Team 8 Ball: Mechanized Arena Combat

	"I'm getting too old for this." Mac sighed into the com from within the cockpit of his mech.

Over the com rang his tech friend Jerry, coaching him through the startup process. He had run through this check at least hundreds of times before yet it had become a routine for the crew.

	"Relax Mac, this isn't an arena battle." Jerry reassured. "We're just inducting a new member into our crew. He's fresh out of military training so this should be an easy fight."

	"Great, a greenie." Mac groaned. "Just what I was 'so' looking forward to."

	"Alright, all gauges read green for both mech's." Jerry confirmed. "I'll be the referee for this match."

	Mac chuckled into the com fixed to his ear. "Lets see what this raw recruit can do in the Arenas for Team Eight ball.

	"I'm tied into the same com you know." came the reply of the raw recruit.

	"Really now?" Mac replied with a knowing smirk. "I suppose you graduated top of your class too?"

	"One learns more from their failures than they do their successes." came an almost emotionless response from the recruite.

	Mac eyed the com device with a bit of intrigue. "Alright, time to switch over to secondary frequencies."

	"Acknowledged." came the reply from the recruit.

	"I'll be the recruits op." came the reply from Shelly, One of the many technicians of the team.

	"That means I'm all your's Mac." said another tech whom Mace knew as Felicia. Fel for short.

	With a smirk, Mac primed the ignition switch and the metallic behemoth came to life. Looking out the thick transparent plasti-steel view port, the mech trudged to the indication lights and waited for the door to the private arena to open.

"Fel, got any details for me?" Mac asked.

	"Your opponent brought his own mech." Felicia said while going over what information she was able to gather. "From what I can tell it's a modified Raven SK two with lighter than usual armaments." The readout on her panel changed to display the scans she got of the recruits mech, which looked like a cockpit with legs and armaments strapped to it's back and sides. That model was usually classified as a mid weight. "He's probably got heavier grade armor than what that model traditionally calls for."

	"The new recruit irks me." Mac sighed once more. "Just from his voice alone I got that somethings a little off with this kid."

	"He's a hybrid." Felicia said, her focus on the readout of Mac's mech. It was what was commonly refereed to as a Hopper, classified a lightweight mech mostly intended for recon, but Mac's had a special weapon strapped to it's back allowing him to bring down most targets from a distance.

	"That explains it." Mac huffed. "The kid's probably a government reject. That explains the learn more from failure nonsense."

	Fel chuckled briefly before the klaxon's blared, silencing any further conversation. The Arena doors opened to reveal what appeared to be a mock up of an in door desert canyon with lots of rock outcroppings, a maze of narrow passages, and a single open space in the middle for open combat. With a bit of Caution, Mac trudged into the arena ready to dodge any of the traps that lie hidden within the mock rock canyon. In the distance Mac heard what sounded like explosions. He couldn't help but smirk to himself.

	"Sounds like the recruits already found a few surprises." he said more to himself than Fel, pressing on deeper into the canyon.

	"Seems that way." Fel replied. "I'd still be careful. There's just something about his mech that doesn't seem right, yet I can't figure out what it is."

	"Right, I'll be careful." Mac said into the com, opting to remain in the high ground. As he made his way to the center of the arena he quickly dodged to the left in time to avoide several laser turrets that popped out from beneath the canyon rock. Squeezing the right trigger of the twin yolk controlled mech, the right arm particle cannon fired into the center of the turret's disabling them. He was about to continue when something leaped out and grabbed his mech from behind. He glanced to the side to see snares now latched onto various parts of his mech. "When did you put those in?"

	"Jerry wanted to surprise you." Fel sighed.

	"I hate surprises." Mac grumbled while shifting his mech in hopes of getting a little better aim.

	When that proved futile he flipped open a small covered panel and flipped the switch hidden underneath. Instantly the mech's retro-rockets ignited, propelling the mech upwards, a couple of the leg armor plates peeled off along with the mech's right arm as it now soared in the air for a few brief moments. As the mech fell back down, collision alerts sounded as several mini-missiles streaked from a canion corridor just moments before the recruit leaped up onto higher ground in his modified mech. With only monents to think, Mac ignited the front retro-thrusters and managed just barely miss all but a couple of the mini-missles while landing with a loud thud inside the canyon. The rest of the mini-missles impacting all over the surface in the general area where Mac fell.

	The recruits, unaware of what Mac had just gone through, trudged ignorantly forward to confirm his kill only to be ensnared but dozens of grapples from all sides. He struggled to fight against the claws but they had his mech pinned.

	"Mac, I figured out what was so odd about his mech." Felicia's eyes lit up with delight. "His mech was moving a lot faster than it should have. Add to that his lighter than normal ordinances and?"

	"His mech doesn't have any armor." Mac chortled. "Amateur."

	Upon that realization, mac pushed his mech a ways down the canyon floor and popped out behind the new recruits mech. His back sniper barrel poised and ready. "You've got a long way to go kid."

	He was about to squeeze the trigger when two paint balls hit the front of Mac's cockpit at head level. He look down to the left of the mech to find what he surmised was the pilot, holding a sniper rifle in hand. The pilot soon took off his helmet to reveal his rabbit-like features. Though his form was very much human, the head inside the helmet looked more animal than man. His fur was a dark emerald green.

	"You got guts, kid." Mac laughed after switching over to the open com. "I never saw that one coming."

	"The rules never said I couldn't get out of my mech." The recruite replied into the com that was custom fitted around his lapine head.

	"But it did say that any hit to the cockpit is an automatic out." Mac replied opening his cockpit, hopping down and approaching the recruit. "What's your name?"

	"Mark, sir." The genetically altered human bowed in respect.

	Mac wrapped his arm around the youth's shoulders in camaraderie. "If this had been an actual arena fight, you would have been disqualified for that."

	"Duly noted." Mark said with a smirk. It was the first hint of emotion he had ever displayed since his arrival.

	"Welcome aboard." Mac said holding out his hand to which the rabbit gratefully accepted.