The Smartest Kids Alive (IN NEED OF REVISING)

Chapter XII

CHAPTER XII

SKYLAR

Music: Beach Bowl Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy

Our next flying session takes us to... a beach.

"Really? How is it that every time we travel like this, we always wind up on some beach?" I ask.

"Usually, stuff happens at beaches, so this seemed like a good place to head to," Sam shrugs. "So, shall we do our usual searching around?"

"Sounds good to me," Heath shrugs.

So I head to the water and am about to start swimming when I notice Avery's heading to the water as well. But rather than join me in swimming, she simply puts her feet in the water and begins kicking softly. A few seconds later, Eghosa joins her.

"Um... may I ask why you're doing that?" I ask as I begin stepping into the water.

"It's been a couple of years since I've been at a beach. Figured I'd enjoy it while I have the chance," Avery shrugs.

"And you?" I ask Eghosa.

Eghosa doesn't answer. Instead, she's staring at something in the sand.

Crushed pebbles, followed by a long imprint in the sand.

"That looks like it that came from something that was rolling..." Eghosa mutters to herself. Then she calls Sam (who's with Elle) over and tells him to look at it.

"Yep. Definitely a roller of some sort," he concludes. "Doesn't look like a tractor wheel or steamroller, however..."

"Do you know what it could be from?" Elle asks. That's the first thing she's said since we started our mission that doesn't have a trace of skepticism in her voice.

"Can't really tell... it had to have been really massive to crush those pebbles like that... and it extends for a really long distance, too," Sam observes.

"Could it be some sort of machine controlled by somebody?" I ask. "As in, someone who was just here?"

"It's a possibility, but we can't know for certain," Sam answers.

"We should probably get out of here," Avery suggests. "In the chance that Skylar's right, and that someone else is here."

"Sounds good," Sam nods. He then begins to yell for the others, but his yelling is drowned out by a loud rumbling sound...

JACKSON

Music: Crystal Caves Boss from Donkey Kong 64

Heath, Luke, and I are busy patrolling the outside of a lake house and are about to go inside when Sam calls for us. Right before we're able to make our way towards him, we hear another sound.

A rumbling sound. This time, it sounds like something rolling through the nearby forest at an alarming rate.

At first, we simply look through the faraway trees to see what we can find from that. Then a bright yellow... thing flashes right through the trees, in and out of our sight before any of us get a chance to determine what it is.

"Fuck... we need to get out of here," Luke mutters. The three of us then make a break for it, but we stop when we hear a loud slam from behind us and the ground shakes slightly. Unable to resist the temptation, all three of us turn around to see what caused those occurrences.

And what we find is a gigantic armadillo robot. It's entire outer-shell is yellow, and its face and feet are all white. It has glowing red eyes and spikes that probably represent claws on its feet.