Robot Ghosts!?

Darkness Rising 4

Then she heard laughing.

Olivia found herself on the ground, beads of sweat dripping down her face. The faint sound of blasters echoed around her...but she couldn't pinpoint where. One minute, she saw the broad daylight, a canyon surrounding her with a huge warship floating above it, the next, she saw a dark and more sinister landscape, bots all around her, yet they seemed to be...surreal. Shots from the left. Shots from the right. It was dark. It was light. She felt as though she was glitching.

Reality only came back once a hand gripped her forearm, dragging her away from her previous position. Her eyes met Jack's. He looked panicked. Scared. Her gaze landed on Raf, his expression one of heightened fear and panic.

Olivia could feel her feet on the ground, the air whip past them as they bolted, that familiar pit in her stomach, and the cold that surged down her spine with each loud blast that fired.

"What..."

"Get in!" A deep, rumbling voice called out. The next thing she knew, Olivia was being shoved, and she landed on a soft leather seat, her back hitting a bumpy interior. Her hands shot behind her to steady herself, and she recognized it as a car door. Her mind was foggy, and it took a moment for her to grasp the situation.

"What are you guys doing here?!" The voice exclaimed, the tone showered in panic. Olivia blinked a few times before she registered who it was.

"Bulk...head?" she muttered, bringing a hand up to her temple and rubbing it. She was going to get a pounding headache. She just knew it.

"We were looking for Miko. Have you seen her?" Jack replied, a look of soft desperation on his face.

Miko...?

...Miko.

Olivia felt a pang of annoyance hit her chest. It only amplified when she heard the high-pitched voice of the aforementioned.

"What does she look like?" A voice, filled with mischief, spoke up from the backseat where Raf sat. Jack snapped his head towards her, his face filled with both relief and irritation. Olivia took a deep breath before she looked over her shoulder to glance at the younger girl, an unamused expression on her face.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked with a mischievous grin. Olivia rolled her eyes and looked away while Jack scolded her. They argued for a bit before Bulkhead slammed the brakes, making Olivia lurch forward.

"Ow..." she muttered as the seatbelt seemed to dig into her skin.

"Everyone out." Bulkhead ordered, opening all the doors. Olivia frowned, unbuckling the seatbelt and stumbling out, falling to her knees. Her legs felt like jelly.

"Oh! Uh, Olivia! Are you..." Bulkhead stuttered, to which Olivia just waved him off.

"Go. I'm fine." She got to her knees and barely managed to stand up, spreading out her arms out a bit in order to balance herself.

"Right..." the bot muttered before speaking in a louder, more anxious tone. "Please, stay here this time." He said before speeding away. Jack walked over to the girl, expression full of concern. He held out a hand, a silent offer of help, but Olivia rejected with a shake of her head. He was about to say something but quickly shut his mouth, eyes furrowed in thought. He let his hand drop to his side before looking back.

"Why's it so..." He trailed off. "...Miko's gone."

Olivia's head snapped up. She scanned their little group and cursed softly.

Cheeky glitch...

"Primus, kill me now. I'm ready." She muttered to herself, rubbing her face in her hands. She took a deep breath before walking over to the rock in front of them, squinting her eyes over to the warship where she saw a familiar green figure fighting off a few scrawny ones. Olivia felt that familiar feeling in her chest, that very soft feeling. It made her scowl. After a few moments, Bulkhead met her eyes. His optics seemed to widen in realization before his chest compartment popped open, and Olivia could barely make out the tiny figure that stood inside of it.