EP 013: Leave Us Alone!

The truck sped down the road, its engine roaring against the quiet of the night. Kisimoto kept his grip tight on the wheel, his mind racing as he processed everything that had happened.

Their father. The impossible return. Roko's sudden disappearance. And then—his reappearance, talking about C-Bots.

Clone Bots. Machines designed to mimic, to wear a face, to fight like the person they imitated. That thing wasn't their father. It was something else entirely.

"I still don't get it," Kisimoto muttered. "How can a machine move that fast?"

Roko stretched his arms behind his head, his usual smirk returning. "Because it doesn't move, Kisi. It adapts. It's not just a machine—it's an extension of whatever code's running it."

Their mother sat in silence, her fingers tightly clasped together. She had barely spoken since they left the facility.

Serena sat by the window, her green eyes fixed on the road ahead. She hadn't said a word, but Kisimoto could feel the tension radiating from her.

Then—

A sound.

Metal scraping against asphalt.

A sharp screech.

Kisimoto's gut twisted. He glanced in the rearview mirror.

A shadow. Moving. Fast.

"Tell me that's not what I think it is," he said through clenched teeth.

Roko turned. His smirk dropped. "Oh, come on, man. Give us a break."

The shadow came closer.

Then—

It leaped.

Directly onto the truck.

The roof dented inward as something heavy landed on top.

Serena's dagger was in her hand instantly. "It's here."

Kisimoto swerved.

The truck shook, but whatever was on top didn't move. It was latched on. The metal groaned as it began to tear apart.

Roko unbuckled his seatbelt, his expression grim. "I got this."

Before Kisimoto could stop him, he kicked open the door.

And climbed onto the roof.

The wind howled as he pulled himself up. And there—

He came face to face with himself.

The Roko-faced C-Bot tilted its head. Its expression was identical to his. The way it stood, the way it breathed, the way it grinned—a perfect copy.

Roko wiped sweat from his forehead. "Man, this is freaky."

The bot mimicked him. Same motion. Same stance.

Roko raised his sword.

The bot did the same.

Then—

It attacked.

Steel clashed against steel as Roko met the strike. Sparks flew. The bot was fast. Too fast. Every movement was perfectly mirrored, like it had already seen the battle a hundred times before.

"Aw, hell," Roko muttered. "This ain't good."

The bot lunged again. Sharper. Smarter.

It was learning.

Roko barely dodged. The blade missed his throat by an inch. The wind ripped at his clothes as the truck sped forward, but the bot never faltered.

Kisimoto was yelling from below. Serena had climbed out of the window, dagger at the ready.

Then—

The bot changed.

Its stance shifted. No longer just copying.

It was improvising.

Roko's heart pounded. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

The bot struck twice as fast.

Roko barely blocked the first hit. The second slammed into his shoulder. Hard.

Pain exploded through his body.

He stumbled.

And the bot smiled.

Like it knew it had won.

Roko gritted his teeth. "Screw you."

Then—

The truck swerved.

The bot lost balance—just for a second.

And Roko took his chance.

He kicked.

Hard.

The bot's grip slipped.

For the first time—it miscalculated.

And it fell.

Spiraling into the darkness behind them.

Gone.

Roko collapsed onto the roof, gasping. "Okay," he wheezed. "That sucked."

Serena reached out, pulling him back inside.

Kisimoto was still gripping the wheel like his life depended on it. "What. The hell. Was that."

Roko leaned back, laughing breathlessly. "That, my friend, was a problem."

Silence filled the truck.

Serena twirled her dagger, watching Roko carefully. "It's not over."

And she was right.

Because something far worse was waiting ahead.

TO BE CONTINUED…