With his gun returned, Streamline cautiously stepped back to what he judged to be a safe distance from Vecto's body. Smoke fumed from the side of Vecto's destroyed head, but Streamline knew the battle wasn't over yet.

As if returning from the dead, Vecto's head arched back in place as his one remaining eye flashed red. Instead of going for his gun as Streamline expected, Vecto launched his hand and grabbed Streamline by the throat. The massive grip lifted Streamline's body from the ground as he struggled helplessly to break free.

"I wanted this fight to be respectable," Vecto said, the voice from his head distorted. "But, no, you chose not to."

"Because I know you . . ." Streamline said, gasping for breath despite the thickness of his body armor. He could now see the emptiness inside Vecto's head; the robot's cognitive relied on lasers rather than wires. "I know your good side-and your bad," he continued. "And right now . . . you're evil!"

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"Evil, you say?" Vecto tilted his head as he approached, his floating hand still firm at Streamline's throat.

"Did I stutter?" Streamline said brazenly and gasped. "What happened . . . to the old Vecto? The one . . . who had our backs . . . the one . . . who would sacrifice himself . . . for his friends?"

"That Vecto died when the world backstabbed him. He died when the world wasn't good enough, when he needed to be stronger, when he needed to show the world what he was truly capable of," Vecto's explained. "That is the only way to defeat Morphaal-to be feared and omnipotent."

Streamline was set back by Vecto's cruel words. His suit tightened at his neck to give him breathing room. But his slight comfort was dashed by the sight of Vecto's scarred head hovering inches from his face.

"So you died with Gyro," Streamline said callously, trying to ply Vecto's fingers from his neck. "Mere days ago, you had saved our lives . . . yet when Gyro tried to save yours, he faced death . . . So you took the blame on yourself . . . you begrudged his sacrifice!"