"What's happening? Where did this robot come from?"
Shine landed gracefully in the middle of the destroyed plaza, her eyes already beginning to glow with the familiar colors of the rainbow. Destroyed cars smoked around her, shattered glass covered the asphalt like deadly diamonds, and the robot continued its destructive march in the background.
Blood Night descended from his observation point, irritation evident in his movements.
"I can't believe it! Another teenage girl in my story! You better not interfere. My story, my villain!"
Shine glanced at him sideways, quickly assessing the situation. The robot had just ripped a light pole from the sidewalk and was swinging it like a giant baseball bat.
"Can you defeat this thing alone? It looks pretty strong."
"Go take care of your hair, I'll take care of this one."
Blood Night drew his sword and ran directly toward the cyborg robot. This was his moment. His big heroic scene. Cell phone cameras captured every second - it would be epic.
The robot turned toward him with impossible speed. Its metallic arm moved like a war hammer, connecting with the side of Blood Night's face in an impact that produced a dry, brutal sound.
The blow was devastating. Blood Night felt his teeth crash against each other, his vision exploding in white dots. His body was thrown horizontally through the air, spinning uncontrollably before hitting the ground on his back.
He slid across the rough asphalt for almost ten meters, his mask scraping against the concrete until he stopped at Shine's feet. Blood dripped from his nose, and each breath sent waves of pain through his ribs.
"This... this wasn't in the script...", he groaned, trying to focus his vision.
Shine crouched down, worried. Blood Night tried to get up, but his legs trembled like jelly. The pain throbbed in waves through the side of his face. His voice came out hoarse, panting, almost breathless:
"Okay... just this once... you can go, Shine. Shine for me."
Shine didn't hesitate. She launched herself into the skies, her body radiating multicolored energy, and went after the robot with concentrated fury.
She flew in a straight line and delivered a devastating uppercut that caught the robot right on its metallic chin. The impact made the machine stagger backward, sparks flying where the energized fist made contact.
Without giving quarter, Shine spun in the air and landed a sidekick on the cyborg's chest. The metal deformed slightly under the impact, and the robot retreated even further.
For three full minutes, it was a brutal demonstration of aerial combat. Shine attacked from every possible angle - from above with double hammers that made the ground crack, from the sides with spinning kicks that cut through the air with sharp whistles, from below with uppercuts that lifted the robot off the ground.
Each blow left marks on the dark armor, each rainbow energy blast created small craters on the metallic surface. The robot tried to counter-attack, swinging its massive arms, but always hit only air. Shine was like a luminous ghost, always one move ahead.
Then everything changed.
"ADAPTATION COMPLETE."
The robot blocked Shine's next punch with the palm of its hand, absorbing all the impact. Before she could react, it closed its fingers around her fist and pulled her violently downward.
The robot's metallic knee came up to meet Shine's stomach. The impact made her double over in the air, all the air being expelled from her lungs in an agonizing groan.
Without releasing her fist, the robot spun her like a hammer and threw her against a brick wall. Shine hit the surface with her back, creating a hole in the shape of her body. She slid to the ground, coughing blood.
The robot ran to her and delivered a brutal kick that caught her in the ribs. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the plaza. Shine rolled across the ground for several meters, leaving a trail of blood on the asphalt.
Blood Night finally managed to get up, still dizzy but furious. He attacked the robot from behind, driving his sword between the armor plates.
The blade penetrated a few centimeters before locking. The robot turned, with the sword still embedded in its back, and hit Blood Night with a backhand that made him spin completely in the air.
Blood Night landed on his stomach, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He rolled to the side just in time to avoid a stomp that cracked the concrete where his head had been.
Shine returned to the fight, flying low and hitting the robot at knee height. The machine stumbled, giving Blood Night time to roll away and reposition.
The two tried to attack in coordination, but the robot had adapted again. It began to use both arms independently - one blocking Shine's aerial attacks, the other batting away Blood Night's charges.
A metallic elbow hit Blood Night in the chest, breaking at least two ribs. The sound was like dry branches being snapped. At the same time, the other hand grabbed Shine by the ankle and slammed her against the ground like a rag doll.
Blood Night spat blood, his ribs sending stabs of pain with each breath. Shine could barely stay in the air, her energies draining away.
"Oh, you crazy robot! You're not going to go around punching like you're the protagonist! My story, my role!"
He gripped his sword with both hands, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He concentrated all his remaining energy and brought the darkness.
For eight seconds, the plaza was in absolute darkness. When the light returned, Blood Night was clinging to the robot's back, his sword driven deep into the machine's metallic chest.
The robot was thrown backward with tremendous force, going through a glass wall and hitting the concrete wall behind it. Pieces of masonry rained around the robot-shaped hole.
Before the machine could get up, Blood Night brought the darkness again. This time, when the light returned, the sword had penetrated even deeper. The robot was thrown against a second wall, creating another hole.
Shine, gathering her last strength, concentrated all her remaining rainbow energy into her fists. They glowed with blinding intensity. She flew in a straight line and landed a devastating uppercut that caught the robot just as it tried to get up.
The impact launched it three meters into the air before it splattered against yet another wall.
At that moment, a small red robot appeared running down the side street. Its legs were disproportionately short, giving it an almost comical appearance as it approached the battle at high speed.
The red robot stopped beside Blood Night and fired a concentrated laser that hit the cyborg in the shoulder, melting part of the armor.
"It's okay, it's me, Kel."
Kel's voice echoed through the small robot's speakers. The Mecha was clearly built in a hurry - visible welds, misaligned plates, but functioning.
The cyborg slowly rose from the debris, its armor smoking. Its systems made recalibration noises.
"UPDATING TO VERSION 3.2."
Blood Night tried to bring the night again, but nothing happened. He concentrated, gripping the sword tightly, but only a few flickers of shadow appeared before disappearing.
"Damn it! I think I've reached my limit. But I'm going to keep beating the crap out of you!"
The three positioned themselves around the cyborg - Blood Night in front, Shine flying in low circles, and the small Mecha moving laterally. It was a formation that should give tactical advantage.
The robot observed the three for a moment. Then it moved with impossible speed.
The cyborg launched itself first against Blood Night, who barely managed to raise his sword in time to block a punch. The impact sent him sliding backward for five meters, his feet leaving grooves in the asphalt.
Before Blood Night could even stabilize, the robot had already turned and grabbed Shine by the foot as she attacked from behind. It spun her in the air like a lasso and threw her against the small Mecha.
The two collided with a metallic crash that echoed throughout the plaza. Shine rolled across the ground, groaning in pain, while the Mecha was left with several loose plates and sparking.
The cyborg gave no quarter. It approached the two fallen and delivered alternating kicks. First it hit Shine in the ribs, making her roll even farther. Then it stepped on the Mecha, crushing its mechanical legs.
Blood Night attacked from behind again, but the robot, without even turning, landed an elbow on Blood Night's already injured ribs. The sound of more bones breaking was audible throughout the plaza.
Blood Night fell to his knees, spitting blood and trying to breathe. The cyborg grabbed him by the head with one hand, the metallic fingers closing around his skull like a vise.
It lifted him off the ground and threw him against a store window. Blood Night went through the glass in an explosion of cutting shards and landed in the middle of mannequins and scattered clothes.
In the underground base, Kel desperately controlled the small Mecha through screens and joysticks. His hands sweated as he tried to make the damaged robot get up.
On the surface, Shine did everything to concentrate her total rainbow energy. Her body began to glow with an intensity she had never demonstrated before. The colors intensified until they were almost blinding - red like fire, blue like lightning, green like liquid emerald.
She flew directly to the cyborg and grabbed it by the arms, trying to keep it immobilized. Her rainbow energy expanded, enveloping both in a sphere of multicolored light.
The small Mecha, all destroyed but still functional, managed to get up. Its legs were crooked, one arm hung loose, and sparks jumped from several exposed circuits. Even so, it dragged itself toward the two.
Blood Night emerged from the store window debris, cut in several places by glass shards, but still holding his sword. He ran stumbling toward the robot immobilized by Shine.
The cyborg, even being held with all of Shine's strength, managed to move. With a sudden movement, it broke her embrace and grabbed her by the shoulders.
With tremendous force, it threw her directly against Blood Night. The two heroes collided in the air in a confusion of arms and legs, falling in a pile on the ground.
The Mecha tried to take advantage of the distraction, but the cyborg turned and hit it with a kick that sent it flying against a wall. The impact was devastating. The small red robot splattered against the concrete, its pieces scattering across the floor.
But even completely destroyed, the Mecha still tried to move. Sparks jumped from the exposed circuits, and its voice began to fail.
"Get... out of... here... now..."
In the base, Kel typed frantically, activating emergency protocols. Tears ran down his face as he initiated the final sequence.
Blood Night and Shine got up staggering. Both were at their absolute limit. Blood Night could barely stand, and Shine tried to fly but could only float a few centimeters off the ground.
When Shine moved away, the completely destroyed Mecha initiated its self-destruct sequence. A white, blinding light began to radiate from its exposed circuits.
The explosion was monumental. An orange fireball expanded from the center of the small robot, engulfing everything within a fifteen-meter radius. The sound was deafening, making the plaza's remaining windows shatter.
When the smoke dissipated, the cyborg was still standing, but visibly damaged. Its armor was charred and melted in several parts, exposed circuits sparked violently, and one of its arms hung at an impossible angle.
Shine, exhausted but determined, tried to approach to deliver the final blow.
"Stop right there!"
Blood Night got up, holding the sword with both hands despite the excruciating pain.
Shine stopped, looking at him.
"I'm the protagonist. I'm the one who should finish off my villain."
Shine said nothing, just moved away, leaving space for him.
Blood Night walked slowly toward the damaged robot. His broken ribs sent stabs of pain with each step, but he continued.
With a precise and definitive movement, he drove the sword into the center of the cyborg's chest, completely piercing its main circuits.
The robot stopped moving instantly. Its lights went out one by one, and it fell forward, inert.
It was over.
After that, they left there. A part of the city was completely destroyed - overturned cars, glass scattered everywhere, walls with holes, but the people were safe.
After that, they returned to the basement.
---
Days had passed.
Posters were pasted on all the city streets. "We thank Blood Night, our best hero!"
"Yeah, I'm a huge success! People love me! Look at that, they put those up for me!"
The voiceover echoed through the streets as the camera showed the posters fluttering in the wind.
Inside the basement, Blood Night was sitting comfortably in the chair, with his feet propped on a workbench, scrolling through social media and absorbing every positive comment.
"Are you going to keep bragging about the posters you put up yourself?"
Kel was on the other side of the laboratory, organizing equipment that had survived the robot's construction.
Blood Night tried to say something, open his mouth to protest, but there wasn't time.
"The end."
[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]