Prodigy Returns (book 3)

Chapter Fifty-Three

Kyodin had every disadvantage as he was going into battle alone and vastly outnumbered. He also knew very little about his opponent and what each bot could do. Nevertheless, he stood his ground like a true warrior.

The bots ranged in every way possible from shape, size, and ability. It also wasn't clear if the bots had been programmed or were autonomous. That would be a really important detail to know. Autonomous bots would be much more difficult to defeat since they would be more unpredictable.

The bots were quickly approaching and Kyodin had yet to move. He scanned the formation of approaching droids and tried to game plan an attack. There must have been at least 200 droids in total from the ones that hovered above to the others that rolled and walked. Perhaps the most intimidating of the pack were the fifteen-foot tall megabots, which towered over all the other robots. They were positioned as the second line of defense behind the fast, six-legged critters that charged ahead like little tanks with feet. With their guns aimed, they waited until they were in range before they attacked. Similarly, Kyodin raised both of his arms and waited for his moment. He inhaled a deep breath and licked his lips in anticipation.

Then it was time. Both sides began blasting.

Inside, Kyodin couldn't be more nervous so he screamed in rage to release the tension, which seemed to help. Energy pulses shot out from his forearm-mounted blasters in rapid succession. The critter-bots retaliated in kind, but by the time their energy blasts reached Kyodin's force field, they were too weak to do any damage. Kyodin picked them apart one after another until a fleet lay in heaping piles of flaming rubbish.

Through the fire and smoke, the megabots marched forward. Their tiny heads were mounted atop hulking frames of black armour similar to Kyo's suit. On each arm of the megabots were large sabres, protruding out like claws on an insect. They swatted any impediment in their way, causing it to hurl through the air.

Just as Kyodin was sizing up his next opponents, an RT dropped from the sky and landed in front of one of the megabots. The RT was huge, standing ten feet tall, but by comparison, it looked puny next to the megabots. Before the RT could raise its weapon, the megabot sliced off its head with one powerful blow of its sword-like appendage. The head flopped to the ground, leaving the body still standing. The megabot dipped down and then came up quickly with a slicing uppercut, ripping the RT in half down the middle from groin to sternum. Kyodin watched in horror as the Earth-based bot fell to the ground without putting up as much as an ounce of fight as it toppled over. The megabot crushed what remained of the RT as it stomped forward with malicious intent.

From above, the drones hovered in position, surrounding Kyodin from every angle. All at once, they fired their blasters upon him. The blasts hit Kyodin's force field, causing an explosion of light that made it difficult for him to see.

'Don't give up, there's always a way out.' Alex's sentiment replayed in his mind.

Kyodin extended his arms skyward and began blasting. He spun around, firing completely blind as he could only catch glimpses of his targets. He heard the damage his weapons were doing. Loud thunderous explosions echoed throughout the sky followed by flaming wreckage falling like hail. When they hit the ground, some happened to land on other bots, inadvertently taking them out as well.

The oncoming fire slowly began to dissipate to where Kyodin could see the targets better. He kept firing until his blasters ran out of charge. By the end, there were only a few drones left. Surrounded by ground droids, Kyodin elevated off the ground and took to the sky. Gliding through the air, Kyodin gathered tremendous velocity like a speed skater. Approaching the first drone, Kyo pulled out his sword and sliced it in half. A spectacular hail of sparks showered down as Kyodin skated blissfully to the next one to deliver a similar blow. Taking out the remaining drones with an assassin-like efficiency, Kyodin's sword whipped through the air, cutting through the skybots with ease. One by one, they all fell at his swift and calculated attack.

Kyodin now hovered above the small metal militia. He surveyed the land for a moment to assess the situation and to catch his breath. The ground below was littered with destroyed bots. Smoke billowed up, filling the surrounding area with a dense smog. The bots, now decreased in number by about half, were reconfiguring their formation.

Kyodin checked the levels on his blasters. They were completely drained, but were slowly recharging. With his sword in his hand, he strategized the most effective method of attack.