"Oh wow. I get to interview a robot!"


Steve Sayor's exclaims this as he drops down into a sitting position on the sofa. I merely offer a mocking sense of surprise as I raise my eyebrows and toss up my hands; in fake astonishment.


"Really!?!?"


I exclaim.


"When?"


He looks at me puzzled. Brows furrowed. Head almost on full tilt to the left.


"Well..."


He pauses, ever so briefly. Eyebrows scrunching even more.


"Right now. I'm interviewing you, and you are a ro..."


He slowly pushes the word out. Toothpaste out of a tube style. Like speaking suddenly became a foreign concept.


"bot."


Then he looks at me with expectation, like I should give him a cookie for his effort.


"No. You're interviewing me. Wylie Sinclair. Not a robot. I'm half cyborg, half A.I."


Matter as fact as fuck yo.


"Oh... "


Super lost. Steven is still perplexed but straightens his posture. This is far too complicated for him, I gather.


"It means that I have some mechanical parts as well as some living, human portions. Organs. Skin. Hair. While my mind is basically that of a computer program... that's also sentient and aware."


"I see."


It helps, but not completely. He pretends to comprehend but I can see that the gears are still struggling to turn. Steven makes up for this with a big smile and a change of subject. Silly human.


"This Saturday... which is tomorrow."


I'm glad he explained that. I wouldn't have known otherwise. Am I being internally snarky... I feel like I am being internally snarky.


"You are facing Luna Hightower."


"I am indeed."


"What are your thoughts on that?"


"Well, Steve. I think Luna is an amazing fighter and I feel good about facing her. Luna seems like a real devoted and heartfelt combatant. A woman that dives into battle with all her might. A warrior, if you will. Charging into battle. Headfirst into victory. I can respect that. She will prove herself to be a fighting champion, against a man that can provide an actual challenge. I have the stamina, strength, endurance, dexterity, agility, durability and reflexes, like no other on the roster. Well... no other human on the roster. Pretty sure Zane Norrison, Azrael Erebus, Griffin MacAlister and Rebel Star, all have these defining qualities and abilities, as well."


"Wow. You know Zane Norrison?"


"Is that your walk away from that?"


"...."


"Yes. I know Zane. He and I are on the same team after all."


"Team? You mean the wrestling team? The federation?"


"Oh no... I mean the Elite."


"The Elite?"


"The team of extraordinary beings that keep not only the city, but the world safe..."


I offer like a cookie to a small child. C'mon Steve. Take the cookie. You wanted it before, here it is.


"Crap. I thought they were a myth."


Steven sinks into his chair.


"The Elite is real?"


Such confusion. So much befuddlement. Much worry and question. Wow.


"Yes. The Elite is very real. Founded by Lila and her brothers. We patrol the city and protect it against forces unseen by most, the weird and wild beasties that go bump in the night and otherworldly entities that most would define as unreal and impossible, as well as the normal, average everyday violators "


"You do all that?"


"They do. Mostly. I'm more of a... tech guy. I research stuff and tell them where to go, alert them to disturbances, report information and research things. All from behind a computer. Ironically. Milo and Kelvin also do the same type of stuff. There are occasions that I go out onto the field though. However, I am primarily a tech guy."


"I see. How do you communicate with them. Through cell phones, perchance? Also who are Milo and Kelvin?"


"Milo Vancouver and Kelvin Watts. They aren't in the XWF, you wouldn't know them. And communication is done through coms. Communicators. Implanted in their necks. Made up of bio-organic, mechanical compounds that splice into their neurons and brain waves. Tap the com and think of a person with another implanted communicator and you're speaking to them. It can be a singular effort or a group chat, if you will."


"And the Lila you speak of..."


"Lila Laroque.... Azrael's daughter, mother of Grey Laroque and girlfriend of Griffin MacAlister."


"And the brothers..."


"Blackwater. Blackwater and Last. As in Oliver Last. Azrael's first born son."


"Wow. There really are 27 family members, aren't there?"


"More like 5 confirmed children and two very young grandkids."


"Interesting."


"Is it?"


"Not incredibly."


"I didn't think so..."


"Can we get back to the topic of your fight?"


"Is that really a question?"


"Yes..."


"Yes, Steven. What would you like to ask me?"


"Just one more inquiry actually. What is your opinion on the match and do you think that you can defeat Luna Hightower?"


"Two parter, eh? Okay... I believe the battle will be epic and far better than the fight between Scully and Nathaniel Adolph Zachary Idenhaus. Fun Fact: I heard Nathaniel was extradited back to Germany. Anyway, our fight should trump theirs. Mostly because he's not going to be there and unless Scully learns to tap dance or sings some tunes, it's going to be fairly boring. Scully in the ring, all by himself. Meanwhile, Luna and I will actually battle it out and fight. That being said, she'll still lose. Woefully and tragically, she will fall and probably need some sort of corrective operation for the damage that befalls her. Since the aftermath will leave her form in utter wreckage and ruin. It might even be career ending. Too bad I'm not facing Michael McBride. He'd be able to handle it and then some."


"Huh? Alright then. I think I have what I need. Would you be open to me, interviewing you, again in the future?"


"Absolutely."