Revenge Fantasy

"Android... tell us what you know, now."

Shortcake shakes in fear as John, the metal-armed gruff man, holds his hand in front of her face. Mere inches apart, yet to glow or do any of that face-melting stuff.

John has yet to use his hand on Shortcake, but his eyes burn and his blood boils in response to the current situation. Right now, he and his ally, Yumi, are taking cover with the android in a kitchen, hiding behind a counter. Every light in the diner is shut off, and the building has murderous and infected diner-staff androids roaming in the shadows.

Of course, these androids are no trouble on their own. John and Yumi dispatched two of them with ease, after all. However, they are just two people, and they only took down two androids. This diner has far more artificial staff than just two waitresses... and there are more vulnerable android customers than one expects. The sheer number of androids that Trojan can have access to is enough to corner and overpower them.

Any of them can strike at any moment, possibly overwhelming the pair. It takes one misstep, one oversight, and John will have a knife jabbed in his throat by the 8th android they come across. Juggling these androids, as well as some sniper John does not know of, is an absolute headache.

It doesn't help that Ashford is completely unaccounted for, escaping under their noses amidst the diner's panic and adding to the load John has to juggle. John understands that Ashford is... far more capable than they could ever expect, eluding Yumi's watchful eye and even more watchful instincts. She must have done something to fool Yumi the moment Yumi grabbed her.

So, with time of the essence and no other options at his disposal, John is using this time of cover to threaten Ashford's trick out of Shortcake. The android has to know what Ashford did.

"I will not repeat myself..." John mumbles and growls, keeping his voice quiet. "Tell us... now."

Shortcake already registers his hand as a lethal threat and recognizes that she is helpless before its metal melting properties. Constantly, she keeps registering that this man is a danger to her, that he's not messing around, and that he has little to no reason to keep her safe.

Thus... she has to tell him. She needs to tell him about Chouko's ability. She whimpers and shakes as she begins to whisper what she knows, as she says the first couple of words to Chouko's illusory ability.

"D... Diane, she—"

Before Shortcake can say anything, Yumi's eyes go wide, and she interrupts Shortcake immediately. "...?! What the— P-Pops! You're right! This isn't Ashford!"

"Shh...!" John quickly shushes the loud-voiced Yumi, his eyes wide as he glares at her. "Keep your voice down...!"

Yumi quickly covers her mouth and stares down at the android. Right before her eyes, Ashford... turns into the waitress android! One-armed and everything, just as he said previously. The effect of Chouko's ability has worn off.

Shortcake's eyes widen at this. Yumi doesn't see the android as Chouko anymore? Her processors make sense of this, pondering the implications of Chouko's ability not working.

John, in caution, quickly peeks over the counter. After Yumi's outburst, there's no sign that any of the androids heard Yumi; they're still wandering around, holding different objects in their hands. His eyes see no androids closing in on their location, none of them even paying his peeking any attention.

"... Pops..." Yumi quietly whispers. "If... if the android isn't Ashford, does that mean that she escaped...?"

"Obviously..." John tensely whispers, his breath growing ragged. A chill is going down his spine, absolutely paranoid, feeling a chill going down his spine. "Right now, Yumi, I'm concerned with where she escaped to. With the sniper around, Ashford could be... any... where..."

... his voice trails off as his eyes cross the front entrance, seeing Ashford on the ground through the glass doors. Blood spills from her ankle, forming a puddle in the lot... bleeding out from a gunshot wound to her ankle.

The sniper already got to her...?!

"Y... Yumi. Yumi, you need to—!"

John is interrupted as Yumi, suddenly, dropkicks him.

Both feet launched straight into his torso, legs out in a seemingly full body attack. Yumi puts just enough might into it to push his body back a couple of feet.

Shortcake, seeing this, is shocked. Quickly backing away, she's trying to make sense of why Yumi would dropkick her apparent father— finding out just one second later.

In the moment after, Shortcake sees the back of a wooden chair narrowly missing John and smashing down against the kitchen counter. Loudly impacting against the counter, the entire back of the chair snaps off, as does the seat itself.

Had Yumi not kicked him out of the way, this chair would have bashed his head in...

Holding that chair, a masculine android with an orange crew-cut hairstyle stands in the kitchen, having snuck up on the three with an entire chair. One of the diner's many waiter androids under Trojan's control, having its pure white eyes staring forward.

This loud sound makes Shortcake quickly drop down and begins crawling to hide somewhere, scurrying to safety like a frail and scared mouse. An absolute panic fills her processors, and she now takes this time to flee while Yumi and John are focused on this android.

The android is now only holding two chair legs, holding them like pitiful batons. Even so, it prepares to wield them like any other weapon. Its eyes lock onto Yumi, tightly gripping these wooden legs.

"TARGET HAS BEEN SPOTTED... QUERY: EXECUTION PROTOCOL."

Yumi, after dropkicking John, quickly gets onto her feet and assumes her battle stance. Fists held up in a boxer's style, clenching her teeth and examining this android closely.

John, on the ground and watching this unfold, quickly looks around. Trojan now knows where they are again, and the androids are strategically starting to close in. This chair-leg-holding android will be joined by a few other androids, androids with chairs, stools, knives... maybe even actual weapons, given the time that's passed.

But none of that matters right now. Ashford is bleeding to death outside this diner...

"ACKNOWLEDGMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. COMMENCING WITH: EXECUTION PROTOCOL," the android calls out, tightly gripping the wooden chair legs and running at Yumi.

"Hah! Come on!" Yumi boldly calls out. Her smile is wide and filled with excitement, the smile of a proud fighter ready to beat the crap out of an android.

John, however, urgently shouts to Yumi: "Yumi! Ashford's outside the front door! Get to her, now!"

"Eh? What?" Yumi asks, staring at John for a moment as her eyes blink, flash, and glow blue.

John tenses up for a moment as he sees the android going for the attack. It goes for a swing of the chair legs to bash in Yumi's head in, running forward and swinging both legs down...

... but her body completely disappears in the next second.

Yumi is gone, and the android hits the counter instead. Its weapons snap in half, leaving nothing more than short and useless hand-sized pieces of wood.

This confuses the android, and confuses the person on the other side. This identified threat is spontaneously gone, vanished with a blink of the eye. No signs of contact, and no signs of what she could have done beyond a weird blue light.

And as this android is trying to figure out what happened, John capitalizes on this opening. Recovering from the kick rather easily, the palm of his hand starts to glow, and he quickly throws his hand out to flash a light at the android. A single, brief flash of his own white light.

This light disorients the android's senses, bombarding it with pure white light reported to be lethal. The flash courses through its head, light sensors picking up each condensed atom of light. It isn't close enough to melt metal whatsoever, but the data overload interferes with its processors and leaves it stunned for a few seconds.

John gets up from the floor after this, lunging forward and grabbing the android by the back of its head. His metal hand grips tightly onto it, then his foot kicks the front of its ankles in a sweeping attack. Getting the android off its feet with this, John forces the android to fall towards the kitchen counter.

Brutally, the counter's edge makes contact with this android's neck, and gravity does the rest. A vicious snap of the neck echoes out, and this android's eyes flash red repeatedly. The systems in its head are disconnected from the rest of its body, leaving the android in critical condition.

"Ghh..." John grits his teeth in frustration, flexing his fingers and letting the android go. As he watches it go limp against the ground, his attention is shifted to the rest of the androids starting to approach from the other side of the counter, many of them holding forks and knives.

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This cover is no good anymore, he thinks to himself. And he's sent Yumi away to go pick up Ashford. Yumi's retrieval of Ashford is the only course of action that saves Ashford from the sniper.

Optimally, Yumi goes to Ashford and brings her to safety, but that ultimately leaves John alone and defenseless. Alone, with just Ashford's android and the enemy androids in this diner.

He takes one look at his mechanical hand after that brief flash of light, left to plan out the rest of his energy. Ideally, he doesn't use his hands on every single android here, but...

... tch.

John quickly surveys the kitchen and finds only one way out: a single wooden door in the back. Likely the way the chair-holding android came from, possibly well guarded by this point. But it's either this way, or dealing with half a dozen buckets of bolts...

... and right at that door, John sees Shortcake quietly crawling up to it.

John spots her immediately, watching her head to the exit. Her hands shaking and fidgeting, intending to escape that way. Something about this makes the hairs on John's beard stick up, as if watching Shortcake obliviously walking into some trap.

So... John makes a break for this door, deciding to catch up to Shortcake. "Roxie! Don't open that door!" he shouts out.

Shortcake, looking back at John, lets out a sudden and terrified "eep!" as she gets up immediately and runs to the door. All John's shouting does is make her go faster to the door, about to run out and flee further to safety. Chouko needs her, and she doesn't trust John, so that's the only action she can take.

She opens the door, about to run out, about to flee as fast as she can.

But John manages to catch up, and he grabs the back of Shortcake's shirt to pull her back. John backs away from the door, quickly and defensively, keeping his arms around Shortcake's body to make sure she doesn't escape.

Shortcake shakes and writhes in his grasp, terrified. She feels the heat in his mechanical arms, whimpering in mild pain as her eyes glow yellow in warning. She's been prevented from escaping, and now is back in John's threatening hold.

Immediately after this, a small twinkle of light—light from the reflection of an android's eyes—is seen, and some sort of metallic item ends up swinging into the kitchen itself. Another waiter android is on the other side, yet another android under Trojan's control.

It was hiding, and it waited for that door to open. Just like the other androids, it took an item it found and used it as a weapon.

However, rather than pitiful chairs or utensils, this single android... is holding a sword.

A large, one-handed sword is in the android's grasp, stylized after some sort of traditional and decorative medieval blade. Had John reacted a second later, that polished blade would have possibly cut his or Shortcake's head off. Instead, the android just slashes at the air and ends up getting the sword stuck in the wooden door itself.

"Where the hell did it even get that...?" John mutters under his breath, briefly bewildered by the presence of this sword in this Tennessee diner... before tensely looking between this enemy android and the ones behind him. Many of them are halfway over the counters... leaving him sandwiched between two sides.

Shortcake turns her head to see the sword-holding android, gasping lightly in shock. "... oh!" It only now runs through her head that John saved her life from this sword-wielding android. So, Shortcake stops struggling in John's arms.

But this calm is interrupted as Shortcake goes back to shaking in fear. She realizes that the two of them are dealing with an android holding a dangerous weapon. It's only a matter of time before this android pulls the sword out of the door and goes back to slashing and swinging it at them... and this terrifies Shortcake immensely.

"Tch..." John lets go of Shortcake. "Listen to me. If you want to live, then do what I say and get me something to defend myself... now!"

Shortcake, now released and free to roam the kitchen, quickly thinks and swiftly searches the kitchen.

John needs to come up with a plan, a moment of escape... made more difficult as his two strongest assets are on cooldown. John's hands are still steaming and smoking from the two times he's used the lights. For the sake of his body, he needs to hold back and conserve that energy as a last resort.

So he can't just go 'arms blazing' on these androids, melting them away... he needs a plan.

John tensely stares at the android, watching as it regains its balance and pulls the sword out. Armed once again, ready for an attack.

"QUERY: EXECUTION PROTOCOL."

"Uhm!" Shortcake suddenly exclaims, quickly returning and handing John a frying pan. "H-Here!"

... John stares as he holds this frying pan, squinting his eyes at this primitive cast-iron pan. "... a frying pan?!"

"T-To defend yourself!" Shortcake answers, nervously looking at John. "F-Frying pans can help, maybe...?"

Helpful and effective on people, maybe, but less effective against androids. John is bewildered by this, wondering how a simple and small frying pan can even work as proper defense...

"ACKNOWLEDGMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. COMMENCING WITH: EXECUTION PROTOCOL!" the android calls out, charging forward with the sword and preparing to pierce through John's entire body.

John doesn't even entertain using the frying pan, quickly deciding to dodge to the side. The android is just running forward, he can just...

... he can't.

John realizes that the kitchen comes with "center counters", and he's standing right in the middle of them. The space is spacious enough to cook, sure, but not enough to properly "dodge out of the way". He moves as far right as he can out of the way, but he sees the android just turning.

The android is locked onto his heart, fully set on stabbing through him.

"Tch...! Fuck off...!" John viciously mutters and cusses under his breath, pure bile and vitriol in his voice as he tightly grips the frying pan. This frying pan is his only option.

It's all or nothing.

John pulls the frying pan back, then quickly turns his entire body to swing the frying pan at the incoming sword. His metal fingers tightly grip onto the handle, his eyes twitching.

The blade's flat side and the pan's flat side collide, making a ringing metal sound. John has put his full force into using this frying pan and manages to knock the weapon out of the android's hands, sending it flying.

This counter move surprises John. Sure, it is just a testament to his own mechanical arms, and—in hindsight—maybe 'diner waiter androids' are not the best at holding onto medieval swords. But it is still a frying pan being effective against a sword... leaving him bewildered and astonished at this outcome.

The android, now weaponless, is unable to stop itself as it runs straight into John. The way the sword and frying pan meet, John's right arm is facing outward, making the running android's chest slam into the side of his metal bicep. It's vulnerable, and now in John's range.

John, following up on this, quickly grabs the android's face with his left hand, gripping it tightly. His strength is front and center as he blindly runs forward, charging forward into the hallway and using this android's body as a 'shield' of sorts.

He anticipates many androids to be in this hallway, pinning the sword-android against the wall and preparing for any other incoming threats. Eyes wide and looking around, tensely surveying the location.

Curiously, however, John notices that it's empty. He doesn't see a single android present in support and backup. Only he and the android are in this hallway. This singular android, one that had the great idea to use a sword, is all that stood in his way...

... and that's highly suspicious.

John keeps the android pinned to the wall, confronting the hacker behind the android. "What is your game, Trojan...?!"

In response, static crackles as the android's eyes flicker. "... my game?" a voice asks, speaking right through the android's speakers, now presently speaking.

Shortly after, Shortcake joins John in the hallway, closing the door behind her. In both of her hands, she holds the sword that the android dropped, her hands fidgeting and shaking as she's just barely able to hold the weapon. She keeps her back against the door, tensely shaking as she tries to secure the door itself.

The android takes notice of Shortcake, then continues to speak. "Hah... you and I both know what we're here for."

"Tch... she's more valuable to the Underworld alive, Trojan," John tells the hacker.

"She's far easier dead," the android tells John, forced to crack a smile as Trojan instructs. "But I suppose they're going a little overboard."

John grits his teeth. "We can split her. An even split of 1.25 billion dollars for all four of us, if you call off the sniper and give Ashford to us."

"Hah! No can do. Sniper's not with me," Trojan responds.

John squints his eyes, hearing confirmation of what he's already deduced. "... they're not?"

"Nope. Just another merc..." Trojan remarks as the android grins. "One of them no-names. Even so, I'm seeing this work. Neither of us is getting her at this rate... your precious Husky is going through an absolute shitshow out there."

John coldly stares at this android, grumbling idly. "And I suppose the answer would have been 'no' anyway...?"

"Hah. Correct. Now if you're going to—"

Flash.

John just burns this android's head to a crisp, cutting off Trojan as his hand flashes the android's systems. He doesn't even spare another second for this hacker. There'd be no point to it.

All John has to care about is one thing: if he and Yumi are going to get a single bill out of the reward, they need to take down both threats. Yumi is likely already facing the sniper as he speaks...

So that leaves Trojan to him, and—

Now, the androids in the kitchen are facing John, all of their eyes taunting him... staring at him. Equipped with several kitchen knives, from steak knives to butchering cleavers.

"Popovic... I wasn't done speaking!"

John, seeing this, quickly pulls the face-melted android's limp body away from the wall and kicks it at these other androids. "But I'm done listening."

Shortcake, standing to the side, stares at John in worry. "U... Uhm! I- I'm sorry, I couldn't hold the door closed...! I—"

"Shut up!" John urgently shouts to Shortcake, quickly turning left and running down the hallway. "I don't have time for sorries! Follow me, now!"

Shortcake registers these words, nervously blinking and flickering her eyes at the fleeing John.

After hearing all of their words, she now believes John to be the lesser of two evils, as he seems to actively want Chouko to be alive. If she follows John's instructions, he'll likely take the actions best suited to protect Chouko, so long as he gets to benefit from the reward he's after Chouko for.

So... she nods, and runs after John. "I... I under—!"

Before Shortcake finishes, she ends up running straight into his back.

John has stopped in his tracks, staring forward at the androids up ahead. More of Trojan's controlled androids are filling the hallway in this direction, revealing themselves. Several car mechanics stand guard and stare at the two, intimidatingly holding heavy wrenches in their hands.

Quickly, John begins to turn around, only to see that he's now cornered from that direction as well. The wooden kitchen door is smashed, and the knife-wielding androids in the kitchen are now filling the hallway, coming through after smashing the kitchen door open.

Cornered from both sides, John and Shortcake stand in place, confined to a small hallway. All part of Trojan's plan...

John's fingers wiggle. He feels each hair of his gruff beard tingle as he plans his next move. His last resort is still in the tips of his fingers, in the palm of his hands...

"... Roxie..." John begins to whisper, a cold sweat trailing down his face. Speaking quietly to coordinate a strategy. "Are you able to do anything...?"

Shortcake, hearing this question as she stares back at the mechanics, as she sees them lifting their wrenches and smacking them into their other hands, shakes her head. "I... I don't know... I'm n-not made for combat... I don't know what I can do against them..."

The wrench-holders and knife-wielders are closing in, the front-most androids in both groups prompting a quick: "QUERY: EXECUTION PROTOCOL." Both sides communicate with each other, surrounding John and Shortcake from both sides.

"Then just stand where you are, close your eyes..." John immediately tells Shortcake, preparing his last resort in the glowing palms of his hands. "... and prepare to run when I say to."

Shortcake nods, standing still as instructed. Gulping as she raises her hands to her eyes, and just remains still.

"ACKNOWLEDGMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED. COMMENCING WITH:"

Immediately, John moves around Shortcake, back facing her as both of his arms are held out to these two groups. With a wordless silence, his arms burn and sizzle, and he incoherently shouts and screams at the top of his lungs.

The light culminates in his hands, leaving the two waves of androids helpless to John as the entire hallway...

... erupts into pure, searing, scorching light.