HELLCAT

by Michael W. Huard

  Mahira looked to her, “Are you crazy?”

  Tyne was not taking no for an answer. “Seriously, I have to go back, just for a moment."

  “We have already been in this area too long, Tyne," Mahira pointed out. “We have also been on the airways to contact the sisters . . . it's too dangerous to go back there,” she said, giving Tyne a look of concern. “If there was a spy there, who knows what information has been exchanged! We might put all of them in grave danger if we go back, it’s just not a good thing,” Mahira continued to insist. "We need to move ahead. This is exactly why I told you it's not easy to find someone in life . . . because we're always on the move.”

  Tyne was not going to listen. She swung the roadster around and started heading back in the opposite direction. She had to see Xaltus. She cranked up the speed, and they flew like the wind. Mahira shook her head in disbelief, but she couldn't stop her cyborg friend.

  Later, back at the coastal shanty hidden amongst all the old buildings, Tyne leaped off their all-terrain cycle, and made her way over to talk to her guy.

  Xaltus was very surprised to see her, as were all the other women. He went right to her and hugged her close, “What in the world are you doing?” he asked.

  Tyne hugged him tightly, “I needed to talk to you," she explained as she pulled him away from all the others listening in. “I thought about it, and I calculated it, and we can have love!” She reached out and held his hands. “Even though the way we are built has people thinking that is not possible, and the rich and wealthy have their laws against such, we could, and we can find happiness," she paused to take a breath. "And we can have a family, Ex.”

  Xaltus had been thinking the same thing. “It's funny because I have been calculating too . . . ever since you left. If there's a will, there's a way. Tyne Gem, I am happy that you came back.” He kissed her forehead, and they both noticed the others peaking around a corner, straining to hear what the two were speaking about.

  “You do realize we can see you,” Xaltus proclaimed to them. The women all giggled and made out that they weren't interested as they turned about and shuffled away.

  The pair chatted together for a little while longer. They laughed together, and they spoke of the future. A very bright future it would be indeed. But Tyne had to go, and they both knew it. Goodbyes were never easy, but for these two, this one was harder than either had ever experienced before.

  They walked together outside and climbed up a steep hill to see the view. Tyne was so happy! “I had to come back, my brain would not stop thinking. I want you to come to the big tournament in Massachusetts the weekend of the grand ball. I want to see you again, and I want us to spend more time together. I can’t go to the party, but we can have our own celebration together,” Tyne explained as she prepared to leave him once more.

  “I think that would be possible," spoke Ex. "Now get your butt moving, and I will see you soon.”

  She smiled a big grin at him and then gave him a huge hug. Tyne said goodbye and started to walk away, but turned around for one last cheeky wave at her new-found love.

  Mahira was sitting on the grass next to their bike. “Are you happy now?” she called out as Tyne appeared on the trail before her. Tyne’s facial expression gave her happiness away. She just nodded with a grin as wide as the nearby ocean. Mahira was just glad they could get back on the road and said no more.

  They zoomed off. Pennsylvania was calling. Just as they thought life couldn't get any crazier, they heard a great rumble, a rumble so loud it shook the very road they were driving on. They slowed down and looked back in confusion.

  A very large ship was now hovering in the sky, and it was blasting laser beams down to the area below it. The place the sisterhood had called a safe house, and the place where the ladies had just been.

  The sisters could see the shanty area below from the top of the hill they were on, and it was a sight that took their breath away.

  The entire building complex was exploding in a tremendous fire, engulfing everything and everyone inside it.

  Tyne was frantic, and Mahira was in shock. The cyborg went to turn the roadster back around for a second time, but Mahira reached forward and grabbed her hands. “We can't go back, Tyne, it’s too late, they found us. They must have located the outpost, somebody must have told the Corporation. We can’t go back there now . . . that ship will shoot us down.” Instead, Mahira insisted they got as far away as they could.

  “Noooooooo, I can't leave him," shouted Tyne. Mahira hugged her over the shoulders from behind.

  “We have to. You must leave him, there's nothing we can do. Come on, we have to go.”

  Tyne was not to be swayed. As she turned around, Mahira stopped her and they tumbled off their bike in a wrestling match. Mahira grabbed her sister in a headlock and yelled, “Stop!”

  She and Tyne rolled on the grassy road, and Tyne fought herself out of the headlock and pushed Mahira away. “I have to! Get away from me,” she shouted. Tyne jumped back on the bike and headed off at speed back towards the burning shanty alone.

  The ship above was still scanning for life forms, so Tyne let the roadster drive itself into a thick wooded area and ran ahead on foot. Everything was blown to pieces, and her heart was destroyed. She immediately set to and searched the wreckage, and it didn't take long for her to find Xaltus. He was lying face down, broken and burned almost beyond recognition.

  She rolled him over and cradled him in her arms. “No, please no, this can’t be happening! Oh, no, no . . . Ex, I am so sorry.”

  Ex looked up at her with a small glimmer of light in his eyes. “This is my end,” he muttered. He attempted to smile, but his face was too badly damaged. “But to have spent my last day with you was an honor. I will cherish it, and I will love you always, Tyne.”

  Tyne's tears rolled down her cheeks, she could not stop. “Why does the world do this? We only wanted to have a life together,” she sobbed. She could not breathe, and she could not stop crying. The tears were a surprise to her, yet they felt as real as the pain in her heart.

  She had to go now. In great sadness, she covered Xaltus’s body and ran out of the shanty.

  That's when Tyne spotted a black robot flying near the spacecraft above the building. She dropped low and hid behind a broken down truck. The bot had an all-black armored body, but his face and hands were lit up in an eerie blood-red glow.

  Tyne focused on him with her extremely proficient long-range vision. She saw its face, the very face responsible for this attack. She also listened with her exceptional hearing. The robot was ascending to the craft, and he started to talk to the pilot as he approached the opening. “Everyone is dead, I made sure of it. They were a resistance team but nothing special. There was only one bot there. He was a reject from the Corporation. He pleaded with me to let him live, so I smashed his face in.”

  Tyne’s heart sank, and she knew she would never forget that evil face, the one that had just ruined her life and her future. She ran to her sister and wrapped her arms around her in a sorrowful embrace.

  Mahira felt horrible. She always had to be the tough one, the one who fell down but always got back up. The one who endured even when times were tough, and this time was a really tough one.

  It was the first time she had ever seen her amazing sister tremble. She felt her throat drying up, and she was lost for words. When she looked at her friend, she saw tears rolling down her face in a waterfall of heartbreak. She had never seen this before either. It was then that they both noticed the sky ship starting to move towards them. Mahira insisted, “Tyne, hit the pedal, we have to hide."

  Tyne quickly wiped away her tears and drove off, trying to find a side road or somewhere to hide. They cut down one road, then another, and then they saw a narrow dirt track surrounded by trees. Tyne skidded the bike to a stop in a cloud of dust as they both jumped off and hid in the undergrowth.

  The Y-Wood spaceship was now searching for them, but it even
tually flew out of sight. There was a long moment of silence, and the two women just sat by their roadster, neither could speak, nor could they find any words to explain what had just happened.

  Ten minutes later, the silence ended. “It’s not fair," spoke Tyne, still upset. "These people have too much power, why do they have to have so much power? War is not like it needs to be, they have too much advantage with their air strikes. You can't fight them, they’re too rich. They just shoot you from the sky,” she cried out, rambling in frustration.

  Mahira agreed with her friend. “This is one of the reasons why I choose to fight. I'm just as frustrated as you are. I just need to take it out on someone,” Mahira began crying herself. “I am so sorry, Tyne.”

  They sat for a while longer as silence filled the trail.

  “Let me drive," Mahira told her friend. They waited a bit, just to make sure the coast was clear. Tyne did not speak. “I'm so sorry, my friend. Again, I am so sorry," Mahira said as she took over the bike and moved on.

  Chapter 5

  The ladies drove for hours. There was little to say after such tragedy, so they found comfort in silence. They hit the outskirts of Philadelphia, and not unlike many of the fallen states of the country, they saw fires burning in various spots, worn buildings half crumbling, and most of the roads were blocked with fallen vehicles as well as other debris scattered all about, but of course, they spotted pockets of life.

  A landmark spot in the city would be hosting the death match games, and when they finally got through the core of the beaten apocalyptic areas, such a location came into view.

  The sector was a place that showcased huge steps as seats, and its center piece was a very old bronze statue of some fictional fighter. The backdrop at the top of the stairs was made up of pillars holding up the tall building that would hold the event's parties and offer stables for the fighters, promoters, and trainers. The place used to be a museum, and it was well rumored that some of the old paintings had stood the test of time. Those inside would get to view such masterpieces.

  Like most fighting competitions, these deadly matches would see the eventual champion win three rounds, if not more, of bloody combat. Most of the fighters had owners, and the host of such competitive games always invited the wealthiest people in the area to come and watch.

  Thankfully, they at least provided some food and drink for the contestants, so Tyne and Mahira were able to get a little bit of nourishment into their bodies when they arrived. They then made their way into the building for contestants only. It was here they sometimes grabbed an opportunity to size up the competition. The fighters and trainers would also hear the various rumors of who was attending and competing in the games. Today was no different. A visitor was also here from the mega-Corporation of Y-Wood.

  On a huge television screen, a broadcast of some sort played out. R-Bel News Commercial Interruption Broadcast. Bringing action as it happens. Country terrorism is all but gone with Y-Wood at the center of cleaning up immigrants and rebels. Our bomb handling bots leave no stone unturned, no device unchecked. Thank you, Y-Wood, the world is a safer place.

  It was announced that the general of the military was in attendance and would be somewhere in the crowd. Berlin Purcell was his name. He was of average height, a rugged type, and a military man with a short and spiky haircut of blond and gray. He had a stern look about him, emphasized by a square jaw.

  Both the ladies got a glimpse of this general and several of his accompanying robot guards. One guard in particular stood out from the rest as he entered the training area with his boss. The large super bot was armored, and he had the features of blue and silver that helped him to stand apart from other robots across the nation. General Purcell shook hands with some of the wealthy owners in the room. His prized robot briefly looked at the women and turned away.

  There was no doubt that the Corporation had spent billions of dollars in making this robotic model. Not only was it the best of its kind, but a cutting-edge, unstoppable, and intelligent weapon.

  The super bot looked over in the women’s direction again. Tyne whispered to her sister, “Don’t make eye contact with it, he is scanning your mind already.” Mahira quickly looked away.

  Creations like this made the Y-Wood Corporation feared beyond anything else, and no one dared to mess with them. The general and his entourage left the room shortly thereafter.

  Some of the fighters were grabbing food, and the women noticed one in particular. Word traveled fast about who the city favorite was. It was a large Indian man with odd robotic arms, and he was covered in facial war paint with long, dark hair. He was the center of attention today.

  The local bigwig who ran the event suddenly walked into the chamber of contestants. He was an oversized fellow who wore three necklaces of thick, golden chains. He was fairly tall too with black, slicked back hair. Mahira knew him as Joe Paul.

  “Here, here," he announced, standing before the girls. "We have the infamous blondie, the notorious Mahira, and the legendary fighter of the land.” He clapped loudly for all to see and hear. “It is an honor to have you here, young lady. Your fighting prowess has not gone unnoticed, and I am sure all your fans and all my paying customers will be very pleased to have you compete."

  Tyne said, “You bet your ass we are here to fight, but let’s make one thing clear . . . you advertised an awfully big purse, and this better be what we get when it’s all said and done.”

  Joe Paul laughed loudly, “Yes, I am a man of my word, but I never bet my ass. I usually bet all the money that I . . . well, you can just say I never hold back on my bets.”

  The gladiator joined the conversation, not really understanding what her host just said. "I’m here and I'm ready to fight."

  Joe Paul nodded his big head up and down, “I am glad to hear it. Well, you ladies will have a wonderful time in the pits, good luck in your preliminary match, and I do hope you'll be wearing, shall I say, your snazzy red, white, and blue attire.” He raised his hands in the air, “Our fans are certainly awaiting your interesting costume.”

  The big fellow turned and greeted some of the other fighters and trainers, spending most of his time with the giant Indian man. He left the hall moments later.

  Mahira thought, my step dad and family gave me the material for that so-called costume, and they said it meant something. That was long, long ago. She remembered the day she left them and gone to join the sisterhood. She was just a little girl beginning her journey as a freedom fighter. She then looked to Tyne, who was definitely still not her usual self.

  Yes, she was a created program made to endure, but still it was tough. Mahira suggested that perhaps her sister should wipe those harsh memories away in her brain, but Tyne was quick to reply, “I will never delete those thoughts, it’s all I have left. Never will I let them go.”

  The crowd parted, and that's when the women got their best look at the biggest predicted challenge of the two-day event. He was a brute of a man, but his most noticeable trait was that both of his arms were robotic. This would give him extraordinary strength. He was a mixture of various races, not unlike most people now in the fallen USA, but his main heritage was that of some sort of Indian descent. He was wearing lots of feathers all about his ears, wrists, and arms.

  His face was painted with various colors of red, orange, and black and it looked as though he had already been working out as sweat had smeared some of his scary makeup.

  The people inside referred to him as Jerebko. He looked to Mahira, and for a moment he tried to stare her down with a seriously mean look, but she was not interested, nor was she scared.

  The time eventually came to change and prepare for the first fight. Both women were glad to leave the eating area to get a little peace for themselves.

  The tough lil gladiator had to focus, but Tyne was still upset and helped very little.

  Mahira said to her, “I love you, you know? Sometimes things happen for no reason, but I swear to you
I'll do everything in my power to make this land better again, and someday you will find love. I have got to focus because we have three fights coming up in the next two days, and right now I'm still feeling pretty crappy too.”

  Tyne nodded as if she understood.

  After a little time to meditate, warm up, stretch, and a much-needed massage from her friend, the Mystical Slayer hellcat prepared to make the walk to the fighting area outside. She looked to her sister, “Live free or die, right?”

  Tyne nodded, “Just kick some ass, will ya?”

  She made the long walk to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania combative arena. The crowd was much larger than the Delaware event. Stands circled the whole playing surface, and horns sounded as the combatants made their entrance.

  The rich and powerful were seated high above the top of the great stairs.

  The general and his robots, the super one included, could be seen with the games host up there too. The Corporation sanctioned many of these events, so it was their guards and their robots that now circled the arena in case of any trouble breaking out.

  There were also fully armed drones about in the sky, that which were programmed to make sure all followed the rules of such a spectacle.

  Mahira was ready to enter the official playing zone, but her opponent was to be announced first. He did not appear to be all that tough, not unlike most events. More often than not it was criminals or people who disobeyed the Corporation that were sent to fight here as punishment.

  This guy was of average build with shaggy brown hair that looked pretty long and greasy, and his nose was droopy and bent. Mahira noticed he wasn't wearing all that much armor as he lifted his sword and took a stance.

  Most of the crowd booed, though some still cheered with anticipation as the young blond was set to come in. The gate rose up and all peered over to look for her.

  Then out she came, the small, wild woman, beautiful in looks, rugged in form, and with a fire inside that most people had heard about at one time or another.