I looked through the gap once again to see that they had all turned to face the other direction. I just needed to wait for my cue before descending. In my mind I had envisioned dropping down on top of them, but from this height I could break an ankle. How fast would that heal with my new abilities? If it wasn’t instantly the injury could put me at a huge disadvantage.
Then I heard a female voice. A human one. "I insist that you vacate the area around that tree," she said in her emotionless tone. It was Portia. Not one of my wives. That changed things significantly.
I'm not saying that I didn't care if my android took damage. However, the level of concern was considerably lower than that of Lin or Nancy getting injured.
I still couldn't see Portia from my vantage point. But I could gauge where she was by the Peggies that had turned to face her. I started maneuvering to the outside of our little treehouse near the thick trunk that I had climbed up the day before. I nearly lost my grip when I heard a primitive battle cry.
Halfway down I caught sight of my artificial friend. She had widened her stance to avoid being knocked over as four, no five Peggies were trying to wrestle her to the ground in the tall grass. One on top was beating her in the head with his club.
I saw horror in the expressions of the bad monkey men when Portia took the beating without the slightest wince. Then one Peggy went flying after she was able to pry him off her body. The wild cry of anguish of the fellow was comical. As was seeing the next one soar through the air.
Finally, the one beating her head with a club was hurled to the ground. He had managed to mess up her otherwise perfect hair. Hopefully, he hadn't damaged any components in her humanoid skull. The annoyance that I associated with her action was unwarranted. She showed absolutely no sign of duress.
Pistol man was bobbing back and forth waiting for an opportunity to take a shot at Portia. I was surprised at his unwillingness to shoot one of his own in the process.
I hit the ground running, feeling like a cold winter wind blowing through an unsuspecting jungle. I punched the gun bearer in the back of the head the same exact time as grabbing his shooting arm and forcing it downward. The metal slug erupting from the barrel struck the closest gang member in the left calf.
I then wrestled the pistol from his hand while crushing his ribs beneath my knee. Then without hesitation I shot the ugly wide nostril bastard right in the forehead. It felt cold blooded as I did it, even though it clearly wasn't. He had been shooting to kill both me and Portia. And he had a dozen buddies ready to split their attack between us with unknown weapons. I couldn't be sure that they only had clubs. However, my reasoning was that my killing that particular man would remove their obvious leader and possibly leave them in chaos.
It took a few seconds before realization of what had happened registered among the pack. I swung the pistol back and forth alternating my aim at those closest by. Some held their hands up in surrender while others covered their heads and dropped low to the ground. Those that had been attacking Portia ran off in the other direction, seemingly keeping my crew mate between us.
"Who's next, monkey fuckers!" I yelled angrily. The ice in my veins was making me feel and act very much not like myself. I took a deep breath and tried to reel in my hate.
Portia walked toward me at a calm steady pace as if she weren't in a battlefield among enemies. Her eyes darted around at the corpses on the ground, one of them so fresh that blood was still spilling from his forehead. I could also smell the shit in his pants. That happened sometimes.
"You have killed four citizens of Pegillas," she accused me in the same calm voice. It sounded more like a statement but knowing her programming I had to believe that it was an accusation.
"Self-defense," I answered.
Portia stared at me for a moment looking like she was about to call me a liar. If her programming said that I was a murderer, would she try to detain me? Make a citizen's arrest? Was she still stronger than me? This otherworldly chill that I acquired from the shadow monster had more than tripled my strength.
"May I suggest that we allow the remaining attackers to disperse unharmed?" she asked.
While I was focusing on her some of the chimps had been withdrawing quietly. I had no intention of killing any more Peggies if the fight was over. I told them all to go. It kind of felt like I should make a speech, or send them back to their boss with a message. A warning, like I was the new Sheriff in town. That would be stupid, of course. I did not plan to get involved in the fight against crime on this alien planet.
When Portia's eyes darted to a place behind me I turned quickly expecting to find another foe. Instead it was Alora dropping to the ground after descending from her hiding spot in the treehouse.
"It's okay," I told Portia as I placed my hand on her chest, as if she would do the young Peggy woman any harm. "She is not with them."
"I can see that clearly," Portia replied, almost showing a
