A couple kids scurry about in the streets of Westside playing tag. One of the girls carelessly ran out into the street to avoid being tagged by the boy who was it while the others kids hid. She kinda liked him so she wasn't trying to run away from him too much. Distracted, she hadn't noticed the car tear around the corner, a couple of New Purple Gang members leaning out the window as they escaped pursuit from the sirens that wailed in the distance. She turned her head, frozen in terror as she realized where she stood. Mother had told her to stay out of the streets. Her legs wouldn't move, she was too scared. She screamed as the car raced towards her.
CRASH!
She fell back and coughed as a cloud of dust and debris swept past her. What was that? she thought, wiping the dust from her eyes as she tried to peer through the smoke. As it began to thin, a form began to appear. It was tall, huge even. Where did he come from? The sun gleamed through the smoke off the form's shoulder. Metal? It was a robot. As the smoke cleared away she say him. Standing in a crater in the street, was a man made of metal. But it wasn't a person in a suit, no. This was some kind of robot for sure. It kneeled in the crater only a few feet away from her, its arms outstretched as it held the crushed front end of the car at bay. He stood silently and turned to face her, a tall dark silhouette against the sun.
"Are you alright?" he spoke.
His voice was deep, but gentle, and mechanical. She coughed and nodded. A scraped knee and a bruise, but she was fine. The man knelt back down and offered a hand to help her up. She took it and stood, rubbing her eyes to clear the rest of the dust from them.
"Th-thank you mister..."
She smiled as she looked at the robot. He had a friendly face. Like a giant toy. But he was so strong to have stopped a car like that. He smiled back to her and nodded. He stood again and turned back to the thugs in the car. The airbags slowly deflated, the men hanging out the window, beaten and bruised, but breathing.
"M-mister...!" she spoke up. The robot had reached to pick up the car but paused and looked back over his shoulder. "What's your name...?" The robot paused. His friendly face looked sad.
"I.... I don't remember..."
The girl frowned, then thought a moment. She looked him over more thoroughly. He reminded her of the inside of the clock she accidently broke that time she was playing ball inside the house like her mom had told her not to, all old and covered in gears and silver and brass. What was the name on that clock? She remembered.
"Cogswell." she smiled up at the robot. He paused and turned back to the girl.
"Cogs... well...?"
She nodded. It was a good name. She hugged onto his leg. "Thank you Cogswell!" The robot stood a moment before kneeling back down and hugging her back gently. He patted her head and turned back to the car. He lifted the car over head, crouching down before leaping off towards the Police Station. The girl shielded herself from the wind as she leapt off, then ran back off toward her friends. They were still frozen.
"Wh-who was that!?" the boy asked. She smiled and looked back off in the direction he departed. "I don't think he knows either. But, his name's Cogswell." she replied. "But, where'd he come from!? Who could built such a powerful robot like that?" She chuckled and shrugged. "I told you, I dunno. But, I think he' here to help. To protect people. Yknow?" she smiled and leaned over, kissing the boy on the cheek. "You're it!" She giggled and ran off back toward the other kids as the boy stood there blushing.
