The Watch - Part 32

My heart was racing.

‘You dare to object my orders,’ the robot said.

‘I will do what is necessary to ensure the safety of these people,’ I shouted down as confidently as I could. I could feel the watch’s power course through my body. I knew that I would be able to do at least something that will help these people.

‘You will, will you?’ the robot said sarcastically. For a moment there, it sounded as if someone was speaking through him. Someone was sitting somewhere out of the way, using a microphone to amplify his voice to the crowd, and the robot was just doing as ordered by him. If that may be the case, after I’ve dealt with this robot, I might be able to go after the person responsible for this intrusion.

‘Then why don’t you come down here and show everyone that you mean it,’ the robot said, lowering his arm and stood waiting for me to descend the steps and into the arena. This was now or never. The one opportunity that will allow me to get as close as possible to him so I can make my move. As soon as he invited me on stage, I immediately started to make my way down there. Everyone was shocked as to what I am doing. They watched with their mouths open.

Once down the steps, I climbed onto the arena floor and walked towards the robot. I wanted to show the crowd that I wasn’t scared, but I knew that was not the case. I was terrified as to what was going to happen, but I had my watch with me, and that is all I needed.

The closer I got to the robot, I noticed that it was a lot taller than me. It looked incredibly tough as if it would be able to withstand a blast that would normally rip apart a tank that was made of paper. My muscles tensed upon seeing it up close. I wasn’t sure whether that was because of my nerves or because my body was naturally readying itself for the inevitable fight in front of me.

‘Do you want to object to my orders now?’ He was testing me, trying to make me react so that he could strike and finish me off, but I stood firm.

‘You shall not hurt this crowd,’ I said.

‘And what are you going to do about it?’ the robot said, practically laughing. ‘You’re just an ordinary human, made up of flesh and weak bones, incapable of withstanding anything I have to offer. If you want to have a go, then I’m not stopping you.’

‘Famous last words,’ I smiled. I scrunched up my hand into a fist, clenching it as hard as I could for maximum power. I could feel the watch’s power strengthen my fist that much more. I was ready to strike and I was going to do it now. As fast as I could, I raised my fist up, ready to punch the robot in the chest, but he saw it coming a mile away and reacted with insane speed. He knocked my hand out of the way and smacked his own fist into my chest, sending me flying backwards into the walkway in between arena floor and seating area. I landed hard on my back. I saw stars in my eyes. I heard a high pitched noise in my ears from where he hit me. Normally that move would have either killed or very injured an ordinary person, but I’m no ordinary person, so I just came out the other end with a mild dizzy spell, that after a couple of seconds, faded away completely due to my magnified strength. I started this fight, and so I will finish it. I will not let myself get beat. I have the watch on my side, and I’m going to use its power to defeat this robot if it’s the last thing I do. As quickly as the pain in my chest and back would allow me, I scrambled back to my feet, ready for round two.

‘Well, look at this,’ the robot said, ‘you’re tougher than you look. Shame it’s not going to get you anywhere.’ The fight was properly on now. The robot lunched for me. I only had a split second to react. I dived out of the way, landing on the ground once more, but I quickly recovered, ready to dodge the robot’s second attack. But he played me. He made me move to a certain place so that he could strike with his leg and kick me backwards. Once more, I went flying, landing hard on the arena floor.

Pain was everywhere in my body. I grunted as I moved, trying to get myself back up. I was down but not out. I reached for my watch and increased my strength to twice the amount I had before. Before I was superhuman, now I’m double that. My body’s new found strength raced through my body. I also activated the quick healing power, just in case, and increased that to what I knew was Deadpool’s healing factor, and from what I know about Deadpool, is that you can’t kill him no matter what the injury he sustains. I’m hoping that’s going to be the case here. With the healing factor added, the pain in my body disappeared rapidly, allowing me to climb back up and get ready for round two. He may have won the battle, but I’ll be damned if he will win the war.

‘Is that all you got,’ I said. I’ve always wanted to say that.

‘You’re starting to annoy me,’ the robot said, walking forward, activating his guns and swords. If only I had a weapon, that way I would be able to hit him from a distance, but for now I’ll have to do with my fists, and if all goes to plan, that is all I’ll need. The audience was watching in awe. I could feel hundreds of wide eyes staring at me, looking at me with incomprehension, wondering how I was able to withstand such abuse and still come back for more.

The robot broke into a sprint, almost taking me by surprise, but I managed to just dodge the blade of his sword. I brought my fist down and it collided with his arm. For the first time this fight, it made a dent. I actually made an impact. The robot was taken by surprise, allowing me to swing in for another blow, adding my feet into the mix as well. I was pulling back some ground. Although I never made him go flying backwards, I was able to make a series of dents in his chest, arms and legs. But, whoever or whatever was controlling it, learnt my new found abilities and adjusted accordingly, and soon the robot was turning the tables once more.

It brought his entire range of martial arts to the table, hitting me this way and that. His left fist smacked against my jaw, and I went down to my knees. He then swung his other hand downwards where it collided with my head, sending me down even further. He then picked me up, raising me high above his head before slamming me down onto the arena floor so hard, the ground cracked like glass. I grunted with pain, but it didn’t last for long due to my healing powers. My new found strength made me not lose my energy for an incredibly long amount of time, and that helped me with getting back up, each and every time. Except this time, I was much slower getting to my feet that all the times before.

‘My, my, my,’ the robot said, ‘you have certainly surprised me. An ordinary human – well, I wouldn’t call you ordinary – but a human nonetheless, is able to hold his own against me. That is a turn up for the books.’

As I was getting to my feet, I subtly activated the power of speed and increased to an amount that I knew would be fast enough. I ignored his taunt and lunched once more. I was faster than the robot expected and I was able to punch and kick, damaging him enough for him to go a lot slower.

‘You. Will. Not. Harm. The. People.’ Each word I said was emphasized with a punch and soon, he had more dents in his armour than he had straight panels. I grabbed one of his swords and snapped it off. I then stabbed the sword straight through his chest where the heart would normally be for a human. I must have hit something important because he reacted accordingly. Sparks flew out of his back as the sword exited. I stood back and watched as the robot sunk to his knees, trying to grab the sword out of his chest. Whatever I did, I must have cut some important cabling. I then decided to finish the job. I walked up to the robot who looked up at me.

‘You truly are a surprising human being,’ he said.

I didn’t say anything, just looked into his eyes. If there truly was someone commanding it from a distance, then it would be through his eyes, and that meant I was staring right at him. I stared with a message that I was coming for him. Then I raised my fist up and brought it down. It collided with his head and it fell over backwards. But he wasn’t down for the count. He crawled along the ground as I stood watching. I wanted to finish the job, but something told me to wait as I might have been walking into a trap. After a couple of seconds, he got to his feet. He pulled out the sword from his chest and waved it about, testing its durability. It turned around to face me. I could see the mangled wires and metal in his chest. My suit was looking rather beaten. My blazer was ripped in several places, shirt was soaked in sweat and my trousers covered in dust. I was breathing hard.

‘You forget that by stabbing a robot where the heart usually is, nothing happens except it’s slowed down.’

‘You’re only getting up to fall back down,’ I said.

‘Strong words,’ he said. I thought he was going to throw the sword at me, and I prepared myself for that, but instead he slid it across the floor until it collided with my feet.

‘You can certainly talk the talk, and you’ve proven that you can walk the walk,’ he said, ‘but how good are you when it comes to using a sword.’ He didn’t give me any time to say anything in response.

He lunged at me with his other sword. In one movement, I rolled out of the way and picked up the sword. I managed to roll onto my knees and lift up my sword, as he brought down his. They collided with a deafening clang. The sudden connection was a shock to my arms. The robot was pushing down with all its strength, forcing my arms down ever so slightly. I had to think of something quick, but I wasn’t in the best position.

With all my strength, I pushed the sword out of the way, until it was at a safe distance. I let go and it swung down beside me, allowing me to get back up as he recovered. He swung around on the balls of his heels to face me.

And so began an epic fight with the swords. Each person’s swing, countered by the other person’s. As I was fighting, I was amazing myself at how well I’m doing. I’ve had no prior training for this, but here I am, holding my own. If I were watching this in a film or TV show, I would have said that it was an improbable set of circumstances that would never happen without extensive training. I love how I have taken that review and chucked it straight out of the window. I am now currently writing the new set of probable happenings with each connection of the sword. But then, the robot got the better of me and I was struck in the back with the blade. White hot pain pelted through my body and I screamed aloud. I wasn’t going to give up. I knew that the cut would heal in very quick time due to my power of healing. The pain went away. I could then feel the skin already growing as I spun around, ready to take offense once more. I was more determined than ever. I was not going to let him get the better of me again.

I poured all my strength into my arms, and the sword collided with the robot’s with insane amount of power, until it, remarkably, impossibly, incomprehensibly, flew out of the robot’s hand, landing on the arena floor with a loud thud. I didn’t waste any time and struck once more, this time on the other side. The sword went straight through and his reaction copied that of the last time. Sparks flew out of the other end, and he crumpled to the floor. He was now very injured, taking even slower amount of time to get to his feet than last time. I instinctively knew that I could take the finishing blow without the threat of being caught out. I swung my sword up for the final time and brought it down. It sliced right through the robot’s head, splitting into two. If it were a human’s head, this scene would have been incredible graphic beyond comprehension, but since a robot is the subject now, all that poured out was bits of scrap metal and wires, dropping to the floor. I watched as the power behind the eyes faded. Then he slumped to the floor. Dead.

I stared at the robot for what felt like a very long time. I thought about what I had just done and what my actions meant. Was my actions justified since it was a robot instead of a human, or should my actions be treated as if it were a human lying on the floor in front of me. I wasn’t sure how I should feel. Everything became a silent haze in my head and all around me. After an unknown amount of time, I noticed the silent stares of the audience all around me. I couldn’t bare their wide eyes looking at me, unblinkingly, shocked. Each person’s minds blown. How was an ordinary looking teenager able to defeat a war robot that so easily defeated the most advanced war robot in the world? How was I able to perform so many unhuman feats of strength, healing, invulnerability? What was my secret? Where did I come from? What was my name? These were some of probably hundreds of questions I can assume the audience has right now. I had to get out of there, but I wasn’t sure where to go. My head was so full; I couldn’t think properly.

Eventually, my head was clear enough to allow for some thoughts to force their way through and the idea of teleporting out of here and going someplace else came to me. I reached for my watch and pressed a couple of buttons, before disappearing in front of the audience’s eyes, creating even more questions.

If I had told myself that I was going to be fighting a war robot today, I would have told myself that I was crazy. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe, just maybe, this was all a dream.

No, this was not a dream. I most certainly did not imagine the fight against the robot. That was real. And I had a feeling it was only going to get even more so…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)