Dave had already punched a hole out of the head when Shaggy and Slink arrived. Their giant robot was still lying in the rubble, unmoving. Shaggy could already hear the voices of approaching players and even the clanking of robots. Even with the other giant robots smashing around, players were still risking their necks to get at a supposed prize. Shaggy and Slink dove into the hole that Dave had made and joined the others in the robot's head.

As Shaggy righted himself and looked around, he spotted various machines still whirling and steaming. Ren and Levy were standing near a bulky terminal which actually looked like it had a keyboard.

“Did Cog really make a robot with a blatant access port on it? That seems like such a design flaw.” Shaggy asked as Slink hurried over.

Ren cautiously tapped against finger against the tiny keyboard before he answered. “It looks like it. We wanted to wreck up this room. But Dave saw this thing, so instead we halted the robot’s motor functions. For now.”

Vlad materialized out of the mist and huffed as he joined the others at the console. Shaggy let them all work as he and Dave stood watch. More and more players were getting closer, but thankfully, the robots were also swarming. Dave seemed to vibrate as he kept watch out of the hole he had made in the robot’s chin.

“This is so epic, dude! We are going to get to fight with a hundred-foot tall robot! So fucking awesome.”

Shaggy snorted, but didn’t disagree. “It would be if we weren’t going to get instantly crashed by the other giant bots.”

“No way, dude. I bet we last long enough to wreck one other giant bot.”

“Yeah, if we don’t get overrun by players first.” Shaggy said as he spotted the first player to leap aboard their giant robot’s body.

“Hey! Eggheads, you’re probably gonna want to hurry it up.” Shaggy called as he watched the player get tackled by a silver bot.

“This isn’t easy!” Slink called back. “Cog’s whole interface is text-based, so I have to know the proper commands.”

“What’s the issue?” Ren asked from the console.

“Dude, we are sitting on a giant bag of loot and the vultures are circling.” Dave said.

“What do you think the players are going to do when they find out that this thing isn’t technically dead?” Shaggy added.

“Not a damn thing.” Vlad snarled as he misted over toward the hole in the robot.

“Well, you can tell them that then. Cause they are climbing all over this thing. Probably looking for loot. It’s probably only a matter of time until a guild…”

“THIS BODY HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY THE RIFFRAFF GUILD!” a voice shouted from outside.

Shaggy rolled his eyes as Vlad’s gaze narrowed in anger. Tolliver’s familiar build and short-cropped brown hair were visible from their spot inside the robot. Shaggy even saw Obsidian standing next to the large guild leader. Her hands raised and her blonde hair flowing as more and more players joined them on top of the robot. The sounds of clashing metal signaled that the RiffRaff guild were trying to clear the area around the fallen robot.

“Oh, they are not taking our fucking robot.” Vlad snarled as he tried to leave the head.

Dave and Shaggy grabbed the vampire and hauled him back. Vlad gave them both traitorous looks, but they ignored him as they let Tolliver outside stake his claim. It didn’t matter what the guild said. Once they got the bot back up and in action, their ownership would be apparent.

“Let the windbag talk, Vlad. Once we’re in action, the dumbass will go tumbling.”

“Yeah, dude. Fuck that guy. Besides, I don’t like that the other one ain’t there.”

Shaggy looked up at Dave. “You mean Pearl?”

“Yeah. Where’s she at?”

Shaggy merely shrugged as Vlad shook himself loose and peered out of the hole. Tolliver was still delivering a rousing speech about how their guild had taken the big robot down. Shaggy tuned the filthy liar out as he turned back to Slink, Ren, and Levy. Both the Sorceress and the Perinadon had ceded the terminal to the shorter teen and were both keeping watch. He spotted his wife staring at the inner walls of the robot’s brain.

“What’s up, hun?”

Levy smiled at him before she pointed upward. “There’s a lot of magic in this robot.”

Shaggy followed her finger and found small purple lines of magic crisscrossing the inside of the robot’s head. They marked the walls and ceiling in intricate patterns. Shaggy felt the hairs on his neck rise as he noticed all the magic writing in the robot’s head.

“Runes?” He asked.

Levy shrugged. “A weird amalgamation of science and magic. It’s like he started working on the mechanics of this thing and then got bored and glue it together with magic. Or vice versa.”

“Should we undo it?”

“Don’t!” Screamed Slink. “That magical glue is the only reason this damn terminal works. At least that’s what I think.”

“Well, Slink, you're gonna need to hurry. Cause the douchebag and the princess are heading this way.” Vlad said.

Shaggy saw the kid ground his teeth as his fingers hurriedly swiped across the keyboard. Everyone except Slink crowded around the hole as Tolliver and Obsidian walked along the robot’s body. Their guildmates were shooting and blasting robots and players away as they paraded down the thing’s body. The guild leader and his second came to a stop just below the robot’s head, clearly looking at the hole Dave had made under the thing’s chin. Shaggy was uncertain if they could be seen. But that became moot as Vlad shouted out of the hole.

“Beat it, jackwagon! The robot’s ours.”

Shaggy pinched his fingers against the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Folks call me impulsive.” He muttered.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“You are, love.”

“Yeah.”

“True.”

Shaggy glared at the three other members of his party as Vlad hissed out of the hole. Tolliver’s face was a placid mask of disinterest as Obsidian glared angrily in their direction. The pair had a quick, whispered conversation before Tolliver turned back toward them.

“It’s alright, my guildmates. The guild is here to take possession of this robot. You’ll get your reward, I assure you.”

Dave slapped a hand over an irate Vlad’s mouth before he could shout anything back. Shaggy looked at Ren and Levy, trying to speak volumes with his eyes alone. There was no guarantee that Slink was going to be able to get the robot moving. But that didn’t mean handing over the spoils to some jump-upped asshole. Levy was already nodding as Shaggy turned back to the hole and shouted out of it.

“Not part of your crew, Tolly. You and your people can fuck off or come in here and try to take it from us!”

Tolly’s eye twitched as Obsidian went apoplectic with rage. She raised a pale hand and dark magical energy twisted around her arm before she thrust it forward. Shaggy hit the deck as every moved away from the missile. Levy chuckled darkly as she summoned her own magic in her hands, fired back. Vlad was already misting up, and Dave had summoned his armor again. Shaggy grew his claws and followed his wife’s magical blast out of the hole.

Tolly drew both of his short, curved swords and charged as several of his guildmates joined him. He spotted Vlad shifting by him at super speeds and let him aim from Tolliver. Shaggy changed targets to the spell-slinging Obsidian and pounced. Behind him, he heard Ren and Dave charging across the robot’s chest.

Obsidian sneer as Shaggy barreled at her. Flying through the air with his claws extended, Shaggy was surprised that the woman seemed more annoyed than scared of his sharp claws. Then he slammed into a golden-colored barrier and he knew why.

“ARGH!” Shaggy shouted. “Fucking Mages!”

Shaggy began slashing at the barrier with his claws as Obsidian backed away. Shaggy saw spots of purple appear alongside his swipes as Levy blasted her magic into the other player’s shield. Suddenly Shaggy’s view was obstructed by a leather chest piece and he looked up to see Tolliver staring down at him, swords raised. Shaggy didn’t like the way the man’s swords glowed, so he dove to the side. He idly noted Vlad’s mist form clinging to Tolliver’s back as he moved.

The big guild leader’s two swords crashed into the robot’s metal chest and carved to big rends in it. Vlad appeared on the other players’ back and bit down hard. But Tolliver barely noticed as he punched a hand over his shoulder. Vlad took two punches to the face before his fangs ripped the other player’s flesh off. Tolliver’s neck glowed yellow before it seemed to heal up.

All around, Ren and Dave were clashing with more guildies. They were all woefully outnumbered and the RiffRaff’s mages were keeping their friends up and in the battle. Shaggy Ignored Tolliver and pounced toward the nearest guild member. A dour-looking alien with a hand to his temple like he was using telekinesis or something. Shaggy slice through the man easily and tried to locate the healers. But a sudden stinging in his side brought him around.

Obsidian was tossing balls of black magic at his side as Levy slammed her own missiles into the blonde’s shield. The woman looked extremely annoyed as Shaggy took a few more balls of magic before she had to take a break. Shaggy grinned as he saw her shield flicker and he pounced again. But again, Obsidian suddenly disappeared and Tolliver appeared in her place, swords ready.

Pain screamed through his abdomen as Tolliver jammed both his blades into him. Shaggy grimaced and tried to cut the man’s arms, but Tolliver quickly removed his swords and danced backwards. Shaggy followed as Tolliver’s eyes widened.

“That’s some healing.” Tolliver said idly.

“Yeah, it comes in handy.” Shaggy quipped back as he slashed at Tolliver’s legs and then dragged his claws upward.

Tolliver parried Shaggy’s claws with his sword and backpedaled. “You should’ve taken the deal.”

Shaggy merely grinned as he threw himself forward again. Tolliver took the opening to slice into Shaggy’s arm and side again. But Shaggy took the swipes and landed his own into Tolliver’s side. Green magic flared and for the first time Tolliver screamed in pain. Shaggy glanced down at the eerie, soul-rending glow of his claws before he smiled at Tolliver.

The guild leader was favoring his side and grimacing as another healing spell hit him. The yellow glow of the spell seemed slower as Shaggy’s own demonic blight fought the healing. Shaggy felt his own wounds seal up and he waved a clawed hand in a ‘come here’ gesture. Tolliver sneered and readied his swords when a shrill woman’s cry made him turn.

Shaggy took the opportunity to pounce and raised both his claws. But as he did, Tolliver shifted and disappeared. In his place, a tired-looking Obsidian appeared, eyes wide as Shaggy dove at her. She raised her hand; the spell glowing black. But Shaggy claws slammed into her chest and neck. She glared at him as she gurgled and then disappeared into a pile of glowing cubes. Shaggy waved his claws through the cubes as he turned to find Tolliver.

The tall guild leader was defending against Ren’s hammer as Dave got hit with multiple fireballs. Shaggy traced the magic back to a crowd of guildies that were being harried by Vlad. But before he could do anything, the robot moved. The entire chest of the robot seemed to whir and vibrate. Everyone hurried to regain their footing as the robot put its giant arms down into the dirt and lifted itself up.

Vlad disappeared in a black mist as Ren aimed a kick at Tolliver before backing away. Dave was in a full sprint back toward the hole and Shaggy couldn’t see Levy anymore. Tolliver chased after Ren as his guild mates abandoned the robot. Shaggy dove in front of Tolliver and stopped a sword from chopping Ren’s back. Tolliver grimaced and swung his second sword at Shaggy’s face.

Shaggy ducked and weaved under the sword as the robot’s body shifted. He went for a leg grab, but Tolliver back away and snarled as he caught his footing. Shaggy grinned and slowly started backing away, claws ready.

“You should’ve taken the deal.”

Tolliver’s face went red as he raised both of his swords. “Fuck you!”

Shaggy cackled as he dove forward. He clashed the claws of his left hand against one of Tolliver’s swords as he let the other hit him. Bringing up his right claw, Shaggy raked Tolliver’s sword arm and chest. Tolliver screamed again and yanked his sword out of Shaggy. The hole in his side slowly closing, Shaggy dove back in, aiming at Tolliver’s legs this time. But the robot was almost fully vertical now.

Instead of diving near Tolliver’s legs, Shaggy was now almost falling down the side of the robot. He got his feet under him and jump toward the Robot’s chin. But Tolliver took a swipe at him with a sword, sending him wheeling across the robot’s chest. Shaggy focused all of his strength on his right hand and jammed it into the side of the robot. He felt his claws dig a short distance in. Enough to give him some purchase, as the robot finally stood. Across from him, Tolliver was hanging onto his sword that was embedded in the robot. His other sword was held in his hands like a spear and he was aiming it at Shaggy.

“Your glass, asshole!” Tolliver shouted, mask of calmness completely gone now.

Shaggy grinned back at the guild leader and shouted back. “You’re forgetting something, dumbass!”

Tolliver looked confused for a few seconds. But he quickly brushed it off and got ready to throw his sword. A sudden burst of purple smacked straight into Tolliver’s face and singed his hair. Shaggy was sure the man’s head would catch fire with another bolt. But he didn’t give Levy the chance. Kicking off the robot, Shaggy activated his Pounce ability and aimed straight at a confused Tolliver. His right claw caught the player in the shoulder as his legs kicked the man in the chest. With an almighty double kick, Shaggy shoved the RiffRaff’s guild leader straight down the side of the robot.

Tolliver’s eyes went wide as he lost his grip on his sword and went sailing toward the feet of the robot. Shaggy flipped the asshole the finger on both hands before he jammed the claws of his hand back into the robot.

“I’ve still got friends, asshole!” Shaggy called down as Tolliver fell.

He was just above the right pectoral now, but the metal wasn’t any softer. He still had to focus to get any traction. Shaggy stared down wistfully at Tolliver’s sword, still lodged in the robot’s chest. But he decided against retrieving it. Mostly cause someone was shouting at him.

“Don’t even think about it, Shaggy!” Levy shouted from the hole in the robot’s chin.

“I wasn’t!” Shaggy shouted back as he stared the slow journey upward.

The curled metal around the neck helped Shaggy gain better purchase as he climbed. But it was still slow going. Meanwhile, whoever was driving the giant robot had aimed them straight at the nearest robot factory. Shaggy could spot other giant robots slowly closing on their bot. He hurriedly tried to scramble back inside. No way in hell did he want to be outside whenever they had to fight another giant robot.