As an unsettling silence the filled the kitchen, leaving only the alarm to be heard, and I suddenly didn't feel so brave anymore with my hammer. Instead I felt terror reside as I watched everyone's faces around me become petrified. They all looked scared, really scared.
"Something tripped the boundary alarm," Mercury finally said, sounding disbelieving. As she said so, I watched Jupiter's fingers twist and crack before transforming into a handgun
"It could just be a deer like last time, but we better go check it out, just in case." He decided and I watched as the twins also twisted their fingers into hand guns.
"I'll come with you guys," Neptune said before turning to Pluto, who was hugging himself. "Stay here with Abigail. There may not be a reason to panic, but if there is, I need you to remain calm." She instructed and Pluto nodded.
"I'll sound my beacon if anything happens," He reassured.
At that I shook my head fast.
"You can't leave me with him! Pluto can't protect me, let me come with you guys." I insisted anxiously, but much to my dismay Neptune shook her head.
"No Abigail, you'll be safer in the house with Pluto," She said softly, but firmly.
"I can protect you Abigail if something happens." Pluto chimed in, sounding hurt as the alarm continued blaring.
"No, you can't, I think you demonstrated that just fine in the office building," I said coldly as I gripped the sledgehammer tighter.
"We don't have time for this right now guys, Abigail, you're staying with Pluto. End of story." Jupiter decided and before I could argue the four of them made a swift exit from the kitchen. Stubbornly, I started after them, but Pluto grabbed my arm.
"You'll be safer here." He urged quietly.
Feeling my jaw clench, I turned back on him.
"Safer here? With you and temper tantrums? Why don't you let me protect myself? Your good at that," I said bitterly, before storming out of the kitchen. Exhaling sharply, Pluto followed me into the living room.
"You really need to cut the attitude with me, I didn't do anything wrong! I did the best I could under the circumstances. I wish you'd just accept that," Pluto said upon entering the living room behind me. Instead of responding, I just rolled my eyes and looped around the living room before heading up the stairs. The sound of the alarm was driving me crazy, maybe if I went to my room it'd be quieter, and I could wait for our impending doom in peace. "Come on Abigail, your being unfair. Just a week ago you said we should try being friends, can't we try again Gail?" He asked, putting a playful edge in his tone. Rather than joking back with him, I just continued stomping off until I made it to my room.
The alarm seemed louder than ever.
"That was before my family supposedly died and I was being kept prisoner in a house with no windows! You people are robots, not vampires for crying out loud, let some sunlight in! And stop calling me that!" I exhaled sharply as I kicked the bedpost. I felt frustration boiling inside me like a wave, coming and going nonstop.
One part of me wanted to hit Pluto with the hammer, and the other part of me wanted to hit myself to make it all stop.
Taking a pained breath, I kicked the bed post again and again. "All you had to do was follow us! You could have just followed us! You could've been the one to block the door! You could have been the one to stop them from dragging off Naomi!" I cursed between each kick. "Instead you left them to those monsters! And now I'm stuck here! How am I supposed to know who to trust? How am I supposed to pick a side if I don't know who's really good or bad?" I then shouted, turning back on him as his jaw clenched.
"If we weren't the good guys, you'd be dead Abigail. I had no choice; I had to stay behind and fight that machine gun wielding maniac! If I didn't, he would've killed all of us and taken you before we had a chance! I gave you guys your best chance! So, stop acting like I didn't! We didn't want this all to go down this way! Stop acting like we planned on this, stop acting like what happened to your family is my fault!" He shouted back, and I felt hot tears boil in my eyes. Pluto then took a deep breath as he stepped towards me. "Please don't blame me Abigail, it's killing me. I know how hard this is on you, I've been there, but we can't help your family if we don't act like a team."
Feeling the tears start to roll again, I sat down on the bed in a slump.
"Their alive, their all alive." I whispered hoarsely. Shaking his head, Pluto walked over to me.
"There's a chance they might not be though. Titan is likely playing mind games with you. He wants you to stop trusting us, so you'll be vulnerable," He said quietly. Inhaling and exhaling sharply, I stood up fast and shoved Pluto.
"You have no idea how awful losing someone is! Especially your entire family! The pain is suffocating, and it would be better to have false hope then no hope at all! But you can't understand that because your nothing but a pile of scrap metal." I spat viciously.
At that, Pluto took a turn kicking the bedpost.
"I am not just a pile of metal! I have feelings to you know! I can feel happy, I can laugh at jokes, I can get angry, I can protect someone, I can get sad, I can cry and grieve!" He yelled back and with a scowl I sat back down on the bed.
"You were programmed to do all that, to feel all that. It's not real." I breathed, the alarm suddenly not so loud anymore.
"I was programmed to develop like a human, not to have feelings. Those come naturally, just like yours. My heartbeat aches, just like yours!" He growled as he hit the bedpost with his fist this time.
"All you have is wheels turning inside your chest! It's not a heartbeat, it's the tick of metal moving together!" I informed, standing up once again in frustration. Then, before I could stop him, Pluto grabbed my head and he forced my ear against his chest.
"Listen Abigail! Listen to it!" He practically screamed. At first, I was going to fight him off, but for the sake of being right I stopped for a moment and listened. Instead of hearing the soft tick tick tick of the metal though, I heard an actual heartbeat pounding fast the way mine did. Immediately that silenced me as I took a moment to listen and make sure I was hearing correctly.
I then slowly exhaled. "It...it sounds...real..." I admitted softly, entirely confused.
If his sounded like a heartbeat, then why did Jupiter's tick like-
before I could finish my thought though a loud crash was heard from downstairs and we broke apart.
"What was that?" I asked and Pluto swallowed thickly.
"I don't know, maybe the guys are back," He said, his harsh voice becoming soft and meek. "Stay behind me, we're going to check it out." He decided and hesitantly I positioned myself behind him as our argument was forgotten and we made our way out of the room. Once we were in the hall, we moved down it slowly as I kept the sledgehammer ready. "Guys?" He called out, waiting for a response, then he let out a tense breath.
"I think we better get back into the ro-" He began to say but then the ear-piercing sound of gunshots went off and Pluto's body violently jerked before he crumbled down.
"Pluto!" I shouted as I started for him but froze when I saw Tinkers making their way up the stairs.
Lifelessly, the they looked up at me and I felt myself freeze underneath the stare of their beady black robotic eyes. They looked like a big tin can, a little tin can, and metal straws all attached together. At first glance, the little four-foot monsters don't seem so bad, but when you notice that their fully loaded guns upon a second glance, they're terrifying.
"Abigail run! Run!" I faintly heard Pluto shouting from the floor, but I couldn't break my stare from them. The last time I saw them, I was desperately crawling across the parking lot trying to save Naomi as Gemma laid a few feet away in a crumple. My memories of them were hardly there, I still knew they were present though.
"Abigail!" I heard Pluto shout again, and all in an instant I was released from my daze when I saw the Tinkers raising their guns. I highly doubted they were intending on shooting me, but if they made it over to Pluto then they'd probably finish him off. Looking back at him and the Tinkers I then raised the sledgehammer above my head and charged them. With ease I knocked down two of them with one swing and once I had taken down the third, I swung again at the other two and kept hitting them until I was positive, they weren't getting up again. "Die you bastards!" I shouted, then kicking their mangled metallic bodies down the stairs. Once they hit the bottom, I turned back to Pluto.
"That was hardcore." Pluto breathed, looking up at me in shock. Exhaling slowly, I dropped down next to him.
"Are you hurt bad?" I asked, cringing at the sight of his shirt slowly turning a dark brown. He appeared to be bleeding out but didn't seem to be in pain.
"Unfortunately. The bullet hit my nutriment cylinders and if I don't stop this leak, I won't be able to move." He informed, and I shook my head in confusion.
"Your nutriment cylinders?" I asked and he nodded with a sharp breath as he gripped onto me so I could help him up. Like Jupiter's hand, his were also warm.
"The pipe that pumps the gasoline and other things I need through my body, if it all leaks out to a certain point I'm going to shut down, and that's bad so we need to get going. There's going to be more Tinkers, there's always more." He urged, then attempting to stand by himself up but he only made it a one step before collapsing again. This made his leakage flow heavier.
"Pluto, Pluto be careful. You're making it worse!" I said urgently, as I helped him up once again.
"It doesn't matter, I have to get up. I'm not going to stay here and die on this floor. I won't let them get you." He insisted, trying to walk alone again, but he couldn't even take one step this time. Groaning, he leaned heavily against me, as his shirt stained faster.
"Pluto please just lay down We have time; we can wait for the others. Didn't you tell Neptune you had a way of contacting him if something happened?" I asked anxiously. If he shut down the way he said he was going to, I would be alone in the house.
"We don't have time Abigail! We need to go."
"Yes, we do! We can hide in the bedroom! They couldn't have gone far!" I insisted, breathing in and out sharply as I grabbed his arm. "Pluto please, we still have time to hide. I can drag you into one of the rooms, if you move to much you're going to completely bleed out." I begged, the thought scaring me more and more as each second passed.
"If we stay here Abigail, they're going to get you!" He snapped.
"Pluto please, please." I pleaded, hoping that'd be enough. Instead he grabbed my chin and gripped it firmly.
"If you escape, we can rescue them," He said, and I shook my head in confusion.
"W-Who?" I asked.
"Your family. If Titan said they were alive, they are alive. We knew there was a good chance there was. We also knew though he was going to use them to set a trap, that's why we figured it'd be easier to tell you they were dead." He admitted, making my heart stop. "They still have a chance Abigail, there's still a chance we can save them, but if we don't try to get you out of this house right now it'll be too late," He said as I heard the sound of glass breaking and wood tearing downstairs. The lights then flickered in the house, making my breath catch in my throat.
"How do I know you aren't lying to me? How do I know we can actually rescue them?" I asked quietly and he tightened his grip on my face.
"You need to trust us." He exhaled slowly. "Don't be scared Abigail. We can do this." He reassured and I swallowed thickly. My heart was still pounding in my chest, unshed tears burned in the back of my eyes, and my entire body trembled all over. I was scared to death, to terrified to even breath, but knowing my family was alive somewhere with the monster they told me about was enough to make me turn towards the stairs and pick up one of the guns the Tinkers dropped.
Bravely, I put the gun in my waistband and held the sledgehammer in my strong arm while using the other to support Pluto so I could help him walk. Downstairs, I could hear movement and it made goosebumps appear all over my arms. "How are we going to get out of here?" I whispered as Pluto wrapped an arm around me and leaned heavily against me.
"The weapon room, it's our only chance. We can get out in one of the cars down there," He said quietly.
"The weapon room is downstairs though. Can we make it?" I asked, looking up at him and he looked down at me solemnly before looking at the stairs.
"If we run." For a long moment then we were quiet, before I began to move towards the stairs with Pluto staggering next to me.
"On the count of three." I decided. Nodding in agreement, Pluto and I began to slowly walk down the stairs.
"One..."
As we got about half way down, the sounds of the downstairs being destroyed ceased.
"Two..."
Once we were a little more than half way down, I couldn't hear anything except mine and Pluto's heavy breathing.
"Three!"
Then with nothing but fate on our side, Pluto and I then pounced off the stairs and moved as quickly as we could down towards the entrance to the weapon room. Behind us, I could hear multiple Tinkers chasing after us, and across the house unfamiliar shouts were heard. They knew we were here, and they knew we were trying to escape, which gave us mere seconds. Once we got to the panel, I typed in the pass-code with trembling fingers as I tried to keep Pluto from falling over.
"Hurry Abigail, hurry." He urged anxiously, barely able to stand as he clung to me. If I didn't have so much adrenaline pounding through me right now, I wouldn't have been any where's near strong enough to hold him up, but I was so determined to get out of here with Pluto I became stronger than normal.
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" I then kicked the door open, before practically dragging Pluto into the empty room and towards the elevator. Halfway into the room though, he crumbled.
"I...I can't...stand up..." He wheezed.
"Come on Pluto, you have to stand up, I need you to stand up!" I shouted at him, as I slipped an arm around him and attempted to pull him up with all the strength I had.
"Pluto come on!" I yelled at him.
"I can't...Abigail...go...I need you to go..." He begged, staining the floor beneath him.
"Pluto please...please get up. Pluto please." I gasped, feeling myself starting to cry as I saw Tinkers charging towards the room.
"Take this Abigail...it's a beacon...when you get out of here press the button so the others can track you and go to Belle's Antique shop in the city. Ask for Mel. When she asks...when she asks for the code say I want to test the program." He instructed, pushing a small round box into my hand.
"Pluto no! Your coming with me!" I insisted, trying to budge him, but he just shook his head.
"Don't forget to push the button Abigail!" He yelled weakly, then grabbing the gun from my waistband and with poor aim began to shoot at the Tinkers that started entering the room. "Go find your family! Find them!" He shouted weakly and I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I forced myself to get up and run over to the elevator.
Fighting the urge to look back when I heard Pluto cry out as the Tinkers overwhelmed him, I got into the elevator, put in the code and hit the descend button quick. As the elevator shot down into the training room, I gripped the rod with a death grip, started sobbing. "I'm sorry Pluto! I'm sorry!" I shouted, feeling my gut wrench as flashbacks of us leaving Toby in the hallway came back and I found myself crying harder and screaming in frustration as the elevator reached the bottom floor.
Once the doors opened, allowing me to enter the training room, I rushed out and grabbed one of the sets of keys for cars before grabbing another gun. Even though I had no clue how to use it, I rather have two weapons then one. I also grabbed a pair of the iron knuckles hanging up next the boxing gloves. Without hesitation I put them in my jacket pocket before running over to the cars.
I tried each lock until I found the right one, then I got into the car. Quickly, I started it and buckled in. I hadn't driven one of these yet, but Neptune did show me how to control it. It was like a normal car, only bigger and bullet proof. As I started it though, I realized I didn't know how to open garage door that led to the exit tunnel. Feeling panic start to consume, I frantically started searching the car for it. As I did, the lights flickered. Suddenly, the air became tense and eerily quiet. Titan must be here.
"Oh no." I whispered, quickly pushing the beacon button. Maybe the others were close enough to save me. Breathing in and out deeply, I sat back in the driver's seat as I gripped the steering wheel. There was nothing that looked even remotely like a button to open the entrance to the exit tunnel.
Any minute they'd come down here for me. Any minute I'd be on the floor begging for mercy with guns to my head. Squeezing my eyes shut I tried to control my breathing. Coming down to the training room without knowing another way to get out was stupid. I could already here the faint sounds of Tinkers tearing their way through the elevator shaft. I probably had thirty seconds to decide what I wanted to do.
Exhaling slowly, I then revved my engine.
If I couldn't open the door with a button, I'd have to open it myself.
Taking a deep breath then, I tightened my seatbelt, and as I watched Tinkers began to tumble out of the elevator shaft in my rearview mirror, I hit the gas all the way down to the floor and with a shriek the car barreled forward. Hopefully this military vehicle could survive a full speed impact.
Keeping the wheel steady, I drove across the training room, going faster and faster, until I drove straight through that door. When I did, I found barreling through a dark tunnel with the broken garage door blocking my view. The car just barely fit, but because I was going so fast it sped through. Behind me I could hear and see the dirt ceiling collapsing behind me because of my speed. I had a very limited window of time before it would collapse on me. Making the car go impossibly faster, I watched the windshield crack, the windows get smeared in dirt, and listened to the screech of the garage door getting dented.
Then, when it seemed like there was no end to the tunnel, the car went crashing through another door and I found myself speeding through the woods as the broken pieces of the doors flew behind me. Acting fast before I started crashing into trees, I turned the car left and right, avoiding one obstacle after another, until I found myself pulling out onto a backroad.
Once I saw there was nothing else to hit, I allowed myself to speed down the road as I fist pumped the air.
"Yes! Yes! Take that!" I hooted, before leaning back in the seat.
I may be scared to death, but that had been exciting.
_______________________________________
Okay so this is definitely one of my favorite re-write chapters! At first I was going to follow the original outline of the chapter, but then I thought "eh screw plans" and low behold! This chapter came out!
I bet I'm going to read this in a week and regret everything.
-Mari.