.
DJ soon reached the lift shaft.
Somewhere in the upper levels, emergency circuits rerouted under Rony's override. The lift doors slid open with a metallic groan.
DJ stepped inside an industrial lift.
And the descent began.
The heavy industrial lift vibrated as it dropped into the underground depths of the Pullwater mine. The deeper it went, the colder the air became.
In DJ's mind his last trip to this place started to play, remembering himself going down this same lift, he remembered the Pull-water and remembered the gunshot he ignored.
DJ opened his eyes, closing them only brought back those memories, and tried making himself focus on the current task..
"Did you find the camera?" DJ asked. "Or Roy?"
Rony paused before replying, and slowly.
"Well,"
"I found both."
"Where?" Dj asked.
"You'll see."
The lift slowed and then stopped with a humm.
The doors opened and gave the full view of the enormous cave he was in.
DJ stepped out into that vast underground cavern.
The ceiling stretched high into darkness, held up by massive steel support beams drilled into raw stone. Industrial floodlights cast long reflections across a glowing blue lake that filled the center of the cave — Pullwater. shimmering and pulsing faintly like something alive.
Machines lined the perimeter. Extraction rigs. Refinement units. Glass containment cylinders filled with swirling blue energy. Temporary tents and monitoring stations were set up along the rocky edges.
And at the center of it all Near the edge of the glowing lake stood a towering object, at least seven or ten or twelve feet tall.
Covered in a heavy black cloth.
It wasn't shaped like a crate, It was shaped like something upright.
Behind it, cables ran directly into the lake.
In front of that object, Sat Roy.
Relaxed. One leg crossed over the other, a camera in one hand, A wine glass in the other.
He looked almost bored.
The distance between them was over a hundred meters, the blue glow reflecting across the polished lenses of his glasses.
DJ stepped out of the lift fully, The doors closed behind him with a heavy clang.
He began walking forward, Bootsteps echoing softly against stone and metal.
"Did you find the trap?" DJ asked quietly.
Rony's voice lowered.
"He's alone. No visible guards. No active weapon signatures around him."
A beat.
"But that thing behind the curtain…" Rony continued, scanning deeper. "The energy density is off the charts. The amount of Pullwater in it is extremely high. You only have one twentied of what he had on that.
DJ didn't slow down, he kept walking.
The blue lake rippled faintly, Machines hummed somewhere in the distance.
Roy took a small sip from his glass, watching DJ approach through the camera viewfinder as if filming a documentary.
Ten meters away DJ stopped.
The cavern was silent except for the low vibration of raw Pullwater energy.
Roy lowered the camera slightly.
He was still seated, still composed, still swirling the wine in his glass like this was a private tasting instead of the heart of a dangerous situation.
He looked up slowly at the damaged mask… the cracked plating… the burn marks.
Then he glanced around at the empty cavern.
And chuckled.
"DJ… you really are brave."
His eyes flicked to the camera in his hand.
"Nice camera you made. I'll admit — for a teenager, you've got guts. And resources."
He stood, finishing the drink in one calm motion.
"I underestimated you. And I paid the price for it."The blue lake pulsed behind him.
"Don't you think it's absurd?" Roy continued.
"You — a nobody — came this close to destroying an empire I built with sweat and blood… for a girl you met a few weeks ago. Do you think you are some Disney princess or something "
Than his tone hardened.
"You're the first person who made me this angry. Angry enough to act without thinking. I made mistakes because of you. Gave you opportunities I shouldn't have."
A faint smile.
"You were right, though. I should've killed you when I had the chance."
He checked his watch.
"You have four minutes left. As agreed."
He looked back up.
"And as usual, I'll give you an offer."
He gestured lazily toward DJ's suit.
"Tell me who built that armor. Give me the name. I'll spare him."
A pause.
"Because no matter what… you are going to die."
Roy reached for the heavy black curtain.
And pulled.
The fabric fell away. Behind it stood an twelve-foot war machine.
Thick, reinforced legs mounted on chain-driven treads for stability. Dual heavy cannons mounted on either side of a broad armored torso. Twin machine guns positioned on reinforced shoulder pivots. Missile pods embedded along the back plating.
Four massive containment cylinders filled with glowing Pullwater were mounted like spinal columns behind it.
The entire frame hummed with contained energy.
Roy stepped toward it.
"You saw the men upstairs," he said. "Those were Drum Prototype Soldiers."
He placed his hand on the machine's chest panel.
"This…"
The front armor split open with hydraulic force.
"…is the Drum Prototype — Tank Three."
He climbed inside.
The interior was sealed around him with layered magnetic locks. The chest plate closed, locking with a heavy metallic clang.
The machine powered on.
Blue optics ignited at the top of the armored head.
"Built to withstand intercontinental missile impacts," Roy's voice echoed through the suit's amplified speakers. "Small warheads. Sustained artillery."
A low energy shield shimmered faintly around the mech — similar in frequency to DJ's own defensive field.
"You know," Roy continued, "when I first heard about your tech, I assumed you stole it. The shielding signatures are… similar."
The cannons rotated slightly.
"Theoretically, this can withstand Krish's punches."
A pause.
"Let's find out."
As Roy finished speaking, the mech's core deepened into a guttural mechanical hum.
It wasn't just sound.
It was vibration, like war drums coming to life.
The entire cave resonated — like some ancient metal beast had just awakened. four heavy containers behind the huge mechanical monster tank three flared.
DJ didn't hesitate.
He raised his arm and fired a concentrated energy bolt straight at Tank Three's chest.
The blast hit dead center—
—and dissolved against the shield in a ripple of blue light.
The mech didn't even move.
Roy laughed through the external speakers.
"Die."
The twin heavy machine gun barrels spun to life.
A thunderous roar exploded through the cavern.
DJ's HUD flared—
BALLISTIC IMPACT WARNING
He dove sideways as a storm of rounds tore through the space he'd been standing in. Bullets chased him as he sprinted, shredding scientific equipment, exploding glass containment cylinders, ripping through tents and consoles.
Metal sparks filled the air.
Equipment shattered.
Fragments rained down.
The gunfire continued until—
WEAPON OVERHEAT
The barrels slowed.
Stopped.
DJ slid behind a massive boulder near the edge of the cavern, chest heaving.
"That thing's insane," he muttered. "Why don't we use an EMP?"
Rony's voice came quickly.
"It would fry Sakshi's camera. The data inside it might corrupt. We can't risk that."
DJ clenched his jaw.
"Then what?"
"Get behind him. Remove the Pullwater containers. Without those, the mech loses its core output."
Before DJ could respond—
A deep mechanical charging sound echoed across the cave.
He turned.
Tank Three's twin cannons retracted slightly as a central emitter extended from its torso.
Blue energy condensed at its tip.
"Move!" Rony shouted.
A blazing beam of concentrated Pullwater energy erupted forward.
DJ's instincts kicked in.
He sprinted.
The beam carved a molten trench across the cave floor as it tracked him. He rolled behind debris—
—but the beam curved with him.
Too slow.
The blast caught him mid-motion.
The impact launched him across the cavern like a ragdoll.
He slammed into the far stone wall hard enough to crack it.
The beam cut off.
DJ slid down to one knee.
His HUD went chaotic.
CORE TEMP CRITICAL
SHIELD FAILURE
PULLWATER STORAGE OVERHEAT
Smoke rose from his armor joints.
Inside the system, alarms screamed.
Rony reacted instantly.
Emergency cooling protocols engaged. The heat death's micro-cycles flooded the suit's inner channels. Vent ports burst open, expelling superheated vapor.
Temperature readings dropped immediately.
Stabilizing.
"Are you okay?!" Rony demanded.
DJ coughed once.
"Fine. But you should fix the helmet… it buzzes."
Rony exhaled in relief.
Across the cavern, Roy shifted modes.
The mech's heavy barrels spun again.
And opened fire.
DJ pushed off the wall and ran.
Bullets tore through tents and smashed the equipment he ducked behind. Sparks and fabric fragments filled the air.
Roy fired continuously until his HUD flashed another heat warning.
He stopped.
Mode switch.
The central emitter extended again.
Tank Three advanced forward, heavy steps shaking the ground.
Roy aimed carefully this time.
The energy beam fired again — precise, controlled — cutting through the wreckage exactly where DJ had taken cover.
The blast vaporized metal racks and split stone pillars.
"Two minutes," Roy announced through the mech's amplified mic, his voice echoing across the cavern.
"After two minutes, everyone will know you, DJ."
The mech kept walking forward through smoke and shattered equipment..
DJ crouched low behind collapsing debris, his energy reserve: 6% when heard Roy's amplified voice echo through the cavern.
Cold.
Certain.
Unhurried.
DJ ducked behind a collapsed steel rack as bullets shredded the space above him.
"Rony," he said through clenched teeth, "do you have anything else that can take down that tank?"
A short pause.
"Without damaging the camera he's carrying?" Rony replied. "Not many options."
"How?" DJ demanded, rolling to avoid a ricocheting round.
"Get close."
DJ didn't hesitate.
He broke from cover and sprinted diagonally, forcing the mech to rotate its upper body to track him. Bullets chased him again, tearing into rock and machinery.
While DJ moved, Rony continued scanning.
"His suit architecture is crude. Oversized vent ports. Inefficient heat dispersal. it's a brute-force build, no elegance it's core mech—"
A chunk of flaming debris flew toward DJ.
He ducked under it.
"English."
"It overheats," Rony translated quickly.
DJ's eyes narrowed behind the cracked visor.
"Then let's heat him up."
"Not that simple," Rony countered. "The entire frame is saturated with Pullwater. Push it too far and you don't just disable it — you detonate half the cavern."
DJ paused half a second at that.
The glowing lake behind Roy shimmered violently as the mech continued firing.
"Listen carefully," Rony continued. "When the guns overheat, there's a cooldown cycle. Roughly three seconds where weapon output drops and internal systems recalibrate. That's your window. You must get close during that break."
"Any danger?" DJ asked dryly while sliding behind a metal crate.
"Except your death? Nothing."
DJ exhaled sharply.
"Good."
He surged forward again, weaving through the wreckage as Tank Three advanced.
Right on schedule, the rotating barrels slowed.
Steam vented from the shoulders.
Cooldown cycle initiated.
Three seconds.
Instead of charging directly—
DJ fired a compact shoulder missile.
Roy saw it coming.
He didn't dodge.
The missile struck Tank Three's torso and detonated—
Smoke cleared.
No damage.
Roy smirked inside the cockpit.
"Is that all?"
But then—
The remnants of the missile casing cracked open.
Pink vapor began spilling downward.
A thick foam-like substance expanded rapidly upon contact with the mech's lower chassis.
Within seconds, bright pink polymer foam hardened around the chain-driven treads and stabilizer wheels.
The mech attempted to step forward.
It didn't move.
Roy looked down at the cockpit diagnostics.
Mobility restriction detected.
He frowned — but didn't panic.
"Creative," he muttered.
The foam continued hardening, jamming the lower drivetrain.
DJ was already closing the distance.
Roy responded immediately.
The machine guns resumed firing.
Bullets forced DJ into erratic zigzags, tearing apart what little cover remained.
The barrels spun faster—
Faster—
Then clicked empty.
Ammunition depleted.
Roy switched modes instantly.
The central emitter extended.
Charging hum intensified.
The cavern vibrated again as the energy beam built to lethal output.
DJ was now within twenty meters.
Fifteen.
Ten.
The emitter glowed blinding blue.
"Energy discharge imminent," Rony warned.
The beam fired.
DJ duct barley dodging.
DJ was out of distance.
Out of safety.
And almost out of time.
He fired again — three rapid micro-missiles.
One detonated into expanding pink immobilizer foam.
Another burst into dense blue ionized vapor.
Two more released thick chemical smoke that flooded the space between them.
Within seconds, Tank Three was swallowed in swirling color and static haze.
Roy's voice echoed from inside the cockpit.
"Smoke? Foam? Gas?" he laughed. "Petty tricks."
The mech's targeting HUD pulsed red.
"I can still see you."
Thermal mapping. Motion tracking. Energy signatures.
Roy pressed a sequence of switches.
Compressed vents along the mech's torso blasted superheated air outward.
A violent wave of hot wind exploded from the machine.
The smoke tore apart.
Foam particles scattered.
The haze vanished.
And there—
Standing directly in front of him—
Was DJ.
Burned armor. Cracked visor. Breathing hard.
Roy wasn't surprised.
He almost looked impressed. The guy has figured out his sequence, he just fired the energy beam, now he has to fire the machine gun, one that he can dodge.
"Ready to die?" Roy asked calmly.
No reply.
The machine gun barrels began spinning again.
DJ ran straight at him.
The guns roared.
Bullets ripped toward him—
And at the last possible second—
DJ triggered high-jump thrusters.
He launched upward.
Mid-air, he twisted and unleashed a continuous barrage of energy shots directly into the mech's upper frame.
Roy hadn't expected that angle.
The guns were calibrated for ground assault.
DJ cleared the firing arc completely.
He arced over Tank Three—
—and landed hard on its back plating.
"Warning," Rony snapped. "You have less than sixty seconds."
DJ didn't answer.
He grabbed the nearest Pullwater containment cylinder and tried to disengage the magnetic locks.
Inside the cockpit, Roy felt the structural vibration.
He understood immediately.
"Ohh."
Something shifted.
The machine guns detached from their forward locking position.
Mechanical joints rotated.
The entire twin-barrel assembly twisted backward.
And aimed directly at DJ's face.
The barrels began spinning inches away.
DJ froze.
For half a heartbeat.
"Don't you think," Roy said coldly, "I would fix such an obvious loophole?"
The barrels ignited—
DJ jumped.
The bullets shredded the spot where his head had been.
He twisted mid-air, pushing off the mech's shoulder plating and flipping backward.
Instead of retreating—
He shifted trajectory.
And dropped down near the rear energy housing — the exact section where the Pullwater core lines fed into the central reactor.
Roy stopped firing mid-burst.
He rotated the mech slightly.
Looked down at DJ now standing just meters away, close enough to see the glow of the four massive Pullwater containers pulsing behind reinforced glass.
DJ was panting heavily.
His armor scorched.
Energy reserve blinking critical.
Roy studied him through the cockpit display.
There was no fear in the boy's stance.
Only calculation.
And defiance.
The cavern hummed louder.
The lake behind them flickered violently, reacting to the mech's powerful output.
Roy's voice echoed, calm as usual.
"Time's up, kid. Four minutes. Fun while it lasted."
He tapped the transmit key.
Nothing.
No confirmation tone.
He frowned. Checked the signal bar.
Blank.
He tilted the mech's head upward.
The antenna mounted on top—
Gone.
Slowly, he looked forward.
DJ stood there, breathing hard, holding a broken antenna in one hand.
Roy froze.
DJ lifted his other hand.
A small trigger device between his fingers.
Roy's eyes widened inside the cockpit.
He twisted slightly—
And saw it.
A small disk stuck to the back of the mech.
"Oh—"
DJ pressed it.
A silent pulse.
No loud blast.
Just a dense cloud of grey smoke bursting outward.
The mech lights flickered.
Power lines sparked.
The entire machine slumped.
Systems offline.
"You should've fixed the obvious loophole," DJ muttered, walking forward
He was limping a bit now.
His eyes, half-closed, tired.
The cave hummed low around them.
DJ got closer—
And the mech twitched.
He stopped.
The heavy armor plates began unlocking.
Mechanical latches snapped open one by one.
Panels split apart.
Wires detached.
Like a cocoon breaking—
A smaller, slimmer machine stepped out from inside the dead shell.
Four mechanical legs hit the ground.
Lean frame.
Compact energy blasters mounted over the front legs.
No heavy guns.
No cannons.
Fast.
Roy's voice came through clearer now.
"You are dead."