Teddy bathed in crimson as the vile glow continued to envelop him. Save for the sound of distant metallic shrieking and clicking, the air was still and quiet as the dust began to settle. He leaned forward in an attempt to get a closer look at whatever was facing him, but struggled to see past the swirling, sandy clouds. The clicking began to draw closer and closer, his eyes widening in shock as it appeared the enemy was nearing him. He took a step back in trepidation as the glow seemed to almost follow him. The light remained fixated on his every last move. He began to move his hands to his storage compartment, but then remembered that his main job at this stage was the distraction, and he had to wait to set his mines. As the initial shock subsided, the entire plan flashed to him, as well as why he was here in the first place. Knowing why he was here, he soon figured there was nowhere else he’d rather be. If he couldn’t help her, who would? Teddy narrowed his gaze in determination and stepped forward towards the ray of scarlet. Feigning courage so well, he even began to believe his own lie. Though he pressed forth with a sense of duty, he could still feel the suffocating fear festering beneath.
The crowd above could see no better than our ill prepared participants, but were able to hear the same horrible, shrill scraping that violated the air. Hundreds of people waited with baited breath. Between the aisles of normally rowdy and belligerent vagrants, traders, and wastelanders, one could hear the footsteps of a cockroach. Kayda looked on in anticipation and horror, her mouth continuing to grow dry as she began to fear the worst for her newfound friends. She began debating with herself whether or not she should go down there and help. Eagerly tapping the arms of her seat, she gritted her teeth and stopped herself from jumping down there. It proved far too risky to intervene, for not only her, but her friends as well. Kayda sat rigidly, dreading what may befall them next, struggling to continue watching.
As fast as the silence befell the arena, no quicker was it torn apart as a vile, earsplitting screech overcame everyone not only within The Haystack, but Needles at large. Nearly everyone rushed to cover their ears, as the sound proved to be enough to shake the earth below. Finally, the plumes of sand cleared, and the crowd looked on in astonishment, while Teddy paused dead in his tracks. The false sense of confidence shattered upon seeing what they were truly up against. Looming over forty feet above him appeared to be a mechanical amalgamation of a snake’s head with the mandibles of a praying mantis. The tips of said appendages were sharper than what he thought possible. The stadium lighting reflected off the aged stainless steel, giving its hull an almost incandescent appearance. Its visage bore a single glowing, diamond shaped eye, which seemed to be the source of the red spotlight that was fixated on Teddy. Its light continued to shine down as a chattering noise could be heard from the machine. Four triangle shaped transparent panes pointed towards its eye, as a viscous red fluid could be seen sloshing around within it as air bubbles continually rose to the surface. From the top of its head, steam could be seen billowing out of it, which likely contributed to the heavy haze that arose with its arrival. Supporting its bulbous, metallic cranium appeared to be a long slender, sectional torso that extended to the ground below and coiled around Teddy. Between each major stainless steel section seemed to be transparent tubing that ran through each section. Through these tubes, he could see the same red fluid coursing throughout its body.
The two locked eyes and froze in place. Teddy simply did not know what to do as a mechanical beast larger than a semi-truck loomed over him, seemingly ready to strike at any moment. In this instance, Teddy was no different than the frail prey of a predator much higher on the food chain than him. Something about it instilled a primal fear deep within him. Teddy found himself thinking that if he could throw up, he would. Despite being a machine like him, the beast had an eldritch, ancient air to it that seemed almost unfathomable. Through its eye, he could see there were no complex thoughts within it. For all intents and purposes, it was an operating, empty shell. Though he couldn’t put his finger on it as to why, something about it seemed… wrong.
[https://i.imgur.com/JFqqRXA.png]
Teddy began to step back once more, intending to break into a full on sprint the moment he could. However, he couldn’t help but notice his view slowly becoming darker and darker, almost as if a cloud was developing directly above him. This proved to not be the case, as the pointed tail of the beast had already started its descent, ready to either crush or impale him. Frozen in fear, Teddy stared in horror as the blade drew closer and closer. But, instead of impalement, he found himself falling to the ground below, away from the descending tail as he was abruptly pushed down. Following this was the sound of the monster’s tail crashing into the earth below, as clouds of sand were kicked up.
“What are ya doing just standing there, dummy?!” Kona yelled in a worried manner.
Teddy stared up at her in amazement as she helped him to his feet, “Apologies! It’s just-”
“Yeah yeah, I know! We all saw it! Freak of nature robot! Get a move on!” She retorted, grabbing his hand.
The two of them ran around the embedded tail, out from the coil the beast made with its body. It soon let out another sickening screech, hoisting its tail out of the sand and back into the air once more. Kona looked upwards behind her, still guiding Teddy along as they ran away. Noticing the tail plunging downwards once more, she hastily pushed Teddy away, to her left. As Teddy stumbled back, he could only see Kona trying her best to dodge as the spiked blade plunged into the sand between them. He gasped in horror, thinking that she had been reduced to nothing but a red stain. However, from behind the tail peeked Kona, sticking her tongue out with a smirk, giving Teddy a thumbs up. Nodding, Teddy ran further away from the tail and Kona, waving his arms about and screaming wildly in an attempt to garner the monster’s attention. This was also out of genuine fear.
The creature soon noticed this and began aiming its tail at him once more, plunging into the ground over and over again as it continually just barely missed. It roared in fury every time it missed, seemingly growing more and more frustrated, as Teddy’s speed surprised even it. Teddy, not breaking a sweat, because he can’t, was no less petrified by every attempt on his life. He flailed about, struggling to keep his footing as the appendage would nearly graze him with each attack. He continued to scurry about before he soon noticed it had been quite a while before the creature tried its method of attack. Curious, Teddy stopped running and looked behind him, only to see no falling spire of metal. This relief was short lived, as out of the corner of his eye, he could see something quickly approaching him. With barely a thought, Teddy ducked to the ground as Snake Eyes smashed the entirety of its lower body into the concrete walls of the stadium. The crowd roared in excitement at this, hollering in pure glee at the carnage before them. Teddy scrambled away, practically on all fours as it struggled to pull that section of its body out of the wall.
It watched Teddy gain distance and screeched in agitation, finally yanking itself from the concrete clutches of the walls. Lowering its upper half, it fixated on Teddy and straightened the length of its body, before charging towards him at full force. Its snake-like body glided gracefully along the sand as it quickly began to gain distance and close in on the small robot. Noticing this, Teddy began to panic and zig zag across the arena. Having to maneuver in a similar fashion, Snake Eyes began to lose distance, much to its frustration. In an attempt to remedy this, it arched up its tail mid chase, and began its previous method to crush Teddy all while pursuing him, in hopes of impeding his distance. Teddy stopped sporadically, as now the monster’s tail crashed into the earth just in front him, again and again. This method would prove fruitful for the machine, as Teddy’s gained distance was hindered, drawing him closer to Snake Eye’s grasp. Its proverbial cage worked, as the roadblocks prevented him from going any further. The drill between its mandibles began to spin erratically, almost in glee, as it was mere seconds from twisting the poor robot into an unrecognizable pile of scrap. It had earned its meal.
Teddy could hear the drill grow louder as Snake Eyes gleefully chittered and purred. He shut his eyes as he ran, refusing to believe this was his fate. He internally wept, feeling nothing but regret as he had left Kayda alone in this harsh world. He shook his head, hoping she would understand he did all he could, and hoped she would not resent him for his failure. He could only hope she would find a soul like him, Kona, or Gears who would be kind enough to help her home. Someone that would succeed where he failed. However he would soon realize, this moment of dread would be short lived.
Just before the machine’s drill could pierce Teddy’s metallic flesh and shred him to nothing but an oil stain, a plume of sand, fire, and shrapnel combusted just below Snake Eye’s head. The explosion jolted the monster backward, screeching in pain as shards of glass and metal embedded themselves into the glass plating on its face. Its somewhat pristine, stainless steel metal casing on its head was now cracked and covered in soot.
“Eat shit!” Gears exclaimed from the other side of the stadium arena, remote detonator in hand.
“Oh my god! How did you know I put one there? That was wicked!” Kona cheerfully hollered.
“Gonna be real with you, I didn’t. Saw he was about to eat it and hoped for the best!” said Gears with a chuckle.
“Wow, I could’ve accidentally gotten him killed if I didn’t put one there.” Kona said, somewhat nervously, bringing a finger to her chin.
“He is one lucky schmuck, I’ll give him that.”
“Not all the time! Teddy! Watch out! It’s losing its baby teeth!” Yelled Kona as she pointed at Snake Eyes.
It continued to shriek as its left mandible cracked off and crashed into the sand, just barely missing Teddy. Red fluid leaked from its newfound wound as it seemed to writhe in actual pain. Teddy found himself covered in this fluid from the initial spurt. He brought two fingers to his face and dipped them into the red stains caking his surface. Looking closely at the liquid, he tilted his head in astonishment… and a tinge of disgust.
“What? No… It couldn’t be…” He pondered to himself.
His moment of confusion would be interrupted, however, as the crowd went ballistic. The cheering was more so than Snake Eye’s deafening roars. Everyone hollered in absolute excitement. It seemed nothing could quell their frenzied state. Kayda jumped up from her seat and clapped, grinning from ear to ear as it seemed her fears were unfounded. It seemed at this point, everyone was rooting for the underdogs, taking immense pleasure at Snake Eye’s pain and seeming defeat as it wailed, struggling to remain upright. Kayda smiled down at Teddy, unsure he could even see her, let alone hear her. Even so, she continued to clap and cheer. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat down, waiting for the beast to plummet to the ground and succumb to its injuries. This would not come into fruition unfortunately. Leaning forward, she noticed Snake Eyes growing more rigid and stable. Realizing this was not over yet, she jumped from her seat yet again.
“Teddy! It's not dead! Get outta there!” Kayda desperately yelled, looking at everyone around her continuing to celebrate the false victory.
Snake Eyes stiffened its upper body as its singular eye stared at the stars above. The red light emanating from it soon began erratically blinking as it quickly jerked its head downward and focused on Teddy once more, who was still looking at the fluid that had drenched him. It let out an anguished shriek, before charging for him once more at top speed. Just barely Teddy was able to dodge its charge, as it rammed head first into the stadium wall that was not far behind. Instead of returning its gaze back to him, it then began to line the rest of its body up with the length of the wall. Once it was positioned, it began to circle the entire length of the stadium with blinding speed, more so than Teddy or anyone else thought possible. It seemed with every lap around the arena, it only garnered more speed. This in turn forced the trio deeper into the center of the arena, in hopes of avoiding any collision with the monster.
In its frenzy, more clouds of dust were kicked up, further obscuring the battlefield. It eventually reached the point of haze that occurred during Snake Eyes’s initial emergence. Teddy wandered around in the veil of sand, figuring now was as good a time as any to ready his land mines. Quickly, he darted around, arming them sporadically and randomly across the arena. Now was not the time for intricate strategy, for any moment, the beast would cease its temper tantrum and refocus its rage to either him or his cohorts.
As Snake Eyes continued this rather peculiar maneuver, the stadium’s lights began to shine a brilliant light show of technicolor, as towers of multicolored flames shot into the sky above. Spotlights peered down into the arena below as the crowd watched in anticipation of what might happen next. As soon as the barrage of lights and smoke started, the stadium’s speakers would soon kick on, blaring “Take on Me” by A-ha. Upon hearing the song, the spectators roared in excitement, thrashing about in the stands as they rallied in adulation. As the song went on, it appeared as if its tempo synced up with Snake Eyes’s speed, its rampage growing quicker and quicker in tune with the song. Cracks began to form in the wall's foundation, as its metallic body rapidly rubbed against the ancient concrete walls. Compounded with the audience’s pure euphoria at the situation unfolding, the stands themselves began to jostle ever so gently, much to Kayda’s surprise.
“Ah that sucks, I don’t want to die to this shit,” Gears said glumly.
“You’re wrong about two things! We’re not gonna die, AND this song is amazing, what’s wrong with you?!” Kona said, grabbing Gears’s shoulder, “Just stick to the plan! We can do this! It’s better safe than sorry!”
“That’s not the lyric.”
“We’ll get outta here and- What?”
“That’s not what the song says. I know you were trying to be cute and quirky and shit, but that’s not the lyric.”
“I listen to it every day, I’m pretty sure- Wait didn’t you say you hate this song?” Kona responded.
“We all have phases in life-”
Before their lyrical debate for the ages could continue, Teddy bolted from the shroud of sand, waving his arms about frantically as Snake Eyes followed close behind, getting closer and closer to him with every passing second. It seemed at some point, it continued its pursuit of Teddy, likely hoping this newly shrouded battlefield would provide an advantage to its chase. Kona began to dodge the oncoming mechanical monster, before realizing Gears hadn't even attempted to move. Panicking, she tugs at his arm with wide eyes. Simply bringing up the detonator, Gears attempted to wink at her with his singular eye.
“What is that? Are you blinking? Do you even need to blink-”
“What else would it be?” Gears said, somewhat frustrated.
“I don’t know! Faces are confusing! There are too many expressions!”
“Well, you’re only gonna need one right now! Amazement!”
Gears laughed maniacally as he raised up the detonator and waved to Teddy, “Alright, Ted! Slight change of plans! Gonna need you to fling your mines at that freak now! I know it’s been fun playing with your new pet but now we gotta take it out Old Yeller style!”
“Very well! I am way ahead of you!” Teddy exclaimed.
Struggling to keep in step, Teddy frantically pulled his mines out from his storage compartment, holding two in one hand and one in the other. As best he could, he flung one towards Snake Eyes’s head, hitting it squarely in its eye, leaving a crack in its wake. The mine found itself embedded deep within the creature’s head. The sparks and fluid leaking from this damage caused the landmine to prematurely combust without the need for the remote detonator. Ignited shrapnel propelled through the beast’s hull in a near instant, while it screeched in what one could assume was agony. Though its reinforced metallic hull offered sufficient defense in the last blast, this combustion was a different story. The explosion sent shockwaves throughout the machine’s entire body, doing heavy damage to its internal vitals, as fragments of its endo-skull melted away from the sheer heat. Shrapnel was pushed deeper and deeper within its inner workings, causing the beast to twitch and rattle with every movement it took, one could even hear the sound of loose screws and gears clatter about and fall deeper within its hull. The shock of this gave the creature pause as it suddenly screeched to a halt, looking every which way as its now heavily obscured vision created a very different scene than what it was used to. Darkness enveloped its sight as its visual processors would only occasionally flicker into view, and even then, what it saw was beyond distorted and fragmented.
This sudden damage sent the machine into a frenzy as it let out a pained, anguished cry, its static ladden roar echoing across the battlefield as even the audience took note of such a tormented wail. It soon began chittering and clicking, as if it was whimpering to itself. Looking around at the audience, it only grew more agitated. It struggled to see anything, the image only populating every so often bursting in between flurries of static. Between the booming music, the cheering spectators, and now its newfound sense of pain, it only grew more rancorous. It shot its gaze back below at its opponents, trying its best to focus past the darkness and listen for the skittering across the sand, taking note of every grain of sand’s movement before diving headfirst towards where it would hear any sort of movement. It launched itself into the air, diving deep underground before bursting from the earth once more, not unlike a parasite erupting from an open wound.
The trio took note of this new pattern and elected to stay perfectly still. Well, Teddy did, as the Kona and Gears began running every which way, just barely dodging Snake Eye’s constant billowing from the ground below. As they indirectly made for a good distraction, the beast seemingly focused on only trying to get them. It completely lost track of Teddy, who was still remaining perfectly still from the moment the beast started this new method of attack. Teddy figured it would have to change its means of targeting once he saw his attack rendered the beast utterly blind, and what would a machine default to once its visual components were disabled? Sound. However, before he could warn the others of this revelation, they made quick work of becoming the new distractions. About time they passed the proverbial baton of diversion, Teddy thought to himself. They got this.
This provided a perfect opportunity to formulate further means of attack. Bringing his hand to his chin, Teddy found himself lost in thought, doing his best to formulate a means of disposing of this wretched creature. Two blasts have certainly done a number on it, and a repeat of this would indeed help it, but risk agitating it further, which would likely lead to more lethal attacks on its part. Individual blasts would only chip away at its hypothetical health bar, so to speak. However, due in part to the three of them being dreadfully ill equipped for a battle of such a length, it would be best if they ended this swiftly and immediately. That’s when it occurred to him. If one blast each could do that much damage, what would be the result of multiple mine blasts, or even the blasts of every mine they had left? Snapping his fingers, Teddy quickly fixed his gaze on Kona, who was close by, scrambling about as Snake Eyes shot out from the ground mere feet behind her and plummeted back into the earth right in front of her, seemingly in an instant.
“Man! And I-I thought my Jazzercise tapes were hell!” Kona yelped, barely avoiding having her skin shredded off by the creature’s spikes that lined its shell.
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“Between the workout and the shitty music, this is basically a Jazzercise class! We’re only missing the leg warmers-” Gears paused when he looked back at Kona.
Kona, still avoiding certain death, hopped along, trying her best to get her leg warmers on, “I’m on it! I never leave the house without these bad boys!”
Gears simply stared at her, wondering how someone like her has made it this far in life, before it was his turn to avoid the beast’s attempt on their lives once more.
Teddy waved his arms at Kona once more, trying desperately to get her attention as she had been previously distracted by her newly adorned leg apparel. She quickly took note of him and smiled widely and waved excitedly, seemingly unaware or outright not caring about the machine trying with all of its strength to rip her apart. Between the two of them distracting Snake Eyes, she actually seemed to actually understand its pattern of attack, unlike Gears who ran about haphazardly when it fixated on him. She always made sure to come to a halt once it began to plummet below, as it always seemed to overshoot its lunge and miss her by a hair, much to her amusement. Teddy was astonished by this, as what initially seemed like absurd luck, was actually Kona scoping out how exactly she was going to get attacked and took precautions to avoid harm.
“How… How are you doing that?” Teddy asked, amazed at the fact that Kona seemingly predicted its movement every time.
“Oh, this? It’s like a video game! It’s totally just telegraphing attacks before it does it! There’s always the same distance between attacks! Oh! I see you figured out it's using sound to find us! Good work, buddy!” Kona exclaimed, running in place as the machine found itself in pursuit of Gears.
“Wait, wait! You knew that too?!” Teddy exclaimed.
“Well, duh! What’s an animalistic AI inside of a machine gonna do once its visual processors are blown up? Default to its next available sense, which would be sound. Snake Eyes seems to be an AI running on pure instinct. That model of Decommissioner is super sensitive to sound, they need to be so they could get around when burrowing, so it's pretty obvious what it was gonna do next!” Kona said with a chuckle.
“If you knew that, why are you making a ruckus?! Wouldn’t it have been safer for you to remain still?!” Teddy inquired, his voice laden with shock at the revelations that had just bombarded him.
“This is more fun!”
Teddy stood silent in amazement. He always figured she was a character, but didn’t quite understand the extent of her eccentricities. He didn’t know whether to be frustrated and impressed. As the stunned silence faded, he shook his head to snap himself back into reality, grabbed her arm and focused her attention at a spot a few yards away.
“Kona! I’m going to need you to grab your mines and throw them there!” Teddy gestured to a spot where he had thrown his remaining mines, “We’re going to pile them up! We’re going to end this with one more blast!”
“Death Jenga, I dig it! Way ahead of you, make a cute little house out of the land mines over there, got it!” Simply saluting him, Kona charged away in pursuit of her previously placed land mines.
Teddy watched Kona scamper along before turning his gaze to Gears, who was struggling to stay alive, tumbling about in the sand as the beast just barely missed him every time. It had gotten to the point that Gears was barely even running and instead was crawling about in the dunes of sand, barely managing to even stay on all fours as he whimpered and yelped with every attempt on his life. Teddy took a couple of steps towards his direction and waved his arms about in an attempt to garner his attention.
“Gears! Gears!” Teddy yelled.
Gears practically rolled about in the sand, frantically muttering to himself before he noticed Teddy calling him, “I’m not crying, you’re crying! I can’t even cry! This is nothing!”
“Gears, old chum, I’m going to need you to calm down! I have formulated a means of attack that you would find most-”
“Oh, can it, Sherlock Holmes. Quit talking like that, we weren’t made in the UK! I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m trying not to be turned into a goddamn kebab! Being calm ain’t one of my priorities!”
“Hm, curses, it would seem my methods would’ve secured your safety, but if you prefer to be at the mercy of our quite agitated foe, then by all means-”
“GET TO THE POINT!”
“Fine! Get any landmines you previously placed and add them to the pile that Kona over there is currently assembling! I’m sure you can deduce what exactly this entails!” Teddy said confidently.
Gears looked over to Kona and nodded, “Oh, landmine house. Cool.”
Kona, true to her word, stacked each of the landmines to resemble a small shack, carefully adding her last landmine to the top of her pile, which was likely the roof for the structure. Noticing Gears watch her create the house, she smiled back at them and gave a thumbs up followed by yet another salute. Gears nodded back before quickly getting to his feet, and began darting across the arena to fetch the previous landmines he had set up. The courage he mustered was as flimsy as can be however, as he whimpered and muttered with every step, struggling to avoid the wrath of the beast they had angered.
Ready to conquer the wretched monster they had brought upon themselves, the trio were finally in sync with each other. Kona went back on distraction duty as Gears placed his landmines, adding a little walkway to the house she had previously built, much to Teddy’s chagrin. They were nothing if not committed to the bit, Teddy thought to himself. Though, part of him enjoyed these minor moments of levity in situations that would prove too dire and stressful for others. It actually inspired more hope and confidence in his cohorts, as if they had the time and ability to make light of these types of situations, then they most likely have a good head on their shoulders. That, or they lacked the capacity to understand the gravity of the situation. As to not lose his sanity himself, Teddy elected that it was the former.
With the pile of landmines now fully assembled into its ideal form of a one bedroom one bathroom home, the rest of Teddy’s plan could finally be enacted. Teddy gestured to Gears to toss him the detonator, who hesitantly obliged, seemingly disappointed that the rites of power were being given to his newfound accomplice. Catching it with ease, Teddy informed the others to remain perfectly still as he began stomping his feet, in an attempt to garner Snake Eyes’s attention once more. With success, the mechanical serpent was soon in quick pursuit, pouncing up and down as it tried its best to follow the sound of Teddy’s footsteps. With the pattern he had observed Kona utilizing, he was able to escort the beast to the other side of the arena with general ease. The crowd seeing the bout reach its crescendo cheered in amazement and had begun chanting his name in guttural delight. Kayda leaned forward in her seat, smiling widely and clapping at the control Teddy had over the situation. She found herself as proud as can be, breathing a sigh in relief as it seemed it was all coming to an end, knowing she’d soon find herself in Wakefield.
As Teddy neared the landmines, he took one last pause as Snake Eyes shot into the air one last time and positioned himself directly over the landmines as the serpent began to gracefully fall back down towards the earth below. The mechanical monster plummeted, getting closer and closer by the second, all before Teddy dodged rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding the sheer weight of Snake Eyes’s several thousand ton hull. Though it missed the small robot by merely a few feet, what it did not miss was the Barbie Dream House consisting of military grade explosives. Sand kicked up and billowed from the burrow the monster had just made, clouding the scene around its impact. Kona, Gears, Kayda, and nearly everyone in Needles waited in bated breath as they waited for the plumes of dust to clear before they could see Teddy once more. Confidently raising the detonator above his head as he ran away, Teddy flicked open the plastic covering and clicked the small red button. He lunged forward, anticipating an impressively large explosion that would signal the end to this duel. He hit the ground with a thud, covering his antenna and winced, anticipating a deafening eruption from the ground below, as did everyone in the stands, as most people covered their ears and eyes. Seconds went by, before Teddy got to his feet and tilted his head in confusion. He looked back and took a couple of steps forward towards where the landmines had been, clicking the detonator multiple times for good measure. The crowd murmured as a sense of fear and disappointment began to envelope the stadium.
However, before any dread or sense of failure could fester, a blinding ear splitting explosion burst from the sands, the shockwave enough to knock Teddy back to the ground with force he had never felt before. A cloud of dust and ash coughed up from the pit below as the upper half of Snake Eyes slunk to the surface, the transparent sections of its hull that once pulsated with red fluid, were now empty. Its juices leaked to the sands below, staining the gilded soil with a sickening crimson. Bursts of flames shot out from random punctures in its shell, and its face was now featureless, as the blast had all but reduced its profile to a metallic crater filled with frayed wires and stray sparks. The corpse of the creature sputtered and choked, as if it was gasping for air, all while the rest of its crimson fluid left its now frail body. The creature’s mandibles were nowhere to be seen, while most of its shell was twisted and contorted. It was hard to believe this pile of scrap was once a creature feared by all. Once only spoken in hushed whispers, now it ends with a whimper.
As stunned silence subsided, the audience erupted into euphoric and frenzied cheering, all but stampeding in place as everyone celebrated the once in a lifetime show they had just witnessed. The crowd cheered the names of all three of them over and over again as the spotlights focused on them. Kona and Gears basked in the adulation, posing confidently as the various video screens lining the stadium displayed their visage. Teddy stood in stunned silence, not knowing what to do with the sudden cries of adoration. Once a lone robot lost in a bunker forgotten by time, he was now an icon in a few short days. It was all so overwhelming to him, and though he appreciated the applause, he couldn’t help but feel suffocated by the attention. He had even wondered if he was deserving of this attention. He had just gotten here and made a name for himself. While it seemed folks like Kona and Gears had struggled their whole lives with barely anything. Though everyone celebrated the three of them, he couldn’t help but feel undeserving of the attention.
There was only one person he had hoped approved of his victory. Through the crowd, he eagerly searched for Kayda, looking past the seemingly infinite faces, desperate to ensure she was safe this entire time. Soon enough, he found her and excitedly waved and pointed to the now decaying Snake Eyes. Kayda waved at him excitedly, nearly falling out of her seat as the overwhelming sense of pride enveloped her. She happily told the people sitting next to her that the three victors were her friends, not knowing how to contain her excitement. She soon returned her gaze to Teddy, and the two exchanged knowing glances. She couldn’t be more proud of anyone else. She felt like she had just seen her big brother win the big game in one of those old movies. If the big game involved a several story tall carnivorous robot snake.
Teddy began his trek to reunite with Kona and Gears so that they may leave the arena. The two of them saw him approaching and began to make their way to him, hyping him up the entire time they approached him, practically bouncing with excitement as the two parties neared one another. While Teddy drew closer to his companions, he couldn’t help but notice the sensation of something gliding against his foot ever so slightly. He paused as a cold sweat paralyzed him, as he began to fear the worse. Were they too eager to claim victory at this stage? Was the beast not truly vanquished? His gaze darted over to the cadaver and it was still nothing but a singed warped pile of metal, contorting as sparks flew out of it. No, this strange, new phenomenon he was feeling was not due in part by the creature that lay before them.
Instead, the very ground beneath them seemed to glide right past their ankles, gently picking up speed. Quicker and quicker, sand slid right past their feet, seemingly gliding across the battlefield to where the beast laid in waste. First to notice this, Teddy gestured for the others to stop moving, and within seconds, they too witnessed the peculiar situation unfolding before them. Sharing confused glances, their sense of euphoria over their victory soon shifted to a sense of dread as the ground began rumbling. Swirling around Snake Eyes’s corpse, the sand began to sink deeper and deeper into the ground, creating a pit that swiftly swallowed the beast’s cadaver. The sinking did not cease with the beast’s banishment to the depths below, but only intensified as the current of the ground began dragging the would-be victors to their assumed demise. As the situation unfolded, the audience’s once celebratory cheers morphed into a panicked frenzy of concern as many began scurrying about the stands, trying to figure out what to do. While others simply watched and accepted this dark turn as nothing but the cruel hand of fate, reveling in the cold machinations of the world. Kayda jumped to her feet, her throat growing dry at the sudden dire turn of events. Clenching her fists, she stood petrified, seemingly unable to offer any real help as she helplessly watched the pit unhinge its maw, growing closer and closer to her friends.
The ground grew more and more unstable, as even Teddy and Gears were struggling to stay on their feet. Falling face first into the sand, Kona was snagged by suffocating current. She thrashed about, struggling for air as the whirlpool of gold denied her the chance to even utter a word, let alone a cry for help. As she was violently dragged to the precipice of the ever widening abyss, Gears lunged forth and snagged her by her wrist, struggling to stay on his feet as the hole’s current tightened its grip around his weakening stance. Below was a seemingly infinite fissure in the earth, as not even the scintillating stadium lights could pierce the veil of darkness that swallowed the very ground beneath them. Sand from the edges of newly formed hole pour in rapidly, appearing to vanish from existence as they are consumed by shadows lurking beneath. Still growing ever larger, Gears struggles to keep his grasp on Kona, refusing to abandon her to oblivion. Now free from the slurry of sand burying her face, she looks up at Gears with a smile, all while he teeters off the edge, his heels gripping the rim of the pit for dear life.
“Believe it or not, this is like the third time I’ve almost drowned this week!” Kona exclaimed in her typical cheerful tone.
“How?! You live in a desert!” Gears retorted, her erroneous statement almost making him lose his grip.
“Oh you know, life finds a way!” Kona responded.
“Guess natural selection doesn’t work on you, huh?” Gears said, grunting as he struggled to pull her up.
“Nah, never has!” Kona chuckled, before looking down as her smile shifted to a grim expression, “Really hoping today isn’t an exception to that.”
“You and me both-” said Gears, before he finally lost his footing and found himself beginning his descent into the darkness below.
Before the duo could find themselves ensnared by the cruel grips of fate, their descent was met with a sudden cessation. Now in the position of anchor, Teddy found himself standing where Gears once stood, grasping Gears’s right ankle, struggling even more so than Gears. The three of them were on the precipice between life and death, dangling onto life as death itself caressed their very forms, ready to snatch them at any moment. Almost like in frustration, the ground began to rumble and roar, as the speed of the collapse began to pick up once more, much to the despair of the former victors.
Gears looked up to Teddy, all while still holding onto Kona, “Looks like my man is cut! What’s your workout routine? Been watching some Jane Fonda? You gotta tell me.”
“Heh, e-even in the face of certain death, your levity is ever p-present. I-I do admire that about you!” Teddy grunted, struggling to keep his grasp.
“Hell yeah, man. I don’t know if you forgot, we got an audience. I ain’t gonna die crying in front of chicks!” Gears said, laughing to himself.
Kona laughed, “Liar! You were totally running around crying like ten minutes ago!”
Gears shook his head, “That was to make Snake Eyes think I was weak and stuff. Make it underestimate me and bring its guard down.”
“Ha! Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude!” Kona responded.
Gears’s gaze shifted past Kona into the pit below, before snapping back upward to a struggling Teddy, “Well, something tells me we’re gonna be sleeping pretty soon…”
Teddy’s footing grew increasingly weak, his knees beginning to buckle under the sheer weight of his cohorts, “I-I… I-I apologize to you both! In the end… I was your undoing… I truly did not foresee this… I’m… sorry…”
Both Kona and Gears gave Teddy knowing, warm smiles. They could not fault Teddy for a plan he had reservations for, yet he was willing to carry all of the blame. Though they found themselves in a situation no one could foresee, Teddy was willing to carry the burden of blame, as well as risk his life for them. The sincerity in his words, and his true attempts to save their lives were not lost on Kona and Gears. Though they had just met Teddy today, their appreciation for him was unmatched. Growing up in this world, the two of them were used to the unjust cruelty that they had either witnessed or had imparted on them. In all actuality, neither of them expected Teddy to spring to action as he did. Teddy had every chance to escape. But, he didn’t. He chose to charge straight for the maw of uncertainty and throw himself in the proverbial line of fire. What were they to him? What did he have to gain? Though strangers to each other as well, Gears also lunged forth for his newfound acquaintance, instead of dodging for safety. In hindsight, such a decision seemed rather rash and uncharacteristic for him, Gears thought. Any other day, he would’ve gotten the hell out of dodge. And yet, he didn’t. He didn’t know exactly why, but he knew one thing for sure. He did not regret it.
The trio began their fall as infinity began to blanket them. Shutting their eyes, they feigned courage as their fate grew ever more apparent. The sinking sensation within each of them grew more violent as they too sunk to the depths of the earth. However, just as they were coming to terms with their situation, the inevitable was delayed. Their descent abruptly ceased as they were suddenly jerked back upward, much to their confusion.
“Gotta say, I thought bursting like a water balloon after hitting the ground would hurt A LOT more! Why are people afraid of dying? That was easy peasy!” Kona said, her eyes still shut.
“Yeah, not gonna lie, that shit was underwhelming. Overhyped,” Gears said, his eye closed as well, still grasping onto Kona.
Teddy’s eyes shot open in amazement at the realization they were not lost to the abyss, but now dangling just above certain death once more. In the distance, he could hear the roaring applause from the stands, as the stadium’s lighting went ballistic, the violent strobe lights enough to induce a seizure. After jostling over the chasm for a few more moments, the three of them could feel themselves being hoisted back violently on firmer ground, away from the pit that spelled their doom. The trio slid across the ground with a surprising amount of speed, feeling as if whatever saved them had the strength of an industrial crane. Gears rolled about in the sand, as did Kona, as the moment they reached firmer ground, Teddy lost his grip on them from sheer shock. The two of them sputtered along, deeper into the safety of the arena’s rim, the surprising velocity catching them off guard. As for Teddy, he remained closer to whatever or whoever saved them, their grasp still firmly around his ankle.
Slowly getting to his feet, Teddy dusted himself off, trying his best to regain his poise after such a traumatic event. Their sudden rescue was discombobulated to say the least, as with his acquaintances, he too thought for but a moment they had reached the afterlife. Once he got his barings, he quickly shot around, so that he may see who he owed his life to. However, what he saw only further perplexed him. Sitting on her knees was a panting Kayda, struggling to catch her breath as she looked at him with a weak smile. She attempted to get to her feet, but faltered, nearly falling into the hole that she saved the others from. Lunging forth, Teddy helped her regain her balance, escorting her away from the pit as she insisted to Teddy she was okay.
Approaching the recently recovered Kona and Gears, Teddy guided the worn out Kayda. Upon seeing her, the two of them tilted their heads in confusion, simply looking to Teddy for an explanation, only to be met by him shrugging. The three of them focused their gaze to a visibly exhausted Kayda, her legs quivering as she could feel her form ready to give out.
“Kid… Was that you?” Gears inquired, stepping forth and putting a concerned hand on her shoulder.
Kayda weakly nodded and gave them another smile, “I-I couldn’t just do nothing and watch… You guys were out there for me after all… I-I don’t know what I would do if I lost you guys…”
“Oh, Kayda! We’re so proud of ya! I knew we raised you good!” Kona said, lunging forth, giving Kayda a tight hug.
“We literally met her today, we didn’t raise her. Whoever did though, did a damn good job! Thanks a lot, kid! We owe ya one!” Gears chimed in, tousling Kayda’s hair.
Kayda nervously chuckled, “Heh… Thanks, you guys… It’s what anyone with a conscience would do…”
“Hmph, actually, we all owe you a life debt now! That has to be what this is about! Crafty kid! You got us wrapped around your finger, you little shyster! I knew I taught you good!” Gears chuckled.
“What’s this? I thought you said we didn’t raise her!” Kona retorted.
“What can I say? Kid’s a quick learner!”
Teddy looked to Kayda, silent as he found it difficult to even find the right words to thank her properly. For the first time in a long time, he was at a loss for words. Never would he think she’d be the one to help them in such a way. Though he was silent, all of them could feel the pride beaming off of him. His gratitude to her knew no end. Looking down to her, he found himself thinking that if he could smile right now, he would. Lowering himself to her eye level, he gave her a knowing nod before hugging her.
“We are forever in your debt, Miss Kayda. We promise we will get you home, even if it kills us, for you afforded us the chance at life once more,” said Teddy.
“You guys really don’t have to thank me. It’s what friends are for!” Kayda responded.
“Eh, you guys are more like coworkers right now. Take me out to dinner first!” Gears chimed in.
The group of companions chuckle to themselves, ensuring everyone is okay as they begin to make their way to the exit gates at the far end of the arena. Finally, they had reached their true victory, ready to claim their spoils of war and take their first steps out of Needles and into The Vale. As they took in their glory, basking in the adulation of the populace, Teddy found himself rather distracted. While the others waved and smiled at the thousands of people adoring them, he couldn’t help but feel the situation was rather odd. As the excitement of the initial rescue died down within them, the specifics of their rescue had begun to bother him ever so slightly. How did Kayda manage to reach them from the stands so quickly? And not only that, but how did she not only manage to carry their weight, but hoist all three of them to safety, something he and Gears both failed at despite being machines? Unease began to envelope him as the reality of the situation set in. It was then he also noticed the place in which Kayda grabbed him, his right ankle. Firmly carved into the metallic shell of his leg, was the clearly visible handprint of Kayda, indented onto him. Though he hated it, for the first time, he began to truly wonder. Just who was Kayda?