FluentFletcher2 gave me the idea to rename the chapter the new title you see under this.
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Chapter 7: Imprisoned For The Villainous Benefit
Three robots of highly similar designs, although they were in three different colors: yellow, red, and blue, hovered towards a cell near the end of the tenth floor in the round holding room that was filled with prisoners. The morning rays cast themselves down from the glass circle in the roof. They gave everything a golden glow and made the already amber floor shine like fresh honey. Once, the robots came to the cell, the red one unlocked it, the blue one opened the heavy, metal door and the yellow one woke up the prisoner that was harbored inside.
"Wake up, good for nothing slimeball!" The yellow one fired a laser at the wall. "You must be prepared for your daily morning activities!"
Chum Chum, who was asleep in the corner, jumped up. He dodged the laser and rubbed his eyes. "Wake up? When did I fall asleep?"
"You were asleep for quite a while." The red robot informed him.
"Indeed. You're neighbors complained about a noise keeping them up most of the night." The blue robot added on. "You cried yourself asleep."
"I did...?" Chum Chum was more or less asking himself the question, but the pushy and forceful yellow robot grabbed his small wrist and pulled him out.
"Yes! Now, hurry before you're late!"
"Okay, okay! I can walk for myself you know." Chum Chum gestured to its metallic clamp that was firmly holding him.
"We must keep an eye on you."
Chum Chum only sighed and allowed the robots to lead him out. After exiting the cell, he gasped in horror and shock at the scene in front of him.
In the holding room, there were over fourteen floors that were nothing more than just a different platform that encircled a little over half of the room. Countless others were being emptied out of their cells which all had doors that looked nothing like his. He recognized many of the prisoners as none other than sidekicks. Chum Chum never knew that there were so many sidekicks in the world, but which world did they came from? He watched as they were detained by other robots. Most of them were being fitted for special clothes that would hold back their powers, greatly decreasing the chances of rebellion. He then looked upwards at the glass in the roof. The large circle had an unclear design on it that mirrored itself on the floor with the help of the sun. Chum Chum let out a depressed groan as he looked at the beams of light coming through. Their orange glow made him think about his uniform which had been removed shortly after he was thrown in his cell. The window also seemed to rise up some hope in him that felt stupid to have. It gave the depressing room something beautiful and nice to see. Chum Chum stepped closer to the railing and looked down at the amber floor.
"Hey, what are your names?" The ten-year-old asked the three machines.
"I suppose you should be allowed to know our names... Very well. My name is E dash one zero three four." The blue robot replied gracefully.
E-1034 bowed to Chum Chum.
It was the red one's turn. "My title is E dash two zero four two."
E-2042 shook his hand.
"My name is none of your business!" The yellow robot viciously shouted at the young boy.
"Alright, none of your business~" Chum Chum said sarcastically.
"Oooh. I see we have a shrewd tongue here. I hope the witch doctor cuts it off and replaces it with a swatter's straw tongue!" The yellow robot hovered faster.
"A- What?!" The brunette didn't have any idea what the machine had said, but he was sure that whatever was coming would be painful.
He began trying to pull his wrist out of the robot's grip but of course could not succeed. That didn't stop him from wriggling his body in many ways and making strange noises that got everyone's attention. The other sidekicks looked on in pity of the boy; unlike him, they stayed quiet.
"Stop fighting!"
Chum Chum was brought to a silver, metal corridor. There were many doors lined up on both walls. From some, he could hear dreadful screaming and from others, he could see bright lights flicker constantly. The dim light of the corridor only added to his worry. The three bots stopped at a door labeled Witch Doctor: In the business of caring since you didn't. The painted letters made no sense, but the term witch doctor made him think he would be seeing a woman who took part in voodoo and knew curses and spells that would harm him for years to some. As the door slowly slid open, Chum Chum gulped, preparing for the worst.
"Yeah, who's there?! Oh, it's my patient. Edmund."
Chum Chum wasn't sure when he closed his eyes, but he opened them and examined the doctor in front of him. She was a clear and literal witch. Her skin was green and her chest sagged slightly. She wore a white lab coat over a light blue, cashmere, turtleneck sweater. Her dark blue skirt stopped at her ankles, and her small feet were covered by black, leather high heel boots. She had long black nails that were sharpened and could possibly be incredibly thick. Surprisingly, she had no warts compared to the usual image of witches. She did have a large nose and wiry black hair. Her eyes were an electric blue.
"How did you know my name?" Chum Chum asked the woman in the door.
She put her fists into her wide hips. "Baby, I know everyone's name here. Since, you're my patient and no one else, it only seems natural that I should definitely know yours."
The witch pushed the boy inside using her clipboard. The door shut itself automatically, and the three robots left to take care of other daily jobs.
Chum Chum took a second to become familiar with his surroundings. The room was small and had another door in the back that could possibly lead to a medicine room. There were cabinets almost anywhere one could be put. Next to the cabinets on the right wall, there was a biological waste container and a typical trashcan underneath. In the center of the light blue room, there was an examining table covered with white tissue-like paper. The witch went over to a box of gloves next to the sink and slipped them on. Chum Chum mostly expected her nails to tear the gloves.
"I have to examine you. Hop on the table so we can get this started." Chum Chum's self-concern became obvious to the witch. She let out a deep sigh and smiled. "Don't worry, kid! It'll be over before you know it."
The small boy reluctantly made his way to the examining table, not saying a word. She watched him hop up on to the stool and climb on to the table, tiny legs wiggling all the while. As the sidekick awaited any deadly experiments, the doctor pulled out a cart that had several medical tools on it. He eyed the pointed instruments of torture with fear.
"All I need to do is give you a regular check up, baby." She said in a quiet, calming voice. "Pretend this is like any normal time you'd visit a doctor."
Chum Chum gulped and slowly nodded his head. A storm of questions he wanted to ask her blew through his mind, but he couldn't get his mouth to open, either because he was too scared and confused or he felt as though in some way, there were questions he didn't want the answer to. The witch doctor grabbed a few tools from the cart and sterilized them. She turned to the boy on the table who looked incredibly stiff.
"Relax, Edmund." She cooed.
Almost immediately, he could feel his tense muscles become calm. The witch placed her hand over each part of his body. After she was done using a calming spell on him, Chum Chum finally spoke.
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
At first, she seemed shocked that he would ask such a thing, but then, she closed her eyes, and faced the floor. "I have no reason to treat you like the rest of those demons out there."
A tiny smile played at Chum Chum's lips before it quickly settled to it's original, fixed position. "Do you even agree with them?"
"If by them you mean those villains who want to rule the world, then no. I'm not here to cause death and destruction, babe. Take in a deep breath."
Chum Chum did as she said, watching her listen to his heartbeat. She picked up her clipboard and wrote something down.
"I only saw them once. It was after they used some gas or something on me, and threw me in the cell." Chum Chum announced to her. His voice hat a hint of hatred to it that vanished as he continued. "I don't know what they want from me. Why would they take me and so many other innocent people?"
The witch doctor looked into his eyes. "There are many evil people in all the galaxies far and wide who would hurt anyone and everyone. People like that can't see the difference between natural death and murder."
Those words only added to his fear, but he tried not to show it. "The big meanies kidnapped me after my best friend, my super hero leader, went to sleep. I've never been separated from him like that before. I don't even know where he is right now. He's probably going crazy without me around."
"I can see how close you two are. How long have you two known each other?" She asked as she reached for more equipment.
"Since we were in kindergarten. I kind of poked his eye out." Chum Chum chuckled at the memory. "We've lived together for a really long time!"
"Do you get into fights?"
"...A few times, but we always go back to be being friends right after." Chum Chum smiled.
"That's what true friendships do."
"Do you have any friends?" He asked, curious.
She paused for a minute and changed the subject, uneasy about the question. "You're from a place called Galaxy Hills."
"Yeah! The place is full of cool people. I'd hate to know what happened to it after Fanboy and I were split up."
"I have heard about the catastrophic events that happen when you two aren't together."
"What is this place, doctor witch lady?"
She jotted something down on her clipboard and placed it on the counter behind her. "This is a planet that Crates has taken over. That damned beast forced everyone who lives on it to work for him."
Chum Chum became silent, not sure of how to respond to her reply.
"You're check up is over, sweety!" She said, suddenly bubbly.
"Really?"
The entire time Chum Chum was talking to her, she did everything she needed to. It was one of the results of the calming spell.
"I'll call the Dutybots in here to bring you to the breakfast room."
Chum Chum would have jumped off the table, dropped to his knees in front of her, and begged for her not to call the robots in. He knew so little about the witch yet he would do anything to stay with her if she was going to be so nice to him. He decided to only shake his head, saying that he understood. The doctor picked up a device on the wall that resembled a telephone. She said a few things to whoever was on the other end and placed it back. In a matter of seconds, the three robots appeared at the door.
"Please, keep yourself safe when I'm not around. Don't do anything foolish. And above all, don't show fear and don't give in."
Chum Chum glanced at the witch as she whispered those words into his ear. He could feel his stomach drop for some reason he couldn't explain. As he was guided out by the Dutybots, he took one last look at the doctor. She was facing the wall with her palms rested on the counter. Her words echoed in his head. At that moment, he remembered the most important question he wanted to ask her. Do you know where Fanboy is?
While the robots brought him to what was called the Eating Chamber, Chum Chum didn't bother talking at all. Don't do anything foolish. He kept telling himself that. Though truly, he didn't know what the witch would consider fool-like behavior. He mostly hoped that keeping his mouth shut would keep him alive. There were no spoken of or obvious plans to kill him, but Chum Chum just wanted to be safe. Please, keep yourself safe.
He took note of everything he walked past and how nearly everything was made from metal. He listened to the way his sneakers softly hit the metal flooring. They passed a few rooms that were banned to anyone who was not authorized. He wasn't completely familiar with such words, but he remembered the door in the back of the Frosty Mart that said something similar. Every time he or Fanboy tried going in it, Lenny would stop them and Boog would punish them harshly. To Chum Chum, that meant that every door that was heavily guarded meant there was life-saving information behind each and every one. He would have to make a useful mental note of this whenever he escaped.
"You've been awfully quiet, human." E-1034 finally said.
Chum Chum bit his lip and laughed nervously. "I guess there isn't much to talk about. Hehe."
The blue robot had a small screen that took the place of facial features such as eyes. The LED lights on the screen changed to form squinting, untrusting eyes. The robot turned back around, continuing to head forward.
"Maybe he's finally realized his place~" The yellow, so-far nameless, robot happily said.
E-2042 added his own opinion. "It could possibly be that he's scared."
Don't show fear. Chum Chum thought it would be best to say nothing.
Once they finally arrived at the Eating Chamber, Chum Chum gasped again. The next scene that was played out for his young eyes was one that he thought he'd only see in an actual prison, but then again wasn't that place a prison?
The room was even larger than the Holding Room. It was dome-shaped like it as well. There were many windows lining the curved wall that let in all the light. It was the only source of light the room had. Through the windows, he could see everything outside: the several aircraft carriers that looked like something he would only expect to see in a Sci-fi movie, extremely tall sand mountains, and in the center of the windows was a stone castle that was too far away to make any specific details. Chum Chum then noticed that he was being pushed along by the Dutybots. They maneuvered through the many tables where sidekicks sat; some eating their morning meals as though it was a normal, average day, while others barely touched theirs. The atmosphere in the Eating Chamber was smoky and shimmered with light. It seemed like the room was designed to make it feel a lot less like you were in jail. Everywhere he looked, everyone was wearing the same prison-like jumpsuits. He would have preferred his sidekick uniform. At least then, he would feel like he was somebody. Somebody different.
The robots sat him at one of the long tables. In front of him, there was a plate of mysterious looking food that seemed less edible than Lunch Lady Cram's cooking. He watched the robots leave him once again, only that time, he was surrounded by so many strangers.
"Ugh..." Chum Chum groaned and picked up a fork next to the plate.
"This place is awful." A girl next to him said aloud.
"You said it sista'. It's times like these I regret being so cruel to him." Another female replied.
"I wish my hero was here..." A small boy who was only slightly older than Chum Chum sighed.
"Stop all of your whining. We need to stand up for ourselves for once. We need to or else no one will!" A teenaged boy slammed his fists on the table.
"You said that as though no one is going to save us." The same blonde girl next to him glared at the boy.
"We're just a bunch of sidekicks..." The little boy was on the verge of crying.
The girl comforted him by wrapping her arms around his small, thin frame.
"This could finally be our chance to show that we're just as strong if not stronger than our leaders! You all just need to brighten up!"
A tear rolled down Chum Chum's reddened cheek. It fell onto the unEarthly food before him. A few more strolled down his cheeks and landed in the same spot.
"Hey, you must be pretty young."
Chum Chum jumped and turned to his side. The blonde girl who looked like she was only sixteen smiled at him. He glanced down at the boy who had his round face covered by her chest and looked back up at her.
"Yeah..." Chum Chum sniffed. "I'm ten."
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Chum Chum." He said with a hint of pride.
The teen giggled. "That's cute, but what's your real name?"
Chum Chum was shocked. Other heroes and sidekicks didn't normally ask for an actual name. It was understood by all that topics like that were forbidden unless it was an emergency, but something like that wasn't as bad when every sidekick was in the same room together and no one was wearing their uniforms.
"My real name is Edmund." He spoke in a voice that was just above a whisper.
"My name is Delilah. This is my little brother, Richard. That idiot you see over there who believes he's all that is our older brother, Eugene." Delilah spoke about their real names as though she wasn't a sidekick at all. It was as if she was an everyday average teen girl.
"Hey!" Eugene spat at her, a long fork-tongue appearing. "I heard that!"
"He has super sensitive hearing and can transform into a lizard. I have similar powers, but mine don't show as much. Richard on the other hand has this." Delilah reached behind her and showed Chum Chum that one of the young boy's arms were covered in scales.
Chum Chum compared the siblings to each other. Delilah had long, blonde hair that was tied into a messy ponytail while there was still hair hanging in front of her face. She had apricot skin that was dotted with freckles that made him think of Kyle. Her brothers had freckles too, but theirs were paler and harder to see. Eugene had black hair that was styled into a small Mohawk. The tips of it were red. He had decent muscles and many scars. His face was hard and darkened. Richard's hair was light brown and short. His bangs were brushed off to the side like Chum Chum's. He also had large, round ears. Delilah and Eugene had leaf-shaped ears.
"If you guys are sidekicks, then who's your leader?" Chum Chum asked her.
Her face turned pale and she played with her thumbs. "Our parents. We don't know what happened to them. We were kidnapped in the middle of the night while our parents slept."
Chum Chum's eyes widened. It sounded all too familiar to his story.
"Cowardly bastards. Only people like them would wait until everyone's backs were turned." Eugene angrily muttered under his breath.
Richard clutched his older sister tighter and softly wept.
"We were one big super hero family until that night. We've been here for quite a long time." Delilah continued as tears stung her eyes.
Quite a long time? Chum Chum hadn't even been there for a full twenty-four hours, but Delilah made it sound as though she had been there for months or even years. The thought pained Chum Chum, but he tried to talk about something else.
"Where are you from?"
Delilah perked up. "Oh, we're from a little old town in Canada, and you?"
Canada? She was from a completely different country. "I'm from Galaxy Hills. Its a small town in California, USA, but I'm actually from a place called Chulkistan."
Delilah raised a brow at him, clearly confused. "Wha- I've never heard of that place."
Before Chum Chum could get a chance to explain, the Dutybots marched in to pick up each of their prisoners. Delilah's and Richard's arms was grabbed by a large robot.
"I'll talk to you soon, okay Chum Chum?!" Delilah waved at him as she left. Richard only blinked at him.
"Yeah! Yeah! I'm comin', robot shit!" Eugene yelled at the robot who grabbed him.
"Well, our little prisoner has yet to eat~"
Chum Chum looked over his shoulder to see that the room was being cleared out, and his Dutybots were waiting for him.
"Don't you need your strength?" E-2042 asked.
"Its okay. I'm not really hungry." Chum Chum replied.
He was almost certain he didn't want food. Especially whatever garbage they had piled onto their plates. There were so many things he wanted but couldn't have. The yellow robot held out it's metal clamp to drag Chum Chum to the next place on their list. In the pit of his stomach, he could feel the urge to try and run, but once again he could hear the witch doctor's voice in his head.
Don't do anything foolish.
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I didn't have a name for this chapter until after I finished it. Naming chapters is so difficult at times _X
