Taichi's second shot drove a dent into the Crawler's chest. The machine lost a step, planted its steel feet, and kept coming.
He worked the pump and backed over exposed rebar. His boot caught. The Crawler reached him before he could bring the gun around, pressing its practice jaws against his visor.
Mabel hit the stop. Motors wound down above the recruit's face while he pushed at the plate holding him flat.
"Get it off before you reset," Caleb said from the lowest bleacher.
Two attendants lifted the front assembly. Taichi crawled out with gravel stuck to his shoulder trim and checked his scatter-gun before looking up at the control booth.
Suzu came to the painted starting line. Her left brace clicked when she tested the loose ground with her boot.
"You spent both shots on the plate," she told him. "It has a sensor above it."
"Then shoot the sensor, Princess."
