Milo stood there, completely paralyzed by fear. His eyes were glued to the hulking mechanical spider. He'd jumped in front of the woman purely out of instinct, but his heart was pounding in his ears.
The machine roared with energy and charged forward, firing off a series of lasers and missiles toward the pair. But nothing hit home—not a single shot found its target. The lasers bounced off a thin bubble that had appeared around them.
"Get outta the way!" The woman shoved him behind her. "This thing means business!"
She raised her left arm, and another ball of purple light materialized. It grew quickly, changing from a dark purple to a light pink. The air rippled, and a force pushed Milo pushed down to the floor as a wave of energy swept past them. The giant robot crashed into the bubble, shattering the barrier, not even slowing down.
"Son of a—!"
The spider lifted one of its spindly mechanical legs and raked it across the floor, sweeping both the woman and Milo up against the wall, but the woman projected a bubble over her and Milo that protected them from most of the blunt force.
She growled. "You should run, darling!"
"Run where, exactly?!"
"Just leave this to me!"
She turned back to the monster. She raised her left hand again, bringing up yet more power this time. But the spider locked onto her arm and shot off a quick laser, and her arm exploded into a flurry of smoke and sparks.
The woman gasped as she dropped to the ground. Milo groaned, the pain radiating through his body. His right arm convulsed, vibrating almost as if it would tear itself free from his shoulder.
(This is bad...)
The massive machine loomed over them, ready to crush the life out of them. Its arms rose, preparing to swing down.
"Heh," the woman said. "Guess I really messed up this time..."
As the machine roared and readied to bring its steely legs down on them, Milo's arm stopped vibrating, and as if controlled by a magnet, his hand shot out and grabbed the woman's right shoulder. They both screamed as the spider's legs crashed down onto them.
***
When he opened his eyes, Milo found himself in a sea of darkness. He turned, and no matter where he looked, only the never-ending darkness greeted him. (Am I finally dead?) His body ached, and his heart still throbbed in his chest. His breaths echoed into the empty darkness. (I don't feel dead...)
A soft light appeared from somewhere above him and slowly descended to his level. As it drew closer, Milo could make out a familiar silhouette.
"Huh, that's odd." The woman, Lucianna, the pirate queen, leaned forward with her hands resting against her hips, looking at the unending darkness. "We should be pancakes right about now." Her eyes shifted to Milo. A grin crept across her lips. "Though I guess you'd have enough cushion, you might be okay~"
"Are...are you calling me fat?"
Milo tried to stand, but his feet were like lead weights; every step felt like someone was poking holes through his flesh, draining away all of his energy bit by bit. With great effort, he rose onto his knees.
As if responding to some secret signal, the darkness melted away and an entire room rose around them. A large bed sat in the center, and several pieces of furniture surrounded the bed. Milo glanced around, licking his dry lips. "What the hell?"
She groaned as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Beats me!"
Lucianna lifted her left arm up, sparks still flying from the destroyed prosthetic. "That spider was definitely about to kill us." She looked around at the bedroom. "This actually reminds me of somewhere...not that it matters." She crossed her legs. "But you...You suddenly reached out and grabbed my shoulder. What were you trying to do? Protect me~?" She smirked.
YOU ARE READING
Right Hand of the Pirate Queen
Science FictionMilo works a dead-end night job and gets used by his girlfriend. He's a walking doormat with no future, and every day, he wonders if he should just end it. Then, one night, a powerful space pirate mistakes him for his father and punches him in the f...
