Hatchworth didn't know what to make of the scene he was currently witnessing. There, in the middle of the room, was The Spine on top of Rabbit. He was pinning her by the shoulders. She was growling like an animal at him.
"What's going on here?" Hatchworth exclaimed.
"Hatchworth, don't come any closer. She'll hurt you!" The Spine shouted, keeping his eyes on the automaton underneath him. She snarled and lashed out at him.
"Why would Rabbit want to hurt me?" He questioned. He knew Rabbit would never hurt a fly.
"Because she's not Rabbit," the Spine answered. He struggled as she moved her face to bite his hand.
Hatchworth now wore a confused face, "I do not understand."
The Spine briefly looked away from her and to Hatchworth, "the Necrostar…it possessed her…it's not Rabbit."
"What? How?"
"When we flew past the star. Did you see the way its green light dimmed? Well, that's because it's in Rabbit now."
"Oh that is very bad," Hatchworth commented. He noticed the dents on the Spine's face and the messy state his clothes were in. Looking at Rabbit, she was in the same state. Dented face and scratched up clothes. He also took note of the black oil slightly dripping from the corner of her mouth.
"Get off of me, you mother f- -" she was cut off. Hatchworth did wince as she was about to swear. He had never heard Rabbit swear. What made him wince even more was what cut her off. The Spine had struck her across the face.
"Stop it! Rabbit. I know you're in there! Fight it!" The Spine urged.
"I'll kill you…and I'll kill that little prick over there," she spat, nodding at Hatchworth.
Slap.
Hatchworth winced again.
"I'm warning you, Necrostar. Get out of her body or else," the Spine's stare was cold. His eyes were like daggers.
"Or else…?" Rabbit smirked.
The Spine was silent.
"You'll kill me? You see, you can't kill me. I'm in your sister's body. You kill me, you kill her," she giggled sadistically. Her laugh angered the Spine even further.
Clang.
Hatchworth gasped as he watched his brother punch Rabbit square in the cheek. He felt his eyes began to fill up. Rabbit growled again, reaching her hands up to claw at the Spine's face. He dodged.
"Watch it, pal. I can kill her at any given moment. In fact, I could make her suffer too," Rabbit sneered, "And I'll do it in your arms right here. I'll show you how cruel I can be."
"SHUT UP!"
Clang.
Another punch.
Hatchworth launched himself at the two automatons. He pushed the Spine off Rabbit with a hard shove. The Spine felt his back hit into something causing him to wince in pain. He looked around to the other two robots. He quickly recovered as shock took over. Hatchworth had pulled Rabbit up and into a tight embrace.
"This isn't right, Spine," Hatchworth squeezed her, beginning to cry, "She may not be Rabbit. But you can't just keep hitting her like this."
"Let go of me, you pathetic robot!" Rabbit growled, struggling to escape his hold on her. She brought her fists down on his back repeatedly which he seemed to be unfazed by. He only held her tighter.
"Rabbit. I know you're in there somewhere. You can come out. I know you can. You're strong like that," Hatchworth spoke.
"Oh, how pathetic," Rabbit sneered, continuing to struggle.
"Hey, Necrostar? Can I ask you something?" Hatchworth requested in a soft voice, "Why Rabbit?"
She stopped struggling, rolled her eyes and sighed, "Because you fools are on your way back to Earth of course. One of the planets I aim to destroy. But I can't get there without a host. So that's why I chose your sister."
"But why? Why do you want to destroy Earth? Would it even benefit you in any way?"
She was silent. Her eyes were wide and her mouth repeatedly opened to say something. Nothing came out.
"No. I mean…Yes…I mean. I don't know!" She squeezed her eyes shut, beginning to struggle again.
"Just leave her alone. Return to your star. You won't gain anything from destroying Earth."
"Let go of me, you–"
"Rabbit. You can escape this."
"I can't."
Hatchworth froze, "What did you say?"
Rabbit hesitated, "I said…I won't."
Hatchworth blinked, "No you didn't. In fact…you didn't say anything. Rabbit said it. She's trying."
"Shut…up," she snarled.
"Rabbit! Try harder!"
Rabbit's thrashing became more violent, "I'm trying, Hatchy! Shut up, you bitch!"
The Spine's eyes widened as he watched his sister struggle. Rabbit was talking to them. Not just the Necrostar.
"It's working! Keep trying Rabbit!" He shouted, approaching the two automatons. He threw his arms around them both, holding them tightly in his grasp, "You can do this."
"I…I don't think I can! Stop it!" Rabbit began to choke out sobs as she struggled.
"You can." The Spine gripped her arms preventing them from hitting Hatchworth any further.
A minute had nearly passed and Rabbit's sobs turned into yells and screams. Profanities were pouring from her mouth continuously as the Necrostar cursed the two. But Hatchworth and the Spine refused to let her go. They kept their hold on her.
After a while the struggling and shouting had turned down majorly and then eventually stopped. Rabbit just stood there, her brothers still holding her. Black tears stained her cheeks.
"Have it your way, boys…" she murmured, her eyes shut and she went limp.
Hatchworth and Spine pulled away. Hatchworth's eyes widened as he slightly shook her, "The Spine, is she alive?"
The Spine noted her chest plate. The blue was still glowing, "She's fine. She's just passed out."
The Spine quickly ran to the cockpit. From the window he could see the Necrostar in the distance. It was slowly regaining its bright green glow.
Hatchworth soon entered the room too with Rabbit dangling in his arms. The Spine continued to look at the distant star.
"Hatchworth. Do you think she'll forgive me? I know it wasn't her. But I still hurt her," The Spine squeezed his eyes shut as he felt a film of tears cover them. He held his tears back.
Hatchworth looked down at the robot in his arms. Her head was lolling back but he could still see her dented face. The damage wasn't too bad. But the damage was still there. Even the scratches on her dress showed dents in her body. The Spine had damaged her pretty badly. But Hatchworth knew Rabbit. She would understand.
"Of course she'll forgive you. She's your sister. And she loves you," Hatchworth choked. He held back the urge to cry again.
The Spine continued to stare outside. The Necrostar looked like its old self. And when Rabbit would awaken she would be back to her old self, "Yes. I suppose you're right."