Zero Sum

Retreat

"Wait a minute! How do know that they were thinking? It's not like you were even there, I saw you watching the video on your holo-feed!"

"Yeah, how the hell do you know that Rock was even worried about the other robbers?"

"And just because you follow that beast fellow on social media, doesn't mean you can speak for him in the third person!"

"Would you all just stop criticizing and chill the hell out? My friend works security at the place, so he knows how it went down first hand!"

The other coworkers released a collective "oohhhhh" and then, let him finish the story.

---

The synthoid known as Seven fires repeatedly in the direction of the criminal suspects. Clearly with no regard for civilian safety. Using laser rifles mounted onto his armored chassis the droid fires. His mechanical body has rotor powered legs for locomotion. 

Though the upper half is armed to the brim with a variety of weapons in order to be prepared for about every conceivable threat imaginable. Seeing as the criminals have now taken cover. Seven's body rotates a bit, so the rifles no longer are directly aimed at the criminals. Instead, it points a sonic repulsar gun that, being a wave form of attack, can reach the criminals hiding behind the bank pillars and other furniture.

The hapless criminals are preparing to return fire when the shrill cry of the sonic repulsar is fired at them. They have no defense as the wave blast makes their bones feel like they want to shoot out of their body. They cry out in pain as the sonic blast does its work on their fragile human bodies. 

Rock however had the wherewithal to reach out towards a heavy office desk. Using his unique ability, he lifts the desk up in front of him to use as a makeshift shield against the onslaught of the sonic weapon. Rock himself could escape easily on his own. However, leaving his team behind is something he is not willing to do. Perhaps more out of his own sense of pride in his duty, rather than in a genuine interest in the welfare of the team members. It therefore falls on him alone to come up with a counterattack against the machine.

The deafening sonic shrill of Seven's attack ceases. The droid seems to be satisfied that it has subdued its adversaries. Tellingly it had no regards as to the other members on its team when it fired its weapons, no honor among machines it would seem. 

Rock is still holding still with the desk held up in front of him using his unique strength. Out of sight from the machine. Rock wastes no time. He charges at Seven, the desk held out in front of him, providing cover as the droid opens fire at him, then at blinding speed he stops short in front of the droid, swings the massive desk as if it were light as tin foil, then smashes it against the droid, striking it and sending it off balance.

The name Seven may stand for seven tons, because the blow while it was indeed heavy, did not do much in sending the droid flying. Rock had used just enough strength as he thought was necessary, so he did hold back a bit in order to avoid further damaging the structural integrity of the building. He himself did have some regard for the well-being of his team. 

It would seem he held back too much though. While still armed with the desk he swings again at the droid, then a third time. "Go down you tin can!" He is swinging relentlessly but it seems to be doing very little as to fazing the machine. 

It occurs to Rock that he should check to the well-being of his comrades, so he takes a glance in the direction that they were at earlier during the firefight. When he looks and sees that they are no longer there, he starts to feel some measure of relief at the thought that they have made it to safety.

This small distraction though (in machine time may as well be measured in hours) gives enough opportunity for Seven to prepare his sonic cannon again and this time, with Rock distracted, is able to fire a blast directly into his chest. And even though the blast is not enough to knock him back, Rock does feel the force of the blast inside him, as if his bones were about to burst. With the wind knocked out of him, he feels that he is going to vomit his insides.

Satisfied that he has done his job at getting the team to safety, he decides it is time to make a hasty retreat himself. There is no sense in continued fighting on his part, what matters is that he monitors the team and keeps them out of harm's way until the job is complete. Rock gathers his remaining strength, slams the desk in front of him lengthwise on its side so that it stands between him and the droid. Then Rock uses both feet and kicks them forward into the desk, using as much strength as he can muster this time.

Now that he is not holding back, the desk shoots forward, metal of the desk melding with metal of the droid, and both are sent hurtling backwards, through a solid foundation wall and out into the city. Only now does Rock remember the civilians, most of them still tied up. The force of his attack is enough to shake the foundations and cause the building to collapse. He picks himself up off the ground and starts telling people to get out of the collapsing building. 

"Get up and move! This building is going down!"

Most of them are still in shock so he has to start ordering them more forcefully and even needs to help many of them to their feet. 

"What are you all waiting for? Do you want to die?!"

When the civilians still continue to idle, Rock has to begrudgingly resort to threats. 

He yells at them, "If they do not move your assess up and get out of my sight, then not only will I paint the floor with your bodies, but I will hunt and clobber your entire families and friends and their families too, so you better move their assess right now and get the hell out of my sight! NOW MOVE!"

The bluff works and the civilians all get up with unprecedented haste and make their ways towards the exit. Now that they are getting to safety, Rock has to prioritize and see to the welfare of his team.