"Open the fuckin' gate!"
The truck driver shouted, laying on the horn in urgency. Axel followed suit, honking his Boss in desperation.
"Shut up, you idiots! One more honk and the guns will turn towards all of you!"
The Commander barked, her gaze piercing as she glared at the truck driver. The honking ceased immediately, the tension thick in the air.
When her eyes swept over Axel, he instinctively sank back into his seat, feeling the weight of her stern gaze.
"Don't know if it's the right time, Byte, but there's something stirring inside me when I look at her," Axel whispered softly, his gaze still fixed on the Commander's stern figure.
"Meooooooow."
Byte meowed in response, her discontent evident. She clearly didn't want to deal with Axel's emotional stupidity.
"Sorry, sorry." Axel reached out to gently pet the scared cat.
The Commander shouted something, but Axel couldn't make out her words.
Despite his cyberware, his auditory sensors seemed to malfunction, leaving him unable to hear anything beyond the chaos surrounding him. All he could do was watch her lips move in a blur of motion.
Then, a robot stepped forward, towering over the crowd with a massive gun mounted on its shoulder.
The barrels were enormous, large enough to fit a space cricket ball inside. It was one of the heavy hitters—a Grenade Launcher, capable of unleashing devastating firepower with a single shot.
The bot handed the gun to the commander before stepping back, its mechanical movements precise and efficient.
Meanwhile, the commander's steely gaze remained fixed on the metal rhino, her hands steady as she aimed the massive weapon.
With mechanical precision, she took aim and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger.
The sound of the gun was distinct, resembling the splash of a rock hitting a river or lake. With a powerful thrust, the large metal bullet shot straight toward the rhino, its trajectory precise and unyielding.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the air as the rhino's armor on its side erupted, sending a shower of debris cascading down.
A small portion of its armored plating crumbled under the force of the impact, revealing a vulnerable spot beneath.
Axel's jaw dropped in astonishment.
Raising her arm, the Commander signaled for the firing to cease. With authority in her voice, she commanded the snipers to aim at the exposed flesh revealed by the torn armor.
"Fire at the exposed flesh!"
The snipers stationed at the watchtower wasted no time in targeting the torn flesh, swiftly adjusting their aim and firing their guns.
The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the once-quiet road, and in the next instant, the metal rhino let out a deafening howl of pain, its massive frame staggering on its legs.
The bullets had found their mark.
Axel couldn't help but be impressed by the resilience of the metal rhino, even as it quickly recovered from the sniper's assault.
His eyes widened in surprise as he watched the creature clench its massive fist, observing with growing concern as something black began to emerge from its clenched hand.
The substance spread rapidly, enveloping the broken piece of armor with an eerie fluidity.
"Nano-technology?" Axel muttered, his brow furrowing in concern. "Seems like this Necro-bot is well-equipped. Must be one of the wealthy ones."
The Commander's eyes narrowed as she observed the rapid reconstruction of the torn parts by the liquid metal.
"Keep firing!" she commanded tersely.
The snipers wasted no time in obeying her orders, resuming their relentless barrage of gunfire.
Despite the relentless barrage of gunfire, the rhino cleverly shielded its vulnerable spot by turning around, presenting its broad metal back to the onslaught.
The bullets struck its armored surface with little effect, ricocheting off harmlessly, unable to penetrate its formidable defenses.
Recognizing the opportunity before her, the Commander wasted no time in seizing it.
With precision, she fired another grenade straight at the metal rhino's exposed back.
The explosion rent the air as the armor shattered once more, and another piece of protective plating fell away.
"Fire!"
the Commander barked again. The snipers swiftly adjusted their aim, locking onto the torn flesh revealed by the explosion, ready to unleash another barrage of deadly shots.
The rhino swiftly recovered from the onslaught, turning around to face its attackers once more. Axel couldn't help but admire its cunning strategy.
"Smart."
He muttered under his breath, acknowledging the creature's clever tactics.
With its back now protected and the liquid metal swiftly repairing any damage, it had effectively neutralized one of its vulnerabilities.
"But if another grenade is shot at it—"
Axel's thought was abruptly cut off as a sudden explosion rocked the air.
The Commander wasted no time, swiftly firing another grenade straight at the advancing rhino.
As the explosive projectile hurtled toward its target, everyone near the gate watched with bated breath.
Yet, to their shock and dismay, a wide, white grin spread across the rhino's metallic face, revealing a sinister intelligence lurking within its mechanical frame.
Despite their reputation as instinctual creatures, the rhino's actions defied expectations.
Axel's mind raced as he struggled to comprehend how a mere Necro-Bot could exhibit such precise and calculated behavior.
Something was clearly amiss.
The situation took a drastic turn when the rhino unexpectedly intercepted the grenade in front of him with startling precision.
For a fleeting moment, its hand cradled the explosive before swiftly turning around.
With unnerving accuracy, the rhino hurled the grenade back toward its source, demonstrating a level of coordination and strategy that seemed impossible for a creature of its kind.
"Inner peace?" Axel's mouth fell open in disbelief.
It was reminiscent of an ancient movie he had once watched, where a fat panda intervened to deflect a firecracker shot by a deranged peacock.
In that movie, the firecracker had failed to detonate, and it was the panda who ultimately turned the tables by hurling the explosive back at the shooter. The parallel was uncanny.
Only, this was even cooler since it was happening in real time.
"I don't think that's a Necro-Bot, Byte. I think that thing is a Cyberpsycho."