Hero, Tesla, Metaphor, and Stripe returned to Forestland the next day. They brought preparations with them. Large bags were strapped onto their backs, and they set out to find Buddy.

They returned to the spot where they found the silk sack, and splatter of pink fluid. The pink fluid had dried, and was just a stained patch of dirt and leaves. From there, they went to a random direction they hoped Buddy may have gone to.

As they trekked this path, as the leaves crunched satisfyingly crunched under their feet, they noticed the leaves of the trees growing more violently green. Eventually, the violently green leaves turned to translucent viridian leaves.

They soon came to a clearing. It was a large patch strangely devoid of trees. Mint-coloured grass blanketed it, and yellow daisies dotted the clearing. It felt so out of place that one could claim that it was an exclave of Hillland. In the middle of the clearing was a chrome building with smokeless smokestacks.

In front of the factory was a small group of mechanical beings; half a dozen more precisely. They were steel bipedal crocodiles with blue oculars standing on the grass. One being with green oculars and a glowy blue fez stood out amongst the others. It took its strides with pride, while the others took timid steps. It bore an awesome commanding aura that the others lacked. Hero and the gang observed at a distance.

"All right, training group alpha (α). Well come to our twelfth training session." The fez-wearing machine turned to its subordinates, and announced. Its subordinates trembled.

The fez-wearing machine pointed to a blocky windowless truck whose hull was shiny steel. A door on the truck's side opened, releasing a couple of gnarly machine monsters with slender lanky limbs. The monsters bore bodies roughly like those of a rabbit, but with eyes of bright red, and teeth like that of a saw.

"Caahk!" The mechanical rabbits snarled.

"All I need to do is to at least disable if not eliminate these drones. Understood?"

All the crocodilian robots slowly nodded. They huddled together, trembling.

"They are not life-threatening, and are merely emulations of threats; you have nothing to fear. Prepare your weapons."

Plasma blasters sprouted out of its fellows' backs, and mounted in their shoulders; armed with non-lethal bolts, but forceful enough to cripple a drone. The weapons cocked, and reported themselves as fully operational.

"Begin." Upon utterance of the word, the mechanical rabbits sprang to life. They suddenly bore speeds and agilities they did not bear prior to such utterance. The drones raced across the meadow in respectable speeds, towards the rookies with their claws bared.

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The rookie robots stared, and began shooting bolts at the oncoming threats. They moved around with tremulous steps, and used their guns with fearful shots. The bunny-drones ran with agility, striking a couple of rookies, and encasing them in foam.

One rookie covered their eyes, and blindly shot their bolts. One hid behind another, paralyzed with fear.

"Jules! Ammy! Keep your eyes keen and open." The fez-wearing machine scolded the two.

One bunny-drone lunged at one rookie, but it was wrestled to submission before it could foam the rookie. The rookie fiercely fought, got the drone under them, and shot disabling close-range bolts. The rookie crept away from the smoked disabled drone.

"Good save, Ammy."

The one remaining drone attacked, and the rookies dodged. The rabbit-drone lunged at one rookie, and managed to foam them, but another rookie had a bright idea of jumping at the drone, and wrestle them. The drone struggled, but it was in vain. The rookie got the drone under them, and shot them.

"Watson, that was risky. It got the job done, but next time, be more careful."

With the drone deactivated and incapacitated, the training session had concluded. The rookies sat on the grass, laughing and crying at the same time. The fez-wearing machine dragged the two drones it unleashed back to their boxes.

"That was something," Stripe remarked.

"They appear to be sorely inexperienced," Hero said.

Without warning, Tesla ran out of their hiding spot in the treeline. They waved and called out to the crocodilian robots. "Hey, Dalton."

The fez-wearing robot turned, and waved back at Tesla. Its--

Dalton is a he/him.

Sorry. His green eyes sparkled with both gladness and displeasure. Its blue-eyed subordinates simply huddled and trembled as they saw another entity that may be a foe.

"Likewise, s-- sir Tesla." The fez-wearing machine replied.

"Tesla, what are you doing?" Metaphor whisperedly asked, but before it could garner an answer, Tesla had ran off to meet Dalton, their fez-wearing friend.

"Didn't fancy meeting you some time today," Tesla said with a great smile in their face, and held out a hand.

"Likewise, sir Tesla." Dalton replied, and shook Tesla's hand.

Tesla turned, and called out to their companions, who continued to observe at a distance. Tesla wanted to introduce them to their old friend, Dalton.

Hero, Metaphor, and Stripe reluctantly revealed themselves. They gingerly walked towards Dalton's group, and the introductions began.

"Mr. Prophecy, this is Dalton. Dalton, this is Hero's Prophecy. Hero's Prophecy, Dalton. Dalton, Hero's Prophecy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dalton."

"Likewise, sir Prophecy." Dalton said in a flat and robotic voice. The two then proceeded to shake hands.

"Stripe, this is Dalton. Dalton, this is Stripe. Stripe, Dalton. Dalton, Stripe."

"Nice to meet, Dalton."

"Likewise, sir Stripe." They shook hands, but Stripe was elevated to an ecstatic state, and the handshake was more of a hand-vibration.

"Metaphor, this is Dalton. Dalton, this Metaphor. Metaphor, Dalton. Dalton, Metaphor."

"May the winds bring our meeting good tidings, Dalton."

"Likewise, sir Metaphor."

"That's ma'am Metaphor for you, sir."

"Apologies, madam Metaphor." The introductions then concluded.

"So, Dalton. Have you seen a big red dog, about this high?" Metaphor began to ask.