Android

32

Henrie and I shared a panicked looks as I repositioned my grip on the sledgehammer and pointed the head at doorway of the cell. "Get the locks picked Henrie, I'll hold them off," I said, hoping this time I wouldn't get my hammer taken away from me mid swing. If so, I'm not going down without a fight.

"Since its already too late to escape, might as well." Henrie sighed in defeat as he began to fiddle with the locks holding the chains around Pluto's hands and ankles.

"A-Abigail. Abigail. Please g-go." Pluto begged weakly, but I ignored him as the growing sound of footsteps and muffled voices got louder.

"Is there another way out Henrie?" I asked, listening to him pick at the lock.

"I suppose we'll find out."

Inhaling and exhaling deeply I listened to the approaching sound of what I could only assume were the Steel Sinners and Tinkers. Any moment now we would likely be surrounded by a sea of metal, and as far as I can see I'd be the only human around. Perhaps, that's something I could use to my advantage.

"Henrie get behind me as much as you can and keep working on those locks," I said, repositioning myself so my body was blocking Henrie and Pluto as the men who had cornered us in the hallway and a group of Tinkers crowded into the doorway of the cell. Leading them was Count who had gasoline dripping from the hole where his eye used to be.

"Stand down Williams, your outgunned." Keeping my sledgehammer ready, I held my stance as bravely as I could despite my trembling knees.

"I'm not afraid of your guns. Titan needs me alive, you won't shoot me," I said, frantically trying to think of way to get out of the cell. We were completely cornered and the three of us had no way out. Pointing his fingers at me, I watched Count's hand twist and crack into the barrel of a gun before he grinned.

"What makes you think I won't? Titan just needs you alive, not well and alive," Count said as he stepped towards me and I choked back a whimper. "Have you ever been shot Abigail?"

Pluto began struggling weakly behind me. "Don't h-hurt her!"

He took another step towards me. "It feels like a sensation with no feeling at first, then all in an instant, a burning pain takes over that crimples you." Feeling my heart pound in my ears I shook my hammer at him.

"One more step and I'll crack your prosthetic skull!" I shouted, even though I knew that wouldn't do me much good right now.

"Then you start to smell the grass and hear the water and see the light. For the briefest moment you think your dead, until your pulled back to a terrifying reality where the gun is still pointed at you," He said, taking another step and impulsively I swung the sledgehammer. This time instead of him catching it, I managed to hit his shoulder and he stumbled back before stepping forward again with a prominent dent in his shoulder. "I'll kill you!" He roared, then lurching forward and grabbing my throat with such force I felt my feet lift off the ground as my airway cut off.

Looking around with blurred vision, I took a moment to soak in what was happening. Henrie had just finished unlocking Pluto, and Pluto collapsed on the ground behind me. He was too weak to sit up let alone stand. Henrie had backed up as far as he could against the wall, clearly terrified as more and more Tinkers piled into the cell and the rest of the Steel Sinners shouted at Count. Above us the already dim lights begin to flicker, and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up straight. We were trapped, we were really trapped. There was no way out. I walked right into Titan's arms and now I was going to become his prisoner and I would never be able to rescue my family. I shouldn't have listened to Jupiter, I should've listened to Neptune and the others. Now though, now I'm going to die.