Phighting: TAKEOVER!

CHAPTER TEN - Beforehand...

"We've lost one of the beacons."

A mug fell to the ground and smashed to pieces. The shards yawned open on the tiled floor and the coffee blossomed in a puddle.

A Phighter stared down at the mess. "Apologies, Biograft Zeta. You just... startled me."

Biograft nodded, their metal chin bumping against their chestplate. Clicks and shifts spread up their spine as they moved to press a service button on the wall. "A droid will be here soon to clean the issue."

The Phighter didn't move from his seat. He was hunched over a table covered in maps and ideas and theories. A photograph smudged with ink and charcoal lay forgotten on the edge of the table.

"Sir Subspace," Biograft prodded, the pixels moving on the screen for their face shifting to form a concerned expression. "The beacon."

"Yes. That's no issue. What about the one in Crossroads?"

"Also optimal results. It's safe there."

"Yeah," Subspace murmured, clicking his pen thoughtfully. "But... the population. That's an issue."

"How so, sir?" Biograft tilted their head.

Subspace scowled, just a bit, but his face shifted back to neutral. "Well, think with me, eh? There's hundreds of people in Crossroads. People make things such a hassle. Always 'my rights' this, 'what about our families' that... That's why I much prefer the service of robots, Biograft Zeta."

Biograft nodded.

A distant click of a door caught their attention. Broker stumbled in, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Buh? ...Where am I?"

"Ah! Broker. I thought you'd be up," Subspace clapped his hands, while Biograft readied their fists. Subspace gestured at them to calm down.

"So," Broker said, coughing. "Where's my pay?"

"Uh-uh-uh, my sweet little subordinate. You've gotta work first." Subspace snickered. "This here is one of my bots. Zeta, this man is here to give you a few upgrades." He passed a clipboard to Broker. "Here's the criteria."

Broker's eyes bulged at the list. "You want me to add lasers to that thing? And there's so much more... don't you have, like, hundreds of those robots?"

"Yes. Once you're done, we'll shift the blueprint so that the additions will be mass-produced."

> Skateboard POV

> A Few Hours Earlier...

"You're too slow!"

Skateboard skidded across the plateau, his board rattling on the smooth surface. The wind whipped at his face and he moved his foot back, tipping the skateboard up ever so slightly so that he could get down the slope faster. The drop was steep, but if he pushed his board down at the exact second he was over the cusp, then maybe—

"I got it handled on that, Skate!" Bass thumped in the ground as someone ducked into his vision and leapt in front of him. A second Phighter glided over the drop-off and slid down the slope on skates, carrying a large speaker strapped on his back.

"Hey, no fair!" Skateboard crouched low to his skateboard as he rolled down alongside him. "You've been hiding, Boombox, I know you were. There's no way in Phighting you managed to get here that fast."

"Guess I've been practising," Boombox taunted. "Catch me if you can!"
Skate nodded, accepting the challenge, and sped down the hill.

The object was there before he could swerve. The wheels of his board connected with something small stuck to the ground and he tumbled over, rolling head over heels down the hill.

Boombox yelped, turning to stop and meeting him at the bottom of the hill. Skate's ankle had twisted, and his wrist ached painfully.

"Yeowch," he said, surveying the damage. His board was fine, thankfully. He looked back to see a small disk stuck to the smooth stone behind him which he must have tripped on.

"What's that?" Boombox kicked off his skates. "It completely ruined the vibe."

He tramped up to the object, kicking at it. It stayed put. "Boy, this thing's really stuck in there."

Skate crawled up to the disk. "Use something to pick at it."

Boombox pulled out a toothpick and pried at the object, getting underneath the side and managing to finally pull it off. Tiny metal spikes suddenly retracted into the back of the disk, releasing it from the ground, and it fell neatly into Boombox's hand. When Skateboard looked closer, there was a tiny screen on the surface, a little scratched from where Boombox had kicked it. Miniscule numbers flashed on the screen along with temperature recordings and colours.

"Looks like some sort of device. We should take it back to the others," Skate suggested. Boombox nodded in agreement, standing up and helping his friend down the hill.