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Crey Industries’ Revenge
 Flaming Arrows By Eli J. Litzelman

     It was rush hour at Crey Industries. Dozens of people walked through the doors on their way to work. There was one person whose mission differed. He wore a black tuxedo punctuated by a chocolate brown fedora. His shiny black shoes clicked softly as he walked. Only at close range could you notice his aberrant yellow skin. He was Archer of Ramesses. He walked through the metal detector and turned toward the elevator. As he faced the other people about to enter the same elevator, he held up his hand. Something about the man made the others stop without question, allowing him a private lift to the top floor.
    A security guard reached for his coffee. His hand had just clasped around the handle of his mug when something on the screen caught his attention: inside an elevator stood a solo passenger during rush hour. The guard also noticed that the man’s skin had an unnatural tint. He took a sip from his mug and reached for the alarm.
    Inside the elevator, Archer was taking inventory of his surroundings. Unexpectedly, the soft music turned to the screech of an alarm. Then, a metallic foot suddenly materialized and kicked the alarm. RoboZon dropped to the ground, now fully visible. Archer’s gaze didn’t waver from his reflection on the elevator doors.
    “I hate alarms!” RoboZon said.
     Archer smiled and reached for his own collar. He grabbed a piece of cloth from behind his neck and replaced the fedora with an Egyptian headdress. “At least your scanned arm chip worked for the metal detector.” He slipped his coat off.
    “They’ll be waiting for us,” RoboZon said.
     “We’ll be waiting for them.” Archer completed his costume and grabbed his bow from RoboZon. The elevator stopped abruptly. The doors opened to reveal Crey’s personal army. Archer unleashed an armada of arrows and used his teleport to place himself in the center of the mob. He then produced a fire sword and spun in a circle, incinerating every man within range.
    In the elevator’s small compartment, RoboZon was having his own troubles. Before long, however, the solders trying to get to the hero were tripping over the unconscious bodies of their comrades.
     Meanwhile, Archer kicked a man square in the chest, firing an arrow into his head as he flew backwards. The Egyptian warrior then heard the noise of rushing wind and turned toward the elevator. RoboZon had suddenly gathered his strength and flew straight toward the attacking troopers, scattering them in all directions as he streaked like a bullet from the small confines of the elevator. Archer had to duck as one trooper flew over him.
    A large man ran into the security room. He stared at the monitors and looked down at the security officer. “What’s your recommended course of action?” the officer asked as he tried to match the other man’s gaze. The human bulk contemplated a moment. “The only way to beat them is to separate them.” He nodded to himself. “Tell your squad to push the robot back into the elevator. Then close the doors and bring it to the fourteenth floor.” He walked to the exit, but not before the guard heard him say: “I’ll be waiting for him.”         Archer noticed something was wrong. Even though he was killing a considerable amount of solders, they suddenly seemed not to notice him; they were all rushing around him. He turned to see what they were running at: RoboZon. RoboZon saw the change in battle, also: troopers were charging straight toward him. They all came from the front, opening up in the back. Some weren’t even firing their weapons. RoboZon stood his ground at first, but was soon driven back. Archer stabbed a man in front of him with his fire sword and strung an arrow. He knew what was happening, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he teleported into the war zone to stay close to RoboZon, it would use up much-needed energy. His only hope was to fight as fast he could to get to the stranded hero.
    His chances were slim. He focused his attention on one of the men advancing on the metallic figure. He then outstretched his hand and a ring of fire surrounded the solder. The rest of the solders tripped over him. One got around him and Archer hit him square in the chest with an arrow. That would help, but not much.         RoboZon, exhausted from the torrent of troopers, ducked under a soldier and stood up. His victory was short-lived, however, as a well placed shot hit him in the chest. He staggered backwards: into the elevator. The door slammed shut. Because he did not know where the elevator was going, Archer knew that trying to teleport into it might put him into the elevator-shaft. He also knew that their chances were slim if they remained isolated. He still fought on.
    RoboZon rested on the carpeted floor. He could see what their strategy was and knew that he needed as much endurance as he could get. He wondered how Archer was doing. It seemed they might never come out of this one. He savored what might be his last moment of peace. He stood as the elevator stopped, ready for whatever might come through the opening. The doors parted. RoboZon streaked through the air at a massive human form.
    The impact into the man’s chest felt like hitting an impenetrable fortress. The opponent then kneed RoboZon and hit him back with both fists. RoboZon smashed into the back wall of the elevator. “RoboZon, you have caused me enough trouble.” He straitened his tie. “You won’t leave the building alive.”
    Meanwhile, Archer unleashed a cluster of arrows at an advancing group. A slight bit of blood trickled out his nose. He decided to take his chances on the next floor. He gathered himself, estimated the location of the upper floor, and, with a flash of light, was gone. He landed in what seemed like a security booth. Both guards reached for their hand guns. Archer took two arrows and shot at the blurred figures. Each arrow connected with a chest. Archer smiled and slumped forward on the floor.
    RoboZon pushed himself off the wall and stood in front of the man. He then went into fighting position. His lunging kick was expertly blocked. He then dodged a punch that would smash through a brick wall. His roundhouse kick hit the man, but he didn’t seem to notice. The man’s tux appeared to shimmer from his muscles as he threw RoboZon across the room. RoboZon’s hands caught the floor and swung him around onto his feet. He then did several quick moves, but the man took the hits and pummeled RoboZon back across the room. This time he flew back into the wall about two inches from the ceiling.
    Archer had regained consciousness. He sat up and reached for his communicator. His attention then riveted on a monitor. He saw RoboZon getting a severe beating. He stood up and ran for the stairs.                 RoboZon charged at the man and into an outstretched fist. He stumbled back, disoriented. The creature then leaned back and kicked RoboZon in the chest. The hero landed sitting against the wall. He coughed on his own blood. The human figure stood over the hero and shook his head. “You got so far. You’ve survived a car wreck, lived through that crazy woman’s testing, fought Statesman, and survived being a hero.” He shook his head again. “You went through all that to die like this.”
    This man’s words sunk into RoboZon. He remembered his friends, his famous victories, his favorite memories, and even the Hispanic man who answered the phone that morning. He thought of Archer and cringed as the idea that his friend might be dead reached his brain. His jaw tightened. He released a scream that could be heard throughout the entire building. He then pushed down with both arms and tucked forward into a front-flip, landing in a handstand. His scorpion-kick hit the other man in the face. He then stood and rushed forward. In his rage, he unleashed dozens of blows at lightning speed. The Crey Industries’ employee staggered backward. RoboZon screamed again and hit the man in the torso. The stunned human figure soared through a window and down fourteen floors to a concrete sidewalk.
    A door swung open and RoboZon spun to see Archer. “Late, I am?”
    RoboZon laughed and shook his head. “Just a little.”
    “We must continue on. Guards will be coming.” They both rushed into the stairway.


Crey Industries’ Revenge
Revelation By Eli J. Litzelman

     RoboZon met Archer of Ramesses at the top of the stairs. He landed on the top floor and looked out the window: it was raining. Archer opened the door, shot the guard, and stepped to the side to let RoboZon through. As they reached the door on the opposing wall they found it was locked. From his scanners RoboZon could tell that the inside of the door was solid steel. He sighed, took a gadget from a pouch in his belt, put it in the key hole, forced back the lock, and stepped through.
     Countess Crey heard the noise of the door open and knew that no one had the key to get through but her. Because of this she also knew that the heroes were here. She sat up in her chair. Two figures walked in. One was familiar and the other she’d never seen before. It was the latter who stretched out his arm: she was instantly surrounded by flame.
    RoboZon had almost been killed numerous times to get here. He was now standing before his worst enemy, his most hated foe. This was a time he had been waiting for ever since he was kidnapped seven years ago. Now, after all this, he was at a loss for words.
    “RoboZon, didn’t expect you’d be here so soon. I was hoping that I might finish some of this paperwork before you arrived.” She looked bored as she contemplated the flames that surrounded her. “What took you so long to find me?” She laughed. “We couldn’t start a war with the 5th Column. After you became a hero, I needed to kill you to save evidence, just like I did your father.”
     “What did you say?”
     “Every time we meet, you always ask so many questions. Even with your memory restored you still aren’t very bright. Fine, I’ll tell you the whole story.” She took a drink from a glass of water and began. “Your father, Daniel Withart, was a hero. He went by the name of Icy Fu Master. He was known for doing a lot of ‘good’ things in his life. Unfortunately one of those ‘good’ things was snooping around my testing facilities. I tried fifteen attempts to kill him.” She shook her head and mumbled, “Lucky guy.” She then looked RoboZon straight in the eyes. “On the last try, we hired a Hellion. I’m told you killed him. You know the rest of the story: the Hellion gang member blew you up, your father saved your life, I saw the opportunity to test a cure on you, you… escaped, you were recruited by the 5th column - where they nicknamed you ‘little Japan’ because of your heritage - you fought Statesman, turned to being a hero, and here we are today.” She spread her hand as a sign of completion.
    RoboZon’s shaky voice replied, “How did my father become a hero?”
     “He used gadgets.”
    RoboZon smiled.
    Archer looked at RoboZon. “We need to leave.”
     “I need to know more.”
     “Solders are coming.”
     “But Archer…”
    Archer turned to the woman, strung an arrow, and launched it at her. Countess Crey jerked back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. A small tear trickled from her eye. She then slumped onto her desk. Archer’s voice came in reply, “Now, we can go.”
    Solders flooded out of the stairwell. They all noticed that the office door was open and that the guard was dead. The rain had stopped and the only things that remained were the body of their devious leader and the smell of burning carpet.


Crey Industries’ Revenge
Epilogue By Eli J. Litzelman

    The mid-day sun pounded unmercifully down on Steel Canyon. RoboZon sat on the saluting hand of the Central Statue. He often sat up there when he wanted to be by himself and think. Since the recent adventure into Crey Industries, he had a lot more to think about than usual.
    He’d found out since that Countess Crey had survived Archer of Ramesses’s arrow. To save her reputation, she claimed that her injury was a result of falling into a machine while inspecting a factory. He’d kept a half-burnt arrow as a memento of the occasion. It was now at his house, along with his other souvenirs.
    His head monitors began to ring. He pushed a button on his wrist to receive the call. “Hello?”
    A man answered on the other line. “RoboZon, this is the police department. We have a Tsoo who would like to talk with you.”
    “Send him through.” A familiar voice came through.
     “You have wounded Countess Crey?”
    “Yes.”
     “Then you have earned more. From the way you spoke when I met you earlier, you did not know your father was a hero. Am I wrong?”
    “You are correct.”
     “I knew him. I fought beside him. You know, your and his pasts are all too similar.”
    “How did you know my past?”
    “Forgive me. I said earlier that I had done some exploring in Crey Industries. But about your father, he invented devices to help him fight. At first he saw this power as an advantage. At the time, the Tsoo were desperate for recruits. Your father offered his assistance. We were all too glad to have him. However, after his first fight with a hero, he left the Tsoo to find ‘the true meaning of life.’ He sent me a note shortly before he died. It said: ‘I have a feeling this will be the last day of my life. Crey Industries has been merciless. In this note I have included blueprints of my latest inventions. I have a son now and I sense he will be a great man someday. If I die please try to find him and give him this letter and the blueprints. And I have found the true meaning of life: to serve others.’ I have arranged for the letter to be taken to your house.”
     “How did you know it was me?”
    “Three pieces of evidences: Crey Industries was searching for you, you fight like your father, and I followed you in the past.”
    “Thank you.”
     “It was my duty to your father.”

The End


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