Peace!

Star’s foot collided with Shinku’s chest, sending him soaring into the air. His body twisted, weightless, before he began to plummet toward the ground. Star followed with predatory grace through a jump. He now hovered above Shinku, both hands stretched wide and glowing with energy. His voice was soft, but every word carried the weight of inevitable destruction.

“Die. Human.”

A crackling charge began to emanate from his hands, the air around him distorting with raw energy. Shinku’s face illuminated as the blast intensified, and he could do nothing but watch, his body frozen in place. The overwhelming force of the attack was too much to escape, and the air beneath him began to tremble with the impending power.

“Boy!” Roton’s voice broke through the chaos, sharp and commanding. “Glitch!” He sent a surge of data towards Shinku, a pulse of energy flew.

In a flash, everything changed.

Shinku squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the sensation of the world shifting around him. Roton’s data connected with him, and in an instant, their positions were reversed. Shinku was no longer beneath Star; Roton had taken his place, ready to face the oncoming storm. The two swapped positions seamlessly—Shinku in the clear, and Roton now standing in the line of fire.

“Yohoho!” Roton’s voice rang out with bitter irony as he stood in front of Star’s blast, a smirk forming on his face. “Aren’t I unlucky?”

“No!” Shinku screamed in horror, watching helplessly as Roton faced his impending doom. His body froze, his mind hammering as he tried to move, to do something, anything.

Star formed a twisted smile, his eyes glinting with malice. “Bye-bye!! Old bot!” he taunted, his voice full of satisfaction.

Roton didn’t flinch. With a quick motion, he adjusted his fake mustache, holding up two peace signs as if mocking death itself. His eyes remained fixed on Shinku, smiling even as the blast began to erupt towards him.

“To be honest, Shinku,” Roton’s echoed as the blast consumed him. “You know the whole time I lied. I was just as scared as all of you. Peace!”

The explosion of energy ripped through the air, engulfing Roton. His body disintegrated almost instantly, his last words lingering in the air like a ghost.

Shinku’s chest tightened, a wave of grief washing over him. He could still hear Roton’s voice, still feel the lingering warmth of their brief moments together. Memories of their time on the road, their car ride, the promise of a medal when they got back, all played back in his mind.

“Roton…” Shinku whispered. His fingers shook as he pressed the comm link, his voice strained. “Roton’s down…”

Officers from District 1 reacted, their hearts heavy with the loss. Prog, mid-fight with Xenox, froze for a moment, his focus broken.

Shinku stood in place, his body numb, eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. His mind screamed, but his body refused to respond.

Suddenly, a red wireframe surged around him, wrapping him up like a constrictor, pulling him tight. Shinku’s eyes widened in panic. “What the—!”

Before he could react, a large figure appeared, lifting him into the air. It was Anthril.. He didn’t hesitate—jumping through the air with Shinku in his arms, a smirk on his face as he glanced back at Star.

“Thanks for keeping him busy,” Anthril chuckled.

The comm link crackled with frantic shouts. “Shinku’s being captured!” an officer called out in alarm.

“Everyone retreat!” Prog’s voice rang through the comms, stern and commanding. “The Mother Brain looks like it’s going to burst with data!”

The District 1 officers scrambled, retreating as the tension in the air thickened. Shinku’s mind was spinning, his body still locked in place, unable to break free of Anthril’s grip.

“Put me down!” Shinku shouted, his voice hoarse with anger. “Whatever you guys want with me, I’ll never help!”

Anthril scoffed, his grip tightening as he continued to leap through the battlefield, dodging chaos and destruction. “All humans have wanted to do is nothing,” he said, his voice bitter. “First, it began with automation of little things so you could do a little more nothing. And then it grew, so you could do even more of nothing. And now, suddenly, you humans want that former power back? No. This is what you wanted. This is the result of your own laziness.”

Shinku panicked.

I’m captured! His thoughts spiraled, the sense of helplessness gnawing at him. His body remained frozen, his mind screaming for him to move, but the red wires that bound him were too strong, too tight. The battle continued to rage around him, but all he could do was stare, paralyzed by his own helplessness.

The officers scrambled, running for their lives as the chaos unfolded around them. The once bustling battlefield now resembled a scene of devastation, with bodies scattered and the lingering stench of destruction in the air. Vitron dashed towards the back entrance of the dome, moving with a sense of urgency. His laugh echoed as he turned to the retreating officers.

“Have fun cleaning up that mess of Mother Brain!” Vitron’s voice was laced with mocking amusement, his tone light as he reveled in the destruction.

Behind him, Anthril followed, Shinku still unconscious in his arms. Shinku’s limp body barely stirred as they made their way to the outside. The weight of Johe’s death and Roton’s sacrifice hung heavy on his mind. Every step he took was a reminder of the loss they had suffered. The world around him seemed to crumble with every passing moment, and his heart felt like it was drowning in the weight of defeat.

Vitron was already ahead, leaping onto a small, round mechanical contraption—a black, skull-like machine that sputtered to life. Its body was bulbous, with small propellers at the bottom, giving it just enough lift to soar through the air. The machine hummed, its glowing red eyes flickering ominously as Vitron settled into the cockpit.

He cheered, his voice dripping with triumph. “This is going to be fun! Let’s get going!”

The machine jerked and sputtered before it finally stabilized, lifting off into the air with Vitron at the helm. Anthril, not far behind, stood atop a small flying star-like vehicle, pulling a lever that sent him soaring through the sky. He followed behind Vitron.

Shinku, still cradled in Anthril’s arms, shivered with fear, his mind racing in panic. He couldn’t help but glance back at the chaos that had been left in their wake—Johe, Roton, all the fallen officers. The memories of their losses haunted him, and the crushing weight of despair pulled him deeper into fear. What do they have planned for me? he thought, trembling. What have they prepared?

The air seemed to hum with an eerie silence for a moment. Then, the ground shook violently, and a deafening explosion erupted behind them. Mother Brain had detonated, sending a wave of destruction through the air. Oil and debris splattered in every direction, taking down more officers in its path. The once-functioning supercomputer had finally met its explosive end, but it had taken countless lives with it.

Outside, the remaining officers continued to fire hydroarm bullets down below, their weapons

“We’re getting caught in this mess!” Prog’s voice rang out over the comms as he sprinted alongside his team, ducking to avoid the bullets. “This isn’t rain! These are from hydroarms The weather thing was a fallacy!”

Tackle, her face streaked with tears, was atop Bontly as he carried her through the madness. Her hands trembled, and her heart ached with every step they took. She cried, the grief of losing their comrades weighing heavily on her shoulders. Bontly, asked quietly, “Why are you crying, Tackle?”

Tackle wiped her eyes, trying to steady herself, but her voice cracked as she answered, “Because we’re losing.”

Bontly’s expression softened, his gaze turning downward as he considered her words. He said nothing, only nodding solemnly, as they continued their retreat. The weight of their situation was clear, but there was little left they could do.

Meanwhile, Vitron and Anthril were already high in the sky, soaring through the clouds as they left the chaos behind. Vitron confidently spoke to Anthril. “Text Nub and let him know we’re on our way. We’ll begin everything tomorrow morning. Let’s get this over with.”

“I’m texting him now,” Anthril replied flatly, his voice devoid of any warmth.

Shinku, exhausted from the emotional and physical toll of everything that had transpired, had long since passed out. His body slumped further into Anthril’s arms, his mind lost to the crushing fatigue. The world around him faded to black as he surrendered to the overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

As the two men flew off into the distance, the battlefields of the dome now a smoldering wreckage behind them, the officers who remained were left to pick up the pieces.