"Dang it..."

Sentenza leaned his back against the wall for a moment as he tried to catch his breath. Other than his breathing, everything was quiet as the grave.

He was just at edge of a corner where the hallway made a sharp right turn. After he slowed his breathing, he held his pistol up and leaned his head out. As soon as he came within view of the hallway, he was assaulted with the noise of the ensuing battle.

Flesh on metal, fists on steel. Shouting, snarling, and endless blows seemed to echo so violently the walls themselves threatened to come crumbling down. Sentenza leaned back out of view of the fighting, and as soon as they were out of his view, it became silent again.

He pulled back the hammer of his gun, and it made a satisfying click. His eyes narrowed as a low, frustrated groan rumbled in his throat.

"Hah! You have skill, but no spirit." Trizel mocked before he spat out blood on the muscular robot's foot.

The matte black machine tightened its fist and sent a haymaker towards the giant. Trizel let out a mocking laugh as he easily caught the fist with his left hand. As he squeezed his fingers around the fist trapped in his palm, he took a step forward and sent a powerful uppercut towards the machine's chest.

As his fist arced up, he yanked on the entrapped hand, and pulled the robot towards him. When his fist connected, the skinless droid was sent flying back and into the ceiling.

Thud!

Thud!

It slammed against the ceiling, and then slammed again as it landed on the ground.

"Hah! And you wanted us to run." Trizel snorted as he glanced back towards Sentenza.

"I've never met anyone so bad at picking fights," Sentenza muttered under his breath as he shook his head.

As the cowboy assassin spun out into the hallway, he opened fire with a gun in each hand. "This is clearly a bad idea."

"Yeah," grunted Lulu as she barely dodged a skeletal claw. "Not like they're giving us much choice here."

Lulu glanced towards Og'drimun and smirked. "I've got an idea." she scampered back, and picked up the cowering demon.

"Unhand me at once!" Og'drimun demanded.

"Oh? And let you miss the fun?" she cooed as the thin machine lifted its hollow forearm, and pointed the hole directly at them.

"I was helping out. I just..." Og'drimun stammered as he tried to make time to think of an excuse. "Was working on strategies, and and...and learning their moves! Yeah, that's it, honest."

"Hmm," Lulu grinned as she tapped her chin. Her other hand she kept like a vice around the toy sized creature. "You know, I could believe you...I just might need a little something for my good faith."

"Are you...are you seriously blackmailing me...right now!"

A slowly rising hum rang out before the air crackled around them as a loud blast echoed that threatened to shatter their eardrums. A black, inky beam had erupted from the hollow tube of the machine. But, where it had been aiming directly at them, a few bullets from Sentenza had knocked it off course. The beam drilled its way straight into the wall.

"Blackmail? Why, I would never! I just am better motivated with proper things like monetary compensation for my services." Lulu explained as she held Og'drimun closer to the machine as it regained its balance.

Trizel glanced over and seeing Og'drimun be teased seemed to inspire him. He slammed his fists together and charged at the toned machine.

As he approached, the machine let out a high pitched hiss. This was quickly followed by more hissing as steam started to pour out from the cylinders all over its body.

Trizel pulled his right arm back and sent it flying towards the machine. "Perhaps in your next life you will find a fighting spirit."

But, as his fist came crashing down, the robot caught it with its hand. The force of Trizel's attack being stopped so suddenly caused a small shockwave to fly out that cleared away the steam still pouring out of the machine.

The muscular robot slowly raised its head and despite its lack of any real facial features, seemed to stare straight into Trizel's eyes. Trizel scowled and tried to punch with his other hand, but that was blocked as well. As steam poured out, the tables seemed to have been flipped completely.

While they fought the two new machines, Bakade and the one-eyed hunter faced off. Claw verses claw. Swift verses swift. The two of them danced around and exchanged blows. Neither of them showing any weakness, or relenting. With neither saying anything, except for the occasioanl angry growl from Bakade.

"Fine! I'll give you whatever you want. A...a thousand, a thousand!" Og'drimun squealed as he was flung through the air, but still held tight in Lulu's grip as she dodged the claw attacks of the skinny machine.

"A thousand what?" Lulu asked in an innocent voice.

"What? I don't...uh...money! A thousand monies!" Og'drimun settled on as a claw skimmed the fur on his head.

"Sounds good to me boss," Lulu smirked before she hurled a screaming Og'drimun at the robot's face.

While its view was blocked, she twirled a small baton in her hand. As the skinny machine lifted its hollow arm towards the tear-stricken demon, a slow hum of power began to rise in intensity. she jammed the wooden club into its hollow arm.

With a smug grin Lulu winked as she grabbed Og'drimun by his tail. "That's just for you, compliments of the house."

She quickly moved back as the robot looked down at its still humming arm. It looked up towards her with its blank expression.

WHOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!

With nowhere to go, the entire blast concentrated in the machine's arm before it ruptured and exploded. The blast seperated each of the fights as everyone was knocked back. The destructive explosion even impacted the hallway around them. Walls started to crack and crumble away as the floor splintered, and the ceiling fell piece by piece.

"Ugh, a little warning would have been nice," Trizel coughed as he held his arm against his side while he stood up.

"What, and spoil the surprise?" Lulu teased.

"I thought the other you was the clown." Trizel retorted.

Bakade let out an ear-piercing howl as she ripped the cyclops in two. It seems the explosion was just the distraction she needed to gain the upper hand. And as she ripped him apart, her claws started to dig around inside of him, but only gears, wires, and oil spilled out. She let out a dissapointed snarl as the flames in her eye sockets flared up.

"Alright, seriously," Sentenza commanded. "Time to go!"

Bakade looked at the fleshy bodies and ignored the two remaining machines. She slowly opened her jaw as a mist started to pour out from her throat.

"Tsk." Sentenza frowned as he lifted his gun and opened fire.

Each shot missed Bakade as she stood perfectly still while the mist poured from her.

"You missed!" Og'drimun whined. "She was right there, how could you miss!"

"There. Bought us some time." Sentenza snorted before he turned his back on everyone and walked back around the corner.

The ground between Bakade and the rest of them started to crumble away.

"Oh uh...I knew that's what you were doing," Og'drimun lied.

"So, a thousand monies huh?" Trizel commented as he grit his teeth from clear pain.

"Well that isn't...I mean, it's not..." Og'drimun stammered.

"Yep, and it'll be plenty more by the time we're out of here I'm sure," Lulu smirked. "At least one of you isn't completely stingy when they need help."

Og'drimun hung his head down in defeat while Lulu kept ahold of his tail and he swung back and forth like a pendulum.

As the mist started to spread on its own, Bakade closed her mouth. Her eyes focused on the escaping bags of flesh, even as the two machines thast were now stranded on the same side as her struggled to pick themselves up.