Reboot

Chapter 18

Mayhem had been tracking them as they approached the Rexcelsior, and radioed them as they finally got close. "If Dangervest gets violent, let Bad Cop and King Bruce handle him. Our armor is designed to withstand Master Breaker punches," she instructed. "You don't want to know what it looks like to be on the receiving end of that unprotected."

"Got it," Benny responded, and carefully maneuvered his ship alongside the Rexcelsior, lining up with the docking bay door that Emmet pointed out. Bad Cop was the first to disembark, using the enhanced strength of his suit to force the door open. The others followed quickly after that.

"Benny, I want you to focus on reversing the Rexcelsior. Metalbeard, Unikitty, you two watch his back. There might still be some raptors on board."

"You got it."

"Lucy, Bad Cop, Bruce, I need you three to focus on Rex. I'll try to talk him down, but..."

Lucy took his hand, squeezing gently. "All you can do is try. It's up to him to listen."

"And up to us to knock his stubborn ass out if he doesn't," Bad Cop quipped. Emmet managed a smile.

"So where do you think we'll find him?"

"We should look on the bridge first," Emmet decided. "That's the most likely place he'll be."

Emmet led the way to the Rexcelsior's bridge, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. What if Rex was there? What if he wasn't? Much as he didn't want to search the entire ship for his counterpart, he wasn't certain he was ready for an immediate confrontation either.

As luck would have it, Rex was indeed waiting for them on the bridge, Ripley and Cobra at his sides. He didn't look the least bit surprised to see them. "Come to tell me 'I don't have to be the bad guy', I suppose?"

"Do you really think this will fix anything?" Emmet shot back. "Do you really think that hurting other people will make you feel better?"

"Do you really think I'm gonna fall for anything you have to say? I know you, kid. I was you once. I know all your tricks. And there's nothing you can say that'll convince me to stop."

Emmet wilted. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this."

Rex snorted. "What, you gonna fight me? That worked so well last time."

"I'm not going to fight you, Rex." That threw him for a moment. "They are."

Rex didn't even have to give the order- Cobra and Ripley hissed and snarled and lunged forward. Metalbeard was quick to punch Cobra into a wall, but the raptor recovered quickly and came back for more. Lucy grappled with Ripley, trying to avoid her deadly claws and teeth. Unikitty added her own claws and hooves to the fight. Bad Cop and Bruce went straight for Rex, tag-teaming the rogue. Taking advantage of the chaos, Benny made his way to the ship's controls and began pushing buttons and flipping switches.

Bruce let out a surprised shout as Rex managed to knock him to the floor and yanked his helmet off. The protective headgear was crushed under Rex's boot. He scrambled away before that foot could come down on his head next, and debated the intelligence of rejoining a fight with a Master Breaker with his head unprotected. The suit's functionality was also reduced without the helmet. "Shit," he swore. Looked like Bad Cop was on his own.

Rex dodged as one of Bad Cop's fists came flying at his face, only for the other to hit him square in the gut. He wheezed as the wind was nearly knocked out of him, but was able to block another blow. He'd thought it would be easier, with Bruce out of the picture. But the vigilante's style was showy, over the top, while Bad Cop's was... efficient. Ruthless. And with Bruce no longer in his way he could really go all out.