Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She was too late.

He was gone.

Her best friend.

Her brother.

He.

Was.

Gone.

That’s were her only thoughts when she was pulled out of the water by the police bot. She could hear someone talking to her when she was gently placed on the wooden bridge and her helmet taken off, but it didn’t matter right now. Who it was or what that person wanted, she couldn’t let herself to care. She only watched as the red boat and white-orange helicopter disappear over the horizon, chasing the one she was supposed to protect. She sweared to him, that this time she will be the one to keep him safe.

But in the end, she failed.

In the moment of Morocco’s arrival, she had frozen in place. She wanted to make a move, to do something, but she just couldn’t. And of course her best friend, Cody fucking Burns, perfectly knowing that MorBot was after him, had shielded her with his body. She had seen his face, he was terrified just like she was. He knew what would happen to him next but still he…

Frankie didn’t realize when she started crying. Her whole body was shaking. The fountain of tears started to fall from her eyes and no matter how hard she tried to stop them, she couldn’t. She felt someone hugging her, allowing her to cry on it’s shoulder. She stayed like this for few long second. When she finally looked up to see that person, she had seen Cody’s father, gently stroking her hair, trying to soothe her, calm as if his son wasn’t kidnapped by that bastard. She buried her head in his shoulder, to not meet his eyes.

„I’m sorry…” Frankie murmured, burying her face even more. „I have sworn I will protect him. I promised. But he- I-„ She couldn’t finish. Her voice broke in the middle of the sentence, changing her words into incomprehensible cry. She felt hug getting tighter and the calm but shaking voice of the Chief.

“I know. We know. No one is blaming you.” he stopped for a second. “You did what you could have done. They will bring him back.”

“No, I could’ve done more.” Frankie thought but she didn’t have an energy to argue about that. Her eyes shut down from the exhaustion and before everything had gone dark, she could hear her father voice.

.

.

.

Frankie had awoken in the middle of the night, tired and confused like never in her life. She could hear the conversation (or maybe it was a quarrel, hard to say from her perspective) down somewhere but she couldn’t hear about what it was. She saw Servo laying next to the couch she was sleeping on. She observed the room around her. It wasn’t hers and it wasn’t her house either. She was in the Firehouse, resting in the living room, covered in wine red fluffy coverlet.

Frankie recognized it immediately. It was the one Heatwave had given Cody for his 13 birthday. Not gonna lie, it was still quite amusing to her. Out of all four Bots, it was Heatwave who asked her for help with buying it (even if she didn’t knew from where he had this money), because as he had put it: ”Cody had done so much for us, so something small like that is the least I can do for him.” And Frankie knew how much Cody loved that thing. Every time he had stayed the night or they had gone camping together, he always had it with him. And she couldn’t blame him really. She made sure it was the softest and warmest one she could find. But knowing Cody, he cared more about its sentimental value than its softness.

Frankie stayed like this for a short while, delicately stroking the coverlet, trying to remember what she was even doing here. All she could remember was Morocco Virus.

Who had built his robot inside their lab.

Who had escaped from Griffin Rock by their Groundbridge.

Who had stolen all of theirs technology.

Who had built his own army of Scrubbers.

Who had threatened to stole Cody away.

Who had taken her-

With that thought, her mind finally snapped, remembering everything. Frankie got up on her feet and immediately started running toward the garage, murmuring to herself: “He is perfectly fine. They have managed to save him. He is safe.” constantly repeating those words over and over again. She ignored the robotic dog which tried to slow her down. All she wanted right now was to see Cody.

To make sure her best friend was safe and sound.

To hug him.

To scold him for putting himself in danger for her sake.

Frankie didn’t stop running until she had gotten to the place where voices were coming from. When she arrived, all of them went silent. Silent as the grave. She stood in the doorway, looking around. She saw all of them.

Heatwave.

Chase.

Boulder.

Blades.

Her father.

CeCe.

Baranova.

Kade.

Dani.

Graham.

Chief Charlie.

Frankie looked around again and again, searching. All of them were here but… But Cody wasn’t. No mattered how hard she looked, she didn’t see him anywhere.

“Where… Where is he…?” Frankie asked, her voice so quiet, almost inaudible. When no one answered, she asked once again. “Where. Is. He.” but this time, her voice was demanding, more aggressive and in the same time… helpless. She perfectly knew the answer for her question but… But she still wanted to believe it was some kind of sick joke. Or nightmare. Or maybe both.

“I’m sorry” it was Heatwave who spoked, his voice low and cold, standing next to the wall with crossed arms, not able to look in anyone’s eyes. “I and Blades.. We lost track of them in the middle of the ocean.”

All of her hopes immediately busted like a soap bubble. She touched her crystal necklace, a if it was the last thing that would bring him back. But it couldn’t. She felt her legs buckle, but before she could fall, her dad grabbed her, holding her gently in his arms.

“But High Tide is already searching in the ocean.” Chase interjected. “Quickshadow, Blurr and Salvage are looking on Mainland too.”

“And we will start tomorrow as well.” Kade snapped, standing up from the chair he was sitting on, almost knocking it over. Frankie had heard Kade angry voice many times in the past but he never sounded like this. If he could, he would probably kill MorBot with his bare hands.

“Yeah. We will find him, as long as we stay together.” Graham added, trying to give everyone hope, standing next his father, who remained silent for the whole conversation. Everyone nodded in agreement. No one was messing with Burns family. And Morocco will soon learn this the hard way. But for now, for this night, they needed to accept things the way they are.

Cody was gone. Morocco had won.

Chapter Text

Morocco Memoirs – week 1:

As I expected, my hideout on the Kerguelen Islands is still intact, perfectly hidden between these mountains for the last 30 years. Unfortunately, the age of it shows itself in the technology with which I must operate here. Half of it is only suitable for trash. Nevertheless, now I have much more important problem than this outdated technology. It seems that my human friend has a little problem with our partnership. He disobeyed my orders three times and almost got us crushed in the middle of the ocean. At first I thought that this stupid device broke itself during my fight with the Rescue Bots but it is not the case. I do not know how it is possible but his mind started to resist signal coming from the cellphone, desperately trying to free himself from my control. To make sure that accidents like this will not happen again, I redesigned my Chamber of Youth and used it to put him in a very deep slumber. For time being of course, until I find a solution for this issue. I need him after all. In the meantime, I commanded leftover Scrubbers to rebuild 3D printer thanks to the data I had stolen from the training center. After that, they will start building our new home, deep at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, where no one will be looking for us.

Morocco Memoirs – week 8:

Scrubbers are doing a phenomenal job. New base, after a few complications, is completed in 31% and with my calculations, it should be ready in the next 3 months. In the meantime I was busying myself with looking for a solution for my partner’s issue. Just as I expected from the start, that cellphone was only a short-term solution. Not only the signal is unreliable but also I found out that it slows brain’s processing speed by 10%. It may seem like a small amount but I cannot allow him to lose even 1% of his brain power. So the next step became obvious – find a way that will let me to control him better that hypnosis. Well, easier said than done. I was thinking about a few things. First idea that came to me was to break his mind by pure physical and mental torture. But I dropped it as quickly as it appeared in my mind. Doing something like that would leave a lot of scars and I simply cannot allow that. Besides, to make our partnership more effective, I needed to discovered a way for him to follow me by his own free will, which will not involve harming him… to much at least. And while reading my and Julius' old research on the human brain, it finally hit me. I do not need to break or hypnotize him, I have to change his mind from inside. Modify it, so I can manipulate him whichever way I like. Erase his old memories, leaving only unconscious ones, so he would be as effective as he should be. It would also allow me to punish him without leaving any wounds, simply by stopping certain functions of his brain. And if I would accidentally go too far, I can always erase those memories and start from the scratch. I could even change his personality, if he starts to irritate me too much. But the problem with this idea is that human brain is extremely fragile and with my present body, it would be risky trying to interfere with it. So I need to create new form for myself, which will resemble human, more suited to such delicate operations. Besides, I am pretty sure he will be more willing to cooperate with human than with almost 2 and a half meter robot. It should be ready within 3 days. Then, I can finally start my work.

Morocco Memoirs – week 20:

“Clever man, that Doctor Morocco” indeed! After whole 11 weeks of hard work, the device is finally completed. I managed to fix all the shortcomings from the first few tests. They were mainly cosmetic ones because electric shocks, which I had used on his brain, are calibrated perfectly. Firstly, I changed the material from which the collar was made, from viscose to the lambskin. It is just as delicate but much more durable. It also looks a lot better. In addition, I extended it by 1 centimeter, so it does not stick so tightly to his neck. Secondly, I had repaired the security lock. The prototype was too sensitive. There was a high risk that it would accidentally turn on at the slightest stretch. Now it can only be activated by hard jerks or by trying to cut the collar. And, as it was originally intended, shock will be powerful enough to knock down or paralyze everything, especially Bots, thanks to the special energy I had used to power whole system up. Of course, Cody will get hit by ricochet, but at least then he will get his lesson for letting anyone get too close. Speaking of the energy, I had finally found the perfect amount of its liquid form I need to give him. It should be from 5 to 8 drops per 100 milliliters of water, administered once every 2 days, unless its presence in his body drops below 10%. I cannot give him too much at once because it could lead to a very serious poisoning and potential death. It is better to be careful. I have been working on him for the last six months, so his death from such carelessness would be a waste. Thirdly, I lengthened the cable that connects the back of the collar to the shock device. Initially, I thought that keeping it as short as possible would be the best solution, but I soon realized that it might be impractical for him, especially in daily activities. If it turns out to be too long, he can hide it in the collar or use it to tie his hair. I wanted to wake him up fully this week, however I have to postpone it due to the small delays. The problem is mainly related to the GroundBridge, or rather its power source. The alternative fuel for Energon, that I had developed, turned out not to be as good as I thought. It works perfectly with Scrubbers and MorBots, but is too weak to power GroundBridge. Before we set off, I need to gather adequate supplies of Energon, so we do not get stuck in the middle of the ocean.

Morocco Memoirs – week 29:

It is so good to be home. Even though it is not so lonely anymore. I must admit, having a companion around is a pleasant feeling. Especially if he is someone worth talking to. Cody had changed completely from the last 6 weeks. The side effects of my experiment are almost gone. My human friend is no longer as confused or absent as at the beginning. He is even trying to start small talks. At least he knows when to do it and how not to get on my nerves. Everything is working as it should. Cody didn’t disobey me a single time. Even though he had doubts about our future plans 2 days ago. But he quickly apologized for his words. There was no need to punish him for that. It is only proving how great scientist I really am! From the person who has hated me, he bonded with me, following me like a lost puppy. I should not be surprised. After all, he do not have anyone else. I made sure he believed it. So he tries everything to not make me leave him. Of course I am not planning to do that. But this is kind of adorable how he tries keeping this calm atmosphere between us. I wonder, if this kind of behavior is something his family has taught him.

Morocco Memoirs – week 53:

Our first anniversary didn’t go as well as I intended to. As a gift for his loyalty, I had allowed Cody to go to the Crown City, to spend some time among humans. Of course, I had instructed him how to behave. Firstly, not to talk to anyone, besides people he needs to, like waiters in restaurants or cafes. Secondly, if someone asks him about cables or crystals, he have to say it is his style. Human fashion have become so strange over the years, that it should not surprise anyone. Thirdly, if he see any suspicious machine, he were to return home immediately. I was sure it is enough for him not to get in any trouble but apparently not. When I returned home 3 hours after him, I found out that he not only disobeyed my orders but also had brought Cybertronian to our home. Cody treated his wounds because, and I quate: ”He was seriously injured and I couldn’t just left him there to die”. Ekhm, to say I was angry would be an understatement but at least our guest wasn’t Rescue Bot or anything related to it. I had allowed Cody to finish his work and ordered him and 2 other MorBots to wait here until he wake up. He is not Rescue Bot but maybe he can tell me more about their technology. As for Cody, of course I am going to punish him for this kind of disobedience. But for now, he has much more important task to take care of.

Morocco Memoirs – week 65:

I believe Quickclaw finally feel like home. Even though he is not very fond of me, what he is not even trying to hide, he became extremely loyal to Cody for saving his life. Quickclaw is not leaving Cody’s side even for a minute, always watching not only for the boy’s safety, but his well being as well, watching over his day schedule and reminding him about his medicines and meals. That is why I had allowed Quickclaw to stay here in the first place. After all, if he is loyal to Cody, he has no choice but to be loyal to me.

Chapter Text

Cody opened up his eyes. He was surrounded by darkness. When he tried to stand up, his legs refused to cooperate, letting him fall on the ground almost immediately. The floor and his clothes were soaked in some kind of dark purple water, from which a chains protruded with the other end hooked to his collar. He looked around, seeing the weak white light next to him, which illuminated the low table, on which the person was sitting. It looked like Cody, the younger version of him. He had shorter hair, wearing brown jacket, green shirt and jeans. He had collar on his neck just like Cody did but cables weren’t coming from it. The insignia and color were different too. Cody’s one was gray, with red insignia of his Master at the front, while the younger’s one color palette was inverted, with something what looked like robot head as an insignia. His collar had chains on it but the other end of it was in his hand. And he was playing with it, as it was a toy in his hands. His eyes were also different. Gray, just like Cody’s. But there was something more about them. Something that made them completely different, what was setting them apart the most. Sparkles. His eyes were sparkling. And Cody’s weren’t. In comparison to the younger’s one, Cody’s were dull, almost hollow, with the only light in them being a small red one around his pupil. And the younger one just sat there, with the only silence breaker being the sound of the metal chains rubbing.

“Who are you?” Cody finally asked, breaking silence between them.

Younger one stopped playing with his chains and slowly raised his head, concentrating on Cody.

“Who are you?” Cody repeated his question, thinking that the other person didn’t hear him.

But he had only chuckled in response. ”You already know the answer.” he replied, pointing his finger on the other. “I’m you. And you are me.” he smiled softly.

Cody didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know if he should be surprised that other person voice was almost identical to his or start laughing from this ridiculous statement.

‘This is impossible.’ Cody thought. ‘There is no way that-‘

“That two identical people would be in one place in the same time, right?” the younger interrupted, ending Cody’s sentence and making him completely silent in the process.

“But- But how?” Cody asked once again.

“Do I know what your are thinking?” he interrupted again. “C’mon I have told you already, didn’t I?”

“My favorite color?” he asked, trying to find any prove that this person is lying.

Younger smiled softly, immediately recognizing what the other one tried to accomplish. “Red or gray, eventually white.”

“My flower's name?”

“Leafy.”

“My guard's name?”

“Quickclaw.”

“How long have I been with Master?”

“Two and a half years in total, awoken from two years.”

‘This is an absurd’ Cody thought. ‘There must be a logical explanation for this-‘

“Okay, let’s assume that what you’re talking about is true.” Cody said, trying to make any sense of this situation. “Then what is this?  Where are we, in a dream? Because I’m pretty sure that humans cannot just talk to themselves in their dreams.”

Younger one took a deep breath and maintain silent, trying to find a right words. “You’re kind of right. This isn’t just an ordinary dream.” he said. “This place is in your, or rather our mind. The last free part of it, one that he cannot reach. We are safe here.” he paused and looked around, like he was trying to spot any sight of danger. “At least for now.” he added.

“Safe from him, you mean Master?” the younger nodded at Cody’s question. “You must be kidding me! Master wouldn’t have hurt me!” Cody shout madly, immediately regretting the way he had said it. His Master would be very disappointed by this kind of behavior.

“You should always stay calm and keep your voice down during even the most irritational situations.” he remembered his Master’s words. “Showing negative emotions is a sign of weakness. And weakness leads to failure. And failure is something we cannot allow. Not now or ever.”

“I’m sorry.” Cody murmured. “I shouldn’t have act like this.”

Younger observed with an emotionless face, like he was trying to find a right words. After a while, he took free end of his chains and he got it wrapped around his wrist.

“Have you ever wandered what a freedom is?” he asked, his eyes still concentrated on the chains.

Cody was taken aback by this question, as if this situation wasn’t absolutely absurd. Talking to himself in his mind, he wandered if it was a side effect of the sleeping peels he was taking. “Well, if you ask for a definition.” Cody started. “Freedom is the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think whatever you-“

“I’m not asking for dictionary definition,” other interrupted, slightly irritated. “or any other. I’m asking what you are thinking. For yours.”

“Well, I…” Cody stopped, not being sure what answer he should give. He knew the definition from at least 3 different dictionaries, recalled his Master’s words about it being only a stupid concept created by humanity but… He didn’t know the answer, he never really thought about it. He didn’t have time for nonsensical philosophical deliberations. He had too much work to bother with such trifles.

“Maybe I will start.” younger one said, getting back Cody’s attention, who had been lost in his thoughts. He unwrapped chains from his wrist and put it in his hand, his eyes still concentrated on Cody. “Do you know what chains represents?” Cody nodded. “For thousand of years, they were symbols of slavery and imprisonment.” he continued, delicately rubbing his chains. “But mine are different. They are symbols of connection. Connection to people, memories we made together.” he paused, smiling. “Those chains are symbol of my freedom.” he said finally.

“Chains cannot be a sign of freedom.” Cody argued, trying not to laugh as hard as he could. “No matter what they represent to you, they still bound you, to the people or memories.”

“But this is an imprisonment that I had chosen by myself.” other said calmly. “Those are connections I made, I decided to make.” he continued. “That’s why, in comparison to you, my chains are in my hands, not tied to the floor.”

“What are you suggesting?” Cody asked, slightly irritated. “That all my memories and connections are fake? That they means nothing?”

“I didn’t say that. What I meant to say is that you should consider if any of them is the one you wanted.”

“You know why Quickclaw had stayed-”

“You know I’m not talking about Quickclaw. I’m talking about Morocco.”

“Master didn’t force me to anything.”

“Really? Then why your, our mind is in state like this?” he said, pointing to the darkness around them, louder  with every word. “Why cannot you recall anything? Why are you following him? Why are you following his orders, even though you perfectly know that what are you doing is wro-“

“If you are me, you know why.” Cody interrupted calmly, almost emotionless, trying to stand up. “It’s not out of fear of dying. I couldn’t care less about my live. As long as I can stay by Master’s side, I will be happy.”

“But why-“

“Because anyone else wouldn’t want me. I was broken when Master found me. And yet, he still gave me a chance. He helped me, repaired me, and stayed with me. He was the only one who cared, who still cares. That’s why I don’t care about what will happen to me or anyone else, as long as I can be useful, I will follow him. “ he said, finally being able to stand up. “This is the only way I can repay for his kindness. And I will do anything, even if that means standing  against my moral-“ suddenly, he felt the collar on his neck tighten, and the chain slowly began to disappear under the purple water, dragging him with it. “What’s- What’s going on?”

“Our time is over.” younger one said, getting off the table and grabbing Cody’s hand. “Maybe you don’t remember that but we met before, 3 months ago. Then I asked you for one thing. I know you will not remember our conversation but I will ask again. Follow your instincts, only them will show you who you really are. But for now...” he let go of Cody's hand. “In order to stay safe in corner of our mind, I need to let you go again, at least for now. But we will meet again, I promise. Just remember, follow your in-“ Cody wasn’t able to hear the rest, as his vision got blurrier and darker with every second.

“Wait-“ he tried to call but he was fully pulled under the water, not able to move.

And then his vision went dark.

Chapter Text

"Wait!" Cody shouted as he sat up straight in his bed reaching out as if trying to grab someone ... Or something.

He wasn’t sure.

He didn’t know.

He didn’t understand.

Cody raised his knees and buried his face in them, wrapping his arms around his legs. He was shaking but not because of the coldness. In their home it was always around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), unless he messed up and needed to be punished for his faults. Besides, he was wearing gray turtleneck sweater long as a dress, so it would be hard to get cold in this.

He couldn’t catch a breath. It felt as if his collar had become narrower, not allowing him to breathe.

But it wasn’t. Collar itself was fine.

And he hated it.

He shouldn’t feel that way. Collar was perfectly made. It was one of his Master’s creation after all. He superbly knew that and yet-

“Cody?” the soft voice spoken, trying to get boy’s attention.

But it didn’t work.

“Cody?” the voice spoke again, in the same tone, but louder, as if it were approaching.

The boy ignored it once again, shutting his eyes tighter, as his chest started to hurt more while he tried to catch a breath.

Cody could sense someone’s presence, as the mattress of his bed had slowly sank under the pressure of another body. He felt metal paws being gently settled on his shoulders and something resembling large metal cable wrapped delicately around his body. He flinched because of the contrast of the metal and his heated body. After a few seconds he got comfortable with this feeling, relaxing himself a little.

“Cody?” the voice asked once again.

The boy lifted his head upwards slightly.

“Quickclaw?” Cody murmured, making contact with sharp glowing red eyes of his panther-like Cybertronian friend.

Quickclaw took his left paw from the boy’s shoulder and pushed his hair away from his right eye, to make contact with both of them.

“Do as I say” he commanded. “Take a deep breath” and Cody did as he was said. “Breathe out” and he did.

They repeated these 7 more times, until boy’s heart returned to proper rate. He was able to breathe again, finally calming himself down. Cody checked if his collar and cables were okay. He sighed in relief feeling that they are alright. As he did, he sat down cross-legged, allowing his friend to sit with all his legs on the bed, tail wrapped around his body. He looked at Quickclaw and immediately felt embarrassed by what happened.

Cody shut his eyes and slightly lowered his head. Quickclaw knowing what the boy would try to say next, put his right paw on Cody’s head.

“Don’t be” he said, running his claws through boy’s hair. “You should go back to sleep. You were awake for the last 26 hours and from what I have learned, three hours are definitely not enough for your species.”

“I’m fine” Cody replied, pulling Quickclaw’s paw off his head. “Besides, I don’t think I will be able to go back to sleep.”

“Why? Because of that nightmare?” he asked concerned. “About what it was anyway? You haven’t had attack like this from the last 3 months.”

Cody dumbfounded. Quickclaw was right, similar accident had happened before. And like before, he felt completely lost, not knowing what even happened. The only thing he knew that it was painful, this time much more. “I don’t remember” he replied quietly. “I don’t know if I was even dreaming. Maybe it was side effect of my lack of sleep” he chuckled.

Cody knew that overworking himself was unhealthy and dumb. Quickclaw reminded him about that everyday. But if the effects of his work were able to please his Master, his health was a worthy sacrifice. He looked at the Quickclaw, who looked slightly irritated by his comment.

“Anyway, do you think I should tell Master about this or-”

“No” Quickclaw snarled. “Informing this idiot will only make everything worse. Besides,” he jumped off the, took prepared in advance glass of water from the nightstand next to bed with his tail and gave it to the boy “we will better take care of that by ourselves. I don’t believe this machine is able to truly understand any emotions. He would probably try to repaired it directly in your brain and screw up even more.”

“Quickclaw-“

“Enough” he cut Cody off. “Let’s just forget about it for now and relax. It’s morning after all.”

“Morning?” Cody asked looking at the clock. “I wouldn’t call 3:42 a morning.”

“What for one is a morning, for an another is a middle of the night” Quickclaw simply replied.

“Yeah, you are right” Cody smiled, jumping off the bed. “So, we start as everyday?”

“As everyday” Quickclaw answered, with calm smile on his face.

And with that, another day has begun.

Chapter Text

Cody never enjoyed mornings. He found them to be uneventful, as a break which was only distracting him from his duties. He just wished he could start his work without anything at all.

It was until Quickclaw had showed up in his life. They were following almost the same routine as Cody was doing to the point of his arrival and yet, Quickclaw’s company alone made them a lot better, less meaningless. Maybe it was because he have someone to talk to during this time?

The boy broke out from his thoughts and followed his companion.

First thing, morning gymnastic.

According to Quickclaw, he needed to do some exercise to keep his body healthy, especially with Cody's lifestyle. The boy came up with the same conclusion after reading some books about human health but it was Quickclaw who created his workout plan in the end.  And it was much better than one suggested by Cody’s books. They follow it ever since, sometimes changing it to be more concentrate on his hands, wrist and fingers when they knew that the boy will have much written work to do in a day.

Second point on their list, morning bathroom.

One think Cody liked about his room was fact that it was connected to his private bathroom and kitchen. The rooms themselves were big, the boy would say even too big for one person. But then again, Doctor Morocco and his creations were a gigantic robots at the begging, and they needed space to move here properly. And thanks to that, Quickclaw could be here in his original size, so that was another good thing. Cody entered the bathroom and started to slowly untie the red cable that kept his hair in a ponytail.

“Do you need my assistance?” Quickclaw had asked, settling down at the door frame.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” The boy smiled as he ended his work.

He had blonde hair that fell slightly past his shoulders. Master said he should grow them as much as he could because they complimented his pale skin and gray eyes, so he did. And he really liked them too.

He took off his gray turtleneck sweater, hung on a hanger and entered the shower. As he showered, he needed watch out for the cables and gently stretch his collar in order to wash the part of his neck covered by it. His Master warned him that if he pulled too hard, he would electrocute him and anyone nearby. And adding water to the mix... Yeah, Cody wouldn't want to test it on himself. But according to his Master, the collar was made to keep him safe. So in his book it was just a minor inconvenience.

He left the shower and wrap his body in a towel. He quickly brushed his teeth. Then he started from drying his hair, as it always took him the most time to do. He began combing them and tied them into a short braid, which he secured with the red cable that connected the collar to the device above his left ear.

When his hair was ready, he unwrapped the towel and dried his body. He was rather skinny person and compiling that with his pale skin and short height, it made him look it weak, ill, useless. That was probably reason he had been thrown away, the boy always thought to himself. But then he remembered his Master’s words, that beside his brain, it was one of his main advantages. Or will be in the future.  

“You see my boy, people are the dumbest creatures of this world, blinded by their gift of sight. They judge others by their appearance, automatically equating beauty with stupidity. The more beautiful you are in their eyes, more innocent and unable to do evil you seem. And that will be their demise, especially with someone like you. You may not see it now but in the future, your ways of persuasion could be more… physical, so to say. You will see, people are eager to keep wolf in sheep’s clothing, as long as it seems beautiful and innocent”.

Cody tossed his thoughts aside and took his clothes off the hanger, slowly starting to dress. A short-sleeved red shirt, a burgundy vest with half-sleeved sleeves, red fabric on the forearms, light gray gloves, pants, red accented shoes and a long light gray suit coat with hood, whose red accented three tails reached past his knee. It was gift from Dr. Morocco. Or gifts, because he had received another six identical sets, for everyday each. When the boy asked once why do he need to dress so formally despite being in absolute isolation from the rest of the world, his Master simply stated that was the way of showing him respect and how much above everyone else’s they were. And from that day onward he never questioned it again, as the information was clear. If it was the way to show his Master respect, to show how much the boy cared for his opinion, then he will be more than happy to adjust.

When he was done, he left the bathroom and with Quickclaw by his side he entered the kitchen. The boy looked at the electronic watch on the counter. it was five in the morning. Getting ready took him today three minutes longer than yesterday, he noticed.

“What are you planning for today?” Quickclaw asked, placing himself next to the small wood dining table.

“I don’t really have an idea. I think cereals will do.” Cody answered, pulling a cardboard box off the cabinet above the kitchen counter. “And I can add some fruits to it.” he smiled to himself and Quickclaw nodded slightly in approval. He took two last strawberries and mango and sliced them into a bowl of cereal. Lastly, he added the rest of the yogurt and sat down at the table. “And please, remind me to do a shopping list for the Scout MorBot in the evening.”

“Why don’t you do this after breakfast? It’s not like you woke up at least 5 hours too early or something.” Quickclaw commented with his characteristic sarcasm.

Cody simply nodded, not wanting to speak while he ate. He watched as his brown and red panther-like companion came back to the main room and after a moment returned, carrying a small piece of paper and elegant black pen. The blond washed the bowl and retrieved a paper, thanking for it.

He opened the fridge. It was almost empty because Cody never wanted more than absolutely necessary. He didn't like asking for food supplies. He never wanted to interrupt his Master's work, and he was the one who had to accept it. So he tried to make the list as infrequently as possible, usually once a week (although Quick Claw would often make extra ones behind his back to ensure he had fresh fruit and vegetables). After a long while, he wrote something down and gave it to Quckclaw to read.

“Are you planning something special with those ingredients or are they just a bunch of random stuff?” Quickclaw asked.

Even though the words could sound sharp, Cody knew they were spoken with care.

“I definitely want to try make pancakes again. Remember, the one I made week  ago, and they were enough for next two days?” Quckclaw nodded at the boy’s question. “Oh and that the recipe from my cooking book for goulash with soy sauce sounded very tasty, so I want to try it too.” He smiled, trying to imagine what it taste like.

“Understandable.” Quickclaw commented shortly, returning the paper to the boy “And what are you planning for today’s dinner?”

“I have leftover chicken and rice in the fridge.”

“Good.”

They returned to the main room. Cody walked over to the strelitzia growing in a gray pot and turned on the lamp that gave it artificial sunlight. Their house was underwater, so the plant had no access to natural sunlight.

“Hi Leafy, how are you feeling today?” The boy spoke to the flower, delicately caressing its leaves. He looked at the ground where the plant was planted. It was still wet, so there was no need to water it today.

Now, it was time for the last thing to do in his room at the moment.

Cody took a glass of water, which always was on the nightstand and moved to the drawer next to an exit from his room. It contained seven vials of a delicate purple liquid, each one for a different day of the week.

It was his medicine. One that kept him alive.

Dr. Morocco said that he designed it himself, especially for him, to make sure that his disease would never come back. Or at least not with such severe symptoms.

The blond opened the vial with the inscription "Monday", poured the substance into the water and slowly drank it.

He never liked the taste of it. It always burned his throat he could feel his heart begin to speed up for a few seconds.

But he never complained, he wouldn’t dare.

Master said it was for his health.

And he was always right.

Chapter Text

Cody and Quickclaw left the room. The passage to the working place was at the end of the hallway. Walking through the corridor, sounds could be heard coming from the laboratory.

"It's better not to disturb the Master now." Cody noted in mind.

Every door in the hallway, as always, was guarded by at least one Morbot-DT, special model created to protect and take care of Master’s home. While smaller than FT models, they were no less capable in taking care of their duties.  Each of them greet them in their way, especially the one standing by his office. As Cody was opening the door, which were secured by biometric lock, he called one of the bots.

“DT-01, please give this note to the Master. When he will be free of course.” Cody handed the piece of paper to the robot.

“As you wish.” It answered shortly and immediately return to his post.

“Thank you.” Cody smiled softly.

Even if all DT’s were the same by program and design, he had to admit DT-01 was one of his favorites. He was the first one created. His first “companion”, if he even could call it that.

Everything in the office was in its place, exactly as they had been left the day before. On the desk was the computer and the documents he had analyzed the previous day. Hanging on the wall were all sorts of notes and annotations. Some were about minor assignments he had received over the year, others were about his main task.

Speaking of which, it was what he was going to focus on today.

He completed his last assignment for his Master's close associate, Madeline Pynch, four days ago. He met her once in person, and if he were to be honest, she didn't seem like a trustworthy person to him. However, he would never dare to voice his opinion out loud, at least to anyone but Quickclaw.

Since the Master worked with her, that meant his judgment was wrong.

"Quickclaw, don't you want to go train with the -FT?" Cody asked, turning on the computer and projector.

"To skip all the fun? You've got to be kidding." He replied shortly. "When you take a break." He added.

Cody nodded and got to work.

He spent the next few hours studying in depth the underground tunnels of a small island called Griffin Rock.

Each tunnel in turn. Where did it lead, how was it connected to the others and to the entire island, which ones were used the most and which ones were used the least. Which one would be easiest to sneak into, and which one would be best for launching an attack.

“This is already an obsession.” Quickclaw always joked, whenever they returned to the topic of the island.

But the Master demanded perfection.

“What did this island do to him that he hates it so much?” Quickclaw asked once in the past.

Cody honestly didn't know.

The island didn’t seem interesting in any particular way. It was a place of government technological experiments, nothing more.

But Cody had to admit, from photos he had, the place looked wonderful. Nature was beautiful there. After all, plants grew there that had become extinct several years ago.

But this was surely not what the Master had in mind.

He hated plants.

He considered them to be weak and unworthy of care.

“The people of Griffin Rock must pay for the sins of the past. And especially those who humiliated me.'' This is the only sentence Cody remembers from his Master on the subject.

"I don't think using this tunnel is a good idea." Cody told Quickclaw. "If anyone notices anything, they'll be able to block FTs from three different directions."

"Yes. But if these mechanical imbeciles do it right, it's the fastest option to get into City Hall and the main lab at the same time." Quickclaw argued.

"I don't think it's worth the risk." Cody replied, and his eyes lit up as he got an idea. "Look." The boy pointed with his pointer to the locations on the map of the tunnels displayed by the projector on the wall. "We can split the team into two smaller ones and enter through the tunnels on the east and west sides of the island. The entrances to these tunnels are in the least frequented places on the island, so the risk of someone noticing them is practically zero. Plus." Cody pointed to the path of one of the tunnels. "The west tunnel is the fastest way to the bunker where the robots are located. So if we sent a third additional team to get there, it would cut off one escape route for them. And it will keep them in one place, allowing the rest to do their work without any interference.”

“Yeah, but how many you will need to do it? From the reports you have, there are a minimum of four. And their number may increase to eight." Quickclaw pointed out.

"For now, I don't know." Cody said. "I will have to carefully analyze the skills of each of the Bots and only then can I make a final decision-"

"I see that the work is finally bearing the expected fruit." A voice interjected in the conversation between Cody and Quickclaw.

The boy froze. He immediately turned around and bowed gently, just as he had been taught.

"Good morning, Master."