Yay! Got another one-shot up and at 'em! :D This one turned out to be really cute. . . if anyone wants me to continue this one-shot as a regular story, let me know! :D
And, as always, check Chapter One for request guidelines in case you want me to do a one-shot! :D
Have fun!
Shipping: Zane (Ninjago) x EVE (WALL-E)
Genre: Remix Romance
Slam! Zane collided straight into a worker walking in his path. "I'm sorry!" he apologized quickly. "I wasn't-"
He stopped mid-sentence. The worker wasn't a human. She was a robot, but she didn't resemble an android, like Pixal. She was the same shape and color of an egg, with oval wings and a simple head that resembled a second egg flattened on one horizontal side. Her face was a black screen with two blue oval scanners for eyes. Her head hovered a few centimeters above her torso, the empty space glowing the same vivid blue as her eyes. Her wings were disconnected from her torso so they could move freely at her sides.
She cocked her head curiously at him from her place on her back, lying on the floor as she scanned his titanium body with bright blue beams projecting from her eyes. She righted herself and seemed to cross her wings behind her back. "Directive?" Her voice was cool and calm, a lot like Pixal's, but slightly more human.
Zane wondered why he kept comparing this new droid to Pixal as he fumbled for an answer. Unsure of exactly what she meant by "directive", he asked hesitantly, "What do you mean?"
"What is your purpose?" she asked impatiently.
"My purpose is to protect the people of Ninjago from harm," Zane answered.
The robot tilted her head at him. Finally, she said, "You are a PROTECT-R? I am unfamiliar with that type."
Zane frowned, puzzled. "No, I'm a Nindroid," he said. "My name is Zane."
The droid's scanners narrowed into a suspicious frown. "Nindroids do not look like you," she responded. She projected a picture of a white-garbed Nindroid warrior from her eyes. "They look like this."
"My name does not sound familiar to you?" Zane asked. He was certain she had to be new to not recognize him after all the visits he'd paid to Borg Industries.
"I do not know of any Nindroids answering to the name of Zane," the robot replied coolly. "I am in charge of registering new soldiers. I know all the Nindroids by name." She gave him a quizzical look. "Are you a rogue droid?"
Before he could answer, the droid's right arm transformed into a blaster, and she aimed it at him.
"I'm not a rogue!" Zane protested. "Put your gun away! I am Zane Julien, Master of Spinjitzu, Titanium Ninja, Elemental Master of Ice, and Master of Airjitzu."
The robot's scanners widened in surprise. "You are the original Nindroid?" She quickly sheathed her gun, and Zane noticed she looked embarrassed. "I am sorry for my interrogation," she said. "I am used to registering new soldiers, and I have become rusty in my social interactions. My name is EVE."
"Good to meet you, EVE," Zane said, smiling at the female droid.
EVE's eyes curved at the bottom, like she was smiling. She made a small noise like she was stifling a giggle, and covered the part of her head where her mouth should be with her wing. "I did not expect the original Nindroid to be so attractive," she said. "You look nothing like your counterparts."
Zane felt his cheeks tingle with sudden warmth. Was he blushing? He didn't know he was still capable of that. "I-uh-thank you," he managed, looking slightly embarrassed.
EVE gave him a look of concern. "Have I offended you? I apologize if I have."
"No, no, you haven't offended me," Zane assured her, blushing even harder. Goodness, why was she making him so nervous? "I am just . . . surprised at how outspoken you are."
"I am merely stating the truth," EVE replied. "You look more . . . friendly, and certainly more human than those designed by your blueprints."
Inwardly, she was wondering, Did I really just call him attractive? I should have chosen my words more carefully. But Zane was attractive to her. Just his presence was making her sensors go beserk. Her robotic mind was jumbled with emotions: embarrassment, fascination, a strange warmth . . . what did all this mean?
Zane's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Are you new to Borg Industries? I've never seen you before."
She bobbed her head emphatically. "Yes. I was transferred here from Axiom Productions when it closed down. I was one of the only robots from Axiom not completely recalibrated. My original directive was to analyze plant life, but my primary function now is to keep the Nindroid army in order."
Zane raised an eyebrow. "Why would the Nindroid army need keeping in order?"
EVE frowned thoughtfully as she considered the question. "You bring up a good point. They are not too much of a handful, to borrow the human colloquialism, but they are hard to keep track of. That's probably why they installed me in that position. I am excellent at organization."
Then she exhaled a little electronic sigh. "However, I am unsure of whether or not they take me seriously, since my original purpose was peaceful, and I am not a Borg Industries droid."
"It is safe to assume your arm gun is for self defense?" Zane inquired.
"Yes. I have no real need of it, except for neutralizing rogue Nindroids." Her wings tips broke apart into fingers, and she locked and unlocked them together nervously. "I hope I am not insufficient for my task," she said, eyes curving into a worried frown.
Zane gently took one of her hands. "Just by this conversation, I'm certain you are more than sufficient to perform well at your task," he said, giving her a reassuring smile.
EVE felt her body temperatures skyrocket at Zane's touch. This cannot be normal, she thought, feeling her cheeks surge with warmth. Robots cannot feel human emotions, can they?
But maybe her upgrades had made her more human than she had realized. Zane's ice-blue eyes were so penetrating, yet so kind as they gazed into hers. His titanium skin shone in the afternoon sun peeking through a window, revealing not a single imperfection on his metal plating. She actually enjoyed his touch as his cool slender fingers comfortingly massaged hers.
They stood there, just staring at each other and holding hands, for several minutes. Finally, Zane released her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, EVE," he said softly. "I hope we'll see each other again."
"I hope so as well, Zane," EVE murmured.
She felt a new piece of information enter her brain as she spoke. Scanning it, she asked, "What is this?"
"It's a way to contact me in case you would want to meet up at some point," Zane explained. "You or I need only to access it, and a private video feed that only the two of us can interact with will open up."
EVE's cheeks flushed with heat again. "Thank you," she managed to say. "I will definitely use it."
She blushed even harder as she realized what she'd said. Zane laughed. "I have no doubt about that," he said. "See you soon, EVE."
As he walked away, EVE felt a little jolt in the spot of her chest where her power source was.
Even though her primary directive was to keep the Nindroid army in order, another directive might have begun to program itself in her mind: something that she might consider more important . . . something connected to Zane. . .
She would surely wish to contact him again . . . if only to find out what this directive was. . .
