Inside their state-of-the-art simulation pods, five mecha pilots from China's Northern Military Corps finalized their loadouts, their helmets locked in place as the system calibrated.
Sergeant Liu Feng, the squad leader, sat in the center of the virtual hangar. His hands rested calmly on the controls of his customized assault mecha.
His black hair was cropped short, his uniform was immaculate, and his focus was razor-sharp.
"Stay sharp," he said, his voice even. "We execute the mission as trained."
To his left, Sergeant Zhao Wei, the sniper specialist, finished calibrating his railgun.
"Pfft, I can drop three of them before they even realize where I am," he scoffed.
"Big words for someone who missed half his shots in the last test," Sergeant Chen Kai, the team's fastest pilot, teased as he rolled his shoulders. His fingers flexed lightly over the thruster controls of his ultra-light skirmisher mecha.
Zhao Wei scoffed. "That was lag, idiot. My shots were perfect."
