Robin, Noir and I, along with the three bandits, watched as the robots stopped their attack and gathered together. With an electronic whurring and clanking, the robots shifted their metal bodies so that the fit together like some kind of deadly puzzle from Tron. Steam released as the pieces locked into each other and the shape started to take form.
The robot towered high above us with a face that was covered with row after row of red, electronic eyes. The arms ended with two giant clappers and laser turrets were mounted on both shoulders. Instead of legs, the thing moved around using tank tread. We looked up at it from under the cast of its shadow.
"Dayum!" Simon caught his breath. "It's like...a Lego set from hell, or something!"
"I wish you'd stop saying that..."
The robots neck creaked and hissed and it's rows of eyes peered down at us. The laser turrets on its shoulder shifted.
"Out of the way!"
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
We all danced and scattered out of the way. The lasers followed Robin's acrobatics, leaving most of us in the clear.
"Hey, Noir!" I called forward to him. "Batter up!"
Noir looked over his shoulder at me and nodded. He held Myrkblade and crouched down, funneling smoke into his legs. I ran towards his back, whipping my guitar around to the front.
FWOOSH!
Noir leaped high into the air just as I hit my knees and slid to the spot he'd just been. I leaned back as far as I could to where my guitar pointed to the heavens. I ran my hand over the strings.
BRING!
A ball of ice shot up into the air. Noir spun, gripped Myrkblade and smacked it at the robot like a baseball. The ice ball smashed into one of the robots red blinking eyes.
BRING!
A fireball shot up, considerably smaller than the ice projectile that proceeded it.
THWACK!
Noir spun and smacked that one, too. It flew through the air and exploded against the robot's chest.
BRING!
I sent up a bolt of lightening with my last strum. It hit Myrkblade and intermingled with smoke. Noir held the blade straight out in front of him. Smoke and lightening burst out of it like a beam and destroyed one of the robot's shoulder turrets.
Gravity finally came back into play. I stood and repositioned my guitar on my back as Noir descended. I crouched down and Noir landed in my clasped hands. With a grunt, I heaved him at the robot's face. Then I turned, called up the wind song and flew after him.
SLASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
Noir dragged his sword across the robot's chest, cleaving a long gash. He flipped and blurred down the robot's arm as it tried to retaliate. With that distraction, I had a free shot.
"HAH!"
WHAM!
I jammed my metal-covered fist into one of its eyes, sending sparks everywhere.
WHAP!
The robot's giant head jabbed forward and smashed into me. I clenched myself as I fell, trying to hum the wind song-
SWOOSH!
Robin caught me as he swooped by on his grappling hook. Even as he dropped me close to the ground, he whipped out three exploding birdarangs and chucked them at the robot.
B-B-BOOM!
The landed just in front of the robot and he ran over them with his tank tread. Smoke started to billow out and grass caught on fire.
"Yeah! Now we're talking!" Simon held out his hands and absorbed the fire. Then he flung a pillar a dozen times stronger the robot's way as he strafed to the side.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Michael cursed as his magnum shots bounced off the robot's armor. He ran at it from the side, turned the gun into a sword and stabbed it into the guts of the tank treads. The robot rolled jerkily backward.
Meanwhile, Pulsade ran along a broad tree branch. She jumped from it to the robot's shoulder and then to the top of it's head. She leaped down just in front of the remaining electrical eyes.
"Here's the light at the end of the bloody tunnel!"
FLASH!
The eyes beeped crazily, the black 'pupils' moving crazily to find a target.
Pulsade landed in a kneel.
"Simon! Finish it!"
"Heheheh! Thought you'd never ask!"
Simon planted his feet wide and held out his hands. He closes his eyes in concentration. His brow creased. Sweat poured down his face as the air around him grew noticeably hotter.
I looked at him nervously.
FWOOSH!
A geyser of red flame erupted underneath the robot, sending it sky high.
"Everybody down!" Robin turned and covered himself with his cape.
The rest of us hit the dirt.
The robot landed.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Metal shrapnel exploded outwards and smoked clogged the air.
After I was through coughing, I looked around at the metal debris of what was once the robot. I smirked.
"Looks like-"
"No one gives a damn about your woodshed." Michael droned as he walked by.
I glared at his back and crossed my arms on my chest as Noir stepped up to me. I looked over at him.
"That's not what I was gonna say, you know."
Noir shrugged.
"Seriously!"
Noir rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.
"Psssh. Turncoat."
ZZZZZZZZZZ
"I warned you they were coming." I said as I climbed out of the chamber. "Did you plan nothing?"
Booked sneered at me.
"Don't forget yourself, little girl. I'm the one that gives the orders."
"..."
"Now go deal with them. This place cannot be found." He turned, pushed a control panel and walked a pair of sliding doors.
I looked after him for a moment before turning away. Then I steeled myself and pointed across the room.
ZHHHHHTT!
I regained my breath as three assorted characters stood across the room from me, looking around in confusion.
"Gizmo. Mammoth. Kyd Wikkyd. If you wish to become a part of Neo HIVE, now is the time to prove it."
I turned away from them and pulled out a cell phone. I hit the speed dial and-
"It's Zillah. We have work to do, Flaar."
