the machine before it crushed Axel's leg as well.
Another spike suddenly jammed its way into the Destroyer's shoulder socket. CJ heard a grunt of pure effort, and saw Lars' face, focused and deadly. He heaved, and the Destroyer's arm popped from its socket. The hand that had been crushing Axel's leg, detached from its owner, sprang open.
CJ dropped her spike and grabbed her pellet gun. "Here," she told the Destroyer sweetly as she thrust the barrel into the exposed shoulder socket. "Enjoy." She pulled the trigger, and the Destroyer rocked gently as the pellets bounced around inside its case.. She ceased fire. The Destroyer lay still.
Axel hopped over and clasped Lars on the shoulder. "Thanks, big guy. Remind me never to shake hands with one of those things." Axel turned, took one step, and collapsed on the floor as his leg gave from under him. "Damn," he muttered. "I guess it's broken."
CJ knelt over him. Akira was already picking up the two longest shards of the shattered frame leg to use as a splint. In less than a minute they had Axel standing again, though, as CJ said, "It's gonna be a little hard for you to run until we get back."
"Check, CJ," Axel said with a smile that started and ended with his mouth; his eyes said he knew better.
Roni exclaimed, "Look here." He pointed through the door.
CJ stood up from the defunct Destroyer to peer around her tall companion. "Looks like the academics back home were right. They really do build all these things out of the same old robot parts." Laying on a table was a chameleon of a machine. The top half was a Destroyer. The bottom half was a repair mech.
* * *
Paolo whistled appreciatively.
Sofia called from another room. "I heard that. Are you looking at pictures of naked women on the Web in there?"
"Sweet Sofia,
Another spike suddenly jammed its way into the Destroyer's shoulder socket. CJ heard a grunt of pure effort, and saw Lars' face, focused and deadly. He heaved, and the Destroyer's arm popped from its socket. The hand that had been crushing Axel's leg, detached from its owner, sprang open.
CJ dropped her spike and grabbed her pellet gun. "Here," she told the Destroyer sweetly as she thrust the barrel into the exposed shoulder socket. "Enjoy." She pulled the trigger, and the Destroyer rocked gently as the pellets bounced around inside its case.. She ceased fire. The Destroyer lay still.
Axel hopped over and clasped Lars on the shoulder. "Thanks, big guy. Remind me never to shake hands with one of those things." Axel turned, took one step, and collapsed on the floor as his leg gave from under him. "Damn," he muttered. "I guess it's broken."
CJ knelt over him. Akira was already picking up the two longest shards of the shattered frame leg to use as a splint. In less than a minute they had Axel standing again, though, as CJ said, "It's gonna be a little hard for you to run until we get back."
"Check, CJ," Axel said with a smile that started and ended with his mouth; his eyes said he knew better.
Roni exclaimed, "Look here." He pointed through the door.
CJ stood up from the defunct Destroyer to peer around her tall companion. "Looks like the academics back home were right. They really do build all these things out of the same old robot parts." Laying on a table was a chameleon of a machine. The top half was a Destroyer. The bottom half was a repair mech.
* * *
Paolo whistled appreciatively.
Sofia called from another room. "I heard that. Are you looking at pictures of naked women on the Web in there?"
"Sweet Sofia,