Plink…
Plink…
Plink…
Plink…
The crystalline drip of water on rock was everywhere and nowhere, echoing hollowly though the vast network of caves and tunnels. Darkness clung to the jagged rocks, and an observer would note the faintest hint of sulfur in the still, humid air
Two pairs of stealthy feet crossed the worn tunnel floor, the once rough surface having been chipped down by hundreds of excursions such as this. There was a brief, whispered conference, then they were gone.
However, it was quite evident the first pair was not alone in the subterranean labyrinth, with a second duo approaching from a different direction. This pair also stopped for a snatch of murmured conversation, a dangerous but necessary act. And like the others before them, these hopefuls were also quick to vanish into the gloom.
A single pair of feet now traversed the stone, softer and slower than their predecessors. A pause, a glance, and a small grin masked by the night. He almost chuckled, but refrained for fear of giving himself away. Then he too was swallowed up by the natural maze.
"Anything?"
"Nothing."
A shift, the slightest hiss of pistons and click gears as one of the speakers moved his weight from one foot to the other. In normal circumstances, the sound would have been insubstantial and covered by the ambient noises of the surface. But this was a different scenario, and a grimace crossed the mech's face as he realised his mistake.
The two mechs, agile as turbo-foxes and as light footed as cyber wolves, hastened to make their escape…a moment too late.
Two thin red beams lanced out, made all the more brighter by the surrounding darkness, and struck the squares of metal attached to the backs of the lethal warriors. An electronic death wail was sent up by the devices. Struck by rare defeat –which for once didn't include a visit to the repair bay- the pair dispiritedly trudged out.
In the common room above, shouts of triumph drowned out the cries of dismay as credits changed hands.
The victorious warriors were now doubly on the alert. They and the lone warrior were all that were left in the tunnels, and by now their opponent would be making his way towards them, alerted by the howl of the other's defeat. Without a word they acted accordingly, each wrapping himself up in his own concealment.
But such trickeries of light would not fool their hunter; he had been trained to observe more than what was immediately visible.
"He's tracking us." The whisper was barely audible. One of these two knew the sense of using the natural surrounding to his advantage, thus they spoke near a thin rivulet of water cascading down the slick black rocks, the splashing hiding any inadvertent noises they made.
"What do you suggest we do?" asked his blue and white partner. He, not so enamoured of the planet as his companion, was running low on ideas.
"Just a little something I picked up while on leave." The larger replied, a hidden grin colouring his voice.
Moving through the darkness with the ease his name suggested, the singular unit was momentarily perplexed by the sudden loss of the footprints he had been following. He could clearly see the rectangular prints of one of his quarry and the slightly broader ones of the other, imprinted neatly in the damp sand of the stream bank, almost as if wanting to be seen.
Instincts flared and he slunk back into the protective cocoon of darkness, waiting a moment before emerging and creeping on.
"Aha!" The triumphant whisper went unheard as he re took the trail, one hand reaching out to touch the freshly crushed scoria that lay atop the improvised 'stepping stones' used by the elusive pair to cross to another gallery. He silently continued on, getting ever nearer to his quarry.
In the common room above him, an excited crowd watched with avid interest, all optics glued to the screen displaying the unfolding events. One by one, they had been eliminated from the challenge, and now sought to see how their companions fared. One of the final three had been expected; the other they were not surprised by, but the third was agreed to be the dark horse of the contest.
The afore mentioned 'dark horse' felt his fuel pump beat quicker as he spied his prey. He carefully knelt and picked his target, then hesitated. Of course he would do this. He mentally reminded himself as he traced the illusions back to their source. Nice try Hound, but I don't fool that easily. Smokescreen twisted, fired twice, and two more death knells sounded in the caves.
Fin
If you can't guess the characters, in order of appearance they are- Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, Mirage and Hound, and of course, Smokescreen.