Steel melted and fused together. The twisted remains of the deadly robot looked more like a broken yoyo than a machine of death. It sat so still, it was almost eerie. Like it had been in that spot forever, even though it had been standing on its own less than an hour ago.

Nugget hopped closer. She seemed curious about the machine as she kept her eyes trained on it.

Hop. Hop. Hop.

Steadily she got closer and closer, but still the machine did not stir.

Hop. Hop. Hop.

Nugget's leg wavered slightly and she squatted down onto her stomach to give her leg a break. She seemed to have adapted quickly to losing her leg, but even so, it seemed that she still wasn't used to getting around without it.

While she was sitting down, it happened. An oval ring appeared in the sky. The ring itself almost looked like it was made of black smoke. While inside of it was murky at first, but the next instance seemed to show a thriving world. It was like looking at a T.V. screen.

THWOOM!

A second ring appeared halfway through the first one. Both rings pointed different directions, but as an image started to appear inside the second ring, the first rings world started to distort. Then, both images began to distort around each other. Things started to become a little off. More and more things turned odd, until finally both rings popped.

Nugget watched the spectacle with a hardened gaze. She didn't avert her eyes until the rings had completely faded away. With fresh zeal, she stood up on her one foot and spread out her wings to help balance on the way up.

She glared at the circular machine and lowered her head ever so slightly. She kept her wings spread as she hopped towards the machine again. This time at a much faster speed.

As another portal ring appeared in the sky, it showed a barnyard. Other chicken strolled around with a cocktail rooster that relaxed off to the side.

"Bawk baw!" Nugget cried out as she leaped towards the machine.

Her body burst into blue flames as she soared closer and closer. But as she should have slammed against the machine, she just passed right through.

It was nothing but an illusion! A 3D projection of the robot as it sat right after the scientist had been killed by the wolf.

After she passed through the shell, down below was a large tunnel half the size of the robot. The flames dissipated around her as she fell into the hole.

It was completely devoid light I'm the burrow, but Nugget let sparse flames cover her, and just like that it lit up around her. She hopped down as fast as she could manage. The tunnel just kept going deeper and deeper down into the earth below.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nugget reached the end. The machine she had beaten had resulted most of itself. With its see through dome fully repaired and hundreds of arms stretched out as they worked various consoles that surrounded it. But inside there was no sign of life. Even the corpse of the dead scientist was still in there, cut into pieces on the ground.

"You're persistent. That's unlucky for you." The scientist's voice scowled from his loudspeaker. "Why, if you'd simply left things be, you might have ended up living through this somehow."

His body was lying dead, and yet he spoke with the same disdain for Nugget as he had when he sat strapped into his chair under the protective dome. The chicken's eyes darted around the machine. But, there was no sign of flesh and blood life anywhere else. Just a robot hard at work.

"You seem confused. Why, did you think you had actually beaten me?" He sneered. "Hah! Before you even broke your way into here, I made sure there was nothing you could do to stop me."

"All your efforts are futile. Worthless." He continued. "Those earlier, and even anything you try from here on out. Just an exercise in futility. But, if it makes your feeble mind feel better then have at it. Try and stop the inevitable."

Nugget glared angrily at the machine. Even while he Gloster, it continued its work. Each limb seemed incredibly focused on their individual console.

As expected, fire began to fill the room. The source of the heat jumped towards the core of the machine. The very center that lied just a little ways below the glass dome. But, as Nugget should have hit the machine, she simply passed through a hologram.

The old man laughed at her. "You should have heeded my warning! You can't imagine the suffering I am capable of unleashing upon you. Surrender your pathetic, broken body to me, and I just may spare you...as long as I'm not hungry that is."

The heat surrounding Nugget seemed to increase and she leaped out of the illusion. But. The robot was nowhere to be seen as the illusion powered down. Nugget was all alone in the empty room.

"Awooooo!"

As a howl echoed through the chamber, the air off to the side rippled in waves quite unlike the rest of the room. Nugget turned her attention there, and leaped into the air.

WHAM!

She slammed into something solid that quickly began to heat up when faced with her blue fire. After just a moment of solid contact, the invisible enemy gave way, and she fell forward as it managed to slip away.

"Grr, how dare you." The old man's voice scowled. "Are you really betraying me yet again?"

The wolf was standing at the entrance to the chamber. His eye was filled with seething rage as his teeth were bared in an aggressive snarl. His nose followed the invisible robot across the room as he started to growl.

Nugget took the cue from the beast, and leaped towards the direction he was pointing. And sure enough, she slammed into the metal of the machine yet again.

"You impudent fools! Even with this I can't be stopped, but I will make sure you regret this futile attempt of yours." The scientist roared as invisible limbs flew out towards the wolf and the chicken.