"I kind of used Two as bait," Three said, bursting into laughter.
"What?! You can't be serious!" Four exclaimed, eyes wide. "Toxic Vipers can paralyze you in seconds!"
"Oh, don't worry so much! I was the one who suggested it," Two defended, grinning. "Three over here didn't want to do it, but when I dashed in to distract them, he didn't have a choice!"
"I didn't give him a chance to back out," Three added, chuckling. "But honestly, I was terrified!"
"Nothing happened to me, though! I blocked their attacks with a tree branch," Two said, puffing out his chest a bit. "And I can tell that. You've been without food for at least a day! "Look at you gobbling up those energy bars. So, it's a good thing that we risked it before we found you two
Four and Six exchanged guilty glances. "Okay, you caught us," Four admitted. "We kind of ran out of energy bars after the eighth day."
"Yeah, we started with only three each, and, well…you know how it goes," Six said, shrugging. "Survival mode kicked in."
"Anyway, enough storytelling for us. How about you guys? Did you find any items?" Two asked, glancing between Four and Six.
"Well, actually…" Four began, her voice trailing off.
"A bunch of destroyed weapons and a ton of ammo!" Two exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.
Three looked just as surprised, though he tried to keep his cool. "Wow. So what happened?"
"I know you usually can repair any kind of weapon or piece of technology," he added, looking at Four expectantly.
At that, Four's expression fell. It was true; out of all eight of them, she was the best at fixing things. But this time, she had failed to make sense of the weapons they found. "I couldn't figure out how to salvage them," she admitted, biting her lip.
Seeing her downcast face, Three placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's fine. I'm sure you did your best. Let's be real: what we're facing in this test is way beyond anything we've dealt with before. Those weapons the chairman put out there? They're not ordinary."
"Yeah, don't beat yourself up over it," Two chimed in. "And look at the bracelet you made to control those wolves! That's a huge accomplishment!"
Four's spirits lifted a bit at their encouragement. "You're right. Thanks, guys. Now it's getting late. How about we all turn in for the night?"
"Sounds good to me," Two replied, stretching.
Three hesitated, trying to think about who should stand guard first, but Four cut through his thoughts. "Don't worry. The Sonic Howler will wake us if anything happens. Come on, let's just get a good night's sleep."
After a moment, Three nodded and finally lay down. In just a few seconds, he was fast asleep, the day's tension slowly melting away.
Three woke to the sound of frustrated muttering next to him. Blinking awake, he spotted Four tinkering with a pile of spare parts, all pulled from more Sonic Howlers. Surprised, he approached her.
"Four, what are you doing?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as he walked over.
"Oh, Three, you're up," Four said, glancing over with a sheepish grin. "I'm trying to figure out a way to turn these parts into a radar. It'd help us locate the others—and warn us if any robots are nearby."
"Wait, you can really do that?" Three's eyes lit up.
Four nodded, though her expression was a bit unsure. "It's possible, but… it'll take me another day or two, at least. And even then, I can't guarantee how well it'll work."
"Just focus on finishing it," Three encouraged, his voice steady with confidence. "If it doesn't work, we'll try something else. But we don't have any other way of finding the others right now, so it's worth a shot."
Four glanced up, her confidence bolstered by his calm support. "You're right. I'll keep at it."
Three nodded, watching her with a small smile. They were on the sixth day, and time was running out. But if Four could pull this off, it might change everything.
"By the way, Four, where did you get those parts from?" Three asked, glancing curiously at the pile.
Four rolled her eyes, a bit of annoyance in her voice. "Do you remember those two Sonic Howlers you and Two tossed off the mountain?"
"Oh…" Three scratched the back of his head, realizing what she meant. He had almost forgotten about them. "Wait, you went down there? Alone?"
"Yep." Four didn't even look up as she fiddled with the parts. "Climbed down this morning, found one of the Howlers, dismantled it, and climbed back up."
Three's eyes widened. "Four, you should've at least told me! You know how dangerous this forest is."
She waved a dismissive hand, already back at work. "Relax, Three. I'm safe, and that's what matters. Now, if you don't mind, I've got a radar to build."
Three could only stand there in silence. He wanted to say more, but he knew better than to disrupt Four when she is building something.
**Main engineering hanger**
In the massive main engineering hangar, the atmosphere buzzed with energy and the constant hum of activity. Engineers, technicians, and mechanics were everywhere, focused on projects ranging from sleek exoskeleton armor to complex weapon systems and towering combat robots. The walls stretched high, lined with steel scaffolding and walkways. The hangar itself was brightly lit, with harsh white overhead lights illuminating every corner, casting sharp shadows across the equipment and half-assembled machinery. Every so often, a blast of sparks would light up a corner as a welder fused metal parts together, and the air held a faint tang of heated metal and oil.
Just then, the main doors slid open with a low rumble, and in walked the Chairman. His presence commanded attention as he moved purposefully across the hangar, his gaze sweeping over the ongoing projects and teams stationed at their workbenches. His destination was a corner of the hangar where Mark, an older engineer with a rugged, seasoned look, was hard at work on a small device. Sparks flew from the object under Mark's tool as he shaped the metal with intense concentration. The engineer wore a protective suit and visor, shielding him from the cascade of sparks.
The Chairman approached, standing patiently as Mark continued to work, not interrupting his focused effort. Eventually, Mark finished the last adjustment, removed his visor, and felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Turning, he was about to chide whoever had interrupted him but stopped short when he recognized who it was.
"Chairman! I thought you were someone else," Mark said, a bit sheepishly, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"No worries, Mark. Looks like you've been busy. How's the project coming along?" the Chairman asked, nodding at the device Mark had been working on. He leaned in closer, inspecting it. It was a thin, circular disc, about the size of a dinner plate, with a sleek, reflective finish that looked almost liquid. Every few seconds, the center glowed a soft, ethereal blue.
Mark grinned, clearly proud of his work. "This here, Chairman, is my newest invention—the Gravity Mine," he said, holding it up. "It generates a gravity field strong enough to pull targets down and pin them in place. Effective for capturing groups of people without any mess."
The Chairman raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Ingenious. Immobilizing without causing a mess. But that's not all I came here for." He handed Mark a small tablet, his expression shifting to something more serious.
Mark took the tablet, glancing at the screen. As he read, his eyes widened, and a look of shock crossed his face. He looked up at the Chairman, his voice laced with urgency. "Who made this?" He said, pointing at the dark bracelet on the screen that looked identical to the one Four had been wearing.
**Back in the Forest**
Two days had passed, and it was now the fourth day.
Bang! Smash!
"How many of these Iron Wardens are there?" Eight shouted, throwing a punch that sent one of the hulking robots staggering. The metallic behemoth barely flinched, its armor absorbing the blow as it regained its footing.
"I don't know, but we can't underestimate them," Five replied, scanning their surroundings. "They're some of the strongest robots Project Eclipse has made!"
As they stood back to back, the Iron Wardens advanced, their limbs swinging like wrecking balls. The tight urban landscape made maneuvering difficult, and the duo was quickly surrounded.
"Time to level the playing field!" Five exclaimed, pulling a grenade from his belt. He clicked the button, heart racing, and hurled it at the nearest cluster of Iron Wardens.
BOOM! The grenade exploded, sending a massive cloud of dust and debris into the air.
"That should have taken down a few!" Five wiped sweat from his brow. "Come on, Eight!"
But before they could escape, a massive fist shot from the dust cloud, hitting Five in the stomach.
"What the—" he gasped as he flew into a nearby tree with a sickening crash.
"Five!" Eight shouted, panic surging through him. As he turned to help, three Iron Wardens closed in, their glowing eyes menacing. They launched a barrage of attacks, fists swinging with relentless force.
Not good! Eight thought, weaving and dodging, executing agile flips. He evaded most strikes, but one Iron Warden connected, slamming into his arm and sending pain shooting through his body.
"Gah!" Eight groaned, forcing himself to stay upright. He couldn't afford to fall.
Not far away, Five struggled to stand, pain radiating through him. Did I break something? he wondered, glancing up just as the dust settled, revealing Iron Wardens standing tall, their energy shields flickering to life.
"No way," Five breathed, heart sinking. The grenades had done nothing!
He barely processed the sight before the Iron Wardens deactivated their shields, charging forward like predators.
"Five!" Eight yelled, trying to reach his partner, but the robots were overwhelming.
With a fierce roar, the Iron Wardens launched at Five, their fists aimed squarely at him. He barely had time to react, using every ounce of strength to block and counter, but the onslaught was too much.
This isn't over! he thought fiercely, dodging another blow and rolling to avoid an attack. He assessed the situation—he needed to regroup with Eight and strike back together.
"Eight! We need to fall back!" he shouted, determination surging through him despite the pain.
"On it!" Eight replied, voice strained but resolute. They were warriors; together they would find a way to turn the tide.
With renewed energy, they launched a coordinated assault, striking the Iron Wardens with precision, determined to reclaim their ground.
"Watch out!" Five shouted, narrowly dodging a fist. He retaliated with a swift kick to an Iron Warden's knee, causing it to stumble, but two more rushed in. They were nearly out of energy, breaths coming in heavy gasps.
Then—Bang! A flurry of bullets erupted into the fray, hitting the Iron Wardens with brutal precision. The first wave toppled like dominos, dust and debris flying.
As the smoke cleared, One and Seven emerged, weapons at the ready.
"One! Seven!" Five and Eight shouted in unison, relief flooding them.
"If you two are not too injured, then follow my lead!" One called, assessing the scene quickly.
"Okay, listen up! Five, you're with me! Eight, you're with Seven! Go!"
They surged forward, teamwork propelling them into action.
One led the charge, ducking under a massive swing from an Iron Warden and landing a spinning kick to its midsection. Adrenaline fueled his every move.
"Keep them busy!" he yelled to Five, who sprang into action, weaving through another Warden's legs and striking its joints, causing sparks to fly.
Meanwhile, Eight and Seven worked seamlessly together. Seven executed a flawless jump, using Eight's shoulder as a springboard to launch herself over an Iron Warden's arm, landing a powerful elbow strike that sent it staggering back.
"Nice move!" Eight called out, dodging a punch and countering with a jab to the Warden's exposed circuitry.
"Thanks! Let's keep the pressure on!" Seven replied, their eyes locked on their targets.
The Iron Wardens regrouped, their metal bodies forming a solid wall. The kinetic energy from the gunfire had shaken them, but now they advanced again, shields deploying.
"Stay sharp!" One shouted, seeing the shields activate. "We need to find their weak points!"
"Let's flank them!" Five suggested, determination gleaming in his eyes.
They separated slightly, using the terrain to their advantage. Seven and Eight darted left, distracting the Iron Wardens with a flurry of kicks, while One and Five slipped around to the right.
As they closed in, One shouted, "Now!"
They struck simultaneously, aiming for the exposed joints of the Iron Wardens. Five delivered a devastating knee strike, while One followed with a powerful uppercut that shattered one Warden's shield.
"Got it!" Five yelled, quickly targeting the vulnerable area behind the Warden's knee, causing it to collapse.
But the fight was far from over. More Iron Wardens flooded in, and the four fighters found themselves back-to-back, forming a defensive circle.
"It's Do or Die," One shouted. They had faced overwhelming odds before, and with their combined skills, they were a force to be reckoned with. As the sun began to set, the sound of the last Iron Warden falling could be heard.
"You all okay?" One asked, scanning each of them. His gaze lingered on Five a bit longer, a flicker of worry visible.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Five answered with a smile, trying to ease the tension. "Just a bruise."
One raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You took a pretty rough hit back there."
Five waved him off. "I'm fine. Really." Then, hoping to steer the conversation away from himself, he asked, "By the way, One, how did you find us?"