He shouted:
"Penny, wake up!"
That heartfelt call was answered by a blazing heavy punch swinging toward him.
As the silver-gray mechanical arms punched out, the six flame nozzles along their outer armor ignited plasma flames that shaped a cannon-like adherent killing force. If that strike landed, even a newborn vampire with ten lives would have to cash them all in here.
Just as Bertie's pupils dilated and today's second life-flashing-before-his-eyes sequence was already rolling in front of him, something darted over, precisely intercepting the incoming heavy punch—only to be blasted apart in the next second into hundreds of mechanical fragments spraying everywhere.
Bertie jolted, turned into a bat and vanished from where he stood, and the unimpeded Mech Maiden didn't give chase; her primary target was still retreating toward the surface.
