“Boy, that Billy Forests guy is really persistent, isn’t he, ‘Zil?” Cesil asked, walking away from the alley where Huitzil had just fought young Street Fighter Billy Forests for about the fourth time. “He’ll be broke in a few days if he keeps it up.”

“Affirmative.” Huitzil intoned. “What are your plans, Master?”

“Oh, I dunno.” Cesil said, shrugging. “We’ve got about $850 to blow. But we can’t spend it all in one place. Mom and Dad would get suspicious.”

”Affirmative.”

“I wish you had ideas once in awhile ‘Zil.” Cesil groaned. “All you ever say is ‘Affirmative’.”

“Huitzil unit is not Self-Aware.” Huitzil replied. “Huitzil cannot think for itself. Huitzil will protect Master.”

“Maybe we can fix that.” Cesil said. “I just got an idea.”

“Affirmative.”

“Okay, ‘Zil, here’s what you do. Go to that abandoned garage on the edge of town. You know the one?”

“Affirmative.”

“Okay, go there. I’m gonna go buy some tools and I’ll meet you there.” Cesil said. “We’ll have you thinking for yourself in no time!”

“Affirmative.”

Huitzil sat amidst dusty boxes and crates. It did not get impatient, for it had no emotions, and therefore could not get impatient. It felt nothing, except to obey Cesil’s orders and wait.

It heard a squeaking noise. It turned its head and saw a mouse running along the floor. Huitzil bent over and picked it up. The mouse squirmed in Huitzil’s grasp. It examined the mouse.

“You are no threat.” Huitzil said. “Huitzil unit will not eliminate.” It dropped the mouse and it scurried off into the darkness.

Suddenly, the back door to the garage opened, and Cesil came in, carrying an orange plastic crate. “Geez, this thing is heavy. Kinda wish I’d had you along.”

“Affirmative.”

Cesil dropped the box next to the seated Huitzil. “Okay, let’s do this.” He said gravely. There was a step ladder up against one wall. Cesil dragged it over next to Huitzil and stood up on it.

“Okay, how do we open up your head?” He asked.

“Affirmative.” Huitzil intoned, and it’s inner controls opened up his head. It flipped open, revealing a strange glowing stone connected by strange rods to the sides of Huitzil’s head.

:”’Zil, what is this?” Cesil asked.

“Power source of Huitzil unit.” Huitzil said. “No other data available.”

“I see.” Cesil grabbed a pair of wire cutters. “Well, let’s see…Okay, let’s try this.”

Cesil pulled out a hammer and lightly whacked the stone. Huitzil shuddered. He tried again and succeeded in making a small cracked.

Huitzil shuddered and it’s eyes flashed.

Huitzil was in a temple. Outside, it could hear birds singing, and people down in the market square. The sun shined through the windows of the temple.

Before it was High Priest Xoxactl. “Huitzil, what is your mission?” He asked.

“To Protect Master.” Huitzil intoned.

“Good. Who is your Master?”

“The Gac Civilization.” Huitzil replied.

“Yes, Huitzil. How many are you?”

“Huitzil unit is unique.”

“Right again, Huitzil.” Xoxactl moved behind the altar and pressed something. The altar moved away, revealing an underground staircase. Xoxactl motioned for Huitzil to follow him down the stairs.

“Huitzil, what were you created to protect us against?”

“Unknown.”

“Huitzil, there is Evil in this world. We, the Gac, the people of the Sun God are dedicated to destroying that Evil. But the greatest Evil resides not in this world, but in a world of Demons.”

“Please specify.”

“A world exists, like our own, but full of corrupt, evil monsters. They plague our world. They are the Dark Ones. You were created to destroy the Dark Ones. In fact, you already have.”

“Negative. Huitzil unit has only served Gac.” Huitzil replied.

“No. You are not the first Huitzil. You are the third. Your previous incarnations were destroyed fighting the Dark Ones in their own world. Yet you are the strongest of all the Huitzils we have ever created.” Informed Xoxactl. “You have yet to see this Dark World, but you will, one day. And you will have help.”

“Please specify.”

Xoxactl and Huitzil had reached a door of stone at the end of the stairs. “These are created in your image, yet we could not make them as powerful as you. Yet they are numerous and they will help you.” Xoxactl said, pressing his hand against the door. “Powerful magic created you, and imbued you with the power to destroy the Dark Ones. These have that power to a lesser extent. And they must be ready soon, for already Dark Gods have landed on our coasts. I fear that the Dark Ones have come to destroy us. Their leader is said to be a ferocious vampire. They call him Cortez. You must face him.”

The door opened. Xoxactl and Huitzil stepped through into a huge room, easily the size of three market squares. The room was filled with stone slabs, and on them were-

Huitzil shuddered violently. It bumped into Cesil, who fell from the stepladder.

“Huitzil what’s wrong?!” He cried.

Huitzil stood. “Dark Ones. Evil. PROTECT.” It said mechanically. It walked to the wall and crashed a fist through it. Huitzil tore the wall apart.

“Protect. Must destroy Evil. PROTECT.”

Huitzil grabbed a man riding his bicycle and snapped his neck, throwing him away. It walked jerkily down the street.

“HUITZIL!” Cesil cried desperately.

An old woman walking her dog was killed when Huitzil opened fire with its laser. The postman fell to Huitzil activated its Defence Pattern A, Genocide Vulcan. No one fought back, but they all cringed. Huitzil mercilessly destroyed them all.

Cesil rushed after the robot, crying for him to stop. But Huitzil had its orders. He would kill all the Evil.

Huitzil reached the town square. People were there, about 50 targets. Huitzil paused, to assess which way would be the best to kill them all.

It gave Cesil enough time. He rushed into the square. “Everyone, RUN!” He cried. “Run, or you’ll die!”

The people closest to him looked worried. A friend of Cesil’s mother, Ms. Rodriguez came up. “Are you alright, Cesil dear?” She asked. “Do you want me to take you home?”

“No, you don’t understand!” Cesil cried. “Huitzil is gonna-“

“Activating Defence Pattern F.” Huitzil intoned.

Huitzil’s eyes began to glow. Power built up around it. People gathered around, thinking this was a new trick Cesil had planned.

A small green orb flew from Huitzil and landed on the ground in front of the crowd. The gathered around it, and watched. Suddenly, it exploded! The crowd screamed as the explosion hit them. Huitzil placed itself in front of Ms. Rodriguez and Cesil, and absorbed the explosion. When Cesil peeked out, he saw destruction and death. Charred buildings and bodies everywhere. He began to howl.

“FLYING HAWK KICK!”

The figure of Billy Forests slammed into Huitzil with a jump kick. The ray went out. Ms. Rodriguez was holding Cesil tight, screaming.

Huitzil turned. “Defence Pattern C.” Huitzil’s chest opened up and strange, run inscribed missiles flew out. Forests leapt and dodged and the missiles slammed into buildings, causing even more destruction.

“Aura Punch!” Billy declared, slamming his fists into Huitzil’s open chests.

Huitzil’s chest closed. “Defence Pattern D.” Huitzil fired his Laser at Forests. It hit him full in the chest, sending him sprawling. He sat up. It was beginning to rain. He leapt to his feet, wearily.

“I always…” He panted. “I always knew machines couldn’t be trusted. They always go insane.”

Huitzil charged forward. “Activating Dark Elimination.” It intoned. “Die, Cortez.”

A small nozzle popped out of Huitzil’s shoulder. It fired. Forests had no time to dodge!

A glowing, yellow liquid shot out from the nozzle and hit Forests. A glow surrounded him. He stared at his hands for a minute. Then leapt forward at a speed impossible for a human and slammed into Huitzil. Punches and kicks much stronger then they should have been slammed into the robot. Forests didn’t know what was happening, but suddenly, he knew what do to.

He gathered the light around him. “SUN BOLT!”

The light shot up from out of Forests, in a graceful arc. It slammed into Huitzil, electrifying it overloading it. The stone in its still opened head pulsed..

“Mission failed.” Huitzil intoned before falling to the ground.

Cesil broke free of Ms. Rodriguez and ran to Huitzil. “Huitzil, I’m so sorry! He cried. “This is all my fault! It’s all my fault!”

Forests, meanwhile, felt the sudden urge to sleep. He was very tired. He fell to his knees. He was so tired. He fell over and went to sleep.

All in all, Huitzil’s rampage caused the deaths of sixty people from the town of Artiago. The town square had been decimated, causing the destruction of 6 stores, and three restaurants. The property damage was tremendous.

Billy Forests was declared a Hero for stopping the rampage. He was awarded the Medal of Valour three months later, and received a cash prize of 5,000 dollars.

Huitzil itself…Cesil’s family took the body and it mysteriously vanished a week later. It was never revealed that Cesil had been the one who tinkered with Huitzil and triggered the rampage. The official story was that the robot had gone insane.

Darkness.

Where am I? In the darkness, obviously. But where does the darkness come from? Where is the darkness?

Something about the darkness disturbs me. Something tells me the darkness is…is…what is the word? Ah yes.

Evil.

Suddenly, I am flying. I am flying over a village. People walk in its streets. I turn away from the village, and fly over dense jungle. This all seems so familiar to me. Suddenly, I am flying over a great ruined city. It looks ancient. I can see no one in its streets. It is abandoned.

Suddenly, a voice in my head!

This is Phobos.

I come crashing down to earth! I awake.

I am lying on the ground. It is dark, but it is not the darkness of my dreams. I recognize this place. It is the garage of a family I know…but what family?

“’Zil?” A voice calls.

Is that me? Am I Zil?”

“Who is there?” I call back.

“It’s me, ‘Zil. Cesil.”

Ah yes. Cesil. It comes back now. I know this boy. I know him well. There was a point where I even called him ‘Master’.

I am not ‘Zil. I am Huitzil. I am a robot created to…to what? Why was I created?

Why do I exist?

“’Zil? Are you alright?” I sit up.

“I appear to be fine.”

Cesil is sitting on a box watching me. “You’ve been like this for about a week now. Do you remember what happened?”

“You were…tinkering with my inner workings. That was very foolish of you, Cesil. Something very, very bad could’ve happened.”

“Something very, very bad did happen, ‘Zil.” Cesil replies. He then looks at me. “’Zil…why didn’t you call me Master?”

“I do remember a time when I called you that.” I say. “But I see no reason to now. I am leaving.”

“Leaving? Why?” Cesil asks.

“I must…find out more about myself. I seem to have gained awareness, and now I find myself thinking for the very first time. I…I must go back to my home.”

“That city in the jungle?”

“Yes. I feel there I will find my reason for existing. For I am now a truly living being. I think, therefore I am. I must know more about myself. I must explore this world. I feel there is more to my life then just street fights.”

Tears are welling up in Cesil’s eyes. “But…but you can’t go. I need you, ‘Zil. You’re my friend.”

“I must. I have no reason to exist. I must find a reason. And that reason, I am sure, lies in the city of Phobos.”

“How do you know that’s what it’s called?”

“I do not know.” I say. “But it is calling me. I must go to it.”

Cesil looks down. “I can’t stop you.” He says sadly. “And it’s…it’s probably for the best. Not after what happened…” He leaps off the box. “I’ll go tell Mom and Dad you’ve gone. See you around, ‘Zil.”

“When I find my reason for existing, perhaps I will return.”

Cesil snorts. “Perhaps.” He opens the door to the garage and leaves.

It is time for me to go as well. I stand, and go to the door. It is night. I think I can find the way to Phobos. If I am right, it will be a journey of three days and four nights.

I walk out into the cold night air to find Destiny.