Cyber Stories

Chapter 16: Toppling Towers

-3rd Person POV-

"I believe that's quite enough," Corten cut in gruffly, glaring at his son and slowly stood up, "Commander, I apologize for my offspring's out of character commenting. He will face reprimanding at home."

Legend shook his helm. "Why don't the two of us go and speak privately, Ruvik. I am sure that you have some wonderful ideas for the facility." He says, doing what he does best and de-escalating the situation.

"Why don't we?" Ruvik responded, eerily calm considering the heated conversation that just transpired.

"...that can't be good," Rumble muttered softly to Phoenix.

Phoenix, who had been quiet, just listening to the argument looked at Rumble, worried. Her helm turned to Legend and Ruvik walking out the door. "I don't have a good feeling about this." She muttered.

Rumble followed the two older mechs from a distance, watching from the doorway to avoid being seen. Ruvik had his gaze locked on Legend, a look of contemplative malice burning in his optics.

"Well?" he seethed through a forced polite expression, "Let's hear your ...ideas."

"I am interested to hear yours." He says. "I believe the training that occurred the other day was very good for every bot involved." Legend kept a soft demeanor, wanting to calm Ruvik down.

Ruvik was so tense his limbs twitched just slightly, "...training...that's what you call training? That...uncoordinated...unsanctioned...undisciplined...riot?"

Legend raised his optical brow, looking at him. "I would deem it as a riot, however, that's not what I was speaking about." His voice stayed low and calm.

"No..." Ruvik murmured, his tone resembling the kind of calm that teetered on the edge of a full on snap, "No of course we don't talk about that. The Commander's son lost complete control of his entire Troop, every soldier placed under his watch devolved into a mass brawl like a bunch of drunken juveniles, and no one says a word..."

Ruvik paced back and forth, his claws scraping a bit as they began digging into the floor. Cynth's words echoed in his mind, fueling him further and further down this path. Unnoticed by anyone present, the red griffin's claws began to emit micro sparks of pure red electricity.

Legend watched him. "You seem disturbed by this fact. The situation had been dealt with. It's in the past. We learn and move on-"

"Disturbed?" Ruvik stopped instantly and his helm faced Legend, "Try outraged. Try, insulted. I've spent the same years of training and the same labor of dedication to this faction as you have, but you..."

Ruvik's wings unfurled, the same stance Rumble recognized as him readying to lunge into a furious attack, "No matter what you do wrong, no matter what you fuck up, you get to stay in your little perch, right below Father Dearest."

Rumble slowly and silently began moving into the room, aiming to get between the two.

Legend straightened himself up proudly, getting just barely enough height to look down on Ruvik, "I have earned my title. I had trained there my entire childhood, the same as you. Stand down. This is not the battlefield, soldier. This is a dinner party."

"Don't call me that," Ruvik hissed, his claws digging into the floor as the sparks of red intensified and traveled up his limbs and torso, now very much noticeable, "Don't you act like you could ever be an equal to her. You're an embarrassment to the faction. You're a maggot, a flea, skittering around before her helpless and lost."

"Ruvik..." Rumble spoke softly, moving closer to Legend and trying to get within his brother's line of sight as the red griffin was locked onto Legend, "Who is 'her'?"