The spider bot proceeded to give chase again. Electricity surged around Max's arms as he prepared to fire again.
Ken: Max!
Max: Yeah?
Ken: Keep it up!
Max: Huh?
Ken: It gets just a bit weaker and smaller every time you fire at it. That means it also gets slower with every blast you shoot at it.
Max: Hmph. Good.
Ken: (thinking: So he went on even though he wasn't aware of how much progress he was making. This guy.... he's just full of surprises.) Hmph. Alright then.
Ken stood up and cracked his knuckles. He, like the rest of them, was sweating.
Ken: I believe it's about time I give some... physical assistance.
Max: Hmph.
Rose: Ken...
Rose was still by Luke's side.
Luke: Go.
Rose: But Luke...
Luke: I'll be fine. Just go.
Rose winced and nodded before standing before the three.
Tiffany looked fornlorningly in Luke's direction before starting the car.
Luke: You know how to drive, right, Tiff?
Tiffany did not answer.
Luke: I know you're a fast learner. I also know that you've probably figured it out by now. And even though you don't have a driver's license.... I know you can pull it off.
Tiffany: Hmph.
Luke: Just forget about that whole honour thing for a bit, alright?
Luke's voice trailed off as he finished. Max, Ken, and Rose looked back at him with concern before looking at their enemy.
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Luke: I'll be fine. I just... really need a breather.
Ken looked back at Luke and was about to give him a quick scan before Tiffany started.
Tiffany: Alright. Here's what we're gonna do.
The other three all shifted their attention.
Tiffany: We're gonna lead this thing to the desert region, far away from the public eye.
She hesitated only a bit this time.
Tiffany: Max, you take lead offence and fire as many bolts as you can. For each bolt, it gets just a bit smaller and weaker. That'll buy us some time.
Max: Hmph.
Tiffany: Rose. Keep using your powers to sense civillians in the vicinity. Prioritise that for now. If the robot gets too close, I want you to use your psychic powers to slow it down.
Rose: Ok.
Tiffany: And Ken?
Ken: Yes, our gracious leader?
Tiffany: Use your lasers to support Max, but focus your lasers on its legs to melt them if it gets close. Otherwise, keep using your powers to keep us from being recorded.
Tiffany had already noticed the melted piece of robot in the van and how it had not reformed.
Ken: Hmmm... If I melt down its legs, it'll be slowed down even more. Good strategy.
Tiffany: Hmph.
The spider bot was already halfway to them.
Tiffany: Alright, team. Are you ready?
Ken: Absolutely.
Rose: Yep.
Max: Yeah.
Tiffany flinched just a bit again at the idea of Max being a part of the team, but she decided.... it had to be done. After all, he was in too deep.
She started the car in a somewhat clumsy fashion before driving. It was her first rodeo. She'd learned very quickly as to how Luke drove, but she didn't expect it to be so weirdly unstable.
The van made a few odd turns before speeding off as a raging spider bot chased them down.
Tiffany: Sorry.
Rose: It's ok, Tiff. Keep it up!
Tiffany: Hmph.
The van slowly steadied itself, and Max fired off an incredibly powerful electric blast.
Max: Take this!
An even bigger slosh of nanobots fell from the spider bot.
Ken: (thinking: By my calculations, the robot loses approximately 1.2 spider bots every time Max fires at it.)
Ken followed up with a focused laser attack from his eyes. The blast landed on its right front foot and was focused for about 15 seconds, which took some time because it was hard to keep aim while it was moving.
The result was that a solid piece of black and molten nanobots fell from its foot, and it began to stumble.
Max: Alright!
Ken: Hmph. As expected.
The leg, of course, was shortly regenerated. And its chase continued.
Meanwhile, Rose kept her eyes on the surrounding area.
Rose: 500 metres straight ahead. There's more people behind that building.
Tiffany: Alright. Ken, which way to the desert?
Ken: Take a right!
The robot was gaining on them once more. Rose shifted her focus and simply tried to hold the robot back, only slowing it down a bit. Its forefeet fiercely stabbed at the ground near the van's back wheels as Ken lasered its feet.
Tiffany: (thinking: Just a little longer....)
Max's electro bolts continued to weaken it.
Ken: Max! 347 bots left inside.
Max: Hmph!
Tiffany suddenly started.
Tiffany: Rose, Ken, Max, its right foot!
Ken, Max and Rose: Right!
They all blasted its right foot at full force just as the car made a sharp right turn.
Before the spider could regenerate its whole right foot, it tripped while trying to make a right turn, causing it to crash right into a building.