Her Shattered Mind Chapter 54: Rattle Of Metal
For what felt like ages, Anne's world had stopped. Everything around her just vanished. She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything. Even her heart didn't seem to be working. It was as if she herself had stopped existing.
But there was still one thing that her eyes and ears hadn't been blind and deaf to.
Marcy on the ground with someTHING pinning her there.
At first, Anne just stood there, frozen, her breaths almost non-existent. Her whole body felt a sudden chill as the air immediately around her dropped its temperature. She could feel her shaking getting worse as the seconds passed. When she became aware of her heartbeat again, it was pounding in her head like she was still playing her drums.
Then after a few seconds, Anne shook her head and found her voice.
"Anne, wait!" Sasha tried to grab her. "Don't attack from the front! It'll...!"
Anne paid no attention to Sasha as she rushed towards the robotic creature attacking her other friend. She needed to get that thing off Marcy. Nothing else around her mattered in that moment.
A jolt of pain splashed across her legs as the robot, frobot, whatever these things are called, slapped them with a long paddle-like tail. As Anne struggled to keep her balance, another explosion of pain swept through her and she met the ground in a heavy crash.
"A-Anne...!" Marcy tried to twist her body away from the creature. "Y-You need to... Sasha?!"
Anne looked up to see Sasha holding onto the robotic thing, her arms tightly wrapped around its thick neck.
"Leave! Them! ALONE!" Sasha squeezed her arms against the thing's mechanical neck as though trying to choke it. "Stay away from them!"
With a loud whirring screech, the creature snapped its long crocodilian-like jaws at Sasha. The teeth barely missed her, snagging on a bit of her costume instead. Sasha grunted and pulled herself back and slammed her fist against one of the eyes. In response, the robot managed to grab Sasha's arm and yank her forward. It closed its hand around her throat and started to squeeze.
When it spoke, its voice came out crackling and mechanical, a few sparks decorating its words here and there.
"I am Recon-Bot. I was sent here with explicit orders to collect Marcy Leviathan. You will not interfere."
Sasha attempted to retort only to take in a breathless gasp, her eyes widening, the robot's claws threatening to tear her neck apart.
Anne's world stood frozen for several seconds, her breaths stilling in her throat. Then she ground her teeth together and tightened her hands into fists. Burning energy rushed through her blood and nerves, powering through the pain. With her body trembling with adrenaline, Anne slammed herself against Recon-Bot with a trail of blue whipping behind her.
As she wrestled with Recon-Bot, Anne's ears were bombarded by more screams intermixed with confused and terrified shouts. In the midst of all of that, she could pick up on Sasha's horrified tone and Marcy's pleas. Ignoring how the claws began to slash against her outfit, Anne turned to Sasha and Marcy.
"Get everyone out of here!" Anne's voice began to echo, her vision rapidly tinting blue. "I'll hold this thing off!"
Sasha reached out and cried, "No! We're not going to leave you!"
"You have to! You... Hurk!"
Recon-Bot lifted Anne up by her neck and proceeded to slam her into the ground. Anne let out repeated screams as her body hit the cold ground over and over again. Her vision began to blur around the edges and her head thudded in pain. The corner of her eyes caught movement and when she looked up, everything filled with metal claws.
The pressure slipped from her neck and her body hit the ground in a thud. For a moment, the ground twisted underneath her and she nearly fell forward in her attempt to sit up. She became aware of someone kneeling down next to her. Holding her pounding head, Anne turned to see who was beside her.
"M...Marcy...?" Anne wheezed, letting out pained coughs as she rubbed her throat.
Marcy hooked an arm around Anne and attempted to lift her up. "C-Come on, you need to get help. You've been beaten pretty badly."
Anne became aware of pulsating pain crawling up her legs and along her side. She tried to speak, only to take in a sharp pained hiss. After a moment, she took a look around, trying to find Sasha. "Wh-Where's...?"
A blurred shape zipping in multiple directions.
Something crashing against the curtain.
Two figures struggling on the ground.
Her heart racing, Anne staggered to her feet. She swayed to one side. Marcy quickly grabbed onto her, helping Anne steady herself. Anne unconsciously slung her arm around Marcy's side as she watched Sasha pummel the robot with a flurry of punches.
But even as Sasha's strikes dented the thing's metal body, even as it let out static screeches as though in pain, it wasn't enough to make it surrender. With its digits spread out, it struck at Sasha. The sharp claw tips managed to graze Sasha as she dodged the brunt of the attack. She wasn't lucky the second time when Recon-Bot swung its elongated jaw at Sasha's stomach. The blonde let out a wheeze as the air was knocked from her lungs and she stumbled back.
Anne's eyes snapped wide open and she cried out Sasha's name as she tried to race to her side. She was stopped when Marcy grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back.
"N-No! Please!" Marcy's voice was filled with terror. "It's after me! Let me handle it!"
Anne turned to Marcy, horror washing over her face. "No! I'm not letting that thing take you!"
Marcy leaned in, her breaths shaky and quick. "It will kill you two if you keep fighting it! It's not going to kill me!" Marcy placed her hand to her chest. "Please, let me confront it! Let me make up for believing the king's lies!"
Anne wanted to say something, anything, to comfort Marcy. The level of pure terror in her friend's voice was enough to make Anne feel physically ill.
But there was no time for that. As her heart pounded in her head, as Sasha's screams overwhelmed her other senses, Anne knew there was no way she could just stand aside like some coward. She didn't want to make Marcy worry, but she couldn't let this robot take Marcy away. And she knew Sasha wouldn't allow it, either.
Giving Marcy one more sympathetic look, Anne whispered one thing before pulling herself away.
As Marcy screamed her name, Anne's world flashed with blue streaks once more as she charged at Recon-Bot.
Marcy's attempts to stop Anne resulted in her tripping and falling over. She ignored the pain on her tongue as she managed to push herself up on one arm. She looked over, her eyes growing wide and her teeth clenched, as the metal creature attacked her friends.
What kind of frobot was this? Was that what it was even called? Was this thing new?
Marcy was aware of the amphibian-style robots King Andrias used. But the ones she was familiar with were based on frogs, hence the name 'frobot'.
This thing didn't resemble any frog species she knew of. In fact, its proportions were more similar to that of a crocodilian with that long toothy snout and...
A loud screech rattled through the air and Marcy had to quickly cover her ears. Pain wracked across her head as her breaths came in sharply through her clenched teeth. As she forced an eye open, she could see that all around her, the frogs that hadn't gotten far enough away yet had collapsed, writhing in pain.
The realization left a bitter feeling in her stomach. Recon-Bot appeared to be targeting everyone in an attempt to get at her. If she stayed here for too long, then it would result in more people being hurt.
But she couldn't just abandon her friends. She still owed them so much. They risked everything to bring her back.
It was time she returned the favor.
Marcy clutched her hands into fists and started to charge towards Recon-Bot. Her eyes remained locked onto her target even as it thrashed about. A soft glow enveloped her body as she launched herself off of her feet. A shout ripped from her throat as she collided with Recon-Bot.
She grunted as her body twisted and turned under the weight of the frobot. They tumbled over each other, rolling across the stage until they rested on the edge. Marcy gripped onto the frobot's long snout, holding it shut. She could feel it jerking its head about as it struggled to get free. When it realized it couldn't, its eyes glowed a bright red and a small faint whistle sounded off. Her eyes widening in horror, Marcy let go and jerked her body to one side.
For a split second, she was aware of the air turning hot like lava. The smell of something burning hung around her flaring nostrils. She stayed still for another second and she looked up. Those same eyes now stared straight into her soul.
"Do not make this difficult, Marcy Leviathan. I was no sent to hurt you. The Core simply wishes to..."
Marcy punched Recon-Bot's snout, forcing its head upwards. The rims of her eyes beginning to shift green, Marcy snarled, "Do NOT call me that!"
Recon-Bot stayed still for a moment, then looked back down at her. After an eerie pause, it said, "Have those two gotten to you again? The Core can do something about that."
Marcy widened her eyes, then narrowed them into slits, her face contorting, teeth bared. "Don't you dare touch them!"
Recon-Bot's response was interrupted when a blend of pink and blue rammed against its side. Marcy pushed herself up quickly as Recon-Bot crashed against Anne's set of drums. Anne and Sasha stepped back, their bodies radiating with soft blues and pinks respectfully, both ready to keep fighting.
Anne looked over her shoulder. "Marcy, please! Just get out of here!"
Sasha echoed Anne's sentiment. "If this thing takes you, we might not be able to get you back again!"
A swirling wave of heat kept Marcy's body locked in place, unable to move. "I-I... I can't just..."
"Yes you can! Don't worry about us! We can take..."
A rattling roar cut Sasha off and her voice was replaced with a scream. One of the frobot's paws struck down on her head, her face planting against the floor.
"Sasha!" Anne whirled around, her shaky fists ready to strike. "You stay away from her!"
Recon-Bot swerved its body around as Anne lunged and it struck her with the side of its tail. Anne tumbled across the ground, letting out a small moan as she pushed herself back up. By the time she did, Recon-Bot had already pinned her down.
"Stop interfering. This is your last warning."
Through gritted teeth, Anne snarled, "Over my dead body!"
Recon-Bot tilted its elongated head and said, "That can be arranged."
Anne froze at those words, her eyes flashing with fear. Then she struck against Recon-Bot's chest. This gave her just enough room to kick the underside of the frobot, forcing it onto its back. A few bits of blue energy wafted off her fist as it connected with the tip of its long thin jaws.
Marcy visibly flinched as the sounds of crushing and twisting metal filled the air. She watched as Anne then grabbed onto the jaws and snapped them like they were twigs. Electrical sparks shot out along exposed wiring, circuitry, and tubes. Recon-Bot's eyes flickered several colors before going dark. Anne slowly rose to her feet and watched as the frobot fell limp on the ground.
Sasha's voice came out in heavy pants. "D-Do you think it's...?"
The three girls took a few steps closer, their bodies tense. For the first few moments, nothing appeared to happen. The frobot appeared to be dead, or rather, deactivated. The 'brain' of the thing was likely in its head and now that was damaged, they didn't need to worry about...
A small gasp escaped Marcy's lips as she took a few steps back. Anne and Sasha noticed and they called out to her, trying to ask her what's wrong. Marcy paid little attention as her eyes locked onto the frobot's face.
There was a small flicker of light.
This thing was still alive.
Marcy quickly turned to her friends and shouted, "Get back! It's gonna...!"
The next thing Marcy knew, beams of hot light sprayed from Recon-Bot's eyes. Sasha and Anne barely managed to get out of the way in time. Even them, the heated rays danced along the edge of their arms, slightly burning the skin. Anne and Sasha struggled to quiet their pained yelps. This gave Recon-Bot enough time to body slam them, its torn face making it look even more menacing.
Marcy's heart raced in her chest, her breathing growing rapid and erratic. She couldn't tear her eyes away from what was happening before her. She wanted to badly to jump in and intervene, but what if she accidentally hurt one of her friends? She needed some way to force distance between it and them.
But how was she going to do that?
There just might be something.
If Hop Pop or Grime hadn't destroyed it, that is.
Casting one more glance towards her friends, biting her lip as she watched them struggle, she turned and ran back towards the farm house.
"Hey! Get out of the way! Let me through!"
Sprig grunted and growled as he forced his way through the crowd. His body was constantly pushed from side to side by panicking villagers who continued to rush in the opposite direction he was going. Sprig could barely see the stage in front of him and his attempts to get to a higher spot were rendered useless by this wave of amphibians.
Polly was somewhere nearby. He couldn't see her, but he could hear her faintly. He could've sworn he heard her curse a few times. He was glad that the crowd's cries muffled her enough that Hop Pop wouldn't hear her.
He continued to weave his way through the sea of bodies, diving under legs, jumping over a few heads, slowly making his way to the front. As he kept getting closer, he could see a few flashes of colored lights.
Anne and Sasha had activated their powers.
With his heart beating faster, Sprig hurried as much as he could. He lost some progress when another frog accidentally kicked him back. Sprig ignored the pain and returned to his feet. He rushed back towards the oncoming crowd and, with his leg muscles wound up as far as they could go, he jumped.
By some sheer luck, he landed near the edge of the crowd. He only needed to push along a handful more of villagers and he finally reached the stage. He paused to catch his breath and brush himself off. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Polly in the corner of his eye.
"Polly!" He called out, frantically waving her over. "Get over here now!"
Polly glanced over, then she turned back to the fight happening on stage. She opted to ignore Sprig as she started to bounce along up there. Sprig's mouth dropped open and he raced after her.
"Stay back! I know what I am doing!"
Sprig widened his eyes as Polly made her way towards the frobot that currently had Anne in its grasp. His head pounded too much for him to hear what it was saying. Everything began to run in slow motion and any move he made was like trying to move through quicksand. And when he saw his little sister jump at the frobot and the thing locked eyes with her, his heart came to a stop.
A swift pink blur shot across the stage. The frobot's body wracked with an electronic screech as it was pinned down on its side. Its jaws snapped in numerous directions, each one missing Polly by several inches.
Sasha leaned her face close to the frobot's and growled a deep whisper, "Touch the brat and I will turn you into a pretzel."
Before Polly could protest to what Sasha had called her, the frobot's eyes began to flash rapid colors. Sasha's expression shifted for a second, then her eyes narrowed. A strike to the underside of the frobot's remaining chin was enough to make it miss its next laser attack.
Sprig remained frozen for several seconds before shaking himself out of it and rushing over to his sister.
He grabbed onto his sister in his arm and pulled her beside him.
"Get out of here! Go back to the house!" Sprig struggled to keep Polly restrained. "It's too dangerous for you to be here!"
Anne's voice echoed through the air, "It's too dangerous for you too, Sprig! Leave now!"
Sprig turned to Anne with wide eyes and he stuttered. "B-But you and S..."
"We can handle this on our own! Just get yourself and Polly to safety! Now!"
Sprig couldn't bring himself to move. Even as words to run were screeched at him, his feet remained stuck to the ground. His hold on Polly weakened as he fought with himself internally. He knew it was a better option for him to leave as well. But he didn't think he could just walk away from this.
A scream blasted against his eardrums and he wobbled to one side. He rubbed the side of his head as ripples of pain spread through his skull. He looked over to see what had happened and his mouth dropped open at what he saw.
Polly had managed to slip from him and she was now holding onto the frobot's head with one flipper. With her other, she pounded against its head. Each blow caused a few sparks to shoot out from the exposed electric system on its face.
Sprig tried to call out his sister's name. His voice failed him, his neck closing up. He fought to breathe as his chest was on fire, his heart pounding as his legs automatically acted on their own. Before Sprig knew what was happening, his foot had already slammed against the frobot's chest.
The force of the impact caused the frobot to stagger back, its body swaying from side to side. Polly's hold had slipped and she tumbled back, rolling along the thing's tail before latching onto it. Sprig did not waste time in grabbing his sister and trying to pull her away.
The struggle didn't last even a second.
A shadow rapidly casted over the two siblings. They couldn't even get a word out before something metal slammed into them. They screamed as they were tossed over the stage, their bodies somersaulting rapidly. Sprig could make out Anne's voice calling out to him just before he crashed into one of the chairs.
Opening his eyes, Sprig found his world upside down, his legs dangling before him. He quickly righted himself, clutching his head as pain crackled through it. He then frantically began to search for Polly. But he wasn't able to find her.
Before he could start to look for her, his body was suddenly squeezed within a set of thick metal claws. He gasped sharply, his chest bursting in pain, his lungs unable to take in another breath. He struggled to keep an eye open as his vision filled with intense red light. The air began to rapidly heat up and he squeezed his eyes shut.
Sprig opened his eyes at the sound of his sister's voice. A flash of purple struck against the frobot's hand, forcing it to let go of him. Sprig dropped to the ground, landing on his hands and feet, and looked up.
Polly held onto the thing's wrist and stuck out her tongue as it stared at her. The frobot let out a warbled cry and tried to strike her with its other hand. Polly bounced off and the frobot struck itself. The force of the blow combined with the claws' sharpness resulted in it cutting off its own hand, which now lay on the ground like a discarded piece of scrap metal.
Sprig slowly turned to Polly, his eyes bulging in shock. He tried to say something only for his voice to dissipate into stutters. Polly smirked at him and placed her hands on against herself in a prideful pose.
"See? I can handle myse..."
Polly's words were shut down as the frobot's foot smashed down next to her. Polly's confident smile faded as she looked up to see the other foot coming straight for her.
"NO!" Sprig lunged. "POLLY!"
Sprig managed to push Polly out of harm's way. But he wasn't as lucky. His body erupted in pain as a heavy metal foot slammed against him. The air was knocked out of his lungs and the sharp tips of the thing's claws pressed against his back. He was certain he could feel a bit of blood starting to trickle.
In the corner of his vision, he detected an encroaching blue light and he was able to breathe in when Anne ripped the frobot off of him. He could hear the screech of metal hitting wood above him. The pain that echoed through his body was louder and even with Sasha's help, he found it difficult to keep his balance.
Sasha sucked in a breath through her gritted teeth. "You two should've run when we told you!" She let out a small groan, then turned to Polly and barked out an order. "Take pipsqueak here and find someplace to hide!"
Polly, however, was still determined to fight, especially after seeing Sprig struck down like that. "That thing hurt my brother! I'm going to...!"
"No you're not!" Sasha snarled, her eyes flashing a brighter pink for a second. "You're only going to end up like him! You want to be useful? Get him to safety!"
"I..." Polly's expression faltered as she looked back at Sprig. She let out a sigh and grumbled, "...fine. Come on, Sprig. Let's get your sacrificial butt out of here."
Now it was Sprig's turn to try and protest. Only, he couldn't get any words out. And it wasn't because of Polly's incredible feat of lifting him up into the air.
His widening eyes had caught a blip of something orange.
In a matter of seconds, Sprig found himself on the ground, his throat throbbing from a seemingly endless stream of coughs. A small cloud of dust had been kicked into the air. He could taste it with each breath, provoking further coughs. Particles of dust settled on his back cuts, irritating them, his teeth gritting.
Then he felt himself being moved again. He didn't know how Polly managed to get back up so quickly. And the way her feet managed to balance both her and himself, it was...
Sprig blinked several times as he struggled to sharpen his vision. He was aware of movement. He could hear Polly's strained breaths. The ground echoed as a fight he couldn't see took place.
And then when he shifted his gaze just enough, he saw two purple sticks frantically moving about.
Sprig's breath stilled for a moment, then he whispered under his breath, "You've got your legs..."
He couldn't tell if Polly heard him or not. She just continued to run with him, her arms holding him a few inches off the ground. It was unclear if she knew she had legs or if she was having a slow reaction. Sprig tried again to speak up, but another voice called out.
Sprig turned his head at the same moment that his grandpa pulled both siblings into his arms.
"What were you two thinking?! You could've been really hurt!" There was a quiver to Hop Pop's voice. "You shou..." A small gasp. "Sprig! Your back!"
Sprig became aware of a brief flash of radiating pain even as Hop Pop's touches were feather-light. Even so, he tried his best to put on a smile for the old man. "They're not that deep. You don't need to worry about... Nngh!"
"Oh don't you go telling me this isn't that bad!" Hop Pop looked over his shoulder. "Grime! Come here and get my grandson to a doctor to patch up these wounds!"
Grime walked over, a brow arched up and his head tilted. "I agree with the pink frog. These only look worse than they are. They..." He froze when Hop Pop shot him a glare. "...still need to be cleaned up."
Sprig didn't have time to protest before he was lifted up into Grime's arm. "H-Hey! I can still walk, you know!"
Grime chortled. "Right now, your sister can walk better than you."
"Yeah, she..." Hop Pop's body went rigid and he quickly turned to Polly. He grabbed at his sideburns, tugging at them sharply, and cried out, "POLLY YOU GOT YOUR LEGS!"
Grime's response was as deadpan as his expression. "You just noticed that now, Hopediah?"
Hop Pop didn't bother responding to Grime. He just held onto Polly, his face devoid of any previous fears or worries. For a few seconds, he looked more like a proud father as he lifted Polly up, his eyes sparkling with joy as he stared at his granddaughter's new legs. A tear strolled down his cheek.
"My little girl is getting all grown up." Hop Pop's voice trembled with emotion.
This sense of elation was quickly shattered as Grime grabbed Hop Pop and yanked him and the two frog children away. A second later, right where they were previously standing, a set of metal claws came crashing down.
With a flash of red that spread through the air, the frobot rapidly rose up and roared, shooting out bits of electricity in its wake. With his rows of teeth flashing, Grime threw his fist against the frobot's chest. This forced it to take a step back, which gave enough time for Grime and Hop Pop to put distance between them.
Grime's words came out in a few huffs. "Worry about sentiments later. We need to get back!"
Sprig grunted as his body was held firmly against Grime, trapped within the curl of the old toad's thick arm. He tried to say something, but he could barely breathe. He doubted Grime even realized what he was doing as he moved faster than his size would indicate.
He expected them to be followed. He could hear the frobot's furious wail and a series of footsteps heading towards them. He tried to get a better look. With the way that Grime was running, Sprig wasn't able to get a good look.
He was still able to see well enough to notice something blue tackling the robotic creature. He tried to call out Anne's name. By the time he managed to do that, he could no longer see the stage.
Except for a faint orange.
But Hop Pop had been running alongside Grime.
Where did this other orange come from?
A scream ripped from Sasha's throat as her back connected to the ground. She gritted her teeth as her hands moved quickly to block the frobot's claws from slicing into her arm.
"Y-You're not...getting me...that...easily!" Sasha pushed back as hard as she could, ignoring how her trembling arms ached. "You should just...g-give up now...!"
The frobot, Recon-Bot she thought, didn't appear moved by anything she said. Its eyes, glowing a bright red, pierced through her like a sharpened knife. It pressed its weight against her and its claws came ever closer to her throat.
Despite the impending threat of death, Sasha did her best not to show that fear. She continued to push back, trying to bide herself enough time to think of a way out of this. As her eyes darted about wildly, it didn't take her long to find her break. She pulled her foot back and struck as hard as she could against the frobot's angled leg.
Recon-Bot let out a sharp, sizzling hiss as Sasha's foot forced its leg to bend at a more dramatic position. Sasha tried to use this chance to get up. But the frobot was swifter to recover than she realized and how a set of claws pressed down on her neck.
"You have interfered too much. You were warned. Now I have no choice but to eliminate you." The frobot tightened its hold, not reacting to Sasha's blows against its arm. "Hold still and I will make this quick."
Sasha hissed through gritted teeth and made another attempt to kick at the thing. Her foot missed this time as the frobot repositioned itself before she could do anything. Sasha cinched her eyes shut tightly, her hand gripping onto the frobot's claws, trying to pry them apart.
The pink energy that had been surging through her just moments ago had weakened. With it, she had felt her body's strength fading as well. She tried to re-activate it to no avail. Now she was trapped underneath this robotic thing without a way to get back up again.
Anne wasn't in a better position, either. Though Sasha could still see and sense the blue energy coming off of her friend, what little she could see of Anne was enough for the blonde to know that Anne was running out of time as well. The glow had already almost faded away completely and Sasha had no idea if Anne still had enough energy to do any significant damage to this thing.
Still, that hadn't stopped Anne from making one more effort to force the frobot into submission.
Sasha let out a gasp as Anne body slammed Recon-Bot to one side. Sasha coughed a few times and sat herself up. She turned to see Anne struggling to hold down Recon-Bot, the faintest blue still hovering along her skin.
Sasha didn't hesitate to rush over to offer assistance. Her body quaked with a new supply of adrenaline, taking the place of her pink powers, and she grabbed onto the frobot's wriggling tail. She winced as the sharp edges pricked at her hand. She readjusted herself and used her legs to hold down part of the tail. She ignored the pain shooting through her weaker leg as she flattened her foot against metal.
Anne's body began to tremble in clusters, a groan escaping from her lips, and Sasha's heart skipped a beat. Anne's feet tripped up as Recon-Bot began to gain on Anne, forcing her knees to bend from its weight. Sasha quickly pressed down harder to try and make up the difference. But the moment Anne's blue light flickered out, there was nothing more she could do.
Sasha and Anne screamed as Recon-Bot lifted them up and threw them across the stage. They slammed into the wooden ground for what felt like the hundredth time. The floor was now covered in dents and bent, chipped wooden planks. The fact that it hadn't caved in was a miracle, not that it would do the girls any good right now.
Sasha pushed herself up onto her hands and took in a few heavy breaths. She slowly turned her head up to shoot a glare at Recon-Bot. As she did, she noticed that a chunk of its shoulder was missing. She casted a glance at Anne and upon seeing the bloodied fingers, a sneer stretched at her lips. Seems Anne was able to get another attack in after all.
Encouraged by this, Sasha got up to her feet. Waves of pain caused her legs to wobble, but she still managed to push through it as she charged the frobot. She had no idea how long this adrenaline rush would last. She needed to take this chance now.
Sasha stifled a gasp as pain spread out from where her fist made contact with the metal. With her powers too weak and her adrenaline already fading, there was nothing to protect her hand from already bruising from a single contact. She yanked her hand back and caressed it before her vision was obscured by dark, blurry lines.
The frobot had grabbed her face with its tail. She winced as it squeezed harder, hoisting her off the ground effortlessly. She kicked her legs out, trying to hit the creature again. The frobot responded by tightening its grip further. Sasha let out a gasp and her body went still.
"That is enough. No more wasting time. I will eliminate you now." Recon-Bot moved its remaining hand over. "This won't take long."
Sasha's eyes widened as Recon-Bot's hand twisted and turned inward, causing a prod to rise out from the new opening. The tip was rounded with a few sparks of electricity coming off of it. That alone terrified her enough, but she wasn't prepared when what looked like a long needle grew from it. The sight of it caused her heart to nearly stop beating. She shut her eyes tightly and waited.
Something clanged near her and she could feel herself being lifted up higher. With her hands gripping the frobot's wrist, trying to pry it off of her, Sasha opened an eye to see Anne trying to drag the creature back with its tail. Anne didn't seem to pay any attention to how sweaty and red in the face she already was from the effort.
And Recon-Bot didn't care that Anne was hanging on. It didn't even acknowledge her. Its eyes remained focused on Sasha, piercing through her very being, sending waves of cold up and down her body. Sasha could barely stifle a pained gasp when one of the claws began to press dangerously close to her eye.
Suddenly Sasha felt herself falling to the ground. She barely had time to process this before Recon-Bot fell on top of her. The sudden blow knocked the oxygen straight out of her chest. This was followed by a wave of burning panic and racing heartbeats as she struggled to get back up.
"Sasha!" Anne cried out. "I'm sorry!"
Sasha tried to answer, but her words were cut off before she got out anything. Recon-Bot had recovered much faster than anticipated and it was now actively pressing against her back. Sasha could feel something sharp pressing against the space between her shoulder blades. She held her breath and held still; if she struggled too much to get up, Recon-Bot would cut into her back.
Anne made one more attempt to help Sasha. Another dash, another lunge, but Recon-Bot was quicker. With its tail, it slapped Anne across her legs. The sharp tip cut into Anne's leg and she let out a sharp cry. As she dropped to one knee, the frobot grabbed her by the leg and flung her downward like a sack full of rocks. The sickening grunch sound of bone breaking rattled through the air.
A wave of cold washed over Sasha's mind and body. She tried to turn her head to face where Anne was. She hissed as her neck ached from the effort. She listened carefully as Anne's breaths became shaky and pained. She could hear Anne squirming against the ground and she could feel the frobot's body shift as it continued to hold them both down.
"You two have made a series of unwise decisions. I have never seen anyone as foolish as you. It is almost a shame that your lives must come to an end."
Sasha felt her heart began to race and pound against her chest. A flash of adrenaline burned into her muscles, giving her a small boost in strength. She tried to twist herself around so she could strike another blow against this thing.
Unfortunately, Recon-Bot had been faster.
Sasha's eyes burst wide open, white hot pain stretching from between her shoulders down her spine and to the small of her back. She held her breath for a moment, everything around her stopping, frozen in time. A second later, as the pain intensified, a horrid scream echoed in the air, a scream that took Sasha a second to realize it was her own.
After that, Sasha could barely comprehend what was going on. She struggled to keep her eyes open and her vision was distorted and blurred. Her back radiated and buzzed in agony, feeling like someone had tried to brand her with a knife. She took in several shaky breaths and lifted her head.
Not far from her was Anne, who had collapsed to the ground. Despite unclear eyesight, Sasha could make out enough to realize the crack had come from Anne's ankle, the same one that Recon-Bot had sliced into. Sasha felt her heart jump into her throat at all the red coating the ground. This was worse than what happened to Marcy.
Her thoughts were cut off when something cold pressed against her neck. She bared her teeth as she glared at Recon-Bot as it hovered over her. Its unfeeling eyes remained locked on her, showing no emotion as it began to cut into her throat.
But despite seeing flashes of her life go by, despite the fear that threatened to tear her apart, Sasha managed to hold a glare. She refused to let this stupid frobot get a full on victory. If it wanted her to show fear, she would not give it that. She would be sure that the last sight Recon-Bot had of her was one filled with enough defiance to accommodate both her and Anne.
Recon-Bot paused for a few seconds, tilting its head. "Do you have anything you want to tell me before your demise?"
Sasha sneered, paying little attention to the droplets of blood smearing down her neck. "Y-Yeah, why don't you go and f..."
A blur of orange filled Sasha's vision. A second later, the pressure and sharpness was gone from her neck. She pushed herself up by one arm, her other hand frantically touching around her throat. She pulled her hand back and something burned in her chest as she saw the stains of blood. She stared at it for several moments before she lifted her gaze upwards.
Her breath stilled when her eyes caught the source of orange.
She hadn't noticed the green intermixed with it.
Sasha tried to reach out, her pain and anger now dominated by fear. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get that far. Her hand fell to the ground and she found she could no longer move it. She let out more shaky, now weaker breaths as everything began to darken and spin. She could only manage a single word before she slipped out of consciousness.
It had been a while since she last put this thing on. She had forgotten how heavy it was. Just holding her current position put a strain on her energy.
If it weren't for the pulsing green running along her body, Marcy doubted she'd be standing here, clutching her weapon, the fiery blade pointed towards Recon-Bot.
Marcy wished she had gotten here sooner. Her heart tried to twist out of her chest the moment she heard the sound of bone breaking. And when she had finally arrived, she was met with a horrific scene: Anne and Sasha laying on the ground, badly injured, bleeding...
Marcy closed her eyes for a moment, then turned to glare at Recon-Bot. Her teeth clenched tightly against each other, a growl rumbling within her throat and chest. Her hands on her blazing scythe tightened. If only she had been able to convince Hop Pop and Grime sooner. If she had just been a few minutes earlier...
"Are you delivering yourself to me?" Recon-Bot stepped towards her, motioning with its one hand. "That would be a wise decision. Let us end this nonsense."
Marcy let out a sharp snarl, raising her scythe slightly. "What makes you think I'm surrendering?"
Recon-Bot paused, its eyes flickering colors as it thought. "The Core wants you returned unharmed. I do not wish to fight you so unnecessarily."
A sharp snarl sipped from Marcy's gritted teeth and she swung her scythe to point at Recon-Bot. "Looks like you're going to have to."
Recon-Bot stared at Marcy for several moments, its tail swishing from side to side. Its cross-shaped pupils moved up and down and it slightly raised its arm. Marcy tried not to show fear as Recon-Bot folded its remaining hand down to show her its sparkling rod.
"If it must be done..." Recon-Bot stepped closer. "...then so be it."
Marcy gritted her teeth harder as she tightened her grip on her scythe further. She ignored the weight of her armor, ignored how her legs trembled, and she raised her scythe further and struck it down as hard as she could. When it made contact, arches of fiery bolts launched in multiple directions. The display was enough to get Recon-Bot to stop back.
"If you don't want this thing to hit you next, I suggest you leave." Marcy tried her best to sound threatening, but she feared she lost her touch. Still, she continued, "I won't hesitate to slice you in half."
Recon-Bot response was garbled by sparkling electricity dancing along its damaged face. "I doubt you will be able to pull it off. I can sense the weakness creeping back into you. These 'friends' of yours have softened you up, Marcy Leviathan."
Marcy barked back, "It's Marcy WU!"
"Clinging to that lie? Have you forgotten it was King Andrias who raised you?"
Marcy said nothing. She just narrowed her eyes further, letting out a growl.
Recon-Bot slowly aimed its electric rod at Marcy, but did not fire just yet. "There is still time to reconsider. The Core will fix you and you'll never have to be afraid again."
Marcy bit her tongue to stifle her laugh. What did this frobot know about her? Just the lies that the Core must've fed it. This thing couldn't begin to understand her or her situation. It was nothing more than a mindless puppet programmed to speak like it was sentient.
She knew better than that.
Marcy curled her lips into a snarl, the orange on her blade glowing brighter, matching the intensity of her green eyes. She struck it against the ground a second time, making sure to hit much closer to Recon-Bot.
"Last warning!" Hissed Marcy, raising her scythe once more.
Recon-Bot simply stepped closer, advancing slowly on Marcy. "I cannot leave until I finish my objective."
Marcy said, "I guess you're just going to have to go back a disappointment." The corner of her lips tucked into a smirk. "I wonder how the Core treats its failures."
Marcy was almost disappointed when Recon-Bot didn't offer any emotional reaction. It really was mindless, wasn't it? Then again, what use would King Andrias or the Core have for emotional frobots?
Electricity began arching more erratically around Recon-Bot's rod. "If I am deemed a disappointment, that is the Core's will. That will not stop me from trying to recapture you, Auratus."
Something sharp struck through Marcy's heart as her body tensed up. Her eyes went wide for several moments, then she gritted her teeth and growled. As her chest burned from an internal fire, she prepared her scythe for another strike.
Then, without saying a word, Marcy launched herself at Recon-Bot, a scream ripping from her throat.
With a blur of silvery metal, Recon-Bot met Marcy's attach with its tail. It struck at the center, away from the sharp edges, allowing it to pull the stunt without risking damage. Marcy grunted from the sudden stop of momentum and she backed up. She wobbled slightly before taking off again after the frobot.
Recon-Bot darted to one side and slammed one of its feet against Marcy's back. The purplish armor prevented the claw tips from piercing her skin. But now Marcy found herself on the ground, the weight of Recon-Bot pushing against her.
"I look forward to returning you home. The Core will be pleased." Said Recon-Bot as it lowered its electric rod towards Marcy. "I just need disable those unusual energy readings that are getting in the way."
Marcy froze at those words. She quickly turned her head to where Anne and Sasha were. Was that what had happened to them? Did Recon-Bot drain them of their energy so it could beat them down? What was it trying to...?
Marcy ground her teeth so hard she nearly cracked them. She gripped at the ground as a wave of burning adrenaline ran through her body, joining the green energy. Her breaths became heavy and quick, her vision briefly clouded by green.
Then with a loud shout, a crackle of green energy shot out of Marcy as she shot up from the ground. Recon-Bot let out a surprised shriek as it was smashed against the wooden floor by a green wave. Before it could get back up, sharp metal and blazing fire kept it from moving. It stared at the scythe and then slowly looked up at Marcy, a few sparks hopping off its torn face.
Marcy glared down at it with eyes filled with something she hadn't felt in a while.
Holding the blade close to Recon-Bot's head, Marcy hissed in a darkened voice, "You are going to pay for that."
Marcy lifted her scythe higher, then struck downwards.
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