one, knocking it down. Reaching around the head area, I ripped the thing’s head off, tossing it aside, and put my fists together, rocking them back as far as I could. The robot must have known what was coming, because it flayed at me with its claws, but nothing could stop me. My fists came down, right where its heart would be, destroying the thing in a massive explosion.
Picking it up the steaming robot, I ignore the scalding metal at my fingertips, using the robot as missile. It flew through the air, slamming into the one that was coming at me from the flank. With a churning of raw metal, both automatons exploded.
A few more remained, hanging back. Their hands retracted with a graceful twist, revealing twin assault cannons. I dove back at Focus as they opened fire, forcing her into a ball despite her protesting screams, and cradling her beneath me.
The robots unleashed a fusillade, peppering my body, tearing into the wall and floor, filling my area with shrapnel and stray fire. I had my back to them, screaming in pain as each bullet tore at my skin, eager to break through and rip my insides. The rounds weren’t strong enough to penetrate my skin, and despite the pain, I was able to create a mini-cocoon of safety for the smaller Focus. She gripped my chest, screaming as I pressed her into the crevice between the wall and floor, my body the only thing keeping the bullets from killing her instantly.
The gunfire went on for what seemed like a full minute, until they ran out of ammo. I turned to catch them readjusting their hand weapons and charging in my direction.
One sported a pair of flamers, another a laser torch and a holding claw, and the third two diamond-carbide tipped chainsaws.
I had no time to hesitate, running right at the flamer robot, angling away from Focus so she wouldn’t get caught in the pyre.
The thing lit me up as I reached it, but I jumped in the air, in part to avoid the majority of the flames, and landed on its chest. Grabbing down at its head, I almost ripped it out when the second one grabbed me from behind and lanced at my back with the laser torch.
I screamed but didn’t let go of the robot’s head, tearing it from the base of the neck as the momentum carried me back into the one that was grabbing me, knocking it down. It held onto me with the claw, but I reached over, bending the individual claw fingers out and sliding free. I turned and punched straight down, destroying it.
“Blackjack!” Focus screamed, and I saw her scrambling away from the third robot. It slashed at her with the chainsaws and was almost upon her.
“No!” I yelled, knowing I had no time to rush it. Standing, I grabbed the headless flamer robot and hurled it with all my might. The thing spun in the air, slamming into the chainsaw robot and crushing both into the wall.
And with that, all the robots were destroyed.
I ran over to Focus, noticing blood trailing from her leg. She had a pretty bad slash across her left calf where the chainsaw had torn her skin apart, and her arm was awash with crimson.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, picking her up.
Her face was pale from blood loss and she was shaking, suffering shock from the overall pain she had endured.
I carried her over to the door and paused, hearing a small knocking at the other end of the two massive double doors. They were as thick as the walls in the room, and suddenly I felt a twinge of pain lance up my fist, a latent memory of the last time I’d had to bring down a wall of this caliber.
The knocking was persistent, but soft, far away. I figured someone was trying to get inside, but whoever had tampered with the safeties had meant for Focus and me to be left undisturbed.
I put her down. “Give me a second,” I said, and I strode over to the door.
The gap between the two doors was substantial, though there was an internal bevel that didn’t allow me to see through. I squeezed my fingers in there, ripping at the metal and trying to get a handhold.
Then I went at it, feeling my back muscles come to life, my deltoids and traps straining. The metal groaned and came apart a few inches, giving me hope, and