Building Zoids in a World of Titans

Alex stood outside the address Celestia had given him, a modest two-story dwelling near the market district. He pressed the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal Seraphine in a soft cream blouse, her peach hair loose around her shoulders. Her violet eyes brightened.

"Alex. Please, come in."

The interior was warm and lived-in, cluttered with personal effects that no Warden barracks would allow. Seraphine called out over her shoulder.

"Everyone, Alex is here."

Fia appeared first, still pulling on a shirt, her grin immediate. Lyra followed from a side room, datapad in hand. Anya emerged last, her expression measured but not unfriendly.

They settled into the living room. Seraphine brought tea and small cakes, setting them on the table with a gentle clink.

"We weren't expecting company," Lyra said, though she didn't sound displeased.

"Alex doesn't strike me as the type to visit without reason," Anya said. She studied him. "What's on your mind?"

Alex wrapped his hands around the warm cup, buying himself a second to organize his thoughts. The tea smelled like something floral he couldn't name. He'd never been good at this part.

"I need your help," he said.

Fia leaned forward, her amber eyes sharp. "With what?"

"I've taken a commission from Foreman Vance. She wants Zoids for Veridia's defense. Four operational units within seven months."

Lyra set down her datapad. "That's an aggressive timeline."

"It is. And I can't do it alone." Alex took a breath. "The city units will be based on Allosaur-type frames. Efficient, manufacturable, suited to the region's resources. But I need components. Specifically, I need to hunt Allosaur-type Titans to finalize the designs and gather core materials."

"You want us to help you hunt Allosaurs," Anya said. It wasn't a question.

"I can offer compensation. Standard contract rates, plus salvage rights on anything we take down that I don't need for the builds."

Fia whistled low. "Salvage rights on Allosaur components. That's not nothing."

Seraphine tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "You're building Zoids for the city. That's quite a shift from working alone in your workshop."

"The Foreman was persuasive." Alex paused. "And she's not wrong. Veridia needs better defenses. I have the means to provide them. It just requires materials I can't get from Rank E scrap."

Lyra's fingers drummed against her knee. "Allosaur-types are Rank C threats. Dangerous in groups. You'd need coordinated support, transport for components, and someone to watch your back while you pilot that machine."

"That's why I'm here."

The three of them glanced at Anya. She sat with her arms crossed, her hazel eyes fixed on Alex with an intensity that made him want to check if he'd left the Arosaurer's canopy open.

"The commission is interesting," Anya said slowly. "But I have a condition of my own."

Alex waited.

"I want to pilot one of your Zoids."

The words landed in the room like a dropped wrench. Alex blinked.

"You want to pilot a Zoid."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Alex stared at Anya for a long moment, trying to determine if she was serious. Her expression gave away nothing, which was typical.

"You want to pilot a Zoid," he repeated.

"I've watched you fight with the Arosaurer," Anya said. "I've seen what it can do. The speed, the firepower, the way it moves." She uncrossed her arms and leaned forward. "I've spent my entire career fighting Titans with a sword and shield. I'd like to know what it feels like to fight one sitting inside something that doesn't flinch."

Alex understood that impulse more than he wanted to admit. The first time the Arosaurer had risen to its feet, something had shifted inside him. The world had gotten bigger and smaller at the same time.

"He's protective of them," Fia said, grinning at Alex like she'd caught him hiding food. "Look at his face. He's already calculating the risk of someone else touching his machine."

"I am not," Alex said.

"You absolutely are," Lyra said, picking up her datapad again. "Your left eye does this thing when you're running calculations. It's subtle, but it's there."

Alex's hand moved toward his face before he caught himself. Fia's grin widened.

"I am protective," Alex conceded. "The Arosaurer took five years to build. Every component is calibrated to my specifications. Letting someone else pilot it isn't like lending someone a rifle."

"Understood," Anya said. "But you're building more. You said so yourself. Four units for the city, plus your own projects. You'll need test pilots eventually. People who can push the machines and give you feedback that isn't just diagnostic readouts."

She wasn't wrong. Alex had already been dreading that part. Simulations could only tell him so much. A Zoid needed a pilot who could feel its limits and report back in terms that weren't purely numerical.

Alex looked at Anya. She met his gaze without flinching, the same steady intensity she brought to everything.

"Fine," he said. "I'll let you be a test pilot."

Something shifted at the corner of her mouth. Not quite a smile. Close enough.

Seraphine smiled, her violet eyes warm. "I'd like to try as well, if you'll have me. I've always wondered what it would be like to interface with something that isn't biological."

"It's not for the faint of heart," Alex warned. "The cockpit feedback can be intense. The Arosaurer weighs sixty-two tons. You feel every step."

"I held my ground against a Rank C Titan's seismic pulse," Seraphine said mildly. "I think I can manage."

Fia bounced slightly in her seat. "If Pinne's doing it, I'm doing it. I need to know what hitting something with a Zoid's fists feels like. My gauntlets are good, but they're not sixty-two tons good."

Lyra set down her datapad with a precise click. "I'm in. Obviously. The data alone would be worth it."

Alex looked at the four of them. Anya with her quiet intensity. Fia practically vibrating with excitement. Seraphine calm and curious. Lyra already mentally cataloging specifications.

He'd spent five years building alone. Maybe that was about to change.

"Alright," he said. "You'll all be my test pilots. But we do this my way. Training starts slow. You learn the controls thoroughly before you ever take one into the field. And if I say you're not ready, you're not ready."

"Agreed," Anya said without hesitation.

"Fair enough," Fia said. "But I'm going to be ready fast. Just so you know."

"I have no doubt," Alex said.

Seraphine raised her teacup. "To new partnerships."

They raised their cups. Alex clinked his against hers, and something in his chest loosened slightly. The weight he'd been carrying alone for five years felt a fraction lighter.

He still wasn't sure about letting other people touch his Zoids. But he was starting to think it might not be the worst idea he'd ever had.

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