( The mass have chosen, and the Handyman lives! But what will that entail for our donkey headed hero's future? Stay tuned to learn more >:D).
Lynn watched as Max shook hard, the large pistol aimed right in the center of a mechanized beast’s head. A Handyman.
The last one she ever saw cost her dearly, in mind, body and soul. But that Handyman was deranged; froth had spilled out of its mouth as it smashed its head repeatedly into various hard surfaces.
That thing wasn’t human.
It wasn’t even a mad animal.
It was a monster.
A monster that tried to kill itself and anything else in its path.
The beast had been so out of its mind that it tried to tear off its own head, screaming like a stabbed panther in pain and torment. She remembered its huge, inhuman hands gripping the remains of a human throat. Crushing as the skin darkened as it started to choke and strangle.
Its eyes glowed in insanity.
But it also pleaded and begged for death.
As it began snapping open its own fleshy neck and spine, the dying glow of its eyes bore into her.
And that was when the world turned dark and pain filled her instead.
Blood spurted out as the creature finally tore off its own skull from its welded body, collapsing in convulsions as its life shot out in a geyser from the ravaged hole.
And blood soaked her dress as the beast’s inhumanity and insanity tore out her future.
But this Handyman was different. It was still human in a way. It knew kindness. Fear. Courage.
She had had enough with seeing innocent die. As much as a Handyman had made her suffer, she knew this one was not one of them.
She walked up to her husband, baby Sera in her arms, as they, together, went into the danger zone. Max saw his family moving towards him, but he could only jut his head spastically in a ragged “no”. He didn’t want them anywhere near this scene.
But Lynn ignored his jitters and slowly lifted the gun from his hands, removing the bullets with some difficulty as Sera tucked her head into her mother’s shoulder blade. Moving in front of her stunned husband, she knelt in front of the subdued Handyman.
The Handyman looked at her, eyes wide in shock. She knew what he thought. How a woman showed more willingness for him to live then his own soul did. She placed her free hand against the beast’s cheek, her thumb gently running against the raised tissue of a jagged scar that ran from a tear in the upper lip to the lower lid of his eye.
“Monsters live in this world. Many of them made of metal and skin. But you are not one of them. You kill to save, not kill to suffer. You are no animal or freak. But a man in a different body. Because of that, you can leave. Live to fight and save for another day.”
She placed her hand against the porcelain appendage of the Handyman. Surprisingly, instead of feeling a cold, inanimate doll body part…the hand felt alive. Warm and smooth. The Handyman slowly enclosed his massive fingers around her tiny hand, being as careful as possible not to hurt her or Sera with his hulkish strength.
Limbs shaking violently, he managed to get up on his legs, teetering unevenly because of the lack of power to his motor wires.
He didn’t speak. Nobody knew if such a thing could speak without a human body. But the look on his face was all that she needed to see.
He was grateful. No. Not grateful. Ecstatic.
Happy.
The Handyman let go of Lynn’s hand, and turned jerkily to leave. The cops tried to move in, but a single metallic growl from the cyborg was enough to get them skittering for safety.
He then turned to look at Max.
An angry look. One of regret. And shame.
Max was floored by the glare as he watched as the Handyman lowered himself onto four legs. With shocking strength and speed, he galloped off, like a huge dog, reaching the edge of the embankment before leaping off and disappearing.
Lynn looked at Max with disgust, Sera, for once, knowing when to be quiet when her parents where in a silent argument.
Max tried reach for them, but Lynn slapped his hand away.
“Lynn…I’m sorry…I-“
“You what? Thought of it only for me? You keep saying that to yourself, but killing those things like its fox season won’t bring our baby back. That one saved a life. He wasn’t the same as the one we saw. If that didn’t get through your thick Saxon skull then I don’t know what will.”
She turned around, her back jittering from repressed anger.
“I’m taking Sera to the Ferris Wheel. You can come with us if you want…but only on a separate seat. I can’t look at you right now. I don’t know what’ll happen if I do.”
With that, she walked away. Sera looked at her dad cautiously, sadness evident at leaving him behind.
But what could she do?
She was only a young sprout.
Max was left behind staring as they disappeared into the crowds. Deep inside, he felt shame. Horrible shame. Now, more than anything, he wished he had never brought them to the festival. This drama was tearing them apart.
And seeing his family suffer was worse than his own wellbeing. His muscles tightened, his thoughts raced. He wanted to chase after them, ride the Ferris wheel with them. Give Lynn a hug. Tell her he loved her.
Apologize.
But another part wanted to obey her wishes.
He simply did not know how to handle this divide he himself had created.
( Ooooooh. Max f-ed up big! Looks like he won't get happy time for a while now. >:D
But this brings in time for another question:
Should he follow her and try to apologize?
Or let her and Sera cool off before trying to talk to them?
Either one, you'll see him get karma-shocked, Infinite style.
Suspenseful much? lol)
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