Chapter 10:
Cityscape Challenge
(cont...)

In an avalanche of brick and glass bursting out from shattered windows, the Mad Cat tore its way from the structure and regained the street around the corner from its original path. Behind him the building began a slow and ungainly collapse, unable to stand up under the damage to its lower floors. Wrenching his targeting cross hairs into the right side of his main screen, he twisted the Mad Cat at the waist to drop the reticle over the backside of the Avatar. The 70-ton ’Mech was just now stepping into the intersection that the Annihilator had vacated in favor of chasing after the Mad Cat. As the building collapsed in that direction, the assault ’Mech became mired in a pile of rubble and the Avatar pulled up short. Sensors no doubt screaming the danger of an enemy Mad Cat at his rear, the Avatar began to turn.

Not fast enough.

Sinclair cut loose with everything the Mad Cat had to give, except for long-range missiles as he was not about to waste ammunition or run up his heat scale on such a chancy close-up shot. His large lasers cut across the Avatar’s back and the rear left leg. A trio of medium-range lasers scored out with emerald pulses, adding to the damage, and even his machine guns, generally used as anti-infantry weapons, managed to scratch into the other ’Mech. The thermal image of the Avatar flared red and then white-hot as the engine shielding was cut away, but the other warrior was faster than most on the emergency shutdown fields. Though ruined as a power source, the MechWarrior prevented a catastrophic explosion of the reactor. The Avatar stood there where it had been, blocking the intersection, and belching smoke out the terrible rents in its back.

Connor’s first thought was for his escape. The Annihilator was still fighting to extract itself from the collapsed building, and after such a close call it seemed the perfect time. His second thought was for the mission, and he turned to locate the command center for at least one good barrage before fleeing. Then with a short bark of shocked laughter, he turned his Mad Cat northward and throttled up into a fast run. Results were what counted, regardless if it hadn’t been planned this way.

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