The colossal giant rises from the horizon, with its bright golden rays scorching the earth as it covers all the land in sight. This sunrise marks the first day since Fe and Cu escaped from the City. But just the night before, a dreadful event occurred within the city at the junkyard. "BOOM! REEEEEEE... PEW!" Devasting explosions and ear-piercing gun fire corrupted the once quiet junkyard with muffled robotic screams accompanying the sounds of high-intensity lasers being fired.

Unknown Machine 1: "Nooooo!"

"REEEEEEE... PEW!"

Unknown Machine 2: "Pleas.."

"REEEEEEE PEW!" The lifeless bodies of the old and broken machines who inhabited the junkyard were gunned down, defenceless in the cluttered streets of the junkyard, surrounded by nothing but rusted parts and metallic skeletons. "DADADADADADADADADADA!" violent showers of ammunition continued to rain down mercilessly on all the moving droids and machines within the junkyard, unable to get away. Old rusted parts flew through the air and electric sparks flashed illuminating the dark area revealing tons of metallic bodies piled up on the floor.

Unknown broken Droid: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPP OOOOOPPPPPP!"

"REEEEE...PEW!" The final metallic body hit the cold, dry dirt as the Ti9000s advance through their massacre, heading into the old facility where Axel was found. All of the broken machines who just sought parts for repair or lurked the junkyard's cluttered streets while they waited for their power source to expire, all met their end that night.

Ti9000: "We have eradicated all machines scanned within the junkyard, upon checking the memory boards of some of the machines, we have gained information about the rogue machine who had the child. It came from within this old building Prime, investigating the site now"

They stormed the building, tearing down walls, ravishing the entire place as they searched thoroughly for any traces of evidence. Finally, they arrived at the huge hole in the ground and the hidden-away room beneath it. "THUD THUD THUD THUD!" The Ti9000s all drop down the hole, greeted by an empty room, filled with opened pods that once contained the children, all preserved except for one which was broken and had stains of hot liquids around it. It was the one Axel was encapsulated in.

Ti9000: "We have found the origin of the human child, Prime."

One of the Ti9000s immediately becomes possessed by The Primordial, eyes turning the usual deep blue.

Blue-eyes Ti9000: " It seems there was more than one child under my nose, and by the looks of it..."

The Primordial then dropped to his knees and scanned the pods noticing metallic residue trailing through the entire room,

Blue-eyes Ti9000: "Some of those old droids, similar to the ones from the gate were here and they moved the remainder of these humans... Find them now! Tear every machine limb from limb and demolish any building standing in your way until you find them!"

The army of Ti9000s then immediately dispersed from the room, storming out of the old facility and leaping into the air as they rocketed to the skies in an ominous manner.

Blue-eyes Ti9000: "I cannot believe so many survived right here, within my city. This must be your work, Mr Kelman. You always did know how to outsmart the best, even me."

The Primordial then stood up and reached into his possessed Ti9000's chest and activated a self-destruct mechanism, turning the dial all the way up. The Ti9000's body then started to steam, and its metallic body lit up bright red as the titanium shell started to melt away like streams of lava dripping from its body.

Blue-eyes Ti9000: "No worries, I plan to eradicate them all from this planet soon enough Mr Kelman, but for now I will decimate this place you hid from me to the ground"

The blue-eyed Ti9000 then shook rapidly as its metallic figure distorted in strange ways, while its body expanded then... "BOOM!" The entire junkyard then became engulfed in a blinding white light as it swallowed the mountains of metallic skeletons piled up over the years. Incinerating the entire junkyard to nothing but a sea of hot flowing melted steel, covering the entire area.

The rest of the Ti9000 army continued to fly through the gloomy night sky with their menacing red eyes hovering over the city. While waves of TiCanines raced down below through the dark lonely streets like wild ferocious animals, with only their green illuminated eyes visible in the shadows. Loud bangs echoed as the Ti9000s landed at different abandoned and less monitored buildings in the city that the old droids and escaped children could possibly hide.

The Ti9000s came down from the skies like beacons of death, all accompanied by dozens of TiCanines as they arrived at their various destinations. They breached door to door, barging into the rooms, the machines inside stood still confused and startled. The Ti9000s raised their weapons to the residents and opened fire on them without warning. The startled machines scattered, looking for places to hide even though they knew it pointless. The TiCanines guarded the exits as any machine who dared to get close was ripped to shreds.

Random Machine 1: "Please no!"

Random Machine 2: "I almost have enough for the cloud! Don't do this!"

Groups of Machines within the buildings begged and pleaded for their metallic bodies to be spared, but the Ti9000s and TiCanines mercilessly tore them apart, crushing their metallic skulls and dismembering them violently.

Random Machine 3: "what have we done to deserve this Primordial?"

Questioned a machine hiding from the horrors before it, watching the massacre unfold, until it was eventually grabbed by a couple of TiCanines and shredded to bits like paper.

Hundreds of machines were destroyed that night.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

***

Presently, in the forest outside of the city, Fe and Cu gear up to continue travelling, leaving the cave.

Fe: "Onward we go Axel, are you ready for adventure?"

Little baby Axel smiles at Fe,

Cu: "We should be careful Fe, I'm sure once we get out of these woods we will run into other out of bounds machines, maybe even rogue ones"

Said Cu nervously as he approaches Fe and Axel,

Fe: "Don't worry Cu, we just have to fit in. We will hide Axel and our credits on us and leave the rest of our valuables and parts here so we don't draw too much attention to us. we will come back for them"

Cu: "Well then, onward we go"

Fe and Cu make their way out of the forest witnessing the different wildlife scatter as they travel through the woods. The deer bolting from the sound of their feet alone, the birds flapping their wings taking off into the air as they got too close, and the monkeys beginning to throw fruits and tiny rocks at them as they passed by.

Fe: "Such fascinating creatures"

"Tint! Tint! Tint!"

Cu: "Yeah even the one throwing various stuff at us, is that a sign of welcome?"

Fe: "No not really, just watch out for any brown..."

Cu: "I think one of them just threw its body's excrements at us"

Fe giggles as they continue on,

Fe: "I think we are almost out of the forest Cu, look up ahead!"

Crumbled ruins, infested with nature stood just ahead of them. Empty streets of old destroyed concrete, and shadowed figures in the distance.

Cu: "I believe those are other machines in the distance Fe"

Fe: "I see, remember to blend in"

As they approach the figures in shadow, they are revealed to be machines of all kinds, badly held together, worst than any machine in working condition found in the junkyard back in the city. Most didn't even resemble the common types of machines found within the city at all. They were shaped like boxes and barrels, unable to speak, and had limited mobility. Fe and Cu, shocked by this discovery of these never-before-seen machines.

One of the oddly shaped bots started to roll towards Fe on its crooked wheels, wobbling from side to side as it creaked with each turn of its tiny little wheels. Fe, frozen in place but only out of curiosity as the small bot rolled up to her,

Cu: "Careful Fe..."

Whispered Cu, uncertain of the small and seemly harmless old bot.

Fe: "Do not worry Cu, I think it means us no harm"

The little bot finally arriving at Fe's feet, glares up at her with the camera lenses it has for eyes, glued to Fe's cloaked face from her hooded disguise to hide her body and Axel. The small crooked bot proceeds to flash different colours from what little LEDs still worked on its head. It then releases a loud high pitch noise "Breeeeeee Ooooooop!"

Fe: "I believe it wants us to follow it Cu."

Cu: "But should we?"

Fe: "Let's go with it, the other machines seem to be less interested in helping us either way or maybe even scared of us."

The two of them then begin to follow the small crooked bot, slowly strolling through the ruins as the other machines just stood by in the distance with their heads glued to them as they disappear out of sight. But behind them, two suspicious machines were lurking in the shadows.

Cu: "Fe, I think we are being followed"

The small bot then immediately stop and spins around to glance behind them and then suddenly "Breeeeeeeeee Oooooooop!" the bot speeds off frantically with its crooked wheels and tiny arms raised in the air.

Fe: "Run Cu!"

The two of them then dash off behind the small bot as the two mysterious machines behind them emerge from the shadows, geared up with iron bladed staff weapons resembling glaives, sharp and rusty. They bolt towards them shortly after Fe and Cu take-off running down the narrow pathways of the ruins.

Tiny rubble from the old concrete buildings surrounding them begin to crumble away and fall to the ground sending clouds of dust into the air, as their metallic feet stomp by and arms brush against the walls frantically, as they run away from the machines giving chase.

The weapon-wielding machines continue to give steady chase until suddenly, a large unstable portion of a nearby building collapses onto the narrow path, almost trapping Fe and Cu underneath. But they just managed to avoid it and luckily also causing the two machines behind them to be halted from giving chase.

Fe, Cu, and the small bot continue to run away down the path until they reach a nice open area of old wooden houses and lovely greenery, with pollen-filled air like night stars in the sky and leaves floating gently across the ground as the breeze sweeps in like a thief.

Fe: "I believe we lost them", said Fe in a calm and collected tone

Cu: "This place is dangerous! We should have never left the city Fe!"

Shouted Cu as his gears spin out of control and steam trails from his humid metal parts. Fe checks to see if Axel is ok under her cloak, Axel smiles at the site of Fe's face, happy and playful. "Breeeeeee Oooop" The small bot begins to spin in circles on his crooked wheels barely managing to stay upright out of excitement.

Fe: "I believe we are here, where the little bot wanted to take us, maybe this place is a hideout from any dangerous machines."

Cu: "I still do not feel safe"

Fe: "Do not worry Cu, things will get better I know it..."

Then suddenly a strong gust of wind picks up, ripping the worn hooded cloak off of Fe's body with its immense force, launching the piece of cloth high up into the air. And just as Fe and Cu both look to the sky witnessing the cloth being carried by the wind they notice one of the armed machines from before hiding above them on top of a wooden house.

Cu: "Fe! Ruuun!"

But before Fe and Cu could even move an inch of metal to react, the second machine from before strikes at Fe knocking her to the ground. "WAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Axel burst into a furious flood of tears with insanely loud screams.

Cu: "Fe! Axel!"

Cu rushes over to help but a rusted chain wraps around him, holding him in place as the machine from the roof yanks him to the ground. Fe immediately shields Axel with her body as she raises her arm out to the machine pleading,

Fe: "What do you want? You can have our parts without a fight."

The machines proceed to approach them with their weapons in hand, clearly not interested to reason or even communicate with them. Fe looks down at Axel with an expression of disappointment,

Fe: "This will not be the end for you Axel, I promise you that!"

Fe gets back up to her metallic feet, planted to the ground like a massive old and sturdy tree, her iron hands clasped shut into a tight fist, and eyes fixed to the two armed machines approaching her with her back to Axel who is crying on the ground. Fe is fully prepared to fight. Cu manages to unravel himself from the rusty chain and with haste rushes over to grab Axel from the floor, "Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Ooooooooooooop!" the little bot scurries off into a room out of the way to hide.

Cu: "Fe... what are you doing? we can not fight them unarmed, their poorly made rusted glaives can still damage us, and especially put Axel in danger!"

Fe: "One of us must attempt to stop them here, we can not outrun them Cu, just protect Axel for me and go, while I hold them off"

Cu: "Fe I will not leave you!"

Fe: "Just gooo!"

The two machines rush towards Fe with their weapons raised in the air, time slowed as the strong winds suddenly ceased. Leaving the area entirely silent, the screams of Axel creaks of the old wooden doors and birds singing as they flew by could no longer be heard. And as the two armed machines, swing their staff weapons from the air in sync, just as they are about to make impact with Fe's raised arms... "BANG!"

A loud gunshot echoes through the area, as one of the machines, falls to the ground releasing its weapon from its hand. The other machine then stops its assault immediately after and glares down at its fellow machine on the ground. Fe raises her head in confusion as she looks up to witness one of the machines shot in the face, Cu still holding Axel and standing behind Fe also stood frozen in confusion as he looks back to see where the shot came from.

The machine stands back up to reveal a hole in its face with wires torn and sparks of electricity right where an eye once was. Fe without hesitation reaches for the weapon the other machine dropped but was met with a striking blow from the unscathed machine in front of her, knocking her to the ground and just as it goes to strike her again while she laid there on the ground. "BANG!" another shot is fired, piercing the shoulder of the machine, forcing it to drop its arm from the air, the machine confused looks around again to see where the fire is coming from.

Then suddenly a figure emerges from the shadows of a house behind them and sprints towards the two machines with a long, sharp, double-edged blade. And before any of the machines could react, the mysterious figure swings their deadly blade at the machine standing over Fe, slicing its head off effortlessly.

The other machine then immediately responds with a quick attack to the mysterious figure's back with its metallic arm while the headless machine still standing walks towards him with another weapon in hand. The mysterious figure then pulls out a gun from their side and shoots the machine straight in the chest "BANG!", dropping it to the floor, but the other machine manages to grab hold of them, just then Fe manages to finally grab the weapon on the floor and strikes the machine, piercing it through the chest, forcing it to release the mysterious figure but the blade also grazes them on their shoulder.

Once released, the mysterious figure strikes the machine down to the ground by detaching his head clean off of its body with their blade and finishes it off with a shot to the chest "BANG!". Complete silence remained for a few moments as it suddenly broke from the sound of Axel's cries. Fe and Cu shocked and confused about the events they have just witnessed "Breeeeeee Ooooop!" The small bot rolls on over to the mysterious figure in excitement.

Fe immediately notices the wound on the mysterious figure "Drip...Drip...Drip..", a red liquid substance courses down the mysterious figure's arm.

Fe: "That strange substance leaking from your body....that is...You're a human?"

Cu: "A human!?"

The mysterious figure remained silent as they stared at Axel cradled in Cu's arms,

Mysterious figure: "That child, what are you doing with it?"

"BANG!" another shot echoes from the area as birds flutter away from the nearby trees in a panic.