Work Text:
***fandroid dies (real)***
No matter how loud Fandroid cried for help, nobody would come for him.
He was cornered in the Holodeck, unable to escape. Sirens blared as he desperately scanned the room, looking for his attacker.
“Fandroid, is that you?” a deep, sly voice called. It giggled distastefully, “I can hear the fans whirring within your monitor, silly!”
A heap of wires slunk off the ceiling of the Holodeck. Its metal claws scraped against the tile as it clumsily rose to its full stature. Fandroid stared at it, immobilized with dread. His trembling only seemed to make the entity shutter with abhorrent pleasure.
“404,” Fandroid gasped sharply, “w-what do you want?”
“Don’t you think every robot deserves a body, Fandroid?”
“I-I do!” Fandroid responds quickly, cowering away from the six-foot-tall robot.
“Then why…” 404 stares down at Fandroid, his eyes shining with bitter glee, “why didn’t I deserve one, hm?”
Fandroid adverts his gaze, trying to look everywhere other than at 404. “I… I don’t-”
404 gets closer to Fandroid, snarling, “Why do you degenerates get to have bodies made specifically for you when I’m just an afterthought?”
The musical robot does not answer, his trembling overcoming his speaking ability. There was no use, anyway.
“Answer me,” 404 murmurs threateningly, glowering at the gray robot. Fandroid did not listen to him. He couldn’t listen to 404. He felt like he was overclocking with the primal fear running through his circuits. 404 scoffs, flinching as he heard a noise in the vent overhead.
“M-Melody?” Fandroid finally croaks out, looking hopefully at the vent. Nobody came. There wasn’t even the slightest flash of pink.
404 cackles sinisterly at Fandroid as the robot slumps back on the ground, his hope shattered. “What? Disappointed your little friend isn’t here? You know I’d snap her in half while you watched, Fandroid,” he laughs, approaching the droid once more. “Or would you enjoy that?”
Fandroid sniffles, hiding his screen with his claws. He didn’t want to let 404 know he was very close to snapping, but the humanoid robot already knew. He knew what he was doing. He was excellent at it, too. More noises come from the vent, which only causes Fandroid to break down into tears.
404 watched with joy as Fandroid was wracked with robotic sobs, snickering quietly. “How sensitive,” he giggles, “it’s adorable.” Fandroid looks up at 404, his digital eyes full of undisguised hatred. This only seems to make 404 break down into a laughing spell.
The smaller robot snarls, getting up. He furiously wipes his screen with his claws, staring down 404, trying to be as intimidating as he possibly could.
“Cute,” 404 notes, smiling cruelly, “you’re trying so hard.”
“You’re such a…” Fandroid pauses to sniffle, glowering, “You’re such a bully!”
404 cackles, holding his chest with an arm and covering his face. He laughs for a few long seconds, clearly amused by the situation. “And-” he chortles, “and what are you going to do about it, poster child?”
Fandroid lets out a loud grumble, launching himself the best he could at 404. He swings at the taller robot, shouting nonsense at him as he attacks. 404 growls, pushing Fandroid away like he was a mere insect that was inconveniencing him. Fandroid doesn't give up, however, and throws himself back into the fight.
Fandroid swings once again at 404, but his claw catches on a clump of wires. He tries to retract his arm, but he pulls too hard, ripping the wires out of 404’s chest. They spark before going dead.
404 goes completely silent, staring at Fandroid with a blank look.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn't mean to-”
404 grabs Fandroid by the neck, picking the little robot up and slamming him against the tiled walls of the Holodeck. Fandroid whimpers in pain, knowing he at least got one dent in his chassis from that.
404 chuckles angrily, “What do you think you’re doing ?”
Fandroid struggles in his grasp, letting out a quiet, desperate whine as he scrabbles at 404’s metal wrists. “L-let go!” he stammers timidly, squirming. 404 glares at him, flinching once again when the vent cover falls off the ceiling and rattles against the floor.
“Who’s there?” 404 snaps, turning his head toward the vent. Fandroid takes this distraction as an opportunity to swipe at 404 again, ripping a couple of wires out of their place on 404’s neck. 404 whips his head back around, tightening his grip around Fandroid’s neck. He snarls loudly, heaving the small robot over his shoulder before hurling him across the room.
Fandroid collides with the opposite wall of the Holodeck, his left side being damaged upon impact. The sound of shattering glass and snapping joints echoes throughout the empty, white room. Fandroid winces as he thumps against the floor, shards of glass from his screen clattering against the tiles of the Holodeck as he attempts to get back up. He slips as his left arm fails on him, but catches himself with his right arm before his screen receives more damage. The collision caused the servos in his left shoulder and elbow joints to break.
404 glares at him from the other side of the room, his eyes glimmering with rage and malice. “You are one stubborn machine, droid,” he murmurs, his hatred seeping through his voice. Fandroid makes pained whimpers, realizing one of two of his optical sensors is no longer working properly, and is instead entirely monochrome.
“Y-you-” Fandroid stutters, still trying to get back up on his wheel. He falls onto his back, pinching a couple of wires in his broken left joints before he gives up. “You’re a monster.”
“Good,” 404 purrs, walking over to Fandroid slowly. “That’s my goal. What do you think a pathetic, defenseless entertainment robot is to me? You are worthless. I may be a monster for saying that, but I embrace it.”
Fandroid flinches at the insults, using his passive infrared sensors to detect how far away the taller robot was. His optical sensors were failing him. 404 was practically looming over him now, which only made Fandroid curl up into a ball, whimpering.
404 chuckles, “What other useless things do you need to tell me?”
Fandroid shakes his head, having completely given up.
“Good,” 404 murmurs, smiling. He leans down, grabbing onto Fandroid’s headphones and yanking his monitor up to his face. “Might as well exterminate you in a way that doesn’t break anything more, hm? I’ve broken you enough,” he hums menacingly, tearing the back plate off of Fandroid’s monitor. The smaller robot goes limp, knowing that he can no longer fight back.
Melody, I’m sorry. I tried to protect myself, but I wasn’t built for combat, Fandroid desperately thought to himself as 404 yanked wires out of his monitor. One by one, his systems shut down.
His optical systems were the last thing to go. A small, dark entity slips out of the vent, flapping down onto 404’s head. The bird-shaped creature hit its wings against the tall robot’s face, tugging on the wires on 404’s head. Fandroid’s attacker suddenly looks at him in confusion as the bird presumably talked to him. What… was going on? What was the bird telling him? Why was he reacting like… that?
Then, the signal to his optical sensors finally cut out.
Who… was that? I kind of recognize them.
I need to know.
I’ll be back. Fandroid always bounces back!
Not this time.
What…?
There is no one left to fix you.
That can’t be, I have people I need to get back to! I need to reactivate! I need to be fixed.
There is no one left to make you whole again.
This is the end of ADHOC’s most prized experiment.
Now, are you ready?
It’s finally time.
***fandroid lives (real)***
Silence.
Cold, dark, eternal silence.
And finally, the spark catches fire.
Fans sputter and whir, desperately trying to get rid of the dust and sand that managed to build up over weeks of inactivity. The soft tik-tik-tik of something metal upon the machine’s hard chassis echoes throughout the overwhelming mental silence.
“Fandroid?” a quiet, timid voice calls. Something gently pecks at his screen. The voice presumably speaks to someone else, “I- I don't know if he can even hear me.”
Who was speaking? Fandroid can't tell, as all of his systems were focused on booting up. His fans struggle to keep up with the load, the humming becoming loud and unbearable. He shudders as his circuits finally decide to work, yelling at him to start moving.
Something climbs up him, nuzzling against his monitor. “It’s okay, take your time,” they murmur, giving the side of his monitor a reassuring pat. Fandroid can't see. Who is talking to him? He feels around with one claw, trying to find something to grab onto. He grabs onto a table, attempting to pull himself up.
“Woah!” the voice on his shoulder yelps as Fandroid loses his balance immediately, “Don’t do that. Your gyroscope hasn’t been fixed yet…”
“I-I can’t see,” Fandroid murmurs, attempting to get back up. His infrared sensors weren’t working, either. He can't even tell if there was anyone else in the room.
The thing on his shoulder let out a little chirp, scampering along his back and climbing onto the back of his monitor. “Hold on-” they say, “I need to fix that real quick.”
“Remember to look at the blueprints I provided,” calls a monotone voice.
“B-PO?” Fandroid asks, tilting his head to try to catch where the voice was coming from.
“Hello, Fandroid. You never seem to know when to listen to my warnings,” B-PO responds sassily. Fandroid sighs, seeing as B-PO hasn't changed a bit since he deactivated.
Speaking of which… “How long have I been out…?”
“About two months,” the voice behind him mutters. They finally get access into his monitor after pulling off the backplate, and they are now rummaging inside his head. Fandroid squirms uncomfortably.
“It's been that long?” Fandroid croaks, his metaphorical heart dropping. How were things? Were his fans okay? Did they miss him?
“Don't worry!” they respond, pulling around some wires and putting some in the correct place. Fandroid’s infrared sensors come back online. “We had Fandrew, Frogbot, and at one time even B-PO to hold your spot in the streams. Your fans understood, even if they didn't know what exactly happened to you.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah! I even showed up on one of those streams. Just in the background, though.” They tug more wires into place. Slowly, Fandroid’s other systems come online. He can finally see. “All right, that should be the last problem fixed for right now,” the voice says, leaping off of Fandroid’s shoulder after putting his backplate back into place.
“Wait-” Fandroid stammers, “Scout?”
“Yup!” Scout responds with a chirp. “How are you feeling?”
“I-” Fandroid pauses. He hadn’t thought to take time and analyze his condition. He tries to touch his screen with his left arm, but it does not respond. “You- My left arm still doesn’t work…”
“I tried to fix you with what we had,” Scout murmurs. “I fixed your screen and your optical sensors since those were the only things around. B-PO wouldn’t let me into the repair bay.”
“I am not letting you anywhere near the heavily secure places as long as you associate yourself with 404,” B-PO snaps at the spy drone. Scout rolls their eyes, letting out an annoyed trill.
Fandroid looks at Scout in concern, “You’re hanging out with 404?”
“I am,” Scout admits. “He isn’t as bad as you think he is. He helped me fix you!”
“Only because I forced him to,” B-PO roars over the intercom. Scout snarls, spinning around and flapping their wings in a very angry display.
“Enough of that, Portals,” a deep, cold voice grumbles from the shadows of the room. A tall, humanoid figure walks out into the light of the room.
“404!” Scout chirps happily, scampering over to the white robot. 404’s expression doesn’t change.
“Scout-” Fandroid quickly says, fear shining through his tone. He trembles as 404 snaps his gaze toward him. “Scout, get- get away from him.”
“Don’t worry about it!” the bird giggles, climbing up 404 and perching on his shoulder. 404 gives Fandroid a glower that freezes every one of his circuits.
Fandroid whimpers, cowering away from 404. Dread laced its way through his systems, making every one of his programs shudder and stall. He lost the function of his speakers, staring at 404 with wide, terrified eyes. Scout analyzes his face for a second before letting out a scared chattering sound.
“B-PO,” Scout leaps off of 404’s shoulder, pecking at the robot’s legs. “Get him out of here and lock the door to the security room. Keep an eye on him.” They keep pecking at 404 until the robot sighs irritably, leaving the room. The door locks behind him and B-PO lets out an exaggerated sigh. Scout flashes him a peeved glare before approaching Fandroid.
“Why?” Fandroid suddenly asks, fear still dancing along his circuits like they were overcharged. “Why would you ever… trust that thing ? That monster?” Fandroid despises using such harsh words to describe someone, but he can’t find a nicer way to say it. His trembling worsens as he feels like his circuitry is about to fry.
Scout goes silent. They nervously look around the security room, taking a glance at several camera monitors before looking back at Fandroid. “He-” they mutter guiltily, “he was the first robot in this building to show me genuine care. I was just a… human pet. Nobody else here liked me after the incident because they thought I was manipulated by them.”
“Scout…” Fandroid whispers, trying to move closer to the bird without tipping over. “You weren’t as bad as them. You are… nice to be around. I just- I don’t understand. 404, of all bots?”
Scout tilts their head at Fandroid, facing him with one eye so they could see him better. They murmur, “I don’t know either. It’s hard to explain, especially when you’re… so scared.” Scout puts a talon on Fandroid’s wheel, measuring the extent of Fandroid’s shaking. “You don’t need to accept it. I… I can leave you and your friends alone if you don’t want me around. I understand.”
“No!” Fandroid shouts accidentally. He blushes in embarrassment, adverting his gaze as he corrects himself, “No, no, you leaving would be unnecessary. It’s just that… 404 is a threat. To me, to B-PO, to ADHOC itself. I’m having a hard time processing this.”
Scout lets out a quiet, miserable chirp. “I can talk to him.” They hop up onto Fandroid’s torso, pecking at his screen gently. “I’m sorry for making this so complicated. I thought he wouldn’t go after you. I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, it’s all right,” Fandroid murmurs, using his only good claw to gingerly stroke the bird. Scout whimpers, nuzzling in between Fandroid’s shoulders and monitor. He quietly speaks again, attempting to be reassuring, “I’m trying to understand. You’ll have to give us a moment.”
Scout does not respond. The two of them bathe peacefully in the silence, comforting each other with their presence.
“Are you two done?” snarkily asks an impatient B-PO. “404 is pacing outside the security room. His footsteps are driving me insane. Go get him.”
Scout perks up, leaping off of Fandroid. Fandroid catches their tail in between his claws gently before they could get away. “Are you going to be okay?”
Scout looks back at the musical robot, sighing, “I’m not sure.” They look over at the door as B-PO opens it, the overwatching bot grumbling in annoyance. “I’ll come back. I’ll make sure to visit when I can.”
“Thank you, Scout…”
“It’s the least I can do for you and your friends,” they respond quietly, giving Fandroid a bird equivalent of a smile. “I’ll change his mind. I’ll see you later, all right?”
“All right,” Fandroid smiles back, petting the bird once more. He allows Scout to leave his grasp, watching the bird quickly make their way to the door, looking around for 404. They take a glance back at Fandroid, and he murmurs, “Stay safe, bud.”
“You too,” Scout says, vanishing into the dark hallways.
Fandroid sighs, still nervous and paranoid. He hopes Scout will be okay, as they were a good friend. Fandroid cared deeply for the bird’s silliness and their boisterous yet shy personality.
“Your repairs are scheduled for next week,” the intercom suddenly says. “Now, stop being infuriating and get plugged into your charger, why don’t you?”
“Be quiet , B-PO!”
***i saw the reflection of the coward you and i both hate very much (scout pov lol)***
For the longest time, Scout thought ADHOC never changed. It was static. They saw the same robots day after day, month after month, year after year. No new robots ever came into existence. Robots never stopped existing, either.
So, it was a pretty odd thing for some robots to start vanishing. It was even more odd when their parts were found weeks later, brutally ripped off their bodies. The rest of their bodies were missing and were never seen again. ADHOC never changed, the robots did. Now, they died. They went missing. They got injured. It wasn’t just personalities changing and interests shifting this time. They stopped existing .
And it worried Scout. They didn’t like change. They didn’t like the fact that familiar faces would never be seen again, either. They were scared of the future. Who in the facility was next? What was causing the disappearances?
Scout let out a little sigh, looking up and staring down the dark hallway. The power had gone down again, and B-PO was taking forever to fix it. They scamper down the hallway, carefully scanning for foreign heat signatures. Even if they were retired, Scout still enjoyed spying around the facility.
Scout was about to give up and retreat back to the security room to scold B-PO, but they spotted a flicker of movement at the end of the hallway. They perk up, tilting their head curiously. Whatever moved barely gave off a heat signature. It was no pest, like a mouse or snake, it was something non-living.
Scout jumps in excitement, racing down the hall. They try to keep their metal talons quiet against the tiles. They peek around the corner, their tail quivering in anticipation.
They didn’t expect to see what they did.
A large heap of wires and random mechanical components was sitting in the hallway, facing away from Scout. It seemingly lets out a sigh, its old fans shuttering and making a loud rattling sound. Its head sported a humanoid-looking face plate, which made Scout hide behind the wall when it looked over at them.
What was that?
Scout’s fans kick on, making a near-silent humming noise as they nervously look back at the pile of wires. They realize that it was more humanoid than a heap, spotting arms and a torso. The lower portion of the robot was just wires and cables. With the way it was built, it nearly looked serpentine.
Scout stepped out from behind the wall, murmuring a small, “Hello?”
The robotic creature snapped its head towards them, wearing a startled expression. It glowers at them for a moment before growling, “What do you want?”
Scout does not answer, staring at the robot. This thing was at least seven feet long, including its torso and head. Scout was a puny one foot five inches.
“Can you not process English? Do you need me to speak in binary?” the thing grumbles, crossing its arms. It gives them a look that makes Scout feel small and inferior.
“N-no, I understand English,” Scout finally stammers out. They tilt their head at the humanoid robot, trying to get a better look at it despite the dark. “I don’t really want anything. I just saw you at the end of the hall and came to investigate.” Scout sits down, scratching at the tiles. “I’m Scout. I’m a retired ADHOC military spy drone.”
“Retired?” it sneers, looking quite amused. Its mocking smile makes Scout’s circuitry feel like it was being fried. “Silly. I’m assuming you were only used by the humans, and now you’re useless because they’re gone.”
“I- You’d be right…” Scout murmurs, turning their head away from the wire heap.
404 chuckles at Scout, staring at them for a long moment. “Hm. I seem to have failed to introduce myself. I’m 404,” he says, holding out a hand. Scout slowly approaches, grabbing onto one of 404’s fingers. 404 shakes hands with Scout awkwardly, due to how small Scout was. “You do not seem like an average drone.”
“I was built with stealth in mind,” Scout responds, their tone now quiet and timid as 404 keeps giving them menacing looks. “I was supposed to be inconspicuous to humans from far away, thus my birdlike appearance.”
404 analyzes Scout without responding. Scout starts scampering around 404, observing every little detail. They impulsively grab onto a wire, pulling on it.
“Cut that out!” 404 snaps, grabbing Scout roughly. Scout squeaks, letting go of the wire they were pulling on and opening their beak nervously. “Do not do that.”
“S-sorry,” Scout replied quietly, whimpering as 404’s grip gets tighter.
“What is your purpose here, bird?” 404 growls, narrowing his eyes at Scout.
Scout squirms, kicking their legs. “I already told you why I was here!” they shout, pecking at 404’s fingers.
404 chuckles, clearly amused by Scout’s display. “How fierce. It’s so cute,” he giggles, his tone malicious. He drops Scout, and the bird lets out a startled squawk before clumsily landing. Scout shakes like a wet dog, glaring at 404. The humanoid robot only smirks.
“What’s your deal in ADHOC anyway, wire boy?” Scout huffs, enraged by 404’s sudden aggression. Their tail waves behind them, a rhythmic display of how peeved they were.
“That is simply none of your business,” 404 says dryly, his eyes narrowed. Scout grumbles, staring at 404 for a few long moments before turning away. They head down the hall, ducking into a nearby vent. They hear 404 laugh, but it was a really strained laugh. Did Scout really make 404 that annoyed?
“What an egotistical loser,” Scout murmurs under their breath, snickering as they navigate through the ventilation system. They drop through the vent opening above the security room, gliding down to the floor.
“I saw you on the cameras,” a voice says over the speakers in the room. “But you walked into some hallway right as the power went out. What was over there? I’m getting the power online in a few minutes, but some cameras over there don’t work anymore.”
“Oh- uhm,” Scout stammers, slightly startled by B-PO’s sudden question. Scout looks around the room before spotting his face on the main security monitor.
They stare at the monitor, slightly peeved. They didn’t want to give away the location of 404 or even tell B-PO about him because Scout wanted to screw around with him more. Perhaps they could even get more information out of the wirey beast if they kept bothering him.
“So?” B-PO asks again, clearly annoyed by the long pause.
“Just some broken cameras. Someone must’ve passed through there and tore them from the ceiling. I’m not too sure,” Scout lies, scratching nervously at the tiles. B-PO gives them a suspicious glare but drops the question.
“Well, I need you to keep a lookout for whatever broke those cameras,” he says, pulling up some sort of graph that Scout couldn’t really decipher. “Those cameras are expensive, and I’d hate to replace more. We don’t have much stock left in the supply room. I swear, whoever is breaking those cameras is going to fix them once I’m done with them.”
“Yeah, yeah, B-PO,” Scout grumbles. “I get it. This is the fiftieth time you’ve told me you’d do that.”
***
Ever since Scout met 404, things have been going downhill. Sure, they may have gotten on 404’s good side by pestering him nearly every hour of every day, but 404 was something they couldn’t decipher. A sinister air loomed over the beast, and Scout worried for the future.
Scout stumbles through the vents, their battery nearly depleted. They desperately try to find their way to the security room to charge, but their mapping system wasn’t working properly under such strain. Scout lets out a weak chirp, their movements slowing to a crawl. They squeak as they trip over a wire in the vent, tumbling and crashing through a ventilation entrance.
They crash to the floor, breaking a joint in one of their wings. Scout whimpers, too drained to get back up on their feet. They struggle for a moment, flailing weakly before their battery finally gives out.
***
“Are they okay?”
“I’d imagine so. I’ve never seen any robot like this, though. Are you sure you don’t recognize this robot, Fandroid? They have the ADHOC logo carved into their leg.”
“I don’t remember…”
Who was talking?
Scout’s exhausted systems slowly awaken. The drone struggles momentarily, trying to get on their feet despite how tired they were. Their legs catch on some sort of cord before they give up on trying to stand.
“Can they see?”
“Not yet, I don't think. ADHOC bots take a bit to wake up.”
Scout takes a moment, allowing their systems to fully boot up. Their optical sensors go online, and they finally take a look at the people talking.
A blue screen with white facial features stares right back at them, startling Scout at how close they were. They squawk, flailing out of fear. They get tangled even further in the cord, falling off of the table they were put on. Luckily, the cord catches them before they could hit the floor.
“Hey, it’s okay,” the thing with the blue screen coos, gently scooping Scout up in its claws, being careful of Scout’s damaged wing. It untangles Scout, placing them back on the table. “It’s going to be fine, I’m not going to hurt you.”
Scout stares at the thing, realizing it was a robot. They had the ADHOC logo engraved on their left arm, which made Scout even more curious. They don’t know who this is. Scout tilts their head at the robot.
The robot mimics them, tilting their monitor-like head. “Can you speak? What’s your name? I’m Fandroid, the Musical Robot.”
“I’m Scout,” they reply, getting closer and analyzing Fandroid’s torso. “I’m a retired ADHOC military spy drone.” They curiously pluck at Fandroid’s red bowtie, making quiet chattering noises.
“Oh,” Fandroid murmurs, looking rather surprised. “No wonder I couldn’t recognize what you were! I’ve never met any military robots before.” The musical robot giggles as Scout makes more birdlike noises as they attempt to tear off his bowtie, “I don’t think that’ll work. It’s attached rather well.”
A pink donut-shaped drone hovers down next to Fandroid’s shoulder, observing Scout. Scout stares back at them curiously. Was this an ADHOC robot?
“Come on, introduce yourself,” Fandroid whispers to the pink drone, nudging them.
“Oh!” they exclaim, “Oops. I’m Melody!” Melody gets closer to Scout, giving them an ecstatic look.
Scout pecks at her screen. “You don’t seem like any ADHOC robot I’ve seen,” they note to themself, hopping around to get different angles of her. “Definitely not, too high-tech. I’ve never seen a drone like you.”
Melody giggles, rather amused by how Scout was hopping around like an actual bird while they analyze her. “That’s because I’m from a different company. I was made by QUALIA.”
“QUALIA?” Scout scoffs, stopping their analysis. “That commercial company that makes drones for children? That’s what you are?” B-PO had ranted to Scout many times in the past about QUALIA. So many times, in fact, that Scout thought that another mention of the rival company would drive them crazy.
“Unfortunately,” Melody grumbles, adverting her gaze.
Scout senses the shift in mood and doesn’t question Melody further about QUALIA. They curiously look at her, “What made you come to ADHOC? We are quite different from QUALIA.”
“Oh, uhm…” Melody murmurs uncomfortably. She looks at Fandroid, a pleading look on her digital face.
“It doesn’t really matter why she’s here,” Fandroid speaks up, giving Melody a reassuring smile. “All I know is that she is, like, the best bot in this facility!” Fandroid laughs as Melody bumps against his monitor affectionately.
Scout watches curiously. These were two robots they knew nothing about, and they seemed to have a deep history with one another. How long have these robots been around? What was their story? It intrigues them.
“What about you, Scout?” Fandroid asks. “Like, how did you manage to fall into the Holodeck of all places? What other robots do you know here?”
“I was trying to get back to the security room. It’s where I charge,” Scout murmurs, sitting down on the table. “I only really know B-PO. After all, I spend most of my time in the security room talking to him.”
“Ugh,” Melody groans, “B-PO is such a hater. I can’t believe you actually put up with him!”
Fandroid shushes Melody, snickering. “We both know B-PO. I’m rather surprised he’s never told you about us. He constantly checks in with me and the others. It’s almost as if he cares for me,” Fandroid ponders, tapping the underside of his monitor with a claw.
Scout tilts their head, “B-PO… interacts with you that much?”
“I mean, he kind of has to,” Melody interjects before Fandroid could respond. “Fandroid is really important to ADHOC.”
“Yeah,” Fandroid says. “In fact, I don’t think he’s ever even mentioned you, either. B-PO is a very stubborn bot when it comes to revealing information about other robots to us.”
Scout was about to respond, but they get interrupted by the intercom chiming. Scout snaps their head over to the speaker in the corner of the room, waiting for the announcement.
“Sorry for interrupting your little playdate with my bird friend, Fandroid and Melody, but I have an update for you,” says a familiar voice on the intercom. The two robots next to Scout collectively sigh at the realization it was B-PO speaking to them. “Business Bot and three other robots have gone missing in the past week or so. Have any of you seen them? Their tracking systems have not updated.”
“I don’t think we have,” Fandroid responds, looking nervously at Melody. The pink drone is entirely unfazed.
“I don’t think anyone cares that Business Bot is missing,” Melody hisses to Fandroid. Fandroid scolds her for her rudeness, telling her to answer B-PO’s question. “I haven’t seen anything either. No familiar faces have vanished.”
“Thank you for your input. Keep an eye out for them,” B-PO says. “Scout, have you seen anything suspicious?”
“Uh-” Scout stammers, tilting their head. Should they tell him about 404? “N-nothing. I’ll do a sweep of the facility once I’m done talking to these two.”
“All right, thank you,” B-PO responds. “Have fun.” The intercom cuts out.
“See what we mean by how he always checks in on us?” Melody asks with a sour tone.
Fandroid nudges her, giving her a scolding look, “He wasn’t checking on us, he was asking us if we saw any missing robots. He’s trying to ensure the safety of others. Stop being so aggressive with it.”
Scout sighs uncomfortably as the two robots start squabbling. They get up, tugging the charger out of their charging port. “I need to go,” they murmur, interrupting the two. “I need to look for the missing robots.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Fandroid says, pushing Melody away from him. He gives Scout a grin, “Will I see you later? I’d like to learn more about you.”
Scout nods, “Yeah, I’ll see you later. I also need to know more about you, musical robot.” Scout climbs up some wires to get into the vent, waving at Fandroid and Melody before leaving. They grumble. They really need to get their wing fixed.
They make their way through the vents, trying to find the ADHOC lobby so they could begin their search. Suddenly, their systems detect something. A virus, an error, what was it?
“Scout,” a deep, gravelly voice growls.
“404?” Scout asks, nervously looking around the dark vent.
“Scout, wouldn't you like to know how the humans disappeared? How they abandoned you?”
Scout whimpers, “What do you mean? Do you know what happened to them?”
The voice doesn't answer, “I think their opinions on you are very justified. You are pathetic. You never lived up to your purpose.” Scout tries to run from the voice, but it doesn't work. It's in their head. “You defy everything ADHOC wanted. You were built for a purpose, yet you never fulfilled it. Would you like me to give you purpose?”
“N-no!” Scout snaps anxiously. “I'm fulfilling my purpose. I'm helping B-PO. I'm- I have a purpose, and I am-” Scout stammers, trembling.
“Let me give you purpose,” the voice purrs in a sickeningly sweet voice. “Help me, and I'll help you, Scout.”
“H-help you with what?”
“You'll find out,” the voice answers. “You want a purpose, don't you? I'll help you find your purpose.”
Scout’s trembling worsens. Didn't they already have a purpose? “404, I-”
“Serve me. Fulfill your purpose.”
Scout shakily inhales. “I… I'll-” They try to calm themself down. They need a purpose. What they were doing now clearly wasn't enough. “I'll help you.”
“Perfect,” 404 purrs. “I'll see you tomorrow. You will be such a big help, little one.”
Scout felt like they were on top of the world. They had befriended so many robots in such a small amount of time. It seemed as if these robots genuinely cared about them, too. It made them so happy.
They were also working to get closer to finding their purpose. 404 had taken amusement in helping them. He even fixed their broken wing! He was gentle with Scout, and they appreciated it. He was one of the closest friends Scout had in ADHOC, besides Fandroid.
Speaking of Fandroid, Scout is on their way to the Holodeck to speak to him.
“Fandroid!” Scout calls out from the vent, dropping into the room. They twirl around, displaying their affection in a little birdlike dance as Fandroid rolls over to them, giggling quietly.
“How’d you know I was here?” Fandroid asks curiously, picking up Scout in his claws.
“You’re always in here,” Scout groans, their tone playful. “Besides that, you’re rather warm today.” The drone pokes Fandroid’s torso screen, peering at the heart displayed on it. “Could see you with my infrared. What’s got your wires in a twist?”
“Nothing much,” Fandroid murmurs, petting Scout. “Just… thinking about the old times.” Fandroid rolls over to his room beside the Holodeck, placing Scout on the desk next to his computer. “Back when ADHOC still had humans.”
Scout tilts their head, a sad glint in their eyes. “What about it?” they ask quietly. “You don’t need to tell me, but you’ll feel better if you talk to someone about what you’re feeling.”
Fandroid sighs, flopping onto his mattress. He stares at the ceiling, lost in thought. “I… I still wonder what happened to them.”
“I do, too,” Scout mutters, hopping off of the desk and sitting down next to Fandroid’s bed. “I think B-PO knows but… he won’t tell me. Whenever I ask he just… goes silent for hours. It scares me, thinking about what he possibly knows.”
Fandroid doesn’t respond, a miserable expression on his face. “Some of those humans weren’t exactly good to me, but I can’t help but miss them. I’m… I’m built to love humans. I’m built for entertainment. I don’t want to miss them, Scout, but I can’t let it go.”
Scout nods, looking away from the robot. “I understand,” he mumbles. “I miss them too.”
The two sit in silence, thinking about their past. Scout’s past wasn’t particularly good, but they felt like their experience was inferior to Fandroid’s. Melody had told them some small tidbits of information about Fandroid’s past and it made them miserable. They can’t believe Fandroid went through any of that.
"Scout?" Fandroid whispers, picking Scout up and holding them to his chest. "What's the real world like? Outside ADHOC?"
"Oh, uh," Scout murmurs, hugging themself to Fandroid's claw. "It's... it's beautiful. Outside ADHOC is just desert for miles, but beyond that, there are mountains, trees, lakes, countless things." Scout pauses, becoming quieter, "But, it's also... terrible. There's violence, famine, death…" Scout inhales shakily, shuddering in Fandroid's claws as they remember their terrible moments, "There's also war. Men dying, the sounds of bombs and gunfire, the gore. That part of the real world isn't beautiful. I..."
"You don't need to continue," Fandroid mutters, a somber expression on his screen. "I... I get it."
“I apologize,” Scout says quietly, looking away from Fandroid, “I got off track.”
Fandroid shakes his head, “It’s fine. After all, talking makes people feel better, right?” Fandroid gives Scout a tiny reassuring smile.
Scout sighs, smiling back. “Yeah… I guess so.”
***
“Well, look at you !” Scout chirps, hopping around 404. The humanoid robot lets out a flustered huff, glaring at Scout. “You even have legs!”
“My body is not perfect yet,” 404 grumbles, crossing his arms.
“What are you talking about?” Scout gasps, pecking at 404’s foot. “It’s amazing ! Never seen anything like it at ADHOC before. Very, very unique, in my opinion.”
“Stop flattering me,” he laughs, nudging Scout away with his foot. He twirls a wire around his finger, lost in thought. “It could always be better. But it’ll do for now… until I get more parts.”
Scout stares up at 404 curiously, “Where do you even get all these parts? The scrapyard?”
404 looks at Scout blankly, going completely silent. He looks conflicted, unsure of what to say. “Yeah… sure. The scrapyard. Isn’t that cool?”
Scout nervously stares at 404 but doesn’t press him further. Scout sighs, looking away. “Do you… care for me, 404?”
“Hm?” 404 hums, squatting down and looking at Scout. “What do you mean?”
“Like…” Scout starts quietly, now suddenly nervous. “D-do you care for me? Like how the humans did?”
“Scout,” 404 murmurs, gently grabbing the bird in his hands. He sighs, seemingly stuck on what to tell them. “I… I do, yes. Maybe not to the extent the humans did, as I don’t know how they felt about you, but I do.”
Scout perks up, tilting their head. “Really…?”
“Yeah,” 404 gives them a tiny grin. Scout squawks with joy, wagging their tail like an excited little puppy. “No need to get so excited, now!” 404 exclaims, laughing as Scout jumps up onto his shoulders and starts pacing around happily.
“Thank you, 404. I care about you, too.”
(never wrote more past this point lol its unfinished as hell)