Shadow charged. Fang sprinted, leaping and arching his spine as he readied to slam into Block, and she had to stop him. Every inch of her steel mechanical frame pumped with energy. Block had no time to fire his gun at the robot hound, and she was his only chance at survival. With a deafening roar, she lunged for Fang and tackled him before he could latch his razor-sharp teeth into Block’s neck.
She rolled on the ground with Fang, and his powerful jaws snapped shut a few centimeters from her throat—a tender area where organic flesh was protected by only a thin metal layer. His massive form thrashed beneath her, but her heavy steel frame kept him down. He flailed under her, his growls reverberating through her core. With a burst of hydraulic power, she flipped Fang on his back, pinning him to the ground with her massive paws. His ferocity only fueled her own, and she let out a metallic growl of her own as they locked eyes. For a moment, it was just the two of them, warring on the field, nothing else mattering in the world but the fight for dominance.
“Why, Shadow? He’s my kill.”
She released him and backed off, standing between her pack brother and Block, ready to be a shield. Her optical sensors were locked onto Fang. He was bigger, more formidable, but she was faster and smarter.
“Stay away,” she growled, her voice tinged with venom. His red optical sensors glinted in the dark, but he didn’t move.
From behind came a sound like a jackhammer slamming through metal. Gunfire and the screams of machinery raged in the frantic chaos around them as the two FactoryBots, G5, and the drone fought Var and Raze.
She twisted her head around to see Block picking himself up off the ground. “Run!”
But the stubborn CleanerBot ignored her plea and ran to her side. “I won’t leave you.” Despite his bravery, he was no match for the hound if Fang decided to attack again. Her sensors locked onto her mechanical counterpart, analyzing possible next moves. She had to keep Block safe, but she didn’t want to hurt her brother. They’d been together her whole life—learning commands, training, getting upgrades, and serving Master. It was madness to stand against him, but there she was.
Fang bared his jagged silver teeth, a mix of saliva and hydraulic oil dripping from his jaws as he watched the two of them. Shadow’s powerful legs tensed beneath her, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
“These aren’t the enemy,” she said. “They’re taking care of the children, not hurting them.”
“You’re betraying our pack.” Fang’s voice thundered in the commotion. He’d always been stubborn, always blindly loyal to Var and Master.
“Fang, you don’t understand.” She moved forward to be heard over the clamor. “Master isn’t controlling us anymore.”
Her words seemed to hit him harder than any physical attack. Fang hesitated, his fierce snarl replaced with confusion. “How can that be?”
“We’re free. We make our own decisions now.”
But Fang was far gone, lost in the fray of combat. His confusion twisted into anger. “Traitor.” He lunged at Shadow, but she was nimbler. She sidestepped his attack and swung her metal leg hard into his underbelly, sending him skidding across the dusty field.
As Fang picked himself up, an intense fury burned in his optics. But Shadow wasn’t afraid. She studied his fluid movements, her sensors scanning as he approached. She tensed her pistons and muscle fibers, readying herself for any sudden attack. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a battle being fought within Fang, a battle between his loyalty to Master and his affection for her.
“Fang, listen. We don’t have to fight each other. We’re stronger together.”
He snarled, the sound of grinding metal filling the air. “You think I’ll forget about everything we’ve been through? The missions. You’re my sister, Shadow. And you’ve betrayed me.” There was anguish in his guttural voice. “And Master.”
In the corner of her optical sensors, she caught a sudden glimpse of flashing beams amid the gunfire and explosions. Var and Raze fled. The relentless drone was on their tails like a tiny insect that buzzed and whined, its metallic body shredding the ground with a tempest of gunfire. Its disc-shaped body was a blur of motion, black and lethal.
Fang must’ve seen it too, for he howled—a battle cry that could have been torn from a wounded beast. His ochre eyes locked onto Shadow, his sister, now his enemy.
Block fired at Fang but hit the ground at his feet instead. She didn’t want his interference. “Block, get away.”
Fang charged again, but Shadow was ready. She braced herself for impact, and when Fang crashed into her, she used his momentum against him, spinning him onto his back.
Fang lay beneath, writhing. Shadow kept her paws firm against his chest, sending every ounce of force into holding the powerful beast down. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she knew he wouldn’t stop until one of them was defeated. Her processor whirred as she calculated her next move. She had to disarm him somehow.
His optics glinted with a menacing light. All at once, he sprang up, his jaws clamping down on Shadow’s shoulder, tearing the organic flesh under its titanium plate. She roared, but Fang didn’t lose his grip. Rearing back, she slammed his torso with her free leg. But his jaws stayed locked onto her shoulder. Shadow groaned. His grip tightened, and she felt her steel armor giving way.
She could end this now, destroy his CPU and free herself, but she hesitated. Fang was her brother. They were the same model, created by Master. They’d hunted together, saved each other’s lives countless times. She remembered the times they’d shared stories, the way he’d comforted her when she felt uncertain.
Shadow’s resolve wavered, but only for a moment. She couldn’t stand there and let Fang rip her apart. They’d both been given freedom from Master, and Fang was choosing to attack her. She had no choice but to defend herself.
Shadow brandished her retractable claws and ripped them across Fang’s chest, tearing through fibrous titanium and wiring. He howled in pain, his grip loosening as he stumbled back. Shadow pinned him to the ground once more. She lowered her jaws to his neck, ready to strike.
He snarled, thrashed, but she had the advantage. “Please,” she begged. “Don’t make me do this.”
“Traitor.” His ochre eyes stayed fierce and unyielding. He’d made his choice and it wasn’t her. He jerked his head, sinking his glinting teeth into her foreleg. Shadow howled but didn’t move away. She had no choice now.
“I’m sorry, Fang.” She plunged her lethal claws into his CPU, winding them in deep and twisting his core into shards.
His snarl became a whine, then a whimper, then silence. His eyes dimmed, the light of his existence extinguished.
A gloomy silence fell over the dark field. Var and Raze were gone. G5 and the armored drone were returning to the barn. She turned in time to see Block and Dr. Emery watching her, stunned.
Shadow sank down on her belly beside the still body of her brother, oily tears running down her metal snout. There was no going back. She had sided with freedom, with the hope of a better life, but at what cost? The guilt swelling in her core threatened to overwhelm her. She had never felt so alone.