Iron Angels: 2112

Irons Angels is a short flash fiction series and first look at the developing project, Twenty-One Twelve, a dystopian future set in a world dealing with the chaos of climate change.

In the year 2112, Tokyo, Japan, a sprawling, once-glistening metropolis stands as a grim testament to human resilience. Initially designed as a beacon of progress, the city is a wreckage of war, its high-rises scarred and empty, their glass facades shattered, reflections of the chaos below.

Above, drone swarms patrol overhead, casting predatory shadows across the broken landscape, their low-murmuring whir a constant reminder of the Dytech Corporation’s watchful presence.

Life in the city has adapted to this new normal. Resources are scarce, rationed and fiercely guarded. Electricity is a luxury, available only intermittently, and every building is a potential fortress, trap, or refuge for the hunted.

At the edge of the embattled city, LZ-4 stands as the lone link to the outside world—the last hope for an Allied counteroffensive to reclaim Tokyo. The precariously held landing zone was recently secured by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Division, a spearhead force of colossal human-piloted war machines built to withstand the city’s hostile environment and enemy firepower. These bipedal giants, known as “Metal Jacks”, are a rugged blend of armor and high-tech weaponry—the Allied Forces’ first and last line of defense in the urban jungles of the modern world.

In the year 2112, around the world, Metal Jack pilots have become the embodiment of the enduring human spirit—fierce, resilient, and unwilling to yield to the crushing weight of their dystopian reality.

Order will be restored.

Episodes

Iron Angels: Wide Lanes (Ep1)

I was leading a squad of Metal Jacks through Machida, heading to LZ-4. We’d been re-tasked to flank an inbound enemy column heading for the base. Not too big; easy enough. Getting there was the problem. The city was hot, and there were at least fifteen blocks between us and the intercept point. It was…

September 2, 2023
Iron Angels: Reaper (Ep2)

I looked up, feeling a twinge of unease as the visual on my screen glitched. Three elongated shadows were descending from the sky, sweeping across the ruins. Reapers. High-tech drones with a payload that could drop a heavy with one shot. The channel buzzed with static as their comm-blitz flooded the waves, scrambling our systems.…

September 10, 2023
Iron Angels: Vanguard (Ep3)

The world seemed to slow, every tick of the clock stretching into eternity. My cannon roared, the recoil jolting my Jack’s frame as the rounds streamed toward the Reaper, missing the target by a hair’s breadth. I’d miscalculated the lead. It veered off before I could correct, and the missile was in flight. “No!” The…

September 18, 2023
Iron Angels: Titans on Deck (Ep4)

Five blocks from the edge of Machida, the comm started to clear. I called in the sit-rep. “LZ-4; Echo-1. Intel relay from 3rd—enemy column is only the vanguard. Larger force advancing. Prepare for major assault.” “Understood, Echo. Bring it in. Do not engage!” There was no mistaking the crusty voice crackling back through the dissipating…

October 1, 2023
Iron Angels: Before the Storm (Ep5)

Twenty meters out, the hearty smell of sustenance quickened my step, but when I threw back the curtain and stepped into the mess, my heart broke at the sight of the line running half the length of the tent. The cooks were working at a frenetic pace, ladle-dropping serving after serving of whatever high-calorie, nutrient-dense…

October 16, 2023
Iron Angels: Shields Against the Storm (Ep6)

As the Mantises drew closer, the true battle began. A dance of steel and power, each of us pushing our Titans to the limit. The enemy was relentless, but so were we. It was our ground to hold, and none of us knew how to yield.

November 29, 2023
Never Quit (Ep7)

The rapid advance of Dytech’s Mantises amid the ruins was like a tide of steel, sweeping through what little resistance we had left. Their sleek metal chassis loomed out of the smoky haze, glinting ominously in the morning light.

February 11, 2024