Chapter 111 - New Weapon (1/2)

Gray didn't know what mechs Kelly's team would pick, but he had to assume they would be superior to his team's mechs.

"So what's the plan?" Geoff asked.

"Well, Kelly knows I like to be defensive when I'm at a disadvantage, so let's do just that." Gray replied

"Huh?" was the reply heard from everyone on Gray's team.

"I'm banking on that she'll think I'll try to surprise her by doing the opposite of what I would do in this situation."

"So do you know her weakness then?" Caleb asked.

"She's impatient, but I'm guessing the military worked most of that out of her. Stacia, how much is the weather affecting your sensors?"

"Um... my normal sensor range isn't affected, but I can only provide targeting data at roughly half the normal distance."

"That's fine, none of us brought any weapons that need it. Glad to see Xyra and Caleb thinking ahead and going with a light battle rifle instead of a sniper rifle." Gray said to Xyra and Caleb.

"Have a little more faith in us than that Gray..." Caleb said jokingly.

"I do, that's why I let everyone pick for themselves, I am merely commending everyone on their choices, except maybe Paul. I think this is the part where I'm supposed to say 'Have fun', but winning is more fun than losing!" Gray proudly stated.

"What's wrong with my choice?" Paul asked.

"That shield slows you down, it's going to get in the way when walking through the jungle."

Paul lifts the shield up and slams the bottom of it into the soft ground, leaving it sitting up like a wall, "Problem solved."

"Weapon?"

Paul's mech reached on its back and produced a large 12-round grenade launcher instead of his spear. "Check!"

"Very good! The spear and that almost worthless grenade launcher accessory are worthless without the shield."

"Somebody stop him, he's trying to sound like a leader again..." Yurika teased.

"...it's hot..." Xyra whispered.

"He's my wife! Stay back!" Yurika said teasingly at Xyra.

"I know... just stating what I think..." Xyra spoke softly.

"You've been quite talkative today Xyra, everything Ok?" Yurika asked Xyra.

"...Sorry..." Xyra mumbled.

"Ahem, getting back on track... we're going to be playing defensively, but use guerrilla warfare. With this weather, our two Whispers should be even harder to detect." Gray declared.

"Yeah, but just two of them won't do much damage, might be able to take out one but at that point they will already have located them." Caleb countered.

"Agreed, so Caleb, think we can find some quicksand?"

"The quicksand condition is the flotation of particles of cohesion-less soil, like fine gravel and sand, due to vertical upward seepage flow. It is not some sand that sucks people in it as depicted in many movies. Most likely a standing pool of water will be nearby or a Artesian spring would indicate the presence of an Artesian aquifer which create ideal conditions for quicksand."

"Caleb... in English please?" Gray said plainly.

"Ahem, if we want to find it, we should look for low places where the ground appears to be almost boiling or water looks like it is coming up from the ground."

"Much better, ok, teams of 2, usual pairings, mark potential sites of quicksand as you spot them, I want to spot them first before they spot us so we can lead them towards any quicksand. Based on Kelly's personality, she most likely will keep everyone together or have 2 teams of 4."

"Won't they see us leading them towards it?" Stacia asked.

"Yes, so we'll have to see how they react to baiting them, Paul, switch with Yurika, her Ranger is faster and won't slow down Stacia as much."

"But–" Paul started to say

Gray interrupted Paul "I get it, you like her, but if you put her ahead of the whole team we're in trouble. Jono, what's wrong, you've been quiet."

"...huh? Me? Nothing, just got a lot on my mind..."

"That's fine, if you have something you want to talk about, come find me or anyone else on the team after this match, we're a team remember!"

"Right, a team..." Jono muttered to himself

"What was that?"