Act II
Brian opened his eyes. They shot open as he awoke from his strange nightmare. He looked around frantically, and quickly remembered where he was and what was happening. The robot was nowhere in sight, and as far as he could tell, he was still perfectly fine aside from a few scrapes and bruises he'd earned during his first encounter with the insane robot. Realizing he had a little time to himself now, he began to struggle against his binds again, desperate to free himself. He wasn't going to go out like this. He wasn't going allow the robot to trick Stewie in such a sick, twisted way. He had to escape, but it didn't take him long to realize that his struggling wasn't doing much good. His arms and legs were still tied down to the edges of the table, ropes pulled taught around his ankles and wrists, and the straps pretty much made movement impossible. The dog began to look around, scanning the environment, wheels in his head turning at a rapid pace as he tried to come up with a solution, a means to break free from the table. Eventually, his eyes landed on a small table. The table had all kinds of medical instruments including several scalpels of different sizes. Brian knew that, if he could just get a hold of one of those scalpels, he just might be able to cut himself free. That was easier thought than done, though. The table was just off to his side, a few inches separating it from the table he was on. Brian tilted his head to see if he could reach one of the scalpels with his muzzle, but he didn't even come close. He closed his eyes and hissed through his teeth in frustration, slamming the back of his head against the metal below him as he growled under his breath.
They're so close! There has to be a way!
He opened his eyes and looked back over at the scalpels, concentrating on them, thinking. After a minute or so, he began to move in a shimmying motion, trying to move the table he was on closer to the table with the scalpels. He actually made a bit of progress, but it wasn't quite enough. Also, he was just now realizing that, even if he managed to get the tables right up against each other, he still probably wouldn't be able to reach one of the scalpels. He had to knock the table over somehow, and he only saw one way to do that.
If I could tilt the table I'm on so that it falls onto that table, I just might be able to knock one of those tools down where I can reach.
It was the only way. Brian was sure of that. He looked at his bound limbs, which were secure against the edges of the table. Tilting his table over with enough force to knock over the other table would mean smashing his ankle and wrist against the floor, as well, and he had no doubt that this was going to hurt like hell. He closed his eyes again and took a breath.
Alright. I have to do this. It's the only way.
Once he'd gathered the courage he needed he opened his eyes again and began to resume his shimmying motion. This time his movements were more forceful, and it wasn't long before the table he was on began to tilt from side to side, standing on two legs at a time. Brian tried to make sure that he knocked the table over to the right side, so he had to be careful about keeping just enough balance as the force of the titles increased. Finally, he used all his strength to thrust his body weight over toward the scalpels. The table flew off the floor, the edge landing against the other table and causing it to tilt over, as well. The two tables came crashing to the floor, making quite a bit of noise, but Brian didn't have too much time to worry about this, though, since he was suddenly overcome by an intense pain in his ankle. All the weight of the table hit his ankle first, and he heard a loud cracking sound. He knew that his ankle had been broken by the impact of the table crashing down on top of it. He wanted to scream out in pain, but he closed his mouth tight, refusing to risk the robot hearing him, which might have been foolish considering the noise the crash had made in the first place. Tears began to collect in his eyes as he did everything he could to fight against the intense pain and continue with his escape. He looked at the floor and saw the various tools scattered along the floor. One of the scalpels had landed by his nose, so he began trying to prod it with his muzzle, urging it closer until he could finally grab it with his mouth. Once he had a grip on the scalpel, he jerked his head and tossed it down toward his paw. It landed just within his reach, and he eagerly took it, tilting the blade so that it touched against one of the ropes. It didn't take him long to cut the rope and free his paw. With one of his arms now released from the rope, he was able to shimmy it free from the strap on his chest. He made quick work of slicing that strap before reaching up and cutting his other arm free. With his upper body released, he took a moment to rub his wrists, which were sore from being tied down so tightly. He didn't stop long, though, and quickly proceeded to cut the bottom strap as well as the ropes securing his legs. It was at this point that he noticed how seriously his ankle had been injured. The impact of the table had done a number on him, completely smashing the bone, and as he stared at it, he couldn't help but to focus on the pain that was still so intense. He had to fight through it, though. He was free now, but he was still in danger. With great difficulty, he pulled his leg from underneath the table, another sharp stab of pain shooting up his leg. He gritted his teeth, still refusing to scream as he rolled over and stood up on his good leg, bracing himself against the overturned table as he took a second to get his bearings. After awhile, he began hopping, hissing quietly with each jump that caused another shot of pain in his busted leg. He hopped over to the wall and put his hand against it as he made his way down the long hallway of Stewie's work room, one goal in mind.
I have to get out. I have to get to Stewie. He'll know what to do. If anyone can end this, he can.
The hallway seemed longer than Brian remembered. What usually took him a few minutes to traverse, seemed to take hours, and the pain wasn't helping, either. He pressed on, though, until, finally, he could see the exit. He chuckled at this sight and started hopping faster, ignoring the pain, determined to get out and to Stewie. But, suddenly, he heard a voice coming from the direction he was heading, and Brian knew exactly who the owner of that voice was.
The robot!
Brian stopped hopping and leaned up against the wall, trying to pinpoint just where the voice was coming from. It didn't take him long to realize the voice was coming from around a corner in the hallway, the one he was just about to pass. It was at that point that he realized the robot was singing.
"What can I do to prove it to you that I'm sorry?
I didn't mean to ever be mean to you.
If I didn't care, I wouldn't feel like I do"
Brian knew the song, and it sent a chill up his spine to hear the robot singing it. He gulped and dared to take a peak around the corner, trying to see what the robot was up to, hoping he'd be able to make a break for it and escape the secret room. When he looked around the corner, he saw the Brian Robot, facing away from him, tinkering with a machine of some kind. Brian wasn't sure what it was, but he had to figure it was meant to be used on him in the brain transplant or whatever-the-fuck the robot had in store for him. The robot was alternating between humming the tune and singing the lyrics.
"I was so wrong, right or wrong I don't blame you.
Why should I take somebody like you and shame you?"
Brian thought about what he should do. He was near the end of the hallway, but if the Brian Robot were to turn around, he'd have a clear view of the exit and of Brian should he proceed. It would be a huge risk to take, and Brian had no way of out running the robot in his condition. As Brian contemplated this, he noticed the robot beginning to turn around. He ducked his head back around the corner, and watched the robot's shadow to make sure he wasn't coming back into the hallway. From what Brian could tell, he was still working…and singing.
"I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry, dear.
So what can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?"
Brian continued to focus on the shadow. He was so close to freedom, but there was no way he'd be able to hobble out of the room without the robot noticing. He sighed. He had to go back the way he came, find a place to hide, a way to contact help, a way to contact Stewie. There was one option.
The lower level.
Brian wasn't as familiar with the lower level of the lab as he was with the upper one, but he had to figure it would be a good place to hide for the time being. Most likely, there would be something down there that could help him, too. That was his best course of action at the moment, but before he turned to head back. He took one last glance around the corner. The robot was still humming, moving along to the music as he worked.
"Baby, I'm so, I'm sorry.
Got to prove that I'm so sorry."
It seemed like the robot would be busy for a while, so Brian ducked his head back and turned to head in the opposite direction, hopping as fast as he could, the voice of the Brian Robot echoing down the hallway, growing fainter and fainter.
"I made you cry, and I'm so sorry, dear.
What can I say, dear? What can I do?
What can I say? What can I do?
After I say I'm sorry."
Even after the voice was no longer audible, Brian couldn't get the song out of his head. It just kept playing over and over until he reached his destination at the end of the hallway. He pressed the button to summon the elevator, and waited impatiently, occasionally glancing behind himself to make sure he still hadn't been discovered. He would have tapped his foot against the floor if it hadn't been impossible to do without falling over. When the door to the elevator finally opened, he quickly hopped inside, pressed the button to go down, and sat on the floor, allowing his body to take a rest as he rode the elevator down. As he sat there, he began to think back on all that had just happened, all he had just learned. He still hadn't had much time to process all this new information. All that had mattered at the time was that his life was in danger, but now, for the moment, he was safe.
Ok. So there's a robot, that looks EXACTLY like me, who wants to take control of my body because it wants to make Stewie happy, and Stewie will never be happy until he's with me because, apparently, he's in love with me.
Brian paused on that last thought. This was something he'd really been surprised to hear, but he had barely given it any thought since he'd first heard the robot tell him about Stewie's feelings. In truth, Brian had known about Stewie's attraction towards him, but he'd never equated that attraction to love, though, now that he thought about it, it should have been an easy connection to make. Of course, there was always the possibility that Stewie only thought he was in love. Maybe it was just a phase that he would work through. The dog shook his head at this thought.
He's had plenty of time to work through it. If he's not over me by now, then there must be something real there. Just the fact that he could still harbor those feelings despite doing everything he can to distance himself for me, that speaks for itself.
The dog wasn't sure how to feel about this revelation. He wasn't upset or disgusted or really put off in the slightest. He was just…confused. Of course, it was really hard to sort out his feelings on this particular subject matter when there was a psychotic copy of himself one level above him plotting to remove his brain. The canine shivered at the thought, resolving to not worry about Stewie's feelings for right now. There would be plenty of time to deal with all that once this whole crazy mess was resolved with the robot. That is, of course, if he was able to resolve the mess at all. He didn't want to think about what should happen if the robot succeeded, what horrors it meant for both him and Stewie, even if the kid never figured out the truth of the matter. It was still incredibly disturbing to imagine Stewie believing that he was with the real Brian when he was, in fact, with the robot. It didn't get much more twisted than that. Just then, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Brian stood up and hopped out of the elevator. What he saw nearly took his breath away. The elevator had opened up onto an elevated walkway which gave a clear view of just how massive the lower level of Stewie's lab was. It was practically a giant warehouse, filled with all sorts of gadgets and experiments, the successes and failures. The dog's jaw dropped as he took in the sight, momentarily forgetting his predicament.
"This is…incredible."
He leaned against the railing to get a better look, but the room stretched far beyond his line of sight. It was a true marvel. How had the kid built all of this in such a short time? It took the dog several moments before he was able to come back to the reality of his situation and begin focusing back on figuring out what his next move should be. He began walking along the walkway, leaning against the railing for support as he made his way across it. Eventually, he made it to a door that seemed to lead into a room with a giant window that acted as an overlook for the entire warehouse. He turned the knob, and lucky for him, it was unlocked. He opened the door and stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind him before looking around the room. Off to the far end of the room, there were several computer monitors that sat over a console of some sort along with a chair. It looked like a control center for the warehouse or perhaps the entire lab, he wasn't sure. To the right, which was essentially the front of the room, was the giant window that gave anyone inside a clear view of the entire warehouse. To the left, there was nothing, just a blank wall save for a single security camera that was only just barely concealed. Brian hopped over to the chair and took a seat. As soon as he sat down, the computer monitors came to life, revealing images from all over the house, including several areas of Stewie's secret area. There was a monitor to display footage from each room. The dog just gazed upon the monitors, partially shocked.
He can see everything from here…
The dog had to wonder how many times the boy had been watching him on one of these monitors. How many times had he been completely unaware that he was being watched by the kid? It was just a tad creepy, especially considering all the things Brian did when he was, supposedly, alone.
Oh my God!
It was such a strange thought to think that Stewie could have possibly been watching him…do things…of that nature. It wasn't like he had any proof this had ever happened, but…there was definitely a strong possibility that it may have. The dog shook the image out of his head, shivering slightly as he willed himself to focus on something else. He continued to scan the monitors until his eyes stopped on a screen that was currently showing the Brian Robot who was still tinkering with that machine, still moving to the music that must have been playing in his head. The next monitor over showed Stewie's room. The kid was sound asleep, completely unaware of what all was going on. The canine couldn't help but notice the time on the child's digital clock. He couldn't believe it, but it was well into the morning. In fact, Stewie would have to get up for school pretty soo…
Oh no…
Stewie had to go to school which meant his only true line of defense against the robot was about to be gone for the day! Brian turned away from the monitor and looked at the console. There were buttons of all sorts, none of them labeled, but the dog was sure there was some way to get Stewie's attention from down here. He just had to find it. He began pressing the buttons, testing each one to see what it did. Most of them didn't do anything, at least from what Brian could see. He was sure that something was happening when he pushed those buttons, though. Stewie wasn't the type to include a useless button on his command console. He continued to press the buttons. Some of them caused activity down in the warehouse, some of them changed what the main monitor was showing to display charts and formulas and graphs that Brian couldn't make heads or tails of, and one of them caused the elevator to start ascending again. Pressing that last one again caused the elevator to move in the opposite direction back toward the lower level. The dog hummed to himself.
Interesting.
He made a mental note of that button;s location before continuing his inspection of the panel. After awhile, he reached a row of similar looking buttons. He pressed the first one. Nothing. The next. Nothing. The one after that. Zilch. He continued to press the buttons along this row until a sound caught his ear. He looked up, trying to detect the source of the noise. It didn't take him long to discover that the sound was coming from the console itself. It was being broadcasted into the room. Putting two and two together, Brian looked back over at the monitor that showed Stewie's room and realized that the sound he was hearing was the kid's snoring. He'd turned on the sound for that room. That's when it clicked for him that the row of buttons was meant to turn on the sound for the individual video feeds. Since the other rooms were currently silent, there hadn't been any sound being broadcasted.
Great. So he can see AND hear me.
The canine didn't focus on this thought for long. He suddenly realized that he could listen in to the Brian Robot from here. He couldn't help but smirk at the idea of spying on that sad imitation. He went back to pressing the buttons in that row, keeping an eye on the monitors in an attempt to pinpoint which button activated which feed. Just as he was nearing the end of the row, he pressed a button and heard the sound of the robot's singing begin to echo into the room. He looked at the monitor that displayed the robot and focused his attention on it, trying to determine what he was up to. His examination ended up being in vain. The robot just kept singing as he worked, and Brian couldn't make any sense of what the machine was or what the robot was doing with it. Worse yet, it was nearing the time for Stewie to wake up. The kid usually woke up around 6:30, giving him a good half-hour to get up and ready for the day before breakfast at 7:00 then the bus at 7:30. It was 6:25 now, and if Brian was going to figure out how to get the kid's attention, he had better do it right the fuck now. The dog stopped staring at the monitor and continued to press the buttons on the console, leaving the audio playing so he could keep tabs on the Brian Robot. By this point, he had pressed almost half of the buttons, and he still only had a vague idea of what most of them did. What he did know, however, was that none of the ones he'd pressed already could help him in any significant way. Suddenly, he heard the robot stop singing. He looked back up at the monitor and noticed that the robot had apparently finished what he was doing. He was putting the tools he had been using away and…smiling…sweetly. It irked Brian to see that. The robot walked off-screen, and Brian scanned the monitors, hoping he could still see where the robot was. It didn't take him long to find a monitor that was displaying a portion of the upper hallway, which showed the Brian Robot heading toward the area he had strapped down Brian earlier. Brian found a monitor that showed the room he had been trapped in and watched as the robot walked in. The machine's jaw dropped when he saw that Brian had escaped, and he began to search the room frantically for any sign of the dog. Brian watched all this nervously, afraid that the robot would eventually realize that he had escaped to the lower level. After a few minutes, though, the robot ceased his frenzied searching, face clearly showing how annoyed he was at this hitch in his plan. It didn't take him long to compose himself, though, replacing his scowl with a smile. The robot said something, but since the audio wasn't on, Brian wasn't able to catch what it was. The robot dog proceeded out of the room, heading off down the hallway and toward the exit that led to Stewie's room. Before he exited the lab, the robot pressed a button on the wall. An automated voice echoed over the intercom.
"Lockdown initiated."
The robot smirked and proceeded to step out of the lab, a solid steel blast door closing behind him, obviously intended to seal his escapee inside until he returned. Just as the robot entered Stewie's room, Brian switched the audio feed so that it was broadcasting the sound in Stewie's room. He turned his attention toward the proper monitor and watched as the robot walked up to the sleeping boy and shook him gently awake.
"Hey. Hey, kid, wake up."
The child grunted, annoyed to be awoken from his deep sleep. He swatted his arm at the robot, but the mechanical canine persisted, chuckling as he shoved the boy a little rougher.
"Come on, now. You know you have to go to school."
The child continued to ignore the Brian lookalike, and the real Brian was beginning to wish he was up there so he could tell the robot to back off. The robot crossed his arms and shook his head before yanking the comforter off of the boy. The chill of the room immediately caused the boy to sit up and glare at the robot.
"What the hell, man?!"
The robot chuckled again.
"You left me no choice. I'm not letting you sleep in. You need to go to school."
Stewie pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"As if. I'm smarter than most of the teachers there! I don't need to go to bloody sch…"
The child stopped midsentence and looked back up at the robot, confused.
"Wait. Why are you getting me up, anyway, Bry? Shouldn't Brian be doing that since he's supposed to be taking care of me while the fat man and Lois are gone?"
The robot just shrugged.
"He's not here. I don't know where he went, but I knew you weren't going to wake up unless I did something. So here I am."
The boy's jaw dropped slightly.
"He…He's not here? He just left me? Alone…"
The child's face took on a saddened expression, and the mechanical canine frowned at this.
"Hey. It's ok."
The robot climbed into the bed and sat by the boy.
"Brian knows you can take care of yourself. He probably didn't mean anything by it."
The Brian Robot began rubbing the kid's back soothingly
"I hate seeing you upset."
The boy looked over at the robot beside him and smiled softly.
"I know. I'm sorry. I just… He still means so much to me."
The child slammed his fists onto the mattress in frustration, smile faltering.
"Why can't I get over him?! Why do I keep allowing him to hurt me?!"
The boy was about to continue his rant, but he was shushed by the robot who proceeded to put a finger over the kid's lips. The robot smirked at the child as the hand that was rubbing Stewie's back descended, stopping on the boy's hip, fingers playing with the waistband of the child's underwear.
"Here. Let me take your mind off all of that."
Brian then watched in horror as the robot pushed Stewie onto the bed and proceeded to slowly pull off his underwear, smirking the entire time. He couldn't tell how Stewie was reacting to the robot's actions. The boy's face was just sort of blank as he watched the mechanical canine removing his undergarment. Brian's eyes were glued to the screen, but as soon as the piece of clothing was pulled off with one last swift yank. He closed his eyes and looked away. But, as soon as he was beginning to take his mind off the show being displayed on the monitor, he heard Stewie's voice again.
"Bry, no. Come on. I have to get ready for school. We don't have time for that."
The canine opened his eyes and looked back at the screen to see the child frowning at his robot companion. Brian kept his eyes focused on Stewie's face, refusing to glance any lower. He heard the robot chuckle again.
"This won't take long. Besides, I can't have my guy running off without his morning wood attended to, can I?"
The child scoffed at this.
"What makes this different from any other morning? I wake up with wood all the time, but that doesn't mean I need you to take care of it every time."
The boy glared at the robot dog, but he didn't make any attempt to move away. He just kept lying there, staring the robot down. Before he had even realized it, Brian's eyes had wandered away from Stewie's face and down toward the robot. He caught a glimpse of Stewie's naked lower region and gulped. He knew he shouldn't be watching this, but…
I have to keep an eye on the robot. I need to know what he's up to.
So, the dog kept watching as the robot persisted onward with his task, reaching a mechanical paw out to grab the child's erection between two fingers before proceeding to pump it up and down. Stewie's face remained the same for a while longer, but eventually, his apathetic expression faltered as his lids dropped and a tiny, high-pitched moan escaped from between his lips.
"Ohhh."
The boy squirmed, giving in to the robot's touch as the speed of the jerking increased. Brian was paralyzed as he watched, eyes wide and barely breathing. He couldn't look away, no matter how hard he tried, and it wasn't just because he was determined to keep his eyes on the Brian Robot. This was…well it was disturbing, no doubt about that, but there was also something about it that was sort of…kind of…exciting. As he continued to watch Stewie writhing on the bed while being jerked off by his lookalike, he could feel a familiar pull below his waist. This took him off guard, causing him to break away eye contact from the screen finally and look down to see, much to his shock, his quickly growing erection. His jaw dropped, and a feeling of regret began to overwhelm him.
What?! No! I can't be…I can't be getting off on this!
He was no longer watching the monitor, but he could still hear the sounds the kid was making and it wasn't helping. His erection continued to grow and so did Brian's need. Almost by instinct, he wrapped his paw around his member and began to stroke it lightly, hissing between his teeth as the need to get off began to overtake him. He gripped the member tighter and started pumping it up and down, all the while his conscience was protesting the entire time. This was so wrong, but it felt so good. He continued to jack off, allowing Stewie's moans to feed his hungry ears. Eventually, he looked back up at the monitor, only to see that the robot was no longer jerking the child's dick. He was sucking it. Brian's breath hitched, and he began to jack off faster at the incredibly erotic sight.
This is crazy! What am I doing?! How can I be masturbating to this?! Why the fuck am I masturbating right now period?!
The dog was conflicted, but the pleasure he was experiencing was simply too good to give up. He could feel himself getting close and closer to sweet release, his eyes still glued to the monitor. It was obvious that Stewie wasn't going to last much longer, either. Brian smirked.
"That's right. Just a little more."
He watched the boy as he arched his back and cried out his name, and that's all it took for Brian to reach his climax.
"Ohhhhh. God."
He aimed his penis toward the ground and shot his load all over the floor, continuing to pump himself slowly, riding out his orgasm. It took him a few minutes to recover. Everything else faded away for a while as he came down from the high of sexual pleasure, but when he finally did, he looked back up at the monitor to see the child and the robot had left the room.
Shit!
The shock of losing track of the robot caused Brian to momentarily forget his brief period of complete insanity as he scanned the monitors, trying to locate the pair. It didn't take him long to find that they were currently in the bathroom. Stewie was now dressed and preparing for the day while the Brian Robot just…stood there. Realizing the robot wasn't going to continue with his plan until Stewie was gone, Brian decided it was best to not waste anymore time. He set to work investigating the panel again. The buttons were now just bringing up different documents and notes on the monitors, obviously having to do with all of Stewie's endeavors. Brian scanned them quickly, seeing if any of them contained any information that could help him. Eventually, he brought up a series of notes labeled Brian. The dog's eyebrow rose at this. Unsurprisingly, seeing a document with his name as the title intrigued him a great deal. He read the first note.
I think I'm finally close to a solution. I just need to do a little more testing. After all these years, my work will be complete. He may never love me, but still want to save him. I just can't get over him, no matter how much it may hurt. I don't even know why I'm doing this anymore. Love's a bitch.
Brian knew the note was referring to him, but it was still just vague enough to be confusing. He looked at the timestamp and noticed that it had been made only a few days ago. It was then that he realized the notes were ordered from the most recent to the least recent. He used a scrollbar on the panel to go to the bottom of the document. Then, he read the first note.
I love him. I know that. What I'm only just realizing, though, is the fact that he'll be gone long before me. I won't let that happen. I won't let him die. I'm going to find a way to keep him alive, and when I do, that'll be one less obstacle in the way. Don't worry, Brian. You're good friend Stewie is going to take care of you.
Brian looked at the timestamp. The note had been made several years ago, way back when the child was still only one year old. It was clear now that these notes all had to do with the kid's efforts to keep him from dying of old age. The dog's jaw fell.
He'd been working on this for that long?
Of course, taking the most recent note into consideration, the child was still working on something. What it was, Brian had no idea. Stewie had already kept him from dying. What more was there to do? The dog scrolled up, skimming the notes until he saw another one that caught his eye.
I'm running out of time. I need to change my plans. The solution I'm currently working on is far from complete and won't be for some time. I'm still not even sure if I have the formula right this time. I need more time. I need to come up with a quicker solution, even if it's only a temporary one.
The dog immediately knew what that temporary solution had been.
The chamber.
It made sense now. Stewie's chamber had only made him younger, but he was still continuing to age like a dog. The child wasn't just trying to save him. He was trying to give him a longer lifespan, a human lifespan, and according to that first note, he must be pretty close.
Is that why the robot is doing this now?
It made sense. The robot wanted him out of the picture, and that wasn't going to happen for a while if Stewie ended up succeeding with this plan. Stewie may have distanced himself from Brian, but he still cared about him deeply, loved him, enough to continue this project. The canine's heart swelled a little bit at the thought. All this time, Stewie never stopped caring. He smiled, but that smile quickly turned into a frown.
And what have I done for him? Hurt him. Broken his heart.
The dog felt guilty, but it wasn't like he could be with Stewie, even if he did it just to make the kid happy and repay him for all that he's done. It was wrong, and it wasn't like he felt the same way or anything. Of course, what he had been doing only a few minutes earlier kind of proved otherwise.
Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with me?
It was all just too much. He couldn't think about all this right now, couldn't process it. Yet, he kept scrolling through the notes. Another one caught his eye.
Fuck it.
The dog noticed the date, and immediately recognized it. The note had been made the very day that Stewie had made him younger. Seeing the words stung, but Brian kept reading, looking up at the following note. It had been made a few months later.
Damn it! I hate him! I hate what he's done, but I can't stop. I need to see this through. I love the bloody mutt. Fuck fucking it. Back to work.
Brian didn't dwell on this. It told him nothing new, only reinforced what he already knew. He scrolled through the rest of the notes that only talked about things he didn't fully understand before reaching the top of the document again. He reread the latest note one more time before pressing another button that was sitting right next to the one he'd pressed to bring up the document he'd just read. Another document came up, and the title of this one made the dog tilt his head in confusion.
Bry? But…I just read the notes about me.
Brian read the first note, which had been made a few days ago.
Bry is beginning to worry me. I told him how close I was to finishing my formula to save Brian, and he didn't seem enthusiastic in the slightest. I swear he's jealous, which would be cute if it weren't for the fact that it's just plain creepy that the android version of my "crush" is envious of my feelings for the real deal. Bry has helped me. He's been there for me. I'll give him that, but he's not Brian. He'll never be Brian, and while I may never have Brian for my own. I'll never settle for an imitation. I love the real one too much. Pretending gets harder and harder every day. I think it's time I shut him down. It'll be hard, but it's for my own good. I can't keep going on with this lie.
Brian had to wonder if the robot had seen this note somehow. Maybe this is why it was so desperate. Curiosity took over. The dog scrolled to the bottom and read the first note.
Brian and I have been going off on more and more trips lately. It amazes me that no one in my idiotic family ever notices this, but who's to say they'll continue to be so oblivious. No. I need to make a couple of decoys. It's only practical. I like going on these trips. Brian's a pretty cool guy, not like I'll ever tell him that myself, of course.
Reading this brought the dog back to when the child had first used those stupid robots.
So. That's where it all started. Damn it, Stewie. Why couldn't you have been a normal kid. Everything would be so much easier if you were.
Brian regretted thinking such a thing. He didn't want Stewie to be normal. He liked the kid for the way he was, and it was hard to imagine where he would be right now if the child had just been born a normal baby. He shivered at the thought of how empty his life would be, more so than it already was. He scrolled up and skimmed a few notes detailing the construction of the robots but stopped again when he saw another interesting one.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I used the Brian Robot for sexual pleasure. The temptation has been there for a while, but after yesterday, I needed it. I feel weird about it. In the moment, it provided a decent outlet for my lust, but I need more than that. I might just have to make a few modifications. If I can't have the real Brian, I'll just make one of my own. It's better than nothing, right?
Reading this note caused Brian to scowl. He hated the idea that Stewie had used that abomination for comfort. At the same time, though, he couldn't blame the kid. Sure, it was crazy, but a part of him understood. Unrequited love hurt. Brian knew that, and if the robot helped ease that hurt, it made complete sense that Stewie would do what he did. The dog scrolled through some more notes that talked about the modifications Stewie made to the robot over the years: advanced AI, synthetic skin, realistic limbs, actual fur implants, anatomically correct organs. It was really quite fascinating. The only thing keeping the "robot" from being an organic being was the fact that he was constructed. He wasn't a clone, but really, he might as well have been. Stewie did everything he could to, basically, create another Brian. Still, it was all fake, still inorganic parts no matter how organic they may seem. Brian finished skimming the notes. There was no truly useful information to be found in them, just a disturbing history that he didn't want to dwell on. He sighed and pressed another button. He'd almost pressed every button on the panel, by this point, and it was beginning to look like there was nothing here that could help him. Suddenly, he heard a voice, and it wasn't coming from any of the monitors.
"Lockdown terminated."
Brian's gaze immediately shot to the monitors. Stewie was nowhere to be found, and he quickly realized that the robot had returned to the lab.
Shit! He must have left for school!
Brian saw on one of the monitors that the robot was walking over to a similar looking control center, also displaying security footage from around the house and lab…including one monitor that was currently displaying the very room he was in. The dog gasped and hopped out of the chair only to fall to the ground, screaming in pain as he went down. He reached down and gripped his throbbing ankle. He had forgotten about his injury, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had to hide. He couldn't let the robot see where he was. Brian began crawling across the floor as fast as he could, eyes fixed on the security camera he had noticed when he first entered the room. If he could just get behind that camera, the robot wouldn't be able to tell where he was. He pawed at the ground and dragged his body across it, skin rubbing unpleasantly against the metal floor. It hurt like hell, but he ignored the pain and kept crawling until he was over by the corner the security camera was in. He sat up against the wall, body now directly under the camera and hidden from the view of anyone who happened to be watching. From where he was sitting, he could still see the monitors from across the room, though the details were a little fuzzy at such a distance. He was able to pick out the monitor that was displaying the other control panel, though, and watched as the robot took a seat and began scanning the monitors for any trace of his captive. It didn't take the robot long to realize that none of the screens were showing him what he was looking for, and this caused the robot to seethe and bring his fist down onto the armrest of the chair he was sitting in, crushing it with the strength of the impact. Brian gulped and continued to watch as the robot pressed a button before leaning down to speak into the panel. His voice echoed over the intercom.
"Brian? I know you're in here. I must say, I'm impressed that you were able to escape, but you really are starting to piss me off. Why don't you be a good dog and come back up here. It really is your best option. It's only a matter of time before I find you. You think you can wait for Stewie? You think he'll save you? Ha! Hardly. I only need a couple of hours to complete the process of taking control of your body, and trust me, it won't take me one to find you. You're only making this harder on yourself. There's no hope for you. Don't fight this."
Brian's breath began to quicken as fear started to take a hold. He got away from the robot once. Odds were, he wouldn't be able to do it again. After a couple of seconds, the robot began speaking again.
"Look. I'm about to go over the security camera footage here. It'll show me everything: how you escaped and where you're hiding. You can make this easier on the both of us if you just come out now. I'm on the upper level in the center room. If you're not up here by the time I finish going through this footage, I'm coming after you, and trust me, it won't be pretty."
And with that final warning, the robot shut off the intercom, and Brian watched as he began to rewind the footage from all the cameras simultaneously. This meant he was no longer able to see the current feed, so Brian stood up and hopped back over the chair. He began pressing buttons again, his desperation growing.
Come on! There has to be something here!
He reached the final set of buttons, but all they did was bring up more and more blueprints for various machines that Brian had no hope of understanding the mechanics of. One of the blueprints was actually of that old Stewie robot. It appeared that hadn't been worked on in ages…
Wait a second.
A thought occurred to Brian. If there were blueprints for the Stewie robot, then, surely, there must also be blueprints for the Brian one.
Maybe it can show me a weakness or a way to shut it off or something!
It was the best idea he'd had yet, so he rushed through the buttons, seeking the one that would bring up the blueprint he sought. As he was doing this, though, the robot's voice came back over the intercom.
"Oh. Well, that was quite creative, I'll give you that. Maybe you're not as dumb as I thought you were. It would appear that I underestimated you. Honestly, it makes me feel a little better. At least my competition is somewhat clever. I still don't see what Stewie sees in you, let alone why he'd care about you so much, but anyway, I know where you are. You're in the lower level, in the other control room, in fact. I'll see you in just a few. Don't say I didn't warn you."
The intercom shut off, and Brian watched as the Brian robot got out of the chair and proceeded down the hallway, walking casually, no sense of urgency to be seen.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!
Brian went back to pressing the buttons, until, finally only one more remained, the one at the very end of the console. His finger hovered over it. This was his last chance. He took a breath and pressed it. As soon as the button had been depressed, the last blueprint popped up on screen. Brian read the title.
Bry
It was almost too good to be true. He couldn't help but chuckle darkly.
Of course. Of course, it was the very last fucking one. If the robot doesn't kill me, at this rate, my incoming heart attack will.
Brian began looking over the blueprints. Outside, he could hear the elevator beginning to rise. Remembering the elevator control button from earlier, the dog quickly located it and pressed it, causing the elevator to stop ascending and come back down. Almost immediately, though, the elevator started going up again. Brian simply pressed the button once more. If he could keep that elevator from going up, he just might be safe until Stewie returned. He looked at the monitor that showed the Brian Robot standing by the elevator door, tapping his foot, obviously enraged that he couldn't get the elevator to cooperate. Suddenly, the robot turned back around and walked back into the upper control room. He spoke into the intercom again.
"Man! You really know how to get under my skin! You figured out how to control the elevator! Bravo! THAT STILL WON'T SAVE YOU! Computer."
Another voice responded, an automated voice.
"Input command."
The Brian Robot chuckled before speaking again.
"Enact Protocol Seven. Disable all control in Sector B."
As soon as the robot said this, the security monitors began shutting down, each of them going dark one by one. Brian's eyes went wide.
"No. No. No! NO!"
All the screens went dark except for the primary one, the one displaying the robot's blueprints. Brian could no longer see what was going on outside the room he was in.
"Protocol Seven initiated."
The Brian Robot chuckled one last time before getting off the intercom and no doubt heading for the elevator. In no time at all, Brian heard the elevator beginning to rise again. He pressed the same button from before, but it did nothing. He was out of options. He refocused his attention on the blueprint.
Come on, Brian! Think! There has to be a way to stop him!
By the time, the elevator had left the lower level, Brian had gone over most of the blueprint. He was beginning to lose the last shred of hope he had, when his eye caught a minor detail. It was in the robot's collar. Actually, it was in the tag on the collar. Brian focused in on this and read aloud the explanation in the blueprint.
"Tag: Installed with a communicator to be used in the event that Bry requires assistance. For emergency use only. Sends an alert directly to cell phone. Response is a priority."
Brian clapped his paws together.
That's it! That's how I reach Stewie!
The dog's excitement quickly faded, though. In order to use the communicator, he had to get in contact with the robot, meaning he'd have to get caught because there was simply no way he could fight the robot off at such a close range. It was his only option, though. If he could contact Stewie, let the kid know what was happening, the kid would come back and put an end to this madness. Of course, there was always the chance that the robot would be finished with him by the time Stewie returned. He gulped. It was risky, but at this point, it was a risk he was going to have to take if the Brian Robot got to him. He heard the elevator descending. In just a few more moments, the robot would be at the door. He was out of time. Brian sighed and took a moment to compose himself. He wasn't going to give that thing the pleasure of seeing how scared he actually was. He listened as the elevator door opened and as the footsteps on the walkway got closer and closer until they were right outside the door. Then, to his surprise, he heard a knock on the door.
"Brrrrriiiiiiaaaaan. This is your last chance. Let me in, and I promise, to go a little easier on you than I was planning to."
Brian didn't respond. He just continued to sit there silently, waiting for the robot to make his move. He heard the robot sigh before speaking again.
"Alright. Fine."
Suddenly, there was an incredibly loud booming noise that caused Brian to jump in his seat and turn around. He saw the door of the room, torn off of its hinges and lying on the ground, a large dent in the center of it. He looked up and saw the robot with his foot in the air, indicating that it had kicked the door down. The robot lowered its foot and tilted its head at the dog.
"See? Now I'm going to have to fix that before Stewie gets home."
The robot proceeded to walk across the room slowly, menacingly, scowling at the dog sitting in the chair. When it got over by the chair, it turned the seat around so that Brian was facing him. He glanced off to the side and noticed something on the floor. Once he realized what it was, he became enraged and grabbed Brian tightly by the collar.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why the fuck is there semen on the floor?! What did you get off on?!"
Brian didn't say anything, he just smirked at the silliness of the situation. The robot looked over at the blank monitors, and it realized just what Brian had jacked off to.
"You… You watched us! YOU SPIED ON US!"
The robot yanked Brian out of the chair, causing his feet to hover over the floor as he was suspended in the air. The grip was choking Brian, and he couldn't help but reach up with his paws and try to loosen the hold the robot had on him. It was useless, though. Still, Brian had to chuckle at this.
"What can I say? I figured I deserved one last good release before I died, and it's not like I expected you two to get 'intimate'."
Brian made air quotes with his fingers, teasing the robot, acting much braver than he actually felt. The robot just growled and slung Brian to the side, smashing his back against the wall. Brian yelped at the sudden impact. His back was going to be bruised from that one, no doubt. The robot got close to him then, bringing his face extremely close to the dog's and speaking in a low, intimidating whisper.
"You don't get that privilege. You had your chance, and you ignored him. I was the one who was there for him. Me! Not you. He's mine, and he always will be."
Brian just shook his head, eyes wandering down to look at the robot's tag. He aimed his paw at it and prepared to make the grab.
"You may feel that way, and yeah, maybe I don't deserve him. Maybe I gave up that chance, but Stewie deserves better than you, and no matter what you do, he'll never truly love you."
The robot reared back his fist, preparing to punch the dog, and Brian used this as his opportunity to reach out and grab the robot's tag. As soon as he had it in his hand, he felt a button and pressed it. A red light began blinking on the tag, and the robot's jaw dropped as he released Brian in from his grip, momentarily distracted by his shock. Brian fell to the ground, a smirk plastered on his face despite the pain of landing on his leg again. There was silence for a few seconds, and then, there was a new voice. Stewie spoke, voice emitting from the speaker in the tag.
"Bry? What's wrong?"
The robot's gaze fell on Brian again, mouth still agape, and there was a tense pause before the robot growled again and lunged at Brian, aiming for his throat. Brian ducked out of the way and began shouting.
"Stewie! It's me! It's Brian! The real one! The robot! He's gone crazy! He's trying to ki…"
Brian was cut off by the robot grabbing him by the throat, depriving him of oxygen. The dog clawed at the mechanical paws, trying desperately to pry them loose. As he struggled, he could hear Stewie over the speaker.
"Brian?! What?! How did you…?! The robot?! Oh, shit! Shit! Don't worry! I'm on my…"
The voice was silenced. The robot had grabbed the tag and crushed it in his free paw. Brian's vision was beginning to blur, and he knew he was only seconds away from passing out. He just watched as the robot glared at him in anger and annoyance. Then, he saw black, and the last thing he heard was the robot's voice.
"You're such a pain in the ass."
Brian woke up to find himself tied up once again, this time with a wire of some kind. He immediately began to struggle, but his struggling only caused the wire to cut into his skin, causing several cuts that began to bleed. He screamed in pain and stopped his struggling, leaning back against a wall he was next to. He heard laughter. He knew that laugh. He looked to the side and saw the robot laughing like a maniac, glaring at him with a frightening intensity.
"How do you like that?! I'd like to see you try to escape from that without cutting yourself to ribbons!"
The robot ran over to Brian and knelt down beside him.
"I hope you know you haven't changed anything. The plan is still the same. It doesn't matter that Stewie knows. He'll never reach you in time. I've activated the security protocols for intruders, and believe me, they're quite effective. After all, Stewie designed them."
Brian's eyes went wide, his pain momentarily forgotten as he began to worry about what Stewie was about to be up against. The robot scoffed at him.
"Oh. Don't give me that look. The security in this place is harsh and deadly, but Stewie will be fine. The kid will get past it. I know he will. He's just too amazing to be taken down by his own security. It won't stop him, not completely, but it will give me just enough time to complete my procedure, and then, when I have the opportunity, I'll simply capture him and wipe his memory of this whole mess. You'll be gone forever, and he won't even care because he'll still have "you" only it will really be me."
The robot patted Brian on the head and chuckled. Brian winced away, causing the wires to dig into his skin again. The robot simply shook his head at this.
"But enough talk. I've done far too much of that. I really did want to take a while to get to know you and explain everything. It only seemed fair. I respect you to some extent because Stewie does. I can't help that, but now, I've said all I need to and you've put up the best fight I'm going to allow. So, for the last time, goodbye, Brian."
And with that, the robot placed a rag over Brian's muzzle, and almost instantly, the dog's eyes shut as he fell into unconsciousness once again.
