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--Yay, more ficcy goodness from yours truly. This one is rather rough, and quite obviously unfinished, but I've managed to write quite a bit (for me), so hopefully I'll actually be able to at least update this somewhat regularly. (Ha, right. ) Anywho. >ahem< This stuff does get a teensy bit violent in the later bits, so you've been warned. --
Eternal Rain
By: blue
Desolation.
It was the only word that could aptly describe the lifeless area of land that surrounded him. Dark clouds stretched to the horizon as thunder rolled ominously through the late-afternoon sky. A light rain spattered against the sodden ground, as it had been for days on end.
This region was known as the 'Land of Eternal Rain'. 'For good reason, apparently,' he thought.
In the far distance, a disjointed silhouette sprawled across the bleary expanse. The samurai's lips curled into a frown as he neared, his eyes dancing about the gutted, demolished remains. He stopped at what he could only assume was once the city's entrance, and watched as rain streaked the concrete and rusted steel that hung sullenly in the mist. It appeared that the derelict town was wholly destroyed, and had been so for some time.
Tentatively, he stepped through the broken gateway, gazing at the ruins around him. He reminisced upon the other times he had arrived to see rotted, abandoned townships such as this, and wondered what it was that had laid waste to such an expansive city. An explosion rocked the ground, small chunks of concrete falling loose from larger slabs and skipping down the sides into the mud. Instantly on alert, Jack pulled his katana free, glaring into the thick fog. Squinting his eyes, he barely made out a huddled line of shadows scurrying in his direction. They quickly passed him without acknowledgement.
The fragmented cement under his geta shuddered as another, much larger outline lumbered through the rain. He shifted his stance, raising his sword defensively. The creature's silhouette was too geometrical to be humanoid, and it was obviously a threat. The hulking figure cleared the fog that wafted through the air; the shaft of a dangerously glowing device grafted onto its mechanical arm aimed at him.
Somewhere behind him, a small child shrieked.
His gaze widened and darted over his shoulder fleetingly. 'He is aiming *past* me!'
Jack barreled forward. He reached the creature, sliced the offending arm off, and bounded away to his previous location in the blink of an eye. The robot roared in pain as its slit eyes flared crimson. Clumsily, it ran forward.
He slashed his sword again.
It collapsed to the cement in two pieces, the severed halves sparking and twitching uselessly. Without a look back, he sheathed his sword, and strode to the sound of the child's scream.
Sluggishly, one undefined outline took shape, and transformed into the huddled forms of eight small children. They sat in a semi-circle, the largest of the troupe shielding the smaller. He gaped, taken aback by the sight. Blinking, he recovered, and knelt in a shallow puddle.
Jack reached forward, his fingers lightly touching down on the shoulder of the tallest child. "It is all right, now," he spoke softly. "The robot will no longer harm you."
Cautiously, the young boy turned to stare at him, the wariness of his movements mirrored on his young, rounded face. Something cool and unpleasant tightened minutely in Jack's chest. "There's more," the boy replied flatly, helping the other children to their feet. "We need to hide before they find this one and bring others." He gazed at the samurai and nodded his head to his left, several long locks of brown hair flopping in front of his face. "Come on, we'll let you hide with us."
He bowed his head humbly. 'These children are much too calm for the danger they have just faced,' he pondered. 'I must find out more.' He rose to his feet as they scampered off into the ruins, following shortly behind.
The children darted through the rubble with a startling amount of stealth. Their small bodies lithely weaved around the jagged, lilting remains; swiftly clambering over broken hunks of concrete that stood in their way. Jack kept up, though he was begrudged to admit that they were doing a slightly better job of remaining inconspicuous than he. 'They have done this many times before,' he concluded as he ducked behind a rusted girder. "Where are we heading?"
The lead child turned slightly. "Home," he stated, peeking his head over a pile of debris. He curtly nodded his head, and the company rose as one, speeding forward with an unnerving level of ease.
Jack frowned, glancing about him. Thus far, he had yet to see one building intact. What could they possibly be considering 'home'? He gripped the sleek wooden scabbard of his katana, trailing closely. His sandals hollowly clicked against the broken stone underfoot as he ran, echoing loudly through the deserted city. He spied the remnants of a destroyed building lingering ahead, and frowned at the sorry state of the place. It didn't seem very suitable for *anyone*, much less children...
The group stopped yards from the entrance, at the foot of a low wall. The cracked block of concrete stood to the samurai's chest, which he could've easily hurdled. The ragged band stared at the obstacle for an instant, before the eldest helped a slightly smaller blond boy to the top. The lanky child turned and faced the others, laying on his stomach and holding his hand out. Systematically, the two boys began pulling the smaller children over the paint-chipped wall.
He stared at the sight, surprised by their teamwork. He was very impressed, and yet, deeply disturbed at the same time. 'These children do not *act* like children.' His eyes slowly swept across the derelict scene about him, and absent-mindedly blinked away the rain that rushed into them. 'Though, in a place such as this, I suppose there would be little chance--'
The smallest child, a tiny girl that couldn't have been more than four years of age, tugged at the bottom of his gi. "'Scuse me, Mister."
He blinked, and stared down at the petite brunette. Distantly, he noticed the worn brown teddy bear crooked at her elbow, and smiled very faintly. "Yes, little girl?"
She gaped at him, oblivious to the rain that slammed against her tanned face. "Are you here to save us?"
He blinked again, his brow creasing with confusion and slight dread. "Save you? From whom?"
"We'll explain in a minute," stated the eldest child brusquely as he motioned for the little girl. Obediently, she padded to him, and giggled as he hauled her up for the other boy to take. "But, first we need to hide. They can see through the mist." With that, he grabbed hold of the blond's hands, scrambling over the top. They both slid down on the other side, starting towards the ramshackle lodgings they called 'home'.
Jack blinked a third time; this thin lips tugging into a disapproving frown. He didn't like this in the slightest. Something terrible had (quite obviously) taken place, and he wanted to know what it was. Muscles tightened, he leapt over the dingy concrete wall, following them inside.
The children zigzagged effortlessly about the wreckage that littered the inside of the building. The full-grown samurai had no such luck, though, and was forced to inch and crawl through the tight spaces. The rough cement and protruding metal bolts scratched at his skin and sopping gi, drawing small amounts of blood. Despite his discomfort, he could none the less appreciate their choice in habitats; he was a trained warrior, and it was taking all his strength to simply *move*--it would be nigh impossible for anyone to attack in such a confined path.
Eventually, he shoved himself through the last of the chunks of stone, falling upon the cold cement on his hands and knees. He made his way into the center of the room, twisting his head around and taking in his surroundings as he came to rest in a sitting position.
The group had taken shelter in a basement of some sort. The mountain of debris above guarded them from most of the elements, though rain continued to spill into the room in a few areas, along with the occasional gust of wind. A few crates dotted the nearby walls; though he didn't what purpose they served. Most notably, he saw a large patch of straw laid out by the corner, which six of the children already occupied.
The blond boy stepped to the warped wooden crates, bending over and reaching inside. After a moment, he came up with two small cans in his grip, and walked over to the closely nestled group. Sitting upon his knees, he produced a small knife and jabbed the point into the metal. His tongue curled at the side of his lip in concentration as he pried the lid up, repeating the process with the second can.
As a finishing touch, he proudly placed a small, hand-carved spoon into the contents of each with a flourish. "Dinner time," he proclaimed happily, handing the cans to the others. The seven children each took turns with their provisions; taking a bite before passing it off to another. They paid special attention to the smaller children, particularly the one that had spoken to him earlier.
Jack watched and tensed with outrage. 'This is *no* way for children to live.' He started suddenly, and slowly unwound his fists. He could not let his emotions get the better of him, no matter the reason. Numbly, his midnight eyes meandered to the far wall, falling upon the small brunette as he stood watch by the small entrance to their meager dwelling place.
Across the room, the blond boy glanced up from the can in his fingers. "Hey, Skaara, come and eat," he said, holding up the dented metal cylinder. "There's still some left."
Skaara cast a half-hearted glance over his shoulder, and shook his head. "That's okay," he stated. "You guys have it." He paused, and then clarified. "I'm not all that hungry."
The blond stared at him disbelievingly, but nodded and lowered his hand.
Jack rose and walked over to the boy, sitting cross-legged beside him. "What has happened here?"
Skaara's deep-set green eyes flickered to him with a hint of sadness. "You wouldn't understand," he stated.
The corner of the samurai's lip twitched slightly. "Do not be so quick to assume so," he replied quietly. "It appears that this--" He motioned to the shattered building. "--Is not recent. How did your city come to be this way?" The boy fell silent, looking away. "Does this have anything to do with the robot that attempted to attack you?"
Skaara's eyes shot to his, straightening his posture in surprise. After a second, he sighed deeply and slouched against the wall, seemingly unaware of the water that dripped upon him. "...It started a long time ago," he began softly. Jack remained silent, waiting impassively for him to continue. The small brunette sat down upon the cold ground, and drew his knees to his chest, resting his chin upon his crossed arms. "Before I was born, our city used to be big. It wasn't an easy place to live in, or a safe one, but it was still pretty nice." His eyes darkened, pulling his knees a little closer. "Then the robots came."
---
"My parents told me that there used to be gangs all around the city. They always fought with each other over who was the strongest and meanest."
Sheets of rain poured from the churning skies above, tumbling down from the rooftops like a waterfall into the darkened back alleyway. A staccato rat-tat-tat rang through the chilled evening air, the night momentarily driven back by the flash bang of muzzle-fire. Man and machine alike fell to the ground in growing puddles of organic and synthesized liquid. The jagged shadows stood over the unmoving forms with smoking guns in their hands, and then smiled.
"Then, one day, something changed. The gangs decided to join as one big gang, instead of a bunch of small ones."
A haze of smoke hovered thickly in a dimly lit room. A dozen separate leaders from all walks of life sat at a worn, scratched round table, speaking with each other. Finally, a gray-haired man stood, and placed on the beaten wooden table a sheet of paper. He plucked out a fountain pen from his pocket, and scribbled something at the bottom. The parchment was passed around slowly, each of the well-tailored bosses reading and signing. The standing man swiped the contract and folded it, slipping it into another pocket with a small grin.
"But, the richest of the gangsters lied. While all the leaders were there, he had paid for a huge group of robots to come..."
A wave of hulking, plated creatures sped through the pristine archway, leaving a trail of exhaust in their wake. Stunned on-lookers watched as over six-dozen whizzed by, splitting into smaller groups and heading into several different areas of the sweeping city.
"They were paid to destroy the gangster's rivals."
Without warning, the small platoons struck simultaneously, turning their brick and steel targets into rubble in a matter of seconds. The gangsters that had managed to survive the first volley ducked into the smoldering debris, and fiercely returned fire. A thick mist of gun smoke formed as the battle waged on. Slowly, the smoke cleared, and only the cyborgs stood amidst the destruction. They turned to each other, and smiled with serrated, metallic teeth.
"...They didn't stop there, though. They started destroying *everything*."
They hefted their weapons, turning upon the nearby buildings. Innocent pedestrians scattered as they frantically ran for cover. A woman screamed as her body jerked backward from a gunshot, the grip on her small child tightening. She stumbled, twisted, and fell upon the ground, listlessly rolling over the wailing toddler. The attackers turned their attention upon the building behind her. The ground shook as explosives battered it. The bullet-ridden front wall teetered, and then crumbled upon the lifeless woman and her child. The wailing stopped.
"The police tried to stop them--"
A small army of soldiers stood packed behind a large barrier of steel and stone, poised to strike with a vast array of weaponry. A grave hush had fallen over the city, broken only by the slight clicking of ammo being loaded and the distant din of battle. Seven of the hard-edged robots rounded the corner. A curt order was given, and the air was suddenly filled with the deafening boom of gunfire. Hundreds of spent shells clanked to the pavement as they fired.
"--But they couldn't."
The leading--and also largest--robot took the brunt of the blow, staggering back as its chest plate became pockmarked with bullet holes. It collapsed while the others retaliated. One stared at its fallen comrade, and then picked up its limp body and threw it at the blockade. It crashed into the front line with a thunderous roar of scraping metal and crunching bone. The remaining six stood confidently amidst the ensuing chaos, and opened fire.
"*Nothing* could."
The city burned. Columns of black smoke rose through the midnight downpour. The gray-haired creature stared out of the window, an embroidered cloth pressed against his wrinkled face from the overwhelming acrid stench. The foundation of the building rocked as a sky-scraping hotel within walking distance doubled over, collapsing in on itself. A dust cloud plumed upward and mingled with the choking black ash that wafted aloft menacingly. His face paled as he saw the troupe of robots he commissioned nearing; the titanium alloy that plated their bodies reflecting the firelight like a mirror.
"They hated humans, and killed every one that they saw."
One twisted its spear-tipped cranium in his direction, its eyes glowing brimstone. It fired a single shell. With horror, he felt the floorboards shudder through the leather soles of his shoes, and give way. He shrieked as he plummeted, staring above to see a red-tinted ceiling collapse upon him.
"The robots came, and destroyed my home. Completely."
Eternal Rain
By: blue
Desolation.
It was the only word that could aptly describe the lifeless area of land that surrounded him. Dark clouds stretched to the horizon as thunder rolled ominously through the late-afternoon sky. A light rain spattered against the sodden ground, as it had been for days on end.
This region was known as the 'Land of Eternal Rain'. 'For good reason, apparently,' he thought.
In the far distance, a disjointed silhouette sprawled across the bleary expanse. The samurai's lips curled into a frown as he neared, his eyes dancing about the gutted, demolished remains. He stopped at what he could only assume was once the city's entrance, and watched as rain streaked the concrete and rusted steel that hung sullenly in the mist. It appeared that the derelict town was wholly destroyed, and had been so for some time.
Tentatively, he stepped through the broken gateway, gazing at the ruins around him. He reminisced upon the other times he had arrived to see rotted, abandoned townships such as this, and wondered what it was that had laid waste to such an expansive city. An explosion rocked the ground, small chunks of concrete falling loose from larger slabs and skipping down the sides into the mud. Instantly on alert, Jack pulled his katana free, glaring into the thick fog. Squinting his eyes, he barely made out a huddled line of shadows scurrying in his direction. They quickly passed him without acknowledgement.
The fragmented cement under his geta shuddered as another, much larger outline lumbered through the rain. He shifted his stance, raising his sword defensively. The creature's silhouette was too geometrical to be humanoid, and it was obviously a threat. The hulking figure cleared the fog that wafted through the air; the shaft of a dangerously glowing device grafted onto its mechanical arm aimed at him.
Somewhere behind him, a small child shrieked.
His gaze widened and darted over his shoulder fleetingly. 'He is aiming *past* me!'
Jack barreled forward. He reached the creature, sliced the offending arm off, and bounded away to his previous location in the blink of an eye. The robot roared in pain as its slit eyes flared crimson. Clumsily, it ran forward.
He slashed his sword again.
It collapsed to the cement in two pieces, the severed halves sparking and twitching uselessly. Without a look back, he sheathed his sword, and strode to the sound of the child's scream.
Sluggishly, one undefined outline took shape, and transformed into the huddled forms of eight small children. They sat in a semi-circle, the largest of the troupe shielding the smaller. He gaped, taken aback by the sight. Blinking, he recovered, and knelt in a shallow puddle.
Jack reached forward, his fingers lightly touching down on the shoulder of the tallest child. "It is all right, now," he spoke softly. "The robot will no longer harm you."
Cautiously, the young boy turned to stare at him, the wariness of his movements mirrored on his young, rounded face. Something cool and unpleasant tightened minutely in Jack's chest. "There's more," the boy replied flatly, helping the other children to their feet. "We need to hide before they find this one and bring others." He gazed at the samurai and nodded his head to his left, several long locks of brown hair flopping in front of his face. "Come on, we'll let you hide with us."
He bowed his head humbly. 'These children are much too calm for the danger they have just faced,' he pondered. 'I must find out more.' He rose to his feet as they scampered off into the ruins, following shortly behind.
The children darted through the rubble with a startling amount of stealth. Their small bodies lithely weaved around the jagged, lilting remains; swiftly clambering over broken hunks of concrete that stood in their way. Jack kept up, though he was begrudged to admit that they were doing a slightly better job of remaining inconspicuous than he. 'They have done this many times before,' he concluded as he ducked behind a rusted girder. "Where are we heading?"
The lead child turned slightly. "Home," he stated, peeking his head over a pile of debris. He curtly nodded his head, and the company rose as one, speeding forward with an unnerving level of ease.
Jack frowned, glancing about him. Thus far, he had yet to see one building intact. What could they possibly be considering 'home'? He gripped the sleek wooden scabbard of his katana, trailing closely. His sandals hollowly clicked against the broken stone underfoot as he ran, echoing loudly through the deserted city. He spied the remnants of a destroyed building lingering ahead, and frowned at the sorry state of the place. It didn't seem very suitable for *anyone*, much less children...
The group stopped yards from the entrance, at the foot of a low wall. The cracked block of concrete stood to the samurai's chest, which he could've easily hurdled. The ragged band stared at the obstacle for an instant, before the eldest helped a slightly smaller blond boy to the top. The lanky child turned and faced the others, laying on his stomach and holding his hand out. Systematically, the two boys began pulling the smaller children over the paint-chipped wall.
He stared at the sight, surprised by their teamwork. He was very impressed, and yet, deeply disturbed at the same time. 'These children do not *act* like children.' His eyes slowly swept across the derelict scene about him, and absent-mindedly blinked away the rain that rushed into them. 'Though, in a place such as this, I suppose there would be little chance--'
The smallest child, a tiny girl that couldn't have been more than four years of age, tugged at the bottom of his gi. "'Scuse me, Mister."
He blinked, and stared down at the petite brunette. Distantly, he noticed the worn brown teddy bear crooked at her elbow, and smiled very faintly. "Yes, little girl?"
She gaped at him, oblivious to the rain that slammed against her tanned face. "Are you here to save us?"
He blinked again, his brow creasing with confusion and slight dread. "Save you? From whom?"
"We'll explain in a minute," stated the eldest child brusquely as he motioned for the little girl. Obediently, she padded to him, and giggled as he hauled her up for the other boy to take. "But, first we need to hide. They can see through the mist." With that, he grabbed hold of the blond's hands, scrambling over the top. They both slid down on the other side, starting towards the ramshackle lodgings they called 'home'.
Jack blinked a third time; this thin lips tugging into a disapproving frown. He didn't like this in the slightest. Something terrible had (quite obviously) taken place, and he wanted to know what it was. Muscles tightened, he leapt over the dingy concrete wall, following them inside.
The children zigzagged effortlessly about the wreckage that littered the inside of the building. The full-grown samurai had no such luck, though, and was forced to inch and crawl through the tight spaces. The rough cement and protruding metal bolts scratched at his skin and sopping gi, drawing small amounts of blood. Despite his discomfort, he could none the less appreciate their choice in habitats; he was a trained warrior, and it was taking all his strength to simply *move*--it would be nigh impossible for anyone to attack in such a confined path.
Eventually, he shoved himself through the last of the chunks of stone, falling upon the cold cement on his hands and knees. He made his way into the center of the room, twisting his head around and taking in his surroundings as he came to rest in a sitting position.
The group had taken shelter in a basement of some sort. The mountain of debris above guarded them from most of the elements, though rain continued to spill into the room in a few areas, along with the occasional gust of wind. A few crates dotted the nearby walls; though he didn't what purpose they served. Most notably, he saw a large patch of straw laid out by the corner, which six of the children already occupied.
The blond boy stepped to the warped wooden crates, bending over and reaching inside. After a moment, he came up with two small cans in his grip, and walked over to the closely nestled group. Sitting upon his knees, he produced a small knife and jabbed the point into the metal. His tongue curled at the side of his lip in concentration as he pried the lid up, repeating the process with the second can.
As a finishing touch, he proudly placed a small, hand-carved spoon into the contents of each with a flourish. "Dinner time," he proclaimed happily, handing the cans to the others. The seven children each took turns with their provisions; taking a bite before passing it off to another. They paid special attention to the smaller children, particularly the one that had spoken to him earlier.
Jack watched and tensed with outrage. 'This is *no* way for children to live.' He started suddenly, and slowly unwound his fists. He could not let his emotions get the better of him, no matter the reason. Numbly, his midnight eyes meandered to the far wall, falling upon the small brunette as he stood watch by the small entrance to their meager dwelling place.
Across the room, the blond boy glanced up from the can in his fingers. "Hey, Skaara, come and eat," he said, holding up the dented metal cylinder. "There's still some left."
Skaara cast a half-hearted glance over his shoulder, and shook his head. "That's okay," he stated. "You guys have it." He paused, and then clarified. "I'm not all that hungry."
The blond stared at him disbelievingly, but nodded and lowered his hand.
Jack rose and walked over to the boy, sitting cross-legged beside him. "What has happened here?"
Skaara's deep-set green eyes flickered to him with a hint of sadness. "You wouldn't understand," he stated.
The corner of the samurai's lip twitched slightly. "Do not be so quick to assume so," he replied quietly. "It appears that this--" He motioned to the shattered building. "--Is not recent. How did your city come to be this way?" The boy fell silent, looking away. "Does this have anything to do with the robot that attempted to attack you?"
Skaara's eyes shot to his, straightening his posture in surprise. After a second, he sighed deeply and slouched against the wall, seemingly unaware of the water that dripped upon him. "...It started a long time ago," he began softly. Jack remained silent, waiting impassively for him to continue. The small brunette sat down upon the cold ground, and drew his knees to his chest, resting his chin upon his crossed arms. "Before I was born, our city used to be big. It wasn't an easy place to live in, or a safe one, but it was still pretty nice." His eyes darkened, pulling his knees a little closer. "Then the robots came."
---
"My parents told me that there used to be gangs all around the city. They always fought with each other over who was the strongest and meanest."
Sheets of rain poured from the churning skies above, tumbling down from the rooftops like a waterfall into the darkened back alleyway. A staccato rat-tat-tat rang through the chilled evening air, the night momentarily driven back by the flash bang of muzzle-fire. Man and machine alike fell to the ground in growing puddles of organic and synthesized liquid. The jagged shadows stood over the unmoving forms with smoking guns in their hands, and then smiled.
"Then, one day, something changed. The gangs decided to join as one big gang, instead of a bunch of small ones."
A haze of smoke hovered thickly in a dimly lit room. A dozen separate leaders from all walks of life sat at a worn, scratched round table, speaking with each other. Finally, a gray-haired man stood, and placed on the beaten wooden table a sheet of paper. He plucked out a fountain pen from his pocket, and scribbled something at the bottom. The parchment was passed around slowly, each of the well-tailored bosses reading and signing. The standing man swiped the contract and folded it, slipping it into another pocket with a small grin.
"But, the richest of the gangsters lied. While all the leaders were there, he had paid for a huge group of robots to come..."
A wave of hulking, plated creatures sped through the pristine archway, leaving a trail of exhaust in their wake. Stunned on-lookers watched as over six-dozen whizzed by, splitting into smaller groups and heading into several different areas of the sweeping city.
"They were paid to destroy the gangster's rivals."
Without warning, the small platoons struck simultaneously, turning their brick and steel targets into rubble in a matter of seconds. The gangsters that had managed to survive the first volley ducked into the smoldering debris, and fiercely returned fire. A thick mist of gun smoke formed as the battle waged on. Slowly, the smoke cleared, and only the cyborgs stood amidst the destruction. They turned to each other, and smiled with serrated, metallic teeth.
"...They didn't stop there, though. They started destroying *everything*."
They hefted their weapons, turning upon the nearby buildings. Innocent pedestrians scattered as they frantically ran for cover. A woman screamed as her body jerked backward from a gunshot, the grip on her small child tightening. She stumbled, twisted, and fell upon the ground, listlessly rolling over the wailing toddler. The attackers turned their attention upon the building behind her. The ground shook as explosives battered it. The bullet-ridden front wall teetered, and then crumbled upon the lifeless woman and her child. The wailing stopped.
"The police tried to stop them--"
A small army of soldiers stood packed behind a large barrier of steel and stone, poised to strike with a vast array of weaponry. A grave hush had fallen over the city, broken only by the slight clicking of ammo being loaded and the distant din of battle. Seven of the hard-edged robots rounded the corner. A curt order was given, and the air was suddenly filled with the deafening boom of gunfire. Hundreds of spent shells clanked to the pavement as they fired.
"--But they couldn't."
The leading--and also largest--robot took the brunt of the blow, staggering back as its chest plate became pockmarked with bullet holes. It collapsed while the others retaliated. One stared at its fallen comrade, and then picked up its limp body and threw it at the blockade. It crashed into the front line with a thunderous roar of scraping metal and crunching bone. The remaining six stood confidently amidst the ensuing chaos, and opened fire.
"*Nothing* could."
The city burned. Columns of black smoke rose through the midnight downpour. The gray-haired creature stared out of the window, an embroidered cloth pressed against his wrinkled face from the overwhelming acrid stench. The foundation of the building rocked as a sky-scraping hotel within walking distance doubled over, collapsing in on itself. A dust cloud plumed upward and mingled with the choking black ash that wafted aloft menacingly. His face paled as he saw the troupe of robots he commissioned nearing; the titanium alloy that plated their bodies reflecting the firelight like a mirror.
"They hated humans, and killed every one that they saw."
One twisted its spear-tipped cranium in his direction, its eyes glowing brimstone. It fired a single shell. With horror, he felt the floorboards shudder through the leather soles of his shoes, and give way. He shrieked as he plummeted, staring above to see a red-tinted ceiling collapse upon him.
"The robots came, and destroyed my home. Completely."