I stared at the huge barrel and my own barrel shrank.

Name – General Anton Milley and crew (Boss) (Level 24)

Description – The Reaper Mark 3 is the latest in GenTech’s main battle tank roster. Boasting state of the art armour and firing system, it also comes with four AI controlled, ZP-9 combat drones. Each support drone learns in real time and adapts to any battlefield scenario, providing scouting intel and pinpoint anti-tank ordinance neutralisation. To request more information or place an order, please call our sales team on 222-4437-6161.

Weakness – Unknown

Immunities – Unknown

“How do you feel about headbutting a tank?” asked Cris, firing off a stream of magic missiles. The arcane projectiles homed in on the nearest drone which performed a tactical dive to avoid impact.

“Well, shit,” I muttered, shucking off the all-too-rational fear at facing a real tank. I triggered smite, and the column of holy power lanced down, directly impacting the turret. I saw the metal begin to glow and figured this was going to be an easy win when the interior inevitably exploded.

The glow continued.

And continued.

My beam cut off without melting any part of the armour. “What the shit?”

“State of the art adaptive armour!” gloated Milley from the town’s speakers. “Impervious to heat and kinetic energy! The same material we use on the dino casings! You’re not the only one with tricks up their sleeves, Norlanders!”

I called bullshit. Hit anything hard enough and it would break. I just didn’t have a spare nuke to fire. At least not on this world. Cris changed tactic and fired off a salvo of chaos orbs that fizzled against the front plates, causing no damage at all.

“I think we’re in trouble,” she whispered.

“So’s he,” I replied, seeing what the general couldn’t.

The Pteranodons above had hit the gigantic encasing dome of boss-room energy and scrabbled or walked on the barrier in confusion. A few of the herders were stood with their pets, doing a passable impression of a shocked mime, their palms rubbing over nothing.

Milley was oblivious to the prison cell we now shared. “Your tricks might’ve worked against flesh and blood, son, but let’s see how they fare against the latest in modern warfare technology!”

“Too late for a truce?” I called back, grabbing Cris and running for the windows.

Milley’s mocking laughter followed us as we fled. “Let’s clean up some of those classrooms, shall we? I’ll get to you soon enough.”

I heard the whir of mechanical movement as the tank aimed. My shield was a couple of minutes away from renewal and I knew we were toast. The wave of heat and energy from the exploding room at the other end of the building was enough to knock me flat. I jumped to my feet and found Cris’s probing hands reaching for me through the damaged window. Debris was raining down from the blast as I dived in after her. Another crack rang out and I watched more rubble scatter out into the field around the tank from the second blast. We jumped to our feet, the shattered glass crunching as we ran through the overturned desks.

“Any ideas?” asked Cris, rushing out into the hall.

I was transported back to my youth and the constant state of nervous expectation. Even after years of abandonment, the school still held the vaguest tang of the mop’s disinfectant touch. A row of lockers faced us, riddled with bullet holes. I pictured Steven, twisted up and forced inside the steel coffins. My fury started to boil over. “We kill Milley.”

“Fine idea, Mark. Any idea how we achieve that goal?”

The shrill whine of spinning rotors to our rear answered the question for me. I dived to the side as we passed though the door, taking Cris down in a rugby tackle as the machine opened fire. The lockers blew apart from the explosive tipped ammunition, showering us in metal shards. I held her tightly, using my armour to shield her body until the barrage abruptly cut off.

I jumped inside her head to keep our communication secret in case the AI could hear and adapt too. We take out the drones first. Then he’s just an arsehole in a tin can.

She nodded in my embrace and we carefully climbed to our feet to minimise the noise.

It’s coming in. Be ready with one of your novas. I want to see what our skills can do against these things.

As quietly as we could, we climbed to our feet and waited. The daylight outside provided a creeping shadow as the drone slowly crossed through the classroom. Cris focussed, gathering the arcane power into herself. Her eyes changed colour to an fiercely incandescent purple.

Ready!

The front of the drone glided into view. Between the two rotors was at least one camera that saw us immediately. Before it could turn and fire, Cris unleashed her spell. The wave of energy smashed the machine into the doorframe, breaking one of its flight modules and cracking the shell. It tried to retreat, but I was behind it in an instant with shimmer strike. Even as I appeared from the place between places, I knew I’d fucked up. A second drone was at the broken window providing cover. I pulled out my shield, twisted, and ducked. The power of the exploding bullets pounding into my shield knocked me past the damaged drone, back out into the hallway. My arm broke in several places from the impacts. To Cris’s credit, she swallowed down her fear for my safety and got a safe angle on the retreating drone. I was already rolling aside and necking a potion as she fired off a chaos orb that further crippled the damaged hunter.

It's not made with the same armour as the tank, she confirmed as the dark energy seared through the casing and hit something vital. Its remaining rotors tried to compensate and fly it out to safety. Sparks flew from damaged circuitry, and some of the ammunition popped inside the body. Flames hissing through the seams, it crashed to the ground, knocking furniture aside.

The deadly machine’s yellow health bar was now greyed out, but there were three more rows that were full of life. To reinforce the point, the second drone had learned our position and shot straight through the masonry we were using as cover. Chunks of brick and plaster pounded me as the explosive rounds destroyed the wall. Without my enhanced reflexes, I’d have never been able to pull us to safety in time. I pushed the thought of us as a red smear trickling down the holed lockers aside and dragged us further into the school.

They won’t fall for that again.

No, but at least we got one of them.

You were taught in one of these places. Any idea where to go? Where we could surprise them from?

Another shell hit the school, causing the floor to shake beneath our feet.

Anywhere that Milley can’t shoot at us would be a good start, warned Cris.

I checked over our zoomed out minimap. It’s square. We can just keep the tank on the other side of the building.

What good will it do us? He’s still out there.

I just hope he runs out of ammunition. Any idea how much a tank can carry?

She stopped at a junction in the hall, considering which way to go. Sorry, I didn’t take advanced war machines 101 in high school. I went for computer sciences and performing arts.

Well, I doubt the drones will stay still long enough for you to hack into them. And unless Milley and the tank are vulnerable to a few lines from West Side Story, your acting won’t help us either.

I sing too, she offered.

Maybe save that until after the fight. The explosions are already messing with my hearing without having to suffer through that.

Asshole! Now you’re done insulting me, how about offering a next step.

Milley cut off my thoughts with another shot. He seemed intent on the methodical demolition of the old school. It almost seemed personal. This time a row of loose ceiling tiles fell and broke apart on the floor from the tremors.

We need to take out the drones first. But to do that we need to get them inside the building.

Or we could try and fight them in the quad? The building will provide cover from Milley at least.

Out in the open? They’ll cut us to pieces.

Then we try to lure them inside somehow. The classrooms might be out of bounds to them now, but what about the cafeteria or auditorium?

Let’s try it. We can be the bait. Use Spidey and Fen to surprise them.

The sterile halls led us past multiple classrooms, all blessed with the personality of their previous teachers. Colourful posters spoke of their passions, from eliminating poverty to support for the country’s military. Osterland flags were displayed proudly above the ancient chalkboards. The dark, powder coated canvas showed the true age of the building. Hadn’t they heard of dry-wipe boards and coloured pens?

Hold back, warned Cris as we neared the refectory. She motioned at the ceiling which was dotted with skylights. They’ll be able to see us.

Let’s let some light in and make it even easier. Wait here.

I moved below the first pane of toughened glass, raised my shield, and fired off a pulse of holy power. It tore the whole thing from its frame and scattered it across the roof above. The tell-tale red dots of the drones approached.

Here they come.

I prepared by summoning Spidey onto the underside of the roof near the freshly formed hole. He flattened himself as much as possible to the ceiling in an effort to avoid the camera’s scrutiny until the last possible moment.

Steady, I warned, preparing for the cautious probe.

The drone didn’t probe cautiously. It dropped through like a stone, opening fire as soon as it passed the window. The powerful rotors spun it in a full three-sixty, peppering the entire canteen with gunfire. My poor arachnid was killed before he could even twitch. I simultaneously raised my shield and threw Shinara’s snare in a spasm of surprise. The grenade exploded against the ceiling, coating the drone with stringy goop that clogged the blades. Its unsupported weight fell, leaving it dangling harmlessly from my web. I ran forward and hacked it apart in a frenzy. Spidey’s body turned to dust and drifted to the floor. I dodged through the grey streamers of my fallen companion and headed back to Cris.

She was already moving around the vast room to the opposite hallway, keeping a wary eye on the opening I’d created. The minimap markers of the two remaining drones were keeping a respectful distance.

I wonder what the AI is thinking? Cris asked in my head.

Probably how best to kill us. What else would they be doing?

Cris held the door open for me and we darted into another non-descript passage. I meant in terms of analysing how we fight. AI is only as good as the human input that goes into creating it. Unlike the machines in Mecha Tyrannicus, it can only learn within the parameters that are set.

What are you saying?

I’m saying we have the advantage. They can’t possibly understand how to fight us because our powers don’t exist in their programming. They might’ve had a thousand soldiers play ten thousand hours of battlefield footage to them before they began coding, but it’s still just guns and bullets.

How does that help us right now? They’ve tried slow and steady, and now all-guns-blazing.

I say we head to the quad and finish the last two off. We can use our spells.

And risk getting shot to shit?

Your holy shield is ready again. Trust me, it’ll work.

I followed her lead towards a brighter stretch of hallway. The daylight forced back the shadows as we neared the recreational area. I knew Cris was right, but I still had a healthy fear of explosive bullets. She slipped an arm around my waist and we stepped out together.

The central fountain was dry. In its prime, it must’ve been a nice place to relax. Benches and study tables were dotted across the wide space. Our appearance triggered the response Cris had been hoping for. The drones zipped up and over the building, fixing us in their sights. Cris stepped into the safe zone afforded by my waiting spell. I activated holy shield and braced as the sets of twin cannons buzzed to life. The explosions crackled deafeningly against my defences, making me cringe at the power. I doubted even a red mist would’ve survived against the barrage. Fifteen seconds passed in a cacophony of hell.

I was yelling, cupping my ears against the noise.

Cris was shouting curses at the drones.

Suddenly… silence.

My ears continued to ring, as if they wanted to extend the torture.

The drones were still aimed at us, but their barrels just spewed a thin trail of smoke that the rotors snatched away. I was about to make a comment, but an achievement pinged.

Achievement Unlocked – This Ain’t Hollywood!

Description – These advanced technological marvels had only one major flaw, and you found it – they can only carry limited ammunition. There’ll be none of that 80s era nonsense where the guns never ran dry. I think Milley might want to ask for his money back.

Reward – + 1 intelligence to Mark Craig and Cristal Anderson

“Well, that’s a nice surprise,” I said.

The timer on my shield also ran dry and Cris’s eyes grew wide when the golden shell vanished. “Mark! Look out!”

They might’ve been out of ammunition, but the drones were still dangerous as they flew straight for us in a suicide dive. I waited until they were fully committed before tossing Cris to the side in a most ungentlemanly fashion. I rolled in the opposite direction and the two machines tore great furrows in the dry earth as they crashed. I was on my feet hurrying to my friend even as the clods of mud still pattered back to earth.

I took her hand and gently eased her from the ground. “Sorry. Are you ok?”

“Maybe give me a little warning before ragdolling me next time?” she muttered, dusting herself off. “That’s another red flag, buster.”

“How many red flags would I have got if I’d let the drone hit you?”

“Two,” Cris replied.

“Then I’m still ahead.”

A fire had broken out in the northern end of the school building. Milley fired another shot at the inferno, sending chunks of blazing debris raining down on us.

“Can we go and kill that asshole?” asked Cris, glowering.

“Any suggestions? I was hoping he’d have got bored by now. Or died of old age.”

“I can’t believe he’s still got shells to fire. How many has it been so far? Twenty? Thirty?”

“I’ve lost count. We still need to work out how we’re going to hurt him. The tank is impervious to our spells.”

“I was going to talk trash his mom and see if he’ll fist fight me,” Cris replied.

“All you’ll get is an armour piercing round in the face.”

“Good point.”

We left the quad in the opposite direction to the idling tank. My mind started to go into overdrive with what chance we stood against a machine designed to dominate a battlefield.

“Slim, but still a chance,” answered Cris.

She was right, of course. Though Bart’s competition might want to hobble us completely, the worlds were not insurmountable. Ergo, the enemies we faced were not insurmountable. I’d only recently killed a T-Rex, which would’ve seemed impossible twenty-four hours ago. I just needed to find the weakness in the powerful war machine.

Cris led us out through the reception to the front steps with a pair of pedestal mounted lions flanking them. Both creatures were roaring, with one paw held up aggressively.

The town beyond was quiet, but the protective shell surrounding us was teeming with life. For a reason known only to the pilot, one of the T-4s circling caught sight of us and swung in for an attack. Perhaps it was pure instinct at spying a foe. Or perhaps he hadn’t seen the dinosaurs and their fruitless attempts to enter the fray. Whatever it was, the craft hit the dome at full speed, crumpled in on itself, and exploded.

I stood there with my mouth open for a few seconds. The burning fuel poured down the invisible shell, causing the soldiers below to scramble away or get torched.

“That was stupid,” said Cris.

“Less for us to fight,” I replied, moving away from the site of the crash.

The onlookers moved with us around the perimeter. One of the beguiled tyrannosaurs was staring at me in the same way Scar had back in the city. I ignored its challenging gaze, my eyes straying instead to its scaled belly.

“What?” asked Cris. “You’ve got that look again.”

“You’re not going to like this, but please don’t argue,” I replied. “I need you to stay here.”

She fought her instincts and asked sincerely. “You’ve got a plan?”

“I’ve got something,” was all I could really say.

“Go do your thing. I’ll stay out of sight. Just promise me you’ll be careful?”

I couldn’t make that promise, so I turned and ran before I felt the need to lie. The sidewalk was lined with trees that had died when the town emptied. Without water, they were just leafless, clawed things sprouting from the arid earth. My mind wandered to what the undead world would look like.

“Focus!” I snapped at myself as I rounded the corner of the school. “This is going to work. It’s going to work. It has to work.”

With each loping stride towards the confrontation, I batted away the doubt which crowded in on me. I pulled up my character tab and found the unspent stat points waiting. The bonus provided by the achievement had already put me one step closer to my goal. I topped up my intelligence and closed it back down again. Slipping my insane plan into the quickslot bar, I slowed down near the final corner. Peeking round the wall, I found the tank slowly trundling in the opposite direction.

“What the hell’s going on?” boomed Milley from the speakers.

He’d stopped shooting the school long enough to notice the locked out crowd. I ran across the open space between the school and the bleachers which overlooked the field. I watched from between the steel frame as Milley fired off a shot at the encounter’s shield. The explosion, though powerful, was easily contained.

“What the hell is this?” Milley repeated.

I used the distraction to my advantage and slipped out of cover. Stepping carefully at first, I picked up my pace when Milley fired a second shot. The shockwave of the blast kicked up a cloud of dust that washed over me.

Two hundred yards separated me from my foe, and I tucked my elbows in and gave it my all.

Physical passage through the barrier might’ve been impossible, but some snaky grass outside got on the radio because the tank’s engine started to roar. The tracks spun, turning the machine in my direction. The gunner was faster in getting the turret on me. I dived instinctively, pitching myself to the right. The hefty barrel blazed to life, rocking the tank on its suspension. The pressure of the explosion at my rear pushed me further forward and I hit the dirt just as the chain gun buzzed to life. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the rounds that peppered the ground. The spinning barrels shifted, trying to get a bead on my fallen position. I had to scrabble forward in the dirt and dive again to avoid the bullets that followed me like a crazy ex.

The gun hit its lowest angle and stopped shooting when I was no longer in the firing line. The tank’s powerful engine kicked in, throwing a plume of black smoke from the exhaust. I was up like a shot, closing the gap to reach the minimum range of my spell. To my surprise, the monstrously heavy machine rapidly picked up speed as it reversed.

I had one opportunity before the barrels would have me dead to rights. I cast the Țepeș Stakes spell I’d received so long ago, and prayed. The tapered pikes burst from the ground in a six foot diameter, right underneath the front end of the tank. Governed by magics far beyond the natural world, the pointed timbers didn’t break off as they struck the chassis. It was lifted from the ground effortlessly, slowing the retreat to a near stop. Layers of armour plating tore with a terrible screeching as the momentum continued carrying the vehicle backwards. The enchanted spears vanished back into the ground, dropping the full weight of the vehicle back to the mud with an earth shaking crash.

I hadn’t stopped my own pursuit and jumped onto the war machine. With weapons in hand, I repeatedly cast shield bash on the chain gun, buckling and twisting the barrels. I switched targets and tried doing the same to the main gun. The holy power had no effect on the specialised material, so I went old school and magically packed a few small lumps of cathedral stone and some sticks of goblin explosive into the wide barrel.

The driver was picking up speed again when I chose to jump off. I landed in the middle of a puddle of oil and other fluids that had spilled liberally from my spell’s damage. I made a dramatic show of struggling to rise, pretending to favour my right leg.

The engine’s power reduced to idle and it came to a full stop.

I raised my shield in a futile effort to protect myself, triggering a bout of cackling from Milley. “You’re a strange one, son. I have no idea what the hell you just did, but it’s time to meet your maker.”

I cowered away, closing my eyes. The gunner took his order and fired. Instead of killing me, they only succeeded in shredding the barrel as the projectile hit my boobytrap. Smoke belched from the tank’s vents as the explosive blowback ravaged the interior. The engine shrilled with revs before stalling with a calamitous death rattle of destroyed cylinders.

The tank’s yellow armour bar was empty. The machine was dead.

I heard Cris’s running footsteps behind me and turned towards her in a stupefied daze.

“You did it!”

“I can’t believe it worked,” I said, catching her as she flew into my arms. “I’d hoped, yeah, but I still can’t believe it.” I gently put her down and looked all around. “Now we just have to fight the rest of the CID and their dinosaur pets.”

“Piece of cake,” she replied.