It was a delicate procedure. Attaching each individual nerve-end and double-checking for any feedback loops, he sighed. Only the light from the tablet and the lamp from his workstation on in the corner were on at this late hour. The rest of the room, his bedroom, was dark.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes sight. “Is there a problem?” A dry voice came from the disembodied head he had been working on, placed upright on the desk.

“Stravo?” It questioned. “I think I’m done for tonight.” Stravo closed the compartment in the back of the head. He stretched, working the kinks out of his hands and sat on the chair facing the head; the artificial head, a bio-droid male, observed his maintainer.

Stravo swiped through some documents on his tablet while drinking a hot coffee-like substance to keep him alert. A small tremor vibrated through and jostled Stravo, breaking his concentration.

“Those tremors have been occurring more frequently.” The bio-droid stated. “I don’t get why we have them. They’re not even on the schedule.” Stravo rolled his eyes and went back to his work.

“Stravo?” The head continued. “Hmm?” l ng his head slightly, he kept his sights on the tablet. “Soon it will be daylight.” “Hmm, just give me a bit...”

╠════╣

She was panting, a crazy smile on her face; a kaleidoscope of colors fractured and reflected off her armor, the only source of light in the otherwise dark arena. As pretty as it all looked, the light was distract ng her vision, making it difficult to see her opponent.

She’ll give up her position on eventually, she thought as she slowed her breathing, fighting against her growing anticipation on for another victory.

A movement like a sudden gust, cut past her helmet. Without hesitation on, she twisted up for a swing; she felt her attack connect. Not wan ng to lose the chance, she continued her blind assault.

Each clash created sparks that silhouette ed the two girls. The metallic and glass surface of their suits reflected their robotic armor. Though they closely resemble the human form, each girl had made their own unique additions. Upon seeing each other’s movements, they picked up the pace of their acrobatics.

For a few seconds it seems that their fight would end as a stalemate. Neither girl wanted it to end that way. A beeping sound went off and the grids of the floor illuminated the arena. The combatants broke off, circling each other as they thought of their next round of attacks.

A holographic timer appeared above them, and the girls glanced up, then faced each other, smiling under their visors.

“Thought you could get me with the same cheap trick?” the other girl taunted. “Hey, a hard kick is my best move, Mel.” “You mean your only move, Ace,” Mel continued. Another beep sounded, time was running out.

Ace harrumphed and then took a quick glance at the counter, fewer than two minutes remained. “For you-“ Ace jumped into a run, zipping straight towards Mel . A hard kick is all I need. At the last few seconds, Ace feinted her attack. Mel, expecting Ace to slow down, counter attack. What Mel didn’t expect was Ace’s back-flip followed by her best move: a hard kick.

The buzzer sounded as Mel went spinning. The Arena faded away, quickly replaced by bright light.