See You On The Battlefield

Prologue

Wide eyes stared down at the blue prints before her. Distantly she could hear her father rattling on to the engineers about what he expected to be done. He was a strong headed man, her father. She knew he expected every little detail he had worked out to be perfect. However, the more Courtney stared at the plans, the more holes she was finding in them.

"No, this is wrong," she finally spoke up. No one heard her. Her own father ignored her, too busy yelling at people to do things right. Mr. Beaumont was a busy man on a tight schedule. "Daddy, this robot will not work out!" She raised her young voice. "Daddy, if you give this robot a ninety synch then the right clambic night won't work. Right clambic night's only work with at least a sixty-four sync." All of the men in the room-the scientists, the engineers, the geniuses behind robot programming-stopped and turned to face the little girl who had seemingly out smarted them all. In a rush and a hurry to get this robot built in time for the league, they had made some minor mistakes.

Courtney looked up from the table with a triumphant smile. At least she had her fathers attention now.

The constructors and robot professionals all gathered around the table, knowing that a child as young as the one before them could not possibly have known what was right and what was wrong. But none of them knew Courtney Beaumont. She was smart and witty, beautiful and graceful. The apple of her fathers eye and the lucky charm he brought to work with him today. This young girl knew what she was talking about as she had stayed up late the previous night doing her research on the topic: robot building.

The meeting continued for several hours with Courtney making her own contributions to her fathers robot. If she was going to be sharing the title of 'pride and joy' in her fathers life, she wanted to be able to like her competition. Many of the scientists worked through all the loop holes, tightening up any loose ends they found. The engineers made sure everything was compatible, the robot could be built without a problem. The blue prints were remade several times and, at the end of the day, were sent off for constriction.

Mr. Beaumont was a wealthy man with a loving wife and perfect daughter. His estate covered just over half an acre, with an acre and a half for surrounding land. His grandfather had built the house with his own two hands almost 90 years before his grandson had taken it over as his own family home when his father had died. Being the only heir, Bradly Beaumont had inherited every dime his family owned, making him the third richest man in New America. His life was a walking fairy tale.

The family business was computing. All Courtney knew was that her great-grandfather had created a software system called ALICE. All electronic devices used the software and it landed the Beaumont family on the wealthy list. However, the current Mr. Beaumont had decided to find something useful to do, earn his own money instead of just accepting his rich heritage. So, as a long time fan of robot boxing, he had decided to take up the sport himself.

Instead of buying his own second-hand robot, Mr. Beaumont had insisted on hiring his own sophisticated team of professionals to create his own undefeatable robot. If he was going to do this, he was going to do this right.

Courtney, at the age of seven, could not understand her fathers need to do this. She was bright beyond her years, and watching robot boxing was a father-daughter pastime she had shared with her father for as long as she could remember, but as Mr. Beaumont told her of his plans, she couldn't grasp it. Not that Courtney admitted it out load. Oh no, her opinions were locked up tight in her head. Her father seemed happy with what he was doing and that made Courtney happy too.

It took eight months to complete, but on Courtney's eighth birthday, Con was ready. A sturdy bot built out of black sheet, a newly discovered metal that was impervious to all attacks that had come its way. The engineers were barely able to get their hands on enough to create the full-sized robot. But Mr. Beaumont pulled his puppet strings and everything had worked out for the design he wanted. What Mr. Beaumont wanted, Mr. Beaumont got. And what he had was a 200 pound robot that had cost him more money than he promised to spend, but he made sure it was worth it. Con stood for Conquerer. Whatever robot he was going to be put in the ring with he was going to conquer and earn back all the money the family had lost (though it had barely made a dent in the large inheritance) on building him.

The small child stood at the ring side, her father having warned her not to get too close or play with the ropes. Everything was automated and he didn't want his daughter messing up at his first league event.

Courtney watched the crowd around her. There was a loud buzz of excitement and nerves as not only was this the first match of the 2087 ATF winner league, but it was also the first time in almost sixty years that a newbie robot was set to fight a pro. Courtney noted that Maximus, Con's opponent for the night, had been boxing for 20 years. What was to happen next was brutal.

The pin dropped and everyone heard as these two robots swung at each other. Courtney knew the basics of right swing, left swing, jab, jab, jab. She wasn't a robot boxing fan, but it was her love of her father that had compelled her to be at his side at his first match. She watched eagerly from the control panel on the east corner of the ring, her eyes watching in anticipation as the fight continued on. Both robots were taking quite a beating from one another, both dishing out and receiving punches. But Maximus was tiring. You could see as his movements slowed that his power levels weren't going to last for much longer.

Watching the woman walk across the canvas with the 'Round 7' card made Courtney start to get jumpy. She was too excited to see who the winner was going to be already. Mr. Beaumont kept glancing nervously over his shoulder, trying to catch her eyes, but he didn't. Courtney's mind was fixed solely on the fight in front of her. She had never seen such a sight up close like this. The TV screen in the lounge room at home did not do robot boxing any justice. Watching the machines flinging their arms, ducking and diving, side-stepping and playing dirty, it was something that made her breath catch in her throat. But the gleam of pride shone in her fathers eyes as he watched his daughter fall dangerously for the sport showed only love.

"One, two, three," the referee began the count. The whole audience joined in, "four, fix, six," Courtney strained to see what was happening behind the tall figures of the engineers. "Seven, eight, nine, ten!" The bell sounded and so did Mr. Beaumont. Courtney was lifted off her feet and hung high in the air as her father continued to shout out cheers of joy. The eight-year-old caught a glimpse of Maximus lying face down in the canvas, Con standing over him like the champion he was. Against all the odds, he won. The rookie beat the pro and started his legacy at that moment in time.

Courtney stared deeply into her fathers eyes, her own face lighting up with a glorious grin. She knew-in that moment she knew-that this was what she wanted to do with her life. She could see her fathers fascination with robot boxing clearly now. The heart-pounding, blood-rushing, stomach-fluttering buzz that came with the sport was not one someone could forget so easily. This was what Courtney wanted to do. Robot boxing became her.

A/N: oh, wow...

We all read that, right? XD

I am quite proud of myself!

Another robot story!

But this time Duncan won't be the robot xD

But yes...another new story...

This is my fifth one in the works! It does mean I don't update other stories as quickly, but it does mean I do have something to write at all times xD

Oh, and Xander and I are also planning a collab fic too...MAKE THAT SIX!

ANYWAY!

I hope ya'll enjoyed the prologue, I have started the first chapter and it will hopefully be up soon (:

This is based off my current favourite film, Real Steel!

If you have not seen it, WATCH IT!

I am in love xD

and have had this story idea since the first time I watched it which seems like forever ago to me now...

I am not a huge boxing fan, but much like Courtney, it is something me and my daddy and Kevin watch together (: So sorry if I don't know much boxing terminology and/or the fights are very non-descriptive...

DUNCAN IS IN CHAPTER ONE!

YAY! DUNCAN!

And 10 house points to whoever can tell me where the name Beaumont comes from...

(It's been a Harry Potter day for me xD)

I actually wrote the whole prologue out on my iPad writing app and am writing this AN out on notes on my iPad also xD

...it's 1:16AM, give me a break...

Thanks for reading, please review (:

Love, Miss C. Rhiannon X

PS. In need if robot names, review with any suggestions :D