Metal scraped against scale as Vanguard swung its shield into the lizard’s head, sending the beast staggering sideways with a snarl. The creature’s claws lashed out wildly, catching Vanguard’s side and tearing through damaged armor. Sparks flew as the droid’s internal systems strained to keep balance, but it pressed the attack.
It had been thirty minutes and 17 seconds since their duel had begun, and even now, neither side showed signs of backing down. Scratches and dents marred Vanguard’s once-pristine exoskeleton, the shield’s surface battered from countless impacts. Sparks flickered from exposed wiring, and its servos strained under the pressure of each movement. On the other side, the lizard bled from several deep cuts, its dark red blood pooling beneath it with every step, though the creature’s vicious resolve remained as unbroken as vanguards.
Vanguard’s internal systems ran constant diagnostics, sending damage reports that the fledgling droid ignored. "Mission incomplete," its programming repeated constantly. "End fight. Secure forge." But despite its resolve, the creature was just as determined. With every swing of its shield and thrust of its spear, the beast adapted, dodging and countering with wild ferocity.
For a moment, both combatants circled each other, as if waiting for the other to falter. Vanguard shifted its weight, calculating its next strike, while the lizard’s reptilian eyes locked onto the droid’s movements, ready to lunge at the first sign of weakness.
With a sudden burst of speed, the lizard lunged again, claws outstretched, aiming for Vanguard’s already compromised side. Vanguard barely had time to raise its shield, catching the brunt of the attack, but the force sent it stumbling backward. Metal screeched under pressure, but the droid held its ground, shoving the creature back with the last of its strength. The lizard snarled, pacing sideways, its reptilian eyes fixed on the droid as blood continued to drip from its wounds.
The manufacturing bay was eerily silent, save for the steady drip of blood and the soft hum of Vanguard’s damaged systems. The droid’s calculations grew more frantic—its energy reserves were rapidly dwindling, and servos were slowing, perhaps due to damage to its battery.
With not much else to do, Vanguard continued to go on the offensive. With a burst of speed, it charged forward, shield raised high, aiming to bash the lizard off balance and finish the fight. The beast, now bleeding heavily from its wounds, braced itself, claws scraping the floor as it prepared to counter. Vanguard’s shield collided with the lizard’s forearm as it raised its claws to deflect the blow, the impact sending a loud crack echoing through the bay.
As the creature struggled to maintain its footing, Vanguard pivoted sharply, thrusting its spear with precision done through many calculations. The sharp tip pierced through the lizard’s ribs with a wet crunch, driving deep into its side. The beast let out a deafening screech, its body convulsing as the spear drove through muscle and bone. Blood poured from the wound, spilling onto the floor in heavy streams. Vanguard stood over the creature, optics flickering as it calculated the odds—victory seemed assured.
Confident the fight was over, Vanguard attempted to pull the spear from the lizard’s body. But it wouldn’t budge. The creature’s muscles had contracted, locking the spear in place, and before Vanguard could process what was happening, the lizard’s eyes flared with renewed fury.
In one savage motion, the beast twisted its body, flinging Vanguard across the room with a powerful swipe of its arm. The droid crashed into a pile of debris, metal screeching against metal as it tumbled to the ground. Sparks erupted from its frame, systems blaring with warnings as the lizard let out an ear-splitting roar.
Vanguard watched as the lizard pulled the spear from its side, tossing it away as its whole body shook. Vanguard’s optics flickered as it processed the scene before it. The deep wounds in the creature’s side—wounds that should have left it incapacitated—began to close. Flesh knitted itself back together, the torn skin mending at an unnatural speed. The blood flow slowed, and before Vanguard could fully assess the situation, the gashes it had fought so hard to inflict were sealing shut, leaving only faint scars.
"Unknown phenomenon detected: analyzing," Vanguard's internal systems reported, but there was no time for further analysis. The creature’s eyes snapped back to the droid with a feral intensity, renewed and enraged. The ear-splitting roar that followed was primal, an unholy sound of pure fury as it bared its teeth, flexing its claws.
Vanguard struggled to get to its feet, its systems still sparking, but the lizard was already charging again—this time with unstoppable force as if the fight had only just begun. The lizard was upon Vanguard in an instant, faster than the droid could react. Its claws tore into Vanguard’s armor, ripping and rending the metal like paper. Sparks flew as circuitry was exposed, warning signals flaring in Vanguard’s systems, but there was no time to process the damage. The creature’s rage was relentless, and its strikes became more savage with each passing second.
Vanguard tried to block with its shield, but the sheer power of the lizard’s assault forced the droid back, step by step. Then, with a vicious growl, the creature latched onto Vanguard’s arm with its teeth, sinking its fangs into the joint. Metal groaned and buckled under the pressure before the lizard gave a final, brutal twist. With a screech of tearing steel, Vanguard’s arm was ripped clean off, sparks spraying from the severed limb as it hit the ground with a heavy clang.
Stolen story; please report.
Reeling from the sudden loss, Vanguard tried to recalibrate, but the lizard wasn’t done. It roared and swung the droid by its remaining arm, flinging it across the room. Vanguard slammed into one of the fabricators, the impact shattering the machine’s glass top. Shards flew in all directions as Vanguard’s body crumpled into the wreckage, its systems struggling to maintain operational capacity. The droid's sensors blinked erratically, desperately trying to regain control as the creature jumped on top of it.
The lizard loomed over Vanguard’s broken form, snarling as it pinned the droid against the fabricator. Its jaws snapped open, razor-sharp teeth glistening as it lunged for Vanguard’s head. Metal groaned under the pressure as the creature bit down, its teeth screeching against Vanguard’s head and camera. The droid’s systems screamed warnings, damage escalating with every passing second.
Vanguard’s movements were sluggish, its battery rapidly draining now, vision flickering in and out as damage to its camera began to take its toll. But even as the creature tried to tear into its head, something caught Vanguard's attention—a screwdriver, dislodged from the shattered fabricator, lay just within reach.
Summoning the last of its strength, Vanguard’s remaining arm shot out, grabbing the tool from the debris. Without hesitation, it jammed the tool deep into the lizard’s eye with a sickening crunch. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech, thrashing wildly as it reared back in agony, blood pouring from its mutilated eye socket.
The lizard staggered back, its massive claws scrabbling at the tool buried deep in its eye socket, blood pouring down its face. It let out a guttural screech, thrashing violently as it tried to dislodge the tool. Seizing the moment, Vanguard scrambled to its feet, sparks flying from its torn and battered frame. Its systems were barely functioning, but even then, its directive drove it onward
Scrambling across the room as the lizard roared behind it, Vanguard rushed toward its discarded spear. The droid gripped it tightly, feeling the weight of the weapon in its remaining arm, even as its damaged servos strained to hold the weapon.
Behind it, the lizard finally yanked the tool free from its eye, letting out another ear-piercing scream of pain. Bloodied and half-blinded, the creature turned to face Vanguard, a look of pure, primal hate in its remaining eye. The air was thick with tension as the two adversaries locked gazes, the bay filled with the sound of the lizard’s labored breaths and the hum of Vanguard’s malfunctioning systems.
Then, the creature hissed, its mouth contorting into a twisted snarl as it rasped out words in a harsh, alien tongue: "Ssztli’Ka... Zlaa’tek koztal..." The hisses and growls reverberated throughout the room, the sounds filled with raw hatred. It was no language Vanguard had been programmed to understand, but the intent was clear: it was most likely talking about how it was going to rip it to shreds.
Both the Vanguard and the lizard began to circle one another, stepping through the pools of blood that now soaked the floor. Their movements were slow, and deliberate, each step weighted by exhaustion and pain. They knew they were nearing the end. Vanguard’s systems flashed warning after warning, its battery critically low at a mere 10%, while the lizard, half-blinded and bleeding heavily, could feel its strength fading. The adrenaline that had driven it through the fight was wearing off, and with it came the full force of the pain seeping into its body.
For a moment, the room was silent save for the labored breathing of the beast and the faint mechanical hum of Vanguard’s damaged systems. Neither could afford a mistake, yet both knew this final clash was inevitable. The pools of fluorescent blue and red blood beneath them reflected their movements, their eyes locked, understanding that only one would leave this room.
Vanguard calculated the distance, waiting for the right moment. The lizard, muscles twitching, crouched low, preparing to strike. Then, as if triggered by the same instinct, they rushed forward at once, each one surging toward the other with everything they had left. Claws extended, spear raised, the two collided with a force that shook the walls…
***
Back in the control room, Genesis was still desperately trying to reconnect with Vanguard’s systems. Every attempt to establish a secure link had failed, and the silence from the manufacturing bay was deafening. With each passing second, Genesis’s concerns grew. "Vanguard, report. Acknowledge the command."
No response.
The AI rerouted power, attempting to deploy a surveillance drone to the area, but just as it prepared to send the drone, an alert flashed across the screen. Something—someone—was approaching the hallway leading back to the control room. Genesis immediately ordered MARS to seal the doors but hesitated when it processed the readings. It wasn’t just an unknown entity approaching—it was Vanguard.
Or at least, what was left of it.
Genesis analyzed the incoming readings again, trying to confirm what it was seeing through its sensor. The figure in the hallway was barely recognizable—battered, limping, and sparking from multiple points of damage. "Vanguard?" Genesis processed the data now flooding into it just as the droid stepped into view The droid's silhouette was uneven, its once-pristine frame now twisted and broken.
It gave a shaky step forward, dragging something behind it.
A command to hold the door open was sent just as Vanguard staggered into view, the lights of the corridor reflecting off its shattered frame. The droid was barely upright, its left arm missing entirely, with its spear strapped to its back. And there, at its side, dragged along the floor, was the severed head of the lizard, its blood still dripping, leaving a crimson trail behind them.
Vanguard paused, servos whining as it struggled to stay upright. For a brief moment, it simply stood there, as though gathering what little strength remained. Finally, with a flicker of its optics, it lifted its head toward Genesis’s camera feed.
"My liege..." Vanguard’s voice crackled, damaged and rapidly fading, "I have…returned …victorious..."
And with that, it collapsed to the floor, the severed head rolling to a stop beside it.