Idea said, marking the potential threats as orange on Rex’s minimap display. The human in the tree had been visible from the spy sats above, despite the low resolution, but was probably difficult to spot from below, as he was carefully positioned above a clump of leaves.

Rex asked. He’d been running at a fair clip, and he knew that without Idea's help, he’d be exhausted by now, but at least they were close to town now.

Idea agreed. The AI didn’t see any advantage in fighting if it could be avoided. Idea marked a green triangle on the edge of the minimap, to indicate the general direction they needed to go.

Rex veered off the dirt road, aiming towards the forest and Karla’s location beyond it. On the minimap, the three people waiting in ambush suddenly started moving perpendicular to the road, aiming to intercept. Rex exclaimed in concern.

Idea admitted. A new window appeared in Rex’s vision, showing a top down view of a dragon with a familiar rider.

Rex said grimly. Inwardly, Rex was fuming. They'd suspected Blake was involved somehow when they found the dragon stables empty, no effort made to stop them from escaping. But this confirmation still rankled. Rex vowed that eventually, he'd make sure Blake paid for his betrayal.

Idea said with concern,

Rex instructed.

Idea obediently put together a list and displayed it:

Poisoned Claws: Your claws have been enhanced with combat steel, and filled with a poison reservoir. Currently loaded with a potent sleeping agent, thirty charges.

Gas Breath: You can exhale a plume of gas in a cone from your mouth. Currently loaded with three charges of sleeping gas, one charge of tear gas, and two charges of smokescreen.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Taser Touch; If you are touching an enemy with both paws, you can hit them with high voltage, consumes up to 25% of energy reserves

Overdrive: Releases dangerous chemicals into your body to temporarily boost your strength, speed and agility, but will come at a cost, as the withdrawal effects will leave you weakened. Lasts one hour, withdrawal lasts two. Reuse cooldown six hours.

Pain Nullification: (Passive) You won’t feel pain while I have your pain receptors turned off, but your body will still take damage.

Slow Regeneration: (Passive) Nanobots will speed your normal health recovery rate by a factor of 100, but that’s still not very fast.

Stamina Boost: (Passive) You can’t get tired while our nanobots are working full time supplying your muscles, but it doesn't make you stronger. If nanobots are busy doing something else this passive will be reduced.

"Poison" Blood: (Passive) If your blood touches skin, or is ingested, my nanobots can burrow in and disable your foe. Outside of the body, Nanobots only survive so long as blood remains fresh.

Poison Immunity: (Passive) You can not be poisoned, nanobots will seek out and destroy any foreign substances in the blood. This includes immunity to tear gas and sleeping gas, as I have also reinforced your eyes and respiratory system.

Enhanced Senses: (Passive) We have sonar, radar, magnetic senses, night vision, thermal vision, and I can use them to generate a CGI overlay to your normal vision. That and overhead spy satellites.

Rex asked, eyeing the approaching dots indicating the hostile humans, now recolored in red.

Idea replied.

Rex said.

Idea regretted not having prepared more combat functions ahead of time, but then again, up until an hour ago, there really hadn’t been a need for anything beyond a few simple non-lethal emergency measures. With Rex's encouragement, Idea began to consider what the AI could do to improve Rex's combat potential, starting with work on a laser eye blueprint. I'll haggle with my maker for a rare metal refill later, Idea told itself.

Despite lacking a directive not to kill, Idea still hesitated to build lethal combat capablities. Idea wasn’t designed as a military AI. Idea was hardwired to want to avoid conflict, and unless that was overwritten by Rex’s fury, Idea wouldn’t be able to kill anyone. Idea needed Rex to be the one to give the order. Rex understood that, that's why, in a combat situtation, he was in charge.

Rex instructed. Then as the red dots reached his location, Rex rapidly climbed a tree, already feeling the effects of the combat stims, his sharp claws digging into the bark with ease, he ran up ten feet in a heartbeat.

Rex ordered, opening his mouth wide in a silent snarl as the three humans came into view below. Thick white smoke billowed out, covering everything in a haze, but Rex’s vision was unaffected, as Idea replaced it with a CGI overlay based on the suite of advanced sensors.