"You do not have authorization to converse with leader." The abomination said in a disgustingly monotone voice, yet with the fluidity of a living being. This was some sort of armored cyborg. Happyface had gone too far, and now he was trying to take control of the entire fortress.
"I have all the authority I need to speak with whomever I please. If Happyface has no better excuse, I'll be visiting him now." He said flatly, and began making his way towards the lab, the monster looking the other way.
"Happyface?- Halt! You do not have authorization to converse with leader!" The abomination suddenly wipped around and lunged at Eric, attempting to tackle him. Eric ducked and sidestepped to the left, and spun around, swinging his pick around a full 270 degrees into the left side of the thing's head piece, succeeding in piercing the armor with maybe the first half an inch of the pick extending through the plate into the side of the dwarf's head, causing minor bleeding, but undoubtedly a splitting headache or concussion. The automation stumbled with the force of the blow - a legendary miner with a copper pick was a force to be reckoned with - but caught it's footing, facing away from the dwarf. It turned before Eric could decide where to go with the fight next, and swung wide with a sword in hand, narrowly missing Eric's leg. If it had bothered to look before it swung, that could have cleaved him in half. The sword was lodged firmly in the soil for a moment, and Eric took the initiative, swinging his pick towards it's elbow. The abomination retracted it's arm in a sweeping arc, circle with it's left hand and grabbed the pickaxe mid-swing, yanking it from his hands and tossing it in a high arc all in a smooth motion, far enough away that Eric would never succeed in retrieving it. He was relieved of his only strength, and facing an opponent apparently infinitely more skilled than he. So he ran like a little bitch towards the catwalks of the retaining walls.