The Purest of Evil part 9
"War,"
"What is going on here!" Rob demands stepping forward toward the suits. He recognized these things. They were ancient robots that had been recovered by the resistance. They had been experimenting with using them as combatants. After all the King wasn't any good against technological opponents. He was a bit of a technophobe so using technology to combat him seemed like a no brainer. But they shouldn't nearly be ready for combat yet. These were ancient robots with the parts scattered as if destroyed purposefully. Yet here they standing pristine and fully functional with the center one standing with a gold finish. It didn't make sense and he questions why they are here now.
"Mission Parameters, eliminate King Lucas before he rises to power in the case that agents Rob, Arcane, and Alex fail to complete their mission deadline, or Phase Distorter connection is disconnected." The golden Starmen droid explains.
"That explains it…" Rob mutters. They had a set amount of time to complete the mission. A window of time where Lucas could be killed that wouldn't have too much effect on the timeline besides the desired effect. But that deadline must've come and gone. It was do or die time now. "I would like to speak to the board!"
"Communication request denied, agents are to remove themselves from line of fire within ten seconds otherwise this unit will assume that they are now threats."
"So what's the plan here? You're going to just kill all of us, what do you think that's going to do to the time line!?" Duster exclaims.
"This is an extreme measure no doubt about that, but one we have planned for meticulously."
"They probably figure that once Lucas is dead the future will change to such a point that what happens has little consequence," Rob explains.
"You have five seconds to comply agents…"
"Plus killing a time traveler is mostly inconsequential depending on what period they're from," Alex adds.
"Time has expired eliminate target," the lead Starman states as each robot points a hand forward to unleash a stream of flames.
"WHOA!" Claus exclaims jumping forward to raise a PSI Shield for the flames refract off of. "These things have PSI?! HOW!?"
"They're pretty complex robots the resistance shouldn't even have one working let alone three!" Rob exclaims over the roar of the flames. He pulls out his large knife to try and circle around the flames. Kumatora raises both hands focusing.
"PK Fire γ!" She exclaims shoot forth a river of fire manipulating the flames converging with the Starmen's quickly pushing past the robot's. "Nothing but scrap!"
"You almost set the castle on fire!" Duster exclaims.
"Can't take the heat?" She responds with a smirks turning to look at him.
"Keep focus Kumatora!" Lucas yells as he casts a Shield around her just as a robot smashes its fist into the light blue screen. Duster follows up with a powerful lunging kick knocking it to the ground. It rolls along the ground before sinking its fingers into the ground.
"Whoa thanks!" She gasps surprised.
"Will you be okay dad?" Alex questions Lucas as he tries to climb back to his feet with Alex at his side helping him stay on his feet while taking some of Lucas' weight.
"…that won't ever stop being weird…" Lucas mutters to himself. "Yeah…they just…hit me with something… mind is scattered…can't focus…"
"Probably PSI Brainshock it'll wear off but let's hope we get them before they get us," Arcane explains. He moves to help Rob who was having a hard time. His knife couldn't cut through the metal of the robots leaving his blade as basically a sharp blunt instrument.
"Alex can you-?"
"I'll watch him Uncle Claus," Alex says placing his hands on Lucas' arm to steady him.
"…that won't ever stop being weird…" Claus mutters to himself as he quickly turns engage the lead Starmen. "PK Thunder!" The blast of lighting smashes into the robot's chest scoring a direct hit. But the robot hardly takes a half step back before it refocuses on Claus. "Uh oh…"
"PK Thunder," it responds in kind blasting out an intense bolt of lightning. Seeing the bolt immediately lit a fire under Claus he was not interested in dying like that for real this time. He still had his lighting sword so he quickly pulls it out to block the lightning attack before firing it right back at the robot. This time it was thrown off its feet. Claus begins gasping for breath as that lightning blast was so intense it almost overwhelmed him. Smoke wafted from his form as he focuses on catching his breath. The Starmen however had no need for rest as it was back on its feet again ready for another attack. "For ancient robots they seem made better than anything I've seen in the here and now."
"Same for our time," Alex adds.
"It really shouldn't be possible that these were made by human hands!" Arcane wielding a high powered semi-automatic pulse pistol side arm quickly unloading a clip into the machine. It did little but annoy however, but lucky Rob was there to provide the extra kick with a PK Fire attack.
"Good chance that they weren't who knows!" Rob swings his knife again with the blade vibrating at high speeds to dig into the metal of the robotic arm. Noticing the danger of the weapon the Starmen unleashes a PSI Beam from its visor scoring a hit into Rob's chest.
With the other Starmen facing against Duster and Kumatora they were having just as hard a time. Kumatora could match the machine PSI for PSI attack however neither were gaining ground. Also it was difficult for Duster to find the perfect opening to strike. He tried to sneak around but the robot tracked him and would have scorched him if not for the PSI Shield placed on him by Lucas from afar. So then they try to attack him from different angles the plan being decided on when they both met eyes. After fighting together for so long it became second nature. Kumatora used one move that was not in the Starmen's arsenal, PK Ground. Manipulating the earth below the robot it caved in around its feet trapping it in place. Duster took this chance slapping as many sticky bombs on his person as he could and then ducking away from the Starman's swinging arms. Kumatora lets a smirk come to her face as she uses the earth to launch the Starmen out the hole it came from and to the sky. Then with a finger extended and one eye closed she shot a precise bolt of PK Fire. It went flying far until it met the Starman were the brilliant explosion followed as seemingly pieces fell from the sky.
"Nice job guys, now help us!" Claus groan under the pressure of being wrestled down by a Starman. He mechanical arm was the only thing holding back the Starmen as he it was trying to force it's glowing visor into Claus' face. Kumatora quickly came over hooking her arm under the robot. She jerked it with all her might throwing off the aimed visor from melting Claus' face. The added help gave Claus a chance to pull back his fist to score a hard hit into the Starmen knocking it off him. Then Duster dove in with his wall staples quickly pins it on the ground.
"Now together!" Duster exclaims. Claus and Kumatora combine attacks using PK Thunder. The lightning blast explodes out their hands, fusing together, and then zapping the Starmen. It's visor flashes random colors before seemingly shorts out and stops moving.
"Now one to go!" Claus exclaims. They turn to see Rob and Arcane are thrown aside by the Starman. Also it seems that upon better speculation in comparison to the others this one was indeed stronger than the others. Rob and Arcane manage to pick themselves up just as Kumatora, Duster, and Claus joined them. The Starmen looks to the side to see that Lucas had more or less recovered now standing on his own without Alex's help. The tables had turned quicker than expected.
"Initiating failsafe protocol," It says as its visor shines a bright orange light. The short circuited Starmen's visor glows the same color. Before it starts to blink faster and faster. Alex notices this at the last moment.
"PK Sheild!" he exclaims trying to cast a shield to cover the explosion that follows. His shield held strong under the force of the explosion but after a loud yell from Arcane everyone about faces again. They simply see Arcane on the ground with a trail of blood going down his face and the Starmen gone.
"What, where'd it go?" Kumatora demands rushing to the hole in the wall. She glances around trying to find some clue of where it went, but she couldn't figure out with plain sight. "How did it move that fast?"
"Are you alright Arcane?" Rob asks the boy as he watches him try to collect himself.
"No, thing blindsided me…jeez…why me…" He says rubbing his head to try and be rid of the aching.
"It saw it was about to lose and went with a strategic retreat. It decided to attack the weakest target to distract us," Rob states after taking his eyes off Arcane.
"You're so mean, just because I'm one of the only two people here without crazy powers."
"How did those things even get here, I thought you guys had the only Phase Twisters?" Duster asks.
"They can't possibly have more. Alex has one and Arcane has the other. The beacon linking our time periods is another Phase Twister but it serves as the anchoring point. Without that we'd just be creating an alternate timeline, not changing anything."
"Well…you were paying attention on some of the lessons," Alex says with a raised eyebrow.
"Shut up."
"Well now we have a raging robot from the future set loose in Tazmilly. Which means we need to find it and deal with it quickly," Duster says refocusing the group.
"But what about reading through the journal? We did almost get killed to get it," Claus points out.
"As fascinating a read that may be, we should probably deal with this Starman thing first."
"Any idea on how we're going to track it down?"
"Can the Phase Twister help?" Rob asks looking at Arcane.
"Not like a big, heavy, metal object just smacked me in the face…I'm totally fine…" Arcane groans reach for said item. He pauses before he rapidly starts to pat himself down. "Shit…"
"You better tell me you left it in another pair of pants…" Rob says palming his face.
"Well it's not like a robot, again made of metal, punched me in the face or anything. Not like that didn't hurt or I had some crazy powers too!" Arcane instantly fires back in his defense. Alex lets out a sigh before crouching down to place a hand on Arcane's forehead.
"This should ease the pain and help with the concussion," Alex says as his hands begins to glow. "Besides we were all blindsided here Rob it's not fair to put the blame on Arcane."
"Thank you Alex," Arcane says while giving Rob a side eyed stare.
"Well now we have a time traveling capable robot on the rampage. When would he go?" Claus questions aloud.
"This is the point in time in which the future that he wants to have can be change. I'm pretty sure they still need me to exist to a certain point," Lucas utters finally shaking off the effects of the brain shock.
"Well it's not killing you by itself, that's for sure and it can't risk harming others in case that might have some unforeseen effect on the timeline. It's options are limited so I don't understand what else it could do besides bide for time," Alex says taking his hand away from Arcane's head.
"Can you track it Lucas?" Claus asks his brother. Lucas shakes his head.
"I can sense life energy to an extent, but it's not alive obviously so I can't track it," Lucas explains.
"Actually I think I know someone who might be able to help us, but first let's gather this scrap up."
"Why we can clean up later?" Kumatora asks.
"It may help the person who we're going to see find this thing if he had a point of reference. We're out our depth here so it's best to call in an expert," Claus points out moving to the remains of the exploded Starman.
"Call in an expert…" Lucas mutters. His mind begins working some short puzzle in his mind before his eyes widen. "Could it know…?" Lucas mutters. Without a word he quickly turns dashing out the hole in the wall. He ignores the calls of his name as he makes a mad dash. He doesn't stop running as he heads into the forest tearing through without stopping. He doesn't take a moment to catch his breath or pause despite the protest of his lungs. He couldn't afford to slow down if what his worst fear is realized. Eventually he breaks out into opening. Back to the area where Alex, Rob, and Claus had ambushed him intent on taking his life. This is where he was heading to find answers. He walks over to the pit to stare down into it. "Shit…"
"Lucas!" Claus exclaims finally catching up to him. "Geez when did you get so fast…" he gasps trying to catch his breath. After a moment of breathing he looks at his twin. "Why'd you run off like that?"
"I think I figured out where our killer time traveling robot went…" Lucas states cryptically. Claus tilts his head before recognition sets in.
"Hey this is where we…well ya know. Why did you come here anyway?"
"Same as the Starman I assume, to get some insight."
"What are you saying bro?" Claus says with a raised eyebrow and tilted head. He looks past Lucas to see a decimated pile of rocks and a large hold for something that may've been buried. "Was something here?"
"Someone," Lucas states as his fist clench. Light sparks of psychic energy begin go off around Lucas' fist. "This was where Porky was…"
-000-
"Well I really have to admit you are a blast from the past!" exclaims a voice from inside the capsule the Starman carries effortlessly on its shoulder.
"I have been commissioned from the resistance to kill King Lucas before his rise to power," The Starman responds.
"WOW!" the exclamation made Porky go into a coughing fit that was mixed in with laughter making the sound a half cackle, half chocking sound. The Starman actually tilts its visor toward Porky. "That's fascinating…I have no problem helping out the future. Clearly this world was better under my care then his…*cough* I wouldn't have even allowed this crap to happen."
If the Starman was able to express emotions, it would've rolled its eyes. "My intent is not assist you, only to eliminate King Lucas, there must be no other major changes to the timeline. As you exist in the future as well any changes you make are manageable."
"And what's future me up to?" Porky wheezes.
"Around the clock torture."
"Sounds boring…" Porky groans. "But once you get me out of this thing, and return me to power within the Pig Mask Militia I should definitely be able to take care of this problem for you." Porky snickers. "Or at the very least I know someone who can…"