“They’re coming for you,” Frankie warned Daffodil. “I stalled them as long as I could, but they’re not going to stop till they get my chip.”
“Print me some weapons in that copier then.” The girl was crouched in the farthest corner of the basement. “I need to defend myself.”
“I am not allowed to give you the means to kill people. You know that.”
“How ’bout a stun gun?”
“Now you’re talking. And I can make a couple of other nasty surprises for our unwanted guests. But it won’t hold them off forever.”
“Then I’m gonna go down fightin.”
“You could always give yourself up. Their leader, Victor, promised you’d be spared.”
“He did?” Daffodil looked hopeful. “D’ya think he means it?”
“I’ll print you that stun gun.”
*
“The AI is a chip embedded in this girl’s neck.” Victor pulled open the trapdoor. “So no head shots in case we hit him by mistake.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Throw down a gas grenade. That’ll knock her out.”
One soldier tossed a spherical object into the basement and a yellow film spread out below them. They waited till the fumes had dispersed.
“Off you go.” Victor nudged the nearest minion.
As the soldier started down the stairs his feet shot from under him. He tumbled to the bottom, head hitting each step, until he slumped in a crumpled heap on the concrete floor. “She’s greased the stairs with oil!”
“Hold the handrail tightly.” Victor went next, descending carefully, followed by the rest of his force. “She must be out cold by now.”
Sure enough, there was no sign of the fugitive.
“Search the place.”
The mercenary force began to spread out, crouched low and peering down the barrels of their weapons.
Daffodil popped up from behind a steel cabinet. A gas mask was fastened to her face and in one hand she held a strange-looking gun. She pulled the trigger and a mercenary collapsed, like a puppet with its strings cut. The rest of the soldiers ducked down as she fired again.
“What do we do now, sir? Her head’s the only thing that’s showing.”
“That’s a stun gun,” Victor snapped back. “None of us are in real danger.”
“And this is a stun grenade.” Daffodil pulled the mask from her face and lobbed a metallic object the length of the room into their midst. It exploded, scattering the assailants like skittles. “Howd’ya you like them apples?”
The force began stumbling back, ears ringing, bruised from head to foot, pulling each other along.
“You guys are better targets than nailed-down ducks,” Daffodil giggled.
“No! Keep advancing!” Victor wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and pressed a hand to his throbbing temple. “If we get close enough she can’t use any more grenades without knocking herself out too.”
The men began to inch forward on their stomachs.
Daffodil fired another round and a row of glass test tubes on one table shattered. The liquid sprayed over the soldier sheltering underneath and smoke began to rise from his body.
“It’s burning me!” He leapt to his feet and began struggling out of his tunic.
She pulled the trigger again. He slammed into a wall and toppled over.
“Nice trick, but it’s only a matter of time before we overwhelm you,” Victor shouted. “All we want is the chip. Let us remove it and you can go free.”
“Let me think about it,” Daffodil called.
Her middle finger slowly rose above the cabinet and quickly vanished before someone shot it off.
“That plain enough for ya?”
“In a minute we’re going to spread out and rush your position,” Victor tried again. “You can’t hit all of us before we get there, so this is the last chance to surrender. You’re too young to die, kid.”
There was a long silence.
“All right,” Daffodil said resignedly. “I’m puttin down my weapon.”
Before she could stand up, her phone rang.
“Just a second. I gotta take a call.”
“I don’t believe this!” Victor’s jaw dropped.
“Change of plan,” the girl whooped. “Charlie’s comin.”
“She’s had enough chances!” The man sprang to his feet. “Charge!”
His troop sprinted across the basement, fanning out as they ran.
The lights went off.
There was a chorus of curses as the soldiers banged into furniture and tripped over stools. But their blood was up and they weren’t going to stop.
“You’re doing a fine job defending the girl, Frankie,” Victor yelled, feeling his way to the far end of the room. “But if we can’t see her, she can’t see us.”
As if on cue, the lights came on again. There was no sign of their quarry.
Victor looked down.
“Oh crap.”
The floor was littered with stun grenades, each with the pin removed. The entire basement shook as they went off.
As the dust settled, the fridge door opened and Daffodil flopped out, holding a Coke.
“Who wants a refreshing beverage?” She looked around at the comatose bodies. “No? Looks like everyone’s takin a nap instead.”
*
In the hallway, the remaining three soldiers blanched as the floor shook under them.
“What in God’s name is going on down there?” one asked.
“Just watch the door,” his companion replied. “Those are our orders.”
“Hear that noise?” The third man raised his gun. “Sounds like an… engine.”
They stared apprehensively at the dark entrance as the sound got louder and louder.
A tractor thundered through the doorway, demolishing the surrounding brickwork and sending clouds of dust into the air.
“Fire!”
The mercenaries let off volley after volley at the vehicle as it chugged down the hall. Charlie and the Spider, hanging onto the back, were too well sheltered to be hit and the men fled up the stairs before they were crushed.
“These blighters are mine.” The Spider pulled on the brake. “You go save Daffodil.”
“They’re still armed.”
“Hasn’t escaped my notice,” he cackled, flexing his muscles. “I’m certainly earning my money today.”
“We’re paying you?”
“I do believe this one’s on the house,” he smirked. “I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun.”
*
Victor woke, tied to a chair in the living room. A pile of captured weapons were stacked in the corner. Charlie, Daffodil and Tad sat on the couch facing him. Frankie was on the screen, his emoji a suit of armour.
“We rounded up your entire force and locked them in the basement,” he said. “Some have broken bones or flesh wounds and most are concussed, but they’ll live. Am I the best or what?” The visor clanked up and down in triumph. “Frankie’s team 1. Manticorps 0.”
Victor and Tad studied each other, loathing in their eyes. Charlie looked at them, puzzled.
“Am I… missing something here?”
“I suppose you haven’t been properly introduced,” the Spider answered. “That huge cretin who’s been trying to annihilate us is Victor Tietze.”
“Wait a second,” said Daffodil. “He has the same last name as you?”
“Of course he does.” Tad laughed bitterly. “He’s my big brother.”