[IC] X-Wives

[David Johnston2]

If there was one thing Legend loved, it was fighting robots. Flesh and blood, even superhuman flesh and blood was tricky. He had to figure out just how much he had to pull his punches to disable without killing or crippling or what he could wrap up in that would be enough to hold them. With a robot, no need to mess around. He could go all-out. Even if it was one of the rare self-aware ones, he could pull off all their limbs with the sure and secure knowledge that he wasn't doing anything that couldn't be fixed or would traumatize the kids watching the live coverage. Back in the old days, smashing up Doctor Prometheus's contraptions had been a regular part of his routine, and the endless creativity of his opponent always kept it fresh although most of them weren't huge challenges in the end. If anything was ever going to kill him, it wouldn't be a robot.

Perhaps it was because he liked it so much and had done so much of it that he was so sloppy this time, and just flew headlong at the rampaging metal giant, hoping to take it out with a single hit. Maybe it was because he was in a rush, already thinking ahead to the appointment he would be late for if this took much time. Either way, he only knew he was in trouble when his flight power conked out as soon he got within 50 feet of the thing.

He immediately started to tumble and veer off course, which was just as well since if he'd kept going in the same direction he would have experienced what it's like for the insect when it hits the windshield. Instead, he got to feel what it was like to be swatted in mid-air as the robot swung one Buick-size palm and barely clipped him.

Even under the influence of red mercury catalyzed radiation, he could still take more punishment than a normal human being. His breath was knocked out of course, blood streaming from his nose and his body would be one big bruise in a few minutes, but as he was knocked away like a limp rag doll, the robot had already lost. When Legend hit the ground, he was a good 80 feet away from the robot, and his powers were back.

Long experience had taught the superhero how to deal with red mercury in all of its forms. All he had to do was snipe from long range, making sure to avoid its own range weapon and whittle it down to size. Of course that was the slow way. He knew he would be late but really...what can you do?

Three hours later his body was staring sightlessly up at the ceiling of the tunnel that led to his secret sanctum underneath the city, a fist sized hole where his heart used to be.