by Zac Harrison
“They’re coming to get us!” someone howled.
But Kritta and Tarope were in the right place to stop them. Kritta slammed a SonicArrow into Slicer’s knee, sending the Defendroid crashing down. On the other side, Tarope’s shot struck the already battered Dicer right on the front of its head, where Dyfi’s shots had previously melted it. The SonicArrow pierced the metal and went in deep.
Dicer crackled all over with electricity, gave a low moan like a dinosaur falling into a tar pit, and crashed down, defeated.
Tarope gave a whoop of victory. “And Dicer is toast!”
“Don’t celebrate yet,” John warned. “Still five more left!”
Kaal and Monix stood their ground, their LaserPros weaving a barrier of bright light. The Defendroids advanced, fell back, and advanced again. They seemed to sense that coming too close to the bright, slashing energy swords could be fatal.
But that made them easy targets for the Hot Shots. John let go round after round, peppering the Defendroids with white-hot spots the size of saucers. Their metal armor hissed and fizzled where the pellets struck.
Dyfi clung on tight to his shoulders — ouch! — and let loose a flurry of shots of her own. “We’re not doing enough damage!” she yelled.
“Aim for their control panels!” John yelled back. “And change to rapid fire!”
“Now you’re talking,” Dyfi said. She altered the setting on her Hot Shot, and she and John concentrated their fire on Steel Storm, who was looming above Kaal and Monix.
John’s Hot Shot bucked in his hand as the relentless volley of superheated missiles hammered the Defendroid. Steel Storm’s chest grew first cherry red, then searing orange under the onslaught.
Roaring wildly, and waving its fist, the robot staggered backward. The stench of burning metal was strong in the air.
Then, without warning, Steel Storm lunged forward and struck. Its mighty wrecking-ball fist slammed into the stage with the force of a missile. Painful shocks shot up John’s legs as the electric blast detonated, knocking him off his feet. The Galactic Battle team was flung like skittles, tumbling across the stage in different directions. With a yell, Dyfi went flying off his shoulders.
“TARGETS NEUTRALIZED,” rumbled Steel Storm.
John rolled over and over, wincing in pain, and then got up on one knee.
Quickly, he took stock of the situation. The team was scattered, but nobody looked badly hurt. Of the Defendroids, Dicer was out of action, Slicer was still trying to stand up with Kritta’s SonicArrow embedded in its knee, and the other four were swiveling their arms and legs around, heading away from the team and toward the crowd.
They think we’re dealt with and no longer dangerous, so they’re turning to the audience again! The only way to save the families is to show these robots we’re still a threat . . .
John leaped to his feet. “Monix, Kaal, finish Slicer off!” he yelled. “Everyone else, open fire on the droids. We’ve got to get their attention.”
With Kaal close behind, Monix zoomed across the stage to where Slicer was floundering. As she drew close, the Defendroid suddenly swiped at her with its huge blade arm, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd.
She blocked the blow with milliseconds to spare, and hissing sparks flew from her LaserPro, as it dragged down the edge of the blade.
The droid is running a decoy routine. It isn’t that badly hurt — it just wanted to get her close!
“Oh no, you don’t,” Kaal said, as Slicer drew back its arm for another blow.
With one stroke, Kaal slashed through its arm at the wrist, and the great blade fell with a clatter and clang. Kaal’s next stroke sheared through Slicer’s neck.
The Defendroid’s head fell from its body and hit the ground with a sound like thunder. Sparks jetted from the stump. The head rolled to the edge of the stage, fell off, rolled a little way further, and came to a stop in front of the stunned audience . . .
. . . who promptly went berserk.
Why isn’t Lorem doing anything to help? John wondered. It didn’t take an ability to see into the future to realize that something was going seriously wrong!
Meanwhile, Tarope and Kritta pelted the remaining Defendroids with SonicArrows, while John and Dyfi bombarded them with heat pellets.
“Come on!” John yelled. “We’re the threat here! Turn around and face us!”
And slowly, the Defendroids did just that. Steel Storm’s head craned around, focusing at John, seemingly calculating what level of danger he represented.
“They’re going to charge us again!” Kritta warned.
“Formation!” John yelled.
Kaal and Monix rejoined the group, panting from exertion, and took up their position in the front. Kaal glanced back at John, his face spattered with oil. “I’m going to get Mordant for this,” he said.
“You and me both,” John said, reloading his Hot Shot and realizing that Kritta was right: the Defendroids were mustering for another charge.
“And as for G-Vez, he can start a new life as our dormitory trash can!” John said. “Once I‘ve ripped his circuits out, that is!” John was furious, but he made himself focus on the task at hand. “Now hold steady, everyone — they’re coming!”
Now the Defendroids had assumed a formation of their own. Lasher was in front of the robot charge. Basher and Crusher had moved to either side, and Steel Storm looked on from the rear.
We can’t stay on the defensive forever, John thought. They’ll just keep coming!
He quickly unleashed a rapid-fire stream of heat pellets at Lasher, trying to hit the crucial control panel. The Defendroid staggered, but it didn’t slow down. Then, all at once, it brought its arm around in a wide arc, aiming for the team’s feet.
Kaal leaped into the air, beating his wings, with Monix close behind. The arm whizzed past. Tarope bounded out of the way. But Dyfi, Kritta, and John were knocked onto the floor.
The audience gasped.
John had almost fallen off the edge of the stage.
Steel Storm was moving now, thundering toward him. “ENEMY LEADER IDENTIFIED,” it buzzed. “DESTROY. DESTROY.”
John had one chance. With forced calm, he brought his Hot Shot up and aimed between Steel Storm’s red eyes. He pulled the trigger.
Click.
Out of pellets! He tugged the empty thermal clip out and grabbed at his belt for the next one. But there was nothing there.
I’m out of ammo, he realized, with mounting fear. Time seemed to slow down, and he couldn’t see any of his teammates nearby. Steel Storm was bearing down on him, its fist moving like a sledgehammer, a half-ton of lethal electrified metal.
The last thing John Riley would ever see.
CHAPTER 14
In desperation, John flung his empty Hot Shot at the Defendroid’s head. There was the tiniest chance he might hit a vital spot and shut it down.
But the Hot Shot bounced off harmlessly. John staggered backward, as the huge metal fist fell toward him.
Instantly, Kaal was there, swooping down from above in a power dive, his LaserPro held out in front of him. He slammed into Steel Storm’s back, and the impact drove the energy blade right through the Defendroid’s armor and into its inner workings.
Steel Storm bellowed, smoke curling from its mouth. It grabbed at its back, clutching for Kaal, desperate to crush him. John quickly ducked out of the huge robot’s reach and ran to join the rest of the team.
Kaal kicked himself away from Steel Storm and glided in a swooping curve over the heads of the astonished parents, before landing beside John.
“Thanks!” John panted. “I owe you one!”
“What now?” asked Kaal.
The Defendroids were now standing their ground, each one of the remaining four facing out a different direction. They began to stomp their feet on the stage — THOOM, THOOM, THOOM
— in a nerve-shattering rhythm.
“They’re going to mince whichever one of us goes in first!” Monix said.
I might not be able to fight anymore, John thought, but I can still lead.
“I’m not falling for that,” he told them. “Team, spread out! Surround them! If any droid moves away from the others, target it!”
The battle-weary team edged around the stage until they had the droids completely surrounded. The Defendroids continued pounding the stage with their constant reverberating stomps.
The audience was clapping along now, still oblivious to the terrible danger.
“Ignore the noise!” John yelled. “The droids are trying to scare you! Don’t let them!”
Suddenly, Crusher broke ranks, singling out Kritta and charging at her with a raised arm and bellowing like a runaway train.
“All on Crusher!” John yelled. “NOW!”
Kritta stood bravely in the robot’s path, gripping her SonicArrow. Kaal and Monix ran in to help, slashing at Crusher’s legs. Kritta threw her SonicArrow — and missed. It screamed as it soared over Crusher’s head, but hit Basher right in the neck, knocking it to the ground.
As Kritta flung herself out of Crusher’s path at the last minute, a blast of scorching heat caught the robot full in the face. It clutched at its eyes.
“VISION IMPAIRED. CANNOT SEE.”
“Bull’s-eye!” Dyfi said defiantly, slotting in a fresh clip.
“Monix!” John called. “Finish him!”
Monix darted through the air in a blinding flash, landing one, two, three blows at the flailing robot. Crusher’s arms fell off. Followed by its head. The robot torso stood, smoldering like a factory chimney, before it toppled and crashed to the floor.
“And then there were three,” John said, with a fierce grin of triumph. “Okay, Kaal and Monix, this is going to be dangerous, but I need you to trust me.”
“Say the word,” said Monix. Kaal just nodded, as if trusting John had become second nature.
“Fly around Lasher’s head. Try to lead him toward us. Get as close as you can, but don’t attack yet. Okay?”
“You got it, boss!” yelled Monix, flying straight toward the remaining Defendroids.
Only Steel Storm kept its distance, as Kaal and Monix began to buzz Lasher, zooming in close and darting away again. Lasher swatted at them with its wrecking ball, but the weapon was too cumbersome to hit a target in flight.
“REQUEST ASSISTANCE,” Lasher bellowed.
Come on, Lasher, you stupid lump of metal! John thought. Take the bait!
Lasher stepped forward, still swiping at Kaal and Monix with its wrecking-ball arm. They ducked and weaved — and the ball’s chain tangled around Dicer’s arm. The two Defendroids tugged hard, trying to pull apart from one another.
“Yes! They’re stuck!” John yelled. “Attack now! NOW!”
Kaal swept in from one side, Monix from the other. The LaserPros flashed, two mighty clangs rang out — and two headless Defendroids stood on the stage, smoke pouring from their bodies, hopelessly entangled, unable to fall over.
Only Steel Storm was left. The Defendroid slowly took one step toward John, and then another.
“ENEMY LEADER IS NOT ARMED,” it intoned. “MOVING TO INTERCEPT.”
“Tarope!” John called, “Get over to Kaal.”
“But there’ll be nobody to defend you!” Tarope protested.
“That’s what I’m counting on,” John said with a wink. “Just remember what you and Kaal did in practice, okay?”
Tarope stared at him open-mouthed, before giving him a slow, wide grin. “Got it!”
With John now on his own, Steel Storm tromped toward him, swishing its electric fist like a pendulum ticking down his last moments.
Behind the Defendroid, Tarope skidded to a stop beside Kaal. Both watched John anxiously.
“Come on!” John yelled up at Steel Storm, opening his arms wide. “What are you waiting for? Attack me!”
“STATEMENT IS ILLOGICAL,” boomed Steel Storm. “YOU HAVE NO WEAPON. YOU WILL BE DESTROYED.” Blue bolts of electricity sizzled around its steel fist. It pulled back its arm to strike.
“No weapon?” John snarled. “I’ve got five. Kaal! NOW!”
On cue, Kaal flung Tarope into the air, just like he’d done in dress rehearsal. Tarope soared up past the spotlights, and just as he began to fall back down, he threw his SonicArrow with the force of a cannonball. There was something unearthly about the silence as it flew — a silence suddenly broken by a metallic screech, as it plunged through the top of Steel Storm’s head.
The robot’s eyes flashed wildly. It began to spin and totter, totally out of control. Fizzles of lightning spat and crackled across the stage. It immediately went clambering hurly-burly toward the audience.
“Everyone attack!” John shouted. “Take it down — fast!”
Two SonicArrows whipped into the robot’s legs, sending it stumbling. Two LaserPros severed its knee joints. Steel Storm was still thrashing about as it fell, until Dyfi sprang forward and unloaded an entire clip of heat pellets into its chest at point-blank range.
The Defendroid’s whole body suddenly froze, all its limbs locked, like a mythical monster unexpectedly turned to stone. The red light in its eyes flickered once, and then died.
John looked around at the smoking remains of the six Defendroids.
We did it, he realized numbly. We beat them.
The spotlights suddenly seemed very bright, burning like supernovas in his eyes. There was a strange rushing sound in his ears, too.
But that sound was applause. The audience was in total rapture, cheering and calling out their names.
He felt Monix take his right hand, and Tarope’s cool, slimy fingers closed on his left. Kritta, Dyfi, and Kaal joined the chain, and they all took a bow. The applause grew even louder.
Lorem flashed onto the stage. “Would all the teams please join me here?”
Suddenly, the stage was crowded with students, all smiling and staring at John and the team in amazement. He heard voices all around, whispering about the Galactic Battle team, about how they had totally stolen the show. They weren’t jealous — they were proud.
“Parents,” said Lorem, “please show your appreciation for what I’m sure you will agree has been the most astonishing Space Spectacular in many years!”
The applause was mind-blowing. One parent after another stood up, until the whole auditorium was united in a standing ovation.
CHAPTER 15
It took a long time, but eventually the applause died away. As the members of the Galactic Battle team let go of one another’s hands and headed backstage in a daze, Kaal grabbed John’s arm.
“I’m so sorry,” Kaal said. “I must have done something wrong to make the Defendroids go haywire. I should never have tried to fix them by myself.”
“It’s my fault,” said John. “I told you to do it. And I’d be dead now if it wasn’t for you.”
A little tunnel led under the Center, prepared with cold drinks and MorphSeats, ready for the teams to relax on.
Immediately, the other students cleared the way, offering the Galactic Battle team their choice of seats.
John threw himself onto a sofa, laughing with relief, and beginning to shiver with delayed shock. His teammates all piled on with him, Kritta gazing at Kaal in awe.
The big Derrilian was grinning from green ear to green ear.
“Did we really do that?” Dyfi asked. “I mean . . . wow.”
“We really did,” said Tarope. “I wish the crew back at my old spawning ground could see me now. ‘Tarope the wimp’ no more!”
“So do you think you’ve gone out on a high enough note, Monix?” Kritta laughed.
“Oh, you had to bring that up!” Monix said, laughing, too. “You know what? I’m the luc
ky one.”
“Lucky?” Kaal said, puzzled. “How?”
“It’s my last year here. Nobody’s going to expect me to top that performance next year. But you guys, on the other hand . . . good luck!”
Everyone else laughed, but John could only manage a smile.
“What’s wrong, John?” Kritta asked. “We did it! We beat the Defendroids and saved everyone on the ship!”
“I know,” John answered. “I should be happy. I just wish I could have straightened things out with Emmie, that’s all.”
“So go and talk to her!” Kritta nudged him in the ribs. “She’s over there.”
John leaped to his feet as he spotted Emmie in the corner of the tunnel, by the beverage machine. “Emmie!”
“We can cope without our fearless leader!” Kritta called. “Don’t worry!”
Emmie saw John approaching and immediately seized him in a fierce hug. “Oh, John. I’m so sorry. I should have known, I should have seen! It was Mordant all along!”
John let out a long, relieved sigh. “I thought I’d have to convince you.”
“You don’t have to convince me — I know exactly what’s been going on. He’s been playing mind games with me,” Emmie said bitterly. “Everything he’s done — coming over all friendly, saying you two had been mean to me — it was all a trick. He wanted to steal my friendship for himself! And I believed him! But then I overheard him telling off G-Vez about the Defendroids, and that’s when I just knew he’d been lying.”
“But what about your suit?”
“Mordant must have torn it up himself,” said Emmie angrily.
John said, “Wait! I saw G-Vez carrying a metal claw in the Junkyard. Mordant must have got him to find it, then used it to rip your suit up so it would look like Kaal had done it!”
Emmie’s mouth was an O of astonishment. “That little creep! And to think I ran crying to him! He was so kind, so supportive, and all the time he was the one doing it!”
“Sounds like the Mordant we all know, huh?”
Emmie wiped her eyes angrily. “Oh, John, I’ve been so stupid — I should have trusted you from the beginning!”