Steve watched Greg sleep that night. He didn't need sleep anymore, just quick
little recharges, so he was up all the time now. Greg however... "Someday
I'll get what I want. Someday..." Steve patrolled the entire factory, always
watching for any sign of intruders. "That damned robot made me like
this. I'll find a way to get even. I KNOW I will. I'll just have to destroy everyone in the
process. Greg thinks he's so smart. What's to stop me from killing him while he
sleeps? He lets his gaurd
down far too much." "I
do?" Steve spun around. Greg was standing behind him, fully dressed
and awake. "You really think I let my guard down? Shows how much you know." "What--but how did--" "I have my ways, Steve. If I hear you talk like that again, I'll
switch you over to being a normal robot.
If you had been at any other factory, you would've been made normal long
ago. I'm leniant
and forgiving, unlike every other human I work with. This is your last chance. Don't waste it."
The morning sun shown brightly on
them that day. They had managed
to dig out half of their tanks, and Mitchel had
finished working on Chris'. Babe and
Chris drove in the front of the group as they started walking. It would take a while to reach another
fortress. Max was in charge of watching
them all and making sure everyone was able to walk. He had an open-top jeep that carried six
people. It was overfull with children. There were other vehicles carrying passengers
as well, picking up anthros as they each became too
tired to move any further. Max heard the
sound of a tank and turned to see Babe speeding toward him. Babe was smiling. "Max,
there's a city on my radar about two miles to the east. Should we go there?" Max looked in the direction of the city, then
sighed. "No Babe. That city is
robot controlled. We won't be welcomed
there." "How heavily guarded
is it?" "We might've been able
to take it if Mitchel had gotten the chance to
improve all our tanks, but as it stands, we don't have a chance. There's a factory--the one that's probably
sent out most of the robots we've fought, about half a mile from it. It's a small factory, specializing only in
making robotic weaponry. As a result,
they have some extreme defences built around it. We have to avoid it and reach the next
fortress which is thirty miles from where we are now." There was some comotion
in Max's jeep as a kid crawled forward.
Jimmy plopped down by Max. "Max, most of the kids are getting
really thirsty. The town where mom and I
came from would help us, and they have a river near the town. It's not very far from here." Max smiled down at Jimmy. "But
you and your mom aren't welcome there anymore.
You had to live at the fortress because of them, remember?" Babe spoke up from inside his tank. "Actually
Max, Jimmy's got a point. The town would
welcome you without a second thought so long as Dana, Jimmy, and I stayed out
of the way. It'd help them out too. I think that's a better idea than trying to
reach the next fortress." Max
sighed. Once again, others were teaming
up to make him go somewhere else. He
gave in before the entire army he controlled turned against him as well. "Okay. We'll go there."
A lone tornado anthro stood on the look-out
tower. Anthony watched the horizon. He was the only one who could right then,
since the town had just beaten off a robot attack. He was the oldest anthro right now that
hadn't been hurt! It felt odd, being
responsible for everyone's safety. He
was barely fourteen! "Mom, can I have drink of water? It's hot out today." "I'm coming Anthony. Have you seen much?" " No.
No robots at all."
"Good. Keep it up." His mom limped up the small staircase and
handed him a glass of water. She smiled
as he took a long drink. "You know Anthony,
you look just like your father when you stand up there." Anthony smiled as he handed her back the
empty cup. "Thanks mom." He
turned back to watch for something to happen.
Anthony squinted when he saw the small dust cloud approaching them. He fumbled with his binoculars to get a
better look. What he saw astounded
him. "Mom?"
"Yes dear?" "What
should I do now?" "What is it?" His mother's face appeared at the steps
again. "Mom, there's a tank zooming toward us. A red dragon is--MOM! THAT'S MAX FROM CANYON
FORTRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!" His
mother hobbled up the steps and took the binoculars. She gasped.
"It is... Anthony, find the mayor. I don't care what you have to do, just make
sure he's outside and at the gates. Hurry!"
Anthony ran through the town, shouting out the mayor's name. When he finally reached the mayor's house,
there was a lot of confusion in the streets.
The mayor walked out on crutches.
"What is it
Anthony?" "Mayor Tuller, Max from Canyon Fortress is coming
HERE!!!!!" "What? You'd better not be joking now,
Anthony." "I swear he's coming
sir! Come see for yourself!!!" Anthony ran inside and got out the mayor's
wheelchair. He helped the mayor sit
down, then half ran with him to the gates. Once there, he gave the mayor his extra pair
of binoculars. "Look at the dust cloud, sir.
It's him!" The mayor
looked through the binoculars and sat back in his wheelchair. A moment later, he was shouting orders to get
the gate open, and for Anthony to make sure they had a room for Max when he came.
Max sat on the upper half of the tank, watching as
the city drew nearer. "Chris, remember. Once we're in, we make sure all of our
wounded get a place to rest before anyone else." "Yes sir." "Find out how strong they are while I
talk to the mayor. Maybe we can get a
few reinforcements." "Right." Max
stopped talking after that, trying to see where the sentries for the town
were. He saw one lone tornado anthro
standing and watching him with binoculars.
When she realized he was looking her way, she waved. Max waved back then ducked down back into the
tank. "I saw one sentry on duty.
I think they just had a battle themselves." "I'd say so sir. Look at the gates." Max poked his head out and glanced at the
town's entrance. There was an elderly
looking gryphon anthro on a wheelchair shouting out orders as they
approached. When they arrived, they saw
children cheering to them, as well as older anthros,
most with bandages of some kind, staring at them like they were saviors. Max did his best to hold in his uneasiness
while he stepped off of the tank. Chris
slowed the tank to a complete stop, then came out
himself. Max ignored him and went
straight for the gryphon in the wheelchair.
"Sir, are you the
mayor?" "Yes I am. May I say it is a fine pleasure to meet you,
Max."
"Likewise, mayor Tuller. We've come to ask a favor of you." "Name it." "Don't be so quick sir. Our fortress has just been destroyed, and we
need a place for our wounded to heal. We
have two that need special attention right away. Can we ask for your help?" The mayor smiled and held out a hand. Max took it and shook. They discussed the conditions and what would
be needed of both parties, eventually settling on having Max's men stay here as
long as they stayed permanently. The
mayor seemed sadened by the fact that they'd had to
kick out their best fighters a short while ago.
Max couldn't stop his grin. "Mayor Tuller,
of the two that need medical attention right away, Dana is one of them. She has been with us ever since she'd been
forced to leave here." "Really?" The
mayor looked hopeful. "That's WONDERFUL! I've had many long discussions with the twon council and was able to make them regret throwing her
out. We've needed her and her robot
friend." "Umm...about
that sir." "Was the
robot destroyed then?"
"No. Actually, we've found
that he fights better than anyone else we've seen. He's become our most reliable
fighter." The mayor sighed and
started wheeling his way back. "Come with me Max. I need to show you something." Max followed the mayor to his home. It was a nice little house fit for a small
family. The mayor went straight for the
mantel over his old-fashioned fireplace.
He took a picture off of it and handed it to Max. "See
that girl? That's my grandaughter. She was one of the robots best friends when
he'd lived here. After he left, the kids
all grew less spirited, like they just had their favorite play-toy taken from
them. She was the worst case. Before that robot, she'd had no friends, and
had been constantly gloomy. When the
robot came, she was so energetic, it was like she was
an entirely different girl! The battle
we fought that hurt so many of us caught her in the cross-fire..." "Sir, I'm so sorry." The mayor trembled
a little as Max handed him back the picture.
He gently kissed it, then set it back on the
mantel. "No need to be, Max. She
hadn't been happy without the robot as it was.
She's happy wherever she is now..."
"Sir, is there anything I can do?" "Yes.
Make sure that the kids get their playmate back. I don't want any other children have that happen to them.
To be honest, I kind of miss hearing them all laugh when they play with
him. He was always so gentle around
them; he seemed to understand them better than anyone else. It was like he knew exactly what they
needed..." Max cleared his
throat. "Sir, I need to get back to my men. Most of them are so tired from the walk that
they won't leave the jeeps we've piled them in." The mayor snapped out of his reverie and turned
to Max. "We can move the injured to the hotel here. It's become something of a sickhouse as it is, so it won't be too difficult for the
others to adjust to them. Once that's
full, we can start placing them in homes.
Anthony--the boy who was with me when you arrived--has plenty of spare
room for children. He and his mother
live alone in a three story house."
"Three stories?! Why there?" "His family used to be a family of
twelve. There is plenty of room, and I'm
willing to bet that his mother will be overjoyed to have so many children
running around in there again."
Max thanked him and walked to the tank.
Chris was waiting inside. "Let's go Chris. We've got a lot of anthros
to bring here. What'd you find
out?" "Well sir, they have a
fairly good army when everyone can fight.
Most of these villagers know how to use a gun. They even have a small cannon on top of that
look-out tower. And I think Dana used to
live here, with all the stories I've been hearing about her." "She did, Chris. C'mon.
Let's bring her home."
Dana waited nervously for Max to return. Jesse was beside her, laying
down in his bed like always. "Ready Dana?"
"I don't know Jesse. Will I
have to hide? Will they accept me
again? I just don't know..." Jesse tried to grab her hand, but he stopped
when a wave of pain took him. Babe was
there as well. "Jesse, don't move. You'll
just hurt yourself even more. We have to
make sure I didn't kill you when I did that to your back..." Dana watched Jesse try to smile through the
pain. "You SAVED my life Babe. I
wouldn't be here right now if it hadn't been for you. You know, it's kind of funny
actually." "What is?" Dana leaned over to Jesse as much as she
could, trying to grab his hand where it lay. It hurt to move her own arm, but she could
move it. Jesse reached slightly and took
her hand in his own, then sighed. "Right before it all happened, Max and
I talked. He wanted to trust Mitchel's tanks more, while I wanted to trust Babe
more. I think we both won, don't
you?" Babe chuckled a
little. "I agree with Max. I wasn't
fast enough to save you from getting your feather plucked." "That's okay. You got me out of there alive, didn't
you?" Babe's mood
darkened. "So far, yes."
Dana started to reach her wounded arm over to Babe, but he stopped
her. "Dana,
you and Jesse need to stop moving. I
don't care what you do when you've been checked, but until then, please don't
risk anything!" Mitchel and Jimmy came running up. Jimmy was happily shouting. "Mom,
we get to go home!!!!!! Max just came
back and said that they miss you!!!! We
get to go home! Home,
mom!!!!!!!!!" Dana
weakly smiled and nodded. She, Jesse,
and Babe were the first three anthros brought into
the town. Babe stayed by the city walls
when they entered, leaving Dana and Jesse to themselves.
Babe glanced around.
No one seemed to notice him so far.
He quietly inched his way along the wall, working his way over to where
he saw Dana and Jesse being taken. He
yelped as he bumped into something.
Below him a small boy laughed. "Cleave? Are you really gonna stay?" Babe smiled down at the boy. "Yes
Marcus, this time I get to stay."
Marcus' smile grew to the point where it wouldn't get any wider, then he ran off, squeeling at the
top of his lungs. Other kids came out
when they heard him, and Babe soon had a crowd of children around him. He laughed an
giggled right along with them. They were
the first anthros he'd met that had taken him for
someone still themselves, so he still owed them. He played all day with them, playing games
like tag, capture the flag, and so many others that he'd played as a kid
himself. Jimmy and Mitchel
soon joined in the games as well, bringing ones that were a little harder, but
just as fun. They soon were playing
things like soccer in the town square, touch football, and other big
sports. More kids joined up as time
progressed, making up games that involved everyone. The biggest favorite was a game exactly like
freeze-tag, except that with so many kids, there were about ten ITS to about
thirty NOT ITS. Babe had the time of his
life that day.
Mitchel stopped playing
after about three hours. He had never
made sure his dad had made it out alive.
He wandered around the town, asking where all the scientists had
gone. He found them in a diner on the
other side of the town. His father was
in an argument with one of the villagers over Babe. "I'm
telling you, that robot is a menace!"
Mitchel's dad snorted. "If
he's such a menace, why does he enjoy playing with kids so much? I was warned about you. You were one of the first anthros
who wanted to throw Dana out.
Listen. She has been unbelievable
at our fortress. I have never seen
anyone fight quite like her, and I'd trust her with my life. SHE trusts Babe, as does my son. If they trust him, what's to stop me? My son has always been an excellent judge of
character. I'll take his word over yours
any day." Mitchel
smiled at his dad when they finally looked over at him. "Hey
dad, where did you keep all the extra super-metal you brought? I still have to give Babe that makeover I
promised him." His dad grinned
back at him. "It's in the far left corner, Mitch. Make him look good, hear?" "Okay dad." Mitchel grabbed a
few large-sized pieces of metal and started to leave. "One more thing dad. Babe's been wondering if I could stay out and
play longer. Is it alright with you if I
do?" "Stay up as long as you
want, Mitch. You will anyway." "Thanks dad." Mitch left his father, who was looking
triumphantly down at the anthro he'd been arguing with. Mitch started searching for a place that had
a furnace of some kind, and went happily into a welding shop. There was a green-feathered griffin in there,
who smiled at him. "What can I do for ya, kid?" Mitch coughed a little. "I
need to know where you keep the welding stuff.
I have a project I'm working on and I was wondering if I could use some
of the stuff in here?" "Kid,
no offense, bu t you're too
young." Mitchel
frowned. "Too young?! I'll
have you know that I was the one who designed a tank from scratch! Max said it was better than any tank he'd
seen!" The griffin backed
down. "You came with Max's group?
Why didn't you say so? Here, I'll
show ya how to work the stuff." Mitch set the squares of metal down. "No
thank you sir. Just tell me where it all
is. I already know how to use everything
in here." "Is that so?" The griffen held up
a welding tool. "Then show me how to weld something. Here, I even have something that isn't too
important for you to weld." The
griffen smiled and brought out a broken metal
doorknob. "I can fix any mistakes you make, so have at it." It took five minutes for Mitchel
to weld it back to perfect working order.
The griffin was trying not to stare.
"No way... That's one of the hardest things to weld in
this town... I'm the only one good
enough to do it..."
Disbelieving, the anthro picked up the doorknob and tested it. He tried his hardest to break it again, but Mitchel had done his job perfectly. the only way that
particular piece would break again was by the passage of time. The griffin gave up. "Okay
kid, ya convinced me.
Do whatever it is you're gonna do..."
----