I wasn't too late. In fact, I was just in time to watch her summon an ice wall between her and the mechanical menace. The menace in response released a shower rain of metal death against the wall, shredding it rapidly. And judging from the looks of it, the wall would withstand about another three? Five seconds? It was kind of hard to tell, even though I was only thirty meters away from the center of chaos. But from my point at the time there was one thing I was clear about:
That twin clear blue pony tail...That oversized staff...and that height. I was absolutely sure it was her, if not I rather have my eye balls gouged out and be blind.

When the next wave of bullets hit, I found my own footsteps rushing towards her, like magnets attracted to super magnets. Her wall was completely down now, as she fell backwards onto the ground from the impact of ice shattering.

Where was her team?

Was she the last one standing?

Why was she the one patrolling?

Why does it have to be this time?

In fury and in rage, I threw all these thoughts aside as only one thing, one thing came to my mind that above all else:

GET AWAY FROM ILLRYIA!

So I did the most seemingly logical thing at that time: I charged up, picked up a piece of blown of concreate off the ground, then threw it at the Deathwalker with all my strength and rage. Thinking of it now, throwing a chunk of concreate at a twenty foot metal giant wasn't exactly effective, yet it achieved my desired effect. The Deathwalker turned its attention towards me. The upper mechanical hulk of its body cocked toward me making a massive metal scrapping sound. It had turned itself away from the completely defenseless Illyria on the ground. She was saved for now, but I was not. I took one last look at her from where I stood; she looked so calm, so small and always...always so cute. I smiled, a brief smile. She didn't seem to see me, she appeared to be out cold, but whether or not she saw me again would rest on the next few seconds. And in that particular case, the likelihood of me living was pitifully low to nothing. But dying wasn't an option yet. The Deathwalker was still too close to Illyria, and it could have finished me off with a single sweep and go right back to Illyria. No, the only option was to distract this thing and get it as far away from Illyria as possible, and that was all I can fit in my mind at the time.

But I am just a normal human being, what the hell can I do?

The smile from my face faded and when nothing seemed to reply, a voice long forgotten, alien even to myself, spoke up:

If I were going to die, at least let it be worth something...

That was all I needed to hear from myself. My lips turned into a tight grin, my legs broke into a sprint, my head whipped sideways, and the next thing I knew, I was running. Running faster than I ever had before. I was exhausted, yet I surprised myself with the extraordinary speed I possessed. The wind slapped my cheeks every time I took a stride, but there was no stopping. No stopping until Illyria was absolutely safe.

Deathwalkers are huge and bulky, they weren't designed for right turns; if I run in a zig zag that will buy me more time. As I made my first turn, almost tripping and falling at the same time. But I just had to keep going on, because I had to remind myself at that time, there was more than own life at stake that time.

I cannot afford to fail, no matter what.

Seconds later I came across the second turn as a rain of bullets showered down around me, knocking up debris and dust a step behind me. Behind me, the metal hooves of the Deathwalker closed in like the sound of herd of rampaging elephants playing cat and mouse. For every footsteps of the machine echoed triumph, while all I heard was a metallic echo of despair. Not looking back even once, I banked hard to my right to avoid another spray of metal death, only to find how tired I was. My lungs felt like they were on fire, my breathing rapid, and my mind just going everywhere at once. My muscles were so sore, I felt I would melt away into wax any moment.

Dragging this on forever won't be in my favor, I got to end this quick...

I ran on, with my thoughts catching up:

A tight space, just large enough to confine him, but where can I find such a place in this open space?

As I continued to run, I noticed a building two blocks down the road, it was a public parking lot, the kind that stacks up thirty stories high.

This will do, I guess I got no other options...

With the last ounce of my strength, I did a quick sprint towards the parking building, with the constant rain of death trailing my path. All the way up to it, I somehow miraculously dodged, or the bullets simply missed, but either way I was glad. And not complaining further, I dived into the building and ran deeper into the complex.

Somewhere to the side there was a fire exit, and without thinking twice I entered it, leaned against the railing and for the first time, I truly appreciated what breathing felt like.

How do you fight a Deathwalker?

Not get shot?

Good advice.

I tried to think of more useful things, but all I came with was crap I didn't need.

The Deathwalker didn't seem to chase me into inside...that means...

A distant sound of large gears cranking reached my ears.

That's right! The Deathwalker can fold itself into vehicle mode, which genius didn't think of that!

My thoughts were immediately responded with a bombardment of bullets, instinctively I jumped up at once and began climbing the stairs at once.

Of course! All Deathwalkers are equipped with heat seeking sensors! What were you thinking!

I choose to ignore myself, continuing to climb. And it turned out the Deathwalker had the same idea as me; I heard the distant sound of rubber belt charging towards me. By the time I was between the third and fourth floor, an array of bullets came from below, poking holes into the steps I was about to take and shredding the walls around me. I was trapped, I should be dead. But after four or 5 seconds, which seemed to last forever, the firing stopped. The guns were stuck at an angle by the ceiling...thank gods.
I was able to let out a breath, but my mind kept on screaming:

I need to put more distance in between...

Around me what was once the fire escape was now a beehive of debris and shells, the stairs to the floor above was just completely obliterated. Looking around it made me think.

I could have died a hundred times today already, yet somehow I still live.

I am so close, I can do this...

With that thought in mind, I made my way down to the third floor and exited into the parking platform. No one seemed to be around. That meant they'd probably all evacuated or were busy eating lunch or something, but either way I was alone, just me and a twenty foot death robot.

There should be another fire escape somewhere else...

I scanned my surroundings and there it was, all the way at the opposite end of the room.

I gulped, then I sprinted.
Just as I started running, the same familiar sound of loud metal gears cranking came again then ended. By the time I was half way through, the ground beneath me began to tremble, and without thinking twice, I jumped back and rolled away as far as possible, as the piece of ground where I stood a second ago erupted into a hole as debris and shells showered upon me. I was blinded for a moment, I tried to wipe it away with my hand but it only made my eye sting worse.

Crap.

I rolled away slowly from the impact, my ears felt deaf, my body felt numb. I felt so helpless, yet I had no choice. And that's when that memory came to me.

A few summers ago, I went to the War museum of Ayre with the whole class. One of the guides, who was like this super huge war geek, spit more war lore and facts then a triple Gatling gun. One of the facts he mentioned was about the weakness of Deathwalkers. Apparently one time this completely unarmed guy took out a Deathwalker with a throwing knife. Well, I guess not completely unarmed, but I heard he did it by throwing the knife through the thin opening of the glass visor, which eventually found the body of the pilot within. So I thought if only I could pull off the same stunt...

Maybe, just maybe...

The gunfire stopped. My eye still stung, but I forced myself to look around, until my eyes landed on a silver, straight, long and metallic object. The broken flat bumper of a car.
Without second thoughts, I walked over and picked up the bumper with one hand. Then stared at the hole created by the gun fire just moments ago.

If those bullets could tear through a foot of concrete, my flesh would then stand zero to zero chance...

I sighed, as I continue to make my way towards the pit.

The Deathwalker was slightly taller than twenty feet, if I jumped down from here, with this momentum and with this height, it should be enough if I was able to aim right and stab through the visor. But that could potentially be killing someone, but this was self defense right? And I am doing this to protect Illyria. Plus the likely hood of me being killed was far greater, was it not? The visor was a thin glass panel on the torso of the iron hulk, missing it would be easy, and the bullets would probably finish me off before I even reached the ground...and even if the gunfire doesn't kill me what happens if I miss? I'll probably just fall to death...

I didn't like the odds a single bit. My grip of the bumper tightened, the main exit was blocked and there was a huge hole between me and the other exit. I had to be decisive, when the next array of bullets came I probably wouldn't even know what hit me. So this was probably the last chance I had. It was either die, or die trying. If I stayed I would die for sure. If I tried, I may die a less pretty death, but even if the possibility seemed infinity small, it was better than nothing. At least I knew who I was dying for, and what I was dying for.

That moment nothing seemed to sway me, I stepped back a few steps. Then I sprinted, and jumped at the last second over the pit. My prediction was right the Deathwalker was waiting below, and it was waiting for me. The bullets came at me, like a torrent of death, there was no way out, no way back, I was trapped, but I didn't care. Within that brief millisecond I raised the bumper and aimed it at the visor. Time seemed to stretch and my fall seemed to last forever, while still in midair, I found the air my lungs to scream, and this urge to scream, the scream I held back for ages, the scream that was the sum of all the reason why I live, I fight for and I die for.

"AGRHHH!!!"

The bullets became more concentrated and my aim seemed to be a little bit off. To ensure my aim, I adjusted my left arm sideways to give it balance.
An indiscernible pain shot up my entire left arm, my body went rigid, but the fall didn't stop. Blood drops and flesh floated around me, but I didn't turn to check and see the damage as my vision rapidly blacked out from the pain. But at the last moment of my conscientious I felt the bumper connect with a glass object, followed by a soft meaty thud.

Q: How would you respond to a terrorist threat nearby?