Soul Drive: Ignition

Hiro's heart raced beneath the metallic armor of his Mach as he hovered above what remained of the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his grip tightening on the controls. Below them, the Japanese military swarmed around the building like a nest of angry hornets, their weapons trained on the Machs overhead, vengeance burning in their eyes after the destruction the Mach battle had caused.

Nori had told Hiro to run but his resolve was unshakable, anchored by the knowledge that running was never an option. He had to save Nori and stop the violence. In a swift motion, he activated one of his soul blades, the weapon humming with energy as it extended from his Mach's arm.

Daiki laughed, the sound echoing through the communication channel like the cackle of a hyena. "You think I'm afraid of your little toy?" he sneered. "To use that blade, you'd have to slice through Mach 2 and kill your precious little friend here. And we both know you don't have the guts."

Hiro's jaw clenched, but he refused to react to Daiki's taunts. This was all part of his plan. As his other hand moved subtly, he released a flare towards the ground below. The brilliant light erupted in a blinding display, drawing the attention of the Japanese military and, more importantly, Daiki.

"What the hell was that about!" Daiki snarled, momentarily distracted by the sudden burst of light.

As the flare descended, casting a harsh glow across the battlefield, Hiro's thoughts raced. This is my chance. I have to act now, or we're all done for. He only hoped that Nori would understand his plan, he needed him to if it was going to work.

Here goes nothing, Hiro thought, I am not going to let you kill Nori or anyone else.

Daiki's eyes snapped back to Hiro, expecting him to have made a move but Hiro remained hovering in place. Daiki was confused but only for a moment, his gaze fell to Hiro's now empty hand. Fear flickered across Daiki's faceplate as he scanned the area for the missing weapon. But it was already too late.

"Looking for this?" Nori's voice crackled through the comms, his tone dripping with defiance. And in that split second, Daiki finally understood Hiro's plan.

The soul blade had been passed to Nori during the flare's distraction. Daiki's eyes widened as Nori plunged the blade into Daiki's Mach armor, piercing through and sinking into his leg. A scream of agony tore from Daiki's lips as his grip on Nori faltered.

"Damn you!" Daiki raged, his voice strained with pain. As he attempted to pull the blade from his leg.

"An idiot like you could never win," Nori replied, his own pain evident. With a final burst of strength, Nori wrenched himself free from Daiki's hold, plummeting towards the ground below.

Not again, Hiro thought, I can't let him crash. Without hesitation, Hiro blasted forward, reaching out to grab Nori before he could hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" Hiro asked urgently, gripping Nori tightly.

"Y-yeah," Nori stuttered, pain lacing his voice. "I'll be fine."

"Listen, you need to get out of here," Hiro urged, concern flooding his thoughts. "You've done enough, Nori. You destroyed Mach 12 and damaged Mach 6. Let me take it from here."

"And let you become the target of Daika and the full Japanese military?" Nori stubbornly insisted, his determination unwavering. "Not a chance, I am staying to make sure they know exactly who they are dealing with."

"Please," Hiro pleaded. "I don't want you to get hurt, go!"

Nori felt a warmth spread out inside him at the sound of Hiro's words, "Fine," Nori reluctantly agreed. He ordered his AI to divert all remaining power to his thrusters, despite the warning that it would require extensive repairs later on. And with that, Nori blasted off into the sky, leaving Hiro alone to face Daiki.

Turning back to confront his enemy, Hiro's breath caught in his throat as he saw what awaited him. Hiro's eyes widened in horror as Daiki's Mach armor began to emit a series of alarming beeps. The suit's voice, cold and mechanical, informed Daiki of a critical error: nanite infection due to bloodstream infusion. Panic flooded Daiki's face, visible even through the protective visor.

"Override! Release me!" he yelled desperately, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The AI declared "Death imminent, full integration required. Alpha mode engaged." And with that Daiki's fate was sealed.

The once sleek, blue armor started to shift and twist with a sickening crunch, as if possessed by some malevolent force. Energy surged from the suit like tiny volts of electricity, crackling and snapping menacingly. The once smooth edges grew sharp and jagged, transforming the elegant design into something altogether monstrous. Daiki's breaths came in short, ragged gasps as he felt his life force being siphoned away, replaced by a nanite skeleton that filled his mind with thoughts of death and destruction.

"Help... me," he choked out, his voice barely audible through the chaos. His human thoughts fading quickly he desperately needed Hiro to understand before it was too late.

-----

Meanwhile, safely in her office at the Mach department, Mao watched the horrifying transformation unfold on a live feed. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, requesting scans of the scene and copies of the footage. Sweat beaded on her brow, betraying her fear.

"What the hell is happening?" she muttered, her heart pounding in her chest. This had never happened before, and she couldn't decide if this was a flaw in the system or an upgrade.

Halfway around the world, Patrick Stark mirrored her actions, his own concern mounting. A fatal flaw in the Mach's design could have catastrophic consequences, if this was some kind of core meltdown then the entire city of Tokyo was about to get wiped off the map. There would be no way for Canada to recover from being the cause of such a disaster, and so Stark found himself hoping the rogue Mach would destroy Daiki before it was too late.

As Hiro hovered helplessly in the air, watching Daiki's torment, he racked his brain for any chance to get the armor off of Daiki. I need to find a way to stop this, he thought, preparing himself to take on the power-surging Mach. For Kimiko, and for the greater good.

Hiro's AI spoke urgently, "We need to leave the area immediately." Before he could question why, an immense shock wave erupted from Daiki's Mach, slamming Hiro with the force of a freight train. He was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into a nearby office building. The impact reverberated through the structure, causing it to tremble and groan while glass shattered all around him.

"Damn it," Hiro grunted, struggling to regain control of his suit. He burst out of the debris, his focus locked onto Daiki and the energy seeping from his Mach. "AI, scan Daiki and his Mach. There has to be a way to shut the armor down before it kills him."

"Scanning now," the AI replied. "There is a critical system failure within Daiki's Mach, probability of survival is 0.3%. His vitals are spiking. The suit will continue to draw power and release destructive pulses until the area is reduced to rubble... And eventually, it will explode with the force of three atomic bombs."

Hiro's whole body tensed, his determination unwavering. I have to find a way to stop this before it's too late. He looked at Daiki, and I may have to kill to do it.

As if in response to his thoughts, Daiki unleashed another guttural scream of agony. A second pulse burst forth from his suit, sending military vehicles careening through the air and reducing the Canadian Embassy to a pile of smoking rubble. Once again, Hiro was sent spiraling back into the building behind him, the wind knocked from his lungs.

"Warning: your shields are at 20%. Another blast will be fatal," the AI cautioned. "My calculations indicate that your best chance for survival is to flee the area immediately."

Hiro took a moment to let the warning sink in, frustration boiling beneath the surface. "No! There has to be another solution. These Machs can adapt to any situation. Give me a weapon to end this before more innocent people get hurt."

"Understood," the AI replied, its tone now resolute. "I will find an alternative solution to neutralize Daiki's Mach without further endangering human lives."

"Good," Hiro said, steel in his voice. "Let's put an end to this nightmare."

"Preparing code for a fusion of the soul blades," the AI announced, its tone tinged with urgency. "The combined energy should be sufficient to destroy Daiki's Mach 6."

Hiro felt a chill run down his spine as he processed the implications. Destroying the Mach would save countless lives, but it would also mean killing Daiki in the process. He knew this was always a possibility but his hands still shook as he confronted the reality of the situation.

"Is there any way to disable the suit without harming him?" Hiro asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Negative," the AI replied. "Daiki's life is intrinsically linked to the suit at this point. Separating them is impossible without causing fatal harm."

As Hiro hesitated, uncertain of what to do, his commlink crackled to life. Daiki's voice came through, strained and pleading. "Hiro... help me. I'm not in control anymore. It's like my mind is being torn apart..."

Hearing Daiki's torment allowed Hiro to make his choice. He knew that allowing the Mach to melt down would result in far more casualties.

"Forgive me, Daiki," Hiro whispered, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. Activating the soul blades, he fused them together, forming the massive Soul Saber. Its shimmering energy pulsed with a power that made Hiro shudder.

"Warning: next pulse imminent," the AI alerted him.

Drawing upon every ounce of courage he possessed, Hiro propelled himself forward, Soul Saber in hand. Just as the next pulse was about to be released, he swung the weapon with all his might. The resulting impact shattered Mach 6, sending an explosion of light and debris into the air.

"Daiki..." Hiro murmured, his heart aching with guilt. He had saved the city but at the cost of taking a life. Hiro's whole body shook and tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Evacuate the area immediately," the AI instructed. "Military forces are regrouping."

Without a moment's hesitation, Hiro took to the sky. The wind whipped past him as he soared faster and faster, trying to escape the horrific scene he'd left behind. He knew he could never take back what he had just done, and the feeling of guilt threatened to consume him.

What kind of hero am I if I can't save anyone? he thought bitterly, the cityscape blurring beneath him.