Titans Ch. 08

Life sometimes has a way of overwhelming, doesn't it? Thank you to those of you who have been concerned about me, and apologies to everyone who's been waiting for the next chapter. When I sat down to write this thing I swore to myself I wouldn't be one of those Literotica authors who left their story half-finished but with health problems and several major changes in my life it became progressively harder and harder for me to make my free time line up with energy levels and motivation.

I didn't want to leave Titans with so many things in the middle of their arc though, so over the time since the last chapter I've been slowly plugging away at this bumper-length one. Several plot lines see major steps forward in this chapter, so you might want to go reread the whole story before diving into this installation if you've been patiently waiting. You can consider this to be the end of book one, there is more to come but a lot of stuff is resolved, and it doesn't end on a cliff-hanger. For book two, I'll finish Captain Murray's story and release it over the course of a couple of months as I edit it. No promises on when that will be though.

As a side note, I've been writing this story in US English to fit in with the rest of the site, but my spell checker has recently started ignoring me when I try and change it so I'm giving up. My work will now be in UK English as the Queen intended.

Are you sitting comfortably?

*****

The sun was still a few hours away from setting below the true horizon, but it had drifted below the surrounding mountains and sent the valley into a shadowy half-twilight. This was apparently safe enough for Vanessa, who was lurking beyond the edge of the firelight as the Irregulars ate their evening meal.

"Are we really doing this?" Captain Murray asked, setting down his empty bowl.

"Doon' wha'?" Daine mumbled out, past his beard and mouthful of stew. The rest of the group shifted their eyes to Alex. He sighed.

"Travelling with the army is one thing. Saving civilians in towns that are under attack, well you couldn't pay me enough to not do that. But fighting a pitched battle, in an army full of assholes, for a general who could generously be described as an idiot? We can just go, if everyone agrees." There was a short silence as everyone digested the idea, then Talia spoke up.

"Elizabeth has ties here. She'd come if you asked, but I think she'd rather have your support. I don't want to leave her."

"We're not fighting for the General, Captain. We're fighting for the millions of people behind this army," added Thrak, "They might not be my kin, but I much prefer the trappings of civilisation to a beast-hide hut back with the tribe that birthed me."

Daine grunted in agreement, but the rage and grief behind his eyes spoke to the true reason for his certainty. Gelb for his part was too busy trying to lever an over-long spoon into his tiny mouth but didn't voice any dissent.

"I concur with the elf," a predatory voice whispered in Alex's ear as Vanessa took a seat beside him. He exercised his iron will to stop himself from jumping out of his skin, instead just giving a stiff nod.

"Alright, it's decided then. We fight," he announced to the group.

*****

Alex drifted off to sleep, and into the aftershocks of an orgasm. He took a couple of deep, panting breaths and sat his naked backside on the wooden desk. He relaxed, his heart rate began to slow, and then Anna appeared next to him - equally naked - and undid all his unwinding in a matter of seconds.

"Mmmm!" she exclaimed as she spotted him, her mouth seemingly full of something. He only had a moment to wonder about that though as she opened her mouth to reveal his creamy load from the last few seconds of the previous dream. She pushed her tongue through it and used it to coat her lips, then swallowed with a wink and a smirk.

Alex stared, mouth agape, as Anna stretched in a languid, feline manner, pushing her breasts out towards him. She stood, wandering over to the doorway with a swing in her hips. She looked back over her shoulder at the captain.

"If you can catch me, you can have me," she said huskily, then without warning set off at a sprint. Alex's jaw snapped shut with a click. He blinked once, then surged forward through the hole in the wall. She was his match in physical strength, but his legs were longer, so it wouldn't be long before he caught up and she had to know that. Then again, maybe that was the point.

A flash of flesh past the side of a skyscraper was all the sign of the lieutenant Alex caught as his feet hit the road and he looked around. He turned, skidding, and followed her at full speed, but when he rounded the corner she was nowhere to be seen. Until he glanced up. Three storeys up and rising fast, Anna's perky behind and exposed sex were wiggling back and forth as she grasped the thin gap between the mirrored window panes with her fingers and toes and climbed the side of the towering building. He took a step back, then leap, running a few steps up the wall before his fingers found purchase and he followed her upwards.

Alex's fingers were aching by the fifth floor, and much to his dismay Anna was increasing the distance between them. With her matching strength and lighter frame, she was a faster climber than him. He redoubled his efforts.

By the twentieth story Alex's shoulders were burning with exertion and he was covered in a sheen of sweat, but so was Anna. Her glistening body made for excellent motivation, and he was gaining ground. She took a rare glance back and noticed, then increased her speed.

The two pilots were somewhere around the fortieth floor, having both lost count some time ago, with maybe ten more storeys to go. Even for mech pilots climbing that far at speed was taking its toll. Alex could hear Anna panting desperately from a floor below her, and even his erection had gone down as the blood redirected to his straining muscles.

Anna was paying hard for her burst of speed as they neared the top. Less than a floor from the roof Alex caught up enough to make a grab for her ankle, but with a sudden hop Anna curled her legs up out of his reach. He had to pause his climb to even make the attempt, and by the time he drew close enough to her to try again, she reached the top and tumbled over the lip onto the flat roof.

Alex heaved his trembling body over the edge, Anna grabbing him under the arms to pull him to his feet. Exhausted though he was, he grabbed at her and tried to collapse to the floor with her underneath. She twisted and stepped around him, still falling but landing on top instead. As the breath was knocked even further out of him, she pried his hands apart and pinned him to the mirrored, glassy floor.

"Nice... try... fucker," she gasped, "But you didn't catch me. I caught you. That means I get to have you."

Already out of breath, flushed red, exhilarated and sweaty, it was almost like they had already had vigorous sex and were preparing for round two as Anna undulated her slick body against her captain. His recovery was surprisingly swift, mostly because of the impossibly perfect pair of breasts slipping up and down his chest. Her stiff nipples caught and rubbed gently in the creases between his muscles. Her deep, desperate breaths tickled his ear, cooling the sweat on his neck. The burning heat of her flesh against his set a fire in his heart and his loins.

Alex's cock slipped inside Anna's hot, wet channel with a gasp from both of them. She sank all the way down until their pelvises pressed together, then rocked back and forth. Only a small amount of him ever left her as she controlled the pace with short, increasingly rapid strokes. His falling heart rate rose again, and he could hear the blood thundering in his ears as his own eyes skewered him to the ground from within her angular, feminine face. Neither of them lasted long, nor did they have any motivation to try and hold on.

"Ohhh fuck yes. Finally. Finally. Thank you," Anna sighed, holding Alex tightly to her chest as his vision went white.

*****

The gentle mountain breeze rustled the fabric of the tent above the Irregulars. Alex's breath fogged the air in front of him as he stirred beneath the layers of blankets. A vacant but warm spot beside him revealed that Talia had recently left, though the rest of the group still slumbered on. He carefully extracted himself, stepping over the sleeping dwarf and slipping through the tent flap.

Talia stood by the fire she had just lit, tucking her hands under her armpits to warm her numb fingers as she tried to absorb as much heat as she could without risking her dress going up in flames. With golden eyes, she watched Alex exit the tent and walk around the fire pit to add his body heat to hers with a soft hug. She sighed contentedly, but her face tightened as she tried to work up her resolve for a conversation that had been a long time coming. Alex just held her, waiting patiently until she spoke.

"Elven women always know who their ideal partner is, that much is true. I didn't really explain though, that it's a one-way thing. I know with absolute certainty that I will be my happiest, be the best possible version of myself, when I am with you. That... that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be your happiest with me though.

"My mother was a cruel woman. Domineering, entitled, self-absorbed. Sometimes violent. Her version of an ideal partner was a quiet, timid man. Someone who wouldn't question her. Someone who would hide the bruises rather than telling anyone. My dad was miserable, but only when nobody was watching. That's what I'm scared of. I know you can look after yourself, but I don't want to trap you into a relationship you're not happy with. I don't want to be the sort of person who hits you when I'm upset, even if I know you're too tough for me to bruise."

Tears began to roll down Talia's cheeks as she finished her explanation. Alex's powerful arms squeezed her tightly until a choked sob was forced from her lungs. He released the tension somewhat and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

"I am so unbelievably happy with you," he said softly, "You're a wonderful, intelligent, caring and beautiful person. We've known each other for practically no time at all and I already feel closer to you than almost anyone."

"Almost anyone? Anna?" she giggled wetly.

"I... yes," he admitted, blushing.

"I understand, I know she's special to you. I also know you're happy for now, just please promise me you'll say something if I ever do anything that upsets you."

"I promise. Of course I do."

"Good," she mumbled into his arm as she buried her face in it.

They stayed like that for a long while, until the rest of the Irregulars finally stirred and began to make their way out into the chill. If any of them noticed that Talia had been crying, they chose not to comment on it as they made preparations for breakfast in comfortable silence. Vanessa appeared from the outskirts of the camp as they ate, looking anxiously up at the clear blue sky visible above the sides of the valley then darting across to take shelter in the cockpit of the mech without a word or a glance to anyone else. Thrak watched her dissolve into the darkness, then started gathering the plates and mugs.

"Any plans for today, Captain Murray? I would imagine that the day has been allocated for setting up for battle but I'm unsure what preparations you or we might need to make."

Alex pondered for a moment. It had been decades since he'd been involved in an actual pitched battle, and never in direct command of an infantry squad. That wasn't really the standard operating method for mechs, especially not reconnaissance models like his. On top of that, the different tech levels and magic added a new wrinkle to any strategic decisions. If he wanted to offer any sort of cohesive tactics to his squad, he needed more information first and foremost.

"First thing, I'm going to go find Elizabeth and find out what the battle plan is. Maybe talk to the heads of other sections like the cavalry and artillery; make sure we know what role we're filling. While I'm doing that, I want all of you cleaning and maintaining your arms and armour; any little problems, no matter how small, get fixed before you set foot on the battlefield. When I'm done we'll meet back here and discuss our plans, practise some general tactics and manoeuvres for you fighting alongside the mech."

"Makes sense to me. I'll organise the maintenance, with Talia's help of course," Thrak said, giving him a slow but neat salute.

Alex returned the salute, kissed Talia on the cheek, then mounted up into his mech, taking care not to expose the inside of the cockpit to any of the dawn light. The heavy shadows around the harness moved smoothly out of his way as he buckled in an inserted the neural spike into his socket.

"Where to then, Captain?" Vanessa's ethereal voice floated somewhere behind his left ear. Alex could hear the slight mocking tone as she called him by his rank. He let it wash over him without comment.

"We're going to go see Elizabeth, find out what she knows about the battle plan for attacking the Wildlings."

"Hmm. I would guess that you'll be positioned right at the front and centre of the battle lines. Your machine is very impressive, but you yourself are not well liked within the army. They can have you attract attention and draw fire without worrying about a huge morale drop should you fall."

"Good to know I'm so popular," He grimaced, sending out a scanning pulse to try and locate the redheaded major.

"I keep my ears open for gossip when I'm drifting around at night. 'That big bastard' they call you. Some of the rank and file weren't very happy about you 'hogging the elf' apparently."

Alex clenched his jaw, distracting himself by methodically sweeping the sensors around the valley, waiting for them to pick up Elizabeth's biometrics. Eventually, a subtle chime pinged inside his head, and one of the life signs close to the centre of the war camp was highlighted in his mech's vision. With an almost gentle whirring sound, the mech began walking in that direction.

"I thought so," the vampire said softly, her teasing attitude from earlier gone, "We don't get many elves in the empire. There's nobody to care about what happens to her out here."

"Not nobody," Alex corrected her, "Even before me, Elizabeth did her best."

"She always was a kind soul. Having her as a friend made a refreshing change from my family of vicious parasites, until they stopped me from seeing her at least."

They found the major leaning over a map table, making markings with a long quill as Walter and two ostentatiously dressed commanding officers watched on. The two officers gawped nervously at the mech, while Walter gave Alex an enigmatic smile.

"Good morning Captain Murray," Elizabeth called out, smirking at the reaction of her spectators. They didn't seem to notice. The mech dropped to one knee, leaning over the map. A heavy, metal hand swung up to the sensor bundle in the head in an enormous salute.

"Good morning, Major Swift," Alex said jovially, "Just checking in to find out what the battle plan is. See where me and the Irregulars fit in."

"Swift, I must protest at a mere captain being present for this meeting. If he must be informed then tell him yourself afterwards," the taller of the two officers blustered through his bushy blonde beard.

"If rank means so much to you, Regis, maybe I should also leave?" Walter asked dryly, raising a thin, black eyebrow. Regis looked to be about to agree until the other officer elbowed him in the side and gave him a pointed look. Walter smiled a gracious smile that didn't reach his eyes. Elizabeth put down the quill and sighed.

"Gentlemen, enough posturing please. If you don't like the giant mechanical man being here, he can watch from the other side of the camp where he'll still be able to hear every word you're saying."

There was a dangerous pause when it seemed like Regis might start an argument, but after a few seconds he deflated, nodding to Elizabeth to continue. Walter inclined his head in a show of respect but didn't seem to care one way or the other, Alex once again thinking to himself that there was more to this man than met the eye. The redhead looked around at everyone, craning her neck to look the mech in the face, then continued. With the feathery end of the quill, she pointed out lines and arrows that she had drawn on the map.

"Okay. To get the captain up to speed: we got very lucky, the terrain is massively on our side and they don't seem to know that we're here. The General aims to take full advantage of that, balancing the element of surprise with the time we need to set up our optimal formations.

"The main block of infantry will be marching straight down the largest valley at dawn tomorrow, Walter's artillery will follow the ridgeline to the left of the valley and hopefully set up in range to pound the nearest reaches of the enemy camp as well as their battle lines, Regis will take the cavalry down the next valley over and be prepared to flank and charge any advances towards the artillery, the mages are moving down the right ridge into position to support the infantry and snipe any giants that cause problems, Jeremiah here is taking his archers along with the mages to protect them and thin out enemy infantry. Alex, you will be in the centre of the main valley. The Scouts and the Irregulars will be on the right side under the mages and archers. Not my choice, before you protest. I argued against it, but the General was insistent."

"I told you so," Vanessa whispered in his ear, evidently able to hear the conversation through the hull. Alex nodded, the mech's head moving sympathetically with him.

"Is the general taking feedback and strategic suggestions?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"The general and his advisors have already settled and distributed this plan of attack," Jeremiah scowled at him. The intimidating effect was somewhat lost given that he currently towered over him from one knee.

The discussions continued for another half an hour or so, with Elizabeth outlining the general's plans for signals and contingencies and troop movements. It wasn't Alex's specialisation at all, but he had to begrudgingly admit that the outline of the plan was solid. Unsurprisingly though, the capabilities of his mech hadn't been considered at all. The assumption seemed to be that he would be fighting in the melee at the centre of the battle line, ignoring his mobility and ranged capabilities. He quickly compared distances on the map and was pleased to find out that the arc gun would be able to reach both sides of the large valley, allowing him to support the Irregulars against giants. Perhaps the centre of battle wasn't such a bad position after all.

"If we're all done here, I'd like a word with the captain," Walter said after a long pause, "With your permission of course, major."

"Granted. Talk to you later, Alex," Elizabeth nodded, rolling up the map.

"Good. Walk with me, captain. At my pace if you please." The bartender-cum-artillery commander started a slow stroll up the hill, towards tomorrow's battle lines. Alex followed, taking one small slow step for every five of Walter's strides.

"How's the vampire?" Walter asked politely as they passed the edge of the sub-camp where the briefing had taken place. A weight settled on Alex's shoulders as Vanessa took corporeal form. In the dim gloom of the cockpit he could just make out her anxious, red eyes locked on his own. She made no sound and took no breath as she slowly squeezed his arm. He was glad he didn't have to maintain a poker face.