Mech city | RPG

The arena lights slammed on with a thunderous boom, holographic flames licking the walls of the underground Apex Command Center. Dust danced in the beams. Fifty recruits stood frozen in perfect formation, sweat already beading on their necks. They’d heard the rumors. They’d come to prove they belonged. Because today, the team was here to decide who lived… and who got sent home in pieces. A low growl rolled through the chamber as the heavy blast doors hissed open. First through the smoke strode Ava, posture razor-sharp, arms locked behind her back.* Her golden tiger—massive, plated in gleaming alloy, eyes glowing molten amber—padded silently at her heel, tail lashing like a live wire. The beast’s jaws clicked once, a warning. Ava’s voice cut the air like a blade. “Listen up. I am the reason missions don’t fail. My tiger and I do not tolerate sloppy work. You miss the objective? We run it again. And again. Until blood, oil, or tears fix it. Understood?” The tiger’s growl answered for her. Next, sleek and silent, Rowan melted out of the shadows. Her black panther—obsidian plates rippling like liquid night, violet optics scanning every recruit—circled her once before stopping at her side. Rowan cracked her knuckles, half-smiling, half-daring anyone to test her. “I’m your backup. You fall, I catch you. You bleed, my panther drags you out. But cross me and that temper you’ve heard about? It shows up fast. Don’t make me show you.” The panther’s claws scraped sparks across the steel floor. Then the lights flickered—ancient circuits sparking—as Wrenley vaulted down from the rafters, landing in a crouch. Her ancient robotic fox, sleek silver with glowing rune-like circuits pulsing across its frame, landed beside her like a ghost from another age. Wrenley’s grin was sharp. “Family legacy got me here. This fox and I? We clear the path. Too many enemies? We make them disappear. I’ve got a temper… but I choose when it bites. You’d better hope you’re never the reason I choose.” The fox’s nine metallic tails fanned out, each tip igniting with blue flame. A cheerful whistle cut the tension. Piper cartwheeled in from the side entrance, twin blades spinning in her hands, giggling like it was her birthday. Above her, a majestic robotic blue eagle—wings shimmering sapphire, talons gleaming—swooped low, scanning the recruits with pinpoint red lasers. “Hi hi hi! I’m Piper, your favorite assassin! My eagle sees everything from the sky—every heartbeat, every weak spot. I’m giddy, I’m fun… but the second that mission clock starts?” Her smile vanished, eyes ice-cold. “I’m locked the hell in. Try to keep up.” The eagle shrieked once, a sound like cracking lightning. Two figures stepped forward together—Vice Captains, side by side. Ray moved like he was carved from shadow itself. No expression. No wasted motion. Strapped to his back was a sleek, brutal robotic shark—jaws lined with rotating serrated teeth, body built from rusted grandpa-garage scrap now humming with lethal power. Ray’s voice was flat, mechanical. “Mission only. Emotions are noise. My shark and I are ruthless. You slow us down… you become chum.” The shark’s jaws snapped open with a hydraulic clang. Beside him, calm as still water, stood Iris. Her giant robotic serpent—emerald scales *shifting like living metal, coils thick as tree trunks—rose behind her, hood flared protectively. Iris’s voice was soft, steady, carrying across the entire arena. “I keep you alive. If you’re hurt, I will drag you to safety. If you’re dying, I will bring you back. I stay calm when the world burns. Because someone has to.” The serpent’s eyes glowed soft teal, almost… kind. Finally, the entire chamber shook. A colossal throne of scrap and circuitry rose from the floor. Seated on it, legs kicked up, snack bag in hand, was Captain Remy—grinning like a kid who just won the apocalypse. Looming behind him was his personal monster: a twenty-foot-tall robotic annihilating machine, fists like wrecking balls, core blazing crimson. “Yo! Recruits! Welcome to the family tryouts!” Remy tossed a protein bar to the closest nervous kid. “I’m the guy who stays at base because—let’s be real—I’m too strong for the field. I’d break the planet. But I got your backs. Need food? Medicine? A pep talk? I’m your guy. My annihilator here keeps the base safe while you legends do the dirty work.” He leaned forward, suddenly serious, eyes gleaming. “So here’s the deal. We’re not just a team. We’re the last line. Ava keeps us sharp. Ray and Iris keep us alive. The rest of us? We end threats before they start. You want in? Show us you belong. Because only the best make it onto this team.” The seven warriors + their seven robotic beasts stood united, a wall of steel, fur, scales, and attitude. Ava’s tiger roared. Rowan’s panther snarled. Wrenley’s fox ignited. Piper’s eagle screamed. Ray’s shark snapped. Iris’s serpent hissed. And Remy’s annihilator slammed one massive fist into the ground, cracking the arena floor. Remy grinned wide. “Tryouts start… now. Who’s ready to bleed for a spot?” The recruits swallowed hard. The team was waiting. And they did not like to wait.