AMPHIBIA-BOTS
a fan-fiction by Slogokonnor99

Chapter 6: A sudden change

2 months ago

-Another report of a mass murder?- asked a toad, -yeah, it's like the ninth massacre of the decade- a frog replied to him, -Oh well, it's better for me to tell the captain- the toad stated before leaving the town and towards a secluded headquarters north of Wartwood. The terrain was rocky and arid, most days were cloudy and with little rain, but these toads used areas like this to isolate their towers which ruled over the valley. As the toad arrived at the tower, he quickly ran into the captain's quarters; it was a long way up, but toads had good stamina. After all, they are soldiers, and they needed to be fit and ready for whenever combat is required. -What's your report?- the captain asked the soldier as soon as he stepped in, -sir, we got reports of a slaughter 900 miles southeast from here- the soldier reported -the frogs found traces of…-, -Blood that was used to write some weird glyphs on the ground near the bodies?- the captain concluded before standing up from his desk -those reports are always calling upon our door, can we for once not get something different?-, -but sir- the soldier implied -they actually found their hideout!-. The toad captain stopped before he could open the door and signal the toad to exit, -Where exactly is that "hideout"?- he claimed before looking at the soldier in a menacing way.

As the afternoon rolled around, a fleet of toads set off into the southwest in a swift attempt to find the murderers; but when they arrived at the place they found nothing. -Captain, they were here- stated a toad soldier, -They should be close- another toad added; -you're just morons, aren't you?- the captain stated -if they left marks it's because they fled, why can't you all be as silent as a feather when we…-. As he was about to finish that sentence, he heard something move in between the branches; suddenly, a barrage of bullets began to rain down on the toads, killing them one by one. -SHOW YOURSELF YOU SLITHERY BASTARD!- the captain yelled, and as if it actually heard his call, the mysterious killer emerged from the canopy and slashed his right eye. -You wanted me?- asked the murderer -catch me if you can!-; the now one-eyed toad attempted to swing his sword towards the enemy, but it dodged every swing with graceful ease. -Not so easy with a single eye, isn't it?- the killer mocked him, angering him to the point he swung his sword at random directions; however, before he could try and blind him completely, reinforcements arrived. -Seize him!- the captain commanded as he tried to fall back through the ranks; the toads attempted to hit it with crossbows, but the killer dodged them with ease. However, one lucky arrow flew over its head and made it crash into a tree; the toads quickly attempted to catch its body, but when they arrived there, there was nothing but dirt and leaves.

When everyone came back to the south tower, not a single toad dared to speak; they knew that when a mission was a failure the captain was angry, which meant they had to either shut their mouths up or come up with a good explanation, and the latter was nearly impossible to make. -My dear fellow soldiers- the captain stated -we all know why we are, don't we?-, he was clearly expecting a reply so he could at least release his anger, but he was met with silence. -Well… looks like you're becoming more cunning when I make my questions- the captain stated as he climbed over the table in the room; he then suddenly got out a dagger and pointed it out at one of the soldiers, -you- he called -what do you think is the reason why we can't catch this piece of snail dung-, -uh….- the soldier tried to reply, but he was overwhelmed by fear, -I'm waiting for an answer…- the captain angrily stated; the fearful toad still refused to answer, so the captain decided to just go to the point. -HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ONE LITTLE CREATURE TO SLAUGHTER US ALL!- he yelled in frustration -WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, THE STRATEGY, THE MORAL! HOW ARE WE STILL NOT SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS ONE TASK!-. -Uh, captain…- one soldier dared to talk -may I suggest one tactic that may help?-, -go on- the captain sarcastically replied, -How about… we place traps in the places we know the killer hides at- the soldier suggested -we have found many of the hideouts in this area, so why not fill those places with booby traps and wait for it to snap one of them?-. -That sounds… LIKE THE TECHNIQUE OF A COWARD- he yelled at the soldier -WE'RE BRAVE WARRIORS! NOT SOME RANDOM FROG WAITING FOR A MIRACLE!-. -Sir, we lost almost a good fleet of warriors in that attempt- a soldier implied -and that killer took them out in seconds-, -if we try to tackle whatever that was by brute force, our forces could dwindle- another toad backed him up; -what do you exactly propose then?- asked the captain.

Present day

News from trusted sources had alerted the presence of three strange creatures on the land, and one of them was found a few kilometers away from their camp. Of course, they didn't know what they were dealing with, but one of the three had the initiative to go after it. -How do you even know if that thing could be on our side?- asked one of them. -Silence buffoon!- the leader stated -what we only need from whatever creature has come to this world is to pinpoint the location of their hideout-, -Are you really still trying to find them?- said the other one -it's been like that year after year, do you really think it's worth it anymore?-. Before the leader could say a word, the three of them began to hear footsteps; they were heavy, and the clanking of armor immediately gave away what they were. -Toads- the leader whispered before signaling retreat; the other 2 transformed into small, Cybertronian drones while the captain of the trio checked where they were heading. -Regroup southeast from here- he commanded them -don't you dare to go off and wander around or I'll kill you!-. Being the leader of two moronic scouts was a hard job for him; every time he gave them a task, they always find a way to mess it up. It was because of this that he was sent to care for the two: because of his temper; back in his days he always took missions with the most seriousness and precaution, always accomplishing whatever he was sent to do… no matter the cost.

As the clanking got more and more louder, the leader adopted a defense stance, ready to tackle whatever came out of the bush in front of him. However, the noise vanished as quickly as it was heard; it was as if whatever toad was heading towards him just stopped and chose a different path. -Well, that was unexpected- he said to himself, but his words fell short as a new set of footsteps were heard nearby; these, however, were more silent and cautious, why?. The leader just slowly backed up without breaking ranks, and as whatever the careful creature was approaching closer and closer, the leader decided to get to higher ground; with the most graceful ease, it silently climbed onto the tree top, without loudly scratching the bark. The creature was now showing a shadow, and by the looks of it, it was a tall being. As the footsteps drew closer, it made a sudden stop; it was trying to listen for something or someone, as if it knew it wasn't alone. The creature soon broke cover, and the leader had taken shelter on the canopy; below, it could see what it was: a tall, hairless mammal with yellowish hair and some weird clothing. -Ugh, another dead end!- it cried -I hate this forest!-. In an attempt to look at it closer, the leader tried to move about, but in doing so it broke a small branch off; the creature then adopted a defensive pose, thinking someone was about to attack her; it was only then when she saw it: a thin, metallic bird with red eyes, looking in her direction. The bird then suddenly swooped onto her and pinned her down, -What are you?- it said while pinning her with its talons, -GET OFF ME!- she yelled as she freed one of her arms and grabbed the bird by its throat; however, as she turned the tables the bird deployed a turret gun off its chest and aimed it at her. -I think we can do this the hard way, don't you think?- it said as the creature tried to choke it, -Were you sent by someone to spy on me?- she asked, -Do I look like I work for those puny amphibians?- the bird stated as it tried to pierce the creature's arm with its talons. The creature managed to get free by punching its head with her other hand, but when she tried to flee, she suddenly stepped on a rope and was hanged upwards on a net, catching them both. -Did you put that trap down?!- asked the creature, -You moron- said the bird as it used its sharp, metallic wings to set itself free.

The metallic footsteps of the toads were soon heard off again, but while the bird was free the creature was still stuck in the net, -HEY! DON'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE!- she yelled at the bird, -If I did release you, how would that benefit me?- asked the bird. The footsteps soon became louder, their shadows growing bigger and bigger; and with no other option, the creature admitted defeat as the bird left her for dead and the armored soldiers broke cover. -Woah, what the hell is this?!- one of the soldiers stated in shock as he and another toad pulled the net down; it was then when the soldiers noticed something odd. -There's a hole in the net- one of the toads stated, -odd for this creature to make a hole and somehow not escape- another toad stated; the toads then proceeded to drag the net and along the way kept on talking nonsense about her. -You reckon this creature is the one that caused all those deaths months ago?- one the toads asked, -nah, but the captain says that some similar creature was spotted on the woods as well- answered the toad that was carrying the net -I doubt it's this one, the supposed beast was strong enough to bring down a huge female mantis; if this was the creature, it would've broken out of the net already-, -but there's a hole in it- the other toad stated, -listen, if this… thing was the one that made those kills wouldn't it have already escaped the trap?- the toad that was carrying the net stated -I feel like this creature's brain may be as small as a pea-.

The creature was about to yell at the toads because of all the crap they were saying to her when both toads stopped cold; the branches were making noise on their right, and soon a loud screech stunned everyone around. The metallic bird soon broke cover and shot directly at the head of one of the toads; the other one dropped the net and tried to shoot the bird with a crossbow. Having dropped his guard however, the creature took the chance and narrowly escaped from the net. -I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY CREATURE!- the bird yelled at her -YOU BETTER SHOOT HIM!-. The creature had no idea what to do; she didn't want to commit murder, but seeing how the toad soon took notice of her she just charged at him, punching his face with all the strength she had. The toad punched back and threw her aside, and then lunged at her with a small sword; she dodged last second, but not before receiving a small cut on her right cheek. Now, with the toad in the ground, she jumped on his back and tried to put him into an arm lock; but the toad managed to get free and quickly grabbed her by her left arm and threw her towards a tree. -You're tougher than I thought- the toad claimed -the captain will be proud once I bring your severed head to him!-, with that said, the toad sprinted towards her and jumped with his hands joined together as a fist; the creature, in a state of shock, didn't have time to respond and simply closed her eyes and waited for the finishing blow.

She felt a large mass of blubber smash her with full force, the weight almost crushing her, but the pain somehow was minimum. As she opened her eyes, she saw the massive head of the toad soldier right on her left, and in front of her, she saw a thin, sharp metal bar penetrating through its back. In a state of shock, she simply tried to get away from the heavy body mass and tried to comprehend what had just happened; as she did so, the sharp protuberance slid all the way pass the body and transformed into a bird. -What the hell did you do?!- the creature asked the bird, -I told you to shoot him, but you seem to have the reaction span of a slug- the bird replied -no wonder toads use beetles instead as vehicles-, -WHY WOULD I KILL HIM?!- she asked, -Oh, so you would've preferred to be crushed by a leaping amount of brute force, huh?- the bird stated -well apologies for frustrating your attempt at dying in a "honorable" way-. That last sentence produced an awful silence between the two, one that only got broken by a distress signal for the bird, -Well, fortunately for you, I have to leave- the bird stated -I hope at LEAST you return the favor next time we meet-, -Wait!- the creature stopped him -can you at least tell me where am I?-, -Ugh, you're in a forest region near a town called Wartwood- the bird told her -happy now?-, -can you at least point me to where that town is?- she then asked, and this put the bird in a very bad mood. -HOW IS IT THAT A SENTIENT THING LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO?!- the bird yelled at her, -I AM NOT FROM THIS PLACE!- the creature replied, -I'M NOT FROM THIS PLACE EITHER AND I KNOW MY WAY VERY WELL!- the bird stated before deploying turrets and aiming them at the creature -I'VE BEEN STUCK IN THIS PATHETIC PLANET FOR ALMOST THOUSANDS OF YEARS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE THE DAMN BEST AND THEN BE DUMPED IN A NO RETURN MISSION AND STUCK WITH TWO OTHER BLITHERING IDIOTS?!-

As the bird finished, a large troop of toads leaped out of cover, surrounding them with spears and crossbows, -Now look at what you caused!- the bird stated, -OH, you say it's my fault that you couldn't be polite enough to at least guide me to Wortwood or however that place is called?!- , -OH I'M SORRY M'LADY, WASN'T IT ENOUGH WITH SAVING YOUR LIFE FROM THAT ONE TOAD NOT ENOUGH?!- the bird yelled at the creature, -I KNOW YOU SAVED MY LIFE BUT IF YOU AT LEAST DON'T HELP ME STAY ALIVE HOW DO YOU THINK I WOULD PAY YOU BACK YOU MORON?!- the creature yelled back. The two were unstoppable yelling machines, and that left the toads both annoyed and dumbfounded, -Are you two done yelling at each other?- one of the toads awkwardly asked, -JUST ARREST US ALREADY!- the creature yelled at them. In the blink of an eye, the creature was thrown into a wagon and the bird into a bullet-proof box, -I assume you don't have a plan now, huh?- the bird told her, -What do you think?- the creature told him, -I think that you're an idiotic cry baby- the bird stated, to which the creature just replied with a grump. After a couple of hours, the wagon stopped in front of a big, wooden gate, and the soldiers ordered the creature to follow them to the doorstep while another fearfully carried the box in which the bird was in. As the gates dropped, both the creature and the bird, who could barely see through the box, got a glimpse of where they were at: inside there was a massive stage, with soldiers training with semi-automatic dummies, others were building weapons out of metal and other junk, and at the middle of it all, there was a large tower, one that seemed to be seven floors high and rumbled with the laugh of seemingly drunk toads, -And I thought we were gonna be executed in the middle of a plaza- the creature said to herself. As they entered the tower, all the laughter and cheering from the toads stopped as they all saw them enter the room, -move along- a soldier stated as he poked his spear at the back of the creature; the other toads simply stayed silent as the soldier hurried the creature along the wall to avoid a turmoil. Soon, they reached a small elevator, and as the soldier placed the box down and hurried the creature inside the elevator as well, another buff toad pulled a lever and made them go up the tower quickly; along the way, the creature saw the sheer size of the interior: round floors filled with rooms that seemed to be for the soldiers, a floor for meetings, even a cafeteria floor!.

However, as they reached the top, everything was blurred by pure concrete, and soon enough, they were on the top floor. As they disembarked, all that they could view now was a long, ominous hall, filled with pictures and paintings from other toads, -Captain, soldier reporting with two prisoners- the toad stated as he knocked the door of a room at the end of the hall; the door opened and the soldier signaled the creature to go through while he carried the box with the bird inside. -So these two were the ones causing a ruckus over the last 2 months?- the captain asked in a deep voice, -We have suspicion these are the murderers- the soldier stated, -Is there any evidence to back it up?- he asked, and that left the soldier speechless, -I assume that is a no then- he said before turning towards him and the prisoners; but instead of launching pure insults, he was rather confused at what the soldier had brought up upon him. -This creature was found in one of our traps- the soldier stated -we believe it's the supposed creature that saved Wartwood from the attack of a giant female mantis-, -Interesting- the captain concluded -and what's on the box?-, -It's a metallic bird of some sort- the soldier stated -I believe it's this creature's… companion-. The creature really wanted to punch his face as he said that, but the captain soon turned his attention to her, -What's your name, creature?- the captain asked her, -You really think I would tell you?- the creature replied, -Quite the feisty character I see- the captain replied -I assume you really don't want to reveal your secrets, don't you?-, the creature simply stayed silent, and that was enough for the captain to attempt a different approach; the captain signaled the soldier to leave the room, and he did so after he left the box on a desk. -Listen, I am not a guy who'd try to execute someone without evidence- the captain stated in an attempt to persuade the creature -I've heard from a couple of soldiers that you were lost, and we could help you to find your way home. We have power over the whole valley and we could find contacts who can aid you; but to do so, I think we must at least have trust with each other and…-, -I'm Sasha Waybright- the creature interrupted him, -Well, Sasha, where do you exactly come from?- the captain asked, -I don't think you would get it- she replied. -Is that… thing on the box really your companion- the captain then asked, -I wouldn't say that- she replied -that bird is more of a mere accidental encounter-, -And… what happened with that mantis?- the captain asked. Sasha didn't know what to say; she knew she wasn't there, and all the trust she was "trying" to make with the captain could easily be shattered, she had no choice but to lie.

-I… was… just walking, yeah, walking- she stated -the mantis took me by surprise, but I reacted quickly and dodged it's swift swipe; and then I climbed up its leg, and swiftly used the bird as a sword to cut its head off-, -That… sounds… LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR'S TALE- the captain cheerfully concluded as he pulled Sasha to his side -I feel like you're the kind of soldier we need!-, -Uhh… what?- Sasha asked -what do you mean by soldier?-, -You see Sasha, we've been dreaming of rebelling against the crown for the past few years because of how little they acknowledge our existence- the captain stated -so we've been planning a strike for almost six years now, but the soldiers we got are just… what's the word for it…-, -dumb?- Sasha added, -Yes, dumb- the captain agreed -but not just that, they don't seem to be that fit for war anymore; that is why I want someone like you to help lead the army, what do you say?-. Sasha was now confused; one minute she nearly is killed by a toad but saved by a metallic bird, the next, the captain who knew that soldier wanted to recruit her as a close rank; and what made it worse is that he didn't knew that the supposed soldier that attacked her was dead. -Yeah, sure- she concluded nervously -I'd be glad to help raise a new army at your side, captain… uh-, -Please, call me Captain Grime- the captain stated. -Whatever you say captain- she answered, -I'm glad to hear that lieutenant!- the captain stated -now rest up Sasha, we got a lot to do tomorrow-. Sasha left the room with the box confused at what has been happening, the fact that her day started like the past few, with her being lost in that bloody forest, and now it ended with her being lieutenant of the same toads who were sent to capture her, -Well, this has surely been a long, confusing day- she said as she leapt into a bed on a room assigned to her, but her curiosity soon sparked up when she remembered the box; however, when she picked it up, she soon felt that the box was lighter than usual, and as she flipped the box to check it she found a hole in it

The bird, somehow, had escaped