Super Avenged

“You know what I’m hungry for?” I asked Jimmy a few days later. I lay sprawled out on my stomach across the living room floor. An open People magazine sat in front of me, and occasionally I would turn the page in a bored kind of way. Jimmy sat on the couch, bored as well, staring blankly at the television.

He perked up slightly when I spoke. “No...What are you hungry for?”

“Starbuck’s sounds really, really, really tasty right now,” I answered, rolling over onto my back and looking over at him. Jimmy blinked at me a few times before sighing and going back to the television.

“What, wasn’t that a satisfactory answer?” I asked quickly, sitting up. Jimmy focused back on me and shook his head.

“It wasn’t what I’m hungry for,” he told me. I tilted my head to the side curiously.

“And what are you hungry for?”

“Doughnuts,” Jimmy answered. “Dunkin’ Doughnuts, to be exact.”

“Well, you know,” I rose to my knees and shuffled over to the couch. I propped my elbows on the cushion and looked up at Jimmy. “Dunkin’ sells coffee. I’ll be willing to compromise. We can go to Dunkin’ instead, and you can get your doughnut, and I’ll get my coffee. Deal?”

“Let me see what’s on TV first,” Jimmy answered, looking at the television. He stared at it for about a second before continuing, “Oh, guess there’s nothing on. Let’s go.”

And I barely had time to grab my purse and put some shoes on before Jimmy dragged me out the door.

((*****))

“So, what kind of doughnut will you get?” I asked Jimmy as we walked to the Dunkin’ Doughnuts just a few blocks away from my apartment. Our linked hands swung between us. A late-August sun beamed down upon the bustling New York City street, and calm, cool winds rushed down the streets, snagging lapels of jackets and hems of skirts.

“I was thinking maybe—” Jimmy began to answer, but was interrupted by a dull, loud roar coming from somewhere above us. We didn’t have any time to look up before a giant robot landed in the middle of the street right next to us. Cars reared to a stop with a loud litany of honking before the people inside of them clambered out, tripping over their own feet, and scurried off out of harm’s way. I stared up at the tall robot in dismay as it turned its head towards me and the bright red eyes flashed for a second, having recognized its target.

“Oh no, not again!” Jimmy and I both groaned at the same time. He had already taken the time to push his little belt buckle button. He now stood swiveling his head, looking for some place safe for me.

Meanwhile, a gun retracted out of the robot’s wrist. An attachment snapped onto the end, and he aimed it straight at Jimmy. Figuring that it couldn’t possibly be anything good, I shoved Jimmy out of the way. We landed hard on the sidewalk, and I looked around to see a small crater where the gun attachment had shot. It looked like it had been caused by a laser or something.

“Stop thinking about me!” I yelled at Jimmy, dragging him to his feet as I stumbled to mine. “If you’re distracted with my safety, there’s no way I’ll ever be safe!”

“Right, right,” Jimmy agreed, looking up at the robot as it turned its head towards us. A masculine, calculated scream came from down the street, and I could see ripples from Matt’s sonic boom as it traveled through the air. It slammed into the robot’s head, causing it to stagger to the side. It recovered quickly and looked towards the others.

Zacky used telekinesis to force the robot to punch itself in the head. It was forced to obey, and stumbled even more. Jimmy stretched out an arm and wrapped it tightly around the robot’s ankles before cinching it together, dragging the robot’s legs together as he did so. The robot, already off-balance, fell down to the street. As the guys advanced towards the fallen tin body, a panel on the robot’s chest popped open. Seconds later, about two dozen life-size robots swarmed out, climbed down the robot’s body, and launched themselves towards the guys.

Suddenly, the guys were outnumbered. And these robots seemed to be made of a more durable metal than the previous two, because the guys were having a harder time penetrating their metallic epidermis to get to the wires beneath. The larger robot struggled back to its feet and began to fight again.

Knowing I would only get in the way, I backed into an alleyway and watched with wide eyes as the guys struggled to defeat the robots. Whoever was sending these robots had really stepped up their game this time. I winced as a robot clocked Zacky a good one on the jaw with a clenched steel fist, sending Zacky falling to the ground. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how I could.

A cold metallic hand closed around my elbow. I spun around to find a robot standing behind me, its blank red eyes staring at my face. The eyes flickered upon recognition and instantly dragged me towards it. Before I could respond past a feeble shove, the robot slung me over its shoulder and ran with amazing speed out into the street, towards the larger robot.

“JIMMY!” I shrieked, beating at the robot’s back. I slammed my elbow into its metal casing, and a tingling sensation shot down my arm from my funny bone. I hissed in a breath as Jimmy threw a robot off of him and turned to see me being carried away by the robot.

“Miya!” he yelled back, starting towards me. I looked around at a loud creaking noise to see a panel on the robot’s stomach snap open. The robot lifted me off of its shoulder, and the larger robot’s hand closed tightly around my body.

“Jimmy!” I shrieked, trying to struggle against the robot’s hand, even though it was like trying to, literally, bend steel.

“Miya! Guys!” Jimmy turned in desperation towards his friends, but they were all preoccupied with fending off the smaller robots. Jimmy whirled back to look at me, and I could see the pain in his eyes.

“I love you!” I screamed, blowing a kiss at him. Tears rose in my eyes at the thought of this being possibly the last glimpse I would ever get of him. This could be the end...

“I’ll save you, Miya!” Jimmy screamed back. “I won’t let you get hurt, not anymore! I love you!”

Then, the robot threw me into its stomach cavity. The panel snapped closed, leaving me in impenetrable darkness. My legs crumpled beneath me, and I collapsed in what I figured was the center of the little holding chamber.

This could be the irreversible end...