Game of Mass Destruction (COMPLETE AND AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK)

☠Day Three - Part III: Betrayal☠

"Ah wis a test tube bairn," the man said. "Oh 'n' by th' wey, kin ye tell me th' secret tae a guid Indian curry?"

The sudden change of topic alarmed Nila. Her jaw quivered. It took her longer to answer than it would have done if she wasn't in the game. "Fresh ingredients and great skill."

"Ta gey muckle." The man jumped down from the tree. His landing was graceful like a ballerina. His head was concealed in a black balaclava. "Twas crakin' talking tae ye. Bit noo ah think a've a' th' ingredients a'm needin'."

"Well..." Nila let out a deep sigh. "I'm glad I was able to help you. I have to go now."

The man clenched onto her fists. His hands felt cold and hard. Nila knew she had been deceived. The man had been a robot the whole time. "A'm sorry, mah loue." The balaklva was removed to reveal a menacing metallic face. "Ah dinnae pure wantae murdurr ye, bit that's pairt o' th' gam."

"NILA! WATCH OUT!" Aron's voice echoed. Nila glanced at Aron charging towards them full speed ahead. As he ran, he threw his axe over at them with all his might. What the hell was he doing? Nila wondered. She ducked down to dodge the swirling axe.

Before Nila could attack, the robot raised her body and used her as a shield. Aron's flying axe decapitated her in one swift movement. The robot caught Nila's head and let her body flail on the floor. "Haw!" The robot waved Nila's head in the air, spraying blood all over Aron's face. "Ye missed!"

"No!" Aron sobbed. "What have I done?"

"Noo it's your shot tae die!" The robot swapped Nila's head for Aron's axe.

"Oh no, it's not!" Rós appeared and used her shield to block all attacks. Aron wanted to help her, but he was too buried in his own guilt to help. Blood filled tears stained his cheeks and shirt as he watched his partner take the robot down.

"How did it all come to this?" Aron asked, his knees crumbling to the floor seeking shelter under the apple tree. He felt something hard to bang on his knee. He stood up to pick it up: it was Nila's crowbar.

No, I can't just stand here and let that thing take the girl I love.

Screeching, Aron raced towards them, squeezed the robot's neck and then dented its skull with the crowbar. The robot's final words burned Aron's soul in more ways then anyone could ever imagine. "Ye wid hae a' bin magic in mah curry."

"Aron..." Rós lifted him up from the floor and kissed him under the apple tree. Aron's anxieties made him too breathless and distracted to enjoy her kiss. Rós pulled away from him and slapped both his cheeks. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."

"NILA!"

It was Hassin's voice. It only got louder as they saw him run around each tree looking for her. Aron panicked, tripping over the apples as he dashed around in circles. "Rós..." he whispered his partner's name as he smeared his cheeks in blood. "What are we going to do?"

"We tell the truth."

"NO!"

"The robot killed Nila, not you."

"But he's going to see the head, and the axe. He'll know. He's coming we have to hide."

Aron pulled Rós behind the tree trunk as Hassin reached the top of the mountain. Aron didn't want to be caught, and yet he was already caught before he even committed the deed. It was easy to forget that the whole world was watching on their TV sets, tablets and phones.

"Guys!" Hassin called out to them. "What's going on?" His confusion turned to anger at the sight of Nila's mutilated body dying the grass red. Hassin growled, clutching onto Nila's hair as her head dangled beneath his fingers. With his right arm he raised his spade in the air, vowing to avenge Nila's soul. "YOU MONSTERS! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

Rós nudged Aron's shoulder. "Quick grab your axe."

When the two men met eyes, they knew the hours of friendship they had were dead. "WHY?" Hassin roared until his voice broke.

"You don't understand!" Rós pleaded with her knees on the floor, cowering behind her shield. "It was an accident. The robot used Nila as a blocking shield."

"Then why hide from me?" Hassin sobbed.

"Because I'm ashamed of what I've done."

"So you should be. And now you will pay!" Hassin frantically whacked Aron with his spade, leaving Rós free to make her move.

"I'm sorry for this," Rós pinched Nila's old crowbar and whacked Hassin's head with it. His attacks on Aron ceased as he collapsed on top of him. Aron and Rós survived for now. They knew they had friends on the island, but at this moment on they could only trust each other.

Hassin & Nila - 975 points
Hassin & Nila dead
Rós & Aron - 225 points
262.01 points between all pairs
623 robots remaining

Scottish dialect courtesy of http://www.scotranslate.com/