmed about on the field, in dire pain, and no doubt humiliation. He was backing away from Clay now like Cherry had before. It's long legs covered so much ground as Clay barreled forward. Gale didn't know if it was ancient, but it was terrible and if it was looking for sympathy from it's foes it would find none in these three teenagers. In fact Gale felt nothing but satisfaction knowing that these things could feel fear.

  It lashed out one last time to strike Lancelot down. Despite Gale's warning, there was really no dodging an attack on the scale this thing could manage.

  Lancelot's Energy: 7/20

  Lancelot's Health 16/20

  The Machine blocked it easily again and suffered only minor damages for it's trouble, but again whatever dark and unseen magic it was working on Clay had finally taken effect. Gale could see it clear as day on his screen. The little mechanical spiders scrambled around him trying to heal his body, but the vitality was just getting drained right out of him. All his readings just sort of crawled to a stop. Clay could only off a week croaking breath as he crumbled in his seat.

  "Dammit!" Gale punched his counsel. Where was the justice in that? Clay could stomp this thing, even without Cherry it was as good as dead if they'd kept going.

  All Cherry saw was the Guardian collapse like a puppet with it's strings cut. "Clay?" She called, voice rising with panic.

  "He's gone!" Gale barked. "Cherry you need to get in there and finish the thing it's almost done!" It was asking too much, and Gale knew it. She was too shocked by seeing her first comrade fall in battle. You never forget your first.

  "That's not fair, he was about to win!" She couldn't think of attacking, she just screamed for Clay, for Lancelot, for the brave knight who'd almost made everything possible.

  Then the hand came down again, this time on her.

  09's Health 7/10

  "Aaah!" Cherry cried, for the first time tasting what damage felt like. Not only that, she could feel the life leaving her and escaping into the vents as well.

  "Fight cherry!" Gale screamed, they were really about to lose this. The city, the pilots, something was about to be lost so he could make sure this thing never saw the next town. He'd promised Sora, he'd promised Cherry! "You have to fight!"

  "Aaaah!" She screamed again and swung the fist of her mech through the brittle bones of the monster's hand. It shattered on impact, white shards exploding under the force of her machine

  Gashadokuro Health 1/10

  With it's last good, hand the Gashadokuro once again tried to crush Cherry, but she was in a blind rage now. She was not going to let this thing touch her again. She threw her fist forward to meet it's, the two blows clashing against one another, but ultimately Cherry's will carried the day. Like a shockwave cracks appeared up and down the skeleton's arm, It stood there still and in shock and piece by piece it's arm fell away. It's mouth hung agape, the look of surprise was apparently universal. Then it's jaw fell from it's skull, and the skull rolled back off the neck, and the whole thing came tumbling down until it sat as a profane pile of wreckage in the middle of what had been the county campus.

  09's Health 4/10

  Gashadokuro's Health 0/10

  Wave Cleared!