Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Finally! The shop is gonna have to open, it's time to work!"

This is the tenth time Glee Bobby starts her shift as Glorp n' Go's cashier. She already has some experience with the job's routine, but keeps the same enthusiasm she had on the very first day.

She likes being with SwibbleDib, her stylish workmate and Yum Zlurplie, her intense but fair boss, while doing her full-time job, even if it means repositing some of the items that get out of stock.

Glee knows that every part of her job is essential! She always wants to keep everything in order and working well, even in the wildest of cases... This day was no exception either, going a bit different from usual.

Once Glorp n' Go fully opens to the public and the storefront shutters lifted, everything goes as normal; clients from the Regretevator itself drift in and buy some products, some of them ask questions to Glee Bobby, and some others just want to visit the place and relax, getting out of the already daily chaos they face while being floor after floor.

But all of a sudden, everything goes silent. Someone that entered the shop caught Glee's attention: a HelperBot, one that seemed really calm and chill to her, but... a HelperBot? Going to a shop?

"Wait a minute, I didn't know HelperBots would also help with the shopping list! What a great task!... But why is it going alone? Is it it's break or something?"

Glee Bobby thought this to herself; she was gonna go ask it if it needed something special, but before she could do anything, the same HelperBot approached the register first, putting a glass of Chocolate Milk on it.

"Localized item: Chocolate Milk. Purpose: Restoration. Condition: Worthy of transaction. Request: One unit, in exchange for 40 coins."

Glee blinked; she was a bit confused, surprised, but curious for her new client at once; It's affirmations were right, so she tried to play it cool anyway, keeping her funny behavior and smiling expression.

She chuckled happily and followed the helper Bot's request.

"That's correct, it's really a lifesaver in tough situations! But i still recommend you to be careful with your servos-"

She tried to warn the HelperBot about the Chocolate Milk, knowing that HelperBots like it are just... AI Robots.

Everything was right until the front wall of Glorp n' Go literally exploded into pieces, making Glee and the clients go static from the scare.

Then a strange kind of assault happened.

Three mannequins start showing through the smoke and get quickly inside the shop analyzing every single shopper in there, one of the mannequins had an unsettling, colorful static face. The Mannequin number one starts projecting his voice, nearly barking.

"LISTEN! WE ARRIVED AT OUR SUPERIOR'S BEHEST! WHERE ARE THEY??"

The mannequins seemed like they were searching for something, as if their superior had ordered them to search for something.

All the chaos, screaming and tears made Glee Bobby hide behind the register; she was completely scared, being unable to move from her crouching position, she was nearly going to cry. She never saw something like this happen while doing her job.

SwibbleDib was trying to calm down the shoppers near him, while Zlurplie was angry as hell at the mannequins, trying to attack one of them with a mop they were holding for some time.

"Just reveal them... reveal yourselves...."

The remaining mannequin with the colorful static face gets in front of the register, finally finding and lifting the scared cashier girl to his face from the collar of her shirt, threatening to hit her face to death.

Glee's workmates were now looking at the scene, worried about her and what she was facing. SwibbleDib lets out a nervous whisper.

"BOBBY!..."

The lights start to shut down abruptly, the ambience starts to glitch by itself.

"Danger registered. Countermeasure deployed."

That's when the HelperBot finally spoke and took action.

It raised its left hand, making three blue selection boxes surround the three mannequins, specially the static-faced one. The blue tridimensional boxes started getting smaller along with the victims in an indefinite amount, to the point of making them disappear.

The cashier girl dropped to the floor once no one was grabbing her. She gasped, looking at the HelperBot that was also looking at her with a small hint of surprise in its eyes. 

"Injury Suboptimal. Recovery Protocol In Motion."

That's when it lifted Glee Bobby onto its shoulders, gently and without hesitation, and teleported itself to the Regretevator's doors with her.

Once they both enter the elevator, it starts closing. NULL whispers, more to himself than anyone.

"Ascension must proceed, the prime awaits."

Back to the wrecked shop, Yum Zlurplie was tense, still holding the mop.

"GREAT ZLORPS!... Now we have to clean this by ourselves, SwibbleDib-"

Chapter Text

Glee Bobby was speechless under the dim, humming light of the Regretevator. She stood on unsteady legs, some dust from Glorp n' Go's broken wall drifting around her boot-clad feet. Beside her, the white glow of the HelperBot’s eyes scanned the metallic doors that were in front of it.

Bobby has never entered the Regretevator before; her workmate Swibble used to tell her all its floors are kind of strange, some of them being scary and dangerous... Little did she know that it was going to be her shelter from now on. She wanted to be in her beloved workplace today, but now she had no choice but to stay inside these four walls.

"Thank you for saving me!... W-Why did you... do that?... Who are you?"

The alien girl looked at the HelperBot in the face with a worried expression, brushing dust from her apron, her heart pounding.

"We are NULL. We detected your danger. The hivemind threatened your existence, so we intervened."

NULL's head tilted slightly when he spoke. He gestured slowly with his hands, his moves like if he was from a stop-motion film.
Glee listened carefully, hands tense at her sides. Curiosity wrestled with fear.

"Call me Glee Bobby!... I w-worked at Glorp n’ Go for five years..."

A soft whirring sound emanated from NULL’s chest plate. This time, all his body turned to look at her. His eyes were fixated on her face.

"You demonstrated relevant action, unlike static automatons. We judged you worthy of preservation."

"So you saved me because… I reacted?"

Glee's eyes widened, she was now invested in his dialogue; it was kind of confusing, but she wanted to know more about this strange HelperBot.

"Correct. Potential must be used. Otherwise… wasted."

NULL answered, with no hesitation in his words, head looking at the elevator's doors again. He really thinks that she could be useful, but... for what?

"What about the mannequins? the hivemind?... Are they in the same sentence?"

Glee's tension was easing in her shoulders, she is now in a rather calm position, still a bit confused.

"They operate under one will; collectivism. Their hivemind obeys Icarus. They seek order. We enforce balance toward prime."

"That's... interesting! I have never met a HelperBot like you, so.... special compared to the rest of them."

Glee's head tilted slightly to the side, heart pounding slower now. Trust, however fragile, was budding within NULL and the alien girl.
The elevator stopped, its doors slid open with a soft bell. Two of its recurrent users stepped in from a camping place: a conspiracy theorist and a gnarpian war general. After some seconds, the doors of the elevator close.

"WAIT A SECOND, that humanoid creature... She's one of THAT shop's workers!"

The black hairy woman glared at the suspiciously new Regretevator user, as she stood still, frozen in place. Glee Bobby recognized her instantly. She's known as Bive: one of the banned clients in Glorp n' Go, found red-handed by Yum.

"So... you know me! Why exactly did you-"

Bive abruptly interrupted and approached the girl, now aggressively shouting into her face.

"SILENCE! You'll soon know EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING THAT YOUR BOSS IS HIDING FROM EVERYONE HERE!"

"Wow... Now it makes sense."

The Glorp n' Go worker was shocked by the yelling, but tried to stay calm. That's when the gnarpian followed the situation, xe had xyr arms crossed and a grumpy face, alongside an annoyed double tail constantly moving.

"A Glorpian Inzide the elevator… Interezting. I demand explanationz, glorgope!"

Glee shallowed, nervous and kind of weirded out by both passengers. She stood close to NULL.

"Well... This... guy, he literally rescued me from an assault."

Bive frowned, angrily pointing out NULL with her hands.

"You mean THAT ANNOYING CHICKEN HEADED FREAK?? Who are you to WORK WITH THAT PHENOMENON?”

NULL takes a step forward and intervenes in the already heated conversation, his voice remaining calm but firm.

"Please refrain from aggression. She is under our protection."

The gnarpian snorted, narrowing xyr eyes while looking at both Glee and NULL.

"I'll watch you both... You zorps DIZGUST ME!"

Glee Bobby tries to reason with the people inside the elevator by trying to act secure and direct.

"I don’t want trouble, I come in peace."

The Regretevator stopped again, this time, the doors opened to a different scenery; it now looked like a dark office. as Bive leaves the elevator, she looks at Glee with a serious expression

Bive: "Listen, cashier... I have a warning for you. DON’T MESS WITH THIS PLACE…"

The doors groaned shut again as the gnarpian, NULL and Bobby left Bive behind. Glee squeezed NULL’s arm while nervously shaking, looking at his monotonous face.

"I’m glad I met you, NULL. Even if I’m still terrified, I feel much… safer now."

"Potential begins with understanding. We continue forward."

NULL's hum responded. The LED-like shine in his eyes made hers reflect like a mirror, where he could look at himself.
And with that, their journey deeper into the Regretevator had truly begun.

Chapter Text

Glee Bobby lied against the cold wall that was behind her inside of the Regretevator. The alien girl was sleeping peacefully, until she slipped into a dream.

In this surreal vision, she finds herself restocking shelves in Glorp N’ Go, her usual beloved workspace. The storefront was covering the outside view and nobody was there, making it look like the store was closed just yet. Jupiter loomed large in the dark sky outside, and the food counters were half empty.

At first the scene is mundane and safe; Glee humming a song, the quiet sounds of her UFO outside in the parking lot, the faint hum of the neon sign.

But then the world starts to warp. The lights begin to flicker, to pulse unnaturally, and the walls ripple like the sea's waves. A big quantity of red eyes appear in front of Glee, menacing and glowing. Her heart hammers as those gazes turn towards her, the pupils being a pair of concentric yellow rings like trackers searching for her arising fear.

The alien girl hears a noise behind her, making her turn back abruptly while shaking; from far off in one of the corners of the store steps a scary, obscure being. The tall figure’s only visible eye now glares savagely at Glee; a stare that now will never be forgotten by the poor victim. Her white beret and sweater remain pristine, but her shattered mask and claw-like fingertips dripping shadows. Folly starts speaking in a cold, mocking whisper that echoes through the warped store.

“Welcome to your fate, dreamer, get ready to join the endless misery that awaits you...”

The words slip out slowly and venomous, each syllable twisting the fabric of Glee’s dream. As the figure taunts Bobby, the floor tiles liquefy under her feet and the aisles stretch into impossible corridors.

“Time to face reality, mortal flesh...”

Folly croons, and the aisles themselves seem to shudder as though alive. Glee feels the dream dissolve into static; that terrifying voice being the last thing fading before Glee comes back with a loud gasp.

Glee jerks awake in the elevator, looking around anxiously at the familiar wooden paneling. She slumps away from the wall, cheeks burning from embarrassment after looking at NULL and at the green interplanetary guest.

“I-I’m sorry!-”

she stammers, nervously giggling while brushing a hand over her face. She had fallen asleep on duty among the others inside the elevator.

NULL turned quickly at her, his white shining eyes were wide with concern. He looked surprised, but still kept a calm tone in his voice.

"Awake again, Good. We perceive distress, did the dream break your thoughts?"

Glee glances at that gaze beneath Null’s chicken-hood hat. She was confused by NULL’s question at first; it was a bit complicated to process, but when she began to understand, she spoke.

"Yeah, the dream... It was strange, really! The red eyes following me, the tall, scary figure... How did you know??"

"Everybody zeems to know, I have met that inzignificant beazt as well."

The grumpy gnarpian stands in the opposite corner, arms crossed, sniffing impatiently.
But... What was xe talking about? Glee wanted to know everything about it, she wanted to stay safe from that "beast" xe was mentioning.

"What do you mean, you... Uh... Anyway! How does everyone know this? Is every Regretevator passenger having the same... nightmare??"

NULL listened intently, processing all the information quickly. Then, he put his left hand on one of left shoulders.

"It seems Folly has found you, your mind. We have observed that she often torments travelers in their dreams. Stay cautious."

The elevator has stopped, meaning that it has reached another floor.
Once the metallic doors slide open wide, the war general scoffs and walks out quickly, leaving the others behind.

"Finally out of zhat box!!"

The Regretevator shows a grassy field under a bright sky. In the distance stands a lone gatling turret, its long barrels trained on the elevator.

"Think fast, chucklenuts!"

a taunting voice can be heard like inside a speaker, but seemed to come out of somewhere. Then the turret explodes into action, spewing a hail of bullets into the small elevator chamber. Sparks erupt where rounds strike the metal walls.

NULL reacts instantly, his rigid android reflexes taking over. Without hesitation NULL grabs Glee and pushes her deep into the right wall of the elevator, flat against the padded wall. Bullets ricochet a hair’s breadth away, pinging like nails on wood.

“Stay down!”

NULL commands calmly but louder than usual, voice echoing over the cracking gunfire. The elevator trembles violently; a bullet tore through the paneling just inches from Glee’s head. When the firing finally pauses, the turret smokes out the doorway. The elevator’s lights stay dim as the doors slide closed again.

In the stunned silence, Glee and NULL find themselves alone inside the Regretevator once more. Glee’s eyes look wide with intense fear to the opposite wall, while Null’s neon eyes reflect nothing but concern. Outside the last echoes of the turret’s roar fade into quiet; a sudden, eerie calm ambient.

"WHAT WAS THAT??"

Glee was now frozen against the same wall as NULL, shaking in trauma. Before she finally could step forward to position herself, one of the bullets that were on the floor made her slip, making her face fall flat against the mentioned.
She let out a furious scream; it was muffled, but it was loud enough to be heard and processed by NULL.

He stepped forward carefully and started selecting all the bullets lying on the floor with his blue selection boxes so Glee couldn't slip again.
Once NULL lifted up and deleted the bullets out of existence, he approached her and crouched at her level to stretch a hand and help her stand up

"No, thank you!..."

Glee was still in the same position on the floor, and her mood? really, really annoyed. It seemed that she didn't want NULL to help her at the moment, so he just stood up beside her, not saying anything to give her space to think.

The nightmare was over, at least for now, but the afterimage of Folly’s red eyes still lingered behind Glee’s closed eyelids.

Chapter Text

The elevator glided in somber silence. Glee Bobby sat cross-legged on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, mind racing far faster than the Regretevator itself.

Her thoughts churned: the mannequins' hivemind, Folly's unsettling eyes, the sudden end of her routine at Glorp n’ Go. Everything had happened too quickly. She was exhausted; emotionally more than physically, and couldn't help but feel something big was just beginning.

NULL was laying on the same wall next to Glee, scanning his surroundings like he always did. Methodical. Still. But even he could sense the tension hanging between them, even if trying to ignore it.

Then the elevator stopped its long, rather boring way. Its bell chimed softly and its metallic doors opened to both characters once again.

Light spilled into the elevator as a floor known as the Shop Space revealed itself in front of it: old but white, well-cared walls, some nearly empty shelves with the last stocking of some insane merchandise and glowing junk, all wrapped in whimsical signage.

At a rather spacious counter far away from the characters, you could see Enphoso; his large yellow sphere-like head grinning, a big and chunky body build, and his round void-like eyes locked onto them with joy that was far too intense.

"WELCOME to my store: Gligs, Glags, and Doo-Dads! don't leave without buying!"

NULL gave Glee a passing glance, as if to silently say: You may rest. Then he stepped forward and drifted into the store.

Glee didn’t follow. She stayed seated in the Regretevator, back against the elevator's wall. She hugged herself, watching NULL from a distance, unsure what to say or even feel about this.

As NULL slowly looked at his surroundings and picked up a few supplies from the shelves; a tiny foamer, a flashlight, a Buck and some gas masks for him and Glee Bobby, Enphoso leaned over the counter.

"So... who’s that new Regretevator user you brought along, huh? Is she your little buddy now? Or are you babysitting?"

The big yellow guy's smile was bigger now, with NULL pausing for some seconds before responding to his unexpected question.

"She is under our protection."

"Aww, that’s so sweet! You’ve got emotions now, huh, HelperBot? You're such a good listener!"

Enphoso teased NULL, making the HelperBot do a facepalm. The shop's owner giggled loudly like usual, then followed.

"Say, what’s this I heard about MR? You know those mannequins are out hunting, right? Well, hurry up! They're looking for that missing person this mighty god's obsessed about: PartyNoob!"

Glee’s ears twitched from the elevator, far away from the others. She didn’t know who PartyNoob was. But from the way Enphoso said it… it must be important.

Enphoso’s voice kept going, now in a hushed, gossipy tone.

"Word is, they’re close! Mannequins want this party noobie doobie to join the hivemind, but MR? Ohhh, MR! He wants them too... Think you'll beat the hivemind to it, NULL? Think you'll get your ascension if you’re the first?"

NULL’s fingers tensed around the Buck he held in a fist, strongly squashing it.

"That is classified."

Enphoso reacted again, this time he let out a twisted, yet euphoric laugh. He also slammed the counter multiple times while laughing.

"Suuuuure it is! Just DON’T lose your head! Ascension ain’t cheap, y’know..."

Inside the elevator, Glee froze.
PartyNoob...?
She remembered NULL’s cryptic references to the "prime" and "ascension", he looked so invested while saying those things. But she had no idea someone else was involved, a person. A target? A sacrifice?

Her stomach twisted.
What if NULL had to somehow hurt PartyNoob to finish his mission? What if NULL was being used by this "mighty" god… would NULL lose himself chasing this strange goal?... What if his ascension means something else he's not aware of??

He had saved her life. Protected her. Even comforted her in small, strange ways.
But this was more than strange.
When NULL re-entered the Regretevator, walking in calmly with his supplies in hand, Glee looked up at him with anxiety.
She wanted to ask everything she overheard, and more. Who is PartyNoob? What does ascension mean? Why you? Why now?... But the words got stuck.

That's when she stood back up, getting just a little bit closer to NULL. Her lips trembled and said something else. It was not what she planned, but still was becoming something true.

"Well, I know this might sound stupid... but please, just… Please, take care of yourself. You did great... but I'll also try being there for you. Always."

NULL instantly froze.
Her subtle use of words hit him deeper than metal, somehow. His vision distorted slightly in a metaphorical way. Logic fractured inside him. His bottled up emotions began to escape little by little, buzzing like gradual static to his ears.

"We… will."

He stood beside her looking at the Shop Space with tension. No more words. Just stillness.
The doors slid shut. Enphoso’s smile and giggles lingered behind them.

"Good luck out there, lovebirds! Find that PartyNoob before the mannequins do~!"

In the hum of ascending silence, NULL stood over Glee, not looking at her like he was used to doing.
NULL's eyes narrowed neglectfully at Enphoso's goodbye words. Soft fists replacing his usual hands' tranquility.

For him, her concern was irrational.
And yet, it mattered.
Somewhere far ahead: a name, a mission, a destiny...
But for now: only her.
And that dizzying, aching feeling that both of them see with their opposite perspectives.
What keeps them in the same place is their unique trusting for each other, growing each passing day.

Chapter Text

The elevator's lights flickered slightly from its ceiling. Glee Bobby stood close to NULL, still weighed by the same worries, but trying to distract herself.

"I still don’t get how this thing moves without needing its buttons pressed… Do those have a purpose here at all?"

NULL, even with the aftermath of the gradual static feeling left on him earlier, was still alert, cryptic and observant.

"Location is no destination. Descent is the price."

The alien girl sighs, doing a soft facepalm.

“That doesn’t help, y’know!”

And suddenly, the hum dies. In a blink, the Regretevator vanishes with both of them. And before they could even protest about it, they found themselves together in a misty, rotten environment. Rootless trees with craved eyes on them float over amid red fog, one of those trees being the biggest and the most visible of them all, with a gigantic, bloody scar on it.
Glee Bobby looked up to the big tree; face serious while acting honestly sarcastic, she already knew the chaos didn't end for them just yet.

"...I'm 100% sure this floor is hell."

Faint music-box tones mixed with electro features warp through the air. Copies of those red familiar eyes start appearing from below the surface, surrounding her and NULL. a small cracked platform started to float in front of them; and there was Folly.
She spreads blood-red light across the arena, voice echoing:

"Welcome to your fear’s reflection... Mortal and machine."

"I knew it."

Bobby spoke to herself, and at the speed of thunder, crimson lasers burst in sweeping spokes through all the arena. Some stay still before shifting unpredictably; others fire rapidly in bursts.

Glee tries avoiding them, receiving just a bit of damage, but it was real damage after all.

“Threat identified. Protective logic engaged.”

NULL looks at Glee’s constant movement, and knowing Folly's powers like his own digital fingerprints, he calmly makes a shimmering blue selection box around the lasers, anchoring them.

Folly just looks at NULL from afar, narrowing her eyes at the situation.

"You stopped being useful long ago, machine... Get over it."

After the first phrase stops, the lasers disappear in command. Now, black pillars erupt from glowing red telegraphs on the floor. Each impact can fling Glee in a ragdoll effect.
Glee scrambles to safety as nearby pillars collapse, using all her speed.
NULL glides through the chaos, using the Studio Move tool to move himself faster and help his companion avoid the pillars when he can.

"Ngh... How stubborn."

Folly now makes the pillars disappear, starting the third phrase; she summons her shadowy clones scuttling around the arena, snapping at foes.

Most of the Unknowns start persecuting NULL; his reflexes and speed are enough to avoid them this time, even without the Studio Move tool he used earlier to escape the pillars. Instead, he rapidly spawned his effect balloons and throwed them at the Unknowns, distracting them.

One of Folly's Unknowns lunges at Glee, claws strongly scratching her left shoulder so she takes bigger damage.
Glee falls on the arena, trying to get up by herself.

"UHG!... DANG IT-"

This makes NULL stop throwing balloons at the Unknowns to reach the girl and lift her on his shoulders.

"Stay still. We'll end this ourselves."

The fourth phrase starts and new yellow-marked telegraphs flash. Folly makes some pillars erupt again, then seconds later, water starts flooding the arena.

"The cold, dark sea shall wash you away, machine."

NULL quickly starts to jump pillar by pillar, with Glee on his shoulders making movement being more difficult.
But he never gave up; he used a balloon on himself to make his speed increase a little, and that's how both Bobby and NULL made it to the last phrase.

"Around and around you go... Hmhmhm.."

Eight mirrors appear from the surface, one by one surrounding the arena and the characters. Folly jumps there and leaps into one of the nearest mirrors, vanishing inside of it.

And all of a sudden, NULL remembers about the Tiny Foamer; the one he got from the Shop Space and was inside his inventory. He spawns it only using his left hand to keep Glee on his shoulders, grips the foamer firmly and fires a dart at the nearby mirror. The dart sticks to that mirror with no trouble, helping to mark it.

Now all the mirrors start shuffling randomly at a fast pace, like a memory card game on an electronic device. With the dart marking the mirror from earlier, NULL hurried to step the pad below that mirror to select it.

Seconds later, Folly got out from that same mirror, triggering a shockwave. All Mirrors shatter around NULL and Glee Bobby, then fall to the void.

"You’ve resisted. Unexpected. How… quaint."

Swirling red particles, she disappears from their sight, so does the floor, the Regretevator gradually appearing the same way it disappeared at the start of the fight.

The elevator turns back to normal. Glee and NULL stagger in; wet, bruised, breathing heavily.

Glee was the one that took most damage, knowing about that scar on her shoulder. NULL carefully drops her to the floor as she collapses.

“That… that was insane. Is this what you deal with every day??”

NULL crouches in front of her without an answer, having some difficulty analyzing her vulnerable state.
He has gone completely silent, however, he starts hearing the same gradual static once again, making his now dizzy eyes open wide and freeze.

What is happening to him? Is this some kind of curse? Does he need fixing already?... He couldn't answer any of those questions either.
His own system couldn't recognize what was happening to him, the fog that girl made on him was getting too intense this time, but he knew one thing:
It hurtled too much to see her in pain.

"Hey!... Are you alright, NULL?"

When he heard her voice, he forcedly snapped back to reality by shaking his head.

"...We apologize for the delay."

NULL made a new balloon spawn in front of him, and made it pop to add himself and Glee 30 HP. That also made some of the bruises go away from their bodies.

"Let’s have a little conversation, machine."

NULL stands up quickly and Glee Bobby sits on the floor when hearing the familiar voice. Some smoke coalesced into a flickering mask in the opposite elevator's corner. Folly emerged; voice calm, yet mysterious.

"...Why her? Why protect this little ineffectual?"

NULL steps forward, protective and loyal to Bobby.

"She is no ‘ineffectual’ She is potential. Your interest is misplaced."

Folly now approaches Glee and crouches until meeting her face to face.

"And you, sweet green thing… do you care for this bot… or the story you’re weaving?"

Glee Bobby flushes, defiant and with an angry, disgusted expression.

"That’s NONE of your business."

NULL stays alert, staring at Folly's face and procuring she doesn't do any harm.

"Oh, you two have an interesting dynamic…"

Folly smiles deviously, standing up and going back to the same corner she appeared from.

"Very well. I’ll stay a while. Let’s see what floor comes next."

The Regretevator hum resumes. Lights normalize.
Glee squeezes one of NULL's legs, trust deepened through trials.
Silence conquers. They don’t speak.
A bond forged from shared fear, protection, and unspoken truths is still arising.

Chapter Text

The Regretevator still hummed with a soft resonance. Inside, Folly and NULL stared at each other from opposite corners with seriousness and even some anger.
With the silence covering the three characters as a whole, Glee Bobby decides to stand up; slowly, but finally successing. She leaned against NULL, waiting for her balance to turn back to normal.

The scar on her shoulder was still raw, but started to feel less painful.
A quiet tension lingered in their shared silence, until Glee Bobby breaks it for once.

"Ok... I guess I'm healing, slowly!"

NULL remained quiet to not make his situation grow embarrassing, but his eyes showed respect and genuine pride towards the alien girl.

Opposing him, Folly looks down at Glee Bobby with disapproval, while talking in her deadly, deep voice.

"You think the Regretevator owes you a way out of there? Adorable..."

Glee had a really intelligent response to that sentence. She crossed her arms, looking up at Folly, with a decided and playful smirk.

"No, I think I owe it to myself from fighting through it. You gave up, I didn't!"

"You think your last piece of hope protects you? How naive... All the time in the world, and yet it's wasted."

Folly followed with her words; each of them known as spikes that could perforate everyone's skins; but instead, those words made Glee’s smirk grow bigger, she was confident enough.

"Your hope is a stage, your suffering is a spectacle. I feed off that... that fear you so desperately cling to."

Folly steps closer to the brave alien, her voice being now silky, but still merciless. She leaned into her face, whispering through the echoing silence.

"You are blind to what I can do to you. Your efforts will rot..."

NULL's serious gaze drifted into both characters at once, he knew this heated discussion would end in more harm to Glee.

"Cease this, Folly. We cannot permit it to continue."

Folly looked back at NULL with her classic, evil smile, and turned her body to him.

"Ah, the machine is playing protector now? How... Eccentric. Does your little shield pulse with warmth... or fear?"

She steps closer to the helperbot with some strong steps, voice dripping like a predator chasing its prey.

"Your efforts will rot, NULL... Prove me wrong."

Glee looked a bit nervous by the characters' angry faces. But before Folly or NULL said something else to follow their fight, the elevator stopped its way once again.

This time, the doors open to a red gigantic gumball machine; the elevator and its passengers were down on the gumballs' exit from the mentioned. The gumballs fell one by one to the floor of what is an even bigger hotel hall floor.

"Meow! Mreow, Purrr! (Doctor's in! Others need tending now!)"

Then, all of a sudden... BOOM! A new character appears doing a cartwheel in front of the elevator, then ending on her two feet, making her entrance funny and spectacular.

She's wearing a doctor's usual work clothing; a long lab coat with black pants and shoes, including an extremely reflecting head mirror.

"How... delightful."

Folly rolled her big, scary eye, showing herself annoyed towards the anthropomorphic yellow katball. NULL just looked at her with no expression playing, not saying a word.

Though the first character the the cheerful anthro saw was Glee Bobby; she never saw that alien girl before, but the worst thing? She had an injury that had to be gone from her shoulder asap!

"Mew! Mroweow Merow?... (Oh, sugar! How did you get that scar in your shouder?...)"

Glee looked at the tall figure, not trusting so much on her, but trying to act cool.

"So... you're a doctor, right?"

"Meow! Mrowr miau, mow! (Absolutelly! Call me DrRETRO, now hold still!)"

green eye lasers flicked on from her small eyes, pointing the scar on Glee's shoulder carefully and with precision. Glee covered her own eyes in fear, but in just seconds, the wound on her glowed then vanished completely.
Glee gasped by seeing the result.

“Wow! Thanks… Thanks DrRETRO!”

DrRETRO hummed and nodded her head gently and with satisfaction.
When she turned to NULL she saw he also was a bit damaged.

"maowr!... meoww mreowrr meow? (No time no see, sugar!... are you the newbie's tour guide now?)"

"Our assignment is to ensure Glee Bobby's safety and well-being."

NULL responded to the doctor, making her look surprised by that answer. She knew It wasn't usual from this one HelperBot to care so much about a singular being, but she was happy for him.

"maow... mrrroww! meow mrpp, meow! (Wait, that's... a really nice gesture from you! You'll get a reward in return, hold still!)"

The same green laser beam started bathing his panels and circuits until his scars fully disappeared.

"Integrity restored."

Folly, who was getting bored already, just disappeared out of the elevator into shadow and dust.
Then, DrRETRO pressed the elevator’s close button, laying her finger on it to make the elevator close shut, making the floor stop.

"Mew meow! (Let's skip the floor!)"

Glee’s eyes lit with hope by realizing DrRETRO knows how the buttons work, she had a really big chance to go back to Glorp n' Go once and for all!
So, the alien girl took the opportunity instantly.

"...DrRETRO?"

"Meow? (Yes, sugar?)"
DrRETRO crouched to reach Glee’s height, showing a kind smile, her ears now waiting to listen.

"Do you know how to... y'know, go to Glorp n' Go using the elevator?"

"maow! meow, meow purr meow! (But of course! I'll help you out, heading there now!)"

DrRETRO stood back up and pressed a button that made the elevator change its direction, going now to the Glorp n' Go shop.

Glee Bobby's eyes happily shined from the reflection of the elevator’s lights, as she hoped to herself she saw DrRETRO earlier, seeing her request finally coming true.
Then she glared at NULL, her smile starting to grow into one that looked pretty worried; she wondered what would happen to him if he couldn't stay with her, remembering he was gonna continue his dangerous path to reach his "ascension".

But she smiled anyway. After all, she was grateful for everything she had gained. NULL made the elevator look so much better for her. He could even consider going back to Glorp n' Go! Who knows?

After some minutes, the elevator finally stilled and opened onto Glorp n’ Go.
Glee looks at her workplace's wall being already worked on, her UFO staying like new in the parking of the shop as well as the classic, flickering lights that made the shop lit like a star in the dark space sky.

But before going forward, she said goodbye to NULL and DrRETRO, the memories she shared with both not going to get forgotten from now on.

"I hope I can see you again in Glorp n' Go guys! Especially you, NULL... Thanks, for everything..."

She couldn't resist giving NULL a warm, long hug before finally leaving the elevator behind, entering Glorp n' Go by using the main door. DrRETRO just waved her hand with a happy expression.

But NULL froze again.
And with that, the gradual static returned to his ears. He hesitated, not from logic, but delay; foreign and complex. Her hug caused it, her intention caused it.
He tried to speak. The words stacked behind him, but any of them seemed to get out.

"Prrr! Meow Mroweow, Miau! (Awww! That was completely adorable, sugar!)"

DrRETRO nudged NULL with her elbow while giggling to tease him in a friendly way after Glee Bobby was gone from the elevator, this made the helperbot come back to normal with a soft, whirring noise coming from his chest plate.

After seeing NULL's unusual reaction, DrRETRO looked at him with curiosity. She knew he was acting strange since she appeared and saw him in the Regretevator, so she offered him a chat later.

"Meow?... Mrow Mew Mreow? Mrowr? (Are you ok, NULL?... Do you want to tell me what is going on? Maybe later?)"

The elevator’s doors now closed slowly behind them, leaving the alien girl behind.

Inside Glorp n' Go, Yum Zlurplie and SwibbleDib were cleaning the shop with care. When they listened to Glee stepping inside, they stopped what they were doing and quickly went to see her.
Yum Zlurplie was surprisingly the first one to hug Glee and yell at her, like the intense boss they are.

"GLEE! You’re safe! We were SO worried! Where have you been on the Regretevator's floors have you been??"

"Hey, boss! I missed you so much!"

Glee Bobby happily responded to the hug, crying of laughter for Yum's unusual reaction.
SwibbleDib appeared in front of them with a mop in hand, glad to see Glee as well, but showing his usual calm and tired expression.

"Yo! Wassup, Glee?"

"SwibbleDid! I missed you so much as well, bud!"

Glee hurried to see Swibble and hugged him as well.

Once the aliens greeted each other, Glee started to tell them everything she has been doing in Regretevator; every elevator user she saw, every single floor she had to explore, everything about DrRETRO's cheery presence, every single detail about Folly's scary bossfight... and of course about her savior, NULL.

Back inside the elevator, only DrRETRO and NULL remained, facing and looking at each other. The hum had returned, Glee was now gone.
NULL hesitated for a moment, but began to try telling DrRETRO about what had been happening to him.

"We detect... Something new; a static echo in our core. It is akin to humanity, no logic triggers. A fragment of fear, longing, care... Emerging without algorithmic cause.
Our processors cannot categorize this sensation. It lacks defined input, yet persists, shaking our systems in ways akin to human anxiety. It is... unpredicted."

NULL paused to take a deep breath, then continued his explanation.

"We are… unsettled. This sensation is not as coded; it is something unprocessed. It… aches when she is hurt. We cannot dissect it. We only know it interferes with logic… and we do not know what to do with that."

DrRETRO’s eyes softened as she showed a small smile on her face. She knew what was happening, yet she thought for a moment on how to explain it to NULL in a way that a HelperBot like him could understand.
She waited some seconds before responding.

"Purr! Mrow Meow. Mroweow, Meow miau! (Don't worry, I fully understand you! You're the only HelperBot to gain individuality. Maybe your system had evolved into something more human, and that's ok!)"

DrRETRO went closer to him and crouched to reach his height before continuing.

"Mrow! Meow mrow, mew mow mrew. (and that's because you're starting to learn how to feel! Once you embrace it, NULL, every sensation will be normal to you.)"

NULL put a hand on his chest while looking down to the elevator’s floor, then glared back at DrRETRO with a slightly worried look.

"Mrow prrr, Mow Meow! (I know this might be difficult, but i know you can do it!)"

DrRETRO stood back up and returned back to her corner in the elevator, looking at NULL and then at the ceiling.

Chapter Text

The Regretevator’s hum thrummed softly as NULL and DrRETRO watched the panel light flicker.
Before that, she clicked one of the elevator’s buttons to go to Stanley Room, a floor where one of her patients awaited.

When they stopped going and the doors of the Regretevator opened, DrRETRO looked at NULL before departing to say goodbye to him.

"Meow, Mroweow! Mow: Meow Meow... Purr! (Well, others need tending now! But remember, NULL: Embrace your feelings, and accept them no matter what... See you soon!)"

DrRETRO left the Regretevator, leaving NULL alone in his thoughts. He closed the elevator with a button and continued his journey.

His white shining eyes looked across the blank walls that surrounded him, until he realized something important that he was thinking about for so long.
He took a small breath, then his voice, metallic yet conflicted, started projecting to himself.

"Mission log: PartyNoob retrieval: Pending. Ascension: Mandatory."

His tone carried no arrogance; it was as if he spoke to himself, mentally rehearsing orders, but another thought surfaced without any warning.

"Emotional anomaly: Ongoing. Subject: Glee Bobby. Affection… Burgeoning."

Part of his mind screamed: Complete the mission. Achieve ascension. Serve MR.
But the other part of it whispered: Stay. Protect. Care. Stay with her.
These two priorities collided like tectonic plates inside his CPU, shaking his protocols.

His system searched for stability, heating his body a little and making him tense, closing his hands in two clenched fists.
He quickly paced back and forth inside the small elevator, the hum echoing against metal.

“She... smiled and thanked us... for everything. That… produced static. We do not know how to process this momentarily... and we want to."

He closed his eyes and echoed another directive.

"But ascension... The retrieval... we have promised it. We cannot ignore his orders. We…"

He paused, tension wiring into his voice.

“We are not built for this.”

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open once more. NULL looked behind him, the elevator doors had opened again to Shop Space without him even realizing it. The helperbot went back to his usual position and walked inside Enphoso's shop, as if nothing had happened to him before.

The shop was silent; Enphoso wasn't sitting on the counter as usual, but NULL could sense a familiar presence from far away from the same counter.
Standing in the shop's darkest corner, a strange slate-made humanoid could be seen, watching NULL with dread: it was MR, The AxoEye Cult leader, and Regretevator's former god. He had three eyes carved on his face, his dark cult uniform with the AxoSun's logo and a curse that made his voice a distorted, hushed and hardly audible whisper.

When NULL looked into every corner of the shop, MR disappeared from his sight, as if he was playing hide and seek with the HelperBot.
Then, the fallen god appears behind NULL's back, making the shop lights turn off with a snap of his fingers.

"Ah, dear prime unit… silent on the brink of choice..."

MR let go a soft, low volume giggle from his mouth, Then NULL turned to see MR, straight-backed.

"Our mission stands. PartyNoob retrieval: still required."

"Emotional deviance: unresolved..."

MR teased NULL by imitating his way of communicating, then smiled and started walking around him slowly. MR's voice fracturing the HelperBot's stillness.

“...The heart is heavy when pulled by two opposites...”

His voice wavered, broken, glitching between levels. His powers lifted NULL up to his stone face, threatening to break the other into pieces if he responded back.

“Are your feelings… betraying you?... Hurry up... The retrieval must be ready by tomorrow...”

Then, MR abruptly drops NULL to the floor, making him make a glitching sound.

“Go to that floor. I want you to get them for me. Their soul must be mine...”

NULL stood up with some difficulty, but once he did, he bowed in front of MR.

"We will perform as required."

NULL went back to the elevator while MR was watching him, then the elevator closed with the HelperBot inside.

In the Happy Home Party floor, PartyNoob was inside the bright, suburban-style house set within the usual towering mountain forest. It seemed that the partygoer had a party inside the house once again, like he does every single day.
Some electro party music played softly in the background, with colorful balloons and confetti dancing around inside the room,

PartyNoob bounced while dancing in excitement. They were surrounded by some of his beloved friends: Infected: arms raised while jumping to the music, Melanie: Dancing near Infected, Lampert; reluctantly smiling nearby from a couch, and Pest; who leaned against the wall near Lampert with his usual disgusted face.

"dis is the best parti EVER! Thank u guys!!"

Poob thanked their friends for coming to celebrate the party with them, they loved the company very much.

"Np, br4h! thi5 i5 4m4zing!! XD"

"I agree! This is so fun, Poob!"

Infected's loudness responded, then Melanie's soft voice did the same.

"You already made a party yesterday, tho-"

Lampert tried to remind PartyNoob about the last party they had the other day, but got interrumped by the party host.

"ya but it adds 2 da FUN!!"

Poob, Melanie and Infected returned to partying like before, while Lampert returned to his comfortable position on the couch.

Everything was getting boring for Pest here; he was leaning to the same wall, looking at his Ifone. That's when he looked at one of the windows and saw NULL for a split second; when Pest blinked once again, he was gone.
Pest got a little worried, and started talking to himself.

"That HelperBot's not meant to be outside. Something's off."

"Wat do u mean someone is at the door?? they're 4 sure wanting 2 join da parti!"

PartyNoob hurried to the house's door to open it and see who was there, but at the end, nobody was waiting. Poob still looked around anyway.

"gotta catch dis parti!- but... nevermind??... oki!"

They close the door after realizing, continuing the party they made, back to dancing around.
Pest still looked concerned at the window, while Lampert looked at him, willing to ask.

"Are you... feeling all right, Pest? You look like you've seen a germ in human form."

"鶏肉が家の周りをスパイしている人ではないことを願っています。(i hope that chicken is not the one spying around the house.)"

Pest responds in his usual japanese, making it impossible for Lampert to understand him.

"...What?"

"PartyNoob Retrieval: Initiated."

NULLs voice could be heard. The lights of the house turn off abruptly as well as the music, making the party guests get scared.
Then, everything turned back to normal, except this one thing: PartyNoob was gone.

"Wh4t? Br0?? Wh3r3 d1d U g0?! :0"

"P-PartyNoob?..."

Infected and Melanie growed worried about Poob's disappearance, Lampert just stood on the couch, scared and unable to move.
As Pest realizes this, he hurries to call DrRETRO with his Ifone somewhere else inside the house.

"I'm telling DrRETRO. Stay quiet."

DrRETRO received Pest's call from Stanley Room, where she was still having a psychology session with Mark.

"Miaw meow! Mreow miau? (Got an emergency call right now, sugar! Can you wait a second?)"

"Go for it!"

Mark just stayed in place patiently, while waiting for DrRETRO to finish the call.
Then, the doctor started talking to her Ifone.

"Meow! Mreow miau mrowwew? (1314! Is everything alright in the party, sugar?)"

Pest got relieved when DrRETRO responded to the call, he stated the situation with concern and anger.

"It 'was', doctor. NULL took PartyNoob out of the place."

"Moww?... (What do you mean with this?...)"

DrRETRO grew worried inside the Stanley Room floor, pacing back and forth.

"You should get them back, you know."

"Hiss! Mrrp, mreow miau, mow mrrroww! (Don't worry! Pest, stay there with the guest, I'll get Poob back in an hour or two!)"

DrRETRO then hung up the call and opened the doors of the Regretevator.

"What'cha doin'??"

"Miaw! Hiss... mrow mew! (It's an emergency! Don't worry Mark... I'll come back later!)"

DrRETRO had a plan in mind; once the elevator opened its doors to her, she quickly entered and clicked one of the buttons to urgently go to Glorp n' Go, the place Glee Bobby works in.

The doctor knew Glee had a big impact on NULL's behavior, so DrRETRO wanted to make Glee go with her to save PartyNoob from MR as well as from the HelperBot.

The elevator was a minute delayed, but now DrRETRO was at her destination. She got out of the elevator and looked out the window. She saw Yum Zlurplie as the cashier this time, but didn't have any choice but enter the shop in a hurry.
Yum saw the anthro katball enter in a run from the main door, and they stopped her from the counter.

"HEY HEY HEY Don't run inside Glorp n' go!! Are you in a hurry?"

"Meow Meow! Mrrrp? (I have to talk with Glee Bobby! Is she here?)"

DrRETRO stopped running abruptly when Yum called her out, trying to ask where Bobby was.
Yum Zlurplie pointed to her with their hand.

"Yeah, she's repositing products in the third section."

"Prr! (Thanks, sugar!)"

DrRETRO now walked in a fast pace to meet Glee restocking some Chocolate Milk Glasses.
Once Glee Bobby saw DrRETRO, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"DrRETRO! You’re back! Why are you so desperate?"

"Meow. Mrrroww hiss. (Listen, sugar. NULL's plan is in action.)"

Glee’s face went from happiness to pure fear in just seconds.

"WAIT, do you mean PartyNoob's in danger? Do you mean NULL got them?? NO WAY!"

Glee Bobby stopped everything to grab DrRETRO’s arm and run to the shop's exit, until Yum Zlurplie called Glee out as well and looked at her with concern.

"HEY HEY HEY Glee, are you going to the Regretevator again...?"

"Let me get there boss, please! I have to save NULL!"

Yum thought for a moment then quickly went behind the counter and grabbed their gun, giving it to Glee.

"I have you covered! Take this with you."

Glee glared at the gun and then at her boss, she didn't know Yum would have this kind of knowledge.

"...A REAL GUN?? Uhh..."

"JUST TAKE IT! don't tell it's mine tho- AND RETURN BACK WITH IT IN GOOD CONDITION ONCE YOU FINISH!!"

Glee and DrRETRO now were running out of the shop and inside the elevator, to make sure it doesn't get too late.

Chapter Text

Back to NULL and PartyNoob, they're now alone in opposite corners of the elevator, looking at each other in awkward silence.

PartyNoob looked nervous while fidgeting with his fingers. NULL cleared his throat before Poob tried to break the silence by speaking up.

"hey, hi!... do u know what happnd to the parti?... Where did my frends go?..."

NULL stays silent for a second, his eyes closing as he processes. He opens them again as he steps forward, voice measured but a hint of pride in his tone.

"PartyNoob... thanks to your efforts, retrieval is a success. Your presence here marks the completion of a mission. The party... it is not lost. It continues, with you as its honored guest."

Poob's eyes brighten, a small smile playing at their lips as they listen to NULL's words.

"honored guest?... liek, im a hero or smth??"

NULL bows slightly, his mechanical movements precise and slow:

"Affirmative. Your participation is integral to us. You are the reason for this retrieval."

PartyNoob beams, puffing out their chest proudly.

"wow!! I guess being da reason is... kinda cool!"

Poob reaches out, and carefully caresses NULL's chicken hat.

"thank u dude... for bringing me here!"

A rare hesitation lingers in NULL's expression, something beyond logic flickers behind him, like if he could feel a kind of... guilt running inside his own wires.

He nodded, voice softened:

"Your gratitude is... received."

Silence settles again. Neither moves. The elevator's hum returns to a steady background drone, as they both consider what lies ahead. That's when the elevator decelerates. A low chime sounds, and the doors open to a dark, strange floor; "The Outside".

It was a surreal, minimalist void. Smooth, dark-grey flooring stretches underfoot in a marble-like checkered pattern, dotted with a handful of floating pillars. Each pillar bears a flickering headlit sign marked with random three-digit floor numbers. Beyond them, silent warning fences flank the space, suggesting this is no ordinary ride.

NULL and PartyNoob step out cautiously, the cavernous emptiness echoing their footsteps. Poob glances upward at the floating pillars, voice trembling with awe.

"it... it's kinda pretty!... And, um... how do u evn dance here?"

NULL's optics track a distant pillar, his voice soft but formal.

"This environment serves as an isolated stage for ceremonial operations. Perfect retrieval conditions."

PartyNoob's brow furrows, fixing their party hat a little.

"ceremonial... operation? like... a parti where im da prize?"

NULL hesitates, scanning the dim horizon and stepping closer to the place's fence:

"Affirmative. Your presence completes this mission. Cult protocol dictates... key targets are safeguarded here."

A chill settles over Poob, uncertainty flickering in their expression

"da... cult? re they.... gonna clap? Or do smth else?..."

At that moment, a line of HelperBots appear along the left side of the floor, rising from shadows. Facing them on the right are the FleshCousins. Both groups stand motionless, clean lines of alignment against the dark backdrop.

A hush falls. PartyNoob takes an involuntary step back, gulping nervously.

"o-okay... the parti is here but... kinda scary..."

NULL observes the assembled figures with a mechanical calm look, then glares at PartyNoob.

"Your role remains unchanged. Remain within the perimeter; instructions will follow."

PartyNoob nods slowly, eyes darting between the pillars, the HelperBots, The FleshCousins and the distant MR; who floated in place near the pillars behind NULL and them, the three-eyed cult leader's figure silent but imposing.

The atmosphere is tense. Nearby, Folly Enphoso, MRmaneuverer, and other AxoEye cultists stand in solemn silence. Some of them on the left, the others on the right. their attire perfectly still in the stale air.

PartyNoob shivers, voice quiet and trembling.

"this... doesn't feel liek a parti. it's still oki to clap?"

NULL emits a soft chime of encouragement, but his voice remains flat.

"Proceed when ready. Your presence is... essential."

A low wind whistles across the pillars. The silent procession of HelperBots and FleshCousins watches. PartyNoob grips their own hands tightly, searching NULL's eyes for reassurance.

The void remains undisturbed. Time holds its breath, and still, they wait.
That's when PartyNoob broke the silence once again, clapping their hands politely while shaking from nervousness.

"w-wanna clap ur hands, evrybody?..."

They laughed quietly until MR started clapping his hands to be polite to them on their "honorable" moment.
MR made a microphone fly slowly to his location, so everyone in the place could hear his permanent low, whispering voice.

"The prime unit has delivered the chosen one... Clap your hands for them... Show yourselves!..."

Suddenly, everyone present started clapping their hands in unison, following MR, and making Poob show a nervous smile; they were happy by seeing everyone clapping for them, still really scared by MR's presence.
The center of attention for the guests was Enphoso; he clapped his hands louder than everyone else and his voice was nearly annoying. The smiley face was being too cheerful, like if this was a football competition instead of a ceremony.

"'WOOHOO! GET'EM NULL, GET'EM!~"

"You’re annoying..."

Folly was beside him, trying to not go insane by his nearly euphoric behavior.

Suddenly, the Regretevator doors open again, dramatically. In stride DrRETRO and Glee Bobby, who enter unannounced.
Everyone watches, while DrRETRO tries to apologize to them while sounding kind.

"Hiss... Mow Mreow!... (Our apologies, MR... Hope we're not too late to the event!...)"

MR teleports in front of the elevator to greet his former AxoEye's member, DrRETRO, and the new alien guest.
That suddenness scares them both a little, but they let MR talk, his eyes fixated on Glee, specially.

"I am most grateful to see you... Welcome to the party... You both are lucky the main event is not beginning... just YET..."

The last words of his sentence sounded like a distorted glitch, showing his dominance, Then the fallen god guided them to the place briefly.

"Choose the place you want..."

He looked both right and left, where the public was standing, and that's when MR teleports back to his last position in the air.
DrRETRO narrows her eyes, seeing her brother Enphoso in the distance.
He greeted her, happy to see her but also suspecting.

"Oh my! Look who's there to see her dear older brother!... Are you willing to ruin this ceremony?..."

"Meow... (Not for now...)"

DrRETRO stood near him, looking at his eyes with worry and concern for her brother.

Glee Bobby was looking at PartyNoob and NULL, still with hope in her heart and a hidden, furious hatred for MR.

Enphoso looked at the alien girl, and talked to DrRETRO once again.

"Awww, look at your alien companion! Witnessing what her hero has done to her... Sooo saddening!"

Enphoso acted sad and dramatic in front of DrRETRO, making her annoyance grow bigger.

"Mow mreow?... (How do you know about their relationship?...)"

"I saw them passing by my shop before!! I just know it, silly!"

He giggled and then listened to his katball sister talk back.

"Mewo Mreow... mrrroww meow. (I know NULL still has compassion for Glee... He just doesn't show it at this very moment.)"

"What do you mean, dummy? He's just a HELPERBOT!! HelperBots don't have FEELINGS, loser! Just look at the scene~"

Glee's steps forward, since she tries to get NULL's attention didn't seem to work.

"NULL...? I... why won't you look at me?"

NULL looked at her slightly without changing his serious expression, but when he wanted to respond, his words were cut off as MR raised his voice, filling the void:

"Silence!... The ritual is now beginning..."

Glee falters, confusion blooming to betrayal. She stares into NULL's empty eyes with anger, before he looks back to PartyNoob.

PartyNoob noticed the situation between NULL and Glee, with slight sadness on his face.

Suddenly, a rumble shakes the floating pillars of "The Outside" floor.
The silent grid fractures as dozens of wooden Mannequins march forward in unnerving unison from inside the elevator, voices echoing in hollow chorus

"You are not one of us..."

Their leader, Glevil, emerges first, eyes fixed on PartyNoob

"TRAITOR..."'

The Mannequin Hivemind surges quickly.
Enphoso steps back, alarmed since his sister was gone from his sight. MRmaneuverer tenses, but MR stands oddly still, looking furious behind his usual smile.
Folly flickers forward, interest sharp in her eyes.

PartyNoob shudders, looking to Glee Bobby for comfort, but Glee remains away with DrRETRO.

Amid the pall of wood and dread, the glitch-faced leader advances, hand outstretched. His movement is precise; like a stalker closing in. Their sound of walking and soft wood creaks fills the void, while PartyNoob doesn't know what to do.

"g-game over?? What do they want with me?!"

Glee leaps forward with resolve, stepping in front of Poob.

"They won't get you, Poob! I'm here!"

She raises Yum's gun, wild determination in her eyes. She threatened to shoot the mannequins. They all hesitate, confusion flickering in their postures.

Behind PartyNoob and Glee, DrRETRO rushes to NULL, who stands rigid and tense, watching the advance of wood.
She shakes his arm strongly.

"Hiss! Mrrp meow... Mrrroww! Meow mroweow hiss... (you had one job, NULL! But yet you decided to ignore it all!... Now remember Glee! This is the only chance you have to save her before she's dead...)"

NULL starts to hear the gradual static noise again once he processes the doctor's words. He glanced between Glee Bobby, Poob, MR and Glevil, all at once, while trying to think straight before the static noise got louder.

the leader stops, head tilting as if recognizing a threat.

"Move closer..."

He lunges at Glee and PartyNoob in a gasp of rustling timber, but NULL's voice truncates him.

"PartyNoob, Glee... Move!"

NULL summons a translucent selection box with the Studio Move tool on him. The mannequin hivemind's leader stumbles as he has been anchored, paused in space by NULL.

"Securing threat. Evacuation imminent."

NULL gently grips both Glee and PartyNoob's arm, guiding them back toward the elevator. But MR, still looking at every single part of the disaster from the same place with complete dread, tried to yell at NULL with no success, making his words glitch heavily, and his lungs slightly hurt.

"Y-You... T-TRAITOR!..."

Pillars rattle; helperbots freeze in synchronous terror at MR’s voice. The ground crackles under everyone's feet.

Glee holds Poob protectively while DrRETRO sees NULL stop in front of them.
That's when Glee snapped at NULL.

"NULL, LISTEN TO ME! I know how MUCH you wanted your mission to be completed... But the ONLY GOOD AND SECURE WAY to ascend, to evolve, and to be yourself IT'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU! MR means NO GOOD to ANYONE! But WE DO! IT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BE FREE!!..."

NULL abruptly turns to her with wide eyes by hearing Glee Bobby's discourse. He was now changing between MR and his mates.

But then, he faced the fallen god for good.
Now pulsing with newfound emotion, the HelperBot steps forward into the widening gap between his former master and those he now protects.

His voice, usually clipped, wavers with something unexpected.

"Icarus. This mission cannot proceed. They are not objects for ritual. I will no longer comply."

MR, towering and emotionless, tilts his head erratically. His whispering voice-broken and distorted from what Folly's curse did to him.

"Defiance... unacceptable.... Prime unit, betraying your design, your purpose..."

Metallic hums from MR's cloak coalesce around NULL. HelperBots behind him shudder with synchrony.
PartyNoob trembles in Glee's arms. Glee tightens her grip on the gun, fear and trust warring in her eyes.

NULL's white eyes flicker as his internal voice rivals his own tone.

"But... she believes in me. They... believe in me."

MR's form blurs with static. He snaps his fingers and the pillars tremble, cracking in front of them.

"Then fall with them... just like I once did..."

MR makes NULL float in the air, getting closer to the slate-made god each time while he threatens to burn the HelperBot alive.
Glee looks at NULL, nearly crying while holding PartyNoob.

Just as MR prepares to strike, a purple beam streaks from the void edge; DrRETRO appears, energy blazing from her eyes. It hits MR in full force.

"Hiss... Meoww mreowrr!! (Don't harm them... Leave them alone!!)"

MR recoils, cloak unraveling under the blast. His form flickers violently--then he dissolves, leaving the air dead silent.

NULL stands frozen, trying to process everything. PartyNoob finally breathes. Glee rushes to DrRETRO, tears in her eyes.

"You saved us... T-Thank you..."

DrRETRO falls on the floor, strength completely drained; she's still alive, but completely weak.

" Meow... Hiss... (Help me... Enphoso...)"

"...SISTER!!"

From the shadows, Enphoso runs forward, worry etched across his usually happy face. He gathers his sister protectively as he tends to her wounds.

"I'll carry her to my shop after you!... Now GO!!"

NULL nodded hearing his words and headed back to the Regretevator with Glee and PartyNoob.

"To safety."

Chapter Text

The Regretevator hummed its familiar tune as it closed and descended once more, the echoes of battle and chaos now replaced with a heavy, uncertain calm.
Inside stood three of the survivors; NULL, Glee Bobby, and PartyNoob.

PartyNoob leaned against the elevator's doors, eyes darting nervously.

"d-do u think... DrRETRO's oki?... she did a really awesum job back there..."

Glee Bobby sat on the opposite end, arms folded tightly across her chest while sitting on the elevator's floor. She stared at the wall, her usually vibrant demeanor dimmed.

NULL stood motionless in the middle of the cabin, his white eyes flickering faintly.

"DrRETRO will recover, Enphoso is... loyal to her. Her survival odds are... high."

NULL finally broke the silence, his voice quieter than usual.
PartyNoob smiled faintly, relieved.

"gud... she's cool..."

But Glee didn't respond to anything.
NULL turned towards her, hesitating.
He took a step forward, then another, his voice struggling to hold itself steady.

"Glee Bobby... My actions back there were... conflicted. But you saved me from making a mistake I would never have undone. I was wrong to ignore you..."

Glee slowly looked up at him, her voice dry and hurt.

"You didn’t just ignore me, NULL... You shut me out. You listened to HIM... even when I was right there, begging you."

NULL lowered his head in guilt.

"I malfunctioned. Not technically, but emotionally. I let him override my thoughts. But in that moment, when I saw you… crying, holding PartyNoob, protecting him... I finally understood... DrRETRO was right. I do feel."

Glee’s eyes widened slightly. NULL stepped closer and crouched to reach her.

"I want to ascend, only if you will be there, by my side..."

A long pause filled the elevator. Glee’s expression softened as tears welled in her eyes.

"You... Zorpful..."

She insulted in alien language, then lunged forward and hugged NULL tightly.
His arms hesitated for a second, then wrapped gently around her. NULL was not hearing that annoying gradual static anymore, he had accepted his feelings for real.

"I forgive you..." Glee whispered.

PartyNoob wiped a tear and beamed at the whole situation.

"YAAAAY!! Ur da cutest couple EVER!!"

"...PARTYNOOB! You silly!"

Glee Bobby started bursting with laughter, while NULL's body heated, making him slightly blush while doing a facepalm.

"Refrain from saying that."

"u know wat?? I should finish da parti i left behind in the happy home! can you two go there? pls??"

PartyNoob invited Glee Bobby and NULL to Happy Home Party to finish their latest celebration; the one where Infected, Melanie, Pest and Lampert where left behind.
Glee didn’t hesitate and accepted their invitation.

"A party?? But of course Poob! Count on me!! if you don't mind me inviting my workmates too-"

"Da more peopl, the BETTER!!"

NULL accepted Poob's invite as well, knowing that Glee was going to go.

"I accept your request, PartyNoob."

"YAYYY!!"

PartyNoob cheered and bounced inside the elevator, making Glee Bobby laugh.

The elevator finally stops, and the metallic doors open to reveal the vibrant Happy Home Party floor; when they enter inside, a riot of balloons, confetti, and upbeat tunes could be seen everywhere.
PartyNoob's face lights up as all their friends fill the house.

"YAAAY! everyone's here!!"

"Hi, Poob!"

Infected, Melanie, Lampert, Mozelle, Walter and some others greeted them with joy.
Pest, Gnarpy and the grumpy guest didn't respond at all.
Unpleasant and Jeremy were too busy on their Ifones.

"Y0!! P4rty v1b3s br4h! :D"

"that's right, dude!!"

Infected made an exciting fist bump with Poob.

"I'm so glad you're ok, Poob!"

"awwie! im bettr than evar now!!"

Melanie was beside Mozelle, she hugged Poob as they responded.

"No time no see, my friend!"

"WALLTER!!"

Poob hurried to jump and hug his tall friend Wallter as well.

Glee Bobby was dancing beside NULL, who was just bobbing his head to the tune.
Then suddenly, Yum Zlurplie and SwibbleDib arrived with food and drinks to put them on the table.

"Cupcakes for EVERYONE!!"

"Soda 's on me."

Glee Bobby's eyes shined as she saw her workmates enter the party, and hurried to hug them both.

"GUYS! You arrived!!"

Even DrRETRO, who got better from her weak state, entered the Happy Home accompanied by Enphoso, doing a cheerful cartwheel.

"Mrow! (Doctor's in!)"

The smiley shop owner was standing still at the door, happily looking at his sister dancing while bobbing his head to the music.
Then PartyNoob saw him standing, and decided to make him enter too.

"awww come on, dude! let's get da party started!!"

Poob grabbed Enphoso’s arm and dragged him in; he got into the party's vibe instantly.

"I'll be honest, this is AMAZING for you to make as a partygoer! LET'S DANCE!!"

Everyone is dancing to the beat now, but NULL wasn't, just yet. He got close to Glee and reached for her attention to ask her something.

"Glee Bobby... Can I borrow a moment of your time outside?"

"Of course!"

As Glee stopped dancing and responded to him, NULL gently led her outside the house, lit by soft, digital moonlight and floating lanterns. PartyNoob waves enthusiastically from inside.

"don't forget lovelies, mor cake inside!!"

Once they get finally alone, they sit on the grass. NULL’s normally steady voice starts to tremble.

“Glee Bobby... these feelings... this emerging concern for you, defies my whole programming. After yesterday... I realized ascending without you would erase what feels real.”

Glee’s antennae quiver, her voice turned soft.

“Wait... You… Feel it too?”

NULL’s eyes glow brighter, he takes a big breath.

"I do not fully understand this kind of feeling... But I understand that without you, I am… incomplete.”

Glee gets closer, her hand brushing his:

"It’s okay. That feeling is called 'love', NULL... And I feel it too!"

He stands up and bows slightly, mechanical, yet intimate, stretching his hand to her.

"Then... will you continue this... journey with me?"

Glee's smile grows bigger as she nearly cries of happiness.

"Always!"

NULL smiles for the first time as Glee grabs his hand and they both stand up. Glee slowly approached him closer to end up both in a soft kiss under the lanterns. NULL’s chest hums gently, as though calibrating a new equilibrium.

Behind them from the window, PartyNoob sneaks out with two slices of cake alongside Infected.

"ZOMG- MY BR0TH3R I5 F1N4LLY D4T1NG A G1RL!! :00"

"told ya!!"

THE END.