Elira

Trapped

In. Out. In. Out.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Stay calm.

Breathe.

Focus.

Focus.

You need to help. I know you're there. You've been watching me. My life isn't the only one on the line anymore, innocent people could die. Help me. Help-

...

Elira entered the street. A machine was standing in the center of the road, an all too familiar triangle engraved in its broad chest. It was made of smooth metal, bolts and screws clear across its body. It wasn't a Diordna or a Droid. It was a Robot. Senseless. Thoughtless. It only followed orders. It was only a means to an end. A puppet to play with until it lost it got boring, then it'd be tossed aside like nothing.

Elira took a sharp breath, his eyes stinging. Breathe. Focus.

He surveyed the situation. There were five civilians in the street, all in plain sight. They were injured.

The Robot approached them, it had a trapezoid face with a square screen in the center that was glowing a bright red, a color that clashed with the blue tones of the rest of it. It had big, burly arms but the closer to the ground the more narrow the rest of its body became. It had long, skinny legs but huge feet. It was disproportionate. Unnatural. It wasn't meant to fight quite yet, because although that was what the model was programmed to do it was brand new, probably one of the earliest versions. It was a test bot. An early model. Whoever created it wasn't sure how to make it strong, fast, and intimidating all in one go. But then why-

Shit.

The bots eye began to turn orange, then pink, then purple, and then... that sickening baby blue. Elira quickly tied his brown curls into a ponytail, his eyes turning to the same shade of blue as the robot. He took a deep breath, then thrummed his fingers together.

1.

Elira rushed along the street, gathering the droids and dropping them in alley ways a few feet from the Main Street.

2.

He attached a circular gadget he'd designed to each of the civilians. It'd heal and cast a shield, allowing the droids to escape on their own while he distracted the bot.

3

An explosion sounded. Elira appeared on the street. The Robot was shooting a beam out of its eye, destroying the street and everything on it.

Elira warmed himself up, causing balls of energy formed on the pads of his fingers. He shot each of them at the bot, one at a time, moving in wild gestures making it hard to tell where he was going or aiming. He flicked his finger each time he released an orb, then moved behind the bot and released five from his other hand. He'd allow them to recharge as he dodged, aimed, and released another ball of energy. Rinse. Repeat.

That was, until the bot changed its pattern of attack. The entire time it had been swinging it's arms, trying to land a punch or charge up its beam again, but this time it'd stopped. It stood completely still for a moment before jumping onto the roof of building- it was miraculous it hadn't collapsed.

Elira dodged as well, standing as far away as he could, steeling himself for the next attack.

Drones flew out from the arms of the bot, blinking blue. Each had spindly legs protruding from the main body, which was shaped like a triangle. The drones legs detached, plummeting towards the ground.