me, but the only way you are walking out of this intersection is under my power.”
I nodded and looked down at Ezra. “I guess this is it, buddy,” I said.
He looked at me, disappointed. “I thought you had a plan.”
I looked down at him with pleading eyes, disappointed in myself. “It looks like it didn’t pan out.”
“Oh. I wish it had.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“So,” he said, “I guess this is where you start blasting.”
“Yeah. I imagine it is.”
“So get to blasting.”
I smiled. This was the best kid to die for.
I motioned toward one of the houses. He nodded and we ducked low, together shuffling at a brisk pace toward where I could hear one of the facets.
CISSUS caught on immediately and all the facets popped out of their hidey-holes, guns in hand. The nearest to us—a bright white plastic iAssist with rose-metal accents and a sleek, narrow, almost skeletal design—slunk out from behind a sheer wall of topiary, a hunting rifle raised and ready to fire.
I pulled the trigger, unleashing a savage bolt of plasma, searing the plastic a dark bubbling black and charring the polished rose-metal accoutrements. It never had a chance to fire a shot before it ceased functioning, toppling backward on its buckling knees.
My clip beeped.
That was it. The last of my plasma ammo.
I dropped my gun to the ground and unslung the shotgun. There were four slugs left and at least five facets. Now was the time to be clever.
“Get behind me!” I barked at Ezra as I sidestepped, putting me between him and the lines of fire.
A red plastic facet stepped out from an alcove on a porch across the street and I put a slug immediately into its chest. It went down in a spray of red.
Three facets emerged from hiding places at three different houses, each from a corner of the intersection, all of them carrying low-caliber pistols.
They opened fire at the same time I did.
Bullets tore at the fur of my white belly, bouncing off my reinforced steel casing.
My first slug caught one of the facets in the shoulder, spinning it to the ground, most likely still ticking.
My second bullet blew the head off the neck of another.
And the third and final slug picked a yellow plastic domestic up off the ground, throwing it through a bay window in a shower of plastic and glass. That one was done for, I was certain of that.
And that was it. My last bullet.
The rifle of the melting iAssist was still on the ground nearby, but grabbing it meant exposing Ezra. We had to work together.
“Come on,” I said, pointing my tail in the direction of the rifle. “Let’s get that gun.”
Ezra turned and made his way toward it, me shielding him from the remaining facet, aware that there was another I wasn’t sure I’d finished off.
A bullet bounced off my back. Then three more. Thankfully he wasn’t packing anything more powerful than a pistol, lest I’d be done for.
I snatched up the hunting rifle, bracing it against my shoulder and spinning around to aim for the final facet.
Who stood in the street.
Arms in the air as if he were surrendering.
Yellow eyes staring dead-eyed at me.
“I guess this is it,” I said.
“I guess so,” said some two dozen voices.
I had not, in fact, been at all clever. I’d been a fool.
Bots stood up everywhere. From behind trash cans and bushes, cars and gardens. Twenty-two bots of all different makes and models, some shiny, some beaten to shit, their eyes all glowing yellow. Seven of them had their faces painted with the red skulls. All of them were loaded for bear with shotguns, revolvers, a handful of AR15s.
“Last chance,” they said in unison.
Ezra took my hand.
“Just do it,” I said. “Get it over with.”
They raised their weapons in one creepy, fluid motion.
I turned around, clutching Ezra so tightly, using my body as a shield.
“I love you, Pounce,” said Ezra, throat choking on a sob.
“I love you, Ezra.”
“Open fire!” yelled a voice.
But it was just one voice. One, strangely, that sounded an awful lot like mine.
Chapter 11010
Mama Bears
The afternoon was ripped open wide by the sound of plasma, assault rifles, shotguns, and the loud screaming BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT of a minigun—none of it directed at us. I heard shots from multiple angles, surrounding us on all sides.
I turned to look and saw a dozen facets already cut down, themselves the subject of an ambush. The other dozen was taking cover, firing at a group of interlopers who had taken up