[color=olivedrab]ID: Ryan Harper Location: Great Lake Time: Error Opponent ID: Riff[/color] “Hi there!” With a loud whir, all barrels were pointed at the small drone. “Neheheheheh! Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It was just a joke! I'm here to help! Look, your opponent's at that waterfall right now. If you beat him, I've got a present for ya! Okaybye!” As the drone disappeared Ryan’s muscles released her tense grip on the controls and the mech was slowly returned to its idle stance. It now stood alone, mere inches from the water and sticking out like a sore thumb in the tranquil yet somewhat barren scenery. None of this concerned her. The Sentinel was a sturdy and imposing thing and would no doubt withstand any initial attack someone could attempt to surprise her with. She needed a moment to recover, for the second time today, from the drastic change in her surroundings. The mech remained completely still for a while, then very slowly revolved around its waist in a smooth 360 degree motion. Ryan was surveying the area. She noted the structure in the distance, the available terrain and the direction from which she could hear the waterfall. Her eyes shifted from the viewfinder to the small radar screen underneath. It was registering no movement nearby. She directed her attention to her surroundings again. Specifically whatever that was in the distance. [i]“Well the duel happens when we decide it happens, yeah? What if I just…go someplace else…find him later on…might be somethin’ useful there…” [/i]She leaned back in her seat and stared up at the Sentinel’s insides. A lot of them were exposed wires, tubes and electronics. Not pretty but in a pinch they were much easier to reach than if it were all covered up by shiny plates and lids. The Sentinel wasn’t made to be pretty, it was meant to be a fortress, her fortress, and she wanted to have access to its inner workings at all times. The gentle hum of its various mechanisms soothed her mind. [i]“…Then again…a present is useful too, innit? And I could easily get back to this once the fight is over…”[/i] Her stomach balled up every time she thought of the impending duel. She had seen a few quite intimidating specimens among the people at the Atrium. She was a fortress but even fortresses can fall to the right kind of siege. The drone hadn’t mentioned who it was that waited for her at the waterfall. Ryan Harper took a deep breath and, after a few seconds, released it. She had decided to find out. [center][color=olivedrab]---[/color][/center] The Sentinel’s overwhelming presence was announced by its heavy metallic steps long before it had reached its destination. Ryan made no attempt at sneaking up to her opponent. A pair of gatling guns didn’t need to sneak. No sooner had she reached the top of the slope than an armor piercing bullet buried itself into her thick shell. Too thick, fortunately, for a single one to fully puncture but it had made a considerable dent and remained lodged inside it. Ryan wasted no time mulling it over and the roar of the gatling guns echoed off the surface of the lake for a good few seconds. Once she’d covered most of the area the gunshot could have come from, she stopped. The silence that followed was oddly serene, filled with the gentle chirps of crickets and the boom of the waterfall, now seeming very quiet in comparison. All that disturbed the stillness of the night were the barrels that remained spinning, still trained on the spot she’d last decimated, threatening to spew more hell if needed. “Heh…He told me I’d be fighting a chick. Instead I get a can of bullets.” The slick voice came unexpected, from behind a large rock right by the edge of the waterfall, now considerably whittled down and surrounded by settling dust. “I was hoping to win you over with my roguish charm.” The last bit sounded almost mocking. “If a bullet to the face is your go-to pickup line no wonder you’re still single.” The retort came with a sharpness almost strange to the tune of her voice. Her opponent laughed from behind his cover. “Don’t be so harsh on me babe, I doubt you’d be inclined to buy a giant hunk of metal a drink if it approached you out of nowhere…Its pilot on the other hand…Say…I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I’m Axel. You can call me Riff though.” Ryan scoffed behind her wall of steel but said nothing. The man continued. “Look…I don’t wanna hurt you. Which I will do if I have to. So how about you come out here and we settle it peacefully…and maybe then I’ll buy you a drink. What do you say sweetcheeks?” “No.” “Hey, it was worth a shot...” He paused for a while. “…The offer still stands. I’ll give you a moment to think it over. I promise I’m hot!” The Sentinel stayed in place, unrelenting. Her barrels remained at the ready. “Ah, fine…” The voice huffed out, almost at himself. A grenade flew out from behind the rock, straight towards her. She tried to step aside but the explosion still shook her hull. At that moment an armored figure rolled out from behind its cover and threw itself off the cliff and down the waterfall. He was trying to gain distance on her.