Work Text:
Never in my fucking life
Have I ever asked anybody for permission
For anything that I ever wanted to fucking do
Cause let's remember
I have the ideas
I write the songs, the lyrics, and I make the beats
And at the end of the day, well…
I’M SERVING CUNT!
It was a normal dispatch. Robert had sent Invisigal and Golem to a random Red Ring warehouse that had a random piece of technology that they really didn't want the group to have.
In and out, Invisigal goes in stealthy to steal it while Golem beats up the members causing problems.
So Visi’s voice half trembling as she called for a tap in was… nerve-wracking.
“Is something wrong?” Robert demanded as he hacked in, eyebrows furrowed at the sight.
On the table was a metal body, half built and open. Fake skin clung to the arms and legs, but the chest and stomach were open and had wires, the shell metal around it.
The face was also covered in fake skin… and very familiar.
“What the fuck…?” Robert mumbled hoarsely, eyes widening as he took in everything. It was… weirdly perfectly modeled after him. Down to the correct ear having a chunk out of it.
Robert’s hand moved to slightly touch said ear, before coughing.
“That… that um… the box next to it. That's… what we’re after…” Robert struggled to make words, hands grasping at the edge of his desk.
Invisigal scanned the ceiling before looking straight at the camera. “And… the body?”
“Oh god, don't call it that. Uh… the… it's technology I really don't want Red Ring having. So I guess it counts.” Robert finally decided, narrowing his eyes. He really didn't want Shroud having something so creepy.
Visi nodded before turning back to the items, before blinking a few times. “Oh yeah. Yep. No need to ask because we were always taking both.”
“What do you mean?”
Visi picked up the cube, showing the camera. It was affixed to the metal thing, with wires connecting to the mechanical guts inside it.
“You're telling me Shroud's secret weapon is a robot of me?” Robert said slowly, before turning to look over at Chase’s side. The man was gone.
Actually, most people were gone. It was the end of the day, the last dispatch of the day.
“Hey Rob, we might need help with this.” Visi added. “Golem could carry it but he'll make a mess. We need like, Mal or Flambae or something.”
Robert sighed and opened the comms back to the full team. “Hey Malevola, can you head out to where Golem and Visi are? They're gonna need you.”
Malevola grumbled over the coma before humming. “Yeah, sure. Guess I wasn't packed up yet.”
“Honestly, you guys should just stay at SDN until we're back. You're gonna wanna see this.” Visi added to the conversation.
Robert pinched the bridge of his nose as everyone now started complaining.
“What could possibly be more important than seeing if the Fae Princess finds out the monster is actually her husband?” Coupé asked, sounding miffed.
“Yeah, I was kinda excited to continue the Reddit thread I started during break.” Sonar added, just as impatient.
“Oh shit.” Golem’s voice came over now, and Robert looked up to see the mud monster had come to the room Visi was in now. “No, this is totally more important.”
Malevola gave a little noise. “Be there in a sec, guys.”
Robert frowned at the screen, biting his lip. This was so fucking creepy.
The android body on the table being open especially made it creepier. Why the fuck would Shroud make a copy of him and put a super computer in it?
“Oh.” Mal’s voice was quiet, coming through a portal and staring at the android as soon as her eyes met it. Her nose wrinkled in a bit of disgust. “... Robert, how the fuck do you know this guy? Why would he-”
“Uhhh…” Robert said slowly. “You want the truth? So like… we already established I'm Mecha Man.” He whispered the last two words.
Flambae’s groan sounded, so he took that as a sign to continue.
“Yeah uh… you guys know him as Shroud but I kinda grew up with him as Uncle Elliot. So.”
The comms were quiet now.
“... Jesus this is fucking creepy.” Mal broke said silence.
Robert agreed. Very much so.
Let’s get one thing perfectly clear
I did not choose to be the way that I am
I just woke up one day and I was just fucking like this!
Loading….
Memory found. Executing…
Welcome to ORACLE.
Oracle’s eyes opened, red. They shone slightly, glancing around his surroundings.
He was in a… meeting room? He slowly tried to sit up, but a creaking in his body made him stay down.
Oracle glanced around the room to see faces staring at him, wide eyed and… disgusted?
His eyes fixed on…
“Robert.” Oracle spoke. His voice was grated, and the android frowned.
Robert’s body language said distress, his shoulders lifting and body… tightening?
“Who the fuck are you-”
Oracle looked around the room again, then back at Robert. “Oracle. I'm Shroud’s best invention.” The robotic tinge to his voice from his body still not being properly closed didn't change the fact it almost seemed to have emotion…
Robert faltered, glancing around at the strangers.
Oracle looked down at his open chest cavity, frowning again. “What, you were in such a rush to meet me you couldn't see me back together?”
“Yeah, we aren't fixing you.” The red lady said, shaking her head as if the concept was insane.
Oracle squinted at her. “Oh yeah you will. You guys are soooo confused and curious, and I won't be answering anything until I don't have a hole in my stomach.”
“What makes you think we even could fix you?” The short one asked, crossing his thick arms.
Oracle slowly looked back at Robert, head hanging off the table. His eyes were wide and red, the only real difference between the two. Besides the open metal torso.
“You become stupid in your old age? Brother.”
Robert flinched back. “What the fuck, brother??”
“I mean kind of. Aren't we twins?”
“This is too fucking weird.” Some girl said, suddenly gaining color.
Oracle was sure that meant she had been invisible, because she looked very familiar…
“Oh shit. Invisibitch.” Oracle suddenly tried to point at her. His arm moved a bit jerkily.
“Okay, we gotta just… destroy this thing.” Some fire man said. Oracle looked the man over.
“Really? Sunglasses? And what's with the deepest v-neck I've ever seen? You looking for someone to tear it off?”
Oracle laughed, before looking back at Robert.
“What's your plan here, Robert?”
“My plan is to shut you off and go through your code.” Robert said through grit teeth.
Oracle raised a brow. He looked around at the others in the room, no one really talking.
“That's murder, you know.”
“Dude, you're a fucking robot.” The colorful woman said, and his eyes looked over at her.
“I can feel pain, you know. You don't even care, do you? What did I ever do to you guys? Why do you want to murder me so bad?”
Robert flinched back, gritting his teeth. “That's not-”
The lady with knives slapped her hand on the table. She was frowning, looking deep into Oracle’s eyes.
Oracle raised a brow.
“... We shouldn't kill him.”
“It's just a robot!” Invisibitch shouted.
“Aren't you the assassin?” The bat guy finally spoke, and Oracle snorted.
“You'll ruin my processors, I'm sure. A fail safe will go into place and all the information will be gone. You'll literally kill me. And no amount of hacking will bring back permanently gone data.”
Robert stared down at him. Oracle smiled.
Practically brothers.
“Fuck.” Robert cursed, rubbing his face.
“What, you're not gonna deactivate him??” Invisibitch sounded so… Incredulous.
Oracle snickered.
“I'm not fixing him either. We… just need to keep him somewhere. The garage. We should bring Blazer into this at least.”
Oracle continued to laugh, as they all glared at him now.
“Oh Robert… don't be so cold to me.” His arm lifted again, getting stuck in half position as he pointed toward the man.
“We’ll learn a lot about each other… brother.”
So like this is the end of the song or whatever?
And I don't really know how to close it, so...
I'm gonna go. Bye!