Defenders of the Earth: This Is Their Side Story

"Internal Affair"

It looked like Garax, but far more cruel. It was a few inches taller too.

With blood-red eyes, and menacing stomps, the dark-gold machine made a steady advance, smoke rising out of the hole in its hand, the one that it'd used to assault LJ.

Kshin inched back, gripping the weapon — a long pulse blaster with a rocket attached. Rick had designed it for this situation, to stop an intruder in Monitor. It simply hadn't managed to do that, though. He had shot the target at least six times. Other machines would be dust by now.

There was something different about this one.

Kshin pumped the weapon, and fired again.

The laser round bounced off the robot's chest.

He pumped it once more, and aimed at the head. He found it was hard to hold steady now. His breaths were heavy as he twitched in place.

Garax stared, pressing forth.

That was when Kshin reached a certain conclusion. It couldn't be Garax. Garax talked. And Garax had never been quite this cold.

"You shot my friend," he told the machine, throwing a glance at LJ on the floor. He squeezed on the trigger, gritting his teeth.

The noisy blast hit the robot's head.

The enemy stumbled, inching back.

Then it recovered, striding forth.

Kshin felt a shiver spreading over his frame. He knelt into a crouch, and fired the rocket, knowing that it shouldn't be used indoors. Rick had always cautioned to save it for last.

The rocket made a screech until it blasted his foe.

A raucous explosion sounded off in the base. Deep, dark smoke swept across the machine.

Kshin couldn't see the thing's head anymore — or anything else underneath that face. The rocket had blown it to oblivion.

Then he saw the eyes, dark and red, shining through the smoke with that threatening glow.

The stomping continued. The robot marched, aiming a finger at Kshin's chest now.

Kshin eyed a little red light on his shirt. The foe had its sights locked onto him.

A door flew open. Amy sped in, hair bundled up as she tightened a fist. Mere seconds later, the robot flew — slamming on the ceiling, then crashing to the floor. It crackled and popped as it groveled there.

Kshin was relieved while observing the girl. She had attacked the thing viciously.

Amy eyed the foe as it lay on the tiles. She tapped on her brow, tilting her chin. She was clearly readying a final assault.

The robot shook. Its head flew off, sailing through the room before it fell on the floor.

Kshin stared a moment, and then heaved a breath. He got to his feet and ran to LJ's side. His friend was breathing, but still knocked out. The laser had just nicked the side of his head.

Then he heard a whirl. The robot stood, shifting its focus to Amy now.

She was amazed.

So was Kshin. Somehow, the thing could still target its foes. Its visual sensor wasn't just in its head.

The thing's chest opened. A sphere fell out.

Amy jumped aside amid a deadly explosion. She had barely managed to save herself.

Kshin raised his arms as the flames spread out. Then he noticed Rick rushing into the room.

"Down! Stay down!" Rick shouted out. He fiddled with a watch — or something similar. You couldn't be certain when it came to him.

Several small devices flew into the room too, each looking like a little flying saucer. They latched on the robot — and then blew up.

This produced the loudest explosion of all.

Amid the deep flame and the thickening smoke, the enemy collapsed, losing its arms. It fell face-first and held still on floor.

Kshin did his best to stop his body from shaking.

Rick looked about, gripped by awe.

Then the gold arms moved across the tiles, attaching themselves to the robot again.

"What in..." Rick took a step backward.

The robot stood, aiming at Rick.

Dale sprinted in, rifle in hand. She dropped to a crouch and shot the foe in the leg.

It fell on its side, then started to stand.

"Everybody back!" Amy said. She floated for a moment, spreading her arms.

It seemed the whole base was beginning to shake. Kshin had rarely felt anything like this. He lost his footing. His friends did too. Everybody fell as a rumble approached — everyone except for the hovering girl.

A huge stream of lava shot up from the floor, tearing through the tiles, rising in the air, and utterly consuming the gold machine. The enemy flailed around helplessly.

Kshin raised a hand, shielding himself. Rick and his mother were doing the same.

Amy was squinting, directing her might, ponytail blowing as she floated about. A cutrain of red had hit the dark-blue room.

When the mass of crimson finally fell to the floor, the enemy was nothing but sparkling bits. It definitely wasn't coming back from this.

Amy touched down, her feet on the tiles.

Everyone was silent for a number of seconds. He gazed through the room, eyeing the others, hoping he'd see that they were shaken too. He could take comfort if he noticed that. He'd see that even they could get a little afraid.

Amy looked bitter as she studied the sparks. Rick appeared smitten at LJ's side. Dale twitched a tad, regaining her feet.

Then a flicker twinkled on a viewing screen, one that was used for incoming calls.

Kshin could see a man on the monitor now, staring everybody in the chamber down.

"Brilliant, Defenders," he said mockingly.

Rick stepped forth. "You're Kent Madden..."

Kshin began remembering the tales he'd heard. Madden was sick, but just in the mind. The man was convinced he was physically ill, which often led to trouble as he searched for a cure.

April ran in, her leather coat flailing, hand on a blaster as she studied the scene.

Madden made a nod. "Now that I've seen how effective these are, I know they'll be of use as I strike Mongo. I think that my cure can be found up there."

A blanket of horror spread over Kshin. Madden had even more golden machines. It looked like 100 were standing with him.

The screen went black.

Dale eyed the viewer with a stony face, then turned to the others with a look of concern.