"Of course robots don't love, Ricky! They have no emotions, they're robots."
A loud clang rang out behind the two Aquabats, causing both to spin about.
There in the doorway of the Battletram stood Jimmy, a tray of donuts now scattered about his feet, his face contorted in a way the Commander had never seen. If he didn't know better, he would say that the Robot was in physical pain.
"Jimmy?", he asked, frowning. "What-?"
The Robot's expression quickly snapped back to it's usual befuddled and amused default, as he tilted his head slightly.
"Sorry Commander. I was bringing donuts for everyone, but I must have had a minor malfunction. If you'll excuse me, I need to return to the lab and run a diagnostics test on myself before the problem gets worse." Jimmy turned around and practically ran back inside the Battletram.
"Um, Commander?" Rick hesitantly ventured after a minute. "Is it just me, or did Jimmy look...upset? Are you really sure he doesn't have feelings? Cuz it looks like you may have hurt them. ALOT."
"No! I mean, no, I'm sure it's just part of the malfunction." The Commander paused, confused and disturbed, before awkwardly patting the younger Aquabat on the shoulders. "I'm gonna go help him. Why don't you and Crash go play for awhile? I'm sure he would love to get that tag re-match."
"Uh, sure, Commander!" Ricky sprinted off, looking for his best friend, leaving an unsure Commander slowly walking back into the Battletram. Speeding up as he went, the Commander made a beeline for the Lab, only to pull up short outside the closed door. He struggled to understand the sounds that were coming through the door, but ended up with his head flush against it to hear.
He heard soft whirrs, clicks and static mingling with an oddly quiet, strangled cry woven into it. Fearing the Robot was more damaged then he had appeared, he burst through the door.
"Jimmy! What's happen..." For once, the Commander was rendered speechless by what he was seeing. Nothing they had ever fought had prepared him for this.
Jimmy was seated at one of the lab tables, his head buried in his arms, face hidden. His body shook in time with the soft cries, jerking upwards abruptly when he felt the Commander's presence. His face, normally so calm, was twisted in unmistakable anguish. A dark, thick fluid trickled from his eyes and nose, as his flushed face struggled to regain it's composure.
"Co-commander?" he asked, trying to avoid the other man's gaze. "What can I do for you?"
The Commander sank to his knees next to his friend, gently placing a hand on his shaking leg. "Jimmy, you're...crying. How are you crying? The professor said-"
"The professor explained this!" Jimmy spat out harshly, shocking the Commander to silence. "I have an innovative AI, the only one of it's kind. I learn, and I have a sense of identity. I've made many adjustments and upgrades to myself over the years, and I can't taste, or smell, but I can feel, with my hands and my head, I CAN FEEL."
As he began to shake again, the Commander wrapped his arms around Jimmy's waist, burying his face into his side.
"Oh, Jimmy. You heard me talking to Ricky, didn't you?" He heard an assenting noise from above his head. "Jimmy, you have to know, if I had known...I would never have...I always kinda hoped you could, but I was afraid if-if I said anything and I was wrong..." he let it trail off as he held his best friend tighter. I have to tell him, he thought. He deserves to know.
"There's something I have to tell you Jimmy. It's not gonna make right what happened earlier, how wrong I was, but you need to know. I- I really like you. A lot. I always have. You're so smart, always talking that science, and you look out for us, baking, even when you don't need to eat, and being so careful about it because you can't taste, and so many things! I think of anything I'd rather do, than sit with you in the front of the Battletram and talk, or watch cartoons and...and, I love you!"
By this time, the Commander was crying as well, rubbing his face into Jimmy's side, face red and ashamed of how he had hurt the one person who understood him best. He stilled as he felt cold hands gently pulling his face up.
"You really mean that, don't you?" Jimmy quietly asked, looking into his green eyes.
"Yeah, Robot. You're really super rad." the Commander softly chuckled, hiccuping from his bout of weeping. "Forgive me? and give me a chance to show you what you mean to me?"
Jimmy pushed his chair away from the table, startling the Commander. Oh no, he thought. It's too late, I hurt him too badly...until the metal Aquabat effortlessly leaned down and brought him into his lap, pressing their lips together with a genuine smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"Silly man-child, I love you too."
A loud clang rang out behind the two Aquabats, causing both to spin about.
There in the doorway of the Battletram stood Jimmy, a tray of donuts now scattered about his feet, his face contorted in a way the Commander had never seen. If he didn't know better, he would say that the Robot was in physical pain.
"Jimmy?", he asked, frowning. "What-?"
The Robot's expression quickly snapped back to it's usual befuddled and amused default, as he tilted his head slightly.
"Sorry Commander. I was bringing donuts for everyone, but I must have had a minor malfunction. If you'll excuse me, I need to return to the lab and run a diagnostics test on myself before the problem gets worse." Jimmy turned around and practically ran back inside the Battletram.
"Um, Commander?" Rick hesitantly ventured after a minute. "Is it just me, or did Jimmy look...upset? Are you really sure he doesn't have feelings? Cuz it looks like you may have hurt them. ALOT."
"No! I mean, no, I'm sure it's just part of the malfunction." The Commander paused, confused and disturbed, before awkwardly patting the younger Aquabat on the shoulders. "I'm gonna go help him. Why don't you and Crash go play for awhile? I'm sure he would love to get that tag re-match."
"Uh, sure, Commander!" Ricky sprinted off, looking for his best friend, leaving an unsure Commander slowly walking back into the Battletram. Speeding up as he went, the Commander made a beeline for the Lab, only to pull up short outside the closed door. He struggled to understand the sounds that were coming through the door, but ended up with his head flush against it to hear.
He heard soft whirrs, clicks and static mingling with an oddly quiet, strangled cry woven into it. Fearing the Robot was more damaged then he had appeared, he burst through the door.
"Jimmy! What's happen..." For once, the Commander was rendered speechless by what he was seeing. Nothing they had ever fought had prepared him for this.
Jimmy was seated at one of the lab tables, his head buried in his arms, face hidden. His body shook in time with the soft cries, jerking upwards abruptly when he felt the Commander's presence. His face, normally so calm, was twisted in unmistakable anguish. A dark, thick fluid trickled from his eyes and nose, as his flushed face struggled to regain it's composure.
"Co-commander?" he asked, trying to avoid the other man's gaze. "What can I do for you?"
The Commander sank to his knees next to his friend, gently placing a hand on his shaking leg. "Jimmy, you're...crying. How are you crying? The professor said-"
"The professor explained this!" Jimmy spat out harshly, shocking the Commander to silence. "I have an innovative AI, the only one of it's kind. I learn, and I have a sense of identity. I've made many adjustments and upgrades to myself over the years, and I can't taste, or smell, but I can feel, with my hands and my head, I CAN FEEL."
As he began to shake again, the Commander wrapped his arms around Jimmy's waist, burying his face into his side.
"Oh, Jimmy. You heard me talking to Ricky, didn't you?" He heard an assenting noise from above his head. "Jimmy, you have to know, if I had known...I would never have...I always kinda hoped you could, but I was afraid if-if I said anything and I was wrong..." he let it trail off as he held his best friend tighter. I have to tell him, he thought. He deserves to know.
"There's something I have to tell you Jimmy. It's not gonna make right what happened earlier, how wrong I was, but you need to know. I- I really like you. A lot. I always have. You're so smart, always talking that science, and you look out for us, baking, even when you don't need to eat, and being so careful about it because you can't taste, and so many things! I think of anything I'd rather do, than sit with you in the front of the Battletram and talk, or watch cartoons and...and, I love you!"
By this time, the Commander was crying as well, rubbing his face into Jimmy's side, face red and ashamed of how he had hurt the one person who understood him best. He stilled as he felt cold hands gently pulling his face up.
"You really mean that, don't you?" Jimmy quietly asked, looking into his green eyes.
"Yeah, Robot. You're really super rad." the Commander softly chuckled, hiccuping from his bout of weeping. "Forgive me? and give me a chance to show you what you mean to me?"
Jimmy pushed his chair away from the table, startling the Commander. Oh no, he thought. It's too late, I hurt him too badly...until the metal Aquabat effortlessly leaned down and brought him into his lap, pressing their lips together with a genuine smile that made his heart skip a beat.
"Silly man-child, I love you too."