Soul Drive: Ignition

Nori's eyes were glued to the news broadcast, his intense gaze reflecting off the screen as he absorbed every detail. "Breaking News: Second Robot Attack in South Africa" blared from the television in bold letters.

"A pink robot attacked a school earlier today," the newscaster reported, her voice trembling slightly with emotion. "Thankfully, a second teal one seems to be defending the school. The two robots are now engaged in a fierce battle in the airspace above the school while police and emergency services work diligently to evacuate the area."

Nori's jaw clenched as he downed the last swig of his lukewarm melon soda. There was no way this new Mach was going to destroy Mach 1 before he did. With a swift movement, he activated his Mach suit and took flight, heading toward the conflict. He decided to keep his distance, he needed to see Mach 1 defeat this new and prove he was worth the effort. "If I spot an opening," he muttered to himself, "I'll take it."

Nori drifted just outside of their sensors as the battle between Mach 1 and Mach 9 raged on. Nori observed the assault, his piercing eyes following their every move. Something wasn't right; Mach 1 was holding back, not fighting with his usual skill. What could be causing him to waver?

"Is he... scared?" Nori pondered, his anger bubbling up as he considered the possibility, there was no way this was the same pilot to raced into battle with Noboru. "Pathetic" he spat, disappointment tinging his words.

Nori made a decision. If Mach 1 was so weak, then Mach 9 could finish him off and save him the trouble. Of course, he would then destroy Mach 9 to ensure his supremacy. His fists clenched in anticipation, the winner of this fight didn't matter, because the only true winner would be him.

Nori's helmet buzzed with an alert, a third Mach had entered the South African airspace. "Shit!" he swore at himself, this only complicated things. He looked back seeing Mach 1 purposely miss a clear shot on Mach 9. What the hell was going on, he thought, did he miss something crucial? Was there a hidden strategy at play?

"Doesn't matter," he growled to himself, as the censor warned the new approaching Mach would make contact in under a minute. " Looks like I will have to wait a little longer until our rematch,"

As the battle below continued, Nori retreated into the distance, his thoughts consumed with anger and disappointment.

-----

Unaware of the new Mach approaching them, Hiro and Kimiko's Mach suits clashed in midair, sparks flying with each strike, and the sky around them seemed to vibrate with their raw energy. Hiro gritted his teeth within the confines of his suit, his heart pounding as he struggled to keep up with Kimiko's relentless assault. He had never intended for it to come to this, but her suit had made her unreasonable and she refused to listen to him. It was feeding on her pride and amplifying and Hiro worried that if he didn't figure out a way to get her out of the suit soon, he would lose his friend forever.

"Kimiko, there isn't much time!" Hiro shouted, trying to reason with her while simultaneously attempting to block her next attack. "You need to power down, or you could die!"

"I don't believe you, you just want the suit back! you don't think I can handle it, you never believed in me?!" she shot back, her voice strained with exertion.

Before either of them could react, a sonic boom shook the air around them, causing both pilots to momentarily lose focus. A third Mach appeared between them like a bolt from the blue, its streamlined form gleaming in the sunlight. It raised its hands, gesturing for them to stop.

"Stand down! I am Osamu Kimura, under the command of the Canadian government. You are hereby ordered to surrender your Machs immediately!" the new arrival commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.

Hiro's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, his mind racing with questions. Canada had access to Mach technology too? How many countries had managed to get their hands on this power, and why had they decided to use it now?

"Canada?" Kimiko sputtered, equally surprised. "But—"

"Enough!" Osamu interjected sharply, cutting her off. "You have entered this airspace illegally and engaged in unauthorized combat. Surrender now, or I will be forced to take you both down."

Hiro hesitated, his sense of justice warring with his desire to protect his friend. "I didn't come here to cause harm," he finally replied, his voice steady despite the fear that filled him. "We'll leave the area, but we won't hand over our Machs."

Osamu considered Hiro's words, his surprise was evident even through the Mach's emotionless visage. He turned his gaze towards Kimiko "The two of you are together in this?" he asked but she remained silent, her defiance palpable.

"Kimiko?" Hiro urged, hoping she would see reason and stand down as well.

Her silence stretched out between them, a space that at any moment could be replaced with another violent battle. It was clear that surrendering wouldn't come easily to Kimiko, but Hiro couldn't bear the thought of his friend being killed.

"Kimiko, please," he whispered, desperation lacing his voice. "There's still time to make things right."

As Kimiko's unyielding figure seemed to waver in the tense standoff, Hiro knew that the future of their bond and the fate of the world rested on her decision.

A surge of determination flashed in Kimiko's eyes, her decision was made. With a swift motion, she raised her blaster and fired at Osamu, who expertly activated his Mach's shield, blocking the attack with minimal effort.

"It seems the two of you have a lot to work out. Unfortunately allowing you to leave was never going to be an option," Osamu declared, his voice cold and authoritative, "I have been given authorization to eliminate all rogue Machs operating outside of government control."

Kimiko's jaw clenched, her pride driving her forward. "I'd like to see you try to take this from me," she challenged, a fire burning behind her words. "People like you are the true enemy, I couldn't fight the last government goon that came after me but I will destroy you."

"Your actions only guarantee your arrest and imprisonment for using government technology without permission, that is if you power down now and I am not forced to use lethal action," Osamu warned, unfazed by Kimiko's defiance.

The air crackled with tension before Kimiko charged towards him. Osamu's extensive training became evident as he easily dodged Kimiko, exploiting the blind spots within her Mach system. Hiro watched, torn between his loyalty to his friend and the realization that they couldn't win this fight. Kimiko didn't give up, laughing several blasts at Osamu, but none of them hit. Hiro intervened, trying to protect Kimiko while urging her to stop fighting.

"Kimiko!" Hiro shouted over the chaos of their combat. "We can't win this, he is too well trained! Please, just listen to me!"

Her stubbornness refused to yield, and she ignored Hiro's pleas, pushing herself harder. As a result, Osamu managed to land several heavy blows, damaging her Mach armor and causing multiple malfunctions.

"Enough!" Osamu roared, preparing to deliver a finishing strike.

Hiro darted forward, blocking the final blow. "No, don't!" he yelled, in the same motion activating his shield and sending Osamu spiraling backward. "Kimiko, get out of here! Now!" Hiro urged, his tone more serious than Kimiko was expecting.

He had never spoken to her that way but he was right, his words finally reached Kimiko, and she took off into the sky to find refuge. Hiro braced himself, turning back to face Osamu, ready to hold him off and buy Kimiko time to escape.

"Osamu, this doesn't have to end with one of us dead," Hiro asserted, his voice firm but laced with the weight of his internal struggle. "I want to destroy the Machs, to ensure they can't be used in war." Hiro glanced back hoping he could stall Osamu long enough for Kimiko to survive.

-----

Kimiko soared through the sky, her heart pounding in her chest as she searched for a place to hide. A dense forest below offered shelter and solitude, so she descended carefully, nearly collapsing as her damaged Mach armor creaked under its own weight. She powered it down and let out a shaky breath, feeling as if she were finally able to breathe. With its deactivation, her rational thoughts raced back to her mind, causing her to collapse.

"Armor repairs initiated," the Mach's AI informed her. "Full functionality will be restored in approximately seventy-two hours."

"Three days..." Kimiko whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She swiped at them angrily, refusing to let them fall. She could finally see what she had really done, and now Hiro was going to pay the price for her. The realization stung more than any physical blow.

"I can't go back home," she muttered, glaring at the ground. "Yutaka and Hiro, if he survives ... they'd never forgive me." Her pride wouldn't allow her to return empty-handed. She needed to prove that she was capable of wielding the Mach, that she could be a pilot worthy of the task of finding the other Machs.

"Tokyo it is, then" she resolved, her voice breaking. She pulled out her phone and booked a one-way ticket to Tokyo, determined to train until she could face Hiro and Yutaka with her head held high. "I'll make sure this never happens again, I will learn to control it," she vowed, her gaze fixed on the horizon.

-----

Meanwhile, Hiro stood his ground against Osamu, "Osamu, I couldn't let you kill Mach 9, it was the suit making her act that way," Hiro explained, his voice steady and determined.

"I know all about the side effects of a Mach," Osamu conceded, his tone tinged with respect. "But don't foul yourself, what you saw was the true Mach 9, the Machs only amplify the emotions and thoughts that you already have. Everything she did, that was all her."

"That's not true!" Hiro's expression hardened. "I know her, I know who she is. She would never just attack a school full of innocent kids – You are lying. These weapons... they could end our world, Osamu. They are causing the violence and destruction."

Osamu's eyes widened at Hiro's impassioned speech, and he found himself intrigued by the teenager's idealism. "You really believe that? You truly believe it is the technology that is tainting us and not that we are already poison?"

"More than anything, Machs need to be destroyed before they cause another war!" Hiro affirmed, his conviction unwavering.

"Fascinating," Osamu said slowly, considering Hiro's words. "So you are purposing the complete destruction of the Mach program, wiping it all away. But what about the next weapon or the one after that, isn't it human nature to want more power, more money, just more in general? It seems rather simplistic to believe these suits are the cause of the corruption and scheming that is at play every day,"

Hiro exhaled, "You're right, but I'm not saying that without them the world will be perfect, I am saying without them there will be less temptation to conquer another nation or force people to act in fear. Tell me that isn't true and I will power down right now and you can have my Mach."

Osamu was silent, he was clearly dealing with a young and naive boy, but Mach 1 wasn't wrong. The plans for these suits had always been for war and conquest, without them that plan could vanish.