by Drew Hayes
“I’ll have to congratulate Deadlift when he gets here,” Owen muttered.
“Yeah, that might need to wait a bit.” Gale’s eyes were open again, and she was lowering herself to the ground. Cupping her hands to mouth, she yelled her next words, which were miraculously carried on the burst of wind she sent out at the same time.
“Everyone! Robots are approaching from the southeast and will probably break into view around Eighth Street. If you’re a Hero, prepare for battle. If you’re a civilian still here, start running north. There’s a lot of them coming and they’ll arrive in less than two minutes!”
“That is a damn handy trick,” Owen told her, shifting his view to the street where robots would soon be appearing.
“It’s useful, but a little more imprecise than I’d like.” Gale, always confident and sure in herself, chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at the sky nervously. “Dispatch, are we seeing any movement besides the robots? Something big coming from the east?”
Though he hadn’t been the one to ask the question, Dispatch’s reply still crackled in his ear. “Negative, based on our surveillance and satellites everything is clear. Do you have other information?”
“No, I just thought I might have felt something,” Gale replied. “It was only for a moment, though. Like I said, trying to use air currents as a sensor is imprecise.”
A high-pitched whine filled the air, and the unmistakable sound of metal feet pounding on pavement echoed toward them from the southeast. All eyes turned as muscles tightened and abilities were made ready.
“Imprecise or not,” Owen said. “It looks like you got this part right.”
The explosion from behind him, to the northwest, took everyone by surprise. A horde of robots erupted upward from under the streets, immediately attacking the Heroes nearest to them. Seconds later, the wave they’d been expecting burst into view, and just like that the collection of Supers was flanked on both sides by their enemy.
No one had time to curse or throw blame or even try and understand all that had happened. In moments, their entire plan had been shot to shit. Now, all they could do was fight to survive.
100.
It was supposed to be controlled, safe, and defended. That was what the Heroes had told them as they arrived, assuring everyone that if they all grouped together in the small stadium, they would be protected from the impending robots. No one really believed they’d be perfectly secure, of course. Living in a world with Supers and Heroes had taught them that safety was a fleeting, impermanent thing. But they also knew the Heroes guarding them would lay down their lives to protect everyone. It would be scary and dangerous, but there would be control. Then the second group of robots had appeared, breaking out from underground with an explosion and pouring up like ants from a freshly-stomped hill. And just like that, it all turned to madness.
Bubble Bubble was forming spheres around groups of civilians, offering what meager protection she could from the sudden onslaught of mechanical monsters. It would have been a futile effort, save for the fact that the robots seemed uninterested in humans. They set themselves directly on course with every Super in a costume or SAA uniform, almost entirely ignoring those without powers. Bubble Bubble soon had to pop a sphere around herself as she tried to fend off a trio that set their sights on her.
Help quickly arrived in the form of Big Henry. Hexcellent was clinging to the creature’s back as he smashed his mighty fists into the metallic flesh of those trying to break into Bubble Bubble’s sphere. Strong as he was, these things were no slouches either, and as he drew more of their attention, they began to swarm him.
Hexcellent barely had time to cry out before Zone, holding a javelin he’d likely dug out of some supply closet, leapt into the fray and speared a robot through the neck. It turned to strike him, which was just enough of a distraction for Big Henry to grip its head and tear it off the mechanical torso. The other two robots began to attack Big Henry once more, but a giant scaly hand wrapped around each one and lifted them upward. Before either could counterattack, they were bitten clean in two by the crushing jaws of a lizard monster who tossed them to the side.
“You okay?” Its growl sounded like the sort of thing one heard in the darkest nightmares before waking in a cold sweat, but at that moment it was easily the most beautiful voice any of the three could remember. They nodded, trying to get their bearings and figure out what was happening around them.
The stadium was a sea of chaos, robots and Supers duking it out everywhere. While the Heroes had clearly been taken by surprise, they were managing to regroup bit by bit, wiping out the robots in wide swaths as they worked to get the humans to safety. In one corner of the stadium, a man in a simple gray mask who looked about retirement age had been left alone. It would have been worrying if not for the fact that a veritable graveyard of smashed robots littered the ground at his feet. Those that remained were approaching him very carefully.
“My name is Kaiju,” the monster said, drawing their attention back. “I’m a friend of Titan.”
“I have never been so thankful for his schmoozing as I am right now,” Zone muttered.
“Hang on, where’s Galvanize?” Bubble Bubble said, eyes sweeping the field as she realized they’d lost their leader.
“Making the rounds,” Kaiju informed her. He stretched out a claw and pointed across the stadium’s field. “And probably making a hell of a difference.”
Sure enough, there was Galvanize, darting in and out of battle with such recklessness that Mordent’s insurance people would have shit a chicken if they’d seen him. He was bounding between groups of Supers and humans alike, pausing only long enough to speak briefly to them before moving on to the next cluster of people. Wherever he went, the effects could be seen, as blows became heavier and dodges more precise. Galvanize couldn’t make people any better than their best, but there was still a lot to be said for having every Super in the stadium fighting at peak form.
“He’s how I knew where to find you all,” Kaiju explained. “Though Juiced and I were already looking. Titan helped us out when no one else would, so we’re sure as shit not going to let anything happen to his team.” Another robot turned to face them, but before it could contemplate an attack, Kaiju was on it, turning the thing into scrap before there was even a chance to react. “But damn, I love what that Galvanize guy can do. Wish we had an enhancer on Wild Bucks.”
“Don’t put any ideas in his head,” Hexcellent said. “So what’s the plan, oh mighty Hero? Just keep fighting the robots here all day?”
“Too dangerous,” Kaiju replied. “They always come in waves, and since they seem to have found a way to move underground, we can’t risk staying clustered together like this. Current orders are for us to take out as much of this wave as we can and then begin evacuating all non-Heroes. Their attacks are pretty focused, at least for the moment, so if we can get you out of the hot zones then you should be okay.”
“Sure, you just have to crush a whole wave of robots that took you by surprise before the next one gets here, piece of cake.” Hexcellent was all but clinging to Big Henry, even as Kaiju worked to keep the area around them clear.
“This looks worse than it is. We’ve got a lot of people here whose powers are built for handling groups of attackers. Plus, the brunt of the attack seems to have hit downtown from what we’re hearing. And, in the mother of all fuck-ups, the robots didn’t realize that one of the HCP deans was here. Trust me, within ten minutes we’ll have cleared a path out. It’s the others you should be worried about; they’ve got three times this many robots attacking them.”
“Is downtown where Titan went?” Bubble Bubble asked.
“Yeah; seems they were called over to stop one wave and got taken by surprise just like us,” Kaiju told her.
“Then why bother worrying?” She released the sphere around herself and pulled in Hexcellent before creating a new, larger one. “If he’s there, they’ll be fine.”
Kaiju turned his giant rept
ilian head toward her and cocked it slightly to the side. “Look, I know Titan is strong and all, but even he has limits.”
“Spoken like someone who hasn’t worked with him for the past few months,” Zone said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Hexcellent agreed. “Downtown is going to be fine, so let’s just focus on getting this place clear and moving everyone to safety.” Big Henry reached over and lifted the sphere in one hand, setting it on his shoulder.
“Zone and Kaiju, lead us out,” Hexcellent ordered. “We’ll bubble and carry as many people as we can along the way.”
“You know, I’m the one who’s a Hero,” Kaiju pointed out.
“And I’m the one who does rescue work every fucking day. Which does this look more like to you? Now either take out your scaly cock so we can have Zone get the measuring tape out to formally settle this or help us get clear.” Hexcellent put her hands on her hips and stared Kaiju down, nearly eye level from her spot atop Big Henry’s back. Eventually the giant lizard monster let out a snort and began lumbering forward.
“I was just making a point, no need to be mean about it.” In any other situation, they would have laughed mercilessly at the massive creature growling out a passive aggressive grumble. But that would, hopefully, come later. For now, there was only the job at hand.
101.
In battle, everything was madness. Maybe it was different for other Heroes, the ones who could soar above and see the whole field or those with minds quick enough to calculate every variable as it entered their awareness. But Owen wasn’t that kind of Hero, or Super, or man. He’d always been the type with his boots on the ground, slogging through the blood and chaos one heavy step at a time. Only when guided did he have any objective beyond moving forward. There was no greater plan at work, or if one existed, he hadn’t been let in on it. Today, Owen didn’t try to calculate or scheme or even bother with thought. He simply did what seemed most appropriate: destroy every robot he could get his hands on. Much as he might be lacking in the grander abilities, when it came to that task, he was damned good at what he did.
Two robots jumped on him from the left, one with an open mouth full of teeth like needles and the other with arms crackling with energy. The designer had changed things up this time around, giving the robots different specialties instead of making them interchangeable. While it meant every bot wasn’t the best fit for every situation, it also made fighting them more dangerous, as one never knew what the next opponent was capable of. Case in point: the ones with needle teeth had managed to tear through the flesh of many a Hero’s armor and extra-durable skin already. The teeth were probably some sort of high-tech gizmo specifically designed to cut through even the densest of materials.
Owen threw his right forearm into the needle-filled mouth as his left grabbed the energy wielder by the torso. If the thing was going to get a piece of him, better it be a non-vital chunk. As for the energy bot, Owen had taken every burn, disintegration, and jolt that the Super community could throw at him during his Hero days. Odds were good that this wasn’t so new that it would get past his existing defenses. The needles shredded through his costume easily, and while he could feel them scratching at his skin, they failed to pierce the barrier of flesh.
“Too bad, looks like someone beat you to it.” Owen could have sworn he saw a look of surprise in the robot’s fixed facial features, but an instant later he’d whipped the needle-filled head into the bot crackling with energy, smashing both up and then tearing them to small chunks. The one trait these did all seem to have was the ability to self-repair, which not a single Hero present was giving them the chance to do.
All around Owen the battle raged. Beams of energy tore apart metal frames, explosions rocked the streets and buildings, and all manner of costumed combatants could be seen bounding to and fro as they spotted new targets or friends in need. The familiar form of a hawk made out of plasma caught Owen’s eye as it dipped and dove, carving through the robots like they were formed from wet sand. Granite wasn’t too far off, tearing apart every robot that stepped near him while protecting the summoner guiding the energy bird. In the center of the sky, surrounded by a hurricane of robot debris, was Gale, whose blasts of wind broke enemy formations before they could fully form.
There were plenty of others who Owen didn’t know, but they were holding their own nonetheless. A Hero with red hair had pulled out a pair of swords and was slicing up her opponents without missing a step. A duo in matching costumes was taking turns throwing one another, leaving a smoking trail in their wake that reminded Owen of Bullrush. A woman in a green and black costume was somehow freezing clusters of robots in place while a man wearing a purple suit calmly stepped through them and touched their torsos. The moment they unfroze, every bot he touched exploded into scrap, leaving charred husks behind.
The Heroes were better and stronger, there was no doubt about that, but the robots were seemingly endless. For every one the Heroes downed, three seemed to burst out of the ground. If they were being swarmed, that would be bad enough, but the situation was actually worse. Owen had personally seen several units split off and run away from the battle, which meant there were probably a lot more he’d missed. With so many Heroes just dealing with the horde, the ones that escaped were free to run amok and tear up the town. Of course, that was presuming that destruction was their end goal, which Owen knew was a pretty big assumption. It was maddening how little they actually knew. Luckily, Owen had plenty of easy targets to vent that annoyance on.
Three steps brought him to another robot, this one trying to sneak up on a Hero already dealing with two others. Owen grabbed it by the waist and ripped it neatly in half, then reached over to pop the head off another. The Hero, a short woman whose costume bore a skull on the mask, gave a quick nod of thanks before finishing off her remaining opponent with a single kick. It began to rust at her touch, corroding and collapsing into nothingness within seconds. She didn’t bother to talk as she rushed off to find more robots, nor did he expect her to. There was nothing to be said, unless it was strategic. In a fight like this, everyone did their best and looked out for one another when they could. Maybe later, when things were finally settled, there would be time for gratitude and buying each other rounds of drinks.
Another robot stepped forward, but before Owen could so much as touch it, a breeze blew past him. Along with the gust of wind came a dozen of those needle teeth, crudely pried from their owner’s jaws, shredding the other robot before it had a chance to react.
“I’ve got to get a stockpile of these,” Gale said, floating down next to Owen as the needles made their way back around, landing lightly in her hand. “They cut through anything.”
“Almost.” Owen held up his arm showing her the torn costume and the red, but unbroken, patch of skin.
“Why am I not surprised?” Gale muttered. Around them, a new tornado began to form, whisking up all the chunks of beaten robot and turning them into projectiles that would smash apart anyone who tried to get too close. “Anyway, I wanted you to know that as soon as this wave slackens, we’re going to make the attempt to crack one of these things open. You need to start fighting your way north toward Jeremiah so that everyone will be in place when it’s time.”
“That’s fine, but why didn’t he just tell me through Dispatch?” Owen asked.
“Because at this range, he thinks the robots can overhear us talking and adapt their strategy based on what we say. Hence my noisy little barrier.” Gale held up her hand and gestured to the swirling storm engulfing them, as if there were any question of what she was talking about.
“Got it. Anything else I need to know?”
“You’ve probably already noticed, but the fucking things are spreading. Dispatch has already had to peel some Heroes off to deal with the ones that left this fight. They’re doing their best, but. . . well, you can count. We can’t leave this scene, obviously, but if you see any trying to escape, do everyone a favor and discourage them.”
“I like to think I can be an excellent demotivator when the occasion demands,” Owen replied.
“Then show them what you’ve got. I need to go find Aether and pass along the message. Remember, go north and stop the rogues on the way.” With that, the tornado suddenly came to an end and Gale was gone, racing through the sky as she searched for the woman darting through solid objects.
With the wind wall removed, Owen could see how the landscape had shifted and that new clusters of robots had gotten near them in the brief window of concealment. Flexing his hands, he set his sight on the nearest ones and bolted toward them, not bothering to try and land properly. His body was a weapon in itself, and he planned to use it as one, leaving a trail of destroyed robots in his mighty wake.
102.
Hexcellent wasn’t sure why she’d thought things would be better once they were outside the stadium; it had just seemed like the way these sorts of events were supposed to play out. Someone would have a plan, and they’d be rushed off to safety with the other civilians. Getting out of the stadium and then off the fairgrounds were the first steps toward freedom. Except once they made it outside, following the path cut by Wild Bucks and other Heroes who’d shown up to help, their world made even less sense.
At least in the stadium there had been a sort of order, with limited entrances and only so much ground to cover. The moment they stepped outside people began to scatter, which was made all the more troublesome by the fact that there were robots roaming about. It took less than a minute for their tight, well-guarded unit to disintegrate as Heroes, including Kaiju, were forced to peel off to meet charging robots or rescue civilians. She and Bubble Bubble had to flee the sphere on Big Henry’s shoulder, as the large demon simply couldn’t move quickly enough while hauling them to steer clear of the more troublesome spots. As she stepped out into the open again, Hexcellent came to peace with the fact that there was no greater plan in place, or at least not one that involved them. If they wanted saving, they’d have to get themselves out of the fire.