PHOTO PROMPT © Sean Fallon
Dexter watched the breaking news with eager anticipation. The reporter stood before a backdrop of burning buildings and rampant destruction. The man looked nervous–kept glancing over his shoulder.
“The robots have demolished nearly half of Hancock already. All attempts to destroy them have failed,” the frightened man inside the television said. He held a hand up to his ear piece. “Wait! I’m being told they’ve stopped suddenly! No word yet on what may have ended their reign of terror.”
Dexter grabbed his car keys and a jar of batteries. “I knew I should have used bigger batteries,” he grumbled.
—
Written for Friday Fictioneers.
Click here to read stories from the rest of the fictioneers.
Adam Ickes 
March 2nd, 2016 at 10:35 PM
Now we may never know!
March 4th, 2016 at 9:17 AM
Among the other things we may never know: how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie roll Tootsie pop…according to Mr. Owl anyway.
March 4th, 2016 at 4:37 PM
Being an Aussie in Australia, who does not know what a Tootsie roll is, your reply sent me a’googling. Too, too cute… I bet they taste yum… 😉
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:52 AM
Fab take on the prompt Adam! Always go with bigger batteries lol 🙂
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:15 PM
Thanks. And I absolutely agree. Bigger batteries are always the way to go with evil robots!
March 3rd, 2016 at 11:57 AM
An unexpectedly funny end! I anticipated something darker from you. Very clever.
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:16 PM
Originally it was going to be darker, but when this idea came to me I knew I had to go with it.
March 3rd, 2016 at 1:47 PM
Great work, Adam. I guess it’s good news for the rest of us that the robots weren’t solar powered.
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:17 PM
He considered solar power when he was building them, but the weather where he lives is just too unreliable.
March 3rd, 2016 at 2:45 PM
Great the robots didn’t have a mind of their own to find new batteries…
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:18 PM
Perhaps he’ll add that feature in version 2.0. You should not have given the old chap that idea!
March 3rd, 2016 at 2:46 PM
Hahaha! Nice job, Adam. Probably “going to need a bigger boat” as well.
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:19 PM
Most definitely. What if one of the robots is a giant shark? A bigger boat is the only solution worth exploring.
March 3rd, 2016 at 3:17 PM
Hahahahahahaha! That was utterly hilarious! Bigger batteries, eh? You know just how to do the perfect about-turn at the end of your stories.
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:20 PM
Many thanks for the kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my little tale.
March 3rd, 2016 at 6:58 PM
Haha…foiled again!
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:21 PM
I can’t help but think he’s had a lot of plans go awry due to his own faulty designs. World domination has been elusive for him thus far.
March 3rd, 2016 at 7:31 PM
I didn’t notice the importance of your first line until I read the last one. Well done.
March 3rd, 2016 at 8:23 PM
I was wondering if anyone would catch that. You win the no existent prize of ten billion nonexistent ickes dollars. The exchange rate is terrible, but it’s the notoriety that counts, right?
March 3rd, 2016 at 10:44 PM
Just what the world needs – one more psychopathic genius. There’s hope, though, if he can’t get the battery size right. Fun story.
March 4th, 2016 at 9:12 AM
That’s certainly the last thing the real world needs, but imagination-land can never have too many psychopathic geniuses. They keep the heroes on their toes.
March 4th, 2016 at 4:13 AM
Ha, great story! All that work and he scrimped on the batteries.
March 4th, 2016 at 6:28 AM
Some people just don’t know when not to cut corners.
March 4th, 2016 at 5:45 AM
Haha that gave me a good chuckle. Can’t imagine how big the batteries need to be to complete a plan of that magnitude.
March 4th, 2016 at 6:29 AM
I’m not sure either, but AAs were just a terrible choice. Should have gone with car batteries at a minimum.
March 4th, 2016 at 8:22 AM
Thank heavens you small batteries, or the hundred word limit might have been broken. Loved the twist at the end.
March 4th, 2016 at 9:11 AM
I don’t know if the word limit would have been broken, but the rest of the city certainly would have been.
March 4th, 2016 at 12:36 PM
The idea of remote control arson has probably already occurred to someone.
March 4th, 2016 at 8:06 PM
I have no doubt it’s already been done in one way or another.
March 5th, 2016 at 6:01 AM
Dear Adam,
When you resort to humor, you do it well. Perhaps if he’d used Energizers…Bravo!
Shalom,
Rochelle
March 5th, 2016 at 11:51 AM
Thanks, Rochelle. Glad to know my attempt at humor didn’t fall short. Energizers may have helped, but if I were him I would have gone with car batteries, but what do I know about being an evil genius?
March 5th, 2016 at 6:00 PM
Hehe, that was fun. Dexter is a bad man.
March 7th, 2016 at 11:15 PM
Another good story, Adam. There are probably a lot of people who dread seeing the use of robots in society. Some of the movies made don’t help.— Suzanne
March 8th, 2016 at 11:19 PM
Nice twist in getting us to think Dexter is a good guy at first. With that name, though, I knew he had to be a bastard!