System Analysis:

Damage: 37%

Rotary Stability: 79% Stable

Current Status:

"You're dead Tin-man!"

"Critical."

Rico narrowly rolled away from another giant swing. He had been getting better at dodging. But he was cutting it close. The majority of the fight consisted of Nix throwing his weight around while Rico desperately avoided the attacks. It was as if a boulder was being lobbed at him. For Nix, it felt like every other fight; a slippery shooter that he couldn't get his hands on.

But that's what he trained for.

Nix watched as Rico rolled to the left. He brought the hammer down and sent a little shockwave forward. The fracture created at the point of impact snaked forward cracking the ground below it. Rico found his foot slipping between the tremors, stuck in a very compromising position.

Upon his trapping, the crowd screamed for Nix. "Break him! Rip his circuits out! Snatch his servos!"

"Um... don't rip his circuits out?" Sam said with a nervous chuckle.

Inside the pit, Rico was struggling to remove his lodged leg. He could hear it. Giant steps getting closer by the second. In a desperate attempt to flee he fired a bullet in the direction of the sound.

"GAH?!"

The rampaging body suddenly halted. Taking a step backward from the bullet. A single yellow bouncy ball rolling beside him. Rico inspected the orb. It felt rather heavy, especially with how small it was. Rico tried to analyze the sphere, but he couldn't identify the reason behind its weight.

"YEAH!" Sam was the only voice now. The rest of the bystanders were stunned. "I knew it! I'm a genius!"

Shelly chimed in, "Wanna share with the class?"

"Okay so... his gun looks like a toy right? And I had this sick idea that he should have ammo that looks like a toy. But how do I give him goofy ammo while still making it effective? Easy... I-"

"He put lead inside the balls."

"NIX! That was my big reveal."

"Whatever," he mumbled while he rubbed his cheek. The ball didn't hurt. It wasn't like he had broken his jaw. But it felt like he was a boy again, fighting some punk kids in the streets. After blowing a frustrated breath he pushed onward. Taking his time as he dragged the mallet behind him.

Rico's pulls got more urgent. Desperately trying to escape Nix's aggressive push. 'Time needed for escape: 34.2 seconds. Nix ETA: 23.7 seconds. Escape options limited. Best choice. Removal of leg.' Rico tried to toy with his feet. 'Leg's unremovable. Final option: Preserve cranial unit.'

"Rico! Shoot him!" Sam shouted.

Rico's eyes began to sputter. 'New escape option available. Stall for time.' Rico focused his barrel on Nix's head. Shooting off a line of five bullets that peppered his skull. Nix's head recoiled with each shot, taking another step backward. When the bullets stopped, he continued forward. This time with his hammer raised overhead.

'Nix ETA: 10.3 seconds. Time for escape: 15.4 seconds. More time required.' He quickly shifted more spheres through his torso, the raucous rattling emanating from the glass dome drawing the attention of the bystanders. Another precise stream of bullets made their mark on Nix's face. But he wasn't delayed as thoroughly this time. He stood directly above the robot. 'Nix ETA: 0 seconds.'

Nix dropped his hammer to the chagrin of Sam and most of the bystanders. Many groaning at the sight of Rico's body crushed under Nix's mallet. Sam peaked through his hand, letting out an audible sigh of relief that shocked the crowd. Shelly and Veronica were not surprised. He pointed to the pit, "He's fine~"

The crowd was flabbergasted to see Rico stumbling further away from Nixon. The bot struggling to find a stable footing in the jagged environment. Once again the crowd burst with cheers, eager to see the conclusion to this bout.

Rico finally found a sturdy rock to stand atop. Taking his time to find a solution. 'Bullets fire rate: 5 spheres before needed to reload. Velocity: 12.3 m/s.' He looked back towards Nix. The not-so-gentle giant slowing standing up, fighting the floor as he dislodged his hammer. He turned to Rico with a pointed expression, rubbing a little bump forming on his cheek.

'Nix damage sustained: Minimal. Solution to victory: Defensive Strategy. Enticement required' Rico pointed a finger towards Nix. "You are big and slow. Your range is sub-optimal. I will defeat you with speed and range."

Nix cracked a sneaky smile, "Really?"

Shelly nudged Sam, "For an artificial intelligence he isn't that smart."

"It's his first time fighting, he'll learn."

"Learn what?" a voice suddenly said behind him.

Sam jumped at Poco's random appearance, clinging onto Veronica who smushed his face away from her. "How did you get there?"

"Well, there was this big crowd... so I walked to it." Poco took a look into the pit. "That's the robot, right? Rico?"

"Yep, that's him."

Poco watched as the bot continued to run around the arena, dipping and dodging Nixon's mallet. "What's he doing?"

The sound of metal colliding with plexiglass was followed by Rico colliding against the wall beneath them. A few sparks flying from his arms alongside painfully expensive noises. Shelly snickered, "Learning his lesson."

Rico sputtered out an analysis. "Damage su-sustained: 67%. Danger rap-rapidly approachi-ing. Opponent's speed is deceptively fast." His voice was fluxing up and down sporadically. He saw Nix running towards him. His speed starting initially slow but steadily picking up speed. Rico made the comparison to that of a locomotive engine.

He used this comparison to his advantage, sitting in wait for Nix to get as close as possible. As the giant grew closer, he brought his mallet to his side. Dragging the mallet against the floor kicking up rocks and gravel along the way. He could hear the approaching fissure over the roaring crowd as they awaited the final blow.

Nix's foot slammed into the floor at Rico's feet, cracking the rocks beneath it. His swing dug into the stone below and erupted from the ground like a volcano aimed at Rico's glass chest. But just before it could connect Rico rolled away. Nix's swing didn't slow, he swung with deadly force upward, lodging his mallet into the wall.

The force of his swing was powerful enough to send a ripple through the wall. The cracks formed crept upward until they left a fracture in the ground above the pit. Many bystanders slipping between and grabbing onto others for assistance. Shelly and her top fighters jumped out the way, laughing at the amount of effort Nix was putting into the fight.

Shelly peaked down below, "Relax Nixxy. It's just an audition." She looked down to only see his flattop shake back and forth. A frustrated grumble being heard under the commotion. Shelly's purple dreads flipped to Sam, "I think he's gonna break your toy." Sam just gave a nervous chuckle.

Rico was recovering from his narrow escape. Quickly focusing on Nix and preparing for another attack. He was surprised to see Nix struggling with his mallet. Yanking and tugging to dislodge it. "Opportunity: ACQUIRED!"

Rico rushed forward, the balls in his chest being vacuumed into his gun. He sent another stream of bullets into Nix's back. The bullets falling off but causing the monster to flinch. He turned around only to eat another surge of bullets to the face. He clutched his nose checking to see if it was broken, then from his flank came another set of shots.

Rico continued this onslaught of ammunition, jumping from one flank to another chipping away at Nix's body. From above, Veronica was on her knees observing the battle with deep intrigue. Sam and Shelly were also stunned. It was rare to see Nix on the defensive like this. But with one false move Rico had turned the tides. Poco was smiling as usual; but with the look in his eyes, he seemed a bit too happy to see Nix losing.

In the pit, Nix's temper was rising. The onslaught of rubber balls was getting to him. He could feel the bumps and bruises growing. And occasionally he would feel a heavy metal hand collide with him. His massive mitts would swat at the air hoping to smack Rico back, but he only caught the air.

Above them, many of the bystanders were being knocked down randomly. Rico took notice of how some of the bullets that missed their mark would bounce off the walls and collide with some unfortunate bystanders. Rico used this to his advantage, bouncing bullets off the wall ahead of Nix so they would smash against his face. Nix's rage grew and his grip tightened.

Sam noticed this change, silently chewing on the edge of his bag. Veronica quickly stood away from the edge. Poco stood beside her, preparing a song on his guitar. Shelly just shook her head, "Por el amor de Dios. He's gonna break the ring like this."

Rico didn't take notice of this change. His focus was on maximizing the damage. Emptying another case of ammo into Nix's frame. He paused to reload his gun, giving Nix an opening. His grip shifted on the handle. An underhanded grip that allowed him to put more force upward.

With a deep grunt, Nix pushed up. Ripping through the stone wall causing the pit to rumble. The roar he made scared the bystanders and made Rico lock up. That alongside the giant fissure that opened in the rock wall. He followed the cracks as they rose like fireworks. His eye landing on one of the glowing rocks illuminating the cave. Then a dark silhouette blocked the light. The square hammer taking his sight and aiming for his life.

He reacted as quickly as he could. Jumping back to avoid the crushing blow. But he was too late. Nix's hammer dropped, connecting with his left foot. Though no one could hear his metal bend. They were more focused on the giant fissure that Nix left behind. Causing the ground to quake and the rocks above to sprinkle on the crowd.

When the initial shock of the impact settled down they could hear Rico crying out in pain. Repeating the phrase, "Ow" over and over again as he desperately crawled away with his mangled leg clutched. A few balls slipping out of the appendage. Poco noticed this, "Are those balls?"

"Yeah. Where do you think they come from?"

"I thought he was making them."

"No the balls are stored in his legs. The bottom of his feet actually opens up, allowing him to suck up balls on the floor to refill his ammo. You haven't noticed how he's running all over the place?"

"I just thought he was running from Nix." Rico's pained screams continued, "Did... did you give him pain sensors?"

"Yeah." Sam absently responded.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Poco looked into the pit. Watching as Rico rolled around desperately trying to flee from Nix. "Seems like an intentional design flaw."

"Pain is very important in peril. It helps the mind understand when it has gone too far and needs to adjust its strategy."

They watched as Nix slowly rose. Pebbles that had been launched upward now raining around him. The glare on his face giving him the image of a monster that just broke from its prison. Poco looked back to Sam, "It's gone too far."

Sam bit his lip, "He's right. Boss we can stop."

Shelly didn't respond.

"Shelly?"

"Not yet."

Veronica joined in Poco and Sam's surprise. Rico's repairman looking flabbergasted, "Not y- I'm sorry?"

Shelly turned to them. A pleasant smile on her face, "I said not yet." She returned her gaze to the pit, "He's not done."

Nix was slowly walking towards the robot. Listening as Rico spouted gurgled nonsense trying to find a solution to his situation. He took his time, picking him up by his skull and observing him. "I told you, I'd teach you some respect."

He pointed Rico to the crowd. His yellow eye frantically scanning their faces. These people didn't seem the least bit concerned for him. They were enjoying the spectacle. These monsters took joy in watching his pain.

His metal hands ripped and snatched at Nix's burly knuckles, trying to break his hold. But Nix's grip just got tighter. "Last time I held someone by their skull I got... injured. I won't make the same mistake." He could hear Rico's metal bending, "Don't worry... Sammy will love rebuilding you."

Rico could feel the glass in his visors start to crack. He couldn't make any noise. His CPU desperately looking for a solution. He could see a few of the bandits looking away from the slaughter. That gave him an idea.

He could feel his body rotating while his head stayed still. Nix noticed it as well, Rico's body had turned without moving his head or legs. Rico used this new position to latch onto Nix's face. Opening his mouth and firing a bullet down his throat.

Nix broke into a choking fit dropping Rico directly onto his bad leg. The robot yelped in pain but quickly made his retreat, allowing Nix to battle this new threat. With a wad of flagellum Nix finally spat out the ball and his rage grew. He could see Rico hiding behind a formation of rock walls. He slammed his mallet to rev himself up trudging up to where Rico was hiding.

When he hit the turn, he saw Rico resting against a rock. Pushing himself up and fiddling with his foot. Through his cracked visor he could see Rico's eye was pointed like an angry glare. The robot tapped his head causing his eye to blink sporadically. Once he was settled in, he pointed his gun towards Nix.

Nix shook his head, "We both know that won't stop me." He rested his mallet on his shoulder, "If you want I can spare you. Sammy always whines when I break his toys. All you gotta do is admit you're weak."

Rico slowly turned his gun towards the nearby wall. "Submission is not within my protocol. Activating advanced combat sequence. Code name: Trick Shot."

The balls in Rico's stomach began to glow. A motor humming inside him as the balls spun around at blurring speeds. Nix got a little nervous readying his hammer to block the next attack. The glowing bullets were sucked up into his gun, quickly being replaced by another set of balls.

The orbs in his gun's toy compartment were visibly larger than before and the light-show gained a few coos from the crowd. Nix wanted to move forward but his body felt tense.

"Nixon." Rico's voice was clear, gone was the previous glitch from his injuries. "You have not paid attention. My bullets bounce off walls. My new creator Sam created them for enhanced combat opportunities. And this mode provides me with a drastic increase in range, power, and fire rate. Now observe your surroundings."

Nix did as he was told, noticing that he was between the pit wall and a giant formation of rocks that acted as another wall.

Rico continued with a professional tone, "You are a large man in a narrow hallway." With that, he pulled the trigger and his gun's barrel morphed to accommodate the enhanced bullets. Spewing out a stream of gigantic bullets that bounced off the walls wildly. Nix watched as the first stream made a wall in front of him. When they made contact with him, he put up his arms; he could feel these balls embedding themselves into his skin. A few balls missed him only to ricochet back and hit him from behind.

Once the first wave of attacks was done Nix peaked out from behind his arms, but a new wave of bullets was heading his way. He was forced back into defensive blocking again, and he swore there were more bullets this time.

Shelly noticed it as well. "Sam, how is he shooting so much?"

"He isn't. The bullets that don't land square on Nix bounce back either hitting Nix or landing at Rico's feet. And thanks to the literal wall of bullets, he can reload, charge up another volley, and plan his next attack." Sam looked down with a smile. "In a way... I made Rico to perfectly counter Nix. He has the body to eat damage for days but if he gets too comfortable, Rico can stack up huge amounts of damage that even he can't handle. And thanks to Rico's weird geometry knowledge he can fire shots from dangerous angles. Nix can't challenge that with raw power."

Inside the pit, Rico felt confident. He had Nix on the ropes, the giant was forced to defend his face knowing that bullets of this size would damage even his thick skin. But Rico could feel the energy draining from both their bodies. One of them would have to give.

In a moment of awe, Nix dropped his guard. Slowing lifting up his hammer and raising it above his head. Rico watched as ball after ball pelted his face, blood leaking from his nose and bruises visible across his skin. He looked like he just went five rounds with a professional boxer. But his face was determined. Though his eyes were closed he was sure of where Rico was. His hammer aimed at him.

More balls ricocheted at breakneck speeds, causing Nix to recoil but his grip was ironclad. A dark glare caused by his massive eyebrows blocking any visual of his eyes.

They could hear him taking a deep breath, his chest expanding. It gave Rico chills and the crowd thrills. Another massive attack was coming. Rico tried to aim the next wave of attack directly at Nix, but the bullets just fell against his massive body. His eyes shot open, bloodshot.

Rico tried to shoot again but his gun stalled. Sam shouted down, "Rico you didn't read the file carefully. I put a note that the Trick Shot protocol might overheat from extended usage."

Rico desperately banged against his pistol, but it was jammed. He looked back at his opponent. He wasn't smiling but he seemed pleased, "You finished?"

Rico felt something he didn't know he was programmed to perceive... fear.

"STOP!"

Nix's body locked up, Rico stopped struggling, and the crowd fell silent. Shelly signaled for Nix to do something. The giant man grumbling before pressing the button on his mallet.

It shrunk again, allowing him to put it into his shorts pocket. He stretched out a hand to Rico, the bot backing further away. Nix rolled his eyes and snatched Rico up, putting him on his back and making his way to Shelly.

He observed the crevice he made and climbed up carefully. Once topside a few random bandits went up to congratulate them on a splendid match. Rico was given to Sam who suddenly pulled out a screwdriver, soldering tool, and metal plates from his bag. And Poco thought he was magic.

As Rico is being patched up by Sam a few bandits run to watch the repairs. Singing their praises about how awesome it is that he could even keep up with Nix. He heard stories of the other recruits that had to fight him and how they couldn't make him budge. A few asked if he could train them how to use a rubber gun like his. Rico's eyes were jumping to and fro trying to observe all his new fans.

Sam snickered as he finished off the patchy job. He would fix him properly later. For now, he helped Rico to his feet, walking him over to where Shelly was. Nixon was sitting beside her, his bruises being touched up by one of the medics. When he saw Rico, he pushed one of his nostrils shut, blowing out a huge puff of air and shooting out a wad of bloody mucus. A light flush of color was appearing on his cheeks which the medic gave him a cold towel for. But Sam knew that it was likely caused by Shelly's proximity to him.

When Shelly saw Rico arrive, she quickly grabbed something out of Sam's bag. Pulling out a dark purple vest. She also retrieved a needle, string, a thimble, and a decorative patch from the bag. She passed them off to another bandit who quickly disappeared.

"Fantástico!" She turned back to Nixon, "Haven't seen this big lug on the back peddle like that in years." Nix scratched his short black high top, looking away in embarrassment. "Sam... you've outdone yourself." Sam held his head high, nudging for Rico to get excited also.

The bandit came back with the vest. Shelly held the vest high, showing to the crowd the patch with their symbol. A standard cartoon skull with long dreads like hers. She moved to Nix whispering something in his ear then passing the vest to him.

With a reluctant sigh, he moved to Rico. The robot still apprehensive about being so close to him. He quickly turned Rico around, putting the vest on forcefully and turning him back to the bandits. Rico found the vest fit him like a glove, tailor-made to his body.

Shelly walked up and took his hand, raising it high for everyone to see. "This is Rico. The first-ever robotic Gem Bandit!" His eye twitched into a big black X again. He quickly smacked his skull, blaming the cracked visor for issues with his eye's led display. Now he had a nice semi-circle representing a warm smile at a successful initiation.